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Issue # 23022016 February 23, 2016
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"Donald Trump...when asked about the Pope's intention to stand at the border, denigrated him as "a very political person" and a tool of the Mexican government.
The Pope's standing shoulder to shoulder with a beleaguered people recapitulates the very foundation of the Biblical faith, which began, after all, in a migrant crisis like ours....
The Bible tells a story of power, violence, and conquest, but-and this sets the Bible apart-it tells that story from the point of view of the victims of power, not the possessors of power. When plagues strike a country-disease, economic collapse, political anarchy, blood in the water-the country, for the purposes of social order, typically heaps its distress onto a marginal, despised minority...Once that victim is expelled, the nation can seem to heal-which is, of course, the fantasy that Trump has, with his plan to deport eleven million undocumented immigrants. The scapegoat story is usually told by those doing the scapegoating. But the Bible, beginning with the Exodus exile, flips that narrative to affirm that God stands with those who have been cast out.
God's solidarity with the disenfranchised is not just a function of his omnidirectional love. No, love is the concern of those at the top of the social order. Those at the bottom want not love but justice-and the Bible offers it by seeing everything from below, from south to north. Thus, when people are scapegoated and driven out, God goes with them. This is the radical vision that so-called religion has, across the millennia, sought to domesticate, or even delete. Religion has continually realigned God with the powerful, and that is the religion invoked against Francis by Trump and the others.
In the United States-decisively including the Obama Administration, which has been so ruthless about deportations-Latino migrants are the paradigmatic scapegoat of the moment. (In Europe, the scapegoated people are Muslims, and Francis has stood with them, too.) His presence at the border in Juárez may have special resonance because he is the first Latin American Pope, but his stance transcends personal identity, just as it transcends politics and religion. He is offering neither an explicit critique of U.S. immigration policy nor a solution to the many dilemmas that bedevil its reform. He is simply suggesting that there is another point of view that must be reckoned with. Standing at the Rio Grande with Mexicans, Pope Francis was only being Biblical."
By your side, In His service,
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| Some Good Counsel About Helping Those Who Grieve... |
'Not everything happens for a reason': The magic words to say when everything's going wrong
Tim Laurence, a journalist and psychotherapist, has written a very insightful article where he discusses how much it's really possible to help someone who's grieving. He argues that it's very important for us to be very careful what we say to people dealing with personal pain - the empty phrases we're accustomed to offer can often hurt rather than help them despite our best intentions.
Tim himself knows what he's talking about, having suffered huge personal loss at a young age. We think his insights are therefore well worth considering. Take a look.
'...I'm listening to a man tell a story. A woman he knows was in a devastating car accident, and now she lives in a state of near-permanent pain; a paraplegic, many of her hopes stolen. Read More |
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The Trouble (and Blessing) of Lent
by Sue Cesare
Let's face it. Lent is in trouble.
Let me explain. Most of us have favorite holiday seasons. For some it's Christmas, with the family get-togethers and presents. For others it's the Fourth of July and summer, filled by a sense of national pride and beach vacations to boot. But each year at just about this time, it strikes me that very few of us would pick Lent, a season that seems to most of us as grim as the weather that usually attends it. Read more.
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Worship with Offerings, Liturgy, and Prayer for Others
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POOR BOX
Each weekend St. Ignatius specifies a Poor Box collection for a needful cause. This week's support goes towards a tuition request made by Mercy High School. |
MASS MUSIC
Attached is the listing for the music selections at next Sunday's10:30 Mass.
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INTERNATIONAL
CHRISTIAN CONCERN
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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| Lenten Retreat in Daily Life Registration |
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 stevespahn@st-ignatius.net
- To submit application, and let us know your times and availability to meet with a spiritual director, click here.
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| New Exhibition Opening in Reeves Gallery |
Noise to Signal: The Jean Coureaux Archives
On view at the Reeves Gallery
27 February through 12 March
Opening Reception: Sunday, 28 February
1:30 AM - 12:30 PM
From 1998 to 2007, Thom Hawkins assumed the persona of Jean Coureaux, a video artist whose work appeared in shows from Baltimore to Brooklyn, as still photographs and in live performances. Noise to Signal is a retrospective of this decade, taken from his archives, demonstrating how his work, informed by art history and science alike, evolved from early darkroom experimentation to video abstraction. Thom Hawkins continues his art through other media; he is the author of Sir Francis Galton Goes to the Zoo, as well as two other children's books, and co-creator of the short film Slow News Day: A History in One Act.
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Dr. John J. Pilch Releases New Book
St. Ignatius parishioner Dr. John J. Pilch just published his 40th book: The Cultural Life Setting of the Proverbs (Fortress Press, 2016). All his books present Middle Eastern culture and values necessary for understanding that Middle Eastern book, The Bible. His book is recommended by Cardinal Ravasi, biblical scholar at the Vatican curia. Pilch taught at Georgetown University for 18 years and currently lectures in the Odyssey Program at Johns Hopkins. Read more or order from Fortress Press.
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Tuesday, February 23 - 7 PM
Embracing God's Gifts - 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. More info.
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Wednesday, February 24 - 6 PM Wednesday "Evenings of Reflection" During Lent - Lent is here! We have wonderful times planned at St. Ignatius with three weekly Wednesday Lenten Masses at 6 PM followed by a simple supper in Ignatian Hall and a brief teaching to provide spiritual nurture in the Ignatian tradition. More info.
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February 26 - 28
Rachel's Vineyard Retreat: Healing the Wounds of Abortion - 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. More info. If you would like to pray for the retreatants or volunteer for this event, click here.
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Saturday, February 27 - 8:30 AM
Young Adults Charis Retreat - 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. More info.
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Sunday, February 28 - 3:00 PM
Charm City Baroque Concert: "The Garden of the Violin" - 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 - with a Lenten theme! More Info.
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Saturday, March 5 - 8:45 AM
Mornings of Ignatian Reflection - 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. The theme this month is: "Who Do You Say That I Am?" Mornings of Ignatian Reflection are under the direction of Jesuit Father Bob Hamm. Participants will be guided through an experience of Ignatian Spirituality starting at 8:45 AM and concluding before the 12:10 Mass.
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Sunday, March 6 - Noon
Interfaith Power & Light - an organization that supports faith communities in responding to climate change, will present a free Home Energy Workshop in partnership with Retrofit Baltimore at St. Ignatius on Sunday, March 6, at Noon in the Chapel of Grace. Click here for more info.
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Monday, March 7 - 7 PM
Young Adult Lenten Reflection - The young adults are invited to a Lenten evening of reflection on Monday, March 7th at 7:00 PM in the main church. We will reflect on our current Lenten journey and experience the Stations of the Cross. Please join us for a time of fellowship and prayer.
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Tuesday, March 8 - 6:30 PM
The Inigo Book Group will meet on Tuesday, March 8 at 110 E. Madison Street (the parish office building) to discuss "The Door" and "The Boys in the Boat". The meeting will begin with social time from 6:30-6:45 and will be followed by the respective discussions from 6:45-7:35 and 7:35-8:25. All are welcome. On April 12 the group will discuss "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen. Please contact Catherine Young with any questions at pianocate2@gmail.com.
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Monday, March 7 - 4:30 PM
Maryland March for Life - Disappointed that the blizzard kept you from the National March for Life this year? Join us in Annapolis for the 38th Annual Maryland March for Life. A full afternoon of activities, singers, speakers, and events is planned. Click here for more info.
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Wednesday, March 9 - 5:30 PM
Bishop Madden Prayer Walk - Please join Bishop Madden for his next prayer walk on Wednesday, March 9 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. 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 come pray with us, and to join us in Ignatian Hall at 5:30 for the light supper that always accompanies these events.
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How Harper Lee Used the Bible to Guide Her Writing
Author Nelle Harper Lee with former President George W. Bush. Lee died this week. She was 89. (Reuters)
Though most recognize Nelle Harper Lee's name from her writing, those in Monroeville, Alabama, knew her by her quiet faith.
As many reflect on Lee's death Friday, they also examine her Christian foundations. "That's what she loved - the elegance of the language of the King James Version," said historian Wayne Flynt, a longtime friend of Lee and also a Baptist minister. "She grew up in a Bible-reading family. She was imprinted with it as a child." Read More
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Sojourners Magazine
Blessings From the Border
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A Q+A with Catholic activist Christopher J. Hale.
Read More
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America Magazine
On a Mission for Mercy - On Ash Wednesday this year, Pope Francis welcomed more than 700 "missionaries of mercy" to the Vatican to receive a special mandate. Read More
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Commonweal Magazine
Pope Francis and Donald Trump
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What is it about Donald Trump that has even Pope Francis suggesting that he "is not Christian"? As the Washington Post notes, Francis is the latest on a list of world leaders who have denounced Trump.
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Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities of Baltimore to Operate Safe Streets Baltimore Program in Sandtown-Winchester Neighborhood - Catholic Charities of Baltimore will begin operating a new Safe Streets Baltimore program in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore in February, a program designed to reduce shootings and homicides in areas that are disproportionately affected by gun violence. Read More
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Jesuit Post
In Memoriam: Antonin Scalia - I met the late Antonin Scalia only once in my life. The college seminar I took on the Supreme Court included a trip to Washington, DC, during which we observed oral arguments and, afterwards, Justice Scalia spoke with us for the better part of an hour. It was incredibly generous, meeting with students for no reason other than he wanted to help us in our education, answering our questions, and offering us insights. Read More
Lenten Politics - Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. The three buzzwords of Lent. Each year, I start off strong, but often my zeal tapers as the 40 days progress - usually somewhere around day three. Then, all of a sudden, Easter is here, and I've forgotten about them because I've moved on to whatever Martha Stewart suggests for Easter brunch. I promise myself I'll do better next year, only for this Lenten cycle to repeat. Year after year. Read More. | |
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Relevant Magazine
Why Joseph Fiennes Keeps Appearing in Faith-Filled Movies -
"Faith-based films" have had a difficult time in Hollywood in the last few years. Most fall either on the side of big-budget films that take plenty of artistic liberties with Bible stories, or on the side of well intentioned but somewhat cheesy faith-inspired stories that are largely preaching to the choir. Read More.
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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.
- This e-zine was compiled by John C. Odean
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