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ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE
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You can view last Sunday's Homily by clicking on link below: View Video
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TRUTH SERUM
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This week's Truth Serum is entitled Living Intentionally Into
Holy Week, click here. |
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POOR BOX COLLECTION
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Each weekend
St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's focus is the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
To learn more click here
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MASS MUSIC
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Attached is the listing for the music selections
at next Sunday's
10:30 Mass.
click here
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WORLD WATCH
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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!
click here
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ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR
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JOIN OUR LIST
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Christian pilgrims carry palm branches during the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill)
PASSION SUNDAY--PROCESSION OF THE PALMS OPENING "THE GREAT WEEK"
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Faith,
What was it like to celebrate Holy Week, known as "The Great Week," in the city of Jerusalem 1700 years ago? In an eye-witness account, Peregrinatio Ad Loca Santa (Pilgrimage to Holy Places), written by Etheria, a Spanish Abbess visiting the Holy Land, we have a remarkable description of how Christians honored the memory of Christ's Passion and Death in the fourth century. Noting carefully all the details about the celebration of the opening day of "The Great Week," Etheria's captivating picture reveals that the Jerusalem liturgy actually contained all the essential elements of the liturgy which we celebrate on Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday).
However, the length of the time dedicated to the feast day in Jerusalem stretched from cockcrow or sunrise till dusk or sunset, a good twelve hours or more. The grand procession through the whole city of Jerusalem differed greatly from our modest procession. While we process into the church and around the interior, the people of Jerusalem spent some six to seven hours slowly processing through the holy city arriving at the Anastasis, the place of the Resurrection of Jesus. There, as night fell, they stood before the Cross and offered Lucernare. This was a special rite of prayer that also included the lighting of the many lamps creating an atmosphere of joyful celebration.
This coming weekend at Saint Ignatius we will celebrate Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) at all of our Masses. Two of the Masses will include a simple but joyful procession into the church. The 10:30 AM Choir Mass will begin outside the church on Calvert Street and process into the narthex and circle through the aisles. Our 6:00 PM Chapel Mass will begin in its usual location. However, after the blessing of the palms and the reading of the first Gospel, we will process from the Chapel out to the street and then into the church upstairs. Our volunteer choir will lead the procession and accompany our singing throughout the liturgy.
More information about the 6:00 PM Mass can be found in this e-zine as well as about all our Masses and services during Holy Week, particularly about the Great Triduum, Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday evening.
Gratefully yours in Jesus, the Christ,
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Holy Week Begins Next Sunday
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Living Intentionally Into Holy Week
from Nextwelve
We strongly believe that living intentionally allows a person to become all that he or she desires to be. Intentional living puts us in a position to experience the fullness of life.
Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday, which kicks off the week, leading up to Easter - called Holy Week. It marks the events and teachings of Jesus Christ leading to his death and resurrection. For a Christian, it is the most significant week on the calendar because it defines our faith and practices. It shapes our perspectives and ignites our hope for a life that can be lived abundantly.
We thought it might be a good reminder to walk with Christ through next week and draw some challenging conclusions about living intentionally.
Sunday:
Jesus knows that this week will be the end of his ministry culminating in his death. He intentionally goes to Jerusalem where the events of this week will occur. Prior to this, the religious leaders had rejected Christ's claims to be the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. As the result they swayed the consensus of the people. When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem his disciples secure a donkey's colt for Jesus to ride on, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.
Upon seeing Jesus, the people of Jerusalem take up palm branches (a symbol of goodness and victory) laying them across Jesus path and waving them in the air. They shout, "Hosanna" which in the language of the day, means "Save us now" or "rescue us." In a defiant act of rebellion against the religious teaching and the rule of Rome, the people hail Jesus as their "Messiah" or savior king. - READ MORE
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Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
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Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem: A Tale of two Parades
Traditionally, Lent is a time of preparation and penitence in preparation for Easter and we began the season on Wednesday night when we gathered for Ash Wednesday. That's the personal and spiritual dimension of Lent. But there's also a public and political dimension to the Lenten journey. It's been said that one should never mix religion and politics, but the Gospels don't have such restrictions. For Mark and for the other Gospel writers, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter is the climax of the conflict between two kingdoms or, to update the language, two worldviews: the worldview of human political and social systems and the worldview of the Jesus, whom the Gospel writers see as the one true and divine ruler of the world. That conflict is evident through the whole story of Jesus, but it comes to a head here in Jerusalem during the Passover.
So, over the next six weeks we want to take us on a journey through that last week so that we can look at this conflict through first century eyes and, then, see how that conflict continues some 2,000 years later. The call to follow Christ is, after all, a call to see the world differently than humans traditionally have-to understand that Jesus was and is leading a revolution against the powers of this world, but doing so through a movement of justice, grace and peace over and against the human values of power, violence, and oppression. When we see more clearly what Jesus was doing in Jerusalem, we see more clearly our own call as his disciples. It was Sunday, the first day of the Jewish work week, when Jesus and his disciples finished the climb up the hills from the Jordan River valley to Bethany and the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. They would have certainly not been the only ones on the road as pilgrims from all over the region were making their way to the holy city for the Passover festival, which celebrated the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt during the time of Moses. Jerusalem would swell from its regular population of maybe 40,000 inhabitants to more than 200,000 people during the festival. - READ MORE
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Palm Sunday and the Fulfillment of Daniel's Prophecy of the Coming Messiah
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Certainly many Christians are aware that the Old Testament contains many prophecies concerning the coming of Christ - literally hundreds related to aspects such as where He would be born, where He would minister, what lineage He would descent from, what His death would be like and so forth, Very few people are aware that the Bible actually predicted the exact day of His coming, which was foretold by the prophet Daniel. This fulfillment occurred at what is known as Jesus' Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem, now called Palm Sunday.
In 538 BC, during the time that Israel was being held captive by the Babylonians, the prophet Daniel recognized that the time of Israel's captivity would soon be coming to an end. It had been sixty-seven years since Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon, and Daniel had been studying the prophecies that said the captivity would last only seventy years. - READ MORE
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Pardon Our Growth
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 THE 6:00 PM MASS MOVES PERMANENTLY TO THE CHURCH ON PALM SUNDAY
As an expanding parish, welcoming more and more young adults and young couples with babies, we are outgrowing our lovely, intimate Chapel of Grace where we joyfully have been celebrating our 6:00 p.m. Mass each Sunday evening for many years. Though the move tugs at our heart strings, we are enthusiastic and inspired to be relocating to the church that originally served, when first opened, as the worship space for the students and their families of Loyola College. Built in 1856, this beautiful, semi-baroque church invites those gathered for prayer to a sense of God's grandeur and up-lifting presence. We know that, as we come into this warm and gracious place, we will find ourselves readily in a setting conducive for our 6:00 o'clock community's celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy. Supported at first by a volunteer choral group under the direction of our cantor, Joann Moorer and accompanied by Chungwon Chung on the piano, we will find ourselves much more present to and participating in the Mass with its readings, homily, intercessions, prayers, and music.
We also believe that with this important move we will attract more and more people from our downtown Mount Vernon area and beyond. As most know, we are the last downtown Sunday Mass in center city. We hope that those who attend this Mass will spread the word to others, especially the newly arrived who have just moved into Mount Vernon. We want to be a very engaging and welcoming community.
In the spirit of this move on Palm Sunday, we invite you to come and join us in the grand procession from the Chapel of Grace to our church upstairs, carrying palm branches and chanting the time-honored hymn, All Glory, Laud and Honor that offers praise to Jesus and sets the tone for Holy Week 2015. With this step we also will be opening a whole new phase of our prayer and worship in which we will be looking for volunteers to join with their voices and instruments in making our music resonate with the Gospel, the prayers, and the whole Eucharistic celebration itself. So come and be present with us as together we find God present to us and within us in a refreshing lovely new setting where thousands upon thousands have worshiped for more than 150 years. It is a Kairos moment, a time of grace for all of us.
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Year of Consecrated Life
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Wake Up the World!
This week's reflection for the Year of Consecrated Life was written by Rev. David J. Collins, S.J. who is a history professor and vocation promoter at Georgetown University.Click on the following link: Week 17- March 23, 2015
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Holy Week/Easter Mass Schedule
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Palm Sunday, March 28 & 29
- Masses: 4:30 PM (Saturday), 8:00, 9:00, 10:30 AM, 6:00 PM
- Reception in Ignatian Hall after 9:00 and 10:30 Masses
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- Daily Masses at 7:25 AM and 12:10 PM
Holy Thursday, April 2
- Confessions: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Eucharistic Liturgy: 7:30 PM
- Private Adoration: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
- Compline (Night Prayer): 10:00 PM
Good Friday, April 3
- Confessions: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Stations of the Cross: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
- Private Prayer in Church: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Liturgy of the Passion: 7:30 PM
Holy Saturday, April 4
- Confessions: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Easter Vigil Liturgy: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- Reception in Ignatian Hall: 9:15 PM
Easter Sunday, April 5
- Masses: 8:00, 9:00, 10:30 AM, 6:00 PM
- Reception in Ignatian Hall after 9:00 and 10:30 Masses
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| Upcoming Events |
The Light Is On For You
- Friday, March 27
Reconciliation...Confession...Penance...Mercy...Forgiveness
For the past several years, the parishes of the Archdiocese of Baltimore have participated in a program aimed at promoting the value of participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance). That program is known as The Light Is On For You. By participating in the Sacrament, whether our first time in days, weeks, months or years, we are experiencing God's individual and unwavering love for us and one of the true graces made available to us by our Catholic faith. God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way. Parishes in the archdiocese, including St. Ignatius, will be offering this Sacrament of Mercy and Forgiveness on Friday, March 27 from 3:00-8:00 PM. Don't forget that throughout the Season of Lent at St. Ignatius, a priest will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation half an hour before every Mass, except on Sundays.
Guide for Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Resource
Friday Night Lenten Observance
- Friday, March 27
Join us for Mass in the church at 5:30, followed by Stations of the Cross, then a simple Lenten meal of soup, salad and bread in Ignatian Hall before we hear (and then discuss) a presentation on scripture by Dr. John Pilch. This week's topic is The Resurrection (Mark 16:1-8).
If you are able to help with the meal by making soup or salad, or bringing bread or beverages, please contact Diane White at dwhite1@jesuits.org, or call the parish office. Please join us. And invite a friend.
Young Families Ministry Gathering
- Sunday, March 29
Lookin g for ways to connect, commune and celebrate marriage and family? Join St. Ignatius's ever-growing community of young married couples and families as we blend the spiritual, social
and practical aspects of family life. On Palm Sunday - March 29 (3pm), the group will meet for a potluck social gathering at the home of Anne & Mike Mattia in Rodgers Forge (Towson area). Fr. Steve will join the group for a blessing, and babies and toddlers are welcome! Please RSVP to annemattia@icloud.com for details, to let her know how many of you will be attending, and if
you would like to contribute any food or drinks.
HOLY WEEK/EASTER SCHEDULE
- Sunday March 29 - Sunday April 5
See Holy Week Schedule box above.
Justice & Peace Committee
- Thursday, April 9
 The Justice and Peace Committee is dedicated to the service of faith and the promotion of justice. The Committee aims to address the challenges that affect the work of justice in our community. Presently, our social justice work is focused on Immigration; Economic Justice; Bread for the World; and the immigrant/asylee project, New Day, New Hope. We are organized through subcommittees that identify particular programs to more effectually: serve the poor and our focus on hunger and homele ssness in Baltimore City; support Immigration advocacy and projects - at risk children and families; Economic Justice (legislatively advocate a paid sick leave initiative); and expand diversity within our parish community. We remain committed to organizations working for domestic and international peace and justice. Please join us on Thursday evening, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Ignatian Hall. For more information contact the committee chair, Candra Healy by emailing her at chealy@loyola.edu
Georgetown University Concert Choir
- Friday, April 10 - 7:30 PM
 Another favorite event is right around the corner! The Georgetown University Concert Choir presents selections from Amadeus Mozart, Gabrielle Faure, Maurice Duruflé and other critically acclaimed choral works. Georgetown University's premier choral ensemble specializes in classical choral works, dating from the 9th Century to the present day. Admission is free (although donations are accepted). A reception will follow.
Morning of Ignatian Reflection - Saturday, April 11 On Saturday, April 11, in Ignatian Hall, Father Bob Hamm, S.J., Seamus Dockery, and Toni Moore-Duggan will guide us in prayer and reflection. The program begins at 8:45 AM and concludes with the 12:10 Mass. Please join us.
St. Ignatius Movie Night - "Babette's Feast" - Friday, April 17  Presented by the St. Ignatius Cultural Arts Committee, the Friday Night Movie showing for April is the film, Babette's Feast. At once a rousing paean to artistic creation, a delicate evocation of divine grace, and the ultimate film about food, the Oscar-winning Babette's Feast is a deeply beloved treasure of cinema. Directed by Gabriel Axel and adapted from a story by Isak Dinesen, it is the lovingly layered tale of a French housekeeper with a mysterious past who brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late nineteenth-century Denmark. Babette's Feast combines earthiness and reverence in an indescribably moving depiction of food-pleasure with lessons regarding piety, judgment, gossip, and grace.
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Date & Time:
| Friday, April 17. 7:30PM. | | Location: | Ignatian Hall on the lower level of the church | | Cost: | There is no charge for this event. Popcorn, snacks and beverages will be provided. |
Runners for Others: an Ignatian 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk - Saturday, April 18
 The 3rd annual "Runners for Others: An Ignatian 5K" will be held Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Baltimore's Patterson Park. The 5K run and 1 mile fun walk in this historic and sprawling park help raise funds for the Maryland Province's social ministries. Last year, with hundreds of runners and walkers participating, eight Jesuit organizations in Baltimore, including St. Ignatius Catholic Community each received $1,500 to support their social justice ministry programs. To register, click here.
Immigration Detention Visitation Presentation and Workshop
- Sunday, April 19
 "[I was] naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." (Matthew 25:36, NABRE)
The U.S. government mandates the detention of 34,000 migrants each day - be they men, women or families with children. So every day, we have 34,000 opportunities to live out our faith by providing hope, strength and a voice to the detained by participating in an immigration detention visitation ministry. On Sunday, April 19, after the 10:30 Mass, the St. Ignatius Justice & Peace Committee will host a presentation and workshop on Immigration Detention and Visitation in the Chapel of Grace. Parishioner Matthew Dolamore, who is the National Network Coordinator for the Community Support alternative to detention program at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, will speak. Fabio Lomelino, who is the Community Education Facilitator at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service will join him. There is no cost for this event.
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| In the Media |
 Showdown in Ukraine
A path to peace and Europe's future 
IDENTITY CRISIS. Ukrainian armed forces ride on armored personnel carriers near Debaltseve, Ukraine, Feb. 12.
The undeclared war between Russia and Ukraine cannot be contained in the same way other recent Russian expansionist conflicts-Transnistria since 1990 and South Ossetia and Abkhazia since 2008-have been isolated. Unlike these contested regions, Ukraine is a much more significant country, with a population of 45 million. A conflict between the largest country in the world and the largest country of Europe cannot pass unnoticed. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict concerns all countries of the world, because international law has been openly violated by the annexation of Crimea.
A global consensus may finally understand that the very future of the European model is being threatened by the destabilization of Ukraine. In a violently anti-American speech given in October 2014 at Sochi, President Putin did not hide the fact that other conflicts will follow everywhere "Russian interests" are at stake, beginning, of course, with the regions bordering Russia. Indeed, since September 2014, the Baltic countries, Poland and even Sweden have already endured provocations from Russia. These military feints should be taken seriously. In her excellent book Putin's Kleptocracy, Karen Dawisha describes how Russia has become a mafia state grounded in terror. The recent murder of the opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, gunned down on a bridge in Moscow near the Kremlin on Feb. 27, only seems to confirm her analysis.
- READ MORE
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