Senior Deaf Wellness Program

Good People,

The Senior Deaf Wellness Program continues to progress well. Thanks to the support of some of you who have participated in the events in the past who have offered to help, the good work of Mrs. Carey, and the new man on the scene, Br. Hugh Macsherry, you are invited to the first meeting of the Fall, 2007. On September 11th in the MacKenzie Center Coffee, Bagels, and Fruit will be offered at 10:00 a.m. I will be there at this time and we will have some time for questions and answers as a group. Blood Pressure Screenings and Diabetes Screenings are being coordinated at this time. We are looking for the assistance of the same good people, Joan Seariak and Larane Kilty, to help with the health screenings. Larane is going to help us in the future after she recovers from her minor knee issue. There is going to be a surprise after this that will include lunch.

This good work is open to all senior citizens who are deaf. Please spread the word far and wide. We hope that our openness and generosity as a Church will inspire people to discover Christ and His Church. We are able, at this time, to provide this first meeting free of charge. As it is, our expenses are very low because we have not been able to fill the paid position as of yet.

We must thank Jet for her continued help. I owe her so much as she has been a great help to me in setting up this first session. She sends you all her love.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. St. Martin

Contact From Argentina

Good People,

Just as a point of interest we have been contacted by a fellow group of Deaf Catholics from Argentina. They wanted us to look at their website: http://www.sordoscatolicos.org/.

If you ever visit Mexico it might be a group that you would say hello to in your travels.

It is good to know that Christ is with us the world over.

Sincerely,

Fr. St. Martin

Special Collection for Earthquake Relief Efforts in Peru

Good People,

I have some news from the Very Reverend Richard M. Erikson, Ph.D., V.G. He is our Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. He has sent me the following message which I have edited a little:

"As you may be aware, there was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake 100 miles south of Peru's capital city, Lima on August 15th. At least 337 people have died and more than 1,000 people were injured. As the casualties mount the reports of injuries and fatalities include circumstances of churches collapsing on people gathered for Mass or prayer.

In response to Pope Benedict XVI's call for "institutions and people of good will to offer the needed aid to victims out of charity and a spirit of Christian solidarity," Cardinal Seán has given permission for a special collection for relief efforts to be taken up on August 26, 2007 in our Archdiocese. Please ask your parishioners to be generous.

Your compassionate concern for the universal Church brings Christ's light to people and places covered by a pall of darkness. Please help spread the radiant light of love through your generous support of this Collection.

With my prayers and best wishes, I am

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Very Reverend Richard M. Erikson, Ph.D., V.G."


I hope that we can be a part of the effort to help in this time of testing and pain for the people of Peru.

In Christ,

Fr. St. Martin

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Good News,

The great Solemnity of Mary's Assumption into heaven, body and soul, is almost upon us. We will offer Mass in ASL on this feast at the New England Home for the Deaf in Danvers MA, on the day of the Solemnity this Wednesday, August 15th. As usual all the Catholic parishes of Boston will be holding Masses to make the obligation to take part in the celebration Mass of this feast more convenient.

What is the day about: Mary is our Hope? Why? In her the fullness of the Kingdom is already seen. She is in heaven with her soul. She and her Divine Son are the fullness of the Kingdom of God in the fact that they have already been brought home even in their bodies. For us we look forward to the day when Christ comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead. On that day we shall, if, by God's mercy, we are found ready, rejoice forever with the new bodies united to our spirits in a new and fantastic way and enjoy that joy that we all long for in a complete and final way that surpasses our wildest imaginings. Mary enjoys something of this fullness now in the fact that her body does not lie in wait for Christ return. There is no grave for Mary now. She is already body and soul in love with God in heaven.

Sincerely,

Fr. St. Martin

Book of the Gospels

Good Extraordinary Lectors and Good People,

Here is a little detail about how we can all pray together at Mass better.

We do not process out with the "Book of the Gospels." Why not?

We carry the book in, slightly elevated, before the priest on Sunday and other Solemn Celebrations of the Eucharist. We show this book certain signs of reverence. We place it on the Altar at the beginning of Mass. That is shows that it is special. The priest carries it from the altar slightly elevated from the Altar to the Ambo as everyone signs the Alleluia together. The priest then opens it up.

Why do we treat the Book of the Gospel's like this? The four Gospels are the most excellent part of the Bible. They contain the stories about Jesus Himself.

We must be careful not to worship the book itself however. We are not a people of the Book. We are a people of the Living Word of God, Jesus himself, who comes to us through the written words in the book.

This is why after the book is opened up, and the words written in it are proclaimed and then the at the time of the Homily God opens the word up to us so that is lives in our hearts, this is why we do not show the physical book any more reverence after the homily. We are done with the book itself. It is the Living Word that we experience through the book, not the book Itself which in the end eclipses the physical book.

This is why at the end of Mass we do not close the book back up and carry it out. It is as if we process out with the Living Word of God having jumped out of the book we carried in closed now having been opened up, living in our hearts and we are ready to bring it now through opening ourselves in love to the world so that it may come to live in the hearts of those whom we meet.

We are like a book is you will, filled with the Living Word of God. We open ourselves in love and service. Some in the world will read the love we proclaim by our actions and come not to worship us but rather that same Lord, Jesus Christ, who we have come to know as Our Saviour and Friend.

We can imagine the book saying "please don't carry me out at the end of Mass. After I have done my job of bringing you the Living Word of God, he must increase and I must decrease. And please don't confuse me with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus trully come to be with us in the bread and wine which become His body and blood. He is present there in a way that we can only begin to imagine. He is with us in physical realities after the Mass has finnished. He is there in the tabernacle. We worship Him there. Don't forget Him there. Don't over foccus on me. I remaine a simple physical object at the level of my substance. I am by nature made of ordinary paper that will pass away. The Eucharist as a thing changes on the level of substance and becomes what it points to. It is a sacrament. It is the sacrament of sacraments. I have my proper honors but please don't over do it."



Sincerely,

Fr. St. Martin