Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church - Arlington, VA
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Staff >
      • Parish Administration & Communication
    • News and Bulletins
    • Just a Thought...or two...
    • Learning Alley
    • Gallery
    • Register with OLQP
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Mass Times and Schedule
    • Live-stream Schedule & Special Mass Programs
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Sacraments
    • Music Ministry
  • Our Faith
    • Faith Formation >
      • Foundations & Family Circles
      • Children's Liturgy of the Word
      • Sacraments
      • Youth & Young Adult
    • Formacion en la Fe 2023-2024 >
      • Circulos Familiares y Fundamentos 2023-2024
      • Preparacion Sacramental 2022-2023
      • Liturgia para ninos y grupo juvenil 2022-2023
      • Inscripciones
    • Adult Faith Groups
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Resources/Recursos
  • Get Involved
    • Matthew 25
    • Food Pantry
    • ISIDORE’S GARDEN
    • Gabriel Project
    • Social Justice and Outreach >
      • Haiti Ministry
      • Integrity of Creation
    • Pastoral Care/Hospitality >
      • Stephen Ministry
  • Donate
  • Register with OLQP
  • Faith Formation Registration
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Staff >
      • Parish Administration & Communication
    • News and Bulletins
    • Just a Thought...or two...
    • Learning Alley
    • Gallery
    • Register with OLQP
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Mass Times and Schedule
    • Live-stream Schedule & Special Mass Programs
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Sacraments
    • Music Ministry
  • Our Faith
    • Faith Formation >
      • Foundations & Family Circles
      • Children's Liturgy of the Word
      • Sacraments
      • Youth & Young Adult
    • Formacion en la Fe 2023-2024 >
      • Circulos Familiares y Fundamentos 2023-2024
      • Preparacion Sacramental 2022-2023
      • Liturgia para ninos y grupo juvenil 2022-2023
      • Inscripciones
    • Adult Faith Groups
    • Adult Faith Formation
    • Resources/Recursos
  • Get Involved
    • Matthew 25
    • Food Pantry
    • ISIDORE’S GARDEN
    • Gabriel Project
    • Social Justice and Outreach >
      • Haiti Ministry
      • Integrity of Creation
    • Pastoral Care/Hospitality >
      • Stephen Ministry
  • Donate
  • Register with OLQP
  • Faith Formation Registration
  • Contact Us

October 2, 2022

9/30/2022

 
What are your doubts and where is your faith strong?

We are often strong in faith in one area and weak or doubtful in another area.

In today’s Gospel we hear the apostles asking Jesus to increase their faith, a seemingly appropriate
request. But Jesus rebuffs their request.

Why do they need more faith? They were with Jesus in the flesh...they had seen his miracles firsthand...they had heard his preaching — what more did they need?

Perhaps they were fearful of their doubts. Perhaps they saw that some in their group had more faith than others. Perhaps the one who asked wanted to impress Jesus or possibly he was struggling with his own faith in Jesus.

Regardless of the reason for the question, Jesus responds basically telling them all that however much faith they have, it was sufficient to do all things.

I often have conversations with folks about faith and doubt, sometimes people express a sense of shame or embarrassment at what they perceive as “a lack of faith”. And yet in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that even faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient!

That leaves all kinds of room for doubt...but Jesus focuses on the power of that “tiny faith” and the reality that even with a little faith great thing can happen! Doubt is the other side of the coin of faith.

My takeaway from this Gospel is that while we all have doubts, just like the apostles, the faith we do have is sufficient to do what we have been called to do! To put our discipleship into action!

In and through the power of the Holy Spirit, that lives within each one of us, we can indeed respond by living the Gospel way of life, building up the Reign of God through working for justice and building peace in the world.

What are my doubts, and where is my faith strong? What actions will I take this week to live out my discipleship?

Blessings,
Fr Tim 

September 25, 2022

9/24/2022

 
In this weekend’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. What is most interesting to me is that this is the only parable in which the main character is actually named. Usually in parables the characters remain unnamed so we are more easily able to insert ourselves into the story. But Jesus breaks with the tradition and calls the principle character by name: Lazarus.

Jesus speaks of a real person -- someone who mattered, someone who mattered to God...even though he seemed not to matter to those around him.

The parable of Lazarus is yet again a statement of how much the poor and vulnerable are loved and valued by God even though they are not by those around them.

Throughout Scripture prophets call attention to the poor as the “blessed ones” of God. The people of Israel were continually warned against maltreating the poor, the marginalized and the alien. So often we hear people speak of the poor and the homeless as some kind of blight or an inconvenience that they can’t be bothered with and are not responsible for.

In our nation today, bigotry, racism and bias put black lives at risk, threaten Muslims, immigrants and refugees and marginalizes them all. These attitudes devalue God given human dignity!

In today’s Gospel Jesus clearly warns us of the consequences of just such attitudes!

As we reflect on the Gospel this week, let’s reflect on how we respond to the “Lazarus’” we encounter in our lives.

How do we as individuals and as a faith community show that we value and care for the poor and marginalized of our community? What are the social and political ramifications of this Gospel for us today? In the midst of widespread gun violence, racism, Islamophobia, anti- immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments, what is the “Gospel response” we are being called to respond with to these situations?
​

Blessings,
Fr Tim 

September 18, 2022

9/16/2022

 
Today we hear a few words from our old friend Amos. The prophet Amos was outraged and ashamed at how the poor and the needy and the foreigners were being treated by the people of Israel. He condemned them for what today we would call human trafficking and cruelty to the poor.

The book of Amos warns that God would punish the people for their selfishness and obsession with becoming rich. A few chapters before the reading we heard today, Amos proclaims; “Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; then it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

Jesus also took up the topic of being obsessed with the accumulation of wealth, particularly when others were in such great need. Jesus warns us that we need to be “whole-heartedly” devoted to God and if we divide our heart between God and money we will lose out in the end.

Now the reality is that we all have to be concerned with making a living and providing for ourselves and our families. But how much is enough? At what point does “making a living” becomes focused on “getting rich” and then begins to take over all our time and thoughts and becomes the only measure of the success in our lives?

Being rich is not a sin...it is what we do or don’t do with what we have that can be sinful. Keeping God at the center of our lives will help us decide how to use what we have and with whom to share our wealth. It seems the Gospel is calling us to reflect on our relationship with our “stuff” and our relationship with God and our relationships with others.

How much of my “stuff” really matters to me? Would I feel freer if I had less stuff?  When was the last time I talked to God about how I share my time, money and talent with others, especially the poor, the underprivileged, the underrepresented, the marginalized, the immigrant and the refugee? These are the people whom Jesus reached out to, and calls us, his disciples to do the same.

Blessings,
Fr Tim 


​

September 11, 2022

9/9/2022

 
Today’s Gospel focuses on the lost being found...a sheep that wandered off, a coin misplaced and finally a rebellious child who had gone far from home.

By this point in the Gospel the religious leaders and elders of the people have become increasingly displeased at the type of people that Jesus has been hanging out with and eating with -- sinners and tax collectors, the sick, the poor and the marginalized, the lost and “outsiders”.

Aware of their anger he tells three short stories, each one designed to drive home exactly why he is doing what he is doing... attempting to reorient their understanding of who the sinner, the tax collector, the lost and outsiders really are in the eyes of God. He is trying to tell them that God’s love, mercy and forgiveness is for everyone. It is not held back from anyone regardless of their actions or status in life! Arguably, the best known of these three stories is “the prodigal son” and with good reason as it is so jarring to our sense of what is right and what is fair.

Each of the three main characters has an insight into human relationships or our relationship with God. But for me what always seems to take center stage are the lavish actions of the father.

His love for his child is so great that it overpowers any other feelings that he might have had of disappointment, sadness, or anger. They are all completely overpowered and blown away by
his love for his child and his “thrill” at his child’s return!

And that is what Jesus is trying to get across to the Pharisees and religious leaders...that God’s love for us is so great that there is nothing that can hold it back from being poured out upon each one of us regardless of how great a “sinner” we may be!

God’s forgiveness is LAVISHED upon us. The real challenge for us is to accept it and “live like the forgiven”. And, in turn, to lavishly offer our love and forgiveness to others!

Imagine what the world might look like if all of us throughout the world who claim to be disciples of Jesus were “lavish” in our love of the marginalized, “the lost”, the refugee and the immigrant... how different the world’s humanitarian crises might look.

Imagine if we lavished our love on those who are different from us -- different by the color of their skin, different by their politics or religion or country of origin or sexual orientation or gender or age or economic status. Imagine if we were all lavish with our love and forgiveness towards everyone...imagine what the world would look like, imagine what your life would be like!

A couple questions to ponder this week: What would I need to let go of or begin to do to better “live like the forgiven”? Who are the lost or the outsiders in my neighborhood, my school, my family and who most need me to lavish love and forgiveness upon them and let them know how much God loves them, just as they are?

Blessings,
​Fr Tim 
​


September 4, 2022

9/3/2022

 
A real deal breaker...In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus utter the words that no doubt sent a flood of people walking away from him -- walking away from their following Jesus! Not only did he tell them that they had to renounce their family and all their possessions but that they would have to suffer as well, and carry their cross!

How this must have stung their ears because in their culture family was everything. Family gave you your “identity.” You knew your place in the society and how to act and interact with others based on your identity, which was rooted in your family.

So to renounce your family would be tantamount to renouncing your identity. Which, it seems, is exactly what Jesus was attempting to do -- to help his disciples to let go of their old identity and to develop a new identity as his disciples, as members of a new family. The family of disciples of Jesus Christ.

To do this Jesus wanted them to leave behind their old life and all its trappings and to be willing to walk with him, knowing that it would be a difficult journey. It was all about living their discipleship and putting it into action each and every day...full on, all the way!

Membership in this “new family” would now be the source of their new identity, the source of knowing how to act and interact with others, and to come to know what their mission in life now was.

And during this “Season of Creation” as we examine our relationship with Jesus Christ, we need to examine our relationship with the earth as well!

We need to examine how we live on the earth and how we “use” the earth; how we consume things and what we consume. Our consumption impacts not only the earth itself but it impacts our sisters and brothers, especially those living in developing countries.

Many of the items we buy and use have their source in the developing world, and are made by poor workers living and working in inhumane conditions. Far too often children are exploited and abused while making the products that we in the West buy and wear or items we use in our homes or businesses.

The pollution created by the making of so many of the items we buy and use on a daily basis is driving the climate change crisis.

And, as we have seen here in our own country and in Europe, India, Pakistan and many parts of Africa, severe droughts and historic flooding and raging wildfires are destroying, not only people’s homes and towns, but taking their lives as well. Climate change is very real and we need to act now!

As we begin the Season of Creation there are many things for us to reflect on, to find actions that we can begin to take or continue taking that become “our active caring for creation”.

We all need to take a hard look at our own carbon footprint and spend time researching how we can reduce our carbon footprint as part of our active caring for creation. At the same time, we need to be engaged on a larger level actively working for policies that will help reduce our nation’s role in this man- made climate crisis.

Being good disciples means being good stewards of “our common home”.

How does my membership in “the family of disciples of Jesus” inform my daily actions and interactions with others and with the earth? How do I keep God at the center of my busy daily life?
​

Blessings,
Fr Tim 

    Author

    Fr. Tim Hickey, C.S.Sp.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Our Lady Queen of Peace
2700 South 19th Street
Arlington, Virginia, 22204, USA
703-979-5580 Office
703-979-5590 Fax
[email protected]
Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (closed on federal holidays)
  • ​Inclement Weather Policy
Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday: Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm
Sunday: 8 am, 9:30 am, 11:15 am, 1 pm (Spanish),
​6 pm (young adult)

Picture