Please take advantage of the following programs we offer for our adult parishioners:
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Rite of Christian Initiation ~ RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a program for those 17+ who wish to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, and/or Confirmation. For more information and to register, please contact Fr. Wayne at (781-326-0550). Classe Schedule is as follows:
Thursday, January 9th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, January 23rd at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, February 6th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, February 27th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, March 13th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, March 27th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, April 10th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Please note Adult Confirmation is Holy Saturday, April 19th at 7:00 pm
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Catholic Men’s Night
Join your brothers in the parish for a Christmas celebration in the rectory. We will gather at 6:00 pm on Friday, December 20th for dinner and activities. This is open to all men 21+ in the parish. Join us for food, libations, cigars, and plenty of laughs!!!!
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Connected in Christ
St. Mary’s Ministry for those 40 to 65ish.
Our next gathering will be Saturday, December 21st beginning at 6:00 pm in the rectory. Come and celebrate an evening of Christmas Cheer. For more information, please contact Nancy at: nlmccormick4@gmail .com
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Parish Book Club
Our next Parish Book Club selection is He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ. We will meet January 30, 2025 at 4:00 in the parish library. Taken as a Vatican spy by a Russian army during World War II, Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent twenty-three agonizing years in Soviet labor camp in Siberia. Only through an utter reliance on God’s will did he manage to endure the extreme hardship. He tells of the courage he found in prayer – a courage that eased his loneliness, pain, fears, and despair. And through that experience he was able to turn the adverse forces of circumstance into a means of drawing closer to God. He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all to greater faith and trust in God—even in our darkest hour.
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The Liturgy of the Hours ~ The Divine Office
Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in the St. Joseph Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel as we sing/pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation.
Please join us Wednesday evenings for this rich and beautiful treasure of the Church.
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The Ten Commandments
I. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before Me.
As Catholics we worship the one true God ~ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2086 states: “When we say ‘God’ we confess a constant, unchangeable being, always the same, faithful and just, without any evil.” But can we actually have other ‘gods’ in our lives?
The Catechism warns of things which impede our worship of God alone: superstition, idolatry, magic, divination which is the seeking after knowledge of future or hidden things by inadequate means. These means being recourse to satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices are falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
Anything that we put before God in our lives ~ money, power, material things, etc. ~ has the potential to become a ‘god’ to us, thus causing us to violate the First Commandment. ~ Gus Lloyd
II. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
“The Second Commandment prescribes respect for the Lord’s name.” (CCC #2142) This perhaps is the most abused of the Commandments since it is often done out of habit by so many without even thinking about it: “Respect for His name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God Himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes.” (CCC #2144)
The numerous offenses are not only the way we use the name of God and Jesus, but also the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. Many do so without even thinking that they may be breaking a commandment. The Catechism also warns against blasphemy, misusing God’s name in promises/oaths; such as, “I swear to God!” Breaking an oath/promise using God’s name, as in a court, is perjury, another offense against the Second Commandment. Speaking of God is something the Christian must always do. But using the name of God must always be done with the utmost reverence. ~ Gus Lloyd
III. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.
God insisted that His people rest on the Sabbath. The Third Commandment means not just rest, but worship: “The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship ’as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.’” {CCC #2176}
For Catholics, attending Holy Mass is an integral part of this Commandment. Intentionally, skipping Holy Mass is a mortal sin: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (sickness, care of an infant or infirmed, etc.) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit grace sin.” {CCC #2181} The Church requires that one refrain from doing unnecessary work on Sunday. ~ Gus Lloyd
IV. Honor your father and your mother
Parenting has always been a very difficult job. Every parent has had their successes and failures. Sometimes the relationships between parents and children can be broken. Nevertheless, honor and respect, must always be given to our parents: “Respecting this Commandment provides, along with spiritual fruits, temporal fruits of peace and prosperity. Conversely, failure to observe it brings great harm to communities and individuals.” {CCC #2200}
The Catechism expands this idea of honor and respect to the greater society and includes sections on the duties of civil authorities: “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person.” {CCC #2237} On the duties of citizens: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.” {CCC #2239}.
The Fourth Commandment is a call to give honor and respect to all authority, beginning with the bedrock of society, the family. ~ Gus Lloyd
V. You shall not kill.
“Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.” {CCC #2258} “Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the Fifth Commandment: ‘Do not slay the innocent and the righteous. {CCC #2261}
The Catechism goes on to explain those things which violate the Fifth Commandment such as intentional homicide, abortion, euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide. The Catechism, in all of this, speaks about the spirit of the Fifth Commandment that goes much deeper than just taking a human life; it addresses avoiding scandal, respecting the human body, and guidelines for scientific research. ~ Gus Lloyd
VI. You shall not commit adultery
As with all the Commandments, this commandment encompasses much more than a single act. Regarding the martial act: “The union of a man and woman in marriage is a way of imitating in the flesh God’s, the Creator’s, generosity and fecundity; ‘therefore, a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.’ All human generations proceed from this union.” {CCC 2335}
The Sixth Commandment is about chastity and the Catechism lists numerous offenses against chastity. The Catechism, also, includes a section of the ‘Love of Husband and Wife’ which speaks beautifully of the martial union: “The married couple forms ‘the intimidate partnership of life and love established by God and governed by His laws. In the martial act, both give themselves definitively and totally to each other.” {CCC 2364} ~ Gus Lloyd
VII. You shall not steal
“The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of another and wronging others in any way with respect to goods. It commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men’s labor. For the sake of the common good, it requires respect for the universal destination of goods and respect for the right to private property. Christian life strives to order this world’s goods to God and to fraternal charity.” {CCC #2401}
As with all the commandments, the Catechism speaks of a wide range of topics in the section on the Seventh Commandment, not just theft. Offenses against the Seventh Commandment include: “deliberate retention of goods lent or of objects lost; business fraud; paying unjust wages; forcing up prices by taking advantage of the ignorance or hardship of another.” {CCC # 2409}
It speaks of the importance of keeping promises and honoring contracts and “forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason . . . lead to the enslavement of human beings.” {CCC #2414}
It is also here that Social Doctrine of the Church is laid out. It is lengthy and comprehensive but may be summed up in this: “Any system in which social relationships are determined entirely by economic factors is contrary to the nature of the human person and his acts.” {CCC #2423} ~ Gus Lloyd
VIII. You shall not steal
The section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC} on the Eighth Commandment begins with this summary: “The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations of the covenant.” {CCC #2464}
Offenses against the Eighth Commandment include false witness and perjury, or lying under oath; rash judgement, believing the worst of another with no or insufficient evidence; detraction, disclosing antoher’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them; calumny, lying about another to harm their reputation, and boasting or bragging.
And of course the most direct offense against the truth, lying. The Catechism tells us: “The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.” {CCC #2484}
Finally, we are called to right the wrongs we have done through offenses to the Eighth Commandment, what the Catechism refers to as “the duty of reparation:” “This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another’s reputation [and] must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.” {CCC #2487} ~ Gus Lloyd
IX. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
Each of the Commandments call for deeper reflection of the heart, the Ninth & Tenth Commandments focus on our thoughts rather than just concrete actions. They are all about the disposition of the heart.
“Covet” is to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. It is fine to admire; yet, when that admiration turns to wrongful desire, then you have broken the Commandment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC}, in its sections on the Ninth and Tenth Commandments, speaks of concupiscence, which is synonymous with lust.
In the section titled: “The Battle for Purity,” we read: “the baptized must continue to struggle against concupiscence of the flesh and disordered desires. With God’s grace he will prevail by the virtue and gift of chastity; by purity of intention; by purity of vision; and by prayer.” {CCC #2520}
Finally, the Catechism speaks of modesty: “Purity requires modesty. Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity.” {CCC #2521} ~ Gus Lloyd
X. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods
In its section on the Tenth Commandment, the Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC} begins: “The tenth commandment unfolds and completes the ninth, which is concerned with concupiscence of the flesh. It forbids coveting the goods of another, as the root of theft, robbery, and fraud, which the seventh commandment forbids. “Lust of the eyes” leads to the violence and injustice forbidden by the fifth commandment. Avarice, like fornication, originates in the idolatry prohibited by the first three prescriptions of the Law. The tenth commandment concerns the intentions of the heart; with the ninth, it summarizes all the precepts of the Law.” {CCC #2534}
It is not wrong to desire nice things. “In fact the Catechism states: “It is not a violation of this commandment to desire to obtain things that belong to one’s neighbor, provided this is done by just means.” {CCC #2537}
Violations of the Tenth Commandment include: “greed and the desire to amass earthly goods without limit; avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power, and envy, a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly. {CCC #2536-2540}
In the spiritual life it is important to not be attached to the things of this world: “Detachment from riches is necessary for entering the Kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” {CCC #2556} ~ Gus Lloyd
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The Monica Hour
Nothing is far from God!
Please join us in St. Joseph’s Chapel each Monday from 6:00-7:00 pm for the Monica Hour. We will pray for our loved ones who have strayed from the faith. You may give a request for somebody in particular to Ann Stano or Nancy McCormick at: nlmccormick4@gmail.com. All names submitted are kept confidential
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Porters of St. Joseph
The Porters of Saint Joseph are a volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate St. Joseph as the Protector of the Holy Church, Pillar of Families, and Terror of Demons. We do this by providing a safe environment at our parishes so the faithful can worship God in peace and security. We build teams of faithful men who have felt the call to get involved but have not yet found the opportunity to put their courageous, heroic, masculine heart at the service of their parish, while at the same time, forming a bond of Christian brotherhood with like-minded men. For more information contact Fr. Wayne.
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The League of St. Joan of Arc
The League of Saint Joan of Arc is a volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate St. Joan of Arc as Protector of the Holy Church and Guide of Families. We do this by providing a safe environment at our parish so the faithful can worship God in peace and security. We build teams of faithful women who have felt the call to get involved but have not yet found the opportunity to put their courageous and compassionate hearts at the service of the parish, while at the same time, forming a bond of Christian sisterhood. For more information contact Fr. Wayne.
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St. Mary’s Library & Book Store
The Library is located on the first floor of the Parish Center. It is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Come check out new arrivals to the collection. You are welcome to take books home, to the Chapel, or even stay in the air-conditioned room to read.
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Divine Mercy Devotions
Join us Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. as we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together before the newly installed Divine Mercy image on the outside front wall of the Parish Center. We will have copies of the devotion available.
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Tuesday Gospel Study
Our weekly Gospel Study is Tuesday mornings (11am –noon). If you have considered joining us to become better acquainted with the Sunday Gospels, this is your chance to join in. No commitment or prior knowledge of Scripture Study is required; we learn and share together in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Jesus waits for you ~ Let your heart be moved by Him!
He waits to see you and longs for your friendship.
He waits to hear your needs and concerns.
He waits to encounter your love and is present in the Eucharist and in every person you meet.
Pray to Him daily ~ Visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration.
Consider giving the Lord one hour a week, it will be time well spent. If you would like to sign up for an hour please visit the Perpetual Adoration website:
http://adorationpro.org/maryma
ADORATION IS IN THE CHAPEL DAILY FROM 6:00 A.M. TO 11:00 P.M.
Outside St. Joseph’s Chapel are Posted of Eucharistic Miracles. Take a moment and see these great miracles of the Faith. The posters are changed periodically.
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Catholic Social Justice Ministry
Bringing dignity to our vulnerable through
Awareness – Prayer – Action
A Child is Born
“…Most blessed are you among women,
Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb.”
-Luke 1:42
🌟
For
Unto us a
Child is Born
Unto to us a Son Is Given,
and the Government shall be
Upon His Name and He shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father,
Prince of Peace!
-Isaiah 9:6
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Join St. Mary’s Parish on Friday, December 27th at 12:10 pm for our 9th Holy Novena Mass for The Unborn honoring Mary & Joseph’s “Yes” to an unexpected Child.
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St. Mary’s 2024 Thanksgiving Special
Click on the link below to see The St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Special.
A St. Mary’s Blessed Thanksgiving
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St. Mary’s 2023 Christmas Special
Click on the link below to see the First Annual St. Mary’s Christmas Special.
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
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