Natalie Harris Ileana Kueber Ashley Richardson Jacob Sand Cameron

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | June 28, 2020 S. MJ-G7Y CGYJ- C__`J1 40501 Hayes Road · Sterling Heights, Michigan 48313 MISSION STATEMENT: St. Michael Catholic Community strives to be a welcoming parish where people come together to worship, learn and grow in faith. Through our actions, we demonstrate our beliefs in fellowship, service and generous tithing of time, talent and treasure while empowering people to take a more active role in the mission of the church. We care for one another and receive comfort and support in our own times of need. All are encouraged to participate in the journey to live by Christ’s example and build the kingdom of God by sharing His word with those we meet. Natalie Harris Ileana Kueber Ashley Richardson Jacob Sand Patrick Briningstool Emporia State University Cameron Schneider Bachelor of Science in Marketing Cameron Stermer Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Jonathon Wilk Joseph Alan Pavone-Chadwick Rochester University Bachelor of Science - Mass Communication: Broadcasting Track Leah Mannino Michigan State University Masters of Social Work May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sustains, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forevermore. Amen. 2 St. Michael Catholic Community is proud to present our 2020 Graduates Patrick Briningstool Emporia State University Joseph Alan Pavone-Chadwick Rochester University 3 Natalie Harris Chippewa Valley High School Ileana Kueber Lake Shore High School Leah Mannino Michigan State University 4 Ashley Richardson Utica High School Cameron Schneider Adlai E. Stevenson High School Jacob Sand Dakota High School 5 Jonathon Wilk Cameron Stermer Chippewa Valley High School Dakota High School 6 As our country prepares for the anniversary of our independence from colonial powers, I cannot help but think about the words of a revered patrioc song “The Bale Hymn of the Republic.” One automacally thinks that a new country needs something to rally behind like a flag and a song. I was surprised to learn that the Naonal Anthem wasn’t wrien during the Revoluonary War, nor was it about the Revoluonary War, but it was about an experience that Francis Sco Key, a non-combatant, had while being caught in the crossfire of the War of 1812. (I guess that is what separates the men from the boys: some write brilliant poems about the brave standoff witnessing “the rockets red glare, bombs bursng in air” while others run for cover. Frankly, if I were the poet, I’m afraid our Naonal Anthem would have been scratched on the wall of a bathroom stall. Not exactly inspiring, but I own it.) Point of fact, many of the patrioc hymns were wrien or made popular a er the event that inspired them. This was certainly the case with “The Bale Hymn of the Republic.” Julia Ward Howe was an abolionist and an acvist during the Civil War. She wrote down the lyrics of the Bale Hymn one sleepless evening in Washington DC’s Willard’s Hotel a er she and her husband watched the Grand Review of the Army at the Potomac at Baily’s Crossing. Inspired by the militarisc grandeur of those willing to fight for others, she thought of the popular Abolionist song of the an-slave hero John Brown, who was executed a er leading a raid on Harper’s Ferry. The song begins John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave,/John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave,/John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave,/But his soul goes marching on. Glory, glory Hallelujah,/Glory, glory Hallelujah/Glory, glory Hallelujah/His soul goes marching on… The next two verses of the song make the connecon between Howe’s experience and the old abolionist song clear. He’s gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord,/He’s gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord,/He’s gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord,/His soul goes marching on… John Brown died that the slave might be free,/John Brown died that the slaves might be free,/John Brown died that the slaves might be free,/His soul goes marching on…. Howe’s poec connecon between the Union and the Confederacy was not an economic struggle nor was it a bale about the state’s right of self-government; rather, the Civil (Connued on page 8) 7 War was a bale of the forces of good against evil. Although not directly describing the cause or the polics of the War, Howe makes only one covert statement affirming the Union’s cause. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,/With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you Fr. Mike Connued from and me:/As he died to make men holy, let us die to page 2 make men free,/While God is marching on… The publisher of Atlanc Monthly paid Howe $5.00 to publish her song. It actually didn’t become popular unl a er the Emancipaon Proclamaon was signed, but it is important to note that Howe’s greatest fan and admirer was none other than Abe Lincoln. When the president first heard it sung in the hall of the House of Representaves on February 2, 1864, Lincoln allegedly jumped out of his seat and shouted to sing the song again, claiming it was “the best I ever heard.” Quite an endorsement. Although we don’t readily connect it with the Abolionist Movement or with the Civil War per se, it holds an honored place in American hearts throughout the land. Fr. Mike To all the parishioners and staff at St. Michael CC, we appreciate all the cards, prayers and thoughtfulness you have shown us in our time of sorrow. God Bless you all, Ted and Karen Kucab 8 Oh my...now I am showing my age again! I bet some of you remember the man in the photo to the le —Paul Harvey. Mr. Harvey was a prey conservave radio news broadcaster, and his style was completely different from our current crop of news people. For more than three decades, from the 1970s to his death in 2009, Harvey would address his millions of listeners six days a week, giving them the backstory to people, things and events both famous and not-so- known. (hps://www.npr.org/2014/10/09/354718833/the-rest-of-the-story-paul-harvey-conservave-talk-radio-pioneer) I maintain that it’s o en good to know the backstory of people or events. It helps to give us a greater understanding of why things or people are the way they are. For example, I once had a student who rounely fell soundly asleep during morning Mass when I taught at St. Alphonsus. (And no, it wasn’t Fr. Mike’s homilies that sent him into slumber!) Some of the teachers thought the student was being disrespecul and impish and wanted me to exact punishment on him. What they didn’t know was that this student stayed up late most evenings taking care of a terminally ill parent. Maybe I was out of line, but I remember saying to my teacher friends, “I can imagine no beer place to rest than in the presence of God.” I bring all this up because I want you to dig deeper into the “rest of the story” of the Scriptures we hear at Mass. If you search usccb.org you will be able to find links to the Scripture readings for every Mass. Do yourself a favor and grab your Bible and read the enre chapter a parcular reading from Mass comes from. For example, today’s first reading from the Hebrew Scriptures is from II Kings 4.8-11, 14-16a. It’s a great passage that tells how the prophet Elisha rewarded the hospitality of a faithful woman by promising her that she would give birth to a son within a year (it was considered a disgrace to die without giving birth to a son who would carry on the family name.) Great story...now read the rest of it. In a nutshell: the woman doubts Elisha, but sll gives birth to a son. The son falls ill with a headache and dies. She lays the boy on Elisha’s bed and then goes looking for him perhaps thinking, “why would you give me a son and then allow him to die?” Elisha wants to raise the dead child to life by sending his own servant with his staff to lay upon the boy and miraculously heal him. The woman is not having any of this and says, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not release you.” So Elijah went back with her. In the end, he prayed over the body, then he lay upon the child on the bed, placing his mouth upon the child’s mouth, his eyes upon the eyes, and his hands upon the hands.

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