ADVENT ATTITUDE One of the first images that comes to us when we think of Advent and Christmas is surely (or at least hopefully?!) baby Jesus adored by shepherds, angels, wise guys, and holy parents. It’s that simplicity, that smallness, the poverty of the whole scene that I’m led to focus on. St. Paul tells … Continued
Walk With One… and more! Our core purpose statement for St. John the Evangelist is “To fulfill the Great Commission and form a community of missionary disciples in Jackson, Michigan”. This is our parish CULTURE, our environment and ecosystem. It’s who we are as a parish. We have been immersed in the basic training of … Continued
Go! Go! Go! JOSEPH! Throughout the Bible there is hardly any character as rich and inspiring as Joseph. I don’t mean Joseph of the Holy Family; yes, the foster father of Jesus is very inspiring. But for this article, I’m thinking of the Old Testament man that Joseph the carpenter of Nazareth was probably named … Continued
FALL START-UPS, TUNE-UPS, AND LAUNCHES Even though most adults are not tied to an academic school year calendar, we seem to maintain that pattern of start-ups in the fall. In just a week or so we will kick off this year’s Catholicism 101. A gathering of folks who are thinking about becoming Catholic, exploring the … Continued
STEUBY AND THE PSALMS For a few decades now, my summers have often included a visit to the beautiful, holy Campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville (commonly referred to as Steuby). This year Angel Koerkel, Kathy Blanchard, and I joined peers from neighboring parishes to attend the Applied Biblical Studies Conference, ABS. Usually highlighted … Continued