Click on video above: 'The Thought' - April 18, 2022 | |
Editor's Note: Next weekend's gospel reading is John 20:19-31 where Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection. It is here where we find Thomas wanting to be convinced it's Jesus by requesting he be allowed to check out the nail wounds in his hands and feet, and the gash in Jesus' side from the spear piercing. Thomas is dubbed 'doubting' from this encounter. In fact, Thomas makes one of the greatest statements of faith of all time: "My Lord, and my God." Enjoy this unique look at Thomas, brought to us by Lisa Nichols Hickman. | |
By Lisa Nichols Hickman
Thomas is permanently labeled a ‘doubter’ by two millennia of history books, sermons, cartoons and theological treatises in the Christian tradition. A cartoon by Joshua Harris has Thomas crying out, “All I’m saying is we don’t call Peter ‘Denying Peter.'”
Thomas is not to blame for this label. He made a reasonable statement in an unreasonable, once-in-a-lifetime resurrection situation. What’s fascinating is how comfortable we are in letting Thomas be so trapped. We might need his doubt to make sense of our own. But when we let the story end with a label as easy as, “Doubting Thomas,” we let ourselves reside in disbelief as well.
Recently, David Brooks of The New York Times criticized YouTube phenomenon Jefferson Bethke for just this. In a public display of doubt over institutionalized religion, Bethke’s rebellion resonated with over 20 million viewers who watched his lyrical lament, “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus.”With statements like, “The church should not be a museum for the good, but a hospital for the broken,” his message is balm to a century disheartened by the institutional church. READ MORE
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Hearts, Eyes and Prayers toward Ukraine
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The Archdiocese of Baltimore has listed efforts and news on their website regarding involvement and support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion. VISIT THEIR SITE to learn more.
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From the Environmental Justice Committee | |
What is Earth Day
April 22, 2022 will mark 52 years for the Earth Day movement. Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.
The fight for a clean environment continues with increasing urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more and more apparent every day. The need to act was pointed out by Pope Francis in his weekly general audience on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Pope Francis called for greater protection for the planet, describing humans’ failure as guardians of the Earth, as evidenced by our exploitation of resources and damages to ecosystems. “Because of our selfishness, we have failed in our responsibility to be guardians and stewards of the Earth,” he said. “We have polluted and despoiled it, endangering our very lives.” We must, then, rethink how we approach the Earth. Rather than exploit it for resources, said Francis, we must remember that “we stand on holy ground.” READ MORE
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Employment opportunities at the Loyola School | |
The Loyola School is actively seeking to fill two positions for the 2022-2023 school year. If you are interested, or you know someone who is, please let the school know.
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The Loyola School
First grade teacher opening for 2022-2023 school year
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The Loyola School
Seeking a principal
for 2022-2023 school year
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The Charm Brass Quartet & The SATB Horn Quartet
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Samantha Hartsfield is an orchestral horn player with a “combination of intellect and intuition, and brings to each performance an understanding both interpretively and analytically” (Thomas Verrier, Artistic Director, Vanderbilt Music Academy). As a brass teaching artist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids teaching program, she shares these skills with young musicians in the city of Baltimore. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, where she studied with Leslie Norton of the Nashville Symphony as a Martha Rivers Ingram Scholar. Following her studies in Nashville, she spent a year studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she focused on expanding her career paths on an international level with teachers Micheal Thompson, Richard Watkins, Katy Woolley, and others. She is excited to continue her studies with Robert Rearden at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. Samantha intends to continue her career changing lives by embodying the infectious energy of Classical music.
Samantha’s solo recital on April 23rd highlights her love of musical collaboration. She is a founding member of the Charm Brass Quintet and the SATB Horn Quartet, both of whom will be featured on this recital. She will be performing a dynamic program of works by Eugene Bozza, York Bowen, and Robert Schumann with pianist Hanna Lee. These works represent the culmination of Samantha’s love for the horn, and she is thrilled to be able to put on a live recital in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. All are welcome to join Samantha at 1:00pm on April 23rd, 2022 at St. Ignatius Church!
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Sunday May 1st - Let's make a day of it!
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It would be our honor to host you as our guest at The Loyola School Open House Sunday on May 1, 2022. We will begin our event immediately following the 10:00 A.M. Mass in The Reeves Gallery at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 740 N Calvert Street Baltimore, MD 21202 at 11:00 am. Starting with Coffee, Cake and Conversation, we will begin our 20-minute tours of the school at 11:15 a.m. The last tour begins at 12:05.
We offer this day as a special thank you to our many benefactors of St. Ignatius Catholic Church to tour our classrooms and to meet members of The Loyola School, which we refer to as “TLS” administration, faculty, staff, students, and parents.
We hope that you will decide to join us. Please RSVP to Will H. Nathan, Jr. via email @ [email protected] by Monday, April 25, 2022 or call 443-563-2589 Ext. 122.
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Women Who Stay
April 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
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POOR BOX
This week's collection: Red Wiggler Community Farm
Learn More
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HOW TO GIVE
How to contribute to
St. Ignatius.
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PRAYER LIST
Pray for those who are sick
and on our Prayer List.
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Jesuit 101: There’s More to Magis | |
There may be no Ignatian term that is more misused than the word magis. Indeed, it is Latin and it does mean “more,” but that hardly gets to the Ignatian meaning of the term. That is because magis does not necessarily nor simply mean more. In fact, it often means doing less. Magis is not simple addition. It is not a supersizing of activities, nor a sort of charitable car rental upgrade, something that is offered out of sheer necessity or convenience. What it means is doing that which is more aligned with the end for which we were created: to praise, reverence, and serve Christ Our Lord. Magis is linked, then, to AMDG, or Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, another Latin term, which means “For the greater glory of God.” In other words, magis most nearly means that which leads you, and perhaps other people too, since we are a missionary church, closer to Jesus. Since it is incompatible to follow Jesus and think or do things only for yourself, perhaps it is no surprise that we remind ourselves who the real priority is: God. 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.
- This e-zine was designed and compiled by John C. Odean
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