Happy Easter!

Dear Parishioners,

How different it is from last Easter to this Easter. No one was at Mass except the priest celebrant, one or two assistants, and the videographer. Thanks be to God, we will be able to accommodate many more this year. Still because of the virus, social distancing, and the reluctance of many to come out of concerns for their underlying health conditions and fear of the virus, attendance will be less than in previous years.

As the days grow longer, warmer, and brighter, so too does our morale. However, it’s not just the weather; it’s Easter! The joy of the Resurrection following the Passion and Crucifixion restores hope and brings joy to our hearts. Former baseball player, manager, and Hall of Fame member Leo “the Lip” Durocher once quipped, “Nice guys finish last.” That’s not really true in baseball, it’s not true in life, and it’s certainly not true about Jesus’ apparent defeat on Good Friday. He came back on Easter stronger than ever having shut out Satan, the forces of evil, and even death itself. So while the virus will present some difficulties in the days ahead, Jesus serves not only as an example of “Good” triumphing over “evil,” He also wants to be our companion in our journey through life.

Happy Easter!
Fr. Carl

Sacred Lessons Of Holy Week

Dear Parishioners,

Today we begin with Palm Sunday, the remembrance of the wondrous events of Holy Week. We remember all that happened so long ago. But if these events were only relegated to the past, something that happened to people long gone in a place that no longer exists, remembering would be nice but not particularly significant. This is by far not the case however. 

What happened in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago led to an eruption of energy that continues to reverberate today. The crucifixion of Christ and his glorious resurrection broke open the movement of God that significantly touches us today. Our lives were present in that terrible suffering of Christ. The mercy displayed in the love of God by the suffering of his Son continues to touch us. The powerful truth of the events of Holy week do not fade over time. God is constant in his love and mercy, and these do not come and go with the passing of time. 

The world changed those days in Jerusalem, and our lives were formed in many ways by those events. The purpose of our lives, the way we relate to one another, the importance of our families, how we look at our gifts, the liturgies we celebrate, our relationship with the living God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—all find their source in those ancient moments of profound significance. Christ endured pain and sorrow, betrayal and trial, adulation and mockery. Yet he spoke to us through those events clearly and with a strong voice, saying that his life was in service to ours, and our lives were to be for him and each other. He showed us how to be church and to be a community. He showed us what service, sacrifice, and love is. Let us be open this week to all these sacred lessons.

Blessings,
Deacon Steve

Passiontide Begins

Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend Daylight Savings Time began as we set our clocks forward one hour. We also had several days of spring-like weather. This weekend, we celebrate the actual arrival of Spring and hope the warming trend continues. We also hope the increasing availability of vaccines will drive down the Covid-19 virus even farther, resulting in its eventual elimination and a return to normalcy.

We passed the half-way point of Lent last week, and this weekend we begin Passiontide, the last 2 weeks of Lent. With the death of winter and new life starting to show in the flowers, shrubs, and trees, our spirits are beginning to rise. However, death is in the air. Next Sunday will be Passion Sunday, and we will revisit that terrible ordeal of our Lord. But today’s gospel puts it in a different light (Jn 11:1-45). Jesus says about his passion and crucifixion, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” In other words, it’s not a shameful humiliating defeat; it’s a time of triumph and glory, for Satan will be defeated and mankind saved. It’s also an opportunity for us to see our pains, sorrows, disappointments, and sufferings as sharing in the cross of Christ. And of course doing so willingly brings us closer to Jesus in our earthly relationships and eventually to our heavenly relationships.

God Bless,
Fr. Carl

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