I Believe

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

2014 Summer Ministry Reflection - St. Aloysius Neighborhood Services - Street Ministry

My summer ministry was a street ministry through St. Aloysius Neighborhood Services in downtown Detroit. Through this ministry we provided drinks, sandwiches, and sometimes articles of clothing to men and women we saw on the streets and in parks nearly every Saturday morning. I chose this ministry because I thought it would provide the greatest opportunity to have the Holy Spirit work through me, as it was something I had never done before and would have me traveling in parts of the city I’d never ventured into.

The typical Saturday started at 7:30 in the morning and ended anytime between 10:30 and 11:00. I and several other volunteers provisioned the church van with several gallons of coffee, and depending on the weather, Gatorade or hot chocolate. We also loaded large bins of sandwiches made earlier in the week by other volunteers. Sandwiches were typically bologna and cheese or peanut butter and jelly on white or wheat bread. At times we might also have cookies or bags of chips. On rare occasions we might have socks or underwear to pass out along with the food and drinks. After the van was loaded, but before we started out on the road, if Jennifer was there, she would make sure all the volunteers held hands and we would pray for guidance and protection. On Saturdays when Jennifer was not there, no one, including myself regrettably, led a prayer. If I were to ever do this again, or something similar, I would make sure we prayed before going out, as well as ask for a blessing over the food we were serving.

While there was no set route, we frequently stopped by the Mariners’ Church, near the entrance of the Windsor Tunnel, the Rosa Parks Transit Center, Cass Park, across from the Masonic Temple Theater, Mariners Inn (an addiction recovery facility), Manna Community Meals, kitty corner from where Tiger Stadium used to stand, and the NSO – Neighborhood Service Organization – on 3rd Avenue. There were usually ten to 20 to 30 or more people at these different locations. If we happened to see someone along the road, or in an alley, we would stop and offer that individual something to eat and drink.

Encounters with the people on the street could be humbling or challenging. One Saturday we had men’s socks to give out along with food. It was truly humbling to see how appreciative the men were just to get a new pair of socks. It made me realize that something I take for granted, the ability to clean my clothes, could be completely unavailable to these men and women. There were other instances where the individual we were speaking with and providing them with food and a drink was so unclean that they smelled. Many times I said a quiet prayer asking for the strength to carry on, and to remember, as soiled as the person might be, they too were part of the Body of Christ. Other individuals were challenging in that there was a sense of entitlement to what we were giving out – a sense that was conveyed when they became specific in what they wanted in the way of sandwiches or chips or a drink. These encounters were typically the exception, rather than the norm.

The drive home was always surreal for me. I spent the 30 minutes it took from downtown out to Farmington Hills in quiet reflection, in part, reflecting on the culture change between where I had been serving and where I was going. Many times the John Bradford quote, “There but for the grace of God go I,” came to mind. The experience made me realize the small things in life that I take for granted, and the many blessing for which I should thank God. The ministry experience also made me think about what might be done to make a more permanent change in the lives of some of these people living on the street. I also found myself reflecting on what Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-40 with regard to clothing and feeding him through our least brothers, and what St. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 regarding anyone who doesn’t work should not eat.

In closing, while circumstances and the ministry work itself didn’t lend itself to 40 hours, the time spent was invaluable. It provided me with many opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work through me through up-close exposure to parts of our community that previously I would only hear about and see in the news or on TV, where the experiences are sanitized and distant. The work gave me experience that will allow me to speak the homeless, or those suffering with addictions, more comfortably, with more compassion and empathy in the future. 


Peace,

A Loss in the Family

I learned this afternoon that one of my fellow Aspirants passed away Saturday.  During Morning Prayer at the start of our second Aspirant Saturday yesterday we included him in our intentions,  as we were aware he was undergoing a medical procedure that day.  Today, leaders of our Formation team passed along the news of his passing.

"Welcome to the Diaconate Family," is the way my acceptance letter from the Archdiocese of Detroit back in July started.  It continued, "Even as you begin a very intense year of discerning whether or not you have been called to be come a deacon, the diaconate community considers you to be our brother and sister in the diaconate family."  Indeed it is a family, and this weekend our family suffered a loss.

Eternal rest grant unto him Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.  May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Peace,

Aspirancy Formation Saturday - #1

Met with the other ten men and their wives at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.  It is the first of many Saturday formation meetings, to be held the second Saturday of every month, with a "break" in July and August.  The "break" is for our summer ministry work. 

For our meeting this month most of the day was spent with each of the couples speaking for ten minutes on their background, how we got to where we are today, a concern we might have regarding diaconal discernment, and hopes that we hold.  I am humbled by what I heard today.  The faith, the spirituality, the love of the couples to one another, and the variety of ministries these men and their wives have fulfilled was just inspiring.  When you are constantly bombarded with horrific acts man perpetuates on his fellow man during the evening news (or on one of the many 24 hour news channels), it was refreshing to hear of act of love, hope, and charity.

The afternoon we spent time going over how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.  While there are numerous electronic versions of the Liturgy of the Hours, the formation team wants us to learn how to pray the Hours out of a book, either the four volume set, or the single volume, Christian Prayer.  Our wives are encouraged to pray the Hours with us, so after the session Juanita and I stopped and picked up a copy of Christian Prayer for her.  We took Juanita's copy with us to Mass to have it blessed.  Fr. Vic was presiding.  He had spoken to the Aspirants at the retreat in August, so having him bless Juanita's Christian Prayer was fitting.

Next Sunday we are attending the Rite of Candidacy which is being held at St. Isaac Jogues in St. Clair Shores.  While our attendance is not mandatory, it falls under the category of "Also-Expected Events" it will be a good to witness this rite.  A year from now I could be going through the Right of Candidacy along with the other ten Aspirants.

Peace,

Spiritual Director

Today I met with Msgr. John to see if he might serve as my Spiritual Director.  As mentioned in an earlier post, we are to meet with our Spiritual Director on a monthly basis.  While what is discussed between an Aspirant and his Spiritual Director is confidential, the Diaconate Formation team will check with the Spiritual Director to make certain the monthly meetings are taking place.

We talked for about 45 minutes about my past, why I think I'm being called to the diaconate, and about my prayer life.  I asked him a few questions as well.  At the end I asked if he would be open to serving as my Spiritual Director.  He said yes he would.  He encouraged me to keep a journal so that as thoughts, issues, or questions came up through the month I could write them down and bring that with me to share with him.  We meet again in late October.

Peace,

Deacon Mentor & Spiritual Director

This morning I met with my Deacon Mentor, Deacon Jim.  We got together for coffee and ended up chatting for 2 hours.  It was a great conversation that touched on various topics associated with this Aspirancy year and Formation years to follow.  Through the course of the conversation I got a good sense that I was speaking with someone who is a lot like me, background, as well as current life commitments.  I think it will be very beneficial to have a mentor who is not retired and is still dealing with the daily aspects of working and serving as a deacon.

I've made arrangement to meet with a priest from a nearby parish to be my spiritual director.  Unlike the Deacon Mentor who is assigned by the Formation Team, selection of a spiritual director is up to both the priest and the Aspirant.  They both have to be comfortable with each other.  The priest I'm meeting is someone with whom I am familiar as he celebrated Mass a few times at the former St. Colman.  More on that meeting later.

Peace,

Aspirancy Retreat

Aspirant Retreat, another early milestone in Formation where Juanita and I spent the weekend at Capuchin Retreat in Washington, MI with 10 other Aspirant couples.  As Juanita and I learned this weekend, technically I am not in Formation at this time.  This first year, as an Aspirant, I am going through a structured discernment.  Formation is for Candidates and begins the second year.

We are encouraged now to begin saying Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.  This is required of deacons.  During the first several Aspirancy Saturdays, the second Saturday of the month, the Formation Team will be helping us learn how to say these prayers - using the Brievary, and not an electronic version.  Having been saying these prayers more or less since 2011, I certainly understand the need for instructions on how to flip between various sections.  Feasts for saints can quickly become an exercise in ribbon management!  More on that another time.

We are were also instructed to end any ministry work we perform with our respective parishes.  I alluded to this in an earlier entry.  Part of the reasoning for this is associated with time management.  With the start of mandatory Saturday meetings and two classes a semester at the seminary, the workload, particularly for someone who is not retired, can be overwhelming.  Add to that meeting with a spiritual director monthly, and meetings with a Deacon Mentor at least every quarter, you'd be hard pressed to have time to properly prepare and fulfill other ministry roles.

Friday evening was primarily check-in, welcoming and introductions, followed by some short presentations covering the history and renewal of the diaconate.  Check-in was interesting in that we were given a room number, no room key.  We went to our room pondering why there were no room keys.  But then it clicks.  We are at a spiritual retreat center, where you would hope we were all obeying the 7th Commandment.

The room was quite simple, two single beds, each with a plain night stand, and a small desk in the corner.  The bathroom was equally simple, with a sink, toilet, and shower stall that was no larger than the old phone booths.  There was no phone, no television, no distractions.

Saturday was a full day, beginning with Morning Prayer at 7:30, wrapping up at 9:00 that evening with social time.  There were four presentations through the day, followed by Mass, dinner and a fifth presentation.  There was a period of reflection after the first four presentations during which we were encouraged to go out onto the grounds of the retreat center and spend some quiet time meditating on what was covered in the presentation.

Sunday we received our Aspirancy Handbook and viewed a presentation that covered the materials within the handbook.  We were given a list of priests as prospective spiritual directors with instructions to have arranged to have a spiritual director by November.  We were also told that we would be assigned a Deacon Mentor, with whom we should meet quarterly.  Meetings with our spiritual directors are confidential, while meetings with our mentors are less so.  The mentors will be asked to provide an assessment of the presence of a vocation and our readiness for Candidacy and formation. 

The retreat concluded with the commissioning of all the Aspirants, and a reminder of our first Aspirancy Saturday on September 14th, where, with our wives, are to give a 15 minute presentation about ourselves.

All-in-all, it was a wonderful weekend.  We met equally wonderful and spirit-filled couples, both within our group of Aspirants, as well as Candidates and their wives.  And not to sound like we are rushing things, but we are looking forward to our next couple's retreat in January.

Peace,