14th Sunday In Ordinary Time - July 8, 2018
From the Pastor . . .
My Sisters and Brothers:
Throughout his entire public ministry, Jesus enthusiastically served the sick, the suffering, the poor, the lonely, the marginalized, the outcasts and the sinners. He constantly brought dignity, power and strength to those who were otherwise treated as “the lowly” in this world! Care and acceptance of others, the idea of forgiveness for sinners, and illustrations of the overwhelming and great love of the Father for all, were constant themes of Jesus’ preaching–and his actions matched his words! By what he said and by what he did, Jesus replaced sin with forgiveness, weakness with might, humility with confidence and death with everlasting life!
Through Jesus, many people from regions surrounding the town of Nazareth had come to know God’s love, they had turned away from sin, they had changed their lives, and they had become his enthusiastic disciples. Jesus had become a kind of celebrity in those places, and people scrambled to see him or even to touch him; they also gradually came to believe Jesus was the Son of God, and that he was the great Messiah promised by the prophets of old! What was even more marvelous was that he existed completely and fully as a man, as one who was born into the world just like those to whom he had been sent! While Jesus said and did great things, he was always still the simple son of a humble carpenter! As such, he could completely identify with other people in their own “lowliness!”
In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author casts some light on this idea when he writes: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin” (see Hebrews 4:15). With regard to what it meant to be a living, breathing, suffering and “tested” person, Jesus “got it!”
Today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse into a moment when Jesus himself was treated as a kind of outcast in his own hometown. And Nazareth was an out of the way, in-the-middle-of-nowhere, small and insignificant town. According to the account, Jesus was confronted there by a group of people who did not accept him for who he was, and they acted negatively toward him, even to the point of wanting to cause him harm. Greatly offended by him, they sneered and clamored with great indignation: “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” (see Mark 6:3). They were unable to show him respect, and they failed to act with true humility given who they were themselves (i.e., poor and simple people). Although Jesus had been preaching and doing great works throughout all of Galilee, the people of his hometown could not accept the possibility that someone they viewed as “lesser than themselves” could in fact be “greater than them.”
This manner in which the people of his hometown of Nazareth did not accept him was a foreshadowing of the way that the religious leaders of his own faith community would eventually reject him as well–something that would ultimately lead to the way in which he was humiliated and punished through his suffering and his death on the cross. We might then say that he who ministered to the outcasts, himself willingly became an outcast as well!
May we imitate Jesus in the way that he humbly served others! Let us never become so full of pride and arrogance toward others that “we forget who we are, and from where we came.” May those in our own time who are “different,” (the sick, the suffering, the poor, the lonely, the marginalized, the outcasts, the sinners, etc.) also always know we are Christians by the manner in which we lovingly accept, serve and honor them!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
PRAYER WALK
Bishop Madden invites you to join him for his next prayer walk on Tuesday, July 17, beginning at 5:30 pm., at St. Ambrose (4502 Park Heights Avenue, 21215). The evening will begin with a light meal at 5:30 p.m. and end before 7:30 p.m. During the walk, we will pray at specific locations that have been affected by violence, and for all those individuals who have been so terribly affected by violence, and for a change of heart in those given to violence.
JULY 11TH BASEBALL GAME
The Baltimore Orioles will host the children and youth of St. Ann, St. Wenceslaus, and St. Francis Xavier parishes at a game against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards on Wednesday July 11th at 7:05 pm. The Orioles will provide 3 buses and all 3 buses will be at St. Wenceslaus at 5:30 pm on that evening and depart at 5:45pm. They will also provide participants with a hot dog, drink, bag of chips and Oriole gear to wear at the game. The sign-up sheet is currently filled.
ST. ANN’S SUMMER VACATION BIBLE STUDY
St. Ann’s Church invites you to join us for a week of praise & fun this week, July 9th – July 13th. Adults & Children of all ages are welcomed to gather with us each night from 7 pm – 8 pm in front of the Church Anchorage located at 528 E. 22nd Street for these FREE summer activities:
July 9th Movie Night
July 10th Game Night
July 11th Puppet Show
July12th Talent Show
July 13th Christmas in July
Private Prayer every night
Registration forms and details are located in the back of the church. Please join us!
ECUMENICAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
“Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman of God.” Saturday, September 15, 2018 9: am – 3:00pm; Waldorf, MD. Tickets are $50 and include Breakfast, Catered Hot Lunch T-Shirt and Bus Transportation. Buses leave from St. Ann’s Church. For information and details see Eloise Jackson.
ST. WENCESLAUS CRAB FEAST
The Crab Feast for the benefit of the Lucielle Fitzgerald Outreach Center will take place in St. Francis Xavier Church Hall 1501 E. Oliver St. on Saturday, July 21; from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. Tickets are $55 each. St. Ann’s has acquired 10 tickets for the parish. If you are interested in attending please notify the church office.
ST. ANN’S FEAST DAY AND NOVENA
St. Ann’s will hold its annual novena in preparation for the parish feast day. Novena services will take place in the Anchorage Monday through Friday, July 16 to 20, at 7:00 pm, with prayer, guest speakers, and refreshments each night. The service on Saturday, July 21, will be at 12:00 noon. The feast day Mass and reception will take place on Sunday, July 22, at 11:00 am with Fr. Donald Sterling of New All Saints Church providing the homily. Please set aside these special mid-summer days of prayer and reflection. A copy of the week’s schedule has been inserted in today’s bulletin.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
St. Ann’s Sista Circle will have a Christmas in July following Mass, next Sunday, July 15. Please join us in the gathering space outside the church doors for refreshments and fellowship.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please continue to pray for all of our sick and homebound, especially Florence Barber, Dorothy Horton-Brown, James Butts, Augustine Christian, Danny Dallas, Elaine Edmonds, Gregory Epps, John Frederick, Pat Haley, Rita Hardy, Odessa Johnson, Tom Lutz, Penny Palmer, Bernadette Wallace, Nelson Outlaw, and Rita Watkins, and ask that God grant them strength, comfort and healing.
JULY 2018
Sun., July 8 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11 AM Mass
Mon., July 9 St. Ann’s Vacation Bible Study
begins July 9th-13th, 7pm-8pm, Anchorage
Wed., July 11 Oriole Game
5:30 pm, Buses depart from St.
Wenceslaus
Sat., July 14 St. Ann’s Novena Begins
12:00 noon w/at home prayer
Sun., July 15 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11 AM Mass
10:45 AM Novena Prayer
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READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY
1st Reading Amos 7:12-15
2nd Reading Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel Mark 6:7-13