On the Way....

The 49th International Eucharistic Conference - June 15-22, 2008 - Quebec City (continued)...

I registered for the Congress early last Spring and I was asked to offer my services for the distribution of Holy Communion, as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I had committed to hear confessions on Monday and Thursday, 90 minutes each day and Sunday on the Plains of Abraham 2 hours before the final Congress Mass. These five hours that I had promised eventually turned in to 12 hours! On the first day, Monday, I was assigned to celebrate the Sacrament near a concession stand (which was closed) in order to assure some privacy. Since there was only one chair available I remained standing, vested in alb and stole, and welcomed the penitents who remained standing next to me during the intimate moments of the Sacrament. There were several other confessors in the same general area and there was a sense of prayer that was palpable even in a hockey arena!! The penitents approached one after the other, taking their time, expressing their desire to be reconciled with the Lord Jesus. What began as a 90-minute commitment soon turned into a 3-hour session, which stopped just as the Celebration of the Eucharist began. As I went past the organizational table, one of the lay volunteers thanked me for my time that morning and asked if I would be available in one of the chapels for 90 minutes that afternoon, beginning at 1 pm. I said "yes" and went to lunch. I arrived at the chapel just before 1 pm and was assigned to a very private area where there were several stations each having a small table, a crucifix and two chairs. I was thankful to be seated since I had been hearing confessions that morning standing the whole time. The penitents’ line did not stop even though there were several confessors in the area. Where that morning I celebrated mostly with Canadians, that afternoon seemed to bring an international flavor. I greeted in the Sacrament pilgrims from Tahiti and the Ivory Coast in French, from Japan, South Africa and the USA in English; laity and religious, and I even brought the forgiving Lord to priests from France. By the time I got a respite, it was already 4 pm!! I admit I was quite tired from my 6 hours at the confessional that day and so trudged back to the bus stop to return to the home of my cousin for supper and rest, but I experienced within my heart a most grateful sense of lightness and a reward beyond physical fatigue. Day #2 of the Congress! More to follow...

PARISH NURSE: Friday from 7:30-10:00 am.

Weekly Offertory: $4,961

Parish to Parish Appeal: $530

GUEST MISSION: Next weekend we welcome Sr. Angela Pham and Sr. Nguyen of the Vietnamese Dominican Sisters for our annual "Guest Mission Appeal". They provide direct service to the poor in Vietnam, including education for poor children, help for young women to learn a trade in sewing, provide house construction and renovation for poor families living in the dirty streets, provide soup kitchens and aid for the elderly, assist poor families having children with disabilities, visit lepers and HIV patients regularly, and provide basic medical care at the St. Martin and St. Dominic Clinics. Above all, they teach catechism to catechumens as well as prepare catechists to assist in spreading the Good News. Please help them serve the wounded Body of Christ and spread the Good News to the people they minister to by making a donation next weekend. You may place your donation in your weekly envelope, noting the amount, or put in a separate envelope marked "Guest Mission". Make checks payable to St. Peter Church. Thank you for your generosity.

GROUP WORK CAMP MEETING: This Sunday, July 27, at 4:00 pm in the Parish Hall Conference Room for anyone interested in being a 2009 chaperone.

MY SACRIFICIAL GIVING: "The law of Your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces," says the Psalmist today. Does the amount of my offering suggest that I could honestly say the same?

FOOD DRIVE NEXT WEEKEND is for the N.H. Food Bank. Items that are especially needed are canned vegetables, baked beans, tomato sauces, any kind of pasta and canned soups, but any nonperishable food items that you can donate are greatly appreciated.

PARISH DIRECTORY

We hope that all parishioners will participate in our Parish Picture Directory, in celebration of our 60th year as a parish. You may sign up at the back of church, or go online to www.stpeteraub.org , and click on the link to Olan Mills. The scheduled dates are August 12, 13 and 14, from 3:00 pm - 9:20 pm. We also have scheduled dates on September 18, 19 and 20. You will receive an 8 x 10 free, and also a Parish Directory. You may order extra photos at a very reasonable price. ALL PHOTOS WILL BE TAKEN IN THE PARISH HALL. YOU MAY PARK IN THE BACK PARKING LOT, AND ENTER THROUGH THE GLASS DOORS TO THE HALL. Any questions, call Shirley at 623-5429.

NOTE: We would like to try to fill the August spots first, so if possible, please book on Aug. 12, 13, or 14. Thank you.

Is your marriage tearing you apart? Call Retrouvaille at 1-800-470-2230 or go to www.retrouvaille.org 

TEACHERS NEEDED: If you would be interested in helping with weekly dismissals of K-3 during Mass, or at our once-a-month Generations of Faith sessions, please call Jake at 669-5134, or e-mail stpetercf@comcast.net  and Jake will be in touch with you.

RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: The Rite of Christian Initiation takes place yearly at the Easter Vigil - Holy Saturday. This is the time when adults who have never been baptized in the Christian faith are baptized. It is also the time when baptized Christians of other Christian denominations are welcomed into the Catholic Church as they make a public profession of faith. This rite is also offered to baptized Catholics who were not fully initiated into the Church (never made their First Communion or Confirmation). As a general rule, this rite is not for adults who have received their First Communion, but never been confirmed. If Confirmation is the only sacrament they have not received, there will be a special course given for them during the year and an adult Confirmation will be held at the Cathedral in Manchester both this Fall and next Spring. If you or someone you know is a candidate for the Rite of Initiation or if someone is interested in finding out more about what is entailed in the preparation or for adult confirmation, please call Jake Linxweiler at 483-5571. The program will begin in the Fall.

REGISTRATION FORMS FOR 2008-09 CHRISTIAN FORMATION are available at the entryways to church. Please fill in the Family information section completely. If your child was not registered in our program this year, please submit a Baptism record, unless the Baptism took place at St. Peter Church. Call Jake at 669-5134, or e-mail stpetercf@comcast.net  if you have any questions.

If you are celebrating your 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th or beyond, Wedding Anniversary, anytime during the current year 2008, Bishop John McCormack invites you to a Special Anniversary Mass and Reception, to be held on Sunday, October 5, 2008, at 2:00 pm, at Saint Anselm Abbey Church, Manchester. If you would like to receive an invitation, please drop a note in the collection basket with your name, address, and what anniversary you are celebrating, and we will forward it to the Diocese.

MASS INTENTIONS

July 28, Mon. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant

July 29, Tue. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant

July 30, Wed. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant

Aug. 1, Fri. 7:00 am To end abortions from parishioners

Aug. 2, Sat. 4:00 pm Phil Pratt (10th Ann.) by the family

Aug. 3, Sun. 8:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church

Aug. 3, Sun. 11:00 am Roberta Baril by Don and Claudette Martel

In the latter half of the fourth century, one of the Church Fathers commented on this section of St. Paul: "Our prayers are weak because they ask for things contrary to reason, and for this reason Paul shows that this weakness in us is helped by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. The Holy Spirit helps because he does not allow anything we ask for before the proper time or against God’s wishes to happen. Paul says that the Spirit intercedes for us not with human words but according to his own nature. For when what comes from God speaks with God, it is obvious that he will speak in the same way as the one from whom he speaks. For the Spirit given to us overflows with our prayers in order to make up for our inadequacy and lack of foresight by his actions and to ask God for the things which will be of benefit to us." (This is certainly worth reading over a few times, not only to understand better, but also to receive more consolation.)

In our world today, many people want to have their cake and eat it too. People believe they can have everything they want and somehow balance it all. But life does not work out that way.

There are times when we have to choose between good and better and bad and worse. Even though we have received many talents, we do not always have all the time or energy we need to use them all. Even though we would like to volunteer for many wonderful charitable activities, we have to balance that with our family responsibilities, our work, our prayer life, etc. There are times that we have to mourn the fact that we cannot do it all. Life rarely turns out exactly the way we hoped it should. We have to accept what life has handed us and move on. In all of this discernment, we must keep the kingdom as the most important of our values. It is what we are willing to live for and even die for. Everything else is to be measured in light of its worth.