Welcome

Our Knights of Columbus chapter will once again host a Children's Carnival on the last Sunday of June (June 29). This year's event will be held on the large field to the left of the church building.

The event will have carnival games, a cake walk, hot dogs, and a moon bounce. No RSVP is needed, but registering helps us estimate how much food to prepare.

You many also volunteer with the event using the SignupGenius link below.

The Vatican, the Diocese of Arlington, and the USCCB have prepared many materials to help us celebrate this milestone in the Catholic Church.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, one of the central doctrines of the Faith that was revealed to us by Jesus. The fact that God is three divine persons with one divine nature is a reality that we could not conceive on our own, but had to be revealed by God himself. In the Trinity, we see that God is a communion of love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus gives us access to the Trinity by uniting our human nature to himself. While this mystery can be difficult for us to grasp, nevertheless, it gives us insight into what satisfies our hearts, namely pure, unlimited, and life-giving love.

Today is also a special day because we are celebrating all fathers for Father’s Day. We are reminded how we owe so much in our lives to our fathers who have sacrificed so much to form us into sons and daughters, and we are grateful for the countless ways that they have shown us the love of the Father through their actions. However, we also realize that there may be some of us who grew up without the presence of a father, and find it difficult to see how God the Father could love them in the midst of their struggles. To all those who have struggled in this way, we are praying for you, and you are not fatherless here in the Church. Jesus shows to us that he is one with the Father, and expresses his love for us with the love of the Father (Jn. 14:11).

In this week’s letter, we conclude our discussion of the 7 Lively Virtues by focusing our attention on the virtue of liberality, which is also called generosity. Liberality is the virtue that allows us to use our external goods, especially the money that has been entrusted to us, in a way that helps build up others alongside ourselves. St. Thomas Aquinas shows us that liberality is related to the Latin word, “libertas,” (which translates to “freedom”) because when we use money for the sake of others, we free it from our own ownership (ST, II-II, Q.117, a.2, res.). By being generous with the money that we have received, we are less inclined to be covetous and more free to follow God’s plan for us.

St. Thomas also shows to us that liberality has less to do with the amount that we are able to give to others, but is more connected to what is going on inside our heart when we choose to give to others (ST, II-II, Q.117, a2, res. 2). Even if we give a large amount of money to someone, if we do it reluctantly or unwillingly, we do not act in accordance with the virtue of liberality because our heart is overly attached to the money we give. However, even a small amount that is given with a heart that is detached from possessiveness is a virtuous act of liberality for those in need (see Mk. 12:41-44).

So how do we practice the virtue of liberality in our daily lives? First of all, it is a good and prudent thing to use our money to pay for the things we need, like our homes, our food, and our clothing. However, with the money that we have been given, we are also called to use it for the good of others who may be in need, or to give a gift to someone who deserves our affection. By practicing the virtue of liberality well, we will be able to be good stewards of our possessions and not allow our possessions to possess us.

May Christ’s Peace be with you,

Fr. Donahue