Pastor’s Corner — Sunday, July 28th, 2024
The Assassination Attempt, The National Eucharistic Congress, and Biden Leaves the Race
Last week, I intentionally didn’t comment on the assassination attempt on President Trump and its victims, but instead added a petition for the Masses. Sometimes, especially if you’re not preaching and don’t have time to thoughtfully prepare some thoughts, it’s best to not say anything and just pray. Then I left and went to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis and as I was driving back someone on the phone told me that President Biden had decided not to run for president just months away from the election. We live in interesting times.
Eucharistic Procession at the NEC
Fr. Mathias & the Bishop Family at the NEC
Fr. Mathias & Bishop Boyea before Fr. Mathias’ Breakout Session
I find the timing of all of this rather providential. The week between these two massive and historic moments in our country’s political scene, the Church in the United States held one of the most consequential events that I’ve seen since I’ve been a priest. (I’ll say more about the Congress this weekend). I think we’re in a very important time not just for our country but for our faith; we must not, as Catholics, lose focus on God’s plan in all of this stuff going on in our country. As serious Catholics we know that answers to the problems of the world don’t lie in politics or even the election in November, even though politics is really important and who we elect in government matters a lot. We know that true unity in the human race and our country isn’t going to be the cheap fruit of one political side (Democrats or Republicans) winning or losing elections. We also know that such thoughts are, in fact, naïve, even as we’re all vulnerable to believing them when we’re angry, offended, or discouraged.
Yes, politics matter and we will be preaching a series on the lay commitment to the common good before the election. But the simple truth is we need to be grounded in Eucharistic love, a love that cannot lose in an election. We need unwavering focus on the Lord’s Eucharistic presence to us in the Church and his transcendent vision of the human person to form and shape our hopes and dreams as Christians. My fear is that we Americans, in the midst of the 24/7 news cycle, would succumb to the temptation to place more hope in our favorite political candidate than in Christ, to focus more on what the latest polls say about Harris and Trump or on what they are saying, rather than on what God is doing and calling us to as a people of faith.
God is up to something good in the Church and it was on full display at the Eucharistic Congress. But I’m not sure many people know about it. More on this on Sunday…
Good News: St Pat’s Parishioner Becomes A Seminarian
St. Pat’s Parishioner Trevor Kunkle has been accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Lansing. As you know entering seminary doesn’t necessarily mean someone is making the commitment to becoming a priest, but it does mean there is a strong sense that God might be calling him to be such and seminary is a good place for him and the Church to discern that call. I’m proud of Trevor for courageously following the Lord in this next chapter of his life. You might recognize him from around the parish. |||
Here is a little note from him about himself:
At the end of August, I’ll be attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. I am very excited to begin seminary and use the time to get closer to Jesus. I’ve been a parishioner at St. Pat’s since summer of 2022. Around that time, I started discerning priesthood as my vocation.
I grew up in the Brighton area and graduated from Brighton High School in 2017. My family still lives in the area. After high school, I attended Central Michigan University to study Computer Science and after a year, I transferred to Ferris State University to study HVAC Engineering.
While at Ferris, I had a conversion of heart and faith and started going to Mass after some friends encouraged me to start going to the campus’s Catholic Newman Center. I started going to Mass regularly and to different events/silent retreats the Newman Center hosted. During this time, my heart was set on fire for Christ. I found the hidden treasure. I was confirmed in the Church on the Easter Vigil of 2022.
During my time at St Pats, I’ve gotten to know many of you. I’ve been a part of various groups and “rest stops”, such as the Young Adult group, and That Man is You. I also have been altar serving. Thank you for your support of seminarians and for being such a great parish to be a part of!
Sincerely, Trevor Kunkle
Michigan Catholic Counselor Lawsuit
Unfortunately, threats against religious freedom are becoming more common. A Catholic Charities agency in our diocese has joined a federal lawsuit against Michigan’s new broad ban on “gender conversion therapy.” The Michigan law, HB 4616, mandates that mental health professionals “shall not engage in conversion therapy with a minor.” The lawsuit challenges this mandate, arguing that the law “forces counselors to ‘affirm’ children in the belief that they were born in the wrong body.”
Here are some paragraphs of the press release
Catholic therapists in Michigan asked a federal court today to protect their ability to provide compassionate, professional counseling to children experiencing discomfort with their biological sex.
Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of children identifying as transgender. Many of these children have been encouraged to try to change their bodies by receiving drugs, hormones, and surgeries that have no proven benefits and serious, demonstrated harms—such as increased risk of cancer, loss of bone density, sexual dysfunction, and permanent sterilization.
The harms are so significant that 25 states have banned or strictly limited gender transitions for children, recommending instead that children receive compassionate counseling to help address the underlying causes of their distress. Unfortunately, a new law in Michigan now bans this compassionate approach, forcing therapists to turn away children and families or risk losing their licenses and suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
“I opened Little Flower to offer those who come through my doors compassionate therapy that helps them live whole, integrated lives,” said Emily McJones, licensed therapist and owner of Little Flower Counseling. “But now Michigan officials are threatening to strip my license because I provide therapy rooted in my faith and the best available scientific evidence.”
Emily and a local Catholic Charities’ counseling ministry are asking a court to block Michigan’s law and allow them to continue helping children.
“Michigan’s attempt to gag compassionate, professional counselors is contrary to the Constitution, sound evidence, and common sense,” said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket.
“The Constitution doesn’t let the government dictate what people can and can’t say—especially when the government is cutting off vulnerable children and families from counseling they desperately want to receive.”
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias