Peace Be With You

Luke 24:35-48

35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

36 And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them. 44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

“Peace be with you,” he said. 

The peace Jesus extends to us is something that we all desire.  We want feel content in the moment, able to go about our lives without doubts, anxieties, worries or fears.  Poverbs 5:3-8 tells us to trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, reminding us that there is a bigger picture, and to have faith that God will provide what we need to find peace.  We can live in a state of peace. Jesus wants us to live there! 

But living there doesn’t mean we live on easy street, that we don’t care about anything, that our lives will be fee from all stress, struggle, or even conflict.   Indeed, Matthew 6:34 tells us, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. What it  means is that we know we can face whatever happens. We can work through whatever life brings our way, with a sense of calmness and reassurance because we have faith that the Holy Spirit is with us and in the end everything will be ok. 

So how do we get that peace?

When Jesus came into the room and said, “Peace be with you,” the disciples were anything but peaceful.  They were frightened and terrified. Jesus saw how troubled they were.  He had to convince them that it really was him.  After they realized they were in the presence of Jesus, the terror and fear were replaced with joy and amazement. Somehow everything was going to be ok.  They were at peace.  

Like those disciples, many of us are going about life feeling troubled.  We just can’t find that sense of peace - we need to be convinced or reminded of the presence of Jesus in our lives. When we know we are in his presence, we can receive his peace, be filled with it, and be transformed by it.

Have you ever spent time alone in an adoration chapel or in a quiet church in front of the tabernacle? Did you feel like there was somebody else there with you?  There was, it’s Jesus!  In that moment you can receive and sometimes physically feel his peace come over you.  Your mind becomes clear, your concerns fade, your body becomes still, relaxed, and comfortable, you don’t even want to leave.  His peace is with you.  But what about outside the church or chapel?  Can we be in his presence when we are out in the world? 

The short answer is YES. Jesus’ presence continues in the world through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit makes his works alive today. There is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit working all around us all the time! 

If you go to the YouTube channel for Holy Redeemer in Burton, (www.youtube.com/c/HolyRedeemerChurch/playlists) you can watch the testimonies of some of their parishioners.  You’ll see how their lives were healed and transformed, which created the desire in their hearts to know Jesus more.  He’s there.  

Sometime as we go through our day, if we pay attention, we can notice many acts of kindness, done out of love.  Several weeks ago, a woman came to Catholic Charities’ Center for Hope downtown.  She was lost, confused, and needed medical attention, but refused to go to the hospital to get help.  The Flint police were called, and after they arrived one of the officers immediately struck up a conversation with her.  The officer listened to this woman for about 20 minutes.  He made her feel like she mattered.  She matted to him.  It was a kind, sincere and tender conversation.  The woman realized that this officer really cared about her and agreed to go to the hospital to receive the help she needed.  He was there. The Holy Spirit present and working through a Flint police officer. 

We can even know his presence in the more ordinary events of our life.  Before you go to sleep tonight, remember the places, people, and events of the day and look for the times you were treated with love and kindness.  Those times someone greeted you with a smile; when they dropped what they were doing to focus their attention on you; when they helped you with something, cared for you when you were struggling; or consoled you when you were sad.  In all these ordinary acts of love and kindness, the Holy Spirit was present, caring for you. 

When we take the time to know and be in the presence of the Holy Spirit we feel different, we feel safe, grateful, and blessed.  The Holy Spirit is all around us and when it comes into us, we act out of love instead of worry and need for control.  We choose to do the more loving thing, and not the more selfish thing. With the Holy Spirit, we can be content, we can live with calmness and reassurance, we can live at peace. 

You Are Mine

MT 22:15-21

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

 The other day a woman came to the Catholic Charities Center for Hope in downtown Flint.  Eve (not her real name) was probably in her mid-60’s and had recently become homeless.  She said she hadn’t slept in the 3 days it took her to find her way there.  During the couple of hours she spent there, Eve was provided, with food to eat, more clothes to wear, personal items to use, a bible to feed her spirit, and finally driven to a place to stay.  She was looking forward to a warm bath and a bed to sleep on.  Eve’s basic human and spiritual needs were provided for.

It got me thinking about what we really need in life. Just like food, clothing and shelter, there is another basic human need we all have, a need to be part of something larger than ourselves.  A need to belong.  This is something we will search for until we are satisfied.

So, what does it mean to truly belong?  Maybe you have found yourself in a situation where you felt that no one knew you, and worse, didn’t seem to care enough to want to get to know you.  You may have felt invisible, ignored, and rejected.  You surely didn’t belong there…

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a place where it felt like you belonged because people seemed to want to get to know you, but the more they found out, instead of loving, they judged and rejected you.  Do you think you truly belonged there?

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a place where those around you love you, or say they do, but they don’t really know you.  The feeling of belonging you have isn’t worth the risk of rejection by becoming vulnerable and allowing others to know the real you. You speak carefully, avoid certain conversations and situations, act like you have it all together, hide parts of you, hide the real you, afraid of what might happen if someone found out. But here’s the thing, do you truly belong here, or do you act like someone you’re not just to fit in? 

We truly belong when we are both known and loved.  Sometimes we can find this true sense of belonging with a close friend, our family, or spouse. Sometimes we find it in our church, school, or workplace. But, we can always find it with God. 

In this Gospel we see the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus by asking him a loaded question.  To avoid their trap, Jesus took the coin and asked “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” …  Then repay to Cesar what belongs to Cesar and to God what belongs to God.” 

What is it that belongs to God?  What has God’s image on it and God’s inscription?  You do.  You were created by God in the image of God, his love for you is inscribed on your heart. 

In the book of The Prophet Isaiah God tells us, “Do not fear.  I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name.  You are mine.”  And St Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that there is nothing that can separate you from this love that God has for you.  God totally knows the real you, chooses the real you, loves the real you, and will love you into eternity.  You will always truly belong to God. You are his.

With God there is no fear of being ignored, no fear of being rejected because of some baggage we carry, no need to fake it or hide parts of us to earn his love.  Belonging to God sets us free,  allowing us to be just who we are. 

In the Gospel Jesus says to give to God what belongs to God.  That’s you.  I invite you to give yourself to God.  Lay yourself at his feet. Let him look on you and love you, right now, sitting here just the way you are with all your joys, your struggles, your anxieties, your doubts, those things you are thankful for and those times you felt lost.  Hear him tell you, “You are mine and with me you will always belong.”

Until next time, may God be with you,

Deacon Ken

Our Blessed Mother

Mother’s Day will be here soon.  We all have earthly mothers, someone who gave birth to us.  Some of our moms are still with us here on earth.  Some of our moms have left this life and moved on to the next.  My earthly mom passed away six years ago after struggling with mental illness for 20 years.  Just before she passed away though, God gave me hope in a clear vision in a dream that she would be okay.  And I often still pray for her that she is there in heaven with her mom, dad, and sisters. 

Each of our relationships with our mother is different and personal.  For some of us, our relationships are loving, and tender and our mother cares for, teaches, and nurtures us.  But for some, the relationship, for one reason or another, is not so healthy.  Our mother may seem mean, indifferent, or even absent, and thinking about the relationship can be upsetting.  How then, can we celebrate Mother’s Day in a healthy, uplifting way?

While we all have earthly mothers, we also have a spiritual mother.  Mary, Jesus’ mother is our mother too.  God chose Mary to be his earthly mother.  Mary gave birth to Jesus, cared for and protected him.  If Mary is the mother of God, and we are all God’s children, then it makes sense that Mary is our mother too.    We see in John’s Gospel (Jn 19:26-27) that when Jesus was dying on the cross, he gave his mother, not just to John, but to all of us, for all time, “Behold your mother.”

Mary is a central figure in the Catholic Faith and her life illustrates how our Almighty Father works in our lives. Mary came from a simple background and yet she was called by God to fulfill a very extraordinary role; that of becoming the mother of Jesus Christ.

This role was no easy feat. when Jesus was born, King Herod ordered infants everywhere to be slaughtered so Mary had to flee to Egypt to escape the massacre and save her child. Despite the hardships she had to go through, Mary became an instrument of faith and stayed committed in her role of bringing to life God’s promised son.
In our Catholic Faith, we are taught the three core values of Mary. These were embodied by the Holy Mother in the way she lived her life. As her children, we, too, should aspire to embrace these values in our own lives and in the way we treat others.

1. The Value of Humility

Humility is one of the most fundamental values we should have as Christians. Mary teaches us that pride and selfishness is something that we must avoid. She had an extraordinary role as the Mother of God and yet she remained humble in her ways and continued to serve the Lord with devotion. Being humble is not always easy. The Marian value of humility teaches us to put others first. When we are humble, we let go of our selfish, human ways and become in tune with the ways and will of God.

2. The Value of Simplicity

Mary lived her life in the simplest way. Despite having found favor in the Lord, she accepted what was given to her with grace and humility. Our world puts a premium on material wealth. We become blinded by material pursuits, the latest gadgets, fancy cars and expensive vacations. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying these gifts per se, it is important to remember that being obsessed with these things can distract us from God. It makes us believe that true happiness can be found in the physical world rather than in the spiritual.
We are reminded that this world is not our permanent abode and that eternity is waiting for us at the end of our earthly journey. Finally, when we live simply, we become closer to the people who are needy because we understand their plight. We learn to have God’s heart for those people in need.Click to Tweet

3. The Value of Charity

Charity is at the heart of everything that Mary did. Being a mother involves being charitable and deeply generous in one’s actions. It is an act of sacrifice. Charity literally means love in action. Charity is a theological virtue that lets us love God above all things.

Practicing all other Catholic virtues is animated and inspired by charity and it is the value that binds everything together in perfect harmony. By being charitable, we exhibit other fruits of the spirit like joy, peace and mercy.

So, no matter the condition of our relationship with our earthly mother, we have hope in a spiritual mother who is forever kind, caring, and attentive to us.  From her place in heaven, Mary looks upon us, her spiritual children, with love and tenderness.  When we encounter this love, we are moved and filled with hope.  We know we can always turn to Mary for help, asking her to pray to her son Jesus on our behalf, especially in times of our greatest need.

Have a Blessed and Happy Mothers’ Day

Letting Go

Only when a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, will it produce fruit.  This is how life renews itself.  For us this is an ongoing process.  We are constantly letting things go, letting things die, as we move through life.  Last year prior to the pandemic, we were used to how thing were unfolding. We thought the way things were done was the way.  We were so full of life.  Then the sickness came and the way we were doing things had to die.  But, we didn’t die.  We created, new opportunities and new ways to stay in community with one another were opened to us.  Out of the death of one life, a new way of doing things, a new life was formed. 

Even the need to wear masks caused how we physically looked at each other to die, but we didn’t stop seeing.  We wore masks that reflected our personality, we learned to smile with our eyes. For me, it gave me permission to look you in the eye.  What did I see?  A great beauty that I might have missed had this death not happened. 

Letting things or people in our life go, fall to the ground, and die so a new and better life can come about can be troubling.  We even heard Jesus just say that he was troubled by it.  Transition can feel like everything is falling apart, but in reality, everything is coming together for your highest good. So, how do we go about doing this without totally falling to pieces?  By hating our life. 

Jesus says whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.  Let’s face it, no spiritual journey ever started from a place of happiness. They begin from a deep-seated sense that something is missing.  Hating our life provides a map for transformation. We should hate our life.

 According to St Ignatius, this doesn’t mean to not care about our lives or throw them away,  it introduces the concept of detachment from things.  The things we pursue or avoid at all costs.  They might even seem to us to be good things.  But, if we aren’t careful, these things can take over our mind, take over our consciousness.  They become all we think about, and eventually trap us.  They can cause us to make decisions that go against our fundamental beliefs and even lead us away from Jesus.  Jesus tells us to hate and lose that life. 

The life that results when we practice detachment, is a life we live in balance with all that happens to us.  A life where the successes and losses we experience don’t get us off track.  A life where hopes of getting more or fear of losing what we have doesn’t control our decisions.  A reflection I was reading refers to this way of living as sitting lightly to things and circumstances around us.  When we sit lightly, we can enjoy and be grateful for the gifts we are given and not fall to pieces if we lose them, need to let them go, or need to let them die.

It is only our trust in Jesus that brings us peace in this life.  Our faith in him allows us to let things in our life die at the right time and know that everything will be okay, and that new growth will happen.  We trust him because we know him.  We know what he did for us.  He let something beautiful, himself, die so that new life would result.  His death and resurrection made eternal life with the God who created us and loves us available to everyone.

If you don’t know Jesus, get to know him.  Find a bible and prayerfully read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and listen to him speak to you.  He already knows and loves you.  Our faith in Jesus allows us to live balanced, detached lives.  This is how your life can renew itself. 

What Are You Looking For?

As we begin Holy Week, I am reminded of the gospel of John 1:35-42 when we hear Jesus ask the two who were following him, “What are you looking for?”   It’s a question he is asking each and every one of us right now.

Sometimes our answer is a practical one.  What are you looking for?    I can’t find my cell phone anywhere and I’m lost without it.  If you pray to him, Jesus may indeed, help you find your phone.  But if we only pray for convenient solutions to life’s trials, we may realize at some point that this is probably not the answer Jesus has in mind.  So at some point he will ask again, “Really, what are you looking for?”

Other times our answer might be more serious and complex.  I recall speaking with a young woman downtown who, asked for my name and wrote it on a piece of paper she had in her hand.  She said she wanted it so she could pray for me that evening.  Then she began to tremble, broke down in tears and said she was just trying to get her life back together. Maybe times are a little tough right now.  Maybe something catastrophic has happened and left you feeling as if your life is falling apart around you, and you’re holding on by a thread, trying to get your life back together. You can trust that Jesus will help, but even then, we will hear Jesus ask again.  “Now, what are you looking for?”

Sometimes our answer to Jesus question is an honest, “I don’t know.  I don’t know what I am looking for in life, and I really don’t care. I’ve got time.  I’m just going to enjoy myself and I’ll worry about that later.”  The longer we stay in this place, the more uncomfortable we get.  We’re just wandering, going through the motions of life with no real direction or purpose.  We will hear again, “What are you looking for?” This time we can’t brush it off.  We really want to be able to answer the question. 

What we are really looking for in life can’t be found “out there.”  External things are important, even critical to our survival, but they won’t leave us feeling fulfilled and happy.  There is still something more. 

Recently a friend of mine told me that, “Just to know somebody cares means everything.”   This is a clue to what we’re looking for and it’s deep inside us.  As human beings, we want to be noticed, to know that someone thinks we are important and significant, to be loved just as we are, as God made us.

          Where can we find this?  We find what we’re looking for when, continuing in this Gospel passage, we accept Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see.”  By accepting that invitation and following him with him, He shows us what we are really looking for.  It may be different for each of us but fundamentally, we are all looking for the deepest happiness, meaning, and peace that this life can offer. 

When our spirits have been awakened through our relationship with Jesus, is when we realize our greatest purpose in life. Once we have found that purpose, it’s our turn to invite those we know and love to “Come and See.” It’s our turn to journey with them to deep happiness, meaning, and peace.  To accompany them into a loving relationship with Jesus.    

When Jesus laid on that cross, he thought about you.  He allowed that first nail to pierce his hand because of how important you are to him.  The second because of how much he cares about you.  The third because you matter to him.  And then he hung there so you will always be reminded of how much you are loved. 

Jesus gave his life for you.  Today he comes to us, alive, for that relationship.  To give you what you are looking for.  To show you how much you are loved. 

Until next time, many blessings,

Deacon Ken

40 Days of Getting Closer to Jesus

Back in the day, there used to be a thing called P90X.  It was an intense workout routine guaranteed to give you a totally ripped body in 90 days.  Well, what if there was a more intense exercise in spiritual perseverance that, if you stick with it, will bring you closer to Jesus and transform you in let’s say 40 days.  How would that work?

We all have things in our life that if used in excess can strain our relationship with others and Jesus by taking time away from them.  Maybe it’s our phone, social media, pod casts, videos, or video games. Being to busy and over scheduling, even if they’re good things, can rob us of investing valuable time in our faith and with those most important to us.

The first step of our exercise then is to determine what things in our lives take time away from being with Jesus.  Then figure, if over the next 40 days, you can either reduce the time spent in that activity or eliminate it all together.  This important first step will make more time available to you. But this time can’t remain empty, it needs to be immediately filled with something -  something spiritual, something prayerful. Time is fluid and if you don’t fill it with intension, something else is going to fill that space and you are no further forward.

The next step of our exercise is to fill the time you freed up with an activity that will allow you to focus on Jesus and your relationship with him.  There are many things you can do, but here’s the thing, I would encourage you to choose the one thing you think will most draw you closer to Jesus and stick with it.  By choosing just one thing, you will feel a lot less overwhelmed and distracted and be more focused.  Your purpose will be clear, I’m doing this because I love Jesus and I want to better know the one I love. 

Once you know the thing you are going to limit or eliminate and have chosen how you are going to fill the time, it’s time to act.  Jesus was driven into the desert for 40 days to do battle (that’s where the 40 day exercise comes from by the way), to be with wild beasts and Satan who tempted and tested Jesus’ resolve to live out his mission.  With the aid of the angels Jesus was able to resist Satan and survive this time of trial. This should be a clue to us that our 40 days of spiritual perseverance will not be easy and that we can’t do it alone.

We do this exercise with God’s help, one day at a time.  In the evening, before bed, reflect on your day.  Pay attention to the times you avoided the thing you chose to limit or eliminate.  Pay attention to how faithful you were to your prayer time and the activity you chose.  If the day went well, give thanks to God for it.  If it didn’t, look forward to tomorrow and ask God to help you, and repeat for the next 40 days.  With God’s help, each day your perseverance will draw you one step closer to Jesus and each day, transform you to be more like him.  Transformation doesn’t happen all at once, but one day at a time.

I am reminded of a line from a movie that says, “The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love and be loved in return.”  Some of us know what it feels like to love and to be loved.  Some of us know what its like to love and not be loved in return.  Its heartbreaking.  But often, in the midst of the hurt, we find ourselves doing something the world might tell us is foolish, we choose to continue to love anyway.  This is a sacrificial love.  Jesus knows sacrificial love.

Jesus gave his life to love us and desires our love in return.   Our persevering for these 40 days is a special time for us to do just that, draw even closer to our true love, and love him who loved us first, letting this love between us transform us each day, and over these 40 days lead us to new life. 

I wish you success and many blessings in your spiritual journey. Until next time, journey well.

Deacon Ken

Let Faith be Your Guide

We would like to introduce Deacon Ken Preiss. We are so excited to have him with us here at Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee Counties to provide counsel and healing to those seeking change in their lives. That his words provide you guidance and comfort.

Deacon Ken Preiss is just a normal guy. He lives in Fenton with his of wife of 31 years, Karen. His daughter Madeline is a Neonatal Nurse living in Texas and his youngest, Kate is a senior at Kettering University studying chemical engineering. Before becoming a deacon, he worked as a Project Manager at General Motors for 33 years.

What is a Deacon?

Pope Francis says “Deacons were created for service. The deacon is not a second-class priest. No, no, no, he is something else. The deacon is charged with service in the church.” While a deacon shares many of the responsibilities of a priest, he is not able to perform all sacramental duties. With a shortage of priests, the roll of a deacon is to reach out to people in need. Their lives are filled with performing the Works of Mercy, like visiting people in the hospital or in jail. Most importantly a deacon must have an open heart and listen.

When asked what made him decide to become a deacon, he answers frankly, “I didn’t. I was a youth minister at St. Pius X and Catechist. I wanted to be better at it so I called Lansing to see if there were any courses I could take.”

He began his journey getting a degree in Theology with a focus in Religious Education. “The class was a big commitment, so I made a deal with God that I would try it and if I didn’t like it I would quit. I went to the first class and was totally hooked”, he said. Everyone else in the class was doing their Deacon Formation studies and assumed he was as well, but he had no intention of getting ordained, it was just not on his radar.

After finishing his degree in Theology, he applied for a position as the full time Youth Minister at St. Pius X. Pastor, Fr. Robert Copeland, wouldn’t give him the job, claiming that Ken would soon become a deacon. He managed to dodge the calling until one day Fr. Copeland and Deacon Gary Gallagher cornered him after mass insisting that Ken call the director of the deacons in Lansing and just get started with the process of becoming a deacon. He found himself making the same deal with God. “I’ll try it but if I don’t like it I’m quitting.”

“I just went with the flow. If I’m supposed to be here I will and if I’m not I’m ok with that. I didn’t struggle, everything just all fell into place, which is of course how you know when you are doing the right thing,” he says. A few years later Ken retired from General Motors and planned to spend his time enjoying retirement, when he wasn’t tending to his duties as a deacon. But of course fate was not done with his journey.

Bishop Boyea was visiting for Confirmation at Holy Redeemer and told him someone from his office would be calling; the diocese was looking for a new Director for the Permanent Diaconate.

Ken has been a deacon at Holy Redeemer in Burton for 7 years, and worked for the Bishop for over three years. He truly has a servants heart and is looking forward to seeing where his new role at Catholic Charities leads.

Deacon Ken can be found at the Center for Hope in Flint, on Wednesdays and Fridays, 11am-3pm. He is the first chaplain to be assigned to any Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Lansing. The hope is that eventually all Catholic Charities in the Diocese will have a chaplain of their own. “I’m here to listen, not to judge. It starts with faith and meeting people where they are at,” he said, “ I want to help people see that God is in their lives, even in hard times.”