Bishop Walkowiak has issued new regulations on the care, handling, and distribution of the Most Blessed Sacrament. These changes have the force of “particular law” in our Diocese and will take effect this fall. Most of these represent little or no change from our current practices at Sacred Heart. However, the most significant change will be the Bishop’s prohibition of any blessing for those unable to receive Holy Communion.

The Bishop’s decree states: “Ministers of Holy Communion may not impart special blessings, (e.g. for children or non- Catholics) while distributing Communion.”

You might wonder what the reason for this norm is. The reception of Communion is the reception of Jesus Himself, whole and entire, and ALIVE. It has always been the tradition of the Church that priests, who make Jesus present in a lesser way (“in persona Christi”), do not bless anyone or anything else while Christ, the One Who blesses, is truly present before them in the Blessed Sacrament. The custom of blessing that has popped up in the last forty years or so, largely for sentimental reasons, never really made theological sense since it distracts from the purpose of the moment, namely union with the One Who blesses. As the Bishop reminds us, after Communion is received, “all members of the assembly, including those who have not received the Eucharist, are blessed at the end of Mass” by the priest.

Starting this fall, we ask that if you are unable to receive Communion for any reason, you should stay in your pew, making way for those approaching the altar and asking the Lord to make a spiritual communion. To facilitate this, please be flexible with your seating at Communion time. Remember, if there is a free space at the altar rail, please take it without drawing attention to those ahead of you who, for whatever reason, are not ready to approach the altar. Parents of small children are, of course, still welcome to bring their children with them if necessary so long as it is understood that they will be blessed at the end of Mass.

Here is an act of Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,
And I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
And unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen

We are currently unable to meet with all those asking for help due to a critically low number of volunteers.

What exactly does this ministry do?

Our volunteers meet with, pray for, and befriend those in need in our local and parish community. The overarching goal is to show Christ’s love to our neighbors by accompanying them through their hardships and seeking sustainable solutions. Sometimes this means helping them materially, but it always starts with listening, praying with, encouraging, and helping them negotiate a world that often forgets the poor.

We need help:

• Occasionally monitoring our voicemail
• Pairing up with other parishioners to meet neighbors in need at a safe location like Root’s Brew Shop
• Listening to, praying for, and prudently considering how to best help our neighbors
• Discerning how to best use funds donated by the parish
• Planning service projects to raise awareness about poverty
• Volunteering at the Christmas Market and other hospitality events for our neighbors
• Meeting with parishioners to discuss our efforts, God’s graces, and new initiatives
• Prayer in supporting the apostolate
  

Who do we help?

A typical neighbor calls seeking assistance with back rent or medical bills, as they have fallen on hard times. They or a dependent family member have become injured, sick, lost a job or work hours, have lost access to transportation, and do not have family or friends able or willing to help them. Sometimes it’s as easy as helping them fix a broken car so they can get to work. Or encouraging someone who has lost hope to send out some job applications. Other times it’s a single mom who was abandoned or abused by her husband who has tried to manage the household with multiple jobs, but rent payments have fallen behind the past few months and are in danger of eviction.

Often taken advantage of by, or getting lost in the system, the poor need advice on how to get thngs done or referrals to professionals who can help them. Whether it’s helping with bills, buying school supplies, or providing Christmas dinner—in all cases, it’s a son or daughter of God, your neighbor, who may be on the verge of losing hope in their dignity and God’s love. Christ has no hands on earth now but yours. Are you willing to help?

Interested in learning more or serving/praying? Contact Catie Southerton at catie.gammon@gmail.com

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 13, 6:00pm Adoration in the church. 7:00pmmeeting in Room 302 (classroom above the gym). Join for either or both!

Ushers are needed, especially for the 9:30am Mass! This is a great opportunity to serve God and the parish community. A nice option for families to contribute to the parish. Arrive early for the best seat in the house and help hand out programs before Mass and bulletins after Mass. You can sit with your family during Mass and then do a quick pick-up of extra programs afterwards. Children love to help and this gives them a feeling of importance and responsibility. It also helps draw you closer to parishioners. We are a close-knit group and fill in for each other as needed. Please contact Stanley Sedore at stanley.sedore@aya.yale.edu with questions or to volunteer.

Sacred Heart will be providing the opportunity to come together in a group setting to learn more about the Catholic Christian Faith. Sessions are both for those seeking to grow in a better understanding of the Faith, and for those seeking to discern more completely entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. Sessions begin Monday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m.

For further information/registration please contact Michael Tober at dre@shgr.org or call the parish office at 616-459-8362  Everyone is Welcome

The center of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Enthronement of an image of the Sacred Heart in the home. The Enthroned image of the Sacred Heart, which may be a picture or a statue, expresses Christ’s true Kingship, daily reminding each member of the family to follow in His royal way by making reparation for sins committed and by striving to serve God and neighbor more lovingly. (Excerpt from “Enthronement of the Sacred Heart” by Raymond Card. SRE Burke)

For more information about organizing an Enthronement, contact your Cor Jesu captain to invite your neighbors, contact the office at parishoffice@shgr.org to schedule a priest to visit your home, and check out this document for the format of Enthronement and a list of For Jesu captains: https://shgr.org/enthrone/

When possible, homilies are recorded and made available by volunteers of the parish. Please enjoy them here and on myParishapp.

Navigating websites can be cumbersome, especially those that have a clean look. Did you know? Most websites including our parish and academy sites have a search function? Once on the site, click on the magnifying glass (usually near the top) and enter keywords for what you are looking for. You will see a list of pages that all mention that keyword, just choose the page that is closest to what you typed in, or try a different keyword.

Sacred Heart of Jesus has access to a dynamic Catholic resource by the Augustin Institute:  FORMED.

Visit the FORMED website for more information  (Sacred Heart code…8K62QB)