Summer Worship in New Brick 8:00 Holy Eucharist without music 10:30 Holy Eucharist with music and choir Similar to a school calendar, our regular Sunday schedule gets scaled back during the summer months, and ours begins this Sunday, June 15th. On this day, we have two worship services, both in the New Brick sanctuary - you can join us at either 8:00 a.m. (no music) or 10:30 a.m. (with music). Sunday School, Adult Formation, and other programs are also on break during the summer, and everything returns in early September. You can find all of this information on our website: www.christchurchcolumbia.org/sundays

Pentecost Sunday 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Genesis 11:1-9 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17, (25-27) Sermon for Today: Father Manny provides today's sermon, and you can view her giving it in the livestream video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

We can be hard on ourselves - most people, in fact, are hard on themselves, and those people take the gift of self-evaluation very seriously. Self-criticism, to them, is a valuable, indispensable tool if they want to progress. For many of us, our desire is to have everything work the way we design it to work. We want life to flow the way we want it to. But as many of you have learned in years past: Man proposes, God disposes. And again: We make plans, and then life happens. We all need to remember that we are in for a rough ride when we are dealing with issues about life, people, places, events, and situations - they can be very crazy and unforgiving. A couple of years ago, I travelled to London where I met a cousin who introduced me to his then-fiancée, a lovely lady, and we all had fun together. They traveled to Ghana and the US, where he introduced her to his side of the family. In fact, I met her in September that year, they had their wedding in November the same year, and by the following spring, they were divorced. What happened? Many things happened. Some were noticeable before the wedding, and some popped up after the wedding. This reminds me of a story about a man who called 911 on the morning of his honeymoon to report his wife missing and to complain that there’s a strange woman in his bed. The officer at the other end of the phone simply said, "You go to sleep, and when you wake up, you will see the woman you married." The point is that the wife always wore a good amount of makeup, hiding her real face behind the makeup. For good reasons, the husband actually didn’t know what the wife looked like until the morning of their honeymoon. She didn’t look like the same person he knew, so he felt he had to cry for help. Fact is, once the makeup is off, our real faces and characters show up - and the real you may be the person you are afraid to meet. In bringing up embedded behaviors, we surprise each partner, providing each partner with a reason to doubt themselves and to ask if they made the right decision, or if they were so blinded by love that they missed all the warning signs. But to tell you the truth, love isn’t blind. Love has never been blind. As we talked through the night, my cousin didn’t mince words, sharing with me that he was raised to do things right - near perfection or perfection, if you will. And so, when things don’t go right or are not perfect, he blames himself incessantly, engaging in self-criticism. It is as if he looks in the mirror and all he sees is failure, dejection, missed opportunities, the what-ifs, and the what-could-have-been. He bleeds over every failure, especially the failure of a marriage that was supposed to be perfect, or at least should have lasted longer than the sun and the moon. But here we are, picking up the pieces from a shredded piece of paper that was supposed to represent all that we believed about each other.  I remember sharing with him that there’s never one way of dealing with things like that, and self-criticism wouldn’t get you anywhere. Self-criticism should serve two purposes: to assess and rebuild. First, assess with all honesty what happened. Second, rebuild your life with the knowledge that failures teach us beautiful lessons about life. The Tibetans have this saying: ‘If the problem can be solved, there’s no need worrying about it. If it can’t be solved, worrying about it will do no good.’ On this particular issue, his issue was a problem that couldn’t be solved, so why worry about it to the point where you drain yourself in self-pity? Self-pitying drives most of our self-criticism, or self-criticism drives our self-pity, I think. Whichever way you look at it, one influences the other, and that process often dampens our spirits to the point where we fail to see the possibilities that lie ahead of us, or the abundant life that can become possible because of the blessings of a fresh start, the chance at new beginnings. I am not in any way suggesting that we don’t have to criticize ourselves over our actions. We sure must engage ourselves in that exercise because that’s one of the surest ways of being transformed - maybe of understanding that you don’t have to be perfect. I also believe that it is a way of knowing that you can receive as much grace as you give because you happened to have met the part of you that you have been so afraid to meet. Here’s a story for you: “In a hidden temple, there was a mirror which was said to show the truth. But unlike normal mirrors, it showed no reflections, not even a shadow. Pilgrims traveled far to stand before it. Mots got angry, it’s broken, it’s a trick, and this is worthless. They walked away, disappointed. But one girl, who was curious, stayed. She sat before the mirror for hours, thinking if it shows truth, but I see nothing, maybe the truth isn’t what I look like, but who I have forgotten to be. She didn’t speak this out loud; she just thought it, and the moment she did, the mirror lit up, not with her reflection, but with flashes of every choice she avoided, every dream she buried, every version of herself she had silenced. She fell to her knees, not because she saw something, but because she finally understood that she hadn’t been looking for.” Understand this: the truest mirrors don’t show your faces - they show the parts of you that you have been too afraid to meet. Which part of you have you been too afraid to meet? Is it the one that languishes in self-criticism because it believes that all should look perfect, or the one who believes in the viability of new life? I remember telling my cousin to enjoy life then, knowing that the grace you give is the grace you receive. And quite apart from being perfect, life always has a beautiful way of bringing life to the deserted places of our lives. Life has a way of renewing us. Life has a way of assuring us of God’s providence. Life has a way of helping us to understand that self-criticisms are never enough, nor do they satisfy any goal if it doesn’t lead us to rebuild. Cherish these words from Bruce Lee: “Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.” Psalm 46 has an interesting line: Be still. Be still and know that I am God. When you are hurting, Be Still. When you are confounded, Be Still. When you are lost, Be Still. When you are failing, Be Still. When life appears to be crumbling, Be Still. When you feel hopeless, Be Still. Be Still and know that I am God. Be Still and know that you are held by God. Remember this: mountains may fall into the sea, but we will not be moved. You must be still because it is God who holds all our imperfections together and assures us that we don’t have to be perfect, but we can be graceful.  Manny+

Rev. Kiona was ordained a deacon this past December and will be ordained a priest on June 7th , so gather at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore to support her during this momentous occasion. Carpooling is encouraged, and representation of our beloved parish is always appreciated at diocesan events, so come out in great numbers for this extraordinary new chapter in Chaplain Kiona's ministry. You can also watch the service livestream below:

Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Zoom Meeting next Monday, June 9 Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. If you need the Zoom details - we sent them out to our mailing list earlier - email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll get them to you. See you on Zoom! Help the Homeless on Monday, June 9: Bring a Dish for Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter or Serve a Meal at Its Day Resource Center On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church provides a hot midday meal for the homeless at the Day Resource Center (DRC) and drops off dinner for about 70 residents at its Emergency Shelter. We last participated on May 12th. The  Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center operates both agencies . A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts that we serve in person after car-pooling to the DRC in Jessup. To help next Monday, June 9th, please check our DRC online signup form , which describes the procedure. Drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick for DRC’s side dishes. Later, parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal at Grassroots’ shelter arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form . Grassroots staff serve the evening meal. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you! Recently, your generosity helped ease life for our homeless neighbors, who rely on sundries from the DRC pantry. In response to a DRC request, the Outreach Commission at its May meeting approved spending $202 for 92 pairs of men’s underwear. These were purchased with funds donated to the church by parishioners who give to “General Outreach.” A hearty thanks! Enjoy a Conjurors’ Magic Show in New Brick and Help the Howard County Food Bank by Bringing Canned Goods as Admission on Monday, June 9 at 7 p.m. The Columbia Conjurors , an organization of Marylanders who are known to have a trick up their sleeves, will hold the annual Tommy Ivey Magic Show on Monday, June 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of New Brick. The show – a fun, family-friendly presentation of several local magicians – is named in honor of the late Tommy Ivey. The husband of parishioner Ronnie Ivey, he served as Conjurors' president at the time he was interviewed and photographed for an article, “Pick a Card,” published in June 1993 and  archived on the Conjurors' website . Admission is free, but you are asked to bring canned foods to be donated to the Howard County Food Bank . Christ Church is a supporter of the Community Action Council of Howard County , which provides multiple services such as the food bank. An Interfaith Vigil for Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Immigrants  In recognition of World Refugee Day and the difficulties facing immigrants and refugees worldwide, we ask that you please consider attending the Interfaith Vigil for Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Immigrants on Sunday, June 29. Coordinated by a cross-section of congregations involved in immigrant and refugee work, and attended by participants from many faiths, this Interfaith Vigil is hosted by the Columbia Jewish Congregation, one of our strong partners in the Christ Church Interfaith Refugee Ministry . Beginning at 5:00 p.m. on June 29, the Vigil will be held at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center - “The Meeting House” - at 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia 21045. This important gathering is open to the public – please invite your family, friends, and neighbors. Columbia Community Care Holds Caribbean Day Party as a Fundraiser on Saturday, June 14, from Noon to 6 p.m. at Reckless Shepherd Brewing Co. Plan an afternoon getaway to the islands by attending a Caribbean-themed fundraiser for Columbia Community Care (CCC) on Saturday, June 14, from noon to 6 p.m. CCC describes the event as a fun-filled day of Caribbean music and vendors who will be selling food and refreshing drinks. The venue is the Reckless Shepherd Brewing Co., 8895 McGaw Road in Columbia, Maryland. Admission is $20, which includes one complimentary drink. Patrons are encouraged to order tickets online at a cost of $23.18 per person. All proceeds go to CCC, whose resources for youth and families include free groceries, diapers, and other necessities for those in need. If you or someone you know could benefit, please go online to the “ Get Help ” portion of CCC’s website. Or learn how to volunteer at three distribution sites on Saturdays, or in other ways, by visiting CCC’s “ Volunteer ” page. Find updates on the CCC Facebook Group . Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH  of Howard County is calling for volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

EASTER VII & SURVIVOR SUNDAY 8:00 Holy Eucharist in Old Brick 9:00 Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 Holy Eucharist with Music, Choir, and Lumen Christi in New Brick On this Sunday, the final Sunday of the Easter season and Survivor Sunday, our services begin in Old Brick at 8 a.m., an intimate worship without music. Our Family Worship then takes place in New Brick at 9 a.m. and centers on engaging the younger members of our church and features a Communion gathering around the altar. We then conclude worship today with Holy Eucharist accompanied by music, choir, and the wonderful Lumen Christ liturgical dancers at 10:30, also in New Brick. FORMATION CONCLUDES THIS MORNING Sunday School, Parenting Group, Youth Formation, Adult Forum: Sunday Circle, and all of our other formation and fellowship gatherings take place today, so be sure to join us. This is also the final Sunday of Spring Formation, as we'll take our summer break after this weekend.   #worship   #EasterSeason   #episcomd   #hocomd   #episcopalchurch   #GatherWithUs   #gatherwithlove   #survivorsunday

Seventh Sunday in Pentecost and Survivor Sunday 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Acts 16:16-34 Psalm 97 Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26 Sermon for Today: Deacon Kiona Lookingbill provides today's sermon, and you can view her giving it in the livestream video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Last week, I wrote about sharing additional thoughts on the recent Youth Sunday sermon given by our graduating youth members. One part of their sermon that was a highlight for me was the rhetorical question: Who is, or was, your Yoda? They were asking you to think of one person who is a mentor or shining example for you, one person to whom you look up, one person to whom you pay attention, and whose wise counsel motivates you. Caleb, for example, said that his Yoda was his barber.  I am sure when some of you heard that, you might have asked yourself, "How come a barber is your Yoda? What in heaven’s name can a barber offer?" It seems to me that we can often be very dismissive of people who don’t belong to a certain category of professions. We wonder about the extent to which they can be that voice of reason, conscience, formation, direction, and guidance in the life of a young person. I have come to appreciate that one doesn’t have to be in a certain category of profession to offer a sense of belonging and grace to a youth in their formative years. All that a young person needs is encouragement and the sense of belief that they are capable of doing big things, are capable of being good, and are capable of changing the world. All that a young person needs is someone who believes in them, no matter what their station in life is. A Yoda is one who believes in another person - especially a young person. There’s a story about the athlete Jesse Owens, who once went to a coach and shared with the coach his desire to be in the Olympics. I don’t remember the exact words the coach shared with him, but the coach made him aware that if he were to focus, he would most certainly win gold medals at the Olympics. Jesse Owens did, in fact, compete at the 1936 Olympics, and he won four Gold medals there. As good an athlete as he was, it was the coach who became his Yoda. The coach became that one person who, outside of Jesse’s immediate family, believed in him and his ability to do great things.  Don’t we all wish we had someone who believed in us?  One thing worth noting is that even professionals need someone, a Yoda, to help them navigate the complexities of their careers, be good leaders, and, in fact, to be successful at whatever they are doing. The point really isn’t about how good you are but how great you can be.  The question is, how do you get better? How do you become great? Here are two theories, as shared by a surgeon. First, the traditional way - go to school, study, practice, graduate, go into the world, and make your way on your own. There are numerous problems with this theory; one is that you may not recognize the problems that are in your way, and even if you do, you may not necessarily know how to fix those problems. And if we do not know how to fix the problems we encounter or overcome the obstacles that stand in our way, we then begin to make things up, which exacerbates those problems. The downside is that we stop improving and then slide to oblivion.  Second - a contrasting view that comes out of sports, and is captured by this truism: ‘You are never done. Everybody needs a coach.’  Think about all the great players we see and know today... Michael Jordan had a coach. Joe Montana had a coach. Kobe Bryant had a coach. LeBron James has a coach. Gordie Howe - Mr. Hockey - had a coach. Tom Brady had a coach. Katie Ledbecky has a coach. Patrick Mahomes has a coach. It is interesting to point out that the coaches of these athletes were not better athletes than they are, but they trust in their judgement because of their ability to see what they themselves cannot see or a belief that they cannot comprehend about themselves. You may want to ask yourself, "If we idolize all these athletes as great stars, how come they all had coaches? Why did they have coaches?" The point is this: you don’t have to be great to have a coach or a Yoda, nor do you have to be good to have a coach or Yoda, you only need someone how believes in you, and knows that you can be great, and that’s what a coach or Yoda does - guides your footsteps into what you can become.  A story shared by that surgeon is that he invited his former professor, who had retired, to his operating room to observe him. The first surgery went well, and he didn’t think there was much that the professor had to say. But the professor had a whole page of notes. They were minutiae but the notes created a whole new sense of awareness for him, and in his view, that is what great coaches do - they are our external eyes and ears, providing us with a more accurate sense of our realities, recognizing the fundamentals, breaking our actions down, and helping us build them back up again. After two months of coaching, he felt himself getting better again, and after a year, his complications decreased even more.  According to him, it was a painful process because he didn’t like to be observed. But he understood that coaches are on to something profoundly important, which is that it isn’t about how good you are now, but how good you might become, how great you can be. Coaches are about maximizing the potential in any person or opening a window for a person to see themselves, not necessarily as they are in the present, but who they can become in the future. A Yoda or a coach taps into the potential embedded in any person. The reality is that you cannot be better by yourself alone. You need a Yoda. You need a coach. You need someone who believes in you.  Until recently, I had four Yodas, but now I have five. I learned about the faithfulness of God from one, I learned the joy of welcoming the stranger from one, learned the joy of ministry from another, learned the blessing of being a brother from one, and learned the joy of parenthood from another. Beyond these five, several people play different roles in my life and ministry, and they enrich my life of service. They, too, are my Yodas because I value their counsel.  Leo Tolstoy once remarked that ‘Each person’s task in life is to become an increasingly better person. ’ The truth is, you cannot be a better person by yourself alone. You need a coach. You need a Yoda to tap into the potential in you to be the best and greatest person that you can be.  I avail myself to learn from people from all walks of life - big and small, wise and foolish, the believer and the indifferent, the educated and the uneducated, the rich and the poor, the callous and the careful. And I do so because even the foolish has something to share about how not to be foolish! So, who is your Yoda? Who is your coach? Let them tap into that divine potential in you, let them unearth the boundless creativity in you. Let them help you see yourself a little differently. Let them help you see what God has in store for you. Let them open the window for you to see all the possibilities that lie ahead of you.  You are never too old to have a Yoda. Manny+

When Euclides Needed Cancer Surgery, Christ Church Donated to Somos Amigos to Help Replenish its Fund for Referrals Care Somos Amigos Medical Missions  alerted Christ Church and other supporters earlier this month that its staff member and patient, Euclides, had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Euclides worked closely with Somos Amigos for 20 years and most recently, has worked sterilizing instruments in the dental clinic during the nonprofit organization’s quarterly clinics. During the rest of the year, Euclides drives a taxi based at the Santiago airport in the Dominican Republic. In the public system, in which government insurance would cover some of the expenses, he would have had a wait of eight months or more to get on the surgical calendar. But with the help of Somos Amigos, he was referred to a private clinic and surgeon for immediate treatment. Somos Amigos raised the funds to cover the cost of approximately $7,500, and Christ Church sent $500 to help pay for this latest referral. Earlier this year, the Outreach Commission approved a separate $500 donation for patients’ referrals, as described in the Outreach Blog of May 1, 2025 . The money goes toward specialty care such as  colonoscopies, mammograms, and cataract removal. These are Vestry-approved Outreach budget funds derived from parishioners’ donations to Christ Church. Thank you! Please join members of Outreach in praying for Euclides as he recovers from surgery last week and awaits his cancer prognosis. He is the father of six and also supports his mother. Somos Amigos Executive Director and CEO Frank Brightwell said he stays in touch daily with the family members and Euclides. When told that parishioners in Maryland have been keeping him in their thoughts and prayers, Euclides sent this response: “ Thank you so much for such beautiful and good people. May God give us all health, a long life, and lots of love. Thank you very much.” Brightwell said that the patient and his family gave permission to share that the surgeon found a second, previously undetected tumor during the course of the four-and-a-half-hour surgery. Its discovery – and removal – is a blessing in itself. Brightwell expressed gratitude for Somos Amigos supporters at Christ Church and elsewhere “who unhesitatingly do what they can to help someone in need.” In previous cases that required specialty care, Christ Church helped Emilio, a young man who obtained custom-fitted hearing aids, and Franci, a boy who has thrived after heart surgery. Brightwell updated the congregation on their lives on his March 9 visit to Christ Church. (You can view his sermon during the 10:30 service at this link  on YouTube.)  Buy Your DreamBuilders Chocolate, Tea, or Coffee for Father’s Day We will be selling DreamBuilders goods after all three worship services this Sunday, June 1, and the next week, which is Pentecost. On Sunday, June 8, there is just one service at 10 a.m. All proceeds will go to help fund the upcoming DreamBuilders disaster recovery mission in Kentucky. The chocolates, hot cocoa mix, coffee, and tea are tasty and just in time for Father’s Day on June 15. Christ Church is one of five interfaith partners in DreamBuilders , which offers multi-generational experiences to the congregations’ youth and adults. The trip to Hazard, Ky., on June 15-21  will be the third blitz build in this part of flood-damaged Appalachia. P arishioner Amanda Kirkpatrick will represent Christ Church on the team this summer .  FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH of Howard County is calling for volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support. Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers and Infant Care Items Columbia Community Care  (CCC) collects and distributes essentials to families in need. It operates three distribution sites on Saturday mornings and has resumed making home deliveries to those without transportation. A shopper fulfills their grocery lists at the pantry, and then delivers goods to the recipients’ homes. To volunteer at the sites or as a translator or shopper, go to “ Volunteer Opportunities .” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help”  on CCC’s website.   Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Sixth Sunday in Pentecost 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 Sermon for Today: Michael Looney, Christ Church's Seminarian, provides today's sermon, and you can view him giving it in the livestream video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Dear Christ Church Family, I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing today with a heart full of gratitude to thank each of you for your prayers, support, and kindness over the past three years. Some of you may know parts of my story, but many do not. I want to share it with you now—not only as a testimony to God's goodness, but also as a heartfelt thank-you to this incredible community. I don't believe I would be alive today without the many prayers of my faith community, my family, and my friends. In the fall of 2021, I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Not long afterward, I became a member of Christ Church. Before that, I had been a member at St. John's Evangelist Catholic Church. Christ Church welcomed me with open arms from the first day I stepped into the church. I knew I had found my home. On January 23rd, 2022, I was admitted to Howard County Hospital with acute pancreatitis. Shortly after, my gallbladder, which had died entirely, was removed. What followed was a very difficult period in my life: I spent nearly two out of the next three months in and out of the hospital, facing complications with my bile ducts. Due to the placement of multiple stents in my bile ducts, I developed a rare condition called secondary sclerosing cholangitis, for which the only cure is a liver transplant. In October 2023, I was placed on the UNOS liver transplant list. At that time, over 10,000 people were waiting for a liver. My MELD score—which determines transplant urgency—was mid-range, not yet high enough to qualify for a deceased donor transplant. That's when my team suggested I look for a living donor. Sadly, no one in my family had the right blood type to be a match. I was encouraged to share my story publicly, but I hesitated. I had written it out, but lacked the faith that someone outside my family would step forward. Then, in March of 2024, tragedy struck the Lynchard family. The Lynchard family, who used to live across the street from my own, received the devastating news that their son Jared had passed away unexpectedly. Jared and my son Phillip were best friends during their elementary years, when they were between the ages of 10 and 12. Though we hadn't seen each other in over 11 years, I brought Anjie and her husband Steve a prayer shawl from the Shrine of St. Anthony—just a small gesture to let them know they were loved and lifted in prayer. When Anjie saw me, she could tell I wasn't well. I explained that I was living with liver disease and needed a transplant. She and Steve promised to pray that I would be healed, not knowing that Anjie herself would soon become part of that healing. Not long after, I saw a post from a stranger on the Nextdoor app, asking about becoming a living donor. It made me realize—people are willing to give, even to strangers. Inspired, I finally shared my story on Facebook. In July of 2024, Anjie and Steve received a message that, through Jared's death, lives would be saved while on a mission trip in Costa Rica they had taken in Jared's honor. Upon their return, the first thing Anjie saw upon opening Facebook was my post. She told me she felt, in that moment, that Jared was asking her to do this for me.  She then began the donor evaluation process; miraculously, she was a perfect match. On December 3rd, 2024—which was also Giving Tuesday—Anjie gave me the most incredible gift imaginable: a portion of her liver, and with it, a second chance at life. Just before surgery, she was asked if she'd consider having the procedure done robotically. She said yes. This became the first time at Johns Hopkins—and possibly in Maryland—that a liver was removed robotically. The outcome was remarkable: minimal scarring, less pain, and a much faster recovery for Anjie. We share this story in hope that others might be encouraged—not only by the power of prayer and the faithfulness of God, but also by the very real possibility that one person's selfless act can transform another's life. And now, with advancements like robotic surgery, the process is easier and less painful than ever. In every detail—every delay, every prayer, every person—God was working. I believe Jared is continuing his mission from heaven, watching over us and inspiring others through this miracle. To my Christ Church family: thank you. Your prayers carried me through dark days. Your faith lifted mine when I was faltering. And your love has been a constant source of strength. May this story be a witness to God's healing, mercy, and the power of community. Please feel free to share our story. You may save someone's life through organ donation, or in finding their way back to Jesus. If you would like to hear more about our story, you can click the following links: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2025/04/two-angels-a-robot-and-23-a-johns-hopkins-medicine-organ-transplant-story   https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/video/woman-donates-part-of-liver-to-mother-of-late-sons-best-friend/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h   https://cbn.com/news/health/nothing-short-miracle-god-story-center-stunning-groundbreaking-surgery With deep gratitude and love, Mary Ann Carroll "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  - John 16:33   I am eternally thankful to Mary Ann for sharing this powerful, life-transforming story. This is a beautiful message of faith, resilience, and grace. We currently have a parishioner who needs a donor, so if you feel God's call to be a donor or know someone who desires to become a donor, please let me know. ~Fr. Manny