August 14, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ,
In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, we hear words from Jesus Christ that one would never expect to hear: that he has come, not to establish peace, but division. Our Lord further states that “a household of five will be divided” – a father against his son, a mother against her daughter, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the latter against the former.
What are we to make of this, knowing Jesus Christ as a loving and peaceful teacher? In Loyola Press’ Background on the Gospel Reading, the authors tell us that “peace is the ultimate end of the Kingdom of God,” but that tranquility carries a price. In this Gospel reading, Jesus is telling his listeners that division and conflict will occur where people hear and live out the Word of God.
We observe this already in religious wars that erupt all over the globe. But as, Jesus states, we also see it in our own families, where blood-related people who have different values, ideologies, and world views cannot stand in the same room together. It is challenging to minister to parents whose children have fallen away from our faith or to families that are no longer bound by Jesus Christ’s boundless love for us all. And that is why we steadfastly pray for the conversion of each other’s hearts to Jesus Christ.
On Monday, August 15, we commemorate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who went to heaven, body and soul. In Jesus’ mother, we can look forward to the sanctification of our souls and our own peaceful reunion with Jesus Christ at the end of time. Even though we must navigate the daily conflicts of this earthly life – yes, even within our own families – we can gaze ahead to the peace that awaits us. And we can rejoice!
I wish you all a blessed and wonderful start to your week. As our parish’s children, teens and young adults prepare for a new school year, I especially wish them and their teachers a fun and safe few weeks before they return to school.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Sunday, August 14:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Donna Ruffin.
- Mass at 8 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon. Mass readings.
- Mass at 9:30 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. William Brailsford. Mass readings.
- Note: We have concluded offering our Sunday virtual Mass. See the archdiocesan TV Mass.
- Mass at 11:15 am in the church. Celebrated by Fr. Roberto Amoruso. Mass readings.
- Mass at 5 pm in the church. Celebrated by Fr. Grzegorz Okulewicz. Mass readings.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Donna Ruffin.
Monday, August 15:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Donna Ruffin.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Virtual parish Rosary at 4 pm. Led by Fr. John Dillon.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by Donna Ruffin.
Tuesday, August 16:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Donna Ruffin.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Donna Ruffin.
Parish Resources:
- Read the bulletin for August 7. (Note: The bulletin for August 14 will be posted early this week).
- Read the most recent issue of the Catholic Standard.
St. Martin Food Pantry Needs
The St. Martin Food Pantry has an urgent need for the following items:
- Dry unsweetened cereal
- Canned fruit
- Pasta sauce and pasta
- Canned beans
- Stew, canned pasta, and chili
- Baby formula equivalents or substitutes for US-produced Similac Blue and Similac Orange (Sensitive)
- Diapers in sizes newborn, 5 and 6
- Baby wipes
- Pediasure and Ensure for adults
- Adult unisex pullups in all sizes
- Paper and plastic grocery bags
- Plastic newspaper bags and plastic egg cartons that hold 12 eggs
Please place all donations in the St. Martin Food Pantry box in the Gathering Space or in the overflow bin on the Rectory porch. Thank you for your generosity!
Come Get to Know Fr. G!
Have you been eager to meet our new parochial vicar, Fr. Grzegorz Okulewicz? At 9 am Saturday, August 27, the parish Communications Ministry will host a “Getting to Know Fr. G” event in the church, which will be simultaneously recorded, edited, and subsequently posted to our parish YouTube Channel. Communications Coordinator Melissa Egan will interview Fr. G about his background growing up in Poland; lifelong faith formation in the Neocatechumenal Way; and his vocation as a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington. Fr. G will also take live questions from parishioners during the gathering.
All parishioners are invited to attend this in-person event, which should last an hour. By attending in person, please understand that you are giving your implicit permission to allow the parish to use your image and voice (if you ask a question) on the video that will be posted to our parish YouTube Channel after the event. If you would like to attend the event and remain anonymous, you will be directed to seating in the church outside of camera view.
People who are unable to attend but would like to submit a question to be asked, time permitting, can e-mail those questions to Melissa at megan@sfadw.org. As you can see from the pictures below, our parish videographers (who are parishioners) are working hard to develop a great production. Hope to see you in the church on August 27!
