From the Pastor’s Desk by Fr. Terry Kerner,

Each Lent we begin with this gospel depicting the temptations of Christ in the desert. We can almost recite from memory the devil’s attempt to weaken Jesus and avert His mission of redemption. We see the Lord in a stark confrontation with evil. The temptations end with Jesus’ stern warning the evil one not to put the Lord our God to the test. St. Luke concludes this part of his gospel with the statement that he, the devil departed from Jesus “for a time”. “For a time” becomes a chilling warning that we are never absent of temptation in our lives. We are never free of evil in our world that feeds terrorism and inhumane treatment of our fellow citizens at home and abroad. Lent brings the hope for conquering evil in our lives knowing and believing that Christ has already done so. The grace of our forty days can bestow a quiet joy in our lives knowing that the death and resurrection of Christ has brought redemption not “for a time” but for eternity. Enjoy every minute of this life-giving season!

Let me invite all of you to use the Lenten schedule of liturgies and devotions. Coming together with other believers strengthens and enlivens our own faith. Praying together Stations of the Cross at Noon on Fridays of Lent can become a journey with Christ you might want to take. You might even want to think about sharing your time with some great folks at the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry every Friday at the St. Maria Goretti parish hall.

THE DEACON IS SPEAKIN’

I am writing to thank you for your many prayers, cards, notes and well-wishes, as I go through my esophageal cancer treatment and to bring you up-to-date on my health.  I will have my 3rd and 4th chemotherapy treatments in the 2nd and 4th weeks of March, respectively.  Sometime later, I will have surgery scheduled to remove my esophagus, followed by recovery and continued chemotherapy. 

The side effects of the treatment are principally fatigue, malaise, pressure headaches, thinking as though through molasses, and neuropathy. These symptoms intensify with subsequent treatments. 

The good news is that, for the most part, within a week after each chemotherapy, I am feeling much better.  Further, the chemo is slowing down and shrinking the tumor, permitting me to begin eating solid foods. Lastly, I am now able to gain weight, with the insertion of a feeding tube being removed from consideration.  I attribute all this, in no small part, to your prayers, for which I am very grateful.

Spiritually, as I pray and ponder God’s Word and teaching, it seems to be taking on a new clarity, reality and profundity, more so than any mathematical or scientific truth or fact of life.  Secondly, I am growing to surrender personal desires and agendas to God, and to be happy and satisfied with what the Lord is permitting. I attribute this, again, to your prayers and the grace which this illness is permitting.

Finally, I am blessed by Fr. Terry’s example of “ministerial grit” in the face of his own medical challenges, and his pastoral watchfulness over me.  Thank you once more for your kindness and repeated prayers on my and Christine’s behalf.

What is Catholic Social Teaching?

Catholic social teaching refers to the Church’s perspectives on building a just society, originating from Sacred Scripture and articulated through a tradition of Church documents. It is grounded in and founded upon the dignity of the human person, which proclaims that God created human beings out of love and in His image and likeness, thus endowing them with an innate and inherent dignity.

All other Catholic principles flow from and are founded upon human dignity. Other core concepts of Catholic social teaching include solidarity, which recognizes that as one human family, we have a responsibility to each other; as well as a preferential option for the poor, which calls for putting the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

Upholding the Dignity of Human Life

Each person possesses an inherent dignity is willed, created, and loved by God.l This ery circumstance, state, or situation the teaching—which informs MCC’s advocacy human dignity, which first begins with son’s right to life. To uphold and protect son, MCC supports:

  • Recognizing and protecting the value of every person’s life from conception to natural death.
  • Defending the elderly, the ill, those with disabilities, and vulnerable populations by upholding Michigan’s statutory ban on assisted suicide.
  • Initiatives and pregnancy care programs that provide and expand alternatives to abortion, as well as assist pregnant and parenting women with prenatal, postpartum, and adoption services, including state support of pregnancy resource centers.
  • Eliminating abortion and promoting the health and safety of women.
  • Prohibiting or regulating policies that violate the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life, including embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and surrogacy.
  • Reducing violence in society, regulating access to guns, and increasing access to mental health and addiction treatment.
  • Expanding and improving end-of-life care until a person’s natural death.
  • Supporting the authentic nature of the human person and recognizing the inherent biological differences between males and females, with particular attention to gender ideology.
  • Addressing racial injustice and promoting racial harmony.
  • Policies that address the potential benefits and threats posed by the utilization of Artificial Intelligence