Do You Not Have Faith?

"Do you not have faith?" A powerful, punch to the gut, question from Jesus in the Gospel reading today (Mk 4:35-41). Even though his disciples had already seen Jesus perform numerous miracles, they were still fearful they may drown during a storm.
Are our responses to the issues in the world, in the country, in the Church, ones that would prompt Jesus to ask us, "Do you not have faith?"

In the peace of Christ,

Deacon Mike

Lampstand

Jesus asks in our Gospel reading today (Mk 4:21-25) the rhetorical question about one putting a lamp under a bushel basket or under a bed rather than on a lampstand. Of course you put a lamp on a lampstand so it casts its light further. And what comes about in the light, things that are hidden in the dark are revealed.

We believe Jesus is the light of the world. In that case, was Jesus referring to himself, that his mission wasn't to be hidden, but to be set up high to shine light in our darkness. And if so, does that make his cross a lampstand?

In the peace of Christ,

Deacon Mike

The Baptism of the Lord

Deacons are frequently asked what are some of the things we can do.  Liturgically speaking, the big three are baptisms, and outside of Mass, weddings and funerals.  My first baptism as a deacon is coming up in about a month, and it is starting to weigh on my thoughts.  Mind you, I have assisted priests and deacons at many baptisms over the years as an acolyte during formation, fetching towels, handing them the correct oils, lighting candles, and so forth.  I have even had some hands-on experience during a class at the Seminary.  But being the presider, rather than assisting the presider, or pouring water over an infant, rather than a doll, is, I suspect, going to be very different on so many levels.  Rest assured, I’ll prepare as much as possible, rehearsing at home repeatedly the night before.  Even so, I will turn to the Holy Spirit to steady the nerves come the big day.

As nerve-wracking as this first baptism might seem to me, I can only imagine what John the Baptist was thinking when Jesus came to him to be baptized!  Don’t forget, John knew who Jesus was.  The Baptist had been telling anyone who would listen to him that one greater than he was to come, so great that he, John, was unworthy to loosen his sandal straps.  After all, that was John’s mission from conception, to announce the coming of the Messiah!  That, in and of itself, is an awesome responsibility.  But now Jesus presents himself to be baptized.  To put that in perspective, think how you might feel if the Pope personally asked you to pray for him?

If knowledge of Jesus wasn’t enough to leave John the Baptist in awe, certainly what happened afterwards would.  No sooner does Jesus rise from the water than the heavens open, a dove settles on him, and God, yes GOD, is heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

My first baptism will be nothing like this, with one exception.  While not visible in the form of a dove, the same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus will leave an indelible mark on the infant being baptized, just as he has on all the baptized.  This child will become an adopted son of God with the stain of original sin washed away.  And as I imagine John the Baptist standing in awe of what he witnessed, humbled that the Lord worked through him in that way, so too will I, his humble servant, stand in awe at the power of the Holy Spirit and the waters of baptism.

In the Peace of Christ,

Deacon Mike

He's Not Finished With Me Yet

In my last post (over three ago!) I closed with the lyrics from Brandon Heath's song Wait and See.  

There is hope for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet

Indeed, God was not finished with me yet, as I returned to formation for the permanent diaconate in 2017 and was ordained October 5, 2019.   

A great deal has happened in the past three years.  But the past isn't as important as the future.  I am assigned to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.  Sunday Mass is at 11:00 AM.  All are welcomed!

In the peace of Christ,

Deacon Mike

One Call to Serve Comes to an End to Prepare for Another - Part II

In the Spring 2016 issue of Human Development, Msgr. John Zenz (and my Spiritual Director) writes in regard to God’ providence and vocation, “We also reach a point of what St. Ignatius of Loyola would call ‘thinking with the Church’ wherein we recognize the presence of God working in the Church at every level and accept as God’s providential ‘will’ even things that may cause us confusion or disappointment.” (pg. 12)

So it is that I write that as of June 22, I am no longer in Formation. After prayerful consideration and discernment by the Formation team, it was felt that my ministry to the Church is something other than the Permanent Diaconate.

In my post of July 14, three years ago as I was entering Formation I wrote about how one call to serve was coming to an end in preparation for another call to serve. Well, after all this time, there is, in the beauty and mystery of God’s plan, a reversal. I have no doubt that this faith journey these past several years has been and is part of God’s plan. One day, through the grace of God, I may even understand the how, where, and why of it all.

But even if I don’t, one thing I do know is, this part of my life was enriched through the friendships, the brotherhood, forged with a group of men with whom I was going through formation, my fellow Candidates and the deacons who make up the Formation team. I am a better man, with a stronger relationship with our Lord, today because of each and every one of them. I thank them from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul.

Come August at the time of the annual Formation retreat, as well as the second Saturdays of the month thereafter, I will be thinking of these men and their wives, praying for them as they continue their journeys.

While there is so much I could reference in regard to this decision and my state of mind (such as the attitude of Joseph from the Gen 45:4-5), I’ll close this entry with the refrain from Brandon Heath’s song Wait and See:

There is hope for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet

In the peace of Christ,

A Reflection - John 10:27-30

“No one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” It is a portion of the Gospel that kept popping up in my head. While I tried to reflect on the entire three verses, I was drawn to this part time and time again.

Jesus’ full statement was in response to being challenged by Jewish authorities. They were looking for a definitive statement from Jesus that he was the Messiah, though not necessarily a divine Messiah, but a king that would return Israel to greatness, a second King David. What they got was an answer that is filled with references to Jesus’ divinity. From references of the voice – the Word of God incarnate, to the gift of eternal life, and most clearly, “I and the Father are one.” And just before this portion of the dialog with the authorities, Jesus states that he is the good shepherd. His use of “good” brought to mind Mark 10:18. After asking a rich man why he called Jesus good, Jesus says, “No one is good but God alone.” Even the two sentences that kept popping out imply equality between Jesus and God, as no one can snatch the sheep from Jesus’ hand or God’s hand.

But it wasn’t the aspect of equality between Jesus and God in this portion of the Gospel that intrigued me. It was the message of protection that kept coming to mind. “No one shall snatch them out of my hand.” As I thought about this, I recalled what was said early in formation, that Satan was going to try and stop us from responding positively to this calling, this vocation. I remember the session on discernment and talk of the evil spirits that were going to do their best to dissuade us from formation. I remember talking about these forces are going to constantly be trying to turn us from this calling, and could intensify in the period just before ordination. Sadly, while I remember talking about the challenges that we were going to face, I don’t remember if this verse was referenced to give us hope, to give us strength. Regardless, I will remember these words in the days and weeks and months and years ahead. Whether it is in response to challenges from evil spirits during formation or life in general, these words give me hope.

And just as Jesus told the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, that he is the fulfillment of the Psalms, we see this protective nature in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Exactly what we would expect from our Good Shepherd.

Peace,

2015 Summer Ministry Reflection - Capuchin Soup Kitchen

My summer ministry was at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen on Connor Street in Detroit. My primary responsibilities were to minister to those who were coming to the kitchen for meals and other services.

I volunteered at the Kitchen most Fridays and Saturdays through the summer. I usually arrived around 8:00 AM, shortly before the serving line volunteers started showing up, and worked until 1:00 PM. I would help a bit with meal preparations, sometimes greet the line volunteers, and then head out into the dining room to mingle with the guests who were already gathering for breakfast, which was served from 8:30 to 9:30. Lunch, which was served from 11:00 to 1:00, frequently meant a new set of line volunteers.

On Fridays between meals the Detroit Action Commonwealth (D.A.C.) would meet at the Kitchen. I would help them and the U-M students who came by to assist folks with replacing lost state IDs, request copies of birth certificates, get driver’s licenses reinstated, or request other social services. On several occasions helping the D.A.C. meant driving people from the Kitchen to the Secretary of State’s office and back. On Saturdays, a computer lab was opened up between meal servings. This allowed folks to check email, apply for jobs, search for housing, and apply for various social services. I was dumbfounded to see how many people had email accounts, not to mention one or more smart phones. However, after seeing how many social services required online sign-up or status reporting, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there is a need for individuals to have Internet access.

It was in the computer lab one Saturday that I got a chance to meet and speak with Rick. He was thumbing through a children’s book on the 50 states. Along with various facts about the state, the book highlighted someone important from that state. Frequently these “favorite sons” were musicians. Rick and I spent the afternoon looking up on my phone the real names of several Blues musicians. This time established a connection that I used the rest of the summer to ask how he was doing, what his plans were each time I saw him come in for a meal. Because of this, I made it a point to reach out to Rick my last day at the Kitchen. In the course of our conversation, and not in a forced way, I referred to his full name. His astonishment that I remembered Rick was short for Roderick was a powerful reminder for me of how a person’s name is their identity and their dignity.

As for some of the other guests that left an impression on me, there was Mercedes, and elderly woman who told me about her many businesses, her property, and how it was all taken from her. There was one gentleman who came in all decked out in a Marine Corps polo shirt and ball cap. As he walked by I shouted out “Semper Fi” the Marine Corps motto. He stopped, set down his tray, snapped to attention and saluted. Later, after eating, he came by to thank me for that simple acknowledgement of his service.

Troy was another regular at the Kitchen. He struck me as a young guy who was capable, but may have hit some hard times. After seeing him several weekends in a row, I finally went up and introduced myself. I found out he was working for an automotive supplier, making less than $9 an hour, but really wanted to work for the Detroit-based watch maker, Shinola. He took his meals at the Kitchen to stretch his money as far he could.

Then there was the conversation with the young man who had just been released from prison. He had served 24 years. His perspective on the then recent killings of young black men by police, and religion in prison was thought-provoking. His comments about police harassment of young blacks, and that in prison Christianity is viewed as the white man’s religion, were akin to a cry to “walk a mile in my shoes.”

In closing, while I may not have sat with someone during each and every meal that was served while I was at the Kitchen, in retrospect, I did speak with a number of folks, more than I realized, especially when trying to summarize them all within two pages! Reflecting on the experience gives me a lot more to ponder. It also leaves me thinking, there is a lot more to be and can be done.

Peace,