Blessed New Year!

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed New Year! On December 30th, I’m flying to Israel for a 2-week pilgrimage to the Holy Land (delayed a year due to COVID) with fellow seminary alumni classmates and this year’s Deacon class from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. Please pray for me, as I keep you in my prayers.

My first 6 months. I cannot begin to count the many blessings and graces and inspirations I’ve received
from you while serving as your Associate Pastor here at St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake these past 6 months, witnessing and experiencing your desire to know, love, and serve God and neighbor, expressed through countless acts of love and service.

Since I’m often asked, “Why did you became a priest?” and “What can I pray for you?” I thought I’d share an answer to both questions (and also for anyone who may be considering the priesthood). It’s an excerpt from an essay I wrote almost 8 years ago for application to become a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in response to “Why do I want to be a priest?” which still rings soundly in my soul. My New Year’s resolution is to live up to these words, through the grace of God and your prayers.

“I would like to become a priest so that I can bring Christ to others and bring others to Christ through the sacraments, to be an instrument of God’s grace through the most profound and sacred moments in their lives: being born again through baptism, becoming free from the slavery of sin through the absolution of it, offering sacrifice and thanksgiving on behalf of God’s people and giving them Jesus in the Eucharist to sustain them, witnessing and blessing the life-long unity of a man and a woman in matrimony, strengthening and sealing the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation, and healing the body and soul through the anointing of the sick. I would like to become a priest to offer masses for my wife Shirley, and to pray for my sons.”

“I would like to become a priest to preach the Word of God: to make it come alive and relevant and challenging and attractive for singles, husbands, wives, and children as family members, workers, students, neighbors and friends… to have God’s Word make a difference in their lives so that they can change the culture for Christ and bring about His kingdom right here and right now.”

“I would like to become a priest to teach parishioners the richness and fullness of the Church’s teachings from the Scriptures, the Catechism, the Doctors of the Church, Councils, our popes, and saints to allow the Holy Spirit to convict them and naturally draw them to their truth and beauty and goodness, and the incredible benefits of embracing them and following them. Doing this as a priest would make me feel like the man in the parable who found the treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44)—the treasure which is the fullness of God’s revelation through Jesus Christ—who in his joy gives up everything he has to spend the rest of his life sharing these treasures with my parishioners so that they too ‘may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).’”

Your servant in Christ,
Father Jim

Love, Joy, Peace And Hope

Dear Friends of St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake,

On behalf of Fr. Jim and all of us at the Pastorate of St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake, I would like to wish you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas! The Christmas Season is such a wonderful time of the year, as it reminds us that our God dwelt among us through the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. His birth was foretold by the prophets, acknowledged by the host of angels, and was witnessed to by the rising of the star in the east. Together, we continue to remember his birth as we wait in joyful hope for his coming again. May this Christmas season fill your hearts and your homes with the love, joy, peace and hope that Jesus Christ offers to each and every one of us.

We have reached the six month mark since the launching of our Pastorate relationship between our two beloved parishes. This has been a new experience for all of us, but especially for St. Jane Frances, with the retirement of Msgr. Carl in July and the arrival of Fr. Jim and myself at the parish. But there also have been transitions at OLC as well. We are still in the early days of getting to know one another. As we all know, transitions can be stressful, but hopefully this transition has not been too stressful for you. Fr. Jim and I have been deliberate in trying to make it as smooth as possible, and we desire to continue doing so.

As we prepare to enter into the New Year, I wanted to give you a sense of where our Pastorate will be going. As you know, the Archbishop’s pastoral plan called A Light Brightly Visible 2.0 is a pastoral letter outlining our need to renew the mission of the Church and re-energize our Pastorate for the mission of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to our parish communities. In order for us to prepare for this task, our Pastorate will be using next year to begin a process of listening, gathering, discerning, and planning for our future: asking ourselves to reflect on our strengths, opportunities, and challenges so that we may have the necessary organizational structures in place to support our Pastorate’s mission.

I know each and every one of us loves our Church and loves our parish. I hope we will also grow to
love our Pastorate and unite ourselves in our common mission. What we sometimes say at Christmastime is also true when it comes to our Pastorate mission: Jesus is the reason for the Season! Jesus is the reason for our existence, and his mission is our mission as well. There is much work to be done, but for now, please enjoy this time with family and friends as we celebrate our Savior’s birth! Merry Christmas!

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

God Bless,
Father Steve

Listening

Brothers and Sisters,

In this week’s Gospel, we hear about Saint Joseph’s “yes” to the Incarnation (Mt 1:18-24). His “yes” to God’s call was essential just like Mary’s. Saint Joseph is a man that we know little about, but think about the importance of his role in salvation history. He was entrusted with the Son of God as his little child. Upon receiving the words of the angel in a dream, he accepted this Child as his own and cared for Him with a father’s love.

It’s significant to note that Saint Joseph embraced the Christ Child because of a dream. But was it only a dream? So why did Saint Joseph rely upon the authenticity of this dream? Even though the dream he had was just that – a dream, it was also accompanied by the gift of faith. Saint Joseph knew, with a certainty beyond human reason, that the voice of God had spoken to him, and he responded with generous faith. God may or may not speak to us through dreams, but He does speak to us constantly throughout our daily life. He speaks directly to our minds and hearts through many unique ways. After all, He created us, He knows how to divinely and effectively communicate to each of us personally. The real question is whether or not we are listening?

Listening to the voice of God is not about us seeing or hearing the angels literally speak. Rather, it’s a matter of discerning the Lord’s language of love spoken to us and calling us to faith. Today, may we listen in the silence of our heart and allow ourselves to follow the glorious and steadfast witness of Saint Joseph as he responded to our Lord’s will with perfect faith and trust. Let us respond to our Lord with an active and unshakeable faith.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Waiting

Dear Parishioners,

Why are we perpetually waiting… for God to do something in “the future”? Our two weeks of Advent readings from Isaiah have all been about “the future” when life will be joyous—why not today? In today’s 2nd reading (Jas 5:7-10), James says that “the coming of the Lord is at hand”—well, we’re still waiting. Even in today’s Gospel (Mt 11:2-11), John the Baptist appears impatient: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

Said differently: When God the Son finally comes to earth for 3 years of public ministry [4000 years (of
biblical timeline) after initially promised], what does Jesus do? He tells us that his kingdom is not of this world, says that He will come again, and returns to heaven! Why does God seem to perpetually keep His people waiting for His coming (his “advent”) for thousands of years? Within this “perpetual Advent” of now His Second Coming, each year the Church repeats the 4-week Advent preparation of Jesus’ First Coming. Why does God seem to always keep us waiting for Him to do something in the future? It seems like Jesus never comes.

…But He does! Jesus comes at EVERY Catholic mass! During the liturgy, we proclaim one of the
central messages of the Bible, the mystery of faith: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your
Resurrection, until you come again.” This refers of course to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time, but also to the reality that Jesus has just sacramentally come—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—and is really (“substantially”) present among us in the Eucharist. At Mass, we participate in Jesus’ perpetual heavenly offering of his crucified, resurrected, and ascended body before His Father in heaven (Hebrews chapters 8-10, and Revelation chapters 4-8 and 19).

The Book of Revelation is about the Catholic Mass! It begins with a priestly greeting (Rev 1:4), proceeds with the “liturgy of the Word” (the word of the angels to the churches in chapters 2–3), and continues in chapters 4 and 5 with the “liturgy of the Eucharist” depicting the worship of God and the Lamb, culminating in the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in chapter 19, and the New Jerusalem built upon the foundation of the apostles (chapter 21), i.e., the Catholic Church. At the very end of the book—the last words of the Bible—Jesus says “Surely, I am coming soon!” to which John replies “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20) …referring not only to Jesus’ Second Coming but also the to reality that Jesus comes to us in the worship of the Eucharist at Mass—a participation in the heavenly worship revealed to John on Sunday (the Lord’s Day, Rev 1:10).

So let us prepare again this Advent for Jesus to come again in a new and profound way into our hearts at Christmas. But let us not forget that the “coming of the Lord is at hand” (today’s 2nd reading) already, at every Mass. He does not delay. “‘Surely, I am coming soon!’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus!”

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Prepare The Way

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

This weekend, we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. Our Gospel reading from Matthew’s Gospel recalls the proclamation of John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ (Mt 3:1-12). The people of God had been waiting in hopeful expectation for the Messiah, as foretold in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. The coming of the Messiah would usher in a new era in human history. We are the benefactors of this promise, we who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire. Even though we know of God’s love for us and our call to love one another as Jesus has shown us, we also are painfully away of places where the Church’s leaders, her bishops and priests, have failed in our call to serve God’s People.

By now, most of us have heard about the upcoming release of the Maryland Attorney General’s report on the Clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The report will document the horrors of abuse that have occurred within the Archdiocese for the past 80 years. The report states 158 priests have been accused of abusing over 600 people, mostly the younger and most vulnerable members of our community. Information about this is posted at www.olchesapeake.org. This report will once again remind us of the sins of our past, and how damaging these atrocities have been to so many lives. Please join me in praying for all victims who suffered at the hands of people they trusted to protect them. No words can express the profound sorrow I feel for those who have been hurt by the Church. May the Lord grant them healing, and help us to dedicate our lives to ensure it never happens again.

This week on December 8th, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Masses will be offered at OLC on Dec. 7 (vigil) at 7:00pm and Dec. 8 at 8:30am, and at St. Jane Frances on Dec. 8 at 8:30am and Dec. 8 at 7:00pm. Please plan to join us!

Here is the Pastorate’s Christmas Mass Schedule:

• St. Jane Frances: Dec. 24 at 4:00pm (one Mass), 6:00pm, 8:00pm, and 10:00pm (Choir)
• St. Jane Frances: Dec. 25 at 9:00am and 10:30am
• Our Lady of the Chesapeake: Dec. 24 at 3:30pm (one Mass), 5:30pm, 7:30pm (High School Youth Mass), and 10:00pm (Choir)
• Our Lady of the Chesapeake: Dec. 25 at 10:00am

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

God Bless,
Father Steve

It’s Advent! Get Ready

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

This weekend, the Church begins a new liturgical year as well as a new liturgical season with the
celebration of the First Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent is one of my favorite seasons in the Church’s year, because it is a season of expectation and hopefulness, preparing us for the great Solemnity of Christmas and the commemoration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But we also await and look forward to the return of Christ again. That is why our Gospel reading on the First Sunday of Advent reminds us to prepare for the time when Christ returns in glory. As we anticipate the celebration of Christmas in four weeks, may we always be ready to welcome Christ every time he comes among us.

Another event we are preparing for in the coming weeks is celebrating the Sacrament of First Reconciliation with our second grades at both St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake. First Reconciliation will be offered at two different times: Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 6:30pm at St. Jane Frances and Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10:00am at Our Lady of the Chesapeake. If your parish date and time are not good for your family, please feel free to attend at the other parish. Just let Melissa or Michaela know if you are planning to do that so that they can plan accordingly.

The Church also celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception during the Season of Advent on December 8th. The Immaculate Conception is the dogma of faith that states that the Blessed Mother was kept free from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, St. Ann. This is one of the four Marian Dogmas of the Church (with the others being Mary’s Divine Motherhood, Perpetual Virginity, and Assumption.) Masses will be offered on Dec. 7 (vigil) at 7:00pm at OLC, on Dec. 8 at 8:30am (both parishes), and Dec. 8 at 7:00pm at SJF.

For your planning purposes, here is the Pastorate’s Christmas Mass Schedule:

St. Jane Frances: 

• 12/24 – 4:00pm (one Mass), 6:00pm, 8:00pm, and 10:00pm (Choir)
• 12/25 – 9:00am and 10:30am
  

Our Lady of the Chesapeake: 

• 12/24 – 3:30pm (one Mass), 5:30pm, 7:30pm (High School Youth Mass), and 10:00pm (Choir)
• 12/25 - 10:00am

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

God Bless,
Father Steve

King of the Universe

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This week, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The readings this week speak of kingship (2 Sm 5:1-3/Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5/Col 1:12-20/Lk 23:35-43). We think of kings taking power from others through coercion or by force.

Jesus ushered in his kingdom not through force but through love, by appealing to the hearts of people—a kingdom that will not be brought through revolution, but through the conversion of hearts. By His death on the cross, Jesus reveals His Kingship not by saving His life, but by offering it as a ransom for ours. He transfers us to “the Kingdom of His beloved Son,” as this week’s second reading tells us.

Do you belong to his kingdom? Does Christ reign in your heart? Let us today re-commit our heart to Christ the King. If he truly reigns in our hearts, then our actions will be Christ-like. The good thief in the Gospel reading, shows us how we are to accept the salvation and membership in the Kingdom that Jesus offers us. He confesses his sins, acknowledges he deserves to die for them. And He calls on the name of Jesus, seeking His mercy and forgiveness. As we do this, let us give Jesus more control over our lives. Let Him truly reign in our heart. When we do this, He will truly be our King and His peace and love will be ours. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest…” It is only in Him that we can truly have rest for our hearts. Let us obey the law of love and mercy because that is what governs in the kingdom of Christ.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The End?

Dear Friends,

THE END. Reaching “the end” can be devastating or exhilarating, depending on what is ending, why it’s ending, our preparedness for its ending, and what “new beginning” it leads to.

In today’s gospel (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus foretells a devastating picture of “the end” accompanied by wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and persecution, yet it leads to a new and exhilarating beginning. What is “the end” Jesus is talking about? The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. And what is the “new beginning” it definitively ushered in? The New Jerusalem, built upon the foundation of the 12 apostles (Revelation 21:9-14), i.e., the Catholic Church.

God always builds better, because He always moves forward, always toward a new beginning for
humankind. The biblical story of salvation history is one of God continually resurrecting new life from the devastating ends of man’s pride and sinfulness: a new Adam (Christ; 1 Cor 15:45); a new Eve (Mary; Galatians 4:4-5); a new covenant (Luke 22:20); a new creation of man (2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:15); a new nature of man (Eph 4:24); a new commandment (John 13:34); and a new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet 2:13; Rev 21:1).

Just as Yahweh established a cyclical (seasonal) pattern of liturgical celebrations to remind the Israelites
of the continual “newness” of God’s loving-kindness (covenantal love), so the Church, as the New Jerusalem, follows God’s pattern of new beginnings by establishing a cyclical liturgical calendar of “ends” and “new beginnings.” As we approach the end of our liturgical year, today’s gospel about the “end times” of ancient Jerusalem and the Temple (after the 1st Coming of Christ) also points to the climactic “end times” of our day—the impending 2nd Coming of Christ—and leads us to a new liturgical beginning: preparing (Advent) for the coming of Christ into the world and into our hearts at Christmas. And so the cycle of God’s never-ending love is continually refreshed for us, our children, and our grandchildren.

Jesus in the gospels reminds us (and the Church liturgically reminds us at every Mass) that He will come again, and that we need to be prepared to go out and meet Him. Some say Jesus is coming soon (and they’ve been saying that for 2000 years). When do you think He will come again? Personally, I believe Christ will come again in your lifetime and mine: each of us will meet Him the day that our soul leaves our body. Until then, He comes every day (“Come, Lord Jesus!” - Revelation 22:20) at every Holy Mass, which leads us back to… THE BEGINNING.

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

The Word of God, Tradition, and the Catholic Church

Dear Friends,

In today’s 2nd Reading (2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5), St. Paul tries to comfort the Thessalonians’ hearts and direct them to the love of God, because they had become alarmed by some people who were saying that “the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Thes 1:11–2:2). Apparently they had disregarded or forgotten his previous oral (2 Thes 2:5, 15; 3:6–10) and written (his 1st letter to the Thessalonians) teaching on the subject.

Although the particular topic of Paul’s clarification is the Second Coming of Christ, we find in his letters (and throughout the New Testament) that Paul basically uses interchangeably the notions of his “teaching,” “doctrine,” and the “word of God/the Lord.” In other words, Paul is saying that his teaching, ie, what he preaches orally, IS the Word of God, because its source comes from the Revelation of God Himself, as Paul explicitly states in 1 Thes 2:13: “And we also thank God constantly…that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God.” There are other New Testament verses that also clarify that the “word of God” is the oral message of the apostles, their teaching, and their doctrine, such as Acts 4:31; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Cor 11:2; 15:1-2; 2 Thes 2:15, 3:6; 1 Pet 1:25; 2 Tim 1:13, 2:2; Mark 16:15; and others. The Greek word didaskalia, used 21 times in the New Testament, is translated as both “teaching” and “doctrine” (for example: 1 Tim 4:6, 13, 16; Titus 2:1)

This fundamental biblical truth is a source of great comfort to us Catholics: that the “word of God” in the New Testament is commonly understood as the oral word of God that Jesus gave His apostles and instructed them to orally preach and pass on to others (Matt 28:18–20; Mark 16:15), and to which the early Church devoted itself (Acts 2:42; 18:9–11). It was three centuries later when the Church discerned the companion written portion of the oral Word of God (its teachings and doctrines), i.e. the New Testament, which had been faithfully handed down from the apostles to their successors (2 Tim 2:2; Acts 1:20-26) and safeguarded from error by the Holy Spirit (John 14:25-26).

The Protestant notion that the “Bible alone” (the written portion of the oral Word of God) is one’s only authority (Martin Luther) is simply not found anywhere in the Bible. Such a non-biblical assumption, disconnected from the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church, has been the source of great confusion and innumerable division amongst denominations (including each “non-denominational” church) for over 500 years—each claiming to have the correct interpretation of Scripture. Fortunately, we Catholics don’t have to be caught up in confusion and division (as the Thessalonians had become on the Second Coming of Christ), wondering what the truth of God’s Revelation is.

Just as Paul faithfully clarified to the Thessalonians authentic Divine Revelation about “the day
of the Lord” through his oral and written teaching, so we Catholics today can take confidence that the
Catholic Church faithfully teaches the fullness of Divine Revelation with respect to faith and morals,
resting on the solid biblical foundation that the Word of God is both oral (Tradition) and written, and
authentically interpreted and taught by the Church’s Magisterium, the servant of the Word of God. Let
us pray, as Paul did in today’s 2nd Reading, that this “word of the Lord may speed forward and be
glorified” in ourselves, the Church, and the world. (For more on “The Transmission of Divine
Revelation,” see the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 74-141.)

Fr. Jim

Our Path Forward

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

As many of you heard, my dad, Walter Hook, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 after a brief illness. He was 91 years old and had been with my sister on vacation in Florida when he took ill. We were able to hire a medical transport to return him to Baltimore so his family was able to see him before he passed. I would like to thank everyone for your prayers and your words of condolence to me and my family during this difficult time. I would also like to thank Fr. Mike Triplett and Fr. Chris Dudek for covering my Masses for me at St Jane’s last week. I am very sorry that I was not with you but know both parishes are in my daily thoughts and prayers.

This weekend is Commitment Weekend for Our Path Forward, our annual Stewardship program. As
always, I am extremely grateful for your generous support of our pastorate parishes. I wanted to give you a brief update on our actual Offertory Income contributions for the first quarter of this current fiscal year (July 1–Sept. 30, 2022). Total Offertory Income at St Jane Frances is DOWN 10.8% (or $19,851) over the same period last year (from $183,698 in 2021 to $163,847 in 2022). Total Offertory Income for Our Lady of the Chesapeake is UP 4.0% (or $6,759) over the same period last year (from $167,314 in 2021 to $174,073 in 2022). We would be unable to offer the programs and services we do without your support – both volunteering of your time as well as your financial contributions, so thank you!

This weekend, you will find in the pews the 2022 Our Path Forward information and commitment card.
Hopefully you have taken some time this past week to prayerfully consider how your commitment to our parish’s offertory income can empower a positive transformation in our pastorate community of faith and fulfill our call to extend Christ’s light into the world. You are asked to complete the commitment card, detach it, and return it to the parish through the offertory collection basket. You may also take the commitment card home and return it next weekend.

Both OLC and St Jane Frances offer online giving options that help make your offertory commitment
more regular while still offering you the flexibility to made changes as needed. (I am signed up to give my donations online at both parishes, and I love the ease and flexibility.) To set up online giving for either parish or to update your current level of online giving, go to www.opfaob.com and select your parish. Offertory gifts to St. Jane Frances are called “Parish Care Pledge” and offertory gifts to OLC are called “Stewardship Commitment.” Thank you for your gifts to our pastorate parishes!

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Stewardship: Our Path Forward

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

This weekend is the Announcement Weekend for our annual Stewardship program called Our Path
Forward. A few weeks ago, we published the financial results for both parishes in the weekend bulletin, and as always, we are extremely thankful for your generous support of our pastorate parishes. We would be unable to offer the programs and services we do without your support – both volunteering of your time as well as your financial contributions.

I also want to acknowledge that we are living in a very difficult time for some of us. Our finances have
been stretched thin with rising prices and other things that have caused our paychecks to not go as far as they have in the past. The first responsibility of all of us is to take care of our domestic church – our homes and families. That does not mean that the local parish church cannot use some support as well, but I trust and pray that those of you who have been blessed with an abundance will be able to help our parishes to grow and thrive and continue the mission of preaching Christ to our greater Pasadena community.

Over the next week, I would ask you to please prayerfully consider how your commitment to our parish’s offertory income can empower a positive transformation in our pastorate community of faith and fulfilling our call to extend Christ’s light into the world. Online giving is also a great way to make your offertory commitment more regular while still offering you the opportunity to make changes as needed. To set up online giving for either parish or to update your current level of online giving, go to www.opfaob.com and select your parish. Offertory gifts to St Jane Frances are called “Parish Care Pledge,” and offertory gifts to OLC are called “Stewardship Commitment.” Thank you for your gifts to both parishes! Next weekend will be our pastorate Commitment Weekend when each of us will have an opportunity to renew or enhance our offertory gifts to our beloved parishes.

In closing, please allow me to share the Stewardship Prayer for your use this week as you discern your
support. 

Good and gracious God, You call us to be disciples carrying out your mission. Transform us through the power of your Spirit. Open our hearts to acknowledge your many blessings: To use your gifts wisely. To share generously. To serve joyfully. To live responsibly. To be a gift to others. Help us nurture a stewardship way of life, which connects, serves, and impacts our communities. We pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Persistence And Perseverance

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

Persistence and Perseverance are some of the themes that come across in this weekend’s Gospel parable of the judge and the widow (Lk 18:1-8). The widow is persistent in her request to have a just decision rendered by the judge concerning her legal matter. In Jesus’ day, when women had no legal rights or standing, the widow would have been in a difficult situation if she tried to do anything on her own. Yet she is certain that the Lord is with her and will ensure justice is done for her.

Just as the widow’s prayers and persistence eventually paid off, as the judge came around and treated her mercifully, God will do the same thing for His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night in prayer and petition. Our prayers and petitions to God require us to have faith that the Lord will hear and answer our prayers. Sometimes we may not feel that God hears us because our prayers seem to go unanswered. Sometimes the answer we get is not what we were hoping for or expecting. Sometimes God may overwhelm us in love with the answer to our prayers. But no matter how God responds, Jesus is encouraging us to be persistent and to persevere.

Over the past few months, my daily prayers have been for the success of our Pastorate of St. Jane Frances
and OLC. Although our parishes may have some differences, they are outweighed by the things we have in common, such as our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to live out our faith in service of God and neighbor. This month both parishes are participating in the Baby Bottle campaign in support of Mary’s Center in Glen Burnie, a wonderful way to commemorate Respect Life Month.

Also this month, we will be inviting parishioners from both parishes to assist with OLC’s Shelter Week
ministry to the homeless of Anne Arundel County, which we will be hosting at OLC on January 1–9, 2023. It has been three years since OLC last hosted a group of men at the parish, so many of our volunteers have moved away. I am praying that together, both OLC and SJF can find the next generation of volunteers that will make this ministry successful for our Pastorate. Helping and serving the homeless is another way we can work together to serve the Pasadena community both parishes call home.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Gratitude

Brothers and Sisters,

Do we live with an attitude of gratitude? When we see that everything we have and everything we experience is a gift from God, freely given to us when we do not deserve such goodness, then how can we not be grateful and thankful to God for His goodness to us?

What is gratitude? It is an awareness of, and appreciation for, the good things in our life and not taking them for granted. It is a spiritual attitude where we accept whatever God offers. It is also internal strength of character that we can develop by acknowledging the role of other people in making our life possible and enjoyable.

In this week’s gospel (Lk 17:11-19), Jesus reminds us of the importance of gratitude to God for the blessings we have received from Him. In the reading from Luke’s gospel, what caught the admiration of Jesus about the Samaritan leper was simply that he, “turned back, praising God at the top of his voice, and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” When was the last time we expressed this kind of gratitude to God? Gratitude to God is an expression of our faith in His saving power.

If we can bring our cares and concerns, our worries and our problems to the Lord, we can, and we must, also bring our grateful hearts, our reasons for thanks to worship God who is the source of all goodness in our lives.

So let us pray that we might be grateful. Let us bring all of ourselves to God in thanksgiving. Let us pray that we might see all of the many things that God has blessed us with, and that we may truly say thank you to God today as we open our hearts to Him.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Faith And Mustard Seeds

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

This weekend, one of the themes of our readings is Faith. Faith is a gift from God that is freely offered to each and every one of us, but it is a gift that requires our cooperation in order to be fully manifested in our lives. As we hear in the Gospel, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, but as Jesus responds to their inquiry, it sounds like faith is not something we need a larger “quantity” of. On the contrary, having faith the size of mustard seed is more than enough to accomplish miraculous things.

When we are being tried by the daily cares and anxieties of life, and therefore are unable to experience this gift of faith in a meaningful way, it does sometimes feel like the Lord doesn’t hear us or doesn’t seem to be concerned with our struggles. However, we ought to know that this could not be further from the truth! The Lord is always standing at the door waiting for us to invite Him into our struggles and our fears, if only we keep the slightest flicker of faith burning within us. It is like the embers in a fire pit that may seem like they are dying out, unable to continue burning. But in reality, all they need is a dry piece of wood in order to be ignited once again. So when we feel dry, when our faith feels weak or lacking, then in some sense we are primed and ready to be enkindled once again. And this can be accomplished by only having faith the size of a mustard seed, which is pretty small. This week, find the time to stir into flame this gift from God, our faith, that you have already received. It is still there within you!

I would like to thank Fr. Jim, the Knights of Columbus, the Scouts, and the parishioners of both parishes who assisted with the Axe Throwing and Log Splitting Challenge at St Jane’s this past week. There was an awesome turnout of people and families from both parishes! It was a special occasion for me to see people from both of our pastorate parishes coming together for a singular event. Although we are in our infancy concerning the launch of our Pastorate, it is great to see these activities that bring us together being so well attended. (And it was great to beat Fr. Jim 12-0 in our head-to-head axe throwing challenge!) Stay tuned for more pastorate-wide activities in the coming weeks, which can be found in the bulletin.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Rich Man, Poor Man

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

Our Gospel this weekend is the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Lk 16:19-31). This teaching from Jesus is unique to Luke’s Gospel. It sets up a contrast between how we choose to live our lives in relation to the people around us, and challenges us not only to acknowledge the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves, but to respond and address those needs by helping them as our means allow. 

The parable leaves us with an uncomfortable image of the rich man, the one who had wealth, power, and prestige in his earthly life, now dwelling after death in a place that sort of sounds like hell. Meanwhile, Lazarus, who suffered daily at the rich man’s door, but never received any assistance from him, is now at the bosom of Father Abraham in what sort of sounds like heaven. This reversal of fortunes from this life to eternal life between Lazarus and the rich man hopefully will awaken us to the “Lazaruses” in our world today and compel us to action in service to those in need. At least that is what Jesus is trying to convey to the hearers of this parable. 

One of the missions of the local parish community is to assist those in need around us by using the gifts of our time, talent and treasure. There are times when it seems like the needs are way beyond our means or the means of our parish, but yet that is not a reason to do nothing. Assisting those in need can begin with our own parishioners, but it must go beyond the four walls of our church and reach out into the surrounding community. One of the ways we can help others in need is through the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries which is conducted by the Archdiocese every year. There is still time to give to the appeal by going to archbalt.org and click on “Giving.”

Your financial gifts to the parish are also very much appreciated as they allow us to continue our mission of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ—aka Evangelization! In this weekend’s bulletin is a report to the parish concerning our financial results for the fiscal year which ended June 30, 2022 and a summary of our Finance Committee approved parish budget for fiscal year 2023, which began July 1, 2022. I have also included a written summary of our financial results. Please review and feel free to send any questions to me or any member of our Finance Committee. I would like to thank the Finance Committee for their assistance and support in helping us to be good and faithful stewards of the resources you have entrusted to the parish for the mission of evangelization. 

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Lots Of Fun Stuff Going On This Fall!

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

I would like to thank everyone who helped with welcoming Archbishop Lori to our pastorate parishes. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our unity in Christ and the faith of our two parish communities. Thank you!

I would like to introduce a couple new members of our staff at the pastorate. First, I would like to
welcome Bethany Butters to OLC as our Administrative Assistant. Bethany was volunteering to help in the office while I was on sabbatical. When I returned, the staff told me to hire her! So I did. Bethany and her husband, Kyle, are parishioners at OLC and have two children. Bethany is ready to help with whatever you need, so please feel free to call her (ext. 102), email her at bbutters@olchesapeake.org, or stop by the office.

The second person I would like to introduce is Diana Healy. Diane has been hired to assist both parishes
with Middle School Youth Ministry and the “back office” paperwork required for Baptisms. Diana also will be helping (as her schedule permits) with other aspects of our youth faith formation. She has worked for the Archdiocese in the past as a youth minister and brings her experience with her to our parishes. Diana is also married and has two children and lives in Ellicott City. She can be reached at dhealy@stjane.org. I ask you to keep two other employees in your prayers: Sr. Sally Russell (OLC) and Gina Bujanowski (SJF). Both are continuing to deal with health issues that have kept them from being in the office and able to serve the pastorate. In speaking to them both, I know they appreciate your prayers for their healing, and are eager to return to the parishes.

Mark your calendars for the many exciting events occurring at both parishes! This week starts the Walking With Purpose Women’s Bible Study at both Parishes. Also, we have the Men’s Axe Throw & Log Splitting event at SJF on 9/24, followed by the Family Movie Night at 7:30pm, Atlantic City Bus trip on 9/26, KofC Crab Feast at SJF on 10/1, the Blessing of Animals in honor of St. Francis in early October, Trunk or Treat on 10/28 at OLC, and the Sight and Sound bus trip to see “David” on 11/15. And Fr. Jim will be launching the “Into the Breach” Men’s Video Series in October. I am sure there are more things going on so be sure to check the bulletins and our websites for more information.

Our program for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is starting up tomorrow, September 19th, at 7:00pm Rm 107 at SJF School. My former employee and good friend, April Dietrich, will be leading RCIA this year for the pastorate. It’s not too late to join the program. If you or someone you know were never baptized, or if you were baptized Catholic but never confirmed, or if you were baptized in another Christian faith, and would like to join the Catholic Church, this is the program for you! Contact April at RCIA@stjane.org or Melissa at MBoyle@stjane.org for more information.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

The Shock Heard Round The World

Dear Parishioners,

In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:1-32), the son asking for his inheritance from his father who is still living is like saying: “Dad, I wish you were dead, because then I could get your money. Since I neither love nor respect you, why don’t you just give me my inheritance now?” But more shocking than the son’s shameful request is the father’s response: he freely gives the inheritance to him!

The father is seemingly an accomplice to the son’s irresponsible behavior, knowing that his son is prodigal (wastefully extravagant). At this point we realize that the parable is not about a natural father (who would not give in to such a brazen request) but rather about the Father who is God. This leaves us with the first important first point of the parable: God’s greatest gift to humanity is extravagantly wasteful: our human freedom. In other words, God wills that every human person have virtually autonomous free will, which is a sign of His great love for us, because without it, we would be like puppets on a string or robots constrained to do only what we are forced to do. On the flip side, such virtually unlimited freedom is also the source of human evil and suffering (let’s come back to this).

The Boundless Mercy of God. Fascinated with his illusory freedom and abandoning his father’s house, the son squanders his fortune and finds himself in extreme misery and deep humiliation at feeding swine, longing to eat their food. When he hits rock bottom, he reflects on all he has lost, repents, decides to declare himself guilty before his father, and journeys back home. At this point, we see that the central character of the story, the father, is exceedingly merciful: he generously welcomes his son, is filled with compassion and joy, and gives him a beautiful robe, a ring, and the festive banquet symbolizing new life—pure, worthy, and joyful—a dramatic story of conversion and returning to God and His family, the Church (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1439).

The Point of the Story: God is an All-Powerful and All-Loving, Merciful Father. While many people do not believe in God because of human evil and suffering, the parable of the prodigal son provides insight into the mystery of why God deliberately chooses to not intervene in human free will that causes suffering: the prodigal son would have NEVER experienced the immeasurable depth of his father’s merciful love if he didn’t have complete freedom and autonomy of his will. But one more thing is necessary for this explanation to work: God must have the power to bring good from evil—from all human suffering—and this is precisely the God we believe in, the God who rose from the dead: the greatest evil led to the greatest good. Suffering makes sense only from the perspective of eternity, from an all-powerful, all-loving and merciful God.

Run to the Father. Whenever we fall, like the prodigal son, we, too, can return to the Father; this is why Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Be like the Father. While God the Father longingly waits for all of his children to return home to Him, He is not passive about it. He sends you and me out among those He has put in our lives to be lovingly merciful like the father of the prodigal son, and to point the way to God the allpowerful and all-loving Father.

Peace in Christ,
Fr. Jim

End Of Summer Rhythms

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

As we approach Labor Day this weekend, our thoughts begin to turn toward post summer events
and activities. Schools have reopened. Summer vacations are completed. Life, hopefully, begins to settle
into the usual rhythms of this time of year. One of the rhythms we are encouraging this year, as well, is
returning to weekly Mass. We miss you! So we invite you to come home and join us, as we are nourished
and nurtured by God’s Word and Jesus’ Body and Blood which we receive in the Eucharist.

Next Sunday, September 11th, we are welcoming Archbishop Lori to our Pastorate. The Archbishop
will be celebrating the 8:30am Mass at Our Lady of the Chesapeake and the 11:30am Mass at St. Jane
Frances. Fr. Jim and I will be concelebrating both Masses as well. I hope you will be able to join us for Mass and welcome Archbishop Lori to the “Dena.”

This is also the season when we begin our catechetical programs. One program that is essential to
our efforts to evangelize is the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, aka RCIA. Due to several
circumstances, this year’s RCIA will be held on Mondays, from 7:00pm–8:30pm at St. Jane Frances. If you were never baptized, or if you were baptized Catholic but never confirmed, or if you were baptized in
another Christian faith, and would like to join the Catholic Church, this is the program for you! Classes will begin later this month. For more information, please contact Fr. Steve or Fr. Jim.

Please continue to keep in our prayers all of our students, teachers, and staffs of our local Catholic,
private and public schools. These recent years have been very difficult for the education field, so we pray
for all who serve the needs of our students in whatever capacity. We also are preparing for our pastorate
parishes’ religious education programs to begin this month. If you have not yet registered, please do so.
Information for registering at either parish can be found on our websites: www.stjane.org or
www.olchesapeake.org. This is also the time to register your child for 1st Reconciliation, 1st Eucharist (both 2nd Grade), and Confirmation (9th – 10th Grade).

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Humility And Prayer

Brothers and Sisters,

The readings this week call our attention to a very important Christian virtue: humility. It is an attribute and quality of God which all his children must strive to possess and live. We are therefore encouraged this Sunday to reflect deeply on this great virtue. We are called to imitate the humility of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is meek and humble of heart.

In the gospel (Lk 14:1, 7-14), Jesus exhorts us: “…Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus teaches the importance of humility and simplicity in our Christian journey. In this regard, we have a lot to learn from him. True humility, as Jesus teaches, does not seek repayment. We are to serve others, not expecting to be served in return.

There is nothing to lose by being humble. Proverb tells us that: “Humility and the fear of the Lord brings wealth, honor, and life” (Prov 22:4). On the contrary, pride results in defeat and shame. Any spiritual life that is not based on humility will definitely be an empty one. This is because such a Christian will only work for himself and without regards for others. True humility involves going out of our way and out of our comfort zone to interact with those most in need.

Finally, the church teaches us that: “Humility is the foundation of prayer.” Only a humble heart can come and prostrate before God in prayer. A humble person is always ready to ask for guidance from God and from others. He is also ready to listen, and learn from others. It takes humility to give praise, and also, to ask for forgiveness. So, let us humbly ask the Lord: “O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.”

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Share The News

Dear Parishioners,

The theme from today’s Mass readings—discovered by noticing how the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm foreshadow the Gospel—is that God intended from the beginning to extend His steadfast covenantal love (Hebrew: “hesed”) for His chosen people, Israel, to ALL of humankind. Jesus’ proclamation that “People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:29)” is the same message given in Isaiah 66:18 (1st Reading) 700 years earlier: “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory” and also the same message as in our Responsorial Psalm: “Praise the Lord, ALL you nations; glorify him, ALL you peoples! For steadfast is His kindness (hesed) toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible, for which Mozart and Bach composed beautiful music).

In the Old Testament and the New, we can easily see how God miraculously demonstrated his loving kindness toward His chosen people: first Israel, then the Church. But the question is: after the early Church—and today— how does the world know and experience God’s faithful love (hesed)? The answer lies in the refrain of today’s Responsorial Psalm from Mark 16:15: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.” The Great Commission that Jesus gave His apostles is shared by you and me. You and I participate in the miraculous demonstration of God’s love for ALL people when—through prayer and God’s grace—we “fulfill (our) prophetic mission by… the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life” (Catechism, paragraph #905). The Catechism goes on to say (as have all the popes for the last ~60 years) that living a good Christian witness of life is NOT enough: “the true apostle [one who is sent, particularly the laity] is on the lookout for occasions of ANNOUNCING Christ by WORD [emphasis mine], either to unbelievers… or to the faithful.”

This means that we are called (or sent) to lovingly share the good news of Christ with our family and friends, share our Catholic faith, invite them back to Mass or a parish ministry you’re excited about, etc. If you and I don’t do this, who will? How will people that God has put in your life and mine know and experience the hesed love of God unless they see it and hear it from you (and me)? This is the point when the deacon or priest proclaims at the end of Mass, “Go, and announce the Gospel of the Lord (…to your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.)!”

The word “mass” is derived from the ecclesiastical Latin formula for the dismissal of the congregation: “Ite, missa est” (“Go, it is the sending [dismissal]”). When God sends us, He doesn’t want us to do nothing! Thus, one take-away from the theme of today’s Mass readings is: Don’t merely go TO Mass, go FROM Mass… and announce the Gospel of the Lord to someone you know and love… before next Sunday’s Mass!

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Get Involved at St. Jane!

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

I believe there is a sense of urgency in Jesus’ Gospel message today (Lk 12:49-53). He speaks words that don’t seem to make sense on the surface, such as saying he has come to set the world on fire and he comes to establish division instead of peace. But I thought Jesus was the Prince of Peace, so what gives?

I believe “what gives” is that there is an urgency to the mission the Father gave to Jesus to accomplish,
and as he continues to make his way to Jerusalem, to his passion and death, the urgency of the mission is only becoming more necessary. A few weeks ago, when Jesus sent the 72 out in pairs to proclaim the kingdom (Mt 10:7-15), he told them to not waste time on those who do not accept them. Instead, he said to shake the dust off and move onto the next village. There is no time to waste. Now Jesus sees this lack of acceptance is happening within families. Therefore, we hear these words of division between parents, children, and in-laws. I believe Jesus is trying to strengthen his disciples for the challenges they will be facing. And through this passage, Jesus is encouraging us to remain faithful as well.

Here in our Pastorate, we do not want anyone to feel they do not have the encouragement or support of our parish pastoral staffs. On the contrary, Fr. Jim and I are constantly looking for ways to support you and your families in strengthening your faith and developing a deeper understanding of it. For example, our Walking with Purpose Women’s Bible Study is being offered at both parishes this year so that the women of our pastorate can be strengthened and renewed. Fr. Jim is looking into offering “Into the Breach” which is a men’s study developed by the Knights of Columbus to support the men of our parishes in their roles as husbands and fathers. Tim Janiszewski from OLC has been working with some young adults of our parishes to foster a ministry for college and post-college graduates, people who tend to leave the faith. Fr. Jim will be leading a C.H.E.R.I.S.H. (Catholic Hearts Espoused Rejoice In Sacramental Hope) retreat in September at St. Jane for our married couples. And of course, our religious education and youth ministry programs will be starting up in a few weeks, and are open for you to register your children.

There are many great programs and ways for you to engage your faith, as well as invite your neighbors
who have fallen away to return to the practice of the faith. Start with just returning to Mass, but also, I invite you to sign up or ask us for more information about these or other programs at SJF and OLC. Jesus is urging us on – it is now the time to take action! Commit yourself this year to deepening your relationship with Jesus!

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Monday, August 15th is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since the Holy Day falls on a Monday, there is no obligation to attend Mass. There will be 8:30am Masses at both OLC and St. Jane Frances on August 15th, and a 7:00pm Mass at St. Jane.

Where Is Your Heart?

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

In the long form of this weekend’s Gospel (Lk 12:32-48 or 12:35-40), Jesus continues to remind us of his hope that we will see the value of heavenly treasures over earthly possessions. He says: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” What do you hold near and dear to your heart? If we are honest in answering this question, we will have a very clear understanding of what our priorities are, of what is of most value or importance to us. The late Cardinal George of Chicago said something to the effect of the only treasures we can take with us to heaven are the treasures we give away on earth. So I would ask you to ponder this question: Do I treasure (aka love and serve) God with all of my heart, being, strength, and mind or are there other treasures I value more in this life? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

Now that August has arrived, it is only a matter of weeks before our school routines begin once again. There is a routine that hasn’t really recovered since the Covid pandemic began, and that is the return to Church for 30-40% of our pre-Covid Mass attendees. Some people certainly have some legitimate concerns being in large crowds, such as people who are immuno-compromised or have other serious health issues. However, if this is not you, then Fr. Jim and I, along with the pastoral staffs of both OLC and St. Jane Frances wish to personally invite you to return to the celebration and participation of the Mass on a weekly basis!

If you have been going to sporting events, or gathering with friends for parties, or travelling to on vacations, or going out to restaurants, then you have more than likely returned to a normal life. And thank God for that! But if returning to Mass has not been part of this return, then it is time. As Catholics, we believe that something very special and amazing happens every time we celebrate Mass. By the prayers of the priest and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine offered at each Mass becomes the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, just as Jesus told us it would whenever we do this in memory of him. You can’t receive Jesus in the Eucharist by watching the Mass from home. It’s just not possible.
 

So, I ask you to please share this letter with your family members and friends who have not yet returned to the weekly celebration of Mass and say to them that Fr. Steve and Fr. Jim (and Jesus as well) long to see them each Sunday at St Jane Frances and OLC, because without a doubt, we most certainly do have a treasure to give to you each week – the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist! May your heart long for this treasure! Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Lasting Treasures

My brothers and sisters,

For some reason, the desire for more and more seems to be imprinted in our fallen nature. Just like Adam and Eve, we are grasping, reaching out for more. We are not satisfied with what God has provided for us. But material goods cannot be the purpose of life for a Christian. They can never satisfy the longing we have in our heart.

Putting our energy into obtaining more wealth, power, and social status distracts us from our Christian mission of serving God and loving Him with all of our heart and spreading the Good News to our neighbor. While material things are not necessarily bad, letting them become “gods” is idolatry. We cannot put material things in the place of God in our life. Only the one true God can really bring us lasting peace and contentment. Any happiness derived from these worldly pursuits is temporary and leaves us empty.

Our treasures must be mercy, love, kindness, and charity. This is the wealth of God. When we pursue these, then we have heard our Lord’s message and are on the path of a true disciple. Then we will be truly rich in what matters to God.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Meet Fr. Jim

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

THANK YOU! I love being your Associate Pastor! Thank you for warmly welcoming me at Our Lady of the Chesapeake and St. Jane Frances. I’m very happy to be here and enjoy greeting you after Mass and getting to know you at parish events and other gatherings.

ABOUT FATHER JIM. If you’re looking for conversation starters, here’s a little about me... SPORTS.
Following in my late father’s footsteps, I’m a Baltimore Orioles and Washington (Redskins) Commanders fan. “Go Navy, Beat Army!” OUTDOOR HOBBIES: Fishing, hiking, camping, riding my bike, vegetable gardening, “driving in the country,” and exploring waterways. INDOOR HOBBIES: Home improvements, and cooking healthy & delicious food. I love spending time with my sons and daughter in law. I like history, and am enjoying learning about the history of the beautiful Pasadena Peninsula of our Pastorate. I love when you share with me something about yourself and your family, often leading us to discover things we have in common.

RAISING A FAMILY NEAR THE WATER. My wife Shirley and I raised our two sons in Cape St. Claire on the south side of the Magothy. I’ve been in the same house for 34 years, and I love walking two blocks to the community beach & dock to pray Evening Prayer when I’m home. Shirley and I enjoyed paddling the Magothy and south shore creeks in our 2-person kayak. My son, Michael, and I enjoy sailing the Magothy in our small sailboats, although he’s much more skilled than I am; he was on Broadneck High School’s Sailing Team. My son, Jeff, rowed crew in high school, sailed the Coast Guard’s tall ship Eagle from the Gulf Coast of Florida to north of Nova Scotia one summer, and has competed in the famous Na Pali Challenge Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Race off the Kauai Coast. And my daughter-in-law Julia, raised in Florida and Texas, is quite the fisherwoman!

SUNDAY’S GOSPEL. “Ask and you will receive.” (Luke 11:9). Why does it sometimes seem that God does not answer prayer? Because of our limited perspective. God answers EVERY prayer with one of two responses: 1. “Yes” (with perfect timing, which sometimes means waiting). or 2. “I have a better plan.” God always answers prayer from the perspective of eternity. “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:13). Sometimes what we ask for in prayer will neither help us nor others get to heaven. Other times when we pray, we or our loved ones remain suffering. Yet there is a mysterious power of suffering for Christians: suffering leads to the cross, which leads to the resurrection. We no longer have to fear death—Jesus is Risen! Let our prayers lead to Jesus rising in our hearts.

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Welcome to the SJF/OLC Pastorate!

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This weekend we are entering into a new era as we launch the Pastorate of St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake! I am very excited to be beginning my ministry as Pastor of St. Jane Frances while continuing as Pastor at Our Lady of the Chesapeake. As many of us know, our two communities were actually one community for many years, until the continued growth in Riviera Beach and Lake Shore led to the establishment of OLC in 1980. Now as times have changed, we are being invited to work together once again to continue the Church’s mission in our beloved communities. And we have lots of work to do!

We also welcome one of the newly ordained priests for our Archdiocese as our Associate Pastor, Fr. Jim Bors. Fr. Jim will be living at St. Jane Frances while I will be living at OLC, but our living arrangements do not mean we will not be present to both communities. After the first couple of weekends of introductions, Fr. Jim and I will be celebrating Masses at both parishes each week. The presider schedule will be posted on our websites for both parishes, so you will know who will be where each week (and we will know where to be as well!)

As we all know, there can be some uncertainty with change. We get used to the routines of the past and don’t always know what to expect in the future. I want to let everyone know at both parishes that it is my desire and prayer that this first year of our Pastorate will be one we all use to get to know each other and/or reacquaint ourselves once again, including a chance for Fr. Jim and I to get to know all of you at both parishes. Hopefully, we will be gathering together not only for Mass but also for social activities, and realizing that all of us love our Catholic faith and desire to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ by our words and deeds. I believe the first step in becoming missionary disciples to others is to become missionary disciples to each other, and begin the work of re-evangelizing our own family members and friends who have drifted away from our parishes over the past few years. So let’s begin to dream about the positive ways we can do this together!

This is the dawning of a new era, with its share of joys and challenges, but if we remain focused on our mission as disciples, and the fact that we are all members of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, then I believe the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us down the path we are journeying together. Welcome to the SJF/OLC Pastorate!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Fr. Carl’s Farewell

NOTE: A Word From Our Pastor was initiated in May 2010 at the direction of Fr. Carl Cummings, and consisted of 636 weekly messages written by Fr. Carl and attending deacons as published in the parish bulletin. As of Fr. Carl’s retirment on July 1, 2022, the blog content will now be written by our new pastor, Fr. Steve Hook, and associate pastor, Fr. Jim Bors. Below is the last blog post written by Fr. Carl.

The Eucharist: Much More Than “Bread And Wine”

Brothers and Sisters,

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi. This celebration is a special opportunity to worship the Lord Jesus, the true and eternal Priest, who is really present in the sacrament of his Body and Blood. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, and the grace and divine life that Jesus gives leads to ever greater holiness and joy in this life and eternal salvation in the next.

In the gospel reading (Lk 9:11b–17), the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is a prefigurement of the Eucharist, in which Jesus continues to miraculously feed the crowds through offering us his body, blood, soul, and divinity under the form of bread and wine. The multiplication of the bread was a miracle for the people, and it still is today—a miracle that takes place every day on all of the altars of the world. The term for this miracle of changing the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood is called transubstantiation. And when the priest consecrates the body and blood of Jesus Christ on the altar, he stands “in persona” of Christ. He acts in the place of the Lord himself, for all of us. Jesus has no human body to do this, except for theirs, and that is why we need our holy priests. They are the treasure of our church.

Thank you Fr. Carl and all priests for your unselfish, loving service to the Lord and His people.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Love And Harmony

Dear Parishioners,

BRR… that’s what we sometimes say in the winter on very cold days. Yet we also say it in the summer in well air-conditioned places like movie theaters and restaurants. Recently, I heard the same about the church. Unfortunately, we are not able to vary the settings to change as the outside temperatures do, and as the day progresses the outside temperature rises; doors open and close; people come and go. So if you want to be comfortable, I advise you to bring a jacket or sweater to Mass. Last Sunday, it was a bit chilly during the 8:00 a.m. Mass, but by 10:00 it was comfortable. By the way, does anybody remember the 50s before air conditioning, when men wore coats and ties and ladies wore dresses and stockings? I do. But I also remember the Mass lasting only 40 minutes and being celebrated in Latin. They were certainly interesting times.

Perhaps you noticed I haven’t been around the last 3 weeks. I contracted the COVID virus and am now fully recovered. I wasn’t that sick; I only a bad cough and no fever. After my quarantine, I went on a scheduled 2-week vacation before returning to the parish. Currently, I am preparing to turn over the parish to Fr. Hook and welcome Jim Bors as the new resident priest. In the meantime, I will be packing, moving, and organizing for a turnover with Fr. Hook.

Last but not least, today we celebrate Trinity Sunday and the fact that our God is a Trinity of persons living in love and harmony with one another. Created in the image and likeness of God, that’s how you and I are supposed to live. Let’s pray for the grace to do just that.

Fr. Carl

Happy Birthday!

Dear Parishioners,

Happy Birthday! Pentecost is the official birthday of the Church. All living things have a birthday. The Church is a living organism, and Pentecost is her birthday. The Church Jesus established nearly 2,000 years ago. The feast also commemorates the official inauguration of the Church by the apostolic preaching of St. Peter, which resulted in the conversion of 3,000 Jews to the Christian Faith (Acts 2:1–41).

Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season. For Christians, it is a memorial of the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and the Virgin Mary in the form of fiery tongues, an event that took place fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus. The Paschal mystery—the Passion, the Death, the Resurrection, and the Ascension of Jesus—culminates in the sending of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples. 

Today’s Scripture readings remind us that Pentecost is an event of both the past and the present. The main theme of today’s readings is that the gift of the Holy Spirit is something to be shared with others. In other words, the readings remind us that the gift of the Holy Spirit moves its recipients to action and inspires us to share this gift with others. Pentecost enables us to be powerful instruments of the transforming grace of God. And there is no doubt that the world around us needs this grace.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Remembering On Memorial Day

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend, our country celebrates Memorial Day as we remember and pay tribute to all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in war serving our country to keep us free and safe. Initially, they fought and died to liberate us from the tyranny of the English crown; but later on, it was to defend not only our rights but the freedoms of other nations from unjust aggression and conquest. Today, we see that continuing in the Ukraine, and pray for an end to hostilities over there.

Of course, this Sunday and every Sunday, we Catholics should focus on Jesus who is the model of self-sacrifice for the good of others, namely the human race. He defeated the unjust aggression of Satan, not by the force of arms but by stretching out his arms on the cross and surrendering his life in obedience to the Father’s will. So today we celebrate the final act of the Paschal mystery the Ascension of our Lord following the Resurrection, Death, and Passion of Jesus.

Several weeks ago, we celebrated V E Day, the victory of the allies in Europe that put an end to war over there. But while Satan and the forces of evil have been overcome, they continue, in a diminished way, to do battle with us. And the only way we can win is by following the example of Jesus and surrendering our wills in obedience to that of the Father.

Happy Memorial Day!
Fr. Carl

The Gift Of Peace

Dear Parishioners,

We might think that peace is the absence of war or chaos around us which is totally conditional and fleeting; but the peace Jesus gives is a lasting, deep inner calm that is available to anyone who accepts it.

One of the profound verses in the Gospel this week is: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (Jn 14:23-29) Peace is a commodity we sorely need in our world and is absent for far too many people. But into this passage, Jesus reassures the disciples—and us—that they will never be alone, and bestows peace on them.

However, He does more than gently wish them peaceful lives—He gives them peace. This is not a wish. This is a gift. It is a gift of profound importance. And like love, peace is a mark of true discipleship that is required of His disciples, then and now. Jesus’ presence with us brings His peace into our present circumstances.

The presence of this peace reminds me of a wonderful quote for life: “Breathe in peace, breathe out love.” It is with the presence of this peace, given by God in Jesus’ name, which enables the disciples—and us—to live lives of faithfulness. May Christ’s peace be with you.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Good Relationships

Dear Parishioners,

A number of weeks ago, I wrote about the trees alongside the Church. While they are attractive, they have also caused some problems. The leaves clog the roof gutters and window well drains; the roots have broken through and clogged sewer and drainage lines; and they have also pushed up parts of the sidewalk creating trip hazards and potential dangers to young and old alike. As per the recommendation of the Maintenance Committee and Parish Council, the trees will soon be removed. Afterwards, the ground will be seeded and given time to settle before planting some shrubbery and small trees. The work should commence within the next several weeks.

It’s now May, and Spring should have arrived last weekend but didn’t. Today it has. Whether Spring is here to stay remains to be seen. Still, May remains the month of Mary, who always brightens our lives and comforts us when dark clouds appear on our door step. So let us make an extra effort to bring Mary into our lives by praying the rosary or spending some time before her in the parish garden or chapel. No matter the weather, a good relationship will brighten your life.

Fr. Carl

Voices

Dear Parishioners,

What voice or voices echo in your mind most of the time? In our world today, there are many influences we receive on a regular basis. We are pressured by the voice of the media, pop culture, love of money, a desire for recognition, and so much more. These are powerful influences, and whether we want to believe it or not, they do affect us. We will follow the voice of which we are most familiar. Whatever it is that we immerse ourselves in each and every day will grow on us and draw us, even unknowingly, to follow.

Sheep are easily taught and conditioned. They learn the voice of their shepherd, because it was common practice for shepherds to regularly speak and care for their sheep. Once the sheep became used to the shepherd’s voice, they would turn and follow him when he called.

Are we spending sufficient time in prayer and in God’s Word, learning His voice? Are we dedicating a portion of each day with God? As we do this, we build a habit of hearing Him speak and we become comfortable with and recognize His voice.  So, when the Lord does speak to you, let His voice grab your attention so that you can follow. Don’t let the many other voices in our world drown out God’s voice.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Importance Of The Eucharist

Dear Parishioners,

Last week was First Communion for our boys and girls and a time of great joy for our young ones as they experienced receiving Jesus for the very first time. It was also a day of pride and nostalgia for their parents as they witnessed this important milestone in their children’s lives and remembered their own First Communion years ago.

While we do well to emphasize what the Eucharist does for us—it unites us to Jesus and those in communion with Him through the Church, gives us sanctifying grace, and provides us with the strength and energy to make the sacrifices necessary to live as authentic Christians, it helps us remember clearly and appreciate God’s loving deeds and blessings of the past with His promise to be with us in the future.

This year the Catholic Church in the United States is encouraging the faithful to reflect on and remember the importance of the Eucharist in the lives of her people. In the last 75 years, so many Catholics have lost faith in the Church and the Eucharist. From 70% of Catholics coming to Mass on Sunday in the 1950s, to only 21% currently, and only 31% who believe in the real presence ie, the Eucharist is not bread and wine but the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

From time to time, people have had some difficulty believing in the real presence; so God has worked miracles through the Eucharist one of which established the Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ). Google “The Origins of the Feast of Corpus Christi.” If you look up Carlo Acutis, you can find over 100 of these miracles of the Eucharist.

However, the greatest miracle and most important thing to remember is that Jesus can come into our hearts and change us to become more and more like Him if we just give Him the opportunity to do so.

Fr. Carl

Doubt

Dear Parishioners,

The Apostle Thomas is the very symbol of each and every one of us. He is an ordinary person with all his fears and doubts. As the case of Thomas illustrates (Jn 20:19-31), even the disciples who walked with Jesus sometimes had doubts. Jesus meets us wherever we are on life’s journey and removes our doubts. He knows that in our walk of faith we face many challenges. But as we observe the method Jesus used with Thomas, it is not unusual in his dealings with us. His understanding of Thomas was perfect and he patiently brought him to a deep faith. You may ask, how can we believe unless we actually see the Lord? How do we encounter him without seeing him with our eyes? Jesus says that we do not have to see him to believe in him when he says: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” This is a new beatitude for those who believe in the resurrection based on the testimony of the Apostles. This is our beatitude. We are invited by Jesus himself to believe by reading the first  hand accounts given to us by the Apostles in sacred scripture. We also encounter Him through prayer and the sacraments. This shows us that Easter faith can only come through a personal encounter with the Risen Lord.

I pray that when we encounter trials and doubts in our life, we still have the courage to proclaim our act of faith and trust in the Risen Lord. Jesus be patient with us as you were with Thomas to strengthen our faith and remove any of our doubts. Lord we do believe, change our unbelief.

Easter joy to you!
Deacon Howard

Happy Easter!

Dear Parishioners,

Alleluia! He is risen! And since He is risen, so must our spirits as well. Sin and death, evil and suffering no longer have the last word. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, now has the last word. That word is an invitation to a better life, a risen life, a happy life with the Lord. The Easter dinners, bonnets, dresses, and egg hunts are wonderful ways to celebrate the day. Of course, it goes without saying that the Mass is the most appropriate and indispensable way to celebrate the day and give thanks to God for Jesus.

After the day is over, Easter is not over. It’s too great a feast to be finished in a day, and so we extend the feast for 50 days until Pentecost. And then the Easter season ends. Yet—maybe not. Since Jesus rose on Easter Sunday, every Sunday is a “Little Easter.”

With Lent long past and Easter fading from memory, there is the temptation to return to our past way of life. And while I am not suggesting we return to all the disciplines of Lent, it would be good to retain one or two. Perhaps Friday, the family could gather to pray the rosary, or once a month or every other month, you could go to confession, or perhaps 5 minutes a day with the Bible, or a weekly 5-minute visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel. As St. Paul reminded us last week, our journey in life is a long race and our attention should be on the finish line and the prize, “life on high with Christ Jesus.”

Fr. Carl

Holy Week

Dear Parishioners,

The story which begins on Palm Sunday is basically a human drama. It is our drama. As Jesus enters into this Holy Week, he takes humanity with him and continues to do so every Easter. We are not just remembering an historical event but we are celebrating and taking part in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as it happens today to us and for us.

His entry into the city begins with optimism, joy and hope. But it quickly turns to betrayal and denial. Jesus is left alone. Where am I in the unfolding drama that begins on Palm Sunday, plays out over Holy Week, and which climaxes on Easter? As we celebrate Palm Sunday and begin our journey through Holy Week, we are called to ask ourselves who and where we are in the crowd. This is a week to pray and decide what kind of followers of Christ we are going to be.

During this week of prayer and liturgies, let us not lose sight of what we are remembering, celebrating and taking part in. There is a real danger that we can get caught up and lost in the busyness of the liturgies of this week. What does this week mean to us? As we begin this most holy of weeks, may Jesus be our constant companion. May we enter into the mystery of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection with faith and hope.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Passion Tide

Dear Parishioners,

We have been blessed the last several years with a wonderful maintenance man, Mike Sutor. Hard working, proactive, and conscientious, he has done a great job for the parish and school. Unfortunately for us, he has been offered a position that will be of greater benefit to his family and himself. So, he will be leaving St. Jane’s in early May. We wish him well.

Mike’s departure leaves a big hole in our maintenance department. Please spread the word that we are looking for a replacement. Applicants should call the office and talk to Gina or Tracey. There is a job description in the bulletin.

Recently the parish has experienced a rash of vandalism. Several weeks ago, the front of the church and Mary’s statue were egged; on Monday of this week, canned fruit and beans were dumped all over the entry way to the Hall and Chapel steps; and today, Tuesday morning, we found the parish truck’s passenger window smashed. If you see suspicious activity on the grounds, please call the office during working hours 410-255-4646. At other times, call the emergency number 443-618-5009.

There is some good news. God is rich in mercy as we see in today’s gospel of the Woman Caught in Adultery (Jn 8:1–11). And we, ourselves, have the opportunity to experience the Lord’s mercy each Saturday from 3:30–4:30 pm in Confession at the church. Confessions will also be held this Monday, April 4th from 6:00–7:00pm.

This Monday we begin Passion Tide, the last two weeks leading up to Easter. It’s one last chance to renew our Lenten promises to pray, fast, and contribute to the poor. It is an opportunity to give a little extra as we push on to the finish line of Easter.

Fr. Carl

Anger and Mercy

Dear Parishioners,

The gospel this week is probably one of the most well known parables of Jesus, the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:1 3, 11-32). I’m sure at various times in our life each of us could relate to one of the characters of the story. Which one do we find ourselves relating to this Lent? How is the Father’s love calling you to a deeper relationship as His child through repentance?

The younger son is someone who finds relationships suffocating: he wants to love, but without commitment, without constraints. Love is hard work, and it requires commitment and sacrifice. The Father shows him that there is such a thing as a relationship of freedom.

The older son loves as if it were a rivalry; since he is always in competition with others, he is always measuring love. That is why he is angry, unable to enjoy the feast in honor of his brother. Somehow, he always feels that celebrating the other person’s life takes away from what he could have received. People who live like this are angry people, and anger is blinding. Anger only sees what it doesn’t have.

When we focus on the father, we recognize that he was not concerned with how he was offended. He was concerned only about his son who was lost; lost from the father’s world. We focus on the father’s joy at seeing his son approaching and seeking forgiveness. Luke describes how the father’s love for his child is expressed in profound actions. Actions that reflect his genuine mercy and forgiveness.

May we discover that God is always waiting and looking for us to receive His redemption. My prayer is that this Lent we will run to the waiting arms of the Father.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

P.S. Please join us this week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (March 28–30) at 7pm in the church for our Parish Lenten Mission with Fr. Christopher Whatley.

Second Chances

Dear Parishioners,

Tragedies are frequent in this world. The most obvious one today is the war in the Ukraine, where so many casualties and so much destruction is taking place. Much closer to home is Baltimore, where even innocent infants are shot and killed on the city streets. What sense do we make of it all?

In the gospel (Lk 13:1-9), Jesus was presented with several instances where people had died in recent accidents. Our Lord asked if their deaths were related to being more guilty than the rest. Of course not! Our Lord uses the suddenness of their deaths as a wake up call for the need to reform. And that’s what Lent is for us, a reminder of our need to wake from our indifference to sin.

At the end of the gospel, the fig tree owner is shown to be a man of patience. A fig tree normally takes 3 years to reach maturity. If it is not producing fruit by then, it isn’t likely at all. But this fig tree is given a second chance. God does the same with Peter, and Mark, and Paul as well as ourselves. God is infinitely kind to those who fall and rise.

But the parable makes it clear there is a final chance. If we refuse that, we will be lost. Let us not throw that last chance away.

Fr. Carl

The Transfiguration

Dear Parishioners,

The readings this week speak to us about transformation (Gn 15:5-12, 17-18/Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14/ Phil 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-24:1/Lk 9:28b-36). The transformation or transfiguration of Jesus that the disciples experienced was not simply something they were to see and experience as happening only to him. It was also an invitation for them to undergo a transformation and transfiguration of their own.

St. Paul tells us, “from heaven comes the Savior we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure our lowly body to conform to his glorified body. He will do that by the same power with which he brings all things into subjection to himself.” Our goal in life is to be one with God. There is no other goal.

How does our own transformation or transfiguration take place? By listening to Jesus, listening to all that he invites us to be and do, however much that may go against the views and values of the world. The story of the Transfiguration shows us that it was while Jesus prayed that everything about Jesus was transformed and the disciples glimpsed who Jesus truly was. Prayer is a matter of the heart that spends time simply being in the presence of God. The Transfiguration teaches about our basic vocation to listen to Jesus as Son of God. It means having a total trust in walking his Way, a total trust that only his Way brings me into full union with God, the source of all Truth, Love, Happiness and Peace. Prayer changes everything.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

First Fruits

Dear Parishioners,

Today in St. Luke’s gospel (Lk 4:1-13), Jesus reacts to one of Satan’s temptations in the desert professing: “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” The evangelist, St. Paul, in his letter to the Roman community (Rom 10:8-13), urges them and us, to believe Jesus is the Lord. In the Book of Deuteronomy (Dt 26:4-10), Moses, in a spirit of gratitude, offers the first fruits of the harvest to the priest. The Lord invites Christian stewards to return to Him our “first fruits” of time in prayer, talents in service, and treasure in generosity to the poor and the Church. Contribute food to North County Emergency Outreach Network (NCEON) or to Mato Grasso or spend some time in a local food kitchen as a gift of your stewardship to those in need. It will strengthen you to resist whatever temptations Satan might send your way.

Fr. Carl

How Is Your Heart?

Brothers and Sisters,

As we prepare for the upcoming Lenten season, may we all be mindful of our heart condition. I’m not speaking of our cardio-vascular health, but our spiritual well-being and the importance of our relationship with God.

As we begin this season of repentance and reflection, let us contemplate what this time means and how the three pillars of Lent can lead us to a closer relationship with God. The three pillars being prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Prayer is our conversation with God. It is essential for fasting and almsgiving, because prayer gives us the strength to fast. Pope Francis said, “Lent is a privileged time for prayer.” In prayer, we draw closer in relationship with God. Relationship with God makes us grateful for the blessings we have received. Prayer is the cornerstone of our Lenten journey and is vital to all of our actions in life.

Fasting and abstinence are old traditions in Christian history. Found in the Scriptures, they offer us a way of growing closer to God. In addition to the traditional forms of fasting from food, maybe try fasting from social media, technology, or excessive screen time. Fasting reminds us of our hunger for God.

Almsgiving or giving of our time and treasure is a response to God. One that we can come to through prayer and fasting. It is a way to live out our gratitude for all that God has given us, reflecting the realization that we are the Body of Christ, responsible for each other. Justice, mercy, and charity are integral elements of our baptism that call us to be disciples of Jesus.

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving lead us to the heart of what Lent is about—a deeper conversion and love for Jesus Christ.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Tree-mendous Changes for Spring

Dear Parishioners,

Joyce Kilmer was considered the leading American Roman Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation. Unfortunately, Sgt. Kilmer was killed at the age of 31 during WWI in France. But not before writing the poem, Trees—“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…” However, these lovely creations of God can cause problems. While the oak trees alongside the church serve as a nice frame, they have required added expenses in time and money. Removing the leaves from the gutters every 4–6 weeks costs $7,000 or more a year, and it takes our sole maintenance man several hours each month to clear the window wells and keep the drains open to prevent water from coming into the lower church during heavy rains. Also, the roots have pushed up some blocks of the sidewalk causing dangerous trip hazards. Roots have also penetrated the underground plumbing, causing back-ups and the need to replace a large section of the raw sewage drain. Finally, leaves do get caught in the underground drains and require “Drain Sites” to come and snake the lines.

After discussing the situation, the Maintenance Committee recommended cutting the trees down and replacing the areas with smaller trees and bushes. The Parish Council, at its meeting on February 8th, unanimously agreed. The current plan is to take down the trees around the church in March and replace them with smaller trees, bushes and raised flower beds.

We are currently working with an experienced landscape designer who will help transform the side walkways into a more attractive and inviting setting for our church.

Fr. Carl

Whom Do You Trust?

My Sisters and Brothers,

The readings this week are guideposts for living as disciples of Jesus. How should our actions reflect our faith and trust in the Lord?

As we listen to this week’s Gospel (Lk 6:17, 20-26), Luke’s version of the Beatitudes jars our sensibilities. Those who are poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted are called “blessed.” This is, indeed, a Gospel of reversals. Those often thought to have been forgotten by God are called blessed. In the list of “woes,” those whom we might ordinarily describe as blessed in this world are warned about their peril. Riches, possessions, laughter, reputation… these are not things that we can depend upon as sources of eternal happiness. They not only fail to deliver on their promise, but misplaced trust in them will lead to emptiness and eternal destruction. The ultimate peril is in misidentifying the source of our eternal happiness.

The Beatitudes are often described as a framework for Christian living. Jesus gives us the Beatitudes which are our prescription for Divine Happiness. The Beatitudes teach us how to enter the Kingdom of heaven and share in God’s divine life. They guide us in holiness.

Our vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to be first in the eyes of God. We are challenged to examine our present situation in the context of our ultimate destiny and life’s purpose, the Kingdom of God. Where do we place our ultimate trust? “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

God Bless,
Deacon Howard