Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Parishioners,

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is here already. And while we all have some problems and concerns in our life, Thanksgiving is a time to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.” For no matter what we don’t have, as long as we have God, we have everything we need. As St. Augustine said, “He who has everything but has not God, has nothing, and he who has nothing but has God, has everything.”

As I look back on my life, I am most grateful for a loving family (mother, father, sister), the faith in which I was raised and saw lived by a devout father, the civilian and military parishes in which I served, some outstanding priests with whom I worked, and some loyal friends. Today I am especially thankful to serve as your pastor. When I was first ordained, I wanted two things in a parish – a nice church building that looked like a church inside and out, and a school. We are blessed to have both. The church is very attractive, well lit, has an excellent sound system, and good acoustics. The school is outstanding with wonderful teachers, an excellent staff, superb academics which partners with the U.S. Naval Academy in its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Program. Also, and perhaps most importantly, our school is blessed with awesome children; it’s where I go to get reenergized as I share my faith with the children. Finally, I am very thankful for the wonderful parish staff who give so much of themselves to the parish and so much support to me.

And I bet if you sat down as I have done, you could come up with a similar list in your situation.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Fr. Carl

Investing Wisely

Dear Parishioners,

What is the real story of the three servants in today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:14-30) and the story of our own lives? We are called to “take risk” with the gifts entrusted to us by God. We are expected to wisely invest our gifts from God of time, talent and treasure. Don’t bury your gifts… invest them in others. That is the only way to gain “interest” for the Kingdom of God, and the life of the world to come.

- Deacon Robert

Planning a Catholic Funeral

Dear Parishioners,

This past week we remembered and prayed for the dead. This month, we will continue to offer Masses for our deceased relatives and friends who might be in purgatory. This is an opportune time to think about our own funeral arrangements and not burden our loved ones with decisions and problems after we are gone.

A Catholic funeral consists of three parts: a wake service at the funeral home, a Mass of Christian burial in church, and prayers at the cemetery or mausoleum. The most important part is Mass, for the fruits of the Mass are infinitely more pleasing to God and effective in relieving any remaining temporal punishment due to sin. That is, [celebration of the Holy Eucharist at Mass] will help the deceased get out of purgatory much more quickly than a prayer service at a funeral home. Unfortunately, more and more often, the surviving family members are opting for a service at a funeral home; it’s quicker and easier. So if you want a full Catholic funeral, it would be wise to make specific arrangements well in advance.

Today the Catholic Church allows for cremation of the body, but prefers the cremation to take place after the funeral Mass in church. It also has some specific instructions on the disposition of the cremains afterwards. The U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship says the following:

“Any catechesis on the subject of cremation should emphasize that the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the corporeal remains of a human body. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition.
 
While cremated remains may be buried in a grave, entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium, or even buried at sea, the practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. The cremated remains of the body may be properly buried at sea in the urn, coffin, or other container in which they have been carried to the place of committal. (‘Cremation and Burial at Sea’) See www.usccb.org/liturgy/cremation.shtml.”

- Fr. Carl

Calling all Fathers

Dear Parishioners,

“Call no man on earth your father.” This verse from today’s Gospel (Matthew 23:1-12), is sometimes used by a few of our Protestant brothers to criticize our custom of calling our priests “Father.” However, that text should be read in the proper way. Otherwise, what do we call our paternal parent? It certainly would not be respectful to call him by his first name. What Jesus is talking about is pride and trying to impress others through position, knowledge, and acting as a person of importance or holiness by assuming a title. We also might remember that St. Paul in his letters referred to himself as a father to some of the churches he visited (1 Cor. 4:14–15). It is hardly likely that he would have gone against the will of Jesus by calling himself “father.” When we call our priests, “Father,” we acknowledge the roles they have in the church—to be good fathers leading, teaching, protecting, and feeding their spiritual children with the Word of God and the Eucharist.

In recent years, some have betrayed their trust and hurt their children. It is a terrible tragedy. Still the vast majority have served their spiritual children well. Let us pray that more young men will respond to our Heavenly Father’s call to the priesthood and serve as spiritual fathers to his family on earth.

- Fr. Carl

What is the greatest commandment?

Dear Parishioners,

What is the greatest commandment? Is it really something we believe or think or defend as if our life depended on it? Does our world really need another verbal defense of the Christian faith? The greatest commandment as our Lord taught (Matthew 22:34-40) and lived is always waiting to be awakened in the likes of you and me. All our professed love for God is empty rhetoric without actions, labors of love that say the God we love is the One who changed, and is changing our lives. This week, let’s labor in love together. Let’s refuse the fist and choose reconciliation. Let’s walk away from defending our faith and walk toward living it. Let’s love as Jesus loved, define ourselves, and perhaps others, what it means to follow Jesus.

- Deacon Robert

“Make a note of the difference there is
between believing in the existence of
God and believing in Him.”
- The Cure D’Ars

Where does your loyalty lie?

Dear Parishioners,

In today’s gospel (Matthew 22: 15-21), Jesus is put in an impossible situation by two opposing groups, both of whom are against Him. The question is whether it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not. An affirmative answer will alienate Jesus from the Jews; a negative answer will alienate Jesus from the Romans. Jesus masterfully evades the trap by saying, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s.” However, sometimes there is no way to avoid trouble as St. Thomas More discovered. He was the chancellor of England when Henry VIII divorced his wife and remarried, even though the Church would not grant him an annulment. Loyal to the king, he never condemned Henry; but loyal to the Church, he never gave his approval. Even though he was pressured and all the other bishops except St. John Fisher caved in and gave their approval, St. Thomas remained steadfastly loyal to the Church. Because of this, he was sentenced to death. As he stood on the scaffold awaiting execution, his last words were, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” He was loyal to his King as long as possible, but his ultimate loyalty was with God. May we always be the same, and may our Catholic politicians look to God for guidance on moral issues rather than party loyalty or voter support and approval.

You’re Invited!

Dear Parishioners,

God is hosting a wedding for His Beloved Son. We can never earn our place on God’s invitation list; it’s just that God is generous. For it is a profound truth of the gospel, that God is continually extending an invitation to the event of a lifetime and beyond. It is an offer that no one in their right mind should refuse or put off. But it is an invitation that waits for a response. We, all of us, are invited. Please RSVP… and remember, wear white.

- Deacon Robert

“Since we are only in the world for God
himself, we shall never be happy if we do not
serve him with zeal and love.”
- The Saint Cure D’Ars