Blessed Sacrament Voices Podcast

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church - Midland, MI
  • 4.9 (10)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Blessed Sacrament Parish Community Podcast! Here we explore the different aspects of being a disciple of Christ, being Catholic, and what we believe. We will hear from the voices of the parish community. Thank you for joining us on this journey!

  1. 4d ago

    S4 E3: Only a Breath Away: Finding Peace Beyond Anxiety

    Anxiety, uncertainty, and the desire for control are struggles shared by people in every generation. In this episode of Voices, Jean Thiel reflects on St. Paul’s invitation to experience “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” and explore how surrender, gratitude, faith community, and trust in God can guide us through life’s transitions. Through a personal story of raising a family, learning to let go, and discovering God's presence in the midst of worry, Jean reminds us that the peace we seek may be closer than we think, only a breath away. --- Jean Thiele was born and raised in Iron Mountain Michigan and attended St. Mary and St. Joseph grade school. In 1978, she graduated from Iron Mountain High School. She attended Michigan State University and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor in Nursing and in 1992 with a Masters in Geriatric Nursing. She later received a certificate to become a Lay Minister in the Saginaw Diocese and after 4 years became a Spiritual Director from the Dominican Center in Farmington Hills Michigan. She is a grief facilitator, centering prayer practitioner, and retreat leader. She loves biking with her husband, Scott, golf, and traveling with family and friends. Faith to Jean is service from a trinitarian spirituality, having the freedom to make a choice to co-create with our Loving God.

  2. Sep 25

    S4 E2: It's Not Fair! Finding God's Justice Beyond Our Feelings

    Why do we so quickly cry, "That's not fair"? In this episode of Voices, Christy Granda tells how a simple library fine sparks deeper reflection on human nature, selfishness, and our instinctive reactions to perceived injustice. Drawing from this weekend's readings, she explores how God's vision of justice goes far beyond our limited understanding of fairness and how Jesus models a selfless love that calls us to trust in God's greater plan. --- Christy was born and raised in Bay City. She met her husband on a blind date and they worked briefly together at Dow when she was a co-op and he was a contractor. Soon after that their work paths diverged as she finished her degree in Elementary Special Education and he continued as a graphic designer. She worked as a Special Education teacher for 32 years before retiring and immediately jumped into her new role as Adult Faith Formation Coordinator. When asked about the differences between working with adults and children she might reply "so far, nobody has tried to kick, bite or scream at me." She and her husband have two adult children and have been members of Blessed Sacrament for the past 20 plus years.

  3. Sep 18

    S4 E1: The Better Pair of Sneakers: Measuring God’s Generosity

    What do matching basketball shoes and the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard have in common? In this episode of Voices, Kristyn Russell explores our tendency to measure love, fairness, and blessing by human standards, and how Jesus challenges that mindset. Through a personal story and this weekend’s Gospel, she reflects on God’s abundant generosity, the radical inclusivity of God's kingdom, and our call to make room for everyone at the table. --- Kristyn is a Midland native who attended St. Brigid Catholic School before heading to Jefferson and Dow High School. She holds Master’s degrees in Theology from Villanova University and Strategic Communication from Michigan State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in Communication from Aquinas College. When she’s not at work, she’s usually with her dog, Caspian, kayaking a new river, hiking through the woods, or sitting by a campfire reading a book.

  4. Jun 5

    S3 E36: Ready or Not: We Are the Body of Christ

    What happens when a toddler in boots jukes his way down the church aisle during Mass? Grace. At our 8:30am Mass on the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Kristyn Russell's nephew, Rigg, bolted from the pew, ran toward the altar, and narrowly escaped his father's grasp—only to be met at the church doors with smiles, laughter, and words of encouragement from the parish family instead of judgment. His dad's worry about finding a new church dissolved as people leaned in with "I remember those days" and "he's pretty quick!" This beautiful moment reveals what it truly means to be the Body of Christ: incomplete without everyone, even the swift-footed toddlers who make a break for it. Drawing on St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians and the celebration of Corpus Christi, Kristyn explores what happens when we break bread together and respond "Amen." We declare not just that the bread and wine are truly the Body and Blood of Christ, but that we ourselves are the Body of Christ—and we are sent forth to be that Body in the world. Using St. Teresa of Ávila's powerful words—"Christ has no body but yours"—we're reminded that the only thing standing between us and being the living, breathing Body of Christ in the world are the things that separate us from God and each other. So today, with or without boots, we're invited to go be beacons of peace, justice, joy, and love. See his breakaway here: https://www.youtube.com/live/fJGT1WwF1Pg?si=4hZy13RI87Xjk2Tm&t=3952  --- Kristyn is a Midland native who attended St. Brigid Catholic School before heading to Jefferson and Dow High School. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Villanova University and in Strategic Communication from Michigan State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in Communication from Aquinas College. When she’s not at work, she’s usually with her dog, Caspian, kayaking a new river, hiking through the woods, or sitting by a campfire reading a book.

  5. May 29

    S3 E35: Just a Breath Away: Encountering the Trinity in Everyday Love

    How do you experience the mystery of the Trinity when words and theology fall short? Jean Thiele explores three of the deepest mysteries that keep one returning to the Catholic faith again and again: the Paschal Mystery, the Eucharist, and the Trinity. Through daily acts of dying to ego, receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, and sitting in silence before God, we see how faith becomes less about explanation and more about relationship. The Eucharist becomes the place where friendship with Jesus deepens and where the heart is trained to recognize Christ in other people. And the Trinity—though impossible to fully explain—is discovered in creation, suffering, silence, wonder, and love. From a softened heart in the chapel at Blessed Sacrament to the felt realization of being connected to everyone in the universe, Jean shows how Trinitarian love changes us from the inside out. It appears in deep listening, compassionate presence, helping hands in a parking lot, soup kitchens, hospital visits, grandchild recitals, and everyday acts of love that lift burdens and bring the kingdom of heaven close. Ending with a guided meditation, this reflection invites us to breathe into the unconditional love of the Trinity and carry it into the world. --- Jean Thiele was born and raised in Iron Mountain Michigan and attended St. Mary and St. Joseph grade school. In 1978, she graduated from Iron Mountain High School. She attended Michigan State University and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor in Nursing and in 1992 with a Masters in Geriatric Nursing. She later received a certificate to become a Lay Minister in the Saginaw Diocese and after 4 years became a Spiritual Director from the Dominican Center in Farmington Hills Michigan. She is a grief facilitator, centering prayer practitioner, and retreat leader. She loves biking with her husband, Scott, golf, and traveling with family and friends. Faith to Jean is service from a trinitarian spirituality, having the freedom to make a choice to co-create with our Loving God.

  6. May 22

    S3 E34: Love One Another: Feeling the Holy Spirit in Guatemala

    What does it actually feel like when the Holy Spirit is at work within us? Terri Schroeder reflects on that question through her long-awaited experience serving on the Guatemala Stove Team, where she arrived excited, nervous, and armed with resurrected 7th-grade Spanish that mostly failed her when it mattered. Yet what she discovered was that the Holy Spirit doesn't depend on fluency. Through gestures, smiles, good humor, willing hearts, high fives, hugs, and shared purpose, strangers became partners in bringing life-changing stoves and water filters to families whose homes would no longer be filled with smoke. Terri describes the powerful moment each stove was lit and the joy that spread across a family's faces, along with the quiet blessings exchanged between the team and the families they served. In those moments of connection, she recognized the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—alive and moving among people who on the surface seemed so different, yet were deeply alike at heart. This moving reflection reminds us that when we open ourselves to others and let the Spirit guide us, we become light for one another and discover the deep truth written on the team's shirts: love one another. --- Terri has lived in Midland the majority of her life. She has three amazing children who are married and happily are living in the state of Michigan along with one grandson she adores. Terri earned her Bachelor of Education degree and her Master’s in Administration from SVSU. She retired from teaching in the Bullock Creek School District after 31 years. Her retired life now consists of spending a few hours a week at the reception desk in the Parish Center at Blessed Sacrament where she has been a member of the parish for over 34 years. She also loves to tend to her yard and gardens, participate in multiple outdoor activities, watch birds, and learn new music. When she slows down, reading a good book is her favorite quite time activity. ---

  7. May 15

    S3 E33: Up, Down, and Inside: Where Do We Find God?

    What if heaven isn't only "up there" in the clouds, but also beneath your feet and dwelling within your heart? Beginning with the peaceful image of lying in a hammock on a sunny summer day, watching clouds drift by and imagining heaven above, Christy Granda explores how naturally we place God somewhere far away—up in the sky, beyond our reach. Drawing from Psalm 19, the Ascension, and the image of the apostles staring upward as Jesus is taken from their sight, we're reminded that they weren't meant to stand still, stiff-necked and gazing into the heavens forever. They were sent to move, to preach, to heal, and to build the kingdom of God here on earth. Christy invites us to shift our understanding of where God is: not only above, but also down as the firm foundation beneath our feet, the cornerstone that steadies us, and inside as the One who dwells in our hearts and comes to us in the Eucharist. With warmth and beautiful imagery, we're challenged to carry that awareness into every interaction, every act of love, and every step we take after leaving Mass. So if you find yourself in a hammock this summer, watch the sky—but don't forget to feel the ground beneath you and the presence of God within you. --- Christy was born and raised in Bay City. She met her husband on a blind date and they worked briefly together at Dow when she was a co-op and he was a contractor. Soon after that their work paths diverged as she finished her degree in Elementary Special Education and he continued as a graphic designer. She worked as a Special Education teacher for 32 years before retiring and immediately jumped into her new role as Adult Faith Formation Coordinator. When asked about the differences between working with adults and children she might reply "so far, nobody has tried to kick, bite or scream at me." She and her husband have two adult children and have been members of Blessed Sacrament for the past 20 plus years.

  8. May 8

    S3 E32: Papa Ratzi and Lady Gaga: Why We're All Called to Be Theologians

    What do Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" and Pope Benedict XIV have in common? For Kristyn Russell, it instantly brings back memories of her classmate Fr. Richie Mercado bursting into "Papa, Papa Ratzi" during Foundations in Theology class at Villanova. But beyond the impromptu performances, something deeper was happening: her understanding and experience of God was blooming in unexpected ways. Drawing on St. Augustine's insight that we "believe in order to understand," St. Anselm's definition of theology as "faith seeking understanding," and St. Thomas Aquinas' concept of exitus and reditus—that all things come from God and return to God—Kristyn unpacks what theology actually is and why it matters. Knowledge of God isn't meant to just sit in neat little boxes in our heads. It's meant to transform us—our hearts, our souls, the deepest parts of who we are. And even then, it can't stop there. That transformation has to flow outward and change the way we move through the world, the way we treat strangers, the way we see every single person as a child of God. Connecting this to 1 Peter 3:15—"Always be ready to give a reason for your hope"—and the Desert monk Evagrius' wisdom that "a theologian is one who prays," Kristyn challenges us to notice one moment this week where we sense God in the ordinary, name it, and share it with someone else. Be a theologian. Be a reason for someone else to believe. --- Kristyn is a Midland native who attended St. Brigid Catholic School before heading to Jefferson and Dow High School. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Villanova University and in Strategic Communication from Michigan State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in Communication from Aquinas College. When she’s not at work, she’s usually with her dog, Caspian, kayaking a new river, hiking through the woods, or sitting by a campfire reading a book.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Blessed Sacrament Parish Community Podcast! Here we explore the different aspects of being a disciple of Christ, being Catholic, and what we believe. We will hear from the voices of the parish community. Thank you for joining us on this journey!

Information

  • Creator
    Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church - Midland, MI
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Blessed Sacrament Voices Podcast

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