One might think that we would have God figured out by now.  Yet, we still create a god made in the image of our personal experiences rather than our personal encounters.  If life is harsh and cruel, unjust or lifeless, we have the tendency of creating our god to reflect our experiences.  The god we create is filtered through our experiences.  Christians have spoken of God in a way that can only make one wonder how they could have failed to suspect themselves of fabricating an illusion.

I have been telling myself over and over and you as well we must find the God of Jesus.  That is the true God—the God of forgiveness and love.  Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel (Luke 15:1-32) that God is a shepherd looking for a missing sheep until he finds it, abandoning the ones that are safe in the fold in order to search for the one he has lost.  God is a woman turning the house upside-down for a coin that has gone astray.  He is the father who leaves us free to find our way in life and is ready to pick us up for a new start when we fail.  God is the opposite of all that we think.

Faith in the God of Jesus is a source of joy. “Rejoice with me!”  In each of the parables the motive force of history is the thing lost and then found again.  But the essential element in these parables is the attitude in the figure who, because of the thing found, calls together servants, friends and neighbors, to celebrate and rejoice.  God has created us for his joy.  How could I refuse God His joy by denying or refusing his love?

God of tenderness and mercy,

let heaven rejoice and earth be glad,

for you rejoice to welcome us to your house!

Father of longsuffering,

you set out to look for us,

and even now you invite the whole universe

to share the joy of our finding.

Be blessed, Shepherd of our lives.

Grant that we may dare believe in such a caring,

which nothing will ever exhaust,

through all the ages.

Offertory for September 4^th & 5^th     $3362.00

Envelope Offerings         $2976.00

Loose Cash                       $  384.00

St. John/St. Hugh                                   $627.00

9:00 – Saturday, Sept. 18^th                   John & Bridget Cotter

Food Pantry

This weekend, September 11^th & 12^th we will have our monthly food pantry collection.  This month the food collected will be donated to St. John/St. Hugh food pantry.

HELP! Teachers Needed

St. Brigid’s Religious Education program is looking for the following teachers:

One teacher for Grade 1:  Tuesday - 3:45

Two teachers for Grade 3:  Wednesday - 3:45

Co-teacher bi-weekly

for Grade 4:  Wednesday - 3:45

One teacher Grade 5:  Sunday - 8:50

One teacher Grade 5:  Tuesday - 3:45

One teacher Grade 5:  Wednesday - 3:45

One teacher Grade 6:  Wednesday - 3:45

Five teachers Grade 7: - Wednesday:  5:30

Two teachers Grade 8:  Wednesday - 5:30

Two teachers Grade 9::  Sunday (twice a month)

Two teachers Grade 10: 

Sunday/Monday (twice a month)

Please consider this ministry as a new year of classes begins at St. Brigid’s.  You have a chance to formulate young minds in the learning of their religion.  These young people will be the future community of our church.  St. Brigid’s has extended a warm welcome to our children by adjusting their schedule to include Sundays this year.  Let’s not let them down by not supporting this ministry of teaching!!!  Please call Jaye or Linda to volunteer for Grades 1 thru 8 or for grades 7 & 8 call Kate all can be reached by calling 781-862-8724.

I Wonder?

Grandparents: people who think your children are wonderful, even though you’re not raising them right.

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, Regina Wingard, 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, Kath Rodriegas, Estelle Szalajeski, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, 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, Rita Mahan, Connie Perrotta, Jackie Sullivan, Jean Babbin, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Marisol O’Brien, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Cecelia Hines, Margaret Wright, Renee Chapman, Peter Bellini, Christine Gainer, Chris Ann Colletti, Helen McLaughlin, Paul Doherty, Jorge Loayza, Joseph Brault, Lauren Forgette, Chuck Kiernan, Bill Attaya, Margaret Coughlin, John McCarthy, Don Sabatand, Laura Mac Aulay, Mary Hosford, Dorothy Barton and Gerry Dingavin. 

Sunshine for Shut-Ins

We want to let you know that Margaret Wright is home and getting around slowly.  If you would like to send her a card, her address is 425 Woburn St., #18, Lexington, MA 02420.  We received a note this week from the daughter of Cecelia Hines telling us that Cecelia has moved into the Woburn Nursing Center, 18 Frances St., Woburn, MA 01801.  We are sure that Cecelia would like to hear from all of her friends at Sacred Heart as well.

Boston College

The Boston College Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry and the Church in the 21^st Century presents a Lecture, Conversation and Reception with Eugene Kennedy, The Common Dynamic of Ecclesiastical Style and the Sexual Abuse of Persons on Wednesday, September 15^th from 7:00-9:00pm at Gasson Hall 100.  Call Maureen Lamb at 800-487-1167 x8057 for info.

St. Brigid New Schedule of Classes

Grades 1-6

Sunday             8:50–9:50AM

Tuesday           3:45-4:45PM

Tuesday           5:15-6:15PM

Wednesday       3:45-4:45PM

Grades 7-8

Wednesday, 5:30-6:30PM

Grade 9

Sunday       7:00-8:30PM (twice a month)

Grade 10

Monday            7:00-8:30PM (twice a month)

Transition Team meeting

The Transition Teams from Sacred Heart and St. Brigid’s will meet for the second time on Tuesday, September 14^th, at 7:30 in the Parish Center Hall at St. Brigid’s.  The staffs of both parishes met this past Tuesday to formulate an agenda for this meeting.  We ask that you keep us in your prayers as we make this journey together!

Youth Ministry Adult Commission

The Youth Ministry Program is looking to have new members for the YM Adult Commission.  Please check the Youth News column for information on the YM Adult Commission meeting and plan to join them that evening.  We need to have more men on the Commission, so think about this special ministry and come to the meeting!  If you are interested in the future of youth ministry for our young adults, I would suggest going to the Office of YM website www.OYMBoston.org and reading the Director’s letter.  It is a well-worded document and provides some points to ponder.

Lord, may your Church become ever more truly what it is called to be, a band of chosen servants united above all else in seeking you with their whole heart,

in serving you and the Gospel with all their energy

and zeal, and in living lives of prayer and

gratitude for all your many gifts and blessings.

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS

As announced for the past few weeks, there will be a welcoming meeting for any teen in 9^th-12^th grade who would like to have a voice in planning for next year’s program.  Meeting will be Sunday, September 12 at St. Brigid from 5-7 PM.

A second meeting will be held on Sunday, September 19 from 5-7 PM at St. Brigid for teens who would like to help plan the Youth Mass and the program to follow. 

You can help make this year a great one for teens in our faith communities.

YOUTH MINISTRY ADULT COMMISSION

There will be a meeting for our current YM adult commission at St. Brigid on Monday, September 27 @ 7:00 PM .  (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE)

New members are needed to make our Youth Ministry work!  Kate Doherty (YM at St. Brigid) has sent a letter to all parents in both parishes inviting them to come to an information night.

Sacred Heart has had a dedicated (but small) group who made things possible (Youth Mass, bingo, Youth Convention, Road to Resurrection, etc.).  They need help – especially some male members.  No Youth Minister can accomplish these programs without help.  Please consider giving time at some level to support our T.L.C. (Teen Leadership Crew) and those to follow.  It can only prosper with the support of the community!

Coordinator of YM: Maureen McKeown

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

Bulletins	Sacred Heart Parish Bulletin - September 12, 2004	Home