Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church May 20th/May 21st 2017: Sixth Sunday of Easter

Fifth Sunday After Easter

1460 Pearson Avenue SW Birmingham, Alabama 35211

Phone: (205) 785-9840 E-mail: church@myblessedsacrament.org Website: www.myblessedsacrament.org

Pastor Religious Education Rev. Jim W. Booth Ann Noblitt

SACRAMENTS and LITURGY English Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m.

English Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m. Traditional Latin Sunday Mass: 10:45 a.m.

Weekday Masses: 8:30 a.m. First Saturday Latin Mass: 8:30 a.m. with confessions beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Holy Day Mass: As Announced Confessions: Thirty minutes before Saturday and Sunday Masses and by request

Baptisms: By Appointment Marriage Arrangements must be made with the Pastor at least 6 months before the date of the

wedding. Talk to the Pastor before making any firm wedding plans. No destination weddings.

WELCOME to all of our visitors: We are glad you have attended Mass with us. If you wish to join Blessed Sacrament, please pick up a parish census form at the Religious Goods Counter located in the vestibule of the front entrance.

CONTRIBUTION ENVELOPES: If you have requested contribution envelopes, they are in the front vestibule on the shelf across from the television.

IN MEMORIAM: In memory of Earnest A. Nettleman, the sanctuary lamp will burn for the repose of his soul from May 21st until May 27th. The sanctuary lamp will burn for the repose of John Dunmyer from May 28th until June 3rd.

LATIN MASS POTLUCK: Due to the Our Lady of Good Council High School Graduation on Sunday, May 21st, the usual third Sunday Potluck will be moved to the following Sunday, May 28th.

MASS OF THE ASCENSION: A Low Latin Mass will be offered this Thursday, May 25th at 6:00 p.m. for the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension. This is not a Holy Day of Obligation.

THE CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN MOTHERS will hold its next meeting on Thursday, June 1st, at the Cathedral of St. Paul. This will serve as our combined May/June meeting. Confessions will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by Mass at 7:00 p.m. After Mass we will meet in the Family Life Center. Come meet the new officers, hear what we have planned for the upcoming year, see old friends and make new ones. Open to all Catholic women who are striving to grow in holiness and lead their families to Heaven! For more information, contact Lori Donellan at ccmbham07@gmail.com.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Saint Rose Academy is seeking an elementary school teacher for the upcoming school year. Please send resumes to the principal, Sister Mary Elizabeth, O.P. Her email is smelizabeth@saintroseacademyop.com

BINGO LUNCHEON: Our 13th annual Bingo Luncheon and Teacup Auction will be held Wednesday, June 21st from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. We will have good food, bingo, and a teacup auction. While you need not be present to win the gifts in the teacup auction, you must be present to enjoy the luncheon food and to play bingo. Please plan on attending and enjoying this fun fundraiser for the parish. Please contact Jan Joseph at 492-0310 with any questions.

SUMMER CAMP OPPORTUNITY: Camp St. Bernard is a day and overnight camp for boys and girls ages 6-14 held at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman. The camp offers traditional summer camp activities in a unique atmosphere of a monastery. Counselors are students and alumni of St. Bernard Prep School, further enhancing the family atmosphere of summer camp. Camp dates are as follows: for ages 6-11, June 4th to 9th or June 11th to 16th; and for ages 10-14, June 18th to 23rd or June 25th to 30th. For more information and to register for this summer, visit www.campstbernard.com

PRAY FOR OUR SEMINARIANS: Please continue to pray for our men studying for the priesthood: Deacon Josh Altonji, Deacon Brad Jantz, Connor Chandler, Chris Green, Jonathan Howell, Justin Ward, Daniel Sessions, and Charles Deering.

PRIESTLY ORDINATIONS: Deacons Josh Altonji and Brad Jantz will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St Paul on Saturday, June 24th at 11:00 a.m.

PARISH SUPPORT: The collection for last weekend was $3499 and the Preservation Fund contributions totaled $215. A sum of $950 was donated toward the John Vianney Retirement Home for Priests. Many thanks for your generosity.

2017 HIGH MASS DATES: Thursday, June 15th (Corpus Christi, 6:00 p.m. with procession); July 2nd (4th Sunday After Pentecost); Tuesday, August 15th (Assumption of the BVM, Tuesday 6:00 p.m.); September 3rd (13th Sunday After Pentecost); October 29th (Christ the King); December 17th (Gaudete Sunday); Sunday, December 24th (Christmas Eve, 8:00 p.m.)

MASS SCHEDULE AND INTENTIONS: (*Mass in Rectory Chapel) Mon, May 22: *8:30 a.m. Special Intention for Elizabeth Walsh (by the Agnew

Family) Tues, May 23: *8:30 a.m. Special Intention for Anne Nielson (by the Agnew Family) Wed, May 24: *8:30 a.m. † Cary Bargas (by the Pohorelsky Family) Thur, May 25: *8:30 a.m. Special Intention for Louise Flavin (by the Pohorelsky

Family) 6:00 p.m. † Ted Williams (by Charles & Allison Rumore) Fri, May 26: *8:30 a.m. Special Intention for Lillie Rumore (by Deacon Terry and

Rita Rumore) Sat, May 27: 4:00 p.m. Pro Populo Sun, May 28: 9:00 a.m. † Tevin Williams (by his Family) 10:45 a.m. Special Intention for the Pohorelsky Family (by the Duryea

Family)

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND especially Andrea Little, Darleen Schultz, Laura Minjares, Tommy Priola, Joseph Edwards, John Minjares Sr., Fr Joseph Underwood, George Dunham, Rebecca Rice, Michael Guthrie, Mike Hale, Kay Junk, Ed Thomas, Liz Pate, Fran Costanza, Spencer Hale Family, Christine Cover, Mary Thornton, Jeannette Johnson, Liz Bailey, Thatcher Kerzie, Bill McCann, Simmes Bevill, Malcolm Perry, Koslyn Chism, Anna Marie Madison, Kathleen Strawmeyer, Cindy Little, Rebecca Morris, Stan Trawick, David Henning, Bill Bankson, Bill Mara, Loretta Mara, Don Broseman, Lillie Rumore, Jennie Sciro, Stephanie Perry, Marcus Perry, Cynthia Daniel, and Jackie Modica.

NEXT WEEK’S MASS READINGS 4:00 p.m. Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11, Eph 1:17-23, Mt 28:16-20 9:00 a.m. Ascension of the Lord Acts 1:1-11, Eph 1:17-23, Mt 28:16-20 10:45 a.m. Sunday after the Ascension 1Pet 4:7-11, Jn 15:26-16:4

The Sacraments: Efficacious Signs The Catechism states that ‘The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ

and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions.’ Last week, we covered the idea that the sacraments are efficacious (they accomplish something) signs (sign in the sense that the visible, audible, etc. aspects point to what is accomplished while itself not being the thing that is accomplished).

Theologically, this is expressed by the Latin phrase ex opere operato, which translates as ‘from the work worked’ or ‘from the work performed.’ This means that the sacraments operate efficaciously in and of themselves and are not mere symbols of grace already conferred outside of the sacrament. For example, some Christians believe that baptism merely signifies, expresses, or testifies to graces previously received in the one being baptized. Properly understood, the sacraments themselves are avenues of grace, not mere external witnesses to graces received in some other manner.

The idea of ex opere operato also means that a sacrament is not merely something to encourage the believer or a call to fortify their faith. Again, some would look at the Lord’s Supper as a mere communal meal that suggests or implies some form of unity in those that partake at that specific time and specific place or as a mandate simply done in remembrance of Jesus. The Eucharist is indeed a mandate and it is a sign of unity, but more importantly, it truly produces communion with God in Jesus and with all Christians at all times and places who worthily partake of the Eucharist. In other words, the Eucharist is not merely a sign of unity, it actually brings about unity between God and neighbor. It is not a mere memorial meal, but makes us spiritually present at the Last Supper, present at the Crucifixion, present at the Resurrection, present at the Ascension, etc.

Lastly, ex opere operato also means that the sacramental act itself is the avenue of grace, not the sacrament’s minister. This means that the character or moral state of the cleric does not bring about or impede the efficacy of the sacrament. For example, over the last few decades many people have questioned if they were actually baptized or married because that priest subsequently abandoned his vocation or was later found to be a gravely immoral man. So long as the priest conferred the sacrament as the Church requires, his virtue or lack thereof has no bearing on the efficacy of the sacrament. What this means is that the same forgiveness or marital bond is effected by a saint, such as Padre Pio, in confession or at a wedding as a priest who is totally uninspiring or morally bankrupt. This is because the power of the sacraments flows from the merits of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, not from the personality, the virtue, or the moral status of the sacrament’s minister.

Thus, a sacrament performed by a priest according to the requirements of the Church is an efficacious sign and avenue of grace and not just a symbol or testimony to that grace, a sacrament truly produces a spiritual effect and not just a call to a deeper relationship with God, and a sacrament draws power ultimately from Jesus and not the particular priest administering the sacrament. But does this mean having gone to Mass with or having confessed to a gifted and manifestly holy priest like Padre Pio is exactly the same a having gone to Father Whatshisname? Yes and no. The forgiveness and the Eucharist are objectively the same so long as both priests do what they are supposed to do. But a gifted and virtuous priest might celebrate the sacraments such that the visible sign of grace is deeper and more reverent, his virtue might bring to the sacrament the additional effect of enhancing the faithful’s relationship with God, and his holiness might make the reception of the sacrament more fruitful in a subjective way. In other words, a priest celebrating a so-called clown Mass and a priest celebrating a Mass with great reverence and solemnity both objectively make Jesus present in the Eucharist, but the two Masses are not the same subjectively. The clown Mass signifies worldliness, the clown Mass calls the faithful less to holiness than to irreverence, and the fruitfulness of the clown Mass will be to make a mockery of God, His Church, and His unmerited love for us sinners. - Fr Booth