Dear Parishioners,
It was only three weeks ago that I found myself in Prague, the Czech Republic. Known as the “Paris of Eastern Europe” and the “City of a Thousand Spires,” it has three hundred churches. Unfortunately, they are not very well attended. Still, with the Vltava River running through it, and the old town (over 300 years old) untouched by the ravages of World War II, and the beautiful cathedral palace and churches, it is well worth the effort of crossing the Atlantic.
St. Vitas Cathedral contains the remains of Prague’s patron, Saint Wenceslaus, who helped establish the Catholic faith in the early 10th century. He was murdered by his brother right outside of church after Mass; his mother, St. Ludmilla, was murdered earlier as well. The Cathedral also contains the body of St. John Nepomucene in a 2000 pound silver sarcophagus. He, too, was murdered. However, the biggest thrill of Prague was the day I celebrated Mass at the Carmelite Church, Our Lady of Victory, and saw a miracle. That church contains the famous Infant of Prague Image. Just before Mass, I was chatting with a lady from Venezuela who had come on a pilgrimage. She had an incurable form of cancer several years before, and her prayers to the Infant of Prague resulted in her cure. What a blessing it was to meet a living miracle! However, we get to see a miracle every time we gather for Mass. When we do, we see ordinary bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. And when we worthily receive Holy Communion, Jesus cures us of our venial sins. That’s a miracle we have right here. We don’t have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to have our own special miracle.
- Fr. Carl
Rev. Stephen Hook is Pastor of the Pastorate of the Visitation which includes the Catholic Churches of Pasadena, Maryland: St. Jane Frances de Chantal (Riviera Beach) and Our Lady of the Chesapeake (Lakeshore). He is assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. John Belinki, Deacon Howard Klohr, and Deacon Rick Clemens. To learn more about our pastorate, please visit www.catholicpasadena.org.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Happy Birthday!
Dear Parishioners,
Everybody loves a birthday. It’s a joyful opportunity to celebrate our love for the person being honored. Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church on this Pentecost Sunday. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Acts 2:1-11) that Sunday turned a small, timid, fearful group into a bold and courageous, faith-filled band. From that moment on, the Church began to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Since we are part of the Church, and since we too have received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, our mission is the same. We do it by the way we live our lives. Let us not forget that and become more aware of the many opportunities we have in all our dealings with those around us.
- Fr. Carl
Everybody loves a birthday. It’s a joyful opportunity to celebrate our love for the person being honored. Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church on this Pentecost Sunday. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Acts 2:1-11) that Sunday turned a small, timid, fearful group into a bold and courageous, faith-filled band. From that moment on, the Church began to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Since we are part of the Church, and since we too have received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, our mission is the same. We do it by the way we live our lives. Let us not forget that and become more aware of the many opportunities we have in all our dealings with those around us.
- Fr. Carl
The more we know of men, the
less we love them. It is the contrary
with God; the more we know of Him,
the more we love Him.
- The Saint Cure D’Ars
Friday, June 3, 2011
Wait a minute
Dear Parishioners,
Jesus gave his apostles a difficult assignment. He told them not to go out to spread the good news to the world until the Holy Spirit descended upon them. But how long would they have to wait before the Holy Spirit would come?
Waiting, like for the apostles, is just as difficult for us today. Do you remember waiting for college grades to be posted? Have you ever had to wait as days passed by to learn the results of a lab test? Will our teenager arrive home safely after going out with his or her friends? When will the package arrive in the mail? If I didn’t accomplish all the things on my “to do” list today will I find the time tomorrow?
Jesus knew how difficult it would be for the apostles to wait. And Jesus knows how difficult it is for us today. The Holy Spirit is always there to remind us that our Heavenly Father cares about our daily needs, calls us to learn patience, and trust God. And so we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Deacon Robert
Jesus gave his apostles a difficult assignment. He told them not to go out to spread the good news to the world until the Holy Spirit descended upon them. But how long would they have to wait before the Holy Spirit would come?
Waiting, like for the apostles, is just as difficult for us today. Do you remember waiting for college grades to be posted? Have you ever had to wait as days passed by to learn the results of a lab test? Will our teenager arrive home safely after going out with his or her friends? When will the package arrive in the mail? If I didn’t accomplish all the things on my “to do” list today will I find the time tomorrow?
Jesus knew how difficult it would be for the apostles to wait. And Jesus knows how difficult it is for us today. The Holy Spirit is always there to remind us that our Heavenly Father cares about our daily needs, calls us to learn patience, and trust God. And so we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Deacon Robert
Friday, May 27, 2011
You are not alone
Dear Parishioners,
Jesus knew we would face different challenges as Church in our world over the centuries. His commandments give us broad outlines, value statements that guide us. He also promised that he would not leave us orphaned and that he would always be with us. He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete to guide and inspire us, calling us to intimacy with the Father and sustaining the purity of the witness of the Church. And in the current day, with the challenges we as church face today, aren’t you glad Jesus did not leave us to face those challenges on our own?
- Deacon Robert
Jesus knew we would face different challenges as Church in our world over the centuries. His commandments give us broad outlines, value statements that guide us. He also promised that he would not leave us orphaned and that he would always be with us. He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete to guide and inspire us, calling us to intimacy with the Father and sustaining the purity of the witness of the Church. And in the current day, with the challenges we as church face today, aren’t you glad Jesus did not leave us to face those challenges on our own?
- Deacon Robert
“Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin, and she
will go with us on the road to Heaven.”
- The Saint Cure D’Ars
Friday, May 20, 2011
“The weed patch is history.”
Dear Parishioners,
“The weed patch is history.” These words were written by an appreciative parishioner about the landscaping and hardscaping done around the front of the church. The entrance really needed the facelift it received just in time for Mother’s Day, and it would not have happened without your support of the monthly “Building and Maintenance” collection. Thanks for your generosity.
Last Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, marked the beginning of “Vocations Awareness Week.” Hopefully, you have been praying at home, as we do at each Sunday Mass, for an increase to priestly vocations.
We also inserted Archbishop O’Brien’s April letter on the shortage of priests and the plans to deal with an even greater shortage looming in the immediate future. With fewer priests, the number of Masses and schedule of Masses will need to be examined. Already parishes are reducing the number of weekend Masses. As a matter of fact, Our Lady of the Chesapeake will eliminate one Mass beginning this June. St. Jane Frances will be looking at its Mass schedule in the coming year to see how many Masses are actually needed. I foresee no changes in the next 6 months, and probably not until next summer. Of course, the parish will be consulted beforehand. However, if you were to bring all your Catholic family, friends, and neighbors, and fill all the pews (that’s called evangelization), I would be forced to retain the current Mass schedule. Nothing would make me more pleased that that!
- Fr. Carl
“The weed patch is history.” These words were written by an appreciative parishioner about the landscaping and hardscaping done around the front of the church. The entrance really needed the facelift it received just in time for Mother’s Day, and it would not have happened without your support of the monthly “Building and Maintenance” collection. Thanks for your generosity.
Last Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, marked the beginning of “Vocations Awareness Week.” Hopefully, you have been praying at home, as we do at each Sunday Mass, for an increase to priestly vocations.
We also inserted Archbishop O’Brien’s April letter on the shortage of priests and the plans to deal with an even greater shortage looming in the immediate future. With fewer priests, the number of Masses and schedule of Masses will need to be examined. Already parishes are reducing the number of weekend Masses. As a matter of fact, Our Lady of the Chesapeake will eliminate one Mass beginning this June. St. Jane Frances will be looking at its Mass schedule in the coming year to see how many Masses are actually needed. I foresee no changes in the next 6 months, and probably not until next summer. Of course, the parish will be consulted beforehand. However, if you were to bring all your Catholic family, friends, and neighbors, and fill all the pews (that’s called evangelization), I would be forced to retain the current Mass schedule. Nothing would make me more pleased that that!
- Fr. Carl
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Message From Our Deacon
Dear Parishioners,
In our reading today from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:14a, 36-41), Peter tells us that we who follow our Lord have choices to make. Those choices define who we are and just importantly who we believe Jesus is. When faced with the problems and difficulties of life, Christians make choices that define not only who we are but whose we are.
- Deacon Robert
In our reading today from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:14a, 36-41), Peter tells us that we who follow our Lord have choices to make. Those choices define who we are and just importantly who we believe Jesus is. When faced with the problems and difficulties of life, Christians make choices that define not only who we are but whose we are.
- Deacon Robert
“Prayer makes time seem to pass
quickly, and so pleasantly, that one
fails to notice how long it is.”
- The Saint Cure D’Ars
Friday, May 6, 2011
Who is your role model?
Dear Parishioners,
Last weekend contained two beautiful ceremonial spectacles. The first, broadcast on just about every television station available, was the royal wedding from London. The second was the beatification Mass of John Paul II from Rome. It was televised on only a few channels. So the weekend revolved around a tale of two cities – London and Rome. By far, the more elaborate and colorful event was the one in London. But the more important one was in Rome. After all, that was the official pronouncement that John Paul II lived a blessed life and will one day be a saint. Whereas, London was merely legitimatizing a formerly immoral, co-habitational relationship. It was nice that the royal couple finally did the right thing, but it would have been better had they, like Princess Diana, done the right thing and lived a chaste and moral life before the wedding. John Paul II proved to be a role model throughout his life. May our young people choose good role models for their imitation, and may all of us try to become good Catholic role models for young and old alike.
- Fr. Carl
Last weekend contained two beautiful ceremonial spectacles. The first, broadcast on just about every television station available, was the royal wedding from London. The second was the beatification Mass of John Paul II from Rome. It was televised on only a few channels. So the weekend revolved around a tale of two cities – London and Rome. By far, the more elaborate and colorful event was the one in London. But the more important one was in Rome. After all, that was the official pronouncement that John Paul II lived a blessed life and will one day be a saint. Whereas, London was merely legitimatizing a formerly immoral, co-habitational relationship. It was nice that the royal couple finally did the right thing, but it would have been better had they, like Princess Diana, done the right thing and lived a chaste and moral life before the wedding. John Paul II proved to be a role model throughout his life. May our young people choose good role models for their imitation, and may all of us try to become good Catholic role models for young and old alike.
- Fr. Carl
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