St. Philip Catholic Church News & Updates

Tom Nash speaks on The Biblical Roots of the Mass

The Third Event in Our Wednesday Lenten Series

Jesus’s one Sacrifice of Calvary didn’t begin and end on that first Good Friday, as some think. Rather, it culminated in everlasting glory at Christ’s Ascension into the heavenly sanctuary, and is made sacramentally present every time we offer the Mass. In our next Lenten Talk on March 6, at 7:45 pm in Hayden Hall, Tom Nash will explore how Jesus fulfills all Old Testament sacrifices, particularly the sacrifices of Passover and Yom Kippur.

Tom is a Contributing Apologist for Catholic Answers (Catholic.com), and he has served the Church professionally for more than 30 years, including as a Theology Advisor at EWTN. Tom is the author of The Biblical Roots of the Mass; To Whom Shall We Go?: The Biblical Case for the Catholic Church; and 20 Answers: The Rosary. He is also a Regular Member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. 

Stations of the Cross & Adoration Offered on Fridays in Lent

Fridays during Lent, we will have bi-lingual Stations of the Cross every Friday evening during Lent starting after the 7 pm Mass, followed by Adoration.

40 Days for Life Runs Through March 24

40 Days for Life is now underway and will continue through Sunday, March 24. This program of prayer and fasting now reaches 656 cities in 63 countries and has saved 24,202 lives since 2007.

Fr. Briggs will be leading us in prayer at the abortion clinic at 900 S. Washington in Falls Church on Tuesday mornings after the 8 am Mass. In addition, Scarlet Sandoval leads a pro-life rosary after the 7 pm Mass in the church on Mondays. Whether you pray onsite, at church or at home, please join us in praying for an end to the injustice of abortion. More information can be found at https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/.

Food Pantry

Don’t forget the Food Pantry when doing your grocery shopping. There is always “need.”

Currently, we especially need Jelly, Rice, Oil, Hearty Soups, and Drinks. For more information, please email [email protected].

• Make sure you don’t donate expired food items.
• We cannot accept dogfood or any kind of petfood.

Contact Sister Marie Benedict Elliott, F.S.E. for more information on St. Philip Youth Ministry.

College Students Breaking Bread & Breakfast

Monday, March 4, After 8 AM Mass

St. Philip parishioner and college student Autumn Zeoli invites you to a college event for socializing and fun at St. Philip on Monday, March 4. We will offer breakfast after the 8 am Mass (with optional Morning prayer at 7:40) in the youth room (Rm. 4), for college students to socialize and connect. Feel free to bring a friend!

Quo Vadis and FIAT Camps Registration Lottery, March 1-25

Quo Vadis Days and FIAT Camps are great opportunities for Catholic high school students (currently in grades 9-12) to have fun while deepening their faith and exploring their vocations. Quo Vadis (for boys) is staffed by Arlington seminarians, priests and religious, and runs July 7-11. FIAT (for girls) is staffed by religious sisters and runs July 14-18. Both are held at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. The registration lottery will be open March 1-25.

Visit ArlingtonDiocese.org/QuoVadis or ArlingtonDiocese.org/FIAT for videos and photos from past years, more information, and registration.

Guadalupe Day: Health & Holiness

Who: Mothers, daughters in grades 7-12, and young women

When: Saturday, March 23, 9:30 am-3 pm

What: Retreat on women's health and fertility - includes speakers, small groups, lunch, and prayer!

Where: St. Philip - Hayden Hall

How: To register, please contact the parish office (703-573-3808) or Ana Margarita Martinez (571-245-5051 o [email protected]).

Saturday, March 16, Young Sacristans Following Mass at 8 am

Moms and daughters assist with preparing the church for Sunday worship, followed by reflection and refreshments, concluding at 10:30 am

Fellowship Fridays: Faith, Food, & Fun, 3-5 pm

Join students in grades 6, 7, and 8 for prayer, games, and refreshments to support one another in our journey of faith. Feel free to bring a friend!

Anima Christi High School Group: Sundays, 6-8 pm

Join high school students for prayer and fellowship on Sunday evenings, starting on February 4. On January 28, we will assist with a parish Art Show event during the same time frame.

"Come and have breakfast" (Jesus: Jn. 21:12),

Thursdays, 7:15-7:45 am

High school students are welcome to Room 4 for prayer and breakfast on Thursdays

Read the Bulletin Online Every Friday

Get a jump on the week's news and read the St. Philip Parish Bulletin online every Friday here.

Are You Registered at St. Philip?

It is important that you are registered with the Parish of Saint Philip so we may adequately respond to your spiritual needs. Please note that you must be registered to receive a Sponsor letter or enroll your child in any of sacramental programs. If you are over the age of 21, you are asked to register independently of your parents. Registration forms are available in the Parish Office or online here.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, we continue our exploration of the Sacraments with our discussion of the Holy Eucharist, the final Sacrament of Initiation. Over the past two weeks, we have discussed the initial Sacraments of Initiation, namely Baptism and Confirmation. Now we arrive at the “Source and Summit” of the Catholic Faith, Jesus’s true presence among us, body, blood, soul, and divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. In this central Sacrament, we are presented with a tangible way in which we can encounter God’s profound love for each of us individually, and the way in which he preserves his desire to live among us throughout all of history.

The Gospels are very clear to us that the Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus under the appearances of bread and wine. When we look at the story of the Last Supper written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, each of them give us the account of Jesus being with his apostles, and establishing a new covenant within the context of the Jewish Passover. In this key moment, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his apostles to eat for themselves, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” (Mt. 26:26) With these few short words, Jesus reveals to his apostles both the profound humility of God who submits himself to be like bread for us, and the mysterious depths of his love for humanity.

In a manner of speaking, the Eucharist is the greatest love-story that has been told to us. When we think about love, we can discern that there are various ways in which we manifest love for one another. We naturally show love for one another in the affection we show to our friends and neighbors. This is a very basic way to love, but it is nonetheless important for us. By showing affection to others, we signify to them that they are important to us and that they are worth spending time with.

On another level of love, we can think of the love between two young people who have fallen in love. They wish to spend all their time with one another, asking questions to one another, learning about one another, and often times being satisfied just being in each other’s presence. This love that a couple has for one another finds its fulfillment in the Sacrament of Marriage (which we will discuss in a few weeks), and culminates in giving themselves completely to one another in the marital act in which the “two become one flesh.”

Just so, in the Eucharist, Jesus becomes one with our flesh by dwelling inside of us. By coming into us under the appearances of bread and wine, Jesus manifests his desire to spend time with us, to enter into every aspect of our lives, and to remind us that we are not alone in this world. He says to us, as he did to his apostles, “Behold, I am with you to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20)

May Christ’s peace be with you!

Fr. Briggs

Mar 2: Stations of the Cross at Brightview

Mar 2: Diocesan Men's Conference in Herndon

Mar 9: Diocesan Women's Conference in Herndon

Jun 8: Diocesan Jubilee Festival in Front Royal