Friday, January 8, 2021
Christmas Weekday
“Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus,”
St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 3-5
Dear Friend,
We are now well into the Bishop’s Year of the Bible, a moniker, by the way, which did not originate from me! My aim with this year is to help us see Jesus in the Scriptures, to see the Word of God in the Word of God. It occurred to me that during this time of pandemic, we needed to keep our evangelizing efforts going and this was one way to do so.
The other way is to practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Now in this time of social distancing, these actions may seem impossible, but they are not. There are many ways for us creatively to exercise these good deeds. The seven spiritual works are counseling the doubtful; instructing the ignorant; admonishing sinners; comforting the sorrowful; forgiving injuries; bearing wrongs patiently; and praying for the living and the dead.
Certainly, in our families, in those day-to-day interactions, we can all exercise these works. Any time we seek to do this consciously and intentionally, we need to make sure that we are acting out of love, seeking the best for the other person. We can also try to use our writing and phone and computer skills to reach out to others, especially those who might be alone. In these times, especially, we need to forgive, not only for the other’s sake, but so that we will be freed from burdens that we do not need to bear. And we can always pray, lifting up to our loving Father all those in need, both the living and the dead.
There are also seven corporal works. Many of these are described in that great scene in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25, where Jesus separates the sheep from the goats on the basis of how well we cared for those in need. He tells us that we are thus treating one of his brothers or sisters. These works are feeding the hungry; giving drink to the thirsty; clothing the naked; sheltering the homeless; visiting the sick; visiting the imprisoned; and burying the dead. The visiting activities are tough in these days, but again we can try to meet these needs by writing or calling.
If we are striving to exercise these works of mercy, we will be evangelizing by our deeds as well as by our words. We have noticed a great fall-off in those attending Mass. Of course, many have very good reasons for doing so. Perhaps, after prayer and a conscious effort of love, we might reach out to our family members through one or more of these actions to let them see that for us, at least, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. May the witness of our lives and our words invite back our brothers and sisters to the House of God and the Altar of the Lord.
Assuring you of my prayers, I am sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl
Bishop of Lansing
Read: Meet Chad and Christina Church and their beautiful son, Wyatt Eddie. After the heartache of losing four pregnancies, Chad and Christina turned to Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties to learn about fostering and adopting a child. The result? Wyatt Eddie.
“When we look at the number of abortions that take place in our society, we know there are plenty of potential parents ready to love those babies,” says Christina.
“After trying for two-and-a-half years and experiencing so many lost pregnancies, my eyes were really opened to how much a miracle babies are.”
Chad adds, “We make a plan and God laughs. Our journey with Wyatt has been heartbreakingly and absolutely beautiful. We thank God every day for bringing him to us, and we ask for blessings on all the people who helped make us a family.”
Read the full story of Chad, Christina and Wyatt Church in this month’s FAITH Magazine, the official publication of the Diocese of Lansing by clicking here.
Watch: Beginning in Advent 2020, Bishop Boyea has been leading people on a day-by-day journey through the Holy Bible. To join him, go to Bishop's Year of the Bible by clicking here. It's not too late!
The Bishop is currently leading subscribers through Saint Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi, a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Why has he chosen this book as the next in his Year of the Bible reading list? Here is his explanation:
Watch: On the Path to Priesthood: Meet Diocese of Lansing seminarian, Riley O'Shea. 29-year-old Riley hails from Saint Michael Parish in Grand Ledge.
He grew up in a family of five and attended public schools through high school. In school, Riley's interests were math and science which led him to pursue an engineering degree at Michigan State University where he graduated with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2015.
After graduating, Riley then worked in Saginaw as an engineer for three years while living at a Catholic men’s formation house in Flint. He began priestly formation for the Diocese of Lansing at Sacred Heart Seminary in the fall of 2018.
Today he explains how his life changed while on retreat at Saint Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt during his college years. It was a profound experience that has set Riley on the path to priesthood. Deo volente.
Please keep Riley in your prayers in the months and years to come. Saint Charles Borromeo, patron of seminarians, pray for him.