FOOD TALKS! The title of this column could lend one to believe that the author, yours truly, is the subject of the following story. Well, this one isn’t about me … sort of!

It all started with a baptism in the Parish Center Chapel on the Saturday following Christmas. This was a baptism for … well, let’s say the little guy’s name was George. I mentioned to the family this may have been the first George I’ve baptized in my 28 years of being a priest. George isn’t a common or popular name today …. unless, of course, you are George Michael … a.k.a. G. Michael, the 8th pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, son of George and Christine of Shelby Township or Prince George of Cambridge, the eldest son of Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, third in line of succession to the British throne.

Well, little George is the son of, well, let’s say Nick and Christine. The family, which included a few small cousins of little George, were all gathered in the Parish Center Chapel. One little guy was getting a little antsy during the baptism. Let’s say for the sake of this story that the little guy’s name was Jacob; he couldn’t have been older than four. I often turn my homilies at baptisms into teaching moments with questions and answers not only for the adults but also for the children. I guess my homily was getting to be a bit too much for antsy little Jacob. As I was nearing the end of the question and answer session of my homily, Jacob blurted out: “CAN WE JUST GET ON WITH THIS!” The stunned Parish Center Chapel congregation, after a nano-second of silence, burst out into laughter! Jacob’s mom and dad were mortified. Inbetween the laughter, mom was able to explain what happened. As Jacob was getting more and more antsy during the homily, she showed him a picture of the awesome cake that his Aunt Christine made for the baptism party. Mom’s hope was that the picture would keep Jacob focused on the future reward that awaited him for being good at the baptism. Well, it kind of backfired as little Jacob was now hungry AND antsy! The only thing that stood in his way of feasting on that scrumptious cake was me … thus the reason for wanting me to “get on with this!” And, let’s be honest, if they showed me pictures of that cake, I probably would have quickly brought the homily to an end … to help the situation. Yes, food talks!

End of the Year Tax Statements: With the many changes in the tax laws, itemizing deductions do not benefit as many people as in the past. As a result, many people do not need or benefit from the usual end of the year tax statements we generated years ago. Please consult with your tax preparer to determine if you still need a contribution statement from us. If you need a statement of your offertory, capital campaign and/or sponsorship appeal donations for your 2019 income taxes, please complete the online form found at sjascs.org/ taxstatements. We will generate a statement for you toward the end of January. You can indicate on the form if you would like to pick up the statement or have it mailed or emailed. You can also complete the paper form found elsewhere in the bulletin and drop it off at the Parish Center. Statements for contributions to the Catholic Services Appeal are generated separately by the Archdiocese of Detroit.

A Day of Prayer and Penance for Life: Wednesday marks the 47th anniversary of the infamous ROE vs. WADE and DOE vs. BOLTON decisions that rocked the foundation of human life in our country. With those two decisions, a woman’s right to “choice” outweighed an innocent child’s right to life. It’s incredible to think of how many abortions have taken place in our country alone. We need to continue to pray for a greater respect for human life in all of its stages, not just during the annual March for Life in January but throughout the year. I hope and pray that you will take the opportunity on Wednesday to make it a day of prayer and penance for life.

9 Days for Life: I would like to call your attention to the USCCB Novena for Life. A signature event of the USCCB’s pro-life initiatives is a novena in which participants receive daily prayers and reflections by email or text from January 21 through January 29. To sign up for the novena, please visit www.9daysforlife.com. The daily messages, which are youth-friendly, will include: an intercession, simple prayers, a brief reflection, and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. There are also iOS and Android apps available. You can also take advantage of prewritten content on the 9daysforlife.com site for sharing on Facebook or Twitter.

Project Rachel: We also need to pray for those many people who somehow were touched by an abortion experience and who are now seeking healing and reconciliation with God, themselves and/ or their family. Project Rachel is a wonderful healing ministry within the Church for people in these situations. If you have been touched by an abortion experience and seek healing, please call the Project Rachel Hotline (888- RACHEL5 / 888-722-4355) for confidential assistance or information. You can also send an email to projectrachel@aod.org. Additional information can also be found at HopeAfterAbortion.com (the US Bishops’ website for post-abortion healing that has English/Spanish articles on the effects of abortion, personal stories of hope and healing, prayers and resources) and RachelsVineyard.org (a website that offers English/Spanish articles for men and women, resources and information on weekend retreats for healing after abortion).

Dismemberment Abortion Ban Update: With an outpouring of support from Catholics throughout the State of Michigan, petitions with the signatures of 379,418 Michiganders were submitted on December 23, 2019, to the Secretary of State to end dismemberment abortion. The law requires 340,047 of the signatures to be valid for the measure to be proposed to the Legislature. If the threshold of signatures is reached, it’s anticipated that the Legislature will readily approve the citizen initiated legislation. Thank you for your commitment to LIFE!

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.

In Christ,

gmb
gmb@sjascs.org