Saint Cecilia. First Sunday of Lent. 17 February The Temptation of Christ Artist Unknown

Transcription

1 Saint Cecilia P A R I S H First Sunday of Lent 17 February 2013 The Temptation of Christ Artist Unknown

2 Throughout These Forty Days Lent 2013 Evening Prayer on Thursdays February 14, 21 & 28, March 7, 14 & 6:30 p.m. Taizé Prayer for Lent Friday, March 6:30 p.m. Followed by a simple soup supper Evening Prayer for the Feast of Saint Joseph Tuesday, March 6:30 p.m. Morning Prayer on Holy Thursday Thursday, March 8:00 a.m. Please join us All are welcome!

3 our community news Ministers of the Liturgy Saturday 5:00 p.m. Rev. Peter Grover, OMV, celebrant Cynthia Wanner, lector Sunday 8:00 a.m. Rev. Tom Gariepy, CSC, celebrant Louvere Walker, lector special intentions Sunday, February 17 9:30 a.m. William Lichtenfel, Memorial Sunday, February 17 11:15 a.m. Willard Evers, Memorial Sunday 9:30 a.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant Catherine Horsley, Nikko Mendoza, & Michele Maniscalco, lectors Sunday 11:15 a.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant Paul Keating, Josh Fairchild, & Zachary Boutin, lectors Sunday 6:00 p.m. Rev. John Unni, celebrant John Eliot Jordan & Pearse Martin, lectors today s readings Deuteronomy 26:4-10 Romans 10:8-13 Luke 4:1-13 next sunday s Readings Genesis 15:5-12, Philippians 3:17 4:1 Luke 9:28b-36 3

4 Prayers & Occasions Our Sick Please pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Josephine Parker, John Saulenas, K. Champoux, Patricia Hoggard, Jennifer Serpico, Christine St. Pierre, Harold Williamson, Jessica Rivieccio, Earl Chilcote, Colonel Robert C. Tashjian, Kim Murray, Heather LoRe, Rudy Kikel, Herbert Simmons, Peggy Furey, Janice Mascia, Pamela D Ambra, Sue Lucas, Suki Coughlin, Bridget Spence, Annette Kulas, Sam Gowan, Rhea Richard, Pil-Yun Son, Mary Yanez, Ed Langlais, Bob McLaughlin, Steven Whitkens, Diana Slaton, Leo Garcia, Joe Ford, Danny Cotter, Natalia Chilcote, Amy Sweetland, Jim Keyes, Michael Zawikowski, Patricia Macdonald, Elvera Dowsky, Frank Ackley, Fred Haslee, Lorraine Haslee, Paul Flaherty, William Louttit, Lucie Kelly, Bro. Adam Zielonka, O.C.S.O., Amy Duarte, Karen & Rick, Phyllis Porras, Jim Linderman, Mark Amerault, Sr. Nuala Cotter, R.A., Kristen DeFranco Martinez, Michele Crowley Tippens, Pete Huttlinger, Anthony Simboli, Lisa Caputo, Darlene McLendon, Jeanne Tibbs, Deidre Sullivan, Roosevelt Brown, Mary O Donnell, Ginny L Abbe, Steve Chamberlain, Matt Penchuk, Carrie Penchuk, Christy Cosgrove, Jacques Romberger, John Scaife, Maureen Sullivan, Alyce Haley, Joe Capizzi, David Walsh, Joe Huenke, Kaylin Marcotte, Avito Pacifici, Charlotte Egan, James Noone, Keith Plaster, David & Paula Fillion, Sarah Sweeney, Susan Shea, Bill Croke, Ettore Bergamaschi, Ryan Delaney, Manuela Almeida, Ilda Almeida, Joe Farrell, Sophie Gagnon, Earl Meyers, Kathleen A. Meehan, Anne Frenette Handly, Jan Igras, Cheryl Sabin, Trish Mullen, Thomas Corrigan, Fernando Luis Riganti, Frank DeMare, Carmela Franchi, Little Tommy Sullivan, Kathy K., Julie Zaino, Ruth Frost, Benedicto Lopes, Elie Prevost, Roséa Aubrey, Patricia Dunham, Bella Cashman, Chuck Campion, Bob Kenney, Brenna Smith, Mildred McLaughlin, Robert Gregory Sr., & Hannah Mai Devery. Special Collection This Weekend This week's special collection supports the Church in Africa and in Central and Eastern Europe. These collections help the Church spread the Gospel and train Church leaders of tomorrow, help needy families materially and spiritually, rebuild churches that have fallen, and support our sisters and brothers who have suffered for the faith. Welcome to Saint Cecilia! We are pleased to welcome to the parish, Stacy Nazzaro of Brighton and Jessica DiMartino of Boston. If you have not yet registered with the parish, there are registration forms in the narthex or you can register on-line at www. stceciliaboston.org. Pope Benedict XVI to Resign Due to declining health and strength, Pope Benedict XVI has announced he will resign the papacy on February 28, Please pray for him, for the cardinals who will elect his successor, and for the Church the new pope will serve. Confessions This Wednesday We are participating in the Archdiocesan Lenten initiative, "The Light Is On For You" and will be open for confessions this Wednesday evening and all Wednesday evenings of Lent, from six thirty to eight o'clock. There are good preparation materials on the Archdiocese's website, but rest assured, our priests will guide you through the sacrament and there's no need to be nervous about the structure of the rite. Come celebrate the sacrament of God's mercy and healing love this Lent. For more information, visit Wednesday Evening Mass During Lent Please join us for Mass on Wednesday evenings during Lent at six o'clock. Confessions will be heard following Mass. Evening Prayer This Thursday Please join us for Evening Prayer this Thursday at six thirty. Coming to Evening Prayer during Lent is a great way to prepare for Easter. Valentine's Day Book Drive Today we will collect books that you've brought to donate to the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps. There is a basket in the narthex where you may leave your donations. If you forgot to bring your books, please bring them to church next weekend. There are sheets in the narthex with book requests if you'd still like to participate. Thank you very much! 4

5 rite of sending At today's eleven fifteen liturgy, we celebrate the Rite of Sending Catechumens for Election and Candidates for Recognition by the Bishop. In this rite, the parish community is invited to express its support of our catechumens by sending them forth to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the Rite of Election. We also show support to our candidates for full communion by sending them forth to be recognized by Cardinal Seán. We thank God for the gift of new life in our Church and commend to God's care our catechumens who ask to be numbered among the Elect. In this afternoon's liturgy, Cardinal Sean will call them to the Easter Sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. After the liturgy, the Elect enter into a period of "Purification and Enlightenment" to intensify their preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation. Please pray for these newest members of our community. reception after the 11:15 A SPECIAL RECEPTION THIS AFTERNOON TO WELCOME OUR CATECHUMENS AND CANDIDATES FOR FULL COMMUNION honoring Father John & saint Cecilia Parish Please mark your calendars for Nativity Prep's Spirit Dinner on March 6th which this year honors our own Father John and Father Bob Ver Eecke, pastor of Saint Ignatius, Chestnut Hill. Saint Cecilia volunteers have been supporting Nativity Prep in many ways over the past year and a half, including cooking dinner for the boys and tutoring them. The fundraiser on March 6th will be held at B.C. High School in Dorchester with a cocktail reception at six o'clock and dinner at six fortyfive. Tickets are $150 each. On the weekend of February 23-24, Saint Cecilia parishioners who are members of the Dinner Committee for the event will be available after the liturgies at at an information table in the narthex where they can answer questions you might have about the event or about supporting Nativity Prep. Members of the Dinner Committee are: Patricia and Paul Daoust Susan Donnelly Winnie Hagan Mark Lippolt Beth and Chris Madison LeeAnn and Rick Miller Dan Mullin Rob Murray Thomas P. O'Neill Anthony Schweizer Kerry and Brendan Swords Jean Tempel Beth Weir We are having a reception following the eleven-fifteen liturgy to welcome our catechumens and candidates for full communion before they go to the Cathedral for the Rite of Election this afternoon. Everyone is invited to the Parish Hall for some refreshments and fellowship. There will also be an opportunity for you to take a slip of paper with the name of a catechumen or candidate for whom you pledge to pray during these weeks leading up to Easter. So, come downstairs following Mass and be sure to give a warm welcome the newest members of our community. SAVE THE DATE! WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 Please join us as we celebrate over 22 years of forming young men for others. 5

6 MEN'S SPIRITUALITY GROUP On the first Friday morning of each month, a men's sprirituality group will meet at seven o'clock in the Parish Hall. This is an opportunity for men to get together to discuss real life issues in the context of prayer and scripture. Refreshments will be served. The meetings will end at seven-fifty so that those who wish may attend the eight o'clock Mass. help wanted A local family is looking for a live-in companion for an elderly woman living alone in a concierge-attended building in the Back Bay. In exchange for room and board the candidate will be expected to be present and available to assist her during the night if needed. Days are free. Running occasional errands and infrequent weekend responsibilities. If interested, please contact Mark Donohoe at the parish office. little black books In the back of the church there are little black books for you to use during Lent. The goal is to find six minutes of quiet time every day for the next 50 days and to walk through the book one page at a time. The right hand page walks through the Sunday Gospels for this Lent, a few verses at a time, with explanations and reflections along the way. The left hand page has a variety of quotes, information, and timely thoughts. The book begins today, Sunday, February 19. This is a great way to "keep Lent" and prepare for our celebration of Easter. operation rice bowl In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Our faith calls us to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need and to be authentic expressions of God s love in our world today. Once again, as part of our Lenten observance, Saint Cecilia is participating in Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) Operation Rice Bowl as one way to live out this Gospel call. Through CRS Operation Rice Bowl, we fast and sacrifice in solidarity with those who do not have enough food and, in doing so, give sacrificial contributions to assist the poor. These sacrifices will be put to use by Catholic Relief Services to bring help and hope to our brothers and sisters in need around the world. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States. CRS endeavors to alleviate suffering and provide assistance to people in need in nearly 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. In other words, CRS acts as our hearts and hands in countries which we may never see. In solidarity with the poor, participants are encouraged to eat more sparingly during Lent and to donate the money saved to CRS. The money saved goes into the Rice Bowl and will then go to help the poor. On Holy Thursday we will have a procession with gifts for the poor at the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper a good time for you to return your Rice Bowl. If you can't participate in this liturgy, you may bring your Rice Bowl back on any Sunday during Easter and we will send all of the money we collect to CRS. If you did not take home a Rice Bowl last Sunday or Wednesday, please take one today. Rice Bowls can be found in a basket in the narthex. Thank you for opening your homes to our brothers and sisters in need around the world through CRS Operation Rice Bowl this Lent. Together we can do our part to give hope to a world in need. For more information, please visit org. 6

7 A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd, we pray for Pope Benedict XVI as he sets aside his responsibilities as Supreme Pastor. We give thanks for his ministry in the Church. Bless him with health, joy, and well-being. We pray for the Church in these days of transition. Be with the cardinals who will soon gather in conclave to elect a new leader for the Church. Guided by the Spirit, and free from fear or favor, may they choose a man after your own heart, a humble, compassionate shepherd, with wisdom to read the signs of the times in the light of the Gospel. We ask this in your name, who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen. THE POPE'S STATEMENT "After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is. "Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer." 7

8 The Pope's Legacy By JAMES MARTIN, SJ The Holy Father s resignation is a selfless and noble act done for the good of the church that he has loved and served for decades. The resignation, announced this morning and set to take effect on Feb. 28, while surprising to almost everyone, is not completely unprecedented. Several popes have resigned, including Gregory XII in the 15th century, in the midst of the Western schism; and, most famously, Celestine V who was consigned to hell in Dante s Inferno for his resignation in More recently, there had been speculation around the time of Blessed John Paul s declining health as a result of his Parkinson s disease, but John Paul opted to continue in his job, providing a sign of human suffering for all to witness. "The pope is old and sick," John Paul would say frequently, "but his suffering is part of the human condition." For me, it was a moving testimony to John Paul s desire to serve even during a time of struggles. Pope Benedict sees things a different way. In his statement today, he explicitly pointed to his declining health as a reason for his resignation. I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise. He continued: In today s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of St. Peter and proclaim the gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, he continued, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St. Peter. The pope s dramatic resignation seemed to shock many in the Vatican, including the papal spokesman, Federico Lombardi, SJ. The pope took us by surprise, he said. To find a similarly surprising event one can look to Pope John XXIII, who served as pope between 1958 and John XIII caught the Vatican, and his cardinals, by complete surprise when he announced the convening of the Second Vatican Council, which he said, came upon him after much deliberation, but rather, as he said, something that came forth like the flower of an unexpected spring. For all the bureaucracy in the Vatican, the pope is still his own man. In the past year or so there has been increased speculation as to Benedict s ability to do his job, and carry it out the way that he would like to. Trips have been curtailed and shortened on various occasions, and even his appearances in the Vatican have included his moving around on portable devices, as an aid to his walking. Like anyone of his advanced age, he had to ask himself whether or not he could do the job. (A few years ago the Jesuit superior general, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, became the first Jesuit superior general to resign. Interestingly, Father Kolvenbach, who was also aging and in declining health, once confided to his Jesuit advisers that it would be difficult to tender his resignation to John Paul II, who had decided against resigning as pope. Tendering it to Benedict, who accepted it, should have been seen as a sign of Benedict s acceptance of this path.) 12

9 Thus, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II reached entirely different conclusions to the same question: Should an ailing pope resign? For John Paul, the image of the suffering, sick pope was of spiritual value to his flock; for Benedict, the job needed to be done. Discernment is always very personal; and it is important to see how two holy men reached two entirely different decisions. God speaks differently to different people facing the same question. In the lives of the saints, for example, we often see how the same situation is handled differently by different saints. When St. Francis of Assisi was facing a painful malady of the eyes, brought on, doctors thought, by excessive tears during Mass, St. Francis decided that he would continue as he had with the celebration of Mass. When St. Ignatius faced similar problems with his eyes, the physicians warned him, he decided to curtail his devotions, in order to have sufficient health to do his work. Both were responding to what they felt were God s promptings in their lives. The pope also shows great spiritual freedom in his resignation, what St. Ignatius calls a freedom from "disordered attachments." Rare is the person today who can relinquish such power, voluntarily. Pope Benedict XVI may likely remembered as a pope who in his relatively short pontificate, sought primarily to strengthen the orthodoxy of the church in a variety of means, who authored several important encyclicals, notable for their theological depth and appeal, and who continued a full set of public appearances, and who, despite his full schedule, published three well-received books on the life of Jesus. Never the media superstar that his predecessor was, Pope Benedict XVI, a lifelong scholar, exuded his own brand of charisma, which came from his profound theological acumen and his personal relationship with Jesus. Perhaps his most often neglected talent was his series of superb Angelus messages, delivered every Wednesday during his public appearances in St. Peter s Square. His most lasting legacy, I would suggest, will not be in the various newsworthy acts of his papacy that were highlighted in the media so often (his long negotiations with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X, his strong actions against the sexual abuse accusations made against the powerful founder of the Legion of Christ, the revised English translation of the Mass, his own response to the sexual abuse crisis, or the controversy over the comments that angered the Muslims, and so on) but something far more personal: his books on Jesus. Far more people will most likely read those moving testaments to the person who is at the center of his life Jesus of Nazareth than may read all of his encyclicals combined. Others may disagree about this aspect of his pontificate, but in these books, the pope brought to bear decades of scholarship and prayer to the most important question that a Christian can ask: Who is Jesus? This is the pope s primary job to introduce people to Jesus and Pope Benedict did that exceedingly well. Be brave! Go bald! Worldwide, 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. And in the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomolies and diabetes combined. Through funding, the St. Baldrick's Foundation exists to change these realities. Every grant funded by the St. Baldrick's Foundation is used for childhood cancer research. The Foundation takes great care with every donor dollar, keeping the staff small, the expenses low, and directing every possible dollar to childhood cancer research. The fourth annual St. Baldrick's Head-Shaving event is three weeks away and they're recruiting shavees (those brave enough to shave their heads or cut off 10" for Locks of Love), volunteers, and donors to join the cause. In just three years this event has raised over $26,000 and they hope to raise another $10,000 this year. Please consider joining this year's adventure on Sunday, March 10 at The Lansdowne Pub, 9 Lansdowne Street, starting at 3:00 p.m. (21+ only after 6:00 p.m.). In addition to head-shaving, other activities include: a raffle; an activity area for children; a photo booth; and local rock band, A Wish for Fire. Visit www. stbaldricks.org and search for 'Lansdowne' to sign up or contact Megan Gallagher at (270) or gusirius@ hotmail.com and on Twitter. wanted: electric skillets A group gathers downstairs in the Parish Pastoral Center every Monday night to offer support and supper to a group of men recently released from jail. If you have an electric skillet you don't use anymore the group could have a pancake supper now and then. If you can donate this item, please contact Peg Newman at peg_newman@ msn.com or (508) or Tom Ash at whatevertp@ gmail.com or (617)

10 By TIMOTHY RADCLIFFE, OP SAINT CECILIA PARISH Sharing Our Hope I would like to talk about hope and about how we help each other to hope. Three priests, a Dominican, a Benedictine and a bishop, were on a boat sailing across the Pacific. And the boat sunk and they all ended up on a small desert island. After a bit an angel appeared and offered each of them a wish. And so the Dominican thought hard and said to the angel, I would like to go home to my brothers in Blackfriars. Wush, and he was gone, like a text message on an iphone. And then the Benedictine said, That Dominican was absolutely right, as they always are. I want to go back home to Worth Abbey. Wush and he was gone. And then the bishop said: I am awfully lonely now that they have gone. Could you please send the Dominican and the Benedictine back? 'Wush, wush!' These religious were wise in wanting to be back in their communities. We need each other to keep our hope alive for the future. We have an economic crisis, which means that millions of young people have little prospect of a job in the immediate future. Worst of all we have the prospect of a vast ecological catastrophe which could kill millions of people, especially after the disaster of the Copenhagen conference. What will the planet be like when the young are my age? And so lots of people would rather eat, drink and merry and pretend that the future is not going to happen. That is a form of despair. Faced with these challenges, the generations need to give each other hope. The older people need to give hope to the young, by believing in their future. And the young give hope to older people, because they are the future. I love the word confident. It comes from the Latin confidens, which means believing together. Let me tell you of a young friend of mine called John. His story is of someone who received and gave hope. John was thrown out of school for taking drugs. Suddenly his world collapsed and he despaired. His parents decided to take him on a holiday to cheer him up. His mother went to collect the tickets from the travel agent, and when she got back to their flat, she found a crowd of people gathered in the street. In the middle was her son. John had jumped from the seventh floor. She phoned me in Oxford from the hospital in London to ask for my prayers since he had not long to live. I offered to come and she replied that there was no point since John would be dead with an hour. Still, I went since I knew that she would need someone around afterwards. When I got there John was still just alive. The doctor showed me that his core temperature was steadily dropping. He said to me that when it got to a certain level, then he would die, probably in about twenty minutes. I took John s hand and told him that we were praying for him. He had broken every bone in his body, and exploded a lung, and burst his tomach, but he made a sign with his hand. And finally he wrote in very spindly writing, I can pray too. Then something extraordinary happened. His core temperature began to rise again, and he survived. It took him six months before he could walk, most of that time spread out on thin mess of silk as his body healed. When I went to see him I had to lie on the floor and face upwards. And now he is indeed fine. He got married last year. He is a successful artist. The turning point was when we prayed together. When I told him that we were praying, he began to live, and when he told us that he was praying, we began to hope. But what is the basis 14

11 of our hope? How do we dare to go on trusting that God will give us a future even when we cannot imagine it, when we cannot find a job and we have fallen out with the person whom we most love? Let me share with you an experience that I had in Rwanda, just at the beginning of the troubles. It was one of the most important of my life. It transformed my understanding of what it means to hope and so I have told it often. We were due to drive north to visit our sisters who were looking after refugees. The Belgian Ambassador came and warned us that violence was breaking out throughout the country and that we should stay at home. But we were young and foolish, and so we got around the army road blocks to stop anyone leaving the capital, and we found ourselves in the midst of chaos. It was a terrible day, having to get out of the car to confront groups of rebels and soldiers, carrying guns and machetes. I did not think that we would live until the end of the day. The worst was visiting a hospital filled with children mutilated by land mines. I remember one kid who had lost both his legs and an arm and an eye, and his father was sitting by the beside weeping. I went out into the bush and wept too. And a kid with one leg hopped beside me to console me. They could not afford crutches. And then we went to visit the sisters. I knew that I was expected to say something but what could I say? I had come across more suffering on that day than ever before in my life. I had no words. And then I remembered that Jesus had left us something to be done in memory of him. We could remember that night before he died, which was the darkest moment in human history. One of his friends had sold him, and his beloved Peter was about to betray him. And most of the rest would run away. And when everything seemed lost and there was no future, he did this extraordinary thing. When he was having supper with his friends he took bread and gave it to them saying This is my body, given for you. When the only future seemed to be the cross, then he made this mad, generous, loving gesture. That is the basis of our hope. Every time that we gather as a community for the Eucharist, we are taken back to that dark moment, and that unexpected gift of the future. The last Supper seemed the end, the last supper, but it was just the beginning, the first Eucharist. Now, Jesus did two extraordinary things in that moment. First of all he gave the disciples space and time. He was just with them. And secondly he gave them himself. All hopeful loving, or loving hope, needs both of those, the gift of space and the gift of oneself. That is what we older people give you who are young, and what you can give us. Let s look at each of them. Jesus gives them space and time. If I had known that soldiers were soon coming to arrest me, and that I would be denied by these very same friends to whom I had given everything, I would be in a state of total panic, and very angry too. But Jesus showed his hope by quietly being with them, sharing a meal, sharing his last words, talking to them. Now is the only moment that exists. Now is when the future starts. God loves us by giving us space. He says Let there be light and it is. He lets it be. God s love is unobtrusive. Bertrand Russell said that if when he died he discovered that God did exist, then he would say to him, Well you should have made your existence more obvious. But God does not overwhelm us. God lets us breathe. The most beautiful thing that you give anyone when you love them is nothing, the space to be, and speak or be silent, as they need. Our busy, frenetic world is filled with meetings and projects, and trying to achieve targets and goals. But when you really love someone, you do not sit down with a list of targets to be achieved. You do not fill in an assessment form at the end. You are just with them for no purpose at all, to speak and listen as you wish. Really listening to another person is one of the most beautiful arts and toughest disciplines. When I was Master of the Dominican Order I had the extraordinary privilege of meeting every one of the brethren alone for about half an hour. It was also demanding because there are several thousand of us. Once at the end of a long day in Mexico, I was with a friar who was an old friend of mine, but I was longing for the conversation to finish so that I could lie down. And he said to me, Timothy, that is the third time that you have looked at your watch. I learned my lesson. I always put a clock behind the chair in the future. Sometimes we are afraid just to be with people because we do not know what to say or where the conversation will go. When I was a young and very inexperienced chaplain, a beautiful young student came to see me, to confess to her very exotic sex life. My imagination boggled as she owned up to things that I had never considered even possible. I was so terrified of what I could possibly say when she stopped speaking, (Continued on page 16) 15

12 (Continued from page 15) that I stopped listening to her and so did indeed have nothing to say when she stopped. But if one listens now, with all one s heart and mind, then what you are to say in that hour will indeed be given! Jean Vanier, the founder of L Arche, says that it was caring for people with disabilities that taught him to love people by letting them be. He mentioned a young guy called Eric was extremely physically disabled. Jean said that when he washed Eric in his bath, he had to let Eric take his time. He could not force the pace. Eric always found it difficult to pee with accuracy. One day he managed it without missing, and so the community opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate! So Jesus gave them space and time to speak and listen. He let them be. But he also did something slightly in tension with that, he gave them himself. This is my body and I give it to you. He gave himself unconditionally. The other side of our hopeful love is that we give ourselves to each other. This can take the form of friendship, of commitment, and even finally of marriage when you say to someone else, This is my body and I give myself to you, now and forever.' It can take the form of incredible generosity, when you risk your life. Someone who influenced me enormously was my brother, Pierre Claverie, the bishop of Oran in Algeria, who was assassinated for his opposition to terrorism. When I visited his diocese, it was a dangerous time. When we drove around the diocese Pierre had to phone ahead to see if the terrorists had put up any blockades on the road in which he might be caught, for he would be executed. The diocese had opened libraries so that young Muslim students could go in and study when they wished. But just before my arrival two gunmen had gone in and shot the two religious who ran one of the libraries. While we were driving around on the edge of the Sahara, Pierre was wondering where he could find a replacement for them. And an old friar in the back of the car said, Pierre, I will go. I am old and I will have to die sometime. I will go to the library. Here I am, I offer myself. Loving people well means finding the right balance between giving them space and giving them yourself. If we just give people space, then they may feel left alone, neglected. If we throw ourselves at people, then they may feel overwhelmed. I had an from a married woman recently. She loves her husband utterly and cannot bear to be parted from him. She cannot tolerate any separation. And so naturally he has to escape in order to breathe. God is the perfect lover. God gives us so much space that some people do not even notice his presence at all. But in Jesus God gives us himself, unconditionally, holding back nothing. Finally, we express our hope by celebrating. The first thing that Jesus did to preach the Kingdom was to eat and drink with people. He celebrated with them. He celebrated them. He turned the water into wine at Cana so that the party could go on. He was even accused of being a drunkard and a glutton. Every Sunday we gather to celebrate Mass. It does not always seem like a celebration! The most moving Eucharist that I have ever attended was in Paris. It was for the Christmas Mass for the tramps, celebrated in a big tent in the centre of Paris. The priest was a Spanish Dominican, Pedro Meca, who lives like a tramp on the streets of Paris and comes back to his brethren just once a week for a shower and a big meal. I think that the brethren hope that he has the shower before the meal! All the destitute and the homeless were invited. A thousand came. It was a celebration of intense if sometimes befuddled happiness. The altar was made of cardboard, to celebrate the Christ who was born for all those who live in cardboard boxes today. When Pedro pulled the cork of the wine bottle at the offertory, cheers rang out. Afterwards everyone was invited to a superb banquet. That was a sign of the Kingdom. That was a gesture of hope that reached across the divisions of rich and poor and spoke of the joy of the Kingdom now. So my hope is that you will be bearers of hope. The future may look bleak. We may wonder where on earth we are headed. Each of us will live through moments of crisis when the future seems unsure. But every Eucharist we remember the moment when there seemed to be no future except the cross, when it all seemed over, and then Jesus made this extraordinary act of generosity and hope. And so we need never be afraid. We can share our hope with each other. Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP presented this talk at the 2010 Catholic Youth Ministry Federation Congress in London. 16

13 "busted halo" A good site for lent For a fun and informative look at Lent, visit the Busted Halo website ( Among the many good materials for Lent, they have a "Fast Pray Give Lenten Calendar" for a daily jolt of spirituality relating to Lent, and some new and practical ideas for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. fast-pray-give. DONATIONS FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES' FOOD PANTRY While we look to our Faith Formation families to remember our commitment to Catholic Charities' food pantry in Dorchester, we invite all parishioners, at all weekend liturgies, to participate in this important ministry. The local economy might have improved for some of us, but the working poor and unemployed continue to face enormous challenges. Saint Cecilia has committed to providing these items to the Catholic Charities' food pantry: Cheerios or Cornflakes Peanut Butter White Flour Spaghetti Macaroni and Cheese Canned Tuna Fish Canned Chicken Breast Tomato Sauce Juice Boxes While any canned or shelf items are appreciated, it is particularly helpful when parishioners can help with the staples listed above. Because food is delivered only twice a month to the Catholic Charities' food pantry, we cannot accept donations of baked items or produce in the narthex. Let's all make it our Lenten practice to bring some food for the poor to Mass each Sunday. whole body prayer AN INVITATION TO PRAY WITH HEART, MIND, AND BODY THROUGH BREATH AND MOVEMENT You are invited to join us on Saturday, March 2 for a gentle yoga practice inspired by the readings of the week and share an embodied experience of the Word. Over the course of one hour, we will practice a sequence of standing yoga poses in a slow, rhythmic flow, moving with attention to breath; and finish with seated, restorative postures that offer a meditative space for prayer and reflection. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing, and bring your own mat and water bottle. Weekly classes start on Saturday March 2nd from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in classroom CL5. Please fellow parishioner and yoga teacher Lara Gómez at wbprayer.sc@gmail.com to sign up and reserve your spot, as space is limited. Drop-ins will be welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. A donation of $5 per class will be collected, and it is requested that participants sign up for 4-week sessions. thank you! A big thank you to those Saint Cecilia families who contributed to last Monday s Pine Street Women s Inn dinner: the Zick, Dillon-Martin, Love, and Carpenito- Kronenfeld families for preparing a delicious pasta meal. Special thanks to our sixth graders: Charlie Brown for donating cookies and fruit; Michael Carpenito- Kronenfeld for helping prepare the pasta; Nico Love for helping prepare the pasta; Federico Rollo for donating fresh fruit; and Perry Sullivan for helping bake brownies and chocolate chip cookies! Additional thanks to the Zick and Dillon-Martin families for helping our sixth grade families prepare and serve the meal. We are grateful to those who served on Monday: Jean Zick and sons, Andrew and Brian; John Martin and son, Pearse; and Tony Carpenito and son, Michael Carepenito- Kronenfeld. It was quite a challenge getting to the Inn and finding parking, so thank you for maneuvering Boston's snow-clogged streets! The next Faith Formation/ Pine Street Women s Inn dinner is Monday, March 11th. 17

14 Parish RESOURCES Parish Office & Mailing Address 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA Hours Monday Friday, 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Phone Fax Website Parish Staff Rev. John J. Unni, Pastor, Mark Donohoe, Pastoral Associate for Administration, Scott J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development, Richard J. Clark, Director of Music and Organist, Maureen Sullivan, Administrative Assistant to the Pastor, Genevieve Fiorente, Office Administrative Assistant Assisting Clergy Rev. Thomas Gariepy, CSC Rev. Peter Grover, OMV Rev. James Shaughnessy, SJ Rev. George Winchester, SJ Schedule for Liturgy Wednesdays During Lent 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday 8:00 a.m. Lord s Day Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, 11:15, & 6:00 p.m. Holy Days 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation By appointment at any time and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 8:00 during Lent. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the communal process through which non-baptized men and women become members of the Catholic Church. It is also suitable for those baptized in different faith traditions who are interested in becoming Catholic, or, for those who were baptized Catholic, but have yet to receive the sacraments of eucharist and confirmation. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Baptism for Infants Infant baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe. Faith Formation for Children To register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Scott MacDonald in the parish office. Marriage Couples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Donohoe in the parish office at least six months in advance. Care of the Sick To arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion to be brought to those unable to attend the Sunday celebration, or for Viaticum for the Dying (Holy Communion for those in danger of death), please contact the parish office. It is always possible to anoint the sick during regularly scheduled liturgies. Order of Christian Funerals The parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Please contact the parish office for more information. Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Team The CAP Team is responsible for training all parish staff and volunteers in mandated reporting laws and the Protecting God s Children program (VIRTUS). They also provide consultation and support to anyone in the parish who has concerns about reporting child abuse and neglect. Please contact Lois Flaherty (loisflaherty@gmail.com), Maria Roche (maria.roche15@gmail.com) or Letitia Howland (l_howland@hotmail. com) if you have any questions or concerns. The Archdiocese of Boston has in place a vigorous program to protect children from harm and to educate its ministers and faithful about the nature of abuse, with a goal of increasing knowledge, creating a safe environment for children, and recognizing and reporting potentially dangerous situations. The full text of the policy is also available in the narthex and parish office, as well as on our website. For Those with Celiac Disease If you have celiac disease, please let us know. We have a supply of low-gluten altar bread available for those who cannot tolerate gluten. Hearing Assistance in Church The church is equipped with an FM listening device. Small receivers are available for anyone who may have trouble hearing the sound system. Simply request a receiver from any one of our greeters before Mass. Access for the Disabled The church is accessible by elevator. Parking Reduced-rate parking is available Sundays at the Prudential Center parking garage; LAZ Parking (53 Belvidere Street maximum of three hours); and at the Hilton Boston Back Bay. Be sure to have one of our greeters validate your parking ticket before returning to your car. Joining Our Community We re happy that you re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritual home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighborhoods in and around Boston but also have parishioners from as far afield as Marlborough, Newburyport, and Stow. Please introduce yourself to a staff member, drop in for coffee on Sunday, or fill out a new parishioner form in the gathering space. No matter what your background, please know that you are always welcome at Saint Cecilia. 18