During the season of Lent it is most important not to give up something, but to do something that will lead you to a more intimate union with Christ.  I suggest that you begin by reading the scriptures—especially the New Testament. Saint Paul writes in today’s second reading: “What does scripture say?  The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (Rom 10:8).

Saint Ephrem (306-373) wrote: “Lord, who can comprehend even one of your words?  We lose more of it than we grasp, like those who drink from a living spring.  For God’s word offers different facets according to the capacity of the listener, and the Lord has portrayed his message in many colors, so that whoever gazes upon it can see in it what suits him. Within it he has buried manifold treasures, so that each of us might grow rich in seeking them out.

And so whenever anyone discovers some part of the treasure, he should not think that he has exhausted God’s word.  Instead he should feel that this is all he was able to find of the wealth contained in it.

A thirsty man is happy when he is drinking, and he is not depressed because he cannot exhaust the spring.  So let this spring quench your thirst, and not your thirst the spring.  For if you can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring, then when you thirst again you can drink from it once more; but if when your thirst is sated the spring is also dried up, then your victory would turn to your own harm.

Be thankful then for what you have received, and do not be saddened at all that such abundance still remains. What you have received and attained is your present share, while what is left will be your heritage.  For what you could not take at one time because of your weakness, you will be able to grasp at another if you only persevere.  So do not foolishly try to drain in one draught what cannot be consumed all at once, and do not cease out of faintheartedness from what you will be able to absorb as time goes on.”

May you break open the word of God this Lenten Season.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. In most bibles there is a prayer in the front part asking for such guidance.

 

St. Brigid Church
9:00am	Tuesday February 23rd	William Bair
9:00am	Thursday February 25th	Members of the Iris Flournoy Family
9:00am	Saturday February 27th	C. Francis Theriault
Sacred Heart Church
9:00am	Monday February 22nd	John & Dorothy Dawson
9:00am	Wednesday February 24th	No Intention
9:00am	Friday February 26th	Paul Kijowski

 

Parish Directory Photos

If you have pictures of events such as sacraments, youth events, dinners, special events or the like that you would be willing to share in our parish directory, please drop them off, clearly labeled with your name, at the parish office by Monday, March 1st.  You can also send them from your CD or Digital Camera to claire at lexingtoncatholic dot org.  We have received a few this way and it works well.

Hospitality

Please join us for hospitality and fellowship at our parishes. 

Hospitality at St. Brigid Parish is after the 9:00am Mass in Keilty Hall.

At Sacred Heart Parish the hospitality is after the 10:00am Mass in the parish center.

Please pray for all who are in need of our prayers that God’s healing and comforting presence may be with them, especially Father William Smith, Jen Bombaca, Marianne Slack, Elaine Murphy, Henry Murphy, Bob Kozlowski, Francis Cote, Harry Laye, Rosemary Adamson, Deacon Bill Wildes, William McCarthy, Marie Dempsey, Pat White, Mary Whelan, Prudy Bulger, Eleanor Mann, Amy Galehouse Goolkosian, Jane Beauchemin, , Billy Wedgwood, Gerald McCue, Kathleen Brown, Carol Brady, Brendan Murphy, Kevin Johnson, Ann LaMantia, Christine Griffin, Josephine Siders, Douglas DiVito, Mary McGuinnes, Joseph Fremont-Smith, Jewel Douglass, Marjorie Kearns, Kathryn Ortolano, Shannon Capriulo, Cathy Larson, Olivia Moran and Brianna Cimino.  Please also remember in your prayers all of our deceased family members and parishioners especially William Porter, father of Kathyrn Rapperport.

The Light Is On For You!

On the Wednesdays of Lent from 6:30-7:30pm beginning February 24th, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at St. Brigid Church.  Inviting Catholics to experience Christ’s healing love through the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the major initiatives of Cardinal Seán and the Archdiocese this year.  The Archdiocese has set up a website, www.TheLightIsOnForYou.org, to help you prepare.  It has videos on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, sheets on how to make a good confession, answers to frequently-asked questions and more.  Please make plans to come on Lenten Wednesdays and spread the word of this special outreach of mercy to those you know.

In an effort to increase awareness for A Light is on For You.   There is a podcast created by RENEW International to invite people to take advantage of this opportunity.  You may access the podcast by clicking on this link: http://www.renewintl.org/rcab.

Looking For Support During Your Job Search?

Seasoned Human Resources and Marketing pros to lead the Lexington Job Support Group (LJSG) for the Catholic Community of Lexington and our friends.  Learn and share  job search strategies, resources and networking tips while getting support during your search for that next great opportunity.  Meetings are the first and third Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm - 9:00pm at Sacred Heart Parish Center. The next two meetings are March 3rd and March 17th . Informal, no need to sign up, come on the evenings you are free with a cup of coffee or supper, and invite a friend.  If you have any questions, contact Bob Ludwig at 781-861-7231 or Donna Heuchling at dheuchling (3)

Mass + Adoration = A Perfect Lenten Combination

This Friday and every Friday during Lent, attend Mass at 12:10pm at St. Brigid Church and then stay for some quiet time with the Lord during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration closes at 2:45pm following Benediction.

Mark Your Calendar for WINGS!

On March 4, WINGS (Women IN God’s Spirit) will start its Spring Season and celebrate its 5th birthday! The complete six-week spring schedule, featuring inspirational speakers and interesting topics, will be available next week.

Helping Hands Ministry

Helping Hands is a group of volunteers who provide assistance to members of the Catholic Community of Lexington who are in need, such as giving rides to doctors appointments, or making meals for the sick.  Volunteer drivers make no minimum time commitment. They only need to be willing to join an e-mail distribution list for ride requests, and accept only those that fit their schedule.  Volunteer meal makers can respond to requests as they are able.  For more information, please contact Jeanne Hobbs at 781-248-9722 or jeannehobbs(2).

Helping Hands Coordinator

Helping Hands coordinator for February is:
is Judy McDonough, 781-863-0653

2010 Catholic Women’s Conference

This year’s Boston Catholic Women’s Conference (BCWC) is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.  This full-day event, 9:00am – 5:30pm, will feature four inspirational speakers:  Patti Mansfield, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, Leah Darrow and Sister Olga of the Eucharist.  The BCWC will also include opportunities for Reconciliation, Adoration and Mass with Cardinal Sean O’Malley.

Be part of the Lexington group of women carpooling to the event!  Call in your name and telephone number to the Sacred Heart/St. Brigid Parish Office, 781-862-4646 or -0335, and your interest in driving or being a passenger.  Tickets are $20 ($30 including lunch).  If we have your name, number and payment by Wednesday, February 17 (check payable to Sacred Heart or St. Brigid Parish), we will order your ticket for you and call you with your carpool information (time and location of departure, etc.). 

Please go to the Archdiocese’s web site, www.bostoncatholic.com and click “Events Calendar” for additional information including the speakers’ bios.

Palm Braiding

A Palm Braiding Workshop will be held on Monday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m.  This long standing tradition requires many palms to be braided then formed into centerpieces that are used to decorate the Church for Palm Sunday.  A light supper (sandwiches, chips, and drinks) will be served.  Please RSVP before Saturday, March 20 to the Parish office or to Marie Hill 781-862-6456 or mimi.716(2).  Come and learn to braid these lovely decorations.

In Service For Their Country

Lt. John Schiavi, Sgt. Christopher Considine, Timothy Dunbar, Richard Rigley, Chris Cullen, Caitlin R. Battell, Robert McLaughlin, Sean Maddigan, Michelle Leverone, Marissa Leverone, Rev. Paul Passamonti, 1st Lt. Todd Donaldson, Airman Jason Cunha, Pfc. Erik Muskavitch, Mark Zarnecki, Patrick J. Nordahl, Scott and Michael Donahue, CDR Michael P. MacLellan and Captain Brian Geary.

Lord Jesus, watch over our sons and daughters in the service of their country.  Give them the courage to serve their country with honor and dignity and grant that when their service is finished they may return to us, sound in mind, body and soul.

All children are invited to join in the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, a special weekly presentation and discussion of the day’s scripture readings. After a blessing and dismissal by the priest before the first reading during St. Brigid’s 9:00am Mass, the children proceed downstairs to Keilty Hall to participate in this program. They rejoin the Mass after the homily. All children are invited to join in the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, a special weekly presentation and discussion of the day’s scripture readings. After a blessing and dismissal by the priest before the first reading during St. Brigid’s 9:00am Mass, the children proceed downstairs to Keilty Hall to participate in this program. They rejoin the Mass after the homily.

Sunday, February 21st  

9:00 – CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD-SB
11:00 – LENTEN SPEAKER – SH - PC
11:15-12:15 – REL. ED. – SH PARISH CENTER
5:00 – SUNG EVENING PRAYER – SB – CHURCH
6:30 – SCOUT TRAINING – SB-PC

Monday, February 22nd   

12:00 – MEETING OF PRIESTS WITH 2 PARISHES-SB
6:00 – LEXINGTON TRACK TEAM BANQUET–SB—KH

Tuesday, February 23rd

PASTORAL PLANNING MTG.- ST. ANN’S WAYLAND

Wednesday, February 24th   

6:30 – 7:30 RECONCILIATION – SB – CHURCH
7:00 – CONFIRMATION TEACHER MTG.-SB-L

Thursday, February 25th  

7:00 – 9:30 BOY SCOUTS – SB – PC

Friday, February 26th

6:30 – ROAD TO RESURRECTION – SB - L
12:10 – FRIDAY LENTEN MASS - SB
EXPOSITION BLESSED SACRAMENT FOLLOWS
7:30 – STATIONS OF THE CROSS - SB

Saturday, February 27TH

9:00 – 12:00 – MINUTE MEN – SB-PC
12:30 – BOY SCOUT MTG. – SB-PC
3:30 – CONFESSIONS – SB- CHURCH
6:00 – SOUP AND CINEMA – SH-PC

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Women’s Retreat

Spring Women’s Overnight Retreat

Rest, renew, refresh yourself at Craigville Beach on the Cape!

from 5 p.m. Friday, April 30th to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 1st, 2010.

Celebrate with other women of our community
on an overnight retreat designed by our parishioners
      to help you “come to the waters” and be open
     to the gifts God has for you!
Reserve your space now;
Total fee:  $125.
A published spiritual writer
will be joining us!

For more information, contact Beverly Good (Beverly.Good(1) ) , 781-863-0319, X 20) or Mary Peterson (mary.peterson55(7); 781-863-0319, X 30).

March 7: Second Grade Mass Followed By A Mini-Brunch And Lenten Crafts

The Second Grade children of the Sacred Heart and St. Brigid parishes invite you to their grade-level Mass at 9:00am at St. Brigid Church on Sunday, March 7, and to their mini-brunch (a bit fancier than the usual fare) afterward. Also afterward in Keilty Hall, the Family Fellowship Team will assist the Second Graders in making their First Communion altar cloth and banner, and will provide Lenten crafts for children of all ages and grades.

St. Brigid
Offertory for February 13th & 14th	$    8,549.00
Envelope Offerings	$   7,613.00
Loose Cash	$     936.00

Out of the 548 envelopes we sent to St. Brigid parishioners, 255 have used their envelopes.  Thank you to all who so generously contribute to our parishes each week!  To operate the parish our offertory should be $11,730 per week.
To date we have received $155,050.76 in our Grand Annual Collection from 303 parishioners.    Our goal this year was $140,000.

 

Sacred Heart
Offertory for February 13th & 14th	$   4,073.00
Envelope Offerings	$   3,611.00
Loose Cash	$      462.00
St. Katharine Drexel	$     122.00

Of the 265 envelopes we sent to Sacred Heart parishioners, 90 parishioners have used their envelopes this week.  Thank you to all who so generously contribute to our parishes each week!  To operate the parish our offertory should be $7,500 per week.
To date we have received a total of $97,606 from 138 parishioners in our Grand Annual Collection.  Our goal this year is $313,000.

Thank you to all who so generously contribute to our parishes each week!

—Fr. Colletti

Lexington Food Pantry
Sacred Heart and St. Brigid

The weekend of February 20th and 21st is the collection of non-perishable food for the Lexington Food Pantry. Items may be left at the food bins at St. Brigid and on the altar at Sacred Heart. Please check the expiration dates. Special requests for this month include: oatmeal, low sugar cereal, canned low sodium vegetables especially corn, canned fruit in lite syrup or pear juice especially pineapple, low sodium chicken broth, peanut butter and meals in a can. The food pantry also accepts personal care items and paper products.

Cash, supermarket gift cards and checks made out to the Lexington Food Pantry and placed in an envelope marked Lexington Food Pantry may be placed in the offertory basket or left at the office. We thank you for your past generosity and support of this endeavor.

Holy Humor

Somebody has said that there are only two kinds of people in the world.  There are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good morning, Lord,’ and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good Lord, its morning.’

Soup and Cinema

Soup and Cinema this coming Saturday, February 27th, features the film “SOLO GOODBYE”.  Soup will be served at 6:00 PM.  All are welcome.

2010 Cardinal’s Appeal

The weekend of March 6-7 will be Catholic Appeal Weekend here at Sacred Heart and St. Brigid Parishes. Cardinal Seán is asking every Catholic household to participate in the 2010 Catholic Appeal, which funds the many central ministries and services of the Archdiocese of Boston.  The Catholic Appeal is to our Archdiocese what the weekly offertory is to our parish - so your participation and support are critical.  Because of the current economic climate, the need for the ministries supported by the Catholic Appeal has increased, making support for the Appeal more urgent than ever.  On Appeal Weekend, we will be showing a video message from Cardinal Seán and asking every Catholic household to make a pledge. Please begin to prayerfully consider how you will participate.  Every gift matters.  For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholicAppeal.org.

On Ash Wednesday we resumed the practice of ministering the Most Precious Blood at all Masses.

We will no longer be recommending the non-physical greeting of peace.  We leave that to the discretion of our individual parishioners with the hope that everyone will respect each other’s wishes.

Art & Environment

The Art and Environment Committee is looking for volunteers to be on call throughout the year to help with various tasks related to keeping St. Brigid looking as beautiful as it does, especially during holiday seasons.  There is no firm commitment necessary; we would call you when we need help to see if you’re available.  If you’d like to be on our ‘on call’ list or even if you’d like to be a regular member of the committee, you can contact me at home, 781-932-8225 or by email, moreysusan(2).  Thank you in advance for your help.  Susan Morey

A Special Presentation

Monday, March 1st at 7:30pm St. Eulalia Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester on Gandi & Jesus:, The Saving Power of Nonviolence Speaker: Dr Terrence J. Rynne, Founder of Marquette University Center for Peacemaking and a teacher of Peace Studies.  He is co-president of the Sally and Terry Rynne Foundation, which is dedicated to peacemaking and to the empowerment of women.

Our thanks are extended to Marianne Slack for her service as Communion Minister at St. Brigid Church. She has given of her time to serve in this most important and rewarding ministry for many years and we ask God's blessing on her for her generosity.

Workshop on Visiting the Sick

Starting Wednesday, March 3 and running for six weeks (No Class on March 24), a workshop on Pastoral Care to teh SIck and the Homebound will be offered at Saint Brigid in Lexington from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.  Kelly Dunn, a Certified Chaplain and former Director of Health Care Ministry for the Archdiocese, presently serving as Coordinator of Nursing HOme Ministry at Holy Family Parish in Concord, will teach the workshop.  The workshop will include a review of communication skills, the basics of pastoral visitation, key illness issues, spiritual needs and concerns, grief, loss, and dying, and care giving issues.  Eucharistic Ministers, pastoral visitors, parish nurses and others are encouraged to attend.  Fee: $40.00 Registration information is available at the Parish 781-863-0319 ext 30 or call 617-746-5843 PRE-REGISTRAION IS REQUIRED.

Invitation to Join Altar Servers

Boys and girls in 4th through 12th grades are invited to contribute to our community by becoming altar servers.  Anyone interested in more information is welcome to join us on Sunday, February 28th immediately following the 9 am Mass in Keilty Hall.  Don’t let a busy schedule be the reason you miss this opportunity.  You can be involved even if you are active.  We check availability prior to scheduling servers.  For more information contact Stephen or Dawn McKenna at dawnforlexington(5) or 781-862-6690.

Religious Education Classes at Sacred Heart for
grades  1 - 8 are at 11:15 until 12:15
in the Parish Center.

Religious Education Classes at St. Brigid Parish Center on Tuesdays, for Grades 1, 2 and 3
at 3:45 until 4:45pm. 

Grades 4, 5, and 6 are on Wednesdays,
in the Parish Center at 3:45-4:45pm.

Grades 7 and 8 are on Mondays at 5:30 until 6:30pm in the Parish Center

Children's Living Stations of the Cross

For many years, children in the elementary grades have dramatized the Stations of the Cross in a prayer service at Sacred Heart on the afternoon of Good Friday. If you have a third or fourth grader who is interested in taking part in the dramatization this year, please contact Mary Ellen De Natale at 781 641-4871 or at maryellen at 28coolidge.co m, or contact the Religious Education office. Participation is open to children from both Sacred Heart and St Brigid. Rehearsals will take place at Sacred Heart Church after the 10am mass on four consecutive Sundays beginning March 7. This year, Good Friday falls on April 2.

Megan Chenaille, Director of Youth Ministry
E-mail: Megan Chenaille
781-862-8724

Confirmation Classes:

Confirmation Classes for grades 9th and 10th, begin again on March 1 and 2, 2010.

Road to Resurrection

Hey kids!! Are you looking for something to help with your prayer life this Lent?  Are you seeking a deeper relationship with Christ and others?
Then consider joining us on Friday mornings before school (6:30-7:30am) in the St. Brigid Library for Road to Resurrection, a Scripture Study and Reflection for Middle-School and High School Youth. Breakfast is provided!!  We hope you will join us on our journey on the Road to the Resurrection.
Our Friday sessions continue (Fridays at 6:30am):  February 26, March 5, March 12, March 19, March 26.  Just bring yourself and a friend!!

YOUTH Food Fast

Mark your calendars:
March 12-13, 2010
Contact Megan if you need a Registration Packet or if you have any questions. 

Youth Mass

Please join us for our next Youth Mass on
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sacred Heart Church , 6pm
Bring your friends and families!!

This Youth Mass will be followed by a Green Party in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day for all our High School Youth in the Parish Center.  Pizza, green treats and a FREE Silent Auction will be available.

 

Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail with any questions or concerns.