Good Shepherd Church

09/05/2026

Saint Teresa of Calcutta - September 5 - Bianca Bekke
⁣
“You saw during Holy Mass with what tenderness, with what love, Father was touching the Body of Christ. Make sure it is the same body in the poor that you will be touching. Give that same love, that same tenderness.”
⁣
These words spoken by Mother Teresa are what we strive to emulate at Mother Teresa House as we care for the terminally ill in their final days. Explains Bianca, the executive director of the organization. She continues, saying:
⁣
Each glance given, word spoken, and wound cared for is done with gentle, loving compassion as if we were tending to Christ himself.
⁣
“Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Mt. 25: 37-40)
⁣
Saint Teresa of Calcutta offers an ideal example of how we should treat and care for our hospice guests, as well as all those who enter our end-of-life care home. We give them unconditional love. It begins with the posture we present in receiving each individual, whether over the phone, in an email, or face-to-face in our homes.
⁣
A posture of acceptance and love.
⁣
Mother Teresa loved all of God’s creation and did not consider an individual’s religion, political affiliation, social, or economic status.
⁣
She loved all – like Jesus does and like He calls each one of us to imitate.
⁣
As the executive director of Mother Teresa House, I look to Saint Teresa of Calcutta as a model of holy guidance. This soft-spoken, diminutive woman was a channel of God’s grace to others throughout her life. She demonstrated a proper relationship with God. He was the King of her life, and she was the instrument in His hand. Allowing His Will to be done in all things.
⁣
As a girl, I often remember seeing Mother Teresa on the evening news. The reports always communicated the charitable works she was doing around the globe. Often, she was featured with her good friend, Pope Saint John Paul II. Now, as two great canonized Saints of our time, I think back to the images being conveyed on the nightly news. These two holy people were, in a larger sense, working together for the sanctification of souls and the greater glory of God.
⁣
May all of our relationships be as holy as their relationship was! Mother Teresa is a prime example of a life well ordered! She was in communion with her God and in right relationship with her neighbors.
⁣
Another aspect of Mother Teresa’s life that I often reflect on as the leader of an organization is her humility and complete dependence on God. There are many examples throughout Mother Teresa’s life where she turned to God’s aid and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. Through such prayers, she was always assisted by Divine Providence and overcame the obstacle at hand.
⁣
I am quite sure there were times in her life when her prayers were not answered in the way she anticipated. But, as the saintly woman she became, I do not doubt she surrendered to God’s Will. Accepting all things that He was happy to give her and her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity.
⁣
So today, on the feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, imitate her by giving Glory to God this day in worship, exercising an act of charity toward your neighbor, and accepting all things the Good Lord is willing to bestow on you this day!
⁣
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for us!

09/01/2026

Our Lady of Sorrows - September

09/01/2026

🎤 Meet the Speaker: Fr. Joseph J. Krupp
⁣
We're excited to welcome Fr. Joseph J. Krupp to the 2026 Michigan Catholic Women's Conference!
⁣
Ordained to the priesthood 25 years ago for the Diocese of Lansing, Fr. Joe has faithfully served in parish ministry, Catholic education, campus ministry at Michigan State University, and as chaplain for both MSU Football and the East Lansing Police Department.
⁣
Today, he serves as Pastor of Church of the Holy Family in Grand Blanc and St. Mark in Goodrich. An author, syndicated columnist, and podcaster, Fr. Joe is known for sharing the Catholic faith with humor, wisdom, and authenticity, inspiring audiences around the world.
⁣
Join us on Saturday, October 10, 2026, as Fr. Joe shares his message during this year's conference, The Heart of Feminine Holiness.
⁣
🎟 Registration is open now at https://michigancwc.org/
⁣

08/27/2026

✨ Meet the Speaker: Sarah Kaczmarek
⁣
We're honored to welcome Sarah Kaczmarek to the 2026 Michigan Catholic Women's Conference!
⁣
Sarah serves as an instructor and online facilitator with Encounter Ministries and has dedicated more than 20 years to ministry. With a master's degree in counseling and a heart for evangelization, she is passionate about helping others encounter the Father's love and walk in the holiness and wholeness that Jesus has won for them.
⁣
Her experience in parish ministry, youth ministry, and Alpha Catholic has equipped her to inspire others to grow in faith and deepen their relationship with Christ.
⁣
Join us on Saturday, October 10, 2026, as Sarah shares her message during this year's conference, The Heart of Feminine Holiness.
⁣
🎟 Registration is open now at https://michigancwc.org/
⁣

08/27/2026

Saint Monica – August 27– Sheri Wohlfert
⁣
Parenting is a job that simply doesn’t have a finish line. No matter their age, our hope and prayer is for our kids to be holy, healthy and safe; physically and spiritually. Many parents share the heartache of a child who has drifted away from the faith and today is the perfect day to call on the wisdom and intercession of Saint Monica whose motherhood was marked by the same heartache. Following her example brings us hope and demonstrates the love and power of the Father.
⁣
The Big Thing: With consistent, persistent and relentless passion, pray for your child. Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften their heart and lead them back to their faith.
⁣
Toss The Timer: Offer your prayers with great faith and even greater patience. God doesn’t have a timetable, and he will act decisively at precisely the right time. Saint Monica prayed relentlessly for her son Augustine for more than fifteen years before his conversion.
⁣
The Switch: Talk to your child less about God and talk to God more about your child. This was the wise council Saint Monica received from her spiritual director Saint Ambrose, and it was good and powerful advice.
⁣
The Father loves each of us ferociously. He will find the lost sheep, our job is to trust and pray that the Father who loves our children more than we ever could, will protect and guide them home.
⁣
Saint Monica, pray for us.

08/22/2026

Today, August 22nd, the Octave Day of the Blessed Mother’s Assumption into Heaven, we celebrate the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Of the Diocese of Lansing’s 72 parishes, did you know that 20 of them are named for Our Lady? Many are just named St. Mary’s, but we also have Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Mary Star of the Sea, Immaculate Conception, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and two parishes dedicated to Mary as Queen: St. Mary Queen of Angels in Swartz Creek and the parish where I serve as pastor, Queen of the Miraculous Medal in Jackson.
⁣
It was Pope Pius XII who defined Mary’s Assumption into Heaven during the Marian Holy Year of Jubilee in 1950. That same Pope promulgated this feast day of the Blessed Mother on October 11, 1954, with a letter entitled, Ad Caeli Reginam, “To the Queen of Heaven,” in which he wrote:
From the earliest ages of the Catholic church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven. And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother’s solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen (par. 1).
⁣
In a church that has existed for 2,000 years, a feast that is less than 70 years old seems relatively new, and yet the history of Mary’s queenship stretches back to the first centuries of the Church. In the midst of the ruins of the Roman Forum, once the seat of power of a great empire, you can still visit the little 6th century church of Santa Maria Antiqua, Ancient St. Mary, in which you will find a 1500-year-old mosaic depicting the Blessed Mother as an Empress with a jeweled crown on her head. This fits the description of Our Lady as seen by John the Evangelist in The Book of Revelation, as ‘a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars’ (Rev. 12:1).
⁣
Mary gained the title of Queen from the very moment Gabriel announced that she would be with child at the Annunciation in the Grotto at Nazareth. The Archangel promised that her son would sit on ‘the throne of his ancestor David,’ and ‘he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end’ (Luke 1:32-33).
⁣
In ancient Israel, the king’s mother always carried the rank of Queen. Requests made of the king were often transmitted through his mother. A most famous example of this practice is found in 2 Kings 13 when Adonijah, fourth son of King David, asks a favor of Queen Bathsheba, requesting that she approach her son King Solomon to allow him to marry. When the queen mother approaches Solomon, he did her homage, not the other way around, and the request was granted.
In the same way, Christians for 2,000 years have approached Jesus through Mary, ad Iesum per Mariam. Jesus would refuse her nothing, so great is his love for her, and we do well to make our requests of him through her holy and grace-filled intercession.
⁣
Jesus is a king unlike any other, and his kingdom endures forever, stretching far beyond the confines of earth below or heaven above. In much the same way, the Queenship of Mary is both earthly and heavenly, holy and humble, drawing all who seek her intercession into a deeper love for her and for her son.
⁣
We conclude our reflection turning once more to the words of Pope Pius XII in the document instituting this great feast:
Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary's name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels (Par. 48).
⁣
And from the time-honored Litany of Loreto: Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Queen of families, Queen of peace. Pray for us!
⁣
* First published August 22, 2022 on

08/21/2026

Today is the Feast of Saint Pius X who was pope from 1903 to his death in 1914 at the age of 79. Among his many towering achievements, Pope Pius notably condemned the heresy of Modernism in two formal documents, Lamentabili and Pascendi, both published in 1907. But what is modernism? And why is it so bad?
⁣
“Modernists held that dogmas – including the divinity of Christ, and the redemptive value of his death – were the products of an evolution in Christian thinking over time, and so could be completely changed,’’ explains Michael Andrews, Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing, “Saint Pius X rightly judged that modernism is at its root, essentially an atheistic error.” Want to know more? Michael Andrew's article giving a full overview of the life, work and legacy of Pope Saint Pius X is published below. Michael writes:
⁣
The first pope of the twentieth century, Pope Saint Pius X was elected to the papacy in 1903 and served until his death eleven years later. The bright and cheerful second born of ten children, he aspired to the priesthood from a young age.
⁣
Following his ordination at age twenty-three, he showed himself to be a zealous priest, filled with good sense and genuine care for souls. So the praise of God might resound, he trained the parish choir to a high degree of excellence in Gregorian chant. He arranged for the instruction of old and young in the fundamentals of the Catholic faith. He was a diligent brother to the poor. Though he would later serve as a seminary professor, bishop, and as Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, he would remain a country priest at heart.
⁣
Pope Saint Pius X took as his motto, “To restore all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). His program as pope was a continuation of the priorities that he set forth early in his priesthood: the sacredness of divine worship, the promotion of the Faith in its fulness, and generous service to the poor.
In his instruction on sacred music, he stated: “Filled with a most ardent desire to see the true Christian spirit flourish in every respect and be preserved by all the faithful, we deem it necessary to provide, before anything else, for the sanctity and dignity of the temple.”
He went on to establish that “Gregorian chant has always been regarded as the supreme model for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down the following rule: The more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savor the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple.”
⁣
To promote the faith, this holy pope was concerned that ordinary parishioners have a simple, brief Catechism for their use. For this purpose, he issued the Catechismo della Dottrina Cristiana, popularly called the Catechism of Pius X, and mandated that each parish establish the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) to provide for religious formation. He underscored the worthy reception of Holy Communion, which he made available to the faithful on a frequent, even daily, basis. He is perhaps best known for lowering the age of First Communion from twelve to the age of reason.
⁣
As a safeguard to the faith, he condemned the heresy of Modernism in two formal documents, Lamentabili and Pascendi, both published in 1907. Modernism is a theory about the origin and nature of Christianity, reducing it to a matter of subjective experience. Modernists denied any objective revelation from God to the human race, nor any reasonable grounds for credibility in the Christian faith, based on miracles or the testimony of history. Faith, for the modernists, was uniquely from within, a merely natural instinct belonging to the emotions, which cannot be expressed in words or doctrinal formulations. Modernists did not seek so much to abandon any of the traditional statements of Catholic teaching, but to redefine their meaning according to a new, rationalistic interpretation. Thus, they proposed that divine revelation and the teachings of the Church are only an expression of the subconscious, subject to continual evolution. Modernists held that dogmas – including the divinity of Christ, and the redemptive value of his death – were the products of an evolution in Christian thinking over time, and so could be completely changed. St. Pius X rightly judged that modernism is at its root, essentially an atheistic error.
⁣
With regard to the poor, Pope Saint Pius X wrote Fin Dalla Prima, an instruction highlighting major themes from his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, in his landmark encyclical, Rerum Novarum. This is the first of a century of papal writings commemorating and putting that encyclical into action. Saint Pius X wrote: “It is an obligation for the rich and those who own property to help the poor and the indigent, according to the precepts of the Gospel. This obligation is so grave that on the Day of Judgment special account will be demanded of its fulfillment, as Christ Himself has said (Matthew 25)."
⁣
In his own lifetime, reports of several miraculous cures were attributed to this holy pope’s intercession. Many others were verified after he surrendered his soul to God in the early morning hours of 20 August 1914, just as the First World War was breaking in Europe.
⁣
At his death, even a French Communist newspaper eulogized: “His … agenda was very simple: to restore all the values of the Faith with apostolic firmness. He could fulfill this agenda with authority, given the simplicity of his soul and the sincerity of his virtues, which are unquestionable. Whichever way one looks at him, one must agree that he was a great pope."
⁣
The inscription on his tomb captures the main features of a life well spent in the service of God: “Born poor and humble of heart, undaunted champion of the Catholic faith, zealous to restore all things in Christ, he crowned a holy life with a holy death.”
⁣
Pope Pius X was beatified in 1951, and he was canonized in 1954. His incorrupt remains lie under the Altar of the Presentation in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
⁣
Pope Saint Pius X, pray for us.
⁣
* First published August 21, 2023

08/19/2026

Saint John Eudes – August– Casey Vandenberg
The biography of Saint John Eudes (1601-1680) reads like those of many other saints. Writes Casey Vandenbers, the Director of Evangelization at the Diocese of Lansing. Casey Continues:
Born in France at the beginning of the 17th century, he entered religious life at an early age. During a pair of plagues, he cared for the sick at the risk of his own life. He was a great preacher and confessor who led parish missions that revived local congregations throughout France.
⁣
He also founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (known as the Eudists) to provide seminary formation for priests, as well as the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge to care for women trying to escape from poverty and from various kinds of exploitation. His life involved an extraordinary amount of apostolic activity and fruitfulness that may seem completely unattainable to most of us.
⁣
Yet everything he accomplished flowed from a very simple spiritual truth. In a letter to some of his fellow priests, John wrote: “These few lines are only to assure you that you are all present in my heart, which is filled with unsurpassed affection and tenderness for you. But that is nothing; your real cause for rejoicing is that you are present in the Heart of Our Lord and His most holy Mother.” John knew that the only thing of ultimate importance was living in the love with which Jesus and Mary, whose hearts are in perfect harmony, embraced him.
⁣
Living in that love gave John the total freedom to let the Lord lead him, day by day. I’m sure he was just as ignorant of the Lord’s plans as we are. But if we make it a point to live in the love of Jesus and Mary daily, God only knows what we might find ourselves doing.
John closed the letter above by writing, “I beseech Our Lord and His most holy Mother to dispose of us all according to their Heart, in whose love I embrace all of you together and individually and remain with all sincerity.” From the place of his rest, we can be assured that he is interceding for us in the same way now.
⁣
Saint John Eudes, pray for us!

08/17/2026

08/15/2026

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15 - Father Ginu Abraham
⁣
On this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate the joyful truth that Mary has been assumed body and soul into heaven. Her Assumption reminds us that our lives are not meant to end on earth but to be lived forever with God. Where Mary has gone, we are all invited to follow. Writes Father Ginu Abraham, pastor of Saint Mary Parish in Williamston. Father Ginu continues:
⁣
The Church calls Mary the "Cause of Our Joy." She is not the source of our joy—Jesus is. But through her faithful "Yes" to God, she gave the world Jesus, our Savior, and our true joy. Mary's life was not easy. She faced uncertainty, suffering, and heartbreak. Yet she never lost hope because she never stopped trusting God. She teaches us that real joy does not come from a perfect life but from a heart that stays close to God.
⁣
In a world that tells us to chase popularity, success, and pleasure, Mary points us to something far greater. A simple "Yes" to God brings a deeper joy than anything the world can offer. Today, ask yourself: Where am I looking for joy? Is it in things that quickly fade, or in a life centered on Jesus? Let us follow Mary's example by choosing gratitude instead of complaining, praying before we worry, forgiving those who hurt us, and sharing kindness with those around us. Every little act of love is another "yes" to God. May Mary, the Cause of Our Joy, help us trust God each day, follow Jesus more faithfully, and keep our hearts fixed on heaven.
⁣
Happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! May Our Lady lead us always to her Son, Jesus, our true joy and everlasting hope.