Parish of the Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Melrose and Saugus

The Sixth Sunday of Easter May 9, 2021

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)

Incarnation Parish Bulletin

The SixthSunday of Easter May 9, 2021

Good Morning!As I look back and remember my First Communion back at Saint Anthony de Padua Parish in South Bend, Indiana, I can’t remember much about the Mass itself or even the reception at our house that followed except the suit my mom bought for me for the occasion. Father Steve recounted last week about how he was commanded not to get his shoes dirty by his mother. For me, it was my white clip-on tie that my mother put the fear of God into me to keep clean. I’m pretty sure she still has that tie saved in a scrapbook somewhere. (Unlike Ann, any photographic evidence of the day will have to wait; my parents are traveling and any photo albums with me in my First Communion suit are hundreds of miles away in Texas at the moment.) Still, I can’t help but wonder if I was destined to become a Director of Music Ministry from the age of 7. What I do remember was this – at Saint A’s, and for me in particular, First Communion was a sort of rite of passage, which makes sense since it’s one of the three Sacraments of Initiation.

Having received my First Communion meant two things to my second-grade self. First off, it meant that I could start training to be an Altar Boy. (This was still a couple of years before Altar Servers became a ministry open to girls as well.) But more importantly, it meant I was eligible to start singing in the school children’s choir. At Saint Anthony’s, there was a weekday Mass Monday through

Friday, and all of the students attended twice a week. Two grades each on Monday-Thursday, and each Friday was an all-school Mass, complete with the school choir. Since as long as I can remember, my parents sang in the choir on Sunday mornings, this opportunity to sing in the school choir at Mass every week was a big deal, at least to me. And who knows? There’s a strong chance that without that experience singing in church those many years ago, I might not be where I am today, doing what I love and serving God’s people in the process.

Happy First Communion Day to all those receiving this weekend!

Shawn

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin

FINANCIAL REPORTThanks to all of you who have been giving online!Use the following link to sign up for Online Giving!https://www.myowngiving.com/Default.aspx?cid=45

Week of April 26 – May 2, 2021Offertory: $5365.00

BOSTON CATHOLIC APPEALWe are pleased to share that even during these difficult times, Incarnation Parish has raised$14,480.00 toward our 2021 Catholic Appeal goal of $32,280.67. Our heartfelt thanks to all who have helped make our campaign a success so far. Whether you are attending Mass in person or watching from home, we invite you to join me in supporting the Catholic Appeal. If you have not received a Catholic Appeal letter or email request, donations can be made on line at www.bostoncatholicappeal.org Every gift, regardless of the size, is meaningful and can make an impact. This is our Church and when you support the Appeal, you support us!

MILESTONES Please remember family and friends in need of prayer, especially Sarah Fradkin, Bill Connors, Maureen, Irene Lawless, Perry Brown, Betty Howard, Stephen Gaeta, Jim R., Ted Ayotte, Robert Burke, Sandra W., John Anderson, April Crouse, Adele Maciejowski, Colleen Sullivan, Debbie Saschuk, Julia G., Donna Correia, Sandra V., Don Marsden, Georgia Rose Okerholm, Donna Page, Denise, Sr. Mary Shaun, Nicholas Ward, Frank Zizzo, Helen Staunton, Domenic DeLuca, Maia DeLuca, Joseph Connelly, Anita V., Leona Dewhurst, Jacqueline, Chuck Giorgio, Kathleen O’Neill, Thomas M., Michael Lester, Sydni Simpson Garrity, Carole R. , Patricia Zibroski, Anthony S., Janice T., John Maciejowski, Helen Giorgio, Andrew Reczeck, Frank Stankavish, Susan D. April Joyce D., Joshua B., Janelle Hodges, Chris T., Michael L , Cathy Supple,Gina Distefano, Kay Birkmaier, Maria, Kevin M., Marilyn Williams, Abigail Bemis, Stephen Patrick Donahue, and parishioners facing surgery.

If there is anyone you wish to add to the prayer list, please contact the rectory.

Please note: All names will remain on our Prayer List and will be prayed for unless our office is notified to remove an individual.

JAMES FIELD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPThanks to our golf tournament and donations made in memory of Fr. Jim Field, the parish is prepared to make awards annually to graduating seniors. A letter of application including a description of engagement in church

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin life and community activities,as well as details of achievement and goals for college is required. Seniors are asked to send their letter to Fr. Steve by June 10.

FIRST COMMUNIONCongratulations to the following children who received First Communion this weekend!

May 8Raegan CaseyBrynn Good Mia Kimmel 

Wyatt KoerberElla Mirek

Lauren RappaKevin RappaMolly Reilly

Julia SaccociaRocco TalieriMatteo Talieri

Zoe Zafiropoulo

CALENDAR

May 9 9:30 a.m. Angie Fulginiti

May 15 4:30 p.m. Carol Aloi

May 16 9:30 a.m. Al Porcaro

BIG NEWS FOR INCARNATION CHOIR! As this summer approaches and things slowly begin to regain some semblance of normality, I am thrilled to announce that The Archdiocese of Boston has given parishes to resume choral and congregational singing as of Pentecost (May 23.) While certain restrictions remain in place (such as 6’ distancing and masks for the choir and a lack of worship aids or hymnals for the congregation,) this is a huge step forward for our parish community. I’m so excited that we can begin returning to our full, active, and conscious participation in the liturgy in the coming weeks. Our choir is equally anticipating this return after a hiatus stretching for over a year. Granted, most of our singers have become a little rusty from lack of practice, so what better time than now to consider joining us? Since we will be relearning and refreshing from the ground up, there’s no need to feel like you’d be forced to “catch up” to our seasoned regulars. We’re all going to be right there with you. And since we’re going into the summer ordinary season, rehearsals are going to be limited to Sundays, one hour prior to Mass (or 8:30.) No evening rehearsal commitments required!

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin  If you are a musician interested in playing for mass, either occasionally or on a regular basis, we would love to have you bless us with your music as well.  No matter what you play, your gifts and talents can be put to good use – bassists, violinists, guitarists, flautists, trumpeters, drummers – if you can play it, we want to hear it!  Please contact Shawn Gelzleichter at the parish office to set up a time to discuss your role in ministry here at Incarnation, or email sgelzleichter@gmail.com to set up a time to meet and assess how your gifts can be put to good use here at your parish. Finally, because of distancing requirements, space really is limited. Please don’t let that stop you, though – just be sure to call or email ahead of time so we can be sure to make all necessary accommodations for your joining us. We look forward to hearing and singing with you all very soon!

CATHOLIC TV SCHEDULE

DAILY MASS9:30am LIVE, 12:30pm,7pm and 11:30pm CatholicTV Mass Celebrants* :

 Sunday, May 9Cardinal Sean O'MalleyBoston Monday, May 10Father Joseph BoafoQuincy Tuesday, May 11Father Thomas CarzonBoston Wednesday, May 12Father Carlos SuarezStoughton Thursday, May 13Bishop Robert P. ReedWest Region/Watertown Friday, May 14Father Eric CadinBraintree Saturday, May 15Father Ixon Chateau Divine OfficeDaily9am Morning Prayer9pm Evening Prayer RosaryMon-Sat 10am & 6:30pmSun 9:30am & 6:30pm  Chaplet of Divine Mercy:Daily, 3pm *Celebrants subject to change

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTERTo support married couples during this time of social distancing, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is sponsoring virtual marriage experiences. Some are on weekends and are seven sessions on weekdays from 7:00pm to 9:30pm.   Couples will explore their individual personality styles, improve listening and communication skills, understand God’s plan for their marriage, and learn how to keep their relationship a priority.  Registration is limited and a $100 application fee is required. For more information or to apply, call at or visit them at https://wwmema.org/.Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers! Allow Jesus to be Lord of your marriage relationship.@nbsp; The next English Worldwide Marriage Encounter experiences are            Thursdays/Mondays Jun 3-24             see website

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:  OUR COMMON HOME -- EQUITY FOR ALL.  Sat. May 15, 11-12:30 (part of series on racial justice from the Social Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese of Boston).  Opening remarks by Cardinal Séan O'Malley, Keynote speaker is Rev. Mariama White-Hammond.  Rev. Mariama is an inspirational speaker and has just been appointed as Chief of the Environment, Energy, and Open Space for the city of Boston.  Panelists include Dr. Marcos Luna from Greenroots Chelsea and Fran Ludwig from the Boston Catholic Climate Movement.  Our speakers will share campaigns that you can engage in.  Register for a free Zoom link https://tinyurl.com/EJ-May15.

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTERMAY 9, 2021

Gone for Good?Imagine the emotional turmoil inside the disciples.

First he was here. Then he was gone. Then he was here again. And then he was gone for good. Jesus.

Let’s look.• “First he was here. Then he was gone.” They

had lived with Jesus in his public life and they loved it. They thought it would last forever. Not so. Abruptly he was gone. They were not at all prepared for the enormity of his torture and killing, the destruction of their lives, of their friend and their Lord.

Gone, gone, gone, gone.

• “Then he was here again.” We know how difficult his resurrection was for the apostles. They doubted it and rejected it, even as the women welcomed it with full hearts. He appeared many times and kindly helped his followers to accept the fact that he was alive again.

• “And then he was gone for good.” When they had gotten used to his new presence, guess what. The Ascension took place. This presented the obvious question. Does the story really end with Jesus being “gone, gone, gone,” ascended to heaven? The point of God's taking flesh had been to show how completely present he is to us always, living in our material world. So has he now absented himself forever? Are we back to where we started?

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin You and I must look for the answer, because it contains the entire Christian reality. We can do it using the readings for this Sunday.

Look upon the First Reading as a continuation of Jesus’ frequent talks about how he will send the Holy Spirit to us (Paraclete, Teacher, Comforter), after he has ascended to the Father. All who believe and who open their hearts will receive the Spirit.Stay with this line of reasoning.

What is the Spirit? Is it simply a dose of “grace” that we earn or receive in order to be holy? Or that Jesus and the Father sent to give us a break? Or a “help”? Or some kind of power coming from God?

Listen well: the Holy Spirit is all of these and none of these. The Spirit is:

GOD.

Not just a representative of God, not just a descending dove, not even just a point of fire over our heads. It is the complete, true reality of God. And it is marked forever by Jesus' entire life, death and resurrection.

This Spirit quietly makes us able to say yes to faith. Not by brutalizing us or overriding us. The Second Reading and the Gospel are all about what I call

“respectful love.” I define respectful love as that love which never over-powers us

but always respects our choice(s). Rather than a dictator, the Spirit wants to be a companion in our lives, esteeming our being, not contradicting it, bringing out what is most truly our own self.

So Jesus is with us by means of the presence of his Spirit in us.

He hopes we will accept his offer of this Spirit. If we do, our souls mingle with God's own reality and we become new flesh for the incarnate

God.

This is called the mystical body of Christ on earth.

Your reply? Well great, but why am I so weak in belief, so far from Christ, so prone to sin? This Holy Spirit must be pretty anemic.

No, and again, here is the reason.

The Spirit always waits, waits, waits for us to open to Jesus’ life. Jesus is not gone, he is inside us, knocking at our inner door. We can say no. But we can also say yes with our lives.

Through respectful love.

John Foley, SJFr. John Foley, SJ, is a composer and scholar at Saint Louis University.

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin

PERSPECTIVE OF JUSTICE

No Distinction The theme of the two readings (First Reading and Gospel) from John is love, and in the opening prayer we pray that we might “express in our lives the love we celebrate.” The Johannine formula, used in both 1 John and the Gospel, is: “Love one another.”

One might interpret this formula in terms of a false understanding of the Hebrew law: Love those who belong to your group and stay away from outsiders. The reading from Acts, however, makes it clear that we are to love everyone without exception, for “God shows no partiality”and we are to pattern our love after God’s love.

The generosity of the Spirit surprised the circumcised believers accompanying Peter. They had grown up believing that God favors some people over others.

They are not unlike the people of our day who look down on others, regarding as inferior all those whom they consider “Gentiles” (= outsiders): African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, women, gays, the handicapped, the poor. Such favoritism does not bind the Spirit of God.

The Spirit will rescue the “insiders” from their hidden atheism by revealing God’s love to everyone. Liberation for the “outsiders” will also come from the Spirit, not from any action by the “insiders.”

We cannot in truthfulness call upon that God who is the Father of all if we refuse to act in a brotherly

way toward certain men, created though they be to God’s image.

A man’s relationship with God the Father and his relationship with his brother men are so linked together that Scripture says: ‘He who does not love does not know God’ (1 Jn 4:8).

The ground is therefore removed from every theory or practice which leads to a distinction between men or peoples in the matter of human dignity and the rights which flow from it.

As a consequence, the Church rejects, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion.

Vatican II, Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, 1965: 5.

Gerald Darring

Now published in book form, To Love and Serve: Lectionary Based Meditations, by Gerald Darring.

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Incarnation Parish Bulletin HOW TO FIND USAs a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Boston, we are committed to excellence in liturgy, service, hospitality, and life-long learning, all centered in Christ. 429 Upham Street, Melrose, MA 02176 Office: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm1-781-662-8844 Office1-781-662-9340 FAX e-mail: i.rectory@comcast.net website: www.incarnationmelrose.org Follow us on Twitter @IncParish Like us on Facebook!

PASTORAL and SUPPORT STAFF Fr. Steve Madden,Pastori.rectory@comcast.netFr. Michael Ssenfuma, Parochial Vicarmdssenfuma@gmail.comDeacon Bob Breendeaconbob2008@gmail.comAnn Lahiff, Director of Faith Formation AnnLahiff7@aol.comShawn Gelzleichter, Director of Music Ministriessgelzleichter@gmail.com Gina Distefano, Business Administratori.rectory@comcast.netBrother David E. Wiggin, C.F.X., Bookkeeper Jim Guiry, Maintenance ManagerDottie Ahlin, Household Assistant

LITURGY Mass Schedule~ Saturday 4:30; Sunday 9:30Daily Mass ~Thursday-Friday at 8:00.

SCRIPTURE STUDY Every Friday morning -meeting online via Zoom. Email Shawn if you would like to participate. Everyone is welcome in this lively and interesting forum.

RECONCILIATION by appointment.

JOINING THE PARISHNo matter what your journey has been, we want to be your companions for the next steps, to share the Gospel together and to help each other along the way.Please

introduce yourself to a staff member, or drop in for coffee on Sunday. You can register by calling or stopping by the rectory.

ADULT INITIATION, RCIAWe are always ready to begin the process by which an adult or older child becomes a Catholic, either by full initiation in baptism, or by reception into full communion. We are also happy to prepare you for adult Confirmation. Contact Deacon Bob Breen.

BAPTISM FOR INFANTSDue to Covid-19 all baptisms are private. Fr. Steve is the staff contact person for preparation.

GENERATIONS OF FAITHWe are a community of life-long learners. Our parish program of inter-generational learning and celebration of faith is called Generations of Faith. Contact:Ann Lahiff.

MARRIAGEThe engaged couple must contact the Rectory at least six months in advance, preferably a year ahead.

CARE OF THE SICK To arrange for the Sacrament of the Sick, for Holy Communion for the home-bound, or Viaticum for the Dying, please contact the parish office. It is always possible to anoint the sick during regularly scheduled liturgies. All you have to do is ask!

ORDER of CHRISTIAN FUNERALSWe will work with you to plan your own funeral liturgy or that of a loved one, and are prepared to celebrate the Vigil, also known as the “Wake,” in the Church building for those who choose.

BULLETIN INFORMATIONPlease contact Ann Lahiff at annlahiff7@aol.com with any questions, information or submissions for our bulletin.http://www.incarnationmelrose.orgTo view bulletin, click “Bulletin”, then “Incarnation Bulletins”

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