May 15, 2010
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way (of God) more accurately. And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. Acts 18:26-27
“For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” John 16:27-28
Piety
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Study
As Jesus goes back to the Father, our work is just beginning. Yet, no one can do it alone. Jesus left his disciples and the larger community to continue on. And they needed each other just like we need each other.
The life and ministry of Apollos points to us the importance of community support (group reunion and ultreya) in the life of the Cursillista beyond the Cursillo.® Here we learn that he was a talented preacher and teacher. However, he only knew part of the story. If Jesus was there, he might have taken Apollos aside like he did with Peter and instruct him directly. However, the community members Priscilla and Aquila took on that task. They helped expand his formation (study) so he had a stronger grounding in the whole story of the Church or The Way as early Christians called their movement. Then, he got support and encouragement as the disciples sent letters of introduction to others to welcome him.
Action takes many different forms. Even though these brothers and Priscilla and Aquila were not heading off to Achaia with Apollos, their action helped support him and pave the way for his assistance to others.
Just as Apollos teaching underwent a change with the support of the community, in today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling the apostles that their spiritual journey also will be changing. No longer will they need to ask the Father through Jesus. Instead, now that they have known and loved Jesus, they can take their prayers directly to the Father.
As Jesus prepares to go back to the Father and leave the world, now it is time for the ministry of the apostles to pick up and support each other where Jesus is leaving off.
Action
Today and many other days in May and June are big days for passages in life. Across the nation, many college students will be graduating today including my nephew Jay from The Catholic University, his friend Glynnis from Loyola Maryland University, the Belmont Abbey College class of 2010 and countless others. They will leave the proverbially ivy-covered walls of colleges and universities and go back into the world to start their careers and families. They will need the support of their community in finding jobs, getting set up in housing and moving ahead, not as the church of tomorrow, but as the young church of today.
Support and encourage the students and graduates you know as well as all young people as they establish their place in the world. Think also of young people you don’t now who need support but do not get it. For example, in the inner city of Camden, NJ, the Sacred Heart School is working to bring hope to many of its students but they just don’t have the funds to do everything needed.
Sacred Heart provides education for children from Kindergarten through 8th grade, regardless of race or creed. The school is under the auspices of the Diocese of Camden in terms of direction, curriculum and evaluation. However, Sacred Heart School does not receive any money from the Diocese of Camden.
You can read more about the state of this parish here (http://ncronline.org/news/love-transformation).
Every family sending students to Sacred Heart School pays tuition, which amounts to about one fourth of the actual cost of the school’s annual budget. No matter how many children a family has in the school, from first through eighth grade, the cost of tuition is not more than $1000. Kindergarten tuition is $850 per child. Meaning the largest amount a family would pay would be $1,850.
The amount of tuition collected from local families who are living on the margin or below the poverty line is far short of the projected budget for the school year. The remaining amount is raised through a sponsorship program.
The cost of a student sponsorship for the school year is $300 per student. This is paid anyway that best fits your pocket book...ie: $25 monthly, 6 payments of $50, 3 payments of $100 or the entire $300. You have from September until June to complete the payment.
This school year, Sacred Heart needs 2,700sponsors giving $300 to reach the projected budget of $810,000.00. However, they only had about 1,500 sponsors. If you choose to become a sponsor you will receive a picture of your sponsored student or students, along with a brief bio of each.
Mail your check to:
Sacred Heart Church
1739 Ferry Ave
Camden, NJ 08104
*Please mark sponsorship on the memo portion of your check.
