At his baptism Jesus is called: “My beloved Son” by his Father.  In his temptation (Matt 4:1-11), Jesus defines what that calling is—not to the use of power, not to providing proofs of the Father’s love but to complete trust in the One who calls his Son. The tempted Jesus remains our teacher and guide through Lent as we sharpen our own identity as children of God living out the calling each of us receives from God.

Today, many people have some sense of the sacred. “I’m spiritual but not religious”, I hear people saying.  Anne Van Dusen writes: “I’m spiritual but not religious” is shorthand for a search for the meaning of life, a sense of transcendent connection, or deeper growth and understanding.  Spirituality revolves around the intangible components of human life—often connecting thoughts, emotions, and experience with something beyond the self. Traditionally explored through organized religion, this search is now fair game in a variety of non-religious settings.  This phenomenon isn’t new—aspects of this search for meaning under-girded the peace and love movements of the 1960s, the “me-ism” of the 1970s, and the New Age spirituality of the 1980s and 90s.”

Father John W. O’Malley S.J. in America wrote: “American Catholics love their church, but it is the church they experience every day in the priests they know and in the other Catholics in the pews with them—the church as “the people of God,” not the hierarchical institution.”

Andrew Greeley, in his book The Catholic Revolution, New Wine, Old Wineskins, and the Second Vatican Council speaks about this same movement, i.e. seeking spirituality without the Church.  “I can never quite figure out why the demand is made that the Church alone, of all institutions, must be perfect in order for one to remain attached to it…Find a perfect church and join it, only realize that then it won’t be perfect…The answer to the question of why they stay in the Church is that Catholics like being Catholic, as hard as that is for secular professors, journalists, and commentators to understand.  For the last thirty years, the hierarchy and the clergy have done just about everything they could to drive the laity out of the Church, and they have not succeeded.  It seems unlikely that they will ever drive the stubborn lay folk out, because the lay folk like being Catholic…While institutional authority, doctrinal propositions, and ethical norms are components of a religious heritage—and important components—they do not exhaust the heritage.  Religion is experience, image, and story before it is anything else and after it is everything else.  Catholics like their heritage because it has great stories.  Catholicism has great stories because at the center of its heritage is “sacramentalism,” the conviction that God discloses Himself in the objects and events and persons of ordinary life.”

Let us begin this Lent growing in spirit, faith, trust, as Jesus began his “Lent” fully aware of his calling from the Father.

More Holy Humor

“Old age is a time when you complain that your grown-up children don’t visit enough; but when they do visit, you can’t wait for them to leave.”

This week we ask you to pray for those who are ill, including, Brianna Cimino, Rosemary Harvey, Regina Jones, Andrea Hynes, Joyce Amos, Regina Wingard, Erin McMehon, Maria Aguis, George Beck, Dr. Kenneth Spengler, Josephine Murphy, Peter Bugda, Norma Berstein, Camille Michals, Rob Morway, Patricia Hassett, Paul McCann, William Francis, Lillian Davenport, James Fontaini, Henri Fradette, William Blair, Agatha Pals, Kath Rodriegas, Nancy Driscoll, Dante DiManna, Margie Levine, Doug Phillips, Andrew Day, Peggy Sue Grow, Mary Serpa, Deborah Miller, Dorothy Lee, William MacKinnon, Mary Jefferson, Elizabeth Conte, Shane McCarthy, Mildred Wood, Violet Caldaroni, Frank Cote, James Bresnahan, Ann Mulray, Rita Mahan, Jackie Sullivan, Jean Babbin, Gerard Sarno, Dorothy Grant, Gretin Cervantes, Marisol O’Brien, Paul Pantano, Fran Ressetar, Cecelia Hines, Margaret Wright, Renee Chapman, Peter Bellini, Christine Gainer, Chris Ann Colletti, Helen McLaughlin, Paul Doherty, Jorge Loayza, Lauren Forgette, Chuck Kiernan, Margaret Coughlin, John McCarthy, Don Sabatand, Laura Mac Aulay, Bill Graham, Bob Remeika, Edward Semanko, Mary Hosford, Morgan Brady, Jane Eastham, Betty White and Dorothy Barton.  Please also remember in your prayers John Ruocco, nephew of Caroline Ruocco, Joe Kehs, cousin of Elizabeth Landman, and Don Costello, brother-in-law of Evelyn Cassara all of whom died this past week.

Whole Community Learning

St. Brigid’s will not have Religious Education Classes during the week of March 13^th because of Lexington Un-Plugged Day (March 16^th).  Lexington Un-Plugged is a day planned by the town where there will be nothing scheduled after school (not even homework) so that families can spend some quality time together.  In this spirit St. Brigid’s is planning a LENTEN FAMILY MINI-RETREAT on Sunday, March 13^th from 12:30-3:00 for parishioners of both St Brigid’s & Sacred Heart Parishes.  This day would include a light lunch, prayer and info-sessions (age appropriate for everyone in the family) about The Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  In order to do this we will need lots of help with everything!  If you’d like to assist in planning this event please call Jaye Russo at 781-862-8724

Lights, Camera…Lent

Bring your family and join us on the Saturdays of Lent for a film series (check the Lenten brochure for the rating of PG or PG13) and a meal of bread and soup.  We will begin at 6:00pm in the Parish Center beginning February 12^th.  Call Claire to reserve a spot, 781-862-4646.

Super Bowl Thank You!

The Super Bowl celebration was a huge success.  More than $1500 was raised for the Honduran Mission.  A special thank you to all contributors, participants and workers who made it such a wonderful evening.  We will be presenting a check for this and all donations to the mission on February 21^st upon our arrival in Honduras.

9:00 – Monday, Feb. 14^th -                              Helen Vasalli

Shades of Ireland

We are going to Ireland!  Would you like to join us?  We are limited to 20 people on this trip and spaces are filling up fast!!!  Stop by the office and pick up “your” brochure for a great trip with Father Colletti!  Departure date is July 29, 2005.  Don’t miss out on this fabulous trip.  Get your deposit in ASAP!!!!!

Offertory for February 12^th & 6^th            $5322.00

Envelope Offerings                         $4770.00

Loose Cash                                            $ 552.00

St. John/St. Hugh               $ 422.00

Boston College Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry

A workshop titled Pre-Marital Chastity: Why Waiting is Worth It will be given on Wednesday, February 23^rd at 4:30 to 9:00pm; $35, includes a light dinner.  Call Maureen Lamb at 800-487-1167 x8057 e-mail lambmb@bc.edu to register.

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