St. Mary's Catholic Parish: From the Pastor Fr. Paul E. Demarais, Pastor - St. Mary's Parish

December 30, 2007 - Feast of The Holy Family

As soon as we hear the words “The Holy Family,” we say to ourselves, that can’t be us. We are impatient or unkind, we let family members down. We fight and argue with each other. We do have one thing in common with Jesus, Mary and Joseph; we love each other. We may not be perfect in that love, but we try to love and help each other as best we can. We lookout for each other as best we can.

Joseph and Mary took care of each other and Jesus as best they could. On the night Jesus was born, the best Joseph could do for his family was find them a stable. They feared for their lives when they had to flee to Egypt. The love they had for each other was the foundation of their marriage. Through all their struggles love is what united this family. It is what unites our family. It is what we celebrate today. Love takes imperfect people, unites them in a sacred bond and helps them to face all the challenges and good times of their lives.

December 23, 2007 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

The angel’s say “I bring you glad tidings of great joy for this day in David’s city a savior has been born for you.”  Glad tidings of great joy,” peace on earth goodwill to all.  Let us not loose the meaning and impact of these words.  The one who will forgive our sins, the one who will feed hungry people, cure sick people, raise the dead is with us.

God’s great love for this world is with us.  All of us are touched by the power of this love.  Jesus does not come into this world to glorify himself but to bring glory to his Father’s love.  He will change and transform this world through the power of love.  His weapons are not swords, or spears or knives.  Instead our Lord comes himself with mercy, compassion, love, peace and a healing heart.  He does not want to conquer by taking lands and countries; he simply wants to conquer our hearts, transform them into hearts of love.  The entire staff of St. Mary’s church wishes all of you a blessed and Holy Christmas.  May peace and love live in your hearts.  May God’s love for you through Jesus lead you and guide you all year long.

December 16, 2007 - Third Sunday of Advent

It can be hard to recognize the Lord when he comes; look at John the Baptist.  Jesus was John’s cousin, they grew up together, yet John has lingering doubts, is Jesus the one, the Messiah?  John’s own expectations and doubts cloud his judgment.  Jesus answers his question by pointing out to him all the love he has brought into the world.  Blind people see the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them. All of these and much more are Jesus acts of love for the world.  They are the examples of the Father’s love for the world.

Salvation means the forgiveness of our sins.  Salvation means letting us see our world and ourselves as God created us to be.  Jesus saw that the brokenness of the world could be changed by the power of divine love. Today that love is still changing our world to become the world that God created it to be.

December 9, 2007 - Second Sunday of Advent

John the Baptist said “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his path.”  There are two ways this Advent season we can do this.  The first way is to prepare our hearts for his coming into our life.  Take the time to pray and reflect on what the meaning of the birth of the Lord means for us?  What gifts does Jesus bring to us when he enters our hart?  We talk an awful lot about gifts during the Christmas season, what does he bring to you?  What will Jesus find when he enters our heart. 

We can also prepare the way of the Lord by being people of peace, goodness, love and happiness for one another.  We can best reflect this season by the way we treat one another.  Our lives over the next few weeks should mirror the virtues of Christmas we celebrate.  If the peace we talk about is in our heart we can easily give it to others.  Small acts of kindness can do a lot for people.

Let us be a reflection of the love and peace of our Lord for one another.

December 2, 2007 - First Sunday of Advent

“All powerful God increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming……

How eager a welcome will he find at his coming, or will he find people who are just glad it’s all over.  The gifts have been bought and wrapped and opened.  We went to parties and pageants and recitals.  We baked cookies and cakes and pies and hams and turkeys.  All of this created so much stress we are just glad it’s over.

The Christmas season becomes so stressful and secularized we forget why we do it and what we are really celebrating.  St. Paul says our salvation is closer at hand then we realize.  Do we take the time in the weeks to come to understand why we do all that we do?  The birth of our Lord Jesus brings us the hope and peace the world right now is struggling to find.  The birth of the love that can heal all division is the focus of the season.  As we read about and hear about wars and insurrections and hatred and mistrust, we pray for the peace that Jesus can give us.  We pray today the prayer cited above “Lord increase our strength for doing good.

November 25, 2007 - Feast of Christ the King

We don’t have a great image of what a king is like. We most likely see him as a ruler locked away in a castle somewhere surrounded by people who wait hand and foot upon him; a king surrounded by luxury and out of touch with his people. This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. His kingship is one of love and service for all people. His kingdom is one of justice, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Instead of ruling over people; He heals them. This is the feast we celebrate this weekend, a king who gives to each one of us here his divine love and mercy.

This weekend St. Mary’s Parish welcomes Archbishop George Pearce to be the celebrant and homilist for the Mass and dedication of our Adoration Chapel. The prayers of all who come to pray will be a great blessing for our parish.

November 18, 2007 - Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel today calls us today to persevere in our faith. All of us can use a good dosage of perseverance in our lives. The reading is about faith, strength, fortitude, courage, patience. All of these and many other virtues are the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit. How often do we think about the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit? Do we each day pray for them? Do we ask God to bless our lives with them? Do we ask that God guide and direct our lives with them. God did not put us on this earth to go it alone with no help at all. “God put us here to know, love and serve him and to be happy in this world and the next one.” If God wants us to be happy he is going to give us the grace and tools we need. When we pray, we trust God will help and guide us along this life’s journey.

November 11, 2007 - Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

“May the Lord encourage your hearts.” We all need to hear these words from St. Paul. All of us need encouragement. We all need to hear that God is proud of us and our efforts to live out our faith as best we can. We all need strength that Paul talks about so that we can live out our faith as best we can. When we struggle; Paul says the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen us in our need.

We may think we can all of our problems on our own but our Lord really wants to help us. God is alive in our lives as the gospel tells us. God is a God of the living. He is present among us today, at this moment; at this time. Let us take comfort in these words for us. Words of hope, words of encouragement, words of love.

November 4, 2007 - Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

People are shocked and stunned that Jesus would say to a man like Zaccheaus that he must spend the night at his house. This man is despised and hated by everyone. The Romans use him as a tax collector for their own benefit. The people of the town hate him because he is working for their enemies. It had to be very lonely for Zacchaeus. Jesus becomes his hope, his one chance at redemption, forgiveness and love. Jesus comes to him and reaches out in friendship. He forgives Zacchaeus but most importantly reaches out to him in love and friendship. Jesus wants to be with Zacchaeus.

If we think we are forgotten by God. If we think Jesus does not hear our prayer. If we think Jesus would never answer our prayer. Today‘s gospel is a reading of hope. Jesus reaches out to us before we come to him. He knows our thoughts, needs and prayers even before we come to him. He already knows our hearts feelings and thoughts before we say a word to him. All of us are worthy of the love of the Lord in our lives. He reminds us today of all that he wants to bring us and give to us everyday.

October 26, 2007 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A man prays “O God be merciful to me a sinner.” A man realizes he is in need of the mercy of God. A man realizes in his sinfulness and weakness, only the grace of God can help him. We all need the grace of God. We all need God’s mercy. This man in the gospel today knows that his strength and help comes from God who is greater than he. Do we get caught up in the business of life; do we get so distracted that we forget the need for God in our life? Do we catch ourselves saying that there is no time in the day to pray? What then can we put aside, or what can we give up to bring more balance into our lives?

If someone feels they are over-extended, can you quit a group or organization to give yourself more time that you need? One of the most important things we need to do is have a proper order to the priorities of our lives so we don’t feel so stressed out.

St. Augustine said that his heart was not at rest until it rested in the heart of God. Mother Theresa of Calcutta spent at least an hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament so she could find the strength, courage, and mercy she needed to care for the people of God. Both she and St.Augustine prayed that God would have mercy on them. All of us need to pray and realize we are in need of the mercy of God.

October 21, 2007 - Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The way we pray and how we pray is as important as what we pray. How do we approach God in prayer? Do we have faith in God? Do we trust Him? Do we believe He will hear us? Do we believe He will love us? Does He care about us? If we have doubt about any of these questions, it is gong to be hard to see how the grace of God can work in our life.

The first thing we need for prayer is trust. Even if we have no way of knowing how God will answer our prayer; we have to trust He will answer it. God will answer our prayer in His own way in His own time, but he will answer. We then have to have the faith and belief that God truly loves us and cares for us. God wants you and me to come to Him in our need. He wants to hear our prayers and answer them. We hear it said in scripture that God is love and we who live in love, live in God and God in him. If God loves us in this way how can He ever turn his back on us? In all our prayers at Mass today and everyday we are being called to trust, have faith and believe in God’s love for us.

October 14, 2007 - Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

How often in the business of our everyday lives do we take time to thank God for all our blessings? How much time do we give to prayer so we can thank God for all He has given us? Are we too busy to pray? Do we feel that we don’t have enough time to pray? Is our life so hectic that we don’t have time to pray? Do we miss Mass on Sunday because we are too tired or there are too many things to do? If we answer yes to any of these questions then maybe we have to look at ways to bring more order to our lives. What would be the best time of the day to pray? For me it is early in the morning before Mass. Maybe we can spend less time in front of the TV or computer. Maybe for some people the end of the day is a good time to pray. The church and chapel are unlocked so people can stop in and pay a visit.

Maybe you can pray in the car on your way to work. The number one priority in our life is our relationship with God. Everything we do, all that we have, all our blessings are built on this relationship. In the gospel today only one leper out of ten comes back to thank God for the healing he received. What happened to the other nine? Did they lose sight of where the power for their healing came from? Let us not become so busy that we would loose sight of where our blessings come from.

October 7, 2007 - Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the second reading today we are reminded of the power of faith. Our faith is one of God’s power at work in the world today. We see that power in the love God shares with the world. We watch and see God heal people, and families. We watch His love overcome the darkness of the hatred, anger and rage in people. We see people reconcile with one another when we dare to let the power of love touch our hearts. We see the power of love heal broken bodies, broken emotions, and broken spirits.

St. Paul says we need to have courageous faith, a faith that does not live in fear. We have to believe that God can heal through the power of love and that we are the instruments. We are the healers if we dare to be. Our words, our love, our prayers, our encouragement to someone can do wonders with the power of God’s love and mercy to back us up. We can’t be timid in our love, we can’t be afraid to love and then put it in the hands of God. We have to believe and trust in God’s power to change and transform people’s lives.

It takes courageous faith to stand up to ridicule we may receive. The apostles in today’s gospel say to the Lord “Increase our faith.” That is the prayer of each one of us. In a cynical and sarcastic world, people are in desperate need of the power of love. As God increases our faith let us have the courage to bring love and healing to all in need of it.

September 30, 2007 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend we bless our Adoration Chapel in preparation for its consecration and opening on the Feast of Christ the King on Sunday, November 25. Saturday, September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael. Gabriel announced good news to Elizabeth and Mary. Raphael was the healing angel in the book of Tobit who took care of Tobias and healed him of his blindness. Michael is the protector angel, giving us protection from Satan’s evil and harm. This weekend they are reminders to us of why we worship our Lord.

In prayer and adoration we are open to the message of hope that comes from prayer. We are present to the healing presence of God in our life and we receive God’s protection in our life. We call upon St. Michael in a special way to protect our chapel and all who will use it for prayer. We will be naming our Perpetual Adoration Chapel “Mary, Mother of Mercy Adoration Chapel.”

God our Father in a wonderful way you guide the work of angels and your people.
May those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ.

September 23, 2007 - Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I thank Fr. Victor for the inspiration he gave to us in regards to our Adoration Chapel. He talked about spending an hour with our best friend a week and how important it is. In the midst of all we do, in the midst of all the responsibilities we have, this is a wonderful opportunity to come to our Lord and give to Him all of our cares, responsibilities and concerns. He looks forward to our coming. He looks forward to the time we spend with him one on one. What a great way to receive the grace that God wants to give to us. If you would like to sign up for an hour, take one of the forms in the back of the church and give it to me after Mass, drop it into the collection basket or send it to the rectory.

I am looking at a target date in late November to dedicate and open the chapel for prayer. More important information will be coming.

September 16, 2007 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We welcome Fr. Victor Warkulwiz from the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament to our parish this weekend. In Tuesday’s Gospel reading for Mass Jesus goes into the mountain to pray to his Father before choosing his apostles. All of Jesus’ important moments in his life involve time spent with the Father. Jesus prays to know the Father’s will. Jesus prays to the Father for the healing of his people. Jesus prays to the Father before his passion and death. He prays to the Father on the cross. Eucharist and prayer are the foundation of the ministry of the church.

All we do we do in prayer and in love. It is why Perpetual Adoration is so important. It is important for our own sanctification and salvation and it is so important for the ministry we do for St. Mary’s Parish! Everyone is invited to attend a planning meeting with Fr. Victor to discuss our Perpetual Adoration Chapel this Sunday, September 16th at St. James Chapel at 2:00 pm.

September 9, 2007 - Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the most important ministries we have in our church is the ministry of intercession. We gather together as a church each week to give thanks to God for our blessings but also to pray for the needs of each other. Many people call our prayer line asking for our spiritual support. Each Wednesday, during the day of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, people write their intentions in a book for all of us to pray for. The hardest part about intercessory prayer is that we do not see the fruits of our prayer or hear what has happened to the person we are praying for.

We can never take the prayer for granted or assume the prayer has not been answered. The prayer of intercession calls us to great humility and trust in the love and power of God. As we hear more in the future about prayer and adoration think about how this is one of the most important ministries we can have for the parish.

September 2, 2007 - Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

On Sunday September 9th we will begin an important ministry in our parish. Over a year ago I began to pray with people on Wednesday night at the end of Holy Hour. People asked to be healed of different sicknesses and illness for themselves and others. Many people over the past year have been touched by the healing power of God. We are going to start a healing mass on Sunday September 9th at 2 pm at St. James which will make it easier for people from the Westerly and Narragansett area to come to the Mass.

The Eucharist is the most powerful healing tool that we have. God wants to do great things for us through His Son. A person can come and pray for themselves or they can pray for a loved one. A person can pray for a physical healing or the healing of relationship in a family. One can pray for the healing of a marriage. This is a powerful way to be touched by the healing love of God’s son for us. The healing masses will be taking place the 2nd Sunday of each month at 2pm from September until June. There will not be healing Masses in July and August but they will start up again in September.


From the Pastor: June, July, August 2007

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