Pastor's Corner, March 30, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent - otherwise known at "Laetare" Sunday. The entrance antiphon for the Mass begins with the Latin word "laetare" which means "rejoice." 

This entire week is considered the midpoint of Lent and so this Sunday has traditionally been a celebration in which the austerity and penance of Lent are a bit lessened and we look down the road to the not-to-distant future and see the upcoming joy of Easter. On this Sunday the purple vestments are replaced with rose ones as a sign that the purple of penance will soon give way to the white of the resurrection.

Laetare Sunday comes each year also to communicate a very powerful lesson - joy is a permanent state for a Christian and we are meant to share this joy with others. As Pope Francis reminds us, “In all the baptized, from first to last, the sanctifying power of the Spirit is at work, impelling us to evangelization" (Evangelii Gaudium, 119). It is precisely with our joy, even in the midst of suffering and difficulties, that we can attract others to Christ. When we allow the joy which bubbled over in the words of the first disciple after meeting Christ ("We have found the Messiah!" John 1: 41) to be grafted onto our own words and actions, then others will wonder about its origin. We can then simply explain that it is my Catholic faith that gives me reason to rejoice.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, March 23, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends, 

Pope Francis has attracted a lot of attention since his election just over a year ago on March 13, 2013. Some people, especially in the secular media, thought that he would somehow change clear Church doctrine on several controversial and counter-cultural topics like the immorality of homosexual activity or abortion. Of course, the Pope has not and cannot change the truth. 

One area that Pope Francis has spoken about several times is the contribution that women make to society and the Church. In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“Joy of the Gospel”) he mentions that society demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected and based “on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity” (104). This, however, does not mean a change in the infallible teaching that women cannot be ordained priests. As the Holy Father says, “The reservation of the priesthood to males, as a sign of Christ the Spouse who gives himself in the Eucharist, is not a question open to discussion” (104). But the topic can be divisive if “sacramental power is too closely identified with power in general” (104). 

We must remember that our dignity derives from baptism and the special sacramental configuration of a priest to Christ does not in any way imply that somehow he is subjectively better than others. Functions in the Church do not favor superiority of some over others. The Pope concludes, “A woman, Mary, is more important than the bishops” (104). 

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pope John Paul II Shrine

In Washington, D.C., not far from the National Shrine and just off the campus of Catholic University, there is the Blessed John Paul II Shrine. It was acquired by the Knights of Columbus in 2011 to create a memorial to the Polish Pope and to teach about his contributions to the Church and society. On April 27 Pope John Paul will be canonized in Rome along with Pope John XXIII. The Shrine will then be officially the "Saint" John Paul II Shrine. Next time you are in Washington I hope you can visit.

Pastor's Corner, March 16, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends, 

“The parish is not an outdated institution,” says our Holy Father Pope Francis (Joy of the Gospel, 28). The parish is the presence of the local Church in people’s local community. It is the spiritual home for Catholics and the basic cell of evangelization and catechesis. It is the place of the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist and the organizational vehicle by which Catholic can exercise their faith in charity toward their neighbor. 

At the same time, the parish must continually work at the way we interact with each other and visitors to our Church. The Pope observes that if some baptized people lack a sense of belonging to the Church it may be due to the “unwelcoming atmosphere of some of our parishes and communities, or to a bureaucratic way of dealing with problems, be they simple or complex, in the lives of our people” (63). 

Lent is a time of conversion and intensifying our practice of the virtue of charity. Our dealing with others should be marked by Christ’s own charity. Our parish and all its many activities falls short of his purpose if others do not encounter Christ and are helped along the road to holiness. Our parish can indeed become a beacon of light in the local community if we all intensify our efforts, with divine grace, to deal with people in a more personal and loving way. 

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, March 9, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends, 

Pope Francis points out that there are many challenges in today’s world, especially in addressing the needs of so many in the world who are poor. He provocatively asks the question, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?” (Joy of the Gospel, 53) 

To become more generous we have to turn away from idols. The Holy Father says that one of the causes of a global indifference to the poor is that in our relationship with money “we have created new idols” (55). The combination of the idolatry of money and those who would defend an absolutely autonomous marketplace without a moral compass result in the deification of the market and the increase of grave inequalities between rich and poor. 

On the the fundamental aspects of Lent is giving alms. In sharing what we have with those less fortunate, we are obeying the Lord’s command to feed the hungry and cloth the naked. In paying attention to the poor we have an opportunity to see and love Christ in the least of His brethren. 

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, March 2, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This coming week we begin the great season of Lent. It is a time of prayer, penance and almsgiving. It is a journey of conversion and mercy.

Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” speaks of the need for us to accompany our brothers and sisters “in faith or on a journey of openness to God” (44). This accompaniment needs to be with mercy and patience. None of us is perfect. We are all sinners. We all need mercy and patience in the stages of spiritual growth as we progress along the road of holiness.

It is important for us to keep in mind that patience and mercy can help encourage someone in their life of faith. The Holy Father says, “A small step, in the midst of great human limitation, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties” (44).

One of the greatest opportunities for mercy to help us on our journey is the Sacrament of Penance. The confessional, Pope Francis reminds priests, “must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs us on to do our best” (44).

May this Lent be a time of experiencing God’s mercy and I encourage you to make a good confession.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker