Mass ~ 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ June 20

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

“All were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this?  … He commands even the unclean spirits/ and they obey him.’”^[1]

That is from the 1^st chapter of Mark’s Gospel. In the same chapter, Mark continues with other healings, the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law and the cleansing of a leper. In chapter 2, we find Jesus forgiving the sins of a paralytic and then saying to the paralytic to rise, pick up his mat and go home which he did in the sight of everyone. The crowd was astounded and said, “We have never seen anything like this”^[2]. Chapter 2 continues with the Pharisees questioning Jesus’ disciples’ lack of fasting and picking grain on the Sabbath. Chapter 3 has a healing on the Sabbath and the beginning of a plot to kill Jesus, the appointment of the 12 apostles, further controversy with the scribes, and Jesus’ family who came to take him home to Nazareth thinking “he was out of his mind”^[3]. Chapter 4 has the telling of four parables and concludes with today’s passage.

Are you looking to gain leadership skills while improving our parish community?  We are looking for some new teens interested in becoming teen leaders.  Help plan programs, activities and service projects for your peers. Complete the form found on the parish website [HERE] and send it to Mrs. O’Neill or drop it off at church.  Let’s plan an exciting year of programs together!

Please be sure to extend your love, gratitude and congratulations to Deacon John who celebrated his 44th anniversary to the deaconate on Saturday, June 12th

The fourth gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of right judgment or counsel which allows us to become the person God created us to be by helping us make good decisions.  Right judgment helps us to see right from wrong and good from evil so you can do make the right choice.

Reflection:                           

Are the values Jesus taught hard to follow?

                Tell of a time when it was difficult to make the right choice?

                Why was it difficult?

                What helped you make the right decision?

Good and gracious God help me to use the gift of right judgment to make good choices so I can grow closer to you.

Online Mass ~ 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 13, 2021

Beginning with the feasts of our patron Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, the USCCB is asking all Catholics to observe Religious Freedom Week from June 22 to June 29 with the theme Solidarity in Freedom.  “Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity.  It means thinking and acting in terms of community” (Fratelli tutti, 116).  The USCCB has prepared resources to “Pray-Reflect-Act” which may be found at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek. Each day focuses on different religious liberty topics of concern for the bishops. The materials were prepared to help us understand religious liberty from a Catholic perspective, pray about particular issues, and act on what they learn by advocating for policies that promote religious freedom. Religious freedom allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all. 

11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B21

I don’t want to argue with Jesus’ saying the mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth^[1], but I have to wonder if he knew about portulaca seeds. Being a gardener with the soul of a farmer, I have planted a garden or two in every parish to which I have been assigned. When I was at St. Ann in Avon I was planting portulaca seeds as a border to my vegetable garden. I had prepared the soil, opened the package of seeds and poured them into my hand when suddenly a gust of wind blew and scattered the seeds on the ground where they, being so tiny, blended with the soil so much I couldn’t tell seed from soil. But, lo and behold, the seeds sprouted on their own while I slept and rose night and day and yielded colorful flowers.    That was my first-hand experience of this parable.

Special Mass cards for Father’s Day weekend Masses are now available. These cards may be given to fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, or any special man you would like to recognize on Father’s Day. Memorial envelopes for those who are deceased are also available. Baskets with these cards and the memorial envelopes are available at both exits.
Please return your donation in the intention envelope.

Father, Creator of all, thank you for summer!
Thank you for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight.
Thank you for the beauty I see all around me and the opportunity to be outside and enjoy your creation.
Thank you for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season.
Draw me closer to you this summer.
Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing. Warm my soul with the awareness of your presence and light my path with your word and counsel.
As I enjoy your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for you.
Amen

Online Mass ~ The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ ~ June 6, 2021
Available as of Saturday, June 5, 4:00PM

We are proud to share that parishioner Sean Neary has been chosen to be a part of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Boston Marathon fundraising team.  Several years ago, Sean began his partnership with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang, spending his summer serving kids with cancer and other serious illness.  Now as a college graduate and full time “adult” Sean continues to return to the camp to volunteer and has participated in several fundraising efforts. 

Corpus Christi 21

Jesus with his Hebrew ancestors and contemporaries lived in a culture much different than our own in the United States. While we celebrate individualism ( Clint Eastwood’s character as a lone cowboy, Rambo or the song “I did it my way” by “old blue eyes”), they were people who brought up from infancy that membership in your group, be it tribe, nation or religion, creates your identity and that you share in and contribute to the well-being of everyone who is a member of the same tribe, nation or religion. If a person was honored, you, by association, share in that honor. If someone brings shame, you share in that as well.

Week of June 13

The third gift is the gift of knowledge.  Knowledge is different than understanding as it is the ability to see and know God, but it is more than gathering facts.  Knowledge allows us to be open to the true plan God has for us; our unique mission.  Knowledge helps us to see how God is working in our life, our world and other people.

Reflection:           

Is there something about your faith you would like to know more about?

                Who could you ask?

                How will your answer help you grow closer to God?

                How did you use your knowledge of how we are called to treat others to impact your behavior this week?  

Good and gracious God, help me to use the gift of knowledge to know you and myself better.  

The second gift of the Holy Spirit is understanding.  This gift allows us to comprehend the teachings of the Church.  If wisdom helps us make the right choices to live a holy life – to know what is important,  understanding helps to know why these things are important. It also helps us to be tolerant of and sympathetic to others.  Understanding allows our actions to support the choices we make using wisdom as it opens our hearts, minds and eyes to the needs of others.

Reflection:

Think of people you interacted with recently.     

How were they doing?

Why do you think they were doing well or struggling?

How might you help others?   

Good and gracious God, help me to always hear your voice and use these gifts to do your will.  Amen