SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONSERVICE WORSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE

Website—www.stedwardbowie.com Newsletter—June 14, 2020Father Scott Holmer, Pastor

Maureen Curtis, Director of Religious Education(301) 249-9199 ext 1 Monday through Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm

religioused@stedwardbowie.com (this will be the best way to reach me) LIKE SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR ON FACEBOOK

Upcoming Dates to remember ALL CHURCH ACTIVTIES INCLUDING MASS ARE CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER

NOTICE; I will keep you informed of any changes or updates. You can also go to our website – www.stedwardbowie.com – for the latest information

All have a dispensation from their Sunday obligation; I encourage you, however, to keep Sunday holy through family prayer and watching the Mass on TV or live streaming it on your computer, phone or tablet. Our website – www.stedwardbowie.com – has all of this information.

Father Scott will now be having Reconciliation in the church. He will be hearing Confessions on Saturdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm in the classroom area of church. There will be “ushers” on hand to direct you. Please go to the rear of the church to enter through the door where CCD classes are held.

Here is a link to Father Scott’s next video; it is on the fifth day of creation: https://youtu.be/KOWRbx5vEiw

Sunday is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus, also known as Corpus Christi. Attached are some activity pages for both younger and middle school students from the Archdiocese.Also attached is a prayer to end racism from Archbishop Gregory.

PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED LETTER FROM MAUREEN, BETHANY AND DAN - it addresses the plans for starting classes in the Fall.REGISTRATION FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEGUN – the deadline to register before late fees apply is June 30. I have sent the information via email and it will be on the parish website: www.stedwardbowie.com. I am also attaching the information. I recommend, however, that you register on-line. Please do not let the inability to pay at this time prevent you from registering; we can arrange flexible payment arrangements. AS OF TODAY, JUNE 12, I HAVE ONLY HAD A FEW FAMILIES REGISTER.

Saint Days June 14 – June 20June 14 – Saint Albert ChmielowskiJune 15 – Saint Marguerite d’YouvilleJune 16 – Saint John Francis RegisJune 17 – Saint Joseph CafassoJune 18 – Venerable Matt TalbotJune 19 – Saint Romuald June 20 – Saint Paulinus of Nola

Please go to www.franciscanmedia.org to learn about the saints. At this website you can sign up for an email delivery for the “Saint of the Day.” Also check these saints out on the Loyola Press website – www.loyolapress.com. Learn about and reflect on the saints as a family during this period where we will be staying home for greater lengths of time.

SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONSERVICE WORSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE

WELCOME BETHANY AND DAN MEOLA!!! Father Scott introduced, via the Edwardian Newsletter, the new Directors of Religious Education. They are Bethany and Dan Meola. They have recently joined our parish with their 2 baby girls. I have been working with Bethany and Dan for the last few weeks to help with the transition. It has been a pleasure and I know I am leaving you all in good hands! I will leave it to them to introduce themselves to you once they take over on July 1.

June 14 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of ChristSunday, June 14, is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The First Reading is from Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16b (Moses tells the people to remember how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt). The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 (Praise God, Jerusalem). The Second Reading is from 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (Though many, we are one body when we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ). The Gospel is from John 6:51-58 (Jesus says, “I am the living bread.”). You can find these all the readings for everyday of the year on the United States Bishop’s Conference web site – www.usccb.org; there is a tab at the top of the page for “Readings”. The following reflection on Gospels come from the website for our textbooks – www.loyolapress.com. I encourage you to look at this website. Background on the Gospel Reading This Sunday we celebrate a second solemnity during this period of Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This day was once called Corpus Christi, which is Latin for “Body of Christ.” In the revised Lectionary the name for this day is expanded to reflect more completely our Eucharistic theology.Today’s Gospel is taken from the Gospel according to John. The reading is part of a discourse between Jesus and a crowd of Jews. The discourse comes shortly after the miracle of Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes. In John’s Gospel, miracles such as this are identified as “signs” through which people come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. These signs are followed by dialogue, or discourse that interprets and explains the miracle. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves is said to have occurred near Passover, thus linking it to the Exodus story and God’s saving action toward the Israelites.Having seen Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes, the crowd pursues him, perhaps seeking more food but also looking for another sign. Jesus tells the crowd that he is the bread of life. He explains that just as God gave the Israelites manna to sustain them in the desert, so now God has sent new manna that will give eternal life. It is in this context that Jesus repeats those words in today’s Gospel and tells them again that he is the living bread that came down from heaven.Jesus’ words are not well understood by the crowd; they argue that Jesus is not from heaven but born of Mary and Joseph. The crowd also has trouble understanding how Jesus could give them his flesh to eat. Jesus tells them that when they eat his flesh and drink his blood, they will remain

SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONSERVICE WORSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE

forever connected to him. These are difficult words, but they are important because they seek to show us our intimate connection with Jesus.This is the mystery that is at the heart of our Eucharistic theology. In the elements of bread and wine, Jesus’ Body and Blood are truly present. When we share in the Body and Blood of Christ, Jesus himself comes to dwell within us. This communion with the Lord makes us one body, brings us eternal life, and sends us forth to be Christ’s Body in the world.Family ConnectionOur faith teaches us that when we gather to celebrate Mass, Jesus is present to us. The bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is what we mean by the word transubstantiation: Jesus makes himself present to all who receive the Body and Blood of Christ.If there are children in your family who have already celebrated their First Holy Communion, invite them to share their memories of this special day. If there are family photos taken on this occasion, bring them out and share them together. Adults in the family may also share memories or photos that they have of their First Communion. Then read together today’s Gospel, John 6:51–58. Reflect together on what Jesus means when he calls himself the “living bread.” Recall that every time we receive the Eucharist, Jesus keeps the promise he made in today’s Gospel—those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will remain forever connected to him. Perhaps family members can share what it means for them to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Together thank God for this gift of Holy Communion. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer or today’s Psalm.

Gospel ActivitiesGo to the Catholic Mom website – www.catholicmom.com for coloring pages and puzzles for this Sunday’s Gospel – look under “Sunday Gospel Activities. Another resource for Gospel activities is the Franciscan website – www.franciscanmedia.org. You can subscribe to a weekly newsletter that has Gospel reflections and activities. Saint of the Week This week I am highlighting Saint Marguerite of d’Youville; her feast day in June 15. The following reflection is from the Franciscan website – www.franciscanmedia.org.

Saint Marguerite d’YouvilleSaint of the Day for June 15(October 15, 1701 – December 23, 1771)

SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONSERVICE WORSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE

Saint Marguerite d’Youville’s StoryWe learn compassion from allowing our lives to be influenced by compassionate people, by seeing life from their perspectives, and reconsidering our own values.Born in Varennes, Canada, Marie Marguerite Dufrost de Lajemmerais had to interrupt her schooling at the age of 12 to help her widowed mother. Eight years later she married François d’Youville; they had six children, four of whom died young. Despite the fact that her husband gambled, sold liquor illegally to Native Americans, and treated her indifferently, she cared for him compassionately until his death in 1730.Even though she was caring for two small children and running a store to help pay off her husband’s debts, Marguerite still helped the poor. Once her children were grown, she and several companions rescued a Quebec hospital that was in danger of failing. She called her community the Institute of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal; the people called them the “Grey Nuns” because of the color of their habits. In time, a proverb arose among the poor people of Montreal, “Go to the Grey Nuns; they never refuse to serve.” In time, five other religious communities traced their roots to the Grey Nuns.The General Hospital in Montreal became known as the Hôtel Dieu (House of God) and set a standard for medical care and Christian compassion. When the hospital was destroyed by fire in 1766, Mère Marguerite knelt in the ashes, led the Te Deum—a hymn to God’s providence in all circumstances—and began the rebuilding process. She fought the attempts of government officials to restrain her charity, and established the first foundling home in North America.Pope Saint John XXIII, who beatified Mère Marguerite in 1959, called her the “Mother of Universal Charity.” She was canonized in 1990. Her Liturgical Feast Day is October 16.

ReflectionSaints deal with plenty of discouragement, plenty of reasons to say, “Life isn’t fair” and wonder where God is in the rubble of their lives. We honor saints like Marguerite because they show us that with God’s grace and our cooperation, suffering can lead to compassion rather than bitterness.

Prayer during a PandemicLoving God, Holy One

Your desire is for our wholeness and well-being.We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time.

We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened.We ache for ourselves and our neighbors, standing before and uncertain future.

We pray: may love, not fear, go viral.Inspire our leaders to discern and choose widely, aligned with the common good.

Help us to practice social distancing and reveal to us new and creative ways to come together in spirit and solidarity.

Call us to profound trust in your faithful presence, You, the God who does not abandon,You, the Holy One, breathing within us, breathing among us, breathing around us in our beautiful

yet wounded world.Chris Koellhoffer, IHM

I think this prayer is also a wonderful prayer for us to pray in light of the protests currently on-going and for the end to the violence and racism in our country. The end of racism and injustice is another pandemic we are praying for.

Prayer is essential at this time. The following is a link for intercessory prayer. You are all welcome to add prayers; you can add your name or be anonymous. I will send a list of the prayers each week with the newsletter so we can pray together as a community.

SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONSERVICE WORSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE

 https://www.cognitoforms.com/SaintEdwardTheConfessor/SaintEdwardTheConfessorReligiousEducationPrayerPager