laborers for the harvest

Please pray also for our newly ordained priests! While the Big Man and I attended Rachel's graduation on Saturday, we sent a contingent of family members (namely AJ, Joey and Lauren) to the Ordination of our friend Clint McDonell. Fr. Clint spent his internship as a seminarian at our parish, and we quickly adopted him into our family. (We love to do that! Our Lukie says that our family is like a black hole in outer space -- if you get close enough to us, we'll suck you right in!)

Fr. Clint is an awesome young man. He is brilliant, kind and holy, and an amazing tenor to boot! We are so proud to know him, and so honored to call him "friend." His priesthood is such a gift to our church.

Read more about him here.

and the fire fell...

Pentecost was especially poignant this year. Our family attended Mass at Detroit's Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, witnesses of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Our dear friend Catherine (CT) was confirmed, taking the name Cecelia. As I stood at her side, honored to serve as her sponsor, I prayed that the Holy Spirit would truly transform us. As the Cardinal began the words of the consecration, asking the Holy Spirit to change our meager gifts of simple bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, I had a realization. If the Holy Spirit is so powerful that these humble fruits of the earth can be changed into God Himself, how much more can He do with us? We are, after all, made in the very likeness of God. Imagine what He can do with us! Imagine how awesome we can become when we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us!

Here are a few photos from this special occasion. Please keep the newly confirmed, and all who call on the Spirit, in your prayers!


CT and I at the foot of the altar.


With Cardinal Maida.

a conversion story

This weekend I had the privilege of attending the Profession of Faith and First Holy Communion of a young woman entering the Catholic Church. My heart is eager to share the story, but words are hard to find.

The woman in question was baptized as a child, and has spent many of her 38 years around Catholics. But only recently her spiritual journey intensified, and she became convicted -- the Catholic church was to be her home.

Even though she had known Catholics for years, and had even worked in Catholic churches, she did not decide to join the church until now. As one of her sponsors, I felt justified in asking her a personal question. Why?

The answer is simple, compelling, and more than a bit frightening. When she answered me, in much simpler terms than I'm relating here, I thought of a story I'd heard about Ghandi. When asked why he didn't become a Christian, even though he felt unified with many Christian teachings, he shared that he would become a Christian if not for one thing -- Christians.

My friend joined the Church now for, happily, the very reason that Ghandi declined. Somehow, miraculously, she met some good people, developed some friendships, and learned that the Christian life, the call to the Catholic Church, is primarily about relationships.

I'm humbled that I was invited to accompany her on her journey into the church, and I'm in awe of the task before me. I want to be an excellent example, an honest teacher, and a wise friend. I want to mirror Christ for her. I want to be the Christian that would have made even Ghandi change his mind.

The truth is, I'm hardly up to it. I'm lazy and sinful and imperfect in my charity. I'm often a bad example of Christlike love, forgiveness and patience. But for my friend, I'm a sign, a gatepost, a guiding hand. Our relationship is imperative as she grows in her faith.

I told her the other day that our faith is really all about relationships -- our relationships with Jesus and with each other. I hope ours can be a relationship that does only good for her, one that points her directly to Christ.

Your heartfelt prayers are appreciated.