Sacred Heart Parish
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Sunday, March 6
9:00 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart
10:30 AM Joseph Schafer
Friday, March 11
9:00 AM Santiago Ortuzar
Sunday, March 13
9:00 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart
11:45 AM Filomena & Rocco Calvi and Maria Belcastro
CONFESSIONS
Saturday, March 12 – 2:00 to 3:30 PM – Fr. Connelly
READINGS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
First Reading: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19
Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:1-11
LENTEN PROGRAMS
ASH WEDNESDAY – MARCH 9: 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.
DAILY MASS SCHEDULE: Mondays 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 at Corpus Christi Church in Auburndale from 6 to 7:30 PM. Sacred Heart will be hosting on March 18 and April 8 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.
LENTEN REGULATIONS
ABSTINENCE: Catholics over 14 years of age are bound to the obligations of abstinence. On Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent, meat may not be used at all.
FAST: Catholics 18 – 60 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.
26th SOCIAL JUSTICE FORUM THIS SUNDAY
Please join us on Sunday, March 6, at 7:30 PM in the lower Church as we welcome James Allaire, author of Praying with Dorothy Day who will present Dorothy Day: A Saint for Our Time. Free admission, open to the public, refreshments to follow. If you are in need of transportation, please call Jini Fairley at 617-964-3966.
REMINDER FOR “FAMILY NIGHT” MARCH 12
Please make your reservations before March 8. Sorry, no admittance without one. Please make checks payable to Guild of St. Francis and mail to Sally Daly, 138 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA 02461. $16 for adults; children up to 12 years pay $8 each; children 2 and under are free. For more information or reservations, call Mary English at 617-332-8656 or Sally Daly at 617-527-4468.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
We are in great need of a 6th grade CCD teacher! Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said: “Faith in action is love, and love in action is service”. Won’t you consider putting your faith into action by sharing your faith with our 6th graders as a CCD teacher on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30pm? Please call or email the Religious Ed office soon.
Our 2nd graders have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time on Saturday, March 5. We celebrated together as the father of the prodigal son did and as our Heavenly Father does each time we return to Him to seek forgiveness and peace for our sins. With Lent fast approaching, may we all return to Christ for hope and healing and the gift of his overflowing mercy!
Religious Education is sponsoring a Parish wide talk during coffee hour in the McKenzie Center (Conference Room) on Sunday, March 13 from 10:30-11:45am. Fr. Chris Collins is a wonderful speaker, and will be talking on a variety of issues such as: Personal Prayer and Family Prayer and Facing the Temptations and Challenges of Daily Life. Please mark your calendars, bring your coffee and join us!
The Speaker Series gives a warm welcome to Deacon John Brown SJ, on Tuesday, March 8th to make a presentation on the Commandments # 1-3/Mass and Eucharist.
Everyone is invited to attend the speaker series to grow and develop in their knowledge of our beautiful Catholic faith. We meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30 in the lower church. Please consider making the Speaker Series part of your Lenten Journey. The updated speaker schedule is on tables at all entrances of the church.
Michelle Solomon Director Religious Education
Roseann Furbush Confirmation Coordinator
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR?
YEAH, RIGHT
I’m not much of a movie buff. I remember seeing “Gone with the Wind” but that was awhile back. Movies never excited me. The important person in a movie, it seems to me, is the man or woman who does the splicing. However, I’ve always enjoyed the legitimate stage (even though I’m not calling movies illegitimate). I like to see in the NY Times from time to time some reviews of what’s going on on Broadway. Last week, right after I had finished preaching on love of enemy, never mind love of neighbor, I discovered a review of the “Hallway Trilogy” by Adam Rapp. The word hallway evidently locates the action of the three short plays in the hallways of a big New York apartment building where life can be as bad in this one area as it seems to be all over the world which is a world of fragile peace and broken promises. The plays describe the fragile and hostile relationships that are ever present in the hallways of the apartment building – stories of love and sex, stories of hatred and jealousy, stories of dishonesty and robbery. However, there is not much room in the hallways for love of neighbor.
Of course the same story can be true in other areas of life where unbelief prevails and therefore love of God and love of neighbor become quite rare. We all hear of course of the unbelief of the academy which is to explain universe apart from God; the unbelief of the market place which tells us, in a celebrated phrase, the business of business is business and to the business of business, God is irrelevant.
For just a few paragraphs maybe we can discuss the question of love of God, love of neighbor, Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, the possibility of the Beatitudes, the command to love and the command to forgive. Let’s begin with the Old Testament command that ancient Israel was to be a holy people, for the Lord their God is holy. Then Jesus comes along with his command of love of enemy and says to us be perfect even as your heavenly father is perfect. My little thesis in this rambling column is that without the grace of God thanks to the paschal mystery of Jesus the Redeemer carrying out the command to love God and love one’s neighbor would not be possible. Why is this? This brings us to an understanding of some of the differences between the old law and the new law, the Mosaic law and the law of Christ. For example, the Mosaic law seems to be an impersonal law. The Mosaic law insisted on a particular prescription. The law of Christ seems to be more the effort under the grace of the Holy Spirit to do at all times what is pleasing to the father, after the example of Christ. In other words the new law is the law of accepting another’s will, that is the will of God who wills only what is for our happiness, in spite of the tragic events that we all experience in the course of the day. The Mosaic law was infirm, Saint Paul tells us; it leads to death, he said. This is because it prescribed but did not give the strength and power to obey. In reality the new law is not a prescription. The new law is the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts which then, to help our weakness, is given external form in such expressions as love God, love thy neighbor; love those who are hostile to you; forgive as the father has forgiven you.
In the light of the above connected or disconnected thoughts can we ask the question, “What is the mission of the church?” How can we bring the law of Christ into the hallways and the byways of our secular experience?
Fr. Connelly
A LENTEN DAY OF PRAYER
The Office of Worship and Spiritual Life presents a Lenten Day of Prayer on Saturday, March 19 from 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree. Mary Ann McLaughlin will present Becoming Ambassadors for Christ. Please register by calling the Office for Worship and Spiritual Life at 617-779-3640.
PROPHETS AND APOSTLES: VOCATION IN THE SCRIPTURES PART II
On Wednesday, March 16 at 5:30 PM, 9 Lake St., Room 100, Brighton Campus, Fr. Michael J. Harrington, S.J. will explore what the Gospels and other New Testament writings reveal about being called to a given life task, and what this means for us today. Free and open to the public. Participation in Part I not necessary. Cosponsored by the Church in the 21st Century Center and the School of Theology and Ministry. Register at www.bc.edu/stmce.
CATHOLIC RADIO CONFERENCE WITH FATHER JOHN CORAPI
On August 6, 2011, Fr. John Corapi will be making a rare public speaking appearance at the TD Garden in Boston, presenting new talks on “The Church Persecuted.” Sponsored by Boston’s Catholic radio station WQOM 1060AM, the conference lineup also includes Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who will celebrate the Mass, and host Scot Landry, Secretary for Catholic Media for the Archdiocese of Boston. Tickets are on sale now and the event is likely to sell out. For further information go to www.frcorapiboston.com or call 1-877-888-6279.
JESUS IN THE NORTH END
Join with college students and other young adults at St. Leonard’s Church in the North End on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 pm for Holy Hour, followed by Mass at 9. For more information, contact Danielle Olsen, youngadults@rcab.org.
SIGNINGS
If we only take in words without understanding we are not listening at all. We have to listen with our minds. We have to understand, and then we can apply the words.
Christ's words come to us through the teaching of the Church. The teachings of the Church are Christ's own words. But there are many people who listen to the Church without thinking. They don't understand the Church's teachings on the most basic level. They misunderstand and then reject; twist and follow a word not from Christ.
Recently I was talking to a lady about the basic thing called marriage. A classic example of what I am taking about came up in the conversation, and hinged around the word "can't."
She was asking about Natural Family Planning. In the course of the conversation we needed to establish a common understanding of what the Church means when she teaches about the thing called marriage. Why? The lady asked if it were possible for two people who couldn't share in the conjugal embrace to get married. She asked if they could or couldn't. She wanted to know if the Church said, "No they can't."
The answer is, "no they can't." This needs to be understood, however. A person who is blind can't see. The Church would say that "a blind person can't see." It is not the case that the Church is saying that blind people are not permitted to see as if it were against the rules. They simply can’t.
So the lady answered with understanding. She said, in so many words, that a couple "can't" get married if they can't engage in the conjugal embrace because that is a synonym for marriage. It is marriage. They can't be physically wed if they can't physically wed. They can't be united physically if they can't be united physically. If they can't marry they can't marry.
That showed she understood. Marriage does not exist if it is not consummated because that consummation is what it is. If it can't be consummated it simply can't be at all. It is not a matter of being permitted or not. It is simply impossible.
This is why we don't discriminate when it says not all can marry. It isn't blocking someone from marriage. Some are unable to do that physical act. Marriage is the unique sexual union. Some of the human family are capable of it. When two people have that physical power it can be celebrated in reference to the potential for giving new life that it uniquely carries. This again is not a convention. It is part of what it means to be a human animal. Life produced through procreation is not an adult but a baby that needs care. This shows the reality of marriage in its full educational sense.
The lady went away from the conversation happy, having understood. I hope she continues her move toward Christ and His Church.
When we listen and understand then we can follow. Those who do not pay attention and miss the truth are fools as the Lord says.
In Christ,
Fr. St. Martin
MOVE WORDS INTO LENTEN ACTION
On Wednesday, March 9, The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless will hold its annual Legislative Action Day from 9 AM to 3 PM, beginning at Suffolk Law School (behind the state house) and then going to the State House to meet with legislators. The issues at stake are prevention of homelessness, protecting the basic safety net for low-income households, creating and preserving affordable housing and enacting legislation to provide housing and support services for unaccompanied homeless youth.
WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
Is your marriage built on a rock or sand? Learn how to strengthen your marriage so when hardships come, your marriage will stay strong. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends in New England are March 18-20 and April 8-10. For more information call Ralph and Jane Becker at 1-800-710-WWME or visit www.wwme.org.
OFFERTORY INCOME
Weekend of February 26/27 $ 3,393
CALENDAR NOTES
EXTENDED COFFEE HOUR:
Sunday, March 6 – 10 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – GRADES 1-5:
Sunday, March 6 – 10:30 to 11:45 AM – Lower Church
JUSTICE AND PEACE FORUM:
Sunday, March 6 – 7:30 PM – Lower Church
BOY SCOUTS:
Monday, March 7– 7:30 PM – Parish Center
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – Tuesday, March 8
Grades 1-5 – 4:00 to 5:15 PM – Lower Church
Grades 6-10 – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Lower Church
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS:
Wednesday, March 9 – 7:30 PM – Convent Dining Room
ASH WEDNESDAY MASSES:
Wednesday, March 9 – 7 AM, 12:05 PM, 7:30 PM – L.C.
SOUP AND STATIONS AT CORPUS CHRISTI:
Friday, March 11 – 6 PM soup, 7:PM Stations
LITURGY, ADORATION AND THE ROSARY:
Saturday, March 12 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM –Upper Church
EXTENDED COFFEE HOUR:
Sunday, March 13– 10:00AM to 1 PM – Parish Center
WOMEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP:
Sunday, March 13 – 10:30 AM – Convent Dining Room