Here Comes Lent!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate,

Our readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time remind us once again of the healing power of Jesus Christ on those who are afflicted with illness and disease. A leper approaches Jesus, begging him to make him clean. Immediately Jesus is moved with pity and heals him. In Jesus’ day, this disease would have caused this person to be isolated and removed from the community. Now through this encounter with Jesus, he is made whole again and can be welcomed back. Jesus can do the same for each one of us as well. When we approach Jesus with our “illnesses” and “diseases” that isolate us from others, and ask him to heal us, he can and will do it! God’s mercy and compassion for us is endless, if only we approach the Lord with humility and trust.

A great church season that helps us to do this is Lent, which happens to begin this week, on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14th. Please join us for Masses at 8:30am and 7:00pm at both parishes. Ashes will be distributed at all Masses. Dedicate yourself to “turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel” during this Lenten Season. As a reminder, Ash Wednesday is one of the Church’s special penitential days of fasting and abstaining from meat—a small sacrifice to make in response to our Lord’s sacrifice for us.

We have a couple of Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras celebrations this week on Feb. 13th. Join Scout Troop 414 at St. Jane Frances Parish Hall for the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. In addition, join Fr. Steve as he “guest bartends” from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Rumor Meal on Mountain Rd. for our Mardi Gras celebration. A percentage of all proceeds that evening (4:00pm–9:00pm) from dine in or carry out will benefit OLC.

Stations of the Cross and the Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry Fridays begin this Friday, Feb. 16th at St. Jane Frances. Stop by for dinner at St. Jane Parish Hall from 4:00pm to 7:00pm for a delicious Lenten appropriate seafood meal, then stop by the Church at 7:00pm for Stations of the Cross.

The 2024 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries is in full swing! This year’s theme is “Faith in Action—Transforming Lives, Impacting Communities.” Many of us have received information about the appeal in the mail and have responded by making a donation. This weekend, all of us will have an opportunity to make our pledge and commitment to the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. Your donations serve people throughout the Archdiocese, including our local pastorate parishes. The parish goal for St. Jane Frances is $62,158 and for Our Lady of the Chesapeake, it is $60,290. All monies raised through the Annual Appeal are considered restricted gifts and will go to support the Church’s many outreach programs, educational needs, and social services including the essential works of Catholic Charities. Please be as generous as you can and support the 2024 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar on Friday, March 15th at St. Jane Hall and School. This is a great family friendly event!

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate in your daily prayers!

Father Steve

Everyone Is Looking For You, Jesus!

Dear Friends,

“Everyone is looking for you, Jesus!” In today’s gospel from Mark (Mk 1:29-39), in the early morning Simon Peter hunts down Jesus, eagerly looking to find Him after the whole town of Capernaum had been at Peter’s door the night before when Jesus had cured the sick and cast out demons, His first public healing service. When Peter finally found Jesus in a deserted place, praying, he said, “Everyone is looking for you!” Although everyone knows that it is Jesus who heals, Jesus chooses to heal others not solo but with his disciples present, telling Peter, “Let’s go to the nearby villages.”

Today, everyone is still looking for Jesus, whether they know it or not. Pope Benedict XVI put it this way: “We cannot keep to ourselves the words of eternal life given to us in our encounter with Jesus Christ: they are meant for everyone, for every man and woman. Everyone today, whether he or she knows it or not, needs this message. It is our responsibility to pass on what, by God’s grace, we ourselves have received.” [VERBUM DOMINI (The Word of the Lord), #91. 2010]. Just as Jesus wanted his disciples to accompany Him in His ministry of healing and proclamation of the gospel in Galilee, He also wants us to accompany Him in His work today by healing and proclaiming through us. And why is Jesus’ healing ministry and our involvement in it so important?

The answer lies in the deeper meaning we discover by discerning how the 1st reading (Jb 7:1-4, 6-7) connects to the gospel reading. Here we find Job—who represents every human person who suffers, ie, all of us—despondent in the midst of his suffering: “I shall not see happiness again.” (Job 7:7). But 12 chapters later Job proclaims, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25). Job, in his desire for healing prophetically, points hundreds of years later to Jesus in the gospel beginning his healing ministry in Capernaum. The deeper meaning of today’s readings, reflected in our Responsorial Psalm, is this: “(God) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. The LORD sustains the lowly. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 147).

God ALWAYS brings good from suffering: “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.” (Romans 8:28). In these early weeks of Ordinary time, early in Jesus’ ministry, let us have the faith of Job, confident that Jesus heals and restores in His perfect timing. Our Redeemer lives and is present to us on earth in our trials and suffering—most directly in His sacraments, and also in the loving care of others, and when we seek Him in prayer.

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Authority

Brothers and Sisters,

The world today seems to struggle against any authority. We are determined to be our own authority. We reject the healing, peace, and security that come from yielding to God’s authority. When we choose to go our own way, we open ourselves to the influences of the world. We are going to allow some authority in our life, whether it be our choosing or by failing to choose. When there is a void in our life, it is usually filled by something. Evil can creep in when we slowly lose our faith and trust in God. When we allow or choose some authority for our life other than God, it can manifest as a lack of hope, lack of love, lack of direction, or a lack of meaning in our lives. The cure for this evil is a faith in God and accepting His authority in our life just as Jesus shows us.

Jesus is the true prophet promised by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy. We need true prophets. The world still needs prophets, those who live like the future is now. For us disciples, we are to be those prophets, who preach and live Kingdom values. Just like Jesus did. Jesus spoke the truth, there was no division between his words and his life. The challenge for us, as Jesus’ disciples, is to follow his lead, and to proclaim Jesus with authority with words and actions so compelling that they capture the attention and imagination of those who hear us. It all comes from the same characteristics we see in Jesus.

Are we people who practice what we preach? Do we do what we say by living the truth, the truth of Christ in our lives. When we do, we, too, will teach with authority.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The Hardest Thing To Do

Dear Friends,

1. Nineveh, B.C. Why did Jesus give his followers such a seemingly impossible command: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27)? For the same reason God commands Jonah in today’s 1st Reading (Jonah 3:1-5, 10) to preach to the Ninevites (whom Jonah hated, and initially resisted going to) their need for repentance: because God is a merciful God who “desires all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). And the method God prefers to communicate this mercy to those who are far from Him is through you and me—our words and actions. God wants us to demonstrate today the truth of what was repeated in a variety of ways throughout the Old Testament: “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15). When Jonah preached “the message that I [the Lord] will tell you,” God, with Jonah, changed the world, and Nineveh was saved.

2. Galilee, 30 A.D. As God called Jonah in his lifetime to preach repentance for the salvation of souls, so in today’s gospel (Mark 1:14-20), Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to do the same in their lifetimes: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” When Peter and Andrew preached the message the Lord told them, ie, “Go therefore and… teach them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), God—with Peter and Andrew—changed the world, and many are were saved.

3. Pasadena, 2024. As God called Jonah and Peter and Andrew in their lifetimes to preach repentance for the salvation of souls, who is He calling to do this today on our peninsula in your lifetime? Clearly the Lord calls you and me. 

A Twist to the “3 in 1” Challenge. In October, about 400 of us made a commitment to evangelize “3 people in 1 year.” I continue to be inspired by many in our pastorate who are sharing their “invitation stories” and how this challenge has changed your whole perspective on what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and how you’re experiencing in a new way the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life and in the lives of those you’re reaching out to. Now here’s the hardest thing to do: 

The Challenge of Jonah: “Can I reach out to one who hates me?” 

It’s hard to love our enemies; we can relate to Jonah’s hesitancy. Yet, God calls us to reach out to them. He knows we cannot do this on our own, which is why He Himself provides the source of strength to do so: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). If we don’t love our enemies, who will? Thy Will be Done, Lord.

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

Hearing The Voice Of The Lord

Dear Friends of our Pastorate,

This weekend, the Church returns to Ordinary Time. Our readings speak to us of being called by the Lord. The first reading from the 1st Book of Samuel tells of the encounter between the Lord and Samuel. The Lord calls out to Samuel, who at first doesn’t realize it is the Lord speaking to him. Eli, the temple priest, doesn’t realize it at first either, but soon comes to understand that it is the Lord, and instructs Samuel to respond in faith. John’s Gospel tells us of the encounter between two of John’s disciples and Jesus. One of the two is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He goes to Peter to tell him they have found the Messiah and brings him to Jesus. As disciples of the Lord, we are asked to be like Eli and Andrew—helping others to hear the voice of the Lord and bringing others to come to know the Lord. Who in your life is hearing the Lord’s voice but is not sure who it is? Who can you invite to come and meet the Lord here at one of our Pastorate Masses?

This week, our Pastorate is hosting Shelter Week at Our Lady of the Chesapeake. We will be hosting about 25 men, supplying them with a place to stay and meals. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to assist us in this corporal work of mercy. Please pray for the guests and all who will be serving them during this time. If you would like to volunteer, please check the sign-up form located on OLC’s website: www.olchesapeake.org. Thanks!

The 2024 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries begins this month. This year’s theme is “Faith in Action—Transforming Lives, Impacting Communities.” Many of you will be receiving information about the appeal in the mail. Please take time to review the many programs that are funded by the appeal, and be sure to make your annual commitment to the appeal. The parish goal for St. Jane Frances is $62,158 and for Our Lady of the Chesapeake, it is $60,290. All monies raised through the Annual Appeal are considered restricted gifts and will go to support the Church’s many outreach programs, educational needs, and social services including the essential works of Catholic Charities. Please be as generous as you can and support the 2024 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries.

Although we have just finished up the Christmas season, we are only one month away from the start of the Lenten Season. Ash Wednesday is on February 14th—one month from today! Stations of the Cross and the Knights of Columbus Fish Frys will begin on Friday, February 16th and will be held at St. Jane Frances. And be sure to mark the date for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar – Friday March 15th!

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate in your daily prayers!

Father Steve

National Eucharistic Revival

Dear Friends,

Why is the Church in the U.S. promoting a “National Eucharistic Revival” this year? Because about 5 years ago, a Pew Research survey revealed that among Catholics who attend Sunday Mass, 37% DO NOT believe in the real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Of this 37%: 60% (that is, 15% of those who come to Sunday Mass) didn’t know that this is the Church’s teaching, and the other 40% (that is, 5% of those who come to Sunday Mass) know it’s the Church’s teaching but do not believe it. I don’t know if our pastorate number is higher or lower than this 37%, but Fr. Steve and I decided to dedicate a good portion of our homilies this weekend to Jesus’ real Presence in the Eucharist.

In the Eucharistic prayer, at the priest’s words of consecration (“This is my body… ”), by the power of Jesus the Word of God Himself, the substance of the bread becomes the “body, blood, soul, and divinity” of Jesus. It’s no longer bread. And it’s not “bread as a symbol” of Christ. It’s actually Jesus Himself. The reality of this change is one of Jesus’ MOST EMPHATIC teachings, found in the gospel of John chapter 6 (John 6:22-71) where Jesus uses the most straightforward language possible, leaving no room for misinterpretation: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” In this dialogue with the Jews and his disciples, Luke records Jesus stating flesh 6 times, eat 8 times (using two different Greek words), and blood 4 times. Clearly Jesus was not speaking symbolically because: 1) The Jews said: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 2) “…after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.” And 3) Jesus said to His apostles, “Do you also wish to go away?”

There is MUCH, MUCH more biblical and historical and rational evidence for Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist; I’ll be covering some of it in my “Going Deeper” session on January 22 at 7:00 pm in the Maryland Room at OLC. An addition to the constant 2,000-year teaching and practice of the Church, there’s the life changing experiences for countless millions of Christians and saints. His Presence changes our relationship with Him: more than grace is poured into our body and soul at Holy Communion, the source of grace—Jesus Himself— comes to us in the most profound way conceivable in the Eucharist. We literally become “one flesh” with Him, as St. Paul describes in Ephesians 5:31-32.

This year being the USCCB’s “Year of Parish Eucharistic Revival” across the United States, our pastorate has been offering additional opportunities to foster your time with Jesus in the Eucharist during the week containing the 1st Friday of the month (Monday through Sunday), including Sunday Holy Hours between Masses, small group study and other opportunities (see the bulletin). If you have any other ideas to foster Eucharistic devotion, please contact our pastorate’s Eucharistic Missionary, Chris Sybert, at sybernet@comcast.net. And if you have any questions or doubts that you’d like to discuss, Fr. Steve and I are here for you.

Peace in the Eucharist,
Father Jim

Feast of the Holy Family

Dear Friends of the Pastorate,

I can’t think of another feast day in the Church calendar more relevant and needed today than the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It’s relevant, because it denotes God’s ordered plan for the family: a mother, a father, and children. The simplicity, truth, goodness, and beauty of such a family cannot be redefined or supplanted as some today are trying to do. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is needed, because it reminds us how God chose to unite Himself lovingly to us, the supernatural to the natural: in the midst of a family, God is with us—“Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23).

God knows that none of us grew up in the Holy Family, and that our natural biological family can be plagued by dysfunction, sin, and division. This is why God “adopted” us into the fullness of His own family, the Catholic Church, through baptism. But God also knows that even members of our Church family can be plagued by dysfunction, sin, and division; none of us are as holy as the Holy Family is. Yet even in its holiness, the Holy Family was not immune from suffering, as Simeon in today’s gospel prophesied to Mary: “and you yourself a sword will pierce.” (Luke 2:22-40)

Regardless of the particular state of our biological or church family, and our suffering, God calls us individually and collectively to be united to Him through the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, with its visible and spiritual dimension and its human and divine elements. The Lord knows the weakness of our human nature, yet He lavishes His grace upon us in the sacraments, especially in Holy Communion. We look forward to the Day when those who remain faithful to Jesus will be freed and purged of all effects of sin and become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

In the meantime, we live in the imperfect communities of our biological and church families. God has patience with all of us, with our faults, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” Today, let us look for inspiration and intercessory help from the Holy Family, and let us be God’s instrument to bestow His love and mercy to our families through the grace we receive from Jesus Himself in Holy Communion. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us!

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim