Dear Parishioners,
There were “big doings” in Rome last Sunday as the pope canonized 5 new saints. There were 3 nuns, a lay woman, and Cardinal John Henry Newman. Born in England in 1801, he became a priest of the Church of England. After doing some research on the early church, he decided to become Catholic. This decision cost him dearly as he lost many friends and family members. One sister never spoke to him again. He became a Catholic priest several years later and finally a cardinal many years later. He was a brilliant theologian, poet, and writer of hymns. Our opening hymn the last two Sundays was written by him. A modest and quiet man, but one of great integrity, he followed his conscience and not the voice of popular opinion or culture. He serves as an excellent role model amidst our troubled times.
In today’s Scripture readings (Ex 17:8-13; 2 Tm 3:14–4:2; Lk 18:1-8), persistent prayer is the primary theme. Moses’ continual prayer atop a hill allows Joshua to win the battle over Amalek. In St. Luke’s gospel, the widow’s persistence and determination results in a just decision from the unjust judge. Good Christian stewards recognize the importance of daily and persistent conversation with God. Faith-filled disciples seek and accept God’s response and always remember to express gratitude for his abundant blessings. As St. Padre Pio said, “Prayer is the oxygen for the soul.” October is the month of the rosary. Learn the great prayer and pray it daily. It only takes 15 minutes. The Virgin Mary is a powerful intercessor.
Fr. Carl
P.S. The pope prays 4 rosaries a day!
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, October 18, 2019
Friday, October 11, 2019
Respect Life
Dear Parishioners,
October is Respect Life month in the life of the Church. For all of us, respecting life should be about an attitude toward God’s creation, toward our personal lives and the lives of all of those in our society. The USCCB elucidates seven themes of Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred and the dignity of the human person is the moral foundation of our society. This involves protecting the life of the unborn and the elderly, and being aware of the impact of cloning and embryonic stem cell research. This attitude calls us to know the moral threat of the death penalty. The intentional killing of civilians in war and terror attacks is morally wrong. The protection of the family follows as well the need for respect and dignity. The importance of marriage as a powerful force in the stability of society cannot be understated. Awareness of our rights in this society but also our responsibilities to each other and the common good is another part of the firm ground of our teaching. Protection of the poor, the vulnerable, and the disabled is a clear choice we should make. I think this includes immigrants seeking a better life. They are aliens, and God’s people were aliens and slaves in a foreign land. Expecting our economy to serve people, the dignity of work, and the rights of workers are basic tenets of our moral teaching. The idea that we are one human family, all created in the image of God, is also morally promoted. Finally, respect for God’s creation in this beautiful garden of the environment is another theme of our Christian life.
Let us pray for and contemplate these aspects of our lives and thus make choices that support life in all its forms and manifestations. The God of creation will be pleased, I hope, if we respect the many fruits of His work.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
October is Respect Life month in the life of the Church. For all of us, respecting life should be about an attitude toward God’s creation, toward our personal lives and the lives of all of those in our society. The USCCB elucidates seven themes of Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred and the dignity of the human person is the moral foundation of our society. This involves protecting the life of the unborn and the elderly, and being aware of the impact of cloning and embryonic stem cell research. This attitude calls us to know the moral threat of the death penalty. The intentional killing of civilians in war and terror attacks is morally wrong. The protection of the family follows as well the need for respect and dignity. The importance of marriage as a powerful force in the stability of society cannot be understated. Awareness of our rights in this society but also our responsibilities to each other and the common good is another part of the firm ground of our teaching. Protection of the poor, the vulnerable, and the disabled is a clear choice we should make. I think this includes immigrants seeking a better life. They are aliens, and God’s people were aliens and slaves in a foreign land. Expecting our economy to serve people, the dignity of work, and the rights of workers are basic tenets of our moral teaching. The idea that we are one human family, all created in the image of God, is also morally promoted. Finally, respect for God’s creation in this beautiful garden of the environment is another theme of our Christian life.
Let us pray for and contemplate these aspects of our lives and thus make choices that support life in all its forms and manifestations. The God of creation will be pleased, I hope, if we respect the many fruits of His work.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
Friday, October 4, 2019
Time, Our Most Precious Gift
Dear Parishioners,
For the past two weekends, I’ve been talking about stewardship, which started when God gave Adam and Eve dominion over His creation and told them to cultivate the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, they were not good stewards and lost their privileged position as God’s friends. Thanks to Jesus, we have regained God’s friendship and gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure. If we are truly grateful, we won’t hoard these gifts just for ourselves; we will share them with God and neighbor.
Let us concentrate for the next several weeks on “Time.” What might we give to God to show our appreciation for the time he has given us already and will give us in the future? Are we willing to sacrifice some extra time in prayers each day? How about some extra time with the entire family?
This is the month of the “Rosary.” For on Oct. 7, 1571, the outnumbered Christian naval forces won a stunning victory over the Turkish Muslim forces at Lepanto, preventing them from over-running the Christian lands in Europe. This happened as Pope Pius V, with a number of his Dominican brothers were praying the rosary in Rome. So, why not spend an extra 15 minutes a day praying the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous mysteries? As a matter of fact, Pope Francis prays all 4 sets each day. Or perhaps you could give the Lord 15 minutes each evening reading the Gospels. We just had St. Jerome’s feast who wrote: “Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” After all, it’s the best seller of all times!
Whatever sacrifice of your time you give back to God will not be forgotten. Your generosity to God will be outdone in one way or another—either now or in the future.
Fr. Carl
For the past two weekends, I’ve been talking about stewardship, which started when God gave Adam and Eve dominion over His creation and told them to cultivate the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, they were not good stewards and lost their privileged position as God’s friends. Thanks to Jesus, we have regained God’s friendship and gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure. If we are truly grateful, we won’t hoard these gifts just for ourselves; we will share them with God and neighbor.
Let us concentrate for the next several weeks on “Time.” What might we give to God to show our appreciation for the time he has given us already and will give us in the future? Are we willing to sacrifice some extra time in prayers each day? How about some extra time with the entire family?
This is the month of the “Rosary.” For on Oct. 7, 1571, the outnumbered Christian naval forces won a stunning victory over the Turkish Muslim forces at Lepanto, preventing them from over-running the Christian lands in Europe. This happened as Pope Pius V, with a number of his Dominican brothers were praying the rosary in Rome. So, why not spend an extra 15 minutes a day praying the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous mysteries? As a matter of fact, Pope Francis prays all 4 sets each day. Or perhaps you could give the Lord 15 minutes each evening reading the Gospels. We just had St. Jerome’s feast who wrote: “Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” After all, it’s the best seller of all times!
Whatever sacrifice of your time you give back to God will not be forgotten. Your generosity to God will be outdone in one way or another—either now or in the future.
Fr. Carl
Friday, September 27, 2019
Humility And Service
Dear Parishioners,
I have just returned from a weekend at the Deacon Convocation, where the deacons and their wives get together for a weekend of talks, spiritual nourishment, community, and good food. The word that kept coming up for me was humility. It refers to the idea that you treat others as better than yourself. It takes seriously the words of Christ who said that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). Our Lord died so that our sins may be forgiven and our relationship with God reconciled. This is true humility, a self-emptying, a pouring out of oneself for another.
Humility is that attitude that I will sacrifice for another, because they are worth it. I am privileged and honored to give some of my time and energy to NCEON, the agency that helps the poor in Anne Arundel County with food and financial support. Now on the weekend, we were introduced to two young men, Colin Miller and Nathan Belk. At the direction of Fr. James Boric at the Baltimore Basilica, they have begun a ministry to the homeless. It is called Source of All Hope (Sourceofallhope.org). They walk the streets of Baltimore and share water and pairs of socks with the homeless they encounter. They offer them their time and attention. They show them dignity and welcome their stories. They are humble young men who have been touched by the Spirit to do a great work. They do not see themselves as superior to the men and women they encounter but blessed and called to serve them. They understand well the Church’s call to serve the poor. Let us practice that virtue of humility in all we do.
Our vocation as Catholics is to follow the model of Christ in his mercy and humility. There is much we can offer others not in our pride and superiority but in our humility and service.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
I have just returned from a weekend at the Deacon Convocation, where the deacons and their wives get together for a weekend of talks, spiritual nourishment, community, and good food. The word that kept coming up for me was humility. It refers to the idea that you treat others as better than yourself. It takes seriously the words of Christ who said that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). Our Lord died so that our sins may be forgiven and our relationship with God reconciled. This is true humility, a self-emptying, a pouring out of oneself for another.
Humility is that attitude that I will sacrifice for another, because they are worth it. I am privileged and honored to give some of my time and energy to NCEON, the agency that helps the poor in Anne Arundel County with food and financial support. Now on the weekend, we were introduced to two young men, Colin Miller and Nathan Belk. At the direction of Fr. James Boric at the Baltimore Basilica, they have begun a ministry to the homeless. It is called Source of All Hope (Sourceofallhope.org). They walk the streets of Baltimore and share water and pairs of socks with the homeless they encounter. They offer them their time and attention. They show them dignity and welcome their stories. They are humble young men who have been touched by the Spirit to do a great work. They do not see themselves as superior to the men and women they encounter but blessed and called to serve them. They understand well the Church’s call to serve the poor. Let us practice that virtue of humility in all we do.
Our vocation as Catholics is to follow the model of Christ in his mercy and humility. There is much we can offer others not in our pride and superiority but in our humility and service.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
Friday, September 20, 2019
More Happiness In Giving Than Receiving
Dear Parishioners,
In St. Luke’s gospel today about the dishonest steward (Lk 16:1-13), a basic principle emerges on the topic of riches—one cannot serve both God and money.
Wealth is not necessarily bad when used wisely. Christian stewards—that’s all of us—recognize that all gifts of treasure are ultimately God’s. Therefore, out of gratitude, we should give back generously a portion of these blessings to God (through the church) and to those in need. Today’s culture honors and respects money and wealth instead of generosity and charity. Although a significant donation from billionaires does make the news, it’s not very inspirational as he/she has plenty more in the bank. What is inspirational is sacrificial giving, because it reflects on Jesus’ sacrificial gift of his body on the cross. Besides, there is more joy and happiness as St. Paul quotes Jesus, “There is more happiness in giving than receiving.” (Acts 20:35)
Fr. Carl
In St. Luke’s gospel today about the dishonest steward (Lk 16:1-13), a basic principle emerges on the topic of riches—one cannot serve both God and money.
Wealth is not necessarily bad when used wisely. Christian stewards—that’s all of us—recognize that all gifts of treasure are ultimately God’s. Therefore, out of gratitude, we should give back generously a portion of these blessings to God (through the church) and to those in need. Today’s culture honors and respects money and wealth instead of generosity and charity. Although a significant donation from billionaires does make the news, it’s not very inspirational as he/she has plenty more in the bank. What is inspirational is sacrificial giving, because it reflects on Jesus’ sacrificial gift of his body on the cross. Besides, there is more joy and happiness as St. Paul quotes Jesus, “There is more happiness in giving than receiving.” (Acts 20:35)
Fr. Carl
Friday, September 13, 2019
Our World Is A Gift
Dear Parishioners,
I live in Annapolis, and I love looking out on the water as I go over the several bridges to get to St. Jane Frances parish. There are usually a scattering of sailboats, some power boats, and a big ship or two. My grandfather was a sailor, and I think I’ve got some of that love of the water in me as well. But it goes beyond the water. I have backpacked the Appalachian Trail and the Adirondacks, and gone up Pike’s Peak. We have traveled the Rockies and the mountains of Alaska. I think in order to stay reasonably sane, you need a hit of the ocean and the mountains regularly. There is such beauty in nature but there is also the message of God’s grandeur and power. It is humbling to be in the presence of the immensity of the ocean or at the foot of a mountain range.
I grew up in Philly so it wasn’t until I was a young man that I saw the Milky Way in the big sky of South Dakota. God has given us a beautiful place to be. He himself even said that it was good as he created it. As we witness the destructive power of Dorian, we must be aware of God’s gift in our world but also the need to respect its power. Like our faith, we can’t take the earth for granted. We must nurture and care for it. So as we move from the heat of summer into the cooler days of fall, let us thank God for the great gift of our world. Let us be mindful of our role in being good stewards, not simply taking advantage, abusing, and desecrating it, but seeing it as a gift from our Creator who lovingly gave us a place in which to live, to grow, and to love.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
I live in Annapolis, and I love looking out on the water as I go over the several bridges to get to St. Jane Frances parish. There are usually a scattering of sailboats, some power boats, and a big ship or two. My grandfather was a sailor, and I think I’ve got some of that love of the water in me as well. But it goes beyond the water. I have backpacked the Appalachian Trail and the Adirondacks, and gone up Pike’s Peak. We have traveled the Rockies and the mountains of Alaska. I think in order to stay reasonably sane, you need a hit of the ocean and the mountains regularly. There is such beauty in nature but there is also the message of God’s grandeur and power. It is humbling to be in the presence of the immensity of the ocean or at the foot of a mountain range.
I grew up in Philly so it wasn’t until I was a young man that I saw the Milky Way in the big sky of South Dakota. God has given us a beautiful place to be. He himself even said that it was good as he created it. As we witness the destructive power of Dorian, we must be aware of God’s gift in our world but also the need to respect its power. Like our faith, we can’t take the earth for granted. We must nurture and care for it. So as we move from the heat of summer into the cooler days of fall, let us thank God for the great gift of our world. Let us be mindful of our role in being good stewards, not simply taking advantage, abusing, and desecrating it, but seeing it as a gift from our Creator who lovingly gave us a place in which to live, to grow, and to love.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
Friday, September 6, 2019
Who Doesn’t Love A Hug?
Dear Parishioners,
I was awakened recently by my 7-year old granddaughter jumping on our bed. My wife had been up for a while, so little Amelia thought she had the right to come and awaken me with her jumping and peals of giggles. I wasn’t so amused. But I am also aware of the fact that it is a gift for us to live so close to family. I have a friend who is going out to California to see family, and he is not sure that his daughter will speak to him. They have a conflicted relationship. My wife and I are blessed with children who speak to us and with grandchildren who play with us. I hope that it is good for them, because it is certainly rejuvenating for us to be in their presence.
I think that God intended us to be in community. We all need personal space no doubt, but isn’t it also great to have a hug sometimes? I know our society has this value about doing it my way. But isn’t it also wonderful to be able to be supported by friends and family who love you?
Loneliness is a great despair that many people experience. To be known and to know another person is a gift. I think that God puts people in our lives for us and for them to be held and supported. To know and to be known means that I am not alone, but I am a part of a social fabric that gives me strength, a social network that holds me, a connection that says that I am thought about, remembered, and not forgotten. This is a quality of church that brings me back every day. Christ tells us that he is with us until the end of time (Matt 28:20). I need that, I seek that, I am thankful for that! Let us at St. Jane Frances be community for each other. We all need a little more of that.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
I was awakened recently by my 7-year old granddaughter jumping on our bed. My wife had been up for a while, so little Amelia thought she had the right to come and awaken me with her jumping and peals of giggles. I wasn’t so amused. But I am also aware of the fact that it is a gift for us to live so close to family. I have a friend who is going out to California to see family, and he is not sure that his daughter will speak to him. They have a conflicted relationship. My wife and I are blessed with children who speak to us and with grandchildren who play with us. I hope that it is good for them, because it is certainly rejuvenating for us to be in their presence.
I think that God intended us to be in community. We all need personal space no doubt, but isn’t it also great to have a hug sometimes? I know our society has this value about doing it my way. But isn’t it also wonderful to be able to be supported by friends and family who love you?
Loneliness is a great despair that many people experience. To be known and to know another person is a gift. I think that God puts people in our lives for us and for them to be held and supported. To know and to be known means that I am not alone, but I am a part of a social fabric that gives me strength, a social network that holds me, a connection that says that I am thought about, remembered, and not forgotten. This is a quality of church that brings me back every day. Christ tells us that he is with us until the end of time (Matt 28:20). I need that, I seek that, I am thankful for that! Let us at St. Jane Frances be community for each other. We all need a little more of that.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
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