March 17, 2019: Second Sunday of Lent

The devil said to him, “All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.”

                                                                                                                                 -Luke 4: 6a, 7-8 

Last October, Finn McMaster came to me and asked if it would be possible for the Collaborative to put on Godspell. It seemed, in the moment, a terrific idea, but it was also clear that it would take a lot of planning and work. I basically said to Finn, “If you think you can pull together all the pieces that need to happen, you have my approval.” Well, last weekend we saw what hard work, commitment, and determination can achieve. Over the last few months, those who worked to make this event happen went through a lot of different struggles. As an example, they had to change the original date for the performance, to meet the various schedules of the cast. That, of course, meant working with Faith Formation to juggle schedules for the hall to be available. With every obstacle they encountered, they found a way to work around it.  Through prayer and perseverance, they achieved a goal they felt was important. And, what a gift they gave to our community. Over 700 people attended the three shows, and it proved to be an amazing moment of evangelization and witness to the meaning of our faith—not simply from the message of the production but from the teenagers themselves. 

What I saw on stage last Saturday was another testament to the commitment of the people of our collaborative of Saint Mary and Saint John. We simply need to think about all that is happening in our communities of faith. Each September, we start the ‘new year’ with our Collaborative Outdoor Mass and Barbecue, which is always well attended (though I’m not sure if the Mass or the free ice cream is the draw).  This weekend we have the Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner, which sold out because it’s the best deal in town.  Then, there’s the annual Pastor’s Pasta Supper coming up on April 27. And the list goes on! We hope to develop even more social events that will gather us together as a family of faith.

We have so many groups and opportunities for faith growth, such as: the charismatic prayer group, bible studies, God, pizza and beer, Wine, women and word, Saint Mary’s men’s group, and the Advent and Lenten retreats. We also have various talks given throughout the year, such as: a four-week presentation on the Rosary, the meaning of Advent through St. John the Baptist, the Three Pillars of Lent, the meetings for liturgical ministers, and Wake Up and Smell the Roses—a talk on Confession—given by Fr. Fred last Sunday. And we have more of the same coming up during Lent. In addition, our ACTS community graces us with two retreats each year to help people encounter Christ more fully in their lives. The opportunities for spiritual enrichment are vast. And, of course, more are being planned for, and coming soon.

A central part of our faith formation is for our families and children, and we are in the process of rolling out a new Faith Formation program to help parents be all they want to be in the life of their children. It has been a three-year endeavor by many people to bring to fruition a new approach of helping families encounter Christ in a deeper and richer way—to reinvigorate the role of parents and the family to help them witness to Christ as God intends. It begins with making the home a central part of living out the faith.

We also have support for people who are grieving or dealing with the effects of addiction in their life.  We have people who visit the homebound and bring communion to them in their homes, nursing homes, or hospitals. (We very much need more people in this wonderful ministry.)  In both parishes we have committed members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society who give immediate assistance to those in our communities who are in need.  (They could also use more people to help them address the many needs that are constantly before them.)  The Collaborative Social Justice Committee is working diligently to help us understand our role in the world in addressing such issues as human trafficking, which is truly a scourge. 

We also have groups like the Knights of Columbus, who do much good in our parishes, and beyond. They support our parishioners by offering free booklets that explain our faith, providing scholarships for students, and much more. They also support so much beyond our parish with the Tootsie Roll Drive and the collection to support seminarians. This is but a short list of the great work they do.

We are in the process of starting a new Mom’s group. And there are many other initiatives that are in the works but will take some time and parishioner support to get off the ground. We just need to read the bulletin to see how much activity there is in our communities of faith. What I have mentioned here is not intended to be comprehensive: it gives only a snapshot of all that we are doing as a community of faith, to grow in and deepen both our faith and our relationship with Christ. 

This weekend I am speaking at all the Masses about our financial situation and the need for a fuller financial commitment to your parish. As I do that, I hope you will ponder all that is happening in our faith communities (as I provided in my snapshot above). I feel truly blessed to be your pastor. And I know that we will work together to make our two communities stronger and a true engine for bringing Christ into the world.    

If you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to ask me directly, or send your questions to me at fr.brian@chelmsfordcatholic.org.

Please keep me in your prayers.

In Christ,

Fr. Brian

Previous Articles

March 10, 2019: As I was getting ready to leave church last Sunday, I saw a mom with her young son at the door of the church getting ready to leave. The son had put his hand in the holy water font and went to bless himself. read full article...

March 3, 2019: Last Sunday, we had our first presentation to the parents of our new faith formation program.  At the end of the presentation a little boy, named Jeremy Bryant, came up to talk to me.  He handed me some sheets of paper and said, “I wrote you a song.”  read full article...

February 24, 2019: Last weekend I gave a homily that was very difficult for me to preach. In fact, I argued with God about whether or not it was really necessary or appropriate. I asked Him if there was another way to present his message of hope, but God was very clear to me  read full article...

February 17, 2019: My friend, Fr. David Darcy, has been living in the rectory with us since October, recovering from open-heart surgery, but since January he has been well enough to get around on his own. Father David brought with him a special guest, his boxer Piper, and it has been interesting watching how the dog and my two cats have interacted. read full article...

Feburary 10, 2019: As I write this column, it’s the day after the Super Bowl. Obviously it’s hard not to be thinking about what I watched during the game, and listened to after the game. It was not the game I—or I think anyone who watched—was expecting.  read full article...

February 3, 2019: January 22nd marked the forty-sixth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision. As I contemplated the news that recently came out about a change in the abortion laws in New York state (making abortion legal through the ninth month), it caused me to think about the reality we face as Catholics on one of the most important issues in our nation and culture. read full article...

January 27, 2019: The other day I was back in my hometown to celebrate Mass: Fr. Ren was on vacation and needed help covering a Mass and so I agreed to do it. I must admit there is always a special joy to be in my home church of Saint Michael’s in Hudson, MA. It brings back memories of going to church there and all that it has meant to my life. read full article...