stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique

A Christmas Message from Fr. Shafique


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Christmas is the celebration of the Christ Mass. Christmas is the day when we remember, with the celebration of the Mass, that God came as the Christ or the Messiah to be our savior. The celebration of Christmas reminds us that God is with us Emmanuel.

In the past two years we were faced with many spiritual and emotional challenges in our parish community as many experienced the loss of a loved one, the loss of work, the loss of family gatherings, the loss of inperson education or the loss of our communal celebration of the Mass. It has affected us all in different ways. As we grieve and look back, we are called to focus on the newborn Christ, the light of the world. He is here to enlighten us with his light and with his presence with us in the midst of uncertainty. He brings hope in our life. Let us pray that this joy and hope remains with us as we prepare to journey into New Year.

The backbone of our parish are those who volunteer and our staff members. We have a long list of those dedicated and committed members too numerous to mention. As your pastor, I treasure the gift of you and the dedication, sacrifices, and hard work you have shown to make this parish a beacon of Christ’s love and joy and I say THANK YOU. Once again, I ask you to remember your parish church at Christmas. Your continued financial support is sincerely appreciated.

Let us not forget that we are a “Mission Oriented Parish”. This time of the year is a perfect time for you to ask a family member or friend who has stopped attending Mass to come along with you. We are all asked to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, have chosen not to attend Mass or the sacraments.

Allow the light of Christ to penetrate deep into your hearts and souls so that rediscovering your faith, renewing your commitment to Him, you will truly have a blessed and Merry Christmas. May our Lord Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, bless you, your families and loved ones at this blessed time of hope and grace. Maranatha and Don’t be afraid I, together with Deacon Jim Hensel and the parish staff, wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Fr Shafique Masih

stmaryjoy Family of Parishes, From Fr. Shafique

Letter from our Moderator

Dear friends in Christ,

I trust this message finds you well and at peace.

I am happy to share this announcement from Archbishop Vigneron that we are now officially part of the same Family of Parishes effective July 1, 2021. We have been preparing for this for the past year.

I thank Archbishop Vigneron for placing his trust and confidence in myself as he appoints me as your new Moderator. I am very happy with my new appointment, and I look forward to meeting you and your families as we begin to work, pray and journey together. We are now 5 parishes that have become one family, called to share our resources, gifts and talents and move forward in a future full of hope.

At this point, I only ask two important things:

Firstly, that we thank God for my brother priests who served here in our parishes. May God bless them as they continue to serve the people of God in the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

Secondly, I ask that you pray for me, as your new moderator and my fellow brother priests; Fr. Sean Bonner, Fr. Joe Plawecki, and Fr. Larry Zurawski. Change and transition is not easy. However, I believe, that when you pray for us and we pray for you, together we can make a difference in building up the Body of Christ.

I would like to thank the staffs and volunteers from all of our parishes for their hard work, time and talent, their advice and assistance they have provided. I would also like to thank you for your patience and committed support during COVID-19.  They have been amazing. As we begin this new assignment, we look forward to working together as we seek to grow together in Christ and a future full of hope.

We very much look forward to moving ahead together as time permits, and we continue to be excited about what this means for us as a larger community of faith and service. May God continue to richly bless and take care of you through the Holy Spirit alive in all our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Father Shafiq Hadayat (Fr. Shafique Masih)
Moderator

stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique

Lenten Message from Fr. Shafique

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

During Lent, which is about six weeks between Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday, many Catholics practice self-denial and sacrifice as they repent their sins and pray in preparation for Easter. Some choose certain pleasures to give up for the full 40 days, and all Christians are instructed to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays during Lent, and Good Friday. 

This reminds me that during these uncertain times we have been forced to give up many things as the coronavirus pandemic has denied many people face to face gatherings, outside entertainment and everyday activities. These weeks offer challenges we’ve never had to face. We can’t attend Mass. Our routines are disrupted. We worry about ourselves and our loved ones. Our participation in the life of the Church has been affected, so we have tried to compensate by offering online Masses. 

I fear that this year’s Lent again may not be normal, but it is important to notice some qualities during this health crisis — suffering, giving up certain things and solitude — are in fact symbolic of Lent’s spiritual practice of self-denial. 

Ash Wednesday, as with many other things right now, will look different at many Catholic parishes. Other Catholics will be watching the livestream or pre-recorded Mass, as they have been for much of the pandemic, and will of course, not receive ashes. That is the way it seems like now unless things change close to Ash Wednesday. 

In researching the meaning of the word, quarantine; I found it has origins in the French for “forty” or “a forty-day period.” Many people have compared the notion of quarantine to Christ’s 40 days in the desert and the 40 days of Lent. This could be our opportunity to be in the desert like Jesus, with time away in solitary prayer. We may never again have a Lenten Season that affords us so much time to give to the Lord. Let us use this time wisely and well.  

We now have extra time to spend in prayer each day — prayer to strengthen your personal spiritual relationship with God. Pray to remember those who are sick and living in great fear, our health care workers who remain on the front lines of this disease, and for one another. You can pray the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Stations of the Cross or follow online Masses. 

 So let us, in this new Liturgical Year, think about how we live as a community, protect each other from illness, and be part of the solution to a global health crisis. And, as Christians, meet these challenges, and maybe even bring about a new and better ways of taking care of each other in the years to come. 
​

I want to remind you again during Lent 2021 be not afraid and become the people of hope.

Fr. Shafique

stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique, Prayer

Home Blessing

Have you ever had your home blessed? Whether you have just moved into your home, or have lived there for many years, you may consider participating in this ancient practice. While this is something that you can do yourself, you may also consider contacting Fr. Shafique and have him come to your home.

The Blessing of Homes is very popular in his native Pakistan, and is a practice that he would like to make encourage in the States. If you would be interested in having your home blessed, or finding out more about it, feel free to contact Father through the Parish office.

stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique, Prayer

A Christmas Note from Fr. Shafique

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Jesus is the reason for this season. We have now entered into the season of Advent. In this season of hope and joyful expectation we are reminded of the good news of Christmas and God coming to us. He is Emmanuel, God with us. This day the Divine became human. As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, we remember how God first gave a home to the needy couple by being born in a stable. As we remember the birth of Jesus and re-create the stable, I ask that you take part in providing a “roof” for the Holy Child. This Christmas, let us be mindful of those who are in need of our welcome – a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a fellow parishioner. Let us make room in our hearts for forgiveness and love and reach out to those who are asking for them. In addition, Pope Francis keeps reminding us not to forget the poor. During this season of giving, let us also find time to help the needy. Let us extend God’s gift of generosity by helping a family in need, visiting the sick and those feeling lonely during this pandemic. Through these simple actions we are able to bring Christ to others this Christmas. 

This year the Easter and Christmas seasons have been different. We all experienced and continue to live through this experience of ‘lock-down’ due to the COVID 19 pandemic. We face many new challenges but also new opportunities. With our ‘staying home’ we discovered the importance of being together as family and supporting each other in the time of illness and fear. However, the closing of so many businesses and public institutions brings with it a serious reduction of or loss of regular income. 

Your support to your parish St Mary Cause of Our Joy has been amazing in these unprecedented times. I am very impressed by your help in many ways. You were there when your parish needed you, may it be financial support or otherwise. I have seen many volunteers preparing churches before and after Masses making it safe for all our parish family. I remind you that your first obligation is to your family and loved ones but any small amount you can give towards your Parish, will make a difference. The generosities of your gifts given to the Lord are modeled upon what the Three Kings presented to the newborn King. We are grateful to you for your generosity.  

The backbone of our parish are those who volunteer, we have a long list of those dedicated and committed members too numerous to mention. As your pastor, I treasure the gift of you and the dedication, sacrifices, and hard work you have shown to make this parish a beacon of Christ’s love and I say THANK YOU. 

The parish staff and I, promise you to keep you in our prayers. Know that we pray for you, your loved ones and your intentions. Thank you for lifting us in prayer as well. May you have the grace to find happiness and joy this Christmas and throughout the New Year 2021. I would like to remind you of my words at my installation July 2019, “Westland into Joy land”.

Fr. Shafique Masih 

stmaryjoy Announcements, From Fr. Shafique, Mass

Change to Mass Times

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In this time of uncertainty, I hope this note finds you happy and safe. At the end of August we will be saying good bye to Fr. Joe Plawecki, our long time Priest in Residence. Fr. Joe will be taking over as administrator of SS. Simon and Jude Parish in Westland on the first of September. While we are happy for Fr. Joe to get his new assignment, this will also mean that he will not be available to help me cover Masses on the weekend.

This leaves us in a sticky situation. I have also been looking into the option of paying a retired priest to say a Mass every weekend. While this is an option, it will get very expensive quickly. With the low Mass numbers so low during this time of Covid-19 era, I can not justify that we need three Masses on Sunday.

I have been praying about this problem for months, and have spoken to both our staff, and parishioners to get input. At this time it seems like the best route is, starting in September, to change the Sunday Mass schedule to 9:00 and 11:00 am. When restrictions are lifted, and people are returning to Mass we may revisit this schedule, but I feel that this if the best move for our parish at this time.

Father Shafique Masih

stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique

Anniversary of Gojra Riots

Please remember in your prayers today those who were involved in the 2009 Gojra Riots. On August 1st of that year eight Christians lost their lives in anti-Christian riots. Many of us have heard Fr. Shafique speak of the events that happened in Gojra town in the Punjab province of Pakistan while he was the Pastor at the time.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Article about the Incident

stmaryjoy From Fr. Shafique

Come to me…

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest…”

On the 4th of July, Americans celebrate the gift of freedom which we believe is a gift from God, 
a gift which many Americans have died to protect.  Many countries around the world like to 
speak of rights and freedoms, but perhaps only in the USA is it truly, in actual fact, a land of 
opportunity.  I have lived in a few countries, and the more I travel the more I realize the 
United States of America must be a gift from God where anyone can come and seek life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a singularly unique way.    

We therefore owe the Lord Jesus Christ our gratitude, who died on the cross that we might 
be set free from sin.  The most holy Eucharist is not only a sacrifice of expiation but one 
of gratitude, and how appropriate we should thank God for our country through the sacred 
liturgy. We should be grateful to all our troops who have served, and some have even given 
the very high cost of their lives, dying to protect our freedom.   

On this Independence Day weekend, we reflect upon the great gift of freedom God has 
bestowed upon our country and we take time to say, “Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to 
be free.  May we always cherish this gift of freedom and never take it for granted.  May we 
make responsible decisions, decisions that will reflect our love for you and all your 
creation.  May we continue to work for peace and justice, not just here in our own land but 
for all people throughout the world.  You created us and we know that we are brother and 
sister to each other.  Help us to treat one another accordingly.  Amen.” 

Happy 4th of July 2020 
Fr. Shafique Masih