Editor's Note: This weekend the Gospel reading is Luke 4:21-30 where Jesus is rejected by those in his own hometown who knew him from childhood. Here's some interesting input about His encounter with them.

Have you ever been in a place where you really felt comfortable and at ease and you take advantage of the situation, not in a bad way, but in a good way? In a way that you would see people being advanced in their life? Jesus had settled in the synagogue in Nazareth. He had returned home. He was the ‘local’, so to speak, in a rather peculiar setting. He had perched himself in the synagogue and began to read the scriptures once again. This time, however, his reading of the Isaiah passage began to take a new route. As Jesus interprets this text it becomes clear that Jesus is feeling the fulfillment of the prophecy through the reigning of God’s Spirit in his life.

All well and good by Jesus, but what about those who heard what he said? Those who were “in his hearing?” Early in the text, the people in the synagogue, according to Luke, were proud of Jesus. This was after all the local hero, the local boy, Joseph’s son. But in the same breath, Jesus suggests to the hearers that there is more to the divine picture than just this small world in Nazareth. READ MORE

Our newly formed Liturgy Committee will be providing a WORKSHOP for existing and new lectors and acolytes on Sunday, January 23rd after the 10 am Mass.

We welcome additional lectors and acolytes to be of service in our communal worship. Whether adult, teenager or child, this ministry can bring more meaning to your worship experience.

Seamus Dockery, a former Jesuit and a theater instructor at Loyola University, is an excellent coach in how to proclaim the WORD from the ambo.

The following is an apt description of the beauty of this ministry: “The text must pass through the life of the lector so that it becomes a living word in the present, not a recitation of what someone said long ago. Only then can the lesson be heard by the congregation as the Word of God.”

Each lector will receive a personal copy of the Lector’s Booklet, which will enable you to pray over the Word and practice proclaiming it well in advance.

Father Jim will join me to provide training for anyone interested in serving as an acolyte.

If you plan to attend the workshop or would like more information, please contact me at [email protected] or 410-493-5908.

Thanks in advance for your willingness to serve our wonderful Parish and to contribute to our beautiful liturgies. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email.

Chair

If you are able to, please consider making a donation. You can click here to access a donation form. This link also has a list of needed items. If you prefer to make a cash donation so that volunteers can purchase new items to respectfully furnish an apartment for a new American family, you can do that it one of two ways. 

We are accepting donations until February 28th. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

The following article is called "Accompanying Mothers Through Childbirth Offers the Chance to Live Out Pro-life Values." We offer it for two reasons:

Our St Ignatius Gabriel project team is looking for Spanish speaking volunteers to assist Latina pregnant women who need help accessing services for themselves and their babies. Volunteers would help these women obtain the supplies ( diapers, clothes, equipment, etc) for their babies, and could also help them access available services such as healthcare, food, housing etc.

If you are interested in learning more about this project please contact: James Mendoza at [email protected].

"¡Veo su pelo!" I cried out to the screaming young woman whose hand was clasped in mine. I see his hair.

"¡Veo su oreja!" I exclaimed a few seconds later. I see his ear.

And then, as the obstetrician lifted the newborn child into the air, I wept. I don't know what I was expecting, but the sight of a new person just arrived in this world was beyond anything I'd ever imagined. As I watched the new mother laugh in delight as she cradled him in her arms, I knew that I had just witnessed something beyond the scope of my everyday concerns, something deeply connected to the mystery of existence itself. READ MORE

We were rescuing St. John, as I recall. The Evangelist was being discarded because a church was closing or out of space or had gotten a new statue. I can’t remember. But all I know is that there was room in our little church, San Francisco Xavier, and Sor Nora wouldn’t abandon the Evangelist in his hour of need. READ MORE

As part of a federal program, the United States Postal Service will deliver 4 FREE COVID-19 tests to individual homes. See link for more information and order form: https://special.usps.com/testkits

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

By my mother’s count, I attended at least 15 wakes and funerals by the time I turned 12. It was not until I became an adult that I realized my experience was not shared by many of my peers, for whom waiting in lines at wakes was not an after-school activity.

I went because my mother went, who went because her mother went. And when I say my mother went because her mother went, it was not because my mother was coerced or prodded, but rather because she learned from my grandmother that This Is What We Do. This is how we show up for one another. How we honor friendships. This is how we get through the pain and help others get through theirs. My mother says my grandmother’s record was three wakes in a single evening. READ MORE

When Leo Mendoza's parents got COVID-19, both had to go without pay while they recovered. His father, who drives pilots and airline crews in Los Angeles to and from the airport to their hotel, and his mother, who packages lunches served at public schools, are both immigrants from Mexico who came to the United States with the hopes of working and providing for their family. Yet during the pandemic, Mendoza's father was expected to come to work even while he was sick. 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.