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Fr.
Charles
Puthota
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From
the Pastor's
Desktop
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A
Message from
Father Charles
Puthota
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June
2,
2024
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Dear
Parishioners of
St.
Elizabeth,
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Corpus
Christi: This
Sunday is the Feast of
the Solemnity of the
Most Holy Body and Blood
of Christ. Keep in mind,
it's not called the
Feast of the Soul of
Christ or the Spirit of
Christ. It's the Body
and Blood of Christ.
It's the feast of the
flesh and blood of
Christ. We are
intimately connected
with the flesh and blood
of Christ. Through the
mystery of the
Incarnation, Jesus took
on our human nature, our
flesh and blood. In the
Eucharist, he gives us
his flesh and blood.
That's how close we are
to him. In the
Eucharist, he enters our
flesh and blood, and we
enter his flesh and
blood. We---Jesus and
us---become inseparable.
As Paul says, "It's no
longer I who live but
Christ who lives in me."
When we share the
Eucharist, we become
intimate with Christ and
with one another. When
we become one with
others in the Eucharist,
the social and
communitarian
implications for what we
can do for one another
are crystal clear. We
will love, respect, and
care for one another.
We'll rearrange our
relationships; we'll
ensure that no one goes
without food, clothing,
shelter, justice,
dignity, peace, and
prosperity, not just in
our neighborhood, but
all over the world.
In John's gospel,
chapter 6 is devoted to
the theme of Jesus being
the bread of life. We
might want to go to that
chapter and do a "lectio
divina," prayerfully
reflecting on the
multiplication of loaves
and Jesus' long
discourse. Even as bread
is essential for the
survival of body, Jesus
is essential for our
life. He is the Way, the
Truth, and the Life.
Jesus is the Bread for
the world as well. We
can do that by sharing
our blessings with
others. As Julius
Nyerere, the late
President of Tanzania
and an ardent Catholic,
said: "It's not that we
do not have enough for
everyone; it's that we
do not have people who
share." Ultimately, as
Jesus shares his own
life with others in the
Eucharist, we are called
to share our lives, all
that we are and do, with
others. Eucharist is
also Thanksgiving; it's
the memory of Jesus;
it's the source of
eternal life; it's the
sign of the unity of the
human family; it's what
transforms us into the
Body of Christ, the
community of believers.
If the Eucharist is all
this multi-dimensional
reality and mystery,
with what kind of
reverence and
anticipation should we
be approaching it,
knowing that in the
Eucharist there's the
assurance of our being
united irrevocably with
Christ and with all
others?
Eucharist: From
the Compendium of the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church:
What does the Eucharist
represent in the life of
the Church? It is the
source and summit of all
Christian life. In the
Eucharist, the
sanctifying action of
God in our regard and
our worship of him reach
their high point. It
contains the whole
spiritual good of the
Church, Christ himself,
our Pasch. Communion
with divine life and the
unity of the People of
God are both expressed
and effected by the
Eucharist. Through the
eucharistic celebration
we are united already
with the liturgy of
heaven and we have a
foretaste of eternal
life. What are the names
for this sacrament? The
unfathomable richness of
this sacrament is
expressed in different
names which evoke its
various aspects. The
most common names are:
the Eucharist, Holy
Mass, the Lord's Supper,
the Breaking of the
Bread, the Eucharistic
Celebration, the
Memorial of the passion,
death and Resurrection
of the Lord, the Holy
Sacrifice, the Holy and
Divine Liturgy, the
Sacred Mysteries, the
Most Holy Sacrament of
the Altar, and Holy
Communion.
Friday, June 7:
Feast of Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus;
Saturday, June 8: Feast
of the Immaculate Heart
of the Blessed Virgin
Mary: We come to
the hearts of Jesus and
Mary, filled with
sacrificial and
redemptive love for us,
inviting our hearts to
be on fire for God's
love and love of
neighbor.
Quotes on the
Eucharist: 1.
"If angels could be
jealous of men, they
would be so for one
reason: Holy Communion."
- St. Maximilian Kolbe.
2. "How I loved the
feasts!.... I especially
loved the processions in
honor of the Blessed
Sacrament. What a joy it
was for me to throw
flowers beneath the feet
of God!... I was never
so happy as when I saw
my roses touch the
sacred Monstrance..." -
from St. Therese's
Autobiography: Story of
A Soul. 3. We cannot
separate our lives from
the Eucharist; the
moment we do, something
breaks. People ask,
"Where do the sisters
get the joy and energy
to do what they are
doing?" The Eucharist
involves more than just
receiving; it also
involves satisfying the
hunger of Christ. He
says, "Come to Me." He
is hungry for souls.
Nowhere does the Gospel
say: "Go away," but
always "Come to Me. --
Mother Theresa.
Humor: 1.
A pastor always used the
phrase, "It might be
worse," when some
calamity would come his
way. One day a friend
said to him, "I've
something to tell you,
and you won't be able to
use your favorite
phrase. I dreamt last
night that I died and
went to hell." "It might
be worse," said the
preacher. The friend
came unglued: "Man
alive, how could it be
worse?" To which the
pastor replied: "It
might be true." 2. A
Sunday School teacher
asked her class why
Joseph and Mary took
Jesus with them to
Jerusalem. A small child
replied: "They couldn't
get a babysitter."
Wishing you and your
families God's continued
blessings every day,
every moment of your
lives,
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Your
Friend and
Pastor,
Father
Charles
Puthota.
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Further
Listening
Sessions
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Toward
the Synodal Meetings in October
2024
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In
preparation for the second
session of the Synod in October
2024, the Vatican has asked all
dioceses all over the world,
including in the United States,
to hold listening sessions on the
following two questions:
- "Where
have I seen or experienced
successes -- and distresses --
within the Church's
structure(s)/organization/leadership/life
that encourage or hinder the
mission?"
- "How
can the structures and
organization of the Church
help all the baptized to
respond to the call to
proclaim the Gospel and to
live as a community of love
and mercy in Christ?
Deadline
to submit the answers to the
U.S. Bishops' Conference is
April 8. These reports will be
synthesized regionally and
nationally--- and the final
report will be sent to the
Vatican Synodal Office by May
15, 2024.
The
Vatican's guidance that shaped
the above questions incorporates
four questions:
- "How
can we enhance the
differentiated
co-responsibility in the
mission of all the members of
the People of God?";
- "What
ways of relating, structures,
processes of discernment and
decision-making with regard to
mission make it possible to
recognize, shape, and promote
co-responsibility?";
- "What
ministries and participatory
bodies can be renewed or
introduced to better express
this co-responsibility?" and,
- "How
can these relations be
creatively articulated in
order to find 'a dynamic
balance between the dimension
of the Church as a whole and
its local roots?'
"
.............................................(Source:
America Magazine and
NCR)
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The
Synod on Synodality
October 2021 to October
2024
Theme:
Communion, Participation,
Mission: The Synod on Synodality
is a three-year process of
listening and dialogue that began
with a solemn opening in Rome on
October 9 and 10, 2021. The
synodal process will conclude in
2024. Each individual diocese in
the whole world has gone through
a process of preparation for the
Synod. The Synod is both an event
and a process in which the whole
People of God are called to walk
to gather together toward what
the Holy Spirit helps it to
discern as being the Lord's will
for his Church. Pope Francis has
invited the entire Church to
reflect on a theme that is
decisive for its life and
mission: "It is precisely this
path of synodality which God
expects of the Church of the
third millennium. This journey,
which follows in the wake of the
Church's "renewal" proposed by
the Second Vatican Council, is
both a gift and a task: by
journeying together and
reflecting together on the path
that has been made, the Church
will be able to learn through Her
experience which processes can
help Her to live communion, to
achieve participation, and to
open Herself to mission." The
16th Ordinary General Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops will be held
in two sessions. The first one
from October 4 to 29, 2023. The
second session will be in October
2024.
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What
is a synod? A synod in the
Catholic Church is both an event
and a process where clergy,
religious, and laity gather to
discern important matters of the
faith. It is a journey of search
rooted in the Holy Spirit. Synods
are transformative events that
lead to renewal in the life of
the Church. The current synod is
called “Synod on
Synodality.” It’s a
synod that would explore the very
processes of synod and examine
how as the People of God we are
journeying together. Pope Francis
says: “Synodality is the way
of being the Church today
according to the will of God, in
a dynamic of discerning and
listening together to the voice
of the Holy Spirit.” You
might want to be informed more
about this Synod by going online
and doing your own research.
Do check out the Synod
website
https://www.synod.va/en.html
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MASS
SCHEDULE
as of
November 23,
2023
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Saturday:
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..
4:30
p.m.
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...
Sunday:
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..
8:30
a.m. & 10:30
a.m.
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Monday
thru Saturday:
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..
8:30
a.m.
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Holy
Days:
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..
8:30
a.m. & 6:00
p.m.
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Confessions:
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..4:00
p.m. on Saturdays before the 4:30
Vigil Mass
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10:00
a.m. on Sundays before the 10:30
a.m. Mass
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PARISH SACRAMENTAL
CELEBRATIONS
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SACRAMENT
OF
BAPTISM
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SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
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High
School Students
should call the
Religious
Education
Office for more
information.
Adult
confirmation is
available on an
individual
basis.
-.Details
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SACRAMENT
OF THE
ANOINTING OF
THE
SICK
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Call
the Parish
Office in case
of serious
illness and
before surgery
and hospital
care. -
Details
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SACRAMENT
OF
EUCHARIST
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Our
Eucharistic
Ministers are
available to
bring the
Eucharist to
the sick or
homebound.
Contact the
Parish Office.
-
Details
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SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
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Saturday
3:30pm to
4:15pm or by
appointment. -
Details
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SACRAMENT
OF
MARRIAGE
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There
is a six month
period of
preparation for
the celebration
of this
Sacrament.
Contact the
Parish Office
to make
arrangements. -
Details
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Faith
Formation
- Cantwell
Hall
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Saturday
9:00am to
11:00am. -
Details
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Parish
Office:
(415)
468-0820
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Benediction
and Our Lady of
Perpetual Help
Novena:
Wednesdays
after the 8:30am
Mass.
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Legion
of Mary
Meeting
5:00pm Monday in the
Church.
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1000
Hail Mary's
Third
Saturday after the
8:30am Mass until
3:30pm.
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Over
50
Group
Thursdays at 12:00pm in
Cantwell Hall.
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Rev.
Charles Puthota, Ph. D.,
Pastor
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Sandy
Mehrwein,
Parish
Secretary
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Patricia
Spiteri,
Pastoral
Coordinator
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Laurrie
Digneo,
Coordinator
of Faith
Formation
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