Issue: #100614
June 10, 2014
ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE
 

 You can view or read last Sunday's Homily by clicking on links below: 






FATHER'S DAY
 
This Sunday is Father's Day. For some it's a time of telling Dad how much you love him, and what he's meant to you. For others, it's a painful reminder of a difficult relationship. Here's an article for those who struggle with that relationship.




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POOR BOX COLLECTION

Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week we are supporting Cross Catholic Outreach. To learn  more click here.








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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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Sunday Evening in the Vatican Gardens

 

My Dear Sisters and Brothers:

 

This past Sunday evening Pope Francis welcomed President Shimon Peres of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine at his home in the Santa Marta Domicile of Vatican City. After speaking briefly with each one, he invited them to join him and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I in the Vatican Gardens where each president's delegation was waiting to participate in an unprecedented interfaith prayer service for peace between Israel and the Palestine.  Each religious leader took a turn at presiding in accord with a theme assigned to him: President Peres prayed in praise of God for the gift of creation and for all peoples belonging to one human family; Pope Francis prayed for God's forgiveness on the part of all humanity for failing to live as brothers and sisters and thus sinning against God and neighbor; President Abbas prayed for God's gift of peace in the Holy Land and the capacity for both sides to be converted to be builders of peace.

 

At the close of the service, the leaders exchanged a sign of peace. Then each gave a brief discourse about what the meaning of this event was for God and humanity. Pope Francis' reflections can be found by scrolling below. The entire encounter, including the words of the other two leaders can be found by clicking here:

 

Gratefully in Christ,

 
      Watter Signature    
The Words of Pope Francis: 

 

"Distinguished Presidents, I greet you with immense joy and I wish to offer you, and the eminent delegations accompanying you, the same warm welcome which you gave to me during my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I am profoundly grateful to you for accepting my invitation to come here and to join in imploring from God the gift of peace. It is my hope that this meeting will be a path to seeking the things that unite, so as to overcome the things that divide. I also thank Your Holiness, my venerable Brother Bartholomaios, for joining me in welcoming these illustrious guests. Your presence here is a great gift, a much-appreciated sign of support, and a testimony to the pilgrimage which we Christians are making towards full unity".

 

"Your presence, dear Presidents, is a great sign of brotherhood which you offer as children of Abraham. It is also a concrete expression of trust in God, the Lord of history, Who today looks upon all of us as brothers and Who desires to guide us in His ways. This meeting of prayer for peace in the Holy Land, in the Middle East and in the entire world is accompanied by the prayers of countless people of different cultures, nations, languages and religions: they have prayed for this meeting and even now they are united with us in the same supplication. It is a meeting which responds to the fervent desire of all who long for peace and dream of a world in which men and women can live as brothers and sisters and no longer as adversaries and enemies".

 

"Dear Presidents, our world is a legacy bequeathed to us from past generations, but it is also on loan to us from our children: our children who are weary, worn out by conflicts and yearning for the dawn of peace, our children who plead with us to tear down the walls of enmity and to set out on the path of dialogue and peace, so that love and friendship will prevail. Many, all too many, of those children have been innocent victims of war and violence, saplings cut down at the height of their promise. It is our duty to ensure that their sacrifice is not in vain. The memory of these children instils in us the courage of peace, the strength to persevere undaunted in dialogue, the patience to weave, day by day, an ever more robust fabric of respectful and peaceful coexistence, for the glory of God and the good of all. Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict: yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiations and no to hostilities; yes to respect for agreements and no to acts of provocation; yes to sincerity and no to duplicity. All of this takes courage, it takes strength and tenacity".

 

"History teaches that our own powers do not suffice. More than once we have been on the verge of peace, but the evil one, employing a variety of means, has succeeded in blocking it. That is why we are here, because we know and we believe that we need the help of God. We do not renounce our responsibilities, but we do call upon God in an act of supreme responsibility before our consciences and before our peoples. We have heard a summons, and we must respond. It is the summons to break the spiral of hatred and violence, and to break it by one word alone: the word 'brother'. But to be able to utter this word we have to lift our eyes to heaven and acknowledge one another as children of one Father".

 

"To him, the Father, in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, I now turn, begging the intercession of the Virgin Mary, a daughter of the Holy Land and our Mother. Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried... But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: 'Never again war!'; 'With war everything is lost'. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, You created us and You call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words 'division', 'hatred' and 'war' be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be 'brother', and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen".

This Week's Truth Serum - From 'RELEVANT' Magazine

 

When Did Christians Get So Mean?

It takes courage to stand up for what's right. It takes even more to do it in love.


Few things embolden us to say unkind things more than a computer keyboard. Many men and women type mean, slanderous emails and comments. They come out so fast their fingers can barely keep up with the toxic words that appear before them on the screen.

 

We've all seen these nasty messages. They seem to be everywhere we look online and often show up on our Facebook wall or email inboxes.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke to several pastors and asked them, "How many of you have received a nasty email in the last six months?" Every single person in the room raised their hand-including me.

 

Let me be clear; I believe the majority of people are civil and respectful in their online dialogue. However, there remains a vocal minority who insist on remaining unpleasant both in tone and word. And these unkind words come from many who self-identify as Christians, who somehow believe that malice is an acceptable form of communication.

 

Which raises a question: Why do so many Christians persist in being mean?

         - MORE

Events in the Upcoming Week

Justice & Peace Committee 

- Thursday, June 12 

Justice   

One of our goals is to deepen our understanding of the principles of Catholic social teaching and then, through word and action, to help integrate these principles more fully into the life of our parish community. How you can help? By supporting us with your time, talent, and ideas; and expand Saint Ignatius' efforts to new areas. If this sounds interesting and you want to get involved with the parish's newly forming Advocacy Ministries in the areas of Immigration and Economic Issues, or our Education Endeavors and Projects, we invite you to join us at our next meeting on Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 PM in Ignatian Hall. For a copy of our agenda, email the committee chair, Candra Healy for more information. All are welcome! 

  

 Novena to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J.

- Thursday, June 12 through Friday, June 20

 

School is almost out for the summer, but that doesn't mean that our children are less in need of our prayers. How fortunate, then, that the feast day of the patron saint of youth, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, falls on June 21, right at the beginning of summer.

  

Saint Aloysius became the patron saint of youth largely because he died at the relatively young age of 23. But those 23 years were very spiritually fruitful-or, rather, the last 11 years of his life, because Saint Aloysius did not receive his first Holy Communion until the age of 12. It was the turning point in his life, when he decided to leave behind his father's desire for him to be a soldier, in favor of joining the Jesuit order. Saint Aloysius's life was cut short as a result of ministering to the victims of plague. We begin praying the novena on June 12 to finish it on the eve of Saint Aloysius's feast (June 20th). To learn more about St. Aloysius, click here. To download a Novena prayer card, click here

 
Celebrate Pride Month with the St. Ignatius Community! 
 - Friday, June 13
 

 

Embracing God's Gifts, St. Ignatius' Gay & Lesbian ministry, is inviting you to join us on Friday, June 13th at 7 PM in the Chapel of Grace, where we will give thanks to God for the gift of family. Through music, readings, prayer and a spirit of gratitude, we will gather to celebrate being members of God's family.  Please contact Gordon Creamer at 410.236.8225 if you if you would like more information. All are welcome and please bring a friend! A light Reception will follow in Ignatian Hall. To learn more about the Embracing God's Gifts Ministry, click here.

 

  

Opening of New Exhibition in Reeves Gallery

- Sunday, June 15

Opening on Sunday June 15 in the Reeves Gallery will be an exhibition by our own parishioner, Simone Thompson. This showing will feature a history of Inspiration through her own collection of beautiful impressions including photographs from her own portfolio of travel, paintings from her family, lithographic prints and objects.This exhibit will be on display through  August 17th. Stop by be the Reeves Gallery before or after the weekend Masses!

 

Young Adult Bible Study

- Monday, June 16

 

Meetings are held on the second and the last Mondays of the month. If you are between the ages of 20 and 40, join us in Ignatian Hall at 8:00 PM. For more information, contact Gabrielle Finck: [email protected].  

 

  

Another Important Event Begins This Week - ELECTIONS!

 

Parish Resources

 FOR

2014 Primary Elections

 

We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern. ~ Pope Francis, 9/16/13

 

Please find the resources listed below from the Maryland Catholic Conference to assist you in preparing and educating yourself for the upcoming primary election. This year it is especially important that we, as believers, engage in the electoral process because: 

  • Early voting is June 12-16 and Election Day is June 24; 
  • The Primary election is being held in June for the first time this year;
  • This is the first election since the new district lines were drawn;
  • Of the 188 seats up for election in the General Assembly, more than 50 seats have been vacated by incumbents; and
  • Elections are also being held for governor and 8 members of Congress.  
 
FOR ELECTION RESOURCES CLICK HERE
 

FOR THE 2014 GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE SURVEY CLICK HERE

 


FOR THE 2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE SURVEY CLICK HERE
 

Upcoming Events to Mark on Your Calendar 

Prayer Service for Peace

- Sunday, June 22

 
On the 22nd  of every month somewhere in the Baltimore area, people of all faiths gather in a church, mosque or synagogue to pray for peace in the world, particularly in the most troubled areas including the Middle East. On June 22, the interfaith prayer service will take place in the Chapel of Grace at St. Ignatius Church at 7:30 PM.  Mark your calendars now and plan to come and pray for peace in our world! We have a remarkable time of planned.
 
 
Young Adult Council
- Sunday, June 22

Our first meeting on June 1st was great with 30 people in attendance. We had a great conversation regarding the growth of the ministry for our Young Adults here at St. Ignatius. Interested in helping out with the planning of this important ministry? Come to our next Council meeting on June 22nd in Gonzaga Hall after the 6:00 PM Mass. 

 

All Church "Get Away Weekend" and Parish Picnic 

- Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13

As you are planning your weekends for the next month or so, remember the "Get Away Weekend" being held the weekend of Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13. Come away for a "mini vacation" of camping (either in tents or houses), outdoor activities of hiking, nature walking and swimming. If you can't make the whole weekend, that's OK, come for the culmination of the St. Ignatius All Parish Picnic on Saturday. We want to make this year's time the most well attended, most fun event yet! To accomplish this, we need your presence! Be sure to place this weekend on your calendar now; tickets will go on sale in mid June. To view last year's event, click here.

  

Young Adult Parish Picnic/Retreat

- Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12

 

On July 11th-12th we will have a retreat for our Young Adults in conjunction with our annual Parish Picnic. Bring your swimming gear, a bible and a tent to make for a fun and prayerful weekend. Carpool will be available from St. Ignatius to Blue Ridge Summit, PA. More information to come.

In the Media
 

Mahmoud Abbas and Shimon Peres Pray with Pope Francis for Mideast Peace

  

(CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres committed themselves to the quest for peace Sunday during a meeting of key figures in the Middle East peace process.

 

But unlike previous attempts to achieve a resolution to the region's turmoil through traditional means, there would be no negotiating nor any political talks at Sunday's summit. This appeal would be made to a higher calling: Abbas and Peres prayed for peace together Sunday at the Vatican home of Pope Francis.

The meeting comes two weeks after the Pope invited the two leaders to do so during his visit to the Holy Land.

  

"In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace" the Pope said in Bethlehem's Manger Square following a May 25 Mass, " I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace."

  

Sunday's meeting was a first for the Vatican, which had never hosted a prayer gathering of two leaders engaged in conflict.

  

However pious the agenda, the day wasn't totally free of political subtext.

After prayers read in Arabic, Hebrew and Italian by figures from different religions, each leader offered his own invocation.

  

"Without peace, we are not complete. We have yet to achieve this mission of humanity," Peres said. "Even when peace seems distant, we must pursue it to bring it closer." READ MORE

 

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 e-zine compiled by John. C. Odean