King of the Universe

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This week, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The readings this week speak of kingship (2 Sm 5:1-3/Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5/Col 1:12-20/Lk 23:35-43). We think of kings taking power from others through coercion or by force.

Jesus ushered in his kingdom not through force but through love, by appealing to the hearts of people—a kingdom that will not be brought through revolution, but through the conversion of hearts. By His death on the cross, Jesus reveals His Kingship not by saving His life, but by offering it as a ransom for ours. He transfers us to “the Kingdom of His beloved Son,” as this week’s second reading tells us.

Do you belong to his kingdom? Does Christ reign in your heart? Let us today re-commit our heart to Christ the King. If he truly reigns in our hearts, then our actions will be Christ-like. The good thief in the Gospel reading, shows us how we are to accept the salvation and membership in the Kingdom that Jesus offers us. He confesses his sins, acknowledges he deserves to die for them. And He calls on the name of Jesus, seeking His mercy and forgiveness. As we do this, let us give Jesus more control over our lives. Let Him truly reign in our heart. When we do this, He will truly be our King and His peace and love will be ours. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest…” It is only in Him that we can truly have rest for our hearts. Let us obey the law of love and mercy because that is what governs in the kingdom of Christ.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

The End?

Dear Friends,

THE END. Reaching “the end” can be devastating or exhilarating, depending on what is ending, why it’s ending, our preparedness for its ending, and what “new beginning” it leads to.

In today’s gospel (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus foretells a devastating picture of “the end” accompanied by wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, and persecution, yet it leads to a new and exhilarating beginning. What is “the end” Jesus is talking about? The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. And what is the “new beginning” it definitively ushered in? The New Jerusalem, built upon the foundation of the 12 apostles (Revelation 21:9-14), i.e., the Catholic Church.

God always builds better, because He always moves forward, always toward a new beginning for
humankind. The biblical story of salvation history is one of God continually resurrecting new life from the devastating ends of man’s pride and sinfulness: a new Adam (Christ; 1 Cor 15:45); a new Eve (Mary; Galatians 4:4-5); a new covenant (Luke 22:20); a new creation of man (2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:15); a new nature of man (Eph 4:24); a new commandment (John 13:34); and a new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet 2:13; Rev 21:1).

Just as Yahweh established a cyclical (seasonal) pattern of liturgical celebrations to remind the Israelites
of the continual “newness” of God’s loving-kindness (covenantal love), so the Church, as the New Jerusalem, follows God’s pattern of new beginnings by establishing a cyclical liturgical calendar of “ends” and “new beginnings.” As we approach the end of our liturgical year, today’s gospel about the “end times” of ancient Jerusalem and the Temple (after the 1st Coming of Christ) also points to the climactic “end times” of our day—the impending 2nd Coming of Christ—and leads us to a new liturgical beginning: preparing (Advent) for the coming of Christ into the world and into our hearts at Christmas. And so the cycle of God’s never-ending love is continually refreshed for us, our children, and our grandchildren.

Jesus in the gospels reminds us (and the Church liturgically reminds us at every Mass) that He will come again, and that we need to be prepared to go out and meet Him. Some say Jesus is coming soon (and they’ve been saying that for 2000 years). When do you think He will come again? Personally, I believe Christ will come again in your lifetime and mine: each of us will meet Him the day that our soul leaves our body. Until then, He comes every day (“Come, Lord Jesus!” - Revelation 22:20) at every Holy Mass, which leads us back to… THE BEGINNING.

Peace in Christ,
Father Jim

The Word of God, Tradition, and the Catholic Church

Dear Friends,

In today’s 2nd Reading (2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5), St. Paul tries to comfort the Thessalonians’ hearts and direct them to the love of God, because they had become alarmed by some people who were saying that “the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Thes 1:11–2:2). Apparently they had disregarded or forgotten his previous oral (2 Thes 2:5, 15; 3:6–10) and written (his 1st letter to the Thessalonians) teaching on the subject.

Although the particular topic of Paul’s clarification is the Second Coming of Christ, we find in his letters (and throughout the New Testament) that Paul basically uses interchangeably the notions of his “teaching,” “doctrine,” and the “word of God/the Lord.” In other words, Paul is saying that his teaching, ie, what he preaches orally, IS the Word of God, because its source comes from the Revelation of God Himself, as Paul explicitly states in 1 Thes 2:13: “And we also thank God constantly…that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God.” There are other New Testament verses that also clarify that the “word of God” is the oral message of the apostles, their teaching, and their doctrine, such as Acts 4:31; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Cor 11:2; 15:1-2; 2 Thes 2:15, 3:6; 1 Pet 1:25; 2 Tim 1:13, 2:2; Mark 16:15; and others. The Greek word didaskalia, used 21 times in the New Testament, is translated as both “teaching” and “doctrine” (for example: 1 Tim 4:6, 13, 16; Titus 2:1)

This fundamental biblical truth is a source of great comfort to us Catholics: that the “word of God” in the New Testament is commonly understood as the oral word of God that Jesus gave His apostles and instructed them to orally preach and pass on to others (Matt 28:18–20; Mark 16:15), and to which the early Church devoted itself (Acts 2:42; 18:9–11). It was three centuries later when the Church discerned the companion written portion of the oral Word of God (its teachings and doctrines), i.e. the New Testament, which had been faithfully handed down from the apostles to their successors (2 Tim 2:2; Acts 1:20-26) and safeguarded from error by the Holy Spirit (John 14:25-26).

The Protestant notion that the “Bible alone” (the written portion of the oral Word of God) is one’s only authority (Martin Luther) is simply not found anywhere in the Bible. Such a non-biblical assumption, disconnected from the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church, has been the source of great confusion and innumerable division amongst denominations (including each “non-denominational” church) for over 500 years—each claiming to have the correct interpretation of Scripture. Fortunately, we Catholics don’t have to be caught up in confusion and division (as the Thessalonians had become on the Second Coming of Christ), wondering what the truth of God’s Revelation is.

Just as Paul faithfully clarified to the Thessalonians authentic Divine Revelation about “the day
of the Lord” through his oral and written teaching, so we Catholics today can take confidence that the
Catholic Church faithfully teaches the fullness of Divine Revelation with respect to faith and morals,
resting on the solid biblical foundation that the Word of God is both oral (Tradition) and written, and
authentically interpreted and taught by the Church’s Magisterium, the servant of the Word of God. Let
us pray, as Paul did in today’s 2nd Reading, that this “word of the Lord may speed forward and be
glorified” in ourselves, the Church, and the world. (For more on “The Transmission of Divine
Revelation,” see the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 74-141.)

Fr. Jim

Our Path Forward

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

As many of you heard, my dad, Walter Hook, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 after a brief illness. He was 91 years old and had been with my sister on vacation in Florida when he took ill. We were able to hire a medical transport to return him to Baltimore so his family was able to see him before he passed. I would like to thank everyone for your prayers and your words of condolence to me and my family during this difficult time. I would also like to thank Fr. Mike Triplett and Fr. Chris Dudek for covering my Masses for me at St Jane’s last week. I am very sorry that I was not with you but know both parishes are in my daily thoughts and prayers.

This weekend is Commitment Weekend for Our Path Forward, our annual Stewardship program. As
always, I am extremely grateful for your generous support of our pastorate parishes. I wanted to give you a brief update on our actual Offertory Income contributions for the first quarter of this current fiscal year (July 1–Sept. 30, 2022). Total Offertory Income at St Jane Frances is DOWN 10.8% (or $19,851) over the same period last year (from $183,698 in 2021 to $163,847 in 2022). Total Offertory Income for Our Lady of the Chesapeake is UP 4.0% (or $6,759) over the same period last year (from $167,314 in 2021 to $174,073 in 2022). We would be unable to offer the programs and services we do without your support – both volunteering of your time as well as your financial contributions, so thank you!

This weekend, you will find in the pews the 2022 Our Path Forward information and commitment card.
Hopefully you have taken some time this past week to prayerfully consider how your commitment to our parish’s offertory income can empower a positive transformation in our pastorate community of faith and fulfill our call to extend Christ’s light into the world. You are asked to complete the commitment card, detach it, and return it to the parish through the offertory collection basket. You may also take the commitment card home and return it next weekend.

Both OLC and St Jane Frances offer online giving options that help make your offertory commitment
more regular while still offering you the flexibility to made changes as needed. (I am signed up to give my donations online at both parishes, and I love the ease and flexibility.) To set up online giving for either parish or to update your current level of online giving, go to www.opfaob.com and select your parish. Offertory gifts to St. Jane Frances are called “Parish Care Pledge” and offertory gifts to OLC are called “Stewardship Commitment.” Thank you for your gifts to our pastorate parishes!

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Stewardship: Our Path Forward

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

This weekend is the Announcement Weekend for our annual Stewardship program called Our Path
Forward. A few weeks ago, we published the financial results for both parishes in the weekend bulletin, and as always, we are extremely thankful for your generous support of our pastorate parishes. We would be unable to offer the programs and services we do without your support – both volunteering of your time as well as your financial contributions.

I also want to acknowledge that we are living in a very difficult time for some of us. Our finances have
been stretched thin with rising prices and other things that have caused our paychecks to not go as far as they have in the past. The first responsibility of all of us is to take care of our domestic church – our homes and families. That does not mean that the local parish church cannot use some support as well, but I trust and pray that those of you who have been blessed with an abundance will be able to help our parishes to grow and thrive and continue the mission of preaching Christ to our greater Pasadena community.

Over the next week, I would ask you to please prayerfully consider how your commitment to our parish’s offertory income can empower a positive transformation in our pastorate community of faith and fulfilling our call to extend Christ’s light into the world. Online giving is also a great way to make your offertory commitment more regular while still offering you the opportunity to make changes as needed. To set up online giving for either parish or to update your current level of online giving, go to www.opfaob.com and select your parish. Offertory gifts to St Jane Frances are called “Parish Care Pledge,” and offertory gifts to OLC are called “Stewardship Commitment.” Thank you for your gifts to both parishes! Next weekend will be our pastorate Commitment Weekend when each of us will have an opportunity to renew or enhance our offertory gifts to our beloved parishes.

In closing, please allow me to share the Stewardship Prayer for your use this week as you discern your
support. 

Good and gracious God, You call us to be disciples carrying out your mission. Transform us through the power of your Spirit. Open our hearts to acknowledge your many blessings: To use your gifts wisely. To share generously. To serve joyfully. To live responsibly. To be a gift to others. Help us nurture a stewardship way of life, which connects, serves, and impacts our communities. We pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Persistence And Perseverance

Dear SJF/OLC Pastorate Friends,

Persistence and Perseverance are some of the themes that come across in this weekend’s Gospel parable of the judge and the widow (Lk 18:1-8). The widow is persistent in her request to have a just decision rendered by the judge concerning her legal matter. In Jesus’ day, when women had no legal rights or standing, the widow would have been in a difficult situation if she tried to do anything on her own. Yet she is certain that the Lord is with her and will ensure justice is done for her.

Just as the widow’s prayers and persistence eventually paid off, as the judge came around and treated her mercifully, God will do the same thing for His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night in prayer and petition. Our prayers and petitions to God require us to have faith that the Lord will hear and answer our prayers. Sometimes we may not feel that God hears us because our prayers seem to go unanswered. Sometimes the answer we get is not what we were hoping for or expecting. Sometimes God may overwhelm us in love with the answer to our prayers. But no matter how God responds, Jesus is encouraging us to be persistent and to persevere.

Over the past few months, my daily prayers have been for the success of our Pastorate of St. Jane Frances
and OLC. Although our parishes may have some differences, they are outweighed by the things we have in common, such as our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to live out our faith in service of God and neighbor. This month both parishes are participating in the Baby Bottle campaign in support of Mary’s Center in Glen Burnie, a wonderful way to commemorate Respect Life Month.

Also this month, we will be inviting parishioners from both parishes to assist with OLC’s Shelter Week
ministry to the homeless of Anne Arundel County, which we will be hosting at OLC on January 1–9, 2023. It has been three years since OLC last hosted a group of men at the parish, so many of our volunteers have moved away. I am praying that together, both OLC and SJF can find the next generation of volunteers that will make this ministry successful for our Pastorate. Helping and serving the homeless is another way we can work together to serve the Pasadena community both parishes call home.

Thank you for keeping us in your daily prayers as we certainly do for each of you!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Gratitude

Brothers and Sisters,

Do we live with an attitude of gratitude? When we see that everything we have and everything we experience is a gift from God, freely given to us when we do not deserve such goodness, then how can we not be grateful and thankful to God for His goodness to us?

What is gratitude? It is an awareness of, and appreciation for, the good things in our life and not taking them for granted. It is a spiritual attitude where we accept whatever God offers. It is also internal strength of character that we can develop by acknowledging the role of other people in making our life possible and enjoyable.

In this week’s gospel (Lk 17:11-19), Jesus reminds us of the importance of gratitude to God for the blessings we have received from Him. In the reading from Luke’s gospel, what caught the admiration of Jesus about the Samaritan leper was simply that he, “turned back, praising God at the top of his voice, and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” When was the last time we expressed this kind of gratitude to God? Gratitude to God is an expression of our faith in His saving power.

If we can bring our cares and concerns, our worries and our problems to the Lord, we can, and we must, also bring our grateful hearts, our reasons for thanks to worship God who is the source of all goodness in our lives.

So let us pray that we might be grateful. Let us bring all of ourselves to God in thanksgiving. Let us pray that we might see all of the many things that God has blessed us with, and that we may truly say thank you to God today as we open our hearts to Him.

God Bless,
Deacon Howard