God of wisdom and might, 
we praise you for the wonder of our being, 
for mind, body and spirit. 
Be with our children as they begin a new school year.
Bless them and their teachers and staff.
Give the strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds
as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their hearts.
We ask this through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen.

Each week we will feature two of our ministries, that we have at Saint John Fisher. If you have any interest in joining our ministries or have any questions please contact the office or the contact person listed.

This week we talk about the Comfort and Warmth Ministry

“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28

Silent Conversation
While we all seem to excel at placing our needs before our Heavenly Father, many of us struggle with finding silence to listen to how is responding. Our lives are busy, our pace is often frenetic leaving us little room to hear or see how God is answering our prayers.

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

“Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law I am setting before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4: 8) What statutes and decrees (the whole law) are so just as to make other nations envious?

Keeping the Torah (Law) was not about self-preservation or self-perfection but is about having a right relationship with God, with oneself, and your neighbor which also includes non-human life and all of nature/creation. Following the Law is to practice justice for the disenfranchised, the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger including people considered “aliens”, those fleeing from political, social or religious oppression. The Law was seen as a good thing, bringing life and well-being. Of course, the Law as first written showed biases, for example, gender and patriarchy as we saw last week.

Each week we will feature two of our ministries, that we have at Saint John Fisher. If you have any interest in joining our ministries or have any questions please contact the office or the contact person listed.

This week: Lector Ministry and Christian Outreach

The Rev Thomas Walsh, pastor of St. Augustine Church at 10 Campfield Ave, Hartford, in collaboration with Very Rev. George Mukuka, the Judicial Vicar from the Metropolitan Tribunal in Bloomfield, will host “The ABCs of Annulment” on
Saturday of September 18, at 10 AM to Noon in the Church Hall at the address above.  

September 23, 2021 ~ Blackledge Golf Course ~180 West Street. Hebron

To sign up please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

If you cannot participate, donations are greatly appreciated..
Please send any donations to the church with a check made out to the Knights of Columbus.

Please join us for the return of Pray & Play! We are very excited to start offering this ministry to children ages birth to 6. Join us for prayer, story time, crafting, a snack and playtime. We have missed you all and look forward to seeing you there!

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 10AM In the lower hall of the church and outside, weather permitting. A parent or caregiver must stay with children at all times. 

Please follow CDC guidelines Anyone over the age of 2 will need to wear a mask in all indoor spaces.

“Scripture is living and active, and so it remains God’s Word spoken to whomever has the courage to pick it up and receive it.”
     ^{Dr. Tim Gray, Praying Scripture for a Change.}

Meeting God in Scripture

We will collect sandwiches on Thursday, August 26 We will NOT gather after 8:30 a.m. Mass to make sandwiches as a community. Sandwiches may be dropped off at the church during regular business hours or from 7:00 p.m.7:30 p.m.

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Before the homily I prepared, let’s consider the elephant in the room: Ephesians 5: 21-32 as it says: “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church …. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything .”

So, there you have it, right in Scripture. Wives, do you go along with that? Husbands, do you agree with that?

Looking for a way to take a deeper dive into Sacred Scripture? Consider enrolling in the Catholic Biblical School offered through our diocese. This comprehensive program allows you the opportunity to read, pray and interpret sacred biblical texts while enriching your faith in a communal setting. Class are currently being offered in person and virtually. Barbara Jean Daly-Horell, Director of the program, states that through participation in this program, “You will increase your understanding of Christ and will engage the Bible within its cultural and literary context, enabling you better to live and be a witness to your Catholic faith today.”

Assumption

When you pray to Mary, what image comes to mind?

For most of us who are of Western European descent, we normally think of her, clothed in blue and white, sitting on a throne as Queen of heaven and earth, wearing a crown on her head or having a halo around it. Maybe she’s has pudgy little cherubs before her throne or flitting above and around her. And, of course, she’s beautiful, with a white complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair maybe tinged with blond highlights.