March 10, 2019

The Blind Leading the Blind

"Can a blind person guide a blind person?"

This is the question that Jesus is asking each of us

(Luke 6:39). Jesus gives his own answer: “Will not

both fall into a pit?" When I asked some of our

children at Mass last Sunday, they all answered:

Yes! A blind can lead a blind! They are not totally

wrong: we know that with a cane, many blind per-

sons can find their way alone...so they might also

guide a blind person that would hold them by the

shoulder. But Jesus talks to us about a different

blindness. He talks about spiritual blindness!

All of us are Spiritually Blind. We are all sinners.

How can a sinner be the spiritual guide to another

sinner? He cannot do it alone. He can do it only if

Jesus becomes the one in charge of leading / guiding.

Jesus is our Spiritual Teacher. There is no other. So

Jesus gives us much hope when he affirms: " No

disciple is superior to the teacher; but when

fully trained, every disciple will be like his

teacher " (Luke 6:40). We are all called to be dis-

ciples of Jesus! To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a

student of Jesus. It is a lifetime journey of reflection,

prayer, and reading the bible. There is always some-

thing new that Jesus can teach us. We will never be

able to be totally like Jesus, who is God! But God

wants all of us to have the desire to be a saint, a

desire to be holy!

Jesus is more than a teacher. Jesus tells Lazarus’s

sister, Martha: “I am the resurrection and the

life... everyone who lives and believes in me

will never die” (John 11: 25-26). Jesus is the only

way to the Father. There is no other way. He leads

us to eternal life! We all want to go to Heaven.

Heaven is to be with God. We all desire to have

eternal life with God. Eternal life begins from the

very beginning we are conceived! Our souls never

die! This is our belief! The great promise from God

is fulfilled for each one of us when Jesus dies for

our sins on the cross, and then when he rises

from the dead, the promise of our own resurrec-

tion.

In the same way we reflected on the ending of Je-

sus' Powerful Sermon on the Plain last Sunday (Luke

6:39-45), we also heard the amazing end of St Paul's

First Letter to the Corinthians (15:54-58), a beauti-

ful Hymn of Victory: St Paul focusses on the

meaning of the death and resurrection of our

Lord Jesus Christ. By his own death on the

Cross, Jesus is victorious over death, over spiritual

death once for all. No more death: " Death is swal-

lowed up in victory...Thanks be to God who gives

us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." God

loves us so much that he let His Only Son die for us

on a Cross so as to redeem all our sins. Then Jesus

rises from the dead three days later. This is what

we celebrate at Easter, this is what we celebrate at

each Mass: The Passion, Death and Resurrection of

Our Lord Jesus Christ! This is when we, mortals,

become "clothed with immortality " (eternal life).

Do we believe that Jesus died for us, for our sins?

Do we believe that Jesus rose from death, giving us

hope in eternal life with Him?

We were reminded when receiving the ashes on

our foreheads last Wednesday to: “Repent and

believe in the Gospel!” May Jesus be our guide

to help us turn to God (in repentance of our sins).

May Jesus help our conversion, our change in

daily life through trusting in him, believing in the

good news of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Ho-

ly Spirit that together during this Lent, we will be

able to encounter Christ as we deepen our un-

derstanding of the Mass and the Eucharist!

One in Christ,

Father Alain

Preschool Announcement

OLLC Preschool fall 2019 registration is open! Pa-rishioners, please share this information with families you know who may be looking for Catholic Pre-school for their child or grandchild, and be sure you have registered your child for fall. For info or to reg-ister: email the preschool director, Nieda, at pre-school@olhoc.org or call the church/preschool of-fice at 301-645-7112 during office hours ****************************************************

2019 Annual Jubilarian Mass

The annual Jubilarian Mass honoring couples married 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 51+ years

will be held Sunday, June 23, 2019 at the Basil-ica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate

Conception. Please call the parish office, names need to be turned in by Friday, April 26

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ST. MARY CHURCH, NEWPORT - GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD PANTRY

In need of food? We are here to help. The Good Shepherd Food Pantry is open the 3rd Saturday of every month 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Come visit our Good Shepherd Food Pantry, and one of our food pantry volunteers will assist you in gathering food for you and your family. Location: 11555 St. Mary's Church Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. For more information, please contact the parish office at 301-934-8825.

******************************* “At the Well” Day of Recollection for

Separated and Divorced Catholics

Saturday March 16 at 10:00 am - 3 pm

Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament,

Washington D.C. Our reflections and small

group discussions are based on the

messages of hope for the Separated and

Divorced Catholics given by Fr. Vincent

O’Brien, former Chaplain from 1976-2012

Two presentations for meditation,

reflection and group sharing.

Lunch will be included.

Free event.

Sponsored by Archdiocesan Office for

Family Life

Please contact Mary Pearson if interested

(301) 922-0084 or Maryp10@yahoo.com

First Sunday of Lent

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Religious Education Important Dates

March 17/18 CCD Classes March 24- Sacramental Prep Workshops and ALL YOUTH NIGHT SUN (NO regular CCD Classes on Sunday or Monday.) March 31/ April 1 CCD Classes April 7/8 CCD Classes (Living Stations) ************************************************************************

Attention Sacramental Preparation Families (CCD and Catholic

School Families): Workshop dates for First Reconciliation/Communion

(10 am) and Confirmation Year 1 and 2 (2:30pm): , Mar 24, & Apr 28.

Questions? Please contact Therese Thiedeman, DRE

Youth News

Life Teen: high school youth ministry (Sun. 5-6:30 pm: March 10, 17, 31; Apr 7, 28; & May 5; Dinner Provided.)

Edge: middle school youth ministry (meets monthly on All Youth Night –March. 24)

FIAT: elementary school Faith in Action Team (meets monthly on All Youth Night - March 24) For more Youth Events or questions contact Marlen Coles marlen@olhoc.org or visit: www.olhoc.org/ym

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Mass Readings for March 17th.

Second Sunday of Lent

*First Reading

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

*Second Reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1

*Gospel

Luke 9:28b-36

www.usccb.org

The Way Retreat for Survivors of Abuse As the Church continues to minister to all survivors of abuse, the Archdiocese of Washington is sponsoring retreats for survivors. The Archdiocese will offer a men’s retreat on April 5-7, 2019, and a women’s retreat on April 12-14, 2019. These retreats are an occasion for survivors to reflect on God’s plan for their lives and for healing through prayer and the sacraments. For more information and to register, go to www.adw.org/the-way-retreat/ or call Deborah McDonald at (301) 853-4466.

Q. Why do we say that there are forty days of Lent? When you count all the days from Ash Wednesday through Holy

Saturday, there are 46.

A. It might be more accurate to say that there is the "forty day fast within Lent." Historically, Lent has varied from a week to three weeks to the present configuration of 46 days. The forty day fast, however, has been more stable. The Sundays of Lent are certainly

part of the Time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence.

Prayer Requests

We are asked to pray for: Pat Sharar, Rebecca (Tess) Franch, Vicky Welch, Naomi Lilly, Sterling Greene, Aleli

Puzon, Shirley Ehman, Dennis Wick, Vivian Truxon, Kenny Lindsay, Dorian Webster Sr., Dionne Gause, Pat

Fisher, Christ Goldhammer, Melody Hudson, Ernest Mack, James Wiltz, Adele Alvey, Dorothy Neal, Dunny

Proctor, K.D. Dillard, Josephina Knapp, Maria Townsend, Crystal Beauregard, Sheryl Carter, Alex Leon,

Sharketer Butler, and all our military and civilians serving in harm’s way.

Pray for the repose of the soul of Pat Sharar , who passed away March 4. Funeral Mass will be at 11 am

Tuesday March 12 , with viewing at 10 am ( both in our church).

Mass Intentions this Week

Saturday, March 9, 9:00 AM: Nicholas Snowden (+)

Saturday, March 9, 5:00 PM: K.D. Dillard

Sunday, March 10, 8:30 AM: Joseph Albrittian

Sunday, March 10, 10:00 AM: Our Lady Help of Christians Parishioners

Sunday, March 10, 11:30 AM: Tersita Lestimosa (+)

Sunday, March 10, 1:00 AM: Frank Day Jr. (+)

Sunday, March 10, 7:00 PM: Edward Hill (+)

Monday, March 11, 9:00 AM: Fr. John Clark (+)

Tuesday, March 12, 9:00 AM: Milton & Maria Galvan Lam

Wednesday, March 13, 9:00 AM: Pat Sharar (+)

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00 PM: Kenny Cronin (+)

Thursday, March 14, 9:00 AM: Fr. Thomas Crowley (+)

Friday, March 15, 9:00 AM: Lucrecia “Mary” Legman

Your Church: The Lord’s House

Continue to please respect your church, the Lord’s house, and refrain from taking any food or beverage into the Church. If your children need food or beverages, please use the cry room.

Please care for your building investment by not walking on kneelers or using them as footrests.

Lent at OLHOC

Gift of the Mass– began Thursday March 7, and Saturday March 9 for six weeks. You can still join us. The Light is on for you (Every Wednesday during Lent) Confessions and Adoration beginning at 6 PM, Mass at 7 PM, Confession and Adoration 7:45– 8:30 PM Stations of the Cross (Fridays during Lent)- 2:30 PM and 7 PM (after 7 PM Stations, also Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration). Youth Group Living Stations of the Cross– will be held on Friday, April 12th at 7:00 PM ***********************************************************

Outreach News

Next meeting will be March 13th at 7

pm. Please join us and bring your

ideas, all are welcome!

Scripture Study

Join us on Tuesday mornings after the 9 am Mass to study the readings for the next Sunday.

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2019 Annual Appeal

There is still time to donate to the Annual Ap-peal. Envelopes are in the Narthex. Please

give generously