June 18, 2006

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

A simply gorgeous day for Father's Day and Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. This morning six parish kids made their First Holy Communion. What a delight. I hung around Bath this afternoon to get a head start on next week's bulletin and at 4 p.m. enjoyed a concert by our Bell Choir. As if the concert wasn't enough - strawberry shortcake with Ice Cream (my
favorite) was served.

Monica surprised me by stopping in at the office on her way to Corning from Rochester. Looks like we'll celebrate with a Fathers Day supper.

Tuesday, Pat and I head for Chautauqua - her for nine weeks - me for one before returning.

Great news - Fr. Peter Anglaaere - a priest from Ghana who has been helping out in Ithaca and Groton, NY will join our team on July 16 as regional parish priest. We'll share him with St. Gabriel's in Hammondsport and the Addison, Bradford, Campbell churches pastored by Fr. Gerry O'Connor. I met Fr. Peter on Wednesday and he laughed at all my jokes. What more could a fellow want. God is so Good!

Have a good week. Serve one another well.

Ray

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Bulletin: June 18 , 2006

Bulletin Insert: June 18 , 2006

June 18, 2006

Our Actions at Mass Demonstrate our Reverence for the Eucharist This weekend six of our youngsters will make their First Communion.  We congratulate you and pray that the joy you feel today as you receive the Lord Jesus in this sacrament will be one you will continue to feel and to hunger for throughout your lives.

I thought I would take this opportunity to remind all of us about our reverence for the Eucharist so we can be better examples to the young people in our midst.  At the Last Supper, Jesus instructed his followers to “do this in memory of me”.  And so, as believers, we gather around the Lord’s Table each and every week to offer to God the sacrifice of Jesus, the source of all life.   The word Eucharist literally means “thanksgiving” and it is in a spirit of profound gratitude that we gather to share in this sacrificial meal.

Lex orandi, lex credendi is a Latin phrase that means that what we pray reveals what we believe.  When we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, our actions reveal our attitudes and our belief about how Christ is present in our gathering.

Roman Catholic Eucharistic theology maintains that Christ is truly present to us in this gathering in four distinct ways.  When the sacred scriptures are proclaimed, it is Christ who is speaking to us.  Christ is present as well in the person of the presider, in the consecrated bread and wine which become his body and blood, and in the assembly itself (“where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in your midst”).

Because Christ is truly present at every Eucharist in these four ways, we should have certain expectations of each other.   We should always be mindful that the persons next to us, behinds us, and in front of us are all part of the Body of Christ.  We do not gather as individuals to worship; we are there as part of the assembly praying with one voice.  We are called to full, active and conscious participation.

We are asked to fast from all food and drink for one hour before receiving our Host, and come prepared to offer Christ our full attention.  Receiving communion should be our delight and joy!  As we approach the communion minister, we should offer a simple bow of our heads to acknowledge our awe before the Lord who has invited us to eat and drink of his very self.  Our proper response to the declaration, “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” is “AMEN”, which literally means “And so it is, and so it will be”.   When receiving the host, we should present our hands, palms up, one atop the other with our dominant hand at the base.  This way, we briefly cradle Christ’s Body before feeding ourselves with our stronger hand.

Receiving communion under both forms should be the norm.  Jesus invites us to “take and eat...take and drink.”  Unless one has health concerns, why would one turn his or her back on that invitation?  However, if we are to pass by the cup we’ve been called to share, then it may appropriate to stop briefly and also bow our heads, acknowledging the blood of Christ shed for us all.

At Saint Mary’s we continue to stand and sing until all have processed forth to receive Communion. This demonstrates both our respect for the Eucharist and our belief that when we receive Communion, we become the Body of Christ. Communion is not primarily a God and Me event — it is a communal or God in We event. After all have received, take a moment for quiet prayer either on your knees or seated to meditate on and give thanks for this wonderful gift .

Yes, the way we approach communion reveals what we believe about what we are doing.   Reverence and respect for this great gift of the Eucharist is part of our communal prayer.  Please do not let yourself get too familiar, and lose proper reverence for Christ in our midst.

Just as parents teach their children proper respect for others, so does our whole community need to be mindful of our responsibility to model reverence and respect for this Great Sacrament.   Let us be good role models for our younger members.

FR. PETER ANGLAAERE APPOINTED REGIONAL PRIEST
SERVING ST. MARY’S. ST. GABRIEL’S AND ABC PARISHES

Before this bulletin went to press we received word that Bishop Clark had appointed Fr. Peter Anglaaere to serve as our parish priest and sacramental minister.  Fr. Anglaaere, a native of Ghana, West Africa is a priest of the Archdiocese of Tamale who has most recently served parishes in Ithaca, Groton and Lansing, New York.

In his home diocese he has served as a parish priest/pastor, a
rector/headmaster (principal) of a minor seminary/high school, the Director of Pastoral Formation (responsible for the on-going theological, pastoral and leadership training for lay faithful and youth groups. He has also served as Secretary to the Archbishop of Tamale and Diocesan Director of Religious Education and Peace and Justice.  The Tamale Archdiocese includes about 16,500 Roman Catholics in a population of 703,488.

Fr. Anglaaere will live at St. Mary’s Rectory but his assignment will be regional in nature. In addition to his service to St. Mary’s, Fr. Anglaaere will preside at weekend Masses at St. Gabriel’s, Hammondsport and provide priestly ministry within the ABC parishes.

Blessings upon you all this First Communion weekend. Serve one another well.