Sacred Heart Parish
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Saturday, February 13
4:00 PM Donald J. Burke
Sunday, February 14
9:00 AM Markham H. Lyons, Sr.
11:45 AM William R. Murphy and Laurinda Herlihy
Monday, February 15
9:00 AM Evelyn Keyes
Friday, February 19
9:00 AM Intentions of the Salazar Family
Saturday, February 20
4:00 PM Edward T. Aucoin
Sunday, February 21
9:00 AM Suzanne Gan
11:45 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart
CELEBRANTS FOR NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES
Saturday, February 20
4:00 PM Fr. Collins
Sunday, February 21
9:00 AM Fr. Imbelli
10:30 AM Fr. Carey
11:45 AM Fr. Connelly
CONFESSIONS
Saturday, February 20 – 2:00 to 3:30 PM – Fr. Connelly
READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13
HOLIDAY MASS SCHEDULE
Monday, February 15 is the day we celebrate Presidents’ Day. Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 AM in the lower church. This is a good opportunity to thank God for our religious freedom.
GUILD OF ST. FRANCIS “FAMILY NIGHT”
March 13, 2010
SAVE THE DATE: The next Guild of St. Francis’ event is Family Night, which will be a catered buffet dinner, followed by a “Sing-a-long”, on Saturday, March 13th from 5-8 PM in the Parish Center. Price is $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for children up to age 12 years. To make your reservation, please call Sally Daly at 617-527-4468 or Mary English at 617-332-8656. Checks should be made payable to the Guild of Saint Francis and mailed to: Sally Daly, 138 Lincoln Street, Newton Highlands, MA 02461. Reservations must be made by March 8! If anyone knows how to play the piano and would be willing to volunteer for the “Sing-a-long”, please call Mary English at 617-332-8656.
LENTEN PROGRAMS
ASH WEDNESDAY – FEBRUARY 17: Ash Wednesday ushers in the Lenten Season. Mass and distribution of ashes will take place at 7:00 AM, 12:05 and 7:30 PM in the Lower Church. The 7:30 PM Mass will be in English and Fr. Carey will be concelebrating with ASL interpretation.
DAILY MASS SCHEDULE: Mondays and Fridays at 12:05 PM, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 AM, and Fridays and Saturdays at 9:00 AM. Saturday’s Mass is followed by Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and Benediction at 12:30 PM.
SOUP AND STATIONS Will be held on Lenten Fridays (except Mar. 5) at Corpus Christi Church in Auburndale from 6 to 7:30 PM. Sacred Heart will be hosting on February 26, and volunteers are needed to provide soup and desserts. Please contact Bernie or Peter Castellanos at 617-969-4299 or email to petec37@comcast.net.
LENTEN PROGRAMS: Please take home a copy of the program available on the tables at the entrances.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
There will be no CCD classes on Sunday, Feb 14 or Tuesday, Feb 16th due to the Winter Vacation. However, all classes will be held for the Sunday CCD program on Feb. 21st. Grade 2 Sacramental preparation students particularly need to be present on this date in order to be sufficiently prepared for receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Please mark your calendars!
Our Lenten Rice Bowl program begins next week on Sunday, Feb. 21st and Tuesday, Feb. 23rd. Please look for the Rice Bowls to be sent home! What an important opportunity to help your child share in the sufferings and needs of the poor all over the world! Please join us in sacrificial giving during this time when we contemplate the mystery of Christ’s sacrificial love for us!
Happy Vacation!
Michelle Solomon, Director of Rel. Ed.
VERY GENEROUS SUPPORT
FOR MOTHER CAROLINE ACADEMY!!
The students and volunteer teachers of Mother Caroline Academy are very appreciative of your replenishing their school supplies and making monetary donations. Thanks again for helping out!!
Margaret LeBlanc and Jane McGuire
HOME CARE WORKER AVAILABLE
A parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish, who is experienced in working with children or the elderly in their home, is available for work. If you are looking for such a person, please call Lynette at 617-306-6072.
THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
The Seven Sacraments are often described as follows: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist are described as Sacraments of Christian Initiation. These make us followers of Christ; they Christianize us. The Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders are called the Sacraments of Service. This, I think, is easily seen from the nature of these sacraments. The Sacraments of Penance (Reconciliation) and Holy Anointing are called Sacraments of Healing. The following questions and answers cover the Sacrament of Penance. As you know, the Diocese is launching an interesting program called “The Light is On for You”. This program calls for a priest to be in the confessional on the Wednesday evenings of February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. The time frame runs from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. In every church in the diocese, it will be possible for anyone at these stated times to receive the Sacrament of Penance. It might be helpful over the next few weeks in the bulletin to say a few words about the Sacrament of Penance. The following questions and answers are good to begin with. They are from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
296. What is the name of this sacrament? It is called the sacrament of Penance, the sacrament of Reconciliation, the sacrament of Forgiveness, the sacrament of Confession, and the sacrament of Conversion.
297. Why is there a sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism? Since the new life of grace received in Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature nor the inclination to sin (that is, concupiscence), Christ instituted this sacrament for the conversion of the baptized who have been separated from him by sin.
298. When did he institute this sacrament? The risen Lord instituted this sacrament on the evening of Easter when he showed himself to his apostles and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23).
299. Do the baptized have need of conversion? The call of Christ to conversion continues to resound in the lives of the baptized. Conversion is a continuing obligation for the whole Church. She is holy but includes sinners in her midst.
300. What is interior penance? It is the movement of a “contrite heart” (Psalm 51:19) drawn by divine grace to respond to the merciful love of God. This entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, a firm purpose not to sin again in the future and trust in the help of God. It is nourished by hope in divine mercy.
301. What forms does penance take in the Christian life? Penance can be expressed in many and various ways but above all in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These and many other forms of penance can be practiced in the daily life of a Christian, particularly during the time of Lent and on the penitential day of Friday.
Father Connelly
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
LENTEN REGULATIONS – 2010
ABSTINENCE: Catholics over 14 years of age are bound to the obligations of abstinence. Abstinence is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. On days of abstinence, meat may not be used at all.
FAST: Catholics over the age of 18 and up to the beginning of their sixtieth year are bound to the obligation of fasting. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the days of fasting. On these days, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices are allowed.
Lent is a period of special penitential observance. Following the instructions of the Holy See, the Bishops of the United States have declared that the obligation to fast and to abstain from meat still binds on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In this matter, the faithful enjoy freedom in conscience to excuse themselves but, as the Bishops state, “no Catholic Christian will lightly excuse himself from so hallowed an obligation”. In addition, the tradition of abstinence from meat on the other Fridays of Lent is preserved. Again, the Bishops express their confidence that “no Catholic Christian will lightly hold himself excused from this penitential practice”.
Regarding all the other weekdays of Lent, we strongly recommend participation in daily Mass and the voluntary observance of fasting. Commendable, particularly during Lent, is generosity to local, national, and world programs of sharing our abundance, the traditional Lenten devotions, and all the self-denial summed up in the Christian concept of “mortification”.
“Let us witness to our love and imitation of Christ by special solicitude for the sick, the poor, the underprivileged, the imprisoned, the bed-ridden, the discouraged, the stranger, the lonely, and persons of other color, nationalities, or background than our own. A catalogue of not merely suggested but required good works under these headings is provided by our Blessed Lord Himself in His description of the Last Judgment.” (Cf. Matt 25, 24-40) “This salutary word of the Lord is necessary for all the year, but should be heeded with double care during Lent.” (Bishops’ Statement)
OFFERTORY INCOME
Weekend of February 6/7 $ 4,778
Haitian Relief (Total) $10,004
SIGNINGS
Good People,
There is a plan that God has revealed to us. It is one that starts out with everything negative and ends with everything positive.
This plan is not my invention. It is no human invention. It is God’s revelation to us. It is His plan that we have received. Those who have gone before us have handed down this plan. They handed it down because it worked for them.
The plan of our salvation is work and then rest; death and then life; suffering and then joy; trial and then satisfaction.
Christ's beatitudes say as much. There is a seasonal progression to God's plan. There is winter and then spring. The winter leads to spring and prepares us for it.
Christ's beatitudes tell us that the one who is sad is happy. It does not say the one who is happy here on earth is happy or the one who is happy now on earth will always be happy. In fact if you continue reading Luke you will see that Jesus says, "Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep."
We are open to the gospel if we are poor or weeping or weak or mocked unjustly. The Gospel is truly good news for us. However, if we are full of laughter now, and rich, and everyone loves us now we do not like the Gospel. The Gospel becomes the bad news for us. The weather outlook becomes gloomy.
It is easy to become a joyful listener to the Gospel. Become poor, say yes to the challenges that will break your heart and bring tears, do and say the things that will bring you into disfavor for the sake of what is good - then you will be looking forward to the greatest of all spring times. The forecast looks good for we who weep.
In Christ, Fr. St. Martin
ARISE: NEW HEART, NEW SPIRIT
Begins this Sunday the 14th
Season Four begins this week - February 14-18. Group Leaders have contacted members of their groups and distributed books. If you signed up and have not been contacted or you missed the registration, call Winnie Murphy at 617-969-4021 or email Peg Miller at peg.miller@sacredheart.ws. LET US ALL PRAY: that we will become “better hearers and doers of the Word of God.”
SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUM
On Sunday, February 28, 7:30 PM in the lower church, Tiziana Dearing, President of Catholic Charities, will speak on “Solidarity in the ‘New Normal’: What we are called to Today”. Save the Date! Free Admission; open to the public.
PROJECT RACHEL
Project Rachel is the post-abortion ministry of the Catholic Church to help those dealing with the pain of abortion. Project Rachel will offer a one-day healing retreat from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates: Sunday, February 28, Saturday, March 13 or Saturday, June 5, or a two-day retreat on Saturday-Sunday, April 24-25 from 10 AM on Saturday to 3 PM on Sunday. For more information and registration, contact Project Rachel at 508-651-3100 or email: help@projectrachelboston.com. All calls are confidential.
JUMPSTART
(A group of collegians volunteer to work with pre-school children in low income communities to be prepared for subsequent schooling after a full school year of mentoring and tutoring. As you can see from the following article the collegians are looking for gently used children’s books with pictures and stories that will appeal to children ages 3 to 5. These children are public school children so the books they are looking for are not religious stories about the Lord Jesus or the saints but secular stories that the youngsters will enjoy and understand. The following announcement will be made at Mass this weekend. If you have books that your children are no longer using, please bring them next Sunday and some of the collegians will be at Mass to gather them together. The leading spirit in this drive is Fr. Imbelli’s niece.)
Jumpstart is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To support this mission, a group of students from Boston College volunteer in the preschool classrooms of children living in low-income communities for a full school year of individualized mentoring and tutoring. This yearlong early education program is currently looking for donations of gently used children’s books with pictures and stories that will appeal to children ages 3 to 5. Any donation will help provide children at risk of school failure with the support they need to be successful in preschool and ready for life.
CALENDAR NOTES
EXTENDED COFFEE HOUR:
Sunday, February 14 – 10 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center
LITURGY COMMITTEE MEETING:
Tuesday, February 16 – 7:30 PM – Convent (DR)
ASH WEDNESDAY MASS SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, February 17 – 7 AM, 12:05 PM, 7:30 PM – (LC)
COFFEE HOUR:
Friday, February 19 – Following 9 AM Mass – Convent DR
SOUP AND STATIONS:
Friday, February 19 – 6-7:30 PM – Corpus Christi
LITURGY, ADORATION AND THE ROSARY:
Saturday, February 20 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Lower Church
EXTENDED COFFEE HOUR:
Sunday, February 21 – 10 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center