A Time of Grace for Our Parish

Dear Parishioners,

As you know, our parish is under the patronage of St. Thomas More. The church calendar honors him with St. John Fisher on June 22.

Once again this year, to celebrate our patronal feast day, we will include a celebration of 40 Hours Eucharistic Devotion from June 20 to 22. I will be the celebrant for the 7 PM Mass on Thursday, June 20, after which we will begin solemn Eucharistic Adoration around-the-clock until Saturday morning.

On Friday, June 21 there will be two Masses: 9 AM (regular morning Mass), and 7 PM (part of the 40 Hours celebration).

On Saturday, June 22 there will be a special closing Mass at 10 AM with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament following.

The practice of 40 Hours of Eucharistic devotion can be traced to Milan, Italy around the year 1530. It is a formalized period of prayer and adoration centering on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Prior to this period in the Catholic Church’s history, there were times of exposition and benediction, Eucharistic processions and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle.  However, both Saints Philip Neri and Ignatius of Loyola instituted the Forty Hours Devotion (with reference to Jesus’ 40 hours in the tomb and recalling other biblical citations in which the symbolic number 40 was specified) in reparation for sin. It was St. John Neumann who promoted this devotion in the Philadelphia area as bishop.

I truly believe that when we take the time to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, it is a time of tremendous blessing not only for us as individuals but also for our families and for our parish family. I do not ever want us to take for granted the great gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Time spent with Him is a grace-filled time. We can express our love and adoration for Jesus, thankfulness for our blessings, and contrition for sin (our own and the sins of others). We can also intercede for one another and petition the Lord for our various needs. It is precious time to spend with the One Who loves us beyond our imagining and Whom we should love above and beyond everything else!

What I am requesting from you, my parishioners, is that you dedicate one hour sometime during these three days to spend with the Lord in adoration. (This should ideally be in addition to any time attending Mass.) I intend to continue this devotion both nights—around the clock—but I need your help and cooperation in order to do this. Could you please think about taking an hour to pray? Why not encourage members of your family to pray as a family for just an hour?  Perhaps a group or organization within the parish can make a holy hour together (choir, Knights of Columbus, Faith and Justice Team, Small Christian Communities, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion, religious education teachers, etc.). I especially need a few insomniacs or night owls to cover the late hours!

Sign-up sheets will be available at the doors of the church so that we can be sure that there is always someone keeping watch with our Lord.

Please assist me in making this a special time for our parish as we adore our Eucharistic Lord.

Could you not keep watch for one hour? (Mk. 14:37b) 

The choice is always yours.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

St. Thomas More, Martyr