We now begin to celebrate those counted Sundays between Epiphany and Lent.  We seem so far from Christmas yet the readings tell us we are still in the Christmas/Epiphany mystery.  We hear the words of Isaiah which we read on Christmas Eve: “No more shall people call you ‘Forsaken,’ but you shall be called ‘My Delight,’ for the Lord delights in you…As a groom rejoices in the bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.”  In some places, Christians know Epiphany as the celebration of three manifestations: the magi, the baptism of Jesus and the wedding at Cana.  Christ’s coming is the story of how God weds this world of ours.  The Gospel tells us that God’s abundance overflows in our midst and Saint Paul writing to the church in Corinth tells us how God lavishes gifts of wisdom and healing and discernment.  Jesus would later tell us that he is the bridegroom and we are his brides.  How important it is for us to know how much God loves us.  We do, however, have to have the faith that allows us to see and to hear this good news.

Gabe Huck, in Filled to the Brim, writes: “How else are we, all of us baptized into the death and risen life of Jesus, to look at the one we honor this weekend, Dr. Martin Luther King?  We don’t canonize, we simply praise God that in the hardest of places our God raises up such a person, that manifestations of the Spirit abound in tough times. We have eyes wide open, then, to see this one time not so far away and not so long ago when a man who never made it to age 40—and pretty well knew he wouldn’t because of what he was doing—when this Martin drank deeply of the new and fine wine of God’s love for this world, and then talked in a straightforward way to the world, and straightforwardly walked the talk.

Now, as then, the world is full of harshness, cruel deeds, hunger and sickness in a time full of food and medicine, yet even more full of racial hate, greed and discrimination.  Now, even more than in King’s time, the world’s rich are scrambling to separate themselves from the world’s poor.  And now, as then, the world is full of decent people like us who are sad about all of this but are too busy or too rich or too scared or too overstressed or too discouraged or too plain selfish to open their mouths or move their feet forward. King opened his mouth.  King moved his feet forward.”

The wedding of God and earth in Jesus calls us to be as abundant in love as God’s love graces us even now.

Offertory for January 10^th & 11^th         $5789.50

Envelope Offerings       $5156.50

Loose Cash                          $  633.00

St. John/St. Hugh               $195.00

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The office will be closed on

Monday, January 19^th

Habitat for Humanity Work Day

We are grateful to the many Sacred Heart parishioners who have supported building the Lexington Houses for Habitat for Humanity in Dorchester.  We are now recruiting volunteers age 16 and above to work on a new Habitat home on February 14^th from 7AM to 4PM.  This work team will use more than $500 in building materials and we ask for donations to support this work.  Checks should be made out to Habitat For Humanity Boston, and can be put in the collection basket.  God bless you and the more than 150 volunteers from Sacred Heart who have worked to build Homes for Habitat in Boston.  Thank You.  Call Bob Ludwig 781-861-7231 to reserve a spot.  We ask your continued prayers in supporting this effort.

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, James Reilly, Regina Wingard, Elaine Ring, Erin McMehon, Maria Aguis, George Beck, Dr. Kenneth Spengler, Josephine Murphy, Peter Bugda, Norma Berstein, Camille Michals, Rob Morway, Patricia Hassett, Paul McCann, William Francis, Lillian Davenport, James Fontaini, Henri Fradette, William Blair, Agatha Pals, Richard Gaudet, Kath Rodriegas, Estelle Szalajeski, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, Ruth Pike, Doug Phillips, Ralph Tatro, Andrew Day,  Peggy Sue Grow, Mary Serpa, Deborah Miller, Dorothy Lee, William MacKinnon, Mary Jefferson, Elizabeth Conte, Dave Rissmiller, Violet Caldaroni, Frank Cote, James Bresnahan, Ann Mulray, Bea Lingane, Rita Mahan, Connie Perrotta, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Midge Moran, Marisol O’Brien, Matthew Gablor, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Lori Robbins, Cecelia Hines, Renee Chapman, Peter Bellini, Katherine Bingham, Elizabeth Marrisk, Don Sabatand and David De Thomasis. 

Parish Trip

Many of you have been to Europe.  Come with me to the Europe you perhaps have not seen.  We depart June 15, 2004 for Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Warsaw.  Join us for a slide presentation on Sunday, February 8^th at 2:00pm in the Parish Center, lower hall.  Call me for a brochure filled with details.

Virtus Program Training Dates

Please set aside one of the following two dates for attending the training session for this Virtus program.  Saturday, January 24^th or Sunday, February 29^th from 1-4:30.  All who volunteer in the parish are required to attend this training program.

St. Mary School

St. Mary School, 162 Washington St., Winchester will hold an open house and registration for preschool to Grade 5 on Wednesday, January 18^th 9:00am – 2:00pm and on Thursday, January 29^th from 9:00am – 11:00am.  For further information please call 781-729-5515.

Progressive Dinners

The Sacred Heart Community Commission is planning a night of Progressive Dinners on Saturday February 21st.  More information will follow soon, save the date. Those interested should contact Cathy Opar 781-863-8422 for more information. 

Bingo at Youville

Thank you to all who so generously contributed gifts to the Bingo party at Youville.  Everyone had a wonderful afternoon – the Bingo players and the Youth assistants!  A special thanks to Cheri & Rick Testa and Eunice Laffey who volunteered as chaperones.  Look for pictures outside YM Room!

Ordinary Time: Winter

A Sense of the Season

What do the words Ordinary Time mean?  Dorothy Day said, “The words ‘Ordinary Time’ in our prayer books put me in a state of confusion and irritation.  To me, no time is ordinary.”  She was right.  The Ordinary in Ordinary Time refers to ordinal—counted—time, not to a lack of something to celebrate.  The Roman document, General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, says: “Apart from those seasons having their own distinctive character [Advent, Christmastime, Lent, Triduum and Eastertime], 33 or 34 weeks remain in the yearly cycle that do not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ. Rather, especially on the Sundays, they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects.” (#43)

How do we celebrate “the mystery of Christ in all its aspects”?  We gather every Sunday.  Sunday is our original feast day.  Christians have gathered every Sunday—the day of Christ’s resurrection, the first day of the week—ever since there were Christians.

Each year there are two blocks of Ordinary Time, one in the winter between Christmastime and Lent, and the other in summer and fall, from Pentecost through Christ the King.  When we gather on Sundays in Ordinary Time, as always, we hear the scriptures proclaimed.  We systematically read through the gospels.  The first readings from the first testament of the Bible were chosen for their relationship to the gospel passages.  The second readings come from the various letters of the second testament of the Bible.  The mystery of Christ “in all its aspects” unfolds.

What is the heart of our Sunday celebration?  We do our eucharist; that is, we do our thanksgiving.  We praise and thank God for all creation; we pray for the whole world, as we remember Christ’s life, death and resurrection.  We share the bread and wine, the body and blood.  We are sent forth to be the body and blood of Christ in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our towns, our cities, our country, our world.

“What happens in our churches every Sunday is the fruit of our week.  What happens as the fruit of the week past is the beginning of the week to come.  Sunday is simultaneously a point of arrival and departure for Christians on their way to the fullness of the kingdom. This is not ordinary at all.  This is the fabric of Christian living.”  (Saint Andrew Bible Missal [Brooklyn: William J. Hirten Co., 1982.])

Copyright © 1997, Archdiocese of Chicago. Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by G. Thomas Ryan. Art by Luba Lukova.

Coordinator of YM: Maureen McKeown

781-861-8385 X21 - email: nychick1@att.net

Mark Your Calendars Now!

CATHOLIC YOUTH RALLY:  Saturday, February 7 from 1 – 6 PM.  This is really exciting news for any teen between 13 and 19.  You are invited to meet your new Archbishop Sean (O’Malley) at Merrimack College.  There will be a program with skits, music and lots of fun.  Mass will be celebrated.  Over 1,000 youth are expected.   Mark your calendar now!

PLEASE NOTE:

ALL 9^th& 10^th GRADERS/PARENTS/GUARDIANS:  You have received a letter and permission form this week with details of the 9/10^th grade Retreat Day at Merrimack College.  We need to have your permission slip returned ASAP.  There is no charge for 9/10^th grade teens – it is part of the program.  (The retreat is a program requirement).

Any 13 – 19 year old is welcome to attend.  Permission slips are available at the Parish Center.  A charge of $15 ($5.00 late fee after Jan. 23)  should be included with the form.  Call or email Maureen with any questions.

YOUTH MASS:  FEBRUARY 1^ST AT 11:30AM.  NOTE CHANGE OF TIME

Planning Your Summer Vacation?

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:  Would you like to gain some great leadership skills and have a week of fun-filled activity this summer?? If you entering grades 9-12, think about signing up for a week at C.L.I. (Catholic Leadership Institute) this summer at Merrimack College.  DATES:  Week of July 19 – 23 or July 26-30.

COME AND SEE ROB SURETTE BRING CHRIST TO LIFE:  SUNDAY, MARCH 21 @ 7:00 PM @ Regis College.  This will be a regular component of the 9/10^th grade program (replacing class for the week).  Tickets have been purchased for this group plus 20 Adult (teachers/chaperones).  Anyone 7 or older is welcome to attend.  To purchase go on line at www.AmazingHeroArt.com.  Bus transportation will be available for all.  (Over half the tickets to the performance have been sold).

Bulletins	Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin - Jan. 18, 2004	Home