1 PRAYER

"Lord…
We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but to go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you. Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity. Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace. Help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God’s children- Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow -will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray. Amen."
- The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

2 REMINDERS

In last week's Flocknote, we introduced a few formation opportunities. Please check last week's Flocknote for all of the info or click on the buttons below to visit our website to learn more.

We begin Pope Francis's LET US DREAM Sunday, January 17. It is truly a book of inspiration and hope!

Please click the button for the details:

Pope Francis Says What??

And/Or join us in Lent for Bob Goff's book/video small group study of EVERYBODY ALWAYS. In just the first two chapters I cried, laughed, and was inspired to reach out in love to a few folks I hadn't spoken to in a while. If you want to know what it looks like to "love like you're made of the stuff," you won't want to miss this one!

EVERYBODY ALWAYS

3 OPPORTUNITIES to PRACTICE

"VISIT THE PRISONER"

Our January Corporal Work of Mercy

Last week we focused on educating ourselves about the justice system and analyzing our own thoughts and possible biases regarding those who are or who have been imprisoned. This week, let's look at 3 local organizations helping people to rebuild their lives after they have been sentenced and have served out that sentence. Maybe you'll find a way to help:

1. Midland Community Former Offenders: This is an organization that Blessed Sacrament supports in various ways. Their vision is to maintain "a life changing, model program where all former offenders become vital, contributing members of our community." Click the button to find out more:

I Would Like to Help

2. Emmaus House: "Emmaus House is a home for women coming from jail, or rehabilitation. The purpose is to provide the women with a family-like Christian atmosphere while they are creating new lives for themselves."

What Can I Do?

3. The Juvenile Care Center (JCC) and the Midland Mentors Program: I can personally speak to the power of the work done at the JCC through the Midland Mentors program as I have been a mentor to a young lady for the past two years. Her story would break your heart but her resilience would mend it and fill it right back up again!!! Other Blessed Sacrament Community members like Dick Dolinski and Pam Singer, as well as Midland Catholic Community member, Sue Landis have intimate knowledge of the programs. I am sure that any one of them would love to talk to you about how you can help. If you would rather just click on a link to learn more, well you know what do :)

CLICK!

Recording artist, Lauren Daigle, gives us a beautiful example of "Visiting the Prisoner" in this video from when she went to visit with the women at the Ohio Reformatory. She truly sees these women as having been "created to shine like the stars" as we prayed in our opening prayer.

And the song in the video, YOU SAY, has a message for all of us. Sometimes we are imprisoned by the lies we tell ourselves. Listen to this song to hear what it is GOD says about you!

And the little extra something...

On Monday we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. I hope that you have an opportunity to serve in the community sometime during next week. Check out Midland County's United Way Website to see ways to get involved. I also invite you to check out this MLK day lesson that our Middle School Youth Minister, Christine Sellnow, put together for all of our Faith Formation families. There is an activity for writing cards to women at EMMAUS HOUSE so it's a GREAT tie in to our month's Corporal Work of Mercy. Also, try out the Kahoot game about the Civil Rights Movement...so much fun!

MLK Day and Emmaus House

With hope and joy, Lyn