The next meeting and breakfast will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Montrose Family Worship Center from 6:30—8:00 a.m. Breakfast at 7:00 p.m. All men are welcome to attend.
The Knights of Columbus Men’s Cor Group is presenting “Theology on Tap” beginning on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Knights of Columbus Hall. All men and women of the parish are invited to attend. There will be six sessions meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Hope to see you there!
I am not entirely sure when this became true for me in my life, but I absolutely love the mystery of our Lord’s Ascension — both because of what this mystery signifies and because of the reality God communicates to us through Jesus’ bodily Ascension to the right hand of the Father.
If we have any understanding of God’s holiness and our own sinfulness, then we can begin to recognize that this moment should not be happening. How in the world could our human nature stand in the midst of God’s presence? Not only in God’s presence, but seated at His right hand — such a prominent seat, given to one who executes the King’s commands for His Kingdom. A seat of such prominence that it is above all nine choirs of angels. This position is given to Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who shares in our humanity.
Who are we to deserve something so powerful and amazing as this? The truth is that we have done absolutely nothing to deserve it, nor will we ever do anything that could amount to deserving such a great honor as God has in store for us. He freely offers it to us through His Son, Jesus.
Our human nature — which has turned its back on God since the beginning, which is always inclined toward lower and earthly goods instead of the true spiritual good, which has always been subjected to decay, destruction, and death — now sits glorified next to the Heavenly Father above all creation. If we truly understood this mystery, we would never want anything else except this: to always be with the One who has gifted us with immortality.
Another reason why the Ascension is one of my favorite mysteries is because, at this moment, our Lord commissioned His Apostles to proclaim the Good News, the Gospel. Our Lord instructed His eleven Apostles to go forth, make disciples of all nations, and teach them to observe everything He commanded.
The work of evangelization is essential to our lives as Christians. If we only come to Mass and pray but do not partake in evangelization, we are essentially living only half of the faith. All the graces we receive at Mass, in prayer, and in the other sacraments are given so that we may continue Christ’s saving mission.
Our faith is not our own. What we receive from God is not meant only for our personal well-being and sanctification. God expects each of us to utilize what He does within us so that all humanity might come to understand who He is and how He loves them.
The command given by the priest or deacon at the end of Mass is the clearest example of Holy Mother Church sending Her children out into the world: “Go in peace,” “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” These dismissals demonstrate how we are sent into the world to proclaim what God has done for us and what He invites us to share in.
The mystery of the Ascension calls to mind how God has restored our human nature in Jesus Christ and elevated it to the most prominent seat in the universe. This is the work of God. This is the reality in which we are invited to partake. The more we come to understand these mysteries of our faith, the more we understand why God sends us, His Mystical Body, to carry out His mission.
Happy Trinity Sunday! In the cycle of our liturgical calendar, we have now officially returned to Ordinary Time. We’ll walk these weeks into the summer and through the fall until Christ the King Sunday at the end of November. Each year at the conclusion of the Easter season, Ordinary Time immediately lines up several mysteries of the Christian faith: the Most Holy Trinity (this Sunday), the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (next Sunday), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Friday after that), and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the following Saturday).
In the priesthood, these celebrations always feel like the last 100 meters of a nearly four-month marathon that begins every year on Ash Wednesday. Which means that, right around this time of year, you can be sure I’m feeling ready for anything that resembles sunscreen and an ice-cold beer (haha!). Sometime in the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a few random weekdays off. I’m also looking forward to my family’s annual summer vacation, which we’re doing this year from July 4th to 11th. So, I will be out that weekend, the 4th-5th, but will return in time for Mass on Saturday evening (the 11th).
I’ve mentioned this verbally over the past two weekends at all the Masses, but I wanted to reiterate in writing my gratitude for all the families at St. Robert and Good Shepherd who have helped both parishes achieve our DSA goals again this year. We are small communities within a much larger Catholic family that serves an even greater population in the ten counties of our diocese. And while we can’t do everything there is to do for the whole Kingdom, we can certainly do something. Thank you for making your pastor proud of us in supporting our bishop’s responsibility before God to serve every soul in the Diocese of Lansing, Catholic or otherwise.
Two weeks ago, I was asked by one of our Cherry St. neighbors to kindly remind us of her driveway apron, which is not paved and, at a quick glance, can seem like part of the front yard. Occasionally someone may accidentally block her driveway during Mass when parking along Cherry St. in front of house 217, directly across from the parking lot. If you use street parking on the weekends, please double-check that our neighbor can still get in and out of her property. Many thanks!
Next Sunday after the 11:15 AM Mass, all are invited to join our Corpus Christi procession, which returns after a one-year hiatus (last year we joined the diocesan procession). Following Benediction, everyone is invited for hot dogs and chips. God will provide us with exquisite weather because He loves us, so wear your walking shoes that day in honor of Our Lord’s Most Holy Body and Blood. Enjoy this wonderful week ahead, and if you see them, be sure to congratulate our 2026 graduates who will be stepping into the next chapter of life. May God bless and protect them, and all of us!
Fr. Brian
There will be a Euchre Tournament on Wednesday, June 3 in the Good Shepherd Knights of Columbus Hall at 6:30 pm. Cost is $5.00 per person. All levels of experience. Bring your own snacks and beverages. Pizza is available for purchase. Friends and Family welcome!
Hope to see you there!!
*They will be held the first and third Wednesday of the month.
Thank you to everyone who has given a gift or made a pledge to the Diocesan Services Appeal this year. This week we surpassed our goal of $16,638.00. Now that we have reached our goal, one-half of all additional contributions received will be returned to our local parish for our use. If you have not yet made a pledge, please consider supporting our appeal with a gift that will benefit the work of Christ in our parish and through the wider church. You may submit your gift online at: www.dioceseoflansing.org/appeal or with a DSA envelope to the parish office.
Blessing of the Bikes 2026 ~ Sponsored by K of C #8669
Saturday, May 30th (Rain or Shine) / Bikes and Cars Welcome
Blessing will be at 12:00 p.m. with ride to follow.
$25 Per Driver ~ $15 Per Passenger
(Includes Meal, Soft Drinks/Cash Prize Drawing at Last Stop)
Last Stop / After Party / 5:00 p.m. at the Knight’s Hall
Prizes / T-Shirts / Raffle / Live Music by Reziliance
100/% of Proceeds Support Local Veterans in Need.
On Sunday, June 7th the Feast of Corpus Christi Good Shepherd will have a Eucharistic procession following the 11:15 a.m. Mass.
Come and be a part of the sacred,visible display of our faith and public proclamation that Jesus is present in the Holy Eucharist. Join our joyful procession of praise singing hymns and bearing witness to the world that Jesus is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!
All are Welcome!