St. Mary's Newsletters Archive - Fr. Finan

Knightly News: Chaplain Messages

Vol., 1, No. 1 - July 1986

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / In my first message to you via Knightly News let me call your attention to PSALM 127: "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." All that we do as a Council must have as its beginning our quest for the will of God and as its purpose the Glory of God. / We will find ourselves in the midst of our endeavors tending to work for immediate goals and tangible results. That is as it should be, for the house is built one brick at a time. But it is not the Lord's house that we are building and if we pick up a defective brick or if we lay it in an inappropriate manner, our ultimate goal will suffer. / Ours will be a mission of prayer and good works. Prayer will be the source of our wisdom and inspiration to know and pursue the good works of the Lord. May we always be true to that commitment. / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 2 - August 1986

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / This month brings us our patronal feast, both as a Parish and as a Council. August 15 is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. / Our celebration of this Mystery is a tribute to Mary and a "cause of our joy." In this celebration we acknowledge Mary's favored status. Her incorrupt body is a consequence of her Immaculate Conception, which brings to mind her Divine Maternity. All these are reasons to honor Mary. She is "the cause of our joy" because her assumption is a prophecy of our own. It has been done, therefore it can be done. Our bodies will be taken into Heaven as hers was when we experience the resurrection from the dead at the end of the world and reach for the heights of heaven. It is our destiny; it is our hope; it is our final victory. / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 3 - September 1986

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / In some ways September is the new year. We have all had some respite during the summer/vacation months, and many of our outside-the-home activities revolve around the school calendar. This year we Knights have added reason to start a new year because we belong to our newly established Council 9302. / Already we have several activities underway. Contact the chairs of the various ventures and see how you can help make them a success. The car raffle is currently going on and the Tootsie Roll Drive will be here in October. You can make a success. / Always remember that success is often measured by the dollars realized. It is achieved by the comradery and fellowship that is generated by working together and supporting one another. We have a well-rounded agenda of spiritual, cultural, community, and social activities. All are important, but it must always be the spiritual which is our ultimate goal and the primary means of achieving that goal. In its broader sense it is that which makes us brothers and it is the Brotherhood that makes us Knights of Columbus. / Have a great year! / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 4 - October 1986

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Sunday, October 5 is Respect Life Sunday. Indeed, the whole month of October is dedicated to building up respect for life in all its stages -- pre-born to Doom Day's morn! / The Knights of Columbus have made respect for life a special cause of theirs. It has become a not-so-popular cause. Not because there is so much opposition to respect for life, although there is plenty of that; but, because the battle has gone on too long. People are tired of the topic. We cannot afford to get tired, or let them get tired. / The cause becomes more relevant all the time. Once the anti-life bag is opened (as it was when artificial contraception became popular) it becomes a can of worms, much like Pandora's box. If any human life is not sacred, no human life is sacred. Artificial contraception becomes abortion becomes infanticide, becomes euthanasia becomes mercy killing. All of these lives are gifts from God and we are smashing them and throwing them back into His face. / Our Faith should be enough to compel us to defend innocent human life. If it isn't enough, perhaps some selfish motivation will help. We are journeying towards our own less active days. All of us are susceptible to being assigned to a caste which is called non-productive, irrelevant, worn-out, hopeless, burdensome, etc. If we don't defend minority rights, we will ourselves be defenseless when someone decides we are expendable. / Pray for the victims of anti-life, the dead, the perpetrators, the cooperating judges and lawyers, all of us. And when your turn comes to speak up, speak out! / Pray for the victims of anti-life, the dead, the perpetrators, the cooperating judges and lawyers, all of us. And when your turn comes to speak up, speak out! / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 5 - November 1986

Chaplain's Message - NO REPORT.

Vol. 1, No. 6 - December 1986

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Your thoughts are no doubt on Christmas and the truths that feast reveals to us: mankind's need for God, His willingness to make Himself available, our rejection of Him as to a place for His birth, His insistence on coming anyway, and His divinity touching our humanity so that our humanity can touch His divinity. May the final days of preparation find you hungry for the satisfying Bread of Life and may His Advent be in such a manner that you will recognize Him and be able to receive Him. / The thought occurs to me that He comes to us again as an Infant in the person of the pre-born whose mothers and fathers and doctors and lawyers still have no room for Him. The parallel is so real it is frightening. Can we turn away from the helplessness of these children and their mothers? / Pray for them, pray for yourselves and pray that the limitless love of God can be channeled through our hearts to their lives. He has enough love for all of us. His Infancy is only the beginning. / Sincerely in our Infant Savior, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 7 - January 1987

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / This season of the year brings to our minds the great generosity of Almighty God. He chooses to raise us from the nothingness of our fallen nature to share in His divine life. And the way that he chooses to do it! --By making Himself one of us, sharing our nature, our wants, our feelings, our joys, our triumphs, our love. He shares everything except sin. / His manner of coming puts me in mind of the little innocents of our own time for whom we have no room. As He, they come to us in their helpless infancy, knocking at the door of our world, asking a refuge for themselves and their mothers; and we slam the door and kill them for intruding into our lives. / Many of their daughters are innocent in their ignorance. Our mission is to instruct the ignorant and pray for sinners (cf: the works of mercy). As these holy holidays unfold we will celebrate a lot of joyous events that will keep in mind our own family-life and our utter dependence on others: The Holy Infant Innocents, the Motherhood of Mary, the Holy Family, the Baptism of Our Lord, the Epiphany. There was someone to take care of us in our helplessness. Can we let ourselves do less for them? / Pray in these holy times for the Innocents of our age. And make the March for Life a priority on January 22nd -- the 14th anniversary of that horribly selfish edict from the United States Court. / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 8 - February 1987

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / In the less active month of February (now that all of your snow shoveling is done) we have time to pause and take stock: How are we doing with our New Year's resolutions? There are still eleven months left in this year, so it's not too late to rejuvenate our initial zeal, or even to initiate overlooked goals. Is it your spiritual life that needs attention? Are you taking care of your physical health? Is your family in need of more of you -- your time, your help, your attention, your prayers? Are the Knights of Columbus important enough to you to inspire you to upgrade your life? / Looking over the Sunday readings for February, I find a theme of encouragement. God sees our poor state, but He knows our good hearts and He offers us -- promises us -- His never failing help. All of the needs that I have enumerated above are answerable. They need first to be recognized and acknowledged and then they must be confidently laid at His feet. His answer comes back to us through His Word and through our brothers and sisters. Listen up! / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 9 - March 1987

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / "Rend your hearts; not your garments." These words from the Prophet speak volumes about the spirit of Lent. In times past, the Church legislated much of our penance throughout the year and especially during Lent. Legislated penance has some merit, but it tends to focus on the garment (externals) and not the heart. / Let us as Catholics commit ourselves to some concrete expression of our quest for holiness. Fasting, abstinence (from any number of things), prayer, weekday Mass, the Works of Mercy, etc. are means of penance and holiness. Let us also tend to the rending of our hearts, to make them over in the image of the Sacred Heart. Let us orientate our hearts to Jesus, to do what is right because it is right; not because it shows, not because we gain, not because it is expected, not because we have to; but because we love God and we want to build up his Kingdom. / The beauty of this method is that we are the winners anyway! "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you." Guaranteed victory! And the opposite is guaranteed defeat! Feather your own nest and lose the kingdom! / It is my prayer that all of us will experience the holiness and hunger of Lent so that Easter will be happy and full. / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan.

Vol. 1, No. 10 - April 1987

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / On March 8, the First Sunday of Lent, Bishop Thomas W. Lyons administered the sacrament of Confirmation to some 50 candidates in our church. / This administration of the sacrament recalls our own reception of the Holy Spirit in this special way and the commitment it elicits from us. The special graces that come to us in Confirmation and perdure throughout our lives. The miracles of which we are capable because we are blessed this. / The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude and awe of God. They remind us of the powers that are ours. Wisdom and Understanding and Knowledge with which to grasp our Faith and to know it as superceding all the values with which the world taunts us. Fortitude to live that Faith in the face of the greatest odds. Counsel to share our faith with others and to support them with the conviction that, what we have is eternal Truth which cannot betray us. Piety is the power to be especially committed to the salvation of the members of our household -- household of faith, household of family, household of the marketplace. Awe of God is the appreciation of God's infinite Goodness. It convinces us of our need for Him and therefore our fear of losing Him. / These are gifts with which we are blessed and strengthened. How can we say "can't" when we are asked to choose life rather than death, good rather than evil? How can we "won't"!? / As Knights we have stepped forward, out of the ranks. We have volunteered for extra duty. We count on God's support when our own strength fails. He infallibly keeps His pledge to us; let's be faithful to Him. / Sincerely in Mary, Father Finan / P.S. The Christian's place is with His Lord. During Holy Week the Lord is living again the Mysteries of His Passion and Death and Resurrection. Come, be with Him in His Liturgy.

Vol. 2 - No Newsletters Available Until the Beginning of 1988

Vol. 3, No. 1 - January 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Happy New Year to all of you and yours. It is my prayer that the goodness and holiness to which we are all committed will bring you much happiness in 1988. / One of the good nesses to which we are committed is the sacredness of human life, a gift from God the Author of life. / On January 22nd, the 15th annual March for Life will take place between the White House and the Capitol. I urge you to be a part of this statement against abortion, a heinous desecration of God's creative power. If you can join us on the bus, sign up on the chart in church. Attend on your own. Attend Mass that day for the success of the march. Keep us in your prayers and speak up in defense of the Right to Life. Abortion is indefensible. Babies are being killed. All other rights, all other persons' rights are secondary to the Right to Life. / A nation's life depend on its citizens' lives. Where are we headed? I say again, where are we headed? / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 3, No. 2 - February 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Thank you for your help organizing and attending the March for Life on January 22nd, 1988, the 15th anniversary of the heinous decision rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States. /(That first) January 22nd was twenty million babies ago-- and we wonder why we have no young people to fill our schools, to staff our entry-level jobs, to fill the economy, to care for our elderly. We are only beginning to pay the Piper. / On another level, we are appalled at the more than a murder a day in the District of Columbia. (Prince George's County is striving to keep up.) I keep repeating that anti-life is all life: pre-born, deformed, retarded, insane, criminal, military and aged. We have set the example for the street fatalities. Why shouldn't we execute the undesirables among us? Who is to say who is undesirable? / The march was one of the better ones. Conscientious people will not let this problem persist. Keep praying. We will win. / Ash Wednesday is February 17th. Pray about the resolutions you will be making. Fasting has not been outlawed! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 3, No. 3 - March 1988 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 3, No. 4 - April 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Easter has come and gone, or has it? We have two months to savor the Easter Season liturgically. I hope you will join in the spirit of the extended season. The mystery of Easter and our own resurrection overwhelm our intellects, so we must make an effort to assimilate them. Just this morning (Easter Thursday) the readings complain about people who see but do not comprehend. The disciples on the way to Emmaus are preoccupied with their own needs, grief, disappointment, uncertainty and doubt about Jesus. So taken up with themselves, they don't recognize Jesus even when he walks with them. And (the man) at the temple only sees a chance for a handout. His vision is so myopic that he asks only for money. Peter blesses him with good health and then the beggar sees the freedom, mobility and potential that he has for independence to make his own money. Can we see ourselves? We grovel around with our petty concerns and needs wondering where all the promises of Jesus went. We have our faith. We have our hope and we have God's love. What else do we need? Do you believe this? Well, yes, we all do -- whatever that means. It means that God cares enough for us that he sent His only Son to die for us. But He didn't stay dead. Incredible! / So during these weeks of Easter time, listen to the Word of God. Hear the preposterous promises He makes. See the wonder of His works and lay your impossible needs at His feet. / Hallelujah! He is risen! / Father Finan

Vol. 3, No. 5 - May 1988 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 3, No. 6 - June 1988 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 4, No. 1 - July 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / We are drawing near to the close of the Marian Year. It officially ends on our patronal feast, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, August 15, 1988. During this last month or so let us increase our devotion to Mary. We can attend the rosary and Mass on Tuesdays before our meetings. / Our installation ceremony will be on August 13th, the same weekend as the Feast of the Assumption. As we embark upon a new year with a new slate of officers, we renew our commitment to serve our God and our Church in the spirit of Mary's "Be it done to me according to your Word." / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 2 - August 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / August brings two significant events for our council: the installation of our officers for the coming year; and our patronal feast -- The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15th. / The installation is significant because it empowers our officers to perform their duties of office. Empowerment is by Constitution and By-Laws; but more important it is by our acknowledgment of their direction of the council and our acceptance of them as leaders; of still greater importance is the grace of office for which we and they pray at Mass and at the ceremony itself. In all humility these men call upon God to direct their ways in the building up of the kingdom. / Our patronal feast is a tribute to our Blessed Mother and to the Divine Son whom She gave us. Her assumption is a special grace of preservation from bodily corruption, the consequence of sin. It is also a pledge to us: although we must suffer death and corruption because we have sinned, we can look forward to our "Assumption" in the glorified body in heaven when we have risen from the dead. Mary is our patroness which means we rely on her for her support. It also means that we pledge ourselves to model our lives after hers. We will pray for the wisdom to know God's will for us and echo Mary's prayer: I will proceed according to Your Word. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 3 - September 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / September brings to mind the school year, which turns our attention to the pursuit of knowledge. It is not just the youngsters who must engage in this pursuit. We are all trying to learn more -- about life, about our jobs, about interpersonal relationships, about our families, about our God. / In all our endeavors the underlying motive must be a deeper relationship with God, a greater understanding of Him and of ourselves. Since He is the Author of all truth, we learn more about Him and His wonderful universe whenever we increase our understanding. / Wisdom is the gift that enables us to see beyond the details of what we learn; to look into the ultimate cause and final purpose of human pursuit. We must pray and study to develop this gift of wisdom; and we must help those in our charge to gain and use the wisdom of Christian living. / The study of Scripture is the richest single source of wisdom. "To know the Scriptures is to know Christ" and to know Christ is to be truly wise. Father Hughes has developed a course of study for this coming year. We encourage you to take advantage of it. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 4 - October 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / October is Respect Life Month. It is the task of each one of us to further the fact of the sacredness of human life, in all its stages from before birth, even into everlasting life. / Many of our fellow citizens do not know about human life, except what they SEE. They honestly don't know of life before birth, after birth, in poverty, subject to famine, victim of war or without a home-- because they can't or won't see it. All of this life is a gift from God. It is all precious to Him. We must make it precious to us and we must help our culture to see it and respect it. If any decent human being really knew of the help that is needed, he would not say "No". But the oppressed hear "No" all the time. / Respect Life Month is given to us to marshal our forces -- spiritual, moral, emotional, social, material -- anew to support God's gift of life. We can do this by our prayers, our dialogue, our concern and our pocket books. We can do it by resisting such comments as "It's a private matter, let them handle it!" Jesus, our model, came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. As He shared His, let us share ours. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 5 - November 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / November is the month set aside by the Church to call our attention to the poor souls in purgatory. They are holy souls who need our prayers throughout the year; and we can rely on their prayers for us. / The phrase, "Communion of Saints," in our Creed calls to mind the doctrine of the community of holy persons bound together by grace, a share in God's very own life. It comprises the faithful on earth, the saints in heaven and the souls in purgatory. The good of each rebounds to the good of all the others as it does in any community: family, parish, city, nation. The needs of each call upon the resources of all to be answered. / The needs of the poor souls are that, while they are holy and possessed of God's grace, they are not yet perfect. They are not fit company for God. Put more understandably, their imperfection would make them uncomfortable in God's presence. So He has arranged a way for them to be perfected and thus be comfortable in heaven, a place of perfect happiness -- comfort, if you will. Since the needs of the souls in purgatory cry out to the whole community to be answered, we do well in offering prayers and sacrifices on their behalf. They in their turn -- part of the community to which we belong -- offer their prayers and sufferings for us. How good of God to enable us to help one another. Pray for the poor souls -- your loved ones, the forgotten ones, deceased priests and those most in need of our prayers. You will be surprised and pleased at how your love for them rebounds to your own peace and joy. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 6 - December 1988

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As the day-after-Thanksgiving shoppers hit the malls, we know that the Sunday-after-Thanksgiving brings the season of Advent. The violet vestments remind us that it is a penitential season; but its penance has a different tone from Lent which is repentance and reparation. / Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation. Conscious of our limitations we are aware of our need for Jesus to supply our lacks. If only we would really let Him into our hearts, our abilities would increase. But so many obstacles prevent our accepting Him: fear, doubt, willfulness, bad habits, the world, etc., etc., . . . Sometimes sin itself shuts Him out. And still our faith tells us to anticipate with joy and hope his eventual victory over our hesitation. / That is where preparation comes in. We know we need Him in His fullest presence. Identify the obstacles, admit we can't remove them ourselves and tell Him truthfully we will let go of the hindrances to His coming. St. John the Baptist means this when he says: "Make straight His path." / Each day tell God truthfully that you want His Son to remake you in His image and watch for the Miracle of Christmas. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 7 - January 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / January brings to mind many realities that begin to unfold in our lives: the post Christmas blues, the winter doldrums, the bills far extravagance (!), the new year; but one thought that has been particularly painful for me is the slaughter of pre-born babies. Since the infamous "Roe" and "Doe" decisions of January 22, 1973 handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States, it has been open season on human life in the womb. / I think our biggest obstacle in this fight is lack of knowledge. Many Americans -- old and young, learned and unlearned, professional and non-professional still do not realize we are killing babies. Technical terms like fetus and embryo and zygote speak of living, growing human beings. But the general public doesn't advert to this. That's why I used the term pre-born babies in the first paragraph. / On January 23, 1989 there will be the 16th annual March for Life in Washington. Our witness there will make a statement of our conviction that these defenseless babies are people and need our help. / I urge your participation. Take a lunch hour and appear on the Ellipse (South of the White House). Work the morning and take the afternoon off. Or take the whole day. Talk about no room in the inn; we won't even let Him into our world! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 8 - February 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / No other topic can replace the Lenten lesson at this time of the year. What can we say? Nothing new! Perhaps we can say it with more conviction. / We shudder at the thought of six weeks of self-denial, whether it is going without or taking on extra virtues. It is denial of what we would rather do with our time in favor of what we are convinced are nobler deeds. The key is the idea of nobler deeds. Who of us doesn't want to be holy, comfortable in our relationship with God, proud of our service to our neighbor and confident that we are destined to live forever? / It would be all right with us if all this happened by mere wishing. But it doesn't; and it won't. So now we have talked ourselves into making the effort to use Lent as a quantum leap toward the holiness we strive to gain. / Let us become men of prayer -- privately, and liturgically, when we can. Let us become men of action, sacrifice in our personal lives and servants in our communities. Let us become men of faith, convinced that God cannot be outdone in generosity. / "Rend your hearts, not your garments" Joel (2:13) urges us. The whole Christian world takes up the chant. We are supported by the year, good works, and the spirit of all the saints. How can we fail!! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 9 - March 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / It is the first Sunday of the Scrutinies as I write this, so our Journeyers in Faith are very much on my mind. / I am asking you two favors this month. / The Scrutinies take place on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of lent. They are an opportunity for our converts to make their decision for Christ; and they are a graphic reminder to us that we have chosen to answer Jesus' call. Lent is a time of retreat and decision for them; it is a time of renewal for us. / The two favors I ask of you are: (1) That you pray for our Journeyers. They are all making a decision of life-long critical impact. Some are resolving lingering doubts; some are rising to the faith God is giving them; all are in a crescendo of heightening anticipation of receiving our Lord in the Eucharist on the Vigil of Easter. Pray for them; and at the same time thank God for your own gift of faith. (2) Write a note to them and drop it into their box in church. Tell them how welcome they are in our community; tell them of your prayers; tell them of your own conversion; tell them of a ministry that is awaiting them. A word of encouragement, support or love is a very warm embrace from us to them. Write a note to each of them; or at least choose a few names from those hanging on the pillars in church. / The joy of Jesus is ours to share; the joy of the Journeyers will rebound to your own joy. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 10 - April 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / It is not my custom to "backtrack" on the Liturgical Year; and I am not really going back, because it is still the Easter Season. A half a dozen of you know whereof I write because you shared the experience. / I am so full of our Holy Week and Easter Liturgies that I must write of them to you. Palm Sunday with its Procession, Wednesday's Seder Meal, Thursday's anointing of our Journeyers in faith and the washing of the feet. Friday's cross-centered service all culminated in a multifaceted magnificent celebration of creation-salvation in the blessing of fire and water and the conferral of the three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist). / The Liturgies were so well done that they "grabbed" the participants and blocked out the distractions of time and the outside world. If you weren't there, it is impossible to convince you of the "come-to-life" portrayal of our up and down salvation history in the events we recalled and in the way they are repeated in our own waxing and waning of faith-life. / The climax was the Easter Vigil Service on Saturday evening. The job of the participants and the reality of the mysteries transported all of us to new heights of appreciation and resolution to treat what we have with reverence and respect. Reverence for the good God who has blessed us so consistently and respect for the power he has entrusted us with. / It is our prayer that we will be worthy of the trust and that those whose lives we touch will know something of the power and love of God. / Happy Easter! Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 11 - May 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Could you have guessed I would be writing about Mary, our Mother, in her month of May? / The Church is our Mother in that she brings us to re-birth in Jesus and gives us the wherewithal to nurture our new life -- the sacraments, devotions and guidance. God sees fit to give us his own Mother so that we have someone more personal to focus on and relate to. / There are theological reasons for our knowing that Mary is truly our Mother. Jesus as he hung on the cross gave her to us in the person of St. John: "Behold thy mother." Mary is Mother of Christ and therefore Mother of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. We are brothers of Jesus because we share this divine life by virtue of the grace He narrated for us. Further, He invites us to share this Father with Him, so that we are members of His family, children of His parents. / In addition, to theology, there is a devotional need to know Mary is our Mother. Our private prayers and devotions help us to answer this need. The Rosary is ever the convenient and resourceful devotion. First Saturday devotions are celebrated in our Church each month after the 8:00 AM Mass. On May 7th our Parish is having a May Procession at 3:00 in the afternoon. May 14th is Mother's Day. It is appropriate to see the relationship of our own mothers, the Blessed Mother and Holy Mother Church. / In order to make the theology of Mary's maternity relevant, I urge you Knights of St. Mary of the Assumption Council to develop your private devotions to Mary and to share with us the private devotions. Our Blessed Mother will not abandon her children, and she finds it easier to look after us when we stay close! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 4, No. 12 - June 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / June is the month of the sacred Heart of Jesus. His feast occurs on June 2nd this year. Jesus promised us through St. Margaret Mary, great things, if we are devoted to His Sacred Heart.

The Promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary

for Souls Devoted to His Sacred Heart

I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
I will establish peace in their houses.
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored.
I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
Sincerely yours in His Sacred Heart, Father Finan

Vol. V., No. 1 - July 1989 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. V., No. 2 - August 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Our patronal feast comes in August for the Parish and for the Council. As our new officers assume their duties, we can all begin a "new year"; and make the resolutions of fidelity and service that renew our commitment to God and the Order. / The mystery of the Assumption is both an inspiration and a promise. Mary is the highest order of creation, unique in God's gifts to this handiwork. Her assumption bodily into heaven is part of the whole package of her single blessing: the Immaculate Conception, the Divine maternity, her co-redeeming role with her Son. She elevates the whole human race by her perfect response to God's will. It can be done, because it has been done. She inspires us to rise above what we are and become what she is. / The promise of the Assumption is our hope for resurrection and assumption. We are called to immortality. God has revealed this in His own Mother, whom He has given us as Mother. Her love for us calls us to imitate her and to follow her to everlasting life. / All that we do as Christians and as Knights is consecrated by this vocation. Perfect, but not easy, was her response. Ours is not easy, but the call to become better at it, the urge to be saints encourages us to strive for the goal that is our promise. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 3 - September 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / This year marks the bicentennial of the Catholic Hierarchy in the united States. We also mark the fiftieth year of our own archdiocese. / You have seen these milestones marked in the catholic media; you will see more of them in all the media as the year progresses. The Church in America plans to celebrate frequently throughout the coming year. / On October 1st, the Archdiocese will celebrate its annual pilgrimage to the national Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This year particularly we encourage you to celebrate with Cardinal Hickey as he initiates our Jubilee Year. Bring your family and sip the cup of gladness with your Church. / We in Upper Marlboro, the home of John Carroll -- first Catholic Archbishop of the United States -- can feel justly proud that we share his birthplace. Darnall's chance (the Buck House) was his home in his early years. / the Church has been blessed with good and effective leadership in its bishops in our country. One of them -- John Neumann, is a saint. Our own Archdiocese has enjoyed the able and inspiring leadership of four great men: Archbishop Curly and Cardinals O'Boyle, Baum and Hickey. / This year gives us occasion to pause in gratitude, take a fresh breath of the spirit and commit ourselves to carry Christ's banner with love and courage. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 4 - October 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / The need for vocal pro-life citizens has not gone away. Some semblance of sanity seems to be seeping down from the courts. The Webster case in Missouri empowers states to dictate some conditions and limitations for abortion and the more recent case in Tennessee where the judge ruled that life begins at conception! / Abortion is not the only desecration of human life. Infanticide is the logical solution to a surviving baby who dares to live after the procedure. Mercy killing of those whose life would be meaningless. Euthanasia puts older people to rest. Execution rids us of incorrigibles. The words flow so smoothly. It doesn't even hurt to write or read them. It has become so much a part of our social consciousness that we are no longer conscious of the horrors we are describing. / The problem is deeper and more widespread than we advert to. What is the drug problem except that it is a statement that life is not worth living? The user runs from reality; the pusher lifts himself out of poverty; the dealer creates his own social order; the cartel preys on the national and international community. / Our dilemma is bigger than we are; but not bigger than God and us. We ask God for the vision to see the connection between all desecrations of life and the courage to defend even the lesser victims. / October is Respect Life Month. It embraces the whole spectrum of human life and misery. It embraces especially the Life Of Grace we all hold so dear. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 5 - November 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Later on this month the feast of Thanksgiving occurs. It is a wonderful civil celebration that has so many religious connotations. / To the list of "usual" gratitudes that I experience: family, faith, friends, fortune; I am grateful to you Brother Knights. I call to mind a few blessings that you are in the hope that they will make you grateful and proud, as I am. / You are a blessing to the parish. Your appearance at our liturgies with your families, your prayer at meetings, your service to the Parish, your community building breakfasts, your 'practical catholic' status, your commitment to family, your pro-life stance, your exemplary support of the Retarded, even your "nuisance" witness with raffle tickets. / You might think that all of that is only what the Knights are all about; and I could agree. Still, it is a happiness for me to put all those things together in visible form, and I hope it is a cause of joy for you. It is a lot to be grateful for. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 6 - December 1989

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / The month of December is a mixed bag. We prepare for the cold weather of winter, we join the frenzied lead-up to the holidays by decorating inside and out, writing Christmas cards and buying presents to convey our message of love. / In the midst of all of this we are trying to generate the great expectation of Jesus' coming into our lives in a more effective way. / I remember the anxious waiting of my childhood. Willing to do anything: chores, homework, peace, errands -- whatever was considered good -- I tried to get onto the good side of Santa. / As an adult, I want to be willing to do anything that will make Jesus more relevant to me, make me more able to welcome the real Jesus. The anxious waiting takes higher meaning now. I am already on the good side of Jesus; He has no other side. / Christmas is the birthday of our Savior -- first. All the other agenda that we set for ourselves are to reinforce that gift of faith. It will take some effort to keep the proper perspective. But to what purpose is all the rest, if it doesn't enhance the Gift of God? "Set your hearts on the greater gifts" (1 Cor. 12:31). / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 7 - January 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Happy New Year! It is my prayer for you and your families that 1990 will unfold all of the promise that it holds for you. / When all of our resolutions have been poured over and prayed over, the final goal of all of them is that we will be better Christians -- hopeful for the promise that God holds for us and determined to carry the cross of Jesus. / Our hope stems from the life that we have in us, both physical and spiritual. We have not achieved life; it is only in process. Heaven only knows the challenges we will be called to meet this year; but if we rise to them as Christians, they will be well met. / Early on in the year we will be called to witness for life the most precious natural gift God has blessed this earth with. Others are determined to destroy it. We must hold it sacred, as it is. The March for Life on January 22nd is part of the challenge we are called to meet. That is a one day witness. Besides that our whole demeanor -- conversation, support to mothers, encouragement of public officials, prayer and genuine concern for people who are faced with hard decisions -- must reflect our Christian appreciation of how precious is each human life to the Redeemer we worship in this post Christmas season. / As in nature when life is propagated, nurtured, birthed, matured and passed on to the next generation to complete the cycle, so in the spiritual life we are not complete until we have come full cycle and gifted others with the gift we have received. Sometimes this is difficult; always it is fulfilling. / Our resolutions call us to be better persons. Our fidelity to them makes us such and that makes a HAPPY NEW YEAR. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 8 - February - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 5, No. 9 - March 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / No other topic can replace the Lenten lesson at this time of the year. What can we say? Nothing new! Perhaps we can say it with more conviction. / We shudder at the thought of six weeks of self denial, whether it is going without or taking on extra virtues. It is denial of what we would rather do with our time in favor of what we are convinced are nobler deeds. The key is the idea of nobler deeds. Who of us doesn't want to be holy, comfortable in our relationship with God, proud of our service to our neighbor and confident that we are destined to live forever? / It would be all right with us if all this happened by mere wishing. But it doesn't; and it won't. So now we have talked ourselves into making the effort to use lent as a quantum leap toward the holiness we strive to gain. / Let us become men of prayer -- privately, and liturgically when we can. Let us become men of action, sacrifice in our personal lives and servants in our communities. Let us become men of faith, convinced that God cannot be outdone in generosity. / "Rend your hearts, not your garments" (Joel 2:13) urges us. The whole Christian world takes up the chant. We are supported by the year, good works and the spirit of all the saints. How can we fail!! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 10 - April 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Happy IRS Day! And many happy returns. But more to the point, our real day of reckoning is Resurrection Day of which Easter is a prophecy and a promise. / As the days of Lent wind down, the anticipation of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Savior loom into view. Your Lenten sacrifices gain their merit from the offering that Jesus made on His cross because He is one with us. Our actions take on a value that supercedes our efforts. We are divinized by our union with Him. / All of this is an incomprehensible mystery, but we can grow in our grasp and appreciation of it by joining with Him as Holy Week unfolds, particularly the Sacred Triduum. Theologians tell us that the Lord's Supper, the Passion and Death, and His Resurrection are all an event which we call the Redemption. One part has no meaning without the others. / To help us grow in our participation of this act of salvation, the Church presents to us the Liturgy of the Triduum (three days). As conscientious Christians we should take advantage of the opportunity to relive these events of Christ's Life, our life. I encourage you to set aside the three evenings of Thursday, Friday and Saturday for this enrichment. It gives meaning to the whole year of Liturgical and personal prayer that we involve ourselves with. / We are blessed here at St. Mary of the Assumption to have lively liturgies which help the ceremonies flow and the mysteries come to life. Avail yourselves of this, bring your families and save the way for your happy return to the Father where Jesus has prepared a place for you. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 11 - May 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As you know, May is particularly our mothers' month. Mother's day occurs on the second Sunday and I am sure you will appropriately honor your wives and mothers. / May is also the month for Mother Mary. We make extra efforts to honor her by decorating her shrines with the flowers God supplies so amply. We recommit ourselves to our devotion to the Rosary and we take part in the May Procession here at church on the first Sunday of the month. / The Archdiocese has also planned a tribute to its 50 years of service to God and His Church. This also has Marian overtones. Mary is Patroness of our local church under her title, Mother of God. The tribute is a family picnic in St. Mary's City in St. Mary's County on the third Sunday of May -- the 20th. As Mary is our Mother, so is the Church by whose ministry we were re-birthed in the sacrament of baptism and continue to be nurtured by sacrament and sacrifice. / Sometimes our privileges become burdens because we lose our perspective. Pray with me the Angelic Salutation and see how blessed we are that Jesus gave us this woman as our Mother: "Hail, (Mary), full of grace! The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, (Jesus)" (Lk. 1:28 and Lk. 1:42). / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 12 - June 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Happy Father's Day! Most of us are fathers in the usual sense of the word; and the rest of us would do well to ponder the following truths. / Fathers are special. We take our name and our role from the Father. That is why it is proper to call us father, in spite of Jesus' seeming prohibition (Mt. 23:9). There is only one Father; but, we who imitate Him rightly share his title. / Because Jesus is the on-the-scene, hands-on-Redeemer, we focus a lot of attention and love and adoration on Him. The Father has a background role. It is our focus, rather than the Father's nature that results in our "neglect" of the Father. / It is often so in human society. So much focus is placed on mother that father seems unimportant. Let it not be so with you. As the Son proceeds from the Father, so your children proceed from you. As the Father is provident care-giver, so are you providers for your children. As the Father calls this home ours, so you share your home with your children. / In days gone by some of these roles were more clearly defined. But your role is as clearly real as it ever was. One role, that of protector, is not so evident. It is still as real. Families headed by a father are much less vulnerable than those without fathers. Women are safer and more protected from harassment; children are safer from the approach of undesirable attention. / Though often unsung, your praise is due. Congratulations on your being the blessing that you are to your families and the world and the Church. Thank you for reflecting to us who the Father is. Praise God for the gift that you are. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 1 - July 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Some of my spiritual reading and recent readings of the Scriptures make me acutely aware of the call to radical conversion that is ours as followers of Jesus. "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:48). It comes at a time of the year when another radical conversion is brought to our attention: the War of Independence. Our forefathers gambled "their lives and their fortunes" for freedom. What impresses me is that there is no holding back. Jesus calls us to His Kingdom and its rewards. The call is radical, it is not fence-sitting. In Luke 14:30 Jesus urges us to renounce all and be His disciples. It is a new way of life, a new set of values that puts love as the measure of all things valuable. There is no other measuring rod. Our forefathers made freedom the ultimate measure: "Give me liberty or give me death." There would be different means of achieving liberty: negotiation, protection, fire-fights, rebellion and finally an at-all-costs war. There was never any question of what the final goal would be. They did not fight for independence, nor to be rebels, nor to avoid taxes; they fought for freedom. / So it is with us. We join Jesus to learn to love: to love ourselves, to love our neighbors and to love our God. We accept the challenge to deny ourselves (that'll be the day) take up our crosses daily and follow Him (Mt. 16:24)/ That will be the day. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 2 - August 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / We begin a new year! Congratulations to the new officers for the 1990-91 year. And much gratitude to the outgoing officers who served us so well. / This coming year I hope to have some service projects for the Knights of Columbus to improve the Parish. The new sign in front of the church appears to be coming closer to reality. For that we will all be grateful. / You have been so willing in the past, that I know we can count on further cooperation now. / Our Patronal Feast is coming up on August 15th. I know you will all celebrate this feast of our Blessed Mother by reviewing your commitment to her through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. / I'll be on vacation, but I'll be at Mass! And you will be very much in my prayers. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 3 - September 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Since I wrote to you last, in August, world shaking events have taken place in the Near East. We have been shaken by them. / The events of this past month have served to remind me once more that there is only one constant in my life -- the God I worship, the God who loves me and redeems me and calls me ever closer to Him. All other alliances are subject to change: human friendships, professional station, economic position, health care, world peace, success, etc. All these things depend upon the whims of human beings who change with the changing winds of time. / A time like this reminds me to become a man of prayer, to strengthen my relationship with God, to intercede for the grace for our adversaries and allies to see themselves as brothers and sisters, and to gain the strength to face the realities of life. / Join me in the commitment to be a man of prayer. In the morning, in the evening, in the course of the day, at meals, with family, with faith, community and parish, respond to the urgings of His inspiration. When He puts the thought of communing with Him in your heart, pray. / If we are men of prayer and godly men, He will direct our actions in godly ways. Then the rest of our cares will be His. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 4 - October 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / We are a pro-life fraternity. One of our main crusades is to protect the lives of pre-born babies. We are committed to that cause and to all causes that favor life. / The scope of our concern is much broader than the discretion of life in the womb. Respect for life is a seamless garment; it cannot be a piece-meal task. / Our obvious first priority is the divine life of grace. We are opposed to sin, life's mortal enemy. Our concern for God's life in us urges us to respect life across the board. We are opposed to war and to capital punishment and to the causes of homelessness and to deprivation of proper medical care and to disrespect for the aged, the infirm and the defenseless. We are against lifeless minds of students who are not nurtured in their pursuit of intellectual achievement, and the loveless hearts of the unloved and unlovable, the psychologically starved disturbed souls in our midst and the socially outcast who litter our streets. / To be pro-life is to be imbued with Christ's love for us so that we can bring this love to them. It is a big order; it is overwhelming; it is impossible, except that Jesus promises us miraculous powers when we act in His name. "These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the rich, and they will recover" (Mk. 16:17-18). / October 7th is the feast of the Most Holy Rosary. We are called to a week of prayer from the 7th to 14th. The archdiocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a ready-made invitation to prayer. Pray the Rosary each day that week, involve your family in the praying. Join us at Church for Rosary (7:15 PM) and Mass (7:30 PM). It's been done before; it's promised again. Let's have a miracle! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 5 - November 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Later on this month the feast of Thanksgiving occurs. It is a wonderful civil celebration that has so many religious connotations. / To the list of "usual" gratitudes that I experience: Family, faith, friends, fortune-- I am grateful to you Brother Knights. I call to mind a few of the blessings that you are in the hope that they will make you grateful and proud, as I am. / You are a blessing to the Parish. Your appearance at our liturgies with your families, your prayer at meetings, your service to Parish, your community building breakfasts, your 'practical catholic' status, your commitment to family, your pro-life stance, your exemplary support of the Retarded, even your "nuisance" witness with raffle tickets. / You might think that all of that is only what the Knights are all about; and I could agree. Still, it is a happiness for me to put all those things together in visible form, and I hope it is a cause of joy for you. It is a lot to be grateful for. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 6 - December 1990

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As I was preparing to write this letter a phone call came from a lady who often calls for help for the needy. She works at a community center interviewing and evaluating requests for assistance. I have signatory control over the Baker Fund, an estate left in care of St. Mary of the Assumption to assist with certain needs of Prince George's County residents. / The point of all this introduction is that we are traversing the season of Advent, trying to be sensitive to the Homeless One who came two thousand years ago. If His parents had not been so improvident, if they had planned better, if they had not chosen so inopportune a time to travel, if they had brought some money with them, if they had . . . / They knew better, but they brought it all on themselves -- and Him -- anyway. Jesus comes again and again seeking refuge from the elements. We are all familiar with His discourse on the corporal works of mercy in Matthew 25-31 and St. John's admonition that whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen (John 4:20). We are to perfect our love for God by practicing on our neighbor. / Every little bit of hospitality that we are able to practice makes a little more room in our lives for Jesus. The Homeless One still seeks refuge so that we can say with St. Paul, "I live no longer I, but Christ lives in me," (Gal. 2:20). / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 7 - January 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Two things struck me recently in my reading and my musing. The first is the idea that the benefit of continuing prayer is not that God will finally hear us; but that we will finally hear Him! He gives us examples of persistent prayer finally paying off. The reluctant shop keeper who has closed for the night opens again for the customer who won't go away (Luke 11:5) and the widow who wearies the judge who finally hears her case (Luke 18:1). / By His own word He seems to be saying that we can get Him to do things our way if we keep after Him. That is not the message. That would be a matter of the tail wagging the dog. / The message is that if we keep up a dialogue with Him; He is able to work with us. As long as the lines of communication are open, He can get through. When we stop praying His hands are pretty well tied. "Listening prayer" is part of the repertory we must make our own. Reading of Scripture is a kind of listening prayer. So is adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament which we urge you to engage in. Visits on Wednesday during exposition are especially fruitful; and simple visits to the church are beneficial too. The same Jesus is available to us all this time. / The other thing that has struck me recently is God's insistence on our learning to love. The past Christmas readings from St. John tell us that we are begotten of God who is love. If we are sinners, we deny our birthright. If we say we love God and deprive our neighbor; we are liars. We are sinners and we easily excuse ourselves because "everybody does it". But we who are Christians, who are Knights of Columbus, are not "everybody". We live in the world but are not part of it. We have been called aside. We are "a chosen race, a people set apart, a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9) who have pledged ourselves to stand against the world and redeem it. That will be done only by God's kind of love. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 5, No. 8 - February 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / The War is uppermost in the minds of all of us. It is a tragic circumstance of humankind that sin is so much a part of our fallen nature, in spite of our Redemption. Was it not the result of sin, if it is not itself a sin? / Given the principles of Divine Revelation, each of us has to evaluate the justification of the war our nation is presently engaged in. Justice vs. Injustice is not a clear determination. These are so many facets of human relationships. In spite of the difficulties of ascertaining the right course each of us must choose, we must pursue the cause of right. / The only certain course in choosing right is prayer. The only certain solution is love. Those two revealed truths will ace us through. In my own prayer life and love life I am inclined to pray for a justification of my way of thinking and to love in a way that will be reciprocated. / That's all wrong! / Prayer is bringing ourselves to God for remodeling. I suffer from a fallen nature whose effects are a darkened intellect and a weakened will. Jesus has redeemed me and become my light and my strength. That means conversion, my conversion to Him not His conversion to me. What a job! / As we enter into Lent, let us pray for peace. Let us realize that peace is the harmony of Creator and creation. The signs of Lent are renunciation of our worldly selves so the holy selves can emerge. Ashes, violet vestments, the way of the Cross, fasting, good works, almsgiving and prayer are the external signs of interior conversion. Let us make these signs internalized so that they are not hypocrisy but a true reflection of what is inside of us. / Peace be within you, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 9 - March 1991 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 6, No. 10 - April 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / The Lord has risen! His resurrection is our Heavenly Father's way of telling us that the destiny He has in mind for us is life in Heaven. / Why did our Heavenly Father create us? To know Him, to serve Him, and to love Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven. / We can learn much about artists by studying their designs. Looking at these things you have some idea of that person's tastes, ideals, and talents, but to meet them personally you get to know them all the more. / So it is with God. You can learn much about Him from the beauty, the power, the grandeur, and the range of creation, but you learn so much more about Him by meeting Him. / How does God come into our lives? By means of the Sacraments. In Baptism, He came to us as Life-giver and Savior. / In confirmation, He calls us to maturity and to share in caring for the Church. In the Sacrament of Penance, He comes to us as forgiver. In communion, He comes to us as food, as sustenance, as one who carries us from slavery to freedom. In the sacrament of matrimony, He comes to us as love. In the sacrament of Anointing, He comes to us as the Way, the Good Shepherd, the Guide. / God loves you very much. What does He ask of you? / To receive His love, and always to treat others, remembering that love. / Remember, God loves you! / Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 11 - May 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As you know, May is the month of our Mother. It is the month of our mothers, all the mothers in our lives. It is not the only month that they are our mothers. It is the month during which we renew our all-the-time commitment to them for what they are and what they do. / Besides Mothers' day when you will honor all the mothers in your life -- your wives, your mothers, your mothers-in-law, your grandmothers, your heavenly Mother -- make the whole month a prayerful, emotional renewal. / On May 18th we are honoring Mary with a very exciting tribute during our May Procession and Festival. Be a part of this tribute and this personal privilege. Invite your families. Talk of your own relationship with Mary through Jesus. Pray the Rosary yourself, with your family. Rededicate your life to love of her and protection by her. She is willing; can you be? / The other important mother event this month is the petition for correcting Maryland law against the sanctity of life and against those who respect that sanctity. It is a vicious law, setting us against one another, dividing children against parents, impairing immorality of conscientious souls. / Inform yourselves of Christian principles, develop facility in sharing the good news of truth and love, study the illogic of the opposition, pray for steadfastness and an increase of your own faith, be conversant in the ways of Jesus who came that we might have life in abundance rather than snuff its very beginnings. / May is the month of our mothers. Give them a chance to be what they are. Praise them for the blessing they are. Do not pretend to defend them against the forces that consume them. / Sincerely yours in Mary Our Mother, Father Finan

Vol. 6, No. 12 - June 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / We have just celebrated the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Last Sunday we preached about our personal acceptance of this mystery and our desire to make it a principle of our Christian living. / Feeding this principle requires some implicit actions on our part. May I make a few suggestions? / The sacrament of Reconciliation is a very effective way of cleansing ourselves of sin and imperfections that hinder the effectiveness of receiving Eucharist. / Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are consciousness raising. Before your meeting, you are right here on the premises. The church is open all day, available for a moment with Jesus. You pass through town often. There is Adoration on Wednesdays when Jesus is exposed in the monstrance all day till 7 PM. / Acts of adoration-- where you arrive for Sunday worship. Acts of faith, hope and love-- as you approach receiving Communion. Acts of intimacy-- as you make your thanksgiving. / Reading Scriptural passages for meditation: St. John's Gospel, chapter 6; Exodus, chapter 12; 1 Corinthians, chapter 11; and the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper are excellent thought provokers. / The "Gift of Finest Wheat" is just as much poetry, unless we savor its fruit. / Sincerely yours in Mary Our Mother, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 1 - July 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Family is very much on my mind this month. There have been several reports this spring that tell us we are in a great deal of trouble as a society. The math and science scores of our teenagers are indefensible. Reading scores are years below the norm. Alcohol is the drug of choice. Seventy percent of American children are being raised by someone other than natural parents. Children who score low on their tests watch more television than those who score high. SURPRISE! / What has family got to do with all this? The family is where we learn everything first: love, walking, prayer, counting, talking, praise, discipline, attitudes, colors, acceptance, rejection, socializing-- everything. / It is the home base where we always belong. The world is only an extension of our homes. / If we don't have a place in our homes and families, we will never find our place in the world. We take from our homes to the world the value system that makes us who we are. / There are no quick fixes. We tried the "Year of the Family" and the "Decade of Children." These are consciousness raising, but they aren't causal. They don't make anything happen. / Would you like a magic answer? Pray. We can't be seeking union with Him and dividing ourselves against Him at the same time. When He has our ear He can work with us. That is the magic answer. / Sincerely yours, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 2 - August 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / It is reported by questionable authority, that once there was a couple who had lived a full life, enjoyed a happy retirement of golf and healthy diet and then, by tragic accident, met their demise simultaneously. / Upon arrival at the Pearly gates, they established their identities and St. Peter assigned them to the country club region where "my Father's house has many mansions." As far as the eye could see there were golf courses with endless rolling fairways, luscious greens, helpful pros, and no greens fees. A true paradise. St. Peter noticed a twinge of disappointment in the husband's face as he surveyed his glorious inheritance. Asked what was wrong, he replied, "If she hadn't insisted on that oat bran and exercise, we could have been here ten years ago." / When you get this letter, I'll be on vacation whetting my appetite for my inheritance. I'm not really that anxious to cash in on it, but I should be. St. Paul tells us that ". . . eye has not seen, and ear has not heard . . ." nor has it even entered into our imagination what God has prepared for those who love Him. / We ought to be enjoying our vacations and getting our exercise and eating our oat bran, and loving our families, and developing our potential. Not to cling to life as though there were nothing else, but to become the biggest vessels we can be so that we will be able to absorb the largesse of the infinite God who has prepared for us a life of joy beyond our comprehension. / Live as though this is all we have. Live as though there is more to come. There is. / Sincerely yours in Mary Our Mother, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 3 - September 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / While I was on vacation, someone was playing with the "Heart Warmers" booklet that sits on my desk. It has a thought or two for the day. It has a thought or two for the day. The thought that was facing me is "Heavenly Father, remind me each day that you are at work within me and around me-- even when I am blind to your deeds. Amen." / It is this thought that I have tried to get across in my Sunday homilies this summer. The Gospel has been taken from the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel on the multiplication of the loaves and the promise of the Eucharist. Jesus is really available to us in the Eucharist and present to us in the graces He brings, even when we are blind-- or more usually, inadvertent. / We know this as a teaching. We have to assimilate it as a principle of life-- the very purpose of our existence. If we don't live for Him and in Him and with Him our lives as Christians are a sham. To the extent that we are able to live Christ, to that extent we are valid children of God. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan / P.S. The second thought on the page was "Life isn't a bowl of cherries. It's a bunch of raisins-- raisin' heck, raisin' kids, and raisin' money." And, raisin' our hearts to reach out to Jesus.

Vol. 7, No. 4 - October 1991

Chaplain's Message - October is the month of the Most Holy Rosary, with the actual Feast occurring on the seventh of October. / Our Blessed Mother repeatedly-- passionately-- invites us to a devotion to this favorite prayer of hers. It is a favorite because its mysteries focus on her divine Son and our salvation. They transcend time, having counterparts in the Old Testament and in your life today. Consider the Annunciation which is the echo of the promise made to Adam and eve and of the readings and homilies and this letter announcing again the good news of salvation. The Presentation is the "Here I am, Lord, I cam to do your will" of the prophets and our own wish to let go of self and embrace the way. The Agony-- the Garden is Israel's gnawing fear of its enemies and our concern about surrendering to a God who expects so much of His faithful. The Resurrection dispels the horror of the Crucifixion and gives life to a New Covenant, and gives hope to our generation. The final mysteries embody in Mary the promise and fulfillment of what God is able to do to and for us human beings. / There is ample matter for meditation and application of the mysteries to our sojourn. Frequent advertence to them will make them our own. We will learn to compare our lives to that of Jesus. We will better understand the paradox of our faith. We will become better citizens to make a better world. We will walk the way He has marked out for us and achieve the destination He wills for us. / Listen to Mary, our Mother. Does she ask that much? Does she rather say, "I have so many things to give you. Will you come to me so I can?" / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 5 - November 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As I write this I am very much aware of the "slavery" of which St. Paul writes in his epistle to the Romans. / Slavery is a very strong word whose strength we in the land of the free can easily overlook. Yet its significance is very important to us. To be a slave to a negative force-- addiction, compulsion, bad habit, bodily appetites, sin-- is to lose freedom. It takes away our choice, or diminishes it drastically. To be a slave to a positive source is a freeing mechanism. Love, good eating habits, truth, virtue, and exercise are forces that dominate our conscious acts and yet make us free, healthy, able to do things that we really want to do to be fulfilled. / Paul makes the comparison of being a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. Again, it is slavery, a strong word that makes us belong to someone or something. But the "master" makes all the difference in the world. / Jesus came to set us free. We can be free only when we belong to Him. Think about your sins; what have they done for you? Are you proud and happy and comfortable about them? Think about your virtues: are you ashamed and sad and miserable about them? What makes you free? / This choice of slaveries is a fundamental option that we have to renew periodically. "Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:11). / November, the month of the poor souls in Purgatory, is an excellent time to consider our allegiance. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 6 - December 1991

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / We have just celebrated the Feast of Christ the King. And now we are looking forward to the birth of the King. Who is the King? It is Jesus. We all know that. But who is Jesus? He is you and I. He is the rich and the poor. He is the hurting and the healed. Can you believe that? / How can he be all these things and on top of that, our King? / That is what Advent is all about. To answer that question, to come to know the fullness of the Savior; there are three ways. We can suggest this:

Jesus is the Word of God and is in the Word that is written (Scripture).
To benefit from the Word to which the Spirit opens us, just as Mary opened herself to the Incarnate Word.
We live the Word; we imitate Jesus in our actions; however imperfectly, we are able to do this. It won't happen if we don't make it happen.
In the church you will find a booklet called, The Word Among Us ($2.00). Take one home and use it daily to prepare for Jesus' coming. You'll be glad you did. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 7 - January 1992 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 7, No. 8 - February 1992 - No Newsletter Available

Vol. 7, No. 9 - March 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Would it surprise you to learn that this month's letter will dwell on Lent? I didn't think so. Maybe, though, this will be a bit different in its approach. / When we gather for a meal, the food is almost not important. It is the cause of our approaching the table, but so many other things happen at the dinner table that are so critical to human development. The family is built during meal time. Sharing occurs (of self and victuals), love is expressed, family history, family happenings are exchanged, manners and social graces, etc., etc. The things that make us human happen when we are gathered at a meal. / There is a parallel in the penances that we assume during Lent. Prayer and sacrifice, fasting, and almsgiving. They are not that important in themselves. It is what happens when we are doing them that makes us holy. / As the food is the focus at dinner, so the penance and good works are the focus of Lent. Something has to be the cause of our going to God. It is what happens when we are in His Presence that makes us holy. We open ourselves to Him. He shares Himself with us. And in this we become holy, infused by Him and able to say with St. Paul, "I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). / Be resolved to do the holy things of Lent: fasting, self-denial, almsgiving, prayer, good works: and practice the virtue of love. Call on the God whom you love and let Him do the rest. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 10 - April 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / In different aspects of my spiritual reading during Lent, it seems that God is saying that I don't take Him seriously about what He asks of me. He wants my all, no holds barred; He wants to be the reason for my being and doing. / The readings at Mass on the Friday on the Third Week of Lent are an example. The Gospel speaks of loving Him with my whole heart and my whole mind, and my whole soul. In the first reading He cautions to call no material purpose my God. In the Standard that same week is an article by a woman whose pregnancy was troubled, whose husband was abrasive, and whose doctor suggested abortion. The prospect of walking away from the marriage and motherhood and starting afresh without all that baggage was appealing. She was woman enough to know that she had committed herself explicitly in her marriage vows, implicitly in her conceiving a child. To walk away from that would not free her. It would add to her baggage by making her a quitter and a murderess. Today she is not rich or powerful; but she is her own woman and the mother of a son God has entrusted to her. / As Lent continues and Holy Week, with the Passion and Death of Jesus looming large, the message is repeated. Jesus came to be faithful to His Father, to offer a sacrifice to Him for us. No matter that He was at the height of His power and popularity. He is Messiah, Redeemer. Whatever else the temptation, He can only be true to Himself. And so with myself. Whatever other suggestions may be made to me by the world, my God is my all. I have explicitly committed myself to being a Catholic Christian, a priest in the image of Jesus Christ. I will find myself in Him; or I will lose myself. / Can any of us see it any differently? / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vo. 7, No. 11 - May 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Certainly you are aware of the many reports of our Blessed Mother's manifesting her concern for her children all over the world: Medjugorie, Yugoslavia; Conyers, GA.; even Lake Ridge, VA. Appearances, utterings, weepings are all reported. You are further aware that the Church is very hesitant in making official announcements about authenticity. Her most ready pronouncement is to jumping onto every bandwagon that rumbles through town. Pronouncements of approval and recommendation of visions for devotion of the faithful are a long time coming; sometimes a generation or two passes before the Church permits pilgrimages to sites of reported supernatural occurrences. / This caution is necessary because many "visionaries" in the past have been proven to have ulterior motives. Phenomena are contrived by natural means to gain attention. Messages are decidedly contrary to the general theme of revelation; hope and encouragement rather than condemnation. The Church must have some certitude before recommending a practice or devotion as an aid to salvation. She certainly can't put herself into the position of working with Satan or his cohorts. / Having said all that, I also want to say that I personally believe that something is going on in some places. My own devotion to the Blessed Mother has increased in recent months, particularly the rosary and spiritual reading centering on our Blessed Mother. / Throughout the history of the Church, Mary has manifested personal concerns for her Children. Lepanto, Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, to name a few that span centuries. The m message is always the same, pray and do penance. The Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart are breaking. Are we listening? / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 7, No. 12 - June 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / The Feast of Pentecost is June 7th this year. The Liturgy is filled with the glory and triumph and hope of the Holy Spirit who brought to life that tiny band of fearing Apostles who then set the world on fire, as the tongues of fire had inflamed them. / "The Lord has not given us a timid spirit, but a spirit of strength, of love and self-control" (Response: Office of Readings). "The tendency of the flesh is toward death, but that of the spirit toward life and peace" (First Reading from Romans: Office of Readings). "What you say of me will not come from yourselves; the Spirit of my Father will be speaking in you" (Antiphon, Mid-Afternoon, Liturgy of the Hours). "The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world" (Antiphon, Evening Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours). "He sustains all creation and knows every word that is spoken" (Response: Evening Prayer II, Pentecost). "When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth" (Response: Mass). "All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit" (Second Reading: Mass). / That same Spirit wants to inflame us with His strength and love and tendency toward life and the gift of speech and new creation and unity. He comes again and again that our resistence will be diminished and our desire for Him will increase. / Do we need Him? Just last month, our Vice President hit upon one of the fundamental problems of our age: the undermining influence of the "values" that the entertainment world thrusts upon us. Specifically he found fault with deliberate single parenting and its implications: fornication, discarded males, shirked duty of the father, child's needs answered by money and material things, abandonment of a child by the father, traditional family and all of its separated structure. When the heat turned on, the White House waffled, and the media tore up the Vice President. We haven't heard from the defenders of Christian values: our Bishops, influential Protestants, social agencies, etc. Have we sold short the "Spirit of Strength"? / We still need this Holy Spirit who unites us with the value system of Jesus and the courage to live up to it, sharing it with others who yearn for the fuller life that Jesus came to give. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 1 - July 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As you are certainly aware, the bishops whose dioceses encompass parts of Maryland are trying to help us understand our faith as it guides our civic responsibilities. / There is a difference between imposing our religious beliefs on others and sharing our clearer insights with people who do not have as full a grasp of truth. / We, as Catholics, have often been talked into keeping quiet because we don't have a right to make others follow our laws. If we are convinced of the truth of our beliefs, we not only have a right, we have a responsibility to share our truth with others. / If your neighbor is pouring crankcase oil into the local sewer because he has "always done it that way and nothing happens," you have a moral responsibility based on faith, supported by science, to help him understand his responsibilities as part of a universal ecosystem. His defense that he doesn't have to do what Catholics say is no defense. You are not imposing on him Catholic morality. You are sharing with him a divine truth and asking him to live divine love: "Love your neighbor as yourself." / Our bishops are asking us to bone up on our civic responsibilities toward human life. Other areas of current concern are public prayer, cross burning, and school allotments. Keep yourselves informed. Keep your neighbors informed. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 2 - August 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / At the reception following the Installation of Officers ceremony, I mentioned very briefly what a great contribution you make to the Faith because of your faith. May I expand on that? / Your belief that you are gifted in a special way to know our Savior and to follow Him inspires you to Christian action-- to act like Christ. You offer sacrifice to Him at worship, you do penance to become more holy, you share His truth with your families and co-workers, you do good works and give alms. In a word, you live your faith. That living faith is your great contribution to the body of Christ. / The teachings of Jesus and His Church are under attack by our "culture". We are even attacked by our own "communicants," people who identify themselves as Catholics, but don't attend Mass where their faith is re-fortified and nurtured; people who instruction was minimal to qualify to receive parchment but don't read Catholic literature or attend any form of adult education; people who approach the table of the Lord as though it were smorgasbord, picking and choosing, accepting and rejecting to whim. / There are many kinds of Catholics. You men are among the orthodox sharers of Christ's life and death. You think Christ, you pray with Christ, you live with Christ. / And come Resurrection Day you will rise with Crist to share His Crown because you effectively shared the burden of His Cross. / Congratulations on hearing the Word of God ans heeding it. Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 3 - September 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / As we begin a new school year our lives take on a new temper and a new tension. Whether we have children or not, our whole culture revolves around the school year. We are parents, grandparents, vacationers, teachers, clergy, employers, employees, advertisers, etc. / Some of the changed tempo comes associated with but not because of, school opening: farmers are faced with the busy-ness of harvest, homeowners begin to batten down the hatches, health providers anticipate climate connected with increased activity. / Again, our whole culture revolves around the revving up of the school year. If we think about all that we do, it could be overwhelming. The complexities of life in modern America are many and intricate. None of us will ever get it all together. / What to do? The answer comes in the example of the three people who come to my mind. Mother Teresa's response to the question about being overwhelmed by her work: "God doesn't call me to be successful, only faithful." That is success. Two priests, Fr. Horace McKenna, S.J., now deceased, God rest him, and another who is still living, use love as their measuring rod and moving force. If we act out of true love-- the good of the beloved-- we act in a holy way. / Our whole culture revolves around Jesus. What would He have us do? Be faithful to His Kingdom. How would He have us do it? With love. Not through gritted teeth, not begrudgingly, not counting the cost, but only for the good over the beloved-- ultimately Him. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 4 - October 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / October is Respect Life Month, as you well know. There will be a lot said and written about the precious gift that is life. And about our glorious and generous God who blesses us so freely with life. A lot of what will be said will focus on the life in the womb. If you think about our faith, the Judeo-Christian tradition has always been aware of the life in the womb. In the Old Testament and the New, God speaks of and reverences pre-birth life. Psalm 139 and Luke 1:41 are notable references. / Holy Mother Church has always had a deep respect for life in all of its expressions. Her hospitals, orphanages, old age homes, her religious orders, her education processes, her prison ministries and more recently her kitchens and shelters all address the preciousness of life and the dignity of those in whom it resides. / You should know this and be proud of it. Some challenge us and say we are concerned only about birthing babies and not about the quality of life. Your own efforts on behalf of HELP is a proud sign of our love and care of God's gift. / This area of the country needs a shelter for emergencies. Some are released prisoners, some are aimless wanderers, some are displaced renters. There is no place in our area where refuge can be found. The Parish Community Concerns Committee is going to investigate this need and its answer. Keep that cause in your prayers. With the public budgets in such disarray perhaps volunteers can take up the slack. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 5 - November 1992

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Years ago my mother and a friend were scheduled to fly to Bermuda for a few days rest. They had to be at the airport by 6:30 AM. / Somehow no one set the alarm clock. At five AM my brother sprang from his bed somehow aware that no one was stirring. He awakened my mother and she and her friend made it to the airport on time. / Later, while comparing notes and trying to figure out how my brother woke up, he asked, "haven't you ever heard of the Poor Souls in Purgatory?" / If we need "practical" reasons to remember the Poor Souls, let that serve as one example. There are Christian reasons, too. It is our firm belief that those who precede us in death are often in need of ultimate surrender to God, the final perfecting stage before they can see God face to face. Our love for them prompts our prayers on their behalf. / During the month of November, when the Universal Church prays particularly for the Souls in Purgatory, offer your own prayers for their timely release. Visit a Catholic Cemetery. Our own cemetery (Mt. Carmel on Old Marlboro Pike) and Resurrection in Clinton are convenient enough to stop by and visit. / Please pray for priests, for our parishioners and, of course, for your own beloved dead. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 6 - December 1992

Chaplain's Message - How are we going to get "up" for Christmas? The season of Advent is a time of expectation. To appreciate what we are waiting for we have to find a way to grasp the emptiness and desperation of sin. / St. Paul tells us the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). We are under the domination of sin (Rom. 3:9). We come to life in Christ after we have been dead in sin (Eph. 2:5). God's Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). We know from our own experience the feeling of guilt, the hurt of shame, the fear of being found out, the disappointment of failing. Without sin we need not suffer guilt or shame; but there is sin in all of us. Jesus promises to relieve us. No more fear, no more shame. More than that, we are promised a warm embrace, a loving home, an eternity of happiness. / Advent is for us to translate into practical usage our knowledge of the horror of our sins and the love that made Jesus want to save us from ourselves, so we can appreciate what we celebrate. / During Advent, some Scripture reading, with time for reflection, might be helpful. The passages cited above might help. The creation story (Genesis 1;2;3), the birth of Isaac (Gen. 21:1-7), the Betrayal of Joseph (Gen. 37:1-36), David's Sin (2 Sam. 11:1-17). Oh what we are capable of! The Word Among Us, available in our church for $2.00 is another rich source of Scripture for Advent. It has a bit of Scripture for reflection each day of the season. / The Incarnation is a great proclamation of our need for saving. It is a great compliment to us that we are worth saving. If we can assimilate these two truths, Christmas will be the dawn of a new era in our spiritual lives. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 7 - January 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / It is not yet Christmas as I write this, and yet I am thinking about the time after Christmas when we liturgically remember the infancy of Jesus. How many are the times when He is not recognized or accepted. St. John's Gospel begins with the complaint, "And His own received Him not" (John 1:11). Worse than that they wanted to kill Him. "Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him" (Mt. 2:13). Jesus has to appeal to outsiders to get the recognition He deserves; "Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields" (Lk. 2:8). / The Liturgy somehow cleans up these stories and presents them in the decorated, perfumed, glowing atmosphere of the church. But they are mean stories of mean men doing mean things. They are stories that are repeated today in the same meanness: homeless people in whom we don't see Jesus, and don't want to see Him; babies who are aborted lest they depose their parents from their self-proclaimed thrones of convenience, comfort, ambition, etc. So Jesus goes to Crisis Pregnancy Centers, shelters, foster homes, rehabs, and church basements where shepherds will tend to His needs. It is all right for us to read the cleaned-up Scriptures in our decorated churches if we take them to heart and hear what Jesus is saying and see how we can minister to Him. / We do a lot for the poor and disadvantaged and we are to be commended for it. We must also defend them against the mean spirit that crops up every now and then. They won't go away. They are tiresome. Their numbers increase. Others aren't carrying their share of the load. / Jesus didn't have it so good. He still doesn't. We are His own people. Will we accept Him? Will we know it is a privilege to minister to Him even when we are tired and spent? It is He with whom we have been entrusted. "As long as you did it to me, brethren, you did it to Me" (Mt. 25:40). HAPPY, HOLY NEW YEAR! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 8 - February 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Here of late there have been several Scripture references in my life that make me think about my identity with Jesus. Identity doesn't mean relationship; it means sameness. / Granted, we are talking mystery here; but we are talking reality, truth. Because it is a mystery it is hard to keep it in the realm of reality. It is easier to accept things that we understand. / The parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1, ff) is a very graphic depiction of our oneness with Jesus. We are all one organism, playing different roles, but serving one purpose-- to bear fruit, to be the harvest of the vinedresser. St. Paul's doctrine on the Mystical Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12, ff) also makes this clear teaching. Further testimony of Jesus is found in Mt. 26:31, ff. "As long as you did it for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me." / By extension and theological "condecisions" other passages assert this same truth. The Old Testament revelation of God being married to His Chosen People and the mystery of marriage where the two shall become one (Mk. 10:8) affirms the teaching. / How is it then that we don't live by this truth? We can blame it on the affects of original sin which we still suffer. And we can blame it on our lack of response to Christ's grace, which far surpasses original sin. / We are the living Body of Christ in a world that aches to know Him. Let us be the privileged sons with whom He has shared His Father. Let us put on "the armor of God . . . guided in truth . . . clothed in righteousness . . . shod in readiness for the Gospel . . . with the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:16 ff). / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 9 - March 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / "Rend your hearts, not your garments." I remember that as a child giving up things for Lent was the thing to do. Penance as such had no real meaning for me. It was something to be proud of or brag about. It gave a sense of having done something good. / I wish I could say I have grown beyond all that externalism. I haven't; but there is some maturity developing. The readings at Liturgy early in Lent speak of a radical choice that God offers us-- Life or death! We're not praying penny ante poker. It's a total commitment of our lives as Jesus lives. / All of the externals that we adopt as Lenten practices are part of a cyclical happening. We want to be good, therefore we do good; in doing good we see the benefit of being good, so we are encouraged to do more good; Penance of itself doesn't serve any purpose. Penance spiritualized and offered to God as sacrifice from the heart converts us. In the formula for the imposition of ashes: "Turn away from evil and be faithful to the Gospel." There is a conversion process. / That is what we hope our Lent will be. Let us pray for one another. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 10 - April 1993

Chaplain's Message - My dear Brother Knights, / Holy Week is just around the corner. The "Reproaches" of Good Friday have been on my mind lately. God asks what we want of Him. How more can He show His love for us? Let Him speak:

My people, what have I done to you?

How have I offended you? Answer me!

I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom,

but you led your Savior to the Cross?

My people what have I done to you?

How have I offended you? Answer me!

***

For forty years I led you safely through the desert.

I fed you manna from heaven, and brought you to a land of plenty;

but you led your Savior to the Cross.

***

What more could I have done for you?

I planted you as my fairest vine, but you yielded only bitterness.

When I was thirsty you gave me vinegar to drink,

and you pierced your Savior's side with a lance.

God goes on enumerating the favor He has shown us and our response.

For your sake I scourged your captors . . .

But you brought your scourges down on me.

I led you from slavery to freedom,

but you handed me over to your high priests.

It is food for thought. Everything He gives us can be turned around and used against Him . . . and sometimes is. / The Liturgy is an opportunity to engage ourselves in His Passion and Death. Make Holy Week and Easter a time of sharing in these mysteries by participating in the Liturgical celebrations and recognizing afresh what He has done for us. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 10 - May 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Do any of you have children or siblings who are at one another's throats? There are such families in our midst. Some kind of misunderstanding, some kind of long unresolved hurt-- real or unreal. It is a heartache to all involved, certainly to the parents who loved all their children. It colors the whole lives of the family members, extending even to the whole clan. Weddings and reunions, funerals, and baptisms, gathering of all kinds are held hostage to these strained relations. / The same kind of hurt pervades the family of mankind, whose mother is Mary. It is particularly distressing in our own church-- professed brothers and sisters of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also mother of the Church-- each of us and all of us. I think of eastern Europe, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Haiti, and Cuba, to say nothing of the animosities in our own country among races, faiths (?), classes and regions. How painful this is to the Mother who loves us so intensely, whose Son died to convince us how precious is each one of us. Who are we to deny their love and ache for us? / I am sure you are as perplexed as I am. "What are we to do?" the first generation of believers asks the Apostles in Acts 2:38. Peter answers, "Reform and be baptized." / Let us renew our conviction that Mary is our Mother, that she yearns to hear from us, that she has graces to bestow on those who approach her, that she will show us her love for our brothers and sisters, that she will teach us that love. We can do no less. / Father Finan

Vol. 8, No. 12 - June 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / In the first reading for the Vigil of Pentecost taken from the Book of Genesis (11:1-9), the Holy Spirit has moved Moses to write about the diversity of languages spoken by mankind. God was displeased by the prideful effort of His creatures to build a tower that would make a name for themselves. God confounded them by making them unable to understand one another and thus unable to achieve the cooperation necessary for so ambitious an undertaking. / In the first reading for the Feast of Pentecost taken from the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11), the Holy Spirit moves St. Luke to explain that even in the diversity of languages, mankind can achieve unity if he acts out of love and humility. / There is a lesson in this power of the Spirit to bring unity out of diversity. We are diverse people and peoples who easily slide into magnifying differences, setting ourselves above everyone who doesn't fit our pre-conceived notion of right and then reveling in our pride to make a name for ourselves! / God's universal language is that of love. It makes unity out of diversity. We look for what binds us and overlook what separates us. There is one Lord, one Faith, one baptism and one table of the Lord at which we gather. Our efforts should be directed at sharing our unity and inviting others to come to know the one Lord. / Let this Pentecost, this inspiriting take on the tone of God's love and understanding so that our city will make a name for God. It is in that that we will find our glory. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 1 - July 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Summer has just begun. We have a prof. In the seminary who used to remind us frequently that "Life is a series of new beginnings." And thank God that it is. / The seasons grow fast after their first invigorating and hope-filled days. The first day of summer offers us the most hours of sunlight; but very quickly the days are shorter and the busyness of autumn begins to threaten the lazy, hazy days of August. / In the spiritual life the rigors of lent give way to the triumph and joy of Easter. Our continual renewal in the sacraments of Eucharist and Penance give us hope for more conversion. We know we can become more Christ-like because He wants us to; and He helps us to. / In the Knights of Columbus, our new beginning occurs in July with a new slate of officers and renewed commitment to our being the arms and legs, eyes and ears, heart and hope of Jesus in His Mystical Body, servicing the needs of His brothers and sisters as He has served our needs. / Let us begin to commit ourselves to our fundamental conviction: Jesus Christ is Lord! In Him we live and love and have our being. All else is loss! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 2 - August 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Happy Name Day to us members of St. Mary of the Assumption Council! August 15th is our Patronal Feast. / We are all looking forward to celebrating our Name Day at the Mass and Parish Picnic. It is going to be a grand celebration giving glory to God, praise to our Lady and spirit to our Parish Family. I hope all of you will be there with your families. The community building potential of this event is almost limitless. / Frank Klco and Barbara Cannon are doing a marvelous job of coordinating all the preparations for our celebration. I want to thank the Knights for your willingness to cooperate with our coordinators. / There won't be a lot of recognition in the brawny work that you have agreed to do; but it is important work and the success of the event will speak loudly of the contribution you make. / Pray for the success of the picnic, which will be measured in our increased wonder of the privileges God has given to our Blessed Mother and in our appreciation of our being children of God whose pleasure it is to worship Him. / O' what a blessed people we are! There is no god like our God. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 3 - September 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Several "independent" occurrences came together this summer to bring our attention to focus on family life: The visit of our Holy Father to Denver for the International Convocation of Youth, the 25th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae, the sittings for our Parish Directory and the Parish Family Picnic on our Patronal Feast, August 25th. / Each of these events has something to say about who we are, but they don't make it happen. The work in the trenches has to be done by us. Everyone of us can support youth, expound on the purpose of married intercourse, keep the Directory handy and recall the spirit of the picnic. (As I write this, the daily readings of mass, remind us to support one another in our faith.) / It is everyday actions that create the atmosphere in which we live. Our remarks to one another, our prayers for God's way, our interest in schools, recreation and entertainment for our youth, our reverence for marriage and its purpose, our recognition of one another with a congratulatory pat on the back or a word of encouragement are ways we support one another in our faith. / Be conscious of how important it is to you to be part of a family-- under one roof, in one parish, as a wider community, indeed, the family of God-- and help your neighbor to be your brother. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 4 - October 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / Once again we are celebrating October as the Month for Life. / So often in the past we have focused on our physical life which certainly is a precious and unique expression of God's being. / This year let us focus our attention on ourselves who are already alive in our bodies and living in Christ by virtue of the divine life of grace in our souls. There are a myriad of other kinds of life in us: intellectual life, emotional life, psychological life, spiritual life; and outside of us but involving us deeply are our family life, societal life, national life, economic life, civic life, and ecclesial life. Did I leave anything out? Probably! / The point is that we are bundles of vitality that need constant re-evaluation and refurbishment. If any of these lives that we live are lacking, we are disoriented. So it is important for us to consciously tend to the vitality of each of these gifts from God. Reading, praying, doctoring, loving, voting, and banking all keep us abreast of our needs. / The healthier we are as persons, as children of God, the better are we able to minister to the world in which we live. October is pro-life month. LIVE! / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 5 - November 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / "It is a good and wholesome practice to pray for the dead." Please be mindful of those who have preceded us in death. We are most surely destined to follow! / Another prayerful celebration comes in November: the Feast of Thanksgiving. We are all so blessed that we will have a feast. Are we also blessed in being grateful? Sincere gratitude includes the virtue of humility, acknowledging that our blessings come from someone else. We are not self-fulfilled persons. Our faith was handed down to us; our heritage was handed down to us; we are beholders to our friends for their friendship; we are beholders to our families for their love; we are beholders to God for our very being and for our hope of salvation. / Thanksgiving should be a holy expression of a civic celebration. Let us be humble enough to acknowledge that all that we are we owe to someone else. Let us be prayerful in our gratitude to all our benefactors. / I sincerely invite you and your families to celebrate the Liturgy with us at the 10 o'clock Mass Thanksgiving morning. The theme of our celebration this year is "Food for Thought: the Eucharist." / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 6 - December 1993

Chaplain's Message - My Dear Brother Knights, / It is with mixed feelings that I write to you this month. When you receive your newsletter, I will be shepherding at St. Nicholas Parish in Laurel. / There is certain sadness in parting. We have shared a lot of good times. Some of them happy, some of them sad; but all of them holy. You have been an inspiration to me, as I hope I have been to you. We have lived life together these eight years. / And now it is time to move on enriched by the blessing that you are. / Keep up your quest for holiness. Keep your priorities aligned; be faithful to Jesus in the path He has directed you. / Be family men; it is in our families that we find ourselves. Be good citizens; oh how our Nation needs that! / Thank you for all that you did for me and for the Parish. Every holy thing you did from Tootsie Rolls and clothing drives to your special celebrations at Mass redound to God's glory, the Church's health and yes, the Pastor's pride. Thank you. / And now as we enter Advent and our preparation for Christ's Birth, let us renew our search for Him and let us be available to Him as He comes into our race. / Sincerely yours in Mary, Father Finan

Vol. 9, No. 7 - January 1994

Chaplain's Message - THANK YOU!! Nice job! A pictorial history of Council #9302, from the beginning right up to my leaving. Someone is really on the ball. Thanks for the memories! / It is my prayer that your Christmas was holy and may God bless your New Year. / Sincerely yours in Mary and her Divine Son, Father Finan

Christmas and the New Year found us with our chaplain and former pastor transferred to St. Nicholas in Laurel. Msgr. Richard A. Hughes had reported to St. Mary's in January and Fr. Jenkins, the associate, was down with a broken leg. Fr. Jenkins was regularly available at meetings on Tuesday nights and was eventually made the official chaplain.

Vol. 9, No. 8 - February 1994 - NO REPORT

Vol. 9, No. 9 - March 1994 - NO REPORT

Vol. 9, No. 10 - April 1994 - NO REPORT

Vol. 9, No. 11 - May 1994 - NO REPORT

Vol. 9, No. 12 - June 1994 - NO REPORT