On the Way....

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

After spending many hours as a confessor on Monday, June 16, I decided to "sleep in" the next morning. My cousin went to work as usual, and since my mother was with me for this congress/vacation, I spent the day with her; I decided to drive about 35 miles up the south bank of the St. Lawrence River to Cap St. Ignace where her grandfather was born and grew up before coming to the USA. I returned to the Congress on Wednesday and participated not only at Mass but also at the events surrounding the occasion and met up with another cousin who is a Dominican nun in the City of Quebec. Thursday at the Congress was another day of confessions for me, something I now was expecting. Pilgrims did not so much seek to "confess" as "to be reconciled". They obviously were seeking forgiveness, but one could sense an almost deeper longing for the presence of Jesus Christ in their hearts. Since that Thursday was dedicated to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there were vast halls prepared for the celebration of the Sacrament. My time slot was from 1:00-2:30 pm in the English Section. When I arrived a few minutes after 1 pm, I was awed by the presence of about 45 priests and possibly 7 or 8 bishops already with penitents. I found my spot and we all received the pilgrims in the name of the forgiving Lord until about 2:30, when, during a lull, I stood up and took a stretch. I noticed a movement in my peripheral vision and turned to see another confessor standing. I asked what time it was and he responded in a strong accent that it was almost 2:30. I thanked him in French and he excitedly invited me to follow him to the French Section, mentioning that he had been summoned there because of a "backlog". I followed him and, sure enough, there were about 150 people standing in line for the Sacrament. I followed the priest into that section, which was as large as the English Section, and I was astounded to realize that there were only about 15 hearing confessions: one bishop and a little over a dozen priests! What a difference between the two sections! I leave you to draw your own conclusions, but the contrast has remained very deeply imbedded in my memory and in my heart: "for they are like sheep without a shepherd". To be continued...

PARISH NURSE: There will be NO Parish Nurse here on August 8, 15, and 22. Kathy returns on Friday, August 29th, from 7:30-10:00 am.

Weekly Offertory: $4,466.74

Parish to Parish Support: $707 total

GUEST MISSION: This 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 this 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.

MY SACRIFICIAL GIVING: In today’s Gospel, Jesus feeds the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. The message of stewardship is that God’s gifts, shared, will always be more than enough.

FOOD DRIVE THIS 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.

BAPTISMS: On Sunday, July 27, 2008, we welcomed to our parish family through the Sacrament of Baptism Jacob Thomas Gilbert, son of Jeff and Amy.

WELCOME TO NEWLY-REGISTERED PARISHIONERS: Lorraine Bourgeois; Gerald and Claire Smith.

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.

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION: Friday, August 15, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Masses are at 7:00 am and 6:30 pm. There will be a vigil Mass on August 14, Thursday, at St. Paul Church in Candia at 7:00 pm.

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

RCIA - Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: The Rite of Christian Initiation takes place yearly at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. 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.

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 to stpetercf@comcast.net , and Jake will be in touch with you.

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.

MASS INTENTIONS

Aug. 4, Mon. 7:00 am Souls in Purgatory by S.M.

Aug. 5, Tues. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant

Aug. 6, Wed. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant

Aug. 9, Sat. 4:00 pm Rodney Crete (3rd Ann.) by his mother, Carol Crete

Aug. 10, Sun. 8:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church

Aug. 10, Sun. 11:00 am Eleanore Coughlan by Ray and Gloria Phillips

It is not uncommon in Scripture to state a story in such a way that it cast allusions on another passage in Scripture. This way the author can show that what is happening is a fulfillment of what Scripture has previously foretold. We see this in the account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, which both reflects back upon Psalm 23 (the shepherd leads his flock to verdant pastures and nourishes them) and forward on to the Eucharist (Jesus gives thanks and they gather up the fragments, which is a phrase used in the early celebrations of the Eucharist).

This simple technique reminds us that what happens in our lives is both a fulfillment of what has come before and a preparation for what will be in the future. Our lives and actions are not just an isolated blip in history; we are part of a greater reality.

The apostles were terrified in today’s Gospel excerpt. It was dark and they were in danger. Darkness and danger often lurk in my life: how do I react? If the disciples, who were fishermen, surely familiar with storms and waves, were afraid, then a similar reaction is normal for me. But can I also find the Lord Jesus through the storm and in the fear? Do I look for Christ in the most troubled moments of my life? Can I trust, like St. Peter, that it is really Him?

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.