We are continuing these past weeks and ending next week with the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel in which Jesus talks about Eucharist. Today we read: “I myself am the living bread come down from heaven.  If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51).

Jesus is never just bread. Jesus is always the bread of life. Jesus is always the living bread. “Life” is a quality of the Father who shares it with Jesus, who said that he and the Father are one and he is in the Father and the Father is in him. “Eternal life” means being in relationship with the Father (6:57), which begins in the present and lasts for eternity. Jesus as the “living bread” is the means by which this relationship is established and maintained. Jesus is necessary for this abundant “life” just as bread is necessary for one’s physical life. It is through the Eucharist that the Father continues to give Jesus to establish and maintain this life-giving relationship. God is certainly not limited to the sacramental means of restoring the relationship with humanity, but Eucharist is the ordinary means for the Catholic Christian). “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me” (Jn 6:57).

Jesus tells the crowd and his disciples this bread he will give will be superior to the manna that their Jewish ancestors ate. What Jesus offers is, in some ways, similar to what the ancestors received - bread from heaven as a gift from God; but in other ways is something brand new - it is a person, not manna. Something new is happening.  (Some of the people will be his disciples, but some will leave him because they cannot accept what he is saying:) “Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you cannot have life in you” (Jn 6:56). Jesus does not say how this is going to happen but indicates the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

While the Synoptic Gospels record the institution of the Eucharist, it is John who explains what the Eucharist does for the Christian.

• You have life in yourself (v.53)
• You have eternal life (v.54)
• You will be raised by Jesus on the last day (v.54)
• You remain in Jesus and he in you (v.56)
• You will live through Jesus (v.57)
• You will live forever (v.58)

These are declarations we can and should declare to those who eat and drink that they have these benefits. Brian Stoffregen in Crossmarks has written: “When we eat bread and drink wine; or eat donuts and drink coffee, or pretzels and beer, or whatever that food and drink ends up nourishing our blood which, in turn, nourishes every cell in our bodies. That biological fact can present a very graphic picture of Jesus remaining in us. Jesus is not just in our heart or head; but Jesus (as bread and wine) becomes part of every nook and cranny of our entire being - or more correctly flowing through every tiny capillary in every cell of our bodies.” “ Just as Jesus’ source of life came from the Father—from being sent by the Father and from living in obedience to the Father (rather than obeying self), so the source of our life comes from our relationship with Jesus—believing in him and “eating and drinking” him and being sent by and obeying Jesus.

Father Colletti

ALL SCHEDULED MASSES AND FUNERALS DURING THE WEEK WILL BE HELD AT ST. BRIGID CHURCH.
WEEKEND MASSES WILL BE HELD AS USUAL.

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, Father Thomas Nestor, Jen Bombaca,  Marianne Slack, Elaine Murphy, Deacon Bill Wildes, Edward O’Brien, Rozlyn Torci, John Harper, Patsy Heuchling, Bob Finn, William McCarthy, Verner and Marie Dempsey, Pat White, Anita and William Gorham, Mary Whelan, Patricia McLaughlin, Eleanor Mann, Gerald McCue, Kathleen Brown, Brendan Murphy, Rev. James O’Donohoe, Kevin Johnson, Betty Garrity, Marylou Merry, Josephine Siders, Anthony Parise, Douglas DiVito, Mary McGuinnes, Jewel Douglass, Marjorie Kearns, Shannon Capriulo, Joan Wall, Olivia Moran, Matthew Langone, and Brianna Cimino.  Please also remember in your prayers all of our deceased family and parishioners, especially Alice Rollins, Mary Santosuosso, Mary Ingalls, Linda Polhill and Joseph P. Doherty.

Parish Pastoral Discernment Process

In these next few weeks Sacred Heart and Saint Brigid Parishes are going to hold nominations for additional membership on the Parish Pastoral Council.  The Council is a visioning and planning body of parishioners who foster full participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the church as lived out in our parishes.  In consultation with the Pastor, the Parish Pastoral Council actively listens to and identifies the needs and concerns of the people and reviews the Parish Pastoral Plan to respond to these needs. The Council also seeks to implement the plan by seeking the involvement of parishioners.

We are in need of three parishioners for Sacred Heart and four for Saint Brigid who have these qualities:

• a desire for spiritual growth in themselves and the parish
• an enthusiasm about the future direction of the parish
• a willingness to listen, to speak honestly and to work toward consensus
• the ability to inspire and empower other to delegate
• flexibility and openness with people and ideas
• the desire to see our two parishes work in collaboration

Nomination papers will be mailed to all parishioners in the next newsletter in mid-August and, in addition, can be found on our web page.  Nominate people you feel possess the necessary gifts we need and even nominate yourself.

Father Colletti

Your Prayers Are Needed

From now until our PPC Afternoon of Discernment on
Sunday, September 20th, please ask
God to bless this new process
for arriving at our Parish Pastoral Council
membership.  It all depends on us recognizing
our gifts and listening well
to the promptings of the Spirit!

Sacred Heart 75th Speakers Series

Sacred Heart 75th Speakers Series presents a two night program on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th & 20th at 7:30P.M.  The topic is the Church’s teaching and practice on the Social Ministry of the Church.  This is a very timely subject with the recent publication of Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate” (Charity in Truth).  Look ahead on your calendars and circle these two Sunday evenings which promise to be instructive, rewarding and challenging

In Service For Their Country

Lt. John Schiavi, Sgt. Christopher Considine, Timothy Dunbar, Richard Rigley, Chris Cullen, Caitlin R. Battell, Robert McLaughlin, Sean Maddigan, Rev. Paul Passamonti, Airman Jason Cunha, 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.

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 August 19th and September 2nd. 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)

Welcome to New Parishioners

No matter what your present status in the Catholic Church, no matter what your current family or marital situation, no matter what your current personal history, age, background, race, etc., no matter what your own self-image; you are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved and respected here with the Catholic Community in Lexington. . If you are new to Sacred Heart or St. Brigid Parishes, please introduce yourself to either Father Colletti or one of the Pastoral Associates, Beverly Good or Mary Peterson, after Mass or at your convenience.  Also, please contact the Office to register as a member of the parishes.

Out of the 548 envelopes we sent to St. Brigid parishioners, 209 have used their envelopes.

Of the 265 envelopes we sent to Sacred Heart parishioners, 95 parishioners have used their envelopes this week.

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

—Fr. Colletti

Please welcome into the Catholic Church
Semeredin Colm Ferguson
child of Kelley and Kevin
He was baptized at Sacred Heart Parish
in the month of June.

Please welcome into the Catholic Church
Lucia Ruth Applegate
child of John  and Meredith Applegate
and
Lily Anne Scotti
child of Michael and Rita Scotti
They were baptized at St. Brigid Parish
in the month of June.

Use Your Expertise To Help Children Read!

Start the new school year off right by helping children in Waltham who need extra help with reading! Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) is looking for volunteers for its Reading Partners Program. Designed to boost confidence and improve reading skills, the program pairs adults age 55 and over with children in grades K-3. Training starts in September so please call Lauren Reid at 781-324-7705 today! Combine the wisdom of age with the energy of youth and become a Reading Partner!

How To Sign Up For E-Mail From The Parishes

To get on the Catholic Community of Lexington mail list you sign up on www.lexingtoncatholic.org/listJoin.aspx.   This address is on the back of our bulletin.

Parish Trip

We are going to Oberammergau in 2010 to see the PASSION PLAY!

It is a 12-day trip, flying out of Logan Airport to Bavaria, Germany.  We will leave on July 14, 2010, arriving in Bavaria Germany where our tour will begin.  On Friday, July 16th we will witness a performance of the Passion Play.  The original performance dates back to 1634. During the Thirty Year War, the village of Oberammergau was spared the Black Plague and for this reason, the villagers vowed that every ten years they would give a play to honor the life of Christ.  The performers are native Oberammergauers, who begin a year in advance to grow their beards and hair for this performance.  We will experience the wonder of 16 cascading lakes at Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park.  Walk in the footsteps of Marco Polo as we explore the medieval city of Korcula.  Discover the magnificence of the ancient Roman Palace of Diocletian.  Follow the path up Apparition Hill in Medjugorje where the six young visionaries first encountered the Virgin Mary in 1981.  On this trip we will visit 4 of the area’s most beautiful countries: Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Sign up for the trip before September 1, 2009 and receive a $200 Seat Reduction.  We have a limited number of seats available for the trip, so sign up as soon as possible.

Lexington Food Pantry Collection at St. Brigid & Sacred Heart

The collection of non-perishable food items will take place on the weekend of August 15 and 16.  Low sodium soup, broth and vegetables such as corn, peas, carrots, spinach and beets. in 14 or 15 oz. cans.  Low sugar hot and cold cereals and canned fruit, meals in a can, pasta, tomato sauce and rice.  These can be left at the food bins at the entrances of the church.  Cash, supermarket gift cards and checks made payable to the Lexington Food Pantry may be placed in an envelope marked Lexington Food Pantry and placed in the offertory basket.  Thank you for your past generosity and support of this endeavor.

Flowers decorating the altar this weekend
have been donated in loving memory of
Mary Ingalls

Sacrament of reconciliation

St. Brigid’s Adult Choir is a fun, dedicated group of people enhancing the music at the 11:00am Mass on Sunday and other major days in the liturgical calendar.  As fun and dedicated as we are, we NEED NEW VOICES!!  Do you like to sing “Happy Birthday?”  Do you like to sing in the shower?  If you answered yes, then you would love to sing in St. Brigid’s Adult Choir.  Rehearsals take place (starting September 10th) from 7:30-8:45pm in the choir room downstairs adjacent to Keilty Hall.  If you are interested, please speak with Bill Grzybowski after Mass on the weekend or call 781-862-0335.   

Who’s Who at St. Brigid

John and Rebekah have volunteered to coordinate the St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry for St. Brigid Parish.  Please extend a thank you to them for coming forward and taking over this ministry.  In September we will have a welcoming dinner for them and the volunteers of the Food Pantry to meet each other.

John and Rebekah Hand have been parishioners of St. Brigid's for a year. Originally from Austin, Texas, they moved to Arlington in July of 2008. Their daughter, Kate, is four months old and was baptized at St. Brigid's in June. They feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve the parishes of St. Brigid and St. Katharine Drexel and the people touched by the food pantry ministry. "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40 (NASV).

Katherine O’Meara McKersie has come forward to be the Co-Chair of the Christian Service Commission representing St. Brigid Parish on the Commission.  Katherine is in the process of contacting people in this ministry to meet and talk to her.  Please feel free to contact Katherine.  

Katherine has been a professional dancer and dance teacher since her youth.  Trained at the Griffith Academy of Irish Dance under the direction of Boston College theologian, Colleen Griffith Groome, Katherine won numerous regional championships, was twice North American champion, and held an All-World Irish Dance Championship title.  She also won the Aer Lingus Award for the best non-European dancer.  Following Irish dance, Katherine trained in classical ballet at the highly regarded Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) in New Haven, CT.  Katherine completed her ballet training with the School of the Hartford Ballet, where she won the coveted Director’s Prize.  She began her professional ballet career at age 18 and danced with The Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, The Louisville Ballet, and The Hartford Ballet in such roles as “Clara” in the Nutcracker and the title role in “Cinderella.”  In addition, Katherine was an arts ambassador for the state of Kentucky.
After retiring from professional ballet, Katherine attended Tufts University where she graduated in 1998 with a magna cum laude degree in English and Peace/Justice studies. Following graduation, Katherine became executive director of the Wastewater Advisory Committee to the MWRA, where she wrote arts and environmental/social justice curricula. Since coming to Boston, Katherine has been active in using the arts in environmental and social justice education.  In 2002, Katherine founded The O’Meara Academy, which is dedicated to the training of students with a serious interest in dance. In addition to dance, her other creative pursuits include writing and designing. She has taught and coached dance extensively, including at The Griffith Academy of Irish Dance, where she directed the “Ballet for Irish dancers” program.
Katherine resides in Arlington, MA with her husband Bill.  She is a new Mom to daughter Riona Meara, 20 months, as well as her sons by marriage, Max (nine) and Liam (13).  Katherine, Bill and Riona are active parishioners at St. Brigid’s in Lexington, MA.  This fall, Katherine will resume teaching dance part-time at her academy in Lexington, MA.

Please keep Katherine, John and Rebekah in your prayers and they start their new ministry.  

CatholicTV Mass

Daily Mass can be seen LIVE on CatholicTV and Boston’s WBPX, Channel 68 weekdays at 9:30 am, at 7:30 pm or midnight (all times Eastern). The Daily Mass is also rebroadcast on CatholicTV at 7:30 each evening and midnight. You can also celebrate it LIVE or "on demand" here at CatholicTV's web site, www.CatholicTV.com .  Pictured is Fr. Bob Reed, Director of the CatholicTV.

Circle of Caring

Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd, a non-sectarian, non-profit, community-based home care hospice agency, is holding it’s “Big Feat” Memorial Walk on Sunday, October 4th.  This year the Walk will begin  at the Newton Centre Green at 1:00p.m. and will be followed by food and fun at 2:00p.m.  Please visit the website www.hospicegoodshepherd.org, or contact Lora Tarlin at 617-969-6130 for further information.

Get ‘Up-Close and Personal’ with the Lord

Spend quiet time with the Lord this Friday and every Friday during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 12:00 – 2:45pm at St. Brigid Church.

Did the Blessed Mother Appear
in Garabandal, Spain in 1961-1965?

Between 1961 and 1965 in the village of Garabandal, Spain, many people believe that four children saw and spoke with the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Those remarkable events were witnessed by hundreds of people, including several physicians and priests.  Messages were given to the girls about events taking place in the world at that time, and the events that would unfold in the future if the people did not turn back to God and reform their lives.  Many people believe we are witnessing now the unfolding of those prophesied events.
Maria Saraco, internationally known expert on Garabandal, and friend of the four visionaries will be at St. Barbara Chruch, 138 Cambridge Street, Woburn on Sunday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the lower level of the church.  She will be giving a video presentation and answer questions about the apparitions of Garabandal.

St. Agnes School
Openings for the 2009-2010 School Year

Saint Agnes School of Arlington, a K-8 Catholic elementary school, has some openings for new students in grades K-7.   Offering a quality Catholic education to students in the Arlington area since 1888, Saint Agnes School is located at 39 Medford Street, across the street from Arlington Catholic High School.

The challenging academic curriculum also features: Spanish for grades K-8 and a two-year Latin program for grades 7 and 8. Students are also provided with well-rounded curriculum including art, music, computer technology, and physical education. There is also a newly expanded program for grades 6-8 in which students learn about investing and banking as well as basic economics.  Staff includes a nurse and guidance counselor.

If you are interested in learning more about our school, contact our Development Director, Mrs. Ellen Ciarlone. Tours of the school are available by appointment by emailing stagnesschool_dev(6) or by calling 781-643-9031. Admissions information and registration forms are available on our website www.saintagnesschool.com 
Saint Agnes School is accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Ramadan at St. Eulalia's

St. Eulalia's has, since 2001, had a friendly relationship with the Boston Dialogue Foundation, the local chapter of a world-wide movement of moderate Muslims who really want to get along with the rest of us and whose social teaching is very similar to that of our church.
St. Eulalians have enjoyed the hospitality of BDF several times at dinners in Boston.  On August 25, we will return that hospitality and enjoy a pleasant supper with BDF members in our own church home.  We're inviting other local people of good will like you to join us. 
In the same way that Catholics have Lent, when we spend more time than usual thinking about what is involved in being Christian, Muslims have Ramadan.  During that month, they eat a very early breakfast before sunrise and then have nothing more until sunset, which is at 7:29 on Tuesday August 25.
Our BDF friends will bring some delicious Turkish food which they will share with us.  We are also asking everyone to bring something to share.  If your last name begins with A - M please bring something vegetarian - bread or appetizer or salad or vegetables.  If your last name is after M, please bring a finger dessert. 
We'll gather in the Parish Hall to mingle and put the food on tables at 7:00 pm.  After brief prayers at 7:29 pm, we'll eat.
At 8:15 pm, Father Tom Nestor will introduce our friend, Imam Ibrahim Sayar, who will give a short talk on “Sharing the Spirit of Ramadan” followed by refreshments.
If you have questions or suggestions and to RSVP, contact:
Eva Arnott - 781-646-2796 - evaarnott(3)
Arlene Champoux - 781-729-1225 - abchampoux(10)

Holy Humor

Some minds are like concrete,
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
     Rev. Denny J. Brake

Out of the Mouths of Babes

The old pastor made it a practice to visit the parish school one day a week.  He walked into the fourth-grade class, where the children were studying the states, and asked them how many states they could name.  They came up with about 40 names.  He jokingly told them that in his day students knew the names of all the states.  One lad raised his hand and said, “Yes Father, but in those days there were only 13.”

REGISTRATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND CONFIRMATION CLASSES ARE IN THE MAIL.  PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THE FORMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Fostering and/or Adopting

Martin on Merton

James Martin, SJ, commenting on Thomas Merton, in Martin’s new book My Life with the Saints: 

The first paragraph of this excerpt from Merton’s book No Man Is an Island changed my life.  When I first read it, at age twenty-six, it stopped me in my tracks and then started me on the path that would lead to the Jesuits:

Why do we have to spend our lives striving to be something that we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted?  Why do we waste our time doing things which, if we only stopped to think about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for? 

We cannot be ourselves unless we know ourselves.  But self-knowledge is impossible when thoughtless and automatic activity keeps our souls in confusion.  In order to know ourselves it is not necessary to cease all activity in order to think about ourselves.  That would be useless, and would probably do most of us a great deal of harm.  But we have to cut down our activity to the point where we can think calmly and reasonably about our actions.  We cannot begin to know ourselves until we can see the real reasons why we do the things we do, and we cannot be ourselves until our actions correspond to our intentions, and our intentions are appropriate to our own situation.  But that is enough.  It is not necessary that we succeed in everything.  A man can be perfect and still reap not fruit from his work, and it may happen that a man who is able to accomplish very little is much more of a person than another who seems to accomplish very much.

Helping Hands

Helping Hands for the month of August is:
Marie Hill – 781-862-6456.