Arise with St. Mary's Parish

Deja Vu?

2011-05-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Watch for this Lent 2012.

http://thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=13337

Summary Report

2011-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Summary Report for the Archdiocese of Boston
Overall Objectives of the Process
Through ARISE Together in Christ in the Archdiocese of Boston we envisioned a movement that
would deepen spirituality, encourage multi-cultural participation, enhance collaboration within
the Archdiocesan offices, build up the morale of the clergy, promote healing and reconciliation,
reach out to inactive, alienated, and young adult Catholics through evangelization strategies, and
use the media to promote the Good News of the Spirit’s presence in the people and parishes in
the Archdiocese. As we look back on all five seasons, we see clearly each of these objectives
have been achieved to a greater or lesser degree.

Season One Theme: Encountering Christ Today
Goal: To deepen our experience of Christ both personally and communally.

Season Two Theme: Change Our Hearts
Goal: Personal conversion in light of our membership in the Catholic community.

Season Three Theme: In the Footsteps of Christ
Goal: To explore what it means to be a disciple of Christ in today’s world and how this implies
active commitment to works of charity and acts of justice; becoming a young-adult friendly
parish.

Season Four Theme: New Heart, New Spirit
Goal: To experience communal reconciliation and healing following the merging of parishes and
the sexual abuse scandal; emphasis on outreach to inactive and alienated Catholics.

Season Five Theme: We Are the Good News!
Goal: To explore the meaning of evangelization in our lives; we are called to bring the Good
News of Christ into every human situation. Evangelization training helped prepare leaders to
welcome people back to parishes through “Catholics Come Home.

Outcomes
By the Numbers
Parishes Participating Over 60% of the 292 parishes in the Archdiocese
participated in ARISE. In addition, people whose parishes did not participated in ARISE have formed
groups on their own.

3 new parishes started Season 5 in fall 2010

Workshops Conducted 200+ in four languages (English, Spanish,
Portuguese, Haitian Creole), plus several “make-up
sessions” via the web.

Adult Leaders Trained 3,000+
Small Group Participants 30,000+
Parishes Using Children’s Materials 44
Parishes with Youth Groups 26 representing 630 participants plus leaders
Nursing Homes/Assisted Living Three—Brooksby Village, Peabody; Sunrise
Assisted Living, Braintree; The Boston Home, Dorchester

Prison Ministry Norfolk Prison: Five groups in English, four in
Spanish, one in Vietnamese
Framingham Prison: 40+ participants

Supplemental Workshops Liturgy, Youth Ministry and Catechetical Leaders

Campuses Participating Three
Campus Leaders Trained 40-50

Theology on Tap Parishes Five

Faith-Sharing Material Languages Six options, including English, Spanish, Portuguese,
Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, and Lithuanian; largeprint editions available; e-text available on request

Reiterate

2011-04-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

Arise, let us go: Jesus has uttered this command before, at the beginning of the preaching of the kingdom. Even though the disciples will scatter in failure and fear, Jesus has told them that after he has been raised he will go before them, as a shepherd leading his flock, into Galilee. Arise, let us go: no matter what our failures have been, no matter what the trials we fear to face, the crosses we fear to bear, we can trust that the Lord is with us, and leads us on where he has gone, into Galilee of the nations, into life with God.

h/t Fr. Gregory Murphy, O.P.

Post Script

2011-04-06T18:15:00.001-07:00

This free scrapbook created with Smilebox

Celebration

2010-11-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

Free photo collage made with Smilebox

Some pix of the celebration the parish had to conclude our Arise Together in Christ program.

We are the Good News!

Final Post

2010-10-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.

Arise Together in Christ is a three-year, parish centered program of spiritual renewal, evangelization and adult faith formation. Those that have participated have developed a closer relationship with Christ, grown in community, and reached out in service to others.

These past three years, have done just that for me, personally. I have been humbled by the faith I have encountered in others. I'm sure others have felt the same, especially the Arise team. Together as a team we have accomplished God's work by allowing the Spirit to move. It certainly wasn't us. We had no idea what we were doing; we didn't understand; we didn't know anything; we didn't "get it."

Yet, we did it. We stepped out in faith.

I still don't know how we did what we did.

In looking back over the past three years, I'm awed. It has to be the work of the Holy Spirit. In meditation, I definitely see that the Arise program has brought me into a Trinitarian relationship with God. Read John 14:11, John 14:20, and John 14:23. IOW, our faith tells us that God is three distinct persons, each relating to the other two in a unique way, much like St. Mary's Arise team, and very much like my Sunday night Arise group, and I'm sure all the Arise groups. Each person in God is equally and completely one and the same God. We, who have been made in God's own image and likeness, grow in perfection by becoming ever more united to each other and thus to God, in our groups. We grew together and still respected the diversity of each of us as being a unique individual. Wowza. Think of it.

I thank God for this experience.

In the most wonderful way, the Arise team, and the Arise groups, have taught me to respect each person as someone unique, and someone very special to God. We have enriched each other. Our variety has helped me to understand something of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, imperfectly reflected in the unity in diversity in the Arise team, in my group, in my parish, my community, and the Archdiocese. So it must be in the world. And when you think of it, all of history.

I'm sorry. Words aren't sufficient. My vocabulary fails me. Wowza.

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that everything aims toward God. Everyone wants the best. Of course the best is God. All human beings want union with God, and working together toward the good is the best humans can be.*

Arise with St. Mary's Parish has done this. The three years are finished. We are in the last session. Finis.
I hope you will continue to read your Bible, reflecting upon what you have read. My heartfelt thanks to all who have participated in the groups, and those that have found their way to this blog.

OK then, before I go, besides thanking everyone overall, I need to thank some in particular:

as always, to my husband, my Martha, for loving me
to my children, for tolerating me
to Father Dave, for giving me the ball and letting me run with it
to Father Brian and Father Frank for their prayers and support
To Deacon Dick for his leadership and prayers
to Joe, for his marketing skills, his spreadsheet expertise, and running interference for me
to Nancy, for her teacher skills and procurement abilities
to Ray for reaching out to our elderly and infirm and Christine for her support and prayers (and I promise to never tell Ray to "shut up" again).
to Robbie and Paul for stepping in and doing whatever was asked.
to Brenda and David for the best banner in the diocese and other promotional works
to Katie for her educational expertise, involvement with the youth, and dedication to the parish
to John for back-up and ideas
to Betsy for back-up and help
to Mike for his support and sales pitches
to Neil for lending his presence and support and giving us the perception of "legitimacy"
for everyone's dedication and faith

To everyone who participated, thank you for your prayers.

For a review of the past three years, check out the Arise pix.

*Thomas Aquinas, I-II, q. 36, a. 3, Summa Theologica, vol.2.

Scripture Sense

2010-09-30T19:39:00.001-07:00

Wordsmithing the Mass

2010-09-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Eucharist in the Mass is the center of a Catholic's life. It is the best prayer, our best community, and the epitome of our expression of love to God. IOW, it's how we who are gathered to pray together commune with each other to unite ourselves in worship. It stands to reason that we should want to do this in the best way possible, right? So how we say, what we say, is important, right? Right.

This is the reasoning behind the changes in the Mass. There are going to be changes in the wording of the Mass. Amen will stay the same. The Our Father will too. That's about it. Oh, the sign of the cross will remain. The change will be done by Nov. 27, 2011--the First Sunday of Advent, which is apropos since Advent is the new liturgical year.

What do you think? "Deja vu all over again." This is reminiscent of the changes after Vatican II, and will certainly boost the sales of Magnificat and missals.

Actually, the priest is affected the most. It's the Sacramentary that has the most change. If the people can hear the priest praying they will appreciate the beauty of the mystery through this more precise translation. "Lex orandi, lex credendi." The new words will show us the relationship between what we pray and what we believe.

The Mass will be more poetic, more inspiring and more theological. What more could you want? Start looking for the changes. This will be a good time to start thinking about what you're saying. Meditate on the prayers at Mass. We will learn to love the Mass even more. Deo Gratias.

Come and See

2010-09-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Seeing is believing, right? Well....this time it is. St. Mary's very last session of the Arise Together in Christ program is beginning next week. Are you going? What are you waiting for?

Read how Jesus handles this situation, John 1:35-46. Would you behave like the disciples? Prove it. Come and See an Arise group. Drop on by. Go to one, or two.

What are you afraid of? What have you got to lose?

I promise I won't bug you any more. This is the last time.

Question?

2010-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

This not a legitimate posting; it is a sincere question. If you have a Liturgy of the Hours, 4 Vol. set, I'm going to give you a reference to read. It is Wednesday, the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, the Second Reading from a sermon On Pastors by Saint Augustine, bishop, pp. 298-99.

What is Augustine telling us?

This is what I'm interested in:

Behold, I myself am over the shepherds, and I will claim my sheep from their hands; and I will turn away from them so that they may not pasture my sheep, and the shepherds shall no longer give pasture. For when I say: "Let them pasture my sheep," they give pasture to themselves and not to my sheep. Therefore, I will turn away from them so that they may not pasture my sheep.

How does the Lord turn away from them
to keep them from pasturing his sheep?
Do whatever they tell you, but do not follow what they do.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Here's the Entire Bible

2010-09-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Bible In A Minute

Earth made, Adam, Eve
Cain kills Abel, has to leave
Boring genealogy
Great flood, olive leaf

Tower Babel, Abraham
Sodom and Gomorrah, and
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses
Ten commands, promised land

Judges, David, Solomon
Sent away to Babylon
Job, then a bunch of psalms
Proverbs and the Song of Songs

Major prophets, lion’s den
Minor prophets, Bethlehem
Gold and myrrh and frankincense
Satan and Samaritan

Choose disciples, other cheek
Walk on water, thousands eat
Lazarus, fig tree
Last supper, Gethsemane

Blood money, third denial
Pontius Pilate, public trial
Forty lashes, to the tree
Why have you forsaken me?

Third day, empty tomb
Reappears, five wounds
Acts of the Apostles next
Epistles and Apocalypse!

h/t to Fr. Fleming of the Concord Pastor and Barats and Bereta

Ghosts

2010-09-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Abraham said, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

Read Luke 16:19-31.

I don't know about this. I remember someone asked Sister once, how come we don't have miracles like Lazarus rising from the dead, or other dramatic happenings. Sister's response was that we had her. We didn't need to see anyone rising from the dead.

Mmmm. I wasn't convinced then, either.

I think God needs a new PR firm. I don't think reading and listening to scriptures are going to hook anybody. God needs drama. You have to get people's attention first, then they'll turn to scripture. So have a relative or someone one knows, rise from the dead.

It worked for Scrooge.

Last Call

2010-09-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

“I didn’t even know they were Catholic!” This was an exclamation from one small group leader who held an Arise Together with Christ Season, in her home. She was talking about some neighbors of hers. She was gushing about the community that had developed in her group. Their faith sharing had created a strong bond that had spilled over into friendships that morphed into “family.”

Wow.

But was this everybody’s experience?

“How was your Arise session this season?” I asked another small group leader. “You wouldn’t believe what happened!” He responded. “One person, who had never been before, joined our group and seemingly seemed a silent participant, confessed in the last session, that our faith sharing had touched her.” The theme for Season IV was Reconciliation. The lady in question said that she understood from scripture that if she wanted to get to heaven she had to forgive. She was not a forgiving person, by nature. But from the New Heart, New Spirit Workbook, she was led to look at forgiveness differently. From praying with her group for Forgiveness, she felt herself open to forgive her “ex”, her parents, her family, etc. Her anger had kept her in a prison of negativity. Praying to be forgiven and to forgive herself, visibly converted her.

Wowza.

“Redemption right before your eyes!” He corrected me; “Redemption before all our eyes. We all saw proof of redemption. Right there.”

And the stories continue….

Each leader that I spoke with related benefits from the Arise Together with Christ Program. From the scripture readings enhancing their Sunday liturgy, to feeling bonded in a community of faith, to serving the community and others with establishing a group prayer line, food for St. Vincent de Paul, helping at the Because He Lives Soup Kitchen, to becoming comfortable in sharing their faith with others, to learning new ways of prayer, to visiting nursing homes, to spiritually adopting seminarians and priests, to donating an ox, cow, pig, goat, chicken…., the list of benefits goes on.

You don’t believe me? You doubt?

Come see for yourself. By the way, this is your last chance to see for yourself. Arise Together with Christ is a three year program. This is our last year. This is our last session. This is your last chance to see what everyone in the parish is talking about. What are you waiting for? Don’t miss out! It’s only a six week commitment. It’s also non-sequential—meaning you don’t have to go every week. Each lesson stands by itself, not dependent on any previous lesson.

How to Cheat Your Boss

2010-09-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

The parable of the unjust steward is confusing. Read Luke 16: 1-13.

The steward is terminated from his employment. But before he goes, he calls in all his master's debtors and forgives their debt, or lessons it considerably. He does that so that when he needs help, after being fired, he'll have friends who will help him

This doesn't make sense to me because the master will have the steward thrown in jail for giving away what is rightfully his. Who's going to help the steward now?

But the worst doesn't happen. The steward gets away with it. He's a conniving schemer and the master admires him for it. If the master gets angry and has the steward arrested, he'll be the perceived as the bad guy. But if he lets the steward alone, and lets his debtors alone, then the master is perceived as generous.

The point Jesus was trying to make was to be intelligent about planing for heaven.

But I can't get over the sneaky conniver's machinations to cheat his master.

Questions

2010-09-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Got Questions about the Arise Program? We’ve Got Answers!

Q. I didn’t join ARISE last year….can I still participate in Season 3?
A. Absolutely! Each season stands alone.

Q. I’m not much of a church-go-er; I don’t know much about the Bible, would I feel out of place in an ARISE group?
A. Not at All! Each group reflects a beautiful variety of people at all different places in their lives.

Q. I’m in my 20’s (or 30’s), isn’t this kind of thing just for older people?
A. No Way! God doesn’t discriminate by age, gender, culture, race, or for any reason.

Q. It runs for 6 weeks…what if I can’t make them all?
A. No Problem! Life happens; do what you can.

Q. Can I pick my day and time?
A. Yes! There are many choices of days and times.

Q. Can I request a particular facilitator or group?
A. Sure!

Q. Can I host a group in my house even though I ‘m not the facilitator?
A. You Bet!

Q. I don’t like to talk in groups. Would I feel awkward?
A. No! Many participants were relieved to discover that they could talk or not according to their comfort level.

Q. Why would I do this?
A. Why wouldn’t you?

Created by St Agatha Team Milton, MA

I Yam What I Yam

2010-09-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

"I Yam What I Yam." Who said that?

Your husband? Er....yeah, .....I was really thinking of someone else.
"Popeye." Yes, you are correct. But there is really someone before Popeye. Read 1Corinthians 15:10.

Now, who said, "By the grace of God, I am what I am..."?

Negotiations

2010-09-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you have ever belonged to a Labor Union, and been part of the collective bargaining unit, then you'llunderstand where this post is coming from.

Read Exodus 32: 7.

Moses is the mediator. Typical of membership, they just don't appreciate the hard work their contract negotiators have done for them.

Read Psalm 106: 5.

See?

Ingrates! How would you like to be the Israelites steward? Hey, they pay their dues, you have to advocate for them. Although, you would like to say, "Fire the SOB," but you don't. Neither does Moses. He's excellent: calm, cool, collected. Moses negotiates a deal. Rather, he dusts off the original covenant. Smart guy this Moses. Luckily, the management Moses is dealing with never tries to screw you. God doesn't go back on His Word.

I was thinking of hiring Moses when I stand at the pearly gates. But then I thought better of it. I know someone even better than Moses. Read 1Timothy 2:5.

Scripture Come-back

2010-09-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

The pastor was out visiting Paddy Murphy, one day. He didn't announce that he was coming, because he could always visit another parishioner, if Paddy wasn't home. But he was home because Paddy's truck was in the driveway. Father rang the door bell but no one answered. Sound from either a TV or Radio could be heard through the door. Father thought that the bell could be broken, so he knocked on the door, loudly. Still no answer. Father finally took out pen and paper and wrote "Revelation 3:20," and stuck it on the door.

Next Sunday, when Father was counting the offering he found his note, where he had written "Revelation 3:20," and saw that below, Paddy had written, "Genesis 3:10."

Plan "A"

2010-09-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I actually wasn't a mother. I wasn't married. I wanted to be. I knew I had a vocation to be a wife and a mother, so I dated. Before I would allow myself to get serious about someone, they had to fulfill certain criteria. They had to be Catholic, healthy, good sense of humor, hard working, etc. These were traits that were important to me at that time.

The point is, I was planning for the future. Don't we all; or should be? Read Luke 14: 28-33.

Our future is heaven. Plan for it.

How to Make Your Prayer Better

2010-08-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone's familiar with Luke 11: 1-4. Right?

But what about when you don't feel like praying? Jesus teaches us how to pray, Luke 11: 1-4, and also what to pray, and so does the rest of that section Luke 11: 5-13. But what about when you're too tired, or just feel "blah."

I contend that it is when you push yourself, is when your prayer is worth more. I think it is more worthy.

Follow my train of thought.
   You don't like children. You don't know how to act, or say.....you're just uncomfortable with them. But you're friend teaches little children. And not only can't your friend understand how anyone could not like children, he actually thinks it's a terrible thing that you don't care for children. He doesn't shut up about it.
   You meditate on it. And you decide that you are going to try to look at children through your friend's eyes. You'll try to see what's so wonderful about little kids.
   So your friend arranges for you to volunteer with him. So the first day, a little girl pees on you while you're reading a story. The next day, some little #^*# asked, "Why are you so fat?" In fact, a day didn't go by, that you don't have some horror story.
   But you pushed yourself to go back every day, if only to prove to your friend that you really, really, did try to like children.
   Eventually, you know these kids by name. Then you know them by personality. You get to know when they're sad, mad, happy, and you know what? You start to care about them. Somehow, they wormed their way into your heart.
   Alright...alright! You grow to love them.

This is the point of my story. I contend, that your love is better, more worthy, if you will, than your friend's love, because the friend did just what came naturally to him. He loved children. You on the other hand, had to work on it. You pushed yourself to do something you didn't want to do. And I think the same is true of prayer. When you pray when you don't feel like it, when you have to push yourself, it's worth more. Actually, you're praying to please God, not yourself. An act of love that will please God.

High Notes

2010-08-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

Read 1 Corinthians 15:52

Teaching Etiquette

2010-08-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Party

My neighborhood is one of the best places to bring up a family. It's a quiet, away from the center of town, pretty development. That was a major factor in my family's decision to buy the particular house that we still inhabit.

Another plus was the fact, that two little girls lived next door, who were just about the same age as my daughter. And for the most part, this worked well. They were friends. Even to the point of a path being worn in the grass between our two driveways.

There was however, one incident, that made this over-protective mother, seethe.

When my daughter had a birthday party, there were (And I contend still ARE), certain obligatory guests that you just have to invite. I consider this "etiquette." Besides family, you have to invite certain people. In that category, I would include friends, people who always invite you to their parties, people who would be "hurt" if not invited, and then, you can invite whomever you want. We always adhere to this rule.

I made sure my children invited their cousins, friends, and children who sat around their desks at school-- because everyone would be talking about the party, and we didn't want anyone to feel slighted. We didn't forget our neighbors and those who had invited my kids to their birthday parties.

This is a parent's duty--to bring up thoughtful, caring, polite children, who mind their manners.

Then came the day, when I noticed my child's dejected face looking out the window, at the birthday party for the little girl next door.

Read Luke 14: 12-14.

What was Jesus thinking?

Another Pre-Sign Up Announcement

2010-08-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

ARISE Together in Christ
Hermeneutics may not fill you with glee.
Apologetics may not be your cup of tea.
But in revealing what's true and what's not,
ARISE succeeds in stirring the pot.
If you haven't opted in up 'til now,
Take that leap of faith, God will show you how.

Sign up for ARISE Together in Christ today! http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/arise_registration.php
or during Sign Up Weekend September 18-19, 2010.

Scripture Sense

2010-08-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of Hope Prayer Group is studying the Catechism, and the Bible. After their usual prayer routine, they read and discuss, either the CCC, or the Bible. This is a type of prayer, too. It's called Lectio Divina, specifically Group Lectio Divina. You read and then contemplate what you read. The advantage of doing this in a group is the discussion that follows. You have the advantage of hearing different insights.

Hey, this is exactly what Arise Together in Christ does. We read and share. Well, whadyano!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Questions 109-119) tell us how to approach studying scriptures. It is important to understand that there are two senses of Scripture: the literal, and the spiritual.

The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture.
The spiritual sense is the signs revealed by God's plan. This is subdivided into three more senses: allegorical, moral and anagogical.
   Allegorical sense is seeing events in the light of their significance to Christ.
   Moral sense are events written for instruction.
   Anagogical sense are events interpreted in terms of their leading us to heaven.

A medieval couplet summarizes the four senses:

   The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith
   The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny.

Knock Knock

2010-08-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Did you hear what happened to Mrs. Murphy's after her near death experience?

Well, while on the operating table, God came to her. "Is this it?" She asked. God replied, "No my child, you have another 40 years to live."

So as soon as she was well enough, she colored her hair, exercised and lost weight, had a nose job, and breast augmentation and soon became very popular. Her husband considered her a trophy wife. Heck, she thought of herself as a trophy.

Just as she was applying for a job as a model, she had a heart attack.

This time, she really did die. As soon as she could, she accosted God, "Didn't you tell me that I had another 40 years to live?" "Oh, it's you, Mrs. Murphy! Sorry, I didn't recognize you."

This old joke came to mind during this Sunday's Gospel. Read Luke 13: 24-28

Yikes. Imagine God telling you, "I do not know where you are from. Depart from me all you workers of iniquity."

Helpful Bible Study Hints

2010-08-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

While reading Fr. Mark Carr's "A Holy Rule for Internet Communicators," I came across some suggestions to help us in our Scripture reading and sharing. Actually he is discussing how Catholic Bloggers should conduct themselves. For more on Catholic Bloggers, you can link to the real article, above, or my other blog, for my spin.

Use the three color pen method taught by Mons. Jonas Abib. (Monsignor Jonas learned that Pope John Paul II used the same method.)

This means:

a.) Underline any command forms directed to the reader in red. (i.e. Phillipians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord Always”)

b.) Underline any principles in black (i.e. 1John 4:8 “Who does not love does not know God, because God is love”)

c.) Underline any promises in green (i.e. Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”)

Actually I've seen Bibles that come with all the passages where Jesus is speaking, highlighted in yellow.

My Bible is going to be pretty colorful.

Pre-Sign Up Bulletin Annoucements

2010-08-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

ARISE Together in Christ
How many angels fit on the edge of a pin?
Is not the kind of question we are interested in?
Are we caught up with Idol and Dancing with the Stars?,
When the call to Evangelization is truly ours?

It is never too late to become part of ARISE Together in Christ. You may sign up for a group on the weekend of Sept. 18-19, or sign up anytime on our parish website: http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/arise_registration.php

Sales Pitch

2010-08-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

ARISE Together in Christ
No collections, donations, no, nothing like that.
Nothing to bring,
But there's one caveat.
Take all of yourself, your heart and your soul,
To Catholic sharing -- that's our goal.

Why not be part of something that has positively and deeply touched the lives of over 250 parishioners in St. Mary's, and over 30,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston? ARISE Season 5 is open to anyone. It is an opportunity to get to know others from our parish. You may sign up for a group on the weekend of Sept. 18-19, or on-line at the parish web site.

Both Dormition and Assumption

2010-08-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

A place to put on your bucket list, is the Russian Museum of Icons, in Clinton, MA. See Link.

The last time I went, I saw this Icon of the Dormition of Mary. The docent explained that this particular Icon portrays the Eastern Orthodox doctrine on the Assumption of Mary. The Dormition of the Theotokos and the Assumption of Mary, are both celebrated on August 15. We are celebrating the same event. However, the Orthodox church teaches that Mary died a natural death, but that her soul was received by Christ, and that her body was resurrected on the third day, at which time her soul was taken up, bodily into heaven.

Roman Catholics believe that Mary was "assumed" into heaven in bodily form. Pope Pius XII, defined the docrine of the Assumption, in Apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus (1950).

Orthodox and Roman Catholics see the role Mary has played in Jesus' life. We can see that she who played the most prominent part of His life, would be resurrected, like all of us, but more uniquely, as befitting her role. She was the first person to say "yes", and for this reason should be especially honored.

Read Romans 8: 28-30.

Trust Me

2010-08-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

You should make it a practice to never trust people who say, "Trust me." Good advice.

However, sometimes you just don't have a choice. You have to, because there's no other alternative: doctors, mechanics, ~~lawyers, politicians~~, ...other experts. Is it because of the few--the bad experiences, that we're wary of trusting? But we should be, shouldn't we?

What about trusting God?

Oh.

Read Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12.

Abraham trusted. Mary trusted. Jesus trusted.

Yikes, no wonder we balk at trusting God. It's not that trusting God means that everything will be honky dory. After all, we're not living in the Garden of Eden. It means that God's promises will become true in the end. The process of getting to the end, may not be smooth; that's where the trust comes in. You have to believe that God will deliver. Trust = Faith

Pre-Sign Up Bulletin Annoucements

2010-08-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

ARISE Together in Christ
Are there times when your faith is in doubt
And you're not sure what life's all about
It might help to share
With people who care
So let's meet in small groups to find out.

ARISE Season 5 is open to anyone. Only 90 minutes a week for 6 weeks can change your life. You may sign up for a group on the weekend of Sept. 18/19, or on line.

Prophetic Utterances

2010-08-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

The words of the boy remind me of "priests and prophets." Moses comes to mind. And when I think of Moses, I think of the Ten Commandments. And when I think of prophets, I think of proclamations like this boy's. He and I think alike.

The style the boy uses reminds me of Deuteronomy. And that's what I read for meditation, today.

Deuteronomy it the fifth book of the Bible. Its name means "second law." But as far as I can see, it isn't about a second law; but rather an explanation of some of the commandments.

I am particularly thinking of the Fifth Commandment and abortion. Read Deuteronomy 18: 9-12.

Abortion is an abomination to the Lord.

Should I Sign Up for Arise ?

2010-07-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

Announcement

2010-07-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Arise Together in Christ
We're looking ahead to the fall
To begin Season 5 for us all
Get ready to sign on the dotted line
For we hope that you'll answer the call.

Arise Season 5 is open to anyone, even if you never participated before. You are welcome. Faith sharing groups will begin the week of Oct. 3rd. You may sign up for a group on the weekend of Sept. 18 - 19, or anytime on the parish website.

Parables

2010-07-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Do you like parables? Do you like poetry? Fables?

You either do, or you don't. If you like allegory, allusions with multiple interpretations, and metaphors, then I bet you do like parables. I admit, most of the time I do. I find the agrarian parables frustrating though, because I can't relate. And..

(Read Matthew 20: 1-16) is downright infuriating to me, as a Union member. In fact, what Jesus does is against our law. A Union steward would slap Jesus with an unfair labor practice grievance faster than he can hire those union busting 11th hour workers. Just imagine, they don't know what the job is, no training, nor time to train them, no experience whatsoever, and they get paid the same as the first hires. Ask Jesus to define "seniority."

But that's not the point, is it? Jesus is speaking allegorically. This parable is to give us hope. Jesus is all merciful and will take even 11th hour conversions into His Kingdom. I won't question my Lord.

We have the vineyard representing our world, and the labors are Jesus followers. ~~Unfortunately, it's a non-union shop.~~ God is our benevolent employer. He choses because He is generous to pay everybody the same. Doesn't it occur to you, to not be so anxious to be one of the first hires, next time? Yeah, slack off. Take a nap, and on the 11th hour go apply for the job.

The trouble is, you don't know if God is going to offer the same deal, again. So you're stuck being good all the time.

Mmmmmm. I think I'll apply for the job of being an union organizer in heaven. Equal pay for equal work. No discrimination. Affirmative action. Collective bargaining.

What do you think of Amalgamated Workers in Eternity---AWE?

Awesome, no?

Mutual Indwelling

2010-07-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Let’s look at the ideal of Fatherhood: loving, protecting, supporting, kind, generous, advising, strong, etc. Now read about our Father in heaven, Jas 1:7.

How’s that for divine Fatherhood? Think of the parables. For example, the friend waking his neighbor in the middle of the night, the father who feeds his children, and the father who welcomes his prodigal son. Wowza. Some of this is maybe out of reach for us mere humans. We try.

If we try to imagine this ideal, we see a powerful relationship between a father and his child. Remember Jesus saying “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father?” Wrap your mind around that concept. Can you see that the relationship between God the Father and God the Son is so intimate, so loving, so incredibly self-giving that they are “…in each other?” This is called the doctrine of the mutual indwelling. The mutual indwelling means that the Father has given Himself completely from all eternity to His Son, and the Son has from all eternity, reciprocated.

Now pray the Our Father. We have nothing to worry about. Our Father will handle everything; and the proof is that He sent His only Son to suffer and die, for us. What more could you want?

h/t Brother Augustine Reisenhauer, O.P.

Catholics Come Home

2010-07-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Boston Globe had an article on this new archdiocesan initiative, called "Catholics Come Home." The Church recognizes that in the not so distant past, with the priest sex scandal, the closing of parishes, and just the general feeling of distrust with any authority, that there are a number of unhappy and unsettled people out there, who have left the Catholic Church. This program is an outreach to them. The sheep are lost.

I think the time is right for these lost sheep. Aquinas tells us that we are born with a desire for God. Man will always search for God. Often we think money, power, sex, etc., will fulfill this yearning. It doesn't. We remain unsatisfied. We try more, and more. We never find satisfaction until we find God. He's there.

Yes, right here--in the Catholic Church, in the Eucharist. The sheep are meandering here and there and trying to find satisfaction. Let us pray, they come home.

Read Matt. 16: 18.

Jesus left the care of His Church to His apostle, Peter. From the first century to today, all the popes have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority and responsibility that Jesus first gave to Peter.
That is why we say that Pope Benedict XVI is the Vicar of Christ.

One reason I love being Catholic is this source of the authority exercised by a hierarchical priesthood based in Rome. It makes sense. It's historical fact. It still exists after 2010 years.

My prayer, my promise, my creed:
I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Apostle Peter, and today I fully accept Pope Benedict XVI as the Vicar of Christ.

Martha and Mary

2010-07-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

The story of Martha and Mary is a familiar one. Read Luke 10:38-42.

Everyone I know identifies with Martha and jokes about this story. Everyone except me. That's because I'm Mary. I identify with Mary. I love to read theology and philosophy and religion. I also never have enough time to pray. To hell with the housework. A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

I sit in the kitchen reading the Word
husband treads the path from stove to table

his quick eyes check out my coffee cup--
down enough to warm up

he's buttered my toast and flipped my eggs
to greet the morning and me

praise God for good cooks and thoughtful lovers
thank you I pray with a full mouth

Hhrrmmpphh! he snaps the Globe open
looking over the paper and

into my heart with laughing eyes
and no words spoken.

2010-07-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Renewal - ARISE: Together in Christ

“We believe you are doing something new,
calling us to arise together in Christ
to celebrate the fullness of life. Amen.”

From The ARISE Prayer
Renew International1.

Renewing our faith life—as individuals and as Church—is an ongoing part of what it means to be Catholic. In 2008, our Bicentennial year, we began a three-year program designed to help renew parish life and to help parishioners strengthen their spirituality. Called ARISE: Together in Christ, the program is designed around the concept of bringing parishioners together in small groups. Members of the groups meet weekly over a six-week period. They share their faith experiences with one another, reflect upon how they are encountering God in everyday life, and look for ways to connect faith to action.

“You call us to holiness
and we trust you to lead us together
on our journey to be a renewed Church,
for with you all things are possible.”

The first ARISE session took place in the fall of 2008 and was a tremendous success. Approximately 30,000 people participated, and 3,000 volunteers signed up to be group leaders, taking a two-hour training program in preparation. The program was offered in English, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Lithuanian and American Sign Language. Versions of the program for children and teens took place in Catholic Schools and religious education classes.

“Enliven our parishes; reunite our families.
May your Holy Spirit empower us
to live as a community of love”

Two important objectives of ARISE are community building and evangelization Feedback from the first session revealed those objectives were met in a variety of ways. Parishioners were surprised and delighted with the renewed sense of community that resulted. Some took advantage of opportunities to invite family members or friends to accompany them to ARISE. One of the most exciting developments was that ARISE spread beyond the parish. The Invitation to Act portion of the program, where participants look for ways to put their faith into action, spurred people to reach out to others, offering friendship, comfort and support. But even beyond that, participants brought the program with them to other aspects of their lives. Examples include parishioners who volunteer in a nursing home starting a program there and others who brought the ARISE books with them to Florida for the winter, leading a program there.

Renew International, a Catholic organization based in Plainfield, NJ, created ARISE and customized the Boston program to meet our Archdiocese’s needs. ARISE will continue through 2011, and parishes are welcome to join at any time. For more information, contact Mary Ann McLaughlin or Ann Cussen, 617-779-3640, ariseinchrist@rcab.org.

You've Got a Friend

2010-07-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today's Gospel was the familiar Good Samaritan story. Read Luke 10: 25-37.

I've heard the excuses for the passers-by. That a lawyer is a busy man. He probably was rushing to court, or some other time sensitive appointment. That the Levite can't touch blood. If he's on his way to services, he'd be unclean.

They both could have intended to get help when they got to town.

That's probably how they assuage their consciences. But those excuses won't wash.

You're still putting yourself in front of your neighbor's needs. But...but...but--they don't even know the guy! So, who's your neighbor?

That question was originally asked in Genesis Chapter 4 Verse 9. Read it. The answer is Luke 10: 25-37.

Last Session of Arise

2010-07-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

A Parish-Centered Process of Spiritual Renewal
for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

ARISE: Dates to Remember

Season 5: We Are the Good News!

Sign-up Weekends:

September 18-19

Faith Sharing begins October 3

Small Group Leaders follow this Link to view the Training Sessions.
May God bless you for your commitment.

Happy Fourth of July

2010-06-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Everybody should be proud of their country. Don't you think so?

Read Psalm 66.

You think this patriot is proud that his country won a soccer game? You know soccer fans!
Whatever. This psalmist is thankful for what God has done for his nation. We need to be likewise. If ever a country needed to give thanks to God, it's the USA.

God is concerned with not only every individual but for every country in this world. "Let all the earth cry out God with joy." Note that while the psalmist is thinking of his own nation, he also calls upon all nations to praise God. Remember God had saved the Israelites during the Exodus.

But we have much to be thankful for, also. Rejoice in the fact that we are also part of God's covenant.

Answer Me!

2010-06-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes God seems distant. We pray but God stays silent and you just have to wonder if God's promises "To ask and you'll receive" are false. We all have experienced this.

Read Job 30: 16-20.

Talk about silence! Job could tell us stories! Job was a good man, yet God allowed evil to harass him. Job prayed but received no answer, just silence.

Then God does speak to Job (Job 40: 1-5) Note Job's response.

Finish by reading Job 42: 1-6.

There's something to be learned from Job's story, especially in our prayer life.

Sometimes prayers aren't answered because they're wrong or we're not ready to understand. God's time is not our time. Maybe it's the way we're asking. Is there sin in your life? Well, tell God, what's bothering you. Go to Confession--get rid of what's stopping that loving relationship with God.

And then, there are times, after periods of silence, where we are rewarded by a far greater gift that what we were asking for. I guess it all comes down to perseverance and trust. And trusting means learning to bear the silence because He is always there, even when he doesn't answer.

Where Are You Going?

2010-06-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Could you leave everything to follow someone you love?

You could when you were a teen. So what's difference between then and now?

Stuff. You own much too much stuff now; you didn't have much as a teen. Read 1Kings 19:19-21.

Here Elisha is a young man, maybe a teen, and leaves all. The fact that he's driving 12 oxen tells us that his family is rich. He burns the yoke to make a good fire to cook all the oxen. This was to prove to Elijah that he was ready to follow God. He was leaving his old life behind.

I don't think Elisha's father could have done the same. Actually, having stuff means you have responsibilities. It was easier for Elisha, and that's not taking away the fact that Elisha's leaving it all behind wasn't virtuous. It was difficult to give everything up; it would have been impossible for Elisha's father.

Now read Luke 9: 57-62. Same situation. We don't know anything about this young man. Would leaving mean leaving a wife and children? Yikes!

God wouldn't ask that. Let's look at the point of the story. The point being to trust in God. What surrendering means is different for each of us. But we all are called to follow God.

Where Are You Going To, My Pretty Maid?

"Where are you going to,
my pretty maid?"

"I'm going a-listening,

Sir," she said.

"May I go with you,

my pretty maid?"

"You're kindly welcome,
Sir," she said.

"What will we listen to,
my pretty maid?"
"My Father's good Words,
kind sir," she said.

"Where will we listen,
my pretty maid?"
"Within Father's house,
kind sir," she said.

"How will we listen,

my pretty maid?"
"With all of our heart,
kind sir," she said.

"Who is your Father,
my pretty maid?"
"The Lord God in Heaven
kind sir, she said.

"How can we reach Him,
my pretty maid?"
"I'll show you the Way,
kind sir," she said.

"Jesus, The Way, The Truth
and The Life,
will lead you to Him,
kind sir," she said.

My Cross

2010-06-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Read Luke 9:18-24

I don't know whether it was Ben Franklin, or my mother, who told me that God gives us our own individual crosses, made especially for us. One's person cross is not an other's.

There are many times when I've encountered a person with an illness, or in a terrible situation, or some other such horrific occurrence, and I've wondered how they could carry such a cross. And then (in the few instances) when I've had the opportunity to talk to them, I see that they carried their cross well. In fact, they'll turn the tables and ask me how I handled my illness, my personal tragedies, my situational woes, etc. We wonder at ourselves, others, and how God matches our crosses to ourselves.

Would we swap crosses with another, if we could? Pretend. So whose and what would you chose?

Yeah, I thought so. God matches our crosses to us.

And believe this; you can turn your cross into a blessing. You can use your cross to help others: in prayer, in emphatic overtures, in offerings.

The Christians took the Cross--an object of shame and death, and turned it into a triumph--an object of hope and the Resurrection.

Delightful

2010-06-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Do gifts give you delight? Happy experiences are delightful, also. What about God? Would you characterize your relationship with God as delightful?

Seriously. Why wouldn't your relationship with God be delightful? If you can delight in any loving relationship, then certainly, you may delight in God. You should.

Read Psalm 37:4

God wants our happiness. That precludes that what makes us happy are things that are good for us. IOW, we must delight in what God delights in. Sometimes we pray for things that are just selfish. God is omnipotent so He sees the overall picture--the future, affects, effects, etc.. So we should always be sure to pray according to the will of God. There is nothing wrong in telling God what we desire, but we should ask in the context of His will. Remember Jesus, at a moment where His wits were rampant, still prayed," yet not My will, but Thine be done."

Focus on what pleases God, not what pleases you. Pray to have no delight except what delights Our Lord.
You can't go wrong, there.

Trying to be Serious

2010-06-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

Do you remember as a child, having fits of laughter, especially in places where you were suppose to be quiet, i.e., study hall, library, church (God forbid)? Does that ever happen to you as an adult?

Not quite. The fits have matured. I'm having one tonight. You have to read Luke 7:36-50.

For some reason, I can't get into this story. Everything strikes me as "hifreakinlarious."

How did the sinful woman get into the Pharisee's house? Was she there all along? Didn't anyone notice? Did she crash the party?
The Pharisee asks himself, "If this man were a prophet..." Does he think prophets predict the future? No wonder no one listened to the prophets.
If the sinful woman came prepared with jars of ointments, how come she forgot a towel? There are times when I've been in restrooms where there are no towels. Not once, never, ever, did it ever occur to me, to wipe my hands on my hair. Furthermore, I don't think hair is a very effective drying agent. Why didn't she use her skirt like a normal woman? Didn't they use napkins, back in the day

I know. I'm bad. Time for a visit to my Spiritual Director. Lord, help me. But I do realize that this Reading is about love. This sinful woman (Mary Magdalene?), must have loved Jesus very much. And Jesus proves that He loves us, by forgiving her, her sins. He uses the woman's sinfulness as an opportunity to show us His great mercy. We learn the true meaning of mercy when we are forgiven, even though we don't deserve it. We don't earn it; it's freely given. Jesus tells us that our faith will save us.

Can't help wonder if she also gives manicures, along with the pedicures.....

h/t to Kat

Divine Intervention

2010-06-03T16:45:00.001-07:00

This morning on WBZ TV was a story about a family being saved by an angel. They were outside looking at an approaching storm, commenting on the sky, when the thought/urge to go inside, (exactly at that moment) came. Once inside, they heard a large noise and the earth shook like an earthquake.

A tree had landed on their house. Piercing the roof, and crashing right where the family had been.

"When the family thinks about what made them move just in the nick of time, they point to a shrine in their home, with candles around pictures of their infant that died of meningitis last year. 'I feel that it was him that gave me that thought that it's time to just go inside and leave this place and go inside just for whatever reason,'" said the Dad.

This story reinforced the line of thought I was meditating on this morning. You have to read Luke 7:11-17, to see what I'm talking about.

This is the story of Jesus raising the widow's son, from the dead. Now, of course I'm impressed that Jesus raises people from death. But He does that. What I focused on was the fact that the widow never asked Jesus to do that.

Well, does she? Read Luke 7: 11-17, again.

The widow doesn't ask Jesus to intervene, but He choses to do so. Can you think of times when Jesus has intervened in your life, to help you? Read the story of the family in Revere where Jesus intervened.

How about thanking God and throwing in a few praises, too?

Deo Gratias.

You Can't Handle the Truth

2010-05-27T16:25:00.001-07:00

Some people who heard Jack Nicholson exclaim this sentence in 2005, in "A Few Good Men", "You can't handle the truth!" have no idea what this implies. I do, and so does Jesus.

Read John 16: 12-15.

When Jack screamed this out, I thought of my oldest daughter, who couldn't handle the truth when she was 8 years old.

Although hubby and I had thought we had prepared our daughter for the birth of her sibling, as it turned out, she wasn't ready for it. Jesus could have explained everything to his disciples but they weren't ready for it.

I went into labor, one afternoon. My water broke as I was dialing the doctor's phone number. The baby was coming. Hubby phoned 911. My daughter went to get a neighbor. The baby didn't wait. He just slipped out. Hubby delivered a divine gift, along with a lot of amniotic fluid, blood, and umbilical cord. I was a little preoccupied with the birth, to notice my daughter. Hubby was busy "catching." The neighbor was greeting the EMT's. While my daughter watched.

We were the talk of the neighborhood, that day. I was wheeled out to an ovation; the neighborhood had all gathered outside and greeted us as baby and I went into the ambulance. What can I say?

A few days later, we went home and life went on. My neighbor told me that my daughter had told everyone that I had a baby. That daddy pulled out my belly button and out popped her new baby brother. She was eight years old.

Isn't eight years, the age of reason? We had explained the facts to her. She was there and saw with her own eyes. Hmmmpphh. I guess she preferred her version to the truth.

So Jesus tried to explain to his disciples. Luckily Jesus had the Holy Spirit to enlighten them, or they'd be spreading their versions of what happened. Imagine. Jesus pulled out his belly button and was whoossshhhed up to heaven. The Trinity consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all connected by strings attached to their belly buttons.

What does the 'the truth about God,' mean to you? You do know that the Holy Spirit still works on us, even today. Pray for wisdom and understanding, the next time you don't understand a scripture passage, or a church teaching. Trust, that when you are ready for the truth, you will receive it.

via the belly button.

(just kidding)
'

Perservering in Prayer

2010-05-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the experience of the police showing up at your front door with your teenager? I hope not. But even if you were lucky enough not to ever experience this, I think you can still imagine how the parent would feel. The parent would not be thinking cute, endearing, loving thoughts about this wayward child.

But I don't want you to think like a parent. No. I want you to try to think what the teenager is thinking.

Oh boy........yeah. When you feel least loved, is when you need it the most. Read that sentence again!

The same is true of Prayer. Read Colossians 4:2.

When we don't feel like praying is when we most need to pray. We could ask God to bring us to prayer. The more focused on God we become, the easier it is to talk to Him. Sometimes we do have to push ourselves. Well, what of it? Just do it.

Love your children, that includes teens, and continue praying.

Voice of the Holy Spirit

2010-05-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit exploded on Pentecost.

Read John 14:15-16, 23-26.

Great! But that was then. This is now.

Well, I'm talking about now. The Holy Spirit still talks to us. Ask anyone who has participated in the Arise Together With Christ program.

Sometimes it's obvious. I experienced a phenomena that I have to ask friends if it really did happen, or did I dream it.

St. Mary's has a Wednesday night prayer group, Our Lady of Hope Charismatic Prayer Group; that's over 25 year's old. It use to be where the action was. Today, there's only a remnant. I was not a member of this group, but a friend heard that they were having a healing priest come to celebrate Mass for them, Father Aniello Salicone, sx. She asked me to go with her. It was there where I met the Holy Spirit.

Weather wise, it was a nice night. Many people had gathered for prayer. It was obvious that some of them were sick. Most of the people, I had never seen before.
Father celebrated Mass as usual. I zoned as usual. During the consecration, it was extraordinary still. When the priest elevated the host, suddenly, people began singing in tongues. I had never heard of this. I couldn't have told you what it was. But when I heard it, I knew it. A holy hush, and then, suddenly, people began singing in tongues.

I had never experienced anything like that before. It was beautiful and everyone, joined in. The sound was like angels flooding the church with different melodies and rhythms, yet harmonizing perfectly. Then things began to quieten down, and after another time of silence, Mass continued.

It was a profound experience and one that I have never encountered again. I still wonder if it were real. The only explanation I can give is that the Holy Spirit descended upon all of us, and gave us a great gift of angelic song that evening. Someday, I hope to sing like that again.

WOWZA huh?

That's not the only way, God speaks. Remember he can come in a whisper. (1Kings 19)
Participants in Arise learn to read and listen. They meditate on the scripture they've read, because God can speak:

1. Directly in the passage we are reading.
2. Through the thoughts that come to us during meditation.
3. Through friends, spiritual directors, and others close to you, whom you share your thoughts with.
4. Sometimes by giving us general uneasiness or the opposite--peace.

If you don't believe that God still speaks to us, then you need to join Arise Together With Christ. You will learn differently.
'

B16 is talking about us!!!!!

2010-05-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

In Portugal this week, the Holy Father is talking about the work the Laity is doing.

Think "Arise Together with Christ."

...In this regard, I confess to you the pleasant surprise that I had in making contact with the movements and the new ecclesial communities. Watching them, I had the joy and the grace to see how, at a moment of weariness in the Church, at a time when we were hearing about "the winter of the Church", the Holy Spirit was creating a new springtime, awakening in young people and adults alike the joy of being Christian, of living in the Church, which is the living Body of Christ. Thanks to their charisms, the radicality of the Gospel, the objective contents of the faith, the living flow of her tradition, are all being communicated in a persuasive way and welcomed as a personal experience, as adherence in freedom to the present event of Christ.

The necessary condition, naturally, is that these new realities desire to live in the one Church, albeit with spaces in some way set aside for their own life, in such a way that this life becomes fruitful for all the others. The bearers of a particular charism must feel themselves fundamentally responsible for communion, for the common faith of the Church, and submit themselves to the leadership of their Bishops. It is they who must ensure the ecclesial nature of the movements. Bishops are not only those who hold an office, but those who themselves are bearers of charisms, and responsible for the openness of the Church to the working of the Holy Spirit.

All for the glory of God.

One

2010-05-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is a very important reading. John 17: 20-26. I've heard it called the priestly prayer, probably because he was speaking to the apostles, directly.

Did you read it?

I bet you're scratching your head. Seems like double speak to me. Sorry, it does. But we get the point. Jesus and the Father are One. We are to be One with them.

It is a nice thought. Imagine being in unity with God.

Are you on Face Book? If so, look me up, I'll "friend" you. But look in the relationship status and see what some people wrote. Many priests, in fact
responded, in this manner. "In a relationship." I like that. We should all be in a relationship, especially with Our Lord. That means we have God's unconditional love in us.

Why do you think unity is so important to Jesus?

Think about how much God the Father loves Jesus. Consider what it means to have God's unconditional love inside you. His love should fill you up. In fact, it should overflow out of you, onto others. God is God and His love is overflowing.

God's overflowing love should affect your relationship with others. You will want to bring them to experience this overflowing love. You will want them to be One with Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit.

I think when you pray you will find yourself looking to heal a relationship. This is the idea. We all need to become One with God.

Pray about a relationship that needs reconciliation, or for someone to believe in Jesus and know that God loves them.

Controversy

2010-05-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Paul advises his protege Timothy to not bother with controversy.

Read 2Timothy 2:23.

Ha! You might as well tell the sun not to shine. It just can't be avoided. Think of Jesus. The immediate cause of his death was controversy: the sabbath, the Temple, dietary laws, balance of power, and who is THE authority. Think of the early Church. Isn't controversy one of the reasons for councils? The Holy Fathers argued in Nicea over "same as" and "similar to". History goes on.

I'm not sure why Paul told Timothy to avoid controversy. Maybe Timothy wasn't learned enough to defend the faith. Maybe, Timothy's assignment was to "introduce," not convert. Who knows? I do know that the Church grows in, and with, and in spite of controversy. The history of the Church shows that what was important at one time, is trivial in another. The Church grows, defines itself more clearly, in hard times.

Read 1Cor. 11:19.

Most people don't like to argue. People get hurt. Rigid Conservatism can come down hard. Sometime it seems that "orthodoxy" is just a fancy word to snap like a whip on the other person. But the Church thrives. It survives. And not always as its orthodox defenders think it should. Yesterday's heresies sometimes are the current orthodoxy.

We wouldn't be here if the Circumcision Party had won the election.

The Spirit moves where it wills. Don't be upset by controversy. Trust in God.

Come Holy Spirit

2010-05-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Jesus seems to give these cryptic answers to his disciples. What do you think of this answer He gives to Judas?

Read John 14:23-29.

What is Jesus talking about? And even if you understand what Jesus teaches sometimes, what does it have to do with you? That's your meditation for the day?

With the help of the Holy Spirit you will be able to understand. Jesus talks about His relationship with the Father because the disciples understand this. Jesus knows they don't understand completely, and tells them so. But they will get it. The Holy Spirit will touch them and they'll receive all that they need to carry on the mission entrusted to them by Jesus.

Before you read, say a prayer to the Holy Spirit to open your mind.

Captives in Anger

2010-04-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

St. Thomas Aquinas says that honesty is being open to the truth. This idea was more or less the theme in my Study Group Tonight. We were discussing "forgiveness." We were honing in on what makes it difficult to forgive. And you know what I attribute the difficulty to be?

"Ego." Read Mark 11:25.

Yup. If you personally were hurt by someone, it is nigh near impossible to forgive. You really need the grace of God to forgive.

My brothers related many stories. Someone told one brother, "I hope you rot in hell." Another was told that he would never be forgiven. These victims feel deeply hurt (ego). It's ego that won't let you forgive.

Just try to give up "ourselves," and try to see the other point of view, is a start to forgiveness. Give up our egos and look at the other side. It's not about me, or us.

What if Jesus could never forgive Peter for denying him?

Come Holy Spirit enter the hearts of those hardened in unrighteousness. Mend with mercy those broken in spirit. Free the captives of anger. Awaken the repentance that restores hope. Grant the forgiveness that heals.

Not to be Ignored

2010-04-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

God calls each of us to do his work. You might as well listen to him in the beginning, and save yourself a lot of trouble because if you're needed, He'll get you.

Read the Book of Jonah. It's not long; you know the story anyway.

Do you think one of the reasons we don't undertake whatever God's will is for us, is because we are afraid we'd have to sacrifice what we possess? Is it all about money? It could be a job change. It could be a life change. Whatever we cling to obsessively is not going to be easy to give up. Even knowing, as Aquinas said, we can only find real happiness by serving the Lord, we aren't going to let go easily. Jonah learned the hard way. In the end he realizes that if he had done what God asked in the first place, he would have received many blessings. Jonah 2:8

After reading Jonah you'll see that ignoring God and doing things "your" way is not going to work. Obeying God is the only good way.

Francis Thompson is his poem, "Hound of Heaven" compares God to a relentless hound that will pursue you until He gets you. I prefer this verse:

No hound of heaven; rather playful kitten,
Scratching at the door--not to be ignored,
Circling feet, rubbing, caressing, tail high.
Alack! You have always been my Adored.

Love God/Love Your Neighbor

2010-04-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

That's it. That's all. So different than what the Pharisees and Sadducees were doing.

Read Matt. 23:4, 13

Wow! Read what Jesus had to say about these people. "Woe to you..." Yikes!

This castigation of teachers and leaders who taught strict adherence to heavy law requirements was because their instructions and examples were devoid of love, mercy and justice.

Just follow the two important commandments: love God, love your neighbor. If we truly love God, we will express it by loving our neighbors, and when we do, we are expressing our love for God. These two rules and combined, meshed, and interconnected.

St. Sophia

2010-04-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Musical Presentation, "The Hard But Right Way," was a good and fitting ending for this Arise Session. It was a good and fitting ending for the Octave of Easter. Let us praise God as the main character, Christian did.

Read Sirach 51

Let us also seek the wisdom and understanding necessary to walk closer to God. As Sirach 51 teaches us, wisdom is necessary. Let us pray and seek after it. Always work towards knowing God and He will give you your reward.

Did you know that St. Sophia is the patron saint of wisdom? Her name is synonymous with wisdom. Her story is heroic, along with her martyred daughters: Faith, Hope, and Love.

An Arise Celebration

2010-04-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

St Mary’s Parish Presents… “The Hard But Right Way”
REMINDER …. Saturday night! April 10th at 7:30 pm. Tickets WILL be available at the door! If you already have tickets, please remember to attend! You’ll be glad you did!
If you’re looking for a great night out and something that will capture you with unexpected allure while still being affordable for your whole family, this is it! “The Hard But Right Way” appeals to all age groups. Adults enjoy the contemporary and inspirational message and the youth are captured by the dramatic and musical presentation of this classic story! So all are welcomed to attend on Saturday, April 10th at 7:30 PM in the upper church when Christian Rock artist, Jim Winder performs “The Hard But Right Way” live. This inspirational show has received rave reviews from their many performances from across the country.
Reasons to remember to attend…
Ø It’s an opportunity for my family to enjoy a great show together
Ø The spell binding production delivers an inspiring message that’s important for everyone to hear
Ø We will join together to celebrate as a parish community
Ø It will be a local event that all our friends and neighbors will be talking about
Ø We don’t want to miss it!
Tickets are reasonably priced at $20 per family. Tickets can be purchased at the door! Be sure to bring along the WHOLE family, your teenagers, 20 somethings, and your mom and dad too! You will be glad you did! This is a uniquely inspiring performance and will be a night to remember!

Celebrate Another Successful Arise Session

2010-03-30T18:28:00.001-07:00

After every Arise Session, we have had a different event to celebrate the completion of another successful Arise season. We've had collations, Masses, and a breakfast. This time, we're having something really special, and not only for Arise participants and their families, but for the entire parish. We'd like to spread our joy!

We would like all Arise groups and their families and friends to come to the musical presentation of the Hard But Right Way. This is a dramatic and musical presentation of John Runyan's classic Pilgrim's Progress. It's an inspirational story that will touch your heart and is excellent for ALL ages. The production company is a Christian rock group that has performed for all age groups including some correctional facilities. They are from the New York City area and typically perform "The Hard But right Way" to packed audiences. They have received wonderful reviews and we are very pleased to present them to Franklin.

Tickets cost $ 20 per family. If the cost poses a hardship on a family, the fee will be waived. Also, single people can bring friends and that's considered a family. An Arise group is a family. If you want, come alone and you'll be charged just $ 10.00.

The HARD BUT RIGHT WAY -- Saturday April 10, 2010 -- 7:30 PM St. Mary's Church

Tickets Available from Arise Team Leaders, St. Mary's Basketball Coaches and the Rectory.

There is a God

2010-03-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone who says that they don't believe in God? "I don't believe in what I don't see." "I don't believe in what I can't feel or see?"

Read Jeremiah 2:19

There was a priest, named Emil J. Kapaun, who died in a Communist prison camp. He was a military chaplain in the Korean War. He was captured and ministered to his fellow prisoners. His captors tried to make him recant his beliefs. But Father Kapaun said that "God was as real as the air they breathed but could not see, and as the thoughts they had and spoke, but could not see or feel." Father Kapaun died in the prison hospital. His cause for sainthood began in 2008.

Pray for the Pope

2010-03-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Read:
Psalm 40:3

Pray for Pope Benedict VI.
Pray for our Pastor, Father Brian Manning.
Pray for our Parochial Vicar, Father Frank Campo.
Pray for our Pastoral Associate, Nan Rafter.

Pray for all priests.
Pay for all religious.

Lord have mercy on us all.

What do you Think?

2010-03-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Arise, arise put on thy strength... Isaiah 52:1.

I'd like your opinion. What do you think this means? Isaiah 52: 7?

What are they talking about? Beautiful feet? The mountain has feet?

It's not either. It's talking about the preacher who is crossing the mountain. He is spreading the Good News. Thank God he has good feet to do this, huh? Arise, wake up and join him.

The Hard But Right Way

2010-03-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

After every Arise Session, we have had a different event to celebrate the completion of another successful Arise season. We've had collations, Masses, and a breakfast. This time, we're having something really special, and not only for Arise participants and their families, but for the entire parish. We'd like to spread our joy!

We would like all Arise groups and their families and friends to come to the musical presentation of the Hard But Right Way. This is a dramatic and musical presentation of John Runyan's classic Pilgrim's Progress. It's an inspirational story that will touch your heart and is excellent for ALL ages. The production company is a Christian rock group that has performed for all age groups including some correctional facilities. They are from the New York City area and typically perform "The Hard But right Way" to packed audiences. They have received wonderful reviews and we are very pleased to present them to Franklin.

Tickets cost $ 20 per family. If the cost poses a hardship on a family, the fee will be waived. Also, single people can bring friends and that's considered a family. An Arise group is a family. If you want, come alone and you'll be charged just $ 10.00.

The HARD BUT RIGHT WAY -- Saturday April 10, 2010 -- 7:30 PM St. Mary's Church

Tickets Available from Arise Team Leaders, St. Mary's Basketball Coaches and the Rectory.

Ready, Set, GO!

2010-02-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

Session 4 begins this week. For those who aren't attending, the scripture reading is about testing:

Read Luke 4: 1-13.

Out of all the things that tempt us, Satan chooses "presumption," to test God? Satan didn't promise the best sexual experience, a drunken high, money, ... but "power"? But...but... this is God, who has it all...

???????

This is the best Satan could come up with?

I don't get it; but I can identify with it. Luke 4: 1-13, is a moment of choice. This is a meditation on who God is calling us to be.

Let's do what Jesus does in this reading. He refers to Scripture. Ah, we may have to read some more scripture. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13, and 6:16.

Well, if we have to work looking up references and reading, this may take awhile. How about 40 days? Ah...Lent.

This is what we'll do for Lent. If it's not possible to join an Arise group, I'll read the Bible on my own. Set aside time for it. Arise is once a week; we can at least do the same.

Choose to be closer to Jesus.

It's Time

2010-02-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15

Arise programs start the week of Valentine's Day.

What are you doing for Lent?

Bring a New Spirit to Life this Lent!

The Mocking of Christ

2010-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

Read Matt 5:10

This picture is called the Mocking of Christ by Fra Angelico. Jesus is seated on a throne; his right hand holds a reed, a mocking substitute for the scepter; in his left hand is an orb indicating that he is Lord of all creation. Jesus is depicted wearing a blindfold, but you can see that his eyes are closed. He seems nothing, not even the evil being done to him. All around Him are disembodied pictures--hands and a head, suspended in air. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. This personalization signifies the human evil that falls upon the mystery of God. Jesus cannot see the evil, yet he takes the shameful evil upon Himself for our sakes. Outside the Mocking is Mary, His Mother, sadly contemplating, and St. Dominic studying the mystery and meditating.

I'm asking you to do likewise.

Sign Up

2010-01-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

What are you doing for Lent?

Do you want more understanding of what reconciliation is?

Do you want to help create an environment of healing in your parish?

Would you like to meet and connect with other parishioners?

Would you like to see what Arise is all about?

Lent is the time to do do all these things. It's time to do something extra for God, and for yourself. Sign up for Arise.

Sign Up Sunday: January 23/24, 2010.

C'mon. What are you waiting for?

What ARE you waiting for?

Attitude

2010-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

If you think you can,
and
if you think you can't,
you're both right.

This was on a poster in the YMCA that stared at me, for fifteen years, when I took my children to swimming lessons.

Read Matt 1: 39.

This is the attitude that we must learn to have in order to be happy. Really. We have to embrace God's plans and just trust that He knows better than us.

Often times, as I stared at that poster I would think: I think I can have no cavities. I think I can be the President of England. I think I can go back in time. I think.....

A Priest's Blessing

2010-01-03T06:17:00.000-08:00

We are blessed to receive many blessings. ;-)

But isn't it really special to receive a Pope's blessing? Your mother's? How about your priest's?

Read Genesis 49:25.

See what the people who leave Mass right after they receive Communion are missing?

The New Year

2009-12-31T04:05:00.000-08:00

Read 2 Corinthians 13:5

It's the end of 2009. I think it would be a good idea to spend some quiet time with God contemplating 2009, much like the friar in Brother Lew's photo.

How did you do with your Resolutions from last year? Let's examine your conscience. You can go through the Ten Commandments like Catholics do before the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But look at your relationship with the Lord in 2009.

When were you close and when were you far? Why?

I bet you were close during the Arise Together in Christ sessions. What does that tell you?

Spending some time alone with God should be part of your daily life. Schedule some time every day; that should be your New Year's Resolution for 2010. Pray for the grace to do just this in the year ahead. I'll pray for you and you pray for me.

BTW, the reference for the Ten Commandments is Exodus 20: 1-17.

Have a blessed New Year.

Announcing Planning Session

2009-12-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

All those interested in Arise and would like to have some input in planning Session 4, are welcome to attend our plenary session. We will meet January 5, 2010, in the Rectory, at 7:00 PM.

Priests

2009-12-27T05:46:00.000-08:00

The piety of us people depends, to a great extent, on the holiness of our clergy. We get what we deserve! The Bible tells us in Acts that the most terrible chastisement which almighty God inflicts upon perverse nations is to give them priests of their own kind. The formation of priests is then,of the utmost importance to all Catholics. We need to pray for them daily and support them in any way we can.

The above painting is by Blessed Fra Angelico (1400-1455). I think it is beautiful when you consider what and whom you're seeing. Saint Peter is ordaining Stephen to the diaconate while Saint John the Beloved (whose feast is today, December 27), holding his Gospel, looks on. The composition is remarkable: the three heads of Peter, John and Stephen form a triangle, a symbol of communion in the Three Divine Persons. Peter is handing over the chalice and paten; they are very large. Fra Angelico makes the Most Holy Eucharist central; he paints what Saint Thomas Aquinas taught, i.e. that the unity of the Church is constituted and held together by participation in the adorable Body and Blood of Christ.

Read: 1 Tim 4: 1-10

Amen! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen.

Advent Wreaths

2009-12-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

All the previous pictures of Advent wreaths are drawn. This picture is real. It's too real. It's my Advent wreath. :-(

Life isn't perfect; that's for sure. This Advent wreath tells a tale of woe. The original wreath was a metal circle with four candle holders attached to it. When I took it out of the attic. It was broken. One of the candle holders was broken off.

Read Proverbs 16: 1.

So my plans for the wreath were sidelined. I had to do something. So I found 4 candle holders and put them around a little green wreath. Some of the candle holders are tall, some not.

So?

It's an Advent Wreath. :-p

Read Psalm 33:11 (32)

Usually, the candles last all four weeks. But these candles are real, unlike the ones I've used for pictures in the previous postings. They're too real--they're burnt down to stubs. There's nothing left for Christmas.

Read Matt 7: 1-2.

I tried. Besides, appearances aren't important. It's the intention that counts.
We pray the Advent Wreath prayers. We are waiting for the birth of Christ.

Mercy Not Sacrifice

2009-12-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time. People seem to be in a good mood despite the economy, the weather, the news, and the cares of the day. So far. Why? I think because they're in the true Christmas spirit. People hear stories of Mary visiting Elizabeth, the innkeeper having compassion on a traveling pregnant woman, the Magi visiting the Holy Child. We seem to be more hospitable than usual.

Read: Luke 1:39-45

What a wonderful world this would be if we treated everyone as if they were angels, or pregnant with Jesus.

Why don't we?

Why can't we?

C'mon, let's.

Rejoice!

2009-12-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

Again I say Rejoice! It's almost Christmas. My Christmas cactus is about ready to bloom. Christ is coming. The baby Jesus is due any time. All reasons to rejoice.

Read Psalm 145 (146)

You know the best reasons for rejoicing? Because we are Catholics. We rejoice because we have hope. Hope for Catholics is based upon God and God alone. We put all our hope and trust in God.

What do we hope for? The object of Catholic hope is the coming of God's Kingdom. Our hope is that God's Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God's Will is what's best for everybody. He has the big picture and we need to trust that what God wants is whatever is best for all of us together.

Catholics, because of our Faith, act with hope and in that way give example to the rest of the world. This is a valuable contribution. Teachers, theologians, politicians, etc. talk, but ordinary Catholic Christians living their daily lives preach in their reality to help people to appreciate God and His Work in our lives.

Do I hear an AMEN?

2009-12-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Second week of Advent. It's about Hope. You need Faith to have Hope. Why would you hope if you didn't believe something would happen?

Read Romans 8:38-39

Don't ever forget that there is no sin that can ever separate you from God. No sin. Think about the thief on the cross beside Jesus. Jesus told him that he was saved because of his faith. Imagine, someone judged so evil to suffer capital punishment, he was the only one promised instant salvation. Jesus never told anyone else that.

There is always Hope. Have Faith

Amen.

Advent

2009-11-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

Shout with joy. Alleluia! The Lord is coming.

Sunday, November 29, 2009 marks the first Sunday of Advent.

Read: Luke 21:28

Luke was not one of the original apostles. Did you ever wonder how he prepared himself for writing his Gospel?

Think about it.

He prepared just like ever participant in the Arise program has prepared and is preparing. Luke studied. He prayed. He opened himself up to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He wanted to learn, to understand. He prayed for wisdom and knowledge--just like we did and do. He talked to others, learning the stories of the original apostles. He read scripture. He discussed. He questioned, and he prayed more.

You didn't know there were Arise Together in Christ Sessions back then did you?

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Read Psalm 30

Read Psalm 116

Read 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Around the Thanksgiving table each person gave one reason for being thankful. Little Sonny said, "I'm thankful I'm not a turkey."

Happy Thanksgiving.

Celebration

2009-11-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Breakfast with the priests. Actually they were busy; they were in and out. But it was a great success. More people came than I expected and we almost ran out of food. We had just enough.

From the conversations I overheard, everyone loved their Arise group. One group bought a cow. My group brought food every week for the food pantry. We also donated a dollar each, every week, so that at Christmas we could give the money to a family we adopted. There were other ideas that I forget. It was just so edifying to hear.

Wonderful season. Happy Thanksgiving.

A Party

2009-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

You are invited to attend the celebration of the closing of another successful Arise Together in Christ Session.

Where: St. Mary's Church, Franklin, MA

When: November 22, 2009

Time: 10:30 Mass
Collation following in the Rectory Kitchen

Yes, after Mass we'll meet in the Rectory's Kitchen and Dining Room and pass in Evaluations and swap stories.

Who: All who participated in the Arise program and their families.

God is good!

The Good Samaritan

2009-11-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

I know you're probably sick of this parable, but I saw an episode on 60 minutes that put new life in an old parable. First, read Luke 10:25-37.

The story in 60 Minutes is called The Bad Samaritan. The story is about a young man named David Cash. Back in 1997, a 7-year old girl was at a casino in Las Vegas with her father. When the little girl went into the bathroom, she was followed by 18-year-Jeremy Strohmeyer. David Cash looked around for his friend, Jeremy. The only place he could have gone was the bathroom. Since it was after midnight, there was no one around. David went into the ladies room. David stated that Jeremy and Sherrice were playing around then Jeremy snatched little Sherrice and pushed her into a stall and put his hand on her mouth. David said he stood on the toilet in the next stall, and tapped Jeremy on the head to get his attention. David said that Jeremy's eyes were dazed and so he left Jeremy in the stall with his hand over little Sherrice's mouth. Jeremy and David later met up and went to other casinos. Jeremy later confessed to David that he'd killed the girl. David never called the police.

The crime is reprehensible.

But for this posting's purposes, I'm interested in David Cash's conduct.

How is what David did, or rather not do, different from the priest who just passed by the victim who needed help?

We are One who Won

2009-10-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

It's a win/win situation when we all work together. Imagine if one leg wanted to go one way and the other--the other.

Well?

Silly!

Read 1Cor. 12:12-14,24-27

This reading is so apropos to what's going on right now. On Tues. Oct. 21, 2009, it was announced by Cardinal Levada and Archbishop DiNoia, from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that the Traditional Anglican Communion, from around the world, were seeking unity with Rome, and are going to be brought into communion with the Catholic Church.

This is the largest Protestant group to have ever come back home. We will all be richer for the union of faith traditions brought together.

Now Zenit announces that Bishop Tichon, from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is in discussion with Rome. "We must find unity as soon as possible and finally celebrate together," L'Osservatore Romano reported. "People don't understand our divisions and our discussions,"

Bishop Tichon said that "the theological dialogue that is going forward in these days in Cyprus is certainly important, but we should not be afraid to say that we must find as soon as possible the way to celebrate together."

"A Catholic will not become an Orthodox and vice versa, but we must approach the altar together," he added.

Let us pray that God's will prevail.

1 Corinthians 12:20

Put Downs

2009-10-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

This week in Arise we are reading Luke 4:14-22.

Although you who are reading this are not participating in the good fruits of sharing with others in the group, you can do your own meditation and reflection. After reading 4: 14-22 think about the reaction of those in the temple to Jesus' reading.

Now think about our own life. Have you ever been turned down for a job, or a promotion, and been told it was because you didn't have the credentials? Isn't that the response of some of those who heard Jesus give that reading? "Is this not the son of Joseph?"

I hope you eventually proved to those "nay sayers" that you could do better than that job. Wouldn't that be sweet!

BTW, the girl in this picture just wiffed out. She was a good player though, and was an asset to her team.

Hey, Jesus didn't win everybody over, either.

GO!

2009-10-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Arise starts this week. If you're not assigned to a group or haven't heard from your leader, call Joe DePalo: 508 528-6609 DEPALO@comcast.net

To get ready, read Luke 24:13-35. This is what your group will be sharing.

Ten points for fruitful Scripture Reading.*

1. Catholics can read the Bible. They should read the Bible. The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives.

2. Pray at the beginning and the end. Reading the Bible is not a novel. Begin with a prayer to open your mind to understanding.

3. Use a Catholic Bible. The King James Bible is missing 5 books that are in the Catholic Bible. Get the entire Catholic edition. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that it is Catholic.

4. The Bible isn't a book. It's a library. The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over many centuries. The books include history, prophecy, poetry, songs, letters, accounts, and geneology.

5. What the Bible is and what it isn't. The Bible is the story of God's relationship with His people. It is not history, science or a political manifesto.

6. The sum is greater than the parts. Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after helps us understand better.

7. The Old relates to the New. The Old Testament shed lights on the New.

8. You aren't alone. By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join others who have put Bible reading in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.

9. What is God saying to me? The Bible is addressed to each one of us in our own unique situations. Ask, "What is God saying to me?"

10. Reading isn't enough. You need to meditate on the message and put it into action in your life.

* United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Reflecting

2009-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Waiting for Arise to start, Oct. 4, 2009, I watched something unfold in front of me that brought me to reflect on God's ways. I'm not telling you what it is. Read and figure it out yourself.

The scene is my son's cat bringing up a mouse from the garage. She's an indoor cat but she manages to find mice. Read Job 38: 41.

The mouse was still alive. Read Job 15: 22.

I reflected upon James 4: 14-15.

Amen.

Oh Ye of Little Faith

2009-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

I want you to look at something closely. This is something I didn't see before and I was thinking maybe you haven't either.

Read Matt. 14:22-31.

This is the story of the disciples in a boat and they see Jesus walking on top of the water toward them. Peter gets out of the boat and tries to walk on the water, too.

That's it. Read that part again--Peter walking on the water.

What happened?

What did Jesus say about it? "Man of little faith, why did you doubt?"

I always thought that Jesus was speaking about Peter's faith in Jesus. But that can't be it.

Think about it.

Peter didn't doubt Jesus because Jesus wasn't sinking. Jesus' statement to Peter has nothing to do with Peter's faith in God.

It has to do with Peter's faith in himself.

Peter was sinking because he didn't think that he, Peter, could walk on water. He had no faith in himself.

If you trust that God has your best interest in His heart. If you place yourself in His hands, then let everything go and believe in yourself.

Notes

2009-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's not to late to sign up. Call Joe De Palo or email him. 528-6609 or DEPALO@comcast.net

Monday night we leaders are going to be trained. That's Sept. 21, 2009. We're going to the new Archdiocesan Center in Braintree. If you'd like to come, you're welcome. We leave the Church, near the St. Vincent de Paul box, at 5:30 PM.

Sessions begin Oct. 4th.

Help us out by praying please.

Thanks and God bless.

Reasons to Sign On

2009-09-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today's Sign Up Sunday. Here are some reasons for you to sign up:

+ To improve yourself

+ To improve relationships

+ To put your money where your mouth is

+ To learn how to recognize the voice of God

+ To meet other parishioners

+ To help others

+ To feel part of the parish

+ to be rejuvenated

+ To change yourself for the better

+ To learn how to pray better

+ To see if we're lying to you

+ The best for last: when you've experienced all the above you'll agree that you've grown spiritually.

Amen? Amen

Witness Sunday

2009-09-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the Sunday before Sign Up Sunday. A participant from an Arise Session was to speak at each of our Masses and tell of their experience.

I was at the 7:00 PM, Saturday and my Witness rocked! She said it all. You'd think I paid her! Here is her testimony:

Good evening. My name is Carleen Delio and I am here to ask you to consider signing up for the Arise Program, next weekend. I participated in the Arise Program last year and I'm signing up again.

In all honesty I was a tad hesitant about committing for six weeks because I knew I would not be able to attend one session during that time period. No problem. The program is very flexible and not sequential, it is individualized and I had no trouble completing the lesson on my own. We met in small groups either during the day or at night, depending upon schedules, and I met people from all walks of life, in our parish, whom I had never seen before.

Another thing I wondered about was preparation and whether I would have the time to prepare adequately. I was pleasantly surprised to find how easy it was to read the material; I actually enjoyed setting a little time aside each week because it made me take the time to think about God, read the Bible and relate the readings to my own life.

Even better was coming together as a group and talking about the lesson. The program made me realize that even though we adults are at various stages of faith development we have a common bond, our faith. So by coming together we learn from each other and benefit from others' view points.

I found Arise to be personally enriching and spiritually nourishing. For me it was an opportunity to share experiences of God working in our lives and to build community within our parish here at St. Mary's...I invite you to come and see!

Amen? Amen!

Sign Up Sunday

2009-09-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

Arise will begin in October. Sign Up Sunday is Sept. 13, 2009. Arise is growing at each session.
You are called.

Read:

1Thes 5:24
Gal 1:6
Gal 5:7-8
1Cor 1:26
Matt 22:14
Matt 20:16
John 15:16

Don't you feel DRAWN to join Arise?

If you don't, you ain't human.

Trust

2009-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Who do you trust? Think about it. I bet you list those that you know best. Didn't you?

Well, if you're struggling to trust God, it may be because you don't really know Him.

How do we come to know God better?

Glad that you asked. Through the Arise Together in Christ Program. Sign ups are Sunday September 13, 2009.

As a sample of what we do, look up:

Psalm 27:1
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 100:5
Psalm 145:8

What does God have to do to get you to trust Him? Let go. Let God take care of you. He knows better and has the whole picture in mind, not just your little piece of it. Pray for trust.

I'll pray for you, too.

Distractions

2009-08-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm persevering. Last Sunday's post, Aug. 16, "Hang in There," is also today's. That's due to the fact that distractions bother me to distraction! I sometimes think that my prayers are useless because I spaced out when praying and don't even know what I've prayed. Sound familiar?

Read Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is so important, that you can't just give up. I've been advised, which I subscribe to wholeheartedly, that it is the intention that counts, not the result. I certainly hope so.

When I first became serious about praying, I couldn't believe what an "air head" I was. I'd start a Rosary and finished in 5 minutes wondering what I did, knowing that I couldn't have prayed each bead. I'd try centering prayer and fall asleep. I'd begin the Our Father and realize that I was saying "and lead us not into the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints..." What the...?

You know what I did? I kept at it. It use to upset me that I couldn't get rid of the distractions. I asked everyone for advice. I tried every suggestion:

Incorporating the distraction into the prayer
Pray to St. Michael to protect you from distractions.
Just start over (you'd never finish if you did this).
Try a different time of day when you could focus better. (Ha!)
etc.....etc....etc.

You know what worked?

Nothing.

You can't be human and not have distractions. Period.

I kept trying. I keep trying.

You get use to the distractions. They don't upset me anymore. I don't just deal with them, because I can't deal with them. I can't ignore them. I acknowledge that I was just distracted and move on. Like I said, you get use them. You don't give up. Don't waste your energy on beating yourself up. As I said before, it's the intention that counts.

Just to back up my theory, I checked with St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica. In Vol. 2, Part 2, Question CXXXVII, paragraph 899, and Aquinas said that when we persevere we are strengthened by God's gifts of habitual grace. He points out that perseverance requires "gratuitous help of God sustaining the human being in the good until the end of life."

This sounds reasonable to me, because on my own, I certainly can't do it. It takes God's divine grace. Let us pray.

You're Invited

2009-08-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's Arise Team is meeting to plan the next session. Everyone is welcome to attend. It will be held in the Rectory Dining Room on August 31, 2009, at 7:15 PM. So come whether you want to be on team, or just have some ideas, or if you're just nosey and want to see what we're up to. We're a fun group and open minded/hearted.

Hang In There

2009-08-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

Read Hebrews 10:35-36

From August 14-16, St. Mary's Parish has been celebrating the Feast of St. Rocco. St. Rocco is an example of perseverance. And nothing will test one's perseverance like an illness. Faith will be tested. Look to Saint Rocco as inspiration. Not only did St. Rocco contract the plague that ravaged Europe in the 14th century, he was thrown in prison. He looked so bedraggled, and scary that he was imprisoned for vagrancy and just looking suspicious. Having no resources to fight the unjust incarceration, he died in prison, after being there for five years.

Catholics are fortunate to be able to look to our saints for example, in our own trials. We also have Mary to make the path to God easier to follow. If she can endure watching a child be accused, scourged, suffer, humiliated, and crucified, then
we can persevere with confidence.

After reading Hebrews 10: 35-36; look up the definitions to Confident, Persevere and Complete. Which of these words mean the most to you, right now.

Praise be to God.

Listen to What You're Missing

2009-08-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Read: Deuteronomy 1:43, 2Chronicles 24:19, John 10:27

I know you're reading, but are you listening? By this I mean listening to God's voice. Do you know it? You can. You can recognize His voice. You do this the same way you recognize anyone's voice, by frequent contact with that person. If you spend time, even 10 minutes a day, reading scripture and meditating upon the verse, you'll hear God's voice. I promise.

What does He sound like? How do you know?

For me, it's a thought. I like to think of it as listening with my soul, not my ears. Most often it's an idea that flashes across my mind. Sometimes, I'm shocked by the idea because I would have never thought of it. That's how I know it's from God. I'm not that smart or creative to have come by such a revelation that just came to me. It has to be His grace. And it's always a good suggestion. God doesn't tell you to do wrong.

And one more thing. The more often, I spend time with God, the more frequently I hear His voice. He never shouts. He wants to converse with you, not have a shouting match. I know. I know because I've shouted at God and He didn't respond in kind. He just listened.

Kind of took the wind out of my sails. But if He can listen patiently to me, then the least I can do, is listen patiently, too.

Young Adults

2009-08-09T03:39:00.000-07:00

Calling All Young Adult Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston……

This Fall, all Young Adult groups are encouraged to use the faith-sharing materials for ARISE Together in Christ: In The Footsteps of Christ. The six sessions focus on how Christ calls us to works of charity and justice in our daily lives. The cost is $6.95 per book.

Groups begin to meet the week of October 4th in parishes all around the Archdiocese!

Sign ups will occur in participating parishes the weekend of Sept 12-13, 2009. You may participate even if your parish is not formally involved in ARISE by contacting the Office for Worship and Spiritual Life for details and to order books.

ARISE offers the opportunity for new friendships, stronger

faith, and a deeper relationship with Christ and others

through prayer and the Scriptures in a small-group setting.

Sign-Up Weekend

September 12-13

For more information please contact:
Mary Ann McLaughlin or Ann Cussen
ARISE/Office for Worship and Spiritual Life
Archdiocesan Pastoral Center
Braintree, Ma 02184
ariseinchrist@rcab.org
617-779-3640

The Bible

2009-08-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

There's an an article in USCCB web site, by Mary Elizabeth Sperry on reading the Bible. She gives ten ways to read Scripture. These are very useful for all in the Arise program.

The two that my Arise group used were the praying at the beginning and end of the meeting, and discussing what God was saying to each of us.

That's what's so great about the Bible. It speaks to us individually. We each hear individually just what we need. That's why it's so neat to have the habit of reading Scripture.

And don't let anyone ever tell you that Catholics don't do that. Or that the Church discouraged private reading of the Bible before Vatican II. That is not the truth.

When the early church was just starting most people were illiterate, so the Bible had to be read and explained by the church. Also, books were expensive and had to be treasured, so they were protected from theft, not the people. The Bible was in Latin as was the custom of the times. You have to judge history by the culture and society of the times--not with our twentieth century eyes.

As the Mass was developed, so were the Scripture readings. Through the centuries we have the form of One Reading is Old Testament, then one of the Psalms, and then Readings from the New Testament. Through the ages, Mass goers would have heard this. And over the Church's three year liturgical cycle, the people hear almost all of the Bible.

Catholics may use the Bible differently than Protestants, but that doesn't mean that our knowledge of the Bible is less, or inferior. We weren't taught to memorize chapters and verses in Sunday School because our use of the Bible is different than most Protestants. Catholics use the Bible in worship, meditation, and study. Most Protestants use the Bible for knowledge in study and inspiration.

Catholics can tell the parable, the meaning, and faith share with the best. But we may not be able to give you the chapter and the verse number. That would be nice, even impressive, but we concentrate on the instruction, as instructed. (Rom 2: 28-29)

Pop Quiz

2009-07-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

We all have busy lives. We know it is important to make time for God, or you wouldn't be reading this blog. It is difficult, though. Put a check by the one or two that you find the most difficult. Now read the scripture next to what you checked.

_____ Unworthiness (Isaiah 41:9-10; Ephesians 2:13-14)

_____ Sick ( Proverbs 15:30; James 5:14)

_____ Tempted ( 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 4:7)

_____ Too Busy ( Psalm 90:12; Isaiah 40:29-31)

_____ Too Tired ( Matthew 11:28-30)

_____ Death ( John 11:26; 2 Timothy 1:10)

_____ Finances ( Matthew 10:29-31)

_____ Family ( Psalm 127:3-5; Ephesians 6:1-4)

Meditate on the verse(s) that you checked off. How does it speak to you? Scripture speaks to each of us, bringing to each of us, what we need in order to develop our spiritual wholeness. Reading the Bible is not to use a reference book to look up verses. It is a personal contact with what God is saying to you.

Read the verses again. Read them again, slower.

Think about it.

See?