DEACON TIM'S COLUMN 6-20-10 (FATHERS' DAY)

In the Gospel today (according to Luke) Jesus tells us “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” When I was teaching at Loyola on Fenkel in Detroit I would periodically take a different route and cut across Fenkel. When I did this I used to pass a store front church which had a sign in the window “The Gospel Made Easy”. I always thought about stopping in and asking “how?” The Gospel isn’t easy. Following it can become easier the more we practice (just like virtue) but it never is easy.

Each of us is continually challenged by the Gospel, challenged to follow Christ. I can only imagine having a conversation with Christ and asking him “was it easy?” I’ve got a pretty good feeling I know what the answer would be. Jesus laid out the two most important commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In his public ministry he further defined these two when he gave us the Beatitudes (eight in Matthew and four in Luke) and the parables about forgiveness and love of neighbor (The Prodigal Son, The Woman Caught in Adultery, The Good Samaritan and so on).

Throughout Church history, the pages are filled with people (women, men and children) who did take up their cross and were concerned more with the life to come than the life in the here and now. These martyrs (both red and white) took up their crosses and often bore incredible hardships and suffering in following Christ.

In the second reading today from the Letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free person,, there is not male and female….” We are all one in Christ through our baptism. In this baptism we also become responsible for all of our sisters and brothers (in varying ways). At the very least we are called to pray for our sisters and brothers and not put any impediments in their way regarding their eternal salvation and their temporal welfare (to the best of our ability).

Blessings to all, especially to all fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, foster fathers and all men who act as father figures.

Deacon Tim 734-502-1818 deacontim@tds.net http://shamrockdeacon.blogspot.com

www.pbjoutreach.org

IMMIGRATION -- A BIASED VIEW

     With all the talk about illegal immigration, Arizona's new state law giving the police the right to, upon a stop for another crime/incident, check the citizenship status of the individual they stopped, some rumblings in Michigan about adopting something similar, and all the pros and cons regarding these topics I feel compelled to just add a few of my own comments toward this situation.

     First, I have to admit that I'm not an entirely unbiased commentator.  Early in the 20th Century my great aunt (God rest her soul) came into the United States illegally.  She came through Canada with the assistance of an Irish priest in Detroit who at that time was helping Irish immigrants who were fleeing Ireland to enter the United States.  Over the course of her life, I believe that she did ultimately become a naturalized citizen.  She also raised a family alone, after he husband deserted her and her three sons (my second cousins).

     My aunt didn't come to this country on a lark.  She was fleeing Ireland because of the repression of the English occupation force in Ireland at the time and because of her involvement with the Irish pro-independence movement operating in and around Cork.  From 1916 until 1922 an extremely bitter war was fought by Ireland in order to obtain freedom from English rule.  (As a side note, if you're interested, there is a very excellent independent movie which had limited release in 2006 - now on DVD - "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" -- set in County Cork from 1920-1922.)

     Her brother, my great uncle had been captured, imprisoned and tortured for his involvement in the Irish independence movement.  He later emigrated to the United States (Detroit).  This imprisonment and torture left extremely deep psychological scars on him until the day he died.

Homily - 5-2-10 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. - Our Lady of Good Counsel

HOMILY 5-2-10
8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Deacon Tim Sullivan

In today’s Gospel (Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35) Jesus tells his disciples that he is giving them a new commandment to love one another as he has loved them. If you search all of the versions of the Gospel, no where will you find that Jesus ever made a suggestion. He gave commands. He didn’t say, love one another as long as you get along with them or if you like them. He was very definite…love one another as he loved them (and as he loves us). On this, Jesus didn’t give us any “wiggle room”. This scene in the Gospel takes place after the Last Supper and after Jesus has washed the feet of the Apostles. We should remember that Jesus washed the feet of Judas also at the Last Supper. Keeping this in mind, when he told us to love one another he didn’t say that we had to like everyone. I imagine Jesus didn’t really like Judas that much knowing that he was going to betray him and turn him over to be tortured and killed by crucifixion. I imagine that Jesus didn’t like Peter’s actions of denying him three times. I also have a feeling that he didn’t like Pilate that much, remembering that Pilate is the one who condemned him to be scourged and crucified. He might not have liked these people but he loved them. He calls us to do no less.
This love was a totally selfless; ask nothing in return type of love. This love that Jesus had for us (including Judas and Peter and Pilate) is the same love that he commanded that we each have for each other.
This love isn’t that warm fuzzy feeling you get from someone. Rather it’s the visible act that shows our relationship with each other as sons and daughters of God. It’s the abandonment of self and the realization that each and every one e of us is special in God’s eyes and therefore should be special in our eyes. We are all family, we are all brothers and sisters. This love that we are called to have is manifested by wishing the absolute best for someone, and the best thing that we can hope for is that they gain eternal salvation and their eventual place in heaven. The way we can do this, especially if we don’t know the person or if we’re having problems with the person is to pray for them.
This “praying for them” isn’t always an easy task. Watching the reviews for the movie out
about Jack Kavorkian I was reminded that when he was at his height of activity, I knew I should
pray for him…so I did. I would pray, Father, I’d like to pray for Jack Kavorkian (and then add) but
you know I don’t mean it. I prayed like that for several years. Then one day while I was praying, I
remember saying “and I want to pray for Jack Kavorkian” and I actually meant it. A harder
situation arose when my youngest daughter was about five years old. Someone tried to abduct her from in front of our house. I was reminded how hard this is when I was talking to a person several years ago. They said that someone had done something very bad against someone in their family and that they couldn’t forgive them. I told them that it might be helpful to pray for them. Their response was “oh I do pray for them, I pray that they die the most horrible, painful, lingering death possible. This person was probably one of the scariest people I have ever met…they had no peace. In effect, they were spiritually and emotionally dead.
One of the biggest aspects of love is forgiveness. There are times when we just have to forgive. The last part of the story about my daughter is that she wasn’t abducted but having the description of the car and of the individual I looked for them for three days. It was only by the grace of God that I didn’t find them. It’s taken me over 21 years to bring myself to pray for that person…and it’s still hard.
After the 8:00 a.m. Mass, something happened as we were processing out. Fr. John looked at me and said “I think God just called your bluff.” To truly be called Christians, followers of Christ we have to love and have to be able to forgive, no matter who the person is, no matter what they’ve done and no matter how much they have impacted us.

PBJ OUTREACH INC.

PBJ (Peanut Butter and Jelly) Outreach Inc. is an diverse group of people volunteering their time and services to provide food, clothing, and basic social services to homeless people as well as those who are below the poverty level, living in the depressed and impoverished areas of the Metropolitan Detroit area, including the Cass Corridor section of inner city Detroit. The services are provided to all, regardless of race, religion (or lack thereof), gender or national origin.

[The PBJ Outreach Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity under the Internal Revenue Code.]

The Inspiring Story of PBJ Outreach, Inc.

In October of 2002, Deacon Tim Sullivan and four other faith-filled people began the PBJ Ministry in the heart of the inner city of Detroit. They set up a card table in a vacant lot at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and 3rd St. within the Cass Corridor. They didn’t know who owned the lot, just that there were people in need there. They began making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on site keeping the bees from becoming part of the cuisine. They served approximately thirty people that day and vowed to come back. PBJ Outreach now serves up to 350 people every Saturday morning with anywhere from 40 to 60 volunteers helping between food prep and service.

Seven years later the food preparation is done at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Plymouth, Michigan beginning with an early wakeup call to begin preparations by 5:30AM. The menu now features four meat sandwiches, one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one jelly sandwich, one tuna fish sandwich, one bag with a loaf of bread and a jar of either jelly or peanut butter and a hot item. Also on the menu is an assortment of pre-packaged snacks and candy, bottled water, juice and coffee.

The team has tackled the management of the process by setting up a queue for the guests to walk through, having runners behind the servers to refill any items that are running low, and having certain items strategically placed. For the handicapped and families with small children, there is a smaller version of the setup on the sidewalk for easy access.

What makes this prep-and-serve group so amazing is how they embrace the needs of the guests and bring their ideas to the ‘party’. There are individuals who bring smiles, conversation and cheer to the people as they walk around offering coffee and juice to those standing in a long line. Others give hugs to people who are considered untouchable. Patient conversations take place with those whose stories are filled with childlike fantasy and color. Young adults entertain the children to help the parents find their way through the line. The candy man hands out lollipops to everyone. He’s found that adults never grow up and everyone has their favorite flavor. Deacon Tim stands in his sandals with his partner waiting for the opportunity to pray with anyone whose heart is open for one. Prayers are not required, sermons are not required. Heart to heart conversations with spiritual guidance and prayers are available for anyone who requests it. One woman walks around with minimal first aid supplies to help bring comfort to those who physically need it. With only the experience of being a mom, there are assorted creams and bandages all distributed with great care. A selection of donated books to help pass the time, edify the soul or educate are all on hand for distribution; a hot item to be sure. With the same great management skills, a free clothing ‘shopping’ experience awaits the guests every second and fourth Saturday of the month. These individuals also bring specialty items at important times of the years. When school starts, along with clothing, there are school supplies, at Mother’s Day, out come the best of the jewelry, purses and shoes gathered over the year. Father’s Day brings watches, hand held video games and sports equipment.

The love of the people of Detroit and this city are palpable. There are servers who show up at the lot who come from the city. They were driving by and saw the great gift of hope taking place and felt the call to help their fellow neighbors. They remind the rest of us who are from the suburbs that Detroit is alive with love, fellowship and promise of better days. Other organizations from within the city and other suburban communities have begun to show up to help as well.

The people we provide for come from a large cross section of the city. There are the guests who have lost their jobs and need temporary help. There are the elderly who are on fixed incomes and need supplemental help, there are single parents trying to make their way on the means they have and find they just need a little more support. There are guests who must be lead by their angels to find their way to us due to their physical and mental disabilities. But in it all, the smiles are there, the laughs are there and the hope is there. When asked how they are, so many respond, “I am blessed.” We serve those who society deems as outcasts, such as the prostitutes, drug addicts and ex-convicts. No one is considered beyond hope or unworthy to this group.

It is with great devotion that PBJ Outreach can say it has fed over 110,000 people and has never missed a Saturday in seven years no matter the weather or if it is a holiday. The people know PBJ Outreach will be there at 8:00AM and have whatever they need that day. PBJ Outreach is currently funded solely by private donors and run by volunteers. We have individuals who give of their time and talent organizing lucrative fundraisers. We are most thankful for those who have given financially, in-kind, and/or of their time. These are remarkable people. Unfortunately, we were informed by the owner of the lot that he is looking to develop there soon. A soup kitchen is going to be required by us in the very near future.

PBJ Outreach, Inc. is currently in the process of expanding. There is a group of people who have the ability and ambition to work but are lacking the skills to provide themselves a living wage. They are at risk of succumbing to the vices, behaviors and beliefs that hopelessness brings. These individuals do not fit the profile of the No Worker Left Behind Program and therefore are in a precarious position. They are pivotal in the rebirth and renaissance of Detroit. With an increase in their self-esteem, there is so much they can offer the city both financially and in the promise of their future that will feed the spirit of Detroit. PBJ Outreach, Inc. is planning to open a facility that will give culinary skills and life skills training to the unemployed. We are hopeful that the combination will translate to a successful new lifestyle for the employee. We are looking to include a restaurant and café/bakery as the lab work and classrooms for the life skills and management training. We would like to incorporate urban farming into our program with the goal in mind of helping stock the soup kitchen. Job placement and healthcare are also in the works.

Although it sounds ambitious, we liken this endeavor to Noah’s Ark. Noah saved good people from destruction and he persevered through persecution, hardships and humble beginnings. We have many experts in various fields who are excited to get working on this project. Our team consists of healthcare professionals, life skill teachers, culinary art professors, small business owners, attorneys, fundraisers and event planners, investors, controllers, marketing and strategic planners, job placement coordinators, participating banks in monetary education, architects, web designers and computer specialists, urban farmers, and organizations that have agreed to work with our employees. The only thing we now need is high level financial backing. Unlike most training programs, we do not qualify for the No Worker Left Behind student scholarships nor do we qualify for federal funds as we do not provide degrees or state-and-federal certifications.

Please visit our website at http://www.pbjoutreach.org to learn more about ways we help the community, what we need, how to get involved and our future plans to help with the growing number of needs in Southeast Michigan. To speak with us directly, please contact:
Deacon Tim Sullivan
President
734-502-1818
deacontim@tds.net

Christina Hohman
Program Manager
734-781-5514
chohman08@wowway.com

Repost of July 6 Article - Do Animals Go to Heaven

DO ANIMALS GO TO HEAVEN?
Last week I was asked that question and my answer was yes, I think they do. Now why? Remember God never made “throw-aways.” In Genesis God created man and animals on the same day. “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.’ And so it happened: God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.’ God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." Theologians are split whether animals go to heaven or not. Do animals have souls? Yes. They have material souls—their life force. Are these souls eternal like ours, well, no but—keep in mind a couple of things.
First, none of us know what heaven is like. We know that we will be in God’s presence and that it’s eternal but that’s about it. God will be our main focus. But, that doesn’t mean that we won’t be able to appreciate each other and the beauty of our heavenly paradise. Try to remain open to the possibility that part of this enjoyment might well include our pets.
Peter Kreeft, a professor of philosophy at Boston College tells us that “pets, like everything else in this world, can mediate God’s love and goodness to us and train us for our union with him, or that can distract us from him. In heaven, everything mediates and nothing distracts.” C.S. Lewis, the great Christian writer pointed out that even in our life our pets sometimes become an important part of our lives, almost an extension of who we are. Their association with us elevates them to a higher kind of life than they would have had on their own. In this way it seems to me possible that certain animals may have immortality, not in them selves, but in the immortality of their masters.”
Just a couple of points on a less intellectual level. God wants us to be totally happy in heaven. If our dog or cat or favorite pet will help this process, knowing that God can resurrect us, I have no doubt that he could resurrect a dog or a cat too.
Imagine the seeing eye dog devoted to its master. Think of the cat who is the only friend and companion of an elderly person. Think of the devoted dog or cat that never leaves the side of their chronically and perhaps terminally ill master. I find it impossible to believe that God, who is all loving and all compassionate will not in some way reward this loyalty. And, theologians notwithstanding, God can do anything! (If you are interested in more articles on this topic, just “Google” “Are there Animals in Heaven.”)

October 4, 2009 – Respect Life Sunday

Deacon Tim’s Column
October 4, 2009 – Respect Life Sunday

Today we observe “Respect Life Sunday.” Often we equate respecting life with only the issues of abortion and the other issues relating to conception and the unborn. To be truly “pro-life” we must respect life in all of its stages. In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed in the U.S. In 2007, the infant mortality rate in the U.S. was one of the worst in the world with 6.78 infant deaths (under 1 year of age) per 1,000 live births (over 28,000 infant deaths). Approximately 45,000 people die each year because they have no health insurance. In the United States, 3.5 million people are expected to experience homelessness in a given year. Out of this number, 1.35 million of these are children. Approximately 15 million children (one out of every four) live below the poverty level. 22% of Americans under the age of 18 and 25% under the age of 12 are hungry or at the risk of being hungry. Everyday, 2,660 children are born into poverty; 27 die because of it (almost 10,000 per year).
All of us are worthy of respect. In Genesis 1:27 we read “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him, male and female he created him.” All of us have human dignity because of this and each life is precious and worthwhile. We can’t be selective when we call ourselves “pro-life.” We have to respect all life at all stages. We have unfortunately accepted a culture of death in this country. Whether it concerns abortion, lack of health insurance, poverty, a disregard for life (even at the end stages) we have become hardened to the dignity of life. Each of us are going to have to answer to God for what we have done to foster an atmosphere of life not death. When we are judged, God will tell us “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40b).
May Christ’s peace always be with you and your families.
DeaconTim 734-502-1818
deacontim@tds.net
http://shamrockdeacon.blogspot.com

PBJ Outreach

All of you have been so supportive of this program in the last seven years and it is greatly appreciated. Yesterday, Saturday, October 3 was the seventh anniversary of the PBJ Outreach. Because of your support we have been able to feed and clothe in excess of 85,000 people. Currently we are in the process of expanding our operations. Our mission downtown on Saturday morning will never change. We are looking into ways to help more people and increase the number of days that we can serve as well as the number of ways that we can serve. There are several programs that we are looking at currently. All of them entail developing an enterprise which can be used as training for the homeless and the unemployed and also to (after it’s initial start-up) be self-sustaining and used as a feeder for addional operations , programs and locations to help the homeless, the marginalized poor and the unemployed. This segment of the PBJ will be completely separate from our current operations. It will be funded through grants from the government, foundations and private contriubtors. The success or failure of this enterprise will in no way effect our operations at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Third in the Cass Corridor. In conjunction with this we are looking at ways to enhance and help the services we provide to our friends every Saturday. Please keep all of us in your prayers. If you would like any additional information or have any questions, please contact me at 734-502-1818.
Deacon Tim

Deacon Tim’s Column
September 20, 2009
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel passage is all too familiar. Jesus is journeying with his disciples and he starts to prepare them for his upcoming passion, death and resurrection. Instead of listening to him they start to be concerned with who is the greatest among them. The disciples actually weren’t looking for earthly fame and fortune. What they were arguing about was who was going to be the best servant. How could you serve the Lord in the best way possible, to be the best servant? Jesus reminded them that the best servant was the one who serves quietly and who appears to be the most vulnerable and need the most amount of care. This is the one who can teach us what it means to be Christ-like. As an example, he takes a little child and places it in their midst and tells them that the person who receives this child in his name receives not only Jesus, but the one who sent him.
Sometimes we can take this idea of being the servant of all and turn it around into something that it shouldn’t be. We try to become what the disciples were arguing about…who’s the greatest servant, how many committees do we serve on, how many programs do we donate our time to, how much time do we spend in prayer? In thinking of this idea of serving, I was reminded of a fairly famous gangster in Chicago from the 1920’s, Al Capone. By 1929 the Great Depression had hold of the U.S. In major cities all over there were bread lines, soup kitchens and desperate taken people. In Chicago, the most notorious gangster of the Prohibition Era, Al Capone set out on a PR campaign. He provided food and started soup kitchens for people in the City of Chicago. I would hope that Mr. Capone did that out of the goodness of his heart and for the sake of his less fortunate brothers and sisters. I’m sure that God took that into consideration when Mr. Capone died. If he truly wanted to be a servant and be Christ-like, chances are he wouldn’t have led the kind of life that he did and have been responsible for the numerous murders which occurred during Prohibition in Chicago (especially the notorious St. Valentine’s Day Massacre).
This idea of being servant of all then is not just all about the externals. So much of our servanthood depends on our interior disposition as well as our motives in serving. In the second reading today from the Letter of James, he tells us that “. . . the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.” This wisdom he is talking about is an excellent description of of what should be in our hearts when we truly become “servants.”
Come Holy Spirit grant us the Spirit of fear and awe, that we may be filled with a loving reverence toward God and avoid doing anything that may displease him.
Deacon Tim 734-502-1818
deacontim@tds.net
http://shamrockdeacon/blogspot.com
BLESSING OF PETS – Sunday, October 4, 2009 (the feast of St. Francis of Assisi). At 2:00 p.m. we will have the blessing of pets in the small parking lot next to the day chapel. All pets, dogs, cats, gerbils, rabbits, fish, etc., are welcome.