Dear Parishioners
"Remember …to come to the
meeting! ".
We do meet a lot. There are many
issues that call for a group discussion and community discernment. These issues
include: church issues, education issues, justice issues, moral issues,
political issues, social issues, economic issues, and cultural issues.
Remember Pentecost happened at
a meeting!
One of the central events that
shaped Christian history and history in general, happened not to an individual
off praying alone or to a monk on a mountain-top or to a solitary Buddha
meditating under a tree. None of these. Pentecost
happened at a meeting and it happened to a community, to a church congregation
assembled for prayer, to a family of faith gathered to wait for God's guidance.
Moreover it happened in a common room, a meeting room, in one of those humble,
church-gathering, type of rooms. It can be helpful to
remember that. Our search for God should take us not just into private places
of quiet and contemplation but, equally, into meeting rooms.
Surely we are aware that at
special times for own benefit we need to pull away from the group. We set off
to the desert, to the chapel, to the lonely place, the quiet, to be alone with
God. Jesus set the example when he pulled away to be alone for awhile.
Today we are into the Pentecost
celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit at the gathering in the
"Upper Room" For St. Vincent Pallotti, a
key person with the apostles was Mary called here the Queen of Apostles. Mary
our mother is seen in his prayer as the one who "obtain(s) the strength of
the Holy Spirit as (she) obtained it for the community of the apostles gathered
in the upper room.
At this point the Pallottine prayer asks only for Mary’s maternal
intercession, in return we "resolve to devote our talents, learning,
material resources, our health, sickness and trials, and every gift of nature
& grace, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of all."
In the biblical setting the
apostles underwent a complete transformation, as a dedicated group of followers
yet very frightened about the impending future.
This group known by its place name , (the cenacle) became a model of Christian prayer
groups with Mary as the queen of Apostolic ministry.
Our parish meetings are to be a
time of prayer and deliberations as well as a transformation by the Holy Spirit
through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Queen.
Yours in Christ,
Fr.
From this year’s Catechumens and
Candidates in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults now given the title of
Neophytes (Newly received into the faith or fullness of membership in the
Christian Community):
“RCIA is an excellent way to become a part of the church community. I
found it to be an educational, enjoyable year.” - Catecumen, Kathleen Garneau
“I would like to take a moment to invite all inquiring minds to the St.
Cecilia's R.C.I.A. This program provides an opportunity to explore the Catholic
faith in a very comfortable, informative and relaxed-type setting. Enjoy weekly
gatherings as I did with Father