FROM FATHER
RICK
Dear Friends,
LENTEN
WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE
Monday @ 5:30
pm - Tuesday @ 12:10 noon - Wednesday @ 5:30
pm
Thursday @
7:00 pm - Friday @ 6:15 am
RECONCILIATION—“The Light Is On For You”
Sacrament of
Reconciliation–Wednesday night 6:30 to 8:00
pm.
FISH FRY
On Friday, March
26, we are going to add to our food
repertoire!! Following from the Knight’s
Fish Bakes we will hold a Fish Fry on
the 26th. The time will be the same,
5:30–7:00 pm. Look for more details in the
bulletin next week.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
MARCH 17—Wednesday
evening Mass at 5:30 pm celebrating the
Patronal Feast of the Archdiocese. Mass will
be followed immediately with Irish
Hospitality in the Gathering Space.
MARCH 19—Friday
morning Mass celebrating the Solemnity of
Saint Joseph, husband of Mary.
MARCH 25—Thursday
evening Mass at 7:00 pm celebrating the
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
Mass will be followed by Traditional
Hospitality of the Feast.
ANNUAL APPEAL
This is Catholic
Appeal Weekend here at St Robert’s. We, like
all parishes throughout our Archdiocese,
will be showing a video message from
Cardinal Seán at all Masses and asking every
Catholic household to participate by making
a pledge. The Appeal is a once-a-year pledge
drive to benefit the many central ministries
and services of the Archdiocese of Boston.
The Appeal is to our Archdiocese what the
weekly offertory is to our parish. Because
of the economic downturn, support of the
Catholic Appeal is more urgent this year.
Thank you in advance for joining with
parishioners throughout our Archdiocese's
291 parishes to carry on the broader work of
our Church. Every gift matters. For more
information, please visit
www.BostonCatholicAppeal.org.
A THANK YOU
I received
this note from Robert and Theresa Enos this
past week:
Father Rick,
On behalf of Mr.
Emmanuel Exilhomme and his organization A
Better Tomorrow, Teresa and I would like to
thank the Parishioners of St. Roberts for
their immense generosity in support of the
school supply drive that was conducted for
Haiti. Over twenty large boxes were packaged
from these donations, and last week Emmanuel
and I transported these to his warehouse in
Everett, from where they will be transported
to Haiti. Mr. Exilhomme hopes to ship this
material over the next couple of months, and
hand deliver the supplies to the areas that
need them the most; areas that may not be
seeing the donations and medical services
that are available in and around Port au
Prince. He also hopes to provide us with
photos of the students when they receive the
materials, so we can share them with the St.
Roberts Community.
Again please
pass on our sincere thanks to all. It is
through community giving like this that we
all can be truly "transformed" during this
Lenten season
Peace,
Robert Enos
A LENTEN
REFLECTION
I also
received the following from one of the Arise
Groups. I found it thought provoking for
Lent and thought I would pass it on:
Washington,
DC, Metro Station on a cold January morning
in 2007:
A man with a
violin played six Bach pieces for about 45
minutes. During that time, approximately
2,000 people went through the station, most
of them on their way to work. After 3
minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was
a musician playing. He slowed his pace and
stopped for a few seconds and then hurried
to meet his schedule.
4 minutes
later:
The violinist
received his first dollar: a woman threw the
money in the hat and, without stopping,
continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man
leaned against the wall to listen to him,
then looked at his watch and started to walk
again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy
stopped but his mother tugged him along
hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the
violinist again, but the mother pushed hard
and the child continued to walk, turning his
head all the time. This action was repeated
by several other children. Every parent,
without exception, forced their children to
move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician
played continuously. Only 6 people stopped
and listened for a short while. About 20
gave money but continued to walk at their
normal pace. The man collected a total of
$32.
1 hour:
He finished
playing and silence took over. No one
noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any
recognition.
No one knew
this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell,
one of the greatest musicians in the world.
He played one of the most intricate pieces
ever written, with a violin worth $3.5
million dollars. Two days before, Joshua
Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the
seats averaged $100.
This is a true
story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the
metro station was organized by the
Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste and
people's priorities.
The questions
raised:
In a common
place environment at an inappropriate hour,
do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to
appreciate it?
Do we recognize
talent in an unexpected context?
One possible
conclusion reached from this experiment
could be this: If we do not have a
moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world, playing some of the
finest music ever written, with one of the
most beautiful instruments ever made:
How many
other things are we missing?
How many
special persons pass us by and we do not
MAKE ANY EFFORT to get to know them?
I wish you God's
Peace,
Fr. Rick
Stewardship
Reflection
“He said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search
of fruit on this fig tree but have found
none.’” Lk 13:7
Are we like the barren fig tree? What does
God find when He searches for the fruits
which we have given back?
Money Matters
On the
weekend of February 27/28
Weekly
donations: $4,074.00
Saturday,
March 6, Vigil, Third Sunday of Lent
4:00 pm: Angelo
Coco
Sunday, March
7, Third Sunday of Lent
9:00 am: Matilda
Scarfo
11:00 am: Fiore
Trapane
Tuesday,
March 9, Saint Frances of Rome
12:10 pm:
Deceased members of the Marcoux Family
Wednesday,
March 10, Lenten Weekday
5:30 pm: Nancy
Castignoli
Saturday,
March 13, Vigil, Fourth Sunday of Lent
11:00 am:
Memorial Mass–Rosalia DiSchino
4:00 pm: People
of the Parish
Sunday, March
14, Fourth Sunday of Lent
9:00 am: Maria
and Domenico Coppete
11:00 am: Bill
Millerick and Ellie Millerick
Only Masses
with intentions are listed here. The full
Lenten weekday schedule
is in Fr.
Rick’s column, announced at weekend Masses,
posted on the
church door,
and listed on the homepage.
Readings
for the Week of March 7, 2010
Sunday: Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15/1 Cor
10:1-6, 10-12/Lk 13:1-9
Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15b/Lk 4:24-30
Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43/Mt
18:21-35
Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9/Mt 5:17-19
Thursday: Jer 7:23-28/Lk 11:14-23
Friday: Hos 14:2-10/Mk 12:28-34
Saturday: Hos 6:1-6/Lk 18:9-14
Next Sunday: Jos 5:9a, 10-12/2 Cor
5:17-21/Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
In Service
SPC Jean-Paul
Fitzpatrick, USA, SPC Vincent Amasula, USA,
LCDR Paul Giguere, USN, 1st Lt. Stephen
Draheim, USA, Maj. Brian Brzezinski, USA,
Lt. Col. James Coffey, USAF, Kevin Grace,
USA, Lyle Shackelford, Pvt. Alexander Sabu,
USA, Gen’l. R. Steve Whitcomb, USA, Col.
Brian P. Bedell, USA, Capt. Lauren Whitcomb,
USA, BG Patrick J. Donahue, USA, BG Brian P.
Donahue, USA, Cpt. Michael McGaffigan, USA,
Steve Comstock, Pilot, USN, Lt. Jesse
Salisbury, USAF, Sgt. Maureen Galvin, USA,
SpOps, Lt.J.G. Kevin B. O’Brien, USN, Miko
Belonia, Maj. Tony Hoffman, USA, Maj. Ross
Coffman, USA, Maj. Garth Howe, USA, Chief
Warrant Officer II Michael Morris, USA,
Captain Matthew Mancini, USA, Sgt. Ellen
Barnes O’Connor, USA, Pvt. Adam James Mazza,
USA, Pvt. Joseph D. Gagnon, USM, LTCD Chris
Stopyra, USN
Question of
the Week
Third Sunday
of Lent
Reading I:
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15 (The Burning Bush)
Reading II:
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 (Examples
for Us)
Gospel:
Luke 13: 1-9 (The Fig Tree)
Adults:
What steps are you taking this Lent to make
sure that your faith bears fruit in good
works?
Youth:
What needs changing in your life right now?
How will you invite God into that change?
Children:
God wants your faith to result in good
living. What steps can you take during Lent
to make sure that happens?
LENTEN GOSPEL
GIVING
THIS
WEEK
March
6/7—Third Sunday of Lent
“…a land
flowing with milk and honey.” (Ex 3:1-8;
13-15)
Milk and
Honey—please bring FORMULA,
SHELF-STABLE MILK (e.g., Parmalat),
or
HONEY
for
Neighbors in Need.
NEXT
WEEK
March
13/14—Fourth Sunday of Lent
“They
ate of the produce of the Land in the form
of
unleavened cakes and parched grain.”
(Joshua 5:9a, 10-12)
Cereal
from the yield of the land—please bring
a box of
CEREAL for Rosie’s Place.
Knights of
Columbus
Parish Family
Breakfast
NEXT SUNDAY,
MARCH 14
Driscoll
Hall, 9:00-10:45 am
This Week in
Our Parish
Saturday,
March 6
Fair Trade
Coffee Available for Purchase in the
Gathering Space after Mass
1:00 PM Youth
Group Ski Trip Meets
Sunday, March
7
Fair Trade
Coffee Available for Purchase in the
Gathering Space after Masses
10:00-11:00 AM
First Communion Preparation Session 3,
Driscoll Hall
Monday, March
8
5:30 PM Lenten
Weekday Mass, Church
7:00-8:30 PM
GOF Activities Leader Meeting, Driscoll Hall
Tuesday,
March 9
12:10 PM Lenten
Weekday Mass, Church
1:00-2:30 PM
Bereavement Group, Bellarmine Room
7:00-8:30 PM
Confirmation Preparation Session IV,
Driscoll Hall
Wednesday,
March 10
5:30 PM Lenten
Weekday Mass, Church
6:30-8:00 PM
Confessions, Bellarmine Room
8:00 PM Ladies
Schola Rehearsal, Church
7:30-9:00 PM
Finance Workshop, Driscoll Hall
Thursday,
March 11
5:00 PM Youth
Cantor Practice, Church
5:30 PM Youth
Choir Practice, Church
6:30 PM Scouts,
Driscoll Hall
7:00 PM Lenten
Weekday Mass, Church
7:30 PM Adult
Choir Practice, Church
Friday, March
12
6:15 AM Lenten
Weekday Mass, Church
5:30 8:30 PM
Generations of Faith Festival, Driscoll Hall
Saturday,
March 13
Health Ministry
Blood Pressure Clinic in the Gathering Space
after Mass
Sunday, March
14
Health Ministry
Blood Pressure Clinic in the Gathering Space
after Masses
9:00-10:45 AM K
of C Parish Family Breakfast, Driscoll Hall
12:30-3:30 PM
Generations of Faith Festival, Driscoll Hall
5:00-8:00 PM
Generations of Faith Festival, Driscoll Hall
Monthly meal
preparation for the Bread & Roses
Hospitality House in Lawrence takes place
next Sunday, March 14. All food
donations should be received by 11:00 am. If
you come to an earlier Mass, non-perishable
donations may be left in the Bread and Roses
bin in the vestibule.
Food items
needed every month are: cooked ground
beef (our most important need!), soft tacos
(medium size please), packages of shredded
cheese, packages of taco seasoning, jars of
salsa, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, large
cans of fruit salad, cookies or brownies.
For more information, call Marian & David
Magnan at 978-683-8969 or Lisa Lattari at
978-749-3736. Thank you for your continuing
generosity!
The St. Robert’s
Networking and Resources Group
invites you to
the first in a two-part workshop on
finances:
THIS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10
Workshop #1:
Debt
Restructuring & Refinancing Your Home
7:30-9:00 pm,
Driscoll Hall
Workshop #2
will cover foreclosures and bankruptcy and
will be on Wednesday, March 24, from
7:30-9:00 pm.
All are welcome!
Please RSVP to 978-683-8922 or
mauree17@gmail.com.
More information
at
www.saintroberts.net/networking.htm.
ARISE Season
IV: “New Heart, New Spirit”
“Let
yourselves be built into a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
This week our
ARISE groups reflected on what it
means to be both builders of and living
parts of the Church, the Body of Christ on
earth. The sessions concluded with an
invitation for us to review what might need
“repairs” in our lives as Christians and how
we might help build up the Church in our
parish and in the broader community.
For more
information, contact Maggie Butler at
butler.fam@verizon.net or 978-640-1879
or go online to
www.saintroberts.net/Arise.htm.
SCRIPTURE
READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK–FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
A reading
from the Book of Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
The LORD said to
Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach
of Egypt from you.”
While the
Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the
plains of Jericho, they celebrated the
Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of
the month. On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land in the
form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover, on
which they ate of the produce of the land,
the manna ceased. No longer was there manna
for the Israelites, who that year ate of the
yield of the land of Canaan.
A reading
from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the
Corinthians 5:17-21
Brothers and
sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new
creation: the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. And all this
is from God, who has reconciled us to
himself through Christ and given us the
ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of
reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for
Christ, as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. For our sake he made him
to be sin who did not know sin, so that we
might become the righteousness of God in
him.
+ A reading
from the holy Gospel according to Luke
15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors
and sinners were all drawing near to listen
to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes
began to complain, saying, “This man
welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to
them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man
had two sons, and the younger son said to
his father, ‘Father give me the share of
your estate that should come to me.’ So the
father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected
all his belongings and set off to a distant
country where he squandered his inheritance
on a life of dissipation. When he had freely
spent everything, a severe famine struck
that country, and he found himself in dire
need. So he hired himself out to one of the
local citizens who sent him to his farm to
tend the swine. And he longed to eat his
fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but
nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he
thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired
workers have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall
get up and go to my father and I shall say
to him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I no longer deserve
to be called your son; treat me as you would
treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got
up and went back to his father. While he was
still a long way off, his father caught
sight of him, and was filled with
compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him
and kissed him. His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you; I no longer deserve to be
called your son.’ But his father ordered his
servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and
put it on him; put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf
and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with
a feast, because this son of mine was dead,
and has come to life again; he was lost, and
has been found.’ Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the
house, he heard the sound of music and
dancing. He called one of the servants and
asked what this might mean. The servant said
to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your
father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’ He
became angry, and when he refused to enter
the house, his father came out and pleaded
with him. He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you and not
once did I disobey your orders; yet you
never gave me even a young goat to feast on
with my friends. But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with
prostitutes, for him you slaughter the
fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you
are here with me always; everything I have
is yours. But now we must celebrate and
rejoice, because your brother was dead and
has come to life again; he was lost and has
been found.’”
Copyright
1970, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity
of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington D.C.
All rights reserved. No part of this work
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by an
information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the
copyright owner.
