Dear Friends of our Pastorate,
I pray for continued blessings to you and your family during this Christmas Season! The time we make for family and friends during this season is priceless, so I encourage you to find time to gather with those you love. This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This feast reminds us that Jesus, although the Son of God, was born into an earthly family, and therefore experienced all the things that families experience, even getting lost from his parents! I can imagine the fear and anxiety that gripped Mary and Joseph when they realized that Jesus was not with them, and the sense of relief once they found him after searching for three days. (Lk 2:41-52)Jesus responds to them by stating he had to be in his Father’s house where he was doing his Father’s will, even at an early age.
That is our calling as well as sons and daughters of God the Father. We are asked to be doing the Father’s will. The challenge we may face is that we do not always completely understand the Father’s will for us, which may make us feel lost at times, or unsure of what we are supposed to be doing with our lives. However, as St. John tells us in his First Letter, one way we can be certain that we not only know the Father’s will but are going about the Father’s will for us is to love one another. It is precisely because of the Father’s love for us that we are able to call ourselves children of God.
This week, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Masses will be offered on December 31st at 4:00pm at OLC and 5:00pm at St Jane Frances. Our Pastorate will come together for a combined Mass on Jan 1st at 10:00am at St. Jane Frances. I hope you will be able to join us as we close out this year and usher in the New Year, and more importantly, as we honor our Blessed Mother as the Mother of God.
Our Pastorate is still offering opportunities for you to support our Shelter Week program hosted at OLC. Shelter Week is Jan 13-20, 2025 when we will be hosting a group of men from Arundel House of Hope who are in need of housing and shelter during the winter months. This is a great ministry of service to others so I invite you to volunteer your time to help. A sign up link can be found on either parish’s website. Thank you for volunteering!
On behalf of Fr. John and all of us at our Pastorate of the Visitation, I would like to wish you and your family a very joyous New Year! Thank you for keeping Our Lady of the Chesapeake and St. Jane Frances—our Pastorate of the Visitation—in your daily prayers!
God Bless,
Father Steve
