The first time I publicly referred to Joseph R. Biden as the president-elect, a priest chided me for doing so because, according to him, the election outcome was still uncertain. I searched his face, unsure if he was joking. READ MORE

Editor's Note: We're adding a second week to the Gospel reading of John 2: 1-11. Last week we focused on “The Wedding Feast at Cana.” This week we are focusing on the first recorded miracle of Jesus that occurs in the text - "Turning Water into Wine." Here's some interesting input about the significance of that miracle.

by Doug Ponder

Jesus’ first miracle—turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana—is ripe with symbolic echoes of the great themes of Scripture. Why should we expect otherwise? Jesus is not the type to do anything haphazardly. Moreover, John the Apostle tells us that this miracle is the first of several signs (John 2:11), all of which “are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31).

We should not, however, reduce the miracles of Jesus to mere signs of His power, as if miracles were nothing more than repeated demonstrations of Christ’s divinity. Instead, we ought to see them as signs of Jesus’ person and work, that is, signs of His divinity and signs of His divine intentions for the world. READ MORE

Two weeks after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the editors of America wrote the following in an editorial:

King’s murder just as his prophetic call for racial justice in the United States was reaching its crescendo inspired a passionate plea from the anonymous writer of the editorial, who also wrote: “We mourn that the prophet must die in order to be heard. We are ashamed that his last and most eloquent word must be the shedding of his blood. What must not happen is that even this last word go finally unheard. The prophet must not have died in vain.” READ MORE

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Walk is scheduled for Monday, January 17, at St. Bernardine Catholic Church, beginning at noon. We will gather in the church. There will be a lite meal and fellowship after the walk in Harcum Hall. For complete details click here.

Bestselling author Michelle Alexander will speak at Loyola University Maryland’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at 6:30 p.m., in Reitz Arena. “The New Jim Crow: An Evening with Michelle Alexander” convocation will be moderated by Karsonya Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., founding director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice and associate professor of communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola. The lecture will also be livestreamed. For more information and to register click here.

The Environmental Justice (EJ) Subcommittee is guided by the principles cited in Lauduto Si, Pope Francis' encyclical letter.  Specifically, that we as individuals need to act for the benefit of the natural world, which includes the animals, soil, plants and waters. In addition to direct action and advocacy, EJ seeks to educate individuals as to the changes we can incorporate in our own lives that will benefit the community. Our mission statement sets out our objectives and can be found on our website, at Environmental Justice Subcommittee - St. Ignatius Catholic Community (st-ignatius.net)

We usually meet on the first Wednesday of each month currently on Zoom. There are no meetings in August and December.  Our next meeting is March 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. We welcome all who are interested in learning more and/or serving on the committee. I can be contacted at [email protected]

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES –  2022 envelopes are in the church for those who use them. To contribute through Faith Direct, go to https://www.faithdirect.net. Our church code is MD301, or download the VENMO app. Thank you for your support!

YEAR-END STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS –  Faith Direct will be sending a summary of 2021 contributions to everyone who has donated to the church through that organization. If you need acknowledgement from the parish for any single contribution of $250 or more for tax purposes, please send an email to [email protected], or call the parish office, (410) 727-3828.

Inner Peace in Divine Love An Ignatian Lenten Retreat 

Registration deadline: March 4; Register early as space is limited!

Loyola University Maryland is offering this introductory Ignatian Lenten retreat in daily life. The retreat consists of four weeks of prayer using the book, The First Spiritual Exercises, by Michael Hansen, SJ. Participants will pray 30 - 40 minutes a day at home 4-5 days each week, keep a prayer journal, and meet weekly for one hour with an assigned spiritual guide (either in person or via zoom).

During the retreat - Inner Peace in Divine Love, you will be invited to reflect on the Mystery of God’s love spilling over into creation; become aware of God’s comforting presence in your life; listen to God’s call to you to be a receiver and giver of Divine Love; and become God’s friend. In Ignatius’ words, this leads into movements of love, gratitude, and service.

To register, email [email protected]. Questions? Contact Sue Cesare, [email protected] or call 410-493-5908.

March 12 – Remembering Love

March 19 – Dwelling in Love

March 26 – Love at Work

April 2 – Love in Service

April 9 – Retreat Summary

In Hollywood, one’s face has always been one’s fortune, and the second thing anyone ever mentioned about Sidney Poitier was that he had one of the more beautiful faces in film. That his face was Black was the first thing that ever came up, of course. But by the time he died—on Jan. 6, at the considerable age of 94—he had done as much as anyone to flip America’s perceptions. READ MORE

Pope Francis plans to publish a constitution to reform the Roman Curia, appoint several senior Vatican officials, hold a consistory to create new cardinals, celebrate the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome and, depending on the Covid-19 situation, visit countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe—all in 2022.

The pope, who celebrated his 85th birthday on Dec. 17, is clearly not planning to slow down. The pope is in good health, and his plans for 2022 indicate that he is carrying out his duties as pontiff with as much vigor as ever; there appears to be no resignation or conclave on the horizon. READ MORE

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.