The “Big Event”: Suffering, Triumph, and Celebration

We have so much to celebrate in the blessings Jesus Christ has won for us, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist as we worship together each week and conclude today our five-week message series on the Eucharist in our lives. I will come back to our local celebrations in the second half of this column.

Often, though, celebration comes about in connection with struggles and even tragedies. That was certainly the case for Jesus as he had to endure the Cross to get to the Resurrection. This week, there have been two major disasters in our world. The one that has gotten the most media coverage is the tragic turn of events in Afghanistan. As we finally come to the end of twenty-year war, sadly much of the work our country and allies have done to rebuild stability, freedom, and human rights there appears to be quickly coming undone. We pray that the thousands of Americans, Afghanis, and others who made immense sacrifices also be able to see the good that they have accomplished together, much of which will have lasting effects.

The other major tragedy, of course, is that our sisters and brothers in Haiti have suffered a massive new Earthquake, followed by a tropical storm! Well over a thousand people died, including 18 people in a church that collapsed during a Baptism. Catholic Relief Services announced that it “is sending teams to provide clean water, sanitation, shelter, and emergency supplies in response.” Recognizing the suffering of the Haitian people and growing need for assistance, Cardinal Seán has asked that a special collection for Catholic Relief Services and the Church in Haiti be taken up in all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston. In our parishes, the collection will be taken this weekend, August 21-22 (in place of the usual second collection). We will also setup a fund for those who use Online Giving, and you can always mail your donation to the parish office with “Haiti Earthquake” written on the envelope.

As our collaborative parishes continue to celebrate our own coming through difficult times over the past year, the centerpiece of our year-long “Welcome Back Initiative” has been scheduled for Sunday morning, October 3 – so save the date for what we have been calling “The Big Event”. It will start with a Welcome Back Mass at each parish (9:30am at St. Mary and 10:00am at St. Martha), followed by a big celebration for BOTH parishes that will include games, lunch, and concerts – all on the parish field at St. Martha. Come to reconnect with your parish and collaborative community, meet new people who share many of your values, and strengthen relationships in the Body of Christ so we can be there for each other going forward! More details to follow… but mark your calendar now!
- Fr. Joe