The Garden of Weedin’

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

This weekend, we celebrate the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This weekend’s Gospel is another parable from Jesus involving the sowing of seed (Mt 13:24-43). This parable speaks to us of how the Lord sows good seed, but the evil one sows weeds with the good seed. It is difficult to pull the weeds without damaging the good seed. Any of us who have planted gardens know how challenging this can be. Weeds seem to grow and thrive in the absolute worst conditions. If we try to remove them while the good seed is growing, we tend to damage the good plants. The parable tells us that at harvest time, the Lord will separate the good plants from the weeds. One of the messages for us is to continue to do the good works we have been instructed to do as Jesus’ disciples and not worry about what others are doing. It is the Lord who sees our good works, and He will be the one to ultimately separate the good from the bad. So remain faithful to the mission entrusted to you, produce good fruit, and trust that the Lord will take care of the rest.

We have completed our Pastorate Synodal Listening Sessions this past week. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend one of the four sessions we offered over the past two weeks. I would also like to thank our Parish Renewal Team members, Wayne Ripley and Becky Kamen, for helping our pastorate to begin the process of discerning our vision for our future. There is still much work to be done, but we are now beginning to walk the path toward our future. I will publish the findings of our listening sessions once they have been compiled. If you were not able to attend but would still like to contribute, please feel free to send me your vision for our future. What are your hopes for our pastorate in the next five years? What can we do to begin moving toward those hopes and dreams? What can the pastorate do to support you in reaching them?

Summer vacation season is in full swing. I hope and pray that everyone will have a chance to relax and enjoy the remaining days of summer. Fr. Jim and I will be going on vacations over the next month. In fact, between today and September 2nd, between our different vacation and retreat plans, we will only be together at the pastorate a total of 7 days! There are still many things happening behind the scenes, so stay informed by reading our bulletin and receiving our Flocknote announcements.

Finally, please welcome priests from Cross Catholic Outreach to both parishes in the coming days. Fr. Collins will be at St. Jane Frances this weekend, and another priest will be at OLC the weekend of July 29–30.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

God’s Extravagant Generosity

Brothers and Sisters,

The way we hear the parable story in this week’s Gospel tells us how receptive we really are to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mt 13:1-23). The parable is about the character of God, and how God reveals that character to those who recognize it. It shows how a parable can reflect back to us our ability to understand them. As you listen to the story, it will reveal and identify which kind of recipient you are by the way you hear it. The depth of our understanding depends on our willingness to be changed by what we hear. We can’t change the kind of soil we are—only God can do that.

The story is not about the type of soil we are since that would make the story be about us—about the soil. But the story is not about us; but the story is for us. This parable, like all scripture, is really about God and God’s extravagant generosity.

God is the Sower, scattering seed liberally, even wastefully, everywhere. It’s what God does. It’s what God keeps on doing. God keeps throwing seeds, regardless of where the seed might land. God is loving, generous, lavish, abundant, eager to share what is good. God will not withhold His Word from anyone. God will not deny anyone access to the Good News. How we understand the Word and absorb it into our lives will determine the extent to which it can change us, transforming us into fruitful plants that bear abundantly.

As we listen to the parables of Jesus over the next few weeks, what will they reveal about us? How will our ears hear them? How will we be changed by God’s Word which “… achieves the end for which it was sent?” As we find ourselves drawn into God’s story and as God invites us to become part of it, how willing are we to be transformed by that story, becoming someone we have not been before?

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

God Is Near

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

This weekend we celebrate the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our Gospel passage this weekend from Matthew’s Gospel is with words that are meant to express God’s closeness and comfort to us (Mt 11:25-30). The coming of Jesus among us has revealed to us the living God in the flesh. God has come to his people and walked among us in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This great gift from God ought to give us an overwhelming reminder of the Lord’s care and concern for us. Wherever we are on our journey of faith or even how far we may have wandered away from the Lord, Jesus gently invites us to come to him, to rest in him, to learn from him, and to share our burdens with him. What more could we ask for from our God than his longing to join us and walk with us on this earthly journey. May you experience this warm embrace from Jesus during this coming week!

This Sunday, July 9th, we are welcoming Fr. Sampson Onwumere to the 10:45am Mass at Our Lady of the Chesapeake. Fr. Sampson was ordained to the priesthood on June 24th at the Cathedral and has been assigned to the Pastorate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Clare. He will be celebrating Mass with us as we celebrate his priesthood with him. There will be a reception following Mass. Welcome Fr. Sampson!

Our Pastorate Synodal Listening Sessions begin this week. All parishioners and friends of the parishes are invited to join us at one of the four scheduled sessions. The session schedule is as follows:

1. OLC (Gathering Place) Monday, 7/10 at 7pm
2. OLC (Gathering Place) Saturday, 7/15 at 9:30am
3. SJF (Parish Hall) Monday, 7/17 at 7pm
4. SJF (Parish Hall) Tuesday, 7/18 at 9:30am

We will be using this time to envision what we would like our Pastorate to become in the years ahead as we continue to implement Archbishop Lori’s vision for the Archdiocese as outline in A Light Brightly Visible 2.0. Please join us for whichever session works best with your schedule, even if it is not at your home parish. I will also have a summary of the proposed pastorate names that I have received so far. If you have a suggestion for a name for our Pastorate, please send it to me at Shook@olchesapeake.org.

I would like to thank everyone who joined us for our Pastorate Fourth of July Mass at St. Jane Frances. I am especially thankful to Kevin Garner and the music ministry at OLC for supplying our music for the celebration.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Who Do You Love More?

Dear Parishioners,

Who do I love more? Jesus …or my mom or dad, sister or brother, son or daughter? Is Jesus really pitting the love we have for our family against our love for Him in today’s gospel?...

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)

Following Jesus is costly. Sometimes Jesus exaggerates to make a point. But here He’s clearly teaching that if you follow Him, prepare to be rejected—even by those you love—just as He was. This is why Jesus said immediately prior: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt 10:34).

True love. Jesus’ point is this, as an example: if someone you or I love advises or encourages us to do or say or believe something contrary to God’s law, we must choose to follow God instead. Jesus is warning us about the grave danger of “giving in” to a loved one who is attempting to drive a wedge between you and Jesus by wanting you to go along with something that is immoral. Such misguided “love” is detrimental to our relationship with God, our loved one, and our own salvation. Rather, we are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and be kind and pray for them. By doing so, we are truly loving both God and our loved one, even though we may be unjustly accused of being bigoted or, ironically, “unloving.”

Jesus is with us… Jesus knows that we will experience such unjust reactions when following Him, ie, we will receive a cross like He did, which is why He immediately adds: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” (Matt 10:38). Jesus also says: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12).

…always. In summary, it’s not “either I love my family, or I love Jesus.” In the long run, the most loving thing we can do is “(teach) them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20).

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Fear Not

Brothers and Sisters,

The emotion of fear is probably the most pervasive and powerful motivating force we face as human beings. From the moment we are born, we learn to fear the world around us, certainly to fear the stranger, sometimes to fear even those who are closest to us. Fear can cause isolation, depression, or cause us to act in a way which is contrary to the truth we know. But most of all, fear can prevent us from acting at all. We become afraid of doing anything, and so we do nothing. Where do we find ourselves?

Jesus recognizes that fear can cause the failure of discipleship. Jesus’ disciples courageously leave the security of their homes and families to follow him as they proclaim the coming of God’s reign. They, too, will face the power of fear on their mission. Faithful proclamation and practice of the gospel inevitably puts his disciples on a collision course with the powers of this world. So, as Jesus prepares his disciples for their mission, He is frankly realistic about the threats they will face. At the same time, He builds the case for why they should not let fear master them or hinder their witness.

Jesus asks us to leave our fear behind and to follow in the security of being His disciple. Trusting in His promises and knowing that God’s presence is always with us. God’s absolute protection and provision is always upon us. Jesus reminds us not to fear harm, because while man may be able to hurt us physically, the world cannot spiritually harm us. God is the one who has power over both body and spirit, and God has promised to guard and protect us and bring us to eternal life. The God who created and tends every living thing, values us more than anything. His love for each of us is greater than our fear. “Perfect love casts out fear.” So do not be afraid.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The Kingdom Of Heaven Is At Hand

Dear Friends of OLC and St. Jane Frances,

This weekend, we celebrate the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our Gospel is a good one for our transition to summer and our preparation for our Pastorate’ mission of proclaiming: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 9:36–10:8) It begins with one of those statements of Jesus that I believe offers us a glimpse into his Sacred Heart. Jesus was moved with pity for the crowds of people because they were troubled and abandoned. He wants to help them, but he also knows that he needs people to help him with this mission. In the Gospel, it is the Apostles; but today, it is us! We are the ones who are being sent into the community seek the troubled and abandoned and show them the healing power of Christ at work within us, and within our pastorate. This Summer, may each of us accept Jesus’ invitation for us to be sent out to proclaim, to heal, and to love as Jesus loves.

I am very excited to announce that we’ve hired a Director of Pastorate Operations for our pastorate. Mike Downes will be joining our team in the days ahead. Mike comes with an extensive resume of work in the Archdiocese, including being the Director of the Msgr. O’Dwyer Retreat House, and a stint as Youth Minister at St. Jane Frances back in the mid-1990s. Mike’s main areas of responsibility will be to oversee the Pastorate’s facilities (including leases and rentals), building repairs and maintenance, technology (internet, phone, website, etc.), and office operations (Ministry Platform, bulletin, etc.) with some collaborative work with the parishes’ finances, although not a direct area of responsibility. He will have direct managerial responsibility for the staff working in these areas. Please join me in welcoming Mike to our Pastorate!

On Saturday, June 24th, the Archdiocese will be celebrating the ordination of eight men to the Priesthood. This is probably the largest ordination class in the past 30 years, if not longer. The Ordination Mass begins at 10:00am at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, and will be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s webpage if you would like to watch. In light of this weekend’s Gospel reading, please continue to pray for vocations – asking “the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Finally, please plan to join us for the 8:30am Mass on the Fourth of July at St. Jane Frances. Kevin Garner and the music ministry from OLC will be there to celebrate with all members of the Pastorate. Please plan to join us and celebrate together with us.

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

God Bless,
Father Steve

God Dwells with His People

God Dwells with His People. God has an incredible history of doing what He loves to do: dwell among His people. He loves us and wants to be close to us! Since the beginning, He has chosen to do this not only spiritually, but also materially or physically on earth. The Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he dwelt among His chosen people Israel in the Holy of Holies on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant for over 850 years, and he became man and lived among us for 33 years and died for us to show us how much He loves us.

With that kind of a track record, would he just leave and never come back to us physically? No, for Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans; I WILL COME TO YOU.” (John 14:18). Jesus here was not referring only to the coming of his Spirit—the Holy Spirit who proceeded from the Father and the Son—but also to the fact that he WAS coming back to dwell with us sacramentally, physically in the Eucharist at Mass.

Jesus’ Most Emphatic Teaching. Today we celebrate the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Latin: Corpus Christi). Today’s Gospel reading from John 6, one of the longest dialogues in Scripture (John 6:25-71) is arguably Jesus’ most emphatic teaching dialogue in all the gospels. He uses straightforward language in his discourse with the Jews and his disciples, leaving no room for misinterpretation: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” He uses the word flesh 6 times, blood 4 times, and two different Greek words for eat 8 times. Jesus’ disciples clearly understood that he was not speaking symbolically, because they said: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? …and after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:60, 66). Driving his literal—not figurative—point further, Jesus turns and asks his 12 apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?” (6:67).

Heaven on Earth. Receiving Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion IS the fulfillment of Jesus’ assurance that he would always be with us to the end of the age through all our joys, trials, and suffering. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us in His Most Holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist at Communion, making us truly united as one in His Body on earth, the Church.

Eucharistic Revival. This fall our pastorate will be actively participating in the national and archdiocesan Eucharistic Revival, offering a variety of opportunities for us to encounter anew Jesus in the Eucharist, who desires us to spend sacred time with him not only spiritually, but also in his real sacramental, physical Presence. More to come!

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim