St. Joseph Church – Bristol, CT

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, also known as Decoration Day. It is the unofficial beginning of the summer. We mark this holiday with parades, backyard picnics and fireworks. As we learned in American History class, May 30th, traditional Memorial Day, was the dedication of the cemetery at the site of the battle of Gettysburg. At the dedication  President Lincoln delivered his remarks that became known as the ‘Gettysburg Address’.

This holiday was begun to remember all those who sacrificed their lives in the Civil War  and eventually in all wars and military conflicts that the United States was involved in. Please remember our deceased veterans and all who serve our country in the military. This holiday has also become a time in which we remember all our beloved deceased and decorate their resting places with flowers.

While this is a national and secular holiday, may we keep in mind our Christian faith which
teaches us about praying for those who have died and gone before us marked with the sign
of faith. Our prayer is that they live forever in the Peace of Christ. May we also keep in mind that many have served our country in peace and in war with honor and distinction.

May this national holiday help us to remember the ideals of freedom, liberty, equality and justice which are the foundation of our country. Our faith in Jesus Christ calls us to live in the world but not be of the world. May this holiday empower us so that we live as good  citizens and yet be faithful members of God’s holy People.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 05/26/2013 can be obtained here. ]

Today is the Solemn feast of Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. We celebrate the Descent of  the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. It is also the celebration of the birth of the Church.

For forty days after Easter and the Resurrection, the Risen Lord Jesus was seen by the  Apostles and first disciples. Jesus returned to his Father in heaven on the Ascension and  promised to send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit who would remind them of all that Jesus  had said and done. The Holy Spirit would also be their leader and guide in the world.

This  Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples while they are locked in the Upper Room where  Jesus ate the Last Supper with them and first appeared to them after the Resurrection. In  the Upper Room the disciples were gathered. The twelve apostles were there as was Mary  the Mother of Jesus. They waited somewhat fearful, somewhat unsure what to do, but  knowing that they were expecting the Holy Spirit to come to them in some way.

In wind and fire the Holy Spirit comes. There is a great wind that blows all around them  and tongues of fire rest on their heads and in their hearts and spirit. A courage comes to  them that propels them into their city to boldly speak the message of Good News of the  Risen Lord Jesus.

We associate the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit  in the Sacrament of Confirmation. In Confirmation one receives the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:  Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Courage, Piety and Wonder and Awe.  May these gifts be alive in our hearts today. With the Sacrament of Confirmation  there are also the fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,  generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity. May these  be the hallmarks of how we live our lives today.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 05/19/2013 can be obtained here. ]

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers! Today is a beautiful and wonderful day to honor mothers, yet, we know that honoring our mothers is not for one day only or so that rose and chocolate sales go up. Our mothers give life and nourish life each and every day and so we express our appreciation in words and in meaningful actions. How often our mothers do not ask of us presents of material gifts but our presence of being around and being with  family at important times in a significant way.

Mothers have instincts of protecting and caring for others. It is amazing the energy and stamina they show us. These qualities seem to flow naturally without having to be worked at. Our mothers inspire us and help us to be all that we can be.

The mother to us all is the Mother of Jesus, Mary. Her quiet, humble life in a small mideastern country is an example to us not only of her acceptance of God’s will but most
especially of her faith and trust that God would fulfill his promise. His promise sustained  her through the birth of her son, his life of ministry and even his rejection and death. The Blessed Virgin Mary is also the Mother of the Church.

Mary always points us to her Son, Jesus and to our loving God and Father. So too, our mothers in their goodness point us to others besides ourselves giving generously to others of our time and abilities.

This weekend as we honor our own mothers may we also honor Mary the Mother of Jesus.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 05/12/2013 can be obtained here. ]

371-1900

We begin the month of May dedicated in the Church to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, our Mother. Many people will pray the rosary this month with special attention and devotion. We encourage you to do so as a family. There will be a May crowning of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Join us on Monday, May 13th at 6:30 p.m. in Church for this beautiful devotion with our Second grade First Communion students.

Mary is the first of disciples and first to hear the Word of God. She says “yes” to the angel Gabriel who announces to her that she will bear a son who is the Son of God. She believes and trusts that the word spoken to her would be fulfilled.

For us Mary is the greatest example of faith and belief in God’s love and goodness. She shows us the way to trust when the circumstances of life are difficult.

Mary also points the way to her Son, Jesus. She does not want us to focus on her only but wants us to hear the Word of God through Jesus her Son. The Second Vatican Council teaches us that Mary is “the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of grace she far surpasses all creatures…she (also) belongs to the offspring of Adam (and) is one with all those who are to be saved.” Constitution on the
Church #53.

During the month of May I will include other quotations from the Constitution on the Church so that during this Year of Faith we can all be more aware of the teachings of the Church concerning Mary.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 05/05/2013 can be obtained here. ]

On Sunday, April 28 we were very pleased to welcome Archbishop Mansell who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with 40 of our young women and men in high school joined by 9 adults from our parish.

Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation. The other Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism and Communion. With the celebration of these three Sacraments the initiation process of the Catholic Church is complete.

In the Sacrament of Confirmation the Archbishop prays that the Holy Spirit comes down on each candidate in a powerful way to enable the recipient to live out fully our Christian faith. Confirmation is connected to the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and disciples at the first Pentecost fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus.

As the Archbishop extends his hands over the candidates, anoints them with Chrism in the  sign of the cross on the forehead and places his hand upon each person’s head, he prays that they be filled with the seven gifts and the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence and wonder and awe in God’s Presence. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

Please pray for all our Confirmation candidates. May they live well the Sacrament of  Confirmation.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 04/28/2013 can be obtained here. ]

We are in the middle of April. Already we have had some beautiful days. More will come.  May we enjoy what we have appreciating the daffodils, tulips and forsythia.

This weekend we will host our farewell for Fr. Israel. Please join us in Guild Hall this  Sunday afternoon following the noon Mass. We will have food, music, pictures and lots of  fun. Let us gather together as a Parish Family for this celebration. Fr. Israel has served St.  Joseph’s parish for over three years and touched the lives of many. Come say ‘thank you’  in this time of Easter joy. We wish Fr. Israel well as he begins his duties as administrator of  St. Mary’s New Britain.

This week we also celebrate ‘earth day’. All of us know the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. May we see that God calls us to care for the earth that has been given to us. With this gift comes great responsibility. Sometimes we can take for granted the great resources  of the earth. May we not squander them.

Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II often spoke of our responsibility for the care of our
environment. They speak about connections between our faith and ecology. Addressing
issues of science, technology, economics along with deforestation, soil erosion and the
greenhouse effect, they ask us all to take a serious look at our lifestyle. May we not only
appreciate the beauty of creation but use it wisely for the benefit of all now and in the
future.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 04/21/2013 can be obtained here. ]

Spring, in the northern hemisphere, is nature’s time of bursting forth with new life. The Spring flowers are blossoming and blooming everywhere. The trees, too, are coming to life. Yes, it is true for many Spring allergies will kick in, but the beauty of the flowers is for everyone.

In the Church there is a bursting forth with new life in the Easter Sacraments. We have  already seen adults welcomed into our community on Holy Saturday night at the Easter Vigil. They received Communion for the first time and were Confirmed. Other adults will be Confirmed on April 28th with our young people by Archbishop Mansell. Many of our second graders will receive their first Communion on May 11th and this week also saw the first of our 2013 weddings. Our infant and young children Baptism programs continue as usual.

While these Sacraments can be celebrated anytime during the year, when they are celebrated in the Spring, they connect so well to the new life we experience at this time of  the year in the northern hemisphere.

We ask you to pray for all those who will celebrate these Easter Sacraments. As their
faith journey continues, may they be strong in their faith, well rooted in a community of  faith and nourished by a People committed to living the gift of faith in the world.

May all of us continue to grow in the faith and love that our gracious God has for us

[ The Parish Bulletin for 04/14/2013 can be obtained here. ]

Today completes the octave of Easter, eight days after Easter Sunday and the celebration
of the Resurrection of Jesus. It was called ‘low Sunday’ in the early Church because it was  less than the great celebration of Easter Sunday but still a celebration. Those who were baptized at Easter vigil wore their white baptismal robes again at the Eucharistic liturgy
on the Sunday after Easter.

This Sunday we also read the gospel account of ‘doubting’ Thomas because the event happens eight days after the Resurrection.   Thomas would not believe that Jesus had risen  until he saw the nails prints in the hands and feet of Jesus. When Jesus appears in the locked upper room, Thomas utters the beautiful expression of faith, “my Lord, and my God”.

This Sunday is also known as ‘Divine Mercy Sunday’ following St. Faustina’s devotion to  the mercy that we experience from Jesus the Risen Savior, our God. There are many
Churches that will have special devotions this Sunday afternoon. We encourage you to take
part in them if you wish.

The Easter season is fifty days and goes until Pentecost Sunday. During these days let us
reflect on the newness of life that comes to us through the Risen Lord Jesus with the  promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Scripture tells us, “he will go before you in Galilee”. May we find the Risen Jesus in the ordinary circumstances of life and in the people.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 04/07/2013 can be obtained here. ]

Alleluia! He is Risen. He is Risen, indeed!

On Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world. Alleluia. It is a great day for us as Christians. It is a great day for our world. It is a great day for all people of all time.

This Lent has been very unique for us all. Just before Lent began Our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, resigned the papacy and retired. He is now called Pope Emeritus. We pray for him and thank him for his great service to the Church.

Just a few short weeks ago all the Cardinals gathered in Rome to elect a new Pope. We all prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this transition period of the Church. In a very short period of time with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Cardinals elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name Francis, to be the new bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter and Holy Father for the worldwide Catholic Church. We pray for him as he begins his service to the whole Church as the Servant of the Servants of God.

This is a very exciting time for the Church. A time filled with great hope and expectation.

Life presents us with many challenges and difficulties. But we are also given energy and great goodness. The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ reminds us of these difficulties and the wonder of life-giving energy. In the Resurrection, Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death. In the Resurrection, Jesus Christ has called us into his new life. In the Resurrection, Jesus Christ our Savior gives us hope.

This Easter day our hearts sing ‘Alleluia’ and we say thank you to God for his marvels. Spring will warm the frozen earth and Easter will warm our hearts as we receive the new life, energy and hope of Jesus Christ raised from the dead.

May the Holy Spirit guide our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, and may all of us receive the new life of the Risen Christ this Easter.

Alleluia! He is Risen as he said.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 03/31/2013 can be obtained here. ]

On Palm Sunday we begin the most solemn and holy week of the Church calendar. On this Sunday we will celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, not as a conquering military hero, but as a person of peace, riding a donkey, greeted with shouts of ‘hosanna’ and the waving of palm branches. It is a wondrous scene for us to imagine. We will receive palm branches as a sign that we welcome Jesus into our hearts and into our world. During today’s Mass we will read the account of Jesus’ Passion and Death from St. Luke’s gospel. We will hear this familiar story expressing God’s love for the whole world and each one of us. It is a solemn way for us to begin Holy Week.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the Sacred Triduum – the three days seen as one in the Church calendar. These days commemorate, remember and celebrate the last days of  Jesus’ life on earth, his death and resurrection.

On Holy Thursday we will wash the feet of twelve parishioners, receive the holy oil blessed by Archbishop Mansell and commemorate the Institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood. While Mass does not end on this day, we will transfer the Eucharist through the Church to the tabernacle and pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Good Friday service is a continuation of the Mass begun on Thursday evening and focuses on the solemn reading of the Passion and Death of Jesus with the veneration of the cross, prayers for the whole world and reception of Communion consecrated on Holy Thursday.

Holy Saturday night brings us to the greatest celebration of the Church – the Easter Vigil. We begin with the blessing of the new fire, the lighting of the Easter candle and the singing of the Exultet. After retelling the story of creation and our salvation history from the Old
Testament Hebrew Scripture we proclaim with profound solemnity the Resurrection of Jesus. People will then be received into the Church who were baptized into other Christian Churches and with others complete the Easter Sacraments. We will renew our own  Baptismal Promises and be sprinkled with holy water. The rest of Mass will continue as usual, receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus in Communion and completing the Mass begun on Holy Thursday with the singing of the dismissal and the double Alleluia.

Join us this great week as we celebrate our salvation through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[ The Parish Bulletin for 03/24/2013 can be obtained here. ]