St Catherine of Siena

Working Together

Many thanks to all the Saint Catherine of Siena parishioners who joined with folks from Avon Dental and The Hartford to make sure that The Peter Benjamin Sok Spaghetti Fundraiser last month was a great success. All the planning, setting-up, cooking, serving, organizing the raffle, and cleaning-up truly paid off – more than $18,000.00 was raised for the Peter Benjamin Sok Trust Fund. Congratulations to all involved, and thanks to the generosity of so many people, especially our parishioners. Stephen Sok, Peter’s dad, wrote a beautiful touching note of thanks to all, and while we are pleased to have been part of this great community event we shall continue to pray for and be there for Stephen and Peter as a community of faith. God bless you all!

A Gentle H1N1 Reminder. Hoping to keep healthy means a wee bit of common sense during this cold and flu season. Please remember that a wave of the hand, a nod of the head, or a nice broad smile is just fine as one of the many acceptable Signs of Peace during the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will also continue to use the hand sanitizer before distributing Holy Communion, and the parish will do so only under the species of the Sacred Body of Christ.

Holy Communion and Celiac Disease. If you are allergic to wheat and cannot consume gluten, please see me (Fr. Michael) before Mass in the sacristy to let me know you are at a specific Mass. Then, come to me at Holy Communion time as I will have consecrated gluten-free hosts for you.

Sunday, the 32nd of Ordinary Time. In this weekend’s readings we are given two examples of how to trust in God—and the two examples come to us from two widows in need. In the first reading from 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah begs a poor widow for a drink of water—and a little cake to eat. Elijah could have asked the well-to-do of the community for the water and food but opted to seek the resources from someone who was at the point of destitution. And in spite of her great need, the widow gives to Elijah what she has, all based on his promise that ―the God of Israel will make her handful of flour and her last little bit of oil last until the rain returns. Of the little she has, God makes enough.‖ Why does God present this example of generosity when He could have sent the prophet to the wealthy of the town and the end result could have been so much easier? Yet God uses the poor and destitute to illustrate generosity. In the Gospel of Mark we hear the well-known story of the widow’s mite, another ideal of giving freely. Christ’s disciples must have been surprised by His description of this story of giving where He highlights the poor woman who gives two little coins to the treasury over all the wealthy people who were depositing large sums of money into the treasury.

Why is the "insignificant" donor so important in this weekend’s sacred teaching? God measures our giving not by how much we give, but by how we give. Do we trust enough in God’s goodness and grace that we are confident that He will make all well, even our misfortune will be transformed into goodness when we trust fully in God. It is also less important to concern ourselves with the quantity of giving and more important that we focus on the pureness or quality of our giving. Touching the lives of others is the great concern of God, no matter the size of the act, for the generosity of our action is not determined by the materialistic value attached to it. The "prime mover" rather needs to be our desire to do God’s will, no matter how we go about being His light in the world.

Catholic Signs. In the Catholic Church there are many signs and symbols which help to explain the mysteries of God. These signs help us to "wrap our human minds" around the unseen God whose love is beyond all telling, and who desires us to freely return His love. Actions as well as words tell the world who we are and in what we truly believe. Dr. Scott Hahn, a professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, has written a book entitled Signs of Life. Over the next few months I hope to summarize his work on various topics that relate to our Catholic practices—rituals and beliefs. Though I encourage you to read his book for yourself. It is a great work for both the "beginner" as well as for the "life-long" Catholic.

One of the 40 signs Dr. Hahn’s book discusses is Posture. Why is it important that during the celebration of the Eucharist there are different forms of posture at particular times in the Mass? What is it about kneeling, sitting, or standing during the Mass that says something about what we truly believe. Dr. Hahn reminds us that at the Mass we are coming before the real presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist and our posture—kneeling during the consecration—illustrates that we are in awe before the God of all. We are His creation and He is the Creator. It is easy to understand the significance of kneeling and standing at Mass as both are signs of respect (we stand for a judge as he or she enters court), but what about sitting during the liturgy of the word? What does sitting say about what we are doing during the readings? Dr. Hahn says that ―…sitting is hardly a neutral posture. When we sit, we assume a receptive position. We are listening, taking in the Word of God. At Mass we assume a posture or position in life that is different from all other aspects of our daily living. We are not at the store, nor on the soccer fields. Our disposition is very important—how we dress, what we do, our attitudes and our actions speaks volumes as to what we truly believe—to us, to others, and to God.

Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2009. A recent letter from Archbishop Mansell asked me to thank all "the good people of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish" for their generosity to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA). As a parish we raised $77,720.00 for this year’s Appeal. Just over 25% of our parishioners donated to the Appeal, with an average gift pledged of $337.92.

Other churches in the Farmington Valley raised the following totals: St. Ann, Avon, $196,890.00; Sacred Heart, Bloomfield, $54,585.00; St. Patrick, Collinsville, $57,026.00; St. Patrick, Farmington, $111,680.00; St. Theresa, Granby, $59,610.00; St. Joseph, Poquonock, $51,975.00; St. Mary, Simsbury, $174,470.00; St. Bernard, Tariffville, $53,374.00; St. Mary, Unionville, $89,055.00; St. Gabriel, Windsor, $50,282.00; and St. Gertrude, $22,285.00. I very much appreciate all who donated to this year’s AAA. With the current economic conditions, the need is so great. Your generosity is truly a sign of the true type of giving God calls for. Pure generosity! For those who have not yet donated, it is never too late. Envelopes are in the atrium and vestibule, and the amount matters not, rather the act of giving is what connects us to our brothers and sisters in need—and to God.

Peace!

All Saints Day 2009—A Solemnity in the Church

I was given a great little quote, unknown author, and following it would make for a huge impact on our lives. So I pass it on: “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA): we had our introductory meeting of the RCIA program complete with seven (7) individuals who are discerning becoming Catholics at the Great Easter Vigil. This initial stage, known as the time of Inquiry, offers our potential Catholics the opportunity to learn more about the faith and to see if it is a right fit for their current spiritual journey. Let us all pray for them as they seek to become one with God. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith more closely, please consider coming to our next meeting which is Monday night, November 9 at 7 p.m. in the parish Library. You are certainly welcome to call me (658-1642) if you have any questions you would prefer to ask in private.

Liturgical Needs: Like all things earthly, they do not last forever. Most of the liturgical items of our parish are from the mid-1970s or from somewhere in the 1980s and all are in need of replacement. Vestments are tattered and our pall is thread-bare, our thurible is corroded and the boat is broken, there is no travel Mass kit currently, likewise the baptismal shell, candelabra, and the ciboria set. Repairing them, often times, equals or surpasses the cost of replacement. I am listing some of the items that are needed more urgently in hopes that some individuals may wish to either purchase them for the Church or make an offering toward their cost. We are happy to purchase any item in memory of either a deceased loved one or in the name of a family or friend of the parish. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the parish office on 658-1642. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Please know that our parish uses The Catholic Purchasing Service, which is a co-op and offers prices discounted between 25% and 40%, for the identical articles found in the retail religious good catalogs.

• Two Candelabras—for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ($500 each)
• Travel Mass Kit—for use at twice monthly McLean Home Masses and for use at home Masses for the seriously ill ($395)
• Silver Baptismal Shell—for use in infant baptisms ($95)
• Holy Water Sprinkler—for use at grave side burials ($49)
• Holy Water Pot/Sprinkler—for use at Mass ($395)
• Thurible & Boat—incense for use at Mass and funerals ($415)
• Thurible Stand—to hold Thurible and incense boat ($445)
• Ciboria Set (communion cups)—for distribution of Holy Communion (set includes three bowls, $1485)
• Funeral Pall and matching funeral vestment—for use at a funeral Mass of Christian burial (approximately $550 for pall and $400 for vestment).

There are options for each item listed and I selected the mid- to lower-range of costs. Some of the prices are outrageous, and some of the styles are far too gothic or imperial for the style of Saint Catherine of Siena. Obviously, I stayed within the simple structure of our parish so that things would match nicely.

All Saints Day / All Souls Day. This weekend (and Monday) we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively. Due to Monday being All Souls Day and a weekday as well, we celebrate the ritual of remembrance at the Sunday, 11 a.m. Mass.

This is a great time to remember all who have gone before us and with whom we share the hope of eternal resurrection. Catholic theology teaches us that the dead continue to live eternally due to the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus, and so we not only do not forget them but continue to converse with them through the power of prayer. Catholics pray to the Church triumphant (in heaven), for the Church on earth (us, as we journey toward God), and for the souls in Purgatory, that they may quickly come before God in the Kingdom. The Church provides many prayers for the deceased and for the living (go to yenra.com/catholic prayers or Google “Catholic Prayers”). It is both our privilege and our obligation as Catholic Christians to pray for those in need, to seek God’s bless-ings, and to be united with the whole of Creation—from the be-ginning of time—in the conversation of God, that is prayer. We focus on this day for the faithfully departed and we remember them always. The Church prays unceasingly for the dead as they are remembered at each and every Mass all across the globe. In a particular way, we will pray for our beloved dead both as a community today and during the whole month of November during the breviary which I will offer at the specified hours each day. Names taken from the basket in front of the altar will be prayed for during my priestly office (kindly print their names so that I may read them aloud during these times).

All Saints Day 2009—A Solemnity in the Church. And while the Church seems to celebrate the names of people such as John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, Catherine of Siena, Elizabeth Seton, Gerard, Matthew, Benedict, Sixtus and Clement, today’s celebration is also about the countless saints without names, “whose faith is known to You alone,” as the Eucharistic Prayer IV expresses it. This solemnity is a reminder that we are all called to be saints, and that heaven is full of souls whose names we don’t know.
Today we hear the Gospel of Matthew and the great Beatitudes. In eight short lines, Jesus declares blessed those who are poor in spirit, who are meek, who are merciful…He gives us the blueprint to follow so that we may too become a saint in heaven. For if we follow these proclamations of Jesus, we will receive the Kingdom for which He came to make manifest in our words and actions…in our habits, in our character, in what becomes our destiny.

Today we are reminded that God is very generous, and that the saints are beyond all counting. Among them are surely members of our families and our friends who by their faith-filled lives have helped us on our way to become closer to God and closer to life everlasting. Today we should also follow deeply the first reading and ask ourselves, “How does our liturgy reflect the great liturgy in heaven?” Do we fully participate—in a loud and strong voice, knowing that the Mass is a dialogue for all to participate? Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Vatican Council II, declares, “all the faithful, whatever their condition or state—though each in his own way—are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father Himself is perfect.” “The faithful must participate in the offering of the Eucharist.” (LG10).

PEACE -
Father Michael

Adult Faith Formation

Dr. Joan Kelly continues to lead us into a deeper understanding of our Catholic identity via the Sacramental life of the Church. In her Tuesday night talks, Dr. Kelly describes with great passion the factual reality of the seven sacraments which Christ gave to His Church (to us) and the Traditions, both oral and written, of the Church which help to explain the mystery of God’s great love for us. We hear in these discussions the connection we have with God through Jesus Christ. We also see our connection over the last 2009 years of Christendom to the Apostles, disciples, and all believers as well as how that ongoing connection impacts our lives as Christians. From the first Tuesday night when Dr. Kelly spoke to us of Baptism and Confirmation—the indelible marks given to our souls—our understanding of the sacramental identity of the Catholic Christian explains who we are—images of Christ—and what we are to become—sharers in His resurrection. Most recently we heard of the history and life-saving relevance of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and the funeral rites which illustrate the Christian dignity of each and every person and the desire of God for us to bring that dignity unstained into His presence for everyone. Next Tuesday, October 27th, Dr. Kelly will speak on the two vocational sacraments—Holy Orders and Sacred Matrimony. I am sure her talk will touch on the ontological change in the spirit of the individual being ordained to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ, noting that while a change occurs it does not make the priest-to-be “better” but certainly different. And then I am sure her talk on the sacrament of Matrimony will illustrate what that means to the union of man and woman regarding God’s ongoing plan of creation and salvation. I know her final talk will be as inspiring and as uplifting as the first three. If you have not been able to attend the earlier topics, especially if you are a married couple, I hope that you will come to this discussion. While married couples live this vocation each day, sometimes the obvious needs to be high-lighted. And for the glory of who you are in God’s eyes, you might just come to understand better the power and the beauty of this particular sacrament.

November 2nd: All Souls Day—remembering our dead. Our Catholic faith celebrates the Commemoration of the Faithfully Departed, or All Souls Day, on this day each year. We take this one day in the year to, in a particular way, remember and pray for the noble souls of all the departed. We pray to the Church Triumphant—all those already in heaven, we pray for the Church on Earth—those still making the earthly spiritual journey to God, and we pray for the Souls in Purgatory—those who are awaiting purification and the fullness of the precious gift of eternal life. These prayers which we offer are not only our joy to perform but are also our duty and obligation as fellow Christians—remembering always that we are all members of the Communion of Saints.

This celebration as we know it can be traced all the way back to Abbot Odo of Cluny (France) in the tenth (10th) century, even though prayer for the dead has been part of Catholic custom from the earliest days of the Church. The belief that our prayers for the dead can be of assistance to the dead is a treasured tenet of our Catholic faith.

The Mass of All Souls has some unique features. The Gloria and the Creed are not said. There are no proper readings or preface—instead; they are selected from the readings and prayers for the dead. While white, violet or black vestments may be worn (and prior to Vatican II black vestments were normally associated with this commemoration), violet and white more appropriately express the hope which is at the heart of this liturgy.

Another ancient Catholic tradition is the particular use of proper names at this time of prayers. At Mass, the names of those from the parish who died in the last calendar year are read allowed and candles are lit while a bell is tolled. Two additional candles may be lit for particular purposes—we light one for our nation and her needs, another for our military troops’ safety. In addition, the prayers of the priest, known as the Office or the Breviary can be recited for the specific intentions of the dead. Envelopes will be available in the pews and at the entrances of the Church which you may use to list the names of those for whom you wish to have the Office said. During the month of November, I will pray my Office (four times per day—morning prayer, day prayer, evening prayer, and night prayer) for those individual names. The envelopes will remain in a basket, lined with violet cloth, for the month of November as a sign of our connection to and hopes for our beloved dead. Because All Souls Day falls on a weekday, Monday, November 2nd, when most of our parishioners will either be at work or at school and unable to attend daily Mass, this ancient tradition will take place at the Sunday, 11 a.m. Mass, November 1st.

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” This psalm for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time is quite comforting after having listened to some pretty “tough to hear” scripture readings over the last few weeks. Today’s comforting message is filled with the goodness of God and His desire for us to share in His life.

Jeremiah, the prophet who often offers us some “gloom and doom” sings with great joy today! God will gather all His people, scattered to the “ends of the world” (Jeremiah 31:8). Everyone will return to the Lord—not just the healthy, the fit, the strong, but the lame, the blind, and the weak ones too. God will guide them home, offer them love and care, bring them back to Him as the Father. Then the Psalm tells us that as surely as the harvest follows the sowing so too will rejoicing follow the sorrow of life. In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is offered as the true “high priest” called by God. Like Aaron and Melchizedek, who brought the bread and wine to Abraham, Jesus gives Himself as the greatest and most powerful gift of all—a sacramental gift that not only heals us but transforms us to be more like Him. The Gospel of Mark tells us of the actual names of those healed by Jesus (Bartimaeus and Mary of Magdala). In most Gospel accounts the ill, the possessed, and all those who are to be healed normally remain nameless. The important aspect to see in this account is that Jesus desires to heal us of all our infirmities (physical and spiritual) and that God knows us intimately—even by name.

Thanks to all who participated in last weekend’s Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as part of this Archdiocesan event. This ancient Church tradition involves His people spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament seeking His mercy, love, or forgiveness, and is the desire of Catholics worldwide. As Catholics we believe that the Lord is truly present in the Eucharist. He is not there symbolically. He is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—as a gift to each person who believes. There to strengthen, heal and be One with us. A gift of perfect love. Who wouldn’t want to participate in that? Unfortunately, in recent decades, busy lives and other priorities have kept many away from this Catholic experience. Work, soccer, movies and shopping, for many, replace religious activities. As a parish, we will attempt to reintroduce this ritual over the coming months enabling us to pray for the special needs of all. Peace!

October is the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother

October is the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother, and the Catholic Church has always had a tradition of offering during this month our prayers for her intercession to her son, Jesus. If you are a family that prays together or if you are an individual who is looking to begin anew your prayer life, perhaps consider saying the rosary as a family or say the following daily prayer of our Lady, from the Revelation to Sr. Maria of Agreda, from the Mystical City of God; I prostrate myself in your Presence Oh God Most High and I give You Thanks and Praise for your Immutable Being, for your Infinite Perfections, and for having created me out of nothing. I acknowledge myself as your creature and as the work of your hands. I bless You and I adore You. I give You Honour, Magnificence and Divinity as the Supreme Lord and Creator of myself and of all that exists. I raise up my Spirit to place it into your hands. I offer myself with profound humility and resignation to You and I ask You to dispose of Me according to your Holy Will during this day and during all the days of my life, and I ask You to teach me to fulfill whatever would be to your greater pleasure." Then add “I consult You, I ask your advice, I ask your permission and I ask your blessing on everything that I do today". Then add, "I ask you permission to use my body as your temple, my mind as the mind of Christ, my soul as the souls of Jesus and Mary: my memory to remember you only, my will to use it in conformity to Your Will and my understanding to understand You with Your Wisdom and to understand my brothers and sisters."

Or each day you can offer one of the numerous prayers associated with or made to the Blessed Virgin Mary, including but not limted to: The Angelus, the Memorare, the Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven), the Magnificat, the Fatima Prayers, or the Litany of Loreto (attributed to Pope Sixtus V in 1587). Mary, as a very young woman said yes to God’s call that she be the vessel of the Incarnation. Young and afraid, she trusted in God and in His mercy and love, so much so that she gave her life over to be the mother of the Holy Family and the spiritual mother of us all. We honor her this month in a special way so as to be pleasing to her Son. Perhaps this is a good year to start a new family or personal tradition, if you haven’t already done so. By way of trivia, it is said that the first Christian prayer ever recited on the soil of North America was the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) by Christopher Columbus upon founding this Continent.

"Suffering Sunday”–the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. As we read today’s Sacred Scripture we hear the common theme of suffering—that of the Messiah, Jesus, and the suffering of those who are to follow Him. We are, after all, called to be sharers in His life—both here on earth and His eternal life in heaven.

In the Gospel today we hear the familiar account of James and John seeking a special place in the Kingdom—they ask Jesus for the best seats in heaven, basically to be second and third in command. They might just be the original forerunners to for-mer U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig. I am showing my age. In reality, the brothers James and John do not understand the type of Kingship Jesus is about to embrace. It is one of servant leadership, where He will become a slave, a lesser, so that all might be saved. This reminds us of the first reading today which comes from the fourth of the suffering servant songs of Isaiah (which we read from on Palm Sunday and Good Friday) because He (Christ) accepts His suffering freely and t his form of suffering will give life to others. Historians tell us that ―for Isaiah’s readers, this passage would have recalled the image of the scapegoat in Leviticus, when Aaron bound the sins of the people to the goat, which was then sent into the wilderness, freeing the people from the burden of sin.‖ In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews we hear that while Jesus is One with God He is not distant—or remote—from us. He, the Christ, understands us and can ―sympathize with our weaknesses‖ (Hebrews 4:15) because He has undertaken every test to which this life can subject us. He has lived our life on earth because He is one of us, though without sin, He knows and understands the ―weight‖ of sin and how it impacts our life, our relationships, our ability to move or not move forward until we have been absolved of sin. This knowl-edge that our God knows and understands our ways should give us the confidence to pray to Him and to turn to Him for forgiveness and grace.

That special favor that James and John had asked Jesus for—and Jesus’ response—should also remind us that to lead in the Church and in the faith is a call to Servant Leadership. Christ calls us to serve as priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, as lay ministers either as lectors, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, as catechists, as religious education directors and youth ministers, as leaders in ministries of social justice and marriage preparation, in serving on parish and finance councils – as leaders in faith showing others what it means to be a Christian disciple of Christ. He calls us not as leaders with power over others but rather as leaders with power to enable others to come to the table of the Lord. To feed on Him, to receive Him in Word, to feel His presence in learning about His life and love—His faith; He calls us to serve as servants of His name. No exaltation, for that is His. No lauding position over others but rather using it to welcome others into His life. We are all called to imitate the Suffering Servant, Christ, and to become ―best‖ by be-coming a ―slave‖ to the Lord.

Some questions for us as a Church to think about in relation to the question James and John asked of Jesus: Who gets the best seats in our church? Where do the ministers sit? Is the choir clearly part of the assembly? They should neither appear to be on stage, nor be hidden in a far-off section. Do those seated in the sanctuary participate fully in the Mass, and do they set an example of full, conscious, active participation in the Mass—joining in sung and spoken responses?

Speaking of “slaving” for the Kingdom, I want to thank two women in particular for their faithful and wonderful service to the altar of God—Ginny Kelly and Kathy Reilley, are the two individuals in our parish who are collecting, washing, and pressing the altar linens so that the Mass may be celebrated with clean linens but also with reverently maintained cloths. At each Mass all week long (weekends and daily Masses) a corporal, two finger towels, and a purificator are used. Add to that the cloths that are needed at baptisms each week (towels to wipe the water from the child’s head and finger towels for the anointing with sacred oils). It is a great deal of work. And one doesn’t just throw them in the washer. There is a process to remove the remaining particles of the Sacred Body of Christ and remnants of the Precious Blood of Christ from the cloths prior to their washing and ironing. I greatly appreciate their devotion, their time and their talent. It is a wonderful ministry that rarely gets highlighted and most definitely requires being a suffering servant. Thank you!

Thank You to all who serve in this parish & an open invitation to those who are thinking about service. Peace, Father Michael

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Every year the Catholic Church welcomes hundreds of thousands of non-baptized men and women into full reception in the Church. Some are baptized (non-Catholic) Christians, others are non-baptized individuals, and some hail from other faith traditions. All are seeking a closer relationship with God and want to begin anew their spiritual journey toward the One Creator of all.

In the Catholic Church this process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. It is a parish-based program where individuals come and learn about the Catholic Faith and their God-given Christian dignity. They learn what it means to follow Christ, to worship in community, and to live out their faith each and every day. In addition, they will study Sacred Scripture and deepen their desire of God; they will learn of the mission and ministry of Christ, which His Church now carries on through the Traditions and traditions of the Catholic Church. They will learn of our Catholic Identity and what it means for their life on earth—and their eternal life.

I am happy to announce the initial meeting of this year’s RCIA program, and I invite all those who are considering joining the Catholic faith to come and learn not only the process we will travel together but to investigate your desire to join our faith community, both locally and universally. We will meet on Monday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Library. Come and see what our faith holds (the Deposit of Truths) for you and how you can fully join in the sacramental life (our Catholic Identity which comes for Christ) of the Catholic Faith. Our first meeting is an introductory meeting and will be the time we set the logistics of the program.

I also highly recommend joining in on the discussions lead by Dr. Joan Kelly during the October series in our Adult Faith Formation program (see the bulletin for details). Dr. Kelly is articulate, passionate, and so full of knowledge and is able to synthesize the sacramental life of the Church. More than 100 people came out to hear her on Tuesday, October 6th, and the reaction to her talk was fantastic. Don’t lose out on this great opportunity to learn more about who we are as Catholic Believers.

The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are you called? The local magazine rack or Stop and Shop or Andy’s Market shows us what we, as a culture, value most: good looks, good health, youthfulness, power, and money. Today’s readings ac-knowledge the allure all these things have for us, but they urge us to seek the wisdom of God above all things. Each of us is called to holiness: but not all in the same ways. This is a day to become more aware of your own unique vocation.

First and foremost we need to define “holiness.” Many people believe that holiness is, personally, unattainable. That is a myth that needs to be busted. Holiness is not defined as being perfect or as being Godlike in all that one says and does. Holiness simply means to be set apart.

So the call to holiness, which the Church teaches that we all—no matter who we are—receive from God, is a call to be set apart from the material world—to be less concerned with the headlines at the news racks at market—and to become or to grow more closely aligned with the Wisdom of God: the desire for Truth and the strength to live that Truth out in our lives in the everyday world. This sounds like a tall order. But this is not an overnight transformation. In fact, our spiritual journey is a life-long journey and one that , due to our human nature, will have many ups-and-downs. For sure there will be roadblocks, potholes, and many wrong exits—but that is not a reason to follow a “different map” or a reason not to use the best GPS, which is Trust in God.

Our faith, through the Sacramental Life of the Church, provides the most direct and high-powered guidance system to follow the path to holiness—and that is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. No matter the sin, nor the frequency of its use in our lives, God always forgives and His Grace will enable us to return to the “highway to heaven,” overcoming our sinful ways. Re-member, patience is a virtue, and of equal import, God’s power to forgive is greater than any sinful act we, as mere mortals, could ever perform.

Today’s Gospel has an overarching theme which is the call of Jesus. A young man asks the question of Jesus as to what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers, keep the commandments. But having done that already from his youth, the young man inquires as to what else he can do to reach even greater holiness. Touched by this holy desire, Jesus calls the man to give up all his material wealth and “follow me.” Sadden by this statement, the young man goes away because he is unable to let go of his possessions. This turning away prompts Jesus to make His famous statement about the rich man, the camel, and the eye of the needle. Jesus’ disciples are confused, since in their culture, as in ours, wealth is looked upon as a sure sign of success—of God’s favor. So the disciples wonder, “If a rich person can’t enter into the Kingdom, who can?” Jesus wants us to pay particular attention to the key words in this Gospel, which are: “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God” (10:27). It is only with God’s help (His Grace found in the Sacraments) that we can respond to His call of radical self-abandonment to God’s will.

Two great questions to ask ourselves : are we all called and is there just one calling? Yes and no. Yes to the first part which inquires if we are all called? Absolutely! It does not matter who you are or what you are doing, God is calling each and every person to holiness and to service in His name. There is no doubt of that—Jesus could not have been clearer about universal service. The essence of our Catholic/Christian baptismal call is to serve the Lord. And to the second part of the question, which asks if the call is the same to all peoples? No! He calls all of us to all kinds of work. Some are called to married life, some to single life, some to the ordained ministry of the Church (priesthood and the diaconate), to religious life, and others to lay ministry.

Today after hearing again this reading we need to ask two questions: (1) how do we live out the vocational call which we all receive? And (2) are there ways in which, like the young man in today’s Gospel, we say no to Christ’s call?

Prayer and openness to His Word and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives are needed to both hear the call and to provide an answer to God. And sometimes we need a little help from others to find out what the call is and how we can generously respond while still living in the world.

Just a reminder: On Friday, October 16th beginning at 5 p.m. and running 24 hours (until 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 17) our parish will hold Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the 40-Days of Life in the Archdiocese. The Church will be open and staffed during this Sacred time, please consider stopping by for some prayer and time with the Lord.

Absolute Truths & the Reality of a Modern World

This weekend we hear some of the most difficult—as well as the most beautiful—readings in Sacred Scripture. Beautiful in that we hear in the first reading that God could have remained alone in His glory but rather decided to create a universe full in beauty and hope. In the second reading from Hebrews, we hear that Jesus is like us, one in origin. The readings are also difficult, especially for those of us who have experienced divorce, as have most American families, including my own family. In this Gospel we hear Jesus answer one of the most difficult questions of human history—can a person be divorced and remarried? It is not that Jesus does not understand or care about human struggles though it is all about how Jesus views marriage—His understanding of marriage—and that for Jesus, it cannot be dissolved.

The absolutes. God Himself has made known His intentions for married life. It is between one man and one woman, it is sacred and unending, it is a mirroring of Christ’s love for His people and His Church, it is a complimentary action between the two parts of His Creation and it compliments—in man and woman—the totality of God.

Then reality of human marriage. And, then He created human beings—with all our glory and all our failings. So how then do we dove-tail the two: the expectations and potential of God made visible in Man and the fact that we are imperfect creatures? Do we change what God has taught us? Do we simply depend on His boundless mercy and forgiveness?

On today’s subject of divorce and remarriage outside of the Church, first we need to clearly understand what our faith teaches us. Divorce in and of itself does not separate an individual from God or His Church. A divorced person is welcome at Mass and at the Sacraments. The Church, because of human nature, allows for the dissolution of a marriage that is proved not to have been sacramental from the very beginning. It does not say or teach that the marriage never was a legal marriage (it was) but what it was not in the eyes of the Church is a valid and sacramental marriage. Therefore, it can be dissolved so that the Catholic party(ies) are free to marry in the Church again (it is impossible to appropriately address this subject in this short space or at a homily, however in our Adult Faith Formation Series during the up-coming year we will have a meeting on the Annulment itself and the process).

So what are we to do? As always, we live dependent upon the Mercy and Love of God. We also leave the judgment of the world to the Lord God. And, since we cannot even minimally discuss the issues of divorce, annulment, and remarriage in this limited space, and since we most certainly cannot resolve society’s often times minimalistic approach to marriage, then what we are left with is the expression of our obligation as Catholics (people of faith) to prepare individuals for marriage and how we then support married couples. Maybe this difficult question can be “boiled down” to a proposition?
If we as a faith people believe God in His call for the permanence of marriage, then we must take seriously our obliga-tion to prepare those seeking marriage to be capable of making a mature and informed decision about their life partner. Therefore, Pre Cana needs to be more than just “going through the motions” of meeting with the priest to discuss the theology of marriage and the practical aspects of married life. Marriage needs to be understood as a true and lasting commitment, a commitment that goes beyond the fun of “setting up house,” or building a financial future together. We need to help young couples prepare themselves to make that mature and honest decision about themselves and their life partner so that in the storms of married life, their rudder is solidly attached and their sails are able to withstand a “perfect storm” to bring them safely home.

In my limited experience as a priest preparing folks for marriage, not always but far too often the couple is more interested in the wedding day than in the married life. Focus is on the details of the wedding and little attention is paid on what really matters—their goals for life together, their hopes for a family, will faith play a role in their lives, in the lives of their hoped-for children? Frequently I get the feeling that the time spent with the Church in Pre Cana is an aggravation and not an important preparation time. Far too often issues of finances, chil-dren, house dreams, family of origin issues, and goals for “where they want to be in 5, ten or twenty-five years are secondary to the band or the cake.

The parish also needs to shine a stronger light on the preparation of married couples. Theology of marriage, the idea of a Sacramental nature of love, the reasons for married life and family within the idea of God’s plan for salvation, are vitally important…but so are issues which come from the lived experience of married life. What about financial set backs and missed original plans, or a long-term illness of a spouse and the major impact that has on a couple or family’s future plans? Disappointments, stresses, children—and all that brings to the mixture of life together. What is true love?

These questions—and answers—are different for every individual couple that is for sure. But understanding that life brings with it good times and bad, joy and sorrow, highs and lows, and with that knowledge the creation of a firm foundation of love built upon honest give and take, will enable our future couples, mothers and fathers, to make a decision that hopefully will stand the tests of time. The Church has the obligation and duty to teach, make known and follow the Will of God. It also has the obligation and duty to prepare future husbands and wives to enter into married life well-equipped to build a life of love.

In the next six months I would like to work with couples who have been married for varying lengths of time, say 5, 25, 35, 50, even 60 years of marriage, and invite them to be part of a marriage preparation team. The Church has a “long-term” program of questions and issues to discuss in order to help build a healthy marriage. The goal is to build a strong Christian marriage, so that the questions and difficulties of divorce—and all that that implies—are fewer and the gift of a healthy, a mutually beneficial and long life together are really the absolute reality.

Let us all take some time to pray for all couples planning to marry, that they begin the new life in honesty and with open minds guided by Christ. Let us pray for all married couples who are having difficulty, may the Lord bless them, give them peace, and may He offer them the truth so that they may come to terms with their difficulties and build a life together that will strengthen them both, and bring joy to their hearts. And let us pray for all couples, that their lives together may be filled with joy, mutual respect, love, and the promises of old are fulfilled in their hearts—that they may be signs to all of God’s great hope for husbands and wives and families.
Peace,
-Fr. Michael

An examination of conscience!

This Sunday we find ourselves called to look to see if we are “putting limits on the Holy Spirit.” In the Gospel of John, the apostles question the mighty deeds a man performs in Jesus’ name. The apostles did not know this man and so they tell him to stop—he is not one of them—doing these things? Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not prevent him” (Mark 9:39) for if this man is performing mighty deeds in Jesus’ name, then God is with him, “for whoever is not against us is for us” (9:40). Do we put limits on those who teach the faith without an “official” title? Today’s readings call us to be open to the Holy Spirit and to all those who God calls to proclaim His Word. The issue is less about “official credentials” and more about our certainty of Jesus’ teachings.

In the second half of the Gospel we move in a different direction: we hear that even the smallest act of kindness per-formed in Christ’s name will be rewarded, and that to lead an-other to sin is the worst thing we can do—worse than dying. In examining our conscience we must look to see if our actions lead us—and others—to sin. Do our actions—or even being lukewarm to Christ’s faith—create an opportunity for sin as we replace Christ’s teaching with our own? When we refuse to judge some-thing—to be either righteous or evil or when we try to make everyone feel as though its okay to do what you want because after all, a victimless crime is just that, victimless—does this lack of action lead others astray? Do we believe that by calling for no absolute truths that we are abdicating our responsibility to “teach and preach” what we heard from God? This is just a question, not a judgment. But how does that thought make us feel? Comfort-able—and firm in what we believe and do…or a little concerned about our compass, about the source or foundation of our beliefs and actions…and how they are viewed by God?

FACTOIDS of interest as religious education classes begin—I thought the following summarized information from Boston College’s C21 (the Church in the 21st Century Center) is very timely and worth the read...its a great reinforcement to those who make the time to both participate in religious education and also attend Mass as a family and live-out their faith together. And for those who are wondering if “its all worth it,” well here are some interesting things to ponder:

1. How does family religious involvement benefit children, teens, and adults, and strengthen the family?

A growing body of empirical research demonstrates that a family’s religious involvement directly benefits children, teens, and adults in a variety of very significant ways. In their survey of the research literature, David Dollahite and Jennifer Thatcher found the following benefits of a family’s religious involvements: Divorce rates are lower and marital satisfaction and quality scores highest among religiously involved couples; Religious practices are linked with family satisfaction, closer father-child, and closer parent-child relationships; There is less domestic violence among more religious couples, and religious parents are less likely to abuse or yell at their children; Greater religiosity in parents and youth is associated with a variety of protective factors for adolescents. Adolescent religiosity is inversely related with many high-risk behaviors, all of which have potential to greatly influence the adolescents’ current and future family relationships.

“…it appears that one of the most important things parents can do for their children is spiritual and religious experience and community.” (Dollahite and Thatcher, 10).

2. What is the impact of parental faith on children and teens?

Of parents who report that their faith is extremely important in their daily lives, 67% of their teens report that faith is extremely or very important in their daily lives, only 8% of those parents’ teens report that faith is not important;

Of parents who report that faith is somewhat important in their daily lives, 61% of their children report the same, only 8% report it is not important;

Of parents who report that faith is not important at all, 47% of their teens also report that faith is not important; and only 2% of the teens report that faith is extremely important in their lives.

3. What are the core family faith practices?

Family faith conversations—listening and responding to daily concerns with a faith perspective makes it easier to have meaningful conversations about God. Hearing their parent’s “faith stories” is one of the most important influences on the faith of children or teenagers;

Liturgy, family devotions, and prayer—family devotions, prayer and participation in the liturgy provide a way to learn more about scripture and Christian traditions; Family service—engaging in service with one’s family can be a powerful opportunity for growing in faith;

Family rituals and traditions—families identify themselves and tell their family stories through daily routines, celebrations, and rituals. They communicate meaning, values, and relationships that exist between people and with God (including God’s created universe);

Family meal—research demonstrates that eating together as a family five or more times a week is strongly linked to lower incidences of bad outcome such as teenage drug and alcohol use, and to good qualities like emotional stability, low levels of family stress, and good parent/child/teen relationships.

Research illustrates that “the family is the first community of faith and the most powerful influence on the faith of children and teenagers.” The Church has always taught that “parents are the first and the best of teachers of their children...” (Baptismal Ritual). We recognize that today’s families are stressed by work, sports, and busy school schedules, and one of the first things to suffer due to these additional stresses is religious activities. Yet this study and article shows the important impact faith and family have on our children—now and forever…even eternity.

In this parish, it is our collective attempt (and obligation) to work with our parents to make sure that they are the “first of teachers and the best of teachers” when it comes to living out their faith. Our religious education, Confirmation, and Youth Ministry programs do their utmost to offer a variety of assistance in both scripture- and tradition-based learning, as well as in programmatic activities in order to put into practice the living Word of God. And, our new Mass schedule was designed to dove-tail well with busy schedules and non-Church activities—with even the secular demands now placed on weekends—so that families may worship together and benefit greatly from a stronger and ever-growing relationship with God.

It requires a commitment from us all—the Church and the faithful—and the courage to recognize what is truly important in our lives—both here in the material world and in the next World to come.

Peace,
-Fr. Michael

What being the Messiah means

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 9:30-37) we hear Jesus continue to define just what being the Messiah means: that He must be handed over to the authorities, He must suffer and die, and then be raised on the third day. As they travel from Ceseria Phillipi and in through Galilee, His apostles simply do not under-stand what He is telling them. They have a completely different vision of the Messiah, one that does not suffer but is ―triumphant,‖ and they are afraid to question Him about this. Rather, they argue among themselves as they travel. Once in Capernaum, they enter a house and Jesus questions them, ―What were you arguing about on the way?‖ But they remained silent—for fear of what He will think of them. Jesus calls the Twelve and, knowing what they were debating (who among them was the greatest), tells them, ―If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.‖ It is a turning point in the Gos-pel of Mark and the apostles are ―afraid,‖ not of Jesus but rather of the idea of a ―suffering Messiah‖ – not the type of leader for which they were searching. Gospel commentators tell us that ―this is the same fear that will scatter them at the moment of Jesus’ arrest.‖

In the second part of this gospel it is Jesus who asks the question of the apostles and the fear they have comes from their shame (9:34) –from their argument amongst themselves as to who was the greatest of the apostles. Then, Jesus takes the little child and putting His arm around it, declares to His twelve that to receive one child such as this in his name is to receive Jesus and to receive Jesus is to receive God. At this time in world history children were utterly dependant upon their parents for their existence. They had no rights, no rank in society. They were not idealized as they are now, as innocents from heaven. Jesus’ message to His apostles is to depend on God as a child depends on its parents, with complete trust.

Jesus is also telling His apostles that ambition which is not aimed at the good of the society is selfish and destructive—can you imagine the apostles arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest—and then think of that question with the mind of God. Think of God’s ―frustration.‖ During his first ordi-nation of priests as pope, Benedict XVI urged the transitional deacons being elevated to the priesthood to beware of ambition and careerism. A modern day lesson centering on what Jesus was telling his Twelve. Why does today’s world honor such ―power grabs- as a sign of good self esteem, strength and power, and as a good thing? In today’s second reading James gives us a clear definition of good ambition—that which benefits all: ―Selfish ambition- leads to self-interest and jealousy, which leads to conflicts of all kinds, even war. James tells us that true wisdom is ―pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity‖ (James 3:17). True wisdom leads to peace.

After listening to today’s Sacred Scripture we can ask ourselves, What are we arguing over in our ministries/lives/homes/offices/schools? On whom, or what, is our focus? It seems that the apostles looked only at themselves. They even attempted to turn the little children away but Jesus employs the children as an educational tool to teach others about trust and dependency, about living together for the good of all.

"Do we, as a community, truly value the children and not just as proud parents but do we welcome them into full and appropriate participation by way of mentoring and training them to become active members of our faith community or, do we simply smile and call them the "future" of the Church—rather than part of our Church, now and forever?"

Jesus called and used many different people to spread His ministry and build His Church during His time on earth. This Monday we have another example of looking beyond our own ―clicks or self-interests‖ as we celebrate the feast of Saint Mat-thew, apostle, evangelist—and tax collector—as we know from our Church and World History, one of the least loved or admired occupations in the world at that time.

Parish Maintenance Update. As you enter the Church through the Atrium doors or look at the larger, outer wall of the Church that faces Stratton Brook Road, or even peek around the back of the Church and Russell Hall, you will notice how sparkling clean the buildings look, due to a power washing this past week. Gone are the black mold, the lichens, and the resulting fungi that have been growing on the façade of the buildings and on the roof of the rectory. If you were to have looked at the outer wall facing the Marian Garden, you would have seen a great deal of mold growing up the wall with all of its discoloration on the white vinyl as a truly nasty green-black overlay had been making its home there. A new company in the area, Comes A Time, did a fantastic job in making the Church clean and free of these infestations and stains. At the rectory, the roof was covered in a great deal of mold and lichens and you would not believe the "gunk" that came running off in the washing process. As a benefit of doing this inexpensive cleaning project, the four large windows (which form a Cross) in the former Chapel of the rectory which appeared to have broken seals and were slated for replacement, were just clouded over with years of dirt and a set of old (from the early 1970s) ultra violet, plastic coverings. The power washing on the outside combined with a great deal of Windex and elbow grease on the inside led us to see clearly that, in fact, the windows are (operationally) fine and simply were coated with years of dirt and then some. A happy savings and an easy fix.

We are also looking into the replacement of some windows in the Church that have broken seals. These windows look out to our back field and over to Tulmeadow Farm. For the sake of both energy efficiency and for the beauty of God’s creation, this is a good thing. As you enter the front doors in the Atrium entrance, close inspection of the doors will clearly find that they are in sad shape. The doors in question are interior doors being used as exterior doors and, obviously, have not held up to the variations in our New England climate. James DePasquale, son of Dr. and Mrs. Philip (Patty) DePasquale, has chosen for his Eagle Scout project the repair of these four doors. The doors will be stripped, sanded, repaired and the properly transformed into exterior doors (with plenty of protective coating applied to them). This is a great project for James as he works toward his admirable and difficult task of reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and it is a great service to our parish and our facility maintenance program. I am very appreciative of his desire to assist us. There will be more to follow on this project as it moves forward during September.

Peace,
Fr. Michael

Full Participation

Full Participation. Vatican II, the Council that
saw to it that the laity would have new ways to fully participate
in the Mass was, for many people, a positive event and
led to the “doors of the Church being opened for all to participate
in the Mass.” However, after some 40 years of practice
some folks have become “silent participants” in the
Mass. So as a way of reconnecting with the original intent of
that Vatican Council, I offer a few words on our participation:

The Catholic understanding of the Mass is that it is truly a dialogue between God and His people, with the priest acting in persona Christi as mediator in prayer and in bringing the Sacrifice of the Mass—Holy Eucharist—into being by consecrating the bread and wine into the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ. While the priest prays the prayers of consecration, the peoples’ role is to respond appropriately—in a clear, loud and unified voice.

When the priest declares, “The Lord be with you,” the
people respond, “And also with you.” The same holds
true for the opening prayer, the collect, and the closing
prayer offered by the celebrant—each calls for the congregation
to respond with “Amen!” So that the Lord hears us all.
At the reception of Holy Communion, where we as a church
believe the real presence of Christ exists, the Extraordinary
Minister of Holy Communion and the ordinary minister of
Holy Communion, the priest or deacon, lifts the sacred
Body and Blood and declares, “The Body/Blood of Christ”
and the people respond, “Amen!” Prior to reception of
Holy Communion, the Church asks the communicant to
make some sign of reverence—either a slight bow of the
head, a sign of the Cross, or some other appropriate gesture—
showing that we believe that this is more than just
mere bread or wine but rather Christ made present by the power of God.

Participation in Song was also given a major status in
the liturgy by Vatican Council II—and not just for those with
wonderful voices—or I would not have been ordained!
While there are many books written on this subject matter,
including a tongue-in-cheek one entitled, “Why Catholics
Don’t Sing,” the idea of singing at Mass—both hymns and
psalms, is not simply a way to add ten or fifteen minutes to
the liturgy but rather is meant to illustrate the importance
of offering praise to God for all His goodness. The songs
selected for a particular Sunday reflect the message of the
readings and the Gospel, and they draw our attention to
who we are and what we are called to be as we leave the
Mass and go out into the secular world—bearers of God’s love, mercy, and hope.

Often times rituals may seem unnecessary or even
burdensome. Other times we really enjoy it at Christmas- or
Easter-time but for some Sundays we just want to “get-in
and get-out.” The reason for a great celebration on each and
every Sunday must never be to “fulfill the obligation” of
Mass but rather to increase our human desire and love for
God—who is all good and loving—and simply desires us to
freely desire and choose to love Him back. May our participation
reflect that genuine love and desire to be One with God, now and forever.

This is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary
Time in the Church Calendar. In last week’s Gospel
Jesus healed the deaf-mute man and he and his friends
went out to tell everyone they could of what Jesus had done
for him—even though Jesus told them to keep quiet.
In this weekend’s Gospel account, Jesus identifies
who He really is—and then tells His disciples not to tell anyone.
Why? Well, remember when Jesus was teaching in His
hometown of Nazareth and the people could not accept His
teachings? After all, He was the son of Joseph and Mary,
they knew Him and could not accept the Wisdom from this
familiar “guy.” The same is true for His disciples. Jesus reveals
to His apostles that being the Christ means that He
will have to be rejected, He will have to suffer, He will have
to die…and be Resurrected. This “version” of the Messiah is
not who Peter and the others expected. They, like others,
believed that the Cross was a mistake, a failure, and that the
Messiah was not someone who mere mortals could destroy.
While they saw the Cross as a defeat, Jesus knew the Cross
was the only way for Christ—and for all of us who wish to
follow Him.

In today’s first reading, from Isaiah, we are prepared
to hear about the Passion of Christ. In fact, the last
time we heard this reading in the Church was on Palm Sunday
when it called our attention to the Passion. Today it is
proclaimed to us so that we will be prepared to hear of the
first time Jesus tells of His own passion. In this weekend’s
second reading from the Letter of James we hear of a strong
call to the Christian virtue of acting out our faith. We are
told by James that the true disciple, the real Christian, must
do more than simply offer his or her good wishes for others,
they must live-out their faith in works of charity. It is not
enough to say, “keep warm, eat well” (James 2:16) rather we
must “give them the necessities of the body” (2:16). Today
we are reminded of this letter from James, which iterates
the call of Christ, in what Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his
encyclical Deus Caritas Est, “The Church cannot neglect the
service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments
and the Word.” (22).

Remembering September 11, 2001

Eight years ago on September 11th our nation suffered a most horrific attack upon our soil, and this day has become a National Day of Mourning and Remembrance. Let us keep in our individual and collective prayers all those who died, and those who mourn.

Let us pray for all who protect us, our troops, our rescue workers, and our intelligence communities— as we pray unceasingly for an end to terrorism and its causes.May the innocent souls lost that day rejoice in the Kingdom of God and may our loving Savior’s
face shine radiantly upon this great nation, keeping all who love peace and freedom safe from harm.AMEN!

“Be Opened”

“Be Opened” (Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time). In the Sacrament of Baptism there is a prayer called the Prayer of Ephphatha which the celebrant offers over the child to be baptized. As he touches the ears and the mouth of the child he prays the prayer saying, “May the Lord soon touch your ears to hear His word and your mouth to proclaim His Gospel to the glory of God the Father.” It is a prayer of hope that the child to be baptized, like all believers, will learn to praise God the Father in word and deed.

In today’s Gospel word and speech take on a powerful meaning as Jesus opens the ears of a deaf man and gives him the ability to speak. More than endless “chatter” is now expected of his speech. In this foreign territory people, as in other locales, bring to Jesus the sick and afflicted. Normally He heals those in need with a simple word but today’s ac-count has Him healing the deaf man “in stages.” First, Jesus separates the deaf man from the crowd, leading him aside. Next He touches the man’s ears, anoints his eyes with saliva, and then prays, as the Gospel states, He “looked up to heaven and groaned” (Mark 7:34). Finally, Jesus speaks the word—“Ephphatha,” which means “be opened.”
It is interesting to see that this healing of the deaf man takes on a sacramental nature, not only with words, but silent prayers and ritual gestures. The man immediately begins to speak and he and his friends begin to “spread the word,” if you will, of what this Jesus has done for him. As Isaiah foretold, the “deaf hear and the mute speak,” there is a prophet in their midst and they recognize it clearly.
In the first reading Isaiah tells of what will happen when God comes—He will bring healing and life with Him: the blind see, the deaf will hear, the lame dance, and the mute sing. All this is to be for the glory and praise of God, and for the good of all His people. In the second reading Saint James reiterates one of the most basic teachings of Jesus: the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. According to Saint James, some of the worldly ways have crept into the religious assemblies of the people as those of power and wealth are greeted with great hospitality and privilege, while the poor and powerless are told to stand to the side. Saint James is trying to remind us that these worldly distinctions have no place in Church. By separating people into these two groups and treating them accordingly, we have already judged them. Are we able to remember that no matter who the person is, the word of God has been spoken to them by the same, One, True God. While the message or vocation may—as well as the gifts given—differ from per-son to person, the command and the love is the same. For the One God speaks to us all without regard for gender, color, station-in-life or any other human distinction.

James’ message is as difficult for us today as it was for his original audience. But the point remains the same: “In what ways do we make distinctions among people in our own assemblies? Do we make judgments, perhaps inadvertently, in the way we welcome people, in the way we carry out the liturgy? Or do we treat all with equal graciousness. The friends of the deaf-mute man bring him to Jesus, this weekend we might focus our attention on more practical aspects of welcoming people. How do we as a parish welcome people with “disabilities” to Church? Is our building accessible? Is it difficult or easy for those in wheelchairs or walkers to enter our Church and to make themselves comfortable in the pews…how do we assist them? Are they able to sit with their families or easily make it up to Holy Communion, or actively participate in the liturgy, as a lector or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (by being able to negotiate the Sanctuary)?

We are all precious in the sight of God, all welcome in His Church, and all given the gifts to “hear His word and proclaim it to the glory of God.” Let us all be opened to his word and to proclaiming it to each and every person.

More words…I am not even going to say the “R” or the “S” word, (“roof” and “shingles”) but we did survive last weeks heavier rains from Tropical Storm Danny and not a leak was noted or felt. I am hoping all is well with those situations.

I do however wish to say the “T” word loud and clear to each and every member of this parish for your faithful generosity to the monthly Maintenance collection. Thanks to you we are able work on the many and varied maintenance projects without having to seek loans or lines-of-credit. We are able to prioritize projects and work on them as the money is collected. In that same vein, in mid-August, we had our annual insurance walk-through in the Church, the parish center and related offices, and in the rectory. We passed with flying colors and were issued a letter praising our changes and the ongoing up-keep of the property. Only one minor issue was noted, a banister on the staircase up to the attic is required by the insurance carrier. That will be taken care of by our facilities manager, Mike Grappone. Otherwise, the Archdiocese was quite pleased with all that we have accomplished in the last two years. We’ll see how pleased they are when I send in our insurance claim to help cover the costs associated with the water damage in the center and rear of the interior Church. Thank you very kindly for your willingness to support our maintenance work and be assured that we are instituting a healthy ongoing maintenance and review program so that we are able to catch potential issues prior to them becoming expensive repairs.
Peace,
-Father Michael

How Do You Do What You Do?

The Bread of Life discourse has come to an end. This week, in a unique way, we hear about the real meaning of the Liturgy. For many people, especially priests—and those priests who’s concentration for the MDiv degree in seminary was liturgy, the liturgy can become all important as a ritual and a rite. Sometimes so much so that it becomes the overarching theme of the day. I know! For those of us involved in the preparation of the liturgy we can become absorbed in the details (the rubrics) of the liturgy, and while the rubrics are important we must not let them become the liturgy.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns those (the Pharisees) whose religion is nothing but an empty form, perhaps showing itself as just going through the “motions” or doing the “ritual thing” but not allowing the faith to in-fuse the self and become the force for good in our lives and in our world. The real meaning of the liturgy is to care for and about God’s creation. The Pharisees challenge Jesus about the details of the Law. In today’s first reading Moses presents the Law as “justice” and now the Pharisees are “redefining” the law as ritual purity in the “cleansing of the cups, jugs, kettles and beds” (Mark 7:4). Sometimes rituals and rubrics can become the force in the liturgy rather than being “the vessels that hold something much larger: the worship of the Christian people, which God fills with grace.” The rubrics and rituals are those things that help us to understand the mystery of God and are not, as some thought the gold on the Temple walls was, that which gives glory to God. God is the glory.

In today’s second reading we hear, in a far different way then from Saint Paul’s very deep and theological writings, in a simple and direct manner from St. James that we must be “doers” and not just “hearers.” That pure relig-ion is lived out both externally in service of the afflicted, and internally, in remaining “unstained” by the world. (1:27)

Jesus wants us—and James reiterates clearly—to be so transformed by our faith that we live it out in our daily lives as to transform others and the world around us. Thus we profess our faith by the actions we do (being “doers”), and by being imitators of Christ, albeit in a human version or as a “shadow” of Christ. The list of things that can assist us in becoming “doers” is long and well-known by us all. No one needs to tell you or highlight those “doings.” The real question is “how do I incorporate being a “doer” in my daily life and still live-out my other commitments—family, work, community—in a 24-hour day/seven-day-a-week schedule?”

The simple yet difficult answer is all in the quality, not the quantity of the “doing.” We are not called to save the world. That we leave to God. We are not even called to avert hunger, eliminate loneliness, defeat evil, or impart complete harmony in the lives of others. What we are called to do is our part. And doing our part is different for each and every soul. Not everyone has the same, identical calling in life and so we do not have the same, identical gifts from God in order to complete that individual calling. However, we do all share equally in the same commission from God, a commission to care and to act (to do) in His name. Whatever it is that we are called to do, the great and the small, it is to be done with God’s love and concern. Whether we are called to lead a ministry in feeding the hungry or simply deliver a loaf of bread or a bunch of bananas, what matters is the act of caring. I think it was Connecticut Governor William A. O’Neill (1980-1991—Connecticut’s longest serving Governor since Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 1769-1784) who said, “Caring is Sharing.”

God asks each one of us to care—and to share —with those in need—by the power of the gifts He gives to us. In that great Book in heaven, in which we all hope to have our names inscribed, we trust that it does not list the size or quantity of the act but rather the act itself. No need is too great as to dwarf the human spirit of love, and no act is too small to be received in gratitude and joy by the one in need and by the God of all. Let us not worry so much about what it is we are doing and rather be more concerned with the godly act of “doing;” being “doers” in the image and likeness of our God.

The actions of this parish, collectively and individually, must certainly ensure that the Book in heaven needs many pages for the names of the “doers” right here at Saint Catherine of Siena. Thank you!

Speaking of being a “doer,” I want to thank Mr. Max O’Meara for all his hard work and great efforts in the multiple projects he has been working on this summer on our parish grounds. From scrapping and sanding and painting the outside of the Church, to removing old posts and huge rocks and weeds around the mechanical areas, Max has been a real trooper in seeing to the beauty and functioning of our facilities. I appreciate his time, his talent and know-how, as well as all the expense he has saved this parish by his hard work and generous donation of time. Thank you!

Peace,
-Father Michael

A gentle and kindly reminder to our ministers at Mass (altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, cantors), appropriate attire for serving at Mass is a sign of respect for God and the liturgy. Flip-flops, shorts, and beach-like attire should not be worn (to Mass) in the sanctuary. We are, after all, blessed with air conditioning. Without being too picky (note above comments on the “the rubrics and ritual details”), as Catholics we believe that the Mass is the most sacred communal act and we remind ourselves by the “rubrics and rituals” that we are in a special place (God’s house) during our time at Church. Our demeanor, attire, and prayers should announce to others our beliefs as being lived-out in both word and deed. Peace!

I am the Bread of Life

Today is the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Bread of Life discourse, in the Gospel of John, comes to an end. In today’s gospel account there is confusion. Jesus has been talking to His disciples about how His flesh and blood is the bread of life for the whole world. His disciples—and others who hear this—are confused and sacred. Leonardo da Vinci, according to art historians, has captured this confusion and fear in his famous representation of the Last Supper. In his glorious painting, Jesus is the calm in the center of the storm at that table where his apostles lean away from Him and where some have jumped up from their seats; others whisper among themselves. This same confusion exists in today’s gospel when many of Jesus’ apostles cannot accept what He has been telling them, others leave Him. For us today, like the early apostles, the Eucharist is very challenging on every level—mind, spirit, and body—and it demands a response.

The Body and Blood of Christ, the Bread of Life, challenges us spiritually in that the Sacrament par excellence calls us to suspend our view of reality (in the material world) and have faith in the power of our God to transform mere bread and wine into the vessel of His sacred Love. It challenges us to believe the He can transform us to be more like Him as we accept Him into our lives by consuming Him. It challenges us to go forth from the community worship at Mass and to take His ultimate Word, His sacred Body, and His precious Blood into the world and by our lived experience of faith, transformed the world and make His Kingdom present in the here-and-now.
Scholars tell us that today’s first reading from Joshua marks a turning point in the history of the chosen people. They have taken possession of the Promised Land, and at last there is peace. Before he dies, Joshua urges them to make a decision. Will they continue to serve the Lord? Or will they follow other gods? Joshua gives us the memorable phrase, “we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). The second reading from Ephesians is perhaps one of the hardest ones for modern-day Christians to hear. The Church offers two versions—one longer, one shorter—but both speak of a love of a husband for his wife as being com-parable to the love of Christ for His Church. In the shorter version the difficult word “subordinate” is not heard. What today’s Christian needs to understand is the usage of that word according to the culture of the Ephesians. The focus of the shorter version—and for us in the modern world—is the mutuality of marriage. The fact is that in a sacramental marriage man and woman become one and are united in Love by the source and font of Love—Christ. Both husband and wife are called and challenged for the good of themselves and for their family to be of mutual love, mutual respect, and mutual honor—equal to each other and sharers in Christ’s Love for His people and His Church.

In this final Bread of Life discourse in today’s Gospel we hear of another turning point (as we heard in the first reading) but this time, the turning point is in the ministry of Jesus. His statement regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood alienates many of His disciples. “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” they ask (John 6:60). Jesus tells them that acceptance of this statement is a matter of grace, and then He asks the Twelve whether they, too, wish to leave Him. Peter, like Joshua did in the first reading, speaks up with a great Profession of Faith. Note that Peter does not say that he understands this teaching of Jesus but rather that he knows that he is where he belongs. Peter has faith that Jesus has the “words of eternal life.” (6:68).

One of the challenges of the Eucharist is to come together as One Christian family, united in Truth and in the One, True God. In this weekend’s prayer after Communion (the closing prayer and final blessing of Mass) we as a community will ask for the peace, unity, and healing found in the Eucharist. It is a diffi-cult challenge for us individually and corporately as a Church but it is one that Christ has called us to. May we pray and act accord-ing to His wishes.
Peace,
-Father Michael

Another benefit of registering as a parishioner

Another benefit of registering as a parishioner is... and I know I sound like a broken record but the song keeps being requested...that if you are not registered in a parish—and are not personally known to the priest—and you are asked to be a god-parent for baptism or a sponsor for confirmation it is nearly difficult for the priest to issue the paperwork. The sponsorship form asks the priest to testify to the fact that you, the future godparent or sponsor, is a practicing Catholic in good standing. It makes it much easier to answer that question if the priest knows you or knows of you. Please register if you consider Saint Catherine your parish.

As summer is coming to a close, sad to say, please make sure you are registered for Religious Education and Confirmation Classes. Forms are located in the Church vestibule and atrium. You may also fill them out and drop them in the collection basket, leave them in the parish office drop-off box outside the parish office, or mail them to the office. Also, all interested youth ministry members please keep tabs on the upcoming Youth Ministry activities and events. Mrs. Pluta will have another exciting and event-filled year planned that will help build friend-ships and community as well as offer you numerous opportunities to be leaders in our Church and community. As a priest I don’t like to hear others talk about our youth as “the future of our Church” but rather you are the Church now! Please become involved and make a big difference in the lives of others and our Church. Thank you.

A very warm and heartfelt “Thank-You” to all those ladies and gents who help take care of the flowers and grounds at the rectory and the Church. I have received a number of great comments from parishioners (actually I was at Andy’s Market—dressed in clerics—one day and a lady came up to me who lives near the Church but is not a parishioner and told me how nice the property looks) on how beautiful the parish grounds look. I tell them that there are many, many folks who are giving of their time and talent to make the property look so lovely. I am deeply in-debted to all! And I want you to know that I have noticed an in-crease in “traffic” around the Mary garden during the day and early evening hours. Many folks stop by and spend some quiet and meditative time in the garden. I am sure the Blessed Mother hears your prayers, hopes and concerns, and then delivers them to Her Son. She is a most powerful intercessor on our behalf.

The Not So Perfect “Perfect Storm.”

 As I mentioned last weekend, we had additional leaks in the
roof area, which became very evident after those Friday
(July 31st) violent rain storms. I realize that this seems
like an ongoing problem, and one that is very disheartening
especially after the roof repairs we have undertaken
to date. However, the overall roof repairs already completed
were necessary (with some 11 leaks in the area
where the old Church meets the Atrium and in the nave
of the Church) as the shingles were severely worn and
there was a great deal of rot in the underlying plywood,
not to mention the incorrect flashing and gutters. Unfortunately
that was not to be the whole story.

After the rain storms of some two weeks ago, an
inferred test illustrated that the there were serious problems
and structural issues with the skylights over the
sanctuary—that huge building that sits on top of the
Church. I invite you to look at the photos in the Atrium
which highlight the rot as well as the size of the custommade
windows, with which we are dealing.

The situation is that some 15 years ago there
were leaks in the large skylights and the solution was to
add storm windows, which made sense and worked for a
time. However, those storm windows, which are custommade
and some 14” high and 8” wide, became part of the
current problem. None of the storm windows had weepholes,
thus rain and condensation built up over the years
and had no place to go except into the wood frames
which initiated the rotting process. In addition, the wood
frames were never mitered and thus were ill-fitting allowing
for more problems behind the storm windows.
The casings on the storm window themselves, while architecturally
attractive, were too intricate offering numerous
seems which would eventually become future
leaks (we have replaced these casings with a straight “C”
shaped frame, eliminating that issue). Add to all this that
a combination of copper and aluminum flashing was
used, which is not recommended since it causes additional
leakage concerns. Finally, since the large windows
face a southern exposure, the 25-year guarantee on the
caulking really only lasts somewhere around 10 years. It
has never been checked or replaced.

The Solution comprises a simplified casing
used around the storm windows to eliminate the potential
for more issues. While this casing is less attractive to
the eye, I doubt many will be able to notice it from the
ground level. Let me know if it makes a difference. Additionally,
weep-holes have been drilled into all of the
storm windows and we have replaced the mix of flashing
with a uniform aluminum flashing, running it higher up
the windows. The rotten wood has been replaced with all
new boards and has been accurately mitered for a better
fit, adding even more protection. Finally, we will have a
more proactive maintenance program which is preemptive
rather than reactive in nature, this will include replacing
the caulking every six to eight years so that the southern
exposure does not successfully work against us
(certainly one day of labor and some caulking is a great
deal less expensive and less aggravating then a full blown
rebuild).

Just for fun I looked into the idea of removing
the skylights and the tower on the top of the Church,
closing in the roof and adding high-tech, artificial lighting.
This would require a great deal of structural work
and the estimated cost is in the ballpark of $150,000 to
$200,000! Our current project is estimated at $6,450.
An obvious choice was made.

I do wish to acknowledge the great dedication
and hard work—as well as expertise in the field of facilities
management—of Tony Drapelick, who is the chairman
of our Building and Grounds Committee. Tony has
been here everyday working on this project—and others—
overseeing the designs and interacting with the
workman. He has a great deal of love and concern for
Saint Catherine of Siena and that is evident in all that he
does for this parish. I am indebted to him—and to many
others—for their dedication and concern for the temporal
goods of the Church.

I apologize for using this space, which normally
deals with the spiritual and theological aspects of the
readings, with more practical aspects of parish management.
However the subject matter is important and we
all need to be informed on such matters.

Peace,
-Father Michael

The Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

This is the third week in our five-week reading cycle on Jesus as the bread of life and we hear in the Gospel that no one can come to Jesus, the bread of life, unless God the Father draws us to Him. We remember from last weekend that the bread of life, which Jesus claims to be is different bread than the mass that rained down from heaven to the people of Israel. Remember that after their long journey into the desert with Moses they were already remembering with a bit of revisionist history that things weren’t “so bad” in Egypt under Pharaoh. After all, their “fleshpots” were full and they had food to eat. God, through Moses’ prayer, sent them bread from heaven for their physical needs. Then we were told by Jesus during the feeding of the 5,000-plus that a new bread was being given, it was Jesus Himself and he was the bread of life for both our earthly journey (as we work to be Christians in the making) and for our Eternal life, made one with the God of all creation.

In the time of the audience of Jesus the people were quite used to, and comfortable with, hearing stories that God fed His people. What made them uncomfortable, according to scripture scholars, was hearing Jesus proclaim, “the bread that I give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). In the next two weeks we will hear discussed the concerns and answer surrounding the question “how can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

In the second reading for this weekend, from Ephesians, we hear that we are to be Christ-like in all that we say and do so that we do not hurt others—or “grieve” others. It is the call for us all to be compassionate, even if at times we feel unworthy to imitate Christ in our world. The Christian call is not to be perfect, for indeed that “perfection” will come only when our mortal bodies are raised, by Christ, from the dead and are united with our im-mortal souls becoming glorified in Christ. Until that time, we are all called to be human beings flawed yet by the Grace of God full of compassion and loving a little bit more like God, seeing the face of Christ in each and every human being. Just as in our first reading we hear of a long and seemingly unsuccessful journey. A journey that makes Elijah feel as though he is not as worthy as those who walked the walk before him. Yet he is encouraged to continue, even helped along by an angel. Most of us feel this same way in our Christian journey from time to time—not worthy and perhaps looking at our parents and grandparents as better Catholics, knowing what to follow and what to believe in. God wants us not to give up and sit back but to take encouragement from those around us and continue the journey. For Elijah it was forty days later when he meets God—after eating the bread and obeying the command to continue. It is a difficult task ahead for each of us—the Cross is not easy—but the fruits it will offer us are beyond compare. May we be like Elijah, obedient and faithful so that we too may meet God in the still, whispering sound of peace at the end of our journey.

Peace,
Fr. Michael

p.s. A sincere thank-you to all of our advertisers in this bulletin. Their generosity makes this weekly communications tool possible, at NO EXPENSE to our parish. Kindly thank them with your support.

He knows what is best for us

Parishioner wins professional award, parish
receives financial windfall. Mr. Robert
Hensley, a long-time and active member of Saint
Catherine of Siena Parish, has been recognized for
his professional work and was given the Deborah
Eldridge Service Award for the Estate and Business
Planning Council of Hartford. Bob is president of Robert
Hensley & Associates, LLC, of Avon, which specializes in the
services of insurance, security brokers, employee benefits
compensation plans, and financial planning. Because of his
expertise and professionalism—and due to his love of and
generosity of the parish—Bob directed the award’s financial
gift—of $500.00—to be given to the Maintenance Fund of
Saint Catherine of Siena for use in our roof repair projects.
The financial award, recommended by Bob, is administered
by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
I wish to thank Bob for his thoughtful generosity by
remembering our parish needs and to offer him our congratulations
on this recognition in his professional career.

And speaking of parish projects. By way of
update on some work being accomplished here at Saint
Catherine of Siena Parish: you will note some interior ceiling
work being done where past rain damage (on the inside
ceiling of the Church to the left of the vestibule inside doors,
over the gift table in the center of the Church, and over the
doorways where the Church and the Atrium meet) had
caused some stains, sagging overhead plaster, and large,
dangling paint chips. Inside the sacristy— was extremely
small and afforded both little room for people to ready
themselves for Mass as well as limited closets. We now have
taken down the inner wall which backed up to a rarely used
storage room, expanding the sacristy. We built a storage
closet and moved the credenza out of the middle of the sacristy.
Now we have ample storage space for the sacred vessels,
vestments and all other liturgical needs. This will free
up the closet space along the rear wall so that we can unclutter
the Library and religious education/youth ministry
offices and properly store our items. This will go a long way
in keeping things neat and making our parish center and
Church appear as the sacred space that it is.

Over at the rectory we’re making space for
parish needs: The former chapel, which was originally
used for daily Mass and for baptisms prior to the Church
being built, had been used in later years as a great room.
The original rectory living room had been converted into
the priest’s office and the former housekeeper’s room became
the parish office. During the recent rectory renovations—
painting, carpet replacements and flooring upgrades,
which nearly all of the labor was performed by parishioners
and much of the materials used were donated or offered at
greatly reduced rates by parishioners—enabled me to reclaim
the living room for living space and make a smaller
sitting room into my office. With that I have been able to
make the former great room/chapel now available for use
for parish meetings.

Since there is very little meeting space in the new
parish center this causes great scheduling problems for our
many ministries, religious education, youth ministry, parish
council, finance council and other key meetings.

Opening up this rectory space for parish use will greatly enhance
the logistics of our meeting needs. As I am only one
person I do not feel the need for the additional living space.
In order to ready the room for public use, a few small alterations
have to be made. Once the alterations are complete
and the room is repainted, we will be up-and-running. It is
my hope to have the room ready by September. Storage
space in the rectory basement was created for the once-ayear
items such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter
decorations. By removing these items from the Church
proper and from the shed, we have been able to clean up our
storage areas and make them more accessible to those who
use them often. I appreciate all who volunteered to clean up
and organize the shed—mainly members from the Men’s
and Women’s Clubs.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In
today’s Gospel of John, Chapter 6, we hear of the account of
the feeding of thousands of people with just “…five barley
loaves and two fish.” It is a very familiar story and one that
offers to us a great insight into the magnificence of God and
His only Son. In this account of the feeding, we must see as
the main theme the abundance, rather the superabundance—
of Jesus’ love for His people. Not only does He feed
the hungry with more than they can consume—there are
five wicker baskets left over—but He is supplying them with
fulfillment not only in their physical need for nourishment
but He is taking care of their complete spiritual needs.
We see in this gospel account the great love of Jesus
who cares so much for His people that He concerns Himself
not only with their spiritual education—teaching them
about the Ways of God through His ministry and mission,
after all He has been curing the sick, raising the dead, casting
out demons, and preaching the Word of God in the temples
and in the streets but now He is using His divine power
to sufficiently meet the physical needs of those in His
charge. And, He not only gives them what they need—
physical nourishment—but so much so that they have more
than they need. We see that God will provide not only for
our immediate needs but for our eternal needs. He will give
us the earth and all that is upon it. He will give us life to live
in the here and now. And then He will grant us the graces to
live with Him eternally. In His superabundant love, our God
will not only meet our needs but continue to fill us to the
point of unending satisfaction. And, even when it seemingly
looks empty—only five loaves and a few fish—God can and
will provide.

The questions He asks us is, “Do we have trust in
Him?” Will we sufficiently place our hope and trust in the
Lord that He will provide for our needs? Can we distinguish
between our “needs” and our “wants,” and do we have faith
in our God that He knows what is best for us?

Today’s shepherds

Meeting Time for Religious Education Classes. During last weekend’s Masses as I introduced the new Mass schedule for September through May, I left out of my “diatribe” the actual time of the religious education classes...Mrs. Bonner kindly reminded me of that oversight. So to be clear, religious education classes will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., offering parents one half hour either after the 8:00 a.m. Mass or before the 11:00 Mass for travel time. This should eliminate the rush out of our parking lot and the rush into Henry James Middle School parking lot and make the Mass and religious education experience less hectic.

Stephen and Peter Sok are doing well even in these difficult times after the untimely death of Elly Sok during little Peter’s birth. I know many people in our parish have asked me if there is anything that they (we) can do to help Stephen and Peter out during this sad time. I met with Stephen this past week to see how we might be of assistance. As it stands right now, they seem to be pretty well set with items for a newborn and even have a pretty good cadre of babysitters—family and close friends who are helping out. I am sure that some of this will change as time goes on and individuals return to “normal,” everyday living. I did speak with Stephen on a host of topics and there are some items he could use in the near future. I am sure we will be able to assist him as time and needs warrant. I will keep you abreast of the situation. However, Stephen did say that he depends on the prayers of others and that “he feels our prayers and benefits from them.” Let us keep Stephen and little Peter in our prayers and thoughts and always remember that prayer is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal—it can transform others and ourselves. Amen!

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In today’s first reading from Jeremiah God warns the shepherds who “mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture” that He will punish those charged with caring for His flock and who do otherwise. Woe! to those who mislead and scatter them with falsehoods, untruths and wrong teachings. This warning calls the religious leaders of the day to preach the word of God and not their own ideals, and to care for the flock with the compassion and love of God, by incorporating the laws of God with mercy and hope. This Godly message must be understood by today’s “shepherds.” The teachings of God, given to us by Christ, are to be handed down to new generations of faithful, without alteration, yet with the compassion poured out by the Holy Spirit. Other gospel mes-sages dove-tail with this theme—we are warned not to bur-den the faithful with laws which are unforgiveable, but rather we are called to infuse the law of God with the Mercy of the Holy Spirit. This is the belief of our Church. This is also the reason why the Church of Rome, with its unbroken Apostolic succession of popes—from Peter to Benedict XVI—defends without compromise or abandonment or embarrassment, the teachings of Christ.

Today’s shepherds are called as those of the past are to be faithful to the Word of God and to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. Today’s chief shepherd, Benedict the XVI, the vicar of Christ, is called to defend the sacred teachings of the Lord and to have His Church on earth be faithful to the ways of Christ even, and in spite of, the worldly demands to amend those teachings to meet the desires of the new world.

For some in the modern world the ways of Christ—and the ways of the Catholic Church—are thought of as “old fashion” or “out of step” with technology, medical advancements, or “enlightened” thoughts of today’s new “prophets.” But God’s warning to today’s shepherds, the Church, is not simply to be understood in terms of medical issues but is to be grasped by all shepherds and all the flock in terms of the very ways in which we lead and live our lives. From the day-to-day activities of life—the way we treat those who have less or act differently to us, to the way we treat the gift of the earth which God has given to us so that we may be stewards for future generations, to the way we treat the sacredness of human life and the ways in which we understand and live out our right relationships with others and with God.

The warning of today’s first reading is also meant for all the shepherds of the faith—for all those who have heard the Word of God and then make the decision on how to incorporate, or not, His Word into our daily actions and our very being: the way we act out our faith as witnesses to Christ so that others may see in us what they need to see in Christ. Are we His light in this World? Does our spouse see in our loving relationship the Love that God has for His Church and His people? Do our children feel the forgiving and nurturing Love of God in our homes? Can the world feel the compassion and mercy of the Creator of all peoples in the way we express our hopes and desires and in the way we actually live out the great prayer of Christ, the Our Father? On a given Sunday morning, would a stranger devoid of any ex-perience of Catholic Church, recognize the sacredness of our actions at Mass by the way we hold Sunday as different from all other days? By the way we come to, pray at, and worship the Lord of all lords at Mass…and in how we “go in peace” at the end of this holy celebration?

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall
do what is just and right in the land. In his days
Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security.”

“ Woe to us, too!” For we are all called to be shep-herds for the Lord our God. We, members of the One body of Christ, in the Sacramental Church, are called to be the outward sign of Christ in this world: Love. Hope. Charity. Forgiveness…we are all called to live and be these virtues in the world. And the greatest gift of all from this Wondrous God is that He offers these gifts to us in and through the Eucharist and other sacraments of the Church so that we will be given the sufficient graces of God to overcome our human frailties and be His presence to the world. The Woe! of this warning is not meant to be seen or felt in the nega-tive but rather is another sign of God’s Love, a Love which continuously calls us to goodness and continuously gives us His sufficient grace to be the potential He has placed in each one of us. From Woe! to Wow! in One, Good God.Peace,
Father Michael

The ‘Times they are a changin.’

The ‘Times they are a changin.’ Mass times, that is… After months of consideration and consultation with a wide array of people in the parish (Religious Education teachers and parents, Youth Ministry participants, the parish Finance Council, and parishioners-at-large) and following Archdiocesan policy, I presented the Parish Council with a potential new schedule for weekend Masses. The Parish Council listened to the reasoning behind the proposed change and unanimously endorsed the proposal, which was then sent to the Archbishop for his approval (see enclosed letter).

Beginning on the weekend of September 5/6, 2009 the new Mass schedule will be: (September through May) Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m., Sunday Masses at 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. During the months of June, July and August we will continue our summer schedule of a 5:00 p.m. Vigil on Saturday and Sunday Masses at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

The reasons for, and benefits of, the change in our Mass schedule are many and varied.

First, the current September through May Sunday morning Mass schedule at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. leaves little room for any additional rituals or events, such as the children’s religious education grade Masses or a blessing of a marriage. Also, for those families involved in religious education, the timing of the Masses and classes at Henry James School provides a very tight schedule to make it to Mass and/or class in a safe manner. There is great congestion in parking lots and an increased danger to our children’s safety, which had to be a paramount consideration in this decision. In addition, our goal is to keep religious education classes to one day per week, keeping our costs of renting the 32 public school classes we require to a minimum. A multiple day schedule for religious education classes would create all kinds of additional problems of both a budgetary nature as well as scheduling problems for families with many other commitments and multiple-aged children.

Second, there will not always be two priests available to celebrate the Masses here at Saint Catherine and three Masses within a four hour span, coupled with baptisms or other meetings, makes it nearly impossible to enter into a prayerful mood for the Mass. Some may feel that this is not a chief concern but please remember that we “celebrate” the Mass and we simply do not “say” the Mass. We all know what is it like to be at a Mass when the priest “reads” the prayers or rushes through the ritual.

Third, an early Sunday evening Mass will be a wonderful opportunity for our families with youth ministry participants and Confirmation candidates to come to Mass together—as a family. Confirmation classes and Youth Ministry meetings will alternate, every other weekend, and follow immediately after the 5:00 p.m. Mass. It is our hope that this will be of great spiritual benefit to these families.

Fourth, the new Mass schedule retains the overall number (four) of Masses each weekend. Our early morning Mass remains at 8:00 a.m. and our traditional choir Mass is retained at 11:00 a.m., the choice for Mass attendance goes from one afternoon Mass and three morning Masses to an equal split of two afternoon and two morning Masses.

As members of a parish community we have to make choices and consider priorities. However, I am also “of this world” enough to realize that there are many time demands on family life, especially in an active community such as Simsbury. I believe that the new schedule provides the best possible options for the whole community, and I certainly hope that we will all look to this change as one that meets the needs of the wider community. We all have to compromise when we act as a community…if I had my druthers, there would be one Mass on Sunday at 10 a.m. but then I don’t have children and 50 other things to do in a 48 hour weekend.

I appreciate the work of Kathi Bonner, Judy Pluta, Susan Zybert and many others for their participation in this endeavor. And I appreciate the Parish and Finance Council members for their ideas and input. I also appreciate Archbishop Mansell’s concern for our parish needs and for his approval of our request.

Let us all pray for the best outcome for all the needs of this wonderful parish. (Please see the last inside page of the bulletin for a tear-off reminder card on the new Mass schedule. It makes a great piece of “spiritual artwork” for your refrigerator!)

The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This Sunday’s Gospel gives us the account of Jesus sending out the apostles, two-by-two, to cure the sick and preach the Word of God to the people while giving them authority over their misdeeds by forgiving sins.

The gospel also illustrates to us the great desire of Jesus to have His word preached to all peoples and to have His ministry and mission extended to all creatures. This must be a very reassuring fact for each of us—the God of all wants His Son to have their love given to all, and to have their forgiveness given as a free gift to all who believe. No matter who we are, what we have done, or even what we continue to do—to fail in our humanity to follow Christ—it is the pure grace of God, freely given in His Holy Spirit, which is sufficient to save us and make us true believers in His word, His mission and His promise of Eternal Life. On this and this alone, we can rest our weary souls and at the same time build our foundations of faithful belief in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the unending and abundant Love of God, the Father.

Rituals, Liturgy, Theology and Beliefs. Last week in the bulletin I wrote some questions and answers relevant to the Mass. One question/answer dealt with re-posing the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle and when one returns to the sitting position after receiving Holy Communion. My answer, insufficiently, focused on the Body of Christ only and not on the Sacred Blood of Christ. This led one parishioner to pose a question about remaining kneel-ing until the Blood is fully consumed. Our Catholic theology teaches us that the “Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ” are fully found in the both consecrated Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore, if one is to remain kneeling until the Body of Christ is reposed in the tabernacle, then the same reverence would apply until the priest has consumed all the Sacred Blood of Christ. Thanks for pointing this over-sight.

Peace,
Father Michael

Familiarity Breeds Disbelief

The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In today’s gospel reading from Mark, chapter 6, verses 1-6, we hear of how Jesus is received in His own community, by His own people. It might be hard to understand how He, the One who can cure the sick and raise the dead, the One who can preach the peace and Word of God, is looked at by those who know Him best with such doubt and with such a lack of understanding and faith (“Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”). I guess it is all about familiarity breeds disbelief.

But if we look in our own lives it is not hard to understand how this could happen. For us, no matter who we are or what we were in our past lives, when we become something completely different (change careers or something bigger, such as a change in the way we live our lives) those who know us and knew of our “past” may have a difficult time in accepting the change or who we have become. With Jesus, it was more of a knowing of His humble beginnings and the human expectations that come along with that knowledge that blinded others to seeing who He truly was. It was less of “His past” and more of their lack of understanding that brought about this questioning of Him.

In our own lives, it is usually (with the exception of our closest family members and supporters) the ones who know us best who might have a difficult time in “seeing” us as who we have now become or the new career path we have chosen. But the message in today’s gospel from Jesus is that while “a prophet is not without honor except in his native place” do not let that roadblock prevent you from be-coming the person God has destined you to be. Accept the questioning or even the ridicule, and have faith enough in God and trust in Christ that the grace of the Holy Spirit will lead you into the righteousness which God has prepared for you and your life. Remember the Beatitude…”Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

You will notice in the last line of today’s gospel, “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith,” that the mighty power of God—save for healing the sick of those who believed—was not recognized due to a lack of faith on the part of the people. As I have said before in homilies, the grace of God, as we receive in the Sacraments of the Church, is not “magic” but requires an assent of the faith. Grace calls for belief. God does not force Himself on us but rather asks for us to freely love Him and to desire to follow Him in our lives.

The gift of God’s own love is not given to us so that we take it with the sense of obligation, but rather because we want to have His love in our lives. If you come home one night with a gift for your wife or husband, flowers or Red Sox tickets, and after you give them to your beloved and they respond to your gesture with great excitement and appreciation, and you then tell them, “Oh, it was nothing, they were inexpensive and I felt as if I should do this,” the luster and love of the gift or gesture fades. The excitement disappears; your gesture seems almost a waste or insult. God offers divine life and love freely, not because we deserve it or He feels as if He should but rather because He so much wants to do it. Completely free—a great desire. So should our response to Him.

Whether it is easy or difficult, let us all go out and be prophets for the Lord—especially in our own community—even when it “hurts us to do so.”

A Liturgical or Ritual Question or Two. I was asked this past week a few questions about the Mass and I thought I would respond to them in the bulletin since others might be wondering about the same thing…or not.

Q. After Communion and when I am back in the pew kneeling, when should I return to a sitting position?

A. There is a “dual” answer to this question. First, ritually speaking…when the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the tabernacle after Holy Communion one may return to the sitting position. We kneel after reception of the Lord in the Sacrament both as a sign of respect and because we are sup-posed to return to our pews and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for this great gift. We do not consume the Lord and then immediately go about our business with regular conversation. Some people return to their pews and begin singing the Communion hymn, and that is certainly fine since the song being sung is sacred music and a form of prayer. By way of custom, some folks, particularly the French, Irish and Italian (and perhaps many others of which I am unaware), remain kneeling until the priest returns to the presider’s chair. This also is an acceptable practice.

Q. Why do some people genuflect while others bow to the altar—either in procession at Mass or before they take their seat in the pew?

A. The simple answer is that we bow to the altar and genuflect to the tabernacle. The altar, where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass takes place, receives a bow since the object is sacred; having been consecrated and blessed by the Archbishop when our church was first built, and is the central focus of our Mass. The tabernacle is where we repose and keep the Blessed Sacrament—the precious Body and Blood of Christ—for distribution outside of Mass, particularly in visiting the sick and dying. While also a sa-cred object and blessed, the tabernacle normally is not found directly behind the altar…thus the confusion. At this point, due to the placement of the altar and tabernacle here at Saint Catherine, either gesture is fine.

Q. After the second reading at Mass, it seems odd that the cantor comes back to the ambo (lectern) to sing the gospel acclimation while Father is trying to get to the ambo to proclaim the gospel. Why not sing the Acclimation from the cantor’s microphone? Just as the readings from the New and the Old Testaments and the Gospel are the Word of God, so too is the psalm and the gospel acclimation—and all are to be proclaimed form the Ambo. They all speak to us with God’s Word and His love and thus are worthy of the respect as to be proclaimed from the Sanctuary of the Church.

If you have a question about our Mass—either due to a ritual or a custom—feel free to send it along either by email (stcathy@comcast.net) or by phone, 658-1642, and we will be happy to answer it either in the bulletin or maybe during a homily.

Peace!

Coming Together As A Community

A Huge Thank You to all who planned, sponsored, helped-out, and participated in our 2009 Annual Parish Picnic last Saturday

Despite the lack of sunshine and the constant threat of rain (and actual rain at times), the picnic-goers had a great time. From the pony rides and the “wild” critters and the clown, to the hot dogs and hamburgers, roasted chickens, turkeys and pigs…to the cotton candy and popcorn—and to the cheesiest macaroni and cheese…from the raffle prizes to the treasure chest and the musical entertainment—a wonderful time of family fun and fellowship was had by all. I personally want to thank Anne and Eric Davis who headed up the team of Men’s and Women’s Clubs volunteers and a host of other parishioners for all that they did in the planning, execution and clean-up of this grand event. And a heartfelt thank-you to all the sponsors who provided for our many events and our major needs, from the tents to the music and more, and to the many individuals who donated raffle items to make our raffle such a huge success. Thank you one and all!
And even though the weather did not always cooperate with our plans, the day was still fun-filled. Kids (and adults of all ages) and their imaginations found plenty of creative ways to make the rain a positive aspect of the day. Some played wiffle ball and soccer in the rain, the really younger children turned the gutters and downspouts into a water park, and others made “Lake Saint Catherine” a destination for investigation (yes, there are lots of rocks at the bottom); the egg and balloon toss went off without a hitch, the shed was turned into a teen center for ping pong and music, and two huge tarps complete with gallons of kitchen dish soap made for a most amazing slip-n-slid. Who needs Doppler radar?!

Some Annual Picnic statistics…just to let you know not only how much work it takes all year long to plan and carry-out this annual event, but also to let you know the tremendous numbers of folks who benefit from this parish-wide day:105 volunteers make it all happen…more than 500 people attended this year’s day-long event…the number of prizes donated totaled 142 with a value of $17,000…there were 70 raffle winners, with the Rice family taking the overall winner spot with 7 prizes, followed by a close second was Colby Thresher, with 6 prizes…the Treasure Chest prizes and winners were: first prize—a week-long Bahamas vacation and $500, the Sickinger Family; second prize, a Samsung 32” LCD HD TV, Jim Sparkowski; and third prize, $250, went to young Jack Mangiafico. Mary Denehy won the Mac-n-Cheese contest with a unanimous vote from both the adult- and the child-judges…18 contestants entered this year’s “Mac-n-Cheese Bake-Off.” The “eats” of the day totaled two 400 pound pigs, 150 pounds of beef, “tons” of chickens and turkey breasts, hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages; more coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, French fries, cotton candy and popcorn than anyone could imagine…and we can’t forget the 9 tubs of Tulmeadow Farms ice cream with all the fixings…and an untold number of brownies, cupcakes and bags and bags of potato chips…

After all is said and done, the Annual Parish Picnic raised nearly $5,000 which will be used to help defray the cost of the good works of our Men’s and Women’s Club’s. And beyond all that—the fun and fellowship of parishioners is priceless! Hmmm…work has already begun for 2010! Thanks to everyone for all that you did to make this event so wonderful!

The Thirteenth Sunday in OT. Last week I mentioned in the homily that the season of Ordinary Time (OT) gives us various opportunities to look at the many blessings and graces which God bestows upon us in our lives—and that is a good thing—since we, at times, face difficulties in our lives which provide for a challenge to our faith in God, our trust in the Lord. So let’s consider a blessing or two.
Last week the message of Sacred Scripture showed us that Jesus was in control of the earth’s
elements. With a few words, “Quiet. Be still!”, He calms the seas and quiets the turbu-lent winds of our lives. He is in control of nature and of our humanity. In this week’s Gospel message, we hear that “Jesus is in control of a more elemental force—death itself. God’s loving care for every human creature, even—especially—those who seem rejected by others.” (Sourcebook, 13OT)

In the beginning section of today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom, which is the newest book of the Old Testament and considered by scholars to have been written only fifty years before the birth of Christ, we hear of a God who gives life—and life only: “God did not create death,” the author asserts (Wisdom 1:14). Everything that God created was intended to be “wholesome” (1:14). In the latter half of this reading the author recalls Genesis and the idea that since “God created human beings in His divine image, human beings then ought to share in God’s immortality; but through the devil, death came into the world. The world is, or was, fundamentally good.” Now we know that in His goodness and in His giving of life only God gives to us not only earthly life but also the gift of Eternal life. A life with and in Him, eternal; one without sin or division, without pain or sadness or despair. A life of supreme goodness and abundance. In today’s second reading from 2 Corinthians, Saint Paul talks about the needs of the Church—the greater Church and not just one particular parish or diocese, and this talk is in relation to a collection being taken up for the poor. Saint Paul notes that Christ became poor for our sakes and now we have the privilege of becoming like Him. This calls to mind our need to be like Christ in this world, to be givers of what is needed by those who have nothing or are lost in despair so that Christ’s abundant giving—His love continues. As noted in the first reading from Wisdom, it is not just about this life but it is absolutely about the next life. He is the God who creates only good things. And, He created you and me!

As we consider our blessings and graces in this Ordinary Time, let us look to the future while we are certain of the bless-ings that are here with us today—family, friends, faith and hope—and be ever mindful of the glorious blessings which the future holds.

Another call to be a blessing as a parish: I ask for your prayers for the repose of the noble soul of Eleanor “Elly” Sok, a young mother who died during childbirth last Friday. Elly, and her husband Stephen, are new parishioners of our parish. Let us pray for Elly that she may now enjoy the abundant and Eternal life of Christ and be counted among the citizens of Heaven. We pray also for Stephen Sok and his new son, Peter Benjamin, that not only will faith in God’s goodness be their consolation, but that they will find comfort in this parish community and that their loss, while never replaced, will be softened by the love, fellow-ship and comfort of the good people of Saint Catherine of Siena. May she rest in peace!

Who calms the storms and seas of our lives?

It seems we have moved at warp speed from the Easter Season, Pentecost and two Solemnities into the Church‟s season of Ordinary Time (OT). The older I get, the faster time seems to fly by. This weekend we begin our readings of Sacred Scripture already well into the season of OT—at the 12th week of the reading cycle. We find ourselves in the book of Job for the first reading and in 2 Corinthians for the second reading; it is the Gospel of Mark and the account of Jesus calming the seas that brings us to the question of among the disciples —who is this man who calms the seas? The disciples are not the only ones asking this question. In fact, all generations since those founding disciples and apostles have asked, and still ask, the same question, “Who is this man who said „Quiet! Be Still!‟”? Today we ask the very same question, as if it has never been answered, with a personal twist…“who is this man who said “Quiet! Be still!..Do you not yet have faith?” The modern-day twist is that we have to ask ourselves “how is our faith affected by the storms of our personal lives? Do we get tossed about in the storms of life due to a lack of faith? Do we turn to God and seek Him in the “quiet or stillness” of life so that when the storms hit we can be rock solid in our faith, thus able to be “quiet and still, strong and righteous?”

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” He is the Lord our God, the One who offers salvation to all. He is the One answer for all storms of life, He is the God who came down to earth as one of us, to suffer and die and be raised from the dead so that all might live forever. He is the one who not only stills the seas and storms of life, He is the One who has invited us to the banquet table of Eternal Life simply because He loves us—and wants nothing more than to have us love Him in return…for all eternity.

The “Year for Priests.” Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has declared June 19, 2009 through June 19, 2010 the “Year for Priests” so that the Church may seek ef-forts to “precisely to encourage priests in their striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends.” The Holy Father has directed all bishops, religious Ordinaries, and religious Superiors “to promote and coordinate the various spiritual and pastoral initiatives that seem useful for making the importance of the priest‟s role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society ever more clearly perceived.” A stronger, more holy priesthood will benefit all—priests, the priest-hood, the Church, and the laity. It is the Church‟s hope that all will pray for the priesthood and for more priests and holy priests who strive to serve the people of God. In that vein, Pope Benedict has issued “A Priest‟s Prayer” which has been made into prayer cards as a gift of the Knights of Columbus for all priests to use in their daily prayers. The Knights of Columbus have also issued a version of this prayer for the laity to pray on behalf of their priests. I ask that you take one which are in the vestibule and atrium and pray for the priesthood and the Church during this special year. Thank you!

Facilities Management…as mentioned in last week‟s bulletin we now have a part time facilities manager, Mike Grappone, who will be working on projects in and around the Church including but not limited to cleaning, repairs and maintenance prevention.

If you come across something that needs attention, please call the parish office, 658.1642 and provide the information to Linda Butler so that we can prioritize and coordinate all that needs to be accomplished in what is a part time schedule. Thank you. On the subject of our facilities…the Library in the parish center has become an all-purpose room and needs our collective attention. Unfortunately due to the lack of storage space in the building it has become a place where all types of things are being stored, some that are used frequently and other things that seem to have little if any purpose for being stored. Above all things, the library is a work space for the Religious Education Office and the Youth Ministry. We need to respect their space and all the programs and meetings that take place in the library. During the work week the priority of use for the library must be for religious education and youth ministry. Please make sure you contact the parish office, 658.1642 and speak to Linda Butler to see if the room is available for meetings. Please do not use the Library as a storage room or drop-off site. We are working on developing new storage locations both in the Church and Parish Center as well as in the basement of the rectory for appropriate items (those for parish use). Last month the Women‟s and Men‟s Clubs spent a Saturday cleaning out and reorganizing the shed for better placement of needed storage items. If you or your group use the Library, please be aware of the surroundings. Thank you!

Parish Update…regarding Building and Grounds Committee, a review of projects on the radar screen includes the ongoing roof repairs (3 separate pro-jects, of which two smaller ones are slated for a beginning date of next week—depending on the weather); some closet-expansion work in the sacristy. You will note that where we removed some pews on the choir side of the Church we have covered the cement floor with rug remnants from the origi-nal rug installation which has been in storage—no new car-peting was required. As regards the Parish Council, by the time this bulletin arrives in the parish on Friday the Par-ish Council will have met on Thursday evening to elect a new president, vice president and secretary—and will also have installed its new members from the nomination/selection process. The Parish Council will have its last meet-ing of this term and will be seated again in September to begin work on parish business. The Finance Council at its June meeting decided to break with tradition and meet throughout the summer months (normally the Finance Council does not meet during July and August) to monitor our expenses and income during these economic times. As you recall in February and March we had three (3) very snowy weekends which saw our collections on those week-ends drop dramatically and we did not make up the loss. In addition, our collections have been on the low end of our budgeted expectations during the first half of the year. However, we have been able to make some additional reductions in planned spending to assist in this concern. Be-ginning in July we will produce a monthly bar graph on in-come and expenses in the bulletin in order to keep the par-ish fully informed. Adult Catholic Education Series which is being planned for the fall, is seeking input from you regarding subject matter for discussion. If you have a topic or burning question about our Catholic Faith and T(t)raditions, submit them to stcathy@comcast.net .

Parish Update

Parish Update. After a careful review of our existing parish maintenance service contracts, I made the following changes beginning the first of June.

Our lawn care contract, which was costing us approximately $1400 per month, is now under a new service provider offering the same product for $800 per month. As well, the annual lawn preparation service fee which includes grub and weed control as well as the fall and spring fertilizing and preparation has been reduced from approximately $3000 per year to $1450 per year.

The private cleaning service for the church, which billed at $900 per month for twice-weekly cleaning, Mondays and Fridays at 3 hours each day. This service is now replaced with a part time facilities manager, Mike Grappone, who is responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of the Church proper and parish center. In addition, Mike will assist us with small, “household repair projects” throughout the buildings. In addition to the former $900 per month cleaning fee, the cleaning company also charged a separate billing of nearly $3600 per year for additional cleaning at Easter and Christmas and for the yearly window cleaning and floor waxing projects. This will be replaced at a reduced rate by another long-time parishioner, Delores Gutfran, who owns a commercial cleaning company. In the past, we had to consistently hire a “handyman” to do many of the necessary repair projects all around the grounds. Our part time facilities manager will handle these needs. While this change may not result in huge savings, it does provide us with a person who is here for 20 hours per week and will be truly committed to the parish and its needs, thus giving us a greater control over quality work. Mike has been volun-teering his time for the last five months or more to paint the interior of the rectory and to make numerous household repairs which otherwise would have cost a great deal of money. In addition, Mike’s time will augment so much of the volunteerism which is a wonderful gift of so many parishioners who give of their time and talent to make this parish run so smoothly.

Church roof repairs. As you know we have been making necessary repairs to the Church roof where more than 11 leaks reared their ugly heads in the early spring. In addition, we have been replacing the shingles on various sections of the Church as we are able to afford the work. Recently, a very generous parishioner has donated nearly $6000 for another phase of the roof repair project. This work will begin on June 15 and should be completed, weather permitting, by the 19th—just in time for the parish picnic. While the parishioner asked to remain anonymous, I do wish to offer my sincere appreciation for this very thoughtful and generous act. On behalf of us all, THANK YOU! As we finish the outside roof repairs, our next project will be to clean-up and repaint the interior ceiling of the Church. You have, no doubt, noticed the peeling paint over the sanctuary and along the sacristy side of the front Church where there are water stains.

A Warm Welcome to Mr. Tuan (pronounced Toon) Mai! Toon’s nickname is Andy, and he is a seminar-ian for the Archdiocese of Hartford who will be joining our parish on weekends part of the summer as he acclimates into the life of a seminarian and as an American. Andy hails from Vietnam but is now a permanent resident of the United States, his family lives in Oklahoma. He will begin his first year in seminary formation studying English at the University of Hartford’s English Language Institute. Please join me in welcoming Andy to our parish.

Most Holy Trinity Sunday. This weekend we celebrate a great Solemnity in the Church which, after the joy of the Easter Season, leads us into Ordinary Time for the summer and fall. Before we return to the “green” liturgical color of Ordinary Time, we will have two Sundays in a row where the hue of white will grace our sanctuary—for The Most Holy Trinity (June 7) and for the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (June 14). This Sunday we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity, an ancient celebration that traces its roots back to the 7th century and has been on the Church’s universal calendar for more than seven hundred years. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), “this solemnity offers a time to meditate upon the defining mystery of our Christian faith and life—The Most Blessed Trinity.”
All the readings for this solemnity focus on God’s mystery—and of His closeness of Himself and His people. He is not a distant God who rules from the cosmos without any desire to be one with us. He did not opt to remain high in the heavens but rather decided to become one of us, a hu-man, and to live with us and show us the most perfect model of Christian life—Jesus Christ. This is a God who not only desires to be one with us, but hopes beyond all hope that we will freely choose to love Him and to be one with Him for ever. He is a God in love with us—His creation—and who offers us both a taste of the divine life today (through the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist) and the glorious gift of living with Him eternally in the King-dom. These readings today are about relationship…with our God in His three divine persons; with each other in His name; and with the whole of Creation…now and for ever.

On a “serious” note. On Tuesday night I arrived back to the rectory with a visiting priest-friend, a classmate from Saint John Seminary in Boston, after having dinner out. When I pulled into my usual parking spot, to my shock and horror, I saw a—please sit down, if you are standing— a Yankees Fans Only parking sign. Overwhelmed by horror and my blood boiling at this point, I jumped from my car and removed the vile sign and placed it in the trash—and then began my investigation to find out who would defile holy grounds with this sign. First I suspected Kathi Bonner, sadly, a self-proclaimed Yankees fan (she was hired before I arrived here). She denied it. Then I considered Kathy Reilley…just because. She also denied it. Then on Wednesday morning, Linda Butler, a Bostonian by birth and by the grace of God a devout, fellow Red Sox Nation resident, came to work and was equally horrified at the find. So began our investigation…Danny Hayes, another true New Englander also joined in on the search. Local police will investigate the crime scene. And, the trespassing pro-Yankees fan, when found, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of civil law…and under the authority of Canon Law, an inquisition will be established. Whatever the outcome, this invalid and illicit act must be condemned…by me!

Oh yes, Peace!
Father Michael

Pentecost Sunday and God’s gift to His Church

As we come to the end of the Easter tide, we celebrate this great season of hope and joy in the Resurrection of Christ with appropriate festivity—Pentecost Sunday—the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to His Church, the body of Christ, so that those who believe will be “guided to all the truth.”

This Sunday is more than just an anniversary celebration of God’s gift of His Spirit to guide His Church—it is the recogni-tion of Gods sharing of His divine life with us in a unique way so that we are able to walk hand-in-hand with our God as we journey in faith to eternal life. The Church celebrates this Feast by recog-nizing that she is more than just a human institution led by mor-tals. She is a human institution—flawed as is all humanity—but is also divine due to God’s Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trin-ity, who continues to lead us in all that we say and do in His name. This is particularly true when it comes to our Church’s actions and beliefs in faith and morals. The Church believes, be-cause Christ told us, that in these two particular areas (faith and morals) the human leadership of the Church—the pope and the bishops in union with him—is kept safe from error by the gift of God’s divine guidance. Thus the Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, the Wonder Counselor—leads the pontiff in the direction that God desires. In consideration of issues such as the sanctity of human life, in the usage of the human person for medical research or in ethical considerations of the human person, it is God, through the Church, who pronounces His desired end for humanity.

This Sunday we also celebrate our “oneship” with God. He so loved the world that He sent His only Son to be our savior—and then, when His Son returned to Him, it was His Holy Spirit who comes as our Advocate to lead us in the ways of God. It is the Holy Spirit breathing through our Church that makes her who and what she is—the face of Christ in this world. Human nature has within itself the desire and hope to care for others. But human nature tires, and after hard work and long struggles with the concerns of others, we can easily and understandably turn inward and become more concerned with ourselves and lose sight of the needs of others. Historically speaking it has been, for the lion’s share, the Catholic Church that has been the beacon of light for humanity. Of course other faiths have shared in this ministry of caring, but to be honest the leading defender of the poor has been the Catholic Church. Certainly is it the United States of America who leads the secular world in feeding the hungry or for rebuilding worn-torn nations or delivering much needed medical supplies for a world in sickness. But it is the universal Catholic Church led by the Spirit of God that has sought social justice on all continents of the globe. It is the Church, through Leo XII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (on the condition of the worker) that sought for workers’ rights, it was Pius XI that sought to rebuild the social order with his encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, and John XXIII’s Mater et Magistra which directed the Church to defend the reconstruction of the social order, and the Vatican Council’s document Gaudium et Spes dealing with the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world. It is the Catholic Church who sends missions to far off lands to bring the Word of God from the Gospels into action for new peoples, and with that mission also brings educational services, medical treatments, and new tech-nologies in food production and medical care to those in need.

The mission and the Church continue today because of His Spirit. It is the Catholic Church in this very modern world that is second only to the United States Government in providing social services to those in need: Catholic hospitals provide necessary beds, emergency room services, off campus healthcare and mental health services to those who are un- and under-insured. It is Catholic Charities who, nationally and internationally, deliver housing and social service needs to the homeless and to refugees. It is the Catholic Worker Organization that finds its way into the poorest sections of America’s cities to meet the very troubling human needs of the forgotten or marginalized. In Hartford, it is the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA) that funds the new Cathedral Green housing authority to make low- and moderate-income housing available to the elderly and the working poor. It is the AAA who helps to fund the Knight’s of Malta Mobile emergency medical vans that travel from city to city to provide medical care, medicines and follow-up treatments to mothers and infants living on the streets and to the elderly who have to decide between food and medicine or food and heat. It is the AAA that educates thousands and thousands of children—Catholic and non-Catholic alike; or that open the doors of daycare centers for middle- and low-income working families; or that run senior centers for those adults who can no longer manage their day-to-day affairs while their adult children work. And the list goes on.

This is not an opportunity to brag or self-promote the Church but rather a recognition of the Truth…the Spirit of Truth working each and every day in very practical ways to make life better for so many people. This is an opportunity to highlight the simple fact that God’s Holy Spirit is alive and well working each and every day through the Catholic Church—which is the body of Christ made up of believers such as yourselves…you who are reading this bulletin and who worship here at Saint Catherine of Siena…and you who give of your time, your talent, and your treasure so that people who have nothing, people who find themselves on hard times, people who are in need can be offered help and hope. It is an opportunity to show the people of faith—you—who give in hope so that the Holy Spirit of God has a place to dwell in a world that needs Him…and you. You are partners in faith with God. You have said “yes” to His call and to His ministry. You have said “yes!” to His Kingdom. For those selfless acts of charity, God continues to send His Holy Spirit into His Church, into you, so that we will not error but lead forth in His goodness for all to receive. Each year we celebrate the belief in Pentecost Sunday that the Spirit continues to breath into His people hope and love. Today we have an opportunity to recommit to Him and I hope you will join me in saying “yes” to His call to help.

This Weekend we are joining the Archdiocese of Hart-ford in Commitment Weekend for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA). The goal is not to raise a specific amount of money or to “break the bank.” Rather, our goal is to thankfully take ownership of His Holy Spirit and for each of us to become involved. No matter the amount given, it is the “giving” that matters. I thank you for your generosity. I hope you will take an AAA envelope and do your part.
Peace!
Fr. Michael

Confirming Our Faith

Confirmation. Last Saturday forty-eight of our young adults were Confirmed by Archbishop Henry J. Mansell in a Mass of celebration and the Sacrament at 11 a.m. It was a wonderful day all the way around. I have to make mention, since the Archbishop did also—numerous times—of the reverence of the Confirmandis during the entire ceremony. They are extremely intelligent individuals who are also extremely appropriate in religious settings—and that is a point of reference that should not go unnoticed. In fact, it should not only go unnoticed but needs to be acknowledged and highlighted. That grace, that dignity, which they exemplified, comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit and from the home-life in which they have been raised. Point noted: that during the actual anointing with the Sa-cred Chrism, which can be a long period of time especially with forty-eight Confirmandis, our Church was silent. Parents, siblings, grandparents and friends were being reverent during a very sacred time. I say this because I have been at—and have heard from others who were at other Confirmations—that often times a congregation sees this period of time as an opportunity to con-verse with neighbors or even text messages to those not present at the Mass (yes, people can be so self-absorbed as to even find this ritual “boring” and justify the need to multi-task in the midst of what is a very sacred act!). I was extremely impressed as I looked around the church to people engaged in what was happening be-fore them. It was a very gratifying moment.

The Archbishop also mentioned to me, both at the end of the Mass as well as over in the rectory, how wonderful the altar servers were—well trained and attentive to what was taking place, how fantastic both the music selections were as well as the execution of the sacred music by Susan Zybert, Erin Leavitt-Smith and the Contemporary Music Group, and how well-prepared the Confirmandis were (thank you Mrs. Kathi Bonner, Mr. Ray Bonner, Mrs. Paula Teed, and Mrs. Anne Valerio, whom I neglected to mention in last week’s bulletin). And finally the Archbishop said he found our parish to be an extremely warm and welcoming group of parishioners—very kind and gracious. I could not agree more. In fact, when new parishioners tell me why they have joined our community, one of the top reasons is because of the warm and welcoming greeting they receive from complete strangers. That, my friends, is one of the best comments we could ever hear (besides that the homilies are superb!) especially in today’s world when there seems to be so much “distancing” or “disconnections” between peoples, when the world is cold and calculated, we as Catholics offer one of the most important Christian Virtues—that of hospitality so well. And I thank you for be-ing the people that you are.

Seventh Sunday of Easter. So, do you feel “consecrated?” In today’s gospel, Jesus speaking to the Father about us asked Him to, “…Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.” In the word of God—and through our baptism—we have been consecrated by God as His disciples. We are not simply “hired agents” of God or representatives assigned a task to complete. This is not a life-long episode of The Apprentice but rather a calling —a vocation—from God to us as He seeks us to be His partners in His plan for Salvation history. This wonderful all-loving and all-powerful God has decided that humanity will be His partner in making His kingdom present on earth. To be consecrated by God means that He has given us His graces, through the Sacraments of the Church, which are meant to build upon our nature and on our understanding of God’s holy word in Sacred Scriptures so that we can not only come to understand His truth but also to become one in and with His truth, and so then live it out in our daily lives in the world. We are called to make trans-form the temporal world with the Spirit of God. Next Sunday—Pentecost Sunday—we will celebrate the means by which we are empowered to do what God has commissioned us to be—His partners in bringing His word to the World…we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit (the birthday of the Church) sent into the Church to make the will of God known and felt by all mankind. The Holy Spirit is the power that moves the Church and “…when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” (John 16:12-15). This is the foundation of the Church’s understanding of the Magisterium of the Church—the knowledge that God continues to guide His Church into the Truth for all ages…and to Peter he said, “…and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it…” meaning that the Spirit of Truth will not only reveal all that the Father wills but that it will be revealed in God’s time and to His people without error.

This is a very powerful and important teaching for us to hear over and over again, and to understand fully. God has called us to be and to do something. He will reveal it to each of us and to His Church collectively and individually. It is an awesome gift from God to each of us—and an awesome responsibility with holy and mighty obligations. But we have the power of God’s own Holy Spirit to guide us and to strengthen us in this vocation. Do you feel consecrated? I hope our forty-eight new adult Catholics feel consecrated, for as the Archbishop said to them last Saturday, as you go out into the world be filled with the Holy Spirit and take God into the classroom, the sports arena, the political arena, the family, the workplace, and the community…for the world needs you and God more than ever.

Benefits of a Registered Parishioner. As I have mentioned in the previous two bulletins, my desire is to encourage those who attend our parish Masses and other liturgies as well as for the community aspect, to become registered parishioners. There are a host of positive reasons why, and while I will enumerate them from time-to-time, today I have one in particular that I wish to address. Saint Mary School in Simsbury proper has promulgated a policy for the tuition rate for its students based on their parish affiliation. The new policy places the students in three possible categories: (1) an active member of Saint Mary Parish, (2) an active member of another Catholic parish, and (3) a non-Catholic student. The tuition rate for both categories numbered 1 and 2 will be identical as long as the family of the student is registered and is an active parishioner of a Catholic church.. Then, the parish of registration pays the tuition supplement in support of Catholic education. Therefore, a family who is actively registered at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish and sends a child(ren) to Saint Mary School effectively pays the same tuition rate as those who are registered at Saint Mary Parish. Each pastor defines the term “active parishioner” himself. This is good news for those who wish to worship in our Catholic community and to still be able to send their children to receive a wonderful Catholic education. Another benefit of being registered!

CATECHISTS NEEDED! Have you thought about sharing your faith by teaching our parish youth about our Catholic Faith? Training, support and excellent teacher’s manuals are provided. Current openings are in Grade 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and Confirmation I (Gr. 9). Please contact Kathi Bonner, DRE, @ 658-4737 or kathidre@aol.com for information.