Issue: #31032015
March 31, 2015
ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE

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

 View Video
Read Homily
 

 

 

TRUTH SERUM
This week's Truth Serum is entitled Why It Matters That Women Discovered the Empty Tomb,
 click here.

 

POOR BOX COLLECTION

Each weekend 
St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's focus is the St. Frances Academy in East Baltimore. To learn more click here


MASS MUSIC

Attached is the listing for the music selections
at Easter Sunday's
9:00 and 10:30 Masses.
click here
WORLD WATCH

Weekly updates on Christian persecution around the globe. Keep a prayerful watch on what is happening with your brothers and sisters! - click here.
ST. IGNATIUS CALENDAR
Calendar transparent
View  Full Calendar

JOIN OUR LIST
Join Our Mailing List

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS OF CHRIST'S PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION ARE UPON US

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Faith,
 

As we enter the church of St. Ignatius during this special week, we are immediately struck by the purple shrouds covering the crucifix, statues and the great painting of Ignatius hanging over the altar. The shrouds and their deep purple color remind us that we are engaged in the most sacred time of the year for Christians the world over. It is indeed our holiest week annually: Holy Thursday into Good Friday, Good Friday into Holy Saturday, and Holy Saturday into Easter Sunday. These three days, from sundown on Thursday till sundown on Sunday, commemorate the most sacred time of the year for every follower of Jesus. Simply called "The Triduum," a Latin term meaning three days, they commemorate the final days of Christ on earth when he suffered his crucifying death and then was raised to life by the Father.

 

Each of these days ushers us into the deepest and most intimate revelations of Jesus who gives himself over to the Father on our behalf by being emptied out on the Cross and then raised from the tomb of death to the glory and exaltation at the Father's side.  It is this crucified-resurrected Christ who remains now with us each moment of the day and who has become our hope and promise of passing through our own eventual death into a whole new risen life of joy and glory.

 

As we undertake this journey with Christ during this Triduum, I invite all our parishioners to review the times for each evening's celebration as well as the times for our Easter Sunday Masses. Please consider inviting others to join you for these beautiful celebrations.

 

Happy Easter!

 

With much gratitude to you all,


The "Last" Week of Jesus Life

Follow Jesus Through That Final Week.
by Msgr. Charles Pope
At the heart of our faith is the Paschal mystery: the Passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. All of salvation history leads up to and goes forth from these saving events. The purpose of this post is to describe Jesus' final week. We call this "Holy Week" because Jesus' public ministry culminates with His suffering, death, and resurrection.

What follows is a brief description of each day of Holy Week. I hope you will print out this flyer (Walking-with-Jesus-In-Holy-Week) and read it each day this week. Prayerfully walk with Jesus in His most difficult yet most glorious week.

Some scholars of Scripture scoff at the idea that we can construct a day-by-day journal of Jesus' last week. There are historical gaps and things in the different accounts that don't add up perfectly. Further, St. John posits a slightly different time-frame (shifted by one day) for the Last Supper relative to Passover. The following sequence follows the timing of the synoptic (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) accounts. Despite certain scholarly doubts, the accounts really do add up pretty well if one uses a little imagination and sees the differences not as factual discrepancies but rather only as variations in the level of detail.

So read this chronology as a likely, but not certain, outline of the last week of Jesus. It is still a great blessing to consider the Lord's last week and to walk with Him.- READ MORE 
Easter Musings
Paul Newman in the role of the Stage Manager in Our Town, 2002 
Two Easter Touchstones From My Life 
by John Odean 
 
As we approach Easter this year, there are two touchstones in my mind that bring me back to when I first came to know Jesus. One is what has been called the "Greatest American Play." Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder, tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens. Its theme of how life passes so quickly, and people being unaware that they will soon join those who've gone before them gripped me then, and it grips me now. The play asks, in effect, what will remain of us, what will our lives have added up to, in the gaze of eternity? In Grover's Corners we know it will not be anything grand, or out of the ordinary, for anybody. The play poses the question, that for all virtues and all vices, all successes and all failures, "what difference will Shakespeare or Napoleon have made, not to mention you and I?"

Our Town is my lifelong favorite play - and it is one of the tools God used to get me thinking about Him and my time here on earth way back in the early 70's. It is best summed up by the play's narrator, known as the Stage Manager:

"We all know that something is eternal. And it ain't houses and it ain't names, and it ain't earth, and it ain't even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you'd be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being."

When I committed my life to Christ, I became profoundly aware of His Holy Spirit dwelling with me. The awareness of His very real and abiding presence is what changed everything in my life. As I came to experience His peace and felt Him near me I knew that He would walk me through whatever would come into my life - and that He would lead me into eternal life after this life was over. As the Stage Manager said: "There's something way down deep that's eternal about every human being." I had connected with the Eternal One - I had connected with Jesus.

On my first Easter as a follower of Christ, I stood on the mountain behind my parent's house in Spokane, Washington at sunrise. Gathered with a group of high school friends, as the sun rose, we sang a song that was new then (and certainly new to me). That "new" song has become a classic - and as it did on my first Easter morning 41 years ago, it can still make me cry. My second touchstone this Easter week is the song Because He Lives. I shared it with you last Easter. I share it with you again. Why? Because He lives!

Happy Resurrection Week...and life...to you all.


 

Because He Lives 
Because He Lives
 
Behold the Lamb of God
Mary had a little lamb, His fleece was white as son. And everywhere that Mary went, the Lamb of God would go. He made His way to Calvary, To pay for all our sin. And three days later conquered death, And rose to life again. 
Year of Consecrated Life
Wake Up the World!
This week's reflection for the Year of Consecrated Life was written by Rev. Mark Hallinan, SJ who is the pastor of multiple parishes on Staten Island, NY -- St. Mary of the Assumption and Our Lady of Mount Carmel+St. Benedicta. Click on the following link: Week 18 - March 30, 2015.
Young Family Ministry Update
St. Ignatius Young Family Ministry and their Terrific Palm Sunday Gathering

The first official gathering of St. Ignatius's newly formed Young Family Ministry was a breath of fresh air this past Palm Sunday afternoon. Fr. Steve Spahn started his blessing for the group with Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three of you gather in my name, there I am with them." Indeed THIRTY SIX of you gathered at the Rodgers Forge home of parishioners Anne & Mike Mattia - married couples in their 30s & 40s, lots of babies & toddlers, a few grade-school-aged children, an engaged couple (to be married next month!) and even two grandmas. There was a constant energy/swirl of children playing with toys, reading Easter books, sneaking in extra helpings of the sweet treats in the dining room, blowing bubbles, and playing ball outside - however, the adults still managed to get to know one another better, sharing stories of how they met, what brought them to St. Ignatius, and how they can get together more (outside of the formal Mass setting).

The goal of the ministry is to blend the spiritual, social and practical aspects of family life, from social gatherings (parties & picnics) to Eucharistic dinners to advice about becoming better married couples & parents in the Catholic faith. Please let our parish office know if you are interested in joining the group, hosting or planning a gathering, or even acting as a resource to the group (if any senior members of the parish would be willing to share their pearls of wisdom).

Save the Date! 
Saturday, May 2, 10:30am - 12:30pm 
Who else has Spring Fever?!!?!? The Young Family Ministry will meet at Sherwood Gardens (close to Loyola University) for a casual family play-date picnic. The tulips should be at their peak, so we will be surrounded by God's beauty. If the weather is bad, we will take a rain check for May 9 at the same time/place. As always, babies and toddlers are welcome, but newlywed couples without little ones yet, please join us! Feel free to bring a blanket if you would like to relax, snacks or lunch if you would like to eat, and cameras because it's such a lovely setting. We will pick a central location and have a few balloons so you can spot us.

Sherwood Gardens is located one block east of the 4100 block of St. Paul Street. Turn east onto East Highfield Road to reach the gardens, which are bounded by East Highfield Road, Underwood Road, Stratford Road and the Greenway. Visit their website by clicking here. RSVP your intentions to Anne Mattia at annemattia@icloud.com. 

Jack and Jenny Linehan will be hosting another gathering at their home in Hamden later in the summer (date TBT)! 
Confirmation Class  - Living Out Their Faith In Christ From the Beginning

Hitting the Streets with Loaves and Fishes

On Palm Sunday, students from our St. Ignatius Confirmation class gathered to participate in the Loaves and Fishes program. With help from adult parishioners, students spent the afternoon dicing vegetables, cutting chicken, making sandwiches, and filling hygiene bags for those who live on the streets of Baltimore. In the evening, the students rode on the van, and distributed the soup, sandwiches, hot chocolate and coffee all over the city. They also handed out blankets and hygiene kits, and encountered so many individuals on the streets that they ran out of supplies to distribute. The students were grateful for this service opportunity, and learned a lot from the experience. They will serve the Loaves and Fishes program again on Sunday, April 12th. The following weekend, April 17-19, will be their retreat at Blue Ridge Summit, a culminating prayerful weekend for the students to reflect on their decision to be confirmed and their relationship with God. The students appreciate the prayers of the St. Ignatius community as they continue through their journey to Confirmation, which will occur on Sunday May 17th.

In the Reeves Gallery
New Exhibit by Gus Muller 
Our new exhibit in the Reeves Gallery is Stations of the Cross, Watercolors by Gus Muller.  Gus Muller, a young 91 years of age,  is the father of parishioner Bridget Sampson   In 2006, Gus created a suite of watercolors depicting the Stations of the Cross paired with Saints within a published book, as a teaching tool for children. These impressions float within each page, and give us a powerful point of view. Gus will visit with us after the 10:30 Mass on April 19th.  During this Easter season, may these beautiful watercolors help us to be ever more present to Christ in a most intimate way. Thank you, Gus! To learn more about Gus and his work, click here.
Upcoming Events

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

(** the 9:00 Radio Mass on Easter Sunday will be a full hour long with the St. Ignatius Choir) 


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 homelessness 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. 





Indigo Book Group
- Tuesday, April 14
 Inigo Book Group will meet on Tuesday, April 14 in Ignatian Hall to discuss "The Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  The meeting begins with social time from 6:30-7:00 and is followed by the discussion until 8:30.  All are welcome.  On May 12 the book group will discuss "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  Please contact Catherine Young at pianocate2@gmail.com with any questions.

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.  

 

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.  
In the Media
La Voz del Pueblo
 La Voz Del Pueblo is an 18-minute documentary that explores the difficult and violent Honduran reality through the perspective of journalists at the Jesuit-run radio station, Radio Progreso. CLICK ARROW ABOVE TO WATCH DOCUMENTARY.

by ISN Staff | March 25, 2015 

 
La Voz Del Pueblo, an 18-minute documentary exploring violence and injustice in Honduras through the perspective of journalists at a Jesuit-run radio station, will be released on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The release will coincide with the thirty-fifth anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero's murder in neighboring El Salvador. Directed by Jeremy Zipple, S.J., executive editor of America Films, the release is a collaborative effort of America Media, Ignatian Solidarity Network, and the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

The documentary features the staff of Radio Progreso, including Rev. Ismael Moreno Coto, S.J., popularly known as Padre Melo, a Jesuit priest and human rights activist in his native Honduras who directs Radio Progreso and Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC), whose work includes: grassroots radio programming; training on human rights, urging greater government transparency and accountability, community organizing and empowerment, combatting violence against women; the formation of leadership committed to social change; and assisting returned migrants.

The timing of the release to coincide with the anniversary of Archbishop Romero's murder was intentional said Christopher Kerr, executive director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.  "In light of Archbishop Romero's legacy as a prophetic voice for human rights, the 35th anniversary of his murder creates a unique opportunity to call attention to the present-day reality of violence and impunity in El Salvador's Central American neighbor, Honduras," noted Kerr. - READ MORE 
     
READER NOTIFICATION:  

"Parish: the thought" is a publication of St. Ignatius Catholic Community, Baltimore. Each edition contains articles and news feeds that are included for awareness of current topics in our world today. The positions expressed by outside authors and news feeds are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of St. Ignatius Catholic Community or its staff.

Follow us by clicking on the appropriate icon!
Like us on Facebook      Follow us on Twitter       
                                                                                                                e-zine compiled by John. C. Odean