Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

Remember when the quarantine started and we had all sorts of plans for using that time? Instead we watched “Tiger King” on Netflix, and were launched into a summer of turmoil. This past week I went back to my seminary for a retreat. I last visited 22 years ago and was drawn in partly by the retreat master who had been my spiritual director, Father Fred Miller.

Did you know that priests are required by Church Law to get away every year for a minimum 5-day retreat? Why?

“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mk 6:30)

Or as described by Pope Francis on August 31, 2014: “Indeed, we Christians live in the world, fully integrated into the social and cultural reality of our time, and rightly so; but this brings with it the risk that we might become “worldly,” that “the salt might lose its taste,” as Jesus would say (cf. Mt 5:13)….This is why it is necessary to renew oneself by continually drawing sap from the Gospel.”

Pope Francis directed these words to all Christians, not just priests.

I have often suggested to all of the faithful that they need to likewise make such a retreat if they want to be serious about the spiritual care of their souls.

If you have two weeks of vacation from your job every year, why not tithe? Take one of those 10 days and give it to the Lord by spending a day in prayer at the National Shrine, or at St. Mary’s. Heck, if there were enough interest (like 1 person), I’d figure out how to help you by running a day of recollection here at the parish.

Alternatively, give more. I know there are plenty of folks who have stored up leave and face every year a ‘use or lose’ situation. How about now you plan to give one of those weeks to Jesus?

Holy Week is one such great time to do so, and there is plenty of time to plan for that now. There are a number of liturgies and ways that we could make this happen with daily mass and spiritual readings. (I will suggest some, if you ask me). Are you salt of the earth that has lost its taste? You and I can only be restored by Jesus.

pax et bonum,

Fr. John Mosimann

The week of July 27-July 31, St Mary will be having the lighting in the church replaced with more energy effecient LED lighting.  Installation will take place from 7:30am-4pm.  This means the church will be closed for those hours.  As a result, the 9am and 12pm Masses will be moved to Holy Cross Academy all that week, and Adoration is canceled. If the lighting work takes less time than scheduled, we can move Mass back to the church, so check back for updates.  The 6:30am Mass will not be affected.

Dear Folks,

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and kindness! I got to spend the evening of my birthday out on a parishioner’s boat on the Potomac. We didn’t fish, but just enjoyed the sunset. It has been years since I fished at all and my skills as a fisherman are sketchy. Once I was deep-sea fishing with my brothers, they both caught 25+ fish, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, I caught none. This led to some good natured ribbing about my being a ‘fisher of men,’ but not of fish!

All of that time not catching fish led me to reflect on how the enemy of our souls is clever, calculating and patient in the baited traps that he sets for us:

Calculating: Like a good fisherman, Satan knows what bait to use for each and every fish that he is trying to catch, our individual weaknesses and disordered desires.

Clever: Of course the hook is hidden in the bait. But there is always a hook to ensnare, trap and enslave us.

Patient: He sets the bait before us, and waits. Souls aren’t taking the bait?…. Just wait, they will come.

Did you ever wonder what goes on in a fish brain?… Likely not much more than “looks good… Yum… yum…Ouch…Oh no!” I pray that much more thought and wisdom be engaged in our struggles to resist spiritual bait.

On the other hand, the Lord does not deceive in inviting us into His boat (the boat being an ancient image of the Church). He reveals to us our deepest desires for Love, and tells us of the cost (the Cross), but carries it for and with us. And we fill up His boat by willingly jumping in at His invitation.

I guess that is the kind of fish I need and have, ones willing to jump in the boat!

pax et bonum,

Fr. John Mosimann

The week of July 27-July 31, St Mary will be having the lighting in the church replaced with more energy effecient LED lighting.  Installation will take place from 7:30am-4pm.  This means the church will be closed for those hours.  As a result, the 9am and 12pm Masses will be moved to Holy Cross Academy all that week, and Adoration is canceled. If the lighting work takes less time than scheduled, we can move Mass back to the church, so check back for updates.  The 6:30am Mass will not be affected.