Issue: #02022016
February 2, 2016
ST. IGNATIUS WEBPAGE

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




POOR BOX COLLECTION

Each weekend 
St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's support goes to Vulnerable Families 
In Crisis. - Click here    

 
     
MASS MUSIC

Attached is the listing for the music selections
at next Sunday's
10:30 Mass.
   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.

CALENDAR

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"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." 
                                                                     -  Galatians 6:2


Carissimi,

I came across this interview given by Aldegonde Brenninkmeijer-Werhahn, a Dutch theologian and sociologist, during the run-up for the Extraordinary Synod on the Family held in Rome last October.  She is reflecting on the way she hopes the Synod will approach hot-button issues concerning family life in all of its forms.
 
I share a few excerpts because she got me thinking about life in our own families and in our parish family, called to bear one another's burdens in the journey of life and to focus on inviting others to share the journey with us:
  • Married couples and their families know all too well that a domestic Church [our parish] is based not only on a theologia gloriae, but also on a realistic theologia crucis. Do we pay sufficient attention to the imperfect, weak, and sinful characters [every one of us] that can exist in a family [parish]?
  • The question is - to quote Pope Francis in the Evangelii Gaudium-whether we have in fact discerned sufficiently "what is truly of God." And that is possible only when we take account of the individual circumstances of people's lives and of what people are concretely capable of.
  • We must be careful not to waste our time and energy in internal disputes. The more we do that, the less we preach the Gospel. To pull the Church (God's people) together is the most important task Pope Francis has given us.
May we be a people for others, a community of affection and respect that draws others to join us because-in all of our beautiful and flawed humanity-we live the gospel with joy.
 
By your side, in His service, 
  
 
 

St. Blaise and the Blessing of the Throats

This past Sunday at the end of Mass we honored the Feast of St. Blaise, which technically is on Wednesday (February 3). Fr. Casciotti mentioned that if you wanted to know about St. Blaise and the tradition of two candles and the blessing of the throats you could do a Google search and learn all about it. We decided to do a little of that work for you. St. Blaise has become known as the Patron Saint of Throats, which is why we enjoy the traditional 'blessing' of the throats in this season of frigid weather and sicknesses flying about. If you'd like to learn more about how he came to be known for his 'throat ministry' we've provided both an article (click here), and a video from our archive. Enjoy!

The Feast of St. Blaise and the Blessing of Throats
Video: The Feast of St. Blaise and the Blessing of Throats

The Archbishop's Annual Appeal









Most Reverend William E. Lori is pleased to announce the launch of the 2016 
Archbishop's Annual Appeal, A Light Brightly Visible. 

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" 
                                                                                     - Winston Churchill

If you've been around St. Ignatius for any length of time, you've likely heard it said: "The
Gospel calls us to serve "the poorest, the weakest and the least important among us." We are committed to doing this, and this is why the centuries' long tradition of the Catholic Church is to be a compassionate community at the forefront of providing assistance to those who are in need. This 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.

As you heard this past weekend, and through our weekly e-zine, the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, which does so much good for the poor, will begin this next weekend. We invite each one of you to consider making a donation to the needy by way of a financial gift to this effort. It 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.
 
You all are well aware of how much St. Ignatius is involved with the needs of the poor - this is the primary way in which we do it - feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and supporting the refugee or prisoner. 

This weekend you will have opportunity to make a contribution at any of our Masses.  May God be with you as you seek Him on how you should give. We thank you, as always, for your great generosity. There is none other like our family in Christ here at St. Ignatius. 

If you would like to learn all there is to know about The Archbishop's Annual Appeal, visit the Archdiocese of Baltimore Website by clicking here.
Follow-up to the Bart O'Reilly Event

Artist Bart O'Reilly after his exhibit
opening and presentation on Sunday.
Tigh on Chnoic (House on the Hill)

by Anne Haddad

Dublin native Bart O'Reilly opened an exhibit of his paintings - "Tigh on Chnoic (House on the Hill)" in the Reeves Gallery Sunday by also reading his poetry and screening an art video he created. Many people from the parish and Baltimore's art community attended the multi-media event in the Chapel of Grace after the 10:30 Mass. 

David Cunningham, an artist and parishioner who curates exhibits for the Reeves Gallery, said O'Reilly's art "opens the door to a place. ...There is a constant shifting between land and sea, between powerful wind and gentle sunshine. This place is a past home for many people." 

The paintings are acrylic on raw canvas - which O'Reilly said he now prefers over canvas that is typically painted white or gray in preparation. With oil paint, such priming is necessary, but not with acrylic. 

The cross-inspirational nature of O'Reilly's art became evident as he read lines of his poetry that are recognizable as the titles of some of the paintings, such as "Through tears I see the most important mountain in my memory." 

O'Reilly took several questions afterward from the audience. After he was asked which comes first for him, the visual art or the poetry, he replied, "I view the world as a painter." Yet, as he strove to communicate his artistic vision through the titles of his paintings, others told him the titles were poetic. He developed his poetry from there. 

O'Reilly lives in White Marsh with his wife, Meaghan O'Reilly. Parishioners at St. Ignatius Church might remember him from a few years ago, when he screened his art video, "The history and objects of an imaginary shed," which is also a line from the poems he read Sunday. The video and poems, he said, are inspired by the 1951 novel "Malone Dies," by Samuel Beckett. 

The event was organized by the St. Ignatius Cultural Arts Committee, which Cunningham chairs.
Three Opportunities for Spiritual Growth During Lent









This coming Lent, more than twenty writers from throughout the national Jesuit network, including Saint Louis University president Fred Pestello and Boston College theologian M. Shawn Copeland, will unite for racial justice by participating in a daily blog called "Lift Every Voice: A Lenten Journey Toward Racial Justice." This beautiful Lenten daily devotional resource, focuses on something that has become so near and dear to our ministry focus and heart...that being racial justice. The Jesuit Network, as we, maintain that racial injustice is a gospel issue. With that in mind they have developed LIFT EVERY VOICE. It is a Lenten blog addressing America's original sin of racism through the lens of Ignatian spirituality and the daily readings. From Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday, voices from throughout the Ignatian network will lament racial injustice in our communities and reflect on how the Gospel calls us to repent, pray, and act in solidarity with those affected by an enduring legacy of systemic and personal racial discrimination. This Lent, you can grow in your knowledge and practice of eliminating racial injustice by signing up to have daily devotionals sent you you. To learn more about "Lift Every Voice: A Lenten Journey Toward Racial Justice," click here. To register to receive your daily reflections during Lent, click here.



March 13-19:  Watch and Pray Retreat
When we think of making a retreat, we typically think of going somewhere quiet or at least escaping for a bit from our ordinary world.  While such retreats can indeed be restorative, they are by no means the only way to grow in prayer and relationship with God.  St. Ignatius always envisioned sharing his spirituality and the treasures of the Spiritual Exercises in ordinary people's ordinary lives! 

As a way of honoring Lent's call to conversion and prayer, consider making this retreat in daily life.  The retreat opens and closes with a common gathering in the Chapel of Grace. 

Participants pray daily with assigned Scriptural texts and meet daily with a spiritual director to review their prayer.

Opening:
Sunday March 13, 12-1:30 pm, Chapel of Grace
Closing:
Saturday March 19, 10-11:30 am, Chapel of Grace
Details:Contact Fr. Steve Spahn, SJ at [email protected]














Sponsored by The Jesuit Collaborative and Loyola University's Office of Mission Integration.

You are invited to join a Lenten retreat aimed at finding the inner peace that comes through a direct relationship with our God. 

Dates: 
Meeting four Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
February 18
February 25
March 10
March 17
Location:Sellinger VIP Lounge
Loyola University, 4501 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
Content:Each two-hour meeting will include:
*  A guided prayer exercise
*  Time for personal reflection and journaling
*  Spiritual conversation in small groups
*  Instruction for the coming week's prayer

In addition to the meetings, participants will be asked to engage daily with the retreat content in prayer.
To Register:
To register, or for more information, please contact Anita Podles at 410.617.2030 or [email protected].



A Favorite Retreat - Save the Date!
Weekend Retreat at Loyola on the Potomac
Join our parishioners for the April 22-24 weekend retreat at Loyola on the Potomac, Faulkner, MD, for "The Way." Based on the methodology and content of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, this retreat is conducted in an atmosphere of prayerful silence and includes generous amounts of time for prayer, personal reflection and the cultivation of a deep relationship with God.

Ignatian Spirituality proposes principles and practices to help us walk the path set out by Jesus in the Gospel. Utilizing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, this year's theme offers guidance in prayer and the fundamentals of discernment. The retreat is open to any parishioner who desires to grow in their relationship with God through prayer. The price of the retreat is $235 per person, minus our registered parish member discount of $35. There is an additional $50 discount for first-time retreatants and young adults under 30. Check-in Friday April 22 between 4 pm and 6:45 pm, and depart after lunch Sunday 24. Loyola on the Potomac is a retreat house (in the Roman Catholic tradition) founded by the Jesuits in 1958. It is built on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River, and surrounded by 235 acres of rolling woodland. The house is fully air-conditioned, with two Chapels, comfortable lounges and sitting rooms, and 70 individual bedrooms, each with a half bath. In addition, there is one large conference room, six small meeting rooms, and a dining hall. Loyola also has a small fitness room, bookstore, and hiking trails for our retreatants to enjoy and utilize. There are two outdoor Stations of the Cross pathways for prayer on the property. Internet access is available in the main retreat house. For more information or to register, click here.
Let Your Voice Be Known About Immigration

SOLIDARITY WITH OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS

Pope Francis will make his first official trip to Mexico, which includes an historic visit to the U.S.- Mexico border on Wednesday, February 17th. His presence there will highlight the grave injustices facing those who migrate throughout Central and North America.

Join the Ignatian network in standing with Pope Francis in solidarity with our migrant brothers & sisters. To learn more about how you can be involved, click here.
Upcoming Events
Catholic Lobby Night
- Tuesday, February 9
Join the Saint Ignatius Justice and Peace Economic Justice Subcommittee and Catholics from all over Maryland at the Maryland Catholic Conference Annual Lobby Night taking place on February 9 starting at 4 PM and continuing until 8 PM in Annapolis. Lobby Night provides Catholic voters the opportunity to speak with their selected officials about issues to support and share in the Church's outreach in the state, and helps build relationships with legislators. A light supper will be provided.
What you can expect:
  • Shuttle from St. Ignatius Church to the Annapolis state office buildings (beginning at 4 PM)
  • Visits with legislators to deliver postcards and discuss the Church's stance on issues (5:00 - 6:00 PM)
  • Dinner reception with legislators (6:00 - 7:30 PM)
  • Short "Next Steps" presentation from Conference staff (7:30 PM) * Shuttle departs Annapolis and return back to St. Ignatius (8 PM)
If you plan to ride the shuttle, we need to know by tomorrow. Please state your intentions by informing Candra Healy at [email protected]. While this event is free, registration is necessary to participate. For more information and to register, click here.

I�igo Book Group
- Tuesday, February 9
The I�igo Book Group meets in the St. Ignatius Church offices at 110 E. Madison Street on the second Tuesday of the month (except for December). The meeting begins at 6:30 PM for social time and the discussion lasts from 7:00-8:30 PM.  All are welcome.  Any questions?  Please contact Catherine Young at [email protected]. For current reading list, click here.


Young Adults Mardi Gras Party
- Tuesday, February 9
Celebrate Mardi Gras with the young adults on Tuesday, February 9th at 7PM! A time to feast on delicious food before Lent and learn about Mardi Gras traditions around the world. Please bring a dish to share! Location: Ignatian Hall. For more information, contact Alli Clayton at [email protected].

Ash Wednesday
- Wednesday, February 10
The time has now come in the Church year for the solemn observance of the great central act of history, the redemption of the human race by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Roman Rite, the beginning of the forty days of penance is marked with the austere symbol of ashes which is used in today's liturgy. The use of ashes is a survival from an ancient rite according to which converted sinners submitted themselves to canonical penance. The Alleluia and the Gloria are suppressed until Easter. To learn more about the practices of Ash Wednesday, click here.

This year there will be 3 Masses celebrated at St. Ignatius. Ashes will be distributed during every Mass.
  • 7:25 AM in the Chapel
  • 12:10 PM in the Church
  • 6:00 PM in the Church
Justice & Peace Committee Meeting
- Thursday, February 11
The Justice & Peace Committee is dedicated to the service of faith and the promotion of justice.  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; advocate for economic justice and legislative initiatives, e.g. paid sick leave and affordable housing; and provide an environment that supports and advocates for racial justice, and develops diversity in our community. We remain committed to organizations working for domestic and international peace and justice. At our monthly meetings, each subcommittee convenes for one hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m. devoted to developing their own specific agenda. This is followed by a combined J&P meeting from 7:30-8:30 p.m. during which time projects are presented and a rich, cross-committee discussion of ideas takes place to connect our work and inspires our fellowship and plans.  We invite you to join us on Thursday evening, February 11 in Ignatian Hall  For more information about the Justice & Peace Committee, visit us at www.st-ignatius.net or contact the Chair, Candra Healy, [email protected] For more information, click here.

Ignatian Mornings of Reflection
- Saturday, February 13

Ignatian Mornings of Reflection are are excellent opportunities to pull away from the hustle and bustle of daily life in order to "dial down" and quiet our hearts before God. Morning of Reflection is under the direction of Father Bob Hamm, S.J., Director of the Xavier House. Participants will be guided through an experience of Ignatian Spirituality starting at 8:45 AM and concluding before the 12:10 Mass. This month's theme is "Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving!" All are welcome.


Women of the New Testament
- Tuesday, February 16
The Women of the New Testament group, which meets on the third Tuesday of the month, is currently discussing  Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories by Tikva Frymer-Kensky. This book address�es two of the most significant intellectual and religious issues of our day: the experiences of women in a patriarchal society and the relevance of the Bible to modern life. Discussion this month will center around Part III ("Virgins"):  The Dinah Affair; To the Barricades:  Views Against the Other; Queen Jezebel, or Deuteronomy's Worst Nightmare; and CozbiBoth men and women are invited to participate in these fascinating discussions. The meeting will be at 6:45 PM in the Conference Room at the Parish Offices (110 East Madison Street).


Prayer Walk with Bishop Madden for Peace in the City
- Wednesday, February 17
Please join Bishop Madden for his next prayer walk on Wednesday, February 17th at 5:30 PM. This monthly event is a wonderful opportunity to move through our neighborhoods in unity and prayer to ask God to bring his healing and blessings upon our city.

This month's prayer walk will be hosted by St. Ignatius Catholic Community. We are responsible for the worship, readings, and prayers, as well as the supper. The walk will move in and about our own community, with visitation of pertinent spots that have been sites of great spiritual blessings, and great inner city strife. We invite you to com pray with us, and to join us for the light supper that always accompany's these monthly events. More details to come!

Young Family Ministry "Walters Art Gallery" Play Date/Drop In Activity
- Saturday, February 20
As you remember, we had to cancel this event due to our massive snow storm. Well, it's back on...and here's the information.

Please plan to join us at the Walters Art Museum's drop-in art activities on Saturday, February 20th at 11 AM. This month's theme is "Wonderful Words"  Please RSVP by February 18 at [email protected] so we know whom to expect.

Embracing God's Gifts
- Tuesday, February 23

You are invited to join members of our gay and lesbian community in the Parish Offices at 110 E. Madison Street at 7:00 PM on the 4th Tuesday of each month. This group is open to anyone interested in fostering support, maintaining communications, and encouraging social activities among diverse members of our parish. For more information, contact Gordon Creamer at [email protected]. To learn more about the Embracing God's Gifts Ministry  click here.


Wednesday "Evenings of Reflection" During Lent
- Wednesday, February 24
It's hard to fathom -- but Lent begins next week!  In our heart of hearts we know that this holy season is an invitation to deepen our relationship with God. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his Lenten message for 2016, exhorts us all:  "Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favorable a time for conversion!"  In that spirit of wishing to make ours a holy Lent, St. Ignatius Parish offers a Lenten Mass at 6 PM followed by a simple supper in Ignatian Hall and a brief teaching to provide spiritual nurture in the Ignatian tradition. Please consider joining your fellow parishioners on Wednesday evenings February 24, March 2 and March 9. To view each Wednesday's topic, click here.


Rachel's Vineyard Retreat: Healing the Wounds of Abortion
      - February 26-28
Project Rachel Baltimore reaches out to all women and men hurting emotionally and spiritually after involvement with abortion. This ministry helps heal your wounded relationships with yourself, your child and God. Extending God's compassion, unconditional love, and forgiveness, Project Rachel Baltimore offers hope and peace. 

Project Rachel Baltimore is holding a Rachel's Vineyard Retreat centered on "Healing the Wounds of Abortion."  For more information about Rachel's Vineyard, click here. To register, click here.


Young Adults Charis Retreat
- Saturday, February 27
If you are in your twenties or thirties, you're invited to the next Young Adult Charis Retreat on Saturday, February 27th! The retreat will be similar in format to our fall one-day retreat, and this time will be focused on the theme of Seeking. It comes in the middle of Lent, a time when many of us are looking to reconnect with God and deepen our spirituality. It will be a chance to reflect among peers, engage with community, and individual contemplation. For more information, and to register, click here.

Charm City Baroque Concert: "The Garden of the Violin"
- Sunday, February 28
Charm City Baroque presents an exciting program devoted to the great violinist-composers of the 17th century.  Starting in northern Italy with Frescobaldi and his peers, we then travel north of the Alps to sample the violin wizardry of Walther, Schmelzer, and Biber.  In honor of the Lenten season, the concert will feature Biber's sonata depicting Jesus' carrying the cross to Calvary-from the mystical Rosary Sonatas written in the 1670s in the Jesuit-influenced ambiance of the court of Salzburg.  Join Charm City Baroque for an afternoon of sumptuously rich, soul-stirring music featuring Baroque violin, harpsichord and viola da gamba in the ideal setting of St. Ignatius.  Concert is free of charge but donations will be gratefully accepted.
In the Media


Why Catholic Leaders Don't Endorse Presidential Candidates



GOP presidential candidates Donald Trump and US Sen. Ted Cruz have courted the evangelical vote. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

By Michael O'Loughlin
National reporter January 28, 2016

With just days left before Iowa casts the first votes in the presidential nominating contests, Republican candidates have been crisscrossing the state touting their Christian bona fides, appealing to the group of voters who could make or break several campaigns. Part of this ritual includes rattling off a list of prominent Christian leaders who have come out in support of their campaigns.

On Tuesday, for example, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who is polling well with Evangelical voters, bagged the endorsement of Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the influential Liberty University and son of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

US Sen. Ted Cruz, meanwhile, who speaks frequently of his Southern Baptist faith, has been rewarded with endorsements from Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.

But there are few endorsements from prominent Catholics, even though four of the remaining GOP candidates - and one Democrat, Martin O'Malley - are Roman Catholic. - 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.

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                                                                                                              e-zine compiled by John C. Odean