CELEBRATING THE HUMAN BODY…
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the oldest and greatest feast of Mary. Orthodox Christians call August 15th the Dormition (“the falling asleep”) of Mary.
“She who sheltered the Divine Word in her breast was to be lodged in the dwelling place of her Son,” says Saint John Damascene, describing his belief that after Mary’s death, her body was raised to live with God forever. That Mary’s body – not just her soul – is in God’s presence is a sign of the holiness of creation. The human body is not evil – it is good. Death is not the end of creation – it is the beginning of eternal life. In our day, when violence can desecrate the human body, the sign of Mary’s assumption gains new support.
The New Testament reading for this feast calls Jesus the firstfruits of those who have died, to be followed by the harvest of all who hope in him. As Mary, the model believer and sign of the Church is gathered in, we hope that we too will one day be part of this harvest. We surround Mary’s statue at church and at home with brilliant clusters of flowers, herbs, and fruits – the firstfruits of the harvest of our gardens.
While this may be the oldest and grandest feast of the Blessed Mother, Mary, the feast was not considered a defined dogma or doctrine for us to accept and believe in until Pope Pius XII declared it thus infallibly on November 1, 1950 with the writing of a Papal Bull entitled Munificentissimus Deus.
This Saturday, August 15th, is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. This year it is not a Holy Day of Obligation.
HOLY DAYS IN HISTORY…
Sunday is our original – and at first our only – holy day. As time went on, some churches began keeping other days holy, too: days to remember an event in the life of Christ or Mary, or the anniversary of the death of a saint.
In medieval Europe, these “feast days” were important. There was no such thing as a “weekend.” Every day – except Sunday – was a long and hard work day. A feast day meant that you only had to do the most necessary work. Then you could go to town for Mass, for socializing, playing, resting. It didn’t take long for feast days to multiply. Every so often the Church would have to cut back the number, or else folks would go four or five days without working! Feast days were possible because most everyone in a locale was Catholic.
When Spanish Catholics came to North America, they tended to create Catholic towns. Many Native Americans, too, lived in Catholic communities. To this day the pueblos of New Mexico still keep feast days with dancing and special foods. French Catholics, especially in Canada, kept alive some of their holy days. But Catholics from other countries lived in mixed communities with people of different religions. They could not close their stores because it was Ascension Thursday, or not help neighbors raise a barn on All Saints. Not until the great Catholic neighborhoods formed in the bigger cities of America could Catholics close up shop, go to morning Mass, and then spend the day feasting and relaxing – even on a weekday!
Bishops began to designate certain holy days as “holy days of obligation.” Usually these were feast days that were already popular in a given community. The number of holy days that Catholics observed in the United States varied until 1885. Then, six days were set: January 1, Ascension Thursday (a different date each year), August 15th , November 1st, December 8th, and December 25th. Prior to this, how many and which holy days you kept depended on whether you lived in English, Spanish, or French America. For example, English-speaking American Catholics had 11 holy days of obligation from 1777 until 1885.
As our neighborhoods and parishes change, so do our rules about keeping holy days. In 1969, the bishops decided to transfer our solemn celebration of the Lord’s Epiphany from January 6th to the Sunday that falls nearest before that date. Epiphany is an important holy day, and yet the whole Catholic Community cannot count on having January 6th free. Recently, the bishops have voted to move our solemn celebrations of the Lord’s Ascension from a Thursday to a Sunday: the Seventh Sunday of Easter. This change should allow all of us to keep holy this feast day with Mass, recreation, and feasting, as we give thanks and praise for all that God does for us in Christ Jesus, our risen Lord.
Congratulations to our First Communicants as they receive their First Communion over the next couple of weekends.
Take care and I’ll see you in church!
Monsignor Jack
0822
This Week's Bulletin
This week's bulletin is attached below. Hard copies of this weekend’s bulletin are available on the shelf in the vestibule of the rectory office.
Additional Sunday Masses!
More Mass Times Starting This Weekend!
We are adding 2 additional Mass times starting this weekend.
Mass capacity is 200 people.
The new Mass schedule until further notice will be:
Saturday, August 15 - 5:00 pm Mass
Sunday, August 16 - 10:00 am Mass
Sunday, August 16 - 5:00 pm Mass (Youth Mass)
Weekday Masses - 8:15 am.
- Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below. Masks are required and social distancing will still need to be practiced at all times.
- Please consider volunteering to help with the Masses. With adding additional Masses, the need for helpers with Mass increases.
- Visit https://stpeterlive.com/reopening-news for Mass guidelines.
- Please remember that all Catholics are dispensed of their Sunday Mass obligation which means that not attending Mass is NOT A SIN.
Distribution of Communion after Mass
Communion will be offered to those who are unable to attend Mass in person between 11:10am-11:30am. (This will allow time for the those attending Mass to exit and the church cleaners to get started after Mass).
Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below.
"We Stand" St. Peter Yard Signs
Let’s show our community what we believe by placing a yard sign in your yard ($5 each). There are 3 options of signs shown here. Yard signs are available in the parish office vestibule (243 West Argonne). Please drop your donation in the mail slot in the inside door. Let's show our concern for our nation's unrest by extending our thoughts and prayers throughout our community via individual yard signs. It is another way for St. Peter Parish to be a leader in our community.
St. Peter Men’s Group Presents
Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother
Filmed on location in the Holy Land, this study will place you in the midst of the powerful drama of Mary’s earthly life, taking you through her joys ... and her sorrows. You will learn how she works in our lives today, drawing us ever closer to her Divine Son. Seeing Mary in this way will change you forever. In Mary you will:
- Visit the grotto of Mary’s home, the cave where Christ was born, and other rarely seen places in the Holy Land.
- See the significance of Mary as you explore the Biblical roots of our beliefs about her.
- Deepen your devotion to Mary as you discover our Blessed Mother in a uniquely personal way.
Program Format: Light home reading of scripture: Ascension Press lessons (featuring Dr. Edward Sri) delivered via Zoom followed by group discussion. The program extends for 8 sessions and meets every other week.
When: We meet every other Monday beginning Sept. 14, 2020
Where: Via Zoom (a meeting notice will be sent to those who sign up)
Time: 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Coordinators: Steve Witthaus and Terry McHugh
If you plan to attend, please let us know. Email us at: mchugh.marketing.leader@gmail.com
RCIA
If you have been coming to Mass for a while, but are not Catholic, we invite you to look deeper into the Catholic faith. Come meet some faithful Catholics who love the Lord and would consider it a privilege to get to know you. Our parish will soon begin a set of sessions to share with others the truths of the Catholic faith and the fellowship of our Church family. We invite you to learn what Catholics believe in an open and welcoming environment. These sessions are opportunities for you to ask those perplexing and difficult questions you may have about the Church.
Sessions are always held on Sundays at around 10 AM. The first session is September 13 in Ursuline Hall. Please give Linda Doyle a call if you have any questions or would like further information at 314-966-8600, or email her at ldoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org. Or check out our website at www.stpeterkirkwood.org.
Prevent and Protect STL
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has developed a new system for safe environment compliance called Prevent and Protect STL. Everyone (clergy, employees and volunteers) ministering to minors and vulnerable adults in the Archdiocese are required to register in the new system before December 31, 2020. This includes those new to service as well as those who are currently compliant and in service. For those who have already attended a Protecting God's Children workshop, your previous training date will transfer to this new system. In addition to attending a live Protecting God's Children workshop, all clergy, volunteers and employees will register for an updated background screening, view two new on-line training modules on abuse reporting and the Code of Ethical Conduct, and agree to the updated Code of Ethical Conduct.
Please go to www.preventandprotectstl.org: select the ‘register’ link and enter ‘stlprotect’ for the passcode. Then create your username and password for this new system. Contact Mary Doyle, the parish Child Safety Coordinator, at (314)966-8600 or mdoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org with any questions or for assistance.
Thank you for your continued support.
How can I help those in need?
When our eyes do not see the gravity of racial injustice,
Shake us from our slumber and open our eyes, O Lord.
When out of fear we are frozen into inaction,
Give us a spirit of bravery, O Lord.
When we try our best but say the wrong things,
Give us a spirit of humility, O Lord.
When the chaos of this dies down,
Give us a lasting spirit of solidarity, O Lord.
When it becomes easier to point fingers outward,
Help us to examine our own hearts, O Lord.
God of truth, in your wisdom, Enlighten Us.
God of love, in your mercy, Forgive Us.
God of hope in your kindness, Heal Us.
Creator of All People, in your generosity, Guide Us.
Racism breaks your heart,
break our hearts for what breaks yours, O Lord.
Shake us from our slumber and open our eyes, O Lord.
When out of fear we are frozen into inaction,
Give us a spirit of bravery, O Lord.
When we try our best but say the wrong things,
Give us a spirit of humility, O Lord.
When the chaos of this dies down,
Give us a lasting spirit of solidarity, O Lord.
When it becomes easier to point fingers outward,
Help us to examine our own hearts, O Lord.
God of truth, in your wisdom, Enlighten Us.
God of love, in your mercy, Forgive Us.
God of hope in your kindness, Heal Us.
Creator of All People, in your generosity, Guide Us.
Racism breaks your heart,
break our hearts for what breaks yours, O Lord.
Amen
