September 22, 2023
Grief Share is a 13 week, Christ-centered support program based on biblical principles for adults who are dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one. It is a big success. Our sessions here at St. Benedict are filled. If you are interested then wait until we begin the second session after Christmas..
A beautiful article is attached below on Our Lady of Sorrows, whose feast we celebrated on September 15th. May she help us in times of sorrow and need.
WORLDWIDE CHILDREN'S HOLY HOUR
EWTN ANNOUNCES
OCTOBER 13TH AT 10:00 AM 60 MIN
This past Saturday was the Feast Day of Padre Pio. I have attached two interesting short articles on him this week as well
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
Our Lady of Sorrows Help us.docx
Prayer to St. Joseph Ad te.docx
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
September 16, 2023
Attached below is a glimpse of Mt. Saint-Michel in France which celebrates 1000 years this year.
This past week we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary and I have also attached an article related to her name which I found to be interesting.
24th Sunday A 2023
Forgiveness
In today’s parable Jesus teaches us that we are called to
deal mercifully with our fellow servants and forgive them
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult things for us to do
Christ gave us an example of forgiveness on the cross
when he said, “Father forgive them
for they do not know what they do”
Forgiveness is very difficult because it feels like its unfair
It seems unjust to let the offender ‘get off the hook’
Our sense of justice cries out that he or she must be punished
We want them to suffer for what they have done
We feel that, if we forgive them, they have gotten away with it
We feel they did not pay any price for their wrongdoing
So for us, justice means making them suffer for what they did
We see on the news angry protestors demanding justice
But are there crying out to forgive?
What is our response to anger and demands for punishment?
The solution is not to forget injustices, nor to deny them
The past cannot be ‘undone’
If a drunk driver killed my daughter by driving recklessly
he cannot give my daughter back: no matter how much
he is punished: it will not bring her back to life
What is the remedy for human sin and the suffering it brings?
Christ reaches us that the only remedy is the act of forgiveness.
In forgiving us, God ‘cancels’ our sin and the debt owed for it
Forgiveness does not mean there was no offense
Nor does forgiveness mean total forgetfulness
For in this life justice calls us to acknowledge the truth
When we get to heaven we can forget the sufferings of this life,
because moment that was time, compared to eternity,
will make the pain and suffering seem as nothing
There will be no desire to recall the sorrows and injuries of life
In the eternal joy of Heaven we will not look back to earth
When we forgive someone it is like letting heaven come to earth
because we let the mercy of God come into this world
by the only gate thru which love and mercy can enter:
The gate thru which forgiveness enters the world is our heart.
We need to forgive our enemy from our heart
The Wisdom of Sirach teaches us today that we ought
“to forgive our neighbor’s injustice, and then,
when you pray, your sins will be forgiven”
In the Our Father we pray, “forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who have trespassed against us”
How do we forgive? First we pray for the person who hurt us
After a time our anger subsides, and we go into
The presence of Jesus, in Church or in prayer, and we say:
“Jesus, in your presence, in your name,
I forgive so and so from my heart”
This solemn act of forgiveness will allow us to let go of anger
So seething vengeance no longer hardens our heart
Now we can receive Jesus’ peace in our heart
Even if it is not prudent to tell the offender, Forgiveness sets us free, to enjoy its fruit: to receive peace of heart
God’s forgiveness of human sin canceled its power over us,
it canceled the debt we owed and deserved
God’s forgiveness introduced into human history a remedy
the only way forward: by forgiving, that is,
the power of mercy entered this world thru Jesus on the cross
He has poured into our hearts the Holy Spirit of his love
Now, as Paul says, “both in death and in life, we are the Lord’s”
Every breath we breathe is now the Holy Spirit breathing in us
Every act, every word, that comes from us is touched by mercy
So let us pray for the Grace to forgive and receive peace
Grief Share is a 13 week, Christ-centered support program based on biblical principles for adults who are dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one. It is a 3 part program which includes: video presentation, discussion and workbook. The group will meet in the Religious Education classroom in the Parish Center on Tuesday mornings from 10 until noon. The sessions are free, but we do ask if each attendee could donate $20 towards the cost of the workbook. If you cannot donate, St. Benedict will absorb the cost. You may register by contacting the church office directly, or on-line at: http://www.griefshare.org. Enter the church zip code: 21223, and follow the prompts to complete the registration.
WORLDWIDE CHILDREN'S HOLY HOUR ON EWTN
OCTOBER 13TH AT 10:00 AM
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
August 15, 2023
Tuesday of this week August 15th, is a Holy Day of Obligation:.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Lady. Masses are at 8:00 AM, Noon, and 7:00 PM
Magnificent Attachment by Gerard Manley-Hopkins on Mary and Motherhood.
Mary, preserved from sin and chosen to be the Mother of God, is queen of heaven and earth.
Mary, preserved from original sin to be a worthy vessel for the Son of God, gives God her fiat in complete surrender to his plan. She then visits Elizabeth to tell her what the Holy Spirit has done. Mary, sinless, ever virgin, and spouse of the Holy Spirit, did not experience death in the same way as all others, but rather fell asleep in the Lord and was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. She is honored as the queen of heaven and earth.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
In the first reading, the Ark of the Covenant is seen in heaven – a woman with a child, dazzling and crowned. She is the one who brought forth the child who ruled the nations, and she now lives forever in the place God prepared for her. In the second reading, Saint Paul writes that the last of the enemies to be destroyed by God is death. The Gospel tells the story of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, making her way to her cousin Elizabeth. After her own baby leaps in her womb, Elizabeth proclaims that Mary is blessed among women.
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
BLESSING OF HERBS ON ASSUMPTION.docx
Gerard Manley-Hopkins-Mary.docx
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
June 16, 2023
Notes for Father’s Day
When I look back on recalling the first inner actions with my father my earliest recollections were when I was 2 years old or just bit younger when we sat on the front steps of our home on Glasgow Street next to my grandparents and he was making me a little stool so I could get up to the sink and toilet. Vito was always a very practical man and was
famous for his little stools of which I still have several in use. He was very much a part of my life not only when I was very young but when I was in school. Daddy mostly worked nights in the shipyard during WW II and then when he has his own business from then on. His times with us on the weekend were very precious and memorable. His teaching me my prayers when I began to speak and respect for my elders. I knew how to tell time long before I went to Kindergarten and at 5 knew my numbers and alphabet he made all this fun and it was something I looked forward to, being with him on the weekends.
When I went to school and they began to teach the Times table and Division tables, I was so very proud of my Dad as he had taught me all those things. Later on in my school years, he continued to drill me in math and he knew how important it was to know practical things. Daddy could fix about anything with only a 7th-grade education he was very much a self-educated person in Electrical, Carpentry, Sheet metal work (which he did in the shipyard) Drafting, and Plumbing. I can remember so well when he was teaching a class in First Aid and survival classes in our home during the war years. He was above all a master teacher. He had been a swimming instructor at Camp Sherwood and often recalled his days there, and he loved to hunt as well. Hunting was one of his activities, which I never got into but I had learned many of the other things from him. Whatever he did he always made it fun and he had a great sense of humor. He was great reader and he was well-read in American history and especially Indian history and loved to tell us about it just as if he was there when it happened.
Growing up with Vito he imbued in us the importance of Family and above all reaching out to help someone in need. He was for us an example of what it really means to be a Christian not by many words; but by his life in action. I am eternally grateful for these gifts he gave me and strive each day to follow his example in my own life as a Benedictine Monk and as Pastor.
A prayer for a Father to pray on Father's Day:
O Lord,
Create in me the heart your servant David longed for.
Place within me a desire for nothing
but to do your will and to sing your praise.
Grant me the courage to be strong in times of trial,
patience to listen to your voice,
gentleness to care for the people you have given me to love,
and humility to seek forgiveness
when I am weakened by selfishness.
PARISH PICNIC ON SUNDAY THE 25TH AFTER 10:30 MASS 12:15 PM TO 2:30 PM
CHANGE OF DATE: THE CRAB FEAST ON THE PADDLE BOAT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO THE 11TH OF AUGUST. Again this year the problem is the bus. We can only get a bus on the 11th of August. Same Price $130.00.
Shortest but most potent prayer.docx
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
June 10,2023
Corpus Christi
Why did Jesus give us the Eucharist?
We often say to a good friend, “stay in touch”
The Eucharist is Jesus’ way of staying in touch with us
A. The Church is the Body of Christ
St. Paul teaches that the Church is the ‘Body of Christ’
He is saying ‘body’ both literally and yet in a new way
When Paul says ‘body’ this is not a mere metaphor,
He is not saying simply that Church is ‘like’ a body
Nation states, like the ‘United States’ are like a body
Business organizations like ‘Amazon’ are like a body
Because they are organized under a government or leader
So the Church is not like any other organization such as
Because the Church is not a mere institution like them
The Church does have an organizational, visible structure
But all the offices and systems only serve the Church
Just like the Church building itself only serves the members
The ‘real Church,’ the ‘living Church’ is all the members
We are living persons united to Christ our living Head
Christ our Head is alive, and we are alive in Him
So the Church is a real body because the Church is alive
The Church is a living organism
The Church is part of God, because Christ is Divine
So the Church is more precious than any earthly thing
B. The Sacraments keep us - the Church alive in Christ
Christ is the Head, and we are the members of His Body
To stay alive, Head and members have to stay in touch
All the Sacraments are ways of staying in touch with us
Each Sacrament keeps us alive in Christ
By Holy Orders the Church gives the Sacraments
to her members to keep them alive in Christ
By Baptism we are born as members of the Body of Christ
By Penance we are restored to the Life of Grace
Confirmation strengthens Christ’s members
Anointing helps weak or dying members
By Holy Matrimony we signify Christ’s union with His Bride-
So Christian couples are symbols of the Church
The Eucharist is the central Sacrament of the Church
because by it members are united with Christ our Head
So that at Mass we offer up ourselves with Christ crucified
In Eucharistic Communion we receive Christ’s risen life
So by the Sacramental system Christ stays in continual
contact, sharing His life with His members
C. The Sacraments are signs that touch us
For every Sacrament there are visible signs: words and acts
Those ordained to Holy Orders, bishop, priest, deacon
say the words and do the acts of most Sacrament
In Holy Matrimony, husband & wife say the words, vows
and the act of becoming one flesh in conjugal union
As a sign of Christ in the Eucharist, one flesh with His Bride
Although Jesus Christ in his individual body is in heaven
He is present to the members of His Mystical Body on earth
Through the Sacraments as personal acts of ‘staying in touch’
Let us ‘stay in touch’ with Our Lord thru the Eucharist
And if we fall out of touch, let us return thru Penance
Corpus Christi A 2023 Outline
A. The Church is the Body of Christ
‘Body’ is said of the Church literally, and in a new way-
‘body’ is not said as if she were ‘like’ a body-
that way is said of nations and corporations
The Church is said to be a ‘body’ because is alive, just asa
body is alive; the Church is a living organism
B. The Sacraments keep the Church alive in Christ
Each Sacrament keeps the members alive in Christ
Through Holy Orders, clerics keep us alive in Christ
by giving us the Sacraments of eternal life
By Baptism we are born as living members of Christ
By Penance we are restored to life in Christ
By Confirmation and Anointing we are strengthened
In Holy Matrimony couples signify the union
of Christ the Groom with His Bride
In Eucharist we are united with His sacrificial death
and receive His eternal life in Holy Communion
By the Sacramental system Christ lives in His members
C. The Sacraments are signs that touch us
Every Sacrament involves a ‘physical’ touch from Christ
Thru them the person of Christ touches us personally
So ‘Corpus Christi’ is about the Eucharist forming us
to be the Body of Christ. Let us ‘stay in touch’ with Him
Corpus Christi
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Times for Adoration
PLAN TO SPEND AT LEAST 30 MINUTES WITH JESUS
12:30 PM__________________________________________________________
1:00______________________________________________________________
1:30______________________________________________________________
2:00_______________________________________________________________
2:30_______________________________________________________________
3:00______________________________________________________________
3:30______________________________________________________________
4:00_______________________________________________________________
4:30_______________________________________________________________
5:00 Vespers with Benediction
June 7, 2023
Dear Friends in Christ,
The National Eucharistic Revival aims to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. The more that we enter the reality of the Eucharist, the more we seek to encounter the One who is present in the Eucharist, the more alive our Church will be. As it has been said, the Eucharist makes the Church, and the Church makes the Eucharist.
Over the last year, the Revival has sparked some inspiring momentum. We look forward to the culmination of this revival: the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. This will be the first National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years. We pray that it will provide a tremendous outpouring of grace and a moment of genuine revival for our Church and our country.
Many of your parishes are planning special celebrations for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi Sunday) and I would encourage you to participate. I would also invite you to the June 10, Saturday evening vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, which will include a Eucharistic Procession and food and fun for families. At this Mass we will also commission and bless the Eucharistic Missionaries who will be serving in parishes across the Archdiocese. Bishop Adam Parker will celebrate the Mass and Bishop Bruce Lewandowski will preach the homily. Adoration will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 5 p.m. and then the Eucharistic Procession. Join in this wonderful opportunity to celebrate our Eucharistic faith.
I also ask you to prayerfully consider attending the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July of 2024. More information about the Congress can be found on its website, www.eucharisticcongress.org, and you are able to register as a part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s official delegation.
It is my sincere hope and fervent prayer that in celebrating the gift of Our Lord in the Eucharist at our Cathedral and in parishes across the Archdiocese that together, with God’s grace, we will renew our Church.
Faithfully in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore
Eucharistic Revival Message 6.6.23.pdf
Corpus Christi - The Feast.docx
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
June 6, 2023
TRINITY SUNDAY- A very good follow-up from Pentecost Sunday
May the Spirit give us Wisdom to always see the truth.
We are beings who think and freely act, which is how we participate in the divine nature – though as creatures. We have been created in God’s image and likeness, but our creaturely intelligence –
our ability to think and to act – was corrupted by the Fall, when sin entered the world. We suffer from this condition called concupiscence – the part of us that finds sin fun and attractive. So we think things we sometimes do not want to think, and we do things we sometimes just do not want to do (Cf., Rom 7:15). But Jesus Christ came to rescue us from the wages of sin and death, and give us hope.
On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, show us that hope. In Wisdom, first among all of God’s creations, we have knowledge of God, granted to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. Wisdom is God’s delight – and we, in turn, are Wisdom’s delight. In all of creation, we alone are made in God’s image and likeness, and he desires to live with us in eternity. In Wisdom is hope – a gift originating with God and one that helps us return to him when we stray.
Hope abounds in the message from Paul to the Romans: Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are no longer adversaries of God; we are no longer separated from him. Christ has taken upon himself all of our sin, and reconciled us to the Father such that nothing – other than our own free will in choosing so – can keep us from the Father’s love. Even our afflictions are a gift – a source of wisdom, one might say – for by our afflictions we gain endurance; through endurance, we gain character; and through character, we gain hope. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Hope is the entirety of the Gospel. Jesus did not abandon us, leaving us to our own strength and abilities. No! Jesus promised to send the Advocate – the Holy Spirit – to help us, to guide us, to communicate his grace as we navigate this sinful world. Christ has justified us and given us a share of his cross, and because of his cross the Holy Spirit is given to us to find strength in adversity. The Holy Spirit guides us into truth.
Jesus says, the Advocate will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears. Every single day, as we navigate our lives, the Holy Spirit is offering us grace to be acted upon. Our prayer today, as we celebrate the fullness of divinity as a Trinity, is that we be aware of and act on the actual graces given to us throughout our everyday lives; that the Spirit give us the Wisdom to always see the truth. For God is indeed our hope.
Plan to spend some quiet time with Jesus in The Blessed Sacrament next Sunday the Feast of Copus Christi .
Corpus Christi
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Times for Adoration
12:30 PM___________________________________________________________
1:00_______________________________________________________________ 1:30_______________________________________________________________
2:00_______________________________________________________________
2:30_______________________________________________________________ 3:00_______________________________________________________________
3:30_______________________________________________________________
4:00_______________________________________________________________
4:30_______________________________________________________________
5:00 Vespers with Benediction
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
May 27, 2023
As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out.
This is why many inactive Catholics (as well as Baptists) are so resentful of their upbringing in the Church. For them,
religion means frustration, failure, and guilt. Somehow they, and I, missed the good news about Pentecost. OK, we Catholics celebrate the feast AND every year and mention it in Confirmation class, but lots of us evidently didn’t “get it.” Because if we “got it,” we’d be different. Bold instead of timid, energetic instead of anemic, fascinated instead of bored. Compare the apostles before and after Pentecost and you’ll see the difference the Spirit makes. The gospel is Good News not just because we’re going to heaven, but because we’ve been empowered to become new people, here and now. Vatican II insisted that each of us is called to the heights of holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter V). Not by will power, mind you. But by Holy Spirit power…Holiness consists in faith, hope, and especially divine love. These are “virtues,” literally “powers,” given by the Spirit. To top it off, the Spirit gives us seven further gifts which perfect faith, hope, and love, making it possible for us to live a supernatural, charismatic life. Some think this is only for the chosen few, “the mystics.” Thomas Aquinas taught to the contrary that the gifts of Is 11:1-3 (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord) are standard equipment given in baptism, that all are called to be “mystics.” Vatican II also taught that every Christian has a vocation to serve. We need power for this too. And so the Spirit distributes other gifts, called “charisms.” These, teach St. Thomas, are not so much for our own sanctification as for service to others. There is no exhaustive list of charisms, though St. Paul mentions a few (I Cor 12:7-10, Ro 12:6-8) ranging from tongues to Christian marriage (1 Cor 7: 7). Charisms are not doled out by the pastors; but are given directly by the Spirit through baptism and confirmation, even sometimes outside of the sacraments (Acts 10:44-48).
Do I sound Pentecostal? That’s because I belong to the largest Pentecostal Church in the world. Correcting the mistaken notion that the charisms were just for the apostolic church, Vatican II had this to say:"Allotting His gifts “to everyone according as he will” (1 Cor. 12:11), He [the Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. . . . These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the Church" (LG12).
Powerful gifts, freely given to all. Sounds like a recipe for chaos. But the Lord also imparted to the apostles and their successors a unifying charism of headship. The role of the ordained is not to do everything themselves. Rather, they are to discern, shepherd, and coordinate the charims of the laity so that they mature and work together for the greater glory of God (LG 30).
So what if you, like me, did not quite “get it” when you were confirmed? I’ve got good news for you. You actually did get the Spirit and his gifts. Have you ever received a new credit card with a sticker saying “Must call to activate before using?” The Spirit and his gifts are the same way. You have to call in and activate them. Do it today and every day, and especially every time you attend Mass. Because every sacramental celebration is a New Pentecost where the Spirit and his gifts repoured out anew(CCC 739, 1106). That's why the Christian Life is an adventure. There will always be new surprises of the Spirit
12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit.docx
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
May 6, 2023
See the attached items below: They are all very interesting for this week. Pope Francis' homily and thoughts on Frist Communion in 2019 is especially a very good read as is How to deal with that toxic person in your life, according to St. Therese.
Thanks to all who came last Sunday and celebrated my birthday. It was truly a happy celebration and I certainly do appreciate all the well wishes I received.
While home at my sister's this past week, I took time to read every card and note. I was very touched by so many of them. Not two cards alike. Praises and Thank You for those who put it all together. It was a beautiful job!
Mother's Day is Next Sunday the 14th. Don't forget to get your Mass intentions in for your mother's living and deceased to be put on the altar for the Masses on Mother's Day.
My sister Margaret is doing very well post surgery-getting stronger every day.
First Communion PP Francis 1 '19.docx
St.Theresa & a difficult peson.docx
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
2612 Wilkens Ave, Baltimore, MD 21223 • saintbenedict.org/
April 28,2023
You have heard me say many times that my favorite image of Jesus active and teaching is the image of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lifts us up and carries us during all our trials, difficulties and especially when we feel lost and alone.
Pray for Shirley Burch who lives at St. Elizabeth nursing home. She crocheted for me the lovely image of the Good Shepherd on display this Sunday many years ago as a Birthday gift.
Good Shepherd Sunday is currently celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Easter. Similar to “Divine Mercy Sunday,” it is fixed on a particular Sunday during the Easter season. This particular Sunday has always coincided with the following passage from the Gospel according to St. John: I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
The exact verses change each year, but they all revolve around Jesus calling himself the “Good Shepherd.”
Prior to Vatican II this day was celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of Easter, but since then it is always on the 4th Sunday of Easter. It is a day to focus on Jesus’ role as shepherd of souls and our role of following his voice wherever he goes.
This past week on the 25th of April, we celebrated the Feast of St. Mark. You can read some interesting facts about St. Mark in our attachment this week.
Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,
Fr. Paschal Morlino, OSB
Pastor
2612 Wilkens Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21223
PHONE: 410-947-4988 FAX 410-947-6009
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at Saint Benedict Church.
February 2023
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
We have just begun our 130th year at St. Benedict and it promises to be a very good year! There are many events and activities scheduled.
We are beginning the renewal of devotion to the Eucharist. This will be a three-year program to foster a greater devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. We are hoping to add many more persons to attend weekly adoration on Wednesday. Over the years Catholics have faded in reverence for appreciation of the Real Presence of the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. We will work during this time to renew devotion and understanding of the Eucharist, our life’s blood, as we should as it nourishes our Catholic Faith.
I am encouraging each of you who are retired or available to sign up for at least 30 minutes or more at a time to come in for adoration. Let Jesus speak to your heart. I will be speaking on this more all during the year.
We have several events, as I mentioned, scheduled:
On the 19th of February we will hold our second Chili Cook Off. It was a great success last year and is a good way to celebrate Mardi Gras before we move into holy Lent. Those tickets will be available at the office and in the Gift Shop.
Speaking of the Gift Shop, Ms. Vee, who has been running the shop has retired and we are looking for volunteers to help. So far, I have a few but I would like to have more to fill any gaps with appointments or illness. Please let me know if you can spare some of your time.
Ash Wednesday is February 22 and is quickly approaching. We will have a full schedule for distribution of ashes that day. Also, we will have the Fish Fry starting at 11am until 3pm that day in the Parish Hall. Coddies will also be available on Ash Wednesday, but orders must be in by Tuesday at 4pm. Coddies will be available on Fridays every week until Memorial Day. Please place your order no later than Thursday.
March 19 is the Feast of St. Joseph and Laetare Sunday (the midpoint in Lent). We will host a Crab Cake dinner from noon until 3pm with a traditional St. Joseph Table of Sweets. Music will be furnished by Cameron and of course, there will be games and cash prizes. Food is provided by Monaghan’s Pub, who cater our annual Oyster-Bull Roast. It should be a fun day with great food and good friends. Tickets available at the Gift Shop and in the office.
The program “Seek the City to Come” is in full swing throughout the Urban Vicariate of the Archdiocese (mainly the city parishes). Many of us (Parish Counsel, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and others) have attended the several workshops and listening sessions this past fall and after Christmas. We will be setting up small groups for discussion the matters at hand in the next few weeks. We need to do much more praying and discussing as the Archdiocese seeks to deal with the city parishes. Whatever will be our role in the future, there needs to be full cooperation from as many of us as possible.
Schedule of Services for Holy Week and Easter Sunday 2023
Palm Sunday, April 2
Mass with blessing and distribution of Palm 4:00pm Saturday, Sunday, 10:30am with Procession, and 6:00pm
Monday, April 3
Chrism Mass Cathedral of Mary Our Queen 7:30pm
Tuesday, April 4
Penance Service with confessions 7:15pm
Wednesday, April 5
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 8:00am-6:00pm
Vespers and Benediction at 6:00pm
Mass 6:30pm
Thursday, April 6
Tenebrae 8:30am
Midday Prayer 12:05pm
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00pm
Praying with Jesus 8:30pm
Sung Night Prayer 11:30pm
Night Watch (quiet prayer and meditation) Midnight-8:00am
Good Friday, April 7
Tenebrae 8:30am
Walking Stations 10:30am Please come and walk with us!
Seven Last Words 12:00pm-1:30pm
Confessions 12:00pm-1:30pm
Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Veneration of the Cross, and Communion service 7:00pm
Holy Saturday, April 8
Tenebrae 8:30am
Noon prayer 12:05pm
Easter Vigil Mass, Blessing of the New Fire, Easter Water 8:30pm in front of the church
Easter Sunday, April 9
Masses 10:30am and 6:00pm
Solemn Vespers 5:00pm
Confessions
Tuesday, March 4 7:15pm (several priests will be available)
Mon.-Wed. April 3-5, 8:30am and 12:15pm
Good Friday 12:00pm-1:30pm
We begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion April 2. On this day we walk with Jesus and shout Hosanna, as we wave our palm branches and cry out shouts of joy. Be sure to hold onto your palm branches and wave them as you do so. This week take some special time to walk alone with Jesus. Then you can remember the walk with Jesus and the crowd from Sunday and walk again with him during the week at the various celebrations held in our church. During the week we have an opportunity to walk with Jesus is many different ways; alone and with others on different paths. On Ash Wednesday we heard, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”. The palms we carry will become the ashes you receive next year on Ash Wednesday, reminding us of our frailty and our glory. Our frailty- I am dust- in that I am less than perfect, and my glory is in that Jesus is calling me to holiness. Jesus is calling me to change may life, to turn it upside down. It will not be easy. The services of Holy Week will help us to put things into their proper perspective. Be sure to clear your calendar so that you will be free to join us at St. Benedict for our Holy Week and Easter Services. We will be live streaming our Holy Week Services, as we do each Sunday, on Facebook.
Yours in Christ and Saint Benedict,
Fr. Paschal, O.S.B.
Pastor and Staff
P.S. During Lent we pray each Friday evening the Stations of the Cross proceeded by quiet prayer at 6:00pm in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed. Following Stations, we will have our Soup and Sandwich and a presentation. This year’s presentation is: “No Greater Love” and discussion. We finish by 8:30pm.
Know that if you do not have a church of your own, you will be welcome at St. Benedict Church.