TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME + OCTOBER 18, 2009
On The Way....From Lorette Nault, Pastoral Associate, St. Paul, Candia
God and Our Multi-tasking World: The other day I was leafing through America magazine when I came across a short clip on multi-tasking. I couldn’t help but read it. It just seems as though everyone is multi-tasking these days, myself included, so I was captivated with the content. The entire clip consisted of a mere four paragraphs so I figured, "why not?" The gist of the clip focused on the fact that multi-tasking is not only dangerous in certain situations such as in driving while texting etc. but it can actually be less than advantageous even when we are sitting down behind an office desk actually performing our required duties. Multi-tasking, a much admired trait in the modern business world, turns out to be a detriment to efficiency, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A recent study concluded that college multi-taskers performed worse than those who persistently attempted one task at a time. Multi-taskers lacked focus, were easily distracted, could not switch smoothly from one task to another and did not organize information well. When tested on content, they showed confusion rather than comprehension. Both testers and students were surprised by the findings. What does this information tell us as Christians? We do not need to take a quantum leap in order to connect the dots between the results of the above study and our present day near inability to live a quiet, reflective and meaningful life. The average American lives in a world that is frenzied with activity. We live with our computers, our cell phones and our i-pods constantly in our presence. We are always worried that we will miss some newsworthy tidbit of information. The end result is a population that is scattered and unfocused, unable to relax long enough to reflect, or not quiet enough to concentrate on things other than what is splashed before them through e-media. Can we persist in this manner of living and expect that we will be able to manage a spiritual life? The problem with this situation is that the two "worlds" are in opposing camps. This is not to say that the two cannot meet or that one is bad while the other is good. However, the ability to develop and deepen a spiritual life takes time, focus, concentration, and peace of mind, the exact essence of life that people are being robbed of while developing the skill of multi-tasking. Can the world survive without the spiritual life? Can we go on developing our world of technology and omitting the sacred dimension of our lives? How long will we survive in a world that is off balance, i.e., too heavily ladened with mind boggling activity and too lightly balanced with a life with God? Which do we prefer, a reward for being the best multi-tasker or a reward for being able to hold the sacred within?
WEEKLY OFFERTORY: $5,062.
WORLD MISSIONS: This weekend is the annual collection for World Missions. This day is set aside by the Holy Father and organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith for Catholics worldwide. It is to help all of us recommit ourselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and financial support. The Society provides support for the pastoral and evangelizing programs of the Church in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and remote regions of Latin America. This important work relies on the prayers and financial support of all Catholics to answer to Christ’s call to "Go teach all nations."
Visit www.worldmission-catholicchurch.org for more information. Please be generous.
SACRIFICIAL GIVING: All discipleship involves mission. The bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship reminds us, "Every member of the Church is called to evangelize, and the practice of authentic Christian stewardship inevitably leads to evangelization."
PARISH NURSE: Friday from 7:30-10:00 am.
ROSARY: October is the month of the Rosary. We will pray the Rosary on the Tuesdays of October at 6:30 pm in church.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION NEWS
K-3 DISMISSALS at all Masses this weekend.
GENERATIONS OF FAITH: Our first session for Grades 4-10 and parents is this Sunday, October 18, from 4-6 pm in church. GOF schedules can be found at the entryways to church, along with registration forms.
GROUP WORK CAMP INFORMATION MEETING: We will be holding an Information Night on Sunday, October 25, at 7:00 pm in the Parish Hall, for all teens and their parents interested in our Mission Trip for 2010. Call Laura Lambert at 483-5125 if you have any questions. We look forward to working with fellow Christians again to improve people’s lives and show them the love of Jesus.
Also, mark your calendars! We will be holding a Bake Sale on the weekend of Nov. 7/8 after all Masses. Any donations of baked goods from parishioners would be very welcome.
RETROUVAILLE…..a Lifeline: Rediscover a loving marriage with a Retrouvaille weekend. Call Retrouvaille at 1-800-470-2230 or go to www.retrouvaille.org
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL: 8th Grade Open House, Wednesday, Oct. 28th, 7 p.m., 581 Bridge St., Manchester
The March for Life and Pilgrimage of Faith in Washington D.C. will be January 21 & 22, 2010. For information please see our bulletin board in the entry of the church or visit www.catholicnh.org on the web. Reservations must be made by October 31, 2009.
40 Days for Life - Manchester!!!!
40 Days for Life is in Manchester, NH, along with over 200 other cities through November 1. Please join us in our campaign to end abortion with prayer, fasting and peaceful witness at Planned Parenthood, 24 Pennacook Street. We hope to get enough people to have a presence there 12 hours a day, from 7 am to 7 pm, during the 40 Days.
BIRTHRIGHT OF MANCHESTER NEEDS A SPECIAL VOLUNTEER: Birthright is in need of a volunteer who has some experience in advertising and/or public relations, and is able to work with a limited budget. We would like to be more visible to the community by personal contact in key areas, and by advertising the services we have to offer. Knowing that free pregnancy help is available could make the difference in a crisis situation, and save the life of a baby. If interested, please call Phyllis at 472-5410, or email me at pm.hickey@myfairpoint.net
JOB OPENING: The diocesan central administration office is in need of a full-time department secretary to provide clerical support to the office of the Permanent Diaconate and other diocesan offices as needed. This position involves calendar management, answering phones, drafting, preparing, and mailing correspondence, filing and copying, recording and preparing meeting minutes, and coordinating appointments. The ideal candidate must be experienced (3-5 years), organized, able to multi-task and have excellent verbal and written communication. Microsoft Office computer skills needed. Please e-mail your letter of interest and resume to chagen@rcbm.org or mail your materials to: Diocese of Manchester, Office of Human Resources, P.O. Box 310, Manchester, NH 03105-0310.
HOLY FAMILY ACADEMY, a private school located in Manchester, provides a classical education in the Roman Catholic tradition for students in grades 7-12. The Academy will hold a FALL OPEN HOUSE for prospective students on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 pm. Call 644-7247 for further information.
MASS INTENTIONS
Oct. 19, Mon. 7:00 am Arthur and Louise Delisle by George and Sue Mercier
Oct. 20, Tue. 7:00 am Walter and Jeanne Champagne by Marcel and Deb Champagne
Oct. 21, Wed. 7:00 am Intention of the celebrant
Oct. 24, Sat. 4:00 pm Vincent Hanna by Karl Cann
Oct. 24, Sun. 8:00 am Eugene Gabert by the family
Oct. 24, Sun. 11:00 am For all parishioners of St. Peter Church
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
It is in the Gospel of Mark that we see most clearly how Jesus overturns the values of our society. Power, prestige, and wealth are no longer important. What is most important is our willingness to express our love in service of others. These truths are called Gospel irony, for they make no sense in the logic of this world. But there is a greater wisdom that St. Paul calls the wisdom of the cross.
CRAFTERS WANTED: St. Anthony School is accepting reservations for a Craft Fair to be held on Saturday, November 21st. Table rentals are $50.00 for an 8 ft table. If you have your own table there are a limited amount of 8 x 8 spaces available. Reservations will be accepted on a first come first served basis. For more information please call St. Anthony School at 622-0414 or visit our website at www.stanthonyschool-nh.com to download an application.
St. Pius X Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
The St. Pius X Social Committee invites you to join us for a night of shopping on Friday, November 6th, from 6 - 8:30pm in the church hall, 575 Candia Rd, Manchester. We will have representatives selling: Handmade Jewelry, Beautiful CD's by Michael Joseph, Tupperware, Lia Sophia, Mia Bella Gourmet Scented Candles, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Avon, Tastefully Simple, Longaberger Baskets, Arbonne and Uppercase Living. Light refreshments will be served. We will have several raffle items, the proceeds from the raffle will go to the St. Pius X Giving Tree.
REMINDER: THE FLU SEASON AND THE CELEBRATION OF MASS: At the recommendation of the NH Department of Health and Human Services, Bishop McCormack has instituted the following precautions that will remain in effect through cold and flu season: (1) If you are ill, please stay home and refrain from attendance at Church celebrations. (2) The Sign of Peace should be shared without touching hands or kissing. This can be done with meaningful eye contact, smiles, and a bow of the head in reverence to one another.
(3) Parishioners should receive Holy Communion in their hands, and not on their tongue. Parishioners who receive Holy Communion on the tongue by necessity (i.e., because of a disability) should receive at the end of Communion. (4) The Precious Blood: Communion is only to be given in the species of the consecrated bread. If you are unable to receive Holy Communion in the species of the consecrated bread (Celiac Disease), please see the pastor.