'Thank you for serving and protecting,' priest tells Metro Detroit police officers, firefighters and others gathered June 20
DETROIT — Firefighters, police officers and first responders gathered June 20 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary to ask God for protection, enjoy fellowship with one another and enjoy a meal during the annual Blue Mass, sponsored by the UTG at Work apostolate.
Fr. Mark Livingston, who celebrated the Mass and preached the homily, left first responders gathered in the seminary's chapel with a simple message of gratitude: you are loved.
“I want to just tell each one of you out there, you might be admired, you might be despised, but here you’re loved,” said Fr. Livingston, who serves the Merciful Love of Jesus Family of Parishes, which includes St. Augustine in Richmond, Holy Family in Memphis, and St. Mary Mystical Rose in Armada.
Fr. Livingston, whose father was a Detroit police officer for 25 years and whose brother is now a Detroit firefighter, recalled growing up in a neighborhood full of other first responders and their families on the west side of Detroit. Late at night, when the sound of sirens would go off in response to an emergency, Fr. Livingston said the sound helped him relax.
“The sirens for you may become a moment (of frustration), but for me it was a moment of relief,” Fr. Livingston said. “Praised be Jesus that after that gunshot I just heard, I heard a siren. Someone is coming. Praised be Jesus that after someone had a medical emergency, I heard the siren. Praise Jesus that when that fire occurs, I hear the siren and relax.”
Fr. Livingston thanked the first responders for putting their lives on the line so others can find safety and peace, and acknowledged that each one of them had answered a calling from God when they said “yes” to their vocation.
“Thank you for saying yes because so often we are looking for that good leader, and you guys stepped up to say, ‘I’ll do it. Send me.' That is Jesus working in you, and I appreciate that,” he said.
Fr. Livingston added it can be easy for hearts to harden when answering difficult calls. However, by embracing the grace the Lord offers, we can continue to help others and do the good works God calls us to do.
“The Lord instills such a beauty in each of you, and you're immersed in the dominion of darkness daily,” Fr. Livingston said. “You keep getting back up after you get knocked down so that the world doesn’t change you, and the world won’t change because you’ve got Jesus within you. Thank you for serving and protecting. We love you deeply.”
