Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Some days we may be dragging, or sad, or lonely. I remember one day in 1986 where I felt burdened, and overwhelmed, and even a little bit sad. My University of Dallas faculty, classmates, and I were in our Rome semester and on a 10 day trip to Greece. The day is seared into memory because when I dove into the Argolic Gulf all of the stress immediately washed off of me as my body hit the water. It was the most amazing swim of my life. I have thought of this swim often in the context of baptism.

However, I was also reminded of this swim when I stumbled across St. Thomas Aquinas teaching on 5 remedies for sadness (Summa Theologiae, I–II, q. 38):

1. Give yourself something you like. Why do you think so many folks turn to chocolate as an antidepressant? St. Thomas said, “Therefore just as all repose of the body brings relief to any kind of weariness, ensuing from any non-natural cause; so every pleasure brings relief by assuaging any kind of sorrow, due to any cause whatever.”
2. Weep. Wow, a good cry? St. Thomas said, “First, because a hurtful thing hurts yet more if we keep it shut up, because the soul is more intent on it: whereas if it be allowed to escape, the soul’s intention is dispersed as it were on outward things, so that the inward sorrow is lessened.”
3. Share your sorrow with a friend. “Because when a man’s friends condole with him, he sees that he is loved by them, and this affords him pleasure…. [It] follows that sorrow is mitigated by a sympathizing friend.”
4. Contemplate Truth. “The greatest of all pleasures consists in the contemplation of truth. Now every pleasure assuages pain as stated above (#1): hence the contemplation of truth assuages pain or sorrow, and the more so, the more perfectly one is a lover of wisdom.”
5. Take a nap or bath! “Moreover such remedies, from the very fact that they bring nature back to its normal state, are causes of pleasure; for this is precisely in what pleasure consists…. Therefore, since every pleasure assuages sorrow, sorrow is assuaged by such like bodily remedies.”

Maybe my restorative swim was a combination of #1 and #5…. but fatigue and sadness are a part of our human condition, and it was surprising to find St. Thomas with such practical remedies!

Enjoy your summer swims as a way to restore and refresh you!

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

Karen Sturtevant has been the Assistant Director of Religious Education at St. Mary’s for twelve years and has decided to retire at the end of July. She has made indelible contributions to our students and the religious education program and will be greatly missed by the staff and anyone who has passed through religious ed here at St. Mary’s!

I know she will be mortified for me to tell you this, but sometimes we call her “Queen Karen!” Like any good queen, she has been the dignified, smiling, force behind so much that is accomplished! She has helped children make First Confessions, and hugged them after Holy Communions. She has welcomed special needs children and encouraged their parents in their mission of handing on the faith! She has cooked meals for bishops, priests, catechists, volunteers and probably half of the entire parish! Above all she is a woman of faith and deep charity and has great love for the Church.

Next weekend, I will offer her a public word of thanks at the 10:30 am Mass. There will also be a small reception afterwards, so that you might have an opportunity to thank her for her loving service. She will be missed in her role on parish staff, but she will always be a prominent and generous member of our parish family! Please come and express your gratitude for Karen!

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Let me tell a story of the first time I gave Holy Communion to a special needs child. Or more rightly I should say special needs adult, but one whose needs meant that physically he was small in stature, confined to bed, and unable to communicate in a way that I could understand.

I was in my last year of seminary, serving as a Deacon in a West Philly parish. The pastor said to me, “take this mother and her son communion. He is special needs, and he won’t be able to communicate, but I want you to give them both communion.” So I went. And I was nervous. But what about his ability to understand the Holy Eucharist? How will this be reverent? Can I give Holy Communion like this?

And I only remember one specific thing about that communion visit: the face of the young man lit up like a spotlight when I held up the Host to offer Holy Communion. All the ways I expected to measure were melted in the radiance of that face. He was so happy…. no, happiness is in the emotions. It was uncomplicated joy that shone forth from his soul reflecting the glory of God.

I remember thinking, “who am I to say that his understanding of the Eucharist is more deficient than mine?” And I filed away the lesson to learn to see beyond the surface. Thus when folks with children with special needs ask me about their children receiving Our Lord, I say, “why not!” Infants can receive at baptism, and Our Lord has love for all of his children. Let the children come unto Him.

Recently we celebrated Mass with sacraments for students in our SPRED program, as described in the bulletin this week. This is religious ed for special needs sons and daughters of Our Lord! It was a joyful Mass, and one that I am proud of the welcome that has been extended by our parish, and, I am proud to say that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

A warm welcome to Fr. Renner, who arrived this week! Included here is a recent interview featured in the Arlington Catholic Herald.

We can always benefit from this pausing to celebrate the great blessings that the Lord has bestowed on this country. Our country has so many great attributes: generosity, love of liberty, and sacrificial defense of the weakest citizens of the world, to name just three. Generosity: it seems that every year the USA is the biggest financial supporter of the Peter’s Pence (Vatican) collection. Love of Liberty: this holiday is a celebration of independence and liberty which has led us to value individual responsibility. Defense of the weakest: a true measure of virtue in how we love those who are weakest and defenseless even on an international level.

Just this week, with the overturning of Roe vs Wade, we see hope for the defense of our most vulnerable. Thank you for the many people who reach out to women who are facing difficult and unexpected pregnancies. There is so much work to be done to show the Lord’s love for all of His children. With Catholic Charities, Mary’s Shelter and Birthright, the people of St. Mary’s have excelled in caring for mothers and babies! Let’s continue to keep this intention in prayer as we pray that each State upholds the sanctity of LIFE!

This holiday is a great time to thank God for the blessings he has bestowed on our country. We must commend her virtues when we can, even while we condemn her vices. As our Lord said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” We can agree with and commend the many ways that our culture stands for true virtue, and therefore with Christ. And we must have courage to oppose our culture when the culture stands in opposition to Christ. Enjoy the holiday!

pax,

Father John Mosimann