| TRUTH SERUM | 
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This week's thoughts for deeper living
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| ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR | 
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View Full Calendar
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| POOR BOX COLLECTION | 
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Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. To learn about next weekend's collection
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| WORLD WATCH | 
Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is happening with your brothers and sisters!
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ARCHBISHOP'S ANNUAL APPEAL
"BE PROTECTORS OF GOD'S GIFTS."
- Pope Francis
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"For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have; not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your surplus at the present time should supply their needs . . ." (2 Cor. 8:12-14)
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Pope Francis in his homilies each morning at Mass and also in his  daily talks addressed to the large crowds of people who travel to see him and hear him often speaks about the responsibility we all have to care for the poor. He reminds us that the Gospel calls us to serve "the poorest, the weakest and the least important" among us. His words relate to the centuries' long tradition of the Catholic Church to be a compassionate community at the forefront of providing assistance to those who are in need. That tradition has established hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, refugee centers, schools, social programs, senior citizen projects, parish poor boxes, and countless other ways in which the Catholic Church extends its heart and its hand to the indigent and needy.
One clear way to answer the call of Pope Francis is to join me in supporting the Archbishop's Annual Appeal that does so much good for the poor. I invite each one of you to consider making a donation to the needy by way of a financial gift to this Annual Appeal, which is such a proven way to reach out and directly make a difference in the life of the poor who live in our city and state.
The funds raised through this Annual Appeal are distributed to agencies like Catholic Charities and its more than 70 programs, to Sponsored Grant Ministries, and to Ministry Designees like the Apostleship of the Sea, Hispanic Ministry, Prison Ministry, Western Maryland Housing Aid, and a host of other very worthy programs that assist the poor.
This Appeal is an excellent way for each one of us to make a contribution, great or small, to those agencies and programs that directly serve the needy. Believing in the Appeal, as I do, I have already sent a personal donation to the Appeal on behalf of myself and the Jesuits of St. Ignatius Community.
Now I turn to you and ask you also to take this opportunity to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and support the refugee or prisoner by way of a financial contribution to the Annual Appeal. On behalf of the poor, let me thank the many parishioners who have already made a donation and also thank those of you who will be making a gift over the next week or two. This weekend there will be opportunity for you to make a contribution at any of our Masses. May God be always at your side blessing you and your loved ones as you have blessed the poor through your donation to the Archbishop's Annual Appeal. Thank you!
Gratefully, In Christ,
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To learn all there is to learn about The Archbishop's Annual Appeal, visit the Archdiocese of Baltimore Website by clicking here. |
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The Events of This Next Week
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The Morning of Reflection Date Change
Last weekend, due to inclement weather, we cancelled the Morning of Reflection. We told you it was going to be held this next Saturday. This is incorrect. The Morning of Reflection will pick up again next month, on Saturday, March 1st. More details as we approach the date.
Women of the New Testament
- Tuesday, February 18
The next meeting for the Women of the New Testament group will take place on Tuesday, February 18 at 7 p.m. in Ignatian Hall. The group is currently reading the book Women in the Old Testament, by Irene Nowell. Both men and women are welcome to join the discussion, regardless of whether or not they are reading the book.
Justice & Peace Committee
- Thursday, February 20
We invite everyone to attend the first meeting of the year for the Justice and Peace Committee. The J&P is the outreached hand of our St Ignatius parish community, giving us the opportunity to give our time, our resources, our talents, and, by God's grace, our entire selves to those most in need, in the Jesuit tradition. Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit, has noted, "The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature." In that spirit, let us come together in order to offer ourselves to God and our neighbors within Baltimore, the country, and the world. The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 20th at 7:30 PM in Gonzaga Hall. Please feel free to contact Justin Brady at justinedwardbrady@gmail.com or Candra Healy at CHealy@loyola.edu if you would like to get involved, receive a copy of the meeting agenda, or have any questions.
Young Adult Spiritual Exercises
- Sunday, February 23
 The Young Adults meet on the last Sunday of every month at 4:30 PM in Ignatian Hall to pursue The Spiritual Exercises. The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God. For centuries the Exercises were most commonly given as a "long retreat" of about 30 days in solitude and silence. In recent years, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Spiritual Exercises as a program for laypeople. If you are between the ages of 20 and 40 and interested in deepening your relationship with Christ through these Exercises, you should join us on Sunday, February 23rd. The meeting lasts for one hour before the 6:00 PM Mass.
Young Adult Bible Study
- Monday, February 24
On Monday, February 24th at 8:00 PM we will have our first Young Adult Bible Study. Gabrielle Finck will lead the discussion. If you are between the ages of 20-40 and have ideas, or would like to help out and/or participate, please contact her at gabefinck@yahoo.com. Our plan is to meet on the last Monday of each month.
Georgetown Choir
- Saturday, March 1
Mark your calendars for the evening of Saturday, March 1, when the Georgetown University Concert Choir will be presenting a concert at St. Ignatius. Concert is Free and begins at 7:30 PM. A reception will follow in Ignatian Hall.
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Engaged Couples Galore
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The Pre-Cana Marriage Prep Weekend
If you were at the 10:30 Mass on Sunday you saw the engaged couples in this photo stand before the church. They are the couples who will be married over the course of the next year. They went away for the weekend to what we call the Pre-Cana Weekend Retreat. The design of the weekend is to bond with other premarital couples, receive input about many different aspects of marriage from the staff and several married couples within our parish, and to have good fun and food. At Sunday's Mass we all extended our hands and prayed God's blessing upon them. The reports abounding are that it was a phenomenal weekend away, full of the richness of God's presence, and extremely practical help. If you are planning to married through St. Ignatius, a similar experience can you! For more information about preparing to be married, contact Deacon Paul Weber at paulweber@st-ignatius.net. To view photos of the Pre-Cana Marriage Prep Weekend, visit our gallery by clicking here.
Here's an interesting sidebar - Last Friday (Valentine's Day), Pope Francis met with thousands of engaged couples at the Vatican too! Love is in the air! To view the synopsis of his "Pre Cana" gathering, click on the video below.
 | Pope Francis Meets With Thousands of Engaged Couples
on Valentine's Day |
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I Am Second
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The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games, are continuing to draw the world's attention to Sochi, Russia. At the games is the familiar face and voice of Olympic Gold Medalist, and now figure skating commentator Scott Hamilton. Hamilton knows a thing or two about preparation and dedication. His sport demands that a competitor come as close to perfect as possible. No break or fault goes unpunished by the judges. Scott mastered the sport and its nuances to become the world's best.
Yet as good as he was, he could not on his own handle some of life's biggest challenges to his health. Cancer. A re-occurring brain tumor. In the times that he needed someone by his side, there was always someone there - someone he has grown to know, to love. The one who introduced him to his wife and who has made having children possible. In this film he recalls a journey that many others are also traveling, and its telling never gets old. He's learned the concept of "I Am Second."
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I Am Second - Scott Hamilton
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Once in a great while a tool is offered that makes it easy to share about the great love and saving plan of God. This could be such an event, and we are asking that you make an effort to see it, and take your family and friends.
From the award-winning producers of the record-breaking miniseries The Bible, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, comes Son of God, the larger-than-life story of The New Testament, to be released by 20th Century Fox on February 28, 2014.
Son of God is a major motion picture that brings the life of Jesus Christ to the big screen like never before.
Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®- winner Hans Zimmer. Award-winning actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.
The movie is action-packed with special effects, powerful acting, and beautiful cinematography. It marks the first major motion picture about Jesus' life since Passion of the Christ, released ten years ago.
![Son Of God | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX](https://thumbnail.constantcontact.com/remoting/v1/vthumb/YOUTUBE/a0f314b0b8db462d9605680c3345056c) | | Son Of God | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX |
To watch a fascinating "Behind the Scenes" video on the making of Son of God, we are providing you a link. Prior to viewing the video you must enter the password: soglightworkers - to view "Behind the Scenes" video click here.
Finally, in order to find a theater near you that will be showing this film, click here.
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Pope Francis First Wanted to be Named After Pope John XXIII
By David Gibson
On a day when everyone is recalling Pope Benedict XVI's historic - and stunning - announcement last Feb. 11 that he intended to resign the papacy comes a fascinating revelation from the 2005 conclave that elected Benedict:
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who reportedly ran second to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in that conclave, later told a fellow cardinal that if he had been elected then he would have taken the name "John" after Pope John XXIII.
Instead, Bergoglio was elected in March of last year two weeks after Benedict resigned and became the first pope named after Francis of Assisi.
"Good Pope John," as John XXIII is known, also stunned the church and the world by calling the Second Vatican Council that in the 1960s introduced numerous reforms and ushered Roman Catholicism into the modern world. - to continue reading click here.
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e-zine compiled by John. C. Odean
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