NATIVITY of OUR LORD
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Pastor's Pen

5/28/2017

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First, I’d like to congratulate our Confirmandi on their celebration last Sunday.  It was wonderful to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation with You.  May the Holy Spirit continue to guide you in your life.  Thanks to all who made the day possible: Ms Joni Scott, our DRE Director, Ms Mashauna Adams, our Catechist, and all the parents and parishioners who made the day and the reception a tremendous celebration.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord.  We are reminded in the Gospel of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit.  He will not leave us orphans but will send his powerful Spirit to be among us and provide us with the gifts we need to be courageous disciples in the world   The Ascension reminds us that although we don’t see his resurrected body any longer, we will feel his presence in new ways.   When the Spirit inspires us, enflames us, moves us to be passionate about justice for all our brothers and sisters or urges us on to be compassionate to our enemies and to love the most difficult, Christ is present.


Next Sunday we will celebrate the feast of Pentecost and we will call upon the Holy Spirit to break down the barriers we have created in our own hearts and among ourselves.  We call upon that Spirit to move us from our apathy and indifference to passion about the Gospel and serving the Lord.  We all need to be “shaken” up and reminded of what our priorities are in life.  I think it’s interesting that the two men dressed in white ask the disciples after Jesus is ascended, “why are you looking up into the skies?  He will return again just as he has been taken up.” In other words, don’t spend your life looking to the skies for what has been but realize he is with us now and calls us to give our “all” for the Kingdom of God.  He also reminds us that His Spirit will be more than enough for us to accomplish all he asks.


As we approach Pentecost next Sunday, we are asking each member of Nativity to meditate on the gifts of the Spirit and to discern which gift you need in a special way this year.  We realize that we have received all the gifts of the Spirit and they are just waiting to be used but we have to make an effort to claim them.  So, which gift do you need this year?  Next week we will have baskets in the front of church and have time to place our name in the basket under the gift we need.  Hopefully, throughout the year, we will have moments where we will call upon the power of the Spirit to open that gift for us in a certain situation.


In case you may not get the insert or may forget the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They are:


WISDOM  KNOWLDEGE  COUNSEL  FEAR OF THE LORD  PIETY UNDERSTANDING  FORTITUDE


Come Holy Spirit and fill us to overflowing

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Pastor's Pen

5/21/2017

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God bless our Confirmandi:

​(Names of the Confirmandi have been removed for privacy concerns)


Young Adults, today you’re making a decision for your life.  You are saying that the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we’ve spoken about are important to you.  May those gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude counsel, piety and fear of the Lord be you constant companions as you make your way through your lives.  May you be leaders of virtue and goodness in a world that is often filled with harshness.  May you know that your Nativity parish is so very proud of you.  We will always be here to support you as you make your way.  God bless you and know we love you!

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Pastor's Pen

5/13/2017

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Happy Mother’s Day

​Today we celebrate our mothers!  They are the women who have given us birth or those who have been our teachers or taken care of us when we were sick or been there when we’ve had a problem or made our special meal or dessert on our birthday.  Yes, the love of that mother may be all rolled into the woman who gave us birth but it may also have been someone who came into our lives at a crucial moment and wrapped their arms around us and made us feel safe and loved.  That seems to be the epitome of what the word “mother” means.  It’s that person who stands with arms wide open to love us unconditionally when the rest of our world hasn’t understood us.  Yes, mothers are faithful, strong, wise and filled with hope for their children.  Their greatest joy is to see us, their children, flourish and they refuse to give up on us until they witness our success!


For those of us whose mothers have gone home to be with the Lord, we know they are still very much in our lives.  In the Gospel, today, Jesus says, “in my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”  Our mothers watch from their place in Heaven and get things ready for the homecoming when all their children will be home again.  And for mothers whose children have life this world too early and they carry within themselves the ache of a shattered hear, we pray for you and with you.  There are now words to comfort you but please know that your struggle and pain is not forgotten by God.  I suspect there is a special place in Heaven for mothers who have lost their children.  I also know that those children will be watching out for you in this life and waiting at the door of paradise to let their mom in.


Mothers of all types, we bless you and thank you for all you’ve done!

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Pastor's Pen

5/7/2017

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​It’s been a wonderful week as Capuchins and Detroiters and so many others celebrated the acceptance of the miracle by Rome and the movement of Solanus Casey one step closer to canonization.  His Beatification Mass will probably be sometime in the Fall.  It has been wonderful and humbling to see so many people moved and inspired by the life of Solanus.  I was thinking about Solanus as I stood at the Center on Thursday and saw the Archbishop, the friars and the TV cameras.  Solanus would wonder what all the glitz was about.  I know he would just say he allowed God to lead and he was able to get out of the way.  He instinctively knew that any power for healing didn’t come from him but God.  He allowed the Shepherd to lead him so he could lead others.

Today we celebrate the feast of the “Good Shepherd.”  We celebrate the Shepherd who leads us to safety when we’re in danger, gives us clarity when we get confused, rescues us when we get lost, binds our wounds when we get injured from life, comforts us when we become weary from the struggles of life, strengthens us when we become weak and gathers us to Himself when life becomes too overwhelming.  It’s this Shepherd’s voice we hear throughout the Gospels.  It’s the voice of compassion and understanding, wisdom and guidance, strength and courage, love and sacrifice.  Yes, it was the Shepherd that loved so deeply as to lay down his life for his sheep.

As I think back on my life, I see many “good shepherds” who have loved me and guided me through difficult moments in my life. Certainly, my parents shepherded me with their goodness and faith.  They have made me feel safe and secure with their love.  I also think about teachers, coaches, neighbors on my block who shepherded me when I was a child.  They were not only loving to me but also built me up so that I would be a strong Shepherd one day.  We have all been given Shepherds in our lives to show us the way.  They have been our gift and it would be nice to take some time to remember them this week and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the goodness they brought to our lives.  We also may look at who we are called to shepherd in our life right now.  Who is looking up to us for direction, compassion, and strength?  Are we fulfilling our role to be a good shepherd to the younger ones among us?  We live in a world where there are many thieves and marauders.  Can we be the good shepherds our children need?
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