St. Monica’s Hope
Dear Parishioners,
Many shared with me after Mass this past Sunday that they were grateful to hear something acknowledged that they have carried quietly for years. In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)
At first, those words can sound difficult. But Jesus is not asking us to love our families less. He is inviting us to love them with his own heart and to entrust them to him.
During my homily, I reflected on a hidden sorrow carried by many faithful parents, grandparents, spouses, and siblings. You raised your children in the faith. You brought them to Mass. You prayed with them, celebrated the sacraments with them, and hoped they would remain close to Christ. Yet today, some no longer practice the faith or no longer believe. If this is your experience, please know that you are not alone.
The second reading reminded us that through Baptism we already share in the new life of Christ. That resurrection life is lived not only in moments of joy, but also in moments of waiting. It means choosing hope over despair, patience over frustration, prayer over discouragement, and trusting that Christ continues to work even when we cannot yet see the fruit. That is why my thoughts turned to St. Monica.
For many years, Monica prayed faithfully for her son, Augustine. She could not make his decisions for him, nor could she force him to believe. Yet she never stopped praying, never stopped loving, and never stopped hoping. Her perseverance became part of the story of one of the Church’s greatest saints. Perhaps the miracle is as much her transformation and trust as it is Augustine’s conversion.
While the Feast of St. Monica is less that two months away on August 27, I would like to invite those who carry this same intention to gather as a parish under her patronage for prayer and support. The purpose of this group, still to be organized and defined, would be to come together to pray for our children, grandchildren, spouses, family members, and friends who have drifted from the practice of the faith or who have not yet come to know Christ. We will entrust them to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the intercession of St. Monica. We will encourage one another in hope, remembering that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. This will not be a place of judgment or discouragement. It will be a community of faith, prayer, and hope.
If this invitation speaks to your heart, I encourage you to let us know of your interest by clicking “Vote” below. Based on the response, we will share details about our first gathering, which we hope to hold near the Feast of St. Monica.
May St. Monica teach us to persevere in prayer. May she remind us that God is always at work, even when we cannot yet see it. And may we never lose hope in the Good Shepherd, who continues to seek every one of his children and desires to bring them home.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Kevin Regan
Please Pray for the People of Venezuela
Many of you have seen the heartbreaking news that devastating earthquakes have struck Venezuela, leaving many people dead, injured, or still missing. We join the Church throughout the world in praying for all who have been affected by this tragedy.
We pray especially for those who have lost loved ones, for those who are injured or displaced, and for the first responders and relief workers who continue to risk their own safety to care for others. May the Lord grant them strength, hope, and peace.
Our parish is blessed to include many families with ties to Venezuela and throughout Latin America. During moments like these, we stand with them in prayer and solidarity.
Cardinal McElroy has already provided emergency assistance through Catholic Relief Services to support humanitarian relief and recovery efforts. He also encourages the faithful of the Archdiocese of Washington to prayerfully consider offering additional support.
If you would like to assist those affected, donations may be made directly through Catholic Relief Services at www.crs.org.
Let us continue to entrust the people of Venezuela to the loving care of Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, asking her to intercede for all those who suffer.
In 2004, a young priest, Fr. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, began his priestly ministry at the Germantown parish of Mother Seton. His warm spirit and gentle nature made him a beloved member of the parish community. Today, after many journeys, he has been appointed the tenth bishop of Wheeling-Charleston.
Mother Seton Parish is grateful for Bishop Evelio’s service to us and would like to present him with a Spiritual Bouquet of prayers and devotions offered for him by the parishioners.
Please indicate how many of the following you will offer for Bishop Evelio and his intentions:
-Masses attended
-Holy Communions offered
-Rosaries / Divine Mercy Chaplets said
-Visits to the Blessed Sacrament
¿Tiene un hijo, nieto, esposo, familiar o amigo que se ha alejado de la práctica de la fe católica o que aún no conoce a Cristo? No está solo.
Inspirados por el ejemplo de Santa Mónica, que perseveró en la oración por la conversión de su hijo San Agustín, lo invitamos a unirse a nosotros en una oración llena de esperanza. Este grupo no es para juzgar ni desanimarse, sino para confiar a nuestros seres queridos al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, animarnos mutuamente y recordar que la gracia de Dios sigue obrando.
Nos reuniremos regularmente para orar, meditar brevemente la Sagrada Escritura e invocar la intercesión de Santa Mónica por quienes amamos. Creemos que nadie está fuera del alcance de la misericordia de Dios.
Venga a orar con nosotros y pongamos a nuestras familias en las manos amorosas de Cristo.
Avez-vous un enfant, un petit-enfant, un conjoint, un membre de votre famille ou un ami qui s’est éloigné de la pratique de la foi catholique ou qui ne connaît pas encore le Christ? Vous n’êtes pas seul.
Inspirés par le témoignage de sainte Monique, qui a persévéré dans la prière pour son fils saint Augustin, nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous dans une prière remplie d’espérance. Ce groupe n’est pas un lieu de jugement ou de découragement, mais un lieu pour confier nos proches au Sacré-Cœur de Jésus, nous soutenir mutuellement et nous rappeler que la grâce de Dieu est toujours à l’œuvre.
Nous nous réunirons régulièrement pour prier, méditer brièvement l’Écriture Sainte et demander l’intercession de sainte Monique pour ceux que nous aimons. Nous croyons que personne n’est hors de portée de la miséricorde de Dieu.
Venez prier avec nous et confions nos familles aux mains aimantes du Christ.
Bạn có con cái, cháu chắt, vợ hoặc chồng, người thân hay bạn bè đã xa rời đời sống đức tin Công giáo hoặc chưa nhận biết Chúa Kitô không? Bạn không đơn độc.
Theo gương Thánh Mônica, người đã kiên trì cầu nguyện cho con mình là Thánh Augustinô, chúng tôi mời bạn cùng tham gia một nhóm cầu nguyện tràn đầy hy vọng. Đây không phải là nơi để trách móc hay thất vọng, nhưng là nơi cùng nhau phó dâng những người thân yêu cho Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu, nâng đỡ nhau và xác tín rằng ân sủng của Thiên Chúa luôn hoạt động.
Chúng ta sẽ gặp gỡ thường xuyên để cùng cầu nguyện, suy niệm ngắn Lời Chúa và xin Thánh Mônica chuyển cầu cho những người chúng ta yêu thương. Chúng ta tin rằng không ai vượt ngoài lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa.
Xin hãy đến cầu nguyện với chúng tôi và cùng phó thác gia đình mình trong bàn tay yêu thương của Chúa Kitô.