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