Happy Fifth Sunday of Easter!

This past weekend, we celebrated First Holy Communion for thirteen of our youngsters here at St. Robert. And the Sunday before last, I celebrated the same up at Good Shepherd with five students receiving the Sacrament. Tomorrow evening, we’ll welcome our Bishop to West Genesee County for the annual regional Confirmation Mass, this year hosted by Good Shepherd. It’s an exciting time for sacraments these days! In my own family, my oldest nephew recently received Confirmation and my youngest niece her First Communion. Now that we’ve entered the month of May, it truly begins to feel like a mad dash to the finish line. At the school and parish, we turn our attention to events like May Crowning, Pentecost, the end of the school year, Corpus Christi, and VBS.

As you may remember, last year many of our parishes suspended their Corpus Christi processions in favor of the unified diocesan procession in Lansing. At St. Robert, we also paused our annual VBS program last summer, as many of our staff and volunteers were joyfully occupied with their own newborns. I’m happy to share that both of these beloved events will return this summer!

VBS at St. Robert is scheduled for Monday, June 15th through Friday, June 19th. I’m especially excited for this, as it will be my first time experiencing it here. Hannah Marconeri, our Director of Religious Education, will take her final bow after VBS, as she prepares to welcome her second child and transition into full-time motherhood. Hannah was among the first people I met from St. Robert before my arrival, and she has been a tremendous blessing to me and to our parish families. I’m grateful that she plans to remain involved through our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Beginning July 1st, one of our new school teachers, Ms. Sarah Voight, will step into the role of Director of Religious Education. Congratulations to both of them, and thanks be to God for His many blessings upon our parish.

We have been making great progress toward this year’s DSA goal. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the many families who have already contributed to this important annual appeal. If you have not yet had the opportunity to make your gift, I invite you to consider doing so in the weeks ahead. It is both our joy and our responsibility to support the wider work of healing and evangelization carried out across the Diocese of Lansing. May we continue to respond faithfully to this mission.

Many blessings upon your week, and may you enjoy each day in God’s presence!

Fr. Brian

There will be a Euchre Tournament on Wednesday, May 6 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.

Entry Nine: Who am I?

Words cannot begin to express the gratitude in my heart for you, O Lord. What took place these past couple of weeks, when your Church celebrated the Paschal Mysteries of your death and resurrection, has changed my life forever. Because of what happened to me, your love for all of your children has never been more evident than it is now. Being able to enter into prayer with you when you celebrated the Passover Seder meal showed me the true intimacy that you desire to have with your people. How much you longed to eat this meal with your apostles, and now, in this time, you still long to eat this meal with us, your beloved children. How you still long to give us the food that sustains us, not only in the world we live in now, but eternally. How this food provides the very sustenance that strengthens our souls to make them more like yours. You have given us the most perfect gift that we do not deserve, nor could we ever earn, and you rejoice in giving it. Who are we, O Lord, to you that you would do such a loving act as this?

I will not be able to fully comprehend the mystery in which you have called me to participate. You, O Lord, have called me to be your priest, and on that Most Holy Night, you willed to institute the sacred sacrament of the priesthood so that your children may never go a single day without receiving you. So that your children might understand that you always desire to be with them, that you desire to be their strength and joy. You demonstrated your love for your spotless bride in the most humble way. Your demonstration of washing the apostles’ feet revealed to me how you always desire to take care of us. You took the position of a slave so that we may understand the profound love with which you love us. My little mind still cannot possibly fathom that you, O Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the one who created the universe with absolute ease, desire to wash my feet. Who am I that you, God—the infinite and all-powerful One—would desire to take care of me with such tenderness? How do you view me, Lord, that you would take the lowest position just to demonstrate your profound love?

God, my Savior, you understand how I am a sinner. You understand that whenever I forget you and your love, I choose myself over you. I choose the apparent pleasures of this world every time I forget that you are constantly loving me, and yet you still desire to wash me. You still desire to pour your love into me. This is something that I cannot fathom. Lord, I ask that you make my heart more grateful. Help me to understand your profound love more fully, so that I may serve your people just as you have done for me. Just as you continue to wash me clean and take the lowest position, help me to be right there with you. Teach me how to act with this kind of humility and love so that others may experience your divine goodness and mercy as well. You have made your love so apparent to me this Easter Triduum; help me to imitate you in the same manner. I am unworthy to receive such a gift of being your priest, and yet you still did it. You always use such weak and broken instruments to be vessels for bestowing your love in the hearts of your children. Thank you, Lord, for your profound goodness and infinite love for all of us. I will always rejoice because of your glorious resurrection.

Men of the parish are invited to come and enjoy growing in their spiritual walk with others. We will meet in the Knights of Columbus Hall from 6:30—7:30 on Wednesday, May 13 for our next Cor Meeting. We always have snacks and refreshments! Invite a friend or family member. We look forward to seeing you!

See what men are saying about it in the film below:

The mission of the Cor is to refocus Catholic men on Jesus Christ and to form and strengthen them in faith and virtue through a brotherhood committed to prayer, formation and fraternity.  The goal of each Cor gathering is to provide the opportunity for men to encounter Christ, to pray together, to be formed in their faith, and to strengthen their bonds of brotherhood, preparing them for courageous leadership and the mission of Evangelization for their families and communities.

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.