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5/15/2020

Promise this world your love

May 16/17, 2020, Sixth Sunday of Easter

Dear Friends on the Journey,

Hillary Doolittle began our Pastoral Council with this lovely poem (best when read slowly):

Pandemic

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love—
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

— Lynn Ungar, 3/11/20

So far (May 13, 2020), more than $63,125 has been pledged to Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger. And the Paulist Center’s team was – once again – first place in amount pledged! What generosity! Thank you so much!

On another front, supporting our Tuesday Food Pantry, Patty Simpson and Susan Rutkowski worked through the grant-application process to secure a $5000 grant from the wonderful Boston Resiliency Fund. Our Food Pantry draws mostly from the Greater Boston Food Bank and other outlets so our dollars go farther in feeding our downtown neighbors. See this TV story about our Wednesday Night Supper Club: https://www.wcvb.com/article/supper-club-adjusts-to-keep-getting-food-to-those-in-need/32348365

1) Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 17, Live Streamed Liturgy/Mass from the Chapel, at 12N:

Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/sNXRgqNnN8Q

2) Paulist Center Families Prayer Service:
https://communityinclusion.zoom.us/j/451661081
Meeting ID: 451 661 081
One tap mobile
+16468769923,451661081#

3) Connect for a Chat. Patty Simpson patty@paulistcenter.org will be offering an hour a week for any Paulist Center members who might want to connect. Patty has in mind especially those who aren’t connected into any other small groups. You can join the conversation this evening, Thursday, May 21st, 7-8pm through this link. Also if anyone wishes to connect with Patty either on phone or video session, just email her or leave a message on her phone (617.948.2428) and she will get back to you ASAP.

Please remember in your prayers Paulist Fr. Wilfred Brimley who died at Marian Manor on May 5. Ordained on May 11, 1962, Fr. Bill joined the local Boston Paulist community in 2002 where he often attended the Saturday 5pm Mass. After living here for many years, in 2017 Fr. Bill moved to Marian Manor. He was 92. May he rest in peace.

Ways of Giving:

This week, we resume our “Community Gift,” our Paulist Center tradition of giving away 5% of our weekend offerings (averaged out over the whole year). This week, we lift up our good friends at St. Francis House. They do amazing work in a variety of feeding and housing programs, as well as educational and vocational work. stfrancishouse.org

We are so very grateful for your support during this time of uncertainly and financial peril. Here are two ways to give:

  1. To make a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card, click on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter
  2. Giving by text: Our give by text number for general donations is 844-899-7511; this will be designated as our “Weekend Offering.”

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I conclude with the wise words of St. Teresa of Avila:

Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall
never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.

And let us pray for/with one another.

Michael
Michael McGarry, C.S.P.
Director, the Paulist Center

I will be sending out something every Thursday or Friday as the “shut down” continues.

https://bustedhalo.com/ministry-resources/keeping-the-faith-during-the-time-of-coronavirus