Dear Parishioners,
Archbishop William E. Lori has called the faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to an Archdiocesan Day of Prayer for our nation and its leaders in the aftermath of the violence in our nation’s capital last week. Noting that the United States has not seen such division since the Civil War, he stated in a message to parishioners, “Bitter partisan debate is nothing new. Political passion is nothing new. But a direct physical attack on members of the Congress is unprecedented and must never happen again. People died and were wounded in the attack. So, too, was our democracy wounded. We must not allow it to die.” The Archbishop echoed Theodore Roosevelt, who “famously said, the presidency is ‘a bully pulpit.’ That pulpit must never be used, directly or indirectly, to inflame blind passion. It should be used to unite our nation, in all its diversity, around its highest ideals.”
In keeping with the Catholic tradition of observing Friday as a day of penitence, he encouraged Catholics throughout the Archdiocese to pray, fast (skip a meal), or reconcile with a person who has offended them on Friday 15 January. He also encouraged the faithful to pray for the members of the Maryland General Assembly, who begin their legislative session this week. You are also invited on this Friday to join your fellow parishioners for public prayer in our church at either (1) the 6:30 AM Mass, or (2) the 7:00 PM Rosary during Exposition of the Eucharist. A prayer we might all pray on Friday is known to us as the “Prayer of Saint Francis:”
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
In addition, we recently received a short video message from Gloria Williams at Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church in West Baltimore City expressing gratitude to our parish for the way our Christmas Basket program blessed their parish. Click the below video for her message.
Sincerely,
