Dear Friends of our Pastorate,
This weekend, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast day, which always falls on the Sunday after Pentecost, reminds us of our one God who has revealed Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one of the most difficult dogmas of faith to comprehend and understand, because it speaks to the very nature of God Himself. How can human words fully explain our Trinitarian God? However, we continue to celebrate and give thanks to our God and worship and praise Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
This weekend is also Father’s Day, so a very happy and blessed Father’s Day to all of our fathers, grandfathers, godfathers and the men who are like father figures for us. What a great God-incidence this year that we are celebrating both Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday on the same weekend.
Next weekend, our Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi Sunday. This feast day reminds us of our belief that the bread and wine offered at Mass, through the prayers of the priest and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, becomes for us the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper, when he told us to take and eat, this is my body, and take and drink, this is my blood. I don’t know how much clearer he could have been! Yet, studies show that many Catholics do not believe this dogma of faith that has been believed since the early days of the Church. If you struggle or wrestle with this, I would invite you to come and spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and reflection and allow the Real Presence of Jesus to touch your heart and invite you into a deeper longing and love for his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Next Sunday, after the 11:30am Mass at St. Jane Frances, our Pastorate will be celebrating Corpus Christi with a Eucharistic Procession in the community around the Church. This would also be a great opportunity to deepen your faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as well as give witness to the local community of our beliefs and faith.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore will be celebrating the Priesthood Ordination on Saturday, June 21st at 10am at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. There are 6 men being ordained to serve our local church. Please keep them in your prayer as they complete their final days of preparation for ordination.
Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—Our Lady of the Chesapeake and St. Jane Frances—in your daily prayers!
God Bless,
Father Steve