Parish: 'the thought' - March 26, 2019

March 26, 2019

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Carissimi:

The Gospel this Sunday is the Parable of the Prodigal Father. I thought you might find this reflection on resentment by Fr. Nouwen useful:

The elder son in the parable did the objectively good thing and might have been praised for being the “good one” because he faithfully stayed at home to support his old father. But he ends up being just as lost spiritually as the younger brother who ran off and squandered his fortune. The elder son is lost in a different way than his brother. The elder is not free in his relationship with the father because he is bound by resentment.

Resentment is probably one of the most pervasive evils of our time. It is something that is very real, very pernicious, and very, very destructive. You and I are not free from it. Resentment is something that settles itself in our hearts and does a lot of damage.

Resentment is precisely the pitfall of the faithful, obedient, hardworking people who do the right thing. That's why it is so important to talk about it. We may be good people, trying to live the right way on our particular life journey, perhaps even giving our lives for others. Objectively we may have reason to be praised.

But each of us might examine how our lives and relationships are wounded because of unresolved resentments buried in our hearts.

Ways in which you help, and you probably didn't even know it.

“Church Pew with Worshippers” | Vincent van Gogh | 1882

12 Things that your Pastor, Priest, or Minister Wishes You Knew

BY FREDERICK SCHMIDT

1 . YOU are a source of encouragement to us. All too often the people in our pews imagine that clergy are islands of devotion – except, of course, when we fail spectacularly and publicly. We aren’t. Like everyone else we draw encouragement from others who are faithful and courageous. You shouldn’t be that way for our sake, of course, but don’t forget, there are days when we draw renewed strength from your example.

2. Don’t forget to show up . A bishop or a search committee may have been instrumental in our coming to your parish, but we count on your presence. In one ancient Rabbinic story God tells the children of Israel, “If you obey the Law, I am God. If you don’t, I am not.” The story didn’t mean that literally, but it makes an important point. God works through people and through God’s church. That work requires your presence. READ MORE

One More Push...Parish Survey

St. Ignatius Parish Survey - Winter/Spring 2019

This is the Last Week to Take the Parish Survey...

We very much want to get your input on issues related to the liturgy and ministries of our Parish. Over the course of the year we will be conducting four surveys to get your opinions and perspectives on topics of importance to St. Ignatius. This is the first one. If you would be so kind as to take a minute to complete it, we would be extremely grateful.

Guess what? We now take Venmo!

Venmo...Here's the Why's and How's

First....watch the video above for an explanation of Venmo.

Venmo is an app that instantly allows you to move money from your checking account or credit card to St. Ignatius by using your mobile phone. It’s incredibly easy to set up, and incredibly easy to use.

Follow the instructions below to sign up for Venmo:

Download one of our mobile apps: iOS & Android (Venmo does not have a Windows app)
Open the Venmo app
Choose your sign up method and create a secure password (between 8 and 32 characters long).
Verify your phone number and email address
Add and verify your bank account
You can also sign up for Venmo from your computer here.

Note: To contribute to St. Ignatius you merely need to find our account when your Venmo account is open on your phone. Our account is listed as Saint Ignatius Baltimore .

LELC Photos of Viva House Grocery Collection

As the church collected groceries this past weekend for Viva House, so the Loyola Early Learning Center 2 and 3-year-old students helped their teachers assemble bags as well!

They talked about how “we can help our friends and neighbors” and the children, we hope, learned a valuable lesson about empathy and caring for others! To see pictures of the project, click here .

We received this from Willa Bickman of Viva House this morning:

"We are most grateful to the St. Ignatius Community. We were able to distribute 132 food bags to our neighbors in SOWEBO on the Feast of the Annunciation. 60 bags that included a $40 gift were provided by the parish. Many thanks for this wonderful sharing. All the best. God bless the work and the workers. In solidarity, Viva House, Baltimore Catholic Worker."

"We are thrilled to have received a bag of groceries from the Loyola Learning Center. With all due respect, their bag wins the prize! The children packed their groceries in a brown paper bag stamped with the most beautiful designs and colors. What a gift to our neighbors. And Candra Healy, our friend of 50 years, is a real gift to the Learning Center."

Congratulations are due to the staff of Loyola Early Learning Center

Loyola Early Learning Center has achieved a Maryland EXCELS Quality Rating and has been published on the Maryland EXCELS website and Quality Finder mobile app.

Congratulations to them for this important and hard-won honor. This special “accreditation” from the EXCELS team will assist them in fulfilling their mission and vision for the future. St. Ignatius Parish is proud of LELC's hard work and growth!

Bread for the World's Offering of Letter to Congress

Offering of Letters to Congress Sunday April 7th after Mass

How to End Hunger: Take Action, Get Involved

Compiled by Emma Ditzel and Candra Healy

When we come together, we have power. Partnering with God to end hunger requires us to organize ourselves for action. When we unite as churches, community organizations, or individual advocates, collective action makes a bigger impact than individual protest. Because we live in a democracy, Congress listens when people speak out, and we are heard better when we speak together. Advocacy to end hunger starts with us in our communities.

Faith Communities

Churches are often in the best position to see the harsh realities of hunger and poverty among their members, in their neighborhoods, and in the world. Many churches operate or support feeding programs and connect with people who are hungry and struggling with poverty through CROP Walks, social ministry programs, and mission trips. Churches make some of the best anti-hunger advocates because they can combine hands-on experience with their faith.

Churches can also use their influence and speak about issues from a strong moral position. Speaking about hunger from a biblical standpoint calls others, especially lawmakers, to serve justice and the common good. Holding an Offering of Letters is one way Christians in a faith community can share their faith-informed perspective on ending hunger and to urge elected officials to end hunger. READ MORE

A Litany for Our Offering of

Letters to Congress

This litany was written by Genevieve Mougey, senior national associate for Roman Catholic engagement at Bread for the World. It is to be prayed during Mass on the Offering of Letters Sunday.

READ LITANY

Coming Up - Events for "Earth April"

April 3rd:

Environmental Conference at Towson University

Join the Justice & Peace Environmental Justice subcommittee at the 10th Annual Environmental Conference at Towson University. This event brings together students, faculty, staff and the community to highlight career, research, leadership and advocacy opportunities across a wide spectrum of environmental and sustainability focus areas. Registration is FREE and includes breakfast and lunch. Click here to register or learn more!

April 6th:

Free Trees!

On Saturday, April 6th, Blue Water Baltimore will be giving out 75 free trees for planting in the Baltimore community. Come out to Station North for a free tree to plant at your home or in your neighborhood!

11 AM – 3 PM

Station North Tool Library

417 E Oliver Street, Baltimore 21202

For the rest of the list of Earth April events, click here .

Coming Up - Advocacy Day in D.C.

On Thursday, April 4th from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, members of Saint Ignatius will be traveling to Washington, DC to advocate, with other Jesuit institutions, for refugees in our city, our state, and around the world. JRS believes that to journey with refugees is the most important way for us to express solidarity with them and our concern for their well-being. As part of Advocacy Day, the JRS/USA staff will schedule meetings with our members of Congress to encourage the U.S. to welcome refugees within our own borders and support robust funding for refugee programs, including refugee education. JRS/USA will prepare materials on all the policy issues to be discussed and will also host a webinar a week before the Advocacy Day to review the issues in detail, discuss logistics and answer any questions. We will visit representatives as a group and have a JRS representative there to assist with any questions.

If you want to get involved or have any questions, contact the Immigration Subcommittee: immigration@st-ignatius.net

Upcoming Events