Reflections and Special Features

Growing Like a Weed

By: Deacon Pete

26 July 2026 Bulletin

Jesus taught us about the Weeds and the Wheat. One is good, the other is not. Yet He tells His servants to allow the weeds to mature along with the Wheat, up until the harvest, when they will be separated. Clearly, His parable calls us to become the Wheat, the righteous, the holy ones, Saints – those who have decided wholeheartedly for God! They are the good fruit at the final harvest. Yet, we ALL started out as weeds... Some of us are very likely still a weed, meaning we're allowing the whims of society and the world to dictate how we live, rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is our primary influence? What is the source of our nourishment? How important is Jesus Christ in our life? These questions can be easily answered by looking at the "fruit" in our lives... Do we attend Mass consistently (maybe even during the week)?  Has it been more than three months since our last Confession? How is our daily prayer life?  When is the last time we opened up the Word of God? How much time beyond that One Hour at the weekend Mass do we spend actively pursuing our Faith? The honest answers to these questions reveal whether we're the Weed or the Wheat. If the former one is the answer, the Good News is that we can still choose to change, and repent and begin again! Our loving Father is just waiting for us to decide to make Him our priority, and He'll give us exactly the Grace, the nourishment we need to turn away from the world and pursue Heaven. Be The Wheat!

About Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

I was born Orthodox Jewish in Baltimore City. Eventually, my family moved from Baltimore to Cumberland. After several years, we moved back to Baltimore, where my dad had a vision of the cross. The next day, after my dad asked us if we would want to be Christian, we said ‘yes’. After a year and a half of being first Evangelical and then Baptist, we found our way into a Catholic Church in Baltimore City, where, after a period of catechesis, I received baptism, confirmation, and first communion in eighth grade alongside my family. Shortly after, I felt the call to the priesthood. The year after I graduated high school, I got accepted into the Seminary! I am now the oldest of eight, and my family lives in Cumberland again! I love baking, magic tricks, and languages. I finished my third year in St. John Paul II College seminary in Washington, DC. I am excited to get to know you all!  

We're happy to welcome Seminarian Asher Kosack, who is serving with us this summer (2026) at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Garrett County, MD. The following reflections were provided by Asher during his assignment with us this summer.  The series was named "Kosack Korner" and appeared in our bulletins, June-July, 2026. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Asher!

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Ministry of Presence

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

26 July 2026, Bulletin

 “Be still and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:11)

My time at St. Peter the Apostle in Garrett County has been great! It is always an exciting time to get assigned to a parish, it is also exciting to intern and live in a parish environment and exercise pastoral skills that will one day be of great service to me and my community. One thing that has stuck with me in my past parish assignments, each pastor to some extent taught me something called the ministry of presence. One does a lot as a seminarian and as a priest, or in any walk of life. But, throughout it all, it can sometimes be more beneficial to just be there for someone. You do not have to say or do anything, listening is essential in any relationship. Jesus knows this, as well, in giving us the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, simply being with Jesus for an hour. Just being present is essential, and letting the Lord take you where you need to go, is a big part not only of my formation, but of our faith itself. I have learned a lot this summer, and I enjoyed being with all of you. Thank you for your hospitality.

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God as Father 

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

19 July 2026, Bulletin

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You”

(St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 1)

God wants us to develop a strong relationship with Him, and through that relationship, with everyone else in Christ. This is a foretaste of heaven. To get into Heaven is to “be with Christ” (CCC 1025). I was reflecting on something I heard a parishioner in Baltimore say: “all you need to do to get into Heaven, is to follow the 10 Commandments”. That is not necessarily wrong, but these commandments are not ends in themselves. So, why do we have so many rules and “thou shalt” statements? God gives us rules the same way parents give us rules, not for the sake of limiting our freedom, but, interestingly enough, to expand our freedom. Like in any relationship, certain boundaries can lead to a stronger and more fruitful communion. God is our Father, and He is perfect, He knows what we need before we ask (Mt 6:8).

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Servants of God

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

5 July 2026, Bulletin

The Archdiocese of Baltimore was recently blessed with five new priests. There was a grand ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on Saturday on June 20, attended by many family, friends, priests and seminarians. It is always a surreal experience, especially as a seminarian, to see one’s friends become priests. It can be easy for many to forget his or her general call by God in the midst of day-to-day tasks, like exams or papers. The Ordination Mass for me and for many other seminarians is a reminder of the ministry we are called to do. These new priests are now assigned to parishes to preach the word of God and to celebrate the Holy Mass. No matter our vocation, we will face difficulties, but nonetheless, we can and ought to remain close to God in prayer, through the resources He has given us. “With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26).

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The Image of God

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

12 July 2026, Bulletin

“Then [God] said: ‘Let us make man to our image and likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). I have been reflecting on this aspect of our faith for a while on and off. Every year, a seminarian receives an apostolate, or acts of service outside of classes, and second year seminarians are typically assigned to serve at the Missionaries of Charity house in Washington DC. It is a home run by the religious sisters founded by Mother Theresa, serving the homeless and low income individuals suffering from mental illnesses. Although I served there two years ago, I am still struck by the joy of these sisters. They truly saw Christ in the other person, praying the Anima Christi at each bed they made for the residents. It was honestly a difficult ministry, but it helped me realize more concretely that Christ is present in everyone, even if they themselves do not know it. This is important because this fact goes beyond simply being nice to another person. When we accept this reality, it can profoundly affect our own relationship with Jesus and the people we meet, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Likewise, we also become that example and image of Christ for others. 

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Going up to The Sacrifice

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

28 June 2026, Bulletin

What is the Mass? The Mass is “the same sacrifice as the Cross, but offered in a different manner—sacramentally under the appearances of bread and wine, rather than in a bloody, physical way” (CCC, 1367). The Mass is thus the most important prayer in the Catholic Church. The priest must also prepare, because he celebrates the Mass in the person of Christ, as His direct mediator (CCC. 1548-1551). Canon Law 909 also points out the importance of the priest making a prayerful preparation for the Mass. In fact, there is a specific prayer to be said as the priest puts on each vestment. The sacristy, where the priest vests, means “little holy place” or “holy room”, and traditionally, priests were expected to prayerfully prepare there to offer the most holy sacrifice of the Mass. We as the faithful ought to prepare for the Mass as well, to receive Jesus Himself as well as to thank Him afterward. In communion with the saints, let us never forget the gift God gave us in Himself!

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Why The Mass?

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

21 June 2026, Bulletin

Some of you are probably wondering, or have wondered, why we call our celebration of the Eucharist “The Mass”. It occurred to me after visiting our Ukrainian and Maronite Catholic brothers and sisters, I learned that the Eastern Churches call their Eucharistic celebration the Divine Liturgy. Our word for “Mass” comes from the Latin verb “mittere”, meaning “to send”. The end of the Mass where we say “go, the Mass is ended” is not as exact to the Latin, which is “ite, missa est”. This means more exactly “go, it is the dismissal”. This word is used in particular, because we as Catholics are called to bring the word of Christ with us to the world. Our faith does not end after Sundays. We are sent on a “mission” (from the same Latin root as “Mass”) to go into the whole world and “preach the gospel to every creature”.    (Mark 16:15) 

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Our Stories

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

14 June 2026, Bulletin

Jesus came to ask a Samaritan woman for water from her well, she was surprised. Jesus was Jewish, and she was a Samaritan. They typically did not get along due to historical differences and disputes about traditions. Jesus, however, saw past that. He unveiled her past with her husbands. When the conversation got serious, she tried to change the subject to less personal matters, “sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet” (John 4:19). Eventually, Jesus allowed her to see Him for who He is, and her life changed forever, when she could come out of her past to see God. Everyone has their own story. Last year, I had the privilege of participating in homeless ministry, where I heard stories and testimonies every other week. No matter our story, we can all learn to see Jesus in others, as well as ourselves.

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What is Intinction?

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

7 June 2026, Bulletin

Recently, a few people have attempted to intinct the Body of Christ into the Precious Blood during Holy Communion. Here is an explanation of why intinction by anyone other than a priest is not permissible. This is also a reminder that intinction is not practiced at St. Peter’s.

Intinction, or the “dipping” of the Body of Christ into the Precious Blood is a valid and ancient method of receiving Communion, and is still the predominant method in many Eastern Churches. But the Church still holds strictly the laws which pertain to the body and blood of Christ in order to prevent misuse of the Eucharist or any accidents which might happen (spilling the Blood of the Christ onto the floor, which could be stepped on). While the communicants can validly receive via intinction, Communion in this way must be given only by the priest on the tongue (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 103).

In the Catholic Church, there is the doctrine of Concomitance, stating that Jesus’ full body, blood, soul, and divinity are present in both species (CCC, 1390). Two forms of the body and blood are used in Mass in order to make present the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, as His true Body and Blood were separated in the Crucifixion. We do not receive “more” Jesus if we receive communion under both forms. It does not take away from the action of receiving under both species, which is nevertheless an allowed and beautiful way to receive, and relates to the reality of the Mass as a supper (CCC, 1390). We can, however, still safely receive under one of the species, if we feel uncomfortable or sick.