Sacred Heart Catholic Church Sunday, April 4, 2021 Easter Sunday
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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday, April 4, 2021 Easter Sunday Easter IS THE DAY THAT CHANGED Everything. Dieter F. Uchtdorf Reflect AND RESPOND TO SCRIPTURE FIRST READING: We hear today part of the speech that Peter delivered in the household of Cornelius, a centurion and Gentile-believer in Christ. Peter bore witness to his experiences with Jesus, including Jesus’ resurrection. To whom do you bear witness to your faith in the resurrected Jesus? SECOND READING: Paul urges the Colossians to remain focused on Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and final return — to “seek what is above.” What do you find appealing in this spiritual exercise? GOSPEL: Mark’s account of Jesus’ resurrection focuses on the women’s discovery of the empty tomb. In fact, Jesus risen from the tomb is the original ending of the Gospel of Mark. Why do you think Mark would end his Gospel with the empty tomb? ©LPi Page 2 Sacred Heart Catholic Church HEARTS Born in Cuvilly, France, into a family ON FIRE of well-to-do farmers, at Sacred Heart APRIL 8 | SAINT JULIE BILLIART young Marie Rose Julie Billiart showed Where Faith is Known, an early interest in religion and in helping the sick and poor. Lived, & Shared Though the first years of her life were relatively peaceful and uncomplicated, Julie had to take up manual work as a young I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it teen when her family lost its money. However, she spent her were already blazing. (Luke 12:49) spare time teaching catechism to young people and to the On November 22, 2020, Archbishop Vigneron wrote a farm laborers. Pastoral Note on Families of Parishes: Led by the Spirit on Mission. In the following weeks we will view and pray with A mysterious illness overtook her when she was about 30. Wit- excerpts from that Note. nessing an attempt to wound or even kill her father, Julie was paralyzed and became a complete invalid. For the next two LISTEN to the Archbishop: Our new model of Families decades, she continued to teach catechism lessons from her of Parishes, . .is a continuation of the fruits of Synod ’16 bed, offered spiritual advice, and attracted visitors who had and Unleash the Gospel. This is part of the next chapter heard of her holiness. in the Archdiocese which we are calling “Sent on Mis- sion.” Our focus is on the renewal of our parishes and When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, revolutionary schools to align all resources to our mission of sharing forces became aware of her allegiance to fugitive priests. With Christ in southeast Michigan. A Family of Parishes is a the help of friends, she was smuggled out of Cuvilly in a hay- group-ing of three or more parishes that collaborate in cart. She then spent several years hiding in Compiegne, being deeper and more intentional ways than parishes have moved from house to house despite her growing physical ever done before. Each parish in a Family will retain its pain. She even lost the power of speech for a time. own unique identity, similar to how each sibling has his or her own unique role in the family. This is not a parish But this period also proved to be a fruitful spiritual time for Ju- cluster or merger as we have done in the past. Rather, lie. It was at this time she had a vision in which she saw Calvary Families of Parishes share similarities to other models surrounded by women in religious habits and heard a voice that have been successfully implemented in other dio- saying, “Behold these spiritual daughters whom I give you in ceses in the U.S. and Canada, with new parish struc-tures an institute marked by the cross.” to support mission. These new Families of Parishes will collaborate by sharing resources—including priests, As time passed and Julie continued her mobile life, she made deacons, and staffs across parish lines—to further ad- the acquaintance of an aristocratic woman, Françoise Blin vance the mission Christ has entrusted to His church. de Bourdon, who shared Julie’s interest in teaching the faith. [Our Family is: St. Hugo, St. Thomas More, St. Damien In 1803, the two women began the Institute of Notre Dame, of Molokai, and Sacred Heart.] which was dedicated to the education of the poor, young Christian girls, and the training of catechists. The following NOTE ON FAMILIES OF PARISHES: LED BY THE SPIRIT year, the first Sisters of Notre Dame made their vows. That was ON MISSION, PG 7 the same year that Julie recovered from the illness: She was able to walk for the first time in 22 years. PRAY: Tear or cut off this prayer and keep it where you’ll remember to pray it throughout the week Though Julie had always been attentive to the special needs Come, Holy Spirit, to Sacred Heart Church and to our Sis- of the poor and that always remained her priority, she also be- ter Parishes in our Family (see above): Open our hearts and came aware that other classes in society needed Christian in- minds to the “next chapter in the Archdiocese” mission as struction. From the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame until we embark on the initiation of Families of Parishes. Help her death, Julie was on the road, opening a variety of schools us to grow together in unity and love with our new sister in France and Belgium that served the poor and the wealthy, par-ishes and help us all, lay and clergy alike, to learn to vocational groups, teachers. Ultimately, Julie and Françoise work collaboratively “in deeper and more in-tentional moved the motherhouse to Namur, Belgium. ways”. Protect us from pride and resistance to change and help us to joyfully and thankfully embrace the gifts you Julie died there in 1816. She was canonized in 1969. have in store for us in this new path. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love as we embark joyfully on this new path. Amen! LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY OF PARISHES ACT: What is this Note saying to me? What have I heard On the Sacred Heart Website (esacredheart. about Families of Parishes? Is this the first I’ve heard about it? What is my reaction? Excited for needed org) under the tab news and events change? Worried about how changes will affect me? you can find a tab on Family of Parishes. Check out the website to get some answers. Then pray This tab links you to the Archdiocese the above prayer this week. website where there is new and interesting To read or to order the entire Note, Families of Parishes: Led by the information about family of parishes. Spirit on Mission go to familiesofparishes.org. www.esacredheart.org Page 3 GOSPEL MEDITATION ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE Who are you? This question was most assuredly asked of Jesus on the day of resurrection and it is a question asked of each of us. Our identities can be described SACRED HEART in so many ways. We can start with our gifts and our talents, expertise and unique personality expressions. We can describe things we like and things we prefer to set aside. As descriptive and captivating as these can be, none come close to our essence, Intercessory our real and true self. While accurate in their own right, the self who lives and interacts Prayer Team with the world is the self we want others to see, the one we project. But there is much more to us just as there is much more to Jesus. Jesus could describe himself based on all of the same criteria we use for ourselves. After all, Jesus is totally human. With all that people witnessed and all that Jesus knew about his physical human self, his divinity also shined forth. There was so much more to know about him. Whereas once Jesus was transfigured on top of a mountain The fruitfulness of evange- before his disciples’ eyes, so today he is transfigured before our eyes as he reveals lization depends upon the his resurrected self as the Christ. Alleluia, Christ is risen! His glorified presence stands graces called down through before us showing us that we are all much more than we see ourselves to be and intercession. show to others. We have a depth, purpose, and essence that go way beyond the superficial treasures of our existence to the very core of who we are. These prayers are specifically on behalf of our parish, our community, Within each one of us is a spark our Family of Parishes, and the world. of Divine Love where creature and Creator meet, and we are Join us as we pray this week: known uniquely by the name Lord, we pray In the Name of the God whispers to us. It is not the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit: earthly name that was given to us but the one that flows from ~ For all those attending our Easter Divine Power and claims us as Celebration Masses to truly find the one who is special and chosen Body of Christ among us and be in God’s eyes. This is the self that attracted to the joy and hospitality will rise one day with the eternal Christ of God and live eternally Sacred Heart Parish can offer. as God provides. This is the self ~ That the Holy Spirit will deepen our that when free from all super- desire for every person to en-counter ficial constraints layered upon it in this life can discover and know freedom in a way never possible before.