Sacred Heart Parish
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Wednesday, July 15
7:00 AM Michael and Elizabeth Tiberio
Thursday, July 16
7:00 AM Alan and Carol Myette
Saturday, July 18
4:00 PM Steven Cononico
Sunday, July 19
9:00 AM Gustavo Perdomo, Sr.
11:45 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart
CELEBRANTS FOR NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES
Saturday, July 18
4:00 PM Fr. Collins
Sunday, July 19
9:00 AM Fr. Imbelli
10:30 AM Fr. St. Martin
11:45 AM Fr. Connelly
CONFESSIONS
Saturday, July 18 – 2:00 to 3:30 PM – Fr. Connelly
READINGS FOR THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Second Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18
Gospel Reading: Mark 6:30-34
BLACK AND NATIVE AMERICAN COLLECTION
Proceeds from this week’s special collection support programs for Black and Native American populations and are distributed as grants to dioceses supporting and strengthening evangelization programs, which would otherwise be in danger of disappearing among the Black, American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut communities of the United States.
WHERE DO YOUR KIDS SPEND THEIR TIME?
You can help keep your children safe by knowing where they spend their time. Get to know the adults who show up at the various locations in the community where children gather and where they play together. Be wary of any adult who seems more interested in creating a relationship with a child than with other adults. Pay attention when an adult seems to single out a particular child for a relationship or for special attention. Warning signs include treats, gifts, vacations, or other special favors offered only to one specific child. For particular help you may call the Archdiocesan Office of Child Advocacy, Implementation and Oversight 617-746-5994.
LIFT – CATHOLIC WORSHIP FOR A NEW GENERATION
Join us for LIFT – an exciting monthly worship event which includes vibrant praise and worship music, dynamic, challenging speakers and Eucharistic Adoration. LIFT is for all ages – from young adults to teens to entire families. Be with us on Tuesday, July 14th as we welcome Fr. Norm Fischer as our speaker. The evening runs from 7-9 pm at Fontbonne Academy, 930 Brook Road, Milton, MA. Directions and a downloadable flyer, along with more information about LIFT, can be found on our website at www.liftedhigher.com. Come join in worship with hundreds of Catholics from around the Boston area!
PERPETUAL ADORATION RETURNS TO BOSTON
When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?” – Mark 14:37.
On August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine will begin perpetual Adoration (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day, seven days a week). St. Clement has been named one of the six designated locations in the diocese to pray for the sanctification of priests and vocations to the priesthood. Upon opening, St. Clement will be the only perpetual Adoration site in the city of Boston. Adorers are needed at all times of the day and night. Please prayerfully consider committing to spending one hour a week with the Lord. For more information contact AdorationBoston@gmail.com or visit AdorationBoston.org or call Rich McKinney at (617) 536-4141.
CATHOLIC TV
Can't Make It To Daily Mass: You can watch the Daily Mass on CatholicTV every day live at 9:30 AM or you can watch the rebroadcast daily at 7:30 PM. If you can't watch CatholicTV on television, you can watch online at www.CatholicTV.com. Each day, there is a different priest celebrating Mass.
Did you know that CatholicTV has a Catechetical Game Show for people of all ages? Contestants on the show are 3rd Graders, but the show is a fun and effective learning tool for Catholics of ALL ages. Visit CatholicTV.com for showtimes.
Catholic TV is available on the following cable television stations in Newton:
Comcast Channel 268
RCN Channel 85
Verizon FIOS Channel 296
PEACE AND UNITY IN GOD’S KINGDOM
We are all familiar with the prayer of Jesus in the 17th chapter of John’s Gospel: “May they all be one, as you, Father, are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me.” On three occasions in this chapter, I believe, the author returns to this theme. The unity of the Church is what best proclaims the credibility of the Gospel. The little publication the Magnificat makes the observation – “By celebrating the memory of the two great saints, Peter and Paul, together at the same liturgy, we can remember how valiantly and humanly they struggle to bring together into one church under one Gospel those who were divided by the differing heritage of belief of Jew and Gentile. As Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians – “Now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off (the Gentiles) have become near (the Jews) by the blood of Christ. For Christ is our peace, the One who has made both Jew and Gentile and broken down the dividing wall of enmity through His flesh so that He could create in Himself one new person in place of the two thus establishing peace so he might reconcile both with God in one body through the cross.”
All of the above suggest the importance of unity for all who believe in Christ even though their ecclesial communities remain separated. As the Second Vatican Council reminded us, the disunity of Christians is sinful because it doesn’t represent what Christ the Lord wants of His people. It also scandalizes unbelievers and gives them the impression that there is no one Gospel message for all to hear and be saved. Such disunity hampers the task of evangelization in that the Gospel calls us all to one Lord and one faith and one baptism and one God the Father of all.
This column however does not focus on the ecumenical question but on the disunity that exists within the Catholic Church and hampers the mission of the Catholic Church. First let me repeat some words of Pope Benedict XVI; then I will comment on the question of Church unity.
“In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai; to that God whose face we recognize in a love which presses ‘to the end’ (cf Jn 13:1) – in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects.”
The above words of our Holy Father are somewhat dire. At the same time, they offer us a great challenge. Pope Benedict is telling us that the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church must be to lead men and women of our day to God, to the God who spoke in times past through the prophets and who has given us his complete Word in Jesus our Savior. The Pope adds: “A logical consequence of this is that we must have at heart the unity of all believers.” I have in mind Catholic Christian believers. We cannot respond to the Pope’s challenge if disunity and disagreement continue to flourish. How are we – we may ask – going to respond to the Pope’s challenge? 1st Peter tells us as follows – “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you”.
Reading through chapters 13 to 17 in John’s Gospel, one is struck by the number of times Jesus reiterates his command of love. As we move through the text we hear so frequently at Mass, we constantly hear admonitions to strive for unity and peace in the Lord’s body which we call the Church. This is precisely why the Lord gives us the gift of his Eucharistic body which is the sacrament of charity and the bond of unity. At every Eucharist we are invited to share with one another some sign of peace. The celebrant prepares us for this symbolic action with these words – “Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: ‘I leave you peace, my peace I give you.’ Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever.” We close, then, the way we began this column with Jesus’ prayer to his heavenly Father regarding the possibility of the world’s believing that the Father had sent Him on his world-saving mission: “May they all be one, as you, Father, are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me.”
Father Connelly
PRAYERS FROM THE MASS FOR THE SOLEMNITY
OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer Over the Gifts:
Lord, may the bread and cup we offer bring your Church the unity and peace they signify. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
SIGNINGS
Good People,
We must serve somebody. We can try to serve others or ourselves but ultimately all that we do is either going to serve the Lord's glory, or our work and life will serve to glorify His justice. We will either serve him in heaven or in hell.
Amos was a prophet many years before Christ. Naturally he told people the truth. That is what a prophet does. Some of the people like the man named Amaziah hated Amos. Why? We all live in need of correction. We are not perfect. When we encounter the truth we must admit our wrongs. We must accept the discipline and try to proceed correctly. We sometimes want to reject that. We want to reject God, his prophets, and the truth they give us.
Jesus had a similar experience to Amos. He told the truth too. Jesus finally tells us the full truth about God and about life. Some people don't want to accept the truth so they reject Jesus and are alienated from God.
In the Gospel Jesus sends His followers out knowing that they will find that some people will reject them too. It is the same today for us. We have the full truth about God and life. Some people don't want to change. That makes them not want to take in the truth we have, they will want to reject us, the Church, and God himself.
When Mass is done we will be strong again to bring the truth to the world and we will not be afraid if we are rejected. It happened to Amos a long time ago. It happened to Jesus, It happened to His disciples. It happens to me all the time. If we are faithful it will happen again to each of us. Don't be afraid. Simply continue to remain faithful.
In Christ,
Fr. St. Martin
ARISE
TOGETHER IN CHRIST
SEASON 3 – In the Footsteps of Christ
October 4 – November 13
Registration: September 12 – 20
Save the dates and spread the word!!
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
Have you thought about giving more of your time and talents out of love for God? Right now, we are looking for new teachers for both our Tuesday afternoon and Sunday morning programs. Will you share your gifts of faith, hope and love with our children? Please contact the religious education office now, so that we can plan for this upcoming year. I look forward to hearing from you by phone or email: religious.education@sacredheart.ws !
Fr. St. Martin would like to meet with all families of 2nd year Confirmation students before the end of August as part of their preparation and formation for receiving the sacrament. He is available to meet with families on Sundays and Thursdays at 7 PM. Please contact the Religious Education office by phone or email to schedule this appointment for your Confirmation student.
We are also in need of TAT and KCS instructors for the upcoming year. These individuals are responsible for teaching the catechists how to implement the personal safety/abuse prevention education programs in the classrooms. If you are interested in learning more about this important and necessary part of our CCD program and would like to become a “trainer to train the trainers” please contact the religious education office by phone or email.
Our 1st Communion pictures have arrived and they are beautiful! Don’t forget to pick them up before you leave for vacation! They can be picked up during regular business hours, at the rectory.
Michelle Solomon, Director of RE
ST. FRANCIS HOUSE
Items needed for July are condiments – salad dressings, mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc. Donations may be placed in the cart or the containers at the church entrances.
OFFERTORY INCOME
Weekend of June 27/28 $3,740
Weekend of July 4/5 $3,865
CALENDAR NOTES
COFFEE HOUR AFTER THE ASL MASS:
Sunday, July 12 – 11:30 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center
COFFEE HOUR:
Friday, July 17 – Following 9 AM Mass – Parish Center
LITURGY, ADORATION AND THE ROSARY:
Saturday, July 18 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Lower Church
COFFEE HOUR AFTER THE ASL MASS:
Sunday, July 19 – 11:30 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center