November 26, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
I hope your Thanksgiving was blessed. This weekend we close out Ordinary Time and get ready for Advent next week.
Today’s feast is the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today’s Gospel shows how He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. He identifies so closely with the poor and those in need, that He makes our service to them a condition of where we spend eternity: “I was hungry, and you gave me food… I was hungry and you gave me no food… Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me.” Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be attentive and loving to Him, however He comes to us.
This Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, and I’m happy to announce a “next step” project of sorts. Not a capital or mini-campaign, but something smaller to boost our ability to minister – here specifically for our young people.
The project is an Upgrade to our Formation Center. It has two main parts:
- A Technology Upgrade for our classrooms and gathering spaces. This includes Smart TVs for each classroom and digital signs for efficient advertising.
- The Blessed Carlos Acutis Room – this will take our largest classroom (across from the Youth Room) and transform it into a space for ministry-style learning and fellowship. A teacher tech station, comfortable furniture, and materials for prayer and spiritual development.
For all of the spaces, the project includes funds for Sacred Art and inspirational pictures for the walls and hallways. All to strengthen our relationships with God, the church, and each other, by creating an atmosphere for formation in our Catholic faith, ease of access to resources, and excellent technology for learning and inspiration.
The total cost is about $9,000, and with everyone giving some, this small project can go a long way to strengthen our parish family. Please click here for our parish’s Giving Tuesday link. Checks for this project can have “SMA – Formation Center Upgrade” on the memo line.
While it’s definitely hard to believe that Advent is here, I’m looking to diving into this season of hope. Praying for you and our St. Mary’s family, and I ask for your prayers for me, as well!
Peace,
Fr. John
November 5, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! Thank you for any prayers and congratulations at my being named Pastor. It is a true joy!
With the Catholic Review, in addition to the three announcements last week (Deacon Phil’s Dec. 1 retirement, and the start of ministry here for Deacon Brian and me), the staff and I were also pictured on the front page of their newsletter. Now that our parish is just about world famous, at least for last week, it’s exciting to tell you what we were doing in the picture itself.
Last Wednesday, the Archdiocesan held its annual Pastoral Staff Day. We had adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, an incredible talk by Deacon Keith Strohm, then breakout sessions on team building and parish life.
Deacon Keith talked about parish culture – the parish as a whole, the staff and volunteer leaders, the ministries, the Mass itself. The culture is the air we breathe, and each of us contributes.
That is one of the main points: each of us contributes to the air we breathe. Each of us is called to personally follow Christ and personally live out the Catholic life. But that affects others – our households, relationships, workplaces, and our spiritual family.
Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is continually working in our souls and in our spiritual family. Let us continue to plead for the Holy Spirit to come down upon us! Let us pray that our parish culture would continue to be one of prayer and charity, welcoming whoever comes with the love of Christ, and bringing us all deeper into His life!
Peace,
Fr. John
October 29, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This past week, the Catholic Review announced the December 1 st retirement of our wonderful brother in Christ, Deacon Phil Seneschal. For the past 15+ years, Deacon Phil and his wife Jackie have poured themselves out in ministry and charity for our parish. Not only in service to the community at large, but the support and care they
showed to our beloved Fr. Kunkel. Look for more announcements about celebrating Deacon Phil and Jackie on the weekend of January 13th and 14th .
This week we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. The beginning of November proclaims the truth that we are called to become holy here on earth, and are created ultimately for eternal life with God. For Wednesday, Nov. 1 - All Saints Day - we’ll have Mass at 10am and 6:30pm. We’re moving the evening Mass back 30 minutes (our normal time recently has been 7pm) to try to accommodate families with younger children. We’ll do the same for the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8).
Please let me or the staff know what you think, as well as any other ideas on how to best accommodate our families with kids at home!
Let us pray for one another, and respond well to the call to be saints!
Peace,
Fr. John
October 22, 2023
Last weekend, we were blessed to welcome Deacon Brian Olsen, to congratulate him on his ordination and give thanks as he starts his ministry here.
This week (to confirm the word that has slowly spread) with joy and thanksgiving, I am glad to announce that Archbishop Lori has appointed me to be your Pastor here at St. Mary’s!
It is an honor and a blessing. I ask our Lady, St. Joseph, and Fr. Kunkel (and the whole host of angels and saints!) to continue to pray for us and encourage us here.
While my appointment officially started last Sunday (Oct. 15), we will still have an Installation Mass with Archbishop Lori. On Sunday, January 21, at the 10am Mass, the Archbishop will be here to pray and bless you and me, asking God’s continued grace upon us.
Last weekend, we were also blessed to have Heller Kreshtool, a second generation Holocaust survivor. Her talk was inspiring in both wisdom and bravery. Her parents’ bravery from the horror of the Holocaust to their new lives here in the States, to Heller’s own bravery in learning her parents’ past and sharing their story with so many.
During the Q/A following the talk, someone asked Heller, “what is one thing you would like us to get out of this talk?” There were many things to take from the talk, but her answer was striking: “that you would know that words matter.” One of the first ways the doors to the Holocaust were open were words. Let us feel the weight of that, and practice it in our speech to and about others.
Many thanks to the Knights of Columbus for bringing Heller to speak to us. Look for more to come in with lessons and reflections from this powerful speaker.
God bless you many times! Let us pray for one another.
Peace,
Fr. John
October 15, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! This weekend, I am so blessed to welcome Deacon Brian Olsen to our St. Mary’s family! Married to Beth with five children and one grandchild, Deacon Brian was just ordained to the permanent diaconate on September 30.
Deacon Brian comes to us with a host of experience in ministry – from founding a flourishing men’s ministry, to decades of work in youth ministry, including the poor at work camps in Appalachia, and many things in between. He is an architect, owner of Skorpa Design company in Bel Air, and is one of only eleven members of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Liturgical Commission.
I am excited to see how Deacon Brian enhances what is already here, and what new he will bring by his preaching, teaching, service, and witness to the blessing of our Catholic life. Welcome Deacon Brian!
May each of us flourish in our vocations, and respond to the daily call to love God and neighbor, faithful to Jesus and the teachings of our Catholic faith.
Peace,
Fr. John
October 8, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We continue our blessed and busy Catholic lives, as we are connected in so many ways to the Lord and to one another. This weekend the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The rosary is one powerful way to connect with Jesus and His Mother, and with Catholics throughout the world for at least 800 years. Spanning cultures, historical periods, countries, continents, vocations, personalities, prayer preferences, etc., etc. – it’s staggering to think about how the Rosary has persevered through the centuries. Yet we are connected with everyone who has prayed it – not only because it’s such a part of our Catholic life, but because it answers a need of the human heart. So much changes, but we can connect with the hearts of those across time, cultures, and personalities - because human nature is constant.Human nature is constant, for good, bad, light, and darkness.
Next weekend, on Sunday, October 15 at 2pm, we’re hosting speaker Heller Kreshtool. Heller is a SecondGeneration Holocaust Survivor, and she will share her personal story and that of her family. To hear her is to hear the brightness possible in the human heart, with the bravery and perseverance that she shares. To hear her story also shows the darkest parts of the human hearts – what we are capable of: both by the horror of those who committed the atrocities, and those who, in one way or another, allowed the holocaust to happen, or didn’t do what they could to save or help at least some of the victims. The phrase “Never Again” must be kept true, and listening next Sunday is a way to ensure this.
May we receive the grace of the Lord to be the very best of who God has called us to be, for ourselves, others, and the good of the world.
Peace,
Fr. John
OCTOBER 1, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! The Lord continues to work in big and small ways, and I’m grateful to the wonderful team here of staff and volunteers that continue His holy work.
A couple weeks ago, we had our Opening Meeting for our revamped Pastoral Council. As I wrote in an earlier letter, the Council is now split into 3 Sections, each with a focus for advising and a specific event.
We met, and after going through some of the details of the structure, the participants joined a group that they will serve in for the next two years. Here are the groups, their advising field and event, and their new leadership.
General Section
o Advising: all of parish life (similar to the previous council)
o Event: Ministry Fair
o Leadership
§ President: Jim Edwards
§ Vice-President: Joanne McConnell
§ Secretary: Paula Mackey
-Formation Group
o Advising: Formation and Education
o Event: Lenten Mission
o Leadership
§ Chair: Christy Eller
§ Secretary: Sharon Alasandro
Community Events Group
o Advising: Community events, in and surrounding our parish
o Event: Annual Parish Picnic
o Leadership
§ Chair: Bob Hoopert
§ Secretary: Susan Miller
After we split into groups and they chose their leadership, it was so inspiring to hear the faith, creativity and excitement that filled the conversations. As the concrete details of the events were discussed, the many ideas of how to boost the life of the parish (the advising part) were also stirred.
Many thanks to those who stepped up in leadership, and many thanks to all who are participating. If you missed the meeting, but would like to either make a commitment to serve or help with an event, please contact me or the General Section leadership – our info. is on the front of the bulletin.
Let us continue to ask the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us!
PEACE,
FR. JOHN
SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Our Ministry Year is off and running, and I’m grateful to all our Catechists that we were able to thank, bless, and commission last week.
This past week, we added a new slot for Confessions, so now the weekly times are:
- Tuesdays, 6-6:50pm
- Saturdays, 3:15-3:45pm
Confession (or Reconciliation, or Penance, or any of the other wonderful names the Catechism gives it) is one of the greatest gifts the Lord gives us through the Church. There is healing and strength there that we can’t anywhere else.
Consider the Eucharist: there are many ways that Jesus is present to us Scripture, our souls, the poor, where two or three are gathered, to name a few. However, He is present in the most powerful way in the Eucharist. This doesn’t mean the other ways are somehow not-Jesus, but He is with us in the greatest and most-present in the Blessed Sacrament.
It’s like that with Confession. There are many ways we receive mercy, and God is in each. When we ask His mercy in private prayer or during Mass, when we receive forgiveness from others, even when we forgive ourselves – when we stop defining ourselves and our futures by our sins, faults, and weaknesses.
All of that is real, and God’s mercy is active in each part. However, Confession offers mercy in the most powerful way. The priest represents Jesus in a unique way: throughout the Scriptures, we see priests given specific authority to offer forgiveness. The priest represents the Church in a unique way, too. In Confession, we have the chance to say “I did this” and it affected not only me and God, but others as well. With absolution, we’re reconciled to both God and the Church.
All of this is made safe by the Seal of Confession. It is absolute. Confession is the place that our sins can go to be absolved and erased. Even with the leftovers of the sin – the desire/temptation for future sin, fear that we’re not forgiven, or discouragement because we sin again, etc. All of these are part of life on earth. Confession, however, erased the sins from our souls. We are no longer bound to them.
Confession also gives us grace to pursue the virtues opposite of the sins we confessed. It gives us more power to trust the mercy of God and persevere in charity.
The distinction between mortal and venial sins is essential – given to us both by Scripture (e.g 1 John 5:14-21) and a little common sense - there’s just a difference between snapping at someone because of a bad day and really harming someone’s reputation by detraction – both call for an apology, but the second takes some extra muscle. Whatever the level of sin, though, Confession gives us needed strength to love God and neighbor in our daily lives.
More to come on this wonderful blessing. Praying for all of us to receive the mercy of God in all the ways He gives it, especially the Sacrament of Confession.
Peace,
Fr. John
September 17, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
"Think about it!" The continual call from our good Fr. Kunkel – the invitation to go deeper into what we have heard, experienced, and spoken. I feel like he not only continually reminded us, but showed us how to live it; as he thought about it, he saw the goodness and mercy of God go through every part of our life. Fr. Kunkel did think about it, and from there had the trust, courage, and calm to be faithful as a Christian and as a priest.
Last summer, in the bulletin of August 7, 2022, Fr. Kunkel wrote this:
Our Christian faith offers us no illusion that we are a people chosen for exemption from loneliness. It holds out no promise of a trouble-free life of easy comfort. It grants us no immunity from evil and its consequences. Rather, our Christian faith provides us with the spiritual equilibrium – the spiritual stamina – that we really need to face up to the burdens and evil days and the fears that overtake us, often in the most unexpected ways!
With the eyes of our faith we can see things as they are in the light of things as they will be.
This wasn't his last letter to the parish, and I encourage you to look at his other letters (in the bulletin section of our website). This does show us where his mind and heart were as he approached the end of his days here – to "see things as they are in the light of things as they will be." He knew the providence and love of God here on earth, and he saw that we were not made only for this world.
That faith was what drove him to serve countless of you as your pastor and spiritual father. That faith drove him to offer you Mass after Mass and prayer after prayer, and it is what gave him the grace to be your brother, friend, uncle, guide, teacher, and shepherd for so many years here.
This Monday, Sept. 18, is the one-year anniversary of Fr. Kunkel's death. For those that knew him and were served so well by him: I encourage you to take some time to reflect on how God showed you His love through Fr. Kunkel. For those who didn't know him or didn't know him well: I encourage you to ask those who did, reflect on our spiritual family here, and Fr. Kunkel's witness to the goodness of the Lord. Yes, think about it!
May the Lord glorify Fr. Kunkel, and may his prayers and examples inspire each of us to greater faith.
Peace,
Fr. John
September 10, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! Our Fried Chicken Dinner is a such a great blessing. A thousand thanks to so many who served before, during, and after to make this great event happen. Thanks especially to our Business Manager, Barbara Sadler and the Parish Activities Ministry for leading the way.
This Monday, September 11, at 7pm, we're having our annual 9/11 Memorial Prayer Service. It is ecumenical service held by the Mason-Dixon Ministerium, and it is an honor for us to host it.
This year's 9/11 Memorial is meaningful in that we will remember Fr. Kunkel in a special way. Last year's Ecumenical Prayer Service was Fr. Kunkel's last public act before his health turned even more and he entered his last days here on earth. This good shepherd – who most of you knew, loved, and were served so beautifully by - went home to the Lord on Sunday, September 18th, 2022.
Next weekend, we'll remember Fr. Kunkel at the different Masses. In addition, the 10am Mass will be our Catechetical Sunday Mass, beginning our Faith Formation Year and blessing our dedicated Catechists. At that Mass, we'll also have the renewal of wedding vows for Deacon Gary and Ellen Dumer. What a gift that this is the weekend before Fr. Kunkel's first anniversary – his love for our parish families and religious education, and Gary and Ellen's ministry with him, was all truly an inspiration.
Praying for you and I ask for your prayers for me, as well.
Peace,
Fr. John
September 3, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Many thanks to all who served and participated in our last Food Truck Night and First Friday Adoration. These were great times of fellowship and prayer, especially as so many in our parish leap into the new school year.
This coming Saturday, Sept. 9, of course, is our Fall Chicken Dinner! From Noon-5:30pm, we will host many from near and far at this incredible event. It's a time for us, as a parish family, to shine in our hospitality – providing a space for people to connect with each other, have an incredible meal, browse and buy crafts, books, baked goods, etc., enjoy games, raffles, and bingo, and many other ways to build up our community.
It is my hope that the guests not only have a great time with a great meal, but also connect or re-connect with the church in a positive way. The Lord has wonderful gifts to give through each of us, our parish family, and the deepest parts of our Catholic life: the sacraments, beliefs, prayer, and charitable work of the church. Our Chicken Dinner not only provides a great time of fellowship and teamwork as a parish, but has the potential to open a person's heart to the deep healing that the Lord desires for each of us.
Let us open our own hearts to His healing, and let us welcome and serve our guests well!
Peace,
Fr. John
August 26, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In today's Gospel, there are many things happening with Jesus and the founding of the Church. In the midst of the conversations and questions between Jesus and the disciples, there is a central question. Jesus asks Peter, and each one of us: "who do you say that I am?"
Each of us – personally – needs to answer this. In a way, it's like anything that was either handed down to us, or anything that other people are talking about. After we consider what we were taught, and think about what others are saying, we eventually have to ask, "what do I think about it? What is my personal conviction?"
This Friday, September 1st, from 6:30pm-8pm, we're having our next addition to the Eucharist Revival. On First Fridays, we'll have a talk about someone's personal experience of the Eucharist, then about an hour of Eucharistic Adoration, with praise and worship music and some quiet reflection time. Confession will be available, as well.
Our First Friday Adoration is one of many ways you and I can come to a deeper personal understanding of who the Lord is. It's a time to be with Him in the Eucharist, offering praise and reflecting on our relationship with Him. We need the time set aside in our busy worlds. It helps us remember who He is, and have Him teach us more and deeper ways to know Him.
This question – "who do you say that I am?" – isn't something He asks us just once. It's something He continually asks us, so our faith and trust in Him can grow and bring the peace that only He can give.
Peace,
Fr. John
August 20, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." This is from the prophet Isaiah, centuries before Christ, but he is pointing ahead to the Church! The Church is the universal family in which is person is called to meet Christ, be transformed by Him, and invite others in. Our parish is the Pylesville edition of this house of prayer for all peoples.
One of the main parts of any Catholic parish is the Pastoral Council. Today I'm writing to tell you about our new Pastoral Council, and invite you to be a part of it. I'm most grateful to Jim Edwards, Jo and Bob McConnell, and the entire Pastoral Council for their years of excellent service. By God's grace (and their patience!), they will continue to serve and for this I am most grateful, as well.
After consultation with our Parish Staff and Pastoral Council members, I've decided to start a new structure for our Pastoral Council. The mission is the same: to offer council to the Pastor, and to be a vehicle of leadership for the life of the parish. The Opening Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 12, at 7pm. But, for now, here are some basics:
- The Pastoral Council will consist of three Sections. Each Section will have an advising role and will plan one specific activity per year.
After the Opening Meeting, each Section will meet Quarterly (and separately)
Membership is open to anyone who is a parishioner and will commit to 2 years of service
Section Leadership (Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, etc.) will be voted on within each Section.
With the Section roles, I recognize that there are plenty of essential parts of parish life that don't have specific Sections, e.g. Liturgy, Works of Mercy, Grounds/Maintenance, Advertising/Development. Reasons for this include:
1) We had to start somewhere. Having a Section for each essential part of the parish life would have been too much for a new structure. Formation and Community Events are open-ended and currently growing fast, so those seemed like good places to start.
2) Many of the other essential parts of our Parish life have strong structures in place, i.e. the Liturgy Committee, Chicken Dinner, Food Pantry, etc.
3) The General Committee includes all those other areas. Similar to how the Pastoral Council has operated for decades, the General Committee will advise on all aspects of parish life.
The next two years for this will be kind of an experiment. After that, we can discern adding/changing Sections. If the whole thing is a flop, then it's back to the drawing board. That's fine – we're building a plane in mid-flight.
All parishioners are invited to the Opening Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7pm. I'll present the template and have some Q/A. You'll have the chance to hear about the different Sections and sign up for one or more. Please feel free to call me with any questions or suggestions at the parish office or email me at jrapisarda@stmaryspyleville.org.
May the Holy Spirit continue to build up our parish family here. Let us pray for one another!
Fr. John
August 13, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Happy Feast Day! It is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary - a wonderful celebration for Catholics throughout the world, but especially for us here. It’s the title - the identity - of our parish family. This is why, in addition to Tuesday, we’re celebrating our feast at all the weekend Masses.
Similar to a birthday or anniversary, a feast day is a time set aside to give thanks and remember who we are meant to be - with us, as Catholic Christians and as members of St. Mary of the Assumption parish.
The rosary is a deeply embedded part of the Christian – 8 centuries, countless cultures, spiritualities, personality types, generations, etc. Whether it's a decade, five decades, all four sets of mysteries, or anything in between - the Rosary is a way to honor our spiritual mother, ask her to pray for us to Jesus, and invite her to be part of our daily walk with the Lord.
As we celebrate this spiritual mother, given by Jesus to the family of the Church, let us ask her help in following her Son, becoming the spiritual family God created us to be.
Peace,
Fr. John
July 30, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Food Truck night last Saturday was a great success! There were many people from every generation, the food and drink were well-enjoyed, and Ashley and Brett had a great sound and great setlist to fill the air with music. The weather was also perfect, and the games and raffles were a hit.
These events are being put on by our newest ministry in our parish: the Bethany Team for Parish and Community Life. In the time and place of the Gospel, the town of Bethany was, among other things, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. These siblings were close friends of Jesus, and His disciples. At some of the parties and gatherings they had at their house – many people were invited. They provided hospitality, a place to rest, and – because He was among them as both Savior and Brother – they invited Jesus.
People of all sorts met Him there, knew that they were loved. They saw in Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, that following Jesus brought both peace and community. They saw they didn't need to be afraid of Him, and that even if there were going to be challenges to discipleship, the first thing needed was for them to know that He is with us and loves us.
We imitate Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in many ways at our parish – our famous chicken dinners, Knights of Columbus (like the upcoming Car Show!) and Belles of St. Mary's events (like our monthly BINGO!), and more, and now with our new Bethany Team.
Whether in prayer, fellowship, the works of mercy, or teaching the treasures of the life of the Church, let us be open to meeting Jesus, and invite others to meet Him and His life-changing ways.
Peace,
Fr. John
JULY 23, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! What a blessed week here – Vacation Bible School is a joy. The dedication of the volunteers is an inspiration (as is their patience!), and the kids are a delight.
Many thanks to Karen Dietz, our Coordinator of Religious Education. In addition to her normal, multi-faceted ministries, and leading our Bethany Team (busy prepping for the Food Truck night!), Karen has been the main lead for this year's Vacation Bible School. Her excellent work and leadership has shone as she has spearheaded the practical and administrative details, and as she guides the entire camp for such a grace-filled week. Working many, many hours alongside Rachel Bittner, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, and all the teachers, youth and adult volunteers for food, crafts, first aid, etc., etc., Karen has led a camp that glorifies God, brings us together as the church, and strengthens our relationships with Jesus and one another.
This past week we also had our first Tuesday evening weekly Adoration. The church was open for quiet prayer from 4pm-8pm, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar.
Adoration can be seen like this: consider the Consecration – the part of the Mass where the priest holds up the Host, which has just become the Body of Christ with the words "This is My Body." Adoration is like taking that Sacred time, and hitting "pause." It prepares us to receive Jesus with greater love and openness to His grace, it strengthens His work in our hearts and minds – whether it's healing of wounds, conversion from sin, or the gift of courage in the face of fear.
This year is another part of the Eucharistic Revival, being celebrated by the Church throughout the United States. Starting Tuesday evening Adoration is a part of that, and I look forward to seeing it grow, and to the many other ways our parish will celebrate the most profound gift the Lord gives us on earth: the Blessed Sacrament.
Peace,
Fr. John
July 16, 2023
Many thanks to our great teams who put on our Respect Life Baby Shower, and who are preparing for Vacation Bible School, our next Food Truck night, and so much more. We're very blessed here.
In addition to diving into the summer life here – Mass, VBS, Bingo, Food Truck, etc. – by participating or helping, I encourage you to check our FORMED. Our parish has a subscription to this fantastic streaming service. FORMED is a massive website with hundreds of video and audio resources – Catholic content, long and short, for adults, families, children, wherever a person is or isn't with the Catholic faith – FORMED.org has many excellent ways to dive in, learn, understand, and live the life of the Church.
Here's how:
Go to www.formed.org and click on "Sign In"
Type in "St. Mary's Pylesville" or "21132" to get to our parish name, and simply click to enter. Browse and enjoy!
God bless you these summer days. Let us pray for each other!
Fr. John
July 2, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I'm grateful for the many ways our spiritual family is growing, and for the many ways we get together during the summer months. Vacation Bible School is coming up, our first food truck night was a great success, our Knights and Belles continue to gather and serve in so many ways, our youth ministry continues to gather and form our young people, and all of our different groups on campus show that "summer mode" does not mean a pause from living the Christian life and the life of the Church.
The heart of it all is the Mass. The continued offering of the Eucharist – the continued gathering to give thanks and together look to the Lord for His grace. This is the deepest joy - whether we feel it or not, the Lord pours out His grace in the Mass more powerfully than any other way on earth. He is with us in the Eucharist and calls us to worship, and brings light to every kind of thing on our schedule – rest, play, work, projects, vacation, and everything else. With the Mass as the continued center of our lives, everything else receives God's life even more deeply.
Many thanks to all who serve at Mass, prepare for Mass, clean up for Mass, pray for those who come to Mass, and pray and reach out to those who, for whatever reason, are not with us at Mass.
The Mass is the greatest way God fulfills the promise written above our sanctuary, that He is with us always.
Peace,
Fr. John
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Our Eucharistic Procession was a great joy! Many thanks to Deacon Phil for planning our Eucharistic Procession, to our Grand Knight Lee Surkin and all of our Knights of Columbus, sacristans, music ministers and all who served and participated.
This week, I'd like to highlight our June 24th Food Truck Night, and one of our newest ministries here at St. Mary's – the Bethany Team for Parish and Community Life.
Karen Dietz, our Coordinator of Religious Ed., and a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Bethany Team as a response to the ever-growing need for outreach and connection. I am grateful for Karen's excellent and hard work across the board, and with the Bethany Team this is showing even more.
Our Food Truck Night on Saturday, June 24th, from 5pm-8pm, is the Bethany Team's first major event. It's a time to simply be together as a spiritual family and provide a place for the larger community to gather. We'll have Food Trucks and AleCraft Brewery providing food and drink, games and the playground for children and basket drawings for everyone, and a great time to simply be together and connect with each other at our parish home.
Looking forward to seeing you there! Let us pray for each other!
Peace,
Fr. John
June 11, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Feast of Corpus Christi! This weekend, after the 10am Mass, we’re having a Eucharistic Procession around the church. We’ll walk, singing praise and adoration to the Lord as we do, and we’ll stop four times to offer Benediction to the world around us.
Why do we do these things? One reason is because the Eucharist is the greatest gift Jesus offers to us here on earth, and it’s the greatest gift the Church offers to the world. Like Mary, who at the Birth of Jesus and the Presentation in the Temple, the Church holds up the Body of Christ - the true light that has come into the world.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is part of the National Eucharistic Revival started last year by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This Revival - following Baltimore’s Year of the Eucharist - is a real call to each of us to love Jesus in the Eucharist even more deeply.
It’s a call to be grateful for Holy Communion and the Mass, and to stir our faith in the promise written above the altar at our church: “Remember, I am with you always.”
It’s a call:
for each of us to consider the impact that the Mass has on our daily lives and relationships, and to be intentional about letting the Mass impact us more.
for each of us to tell others how the Mass impacts our daily lives and relationships.
for our parish to increase our regular practice of Eucharistic Adoration.
to be more intentional about participation in Mass, even if that means different things for different stages in life (like according to how old your children are!).
to ask the Lord, as we receive Him, to live the more challenging teachings of the church, and to proclaim them with bravery and charity.
to let the Lord, filled with love in Holy Communion, help us actually love more deeply, more heroically, more mercifully to all we meet or talk about.
to ask Jesus, when we receive Him, for the wisdom and courage to tell others about Him, and by word and example draw them to the Catholic life.
There are many other parts of this call, and the Lord will give us the grace to respond with trust in Him. Brothers and sisters, let us receive that grace well!
Peace,
Fr. John
June 4, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! This weekend is Trinity Sunday. The life of the Church is so good. From Pentecost, the birthday of the Church – we see how our Perfect God works in the mess of the world, bringing forth the Catholic Church for the ages. On Trinity Sunday, our hearts and minds are lifted to just who God is in the first place.
Thank you to all who came to Session 1 of Vine and Branches, and thanks to all who helped set up, prepare food, and clean up. I'm looking forward to Session 2 this Tuesday! We'll start again at 6:45 with some fellowship and light food, and at about 7, dive into the content. This week, we'll review some of the parts on prayer, but then talk about service: what it means, and how to go about it.
Praying for all who are in the last weeks of the school year – teachers, administrators, students and their parents – and all that goes into these busy days.
Let us pray for each other!
Peace,
Fr. John
May 28, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Happy Feast of Pentecost! Today we celebrate the fulfilled promise of Jesus: to send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate and Giver of Life, to us. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church – the same Church that you and I belong to you, and the same Church that we are called to build up by faith, prayer, and good works.
This Tuesday, we'll have the first of two sessions of Vine and Branches – meant to bring us together to look at prayer and service, what they are and how we can grow in them. I hope it will be a good time for our spiritual family here to grow together.
Many blessings on all of you, especially the students, parents, teachers, administrators, and all who are busy closing out the school year.
Let us all pray for each other!
Peace,
Fr. John
May 21, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. He returned to the Father while declaring, “I am with you always.” He is with us in many ways, and most powerfully in the Eucharist.
What a blessing, then, to celebrate our First Communion Mass! This is a joyful call to each of us to think about the gift of the Mass and the Eucharist. Many thanks to all involved, but especially to Kathy Ayers and Karen Dietz for all of their wonderful ministry to help prepare the children. Please pray for our young parishioners and their families!
Also, at all our Masses this weekend, we'll pray a blessing over all our seniors graduating this year. At the 10am Mass we'll also have our annual St. Mary's Emmaus Awards. Our graduating senior recipients are:
- Julia Eakes –Outstanding Peer Ministry and Servant Leadership
- Ryan Mahns – Outstanding Service in Parish and Liturgical Ministry
Thank you to Julia and Ryan for your faith, service, and example. Thank you to their parents for all their support. Many thanks to Rachel Bittner for her excellent work in youth ministry. The opportunities she provides for our young people to grow in faith, friendship, and service, are awesome.
We are very blessed here at St. Mary's. Let us keep praying for the Holy Spirit to pour out on all of us!
Peace,
Fr. John
May 14, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! The Easter Season continues, and the life of the Church offers us the chance to keep our eyes and hearts on the Lord.
This Sunday He teaches us about the Holy Spirit – the Advocate and Spirit of Truth. Next Sunday we raise our hearts to heaven with the Ascension, and then the Sunday following is the great birthday of the Church – the celebration of Pentecost. Each of us these show us part of the great gifts given in Christ and His Church: we are shown who God is, and we are shown who we are created to be.
Next Saturday, May 20, however, we have an especially joyful event. That morning, twenty of our parishioners are celebrating their First Holy Communions! Let us pray for these children and their families, that this would be a time of increased love for the Eucharist for all of us!
Peace,
Fr. John
May 7, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ! We are very blessed here at St. Mary's, and last Saturday's Chicken Dinner was an incredible blessing!
I would like to honor and thank our incredible team who prepared, planned, set-up, served, and cleaned up for this wonderful event. The joyful dedication I saw in each person was inspiring. Each guest was welcomed and served with love, and because of that the whole atmosphere was one of charity. This is so needed in our world, and how good it is to see it offered here.
I'd like to also announce a 2-part series coming up here at St. Mary's. It's called Vine and Branches and will be on May 30th and June 6th, both Tuesday evenings, from 6:45pm-8:15pm, in the Parish Hall. I've only been here a short while, but already I've heard many of our parishioners share about their prayer lives and experience in serving. It is inspiring and good, and many times is coupled with the questions, "How can we grow? How can we grow in prayer? How can we grow in service? How can we invite others to do the same?"
With Vine and Branches, I'd like to offer us a chance to look at these questions together. I hope it will be a great way for us to get together as a parish family, and be encouraged in living out our faith. Look for more details in the next couple weeks.
Praying for you, and grateful to the Lord and His Mother for the many things they show us love.
Peace,
Fr. John
April 30, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Easter season continues! What a gift to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit. This weekend we do that with Good Shepherd Sunday – in Christ, we have a Shepherd who is perfectly worthy of trust.
We see this connection to the 2nd Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, and that beautiful and simple prayer on the bottom of the painting we have in our church: "Jesus, I trust in you." The second reading this weekend has these wonderful words: "By his wound you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have not returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls."
Everything we do here – from our amazing chicken dinner to the depths of our faith, the Mass – points to the Good Shepherd. Each person is made for him, and each person is made to be part of His flock.
I encourage you to invite others to connect here: whether it's the Mass itself, or our various social and service events. We are very blessed, but that blessing is not just for ourselves.
Praying for you and ask for your prayers for me!
Peace,
Fr. John
April 23, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Praised be Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior! The celebration of Easter cannot be contained in one day. The Octave of Easter – the eight days between Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday – is one continual celebration of the Resurrection.
The Easter Season goes 50 days – from the Easter Vigil to Pentecost Sunday (Pentecost is Greek for Fiftieth – originally a Jewish feast, now both Jewish and Christian because it was the day of the birthday of the Church). This glorious Season lifts our heart to the person and event that defines us as Catholic Christians, preparing to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Next Saturday, April 29th, is our Spring Fried Chicken Dinner! I can't wait for it. It will be my first (of many, hopefully and God-willing!). What a great blessing – I'm amazed by the work that Barbara and the committee are pouring out in service to our parish and community. How awesome.
The Gospel this week is about the road to Emmaus, where Jesus meets two disciples, walks with them and teaches them, and leads them to the Eucharist where He is revealed to them.
I had a professor in seminary, Fr. Tom, who used to say "God loves you perfectly where you are, but too much to keep you that way." One example of this is how Jesus met the disciples along the way – he walked with them from exactly where they were – frustrated, not having all the right data, discouraged and arguing. He loved them there, but then walked with them to teach them, transform them, and lead them to the Eucharist.
Each one of us is going to have a little more "love others where they're at" or "love others too much to keep them that way." Both are from love. Sometimes it's in general, sometimes it depends on the person or situation. If we cancel out one or the other, it goes against love, and the result is either enabling or condemnation.
It is difficult and takes effort to understand and live out both. Part of the power of Easter is that the Lord Jesus is the perfection of both. He offers us the grace to let Him love us where we are, and the grace to convert and grow into who he made us to be.
May we all receive this powerful grace!
Peace,
Fr. John
APRIL 16, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Easter!
The celebration continues this weekend with Divine Mercy Sunday. His mercy is, in a way, the deepest consolation of faith and the greatest challenge.
It's the deepest consolation because the Lord initiates perfect mercy and always offers perfect mercy. He doesn't wait
around for us to be 100% ready, understanding, etc. to give it. As St. Paul says to the Romans, "God proves his love for
us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." St. John, in his first letter, puts it this way: "In this is love, not
that we have loved God, but that He has loved us, and sent his Son as expiation for our sins" (expiation = amends).
Yes, we are called to respond – in repentance, humility, and pursuing faith and virtue. But, it doesn't start with us. It
starts with God and His perfect, divine mercy. This is a great consolation.
It is also the greatest challenge. Jesus is clear:
- "Love one another as I have loved you."
- "Be merciful, as your Father is merciful."
- "The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
- "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
And finally, the challenging prayer we pray often in the Our Father: "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
trespass against us."
It's a little easier to have mercy if the person is at least a little sorry, or if the offense was clearly more a mistake than
anything else. It's a little easier if it once or twice, or clearly a bad habit that a person is actively working on fixing. It's a
little easier if the consequence is something light or quickly fixable.
However… what if the person refuses to admit wrongdoing, or refuses to repent? What if the harmful consequences are
lasting, or there is little-to-no earthly hope that the person will ever change? What if the harmful behavior is being
approved or encouraged by others? What if we have mercy, and the person takes that as license to continue the sinful
or harmful behavior?
Jesus doesn't say, "be merciful, as your Father is merciful, except if the person doesn't repent." It is true that, for our
hearts to change, we need to receive mercy, repent, and change our ways. However, that is on the offender, not on the
offended. The Christian offended is called to forgive and offer mercy as Christ: "while we were still sinners, Christ died
for us."
Mercy will look different in each situation:
- Sometimes it's in the re-establishment of a relationship, sometimes distance needs to be kept.
- Sometimes it's communicated, other times communication is impossible for one reason or another.
- Sometimes it involves "tough love," sometimes it requires an intentional gentleness.
An so on, and everything in between. Whatever the case, the statement "so I don't need to have mercy" is not from the
Lord. It's hard, it takes discernment and maturity, and sometimes it's a daily decision.
The good news is that the Lord, in His perfect, divine mercy, continues to offer us the grace to see as He sees and to be
merciful as He is merciful. He is trustworthy, and knows us – in our struggle to accept mercy and in our struggle to give
it. Today we celebrate that it starts with the Lord, and his grace and providence are more powerful than we can imagine.
Peace,
Fr. John
April 8, 2023
Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!
Thank you to so many who served, prepared, cleaned up from, transitioned through, and in any way made possible the beautiful liturgies for Holy Week into Easter Sunday. We are very blessed here.
The Resurrection changes everything, and the person who is changed by the Resurrection sees God,themselves, others,and the world through new, grace-filled eyes. It doesn't make suffering magically go away.
Pope Benedict said the following, and it was quoted by Pope Francis in his first major letter (encyclical):
Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person,
which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.
Yes, there are ethical choices involved in being a Christian! Any way of life or relationship involves this. Imagine the absurd opposite: two people in a relationship who say, "Yes, our relationship is healthy, but we don't have any real standards, like honesty, fidelity, or kindness," or a person who says, "I want to be part of the baseball team, but I don't really want to play, coach, assist, or make any life choices that show I'm part of the team." This is nonsense. Of course there are choices involved.
Yes, there are lofty ideas in being a Christian: the Christian way of life, forgiveness, even the teachings about God, the soul, or other parts of our faith. Again, imagine the absurd opposite: "I want to be part of this business, but I don't think we need any real thought into good office morale, good management and the improvement of the product." Again, nonsense.
However, it is easy to answer the question,"What does it mean to be Catholic?" with an immediate list of things to do or a few sentences on how we see the world. These things are important, but they are not the heart.
What is the heart of it? We have encountered the Lord, and He is risen from the dead.
As we enter into Easter season, let us ask this Lord to help us to meet Him and follow Him with faithfulness and trust. Let us ask for the grace to make Easter the event that changes our lives even
more and fuels everything that we do.
The Lord is alive! He is risen indeed.
Peace,
Fr. John
PALM SUNDAY MESSAGE
Dear brothers and sisters,
It is Holy Week! The word holy means set aside for God and the things of God.
For example, we have the Commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" – because the Lord's Day is set aside for worship and for our vocations and families.
We are made holy by our Baptism – set aside to live the truth and love of God in Jesus. We are made part of the holy Catholic Church – the community set aside by Jesus with His seal to be a light to the world.
We are strengthened in holiness by Confirmation, and given power to grow in holiness by Holy Communion. We are cleansed from that which is not of God through Confession, and sent out to live holiness in our daily lives.
We are invited to take holy time during the day, even a short minute here or there set aside for God, and trust that – even if we don't feel it – the opens the door to grace and strength for other parts of our days.
Holy - set aside for God and the things of God.
It doesn't mean "inaccessible" – but in our busy lives the holy can seem impractical.
And so, the goodness of Holy Week – the week set aside in a substantial way for God and the things of God: the deepest and most powerful things of God. To walk with the All-Holy One who became flesh, dwelt among us, and became like us in all things, yet without sin.
Friends, I invite you to enter Holy Week as much as you can – to set time aside for the Liturgies and prayers, to walk with the Lord, even in the midst of our busy worlds.
And then, emerging with Him victorious from the tomb, to welcome God and the things of God into more and more of our lives and our world, looking to the eternal holiness and perfect joy of heaven.
It is an honor to walk this week with you. God bless you and I will see you around!
Fr. John
March 26, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
There is much happening in our Catholic life! Lent forges on. The season offers daily grace to open ourselves to the power of God and strength our love and resolve to following.
Next week is Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week. Saturday, March 25th, is our Confirmation day, with 20 of our young people sacramentally receiving the gift of Pentecost. It is inspiring to see the preparation for Holy Week and Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, our April 29th Chicken Dinner, and much more. I urge you all to take part in all of this, by both receiving and giving.
The Catholic life is good and blessed. Beneath it all, however, is a feast day that is powerful beyond our imagination, and quiet and hidden. So quiet, that it's easy to miss every year, but especially this one. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary - and she conceived of the Holy Spirit. March 25th is the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Nine months before Christmas, this was the moment that the Uncreated Son took flesh in Mary's womb.
This event was known with rejoicing to the holy angels and every holy soul who had gone before. It was known with trembling by the Devil and his army, who refused to serve a God who would become a creature. It was known with perfect love and humility by the eternal God who brought forth this majestic plan for our salvation.But to all on earth, except the handmaid of the Lord, it was unknown. Mary - quiet, with trust, concern, discernment, and love - the Immaculately Conceived gave flesh to God, and the entire universe changed.
There is a reason that this is the moment we bow in the Creed. Every part of the Creed is sacred and life-changing. But this one – by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary – is when we bow, because this gives power and salvation to everything else. We are saved because the Word became Flesh.
We are called to love God and neighbor, not just in thoughts or feeling but in the flesh. We receive, in the Eucharist, the flesh given to God by Mary. We look to the Resurrection of the dead – why? Because the Word became Flesh.
Let us ask for the grace of faith that God is with us –in every way, quiet or grand. Let us prepare for Holy Week and Easter with Mary, knowing that this Jesus is the Eternal God who took our flesh – to offer His Body in love and rise from the dead. Come Holy Spirit, give us faith and gratitude!
Peace, Fr. John
March 19, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her!
This Sunday – the 4th Sunday of Lent – is Laetare Sunday. Every Mass has an opening antiphon – a prayer or Scripture verse that serves as a kind of theme for the Mass. Laetare is Latin for rejoice, and this verse from the Prophet Isaiah is the opening antiphon for Mass this Sunday.
So, rejoice! Why are we rejoicing? We are mid-way through Lent, mid-way to Easter – maybe a cause for joy for some, but this rejoice goes to the depths. It is, in part, joy that comes from confidence in God's divine mercy. St. Therese, our teacher this Lent, has this to say about the heavy sins that can weigh down a heart:
I know for certain that even if I had on my conscience all the sins that can be committed, I would go and cast myself in the arms of Jesus with a heart torn by repentance, for I know how much he cherishes the prodigal child that returns to him.
She continues about the daily call to love, with its ups and downs:
I am not always faithful. I often fail to make one of those little sacrifices which give so much peace to the soul; but I do not get discouraged. Instead, I abandon myself in the arms of Jesus: I endure the trial of having less peace at that moment and try to be more watchful the next time.
The most powerful way to receive this mercy is by Confession – the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
For Lent, we have the following times for Confession:
- Tuesdays, 6pm-7pm
- Saturdays, 3:15pm-3:50pm
- Penance Service, Tuesday, April 4th, 7pm
May we deeply receive the mercy of the Lord, and rejoice in the freedom this mercy brings!
Peace,
Fr. John