As the Solemnity of the Annunciation comes upon us tomorrow, we give thanks to Almighty God for the 10th Anniversary of our (Terra Sancta Ministries’) purchase of the Shrine property from the Archdiocese of Detroit back on March 25, 2015. The Blessed Mother wanted her “house” open, and God in His mercy and providence made the provision! And thank you to all of you who have supported us in this mission of “bringing Terra Sancta to a terra sancta”—this little holy place in Pontiac. Like the Franciscans who are the official custodians of the Holy Places in the Holy Land (Terra Sancta), God in His mercy asked us to do the same. And like St. Francis, whom Jesus told from the San Damiano Cross to “build up My Church which, as you see, is falling into ruin,” God has granted us the grace to rebuild this little church but both as a symbol and as a reality to contribute to the spiritual rebuilding of the larger Church of Jesus Christ.
Every Friday of Lent we have the Stations of the Cross after our Noon Mass. This Friday, March 28, after our Noon Mass we will have the Marian Stations of the Cross—the Way of the Cross from the perspective of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As one scholar said, “the Apostles having fled, during the Passion of the Lord the faith of the Church remained in the Most Blessed Virgin alone.” Couldn’t her faith be an example to us, in this time of disunity in the Church, to remain steadfast in the faith of the Church as she suffers her “Passion” not just from external forces, but worse of all from forces within?
To communicate with me, please email me directly at [email protected] or call/text me at (313) 727-9784. St. Joseph, pray for us!
In Jesus, Mary & Joseph,
Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM
Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries