Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

It all seemed so clear while I was sitting in the chapel—but not so much when my fingers hit the keyboard. I worry about that sometimes when it comes to preaching, writing, and hearing confessions.

What had seemed so clear?

I was reading a book on the priesthood and came across this definition: According to Aristotle, the magnanimous man is someone concerned above all about not selling short his greatness. (Nicomachean Ethics 4.3.3)

I read that and cringed. But of course, the priest—and indeed all the faithful—must not look to our own greatness, but rather to the greatness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who dwell in our souls.

Take, for example, the new Holy Father, who said last Sunday: “I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for He wants us all to be united in one family.”

A striking moment from the Mass was when Pope Leo looked down at the fisherman’s ring. You could see in his face the weight of the moment and his prayerful surrender to the Lord.

He has a magnanimous soul—not because of his own greatness, but because the Lord Jesus is the center of his life and the strength of his soul. When we are certain that the Lord is our light and our salvation, then we must not sell short the greatness of the Lord dwelling within us!

It is that certainty, surrender, and trust that allow Pope Leo—and every believer—to stand still before the trials of life.

When the Israelites were backed up against the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them, Moses said to the people: “Do not fear! Stand your ground and see the victory the LORD will win for you today… The LORD will fight for you; you have only to keep still.” (Exodus 14:13–14)

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

Have you heard of the idea of six degrees of separation—the theory that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other? Well, it seems our little line just got shorter, because we now have a pope who was born in America!

Fr. Cedric Wilson, an Augustinian priest who has served in the Diocese of Arlington longer than I’ve been a priest, knew Pope Leo back when they were in seminary together! That makes just two degrees of separation between me and the Pope!

I have many thoughts about Pope Leo XIV , but mostly I’m encouraged by his smile, his demeanor, and his words. When he stepped onto the balcony as our new pope, he smiled and waved, and I thought, “He looks like a pope. ” First impressions only go so far, of course, but it’s a good start towards the filial devotion we owe him, as the man chosen by Christ to be His vicar on earth.

His first homily reminded all who exercise any authority to “move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small so that He may be known and glorified, to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love Him.”

And did you catch him singing the Regina Caeli at Mass last Sunday? That put a big smile on my face, since we too sing the Marian antiphons here at Saint Mary’s. So, should the opportunity arise, you’ll be well prepared if you find yourself in Rome and the Pope starts singing the Salve Regina or Regina Caeli!

Finally, I loved seeing that picture of him at a Chicago White Sox W orld Series game! Sometimes I get too excited about sports, but it was a great reminder that holiness isn’t reserved for people whose lives look radically different from ours. Holiness is for everyone—whether we root for the same teams, sing the same songs, or read the same books. The Lord even calls saints who are baseball fans! And yes, Fr. Dansereau is rejoicing and hoping Pope Leo will solemnly declare baseball to be God’s favorite sport.

P.S. My condolences to the Cubs. They endured a 108-year drought between World Series victories, and now may be facing an even longer one after claiming on Twitter that the Pope is a Cubs fan. Ouch.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Bishop Burbidge announced clergy assignments today, to take effect on June 26.  Sadly, St Mary will be losing Father Cozzi after 4 years of joyfully serving the people of Fredericksburg.  He will be transferred to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester, where he will have pastoral and administrative responsibility of a new campus site in Stephens City, VA.

Please continue to pray for Fr. Cozzi and his ministry.  Details on a going away will follow.

His replacement will be Deacon Joseph Connor, who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 7.  Please keep Deacon Connor in your prayers.

Deacon Tim Banach has been assigned to St James in Falls Church following his ordination to the priesthood, also on June 7.  Please keep Deacon Tim and all our clergy in your prayers.

The full list of clergy changes can be found here.

Join us this Friday at 8pm in the church for a special concert.  Trio Lucente (pianist Olga Gurevich, violinist Claudia Schaer, and cellist Jisoo Ok) share gems of the piano-violin-cello trio repertoire with listeners near and far, offering delightful programming coupled with superb artistry. A special spark inhabits their collaborative synergy: a shared interpretive vision, and an excellentsense of humor, inspiring the best and more in this delightful trio. They have played in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and Symphony Space in NYC, and in concert halls around the world.