BAPTISM OF THE LORD + JANUARY 11, 2009
On the Way....
Incrementalism! One person inadvertently does something or other, or forgets to do something or other, and soon the behavior is common and acceptable. Such is the seemingly harmless behavior, or lack thereof, that often creeps into the Mass. There is no intention to be disrespectful, but forgetting where we are when in church, we can slip into conduct otherwise unbecoming. Today I will bring to your attention two items, and we will cover others in the next few months. First: cell phones and pagers. They are a way of life that was unheard of just a few years ago. The have become almost necessary in today’s world. They afford us independence. We can be reached for important reasons anytime we want to. We can be "on call" and go shopping at the same time. But all such devices thankfully have a "mute" or "vibrate" option. They also all can be turned off. Since there are so many people who come to Mass to pray, please silence all electronic devices before you come into church. Second: chewing gum. This habit can seem unobtrusive, and one person out of 300, for instance, does not offend. But when 20 or 30 people forget to discard chewing gum before entering church, the effect is, shall we say, no longer prayerful. It is especially disrespectful when that person approaches for the reception of Holy Communion. Please remember the one-hour fast before the reception of Holy Communion, and please discard the wads before coming into church.
PARISH NURSE: Friday from 7:30-10:00 am.
WEEKLY OFFERTORY: $5,933
January 1st Holy Day of Obligation: $736
(Due to an oversight, there was no envelope for the Holy Day collection on Jan. 1. Any donations placed in an envelope with your name on it, or any checks received, will be posted to your 2009 donation record. Please note that any time you forget your envelope or misplace it, you may place your donation in a plain envelope with your name on it and it will be recorded. Thank you.)
SACRIFICIAL GIVING: Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. The US bishops’ pastoral on stewardship reminds us that Baptism gives all of His disciples a share in His priestly work and calls them "to offer up the world and all that is in it- especially themselves - to the Lord of all."
SEMINARIANS APPEAL: Next weekend is the annual appeal to assist the Seminarians of our Diocese. Educating seminarians is an investment in the future of the Catholic Church in New Hampshire, but this goal cannot be fulfilled without the help of the faithful. The cost to educate a seminarian is more than $100 for every day he is in formation. This expense includes tuition, room and board at a seminary. 100% of every dollar collected for the seminarian fund goes toward supporting the education of men studying for the priesthood. This collection is the primary source of funding for seminarian formation. Thank you for any help you can give to support our future priests in NH.
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CHRISTIAN FORMATION SCHEDULE:
Dismissals resume this weekend for K-3 at all Masses.
GENERATIONS OF FAITH: Next session is on Sunday, January 18, from 4:00-6:00 pm in church.
Parents Meeting for Christian Formation students who are eligible for First Penance and Eucharist this Spring, is scheduled for Monday, January 19, at 7:00 pm in the church hall. Jake Linxweiler will review the training process and material with parents. If you cannot make that date, there will be a make-up session on Tuesday, January 20th, at 7:00 pm. First Penance at St Peter will be on Saturday, March 14th. First Penance precedes First Eucharist. Preparation for the sacrament is through home study.
INCOME TAX TIME: If you need a statement of contributions for income tax purposes, please contact Shirley at the rectory, (1) leave a message at 623-5429, Voice Mail #2, (2) e-mail her at stpeteraub@comcast.net , or (3) put a stamped self-addressed envelope in the collection basket. You will receive your statement by Jan. 31.
CYO BASKETBALL NEWS: We had a successful start to the New Year. St. Peter Church High School CYO basketball team defeated perennial power St. George 47–43. St. Peter’s was trailing by 10 points, 32 -22 near the end of the 3rd period, but hot outside shooting from Patrick Sylvia and Alex Zapora helped the Auburn contingent outscore St. George 25–11 in the last 10 minutes of the game. Alex Zapora scored 21 points on 7 three-pointers to lead St. Peter’s. Cody Charbonneau, Chris Brunelli and Mike Sienko each had 6 points to help the winning effort.
CHOIR REHEARSAL: Jan. 21, Wednesday, from 7:00-8:30 pm, in church.
FROM RESPECT LIFE: Those who support a woman’s supposed "right" to end the life of her unborn child might want to reflect on how they will be able to explain their position to the victims of abortion when we meet them face to face in the next life - which we most certainly will.
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP:
Bishop John B. McCormack and the lay and clergy trustees of the diocesan Priest Retirement Trust Fund are pleased to announce that the first ever annual collection in the Diocese of Manchester to support diocesan retired priests has raised $311,525 since it was held in parishes the weekend of September 27, 2008. The total is the largest for a diocesan collection in recent memory. Bishop McCormack offered thanks to those who gave for their generous response in support of their priests. "It is touching to know how much the faithful in our diocese care about their priests. The success of this collection in these challenging economic times makes a statement that our Catholic community is committed not only to supporting priests who are currently retired, but also to supporting many future generations of clergy." The money collected will be used exclusively to help fund retirement stipends and benefits for priests. Currently, 64 retired priests are supported by the trust fund. Each retired diocesan priest receives a monthly stipend as well as medical and other insurance benefits. The trust fund is also funded by an assessment to each parish in the diocese. Most priests retire between the ages of 70 to 75. However, most continue to assist pastors in ministering to the pastoral and spiritual needs of parishioners once they retire. This new diocesan collection was launched to respond to the increasing challenges placed upon the existing retirement benefit program. Persons interested in making a donation to the diocesan Priest Retirement Trust Fund may contact Guy D. Chapdelaine at gchapdelaine@rcbm.org or call 669-3100.
MASS INTENTIONS
Jan. 12, Mon. 7:00 am Souls in Purgatory by S.M.
Jan. 13, Tue. 7:00 am Donat Ouellette by George and Sue Mercier
Jan. 14, Wed. 7:00 am Beatrice Boucher by the family
Jan. 17, Sat. 4:00 pm Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Leclerc and Mr. & Mrs. Richard Padden by
Carmen and Kevin
Jan. 18, Sun. 8:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church
Jan. 18, Sun. 11:00 am Virginia Mandigo by the Mandigo family
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
Second Reading: 1 John 5:1-9
Gospel: Mark 1:7-11
This Gospel passage speaks of the baptism of Jesus. We could ask ourselves why Jesus would have to be baptized. he never sinned. It seems as if he is baptized to show us the difference between the Baptist’s baptism and our Christian Baptism. John’s Baptism was one of conversion in which one turned from sin. Christian Baptism is one of both conversion and filiation. In Christian Baptism, we are adopted as children of God. As with Jesus’ baptism, our Baptism is a moment in which we receive an anointing from the Spirit of God and in which the Father proclaims us His beloved children.
ACTIVITY FOR FAMILIES
This is the occasion to go searching for those photos of the Baptisms that have taken place in the family. Show them around. Tell the children the names of any unrecognized relatives. Remind them of your thoughts and emotions on that day. Remind them of what God thinks of them. Tell them how they give you hope and satisfaction.
PARISH REGISTRATION: If you are not registered at St. Peter Church, but attend regularly, please take a moment to fill in a registration form (found in the pews), and put in the collection basket.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: This time of year we begin receiving forms from Catholic Schools regarding subsidizing students from our parish. We do so through the policy of the Diocese, which is as follows:
"In order for a family to receive a supported tuition rate for the next school year, the parents must meet the following requirements:
1) be registered in this parish
2) be a contributor of record (weekly envelopes) in this parish
3) active participation in the life of this parish.
In other words, if you were not registered in the last year or did not contribute through the envelope system on a regular basis to the support of the parish, the pastor cannot sign the form from the school. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is the policy of the Diocese of Manchester.
We also adhere to this policy when we make donations in the name of young parishioners who attend Catholic High Schools.