Our Pastor’s Message
The Center of Our Lives
By Father Jim
Each year, diocesan priests are asked by their bishop to make a retreat. Last month, in obedience to this request, I traveled to Transfiguration Hermitage in Windsor, Maine for a directed retreat with Sister Elizabeth Wagner. As many fellow parishioners may remember from her visits with us over the years, Sister Elizabeth, along with two other vowed women, are diocesan hermits who live largely guided by the Rule of Saint Benedict. So, I knew that my retreat would be infused with Benedictine spirituality and its emphasis on prayer and work.
Sister Elizabeth and I decided together that the retreat would be based on Robert Benson’s book, A Good Life, which calls readers and retreatants alike to strive for balance in our daily lives. Benson writes: “In order to see your life as a whole, you must first take it apart…The first thing to do is divide our lives into four pieces — prayer, rest, community, and work.” A good life is achieved when we are able to balance these four pieces on a daily basis. Needless to say, it is not easy!
Our first reading and discussion focused on prayer. Benson explains that thousands of years before Jesus walked the earth, God’s faithful people practiced a form of prayer that sought to both balance and sanctify the times or hours of the day: morning, evening, afternoon, and night. In the Christian tradition, we know this kind of prayer as the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours.
Then and now, this way of praying can help us to balance our spiritual lives with the various needs, labors, and obligations that also demand our time and attention. Benson writes: “To pray the office is to frame the day with praise and thanksgiving. It serves to make the worship of God the center of our life. It changes the focus of our prayers from the created to the Creator.”
At my ordination more than two decades ago, I promised to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day for the rest of my life. I do it, but it can be difficult to dedicate the time necessary to pray the hours with the devotion they deserve. Perhaps for this reason, this kind of prayer is sometimes called the Work of God. It is not prayer about me. It is prayer for God’s sake, for the Church’s sake, and for your sake. Benson explains that the Liturgy of the Hours can “frame the day with praise and thanksgiving” and helps to make prayer a more important part of our lives.
Indeed, Robert Benson makes clear that prayer is not just important. It is essential. He writes: “Prayer is not meant to be an attachment to the life that you live; it is meant to be the center of the life that you live.” For someone prone to prioritize work over everything else in life, this statement is all too challenging for me. But Benson is right. What good is our work? What good is our labor in the Lord’s vineyard? What good is our love for others if it is not inspired and balanced by a deep, faithful, and abiding love for God? How can we truly love others if we fail to first fall in love with God?
Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com
Note: Father Jim’s reflections on A Good Life will continue next week with a focus on rest.
Let’s Pray Together!
A Franciscan Night Prayer
assisiproject.com/prayer
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (9-8-24)
Bringing Home the Word (9-8-24)
The Kids Bulletin (9-8-24)
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Call to Prayer
A Song of Hope
From the Liturgy of the Hours – Psalm 16
Thursday Night Prayer
Preserve me God,
I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my God.
My happiness lies in you alone.’
He has put into my heart a marvelous love
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows.
Never will I offer their offerings of blood.
Never will I take their name upon on my lips.
O Lord, it is you
who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body will rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness forever.
Glory to the Father,
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Pray: The Liturgy of the Hours
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Mother of Grace Club
Annual Mass & Benediction
Sunday, September 8th
The Mother of Grace Club invites all members, friends, and fellow parishioners within and beyond the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport to join us for our Annual Mass in Commemoration of the Nativity of the Blessed Mother on Sunday, September 8th at 8:15am in Saint Ann Church. After Mass, we will pray the Holy Rosary during a period of Eucharistic Adoration and conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In preparation for this Mass, we will pray a nightly novena beginning on Friday, August 30th at 7:00pm at the Mother of Grace Club on Washington Street in Gloucester. For more information about these special events and the good work of the Mother of Grace Club in our community, please contact Margherita at 978-281-0012. Please join us! Bring a friend! All are invited! All are welcome!
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Our Lady’s Guild
Celebrating 80 Years
Serving Since 1944
For eight decades, Our Lady’s Guild has worked to build community among women of all ages in Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish through prayer, good works, social activities, and fundraising events. The Guild begins its 80th Anniversary Year by inviting all members, friends, and fellow parishioners to join us for Mass on Saturday, September 7th at 6:00pm in Our Lady’s Church. During Mass, board members will be recognized and all members will receive a blessing from our pastor. Our opening free dinner is scheduled for Monday, September 9th at 6:30pm in Our Lady’s Hall. Please RSVP by contacting Cecelia Doucette at 978-281-2031. For more information about Our Lady’s Guild and its good work in our beloved parish, please contact Beth Fosberry at jcbf33@yahoo.com. New members are always welcome!
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Youth Faith Formation
First Holy Communion Preparation
Begins Sunday, September 22nd
The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport offers a creative and innovative way for children to prepare for the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Confession) and First Holy Communion (Eucharist). Our program is designed to prepare both children and their parents for the sacraments, encourage lifelong relationships with Jesus and the Catholic Church, and help each and every family grow together in prayer, fellowship, and service.
First, we focus on inviting families to attend one of our six weekend Masses. Second, all second grade students and their parents or guardians are asked to attend seven Young Disciples Workshops in Our Lady’s School and seven Faith Family Workshops in Our Lady’s Church.
During our Young Disciples Workshops, the children will gather with Betsy Works and a team of dedicated catechists and volunteers. At our Faith & Family Workshops, Father Jim leads the whole family in sessions that focus on some important aspect of the sacraments and their relationship with the sacred scriptures.
At both workshops, the children and their parents will learn about the Bible, the Mass, the Eucharist, and the meaning of penance and reconciliation by reading children’s literature and engaging in hands-on activities like arts and crafts, food and music, and prayer.
All students, beginning in the second grade, are invited to participate in our program. And all families with children eligible for our program are encouraged to attend a Family Mass & Meeting on Sunday, September 22nd beginning at 11:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. At this meeting, parents can complete a registration form and receive our complete schedule for the year.
If you have questions or need more information about youth faith formation in Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, please contact Betsy Works at bworks@ccgronline.com. Please pray for our young disciples and their families! Peace and blessings to all! All are invited! All are welcome!
Learn More: Eucharist (Short Video)
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Adult Faith Formation
The Way
Begins Sunday, October 6th
I am the way, the truth, and the life. — John 14:6
The Way was the among the earliest names for the followers of the Risen Christ. The Way also appears as a biblical reference for the earliest Christian communities in the Acts of the Apostles. In addition, tradition teaches that both before and after his conversion, Saint Paul referred to the disciples of Christ as part of The Way. More than two thousand years later, Catholic Christians are still part of the Way of Jesus Christ. But as we all know, a life of discipleship is not a hobby or pastime. It is a vocation, a way of life that lays claim to our whole heart, mind, and strength. As disciples, our lives should be focused on and inspired by our faith in Christ, who is our merciful redeemer, friend, and brother. And as his disciples, we are called to reach out to those who need our help in growing closer to Christ and the Church.
If you are an adult (age 18 and over) and have not received all of the Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation), then please consider joining The Way, a new adult faith formation program that will begin this fall. The Way (typically called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is a seven month program that prepares adults to be received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. As part of this same program, we will prepare adults for the Sacra- ment of Confirmation (to be received at either the Easter Vigil or at a regional archdiocesan celebration). Other parishioners who have received the Sacraments and are interested in renewing their spiritual lives are also very welcome to join us!
Beginning on October 6th, our group will gather on the first and second Sunday mornings of each month for Mass at 8:15am in Saint Ann Church, followed by fellowship, formation, and faith sharing. As a community of disciples, we will learn together about the basic beliefs, teachings, and traditions of the Church; and we will explore the methods of prayer and spirituality that have brought centuries of believers closer to Christ Jesus and to the Church. In addition, we will talk openly and honestly about the challenges of living an authentic life of faith, hope, and love in the modern world. If you would like to learn more about this journey of faith and become part of a unique fellowship in preparation for the sacraments of God’s Church, then please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@ccgronline.com. Please join us! Spread the word! All are invited! All are welcome!
Learn More: Confirmation (Short Video)
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Living The Gospel
Sacrament of Baptism
Basis of the Whole Christian Life
The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church. The two others are Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism, we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission (CCC 1213).” During August, Father Jim baptized the following young disciples:
Nolan Patrick Connolly
Callum Kaito Hall
Grayson Mitchell Markowitz
Rose Mae Prestigiovanni
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated during any Sunday Mass at 10:00am in Saint Joachim Church; on the second Saturday of the month at 11:30am in Saint Ann Church; and on the third Saturday of the month at 11:30am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. For more information about having your child or grandchild baptized in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Sheila McCarthy-Durkin at smccarthy@ccgronline.com.
As a community united in prayer, fellowship, and service, we pray for all of our newly baptized young disciples; and for all of their parents, godparents, and grandparents! Peace, blessings, and congratulations to all!
Watch: Baptism (One Minute Video)
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Words of Wisdom
From Saint Benedict
Let us open our eyes to the light
that comes from God
and our ears to the voice from heaven
that every day calls out this charge:
If you hear his voice today,
do not harden your hearts.
From the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Joy is a sign of generosity. — Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Electronic giving has become an essential part of parish support in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport; and it is available in both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. It is safe and easy to make online donations to your home parish using a credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
Donations can be made on a weekly, monthly, or one-time only basis; and it takes just a few minutes to set up a secure personal account. In addition to the weekly offering, you can also give electronically to our church restoration funds which help us plan for the repair and maintenance of our four beloved and historic churches.
Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish always need your generous support! Please prayerfully considering enrolling in our electronic giving program! For more information about creating a new account or assistance with an existing account, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Peace, blessings, and sincere thanks to all!
Support Holy Family Parish
Support Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
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About Us
Established in 2014, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport is a collaborative of two historic parishes: Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. Working together as a family united in prayer, fellowship, and service, we are committed to living the Gospel of Christ, sharing God’s love and mercy with all people, and rebuilding the Church in Gloucester & Rockport. All are invited! All are welcome! Always!
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