Friday, February 12, 2021
"When I think of the happiness that is in store for me,
every sorrow, every pain becomes dear to me,"
Saint Francis of Assisi
Dear Friend,
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. The season of Lent is almost upon us. 40 days of prayer, mortification and almsgiving as we prepare to accompany Jesus Christ throughout his passion and death on Good Friday and onto his glorious resurrection from the tomb upon Easter Sunday.
As ever with the Christian life, we have no greater model for accompanying Our Blessed Lord than his Blessed Mother. Mary knew Jesus best, loved him most and, thus, shared most deeply in his sufferings. This beautiful yet bittersweet reality was foretold to Mary from the moment that she presented her first-born son in the temple in Jerusalem accompanied, of course, by St. Joseph.
There they meet an elderly man, Simeon, whom we are told is righteous and pious. Like any grandfather-figure he asks to hold this baby. Three times our text talks about the Holy Spirit guiding him (Luke 2:21-35). It is in that Spirit that Simeon praises God for sending this salvation of Israel.
At the end of these very positive words, Simeon turns to Mary: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). This is not something any of us would want to hear about our kid or about ourselves.
Yet, if we reflect upon this child, who is the new Adam, given us by the Father to restore all things back to the Father, it is clear that Mary has been invited to partner with her son in his great mission. It is as though God’s initial plan in Genesis is being reworked. There God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him” (Genesis 2: 18). Mary is indeed that suitable helper.
Thus, it is appropriate that her heart will also be pierced. As we will see in the Gospel of John, “one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34).
Sisters and brothers, many of you have experienced or watched your wives experience what Jesus described at the Last Supper: “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (John 16:21). Mary’s incredible joy at being part of God’s plan will always be tempered by her participation in Jesus’ following the Father’s will. God’s will for us should also bring us great joy, even when we are called to endure the trials of this life for the sake of that good which God wishes to achieve. May we continually meditate upon that divine reality during our prayer and our privations this Lenten season.
Assuring you of my prayers, I am sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl
Bishop of Lansing
Read: Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Father Charles Irvin who died yesterday, February 11, 2021. He was 88-years-old. May he rest in peace.
“Father Charlie was, for me, a model priest and, certainly, an inspiration for my priesthood because he really exemplified what it means to be a ‘wounded healer’,” said Father Dwight Ezop, Editor of FAITH Magazine, which was co-founded by Father Irvin in 1999.
“For me, Father Charlie was always an example of Christ’s love and dedication. He was the reason I returned to Church a young man while a student at the University of Michigan and the reason I subsequently found the path to the priesthood. I will miss him. May he rest in peace.” To read a full obituary of Father Irvin click here.
Watch: Why marriage? This week is National Marriage Week across the Diocese of Lansing and, indeed, across the Church in the United States.
There was a time in this country and beyond when the married family – a mother, father and, God willing, children – was regarded as the obvious building block of a good society, the “first, best, and cheapest, department of health, welfare and education” as the married family was once notably described.
But the consensus no long exists. Why? What can we do to rebuilt it? And what role can we Catholics play in all that? They are just some of the questions asked in this Diocese of Lansing Podcast to the Diocesan Director of Marriage and Family Life, Rich Budd. He also discusses the Diocese's new marriage preparation guidelines.
This podcast was recorded on Wednesday, February 10. It is hosted by the Diocese of Lansing's Director of Communications, David Kerr.
Watch: Beginning in Advent 2020, Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing has been leading people on a day-by-day journey through the Holy Bible. To subscribe go to Bishop's Year of the Bible click here. It's not too late!
This week the Year of the Bible reached Chapter 13 of the Gospel of St. John. So what is God saying to us in this passage? To help us prayerfully ponder that question, here is a short reflection by Sean Nolan of the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan.
Read: RoseMary Battle, pictured above, would really appreciate your prayers. The 23-year-old from the parish of St. John the Evangelist in Fenton is currently discerning a vocation to religious life. Here, in her own beautiful words, RoseMary charts her path, so far, towards the sisterhood:
"I vividly remember sitting in the back seat of the family car. It was just Mom and I (which was rare considering I was number 10 of 11 children). I was staring pensively out the window and, suddenly, I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I let out a deep sigh. My mother looked at me through the rear view mirror."
"'What’s the matter Rose?' she asked."
"I paused for just a moment and thought: Was this the right time? Was I ready to share?"
“'I… I just don’t know what to do Mom. I want to be a teacher but I REALLY want to be a nun,' I responded, trying to hold back tears.”
“To my surprise my Mother laughed, 'Sweetheart, you can be both'." Want to read more? Click here.