CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 June 7, 2015 The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH 6300 McKenna Drive, Mobile, Alabama Website: TELEPHONE NUMBERS Parish Office: Fax School Office: , ext. 1 Fax Rel. Ed. Office: , ext. 7 Fax Full-Day Care: Fax Youth Ministry: Fax PASTORAL STAFF Very Rev. James F. Zoghby, V.F., Pastor Rev. John S. Boudreaux, Associate Pastor Deacon Arthur W. Robbins, Deacon Sr. Donna Cooper, R.S.M., Visitation Chaplain Mrs. Joan T. McMullen, School Principal Mrs. Diane M. Stoyka, Parish Catechetical Leader Mrs. Judi B. Ankiewicz, R.C.I.A. Coordinator Mrs. Brenda Martens, Youth Ministry Director Mr. C. Russell Kirkpatrick, Gym Manager TO REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH Please fill out a Census Form. Census Forms are available in the church vestibule and parish office. COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS & SERVICES For rental information and kitchen services, please call the parish office at or SUNDAY MASSES Vigil: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Morning: 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. WEEKDAY MASSES 6:30 a.m.: Monday through Friday 8:15 a.m.: Monday through Saturday SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and by request, particularly after the 6:30 & 8:15 a.m. weekday Masses. BAPTISM, MARRIAGE, ANOINTING OF SICK Please call the parish office ( ) or information and scheduling baptism, marriage, anointing of sick. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (R.C.I.A.) Please see published schedule for specific dates and times, or call the parish office ( ). SUNDAY SCHOOL (C.C.D.) Grades K 12, Sundays during school year, 10:05-10:55 a.m. in school bldgs. SCHOOL, SACS-accredited for Grades 3K through 8. Child Care for 6-week-old infants to 2-year olds, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please call the school office, , ext. 1 for information.

2 THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST Please support the advertisers on the back of the bulletin Their ads enable us to have our bulletins printed at no cost to the parish. Ads are purchased through Diocesan Publications. For info contact them at or CORPUS CHRISTI SCHOOL Openings available: For registration & info, please call , ext. 1, or visit Summer Office Hours: During the month of June (except June 29), the office will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the month of July the office will be open Wednesday, July 15, 22 & 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the month of August the office will be open Monday through Friday from Aug. 3 through August 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. New Families Welcoming Dinner: Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Banquet Hall of the Community Center. Drop-Off Books and Supplies: For Grades K3-8, Friday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. New School Year Begins Monday, Aug. 17. Noon Dismissal. Resumes August 19. Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Banquet Hall Resumes August 20. Breakfast Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 9:30 a.m. Our Church Bulletins are Online. Please note the instructive insert pages in our Sunday bulletins. More than 3 years worth of previous bulletins are available for viewing and/or printing at (click the "Sunday Bulletin" tab on the left side of the Church home page. Partners in Education ~ Recognition Partners in Education annually recognizes two outstanding graduating Corpus Christi School students continuing their education at McGill- Toolen Catholic High School. The two students recognized are: Maggie Laurence and Matthew Jalkh Each receive a $500 scholarship award toward first year expenses. Corpus Christi School thanks the companies that participated in this year s Partners in Education program: Assist- 2- Sell Realty! Donaghey Orthodontics Firehouse Subs! Knights of Columbus Payne Environmental Services! Rehm Animal Clinic Professional Estimating Services! Providence Hospital Arts & Crafts Camp for students entering 4 th, 5 th, 6 th Grade June :30 a.m. to 12:00 noon Registration forms are in the school office or online at CorpusChristiParish.com/School. Info: Kelly Palmer, kpalmer@corpuschristiparish.com or Kim Cummings, kcummings@corpuschristiparish.com. Resumes August 19. Women of Mary Wednesdays, 7 to 8 p.m. Room 3 (2 nd Floor of the Community Center) All women are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Sr. Deborah Kennedy, R.S.M., Men of St. Joseph Tuesdays, 7 to 8 a.m. in the Family Room Also Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. in the Room 6 All men are welcome to meet for prayer, reading the Gospel, and discussion. Info: Damian Bell, or or Damian@rockbwm.com. Wed Evening Info: Walter Bracewell, or walter.bracewell@gmail.com Widowed Persons Support Group For information call parishioner Glen Porter at Society of St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, Food, Clothing donations put in the designated places in the vestibule are distributed by our St. Vincent de Paul Society. In-Need Drop Box next to the food pantry box in the vestibule. Fill out a card, and deposit it in the locked drop box. Your info will be held in strict confidence and a member of our society will contact you. Join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by attending a meeting. Meetings: 1 st & 3 rd Wed., 6:30 p.m., Com. Ctr. Conf. Rm. (2 nd Flr.) To obtain assistance, call and leave name & phone no. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Meeting: 2 nd Tues., June 9, 7 p.m., at the Parish House. Contact: Grand Knight, Cosmo Comiskey, Sunday Morning Bible Study 8:45-10:45 a.m. in school conference room Info: Ken Crowley, Tuesday Night Bible Study 7 p.m. meeting in the Parish House (except on 2 nd Tuesday of the month, meet in the school library) Info: Dave Burchette at Tuesday Women s Bible Study Will resume in September. 10:00 a.m. in the Adult Ed. Room Info: Judi Ankiewicz, or leave a message at parish office Symbolon A video series on the Catholic Faith produced by a graduate school Augustine Institute in the Archdiocese of Denver, free at by entering your name & password. Info: Grades 1-8 Football Camp With McGill-Toolen Football Coaches At the Lip, during the week of June 15 th This will be a fun football event! For Info, McTJacketFootball@gmail.com. Bulletin announcements continued on page 7.

3 The Body of Christ ~ Corpus Christi Is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. St. Paul, 1 Cor 10:16-17 You, then, are the body of Christ. Everyone of you is a member of it. St. Paul, 1 Cor 12:27 If you want to understand the body of Christ, listen to what the apostle Paul says to the faithful: You are Christ s own body, his members ; thus, it is your own mystery which is placed on the Lord s table. It is your own mystery that you receive. At communion, the priest says: The body of Christ, and you reply Amen. When you say Amen, you are saying yes to what you are. St. Augustine ( ) For Augustine, Christ s body is both on the table and gathered around it. Impact Homilies St. Augustine tells those who are to receive the Body of Christ in the Eucharist: Be what you see, and receive what you are (Sermon 272). In another sermon he says, If you receive worthily, you are what you have received (Sermon 227). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we are assimilated into him. We become his Body, we take on his mind and heart, uniting ourselves to his love. When the host is offered to us as the Body of Christ, and we open our hand to receive it and say, Amen, we are saying yes not only to receiving Christ s Body but to being his Body. We are saying, in effect, Amen, yes, I believe that this is the Body of Christ, and that this is the Body I am called to be. I receive him to become him, to be Eucharist for others. St. John Chrysostom ( ) Do you wish to honor the Body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when he is naked. Do not pay Him homage in the temple clad in silk only then to neglect Him outside where He suffers cold and nakedness. He who said: This is my body is the same one who said, You saw Me hungry and you gave Me no food and Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did also for Me. What good is it if the Eucharistic Table is overloaded with golden chalices, when he is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger, and then, with what is left, you may adorn the altar as well. St. John Chrysostom The temple of our afflicted neighbor s body is more holy than the altar of stone on which you celebrate the holy sacrifice. You are able to contemplate this altar everywhere, in the street and in the open squares. St. John Chrysostom Respect that Table in which we all participate. After participating in such a Table, and communing such Food, why take up arms against one another? Not only arrows and javelins cause wounds. Certain words inflict more profound wounds. A word pronounced against your brother is poison shot from your mouth. If your neighbor harmed you, ask God to show mercy to him. He is your brother, a member of Christ s body. He is called to one and the same Table with you. St. John Chrysostom

4 The Eucharist does not just unite us to God as individuals who are isolated from one another. Rather, we are united to Christ together with all the other members of the Mystical Body. The celebration of the Eucharist should thus increase our love for one another and remind us of our responsibilities toward one another. Furthermore, as members of the Mystical Body, we have a duty to represent Christ and to bring Christ to the world. We have a responsibility to work against all the forces in our world that oppose the Gospel (the Good News), including all forms of injustice. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The most Blessed Sacrament is Christ made visible. The poor sick person is Christ again made visible. St. Gerard Majella The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren. (#1397) The Catechism of The Catholic Church The bread and wine are transformed in order to transform us so that we can transform the world. St. Francis regularly received the Lord and was changed. Then, he was able to change the world by his life and love. He was able to perceive Christ s presence in everyone, and people, in turn, could see Christ s presence in him. Bishop Paul A. Zipfel It is important to be ever mindful that communion with Christ is deeply tied to communion with our brothers and sisters. The Sunday Eucharistic gathering is an experience of brotherhood. The sign of peace is a particularly expressive gesture which the faithful are invited to make as a manifestation of the commitment to mutual love which is made in sharing the one bread. St. John Paul II [The fact that all who share in the Eucharist are incorporated as one into his body means that] we cannot communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate among ourselves. If we want to present ourselves to Him, we also must go out to meet each other. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity. St. John Paul II We must not deceive ourselves: it s by our reciprocal love and, in particular, by the concern we have for those in need that we will be recognized as true disciples of Christ (Jn 13:55; Mt 24:31-46). This is the criterion on the basis of which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations will be confirmed. St. John Paul II In sacramental communion I become one with the Lord, like all the other communicants. As Saint Paul says, Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:17). Union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. We become one body, completely joined in a single existence. Love of God and love of neighbor are now truly united: God incarnate draws us all to himself. Pope Benedict XVI The Eucharist has a personal and social character : Christ unites himself with me, but also with those beside me, and so unites himself equally with my neighbor. We are all one bread, one body. And this is communion without solidarity with others the Eucharist is abused. Pope Benedict XVI Jesus, the bread come down from heaven and the bread of life, makes himself visible every day... where people are served and fed, without distinction of race, religion or culture. Every human, without distinction of race, culture, or religion, is created in the image and likeness of God. Every person is filled with the same dignity. Pope Benedict XVI

5 The celebration of the Mass, gathering everyone around the one table, is a reminder that all the faithful have been united into the body of Christ despite all their differences. Unity is the truth and strength of the Christian revolution. Around the Eucharistic table people diverse on account of age, sex, social condition (and) political ideology gather and become one. The Eucharist can never be a private act, reserved to people who have been chosen for their affinity or out of friendship. The Eucharist is (an act of) public worship, which has nothing esoteric (for the select few) or exclusive. Catholics must always be vigilant to ensure that at every celebration of the Eucharist all Catholics are welcome, no matter their differences of nationality, profession, social class or political ideas. Pope Benedict XVI Worship itself, Eucharistic communion, includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn. A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love [of others] is intrinsically fragmented. Pope Benedict XVI Everybody has a place in the Church. Every person, without exception, should be made to feel at home, and never rejected. Pope Benedict XVI When attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist, Catholics must be filled with gratitude for God s great gifts. Despite the fact that we have nothing to give in return and we are full of faults, Jesus invites us to his table and wants to be with us. Pope Benedict XVI Make your left hand a throne for your right, make a hollow of your palm and receive the body of Christ, saying: Amen! St. Cyril of Jerusalem ( AD) Some say that they are not worthy to take communion often. We take communion not because we are holy, but in order to become so... Union with Jesus in communion makes us able to share in his holiness. St. John Baptiste de la Salle Our Lord does not come down from heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him the heaven of our souls. St. Theresa of Lisieux Defending the Christians before the emperor Hadrian, the non-christian Aristides described the love and care Christians extended to others and said: This is really a new kind of person. There is something divine in them. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16b The Body of Christ. Amen!

6 A Walk Through the Mass This is the title of the Catholic Update, A Walk Through the Mass, written by Rev. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M., and published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. In his article, Fr. Richstatter writes: What do we do at a formal meal? We gather with family and friends, we talk and share our stories, and then we move to the table. The food is brought to the table, we say grace and we pass the food and eat and drink. Finally, we take our leave and return to our homes. Fr. Richstatter explains how the Mass has these same four movements: 1) Gathering: Coming together, assembling, is at the heart of our Sunday worship. We come together ready to listen to God s word and to break bread in memory of Jesus. 2) Storytelling (Liturgy of the Word): When we gather at a friend s house for a meal, we always begin with conversation, telling our stories. At Mass, after the rites of gathering, we sit down and listen as readings from the Word of God are proclaimed. They are the stories of God s people they are our story. 3) Meal sharing (Liturgy of the Eucharist): After the readings we move to the table. As at a meal in the home of a friend, we 1) set the table, 2) say grace, and 3) share the food (we eat and drink). At Mass, these ritual actions are called 1) the Preparation of the Gifts, 2) the Eucharistic Prayer and 3) the Communion rite. 4) Commissioning: Finally, we prepare to go back to that world in which we live for the coming week. Strengthened by this Eucharist, we are better prepared to take up the burdens of our daily lives. In his article Fr. Richstatter points out that, in a sense, the Gospel of Luke walks us through the Mass in the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The disciples are walking along and the stranger (Jesus) catches up to them: 1) they gather together; 2) they tell their story and recall the scriptures; 3) they recognize him in the breaking of bread and 4) they dash back to Jerusalem to share their joy with the other disciples. Notice the same four movements: Gathering, Storytelling, Meal sharing and Commissioning. St. Anthony Messenger Press Bow or Genuflect? Q. I have sometimes seen people bow toward the altar or the Blessed Sacrament instead of genuflecting. Shouldn t we genuflect if we really believe in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? A. Genuflecting (bending one knee) toward the altar or the reserved Blessed Sacrament upon entering a church happens to be the act of reverence Western, Latin Rite Catholics of our time and country are most accustomed to, but a devout bow can be just as reverent. Until perhaps 300 years ago, in the Church s Western, Latin Rite, bowing was the common way of showing reverence to the Eucharist, or to the crucifix or the altar. Our practice of genuflection derives mainly from practices of imperial Rome and the later courts of Europe when it was a custom to go down on one knee before a king or person of rank. Bowing is still used in preference to genuflecting by some religious orders, and is the practice almost exclusively in the Church s Eastern Rites. With regard to an act of reverence when approaching the Eucharist in the Communion line, the Conference of Bishops in the United States has determined that, in this country, Communion will be received standing and that a bow of the head will be the act of reverence made by those receiving. Bowing is a gesture through which we express our reverence and give honor to Christ who comes to us as our spiritual food. Catholic Q & A by Fr. John J. Dietzen

7 CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH, MOBILE, ALABAMA JUNE 7, 2015 Summer Drama Camp for *Rising 3 rd 8 th Graders. June 22-26, 8 a.m. to 12:00 noon Mrs. Lambert & Ms. Counts will teach character development, vocal techniques, stage movement. Also: fun drama games, improvisational activities, special performance. $75/child includes T-shirt. Bring a snack. Info: Toni Counts, TCounts@copruschristiparish.com. Registration forms are online at CorpusChristiParish.com/School and in the school office. AA Alanon OA CODA AA: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Cougar Den. Alanon: Sun., 7 p.m., and Wed., 7 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. OA: Sat., 9 a.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. CODA: Tues., 6:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences Bldg. Flowers The flowers before the altar this weekend have been placed in memory of Elizabeth Simunek on the 2 nd anniversary of her death. Given by her family. FIRST COLLECTION TODAY: Tithing Offerings. SECOND COLLECTION TODAY: Corpus Christi Building Fund. NEPAL DISASTER RELIEF COLLECTION FINAL: $3, CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS COLLECTION: $1, MAY 24 TH BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $1, MAY 24 TH TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $23, MAY 31 ST BUILDING FUND ONLINE & COLLECTION: $1, MAY 31 ST TITHING ONLINE & COLLECTION: $22, Thank You and God Bless You God bless all who tithe and contribute to support God's work here, and those who make a special bequest in their will for Corpus Christi Church. For info, or to transfer shares of stock to Corpus Christi Church, contact your stockbroker, or call Selena Hemphill at Morgan Stanley at or Offering Envelopes To receive Offering Envelopes, just notify the parish office at or at Church@CorpusChristiParish.com. Online Giving With Online Giving you can make either a one-time contribution or set up a recurring withdrawal from a checking, saving or credit card account. Just go to click Church ; then click the green Online Giving icon on the left side of the church s homepage. Follow the instructions to contribute to tithing or building fund, school annual fund or other special collections. For assistance, call , ext 4, or parish office, Reports of Contributions You can always receive a report of your contributions any time by mail, , fax. Also: You can receive a detailed report, showing each individual amount given, with date, check number or EFT or Cash or Stock. Just notify the parish office or at Church@CorpusChristiParish.com to have it mailed or ed to you, or to have it available for pick-up at the parish office. The Eucharist Dear Brothers & Sisters, I wish to reflect on how we live the Eucharist in our daily lives, as a Church and as individual Christians. Does the Eucharist just make us feel good about ourselves or is it something more than that? I suggest three way of discovering how the Eucharist can make a real difference in our lives and in our relationships with those around us. First, the Eucharist affects the way we see others. In his life, Christ manifested his love by being with people, and by sharing their desires and problems. So too, the Eucharist brings us together with others young and old, poor and affluent, neighbors and visitors. Just as Christ loved to be with others and gave himself to all on the Cross, so we are called to give ourselves generously to our brothers and sisters, sharing in their joys and sorrows. The Eucharist calls us to see all of them as our brothers and sisters, and to see in them the face of Christ. In the Mass we encounter many people, but do we really see them as brothers and sisters? Does the Eucharist lead us to reach out to the poor, to the sick, to the marginalized, seeing the face of Jesus in them? Second, the Eucharist gives us the grace to be forgiven and to be ready to forgive others. We experience the forgiveness of God and the call to forgive. We celebrate the Eucharist not because we are worthy or want to appear better than others, but because we recognize our need for God s mercy, incarnate in Jesus Christ. Whoever celebrates the Eucharist does not do so because he is better than the others, but because he recognizes his need for God s mercy. In the Eucharist, our hearts are enlarged to receive and show mercy. When we confess our sins, it is a recognition that we are all sinners, in need of God s grace and reconciliation in our hearts. Third, in the Eucharistic celebration, we are nourished as the Christian community by Christ s Word and Life. The Eucharist is not a mere memory of some sayings and actions of Jesus, rather, it is the Word and the gift of Christ s presence here that comes to us and nourishes us with his Word and his Life. It is from the Eucharist that the Church receives continually her identity and mission. It is in our celebration of the Eucharist that Christ fills us with his grace, so that our lives may be consistent with our worship of God in the Liturgy. Let us live the Eucharist in a spirit of faith and prayer, a spirit of forgiveness, joy and concern for all our brothers and sisters in need, with certainty that the Lord will bring to fulfillment all that he has promised. Pope Francis