St. Philip Roman Catholic Church in Battle Creek shared a message on the concept of fairness from the pastor in the Sept. 20 bulletin. 

The Rev. John Fleckenstein noted that the concept of injustice and unfairness are very common ideas to us.

“Sometimes we feel that way because of something we learned," Fleckenstein said in the bulletin. "Sometimes we think that we know the whole story, but we don’t really have all the information we need."

With God, however, we cannot say that something is not fair. In the case of the Lord, our frustration at what we perceive to be unfair generally centers around our envy at God’s generosity. But we are humans with finite minds and can never understand the infinite will of God. 

“Today, we could take some tough circumstance of our life and apply those questions," Fleckenstein said. "If we do, we might find an answer that we might not expect." 

By way of update, Fleckenstein thanked all who donated to the challenge gift of $50,000 from a “generous parishioner,” and voiced his hope that the full goal will be reached soon. 

Outdoor Mass will continue for the foreseeable future because it is the best way to ensure that parishioners can enjoy the celebration of the Mass, although times may change to accommodate the changing weather and individuals who are sensitive to the cooler temperatures. 

The church is considering building a more permanent outdoor structure to help the outdoor Mass be more comfortable. 

"If the grant comes through, we will move forward as quickly as we can," Fleckenstein said. "If the grant is not awarded, I don’t intend to move forward with that idea for the time being."

Finally, parishioners can find flyers by Catholic Answers on election matters when they attend their next Mass.

“We will also post a few excepts from the Michigan Catholic Conference over the next few weeks about elections and voting," Fr. Fleckenstein said. "These are offered as ‘food for thought’ which some have asked for."