Gifts and Measures

Dear Friends in Christ,

There is an impactful video called “A Valuable Lesson for a Happier Life” by Meir Kay that circulates occasionally. It shows a professor putting before his students an empty jar. He gradually fills it with golf balls, so that it is full; then it is filled with small chocolate chips until, again, it appears full; and then sand is added, shaken down continually, until it seems truly full; then it is topped off at last with coffee (or other libation of choice.)

The professor offers an impactful meditation on what we fill our lives with. I also like this image as an analogy for the lavish goodness of God. There is always more that he wants to give and more for us to receive.

As we hear in the Gospel for this Sunday: “Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

In another teaching, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will be given to us like streams of living water will flow out of our hearts (see John 7:37-39) This is the ultimate destiny of our Christian lives—to be full of the Holy Spirit who brings Christ to life within us, to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (see Ephesians 3:19).

Am I being filled up through daily prayer and meditation on God’s Word, through reception of the sacraments, through Christ-centered friendships? Am I walking the narrow, radical path of Christian love? How does the measure Christ measures out to me spill out into the lives of others in my home, neighborhood, and workplace? These are worthwhile questions as we look towards Lent which starts in a week and a half!!

May the Lord enlighten us and fill us with the greatest of gifts—Himself!

Father Steve and I are thankful for your prayers for us. We each respectively now have enjoyed a little bit of time off over the last few weeks. Please know of our daily prayers for you and our joy in serving you!

May the Holy Spirit continue to enliven and expand our hearts to be filled with every good gift as we seek to love Christ and make him loved in our homes, our Pastorate, and wherever the Lord leads us. God bless you abundantly.

In Christ,
Father John

Hope Sighting

Dear Friends in Christ,

God Bless you! In our readings this weekend, we encounter our Jubilee Year of Hope.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.” A fair question to ask in our life of faith is: how do I get hope?

I will share that my most common “hope-sighting” is Reconciliation—both as a recipient and in hearing confessions. It is beautiful to receive and to witness the comfort and healing work of God's grace.

St. José Maria Escrivá once said that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying. What good company to be in! As we hear the Beatitudes in the Gospel, perhaps another we could add is: Blessed are the ones who keep trying. Reconciliation is our reminder that we are known and loved, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who is risen, Who is alive, and Who has come to seek and to save the lost, not to condemn. God is for us.

A trusted spiritual director once told me that we move at the pace of grace—no falling behind and no getting ahead. Reconciliation is the moment of allowing the Lord to reset the pace, to get up and be led by Him. To add another Beatitude: Blessed are the ones moving at the pace of grace.

As you may have seen by now, Fr. Steve has shared a letter with the Pastorate about Archbishop Lori’s decision to lower the age of Confirmation to nine years old. Please keep our faith formation team in your prayers as we discuss and  plan for the implementation of this.

Since I have not written for the bulletin since it happened: we had a moving time of Eucharistic adoration with our families on February 2. We hope to plan another one, so be on the lookout!

Know of my prayers for you all and please keep the spiritual family of our Pastorate in your daily prayers!

In Christ,
Father John

I Am Not Worthy

Dear Friends of our Pastorate,

This weekend, we celebrate the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our readings this weekend all speak to us about being called by the Lord to do the work of the Lord. The interesting theme that runs through each is that those being called—Isaiah, Paul, and Peter—all have a similar response: I am not worthy. Yet, that does not deter the Lord from challenging them to grow beyond their fears of unworthiness. We all acknowledge the same sentiment each weekend as well before we receive Holy Communion. We acknowledge that we are not worthy to receive the Lord, but at His word, we will be healed. God can make us worthy for His ministry, if only we cooperate with God’s grace, as St. Paul indicates in his letter to the Corinthians. Once we do that, the Lord can work wonders in our lives and help us to become faithful followers and disciples.

I would like to thank everyone who has made a pledge or donation to the 2025 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. The Annual Appeal supports a wide range of ministries throughout the Archdiocese including Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Vocations and College Campus Ministry, Hospital and Prison Chaplaincies, Hispanic Ministry, Tuition Assistance, and our parishes. This year’s theme is “Go Forward with God’s Mission”. There is still plenty of time to make your commitment to the Annual Appeal and help us reach out parish goals of $57,782 for St. Jane Frances and $60,379 for OLC. I encourage you to respond in faith and help support the many ministries of our local church. Thank you for your prayers and your support for the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries!

We are less than a month away from the start of Lent. Ash Wednesday this year is March 5th. We will be publishing our Lent and Easter calendar soon, but a couple of additions this year include a 12pm Mass on Ash Wednesday at OLC, and 12pm Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent at OLC (in addition to the 7pm Stations at St Jane Frances). There is also a “rumor” going around that there may be another guest bartender appearance on Mardi Gras (March 4th) at the Rumor Meal! Stay tuned for more details.

Please continue to drop off your donations for the St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar. We are accepting wine and liquor donations for the liquor wheel and items we can sell. The raffle tickets will be coming soon as well! Information can be found on our Facebook pages (both parishes) and will soon be included on our websites. Mark the date… Friday, March 14, 2025 at St. Jane Frances!

The Catholic Men’s Fellowship Conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2025 and will be held at St. Joseph Church on Belair Road in Fullerton. Registrations are now open and can be found at https://www.stjane.org/catholic-mens-conference/.

Thank you for keeping St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—our Pastorate of the Visitation—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Candlemas

Dear Family in Christ,

Presenting: Presence. Today the Church celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, narrated in Luke 2:22-40. This is a ritually rich feast day: the Church blesses candles for liturgical and home use. We begin Mass with a special candlelit procession that symbolizes Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus into the Temple. With all the candles, this feast is also called “Candlemas”. Candlemas reminds us of Jesus the Light of the world who illumines every soul. We remember our baptism: we received the Light of Christ “to be kept burning brightly.” Through Word and sacrament and prayer, Jesus the Light, His real and true Presence is presented to us and enkindled in us. May the Light shine brightly through us for all to see. Please take a blessed candle for your domestic church for devotion and prayer!

Thank you for your attention and prayerful support during this giving weekend for the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. As has been
explained, this appeal contributes greatly to the important work of sharing and living out the Gospel in our local Church.

The goal amount for St. Jane Frances is: $57,782.
The goal amount for Our Lady of the Chesapeake is: $60,379.

Your gift may be made with the envelopes provided in the pews or online by following the instructions at the following link: https://www.archbalt.org/mygift/. Thank you for your support!

At our 10am and 10:45am Masses, we held a special rite of enrollment for our children preparing for their first Holy Communion this Spring. Let us pray for them as they prepare for such a wonderful moment in their lives! Finally, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord is the Church’s World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Please pray for and encourage vocations to the consecrated life, especially from our Pastorate. I am certain that we have future religious sisters and brothers and priests in our pews!

And if you know any consecrated religious, thank them! A few come to mind… Sister Sally Russell (Sisters of Saint Joseph) who has generously served us; Brother Joe Krondon (Conventual Franciscan) from St. Jane; the Little Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville who visit us annually; Nashville Dominican Sisters at Mount de Sales. And many more! May they continue to be inspired by Jesus and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation to be Christ’s light.

May the Light shine brightly in our souls, our homes, and Pastorate! Let us pray for one another.

Father John

What Is Your Mission Statement?

Brothers and Sisters,

Have you heard of a mission statement and do you know what it is intended for? The mission statement is usually created to form the vision or purpose of a company, organization, or individual. It communicates the entity’s reason for being and guides its day-to-day decision making. At the beginning of this new year, it may be wise of us to examine our own mission statement and to revise it if necessary. We have all been given a specific mission in life.

The Gospel this week, shows Jesus beginning His mission (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21). He reads from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue, announcing that He has come to bring good news to the poor, freedom to captives, and sight to the blind. Jesus announces the mission statement of His public ministry. He declares this prophecy as being fulfilled in Himself.

Our mission, like Christ’s mission, is to do what we have been uniquely commissioned by Christ to do. Have we made our mission in life to be what Jesus has called us to? Is our mission statement aligned with His? The mission and ministry of Jesus is a reminder to us of our Christian responsibility to our world. This is based on the understanding that every good thing we do has an eternal value. Each time we do good according to God’s will, we participate in the mission statement of Jesus. May the vision and ministry of Jesus be our vision in life and the joy of the Lord be our strength.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Welcome Deacon Phillip!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate,

This weekend, we celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. We will be in ordinary time until the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year is March 5, 2025. Our Gospel this weekend is the Wedding Feast of Cana from the Gospel of John (John 2:1-11). As was mentioned last weekend, this is the 3rd Epiphany of the Lord that is referenced in the Scriptures. Jesus is manifested or revealed to us as the Son of God by the changing of the water into wine. This Gospel also reveals to us the faith that Mary has in her Son and his ability to “fix” this embarrassing problem for the host. Even though it seems that Jesus is not ready to begin his ministry, he listens to his mother and does what she asks, thereby revealing or manifesting that he is the Messiah. Jesus is ready to “fix” our problems as well, if only we turn to him in faith and trust. He may not do what we want, but he will give us what we need, if only we believe.

I wanted to announce that one of our Archdiocesan Permanent Deacon Candidates has been assigned to our Pastorate. His name is Phillip Snyder, and he and his wife, Cathy, will be with us through the rest of 2025 as part of his pastoral year of formation. Phil lives in Pasadena and has been an active member of St. Philip Neri parish for over 26 years. Phil will be introducing himself over the coming weeks as he rotates between the churches. When you see Phil and Cathy, please be sure to welcome them to our Pastorate!

The 2025 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries has begun! This year’s theme is “Go Forward with God’s Mission.” Many of you should have received information in the mail about the appeal along with a way to make your pledge/donation. I encourage you to respond in faith and help support the many ministries of our local church. Our parish goals for this year are: St. Jane Frances $57,782 and OLC $60,379. 

The Red Cross is hosting a Community Blood Drive on Saturday, January 25, 2025 from 8:00am to 1:00pm at St. Jane Frances School Hall. Please be sure to sign up to donate blood. You can go to Stjane.org or redcrossblood.org.

Planning for the St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar has begun! Information can be found on our Facebook pages (both parishes) and will soon be included on our websites. Mark the date…Friday, March 14, 2025 at St. Jane Frances! The Catholic Men’s Fellowship Conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2025 and will be held at St. Joseph Church on Belair Rd in Fullerton. Registrations are now open and can be found at www.stjane.org. This year’s speakers are retired Baltimore Raven Matt Birk, and Mark Hartfiel, Vice President at the men’ leadership organization, Paradisus Dei.

Thank you for keeping St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—our Pastorate of the Visitation—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Thank You!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate,

This weekend, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus’ baptism is one of the epiphanies that occur in the scriptures. You will recall from last weekend, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany which was marked by the coming of the Magi to pay homage to the infant Jesus, but there are two other epiphanies of Jesus in the scriptures. In addition to Jesus’ Baptism, the third epiphany—or manifestation of Jesus—is his self-revelation at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Today’s celebration marks the official end of the Christmas Season and the return to Ordinary Time.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped our pastorate celebrate our Advent and Christmas liturgies. It was a busy few weeks, but our celebrations were filled with solemnity and joy as we commemorated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and honored his Blessed Mother. For everyone who helped and for all who participated—thank you!

On behalf of Fr. John, I would also like to thank everyone who shared Christmas gifts with us. We were overwhelmed with many cards, gifts, and baked goods. Thank you so much for remembering us at Christmastime.

Our Shelter Week program starts tomorrow, Monday, Jan 13th. We will be hosting a group of men from Arundel House of Hope who are in need of housing and shelter during the winter months. This is a great ministry of service to others so I invite you to volunteer your time to help. We are always in need of volunteers… no experience needed! A sign up link can be found on either parish’s website. Thank you for volunteering!

Planning for the St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar has begun! Information can be found on our Facebook pages (both parishes) and will soon be included on our websites. Mark the date… Friday, March 14, 2025 at St. Jane Frances!

Finally, believe it or not, we have already started planning for Lent! This year, Ash Wednesday is March 5th and Easter Sunday is April 20th. Our initial plans include offering Stations of the Cross on Fridays during the day at OLC (in addition to Friday evenings at St. Jane’s). This year, Holy Thursday will be celebrated at OLC and the Easter Vigil will be held at St. Jane Frances (the reverse from last year). This is part of our continued rotation of major liturgical celebrations between the two parishes.

On behalf of Fr. John and all of us at our Pastorate of the Visitation, I would like to wish you and your family a very joyous New Year! Thank you for keeping Our Lady of the Chesapeake and St. Jane Frances—our Pastorate of the Visitation—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve