Friday, June 24, 2022
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
"Do not let the past disturb you. Leave everything in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and begin again with joy."
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997
Dear Friend,
We are now well into the second third of our yearlong pilgrimage as Disciples Together on the Way. Congratulations and thanks for staying with your commitment. From our beginning in January, we have made it to the summer!
As with any long trip, however, it makes good sense to pull over from time to time and see how the journey is going so far. Maybe there is a need to stretch the legs, have a bit of refreshment and be certain we haven’t lost anything along the way.
The Walk to Emmaus by Lelio Orsi, 1511 – 1587, The National Gallery, London
With that sense of journeying together for the long haul, this week I invite you once again to look back and choose a challenge from the previous weeks and engage in it again. You can view a list of all our prior challenges by clicking here or on the image below.
It could be a challenge which you struggled with before. Perhaps now will be the right time, with God’s grace, for success. Being willing to re-challenge ourselves is a sign of growth in developing the habits of a disciple.
Hopefully there was a challenge in the past months which brought you joy, peace or a new closeness to the Lord. Maybe you lived Lent in a new way through renewed prayer, sacrifice, or the Stations of the Cross. It could be that a relationship was rekindled through your prayer or deliberate thanks. If there was a challenge you wanted more of, pick it up again and work towards keeping it as a lasting habit.
Hopefully there was a challenge in the past months which brought you joy, peace or a new closeness to the Lord. Maybe you lived Lent in a new way through renewed prayer, sacrifice, or the Stations of the Cross. It could be that a relationship was rekindled through your prayer or deliberate thanks. If there was a challenge you wanted more of, pick it up again and work towards keeping it as a lasting habit.
Regardless of what you choose to revisit this week, know that the on-ramp to the road of discipleship is never closed for repair. The love of God invites us back after every falter, flat tire, or detour. Enjoy the journey, we are in this together!
And may God bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And may God bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. Here's the video version of this week's challenge, below. Do feel free to share it with friends and family. Thank you. God bless you.
Watch: Watch Father Karl Pung, Rector of Saint Mary Cathedral, Lansing, as he leads a Eucharistic procession around the Michigan State Capitol upon the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Sunday, June 19.
"The Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament is the source my life and, without it, I cannot be myself," explains Father Pung, "So, I will spend a couple of hours a day, at least, in front of the Blessed Sacrament just to be with the Lord. He’s my friend. He’s my savior. He’s what gives me the strength to be me, and he shows me what I can yet be."
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, witnesses the Church Universal giving homage and thanks to Jesus Christ who instituted the Holy Eucharist, the Church’s greatest treasure.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated either on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or the following Sunday. The feast was instituted by Pope Urban IV in 1246. Ave verum Corpus!
Read: Welcome to the Craftsmanship Club at Lansing Catholic High School, a new, monthly venture meant to introduce middle school and high school students to the industrial arts and teach them the skills to take on their own projects, featured in this month's FAITH Magazine, the official publication of the Diocese of Lansing.
It’s the result of club leader and civil engineer Greg Ingle’s (pictured) prayerful discernment and own passion for craftsmanship, brought to fruition during the Year of St. Joseph in 2020-21 as he and his wife, Heather, prayed about how Greg could serve the Church with his gifts.
Married in 2020, the couple began a consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph. “My wife kept inspiring me to dream – ‘You’ve got to dream about where God is calling you to be,’” Greg says to FAITH's Elizabeth Hansen.
“Then the idea came up – I always wanted to be a shop teacher. Shop class was always my favorite in school.” Want to read more of Greg's story? Click here.
Married in 2020, the couple began a consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph. “My wife kept inspiring me to dream – ‘You’ve got to dream about where God is calling you to be,’” Greg says to FAITH's Elizabeth Hansen.
“Then the idea came up – I always wanted to be a shop teacher. Shop class was always my favorite in school.” Want to read more of Greg's story? Click here.
