saint cecilia · galatians 5:1, 13-18 luke 9:51-62 next sunday's readings isaiah 66:10-14...

Saint CeciliaP A R I S H

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

30 June 2019Water Lilies

Claude Monet, 1917

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SAINT CECILIA PARISH

MINISTERS OF THE LITURGY

Saturday, June 29 | 5:00 p.m.Rev. Peter Grover, OMV, celebrantLaura Noël, lectors

Sunday, June 30 | 8:00 a.m.Rev. Peter Gyves, SJ, celebrantJim Dougherty, lector

Sunday, June 30 | 9:30 a.m.Rev. Peter Gyves, SJ, celebrantRosaria Salerno, Virgen Palermo, and Karen McMenamy, lectors

Sunday, June 30 | 11:15 a.m.Rev. Peter Gyves, SJ, celebrantKelly McClintock, Michael Lake, and Ben DeWinter, lectors

OUR COMMUNITY NEWS

SPECIAL INTENTIONS

Saturday, June 29 | 5:00 p.m.Robert Esposito, Month's Mind

Saturday, June 29 | 5:00 p.m.Angelo Valente, Special Intention

Saturday, June 30 | 9:30 a.m.Marie Nazarro, Memorial

Sunday, June 30 | 11:15 a.m.Mariola Dupré, 5th AnniversaryAnita Langos, 44th Anniversary

TODAY'S READINGS

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21Galatians 5:1, 13-18Luke 9:51-62

NEXT SUNDAY'S READINGS

Isaiah 66:10-14Galatians 6:14-18Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

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Prayers & Occasions

Our DeceasedMaura Moffat's mother died on June 20. Pray for the eternal repose of Patricia Griffith and for the consolation of Mau-ra, Greg, Caroline, and Jack. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Our SickPlease pray for all our sick and for those who are in need of our prayer, especially Mary Pickering, Caeden Boyce, Stephanie Brown, Kim Villanueva, Francisco and Valentin Castro Goudovitch, Bill Croke, Helene Schabes, Mary Jane Kinne, Steven Clark, Patricia Finn, Mary Sue Cappoza, Marc Pelletier, Ashlyn Couture, Eugenia Valente, Diego Cruz, and Roy Frost.

Weddings at Saint CeciliaCongratulations to Maria Pandolfo and Ryan Bourque who were married here on June 22. May God bless the happy couple as they start this next phase of their lives together.

Happy Anniversary!This week we celebrate the baptismal anniversary of Melon Regis-Civetta who was baptized on June 30. May the Lord continue to bless her with the grace to live out her bap-tismal call. Happy Feast Day, Melon!

Independence DayEach year, the Fourth of July gives us the op-portunity not only to delight in summer’s beauty, but to give thanks to God for freedom and prosperity in a beautiful and diverse na-tion. We pray for peace and for safe home-coming for soldiers, solace for their families, and healing for those wounded in mind and body. We pray also for the safety of all who will be traveling this week. Happy Fourth of July!

Change in Office Hours and This Week's Mass ScheduleIn observance of Independence Day the parish offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. There will also be no 8:00 a.m. Mass on July 4. Happy Fourth of July!

Summer PrayersFor the safety of travelers, for rest and renewal for vacation-ers, and for a summer filled with joy and delight, reunions with dear friends, and encounters with beautiful places, we pray!

Welcome, Lisa-Marie!Natasha and Jan Hartmann wel-comed a new addition into their family! Lisa-Marie Antoinette Hart-mann was born on June 19, at 6:19 p.m. She was 4 lbs 14.7 ounces. She is doing great but will remain in the Neonatal ICU at Brigham and

Women’s Hospital until she is feeding on her own. Natasha is doing well, and Lena already loves being a big sister!

Prayers for Those Facing Challenges at the BorderWith all the troubling news coming from our nation's south-ern border we remember the Gospel call to welcome the stranger, comfort the afflicted, and love without condition. May those seeking asylum, safety for themselves, and bet-ter futures for their children be treated with human dignity. We pray for those working tirelessly to combat systems of injustice and intolerance, and that hearts hardened by prej-udice may be opened to see Christ in each and every person we encounter.

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Wisdom and Mature Spirituality

Group

Sunday, July 21 | 10:00 a.m. St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine (1105 Boylston Street)

What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” At our next meeting we will discuss this environmental problem. Our reading is Laudato Si by Pope Francis. This Encyclical is an overview of the environmental crisis from a religious point of view. Because we are under renovation, our July and Au-gust meetings will be held at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine (1105 Boylston St.) We are grateful to Fr. Peter Grover, OMV for his generous gift of a very comfortable space for our meeting. When you arrive in the foyer of St. Clement our meeting is in the parlor on the left. If you are someone in the second half of life who is interested in opportunities for spiritual growth, we invite you to join us. New members are always welcome.

FLOWERS

If you would like to contribute flowers for our gathering space on a particular Sunday in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving to God, all you need to do is contact Scott MacDonald ([email protected]) a few days in advance of the weekend.

YOUNG NEIGHBORS

RED SOX RAFFLE – ROUND 2!

The Young Neighbors crew is thrilled to have a second set of four tickets to raffle this weekend for the upcoming Red Sox vs. LA Angels games in August! The game is Sunday, August 11th, at 1:05 PM. The winner from last week’s raf-fle has been notified, but a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated – every bit helps us send our high school students to serve, while keeping the trip affordable for our families! Please grab another ticket today after the morning Masses (1 raffle ticket for $20, or three for $50), because what could be better than spending the afternoon at Fen-way after Mass at Saint Cecilia??

WELCOMING THE STRANGER

For the past two years, our parish has provided ongoing support to Catholic Charities’ Refugee and Immigration Services, heeding Pope Francis’ words, “With regard to mi-grants, displaced persons and refugees, a common commit-ment is needed, one focused on offering them a dignified welcome.” At this point in time, the parish has offered to provide refugee families with supermarket gift cards so that they will have food while their applications for political asy-lum are processed. If you would like to purchase gift cards to Market Basket specifically—and no more than $25 per card—please feel free to drop them in the offertory basket. You can also contribute by check, noting “Refugee Families” in the memo line of your check made payable to “Saint Ce-cilia Parish."

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FOLLOW @SAINTCECILIABOSTON ON

INSTAGRAM

We’ve just launched a new parish Instagram account to share all the amazing & inspiring happenings at Saint Ce-cilia with friends & family! Find us @saintceciliaboston on Instagram (and Facebook), & of course like, comment, and share!

A REQUEST FROM

CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Sunset Point Camp has provided a dream vacation at the seashore to over 40,000 low-income, at-risk children aged 6-13 from Greater Bos-ton without regard for their race, nationality, or religious affiliation. Nearly 450 city-based boys and girls travel to Hull each summer for a one or two-week overnight camp experience letting them enjoy the fresh air, learn new tal-ents, receive academic summer support and simply have fun.

Sunset Point Camp is operated by our friends at Catholic Charities. They have mentioned to us that they always need donations of sunscreen for the kids at the camp. So the next time you're at CVS or Walgreen's or your local supermarket, please consider picking up an extra tube of sunscreen and dropping it in the plastic bin identified for this purpose in the narthex. We have been told the higher the SPF number, the better. The Camp also needs kids' flip-flops for boys and girls age 6 to 12.

HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS MINISTRY

DRIVERS NEEDED

Each weekend parishioners have the opportunity to pick up donated food from four local supermarkets and deliver it to either Catholic Charities' Haitian Multi-Service Center in Dorchester or the Pine Street Inn in the South End. This vital ministry takes place at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday morning and on Sundays can be completed in time to attend the 9:30 Mass. We need drivers for all the Sat-urdays and Sundays in June. Please email [email protected] if you can help out.

Join the Saint Cecilia Team

Last October a small team of Saint Cecilia parishioners and staff participated in the Reebok Boston 10K for Wom-en, and we came in 3rd place! While many of us ran and walked, it was a great time and we plan to do it again. Registration ($50) is already open, and the race will take place on October 14. If you're interested, please email [email protected] for instructions on how to officially join the team. For more information about the race or for suggested training materials, you can visit https://boston10kforwomen.com/.

Rainbow Ministry

Upcoming Events

Rainbow Ministry at LGBT Asylum Task Force Gala Saturday, October 5 | 5:30–10:00 p.m. | DCU Center in Worcester Please join us for the LGBT Asylum Task Force Gala. The LGBTQ asylum seekers have faced terror - being beaten, wounded by gunshots, and imprisoned - in one of the 69 countries where it is a crime to be LGBTQ. To date, the LGBT Asylum Task Force has assisted over 200 LGBTQ people to obtain asylum in the USA. Currently, there are 25 LGBTQ asylum seekers in the program. The Task Force's monthly cost totals $32,000. The cost is $80 per seat. Please send an email to [email protected] to purchase a ticket or to ask a question.

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Adult Faith

Formation Events

FAITH FORMATION EVENTS AT SAINT CECILIA OFTEN APPEAR ON PAGES 4—7

SUMMER EVENTS AT BC SCHOOL

OF THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY

For further details or to register for these events, please check the School of Theology and Ministry web-site: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/stm/continuing-education/campus-events.html

Intimate Wilderness: Navigating the Sacred Space between Self and OtherPresenter: Michele Saracino, professor of religious studies, Manhattan CollegeSaturday, July 13 | 10:00-11:45 a.m. | Robsham The-ater, Chestnut Hill Campus | Registration Required Free of charge

Nevertheless, She Persisted: Women’s Religio-Politi-cal Witness for Love and JusticePresenter: Rosemary P. Carbine, associate professor of religious studies, Whittier CollegeFriday, July 19 | 12:00-3:00 p.m. | St. Ignatius Church and Corcoran Commons, Heights Room, Chestnut Hill Campus | Registration Required | Free of charge, includes lunch

ONLINE COURSES

For further details or to register for these events, please check the STM Online: Crossroads website: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/stm/sites/crossroads.html

Adult Faith Formation for a Vibrant ChurchJuly 24 - Aug 28, 2019 | 5-Week Online Course Registration Required| $50.00

Teaching Religion to Adolescents: Creative Strategies and Best PracticesJuly 24 - Aug 28, 2019 | 5-Week Online Course | Reg-istration Required| $50.00

Teaching Religion to Children: Creative Strategies and Best PracticesJuly 24 - Aug 28, 2019 | 5-Week Online Course | Reg-istration Required| $50.00

The Creed: What We BelieveJuly 24 - Aug 28, 2019 | 5-Week Online Course | Reg-istration Required| $50.0

DONATIONS FOR CATHOLIC

CHARITIES' FOOD PANTRY

Now that our Faith Formation classes have ended for the academic year and summer is approaching, many of the families that have been faithful donors to our collection of food items for Catholic Charities will be away until Sep-tember. We hope that all parishioners will participate in this important ministry during the summer months so that the volume of our donated food remains strong. The lo-cal 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 corn flakes, peanut butter, white flour pasta and spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, canned tuna fish, canned chicken breast, cook-ing oil, and tomato sauce. While any canned or shelf-stable items are appreciated, it is particularly helpful when parish-ioners can help with the staples listed above. We cannot accept donations of baked items or produce in the narthex.

Social and Racial Justice

Ministry

“The Church considers the problem of illegal migrants from the standpoint of Christ, who died to gather together the dispersed children of God, to rehabilitate the marginalized and to bring close those who are distant; in order to inte-grate all within a communion that is not based on ethnic, cultural or social membership, but on the common justice.”

— St. John Paul II

You can sign up to receive updates from the SRJM minis-try at http://eepurl.com/dKw-gw. Follow us on Facebook (search for St. Cecilia’s Social and Racial Justice Ministry) to get news about upcoming events. Are you interested in getting more involved with planning actions? Whether you want to join our Steering Committee or have a particular action you want to collaborate with us on, please email [email protected].

LITURGY OF THE HOURS Please join us for Evening Prayer & Morning Prayer

Tuesday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Barnabas

Thursday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Saturday, June 29 at 9:00 a.m. Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul

Tuesday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Monday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Thursday, July 25 at 6:30 p.m. Feast of Saint James

Monday, July 29 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Martha

Wednesday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Tuesday, August 6 at 6:30 p.m. Feast of the Transfiguration

Thursday, August 8 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Dominic

Monday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tuesday, August 20 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Thursday, August 22 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Tuesday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of Saint Monica

Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist

“The liturgy of the hours, like other liturgical services, is not a private matter but belongs to the whole Body of the Church, whose life it both expresses and affects.

“Hence, when the people are invited to the liturgy of the hours and come together in unity of heart and voice, they show forth the Church in its celebration of the mystery of Christ.”

General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours

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Multiple people in today’s readings are faced with a choice — do they want to follow God’s will in a more radical way, turning away from old attachments and possessions, or do they want to serve “the flesh” (Galatians 5:13), re-maining stuck in their past lives?

No one pretends this choice doesn’t have serious conse-quences, but the readings make it clear that it is offered as a true choice. Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha in an apparent response to God’s command that he select Elisha as a prophet to succeed him. But he reacts almost defensively when Elisha expresses his willingness to ac-cept that call if only he be allowed to say farewell to his parents first. Elijah’s brusque reply makes it clear that Eli-sha is free to do what he wants — he is inviting him, not commanding him, to take over the often-dangerous mis-sion of serving as God’s prophet.

In the Gospel reading from Luke, a village of Samaritans who disputed Jerusalem’s status as the center of worship, refuse to welcome Jesus on his journey to that city. Jesus accepts that choice, rebuking his disciples for offering to call down fire from heaven in retribution. He isn’t inter-ested in forcing the Samaritans or anyone to receive him, and he even warns a would-be follower about the difficul-

ties that joining his unsettled life will entail.

Paul states the case most directly in the second reading to the Galatians. Christ calls us to freedom, a freedom that we should refuse to relinquish but that also requires us to make important decisions about how to use it. Choosing to live by the spirit, Paul explains, means loving and serv-ing one another, while living by what he calls “the flesh” means the opposite — consuming one another in an ef-fort to gratify selfish desires.

Yet living by the spirit can require intense sacrifices. In choosing to follow God, people in today’s readings give up property, stability and even family ties. In the reading from Kings, Elisha sacrifices 12 yoke of oxen and bids farewell to his parents. Paul tells the Galatians that choos-ing to pursue the desires of the spirit excludes the possi-bility of fulfilling the desires of the flesh at the same time. Proclaiming the kingdom of God — and being fit to be a part of it — might require a sudden and total aban-donment of family commitments as we hear in Luke’s Gospel. The life of a prophet or follower of Jesus can be dangerous and unsettled.

It is natural to want to cling to the things that make us

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S READINGS By MARIA BENEVENTO

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feel responsible, safe and happy — our means of livelihood, a stable home, people who love us. It is not wrong to want to experience pleasure, support ourselves and care for our families, and in many cases, those things could be compatible with our vocations.

But sometimes, promoting our personal happiness, safety and financial security or providing as luxuri-ous a lifestyle as possible for those close to us can be presented as unshakeable duties that constrain our choices and prevent us from taking risks or fulfilling responsibilities that go beyond our nar-row family circle. We might be reluctant to take a lower-paying job, give more of our surplus wealth or travel to a dangerous area — even if those things seem more compatible with following Christ. To-day’s readings remind us that we are never yoked to a specific pathway — we always have the freedom to follow God’s will. We can make the decision to promote the kingdom of God even when it entails a dramatic departure from our past lives.

The choice isn’t easy, and not even God can make it for us. But remembering, as Psalm 16 proclaims, that God is “the path to life,” offering “fullness of joys,” can help us choose wisely.

The Solemnity of the Most

Sacred Heart of Jesus — 28 June

Editor's note: In the Church’s tradition, the month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It might seem old fash-ioned and out-of-date, but James Martin, SJ puts a good spin on this traditional Catholic devotion.

[Two days ago] we celebrated the beautiful Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The main origins of the feast are with the visions received by St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, a 17th-century Visitation nun in a town called Paray-le-Monial, France. Her visions of Jesus presenting himself with his heart, were initially disbelieved by her fellow sisters. Then Jesus promised her in prayer that he would send her his “faithful servant and perfect friend.” Shortly afterwards, a Jesuit named Claude la Colombiere showed up at the convent to serve as a spiritual director for the sisters. He saw that Sister Margaret Mary’s visions were authentic, and devotion to the Sacred Heart spread from there.

Some people might be turned off by the devotion thanks to kitschy representations of Jesus pulling open his cloak and pointing to his Sacred Heart. But if we set this de-votion aside, we will miss out on a great opportunity to meditate on one of the most important aspects of Jesus’s life: the way that he loved. The Sacred Heart is an invita-tion to ask ourselves, “How did Jesus love?” and “Whom did Jesus love?” For me the answers to those two ques-tions are: abundantly, totally and completely; and every-one, especially those who were poor or marginalized. But there are other questions that Solemnity of the Sacred Heart raises: “How do I love?” and “Whom do I love?” And the most important question of all, “How can I love like Jesus?” Maybe that’s a question you can ask your-self all week, as you encounter each person with the love of your own heart, which seeks to love as Jesus’s Sacred Heart did.

—James Martin, SJ

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Stephen B. Whatley

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Parish Office & Mailing Address18 Belvidere Street, Boston, MA 02115Hours | Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.Phone | 617 536 4548Fax | 617 536 1781E-mail | [email protected] | www.stceciliaboston.org

Parish StaffRev. John J. Unni, PastorMary Kaye, Pastoral Director of Operations,[email protected] Melaugh, Finance Director,[email protected] Donohoe, Pastoral Associate,[email protected] J. MacDonald, Director of Faith Formation and Parish Visibility, [email protected] Glynn, Director of College and Youth Ministry, [email protected],Jeanne Bruno, Chaplain, Pastoral Associate, Coordinator of Pastoral Outreach,[email protected] Duff, Director of Music, [email protected] Pickering, Events and Facilities Manager, [email protected] Bennett, Communications and Operations Coordinator,[email protected]

Assisting ClergyRev. Peter Grover, OMVRev. Peter Gyves, SJRev. James Shaughnessy, SJ

Schedule for LiturgyWednesday, Thursday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m.Lord’s Day | Sat 5:00 p.m.; Sun 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 a.m.Holy Days | 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

ReconciliationThe sacrament of reconciliation is available by appointment. Please call the Parish Office.

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.

Baptism for InfantsInfant baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. For more information, please contact Mark Donohoe in the Parish Office.

Faith Formation for ChildrenTo register your child for our Faith Formation Program, please contact Scott MacDonald in the Parish Office.

MarriageCouples who wish to prepare for marriage should contact Mark Donohoe in the Parish Office at least six months in advance.

Care of the SickTo 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 FuneralsThe parish is prepared to celebrate the Vigil (wake) in the church. Please contact the Parish Office for more information.

Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) TeamThe 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 ([email protected]), Maria Roche ([email protected]), Letitia Howland ([email protected]), or Erin Young ([email protected]) 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 DiseaseIf 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 ChurchThe 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 DisabledBoth the church and Parish Pastoral Center are accessible by elevator.

ParkingThere is reduced rate parking for $11.00 at the Hynes Auditorium Garage located on Dalton Street on Sundays until 3:00 p.m. and every evening after 4:00 p.m. Please be sure to ask one of our greeters for a parking validation ticket before leaving the church. There is also reduced rate parking on Sundays only at the Prudential Center South Garage (enter at Huntington Avenue or Dalton Street); up to 4 hours: $14.00, up to 5 hours: $20.00.

Joining Our CommunityWe’re happy that you’re with us! Our community offers a warm, spiritu-al home for a diverse group of Catholics. We come from many neighbor-hoods 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 narthex.. No matter what your background, please know that you are always welcome at Saint Cecilia.

PARISH RESOURCES

saint cecilia · galatians 5:1, 13-18 luke 9:51-62 next sunday's readings isaiah 66:10-14...

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