Priest and Proffitt

Confronting the Grinches in Our Lives

2010-11-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

Every Who Down in Who-ville Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch, Who lived just North of Who-ville, Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. I

t could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

So goes the prologue to Dr. Seuss' Christmas Classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It was a story that, as a little boy, I was introduced to through the holiday cartoon which spurred me on to reading that and many other Dr. Seuss children's books. Today, of course, one can look forward to watching it televised, rent it on DVD, and we're not bound by the cartoon version as Jim Carrey starred in a "real life" movie version a few years back.

This weekend we welcome the new liturgical year and we enter the holy season of Advent. The Latin word adventus literally means "coming," and this is the hope-filled season of expectant waiting that Christians observe around the world. The question is, "What are we waiting for?" or, more specifically, "Who?"

The characters in the Dr. Seuss classic were experts at preparation. The inhabitants of Whoville were the masters of preparing for the celebration of Christmas through elaborate decorating, masterful wrapping of gifts, and seeing to the meticulous details that needed to be address to insure a festive celebration of Christmas. But, alas, the celebration for which they had so industriously prepared, so meticulous planned, was to be disrupted by one solitary soul who just couldn't get into the spirit of the season.

The readings this weekend remind of to be diligent in our preparations, not simply for festive celebrations, but for the time when we will welcome he who is the center of the celebrations, albeit that he is in danger of being lost in the commercial aspects of these weeks. We are beckoned to stay sober and alert, to be like Noah - diligent in our preparations for that time of which we know not the day nor the hour but a time that will surely come, regardless of our readiness.

The gospel uses images such as the thief that enters the house in the middle of the night, whose presence is unknown to the inhabitants - sort of like the Grinch and his makeshift reindeer. Yet, this visitor comes to claim those who are his own, the fulfill promises made long ago, sealed in a covenant borne in blood and extended through the waters of baptism.

The reality is that, despite the graces that flow from those baptismal waters - indeed from the entirety of the sacramental life of the Church's worship - there are going to be times when we encounter grinches in our lives. No, these grinches are not furry green beings posing as Santa Claus. As a matter of fact, they may or may not be people at all for that matter.

This holiday season there are parts of our country when people will be confronted with advertisements in newspapers and on transit vehicles sponsored by associations of atheists that will engage in taking passages of scripture out of context to exposed the so-called "absurdity" of a belief in God and the embracing of organized religion. They will contend, and rightly so, that one can be a good person without being a believer in God. However, while one might be able to be a good person, in the sense of doing good works without an inherent belief in God, that certainly does not make one a godly person. Their challenge should simply serve to reinforce the reason why we have a teaching church connected with the sacred words of scripture in order to shed light on those passages and how they are relevant to us. Afterall, without the enlightenment offered through magisterial teaching, what would we make of the passage of whereby Elisha ascends Mt. Carmel and calls down the wrath of God upon 42 youth who were calling out to him "Go up, baldy!" They are maimed by two she-bears. (cf 2 Kings 2:23-24) No, Elisha wasn't misusing his power, nor was God punishing for simply bad manners. Rather, they were not only mocking the man, but rejecting God, telling Elisha to be gone and to take the Lord's words with him!

Grinches need not be people. They can also be those circumstances that we find in our lives. A family crisis, an unexpected illness, the loss of a job - can all put dampers on our holiday celebrations. Confronting the reality of life without a loved one for the first time during the holidays can be quite sobering and dampen our holiday spirits. Being preoccupied with our worries and concerns can call our attention away from God and rob us of our ability to celebrate. Even feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be accomplished between now and December 25 can drive us a little nuts to the point where the details of the celebration itself can threaten to be the Grinch the takes our attention off the purpose of the celebration in the first place!

Dr. Seuss' Grinch did everything he could to wreck havoc on the Christmas celebrations of Whoville. Yet, on Christmas day the mourning and crying didn't come. Instead we learn:

So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.

And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. I

t started in low.

Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!

It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes!

Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,

Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, S

tood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "

Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. "

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

Indeed, this holy season of Advent reminds us that Christmas means not a little bit, but A LOT more than the presents and the parties. Rather it's meaning lies in a PERSON, the person of Jesus Christ. We protect ourselves from the grinches of life as we nurture our spiritual lives as we engage in a regiment of prayer that leads to a personal relationship with the Lord, preparing us for the day of his coming. We cast off the effects of the grinches to the point where we cling to the truth that, regardless of how negative a circumstance can be that God has the potential for using it for some greater good.

Our parish is challenged this season to prepare our house to receive the guests. First and foremost, we prepare ourselves to receive Jesus into our hearts each and every day. But on a purely human level we also prepare this house, God's house, to receive those who will enter to celebrate the Savior's birth - perhaps being absent since Easter, or last Christmas, or many Christmases ago! Let us prepare of welcome for them as we prepare to welcome the Christ!

This weekend we launch our parish celebration of Forty Hours - a Eucharistic Devotion that calls us to come before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, interceding especially for those who have wandered from the loving arms of the Lord. Fr. Daniel Francis is leading our three days and I encourage you to gather each evening - Monday and Tuesday - at 7 PM to join in prayer, and thereafter each Advent Tuesday at 7 PM to pray for those who may be considering "coming home" for Christmas. Let them come to find us engaged in a celebration not rooted in presents, but in the presence of Jesus in our midst! Imagine how God can use us.

And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say

That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!

And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,

He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light

And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!

And he ...HE HIMSELF...! The Grinch carved the roast beast!

May the Lord find us ready to receive him as we celebrate his birth in just a few short weeks.

November 28, 2010

First Sunday of Advent

It's Amazing What A Simple "Thank You" Can Do!

2010-10-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend’s gospel reading is the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. Besides being an account of the Lord’s great healing power and desire for us to be whole, as well as holy, people, it is also a teaching moment where Jesus challenges us to have an “attitude of gratitude.” Ten were healed, only one returned to give thanks to God. The gospels so often reflect the reality of life, don’t they? Being the master teacher, Jesus was able to take everyday events and push them to a deeper meaning.

Each week we as church are challenged to “return to the Lord” and give thanks. It is here that we receive the Lord’s love and acceptance in baptism; here again where our sins are forgiven and we experience the Lord’s mercy. It is here that we gather around the altar to celebrate the mystery of our faith and participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and mystically experience the events of Calvary as well as being nourished by the Body and Blood of the Risen Lord. It is before the altar that solemn vows are pronounced by couples entering the Sacrament of Matrimony. Likewise, it is here that we are sealed and gifted by God’s Holy Spirit! We also sacramentally celebrate the Lord’s desire to heal us in the Anointing of the Sick. (Take note: We will have a Communal Anointing Mass later this month!) My point is that life is somehow circular. It is from here that we are configured with Christ and it is to here that we are called to give thanks, so that our lives can be truly characterized by an “attitude of gratitude.” Sadly, sometimes we are like the nine and just go on our way, forgetting the blessings the Lord has bestowed on us.

As we celebrate the Eucharist (the Greek word eucharistia literally means “thanksgiving), let this be a time where we give our all in giving thanks to the Lord for all he’s done for us. The writer Annie Dillard once wrote that when we come to Church we shouldn’t be simply dressed in our finery. She suggests, rather, that we come wearing protective helmets since the encounter we have with the living God is so powerful, rich and close. By giving our all, and exercising this act of gratitude we should come away from Mass refreshed, but also perhaps somewhat exhausted – if we are putting our all into it.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a football fan, and I love the Baltimore Ravens. (I know this is a shocker.) But think of the enthusiasm and excitement and energy that we experience at a football stadium or even in front of the TV with friends, particularly when our team does well. We shout! We cheer! We scream! Sometimes we make total fools of ourselves! Why? Because we love and support our team! Now here’s a challenge: Can we do the same for God? Can our excitement be stirred up to the point that we want to burst out in song, reach out to a visitor and extend a hand of welcome, drop to our knees in reverence as the bread and wine become his Body and Blood? It’s not necessarily about volume, but it is about intensity! Like that leper can we be deliberate and intentional and intense in our giving thanks to God at Mass?

I, for one, am thankful to the Lord for the great gift of priesthood. Some days I wonder why God would have chosen me. It’s certainly not because I’m any more worthy than anybody else sitting in church on Sunday! I just have to trust that he is teaching me to be grateful and to count my blessings and to do what I can with what he’s given me to spread his joy and love – and believe me, I do love being his priest! (Want to know more? Give me a call!)

This Monday I leave for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Bishop Denis Madden and a group of priests. Please keep us in your prayers and know that you and your intentions will be in mine as we pray and celebrate Mass at all the holy sites. We will return on Oct. 22. And THANK YOU for all you do to make this such a wonderful parish community!

Increase Our Faith

2010-10-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are so happy to welcome Bishop Neil Tiedemann of the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica, home to our two sister parishes of St. Philomena and St. Margaret Mary. Bishop Tiedemann is preaching at the Masses this weekend and sharing with us about his ministry and the people of his diocese. Two groups of parishioners have visited our sister parishes and done some mission work there and our Jamaica Outreach Committee is busy working year round, raising funds to support the mission trips as well as funding repairs to some of the buildings. The Jamaica Team will be hosting a light luncheon reception following the Sunday Noon Mass in the Gathering Space Meeting Room. Bishop Tiedemann will be speaking in more detail and exploring how we might best support the people and mission of his diocese, comprised of some 8,800 Catholics. If you’re interested in learning more, or getting involved in nurturing our sister parish relationships, or possibly even taking part in one of our future visits, please come to the meeting.

This weekend’s gospel reading finds the apostles approaching Jesus with a simple request: Increase our faith. Who among us haven’t in some way made that same request of the Lord at some point in time. I know personally I make such a request when my faith is tested, when things aren’t going the way I might have hoped, or when things seemed to be moving beyond my realm of control or influence. Sound familiar? Perhaps one of the greatest hurdles in life is coming to an acceptance that we can’t control every situation much less every person. Of course, we all know, life would be so perfect if everyone thought the way we think and responded the way we would. Naturally, that sort of approach to life is unrealistic to say the least. In responding to the apostles Jesus tells them that it’s not that our faith needs so much to increase, but that we simply need to use the gift of faith that we already possess, regardless of how “small” it might seem!

In reflecting on this, we might very well conclude that’s true in life on a number of levels. It’s not that we need more, more, more so much as learning to really use what we have. There’s a story of a pastor who addressed his congregation and told them: “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that we have everything we need to finance all of our programs, take care of our buildings, and fund all of our outreaches. The bad news is that it’s still in your wallets!” Well, to a degree that’s true for us as individuals and as a community. It’s not so much that we need more of anything. We need to put to use whatever it is that we have, even if we might think that it amounts to little more than the size of a mustard seed. The gospel is a call to employ the tremendous gifts God has bestowed on us by way of the greatest treasure we possess – our faith in Jesus Christ – joined to those unique gifts we hold by way of our personal time, talents, and treasure. Somehow, when we put our faith into action, it all somehow works!

On October 11 I will be leaving to take part in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Bishop Denis Madden and several other Maryland priests, and will return on October 22. This pilgrimage will take us to many of the holy sites in the land where Jesus lived and ministered as well as to where he suffered, died, and rose! If you have prayer intentions that you would like me to carry, and remember in my prayers and masses at the sacred sites, I’d be more than happy to do so. Just send them to me via email or a personal note as soon as possible. Please keep us all in your prayers.

And, so as not to disappoint, you know what I’ll be hoping for this afternoon as my Ravens take on the Pittsburgh Steelers: a victory for the purple and black! And, of course, I’ll be praying for no serious injuries to any of the players.

Lost and Found

2010-09-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

In just about any public venue, we find some area designated as the “lost and found.” It might be a box, a closet, or some container with items that people have mistakenly left behind. Sometimes it’s through distraction, other times carelessness. Most of us have had the experience of misplacing something. My experience is that the vast number of lost and found items end up being unclaimed.

This weekend’s gospel, from Luke 15, contain parables rooted in the very common “lost and found” experience: lost sheep, lost coins, lost children. The illustration in each parable contains a sense of urgency, and it doesn’t always make sense. We hear of 99 sheep left to watch out for each other while the shepherd takes off to find the missing one. The frantic woman turns the house upside down looking for the one coin in ten that she misplaces and then seemingly hosts a celebration when it’s found. (It must have been a rather valuable piece of currency!) Lastly, the father mourns the loss of the son who essentially abandons the family, rejects all that he has been taught, and gives himself over to a life of dissolute living. Yet, when this “bad” son comes home, prepared to beg for mercy on his hands and knees, the forgiving father calls for a celebration on the return of the prodigal.

Certainly the point here isn’t one of elevating the neglect of the 99, or forgetting the other nine, or taking for granted the single remaining faithful one. Rather, Jesus uses these parables to portray God as the diligent shepherd, the frantic housewife, the loving father, in an effort to remind us how deep the love and concern of God runs! We are the sheep, the coin, the prodigal for which God searches! When we are found and reconciled it is God who calls for the celebration!

Does God not call us to imitate him in our dedication to seeking out the lost and celebrating those who are found? The proclamation of the Gospel and the evangelization of nations is the basic calling of the Church. We are called to preach and proclaim, sanctify and serve a world that is wounded by sin and disillusionment. One of the great priorities that our Pastoral Council has identified for our parish community is that we nurture an environment here at St. John’s that is warm and welcoming. Evangelization should color all that we do in every ministry and outreach in which we engage. The visitor should not be made to feel as a stranger, but rather find a warm welcome. While the church building is not a social hall, and should always be a prayerful space, we need to be aware of those around us. Sometimes a simple greeting of welcome makes all the difference as to whether a person returns. So many are seeking the Lord and somehow find us during times in their lives when they need the Lord the most. He is present in our tabernacle. Let him also be present in our kind words and actions!

Pope Benedict XVI has echoed John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization – a re-evangelization of a world that is more and more being described as “post-Christian.” Pray about how you can do your part. I’d love for you to consider the possibility of ministering in our formation programs to youth and adults. We really, really need dedicated adults to serve as catechists for our children. Call the Religious Ed Office and speak with John Poland, Cassandra Anderson, or Jen Mayer to see whether you might be needed: teaching religious ed, helping with sacramental preparation, working with our middle or high school teens or helping with our RCIA, Bible studies, or adult faith formation programs! We evangelize as we bring in the seeking, bring back the lost, and bring forward stronger disciples of the Lord.

Church Preparing to Launch New Missal

2010-08-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Last week Fr. Michael and I attended a workshop on the implementation of the new Roman Missal at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, along with many other priests and diocesan directors of worship from around the country. The workshop is one of 22 similar events around the country to help parish leaders prepare for the expected implementation in Advent, 2011 of the new English translation of the prayers used in the celebration of Mass. While the text has already received the required recognition, or approval, from the pope, the final product hasn’t been released pending some minor “tweaking” as well as consideration of local adaptations that were requested from various English-speaking countries. What we will receive will be the English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal that was approved (in Latin) by Pope John Paul II. Now, it is being translated into the vernacular languages.

While the direct impact on our parish worship is about 16 months away, I feel it important to share with you some highlights now so that this doesn’t hit our community as a surprise, although I suspect for some it will come as such regardless. The translations that we receive will be notable as a more literal translation of the Latin text, further connecting our prayers with those of Catholics speaking other languages. Some have noted that the language is more poetic, taking on a more formal tone in the context of worship. In that sense, it may sound a little unfamiliar to our ears as compared to our spoken language, yet this will be the translation used in every English-speaking country.

We look forward to a new translation of the Gloria and a number of the congregational responses in addition to new translations of the opening prayers (henceforth referred to as collects), prayers over the gifts, and prayers after communion. Through all of this I believe the most notable, in that it will be the most noticeable and perhaps the most difficult transition, comes with the simple response by the people when the priest addresses the assembly: The Lord be with you. The people’s response will now become And with your spirit (a literal translation of the Latin et cum spiritu tuo). It seems rather minor, but this response has been repeated so many times that I imagine it will take some getting used to. Theologically, it has to do with the nature of priesthood. The priest, as celebrant of the Eucharist and other sacraments, stands in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) meaning that, in reality, it is the action of Christ, not that of the individual priest, that brings about the grace received in these acts of worship. This is not a personal gift of the priest, but rather a gift bestowed for the benefit of the faithful. When you eventually are responding and with your spirit, I hope that you will be praying that God’s Holy Spirit will be working in and through me as a priest and that as I preside at a sacrament that I will do so in a most worthy manner. This translation takes us from seeing what might otherwise pass as a simple greeting to an invitation for the priest to enter more profoundly into the celebration of the sacred mysteries, thereby deepening the liturgical experience for the faithful gathered in prayer.

Also, the translations will render more precise theological language. For instance, the phrase in the Creed that is presently recited as Jesus being one in being with the Father will now be rendered consubstantial with the Father, meaning that Jesus shares the same divine nature as the Father – in essence, to use grossly non-theological language, that they are made of the same “stuff.” Likewise, rather than saying, as is current, that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and became man, we will proclaim that he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man. The distinction is that Jesus wasn’t simply born, but as God, existed before all time and that his birth was the event when God literally took on flesh (carne) in becoming one like us.

The bottom line, for now at least, is that it’s a ways off. You can, however, further your personal education by going to www.usccb.org/romanmissal to access more materials of interest. Rest assured, we will be doing our part as a community to make this eventual transition as smooth as possible.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

2010-07-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

In this weekend’s gospel, the disciples observe Jesus at prayer. This peaks their curiosity and acknowledging his teaching role, as the disciples of John the Baptist did towards John, they want to learn to pray as Jesus does. Such is the way of life, isn’t it? Our curiosity and interest are nurtured through exposure. We are drawn to learn more about something or someone once we’ve had some sort of introduction.

Jesus was doing something that came quite naturally to him. He was spending time with the Father. Human beings, I believe, are natural observers. Think about it for a moment. Isn’t that what advertisers depend upon? Their job, whether it be in print media, on the internet, or through a 30 second commercial, is to get our attention. They often will employ actors or models in situations where their product is strategically placed, or some connection is made. Now, granted, we know that simply by eating that particular cereal we aren’t going to automatically turn into the athlete pictured on the box, and that the attractive individual standing next to the car isn’t included when we make the purchase. Yet, they are there to get our attention.

Now, the big difference is that Jesus wasn’t selling something in that way. He was forming disciples but also engaging in something normal and natural. He was staying in contact with his Father. Occasionally I’ll get questioned as to what is the best way to pray? Jesus answers the question for his followers by reciting the Our Father, certainly the prayer most common among all Christians. In the Lord’s prayer we see key elements of adoration, contrition, and intercession. Such is the case with most formal prayer, particularly the highest form of prayer that we have: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We gather as God’s children, we repent of our sins, we hear his voice in the Word proclaimed, we present our intercessions, and then engage in the great act of thanksgiving as we celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Regarding our personal prayer time, that can be as diverse as the individual. Some people are most attracted to contemplative prayer employing forms such as lectio divina (divine reading); that is, prayerfully reading the scriptures or some spiritual book with the goal not simply of finishing, but dwelling upon words and phrases as springboards towards meditation. Some people use traditional prayer forms such as devotions and novenas as ways of meditating on the mysteries of our faith. Some can sit quietly in the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Some find the Lord in the midst of a solitary activity such as gardening. One classic work that I would recommend is a small book entitled Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Simply put, he writes of simple ways of being ever-conscious of the Lord’s presence throughout the day.

Of course, there are some who are more attracted to more charismatic forms of prayers, including verbal spontaneous prayer. Some engaged in “embodied” prayer that might include kneeling, lying prostrate, or raising ones hands. It really doesn’t matter so much as how one prays. What matters is that we continue to develop our friendship with the Lord by making time.

Last weekend I was happy to participate in the Mass of Installation for the new officers of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 3413 celebrated by Bishop Mitch Rozanski at the Columbian Center, along with Msgr. Auer, Fr. Michael, Warren Tanghe, Sr. Linda, Sr. Maureen, and Sr. Barbara. Congratulations to Grand Knight Jerry Hostomsky and all the new officers for the coming year. I look forward to working with the Council as Associate Chaplain this year. I was one of many seminarians that the Council has adopted over the years; in my case, that was 20 years ago! I thank them for their past support of my priestly vocation and am excited to be able to give back a little. I do encourage Catholic men to consider participating in the Knights of Columbus. They really are a fine group of guys and I hope to strengthen the ties between Council 3413 and St. John’s.

The Joys of Summer

2010-07-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

It may be summertime, but so much has been happening in the parish. Fr. Michael is getting settled into his new environment in the rectory, where we’ve done a little painting. The entire parking lot was resealed and the lines repainted as well as repairs to the walkways are noticeable. Some dead and dying trees in front of the school have been removed and will be replaced later in the year. And, of course, work has begun on replacing the flat roof on the school building. Thanks to all who have pledged to support the roof replacement drive! Also, I’d like to thank Mr. Clarence Bryant, our Parish Controller, and Eddie Gibbons and Paul Myers, our maintenance staff, for all they’ve done to help move things along.

Still, more important things have been going on as well! We had 135 children participate in this year’s Vacation Bible School Camp, supported by what seemed an equal number of volunteers assisting. I was particularly impressed with how many of our young people were involved! Kudos to everyone who made the week such an enjoyable time for our kids. Of note, participants well exceeded a challenge to contribute 800 non-perishable food items to our St. Vincent de Paul pantry by bringing in over 950! As a result, our Director of Religious Education, Mr. John Poland, and I each gave one another a pie in the face. Mmmmm, chocolate. Let’s just say that a good time was had by all!

Our scouting programs have been quite active as well. Currently a number of young men in our troop are on a major camping trip in Arizona and a few weeks back we sent a virtual “tribe” of scouts to Broadcreek. Thanks to all of our adult leaders who help to perpetuate the finest ideals of scouting to these young men. Last weekend we commissioned a delegation of almost 50 teens and adults who participated in a “Micah Experience” Work Camp in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, bringing the Lord’s presence to so many in need through their physical labor. They are returning this weekend and I promised them that the parish would host a pizza party for anyone who’d like to come and hear their experiences. We’ll get that date to you shortly. I’m sure they’ll have lots to share about their experiences.

This week many priests in our archdiocese are attending a workshop regarding the implementation of the new Roman Missal – the official prayers, responses, and acclamations used in the celebration of Mass. The latest edition of the Missal was released, in Latin, in the year 2000. What we will be implementing are essentially new translations of the prayers and responses that are more faithful to the literal Latin sense. Implementation is expected to take place in late 2011. I’d encourage you to check out www.usccb.org/romanmissal where you can access information on the process as well as see the new translations of the Order of Mass. The Church is taking time to insure that everyone, ordained and lay, have opportunity for catechesis before implementation. Also, Msgr. Rob Jaskot is writing a series in The Catholic Review that will be of help. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources.

While all the activity is a sign of life in our community, we also need to allow the words of this weekend’s gospel penetrate our spirits. We hear the familiar story of Martha, the active one, and Mary, the contemplative. Martha was energized by activity but learns from the Lord Jesus that sometimes we need to simply take time to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen. In other words, foundational to all that we do as a community is our life of prayer – communal and personal. Making participation in Holy Mass a priority is key to our spiritual health, but also making sure to allot time each day to simply sit with the Lord in prayer – perhaps reading scripture or other spiritual reading, praying the rosary or engaging in other devotions, or simply sitting quietly before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament or in a quiet place. It’s all about balance in life – bringing God to our experiences and bringing our experiences to God.

Who Do You Say That He Is? - June 20, 2010

2010-06-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

In this weekend’s gospel, Jesus poses two questions to his disciples. The first, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” elicited responses from the ridiculous to the sublime, to be sure. Luke’s account focuses on the belief that Jesus was somehow a prophet who had come back to life. Today’s “man on the street” answers I’m sure, would span the whole spectrum of opinions from those who see Jesus as a great teacher to a wise philosopher to a holy prophet to nothing more than any other man. Some might even question whether he ever existed historically, which would be a stretch since many first century non-Christian historians include references to Jesus of Nazareth.

The more important question, though, is the second. Jesus looks to his followers and asks, “But who do you say that I am?” This is the same question presented to us. We may come up with many answers, each containing some degree of truth, when we speak of Jesus as friend and brother. We may identify him as a master teacher or a great religious figure. Yet our answer will fall short unless we, like Peter, are able to passionately pronounce: “You are the Christ of God!” This image, in the first century, evoked the long-awaited Messiah whom many believed would be a soldier-king who would drive out the occupying Roman forces from Israel. Yet Jesus goes on to explain what would be required: suffering, rejection, and death which would ultimately lead to resurrection. The demands to those who follow him involve picking up crosses, regardless of the weight, on a daily basis and being diligent in following the Lord.

So what does that say to us today? Is Jesus saying that we are condemned to a life of misery and suffering? Is there no hope for us in this life? Quite the contrary! Jesus is encouraging us with the fact that we who lose our lives will ultimately gain them. We who willingly embrace our crosses, regardless of what form they might take, will come to experience resurrection.

We live in a culture that abhors suffering. We yearn for a pill or treatment that will make the physical pain go away. I’m not throwing darts at anyone. When I’m in pain I more than welcome the opportunity to have it alleviated. Yet, sometimes our crosses aren’t merely physical; they penetrate deeper into our spirits and these are the pains that we are tempted to want to escape, sometimes through self-medication of drugs or alcohol. Yet even these pains hold the hope of resurrection if we allow God to accompany us in these moments of trial. Don’t get me wrong. Medical science can be a help. The invitation of Jesus is one whereby we allow him to walk with us, even in the darkest night of our souls. Many great saints and mystics, among them St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, struggled with being able to “feel” God’s presence. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta confessed to times of questioning God’s very existence! Yet, it is when we carry, rather than forsake, the cross as Jesus did that we find ourselves on a path of redemption that is paved with hope.

This weekend we invoke God’s blessings on all of our fathers and father-figures including grandfathers, stepfathers, and yes, by extension, even our priests who are fathers to their communities. May all have a blessed Father’s Day and may God bless each with the example of St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, as a role model worth imitating.

Transitions at St. John the Evangelist - June 13, 2010

2010-06-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

As was announced at Masses last weekend, effective July 1 Fr. Stew Bullock will become Associate Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Towson. At the same time, Fr. Michael Foppiano, who is currently serving as Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception, will become Associate Pastor here at St. John the Evangelist, effective July 1 as well. As I have said many times, I am grateful that Archbishop O’Brien allowed Fr. Stew to stay on at St. John’s for an additional year. His presence and assistance has truly made my transition here go much smoother than I imagine it would have been without him. I hope that you will be able to join in his Farewell Mass and Reception on Sunday, June 27 at 12 Noon. This past Monday Fr. Michael visited St. John’s and I believe that he will do well here. A native of Long Island, New York, he has been ordained three years and is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg. Please provide him a warm welcome as you have done with all of us priests who have served here over the years. In the meantime, please keep both Fr. Stew and Fr. Michael in your prayers as they make preparations for their new assignments.

Speaking of transitions, I would like to recognize two parish staff members who will be leaving us at the end of the month. Kay Gilner, who works as a secretary in our Religious Education Office, and has been employed here for over twenty years will be retiring. We salute Kay for the faithful service she has rendered our parish over these many years and wish her well in her retirement. She is truly a humble servant with a dedication for the Church’s mission and ministry. At the same time, we will also be saying farewell to Sandy Muller, who has worked in our accounting office for the last several years. Sandy and her family will be moving to the state of Washington where they will be closer to family. We wish her well and thank her for her dedicated service.

This past Tuesday, we celebrated the graduation of St. John the Evangelist School’s Class of 2010. What a phenomenal class this was. There was so much to celebrate in terms of their achievements including the fact that a number of our graduating eighth graders studied geometry (which normally is taken as a high school sophomore) and have successfully tested out of it and will be able to take Algebra II in the fall. I was really impressed by that fact, knowing that not only do our students attend a school with a strong Catholic identity, but one that excels academically as well. Our children are now on summer break, but I pray we’ll see lots of them around church, particularly at Mass.

As we near the end of the fiscal year, you may have noticed that our offertory has been falling short of budgeted numbers. I am working with the Finance Committee to reduce expenses that will include cutting back on some support staff positions and pursue the development of a pool of parish volunteers. This will also involve some across the board cuts to programming, most of which should not be too noticeable. I commend Clarence Bryant, our Parish Controller, for his efforts at renegotiating contracts with many of our vendors to reduce our costs. Just as I am sure that many parish households have had to re-evaluate spending habits, so too do we as a parish in order to be good stewards.

Within a few weeks, all parish households will be receiving a mailing regarding our efforts to replace the flat roof on the school as well as make necessary repairs to the roof of the gathering space – both of which have seen increased leaking issues. I am so thankful that the Archbishop has given permission for us to have an exemption from the cathedraticum (archdiocesan tax) for all monies collected. Our goal is $230,000 and I am sure that together we can make this happen. There will be a special envelope for that purpose with your offertory envelopes each month. I hope you’ll join me in helping us meet that goal.

What Catholics Mean By The Body of Christ

2010-06-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Following up on last weekend’s celebration of the Most Holy Trinity, this weekend we celebrate another core doctrine of our Catholic Faith on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. One of the things that distinguishes our Catholic faith from those of other Christians denominations is our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We use the technical theological vocabulary of transubstantiation to convey our belief in the reality that what starts out as simple bread and wine literally becomes the Body and Blood of our risen Lord.

As one who was received into the Catholic Church after having grown up in the Southern Baptist tradition, the belief in the Holy Eucharist sealed the deal for me. While today’s gospel is that of the feeding of the five thousand, it is the sixth chapter of John that provides the compelling evidence that Jesus meant for our celebration to be much more than only a gathering of our community. While doubtless our celebration of our community and our common identity as sons and daughters of God plays into it, if that is all there is to it much of what I do as a priest would make little sense.

In the Holy Mass, God’s people gather with the a fellow member of the baptized, the priest, called to lead the community’s prayer and to act in persona Christi, that is, in the person of Christ. Therefore, we aren’t simply taking part in a memorial meal, although we do remember the events of the Lord’s suffering, death, and resurrection. However, when we remember, we delve into the Jewish sense of memory that has a connotation of making it present, making it real. It’s around the Lord’s altar that the Lord makes present the central mysteries of our faith that we celebrate with intensity during Holy Week. When we gather around the altar, we gather at the foot of Calvary, participate in the bloody sacrifice of Christ, albeit now in an unbloody manner. The Christ we receive in the Eucharist isn’t the historical Jesus but the glorified risen Christ who provides spiritual nourishment to our souls.

Why do I harp on like this? I find it disturbing in our nation that many Catholics, including those who attend Mass regularly, don’t have this basic understanding. Some polls show as many as 50% or more Catholics surveyed as thinking that what we do at Mass is merely symbolic. That certainly falls short of the mark. If I believed that, I think I would hang up my vestments tomorrow, for if that were true, my priesthood would simply be one of function and presiding over ceremony, something that I could do in other venues. However, as a Catholic priest I have the consolation of knowing that it’s not about me or my personality or my personal gifts. Certainly any of those things can help or hinder the faith of those with whom I come in contact. Yet, that action of the altar takes place because, mysteriously, God has chosen to work through me despite my own faults and failings and certainly my own unworthiness.

It’s at the Eucharist that we are Church at our best. It is there that we literally meet the Lord in the most intimate and profound way imaginable here on earth. This summer we will all have opportunities to get away and vacation. Let’s not vacate the church, though. Wherever you might be, keep Mass as a priority. Somehow that reinforces not only who we are, but whose we are!

psalm 23 Memorial day tribute

2010-05-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

Trinity Sunday: Good Things Come in Threes

2010-05-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Having completed the celebration of Easter, this week the Church returned to the observance of “ordinary time.” The term “ordinary” in this sense, I believe, is a deficit attempt at translating the Latin word which means “counting.” What some might refer to as ordinal time, is simply the numbering of the weeks outside the special seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Indeed, our liturgical life is anything but “ordinary” for it is in the context of the liturgy that we celebrate the extraordinary relationship that we have to God as we relate to him as his children. Yet, for a couple weeks following the Easter season, we have Sunday feasts that are celebrations of core Christian mysteries: this weekend, Most Holy Trinity and next weekend’s observance of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ.

My friend Fr. Michael Roach, pastor of my home parish of St. Bartholomew, Manchester, recently delivered a lecture in honor of the year of priests filled with anecdotes about the history of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He relates how many years ago a wonderful, if formidable, School Sister of Notre Dame commented on the completely new slate of clergy that had been sent to her Anne Arundel County parish. She was said to have quipped, “Remember how the Catechism always taught us that there were three persons in one God: Now we have three gods in one parish!”

The real point is that the Church invites us to delve into this great mystery that admittedly is beyond most human comprehension. Various images have been employed to describe the reality of the one God, three persons concept: St. Patrick used the shamrock, some have employed the triangle, while still others image a diamond with three cuts, providing a slightly different visual experience depending on the direction one looks. In any case, it seems to me that what we learn from the Trinity is rooted in perfect relationship. Someone once commented that the Spirit is the reflection of the love between the Father and the Son. This model can easily serve as inspiration both for deepening our relationship with God and allowing it to serve as a template for our human relationships.

The Church of Baltimore received wonderful news this week as it was announced last Saturday that one of our priests has been appointed bishop. Fr. F. Richard Spencer, who is currently serving as an army chaplain in Europe, has been named by Pope Benedict XVI as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of the Military Services. I know Bishop-elect Spencer from my days in seminary as he was several years ahead of me. He’s a very kind, dedicated priest and I believe will do well in his new ministry as bishop, serving the People of God serving in our armed forces. Please keep him in your prayers.

As noted in the bulletin, our choir season is winding down and I’d like to personally thank all of those in our music ministry as well as our leaders, Kevin Clemens, Barbara Lancaster, and Mary Tamplin, who do such a splendid job in helping us to pray well at Mass and other services. We are truly blessed as a worshipping community.

Also, let’s keep all those going through transitions in our prayers: Fr. Stew and other priests awaiting new assignments, students who are graduating and transitioning to new schools or entering the working world, and families who are preparing to see sons or daughters leave the nest. It’s always exciting, but never easy.

Finally, this Memorial Day weekend, let us remember in prayer those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom. Let us never as a people take for granted the rich freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. I pray you enjoy the holiday weekend. I hope to sneak away for a few days to pay a visit to one of my favorite places: the ocean. I hope you can spend your holiday with those whom you love and care for.

Come, Holy Spirit: Renew the Hearts of Your Faithful

2010-05-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrate the culmination of the Easter season as we observe the solemn feast of Pentecost, sometimes referred to as the “birthday” of the Church. It’s today that we celebrate the great gift of the Holy Spirit that the Lord poured out upon the apostles and, in turn, bestows upon each of us through the sacrament of Baptism. The Holy Spirit is represented in a myriad of ways. Sometimes we associate the Holy Spirit with the dove, recalling the Lord’s baptism. Other times the Spirit is described as a rushing wind. Today we see the Spirit represented as tongues of fire, hovering over the apostles, inspiring them to speak in multiple languages. All told, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, reminds us that God’s presence resides in the heart and life of every baptized believer. However, our challenge, as Christians and as a Church, is to unleash the power of God’s Spirit.

So often I believe we overlook the power that we have! Last weekend we prayed for the virtual unleashing of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our newly confirmed young people. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are about as useful as a finely wrapped present that remains unopened if we don’t put them into practice. It is the Holy Spirit that leads and guides us, teaching us the ways of God. It’s the Holy Spirit that continues to guide the Church, in her teaching magisterium (the pope and bishops in communion with him) in bringing the gospel to our modern world. Again, we have the responsibility of “fanning into flame” the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our world.

As a parish, we have the responsibility to do so in this corner of our world as we build up a community of faith with Christ as its center. Together we have a challenge to move forward and allow the Holy Spirit to renew us, transforming our hearts in desiring to do God’s will. Often we hear people calling for church reform, particularly as a response to scandals and disappointments. Detractors are quick to label the Church as filled with hypocrites. To a degree that’s true because we don’t always respond in our actions as we profess with our lips. We fail. We sin. But we also seek God’s forgiveness to enable us to move forward and do better. Let our failings never be an excuse for giving up on being renewed. I personally believe that today the Church needs renewal more than reform. Certainly structures can be reformed, yet unless that is accompanied by an interior transformation and spiritual renewal, it’s all in vain. As Christians we need to follow Christ. We need to remember that this isn’t our Church, it’s Christ’s Church. The Church is the living sacrament of our encounter with Christ. We are his bride and we are sorely in need of personal renewal. I invite you, as we look to the future, to continually pray for renewal of hearts and minds that our parish might become the community God wants us to be, that makes a real difference in our world.

I would like to thank those who stepped up to place their names in nomination as members of our parish Pastoral Council: Wayne Bark, Sue Gallagher, Mark Oursler, and Bob Watkins. As we had openings for three elected members and one appointed one, the Council unanimously agreed to accept the candidates as a slate for three year terms. I welcome each of them as trusted advisors. Please keep them in your prayers.

Wouldn't It Be Nice Just to be Left Alone? - Not!

2010-05-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrate the Lord’s ascension into heaven. In today’s gospel Jesus reminds the Eleven (and, by extension, us) that we are witnesses to all the Jesus did and accomplished not only in his ministry, but also in his suffering, death, and resurrection. The feast of the Ascension is not so much about the completion of Jesus’ work, but moreso it is about him “passing the baton” to the early church to continue forward with all he had done. He reminds them (and us) of the promise of the Father, the gift of the Holy Spirit, that would come upon us and clothe us “with power from on high.”

In other words, we are never alone. Just as even in the darkest hour Jesus realized that he wasn’t left alone, neither could he ever imagine leaving his disciples, his followers, his people, his church alone to the forces that might threaten it. That’s a simple lesson for us to remember this weekend as we hear these words: God never leaves us alone!

Yes, it’s true. Sometime God can be a bit of a nag, poking and prodding us along the way, placing us in situations that challenge our patience or even cause us to question our faith. Yet he never leaves us alone. He clothes us with his power so that we can confidently face all the things thrown at us by the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It undermines the reality that God reigns supreme over all, even in those circumstances that we might view as insurmountable.

Everytime we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we experience that promise renewed. The Spirit descends upon our meager offerings of bread and wine, transforming them at the repeated words of Christ in the consecration into something better, that gives us true nourishment and strength: the Body and Blood of the Lord. It’s this spiritual food and drink that we carry within us as a reminder that God never leaves us alone. We carry him with us into our world that he might work through, with, and in us in our daily routines, touching our relationships in a positive way. Do we always respond to such grace perfectly? Certainly not. But even then, God doesn’t leave us alone.

The same should go for us in the life of our parish. We don’t want to be left alone. Sometimes in the summer we “check out” of church in favor of other diversions. Yet, the call of the Lord is just the opposite. We are called to stay connected, whether we are worshipping in our home parish or visiting another Catholic parish for the celebration of the Mass which even strengthens our identity as part of a larger family.

Perhaps this summer is a grand time for us to invite someone back to church, whether it be hear in our parish or when we’re away on vacation, perhaps with family members or dear friends who’ve been away from church for awhile. That could be the very opportunity and invitation they need to return. Of course, our challenge is to always be a warm, welcoming community especially to those new in our midst. Let us never cling to an attitude of simply wanting to be left alone.

Just a Little Peace

2010-05-10T17:42:00.001-07:00

This weekend’s gospel contains a special promise and gift that Jesus extended to his disciples: Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. To be certain, the Lord’s gift of peace isn’t one that means that our world, much less our personal lives, will be free of conflict or consternation. Yet the peace that Jesus offers us is one the goes deeper than situations and circumstances. This is a peace that reminds us that all things work together for good, even though I may struggle with what that might mean.

The Church, locally and universally, has seen our peace disrupted in recent months. People are still hurting from the impending closure of 13 schools in Baltimore City and County, victims of our recession. One bright light that has gone underreported by area media was the agreement reached by a local businessman and the archbishop which would insure that transportation to another Catholic school would be available for children whose schools were being closed. The media was quick to cover the conflict and the calls for withholding from Sunday collections. I have seen little press on the agreement reached. Conflict, not conciliation, seems to sell more papers it would seem.

The point is, if we let it happen, anything can disrupt that gift of peace that God wishes to bestow on us so lavishly. This Advocate spoken of in today’s gospel is the Holy Spirit, the real presence of God living and active in our lives. As we enter the final few weeks of the Easter season, let’s pray for a New Pentecost in the Church. Our Church needs renewal and it starts with us, not somewhere “out there.” Some commentators like to make distinctions between the “two” Catholic churches. In their minds there’s the church in Rome; the institutional hierarchical church, and then there’s the church active in work among the poorest of the poor. Yet, in many ways, these aren’t two churches. They are two aspects that, at least journalistically, represent “extremes.” The reality is that we are ONE church composed of many members, holding in common our baptismal call to be witnesses to Christ. None of us can live without the others. St. Paul reminds us of that many times when we speaks of “many gifts but the same Spirit.” We are an institutional church, a sacramental church, a servant church, a proclaiming church, a community church. We are divinely founded, yet composed of human beings. At our best we are the perfect example of the gospel well-lived. At our worst, we are reflected in the sin of our members. Yet as Church we are called to continue to keep the words of Jesus and keep proclaiming them to our world.

I ask that you keep in your prayers our young people who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation here at St. John’s next Saturday. Bishop Mitch Rozanski will come home to St. John’s to celebrate the sacrament with them. It’s always a pleasure to welcome him back.

Also, we have received permission this summer to proceed with replacing the roof on the school. If you’ve been in the building during a storm, you’ll notice that we often have to resort to collecting the leaking water into large garbage containers. Archbishop O’Brien has given us permission to conduct a small capital campaign to raise $230,000 (free of archdiocesan tax) to cover this major expense. We hope to do the work this summer. More information will be forthcoming. I hope that we can count on your support so that we can be good stewards of our parish property.

The Greatest of These is Love

2010-05-10T17:41:00.001-07:00

For those who may have been away last weekend, it was announced that Fr. Stew Bullock, our faithful Associate Pastor for the last four years, will be taking a new assignment, effective on or about July 1, 2010. Fr. Stew has been a true gift to our parish community and he will be sorely missed. Personally, I am so grateful that he was permitted to stay an additional year beyond his three-year term to assist in my transition as pastor. I ask that you make plans now to attend his Farewell Mass of Thanksgiving and Reception on Sunday, June 27 at 12:00 Noon. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to celebrate his first four years of priestly ministry among us and to send him forth with our thoughts, well wishes, and prayers. Please keep Fr. Stew in your prayers. I know well from experience that saying goodbye to a parish family that you’ve grown to love is not easy.

Last weekend indeed was a busy weekend here at St. John’s. Boy Scout Troop 450, based here in our parish, put on a marvelous pasta dinner on Sunday evening. I was so impressed at how well run the evening was and would like to commend the scouts as well as their leaders. Our scout troop is truly a gift to our parish. Also, Friday evening our young people held a coffeehouse and sold Free Trade Coffee in the gathering space after weekend masses to support this year’s summer WorkCamp service trip. It’s amazing how many of these young people, involved in all these activities, were here at church the entire weekend. I took notice right away. It’s a healthy thing for our parish to be mobbed with young people and their enthusiasm! Let’s keep them in our prayers.

This weekend’s gospel is brief and to the point. Judas having just taken leave of Jesus and the Eleven to put into action his shameful betrayal of the Lord, Jesus then speaks to his remaining disciples (and to us): I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Certainly the idea of loving wasn’t new, but Jesus reminded the disciples, and St. Paul later echoed this truth, that the greatest commandment and the greatest gift is rooted in love. I never fail to be struck by the end of the prologue of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#25), quoting the principle stated by the Roman Catechism: The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love.

As a Catholic priest and a Christian, I cling to the teachings of the faith and hold them to be true. The challenge I have, and each of us who bear the name of Christ have, is to be able to speak and live that Truth in love so that others might be directed to God’s love. For this reason, it is tantamount that the climate we support in our parish community be one of welcome, hospitality, and embracing all those who enter our doors as they are, rather than simply the way we would want them to be. It’s a tall order, but one that found its origin on the lips of Jesus.

So, who knows? Those coffee houses and pasta dinners, those casual meetings in the gathering space and random words of welcome before Mass, those small group gatherings and visits to the hospital, just might be the bridges that some need to experience the love of the Lord and in turn connect, or re-connect, themselves to his Body that we call Church.

He Listened That He Might Serve

2010-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

As you may already know, the Church of Baltimore lost one of her former shepherds with the passing of Archbishop William D. Borders into eternal life this past Monday morning at the age of 96. His funeral was on Friday at the Cathedral of Mary, Our Queen. Archbishop Borders served as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1974-1989. His episcopal motto was “I will listen that I may serve.” He is fondly remembered as a man of gentle demeanor who was committed to calling all the People of God to answer their baptismal call to be disciples of the Lord. Archbishop Borders accepted me into the formation program to study for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Please remember Archbishop Borders in your prayers. May this servant of the Lord rest in peace.

The Easter season really is a time for great joy in the Church. It’s also a challenging one when we read from the Acts of the Apostles, the story of the infant Church. This weekend we read of the boldness of Paul and Barnabas as they enter Antioch. They drew rather large crowds, Jew and Gentile alike, as they proclaimed the gospel of Jesus. Luke, in both his gospel and in Acts, takes great pains to record the exchanges between Jesus, his disciples and the Gentiles – a not so subtle exhibition of the universality of the Kingdom. In other words, Jesus came to call all people to be beneficiaries of God’s love. So often we find ourselves either excluding others or perhaps even excluding ourselves, thinking ourselves unworthy of the love of God, much less being capable of being called to perform great works in his name. Imagine if the early disciples had clung to such a belief! And yet, today and every day we are reminded how God wishes to raise us up as credible witnesses to his power, living and active in our lives.

I would like to extend my congratulations to those boys and girls who have received the Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time in recent weeks, both in large group celebrations and at weekend Masses. This is truly a grace-filled time in their lives and we remember them in a special way. May they come to receive the Lord faithfully and regularly at his altar and may their lives be filled with many blessings.

The parish is hosting a couple of formation programs for adults in the coming weeks and I strongly encourage you to consider being part of one of them. Details are elsewhere in the bulletin, but suffice to say that the “Discovering Christ” program is a quality approach (which includes dinner each night) to strengthening one’s relationship with Jesus. Likewise, we are offering a six-week Bible study entitled “Relating to Others as Jesus Would.” While lives can be busy, it’s important that we carve out time to address our spiritual needs and even connect with our community. You can register for either of these programs via the parish website or just give a call to the office!

Also, I’d just like to call your attention to the fact that our offertory has been falling short of budget this year, coupled with the reality that we spent over $40,000 in snow removal costs. If you could add a little something extra to your parish offertory for the next month or so, it would be appreciated.

Called to Accountability: Not a Bad Thing

2010-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Throughout the Easter season the Church dedicates a good bit of time to proclaiming the scripture readings from the Acts of the Apostles. This New Testament book recounts the stories of the development of the infant church, growing from a small disorganized band of confused followers, to a Spirit-filled community with a passion for the spread of the gospel message.

Early on, as throughout the history of the Church, Christians experienced misunderstanding, rejection, and even persecution at the hands of civil and religious authorities as well as from gatherings of the masses. In today’s first reading, the apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin, a sort of religious tribunal, that had ordered them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and the apostles are no longer a small band that had been gripped by fear and denial, worried only about their own self- preservation. Now they are presented as men on a mission from God who don’t even fear for their own lives in the face of adversity. They are empowered, seemingly unconcerned with the opinion of others and are even able to rejoice at having suffered dishonor for the sake of Jesus’ name.

In light of recent events in the Church, as reported in many mainstream media outlets, we as Catholic Christians find ourselves trapped in a sense of embarrassment and humiliation, backing away from our call to be prophetic voices in our world. While I hesitate to make the comparison, for it is certainly lacking, we do need to remember that people and the disciples had their own sins exposed – in their cases sins of denial and running away from the Lord as he underwent his passion. Many rightly argue that church leaders failed to respond adequately in the face of sinful and criminal behavior on the part of priests and other church ministers. There is no denying that, and we need to continue to address that issue as a church.

Yet, somehow I believe that there are those that use this as an avenue to undermine the gospel message as a whole. “Churches are full of hypocrites,” they say. Guilty. Here we are, each of us somehow guilty of failing to live out the gospel of Jesus as we ought (which is why we have confession). “We can’t trust our priests/bishops/etc.,” others proclaim. There’s no arguing that trust needs to be re-earned on many levels. However, as a Christian I keep remembering how Jesus addressed people, before his death and resurrection, and promised them the keys to the kingdom and that the gates of hell would never prevail against this church that he was founding. There’s no arguing that there have been times in our history that we’ve come dangerously close. Yet, if we look at those ages when the scandals were the most outrageous, the Church produced some of its greatest saints. Consider the times in which St. Francis and St. Clare, St. Dominic, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila lived. Some of them even corrected popes and bishops, recalling the Church to its original mission.

Simply put, we need heroes today to continue to support the mission of the Church to evangelize the world and carry on the work of Jesus. We need holy priests. We need holy deacons. We need holy men and women living out the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the consecrated life. We need holy husbands and wives. We need holy single men and women aggressively seeking God’s will in their lives. This all says to me that we all need to be ready to step up and take our parts in renewing the Church and healing those who are hurting.

Yes, many are tempted now to step back or walk away. Some are tempted to protest by withholding support, be it financial or moral. I must tell you, however, that it is now that the Church needs each one of us working together to repair damage done, to reclaim her prophetic voice in fidelity to the Lord’s calling, and to faithfully resolve to pursue personal holiness so that we can be agents of healing as well as agents of peace.

I beg you to keep praying for the Body of Christ and especially our leaders, so crucial for moving us forward to where God calls us to be: credible witnesses of the presence of Jesus in our world.

Many Thank Yous For Easter

2010-04-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

As I write today, things are certainly much more quiet than they were during Holy Week – and what a wonderful week it was! How blessed are we as a parish community to be able to gather today and celebrate the beautiful liturgies of Holy Week and Easter with such solemnity!

I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard so that everything flowed so beautifully enabling us to pray well as we walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Most obvious was the music ministry that supported our liturgical prayer. Kevin Clemens, Mary Tamplin, and Barbara Lancaster and our many choirs – traditional, contemporary, youth, and children – as well as our cantors and instrumentalists combined to help us all “make a joyful noise to the Lord!” Also, thanks to those who worked so hard in preparing the church building, with many setups and teardowns: our liturgical environment committee, our sacristans, and our maintenance staff. For the many necessary changes that needed to take place you all made it look so easy and natural, and we know that wasn’t really the case.

I would also like to thank all those who stepped up to serve in various liturgical ministries this week, particularly those who sacrificed to be present for liturgies that may not have been the most convenient: our ushers (who exhibited marvelous flexibility), altar servers (many of who served multiple liturgies), lectors, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. I would also like to thank our scouts who prepared the Easter fire at Saturday evening’s Easter Vigil (and for seeing that none of us went up in flames!)

Thanks also to Jen Mayer who worked so hard in coordinating this year’s Elect as they prepared for sacramental initiation into the Catholic Church, as well as for helping to choreograph our processions – which was far more than traffic control! I’d like to thank all of our support staff that worked so hard in getting things together for the week and taking care of those little details, many of which I’m probably not even aware of.

Also, I’d like to thank my brother priests – Fr. Stew, Msgr. Auer, Fr. Schulmeister, and Fr. Hilgartner, Deacons Dean Lopata and Ron Thompson and Pastoral Intern Warren Tanghe, who celebrated and assisted at so many liturgies and prayer services this week. With our wonderful Sisters of St. Joseph and wonderful lay ministers, you are all a pleasure to live and minister with, and I know that our parish is grateful for your service. In a special way I’d like to thank Fr. Stew for his tremendous hard work as our Director of Liturgy in coordinating all of our liturgical services this week.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for all that you do to make this such a wonderful community to live in and minister to. You can’t begin to realize how appreciative I am for the warm welcome you have extended to me this year and the support that you’ve shown through kind words, cards, emails, spiritual bouquets, promises of prayer, and many other kindnesses. The way I see it, we are God’s gift to one another, forming his family here in our parish. While life in ordained ministry (or marriage, consecrated life, or single life) might not always be easy for us Catholics, and we may find ourselves at times feeling overwhelmed by the challenges that we face each day, we know that it is the Lord Jesus who calls us together, forms us, and strengthens us for the good work that he wishes us to accomplish together. I thank you all for your participation in the Lord’s good work here at St. John’s in the ways that you share your time, talent, and treasure.

By the way, between services during Holy Week, I created an official parish Facebook page. I’d be delighted if you’d join to keep abreast of all that’s happening. In the meantime, may these 50 days of the Easter season truly be a time of sustaining the feast and celebration of the Lord’s resurrection!

Rejoice! Even When There's Pain, Rejoice!

2010-04-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our responsorial psalm from the Mass for Easter Sunday bids us respond: This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad! Certainly, along with the return of the singing of the Alleluia, this represents the climax of our Lenten preparations. Easter is cetainly not designed to simply be a return to the “old way of life” that we abandoned on Ash Wednesday. Today we pray that we are stronger Christians, more deeply rooted in the faith and, most importantly, have developed a stronger relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Sadly, though, the challenges of life don’t always honor the best of our intentions or even the grandest of our spiritual successes. This past Holy Week our parish prayed with members who had to suffer the pain of losing a loved one. While we rightly cling to the promise of resurrection, saying goodbye to someone we love and care for can seem to prolong our Lenten sacrifices.

The Church as a whole is not immune either. Our faith can be challenged simply by picking up a newspaper or scaning the headlines over the internet. Locally, in our archdiocese, many families are mourning the impending closure of their schools. Some have already made the resolve to move on and investigate other opportunities for quality Catholic education. Sadly, others react to such a situation by professing a lack of faith or withholding support from the Church, potentially compromising other vital ministries. Globally, there is that feeling that the scab has been torn off a sore with media coverage of cases of sexual abuse in Western Europe. I know that I’ve been prone to my own feelings of anger, particularly towards the perpetrators and their superiors. I find myself asking how someone could abuse their priesthood in such a way and why superiors didn’t react to the problem differently. While I can understand that child sexual abuse is indeed a pandemic that goes well beyond the boundaries of the Catholic Church, touching other churches and institutions as well as even within families, what I struggle with mostly is when some try to justify past inaction. I find myself angry with those whom I believe are opportunistic in pushing agendas, quickly proposing organizational fixes that sometimes are compromises of Christian doctrine. Even when they aren’t, we need to be wary of “quick fixes” to any of our problems but be diligent in attacking the sources as well as the symptoms.

That brings us back to today. As we celebrate a joyful, festive liturgy we are given a “sneak preview” of sorts of what eternity holds for us. Perhaps when we dwell on those things that make us angry without clinging to the call to forgiveness, we make matters worse for ourselves. When I am angry at God, or bishops, or perpetrators, or opportunists, or a family member, or whomever and fail to extend forgiveness, I only become a bitter person. The words of Jesus, hanging on the cross facing a crowd that continued to mock him, continue to echo to our personal life situations: Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. Perhaps that was the necessary proclamation that had to be uttered before he could deliver over his soul and continue the path towards the new life of resurrection. I think that might be true for us as well.

So indeed today we do have cause for rejoicing! Jesus Christ himself has overcome the power of sin, suffering, and even death and continues to offer us new life, particularly each time we partake of him in the Holy Eucharist. Truly, this IS the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Thank you for worshiping with us this Easter and know that we as a parish are here to serve you. If you are visiting, I hope that you are made to feel welcome. If you are returning, welcome home! If there is any way that I, or any member of our parish staff, might be able to be of assistance please do not hesitate to call upon us.

Walking in His Footsteps - March 28, 2010

2010-03-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

In the life of the Christian community, this is the holiest week of the year. While oftentimes the Christmas season gets more commercial attention, the heart of the Christian message lies in this week. Today we begin a journey, in a sense a built in annual retreat, in the footsteps of Jesus.

Liturgically, these are the most beautiful liturgies of the year, ranging from the festive to the somber, each speaking of a various aspect of the Paschal Mystery. Today we walk with Jesus, beginning our liturgy by processing with palms as once did the crowds hailing him as King as he entered the streets of Jerusalem. Yet, that festive atmosphere is short lived. Those same people who hailed him as King would within the week turn their backs on him and call for his death.

The early days of Holy Week are the final days of our Lenten preparations for Easter. Monday evening many of us will join with Archbishop O’Brien at the Cathedral of Mary, Our Queen for the celebration of the Chrism Mass at 7:30 PM. At this liturgy the sacramental oils will be blessed and we priests will renew our promises.

Holy Thursday evening marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, three days that are essentially one continuous liturgy, beginning with the Sign of the Cross at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and concluding with the Solemn Blessing and Dismissal at Saturday evening’s Easter Vigil. Holy Thursday is a festive, yet prayerful liturgy. On Holy Thursday the Church remembers the institution of the priesthood, the Holy Eucharist, as well as the universal call to service. The liturgy includes a solemn procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the repository (this year in the school auditorium) where we keep vigil with the Lord in prayer.

Good Friday’s Celebration of the Lord’s Passion is a somber, yet solemn, celebration. We walk with the Lord to Calvary. We venerate the wood of the cross, the sign of our salvation, albeit an instrument of torture and death. Mass is not celebrated, yet we receive Holy Communion from the hosts that were consecrated on Thursday evening.

Holy Saturday is a day traditionally designed to prepare us for the celebration of Resurrection. Many continue to observe the Paschal fast throughout the day. The Easter Vigil, the mother of all liturgies, is celebrated as the sun sets. The Easter fire is blessed and the Paschal candle is lit. This extended, yet very active, liturgy recounts salvation history through extended readings, welcoming the return of the Alleluia. The Sacraments of Initation are celebrated and we joyfully proclaim the resurrection of the Lord.

I encourage you, as much as you are able, to try to make it a priority to attend the liturgies and devotions of Holy Week. Let us also be aware of reaching out to visitors next weekend with hospitality as we anticipate larger crowds than usual. The modified schedule is published in today’s bulletin.

This is a holy week, the holiest of weeks. Let our Lenten disciplines move us forward to living the Christian message of hope and resurrection with boundless joy!

Exposed - March 21, 2010

2010-03-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

It is one thing to sin. We will all acknowledge, at least generically, that we are all sinners. It’s quite another thing to have our sin exposed, as happened to the woman caught in adultery in this weekend’s regular gospel reading. Not only does she hold some sense of personal moral failure, but she is surrounded by words of judgment and condemnation, being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion and exposed to the punishment dictated by the Law – in this case, death by stoning.

When I was in Hagerstown I had a few occasions to hear confessions in the state correctional facility and it struck me how easy it seemed for many of the inmates to acknowledge their past sins. Then it was explained to me that the reason it was easy is that those sins normally had already been aired publicly in court. In the sacrament they just needed to take personal responsibility for their actions.

While I’m sure the woman in today’s gospel would certainly have rather been spared the public humiliation that she experienced, the irony is that the situation was her pathway towards grace and redemption. Jesus’ words are directed predominantly toward the scribes and Pharisees that were standing in judgment, the so-called experts. As he reaches out to the woman with his words he teaches the religious leaders and he teaches us that God’s preference is for mercy and healing rather than condemnation. For some, going to confession can be intimidating because there is some sense that our sins are being “publicized,” even though it is only to a single other person, the priest, who is bound to secrecy. We sometimes get hung up on what the priest might think, or even say, and in the process we rob ourselves of the opportunity to let go of our past sins and hurts which might pave the way for a new and better way of living. To you, the invitation still stands: The light is on for you! I pray you’ll take advantage and come to confession this Wednesday or Saturday.

I’d like to call your attention to a couple of special events. First, St. John’s will be presenting our annual Lenten concert on Sunday evening, March 21 at 7 PM. This year we will again be offering Faure’s Requiem conducted by our own Kevin Clemens with guest organist Paul Binko. I hope you’ll come take advantage of our top quality musical program. Additionally this coming Friday, as well as Palm Sunday evening, at 7:30 PM we will present the Living Stations that will include music, reflection, and meditation. I’m posting a clip from last year on the website, my blog, and my Facebook page, if you’d like a preview. I understand it’s absolutely awesome and a perfect way to enter into Holy Week.

Speaking of Holy Week, please take note of the schedule of Holy Week services in this week’s bulletin, including our special schedules for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday and plan now to invite friends, family, and neighbors to accompany you as together we walk with the Lord to Easter joy. I find the liturgies of Holy Week the perfect opportunity to enter into a personal retreat right here at church. Starting on Holy Thursday evening we enter into a continuous liturgy that spans three days, culminating with the celebration of the principal Easter liturgy – the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday night! If you’ve never been, I encourage you to try to make all three major liturgies. It is when we are a praying church at our best – yes, with all the smells and bells, but also as we explore the most profound of the Christian mysteries – the paschal mystery of the Lord’s betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection.

Protecting Ourselves From the Prodigals? - March 14, 2010

2010-03-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you, but I have all the sympathy in the world for the “good” son in this weekend’s gospel. We’re all very familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son, sometimes rightly referred to as the parable of the Forgiving Father. One can imagine the difficulty experienced by the elder son to watch his dad throw a party for the brother who had left home, taken half the money, squandered on a rather sinful way of life, only to come back begging for food and a place to stay. Somehow, it must not have seemed very just.

But many of us, like that elder son, have a twisted sense of justice. To do what is just is to do what is right and in the best interest of all. Sometimes we equate justice with punishment and forget the picture presented to us today which is one of justice tempered with mercy. It’s subtle, but the Forgiving Father acknowledges that the elder son is now the sole heir, his brother having squandered his portion of the family inheritance. Yet, the Father also draws his son’s attention to something more important, and that is the fact that the prodigal has returned home.

Let’s face it. This isn’t always the way that we approach our human relationships, is it? Sometimes our hearts are so broken that we find forgiveness and reconciliation to be foreign concepts. When we find ourselves being the victims, it’s so easy to hold on to that bitterness, that hurt, that we refuse to even consider reconciling. We apply this principle to our relationships with others, with God, and sometimes even to ourselves! We withhold forgiveness from others as some sort of punishment. Maybe it’s through employing the cold shoulder or cutting off all communication. Maybe it’s by coming to the conclusion that no one can be trusted, sentencing ourselves to lives lived rather guardedly, not allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to giving or receiving love. We might even act that way towards God. Holding him responsible for a tragedy or a failure or an illness, our hearts become hardened and unable to experience his consolation, his mercy, his presence. And, yes, sometimes we even hold ourselves to that flawed standard, not forgiving ourselves for past failings, clinging to the wrong thinking that we’ve sinned so badly that even God can’t forgive.

Lent is a season of healing and reconcilation. We’ve heard this all before, I’m sure, particularly when we first prepared to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconcilation. God’s mercy is greater than our sins, if we just present ourselves to him. Yet, reconciliation isn’t designed to be just something we receive and experience at the hands of God. It’s also designed to be something that we extend to those who have hurt us. When reconciliation and forgiveness flow like a rushing river, life is different. Life is better because we allow ourselves to become the people God has created us to be, and we equally free others to become the people God created them to be.

Hurt takes on various forms from mild disappointment to even feelings of betrayal. It could be something we perceive as having happened at the hands of a family member, close friend, or even a group of people. We might even be angry at God or the Church for the way that something turned out, or didn’t turn out.

This is a season of new beginnings where we give ourselves and others permission to start over and move forward. Keep in mind that “the light is on for you” each Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon as confessions are heard here. But let’s take that light out with us so that we might model the example of the Forgiving Father. If we do, the world becomes a little less dark, don’t you think?

Another Take On the Fig Tree ... and Catholic Schools

2010-03-06T05:33:00.001-08:00

The photo above is rather nostalgic, embedded in the memories of countless Catholic school pupils from many years ago. It was an era when church and school, in the lives of faithful Catholics, formed the very core of life experiences. Children spent the week in their local parish school to be educated, then returned to the same property to worship on Sunday. Additionally, it was there that their social lives were focused as well: CYO athletics and dances, parish carnivals and bazaars, and so forth. The neighborhood parish provided everything, and most of it for little or no cost, save through the contributions of giving parishioners.

Today, the picture is very different. Former powerhouses abuzz with activity, many parishes in our cities have very small congregations. Schools that were once bursting at the seams, with Sister presiding over a class of 70 or more students at times, are now struggling with more empty seats than full ones. Changing demographics, a struggling economy, and in some cases even a crisis in faith life have contributed to intensifying the challenge.

As a pastor I'm fortunate to serve in a parish with a pretty strong parish school, yet the news the week of the impending closures of 13 schools in and around Baltimore, tells me that we all need to wake up and smell the coffee. The struggles to finance Catholic education and maintain physical plants aren't new. The closing schools have been struggling with those issues for years. When parishes become smaller and less able to provide subsidies to the schools, there is no other way to fund the educational programs except tuition increases, unless there is other outside income.

Bake sales, magazine drives, and parish carnivals won't do it. While people work hard at fund raising, and sometimes can really raise some dollars, much of these efforts pale in comparison to the rising costs that schools must contend with. Consider that today schools are expected to be staffed with qualified professional teachers and administrators, offering curricula that prepares students for the challenges that will face them in life, with the integration of (expensive) technology that is constantly requiring replacement and upgrading, in buildings (that in many cases are aging) that meet or exceed governmental codes and in access and safety.

Gone are the days when faculties and staffs were mostly vowed religious who embraced lives of poverty. Today Catholic schools are (rightly) expected to pay just salaries and offer benefits such as health care insurance as well as paying into Social Security. I have to admit that it can be overwhelming.

There's a strong perception out there that the Catholic Church is simply loaded with money. Some believe we should take the extreme step of selling the Vatican and using that money. I wonder if those same people would agree to selling our national treasures such as the Statue of Liberty, the contents of the Smithsonian, and so forth to balance our federal budget!

Catholic education is an outreach and a ministry of evangelization. It has as its goal the forming of young people into people of strong character and values who will contribute to the good of our society. Likewise, it places a premium on the formation of good Christians, who will also contribute to the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ and contributing to the mission of the Church here on earth.

I don't envy the leadership of our archdiocese. It must have been difficult to issue such decisions, knowing the impact that it would have on people. Yet, I have to commend Archbishop O'Brien and his advisers on having the courage to make what I'm sure they new would be unpopular decisions that seem to be the hope of salvaging and strengthening our local Catholic school system. One has to ask whether it is responsible leadership to simply maintain the status quo to provide for the people in those buildings today which would eventually mean that future generations would have no such opportunities.

This weekend's parable of the fig tree is certainly appropriate to our situation. The gardener gets about the work of pruning the tree, removing the dying branches, so that the whole tree might have an opportunity to continue to bear fruit. There are similarities here for us. By trimming back in some areas and consolidating our resources we have the potential not only to continue to educate the children that we have (although perhaps not in the same physical structures) but also to develop programs that are stronger that will educate them better.

This should also serve as a wake-up call to all of us. We've seen disappointed alumni of closing schools who are angry and upset by the closures, not to mention the school families themselves. Might this not stir us to get busy about supporting our Catholic school system with our contributions, particularly of money, to insure that they remain stable? Isn't this evidence that to move into the future and be strong we will require strong alumni bases who don't walk away from their schools with their graduation certificates in hand but rather remain a supportive component of the institution that worked to provide that education and insure that future generations have the same opportunity?

Pruning can be painful because we recognize that these aren't simply branches of a fig tree that weren't bearing fruit. These branches were bearing fruit in the lives of the people they served. So they are not merely being discarded, but being integrated into other parts of the tree.

As faithful members of this tree, it seems to me that we all have a responsibility for the survival and strengthening of our schools. Alumni of Catholic schools need to be cheerleaders and financial supporters of those places where they learned to read, write, and pray. Parishioners need to be equally supportive of institutions that hold such promise as lives are being formed into model citizens and disciples of Christ. Strong schools tend to strengthen parishes (and vice versa). As more support the schools might it not be possible to stem the tide of rising tuition costs, making it possible for more families to send their children to our schools?

If you're a graduate of a Catholic school, maybe it's a good idea to let them know where you are to keep you informed of their progress. Be a good alumnus and contribute to their annual fund. Better yet, if you're still in the neighborhood, volunteer to help with their fundraising efforts. If your alma mater(s) are no longer open, adopt the Catholic school of your parish, your children, your grandchildren and support a strong future for Catholic schools and their students. Lobby state and federal legislators to support private schools who save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. In our own state of Maryland we are grateful for the little bit we receive in state textbook aid, but it's only a tiny drop in the bucket, particularly in comparison to nearby states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

My prayer is that this painful pruning can lead to an abundant harvest season as the other branches become stronger and more fruitful.

Do We Always Get What We Deserve? - March 7, 2010

2010-03-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

There is an old addage that the preacher should prepare homilies holding the scriptures in one hand and the daily newspaper in the other. In other words, the challenge in preaching is to help the hearer to make connections between scripture and everyday life, helping others to make sense out of their life experiences.

Jesus does just that in this weekend’s gospel account. He takes two tragic events, presumably the deaths of a group of Galileans at the order of Pilate and the accident killing 18 people as a tower felled, to illustrate a point. In Jesus’ day, as is not uncommon in our own, there was the belief that bad things happen to bad people. In other words, if you were the victim of a tragedy, it must have been because of something bad you had done.

Jesus dispels that notion, declaring that the executed Galileans were no greater sinners than any other Galilean. Likewise, those in the crowd were no more righteous than those killed by the falling towers. Rather, Jesus uses these two stories to segway into a call to personal conversion and repentence. In so many words, Jesus declares that our time is limited and the time to turn to the Lord is today, not next week, next month, or next year. Yet, in the parable of the fig tree, there still is evidence of the Lord’s hope for mercy. The fig tree in the parable gets, in essence, a stay of execution as the gardener askes for more time to nurture the tree rather than cut it down.

So is God patient with us. He wills us to be bearers of good fruit. He wants us to grow and develop into the people that we have been created to be. Yet he doesn’t rush us or write us off. He’s always ready to extend mercy. Yet, he also doesn’t allow for us to fall into the sin of presumption where we simply assume God loves us and that whether we attempt to grow or change doesn’t matter. On the contrary, our efforts make all the difference in the world!

This Lenten season we are called to allow ourselves to be cultivated. We open ourselves to be fed more regularly on the Word of God and to be open to receive the graces of the sacraments. We, as a parish community, dedicate ourselves to spending more time in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, basking in the rays of his love. (In essence, getting our spiritual Vitamin E!) It’s also a time when we reexamine our relationships with others. Perhaps we’ve been ready to sever a relationship with someone when really there only needs to be a little pruning before fruit is borne.

Yes, bad things happen to bad people. But bad things also happen to good people. And good things happen to good and bad people alike. The question that we are confronted with is whether we are able to see God in the midst of all of our life experiences, good and bad, pleasant or unpleasant. Spiritual healing is ours as we reach out to God in prayer. We experience healing from our sins, our faults, and our foibles as we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. (Don’t forget, the light is on for YOU, particularly on Wednesday nights!) We experience his healing in the Sacrament of Anointing when we are sick, in the Eucharist as we are fed on the Body and Blood of the Lord, and in the sacraments that we live as we are formed into the people he created us to be.

In today’s bulletin you’ll find an insert regarding the reconfiguration of a number of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I ask that you keep those affected in your prayers who certainly will be struggling. May we always continue to walk with the Lord, particularly through this Lenten season.

Being Transformed Into Our True Selves - February 28, 2010

2010-02-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

The account of the Transfiguration that we hear in this weekend’s gospel has got to be the dream scene for anyone who does cinemagraphic special effects! Our imaginations can run wild trying to picture what happened to the three companion apostles and Jesus as they encountered the visitors Moses and Elijah on the mountain. A transformation took place. Peter, James, and John witness Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, personified by Moses and Elijah – two figures from the Old Testament whose deaths were never witnessed. Moses persumably died alone. Elijah was taken up to heaven on a fiery chariot. The common belief was that both of them could come back at any time, particularly Elijah who by custom had an empty seat reserved for him at table among the most observant Jews.

Yet, for all the transformation that took place as the face of Jesus changed in appearance, his clothing becoming dazzling white, and the glory of the Lord being made know to the three witnesses, I would imagine there was another transformation – transfiguration – that took place that day. When Peter, James, and John looked up when everything was over, Jesus was found alone. They had to have experienced a certain level of fear and uncertainty as to what all this meant. That’s sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? We all have our times in life where we are fearful, uncertain, maybe even out of control. Yet, if we allow ourselves to enter into the experience, and the mystery of it all – rather than turning away or fleeing – our prayer leads us back to the same place: finding Jesus alone.

The light is on for you. You may have heard these words sung in a jingle on a commercial with the Archbishop getting the word out about the Sacrament of Reconciliation being offered on Wednesdays throughout our archdiocese. Just as the light of Christ in the transfiguration was for us – something geared toward giving us a glimpse of God’s glory and leading us to a greater personal transformation – so going to confession can lead us through an examination of where we stand with God, and where we stand to improve. It’s a healing sacrament that also calls us beyond a mediocre practice of our faith to a powerful encounter with the living God. The light is on for you here at St. John’s each Wednesday evening from 7-8 PM with at least two priests available for confession, in addition to our regular Saturday times of 4-5 PM. I really encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity, particularly if it’s been awhile since you’ve been. I recommend making use of the sacrament with the changing of the seasons – four times a year – and other times, particularly if serious sin is involved. It’s one way to help us become the people the Lord created us to be.

I’d like to thank all those who have already made a pledge to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. For those who weren’t here last weekend, we’ll be conducting a brief in-pew followup this weekend. So many wonderful ministries and outreaches benefit through your generosity. Locally, we have designated our parish share towards our sister parishes in Jamaica, tuition assistance for St. John’s School, and parish capital repairs.

I’d also like to thank those who have increased their giving to help us come closer to reaching our budgeted offertory numbers. As I’m sure you’re aware, we’ve spent well beyond our budget for snow removal. Thankfully, it appears that most of the damages caused will be covered by insurance. Anything you can do to help us cover these unanticipated costs is deeply appreciated as well as helping us to catch up on the shortfalls in income we experienced in the first six months of the fiscal year. I know that together we can do it, and again thank you all for your support.

Coming Home: Homily for Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

Almost twenty years ago I was in my final year of seminary formation. It was right around Thanksgiving time that we learned that my father had cancer. He underwent the treatments that were typical: chemotherapy, radiation, and so forth. The blessing was that, once he retired (at the young age of 57) he was able to enjoy many of the things that he loved in life, including hunting and fishing.

While certainly not perfect, things went fairly well until a little after Easter when his health took a turn for the worse. His physical condition declined and he relied on painkillers more and more. He was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for about a week before the doctors determined there was no more they could do. No always cognizant of his surroundings, he did occasionally make one request: “Home.” He wanted to go home.

The doctors arranged for his discharge and soon enough he was home: in his house, in his bed, in his familiar surroundings. Still, dependent on painkillers, he had come home to die, which happened within 12 hours of his returning home.

As we begin the Lenten season, isn’t that what we yearn for? Isn’t there something inside us that is a bit unsettled that wishes to embrace the security of the familiar, that which is unchanging?

Like countless Christians around the world we come to observe the beginning of the Lenten season with the simple ritual imposition of ashes. Some mistakenly believe that it is some sort of blessing; after all, it does distantly mock a blessing with its physical contact and outlining of ashes in the shape of a cross.

Yet, let there me no mistake. This is no blessing. Rather, we are marked. The ashes represent our mortality, that which threatens to deprive us of life. They represent our faults, our failings, our sins. We hear the Lenten admonition: Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return. What a happy thought, huh?

Yet, we mustn’t lose sight of the reality that, while we have these granular reminders of our mortality traced upon our foreheads, they are done so in the form of the Cross, the ultimate sign of our salvation, our redemption, our hope.

We begin a Lenten journey marked and covered with ash, yet this is a journey that leads us to the new life, signified in the waters of Baptism, so solemnly celebrated at Easter. While our sinful human condition has caused us to compromise our values and principles as followers of the Lord, our Lenten discipline is framed in a true hope that the Lord is walking with us, helping us to move in the direction of becoming the people he has created us to be.

We approach these forty days with traditional Lenten penances, those little acts of self-denial that help us to be reminded that we own things and they don’t own us, that we use things and they don’t use us, that we consume things and they don’t consume us. We give up basically good things for the sake of the Good and the Better.

Have you decided what you’ve given up for Lent? It’s not just a test of willpower. It’s also an invitation. When we fast from, give up something we are also confronted with what we are replacing it with. If I take time from TV or video games or the internet, how am I using this newfound surplus of time? How is my relationship with God getting better, stronger? How are the lives of those around me, particularly the poor and lonely, being changed as a result of my “heroic” sacrifices?

We take this Lenten walk, not alone, but with Christ as our companion. He is the inspiration for our prayer, our fasting, our almsgiving. All that we do this season is designed to make us more like him so that his presence may be recognized more clearly and more credibly in a world so in need of experiencing his love.

Let these forty days bring us home to the familiarity and comfort of the love of the Lord.

Fast From-Feast On: Some Thoughts for Lent

2010-02-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Fast From-Feast On

Fast from judging others; Feast on the Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; Feast on the unity of life.
Fast from apparent darkness; Feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness; Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; Feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; Feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; Feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining; Feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; Feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; Feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; Feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; Feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; Feast on eternal truth.
Fast from discouragements; Feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; Feast on verities that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; Feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; Feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; Feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip; Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; Feast on prayer that [strengthens].

—William Arthur Ward (American author, teacher and pastor, 1921-1994)

Coming out of the snow ... and preparing for ashes

2010-02-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well, what a couple of weeks it’s been! I hope that everyone has had their fill of snow. I know that I have. I really wish that groundhog had seen his shadow. Enough is enough. I do ask that you all stop wearing your pajamas inside out, refrain from flushing ice cubes down the toilet, or any other voodoo that would bring on more cold, snow, and ice! We don’t sell indulgences anymore, but I do know that there are many of us who would appreciate it! When the weather is bad on the weekends, always check the parish webpage at www.stjohnsp.org for the most accurate up-to-date information and also to be able to read the bulletin if you were unable to make it to Mass. Of course, you can imagine how happy I was to see the New Orleans Saints defeat the “team from Indianapolis” in the Super Bowl. I can’t help but think that God would have had it any other way! :)

It should come as no surprise that our offertory collections have fallen behind, in no small way due to the snow. To date we’ve had three weekends that were greatly impacted due to the weather. I ask that you consider doing what you can to make up for our lost revenues. At present we are currently predicting a deficit of around $50,000 if nothing is done. If you can do anything to help alleviate that, I’d greatly appreciate it. If we all chip in I’m sure we can do it. I’d also like to thank again those who were able to increase your weekly offertory giving. It really does help out.

This weekend we will do the in-pew commitment for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. I pray that you will join me in generously supporting this year’s appeal that benefits so many ministries both in and outside our own archdiocese. Locally, we are designating our parish share to our sister parishes in Jamaica, tuition assistance, and parish capital repairs. [N.B.: The in-pew commitment has again been postponed and is now scheduled for next weekend, Feb. 20 & 21.]

This coming Wednesday we begin the season of Lent. All parish families should have received a Lenten mailing by now detailing the goings on at St. John’s. The season presents us with a wonderful opportunity as well as a challenge to look at our lives and reevaluate our personal priorities. I always like to engage in such discernments with the Lenten challenge to engage in works of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Focusing on acts of prayer, be they personal and devotional, or communal and liturgical, serves to strengthen the foundation of our faith which is our relationship with God, lived out with our brothers and sisters. The fasting and almsgiving are spiritual disciplines that literally call us away from “feeding” our passions and instead reaching out and alleviating the physical and spiritual hungers of those around us.

Last weekend we observed the World Day for Consecrated Life. Our Sisters of St. Joseph and our resident friar, Fr. John Schulmeister, are living witnesses to the world of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. How these disciplines stand out in the face of the worldly values of money, sex, and power! We thank God for their commitments, and see that as an opportunity to move forward this Lenten season in a spiritual sense of simplicity, continence, and humility in our lifestyles as well as in our relationships.

While this upcoming season is one of penitence, it is also one of purification. May our Lenten discipline, and the celebration of the sacraments, draw us closer to the Lord.

Dominican Sisters on Oprah Tomorrow

2010-02-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

This is a preview of tomorrow's (Tuesday, February 9, 2010) episode of Oprah, when she hosts a group of Dominican sisters. I'm not one who normally watches O, but this should be interesting. I'm sure the good sisters will shine. I think this is a wonderful way of getting the good news about vocations to the consecrated life out! (The geisha segment should prove interesting too.) H/T to Deacon Greg.

Update: Here are the episodes that have been posted on You Tube. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrdkyL1qEBc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25sp-bEo6ng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL0SQ6YRnAU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrdkyL1qEBc

OR, you can go here where they are call compiled together.

Tim Tebow's Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad - From a Pro-Choice Perspective

2010-02-03T08:09:00.001-08:00

You may have heard about the pro-life ad that college football star Tim Tebow and his mom put together that has been accepted by CBS to air on Super Bowl Sunday. Pro-abortion groups have reacted with outrage and protest that it's going to be allowed to air. I came across this piece in The Washington Post by Sally Jenkins, a self-described pro-choice advocate that has an interesting take to say the least. Could it be that some of our so-called pro-choicers really aren't as embracing of the freedom to choose as they might claim? H/T to Deacon Greg.

Read on:

I'll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time. I realize this stance won't endear me to the "Dwindling Organizations of Ladies in Lockstep," otherwise known as DOLL, but I'll try to pick up the shards of my shattered feminist credentials and go on.

As statements at Super Bowls go, I prefer the idea of Tebow's pro-life ad to, say, Jim McMahon dropping his pants, as the former Chicago Bears quarterback once did in response to a question. We're always harping on athletes to be more responsible and engaged in the issues of their day, and less concerned with just cashing checks. It therefore seems more than a little hypocritical to insist on it only if it means criticizing sneaker companies, and to stifle them when they take a stance that might make us uncomfortable.

I'm pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I've heard in the past week, I'll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the "National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time." For one thing, Tebow seems smarter than they do.

Tebow's 30-second ad hasn't even run yet, but it already has provoked "The National Organization for Women Who Only Think Like Us" to reveal something important about themselves: They aren't actually "pro-choice" so much as they are pro-abortion. Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical.

Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn't be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn't.

There's not enough space in the sports pages for the serious weighing of values that constitutes this debate, but surely everyone in both camps, pro-choice or pro-life, wishes the "need" for abortions wasn't so great. Which is precisely why NOW is so wrong to take aim at Tebow's ad.

Here's what we do need a lot more of: Tebows. Collegians who are selfless enough to choose not to spend summers poolside, but travel to impoverished countries to dispense medical care to children, as Tebow has every summer of his career. Athletes who believe in something other than themselves, and are willing to put their backbone where their mouth is. Celebrities who are self-possessed and self-controlled enough to use their wattage to advertise commitment over decadence.

You know what we really need more of? Famous guys who aren't embarrassed to practice sexual restraint, and to say it out loud. If we had more of those, women might have fewer abortions. See, the best way to deal with unwanted pregnancy is to not get the sperm in the egg and the egg implanted to begin with, and that is an issue for men, too -- and they should step up to that.

"Are you saving yourself for marriage?" Tebow was asked last summer during an SEC media day.

"Yes, I am," he replied.

The room fell into a hush, followed by tittering: The best college football player in the country had just announced he was a virgin. As Tebow gauged the reaction from the reporters in the room, he burst out laughing. They were a lot more embarrassed than he was.

"I think y'all are stunned right now!" he said. "You can't even ask a question!"

That's how far we've come from any kind of sane viewpoint about star athletes and sex. Promiscuity is so the norm that if a stud isn't shagging everything in sight, we feel faintly ashamed for him.

Obviously Tebow can make people uncomfortable, whether it's for advertising his chastity, or for wearing his faith on his face via biblical citations painted in his eye-black. Hebrews 12:12, his cheekbones read during the Florida State game: "Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees." His critics find this intrusive, and say the Super Bowl is no place for an argument of this nature. "Pull the ad," NOW President Terry O'Neill said. "Let's focus on the game."

Trouble is, you can't focus on the game without focusing on the individuals who play it -- and that is the genius of Tebow's ad. The Super Bowl is not some reality-free escape zone. Tebow himself is an inescapable fact: Abortion doesn't just involve serious issues of life, but of potential lives, Heisman trophy winners, scientists, doctors, artists, inventors, Little Leaguers -- who would never come to be if their birth mothers had not wrestled with the stakes and chosen to carry those lives to term. And their stories are every bit as real and valid as the stories preferred by NOW.

Let me be clear again: I couldn't disagree with Tebow more. It's my own belief that the state has no business putting its hand under skirts. But I don't care that we differ. Some people will care that the ad is paid for by Focus on the Family, a group whose former spokesman, James Dobson, says loathsome things about gays. Some will care that Tebow is a creationist. Some will care that CBS has rejected a gay dating service ad. None of this is the point. CBS owns its broadcast and can run whatever advertising it wants, and Tebow has a right to express his beliefs publicly. Just as I have the right to reject or accept them after listening -- or think a little more deeply about the issues. If the pro-choice stance is so precarious that a story about someone who chose to carry a risky pregnancy to term undermines it, then CBS is not the problem.

Tebow's ad, by the way, never mentions abortion; like the player himself, it's apparently soft-spoken. It simply has the theme "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." This is what NOW has labeled "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning." But if there is any demeaning here, it's coming from NOW, via the suggestion that these aren't real questions, and that we as a Super Bowl audience are too stupid or too disinterested to handle them on game day.

I Love Super Bowl Commercials

2010-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

I came across this commercial that was submitted by a megachurch as part of a Dorito's competition. I certainly believe it's worthy of being part of the Super Bowl festivities.

Let's Go Fishing! - January 31, 2010

2010-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend we observe the World Day for Consecrated Life, honoring and praying for those who have taken religious vows to live poverty, chastity, and obedience. In our community we are indeed blessed by the presence of our six Sisters of St. Joseph who are such a wonderful sign to us and who contribute so much to our parish and school as well as being the beneficiaries of the ministry of Fr. John Schulmeister, OFM Conv., who assists here on weekends. Please keep them in your prayers and thank them for their answering the Lord’s call in their lives.

The vast majority of you all have lived here near the water much longer that I. I won’t even pretend to know all the intricacies of fishing and boating. I hope that you won’t think less of me for it, but know that I am a fan of consuming that which comes out of the waters of the Chesapeake Bay! In any case, the scenery in today’s gospel is similar to that of us who live near the waters of the Chesapeake.

Remember, in scripture as in life, water represents life as well as death. From water we find life-sustaining refreshment for human beings, animals, and plants alike. We partake of the bounty of the sea when we experience that great catch like the disciples did in the gospel today. The waters of baptism lead us to life eternal. But water has it’s dangerous side as well. Water can be a destructive force, such as in a flood or hurricane. We can drown in water if it is too deep or we are unable to navigate it successfully. And, in baptism, we die with Christ in a death to sin.

In the gospel this weekend it is from the waters that Jesus speaks to the crowds. It is also from these waters that Simon notes his frustration at having worked all night and caught nothing. But Jesus speaks to Simon Peter – and to us – when he says Put out into the deep… lower your nets for a catch. Certainly they must have been thinking to themselves that they had done all that they could do and that the fish just weren’t biting that day. Yet, when they altered their perspective ever so slightly – moving from the safety of the more shallow waters to the mystery of the deeper ones – they filled their nets until they were ready to burst!

You know, isn’t that how it is with life and well as with our relationship with God? Sometimes we want to settle for wading in the safety of the shallow waters when the true catch is farther out. It involves a risk. It involves altering one’s perspective and perhaps even one’s expectations. Yet, when in faith we heed the call of the Master, our nets are filled!

Do we really think the Lord wants us to settle for shallowness in our relationship with him? Is it simply a matter of showing up at church, going through the motions, putting in our envelope, and then going our own way? Surely the Lord wants us to put out into the deep and experience the depth of God’s love, building a relationship that challenges the boundaries of our own comfort zones and leads us to the intimacy of the Lord’s Sacred Heart!

As a parish community, let’s put out into the deep and together find the richness in developing a community of faith where each of us knows that he or she is a valued necessary and even indispensible part of the whole! I repeat my plea to you all to step up and make yourselves known, with your gifts and talents, as well as your interests as we strive to be see and be the presence of God to and for each other. Call me, see me, or email me as the Lord moves you.

Thank you all for the gift you are to me and to this parish!

Answer the Call - January 31, 2010

2010-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend’s first reading recounts the call of the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord reminds Jeremiah, and us, that we are known by God even before we exit our mother’s womb. God has a special calling for each of us. I know that I will sound like a broken record (for those of you who remember what records are) with my constant repetition, but I feel God is calling this parish community to excellence. That means he is calling each and every one of us to answer the unique calling that he has in store for us and we each have the responsibility to discern that call and respond to that call. We need to be cautious that we don’t allow our individual callings to somehow get lost in the “corporate calling” of our community. Each of us is important. Each of us is necessary. And each of us is being called by God to further his Kingdom in some special way. I would like to thank those of you who are letting yourselves be known to me and stepping up to answer the Lord’s call as our parish looks to the future. I ask each of you to keep praying as to how God may be moving you personally.

This week we kick off our annual observance of Catholic Schools Week, a time to celebrate the enduring value of Catholic education. This week is set aside each year to focus on the unique gift that Catholic education provides to the young people of our nation. We reach out beyond our parish doors to build awareness of what our schools have to offer and we thank those who work hard every day to make our schools excellent: our students, families, faculty, staff, volunteers, community supporters, and local, state, and national leaders.

We are indeed blessed to have such a wonderful parish school here at St. John’s. St. John the Evangelist School has been nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School due to its excellence. Under the able leadership of Sr. Linda Larsen and a dedicated faculty and staff, our school does much to invest in the future of our world through the formation of our young people. I’ve been more than impressed at the caliber of our school and its families. This weekend students from the school will be sharing a little bit at each of the Masses. They really do us proud.

I encourage you to take part in the various events being offered this week, particularly our Open Houses on Tuesday (Grades K-5) and Wednesday (Grades 6-8). You’ll see why our school does such a wonderful job reflecting the theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week: “Catholics Schools: Dividends for Life.” I also invite you to support a special collection to support our school next weekend. Your gift is an investment in the future of St. John the Evangelist School.

Also this weekend we launch the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. I’m sure you’ve been reading about it in the bulletin for the last few weeks and are quite familiar by now with the many good works supported by the Appeal both in and outside our archdiocese. Today’s bulletin includes a special insert detailing the impact that your pledge can make. The Appeal supports ministries and outreaches in the areas of education, evangelization, and social outreach. I can’t encourage you enough to join me in supporting the Appeal. Together, we can make a difference. I challenge every parish family to make a pledge to this year’s Appeal as we stand with our Archbishop and brothers and sisters around the archdiocese in answering God’s call. Individually, we can each do a little. Together, we can do more than any of us could ever imagine!

Have a blessed week.

Many parts, one body - January 24, 2010

2010-01-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

I thank those of you who have other allegiences for your forbearance these past months. I know I can be a bit obnoxious during football season! A few of you asked me who I’m pulling for now. I don’t have any strong feelings, but I think I’ll pull for the Vikings. I have a thing for storybook endings, and having a 40-year-old quarterbook come out of retirement to lead a team to the Super Bowl fits the bill. We’ll see. If not the Vikings, then I’ll pull for the Saints.

This weekend’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Christians at Corinth speaks of unity in Christ’s Body. The Church is the Body of Christ on earth and, as St. Paul points out, is composed of many parts, many members. Each of us has a function, each of us has a role in the Church’s mission.

In this Year for Priests, much is made of the importance of the ministry of the ordained, and I believe rightly so. Certainly we live in an age where in the eyes of the world the demands of priesthood seem a bit strange. In a world preoccupied with wealth, sex, and power the idea of committing one’s life to a vision rooted in simplicity, celibacy, and obedience does go against the grain. While no one can deny that we have a shortage of priests in the United States (and much of the West), I personally believe that we live in a culture that doesn’t do much to support the idea of religious vocations. In our own archdiocese there are a number of parishes that are awaiting the assignment of a priest.

However, while much is made of the shortage of clergy, there is also a shortage of lay ecclesial ministers such as religious educators, youth ministers, and ministers to the sick. One of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council was the calling of the laity to more active involvement in the work of the Church. While no one would argue that lay ministry was non-existent prior to Vatican II, as there were many flourishing apostolates active around the world, it has been in the last 50 years that we seen an explosion of opportunities for full time lay ministers, particularly on the parish level.

The reality is that no one person (such as a pastor), or even small group of people (like parish staff) can do it all. It takes everyone in the parish doing their parts. The problem is that in most organizations, churches included, is that a group of faithful volunteers surface who then are called upon over and over again. Ultimately, they burn out and then pull back. Wouldn’t it be great to change that paradigm to one where everyone is called to do something and no one is expected to do everything.

Still being new, I am still learning the ropes of how things operate at St. John’s. I’ve encountered a number of faithful people who do a lot of things. Yet, it’s obvious to me that we need many more people who are willing to simply do something. I’ll tell you what could help me out personally in my ministry as pastor. I need some names. I need names of people who have business acumen and could serve on our finance committee; you know, bankers, accountants, etc. . I need some people who have experience in fundraising and public relations who could help with some parish development – people who are good with communication. I need people who are saavy with all things technological, particularly computers. We need a pool of names for consideration to serve on such bodies as the pastoral council and school board as well: educators, administrators, business people, finance people.

In other words, whatever your gift, I’m sure we’ll find a place to use it! If you feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart, give me a call, drop me a note, or send me an email. It takes an entire community to make a vibrant parish and each and every one of you are part of this community.

The God of Surprises - January 17, 2010

2010-01-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend John’s gospel recounts the story of the wedding feast at Cana. Many of us know all the details that go into planning a wedding and the celebration following. I’ve presided at many weddings over the years, each of them as unique as the bride and groom themselves, yet there was usually one thing in common: some sort of gathering after the wedding liturgy to celebrate the new life of the happy couple. Some such celebrations can be quite elaborate while others might be more intimate. Normally, though, we are accustomed to wedding receptions that last an afternoon or evening. Not so in Jesus’ day! It was hardly uncommon for wedding feasts to span several days – even the better part of a week, as family, friends, and neighbors rejoiced with the happy couple.

The peculiarity in the gospel today, which recounts Jesus’ first public miracle, lies in the vintage of the water turned into wine. The headwaiter is befuddled that this new wine, being served well into the celebration, is of a better vintage than that which was served early on. Usually, the best was served first and as supplies became more scarce a lesser vintage was offered.

I believe this story can speak to those of us living the sacrament of marriage as well as all of us joined together in baptism. So often we expect that the best years have passed or that our usefulness has passed or that our best experiences have passed. In reality, Jesus surprises us in inviting us to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the best isn’t in the past. God has a lot in store for us that is good, if only we are open to it! That applies to us as individuals, particularly when we feel that we have fallen on tough times. Likewise it applies to us as Church. At time religion is portrayed as old, tired, and even irrelevant. Certainly our Catholic faith is old – dating back two millenia. Yet, as Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed at the beginning of his papacy: “The Church is young! The Church is new!” We are new in the sense of the gifts and graces that God wishes to pour out upon us. Marriages are young and new as spouses recommit themselves to one another and let the love of God shine forth. Our parish is young and new with the addition of each newly registered parishioner who comes to us bearing their own unique gifts, talents, and abilities joined to their gift of faith! As we find ourselves at the very beginning of a new year, and a new decade, let’s open ourselves up to God who wishes to surprise us with all sorts of new things!

There are so many ways that we can expose ourselves to the blessings that the Lord wishes to shower upon us. Perhaps we can drink of this new wine by commiting ourselves to a little more prayer. Maybe this is the year to consider taking part in a retreat. Maybe you’ve been reading of an activity, outreach, or ministry in the bulletin that intrigues you. Make a contact and try it out! We can always pull back if something isn’t working for us. But, most of all, pray about where God wants you and what God asks of you.

This week we’ll welcome home, Fr. Dominic Zimmerman, SOLT, who will be back on vacation from his parish ministry in Italy. He’ll serve as “chaplain” to the 6:30 AM Mass during the week, a Mass he assisted at as a lay minister for so many years. Welcome home, Fr. Dominic!

This week we mark the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and commit ourselves to prayer for an end to abortion. I encourage you to participate in the March for Life, with buses going from St. John’s to both the march and the Vigil Mass in Washington the evening before. Details are elsewhere in the parish bulletin. Life is such a precious gift from the Lord, that is so often taken for granted. Let us pray that we as Americans might come to reverence that gift from the moment of conception to natural death.

The Baptism [and Call] of the Lord ... and Us!

2010-01-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend’s celebration of the Lord’s Baptism closes out the formal celebration of the Christmas season – and what a glorious celebration it has been. Besides my dear Baltimore Ravens making it into the playoffs (sorry Pittsburgh fans!), last Sunday’s Epiphany Festival of Choirs was truly a magnificent showcasing of the ministry of music with which we are so blessed here at St. John’s! Did you know that, all told, we have almost 150 individuals involved in music ministry in some way here in our parish? Of course, they are spread out over many groups: Children’s Choir, Angel’s Sing Choir, Jubilate Singers, Contemporary Choir, Traditional Choir, Youth Ensemble, and Handbell Choir. In addition we have a number of faithful parishioners who participate as members of our Funeral Choir as well as cantors and instrumentalists! I’d like to thank Kevin Clemens, as well as Mary Tamplin and Barbara Lancaster, for the fine job that they do in conducting thse various groups that makes liturgical music accessible to all ages and genres!

Music ministry is but one way that we can respond to our baptismal call. Jesus’ baptism, while certainly not necessary for remission of sin, does serve as a public witness to those around him. It is at his baptism that the Lord’s identity is affirmed: This is my beloved Son. It is also there that Jesus begins his public ministry. Similarly, today we recall our own baptism with the Lord’s when we became one with Christ in identity and mission. Through our baptism into his death and resurrection we became one with him as fellow children of God! Likewise, through baptism we are called to fervent Christian witness as we continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and his Church! I challenge each parishioner in the coming year to take an inventory of your life and to prayerfully come before the Lord asking him where he may be leading you to be a modern day missionary. Perhaps he may call you to some direct service to the poor. Maybe he’ll whisper in the quiet of your heart that you can build his kingdom by sharing a particular ability to strengthen our parish community. There’s a chance God might call you to work with our young people in some way. It may be that he simply calls you to be a “prayer warrior,” interceding on behalf of others.

This week we also mark National Vocations Awareness Week. We need to continually pray for our priests; I know that I depend on your prayers! Likewise, let’s not forget others in service as deacons and vowed religious. Our parish benefits from the presence and ministry of all of these here. I know each time our school children receive the “traveling chalices” that they take home with a commitment to pray for us, my heart is warmed. In this Year of the Priest, I ask you to continue to support us with your prayers as well as with your assistance in the mission of our parish.

I do have some exciting news to share. St. John’s will be hosting a concert with Tony Melendez on Monday, January 25 at 7:00 PM in the church. Some of you may be familiar with Tony’s work. Born without arms, Tony learned to play the guitar, and do everything else, with his feet. He has a beautiful voice and a compelling testimony to share. You may remember him from Pope John Paul II’s visit to Los Angeles many years ago. He played for the pope who was so moved that he walked over to Tony and gave him a loving embrace! A free will offering will be taken and the public is invited. I encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren. This will be an edifying evening for all!

I’d like to bring to your attention our parish policy for inclement weather. To allow time for our lot to be cleared, and to insure the safety of our parishioners, if Anne Arundel County Schools are delayed or closed, the 6:30 AM. weekday mass will be cancelled, but the 8:30 AM. Mass will be celebrated. However, I ask that you use good judgment and not take unnecessary risks. On the weekends, we will generally have Masses unless the Archbishop makes an announcement. Check the parish website or call the Parish Office to confirm whether Masses will be celebrated.

St. John's to Host Tony Melendez in Concert

2010-01-07T11:11:00.001-08:00

St. John the Evangelist Church will be hosting TONY MELENDEZ in concert on Monday evening, January 25 at 7:00 PM in the church. All are invited and welcome to attend. A free will offering will be taken. This concert is presented by Debbie and Steve Peroutka and is co-sponsored by the Respect Life of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Many may remember years ago when Pope John Paul II made a stop in Los Angeles as part of his pastoral visit to the United States. Tony, an accomplished singer and guitarist despite having been born without arms, performed at a concert in the pope's presence. So moved was the Holy Father that he left his chair and went over to Tony and embraced him.

All are welcome to this evening which I'm sure you'll find edifying by Tony's music as well as his personal story. Bring your friends!

For directions to St. John's, go to www.stjohnsp.org/directions.

Epiphanies of the Lord

2010-01-07T11:08:00.001-08:00

I pray that your celebration of the holy days met all of your wildest dreams. As we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year (and new decade), I count myself so blessed to be among you. I would like to extend a word of thanks to all who worked so hard to make our celebration of Christmas so magnificent. Fr. Stew did a wonderful job in coordinating so many liturgies, and decorating our church with his team of volunteers. Thanks to you all! I have no idea of what previous numbers might have been, but we certainly had some spectacular crowds! Our music ministries did such a phenomenal job. While the music at each celebration was varied, the quality was consistent. I can’t begin to count the number of times folks came up to me complimenting our music program here, and that happens in no small part due to the diligence of our Director of Liturgical Music, Kevin Clemens. I don’t know how he does what he does, and he was by far the busiest person on the property on Christmas Eve! The music of our choir, contemporary ensemble, youth ensemble, children’s choir, and handbell choir – joined with the great support of our cantors and instrumentalists – made for a reverent and uplifting celebration of the sacred liturgy.

I would also like to thank all of those who ministered at our many liturgies, some of whom volunteered to assist at multiple liturgies: our faithful Deacons, Ushers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, and Altar Servers. Your dedicated service insured that our celebrations ran smoothly.

Thanks also to all who make up our community of worship for your generosity. First, thank you for your donations to this year’s Christmas collection. Your giving helps to insure that the many wonderful programs of our parish continue to reach so many people – programs that focus on worship, faith formation, and outreach to those in need. Secondly, our rectory residents would like to thank you for all the personal kindness that you have extended to us this year – cards, gifts, and words of affirmation. Personally, I have been made to feel so warmly welcomed by this community and thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. God bless each of you!

Our parish received a special gift this year. The estate of Joseph and Jean Carando included a bequest to St. John the Evangelist parish in the amount of $100,000. Mr. and Mrs. Carando were both faithful parishioners at St. John’s for many years and our parish held a special place in their hearts. We thank the Lord for their wonderful faith and we pray that they might now take their place at the heavenly banquet table.

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, which commemorates the visits of the magi to the newborn Christ Child. While traditionally we envision three kings from the east, the scriptures only tells us of the magi who came (no specific number) and no mention is made of royal heritage. But, consistent with pious custom, the scriptures do tell us that they followed the star until they reached the Holy Family and paid homage to the baby Jesus. The scripture also tells us that they returned home by a different way than that which they had travelled before. Of course, that was due in great part to their attempt to avoid another meeting with King Herod who was consumed with jealously at the prospect of another king of Israel. But it also speaks of how their lives must have changed, having encountered Jesus. Isn’t that what the Lord wants for all us? He wishes that we simply encounter him in a way that makes us see things differently, approach life differently, and be moved to go through life via “another way,” a route by which we follow his guidance, allowing his Word to be the “star” that leads us onward. Let this new year find us following Christ as our “star,” our leader, and our guide.

The Greatest Present is Presence - Letter for Christmas

2009-12-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank you for making the celebration of Mass at St. John’s part of your Christmas celebration. It is truly wonderful to have you with us and I pray that you will feel warmly welcomed, whether you are a regular worshipper here or are visiting with us for the first time! Know that there is a place for you here at St. John’s and we would love to have you be a part of the excitement of all that is happening here.

While one might argue that the most important celebration in the Christian calendar is that of Easter, there is little doubt that Christmas is by far the most popular of Christian observances. One might argue its merits, but everything around us reminds us of the celebration of Christmas from the decorations and the festive light shows to the smell of fresh baked treats and families gathered together for celebratory meals. This year we’re even blessed with a white Christmas – albeit through somewhat blizzard-like conditions!

The point is that the reality of Christmas has far less to do with presents, than it does with presence. On a purely human level, we know that the treasure of family and loved ones gathered together is far more durable and valuable than any gift, no matter how fancy the wrapping job. Likewise, the greatest gift that we celebrate this Christmas season also has to do with presence – the presence of God among his people as he took on human flesh in the person of Jesus. What a present!

It somewhat saddens me when we engage in all sorts of preparation for the celebration of Christmas and after the “big day” of December 25th that our observances come to what seems to be a screeching halt. I believe I much prefer the customs of some countries that observe at least the “12 days” of Christmas – culminating in the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th (or, in our case, the Sunday closest). Actually, liturgically the celebration extends through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, this year on Sunday, January 10th!

My point? Let’s not lose the significance of the season by packing up everything too quickly. This is a time to relish the presence of Jesus and celebrate it in so many ways. Obviously, we commemorate it each time we visit the creche, many of us observing ethnic customs such as taking a blade of straw. We celebrate his presence among us liturgically at Mass as we recognize the Lord present in the Word of God as it is proclaimed as well as in the consecration of the bread and wine into his sacred Body and Blood. We literally accept Christ into our lives and our hearts (and our bodies!) when we receive Holy Communion.

Yet, we also experience the Lord’s presence when our family and loved ones are gathered at table. We experience him in the laughter of children, the love of spouses, and an embrace of a dear one. We experience him present in the poor and needy, or in the lonely or grieving as we reach out to become Christ for one another. I’ve been here a short six months as pastor and have lost count already of the many ways and people through whom I’ve experienced Christ, and for that I am profoundly blessed.

I would like to bring to your attention a new snow closing/weather policy that we are implementing in the parish to insure the safety of parishioners as well as to allow ample time for our parking lot and sidewalks to be sufficiently cleared. The Archbishop reminded us this past week that there is no obligation to attend Mass when the roads are hazardous due to nasty weather conditions. I encourage you to always err on the side of caution.

I pray that this Christmas season is one whereby you experience the Lord’s presence to you in a special way. Let us pray for those who are separated from loved ones through death or distance, particularly remembering our service men and women who are stationed abroad, far from their loved ones. God bless you all this holy season!

Leaping for Joy - Fourth Sunday of Advent

2009-12-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

First, let me thank you all for your generosity both to our St. Vincent de Paul Advent Giving Tree Project as well as to our annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Your generosity thus far has yielded over $10,000 to each of these efforts. This is a wonderful testimony to the consciousness of our community regarding those in need. In this case, we help our neighbors in need to be able to celebrate the Christmas season with some festivity and also we engage in an act of gratitude for those sisters and religious priests and brothers who have so selflessly served God’s people. Locally, we are so fortunate to have the Sisters of St. Joseph as part of our community here at St. John’s. We are one of the few parishes in our archdiocese to have such a convent with half a dozen sisters, all whom contribute so much to us by their presence, their ministry and their prayers. Thank you so much! If you would still like to contribute to the collection for retired religious, you may place your envelope in the offertory and we’ll send it in.

This last week of Advent, a true blessing in that it is almost a full week, introduces Mary as a central figure as evident in today’s gospel reading. Mary, carrying our Blessed Lord in her womb, makes time to be of service to her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Filled with grace, blessed among women, Mary does the simple work of any disciple: bringing the presence of the Lord to those in need. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy! Elizabeth herself is humbled and edified by the presence of the mother of the Lord. When we carry Christ to others in our actions and attitudes it does make a difference!

I think of so many in our parish who “carry the Lord” and his presence to those in need such as our devoted pastoral visitors who bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound, and minister to those in hospitals and nursing home facilities. I look to those who volunteer to welcome the needy and offer assistance, to help them keep the heat on, maintain their residences, and put food on the table for their families. I see our devoted catechists and teachers of religion in our school, catechetical, and sacramental preparation programs who give of their time and example in presenting the faith to those striving to experience the loving presence of God. These are but a few instances of many where God works, like he did through Mary, in bringing his hopeful presence into a waiting world.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, please know that you are all in my prayers. I’m so looking forward to my first Christmas among you as your pastor. Our Christmas schedule is in today’s bulletin and on the parish website. From what I’m told, and is typical in many Catholic parishes, the earlier masses on Christmas Eve tend to be the most crowded, so if you’d like to be guaranteed a seat, I suggest the later masses, or coming to mass on Christmas Day.

Also, let’s make sure that we are a community that exercises hospitality. Know that there is a possibility that our regular seats may be occupied by visitors. Let’s make room for the crowds and help to make their celebration of Christmas a true encounter with the Lord so that they might “leap for joy” having come in contact with Jesus through us. You never know, our kindnesses just might be the impetus for their return to the Church if they’ve been away for awhile.

Let’s also keep in prayer, and be sensitive to, those who find the holidays to be difficult times, particularly those who have lost loved ones or are separated from them. In a special way, let’s keep our servicemen and women who are placed in harm’s way, in our prayers.

This was a good week for my Ravens. A score of 48-3 wasn’t too shabby! Again, my condolences to those who are Steeler fans. It must be tough being beaten by one of the worst teams in football. (I know, I need to go to confession!) Have a wonderful Christmas celebration. I pray you are able to spend time with those you hold most dear to your hearts.

Rejoice! - Pastor's Letter for December 13, 2009

2009-12-11T14:23:00.001-08:00

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally referred to as Gaudete Sunday. The word gaudete means “to rejoice,” and the designation comes from the entrance antiphon of today’s Mass: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice! The Lord is near. We hear these words in the second reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Phillipians as well. Today, departing from the rest of the season, flowers are permitted in church and the priest may wear rose vestments, paralleling the lighting of the third (rose) candle on the Advent wreath.

I remember as a little child growing up, I was taught that it was impolite to point. As I grew older, I was taught that it was also unacceptable to “point a finger” at another person in an accusatory fashion. Well, in today’s gospel reading we again encounter John the Baptist who does engage in some pointing, but in this case it is to direct people’s attention away from himself and to look towards the One who was to come, the true Messiah. He also points out particular ways that we are called to live our lives.

If nothing else, John was a fiery preacher. He didn’t mince his words. He was one of the individuals who would “tell it like it is.” For the most part, his exclamations were common sensical: Share with the person who has none. Stop collecting more than is prescribed. Do not practice extortion. Do not falsely accuse. Be satisfied with your wages. In other words, he was telling those who were inquiring as to the demands of the gospel, as he tells us today, that we need to keep a sense of priority and not be people who give into selfishness and greed.

Certainly this is a season of giving in so many ways. Yet, at the same time for years we’ve heard about the over commericialization of the Christmas holiday. It really demands on the part of us Christians to evaluate (and re-evaluate) our sense of priorities to strike a balance. I find my personal examen to be one of seeking balance in my giving – and not forgetting the poor or less fortunate. We certainly have ample opportunities through participation in our parish Giving Tree project, or donating to such worthy causes as the Retired Religious collection, which is really an act of thanksgiving for the tireless efforts of so many who have lived the consecrated life and ministered to us, particularly in the fields of education, not to mention health care, social action, missionary works, and so many other ways.

I’m so edified by the dedicated giving on so many fronts here in our parish. I’d like to thank our scouts who gave of their time, in the midst of last weekend’s snow, to put up the nativity scene facing Ritchie Highway, a powerful reminder to passersby of the central focus of this holy season. Likewise, I’d like to thank the choir for their wonderful presentation of Lessons and Carols last Sunday. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend due to that flareup of gout or, as I like to call it, my “football injury.” Last weekend our confirmation candidates and their sponsors gathered for an afternoon of reflection. Those who agree to journey with our youth, as they make their commitment to the gospel their own, are truly engaging in an act of giving – as they give witness, give time, and give example to living life as a disciple of Jesus.

I hope that you will take some time today to rejoice in the love of God shown to us through the person of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in spending time with family and good friends. Rejoice in the victories of one’s favorite team, particularly if they happen to wear purple and hail from Baltimore! So many times I think we rob ourselves of precious life, in the way the Lord challenges us to live, by overlooking the joys and focusing exclusively on our problems, concerns, and worries.

In these next few weeks as we enter the celebration of the holiday season, let’s not forget those who do find this time of year difficult, particularly through the pain that comes from being separated from loved ones, be it by physical distance or perhaps through death. In a special way, let’s not forget our servicemen and women who are serving abroad, away from family and friends.

However, regardless of circumstances, let us never surrender our joy. In the words of St. Paul: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

Filling valleys and leveling hills - Pastor's Letter for December 6, 2009

2009-12-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

For the next two weekends, a central figure in the gospel readings is St. John the Baptist. By all accounts, John was a bit of a character. His was a life lived radically in response to his call to be the “forerunner” to the Messiah. It was his role to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. His was a call to the masses to repentance and radical conversion. As a rather charismatic figure, he drew large crowds as well as his own disciples. Many regard John the Baptist as a prophet, similar to those of the Old Testament like Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. His was a message focused on the imminence of God, the closeness of God. His is a call that the Church continues to issue to this day and to which she herself must respond daily.

John’s life was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy which called for a radical change in the spiritual landscape: valleys being filled, mountains and hills made low, winding roads made straight, rough ways made smooth. Can we see ourselves in that call? I know I can!

Certainly a busy time of year, the weeks leading up to Christmas can sometimes pose more of a distracticn to our spiritual lives than assistance in developing them. Yet, John’s call echoes to us today to ready ourselves to meet the Messiah, ready ourselves to encounter the Lord. What are some ways that we might effectively do that?

I personally believe that much of the tried and true can be effective. As a primary way of meeting the Lord we Catholics have the treasure of our sacramental lives. Certainly we should never take for granted the great gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. Maybe these weeks might offer an invitation for us to not just arrive on time for Mass, but perhaps a few minutes early to collect ourselves and spend a few precious moments before the Lord in prayer. Likewise, this may also be a time for us to break any habits of dashing out immediately following Holy Communion. While occasionally we may justifiably be pressed for time and have to make an early exit, the norm of our worship should be to strive for full and active participation, allowing time after receiving the Lord to give thanks and to stay through the dismissal. If we are a bit leary of the church parking lot, better to hang around for a few minutes after the crowds disperse than to be the first one on Ritchie Highway.

We also have a great treasure in the Sacrament of Reconciliation that specializes in levelling mountains and straighening paths! My experience here has been that we have a goodly number of penitents each weekend. Yet, I’m sure there are some who may have still been away from the sacrament for awhile. Please consider this an invitation to return to the practice of going to confession, a truly healing sacrament. We have confessions each Saturday as well as a Penance Service on Tuesday, December 15th at 7 PM with a number of visiting priests if you happen to prefer going to “Father Visitor.” What is most important is confronting our sins that cause our spiritual paths to become rather crooked or bumpy and let the healing power of God straighten things out. If you’re nervous, or fear forgetting the prayers, just tell the priest. It’s our job to make sure it all happens. God requires only a contrite heart on your part!

I ask that you keep our Pastoral Council in your prayers. I have asked the Pastoral Council to review and update the Strategic Initiative that the parish produced about two years ago and to re-evaluate it. Personally, I intend to “re-baptize” it as a Parish Pastoral Plan, as a reminder that all that we do needs to be rooted in meeting the pastoral needs of our parishioners as well as those who are visitors to St. John’s. I’m also asking the Council to engage in some restructuring as well as expanding the participation of our wider parish community. It will be a process that should be in place by next fall and one that I believe will enable me to utilize the Pastoral Council as a more active advisory body.

This weekend we welcome Fr. Paschal Morlino, O.S.B., from St. Benedict Church in Baltimore. He is celebrating the 5:15 Saturday Mass and St. Benedict’s Religious Articles shop will be in the Narthex after Mass. I encourage you to support them by purchasing some of their beautiful religious articles which in turn supports the inner city parish.

"Your redemption is at hand" - Pastor's letter for Nov. 29, 2009 - First Sunday of Advent

2009-11-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New (Liturgical) Year! This weekend we enter the holy season of Advent and enter a new church year. Having closed the liturgical year with the triumphal feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King (kudos to our music ministries for such a wonderful job at last weekend’s “high” masses!), we now enter a season that is noted for its quiet expectant waiting as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas. I pray that you had a wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with those you love.

Congratulations are in order for Mr. Kevin Clemens, our Director of Liturgical Music, who presented a phenomenal organ recital last Sunday evening to a crowd of over 100 people. As I have said before, we are indeed blessed to have such a marvelous music ministry here at St. John’s, and that is due in good part to the wonderful instrument that we are blessed with as well as the phenomenal musician at the console!

Also, I’d like to welcome back the members of the mission team who recently participated in a trip as part of our Jamaican Outreach to our sister parishes of St. Philomena and St. Margaret Mary in the Diocese of Mandeville. Our team worked with parishioners there in painting one of the churches, making it look brand new. Fr. Joe, the pastor, commented that he wanted the bishop to come rededicate it because it looked like a brand new building from the outside. I’m hopeful that we will be able to continue our parish support to our Jamaica brothers and sisters. Also, thanks to the rest of the team members who kept an eye on Sr. Maureen and insured that she made it home safe and sound!

I’d again like to thank those of you who have returned your Stewardship Commitment Form. You can still return them via the collection or send them to the Parish Office. I know that together we can close the gap in our offertory giving. If you are able, I’d ask that you prayerfully consider a special end-of-year gift to the parish at Christmas.

No doubt, you’ve already seen signs of Christmas in retail establishments. Personally, I found it rather strange for Christmas decorations to be out with Halloween costumes and candy! Yet, prayerfully, we are called to reflection and contemplation of the great mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation, his taking on human flesh and becoming one with us, that should be our focus. I encourage you to make the most of these weeks of preparation. Certainly, there are lists of things that need to be accomplished over the next four weeks – shopping, decorating, planning – yet it’s important that we make, and take, time to enter the mystery of Advent. Obviously our church décor doesn’t match our experience in the shopping areas. Gradually we’ll see the light of the Advent wreath grow through the four weeks. Simplicity is the mark of the season until we celebrate the grandeur of the Christmas season.

The gospel reading for this First Sunday of Advent is rather sobering. Jesus speaks of a number of frightful things accompanying the last days. I think we are often tempted to look at our own “signs of the times” and certainly make connections. We live in a world that is hardly peaceful. We feel for those who are victims of natural disasters. We can feel rather unsettled when we hear of regions that are politically unstable. Of course, we all have our own personal stories that include periods of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, or even depression. In the midst of any of these we need to hear the Lord’s words of encouragement: “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Let this be a season that finds us with hearts filled with holy expectation at the coming of the Lord! Indeed, the Lord came in history through his birth and he will come again in glory with salvation for his people. But let us also greet the Lord who comes to us today: liturgically, in Word and Sacrament, but also in our daily lives through the people we love, the experiences that we have, and the quiet moments of prayer that we take. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Viva Cristo Rey! - Pastor's Letter for November 22, 2009

2009-11-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend we enter the last week of Ordinary Time with the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. As you may have noticed, our scripture readings at Mass invite us to look forward and beyond life as we know it on earth, to the fullness of time when the Kingdom of God will be experienced in its entirety. One of my favorite holy folks is Blessed Miguel Pro, a young Jesuit priest who was martyred during the Mexican revolution when faithful Catholics and church leaders suffered great persecution. When I took part in Spanish immersion experiences in Guadalajara, Mexico the last two winters I became more familiar with the great martyrs of the faith in the early 20th century. Bl. Miguel, rather than agree to abandon the practice of his priesthood and his Catholic faith, chose the crown of martyrdom. He was executed by firing squad and his last words were Viva Cristo Rey! – “Long live Christ, the King!” As we celebrate this great feast we are reminded that Christ is Lord and King over all things and all circumstances and that all things fit into his plan and serve a higher purpose, albeit difficult for us to understand.

Next Sunday we begin the season of Advent. You can imagine how excited I am that, for four weeks, the predominant liturgical color will be purple. Isn’t is wonderful how the liturgy accomodates the fervor of us Ravens fans? I do strongly encourage you to take advantage of our Advent Fair that will take place on Saturday from 4:00-7:00 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM in the auditorium. There will be activities for all ages, resources for your Advent reflection, and the opportunity to make an Advent wreath for use at home. What a great way to get the season started right!

I would like to thank all those who worked so hard on this year’s gala, the “Fall Gallop.” Amy Lukas, event chair, and her committee did a fantastic job in putting together a quality event. I was personally amazed! What a fun night and wonderful celebration of community, not to mention a great opportunity to support the ministries of our parish, school, and religious education and youth programs! If you weren’t able to make it this year, plan on it for next year. Initial estimates are that we made over $30,000 to support the aforementioned programs. Thanks to all who participated (particularly those who raised the money to get me out of “jail!”)

Thanks also to everyone who filled out and returned a “Commitment of Treasure” card for our fall stewardship effort. To date we have received over 500 responses, and I hope to acknowledge each of them and to address any comments offered. This weekend there are additional cards in the pews. If you have not already made known your offertory commitment, I ask that you take one, fill it out, and either place it in the collection or return it to the Rectory. When all of us join our gifts together, wonderful things can happen.

As you may have heard in the news, the U.S. Bishops approved the last leg of the new English translations of the Roman Missal, the book of prayers used in the celebration of Mass. These now go to Rome for final approval and it is now estimated that they will be implemented as early as Advent, 2011. Sufficient time is needed for the composition of new musical settings of the sung parts of the Mass as well as for publishers to release educational materials for clergy and the faithful to insure as smooth an implementation as possible. From what I have seen, the prayers have been translated more literally from the Latin and employ more elevated liturgical language. Initially, I suspect, it will take some getting used to, but I doubt the changes will be anywhere near as major as those immediately following Vatican II. We’ll certainly do our part to prepare our parish community as more information becomes available. You can access more information at www.usccb.org/romanmissal.

Also, we are implementing a minor change at Mass. From now on the announcements will follow the General Intercessions and, if there are two collections, they will be taken back to back. It is hoped that this will improve the flow of the liturgy, particularly the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and would eliminate any possible distraction from our post-Communion reflection. Think of it as a “bridge” between Word and Eucharist.

Passing the hat - Pastor's letter for November 15, 2009

2009-11-18T05:19:00.000-08:00

As we come towards the end of the liturgical year (Advent begins in just two short weeks, if you can believe it) the Church gives us some rather sobering scripture readings for reflection. Any scripture passage that even broaches the topics of the end of the world understandably brings a feeling of uneasiness to even the most devout Christian. Yet, one needs to realize that through it all, one message remains clear; that is, that while the things of earth may be temporary or transitory, the Kingdom of God and the words of Jesus will never pass away. Rather, God’s Kingdom in its fullness is the very fulfillment of the gospel message and something that the faithful anxiously await! I know that at times we Catholics can be intimidated when confronted by zealous individuals who claim to have all the “correct” interpretations of biblical prophecy. Rather, Jesus reminded his disciples that even he himself didn’t know the day nor the hour when the world would end. More importantly, that knowledge of that to come is simply living one’s life daily seeking to please God and follow His will for us. The bottom line is that when all is said and done, God wins!

This weekend I am speaking at all the Masses as we observe our annual stewardship weekend. It hasn’t taken me long to discover how busy and active a parish St. John’s is. As I’m still in the early stages of my pastorate at St. John’s, I hesitate to propose any detailed plans for the future. However, some things are rather obvious:

• At some point in the very near future, taking into consideration the state of the economy, we will have to address the limitations that we experience with space. The Master Plan study that took place in recent years call for additional classroom space for our school and religious education programs, additional meeting room space, a parish center, and a gymnasium, not to mention some improvements to our church building. God bless those who balance all the needs and requests for meeting space.

• We have so many dedicated volunteers in so many areas, but we also have many untapped gifts and talents in this community. Our census records reflect a parish of some 3,300 households (11,000 people!), yet our weekend Mass attendance doesn’t come close to those numbers. This tells me that we need to step into high gear and engage in what Pope John Paul II termed the “new evangelization” of calling people back to the practice of the faith. This is something that we all have a responsibility to do. As is true of many parishes, some of the same people are involved in many, many things and over time that can become difficult. I see a need for more people to step up and get engaged in the great work of this community. There’s a lot to do! Have you noticed how comprehensive this bulletin alone is?

• We need to be a community that reverences and supports family life through offering programs and activities that are “family friendly” and encourage our community to join together in activities that nourish the body, mind, and spirit. At the same time, we can never be a community that excludes those who don’t fit into a particularly mold. We do have the capability of having a parish that literally offers something for everyone, where every person is valued and each one’s gifts are utilized.

• And, yes, we need money. A parish this size is a large operation and there is always a need to be fulfilled, something to be repaired or replaced, or a situation to be addressed. Our giving is our concrete way of stating that we know that all we have is a gift from God and our giving is an act that says we count ourselves as significant members of this community. I would never ask you to do anything that I am not willing to do myself. Simply put, I ask you to prayerfully consider giving in accordance with your means. I personally strive to give 10% of my income divided between my parish (now St. John’s) and other worthy charities such as the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, my college, my seminary, and other charitable groups.

I simply ask that you prayerfully examine your level of giving, and do what you can to maintain or increase it a bit, as your means allow. I am committed to transparency regarding parish finances through the publication of a forthcoming annual report as well as being receptive to your inquiries. My promise to you is that I will strive to be a good steward of the gifts that you offer – financial, as well as your time and talent – so that none are wasted and that all build up God’s Kingdom. I also ask that you let us know how much we can count on. As you may have noticed we are running a little less than $2,000 short each week (that could mean about a $100,000 shortage in income come July 1). I am confident that we can pull together and meet the challenges that lie ahead of us. God bless you all for your generosity.

The mite, and might, of a widow - Pastor's letter for November 8, 2009

2009-11-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

We find ourselves in the final weeks of the liturgical year, and our readings provide us with thoughts to ponder, particularly regarding those things which matter most. The familiar gospel story of the widow’s mite provides a wonderful example about how to keep our priorities straight. Caryll Houselander, the British mystic, speaks of Christian poverty as being distinct from destitution. While God does not call everyone to material destitution, God does call us to spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty is that idea that while be may possess things, we do not allow them to possess us. Rather, it reminds us that all that we have is a gift – blessings from God – and that we are called to be good stewards with what we have. The poor widow presents a heroic example of one whose faith in the Lord was so intense, that even in her material destitution (she had only two meager coins) she had the faith to give all she had to God!

Certainly in economic times such as these we may all rightly be a bit more conservative in our spending, yet the Gospel reminds us that we should not be conservative in displaying generosity. We still have a calling to recognize our blessings for what they are and to “give back” according to our means. Indeed, this isn’t limited to our material wealth, but also our time and talents as well as our greatest treasure – our faith in Christ. So, we might all do well to take a spiritual inventory of those blessings – material and spiritual – and examine how we’ve been generous in sharing them so that God’s Kingdom might be realized.

As the national debate regarding health care continues, I urge you to let your voice be heard to our national leaders. The U.S. Bishops have spoken with clarity that the Catholic Church fully supports the goal of universal health care for all people. Certainly, the finer points of such a goal could be legitimately debated. However, one thing that we cannot support is the inclusion of abortion services in any national health care package. Those would be our tax dollars that would fund, and expand funding, of abortions. I believe Archbishop Dolan of New York put it succinctly when he said that health care must be healthy, including the unborn in their mother’s wombs. Please, let your voice be heard, particularly to our Maryland congressional delegation.

This weekend we welcome members of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor who are worshipping with us at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. As you might recall, the majority of this formerly Anglican community were received into full communion with the Catholic Church (along with our intern, Warren Tanghe, who served as their chaplain) this past September. They are now currently in the process of having their religious community officially recognized by the Catholic Church. It is truly a joy to welcome these wonderful sisters in Christ.

Also this weekend we celebrate Msgr. John Auer’s birthday! He will turn 80 this coming Friday, Nov. 13. There will be punch and cake in the auditorium following the 12:00 Noon Mass. All are cordially welcome to come extend best wishes and God’s blessings to him for all the good priestly ministry he has engaged in over the years. Ad multos annos!

And, of course, no pastor’s letter would be complete without my two cents worth regarding the Ravens! What a game, last Sunday! It was no small feat taking down the (up to then) undefeated Denver Broncos, 30-7! Wow! Can I say that again? Wow! It just goes to show you that undefeated does not mean unbeatable, and to put more of a faith spin on it all, “With God all things are possible.” (So, Steeler fans, know that this season is far from over!)

I hope to see you at St. John’s Fall “Gallop” next Saturday! It promises to be a wonderful time as well as a major fundraiser that supports so much of the good work that goes on here in our school, parish, and religious education and youth programs. I’m thinking I might bid on the horse. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful Christmas present for Fr. Stew? What do you think?

Remembering our loved ones - Pastor's letter for November 1, 2009

2009-11-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

After Mass last weekend one of our younger parishioners said to me, “How about a little love for the Redskins, Father?” Okay, in fairness, I’ve mustered up some: Go Redskins! (Sorry, that’s the best I can do!) I am grateful that the Ravens avoided another mark in the loss column last weekend (since they didn’t play). Hopefully they’re all well rested to take on Denver this weekend! Rest assured, I do think of more than football. This week I become a Phillies fan if for no other reason than the fact that they are facing the Yankees, my least favorite team in major league baseball. But please, don’t tell [New York native] Archbishop O’Brien. I don’t want to get into trouble!

Msgr. John Auer celebrates his 80th birthday on Nov. 13th . To mark this milestone, Msgr. Auer will be celebrating the 12:00 Noon Mass next Sunday and we will have a little punch and cake in the auditorium afterwards. Feel free to bring or send a card for Msgr. Auer for his special day! We are indeed blessed by his faithful ministry among us.

I was saddened to learn that Cindy Barnes would no longer be able to continue working in the Parish Office. This past Tuesday was her last day. Cindy has been a wonderful presence with a ministerial heart in dealing with parishioners and visitors to the office. I thank her for her faithful service and wish her well! Kitt O’Brien, who has been working Fridays, will be filling Cindy’s position and we are fortunate to have her.

This week we celebrate the “twin feasts” of All Saints and All Souls. Sometimes the distinction between the two feasts gets lost on some folks. Today’s celebration of All Saints focuses on all those who are in heaven celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They are those faithful souls who now see God face to face. Certainly numbered among them are those that have been through the Church’s canonization process. (To be clear, they are not in heaven because they’ve been canonized. Rather, they were canonized because they are faithful souls who provide wonderful Christian role models for us all.) Also, we celebrate that there are countless other “saints” who are with the Lord whose names escaped universal recognition. Certainly among them would be members of our own families. Today we invoke them and seek their prayers as fellow Christians. Traditional language speaks of them all as members of the “Church Triumphant.”

Monday, Nov. 2nd is the Feast of All Souls. If those in heaven are members of the Church triumphant, the souls in purgatory would be part of the “Church suffering.” Some mistakenly have the impression that after Vatican II the Church renounced a belief in purgatory. Not so. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1031) states: The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.” In other words, purgatory is that process of purification that perfects us, making us worthy to stand in the presence, and see the face, of God. During this month of November we pray in a special way for our beloved dead, that they may be freed from any attachment to sin and be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom.

Much of traditional language has spoken of purgatory in terms of a “cleansing fire,” perhaps giving the wrong impression that purgatory is like a little corner of hell that some visit before going to heaven. I prefer some other analogies. For instance, I see purgatory as being somewhat like an auto body shop. While a vehicle might run well, sometimes it has dents that need to be addressed, or requires a new paint job to make a good appearance. Purgatory is that process where our souls get a bit of an “overhaul,” recognizing the basic goodness of a person, but getting rid of those dents and scratches that symbolize unrepented sins. It really is a process of perfecting us. In many ways, purgatory is a gift whereby God completes the process of making us into the people we were all created to be. Some perhaps experienced their purgatories on earth, as we know many of the saints did through acts of self-denial. Some of us, certainly myself included, need a little more help. I encourage you to take part in our Solemn Mass of Remembrance on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. as we pray in a special way for our beloved deceased brothers and sisters, particularly those from St. John’s who were buried over the past year. It’s a beautiful, consoling liturgy.

Get up! Jesus is calling you! - Pastor's Letter for October 25, 2009

2009-10-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend’s gospel reading contains the familiar story of the healing of the blind man Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is certainly an example in fortitude, continually crying out to Jesus, even as those around him begged him to be quiet. Yet, once Jesus calls him the words of those around the blind man are challenging: Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you. Sometimes in our lives we find ourselves like the blind man. We cry out to God looking for relief from whatever may be burdening us, yet when the time comes we still need that encouraging affirmation that Jesus is indeed calling us.

I believe those are words that pack a punch for us today as individuals, as a parish, as an archdiocese, and as the Body of Christ on earth. It’s not difficult to count the troubles present in our world. We’ve known our share of scandals. We live in a world where organized religion is often labeled as irrelevant. We sometimes become discouraged when others don’t live up to our expectations. In essence, we live in a world where all of us have at times lost a sense a vision, blinded by our own personal sins or the sins of others. Yet we continue to cry out to God for some sense of relief.

And God answers. Indeed, we need to continually remind ourselves to Get up, Jesus is calling you. Sometimes priests struggle with their faith in today’s climate and need to hear those words from their parishioners. Indeed, we priests need to continue to repeat those words to the faithful when they are disillusioned: Get up, Jesus is calling you. We need to constantly remind each other that Jesus is calling us out of our clouded vision to one that is crystal clear.

We as a parish community need to be a visioning community; that is, we need to pray and discern, embrace and implement a vision for our life as a people of faith. There is no excuse as to why any of us should simply be “pew potatoes,” passive spectators. All of us have a stake in this community just as all of us have a stake in the faith. It is the most precious gift we have as it provides sight and insight, even in the midst of a changing world. I promise that you’ll hear more about this from me in the coming year.

Speaking of being called, there have been some discussions regarding how accurate our parish records are. In order to assure effective, ongoing communication with our parishioners – including those who may not regularly read the bulletin, some members of our parish finance committee have volunteered to contact a select number of parishioners simply to verify the accuracy of our records. I ask that you welcome their call. Also, if you have had any changes to your address, telephone, email, or any other information, please send an email or a note to the Parish Office so we can update our records. If there are substantial changes, consider filling out a parish registration form and note that you are updating the information to an existing registration.

Also, I’d like to put out the word for a plea. We’ll have a wonderful Children’s Liturgy of the Word program that currently is limited to the 5:15 p.m. Mass on Saturdays. We’d like to see it’s return to the 9:00 a.m. Mass and possibly others. However, that can only be done if we have people willing to volunteer as leaders and assistants. The CLOW includes scripture readings and a children’s homily geared towards those aged 4 through fourth grade. If you could lend a hand, we’d appreciate it. Of course, STAND training is mandatory of all volunteers to insure a safe environment for our kids. If you’re interested, please give a call to the Parish Office and we’ll get you started on your way.

Have a great week! Go RAVENS!

Pastor's Letter - October 18, 2009

2009-10-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank everyone who participated in our parish observance of Forty Hours this past week. It was truly edifying to see people in church, throughout those days, praying before the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. Likewise, thanks to all those who made our liturgies so prayerful. Kevin Clemens and our choir did a magnificent job at the closing liturgy on Tuesday evening. Thanks to Fr. Stew for coordinating the liturgies. It was great to have so many priests and deacons present for the closing celebration. I pray that the many graces that were poured out upon our community will be multiplied in the coming year.

About the only thing that wasn’t good last weekend was the Ravens game. Although a 3-2 record isn’t bad at this point. What’s more disturbing is that I’ve noticed that every time I watch a Ravens game my cats seem to get in a fight. While there were indeed some questionable calls in the last couple of games, I’m now trying to figure out whether it’s Sidney or Mickey who isn’t a Ravens fan! God help the cat that turns out to be pulling for the Steelers in a few weeks!

This weekend we celebrate the Rite of Acceptance for our RCIA catechumens and candidates. The catechumens are those preparing for Baptism at Easter while the candidates are those already baptized and preparing to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. This is the first ritual landmark for them. Please keep our RCIA participants in your prayers this year as they make this wonderful journey towards becoming full members of our community. Thanks to Jen Mayer and the entire RCIA team and sponsors for engaging in this truly good work!

This weekend we celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick at the Noon Mass. This is a time when we literally surround with our prayers our brothers and sisters who are dealing with any sort of serious, chronic, or terminal illness or who are of advanced age or preparing for surgery. Our late Holy Father Pope John Paul II, I believe, provided a wonderful public witness to the redemptive value of suffering. He joined his sufferings to those of the Lord Jesus. Our parish has a very active ministry to the sick and homebound of our community. Holy Communion is given to our brothers and sisters in nursing homes, hospitals, and to their own homes. Sr. Maureen and our many volunteers do such a wonderful job of providing pastoral care to these dear ones, reminding them that they are not forgotten and still hold a special place in our parish. Thanks to all who work so diligently in this critical ministry!

It’s funny that this weekend’s gospel is one where we find the disciples vying for pride of place near the Lord Jesus. He reminds them, and us, that it is not the exercise of power that is important, but rather the exercise of service. May all that we do in our lives be at the service of our brothers and sisters and the service of God’s Kingdom.

Forty hours of prayer - Pastor's Letter for October 11, 2009

2009-10-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

There was a time after the Second Vatican Council that many parishes abandoned this traditional practice. While it is certainly true that Eucharist is an action that the community enters into, as Catholic Christians we hold that the mystery of the Eucharistic presence of Christ extends beyond the actual celebration of the Mass. I’ve been edified at the number of people that I’ve encountered in our church praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Coming before the Lord provides comfort and solace. While we can certainly pray at any moment, in any place, and in any circumstance, there is something about our physical walking into God’s house (and the house of God’s people), plopping ourselves down on our knees (forgive the earthiness of the image, but it’s real in my experience), and literally placing ourselves before the presence of God. Like those who seek the warmth of the beach to experience the benefit of the sun’s rays, we come before the Son to bask in his Presence.

The reserved (and exposed) Blessed Sacrament draws us deeper into the heart of the Eucharistic mystery. Our very presence before the Lord should stir up in us a deeper hunger for participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as well as a deeper union with our Risen Lord.

Last weekend we heard a “hard saying” of Jesus when he spoke of the sanctity of marriage. I propose to you all to embrace as a central prayer intention these three days the strengthening of families. Let our parish family draw close to the heart of Christ and be joined together, bonded by our oneness with the Lord. Let the families of our parish, and world, be sustained and strengthened as they come to know, respond to, and reflect the love of God in their lives. Let our prayers lead to the safeguarding and strengthening of families in our community, our nation, and our world reflecting the purity and dedication of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

I encourage you to do all that you can to commit yourself to an hour (or part of an hour) over the next three days. Equally importantly, please try to make time to be present for the closing service or Mass on Monday and Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. I will be including a talk/homily that I hope will be practical for developing a personal and family Eucharistic-centered spirituality.

Elsewhere in the bulletin, please take note of a series of presentations being offered by our Archdiocesan Tribunal regarding marriage and annulments. So often people have limited, and incorrect, information regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching regarding marriage, divorce, and the annulment process. Divorced people incorrectly believe they are excommunicated. Others don’t understand why it’s so important to have one’s marriage be recognized by the Church. The presentations are geared to bring clarity and good solid teaching.

Well, in case you are wondering, I thought I was going to have a heart attack during last weekend’s Ravens game! I think I’ve recovered and am ready to look to the rest of the season! It was a well-played (if not well-refereed, ouch!) game. But this weekend, the Eucharist is central! (But I will be anxious to see the outcome.) I hope to see you in church this week!

Life-giving, loving families - Pastor's letter for October 4, 2009

2009-10-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe that we have already passed into the month of October. It guess it’s true that time flies when you’re having fun! (Others tell me that just happens when you get older. I choose to believe it’s because of all the fun I’m having.) Of course, I must make mention of the Ravens decisive victory last Sunday (and must admit that I smiled more than just a little bit upon hearing of the Steelers loss!), and pray that this Raven fan won’t be eating crow after this weekend’s game against New England.

The scripture readings this weekend are challenging ones, yet speak volumes to our culture today. The gospel includes one of the “hard sayings” of Jesus, namely, the prohibition of divorce. Having been a product of a family touched by divorce, I know well the pain that is involved when families are torn apart by physical and emotional separation.

Marriage and family is certainly under attack in our culture today. I don’t for one moment believe that to be intentional in any way; however, one can see how marriage is undermined in many subtle ways. Statistics show that fewer couples are opting for church weddings. This is particularly challenging to us as Catholic Christians as it somehow betrays a lack of formation regarding marriage as a sacrament and the sacred nature of marriage. It behooves us to be more concentrated and clear in our teaching regarding the necessity of marriage in the Church and the importance of having God at the center of one’s relationship.

We also live in a culture that has taken for granted, and almost expects, that couples will live together prior to getting marriage. The statistics are staggering in that roughly 60% of cohabitating couples will divorce within ten years after being married. What often was seen as a “trial marriage” or a means of “making sure that this is the right person” has backfired. Some theorize that it becomes easier to rationalize a breech in living a chaste marriage, as chastity wasn’t expected prior to marriage.

October is also Respect Life Month. Locally we are involved in the 40 Days for Life prayer effort as well as launching the nine-month Spiritual Adoption program. Both are prayer efforts. I personally believe that strengthening families is another means towards reverencing human life. When a young woman is pregnant and unmarried, making the decision to give birth to a child seems overwhelming when there is no perceived support on the part of the father, one’s family, or even community. The decision to terminate a life becomes the more convenient choice, so it would seem. We as a community need to commit ourselves not only to prayer, but also to active support, for those dealing with unplanned pregnancies. We also need to commit ourselves to transmitting faithfully the scriptural and church teaching regarding marriage and chaste relationships.

Sometimes I think we underestimate the ability of our young people to make good choices and exercise self-control. We believe that educating them on the proper use of birth control will solve the problem of unwanted pregnancy. Yet, there are so many of those young mothers who still experience pregnancy outside of marriage. Abstinence before marriage is the only 100% effective form of avoiding an unplanned pregnancy as well as not contracting a sexually transmitted disease. It also displays a degree of respect for one’s self as well as one’s future spouse in being able to say, “I saved myself for you, even before I met you.”

Marriage is one of those hotbed political issues that many are attempting to redefine. There was even one piece of legislation in Maryland (that, thankfully, was withdrawn rather quickly) that proposed abolishing legal marriage altogether. We need to live in a real world, to be sure. Yet, I believe the greatest gift we can give the next generation is clear teaching and credible examples of sacramental marriages lived in fidelity and relationships that are rooted in respect for God’s gift of sexuality.

Various and sundry things - pastor's letter for September 27, 2009

2009-09-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend our parish is participating in an initiative sponsored by the Maryland Catholic Conference known as the Catholic Advocacy Network. At Mass everyone will have the opportunity to signup to receive periodic emails concerning legislation in Maryland that are of concern to the Catholic community on issues such as respect for life, education, family life, and social concerns. Flyers are being distributed at Mass and I encourage you to provide your contact information so that you can receive timely alerts of pending legislation. This is not a solicitation for funds.

Many legislators cite lack of constituent input (and assumed lack of support) for their failure to back measures that would safeguard the dignity of the human person. In other words, our silence can be misconstrued as apathy, or worse, our support of sometimes grave evils. The typical form of communication in the Network is via email (since It is the more timely) but if you aren’t an internet person, you can still receive periodic newsletters via mail. So, I strongly encourage you to support this effort.

We are now in the midst of a 40-day prayer effort called “40 Days for Life.” Please remember the preborn children and their parents in your prayers as well as those who are participating in the prayer vigils at Planned Parenthood in Annapolis as well as other facilities that perform abortions throughout the country. Let us pray that every child is welcomed for the gift of God that they are and that mothers would be supported in their decisions to choose life.

Each passing week I learn more and more of the blessings contained in St. John’s community. Last weekend I was able to hear our children’s choir, youth music ensemble, and contemporary choir for the first time. With our traditional choir and cantors, these groups provide wonderful support to our liturgy. I am particularly edified by the presence of so many young people being involved musically at Mass. I’d also like to thank our Resurrection Choir who are so dedicated to providing musical support at our funeral liturgies. Times of grief make us human beings so vulnerable and I believe that our ministry to those who are grieving is so important. The funeral liturgies here, I believe, do so much to encourage the grieving to be open to God’s loving consolation at such a time. We are truly blessed by the presence of Kevin Clemens, our Director of Liturgical Music; Mary Tamplin, our Children’s Choir Director; and Barbara Lancaster, our Youth Music Ensemble Director. Thanks to all our musicians for helping us to pray well.

I’d like to point out that the Catholic Daughters-sponsored trip to the Passion Play in Obergammergau, Germany that includes a journey through the Alps with time in Austria, Switzerland, and northern Italy has been reduced by $500 as transportation costs have declined a bit. The reduction in price is good through the end of October if you register for the trip by then. The Passion Play, which happens only every ten years, dates back hundreds of years and is truly a moving experience. I hope you’ll join me for this exciting trip if you’re able.

Again, I’d like to put in a plug for this year’s Forty Hours Devotion when the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed each day, October 11-13. The Noon Mass on October 11 will officially open Forty Hours and the 5:15 Mass will conclude with time for prayer and Benediction. Each day the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed after the 8:30 a.m. Mass with a 7:00 p.m. service and talk on Monday and Mass on Tuesday evening. I’ll take this opportunity to provide a series of reflections as we place the Eucharist at the center of all we do as a parish.

And, lest I be remiss in commenting: Last Sunday was great for the Ravens, wasn’t it? I couldn’t help but smile when I learned that Pittsburgh lost. Sorry, Steeler fans, I’m a sinner and still working on Christian charity in the area of the NFL.

Dear Hollywood

2009-09-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

Do you think one of the major networks would run this as a public service announcement? I tend to doubt it.

A welcome to Warren Tanghe and gratitude to our catechists - pastor's letter for September 20, 2009

2009-09-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend I’m happy to announce that Archbishop O’Brien is assigning Warren Tanghe to serve a pastoral year internship at St. John’s. Warren is a former Anglican priest and chaplain to the former Episcopal nuns at All Saints Convent in Catonsville. He and 10 of the sisters recently made their profession of faith and were received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Warren has applied to the Archdiocese of Baltimore to become a Roman Catholic priest. He will be living at the rectory, and bringing his cat along with him. (I guess the rectory is really turning into “Animal House!”) I hope that you will have the opportunity to greet Warren, welcome him to St. John’s as well as into full communion with the Roman Catholic community. His has an interesting story of faith that I’m sure you will have the opportunity to hear in the coming months.

I’m so happy to announce that our parish school opened with 473 students, a small increase from last year. Our school is indeed something of which our parish can be proud, having received acclaim as a Blue Ribbon School last year. I’ve been impressed with all the students I’ve met, having visited every classroom now. We have a wonderful faculty and it’s obvious that our educational efforts are on a solid Catholic foundation.

This weekend we observe Catechetical Sunday and are commissioning those serving as leaders in our various faith formation programs. With a religious education program of well over 600 students, programs for youth and adults, wonderful sacramental preparation programs that follow a strong mentoring model, and an outreach to the seeker, these are not ministries that we can take for granted. I believe our religious ed program could still use a couple of teachers. (Please pray hard and call the Religious Ed office and talk to John Poland as to where you might best serve.) The point is that each of these ministries, geared to particular audiences and age groups, does the same thing, and that is to help people grow in their relationship with God and to develop a friendship with Jesus Christ.

Yet, the foundation of it all, and where the rubber hits the road, is at home. All the good that we do here is for naught if it isn’t reinforced, lived, and practiced at home. Of course, sometimes that’s the toughest arena in which to exercise our Christian faith, much less Christian charity, because we well know one another’s faults. Yet, the family is the domestic church, according to the Second Vatican Council. It’s the family that is constantly under attack in our world today and is in dire need of support. During my pastorate, I hope to be an encourager of strengthening our families in connection with our faith.

Please mark your calendars now for our annual Forty Hours Devotion, where we will dedicate three days to praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. As the new guy in town, I will preside over the three days and hopefully offer some helpful thoughts and facilitate a prayerful experience in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord. Forty Hours will be observed October 11^th-13^th. These will be three days of grace for our parish community, and I ask that you make a priority to participate. I especially encourage families to come together each evening to share in the blessings that we call down from heaven.

By the way, the Ravens got off to a good start! My condolences to the Redskin fans among us.

Lest we forget: September 11, 2001

2009-09-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here -
the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness.

Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth.

Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.

Prayer of Pope Benedict XVI, Visit to Ground Zero

April 20, 2008

Making a difference - pastor's letter for September 13, 2009

2009-09-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

In this weekend’s gospel, Jesus asks that familiar question: “Who do people say that I am?” and he receives the litany of speculative answers. But the more important question is more personal: “Who do you say that I am?”

In many ways, in the way we live our lives and the decisions we make each day, we are confronted to answer that question. Simon Peter got it right. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Such a bold statement calls for just as bold a response. If, with people, we can claim Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, then our life should bear witness to that fact in our actions. Such a bold statement calls us to a boldness of hope, particularly in troubling times – be they personal struggles, economic challenges, or emotional turmoil. Through it all, Jesus is still “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That makes a difference, and it forms the foundation of all that we do as a parish family.

Last weekend we heard of our parish’s participation in the “40 Days for Life” campaign and how past efforts truly have made the difference in not only saving lives from the violence of abortion, but also in leading some workers at abortion facilities to walk away from their jobs. Indeed that is the power of prayer. I encourage you to take part in this effort in whatever way you are able: Wednesday evening Holy Hours (at 8:00 p.m. here in the Church starting Sept. 23), praying near the Planned Parenthood building on West Street in Annapolis (Saturdays, anytime from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), or simply offering a rosary or spending time with the Lord.

This week there was a lot of controversy about a speech that the President delivered to the nation’s students. Frankly, it was a simple message of working hard at one’s studies, making a positive difference in our world, and being good citizens. There was nothing in his words that I could take issue with. Of course, I am happy when our national leader speaks of wanting to reduce the number of abortions, which gives me some hope. I continue to pray that he and other leaders who speak of the dignity of the poor and marginalized might follow their words to their logical conclusions and embrace all those who are marginalized. I struggle to understand why it is so easy for some to overlook the marginalized unborn child in the womb. Pope Benedict reminds us that we are a people called to hope and that’s what I believe our prayers are – signs of hope that all things are possible. Let’s exercise that virtue in our call to prayer, with fellow Christians and people of good will, and we call upon the Lord on behalf of unborn children and their families. He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and that does make a difference.

Fully installed and ready to work - Pastor's letter for September 6, 2009

2009-09-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

First, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude to all who worked so hard last weekend on the Mass of Installation and Reception. Words cannot convey how special that day was to me to celebrate with you, my new family, here at St. John’s. I thank you all for the warm welcome that you provided to my family wonderful opportunity to continue to greet you and attempt to put names together with faces. There are some wonderful photos, if you’re interested, posted on my Facebook page.

It was wonderful to have Bishop Mitch back and I thank him for his wonderful words and joyful presence. Thanks to Donna Boyko and her crew for putting together a great reception with Garry’s Grill, as well as all those who prepared to make the liturgy so beautiful. I appreciate the efforts of Kevin Clemens and our contemporary and traditional choirs as well as Mary Tamplin and our children’s choir who provided wonderful music for our celebration. Thanks to Fr. Stew for pulling it all together and taking care of all the details that the liturgy demands as well as all of our liturgical ministers. In a special way, I’d like to thank the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree for their presence as well as members of our scouting programs. I’m sure there are some that I am overlooking but know that I appreciate your efforts. Truth be told, all I had to do was show up, which allowed it to be a truly prayerful event for me as I proceed with the responsibility of pastoring this wonderful community.

This is a special week as we commemorate Labor Day as well as the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and should call us to prayer on at least two accounts. First, let us reverence the labor that we do as well as those who labor on our behalf. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, penned a beautiful encyclical entitled On Human Work where he affirmed the dignity of all honest work. Let whatever work that we do, whether it be a career as a professional, a stay at home parent, a manual laborer, or any other type of work be reverenced, appreciated, and valued as a gift to our community. Secondly, let us particularly remember the members of our armed forces as well as those who work in the areas of law enforcement, emergency medicine, and fire protection this week. They were the heroes of 9/11 and each day countless members of these professions put their lives in harm’s way to defend and protect us. Let their labors never be taken for granted. Of course, let us be diligent in praying for world peace and an end of all violence.

There are a couple of things that I’d like to bring to your attention. First, I’d like to thank all those who have responded to the call to serve as catechists in our religious education programs and I look forward to their commissioning in two weeks. I’m told we could still use a few more. Please contact the Religious Education Office if you are open to God calling you to this critical ministry. We’d like to avoid having to close certain sections due to lack of teachers. Pray about it, please. Also, I’d like to renew the call for volunteers who have ability with graphic arts who’d be willing to step up to help with some of our periodic publications, such as our annual report. Just give me a call or see me after Mass to talk about it.

Also, if you’ve been thinking of becoming Catholic or are simply interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, our RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) begins on Monday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. Call Jen Mayer for more information. You all know by now that I entered the Catholic Faith during my senior year in high school and it was the best decision I made in life. I invite you to come take a look for yourselves and see if God might be leading you to formally affiliate with our Catholic faith.

The face of the new evangelization

2009-08-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

With a tip of the hat to The Deacon's Bench, this video captures some real "money quotes" from Archbishop Timothy Dolan at this year's priestly ordinations for the Archdiocese of New York. It's a powerful minute and a half.

Not your typical RCIA group

2009-08-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

As the summer winds down, most parishes are experience a more hectic pace as groups and activities resume full force. One such staple in the typical parish in the United States in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) that attracts those seeking to learn more about, and possibly enter into full communion with, the Roman Catholic Church.

The Catholic Review, in an article by George Matysek, gives the account of a group of Episcopal nuns (yes, there is such a thing) who have been discerning, over a period of seven years, the possibility of entering into full communion with the Catholic Church:

After seven years of prayer and discernment, a community of Episcopal nuns and their chaplain will be received into the Roman Catholic Church during a Sept. 3 Mass celebrated by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien.
The archbishop will welcome 10 sisters from the Society of All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor when he administers the sacrament of confirmation and the sisters renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the chapel of their Catonsville convent.
Episcopal Father Warren Tanghe will also be received into the church and is discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest.
Mother Christina Christie, superior of the religious community, said the sisters are “very excited” about joining the Catholic Church and have been closely studying the church’s teachings for years. Two Episcopal nuns who have decided not to become Catholic will continue to live and minister alongside their soon-to-be Catholic sisters. Members of the community range in age from 59 to 94.
“For us, this is a journey of confirmation,” Mother Christina said. “We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time.”
Wearing full habits with black veils and white wimples that cover their heads, the sisters have been a visible beacon of hope in Catonsville for decades.
The American branch of a society founded in England, the All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor came to Baltimore in 1872 and have been at their current location since 1917.
In addition to devoting their lives to a rigorous daily prayer regimen, the sisters offer religious retreats, visit people in hospice care and maintain a Scriptorium where they design religious cards to inspire others in the faith.
Throughout their history, the sisters worked with the poor of Baltimore as part of their charism of hospitality. Some of that work has included reaching out to children with special needs and ministering to AIDS patients. Together with Mount Calvary Church, an Episcopal parish in Baltimore, the sisters co-founded a hospice called the Joseph Richey House in 1987.
Orthodoxy and unity were key reasons the sisters were attracted to the Catholic faith. Many of them were troubled by the Episcopal Church’s approval of women’s ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and what they regarded as lax stances on moral issues.
“We kept thinking we could help by being a witness for orthodoxy,” said Sister Mary Joan Walker, the community’s archivist.
Mother Christina said that effort “was not as helpful as we had hoped it would be.”
“People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on (in the Episcopal Church),” she said. “By staying put and not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct.”
Before deciding to enter the Catholic Church, the sisters had explored Episcopal splinter groups and other Christian denominations. Mother Christina noted that the sisters had independently contemplated joining the Catholic Church without the others knowing. When they found out that most of them were considering the same move, they took it as a sign from God and reached out to Archbishop O’Brien.
“This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit,” Mother Christina said.
The sisters acknowledged it hasn’t been easy leaving the Episcopal Church, for which they expressed great affection. Some of their friends have been hurt by their pending departure, they said.
“Some feel we are abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy,” said Sister Emily Ann Lindsey. “We’re not. We’re doing it in another realm right now.”
The sisters have spent much of the past year studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council. They said there were few theological stumbling blocks to entering the church, although some had initial difficulty with the concept of papal infallibility.
In addition to worshipping in the Latin rite, the sisters have received permission from the archbishop to attend Mass celebrated in the Anglican-use rite – a liturgy that adapts many of the prayers from the Episcopal tradition. Mother Christina said 10 archdiocesan priests, including Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden, have stepped forward to learn how to celebrate the Anglican-use Mass.
The sisters expressed deep affection for Pope Benedict XVI. The pope exercises an authority that Episcopal leaders do not, they said. The unity that Christ called for can be found in the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope, they said.
“Unity is right in the midst of all this,” said Sister Catherine Grace Bowen. “That is the main thrust.”
The sisters noted with a laugh that their love for the pope is evident in the name they chose for their recently adopted cat, “Benedict XVII” – a feline friend they lovingly call “His Furyness.”

For more information, about the sisters' process of becoming a diocesan institute, and to view a slide show, click here. In the meantime, let's remember this group as they prepare to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church on September 3.

How greatness is defined - Pastor's letter for August 30

2009-08-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

I’m so very happy to welcome Bishop Mitch Rozanski back to St. John’s this weekend to preside at Mass and formally install me as the fifth pastor of our parish community. As most of you are aware, Bishop Mitch served here as pastor for four years and was then named Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and we are pleased to have him as the Vicar of the Seton Vicariate, of which St. John’s is a part. I know from many conversations that our parish holds a special place in Bishop Mitch’s heart and it is indeed a joy to welcome him home to Severna Park this weekend.

The scripture readings this weekend are loaded with words of challenge as well as exhortation. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts the people of Israel to receive the law of the Lord as they prepare to take possession of the land promised them. Their greatness is extolled, but that greatness is measured by their communal closeness to God. They give witness to that intimacy through their fidelity to the Law entrusted to them. Yet, generations later, Jesus finds himself confronting religious leaders who have mastered quite well the dictates of the law in terms of maintaining traditions, such as ritual purifications. Jesus calls the Pharisees out of their hypocrisy.

The Word of God continues to speak boldly, I believe, to our community. We are a community in transition. When I hear the words from Deuteronomy, I know that as a pastor I am taking “possession of the Land which the Lord … is giving [me].” Just as Israel was entrusted with the land promised them, and was called to a greatness defined by their intimacy with the God who had brought them there, so as a pastoral leader am I called to exercise my ministry as one who comes into this “land” and grows my relationship with God first, calling all to do likewise. I ask your prayers that I might be a credible, prayerful, and faithful leader. Furthermore, let’s remember that this calling is not exclusive to me as a priest and pastor. God didn’t call just Moses. God called an entire people. God has somehow called each of us here to St. John’s to form this community and our greatness will be measured equally by our closeness to the Lord, individually and communally.

Pray also that we may never become so comfortable with our traditions, as did the Pharisees, that we forget our call to conversion of heart. God wants us to live for him, and we do that well as we dedicate our lives in service to others. Let our service be rooted in prayer, particularly in the great prayer of the Eucharist – the source of summit of our lives as Catholic Christians. In the Eucharist, we are nourished and we encounter the Real Presence of the Risen Lord. In turn, we are called to feed those who hunger for God, who hunger for justice, who hunger for compassion. As a community we are called to be energized by the Lord’s Presence as we gather but be generous in sharing his presence with those among whom we come into contact each and everyday.

Serving as your pastor is a great blessing to me. Yet, I know that this has nothing to do with any personal achievement of mine. I would like to thank all those who collaborate in the many ministries and outreaches of our community: my fellow priests and deacons, the Sisters of St. Joseph, our pastoral team and support staff, our parish and school lay leadership, and all those who so generously share their time, talent, and treasure to make all that we do possible. Yet, most of all let us thank Almighty God who has called us together as his people.

Which way are we walking? - Pastor's letter for August 23, 2009

2009-08-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

In today’s gospel, many of Jesus’ followers find his words to be too much to accept. Many quite literally turned and walked away from him. Jesus turns to his disciples, and symbolically also to us and asks: “Will you also leave?” The disciples are quick to respond with a question: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” and they stay with him. Even though they themselves may have struggled with their own questions, and even doubts, they chose to stay. We may sometimes find ourselves tempted to walk away from situations that we find ourselves in. We might want to “walk away” from a difficult teaching when it causes us inconvenience. We might want to “walk away” from our call to be disciples when we encounter someone who causes us pain. Yet, Jesus continues to invite us to stay near to him, even when it seems others don’t.

In many respects, this weekend marks the end of summer vacation. The students at St. John’s return to the classroom this week as countless others are getting together everything necessary for a successful school year. Many are entering grade school, high school, or college, or a new school for the first time and are dealing with the excitement and anxiety that come with the transition. In a particular way, let’s pray for our students as well as our educators that they might grow in wisdom and knowledge.

I’d like to remind you that Bishop Mitchell Rozanski, our vicar and former pastor here at St. John’s, will be celebrating the 5:15 p.m. Mass next Saturday, Aug. 29th and officially install me as the fifth pastor of St. John’s. I hope that you will be able to attend that Mass to welcome Bishop Mitch back to St. John’s, pray for me as I follow the Lord’s call as your pastor, and celebrate St. John’s 50 years as a parish community. There will be a reception afterwards – a great way to celebrate our life as a community as well!

In the bulletin this week you’ll notice a letter from Connor Gibb, a parishioner who is pursuing his Eagle Scout award. Connor’s project is to construct a walking outdoor Stations of the Cross in the grassy area behind the rectory. I encourage you to support Connor in his work – a project that will leave a positive impact on our parish for years to come. I’d like to thank Connor for choosing St. John’s as the beneficiary of his project.

I’d also like to thank everyone who remembered me on my birthday this past week. It’s amazing how word travels! For those who are curious, I turned 45 on Tuesday. Some would categorize me as being “middle aged.” I’ve concluded that’s impossible if we hold to our belief in eternal life. What’s half of eternity? In God’s eyes, we’re all just babes, right?

In the next several weeks, many parish and school activities will be gearing up. I encourage you to take advantage of them. Please keep in mind that religious education classes start in a few short weeks, and I know we still have a need for some giving souls to step up as catechists. Likewise, make sure you get your registrations in for religious education classes. At baptism, parents pledge to raise their children in the ways of faith. We do that primarily making sure that Mass attendance is given a priority and that they are afforded the opportunity to learn the faith and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Just call the Religious Education Office and they’ll set you up.

Making his presence known - Pastor's Letter for August 16, 2009

2009-08-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Parish Family,

We welcome back a familiar friend to St. John’s this weekend as our native son Fr. Dominic Zimmerman, SOLT returns to Severna Park for one of his twice-yearly visits. Before ordination to the priesthood in 2001, Fr. Dominic was a long-time volunteer at St. John’s, serving as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and catechist among other roles. Fr. Dominic is pastor of a parish in Subiaco, Italy and visits his family in the US two times a year, when he very generously celebrates several masses for us, especially the 6:30 a.m. mass that he attended on a daily basis for so many years. He will be in the area for the next two weeks before heading to the West Coast where he will visit even more family. Welcome, Fr. Dominic!!!

This weekend’s liturgy contains the continuation of the sixth chapter of St. John’s gospel, the section where Jesus encounters strong resistance when he pronounces “the bread that I will give is my flesh is the life of the world.” Let’s face it; for many gathered that day those words sounded more than a bit crazy. At best, they seemed to be the words of someone suffering delusions. At worst, they were the words of a heretic! Yet, Jesus continues to repeat his words, becoming more and more adamant. He makes no attempt at nuance. He doesn’t explain away his own words to make them more comfortable. C.S. Lewis rightly said that either Jesus truly was the Son of God or he was either a madman or an evil individual set on deceiving the masses!

It is from this scene that the Church receives her inspiration for her teaching regarding the centrality of the Holy Eucharist to Christian worship and also been unyielding in her defense of the belief that the bread and wine truly become (are transubstantiated into) the Body and Blood of Christ. I have told congregations before that if I didn’t hold personally to that belief that I would take off my vestments and walk away, so central is this reality to the priesthood. When we gather to worship, we mustn’t overlook what is taking place. We are, quite literally, taking part in an action that joins earth to heaven! We are in concert with the heavenly hosts when we join our prayers and praises together. And, in a very real way, the Lord presents himself to us to live in us as a people and as disciples called to make his presence known in our world! Talk about awesome!

Yet, it’s making his presence known that is core to our mission as a people and as a parish. I have a certain handicap, having been here only about six weeks, so I have to resort to taking a shot in the dark. We have some very specific needs that I would like to bring to your attention, and for which I also ask your prayers. First and most importantly, is that we have a need for teachers in our parish Religious Education program. This ministry is quite large and requires a goodly number of people to be successful. Yet, it is critical that it be successful for this is a primary avenue by which we educate our young people in the faith and help them to develop a relationship with Christ. I ask that you pray as to whether God might be calling you to help. Call John Poland in the Religious Education Office for more information. Secondly, I’d like to put some feelers out there to see if we have any graphic artists in the parish that’d be willing to work on some projects for our community. I know this is quite a gift that people are handsomely, and rightly, compensated well for. To the point, I’m looking for graphic artists who would lend their services as volunteers for such venues as annual reports and newsletters. Give me a call or email me if you’d be willing to lend a hand.

Also, just a reminder that Bishop Rozanski will be here to preside at my Installation Mass on Saturday, August 29 at the 5:15 p.m. Mass. There will be a reception in the Auditorium afterwards. I pray that you’ll be able to make it as we celebrate not just my new ministry, but also fifty years as a formal parish community!

Health care that is healthy

2009-08-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

The consensus is that health care in the United States is broken. Politically, Democrats and Republicans agree that action needs to be taken. Yet, while most are ready to embrace that action must be taken to improve our health care system, there tends to be no such consensus as to what a "new" health care system would look like. Generally speaking, one sticking point in the health care proposals floating around Washington, D.C. is whether abortion and other life-destroying procedures should be included in the "new and improved" national health care system.

CNS filed this story giving an account of the statement of Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. Congress, are you listening?

“Health care reform is a good thing,” New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan told CNA on Wednesday during in interview in Phoenix, Arizona. However, if it “leads to the destruction of life, then we say it’s no longer health care at all - it’s unhealthy care and we can’t be part of that.”

Responding to a question about the Catholic Church’s view health care reform, Archbishop Dolan explained to CNA that the Church regards health care reform as a good thing. “The Catholic Church has been saying that for a long time,” he explained, adding that because of our human dignity, “means that one has access to quality affordable first rate health care.”
Speaking directly to President Obama’s current initiative to reform health care, the archbishop said that “in principle” the Church says, “bravo!”
“That having been said, the devil is in the details,” he warned. While the Church agrees on the “what,” namely, “on the reform and renewed, reinvigorated health care,” it has some things to say on how it is carried out.
The Archbishop of New York explained that the first thing that needs to be said is that “every health care system exists only to serve human life, not the other way around.”
“Human life is not some commodity, some customer, some cog that is at the service of a bigger system or some bureaucratic network,” but rather, it is “the end in itself and health care is how it is protected."
If health care begins to lead to the “destruction of human life” through avenues such as abortion, end of life care, or the discarding human embryos, then “we say it’s no longer health care at all.
“It’s unhealthy care and we can’t be part of that,” Archbishop Dolan stated.
While some people question the Church’s involvement in the debate surrounding health care reform, Dolan insisted that the Church should have a voice in the health care debate “because nearly one out
of every five patients in the United States who is in a hospital is under the embrace of the Church in a Catholic health care network.”
“So please listen to us because we’ve been in this business a heck of a long time,” he said recalling that members of the Catholic Church were the ones who “opened up the first clinics, hospitals and health care networks.”
“Don’t exclude us now because you might be uncomfortable with the very values that gave rise to this magnificent network,” he urged.

Words certainly worth considering, don't you think?

God sightings - Pastor's Letter for August 9, 2009

2009-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

The other week I was asked to help with confessions as part of a Work Camp experience being hosted at Archbishop Spalding High School. Most of the young people traveled from Michigan to engage of projects designed to help the less fortunate in the Glen Burnie area. I enjoyed some priestly fraternity as we gathered for dinner hosted by Fr. Bruce Jarboe at Holy Trinity parish in Glen Burnie.

We arrived to a gymnasium where a crowd of enthusiastic teens and adult leaders were gathering for an evening service of Eucharistic Adoration and Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As part of the evening gathering , several participants were invited to share some of the “God Sightings” that they had experienced in their work and ministry that day – the next one more touching than the one before. They spoke of God’s presence in the woman whose fulltime job is to be a caregiver for her 28 year old daughter who isn’t able to leave the house. They recounted meeting a rather disheveled man who was “under the influence of something” and was battling addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as depression. The spoke of feeling the Lord’s presence as they gathered in prayer for their daily joint devotions. Then, of course, they experienced the ultimate “God sighting” as the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and they availed themselves of the opportunity to encounter the Lord’s healing presence in confession.

Today’s gospel relates a “God sighting” as well, except that this one didn’t receive and overwhelmingly positive response. Continuing our reading of the sixth chapter of St. John’s gospel, we see how the crowd was divided in their experience of Jesus’ words. They balk at his declaration of having “come down from heaven.” They recoil when he speaks of his flesh as being real food and his blood being real drink. They literally walk away from him, he who proclaims himself the bread come down from heaven.

Certainly Jesus could related to Elijah under the broom tree in the first reading. Elijah thought he was following the Lord yet only met with resistance and rejection. Yet God continually spoke to him, beckoning him to get up and keep moving!

I pray that your celebration of the Mass this weekend provides you with a “God sighting.” See the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament as you enter church and receive him sacramentally in Holy Communion. See him in the person of the presiding priest, acting in the person of Christ as he offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. See him in this beautiful community, gathered together around the Lord’s altar. See him as the Word of God is proclaimed and preached. And, most of all, see him in each person you encounter this week after you exit the doors of the church.

Communion and communication - Pastor's Letter for August 2

2009-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend’s gospel reading is the second in a five-week series taken from the sixth chapter of John, often referred to as the Bread of Life Discourse. You’ll notice that each week Jesus grows in his insistence of identifying himself as the Bread of Life, to the point of reminding us that his “flesh and real food” and his “blood is real drink.” We’ll also see how many of his followers, when confronted with this teaching, eventually turn away and decide that this is simply more than they can take. Of course, today we receive and experience the Lord’s presence sacramentally in the celebration of the Mass. We receive him, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in this intimate ritual moment that we call Holy Communion.

The act of communion is that of becoming one with another. It may sometimes denote an agreement over a set of ideas. It implies certainly a sort of togetherness. In Holy Communion, we become one with Christ as he “communicates” himself to us and we, in turn, communicate our devotion to him. Marriage counselors will tell you that healthy communication is the key to a stable, loving relationship. The Lord Jesus initiates such communication each time he presents himself to us in the Holy Eucharist.

Styles and types of communication have broadly expanded over the years, particularly in our own time. Think about the ways that we communicate today that didn’t exist even 20 years ago: email, social networking (Facebook, My Space, Twitter), texting, voice mail, You Tube … the list goes on and on! One can argue whether these expanded modes of communication are always healthy, but even the pope has stated the need for the Church to engage these new technologies. (Check out http://www.pope2you.net/ for links the Church has on Facebook, WikiCath, iPhone, and You Tube!)

Communication is important to parish life as well. Traditionally the Sunday bulletin was just about the only regular form of communication present in every parish. Some parishes have newsletters, but the web is quickly becoming more prevalent. I’d like to call your attention to a couple of new resources we have here at St. John’s. First, is our webpage which has been totally re-designed and should be up and running at http://www.stjohnsp.org/. It contains information on our parish ministries, including our parish school. It also serves as a great means to communicate with members of our staff. Recently I launched a new blog entitled “Priest and Proffitt” that you can find at http://www.priestandproffitt.blogspot.com/, and I encourage you to check it out. I’ll publish thoughts and reflections and occasional news there. It will also be cross-published as a “note” on my Facebook page. If you’d like to “friend” me, by all means do!

Communication is important. But let’s remember that the most important communication we engage in is that personal face-to-face kind. We can’t attend Mass virtually, much less encounter Jesus in the Eucharist that way. It demands our presence – to God and to this community that we call Church, the Body of Christ. Let our relationship with the Lord be supported by our constant prayer, rooted in the Holy Eucharist, and sustained by hearts open to his Word.

The (really) new evangelization

2009-08-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately alot about how communication has changed so much in recent years. Of course, the internet held the key for access to webpages and blogs authored by anyone with an opinion on a host of issues - politics, dating, gardening, history, and - of course - religion! There are so many "Catholic" pages on the net, I'm sure I have no idea how many as the number changes hourly, it seems.

Well, I'm happy to call your attention to this article by Matt Palmer at The Catholic Review detailing where we can find all things officially Catholic, whether they be from the Vatican or the Archdiocese. So, there's a little something for everyone: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, and the "old fashioned" internet:

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has added you as a friend.”

As millions of people flock to Internet social networking and video sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, it’s likely many in Maryland could be seeing that message soon.

The archdiocese recently opened accounts on all three sites in an effort to extend its evangelization reach.

“Our goal is to use them at least once a day,” said Sean Caine, the archdiocese’s director of communications, of Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook was once the country’s No. 2 social networking site behind MySpace and largely limited to college students in its infancy.

The site’s owners opened the floodgates for anyone over the age of 13 in recent years, making it the virtual home for millions, ranging from high school students to 61-year-old grandmothers.

Facebook claims 250 million active users, including 120 million who check their account each day. Two-thirds of users are not in college, with people 35 and older comprising the fastest-rising demographic.

“For me, the primary goal is to be there because that’s where people are,” Caine said. “They make it easy for organizations to have a presence there that doesn’t compromise some of our concerns about inappropriate content.”

The rest of the article is here.

Take nothing on the journey

2009-07-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post covers this story of four Franciscan friars who walked a 300 mile pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. with no money or provisions. Read their account at the link. H/T to Rocco at Whispers in the Loggia.

Franciscan Friars Trudge 300 Miles in Va. and Find Kindred Souls Along the Way

A homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2009-07-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

I didn't preach at Masses this weekend, but I came across this homily by Deacon Greg Kandra at The Deacon's Bench. What a beautiful story and inspired reflection on today's gospel! You can read the original here.

A lot of women have difficult pregnancies. But I can’t imagine any more difficult than the one endured by Amy McNamara. She’s a friend of Jack Smith, a writer for the Kansas City newspaper, the Catholic Key, and he told her story recently on the paper’s blog.

In 1994, when Amy was three months pregnant with her first child, her doctor told her that the baby had anencephaly, a neural defect. As a result, part of the baby’s brain, and skull, would never be formed. It happens in about one out of every 200-thousand pregnancies. There was nothing medical science could do. Amy was told the baby would die soon after birth. She had the option of terminating the pregnancy, having an abortion. But Amy McNamara chose not to. She carried the child for another six months and then, finally, gave birth. The baby died just four hours later, cradled in his mother’s arms. A few days later, friends and relatives received the following notice in the mail.

Patrick and Amy McNamara proudly announce the birth of their son

Adam Christopher McNamara

June 15, 1994

5 lbs. 9oz., 19 in.

Amy and Patrick enclosed a note: "Adam was our son for nine months and four hours on this earth,” they wrote. “Four hours was enough time to baptize and confirm Adam, to appreciate his perfectly formed body, to shower parental affection on him, and four hours was enough time for Adam to touch our hearts in a way that we would have never dreamed of only a few months before.”The note concluded:“Our son brought an immeasurable amount of joy into our lives. When we miss Adam and sadness begins to descend, we recall this joy and pray that the strength of this memory will sustain us."

And Amy wrote a poem about her son, which she gave to her husband on his first Father’s Day, just a week after Adam was born.“A Father,” she wrote,” hopes his child will rest for eternity in God's embrace. Very few Fathers can say,‘Yes, I was there every moment he needed me, I held him from birth until death, his every action was a triumph, the span of hislife was never wanting for truth, and I know for certain that hewill rest for eternity in the palm of God's hand.’"Today, 15 years after Adam’s brief life and early death, the McNamaras continue to celebrate and remember their first son’s moment on earth. They have a box of mementoes and pictures, and have made sure that their other children know about Adam and his gift to the family, the gift of brief, beautiful joy. I’m sure there are those who will say, his life didn’t count for much. That it wasn’t really a life at all.

But – as the gospel reminds us this week – there are miracles and wonders that stand in defiance of all that. A little boy gave Christ the leftovers of a meal, and from that He created something spectacular. But the miracle of the loaves and the fishes didn’t end when the meal was finished. When it was over, Jesus offered his disciples this instruction – one so simple and practical, it almost seems like an afterthought. “Gather the fragments left over,” he told them, “So that nothing will be wasted.”

That may be one of the most consoling and most hope-filled lines in all of scripture. Jesus isn’t just being tidy. He isn’t being “green.” The wondrous, miraculous fact is: nothing, to God, is too small. He uses everything, and everyone. Every fragment of us. Even a fragment as tiny, and as feeble, as Adam Christopher McNamara. His life was a great, short, elusive lesson in love -- of the great value and great gift of every single life. No matter how weak. No matter how imperfect. No matter how small.

This gospel is usually understood as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist – showing how Christ can and does feed multitudes. We are part of that multitude this very day. It is a multitude that includes saints and sinners, the hope-filled and the hopeless, doubters and believers. And it includes many who feel forgotten. Those who may feel left out, or left over or, maybe, overlooked. The sick, or sick of heart. The unemployed. The anxious. The lonely. In all that is happening in the world and in our lives, so many of us feel unaccountably small and, perhaps, worthless. Mere crumbs. But God doesn’t miss a thing. He will not let us be lost. “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

Even the tiniest crumbs matter. Even the smallest life. Even the briefest existence. When you consider the miracle of the loaves and fishes, remember this. Remember how God made so much out of so little. And that nothing will be wasted. Remember Adam Christopher McNamara. Everything, and everyone, is part of the miracle. And the miracle goes on.

Pastor's Letter - July 26, 2009

2009-07-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

My Dear Parishioners,

This weekend we hear the very familiar gospel account of the feeding of the multitudes. With only access to an unnamed boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish, Jesus is able to feed throngs of people with leftovers filling twelve wicker baskets! The lesson is clear and simple. In life, we can be tempted to focus on that which we are lacking: not enough time, money, patience, strength, intelligence … You can fill in the blanks. Yet the Lord tells us simply that if we will give whatever it is that we do have, it will not only be enough, but more than enough. When we hoard our gifts, they just sit there unused, doing no one any good. However, when we take that risk and offer them up to the Lord, God takes them, joins them with the gifts of others, and essentially multiplies them exponentially! As a parish community this parable is both a comfort and a challenge.

I’ve been impressed by the many ministries and groups that function here at St. John’s. Yet, I am sure even as good as those things are that we have now, they could be multiplied in their goodness and their effects if we just respond to the call and put in our own loaves and fishes! I’d ask you to give prayerful consideration to how God may be calling you to enrich our parish community that we might be more effective witnesses to the gospel. I know that we have a rather large religious education program and are in need of dedicated catechists for this coming fall. Maybe you’d be willing to offer your time in helping to pass on the faith to our young people. (Call the Religious Education Office. I know they’d welcome your call!) Maybe God is pulling at you to get involved in some area of social justice. We have marvelous ministries that feed the hungry at Our Daily Bread Center in Baltimore, have struck up a very fruitful relationship with two sister parishes in Jamaica, and have a dedicated group focused on furthering a culture of life mentality as well as helping expectant mothers. What little time or talent you have could be multiplied to do, in the words of Mother Teresa, “something beautiful for God.” Give it some thought and, most importantly, ask God where he might be calling you.

You might have noticed that our altar wine has changed colors. We are now using a white sacramental wine. While using a red wine does clearly call to mind the Blood of Christ that we receive, the prominent tradition (at least in the Latin Rite) has been to use white. Pragmatically, it minimizes the possibility of staining the altar lines and altar cloths, and makes their laundering much easier – eliminating the need to use bleach, thus preserving the fabric. Canon law requires altar wine to simply be pure grape wine with no additives. The wine we are now using is in strict conformity with canon law. Actually, it is from a winery in New York that was founded by a Catholic bishop specifically for the purpose of serving the liturgy. I thought it would be awhile before we used up all the red wine and apologize for any confusion.

Again, I am so happy to be here to serve as your pastor and look forward to continue meeting with various groups. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know some of you all via Facebook. I hope to have some listening sessions in the fall to formally hear your stories as well as your hopes and dreams for our parish.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Jim Proffitt
jproffitt@stjohnsp.org

Transitions

2009-07-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Transition. Let's face it. The word itself is rather unsettling, if at the same time exciting. It gives the connotation of movement, even advancement. To transition is to move from one place (or state, or way of being) to another. It sounds simple enough, right?

I'm about three weeks into a personal transition that began in mid-February with the official announcement that the Archbishop was assigning me to become pastor of St. John's. To be fair, the transition for the folks at St. John's had begun the prior fall when their pastor, Msgr. Rick Woy, was transferred to minister at archdiocesan headquarters as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. For Catholics in Severna Park, much was put "on hold" pending the appointment of a new pastoral leader. It must have been difficult in many ways since their prior two pastors had only served about four years each.

Of course, with the announcement another community entered into that scary transition mode as well. Certainly my ego was nourished as people expressed their disappointments at my leaving. Yet, I kept telling myself, God was someone in this and would bring about some good on all sides.

It's amazing how radical an effect a change of assignment can have on us people in ministry. Fellow priests and religious know this well for when "transition mode" begins, it means a total change of scenery - moving away from ministry site as well as those close friends and co-workers to whom we easily grow attached. I suppose it is similar to someone who takes a job in another state and have to move away from family and close friends.

Anyway, if transitions teach us anything - and I'm speaking from my personal experience here - it is that we are never master of our personal domains. Longevity brings with it a certain comfortability. Being established in a certain place for a period of time usually means there's been some mutual adaptation that has taken place. You have adapted to the people and they have adapted to you. Never is this more starkly apparent than that first week when you move into a new place and are surrounded by a whole new set of people and a whole new way of doing things. Back in the 70's the consoling words that issued forth at tearful goodbyes were "Bloom where you're planted," and those words hold true today.

It's amazing how I have felt so welcome in my new parish community. It is humbling because, even though I'm "the pastor" supposedly filled with the wisdom of Solomon (ha ha), that I am at a loss for words when questioned as to the process or procedure for something as simple as a baptism. Rest assured, I'm getting better and can easily demure to our parish office staff and pastoral team who are more than competent to handle such matters!

So, where is God is all this? Right here -- in each new face that I try to attach a name to, in each new group that I meet with, in each new circumstance that I encounter. Transitions are unsettling, but they are exciting!

Settling into a new home

2009-07-21T08:33:00.001-07:00

Well, I've done it. Today marks the beginning of my new weblog. I engaged in this exercise once before while serving as pastor of St. Michael the Archangel in Overlea and found it a useful exercise, if for no other reason to encourage me to stay abreast of what's happening in the world as well as providing an avenue for me to reflect on my ministry.

For now, this post is just to inaugurate the site. More to follow ...

Taking a Different Route - Feast of the Epiphany

2009-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00