Teachings by Father James Chelich at 1449 Wilcox Park Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 US - Home
Thank you for visiting! View often since more articles are added as we enter the various liturgical seasons of the Church.
The Importance of Daily Prayer
This nine-step format for a personal prayer time is set out for you to get you started. Each step is deeply rooted in the Catholic Spiritual Tradition. Begin with the format as it is, and use it until you become thoroughly comfortable with it -- especially the ...
The Foundation of Catholic Social Teaching
The Biblical Foundation of Catholic Social Teaching... ...is the Ten Commandments and the Social Commandments found in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament in the Bible): If one of your kinsmen in any community is in need in the land...you shall not ...
God Is LOVE!
This is how the Creator loves each element in His creation. This is how the Creator loves us. Although God created us, and our existence is totally dependent upon Him, God does not use or manipulate us. God knows and honors the integrity of our person: our thoughts, our dreams, our fears, our strengths, our weaknesses, and the work we are given to do. Experiencing ourselves so loved by God, we are called to extend this same love to others. And further to extend it to the various creatures and elements in the world around us. The Love that is of God wants to know and honor the integrity
of who another person is: their thoughts, dreams, fears, hopes, strengths, weaknesses, and the work they are called to do. The Love that is of God wants to know and honor the integrity of each creature or element it engages in the natural world.
How to Wear Holiness
A Christian’s transformation from the old self to a new man or woman in Christ is not a self-help program. A fundamental premise of Christianity is that we cannot do it by ourselves. No matter how well intentioned we may be, we just don’t have what it takes to “pull off’ the change consistently.
Diversity in Community
God has incredibly blessed our parish by bringing among us many individuals with talents and personal gifts of all sorts – gifts for inspiring, encouraging and helping to form a life of Catholic faith, action and holiness in their fellow parishioners. In some of these individuals God has fostered a devotion for serving children, youth and young adults. In others, God as fostered a devotion for serving their peers in single life, in married life, or in family life. And in yet others, God has fostered a devotion for serving those who contend with illness, pain or confusion.
Forming Children of the Light
Children of Light know how to pierce the darkness where ever it exists. Children of the Light know how to transform love into matter and matter into love.
At Saint Thomas the
Suffering & The Cross
Jesus told his disciples quite plainly to expect that the Cross and suffering would be as much a part of their lives as it was a part of his own: "If a man or woman wishes to comes after me, they must deny their very self, take up their cross, and follow in my steps." Mark 8:24 This is ...
The Orientation God Gave To Sex
God opens his mind and heart to humanity to let us in on the design of human life. In our religion we call this “revelation”: God revealing the big picture and inner meanings of what is ...
The Single Man or Woman in the World
The origin of your existence and mine is love. Hard though it may be to say it, it may or may not have involved your parent’s love – either for you or for each other. No, the origin of your existence and mine lies, before and ...
A Living Relationship with the Word of God
“Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” This is an often asked question in Christian circles. It is asked and understood in a whole variety of ways, some very narrow and some extremely broad. At the heart of the question is the word, “personal”. What ...
A New Approach to Praying the Rosary
The rosary, as a prayer form, is traditionally composed of three sets of five meditations or “mysteries”. One set recalls and reflects on five joyful events in the life of Jesus. Another set recalls and reflects on five sorrowful events in Jesus’ life. A third set recalls and ...
Elements of a Successful Catholic School
We bless God for what we have learned on this amazing adventure called The Making of Saint Thomas School. At the same time, we have much yet to discover and learn. We will discover it and learn it together! – and this too will be an enduring blessing to us.