Parish Mission this week!

Dear Parishioners,

Our time in Lent is a special time having us to focus anew on the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. It is fitting that we should also have the opportunity to gather our community for our Parish Mission. I am especially excited because this year our speaker will be Fr. Paschal A. Morlino, OSB. 

The “OSB” indicates that he is of the Order of St. Benedict. My deacon formation was administered by the Archabbey of St. Meinrad, a Benedictine monastery in southern Indiana. I have to say that I owe a big portion of my spiritual growth to the monks of St. Meinrad. The Archabbey was built in the late 1800s in southern Indiana. My parish in Indiana conducted Men’s retreats at the Archabbey once a year for more than 25 years. I cannot think about the place without a warm remembrance of the interesting, joyfilled, and instructional retreats we had. The Archabbey staff also administered our deacon formation which culminated in a weeklong retreat at the Archabbey learning how to give homilies.

From looking over his biography, Fr. Morlino does not have a direct connection with St. Meinrad, but has been associated with several Abbeys over the long course of his varied ministerial career. He has been at St. Benedict Parish in Baltimore since 1984. I will not try to describe his vast and interesting experiences. But let me say that our Parish Mission is a time to reflect on our faith and a time to join with our fellow parishioners in asking where is God in our lives and how can I better serve Him? This is a time to have our faith touched and renewed. We have come through a terrifically difficult year. We are all worn down and exhausted by the challenges we have endured. Can you let God give you a gift of time and renewal? Come and join with us as we allow Fr. Morlino to help us rejuvenate our spirits. The Parish Mission is March 15th, 16th, and 17th at 7:00 pm.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

Freedoms and Laws

Dear Parishioners,

We are a people who love our freedoms. As we look around and see those living in countries under the yoke of dictatorships, communism, socialism, or military control, we thank the good Lord for our freedom. Unfortunately, some see the Ten Commandments or laws of God as restricting or limiting our freedoms. Actually, they are guides to happiness and peace of mind. In the Book of Deuteronomy 6:3 Moses tells Israel about the commandments. “Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that you may grow and prosper the more...” Then in verse 24, Moses says “Therefore, the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes in fear of the Lord, our God, that we may always have as prosperous and happy life as we have today.” Now any way of living that promises prosperity and happiness is what most people really want. The problem is that temptation comes into the picture, and sinful choices are attractively presented. To resist temptation requires sacrifice which is never easy. However, when we don’t resist it, we usually feel guilty and unhappy with ourselves afterward. At least, that’s been my experience and most people I know.

Fortunately, when we fail to keep the commandments, we have a remedy to restore our relationship with God. Of course, you know that I am talking about: the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Now is a good time to make use of it as we prepare for Easter. The times are still 3:30–4:30pm on Saturday and by appointment in the Rectory. I encourage you to come soon before the lines grow too long!

Fr. Carl

Fasting, Prayer And Almsgiving

Dear Parishioners,

I heard an interview recently with a man who wrote a book on gratitude. He wasn’t religious, but it got me thinking about Lent and the many gifts of God that I have received. 

Lent is a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. In all these, God’s abundance has been made clear to me. In fasting, I am thinking about the food we have. Our refrigerator has been adequately stocked. Even in the pandemic, we ate well. Of course, toilet paper was hard to find as were cleaning supplies. We would go to the grocery store real early or real late to avoid others, and we wiped down each item. But we did not starve. I am grateful that I may fast, not out of necessity, but as a matter of my decision to sacrifice to make a space for God in my life. 

My prayer life is strong I believe. Over the past year, it has focused on all those who have passed or been sick. The loss of life due to the pandemic is beyond comprehension, but my prayer has been a tool that has helped me to offer up what little I can for the invisible suffering around me. My prayer has also been a comfort and consolation, and in Lent a way to thank God for his goodness. 

I am retired and done with the everyday grind of work. My friends however, say that I still work, I am a deacon! But we have been blessed with savings and income to get through these hard times. Our kids all work from home, so they have not been affected financially. We continue to give to the church, organizations, and others in need. I thank God for his generosity to us and know how privileged we are. I ask his blessings on those who are struggling. Lent has a deeper meaning this year it seems. Thank you Lord for your abundant gifts this past year. Help us this Lent to give back to You in sacrifice of our appetites, our wallets, and our time in prayer.

Deacon Steve

Have You Read My Book?

Dear Parishioners,

Congratulations to our young people who are being confirmed by Bishop Adam Parker this weekend at the 11:30 Mass. They have worked hard attending weekly classes, a day of recollection, and an interview by me, their pastor. We look forward to their increased involvement in the life of the parish.

We are now in the Lenten season and find Jesus in the desert for 40 days being put to the test by Satan (Mk 1:12-15). It is now that yearly time for us to join Jesus by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. One of the best ways to make this Lent special is to participate in a podcast that a number of parishioners have recommended. It’s entitled “The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.” Each podcast is 15–20 minutes long, and you can start at Day 1 (January 1) or jump in on the current day if you are familiar with the bible. I just started today and found it very well done. I started with Day 1 and will listen to several a day until I catch up with Fr. Mike. You might remember that Pope Francis has designated the Third Sunday of the Year as Bible Sunday as an encouragement for all Catholics to become more familiar with the Bible. For as St. Jerome used to say, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” I don’t know exactly how our interviews for entrance into heaven will go, but what if God asks us, “Have you read my book?” It’s the best seller of all time, and Lent is the perfect time to start; and if you’ve read it once, read it again. The prolific author Louis L’Amour wrote “If you’ve only read a great book once, you haven’t read it at all.”

Fr. Carl

Go To The Next Level

Dear Parishioners,

Our faith is a wonderful gift from God. From the beauty of the Mass to the cleansing power of Reconciliation, our faith gives us a way of life that is life giving and filled with goodness. For me, the actions of the Church, its liturgy and beliefs, the community it sustains, and the giving charity it supports, help me to keep focused on the reality that is bigger than myself. I don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t have a loving God to draw me out of my selfishness. I think it is easy to see many examples of others who are self-focused and whose life begins and ends with what they can get for themselves. This is natural and ordinary and a function of our need to survive, feed our hunger, and need for safety. 

But Christ calls us to an extraordinary life! We are to love our enemies, forgive 7 times 70, and turn the other cheek. Christ is asking us to go beyond our genetic need to protect ourselves and what is ours. He is asking us to go to the next level, to join with others in a deep, personal, and supportive manner. We are to love one another as He loves us. We are to see others as having dignity and value. We are to share with others a piece of our bread, some of our clothing, some of our time. 

In a very small way, wearing a mask is for others. I live in a basement apartment that has a family of 5 upstairs. For me, being other-centered is what happens in a typical day. We watch the little one, we pick someone up, we eat together at times. I guess you could say that my lifestyle is communal! And so I find God in these little actions. Really, while I need some quiet alone time, I thank God for all my life includes: the kids, the noise and commotion, the church and the community!

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

Remain Faithful To God

Dear Parishioners,

After serving many years at St. Jane Frances as Youth Minister and then as Administrator of Religious Education, Claire Horvath, after prayerful consideration, is stepping away from these ministries to spend more time with her family. She has given countless hours above and beyond her contracted responsibilities. We are very grateful for her dedicated service. However, as a good steward, she will continue sharing her talents as a volunteer in different ways e.g, Lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, etc. In the meantime, Melissa Boyle will be in charge of religious education, sacrament preparation, and Youth Ministry.

Whenever you have a really bad time in your life and a number of problems, difficulties, or even tragedies happen to you, read the Book of Job. He had it all—oxen, camels, sheep, and children. Then he lost it all—one trial after another, after another, after another. Still he remained faithful to God. Even after he became covered in boils, he remained faithful. Even worse, he had to listen to several friends explaining why these things happened to him. Still, while he curses the day he was born, he remains faithful to God. And because he does, God restores all the blessings Job had at the beginning. Hardships and even tragedies may come our way, but if we remain faithful to God, we will be rewarded—maybe not in this life, but in the life to come.

Fr. Carl

Year of St. Joseph

Dear Parishioners,

I got my first shot for the Covid 19 virus last week. After registering online and getting an appointment, I drove down to Anne Arundel Community College to the Cade Building, went in, and received my shot five minutes later. All was well organized, and I spent the majority of my time sitting for the required 15 minutes afterwards to make sure there were no side effects. If you haven’t registered yet, I encourage you to do so soon.

This weekend marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. This system of schools has done so much to prepare her students academically and spiritually to take their rightful place in society and the church. Sadly, we had to close our school last year due to a lack of students and financial resources. In its place, we opened up a preschool (PK2–PK4) in the hopes that our school can rise again. Please be generous in your support of our pre-school.

Several months ago, Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as Patron of the Universal Church. He did so that “every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.” 

The Church will grant a plenary indulgence to Catholics who recite any approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph especially on March 19th, the saint’s solemnity, and May 1st, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. The indulgence will also be offered on the 19th of each month and every Wednesday, a day dedicated to St. Joseph.

The three conditions necessary for receiving a plenary indulgence are sacramental confession, the reception of Holy Communion, and a prayer for the pope’s intentions.

Fr. Carl