St. Ephrem Catholic Church July 28, 2019 The Chronicles of Fr. Craig Lord open my lips + and my mouth will proclaim your praise! This weekend, we welcome our Be Our Guest! missionary priest, Last week I shared a memory of a dinner party hosted by a person who grew up in an era and class that knew how Rev. Evanson Njogu, to truly throw one. Back in the day, she would have as he makes his appeal multiple courses of delicious food, paired with all the right for the Diocese of wines, served in the best china and crystal, put up elaborate decorations, had party favors for guests, and gave gifts to Nakuru in Kenya. everyone to take home. Guests would come dressed up and ready for an experience like no other. I wanted to relate this party to last weekend’s Gospel passage of Martha, Mary, and the one thing necessary. As I switched things up, I was not comparing this woman and her parties to Martha, worried about so many things, but rather compared her to Mary who understood what was most important: the guest! These parties were all about the guests. Jesus, who tells of the one thing necessary, is saying to Martha, Mary, and to us that the guest is most important. When we invite Jesus into our Thank you to all of the hearts, he is our guest. Jesus wants us to be attentive to volunteers that helped what he has to say. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to during the blood drive, the Word speak truth. Martha, if actively serving Jesus and yard sale, and not her worries, could have held on to the Word as well, while busy about serving the needs of the body of Jesus Sterlingfest! All of our before he went to suffer. This is an example for us to marry events cannot be the contemplative and active life together and to be about successful without serving the eternal guest, who is Jesus. When we do this, it your help! is then Jesus himself who turns the table and serves us with the Eucharist. (Continued on page 2…) (Continued on page 2…) Page 2, July 28, 2019N 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Harp of the Holy Spirit St. Ephrem Catholic Church How we come prepared to Mass is like Baptism hosting a dinner party and having everything in its right place. The hour fast before On Sunday, July 21, 2019, Fr. Craig baptized receiving Communion is like dusting and Vivienne Reese after the 11:00am Mass. getting rid of the clutter around the house. We warmly welcome Vivienne into our Our genuflection, or profound bow, to Jesus in community of faith! We pray for her parents and the tabernacle is like the greeting before the sponsors as they continue their journeys of meal. Our examination to see if we need imparting & sharing the Catholic faith. confession is like checking to see if we are prepared. Our prayer before Mass is like the decorations that help welcome the guest. Our attention at Mass is like sitting at the feet of Vivienne Reese Jesus. Parents: Anthony & Jessica Coletti Fr. Charlie Fox wrote a wonderful article in the Detroit Catholic Digest about this, going Christian Witness: into much more depth about preparing Nick Coletti ourselves to receive Jesus. I recommend Godmother: checking it out at detroitcatholic.com, along Meggen Amormino with all of his other articles that are written well. Let us never forget the guest of our heart: Goodfellow Dolls due Jesus! By focusing all our attention on him, next weekend! whether in contemplation or through the daily work we have, Jesus will make sense of what Thank you to all who took dolls home to dress we do and why. Jesus, come be our guest! for this important service project. Dressed dolls are due back by next weekend! Please remember to pin a tag to your doll In Christ, with your name so we know who have returned their dolls. Fr. Craig Dolls may be returned to the parish office or at coffee and donuts on Sunday. Thank you again for your assistance in making Christmas special for a little girl in need. The Religious Education office is closed for the summer and will re-open on If you have any questions, please contact Arlene Lickey at (586) 2681838. Monday, August 12. Catechist Meeting: There is an important meeting for all Catechists this Monday, July 29 at 6:30pm in the activity center. Registration for the 2019-2020 school year: The 2019 CSA is still ongoing and we’re not far Registration for the fall is on-going! from our target! Our target set for us by the Archdiocese this year is $65,129. Please prayerfully For new families, registration forms are consider making the most generous gift possible. available in the Gathering Space or the Parish office. For returning families, pre-populated Save postage and make your donation easily and securely online at stephrem.aodcsa.org registration forms are available in the Parish office. Classes begin on Monday, September 9. Thank you to all who have made their 2019 pledge! The Harp of the Holy Spirit St. Ephrem Catholic Church Page 3, July 28, 2019N 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time TROOPS NEED LOVE TOO! Saintly St. Ephrem parish will be Thoughts parcipang in a very important Mercy In “He who desires Acon Day project with anything but God our sister parish, St. Jane deceives himself, Frances de Chantal. We’re joining forces once again and he who loves with Troops Need Love Too, a local program based anything but God in Drayton Plains, Michigan to send packages to errs miserably.” United States military personnel currently serving St. Philip Neri overseas. Our goal is to send as many Christmas packages as possible containing sweet and salty treats, personal hygiene items, puzzle books and St. Philip Neri (15151595) was born in Florence, Italy. He was known as a dutiful games, as well as Christmas cards and notes of child with a cheerful disposition, which made greeng from our parishes. Each box contains $23 him popular with all who knew him. Philip had worth of items and costs $17 in postage (which is made arrangements to start apprenticeship as the military, mailing discount). TOTAL COST PER a merchant; however, after having a mystical BOX = $40 Would you or your family like to experience, Philip was no longer interested in purchase a box in memory or in honor of a becoming a merchant. Rather, he believed he should enter the religious life. veteran or loved one, or in honor of someone currently serving in the military? The process is St. Philip traveled to Rome and found lodging easy. Complete the form below and drop it off at the in the attic of a fellow Florentine’s home. parish office with your $40 check made payable to St. During this time, Philip lived in extreme Ephrem before July 31st. A personalized card will be poverty with his only income from tutoring the placed in the box with your intenon. Thank you for landlord’s sons. In Rome, he enrolled in a local your support of our troops and please connue to pray monastery to become a priest, but he suddenly for our service men and women and for their families quit his studies so he could spiritually serve who sacrifice so much for our freedom. If you have any the people of Rome. With his characteristic goodnaturedness, Philip spent the majority of quesons, please contact our parish office at his time with the young Florentine men who (586) 264R1230 or offi[email protected]. worked in banks and shops. He began an TROOPS NEED LOVE TOO FORM oratory for these laymen to practice greater (complete, cutout and include with your paymentM due by July 31, 2019) spiritual discipline and serve the sick and poor. FAMILY NAME: _______________________________________________ In 1551, in obedience to his spiritual director, PHONE NUMBER:______________________________________________ Philip finally became a priest at the age of 34. He lived as a diocesan priest and spent many In MEMORY of: hours each day in the confessional. Later on, ________________________________________________________________ Philip also started a religious order known as (Name of Deceased Veteran or Loved One) the Oratorians. Philip and the Oratorians lived a life of devout faith integrated with pastoral In HONOR of: service and ministry to the less fortunate. In ________________________________________________________________ the words of one of his biographers, Philip (Name of Living Veteran…Active Service Person or Loved One) was “all things to all men… When he was called Personal Intention Card: Include a message/details about the upon to be merry, he was so; if there was a person being honored; include words of encouragement that will demand upon his sympathy, he was equally be added to your personal intention card: ready…” __________________________________________________ In 1595, Philip suffered a hemorrhage and died at the age of 80. He is the Patron Saint of __________________________________________________ Rome, the US Special Forces, and of humor and joy. __________________________________________________ Page 4, July 28, 2019N 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Harp of the Holy Spirit St. Ephrem Catholic Church On the Road to Damascus with Rob Leonardi For the next few weeks, I want my articles to reflect taking a literary Church tour of sorts. We will be discovering different aspects around the Church, what they are, what symbolism they have, and why we have them. This week and next, we will dive into what we might see our clergy wear, both inside and outside of the liturgy.