October 2005 Newsletter Joanne F. Gannon, Principal James T. Ferdella, Asst. Principal

Calendar

Diocesan Eucharistic Congress

St. Mary School will be well represented in the Eucharistic Congress held at the end of this month, October 28 and 29. In celebration during the year of the Eucharist eighth grade students wrote an essay on the Eucharist. Megan McCaffrey, Catherine Cote, and Jim Armbruster’s essays were chosen and entered into a diocesan wide essay contest. Catherine’s essay will be published in the parish newsletter. Megan will read her essay over the intercom system so others will share in her efforts and Jim’s essay is in this issue of our school news. Congratulations to all three of them.

Students in grades 4, 5, & 6 created a poster that represented the Eucharist. Each group worked with their Religion teacher, Sr. Rosemarie and art teacher, Mrs. Wiseman on this project. The three posters along with our school and parish banners will be carried in the Eucharistic procession led by Bishop McManus, from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the DCU Center in Worcester.

The Eucharist

By Jim Armbruster

The Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, given to us at the Last Supper. There are many symbols of this throughout the Bible as well as it being foreshadowed in the Old Testament. When God made His covenant with Moses, the people would sacrifice lambs. The blood from the lambs was a reminder of the Covenant. Abraham was willing to make a sacrifice of his son, Isaac, foreshadowing God the Father's sacrifice of His son Jesus. Manna was also described in the Old Testament. When the people were traveling in the desert, they were given food for their journey. This was a sign of God feeding His people with His Body. Another reference to the beginning of the Eucharist was through the prophet, Malachi. Through Malachi, God predicted that the old sacrifice would be replaced by a "pure offering," which symbolized the Eucharist.

There also continued to be many references to Eucharist in the New Testament. In John 6:55-58, Jesus said that His flesh was real food and drink and those that ate His flesh and drank His blood would live in Him. He refers to Himself as the Bread of Life and tells His disciples that the Father would give them food so that they would never be hungry again. Other passages that refer to Jesus as feeding His people are the multiplication of the loaves and fish. In this section, Jesus took five loaves and two fish and multiplied them to feed a large crowd.

Following this example, Jesus spoke to the disciples and said to them: "I solemnly assure you, it was not Moses that gave you bread from the heavens; it is My Father who gives you the real heavenly bread…I myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall thirst." (John 6:32-35)

In the letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he encouraged the followers of Jesus to share the Eucharistic sacrifice. In chapter 10:16-17, he talked to them about sharing the Body of Christ. By celebrating the Eucharist we are united into one Body, the church. When sharing the Communion, which means "in union with" we become one with each other in the Catholic Church. Early Christians brought bread and wine to celebrate the Lord's Supper and also as gift offerings to help the poor.

The most well-known example in scripture of the Eucharist was the institution of the sacrament at the Last Supper. It is symbolized by the Jewish celebration of the Passover meal. This was Jesus' final gift to us in which He asked us to always remember Him.

We continue to do so when we celebrate the Mass. It was then that Jesus said : "This is My Body which is given for you and this is the cup of My Blood which is shed for you." From that day on, it has become the central part of the life of the church and the main part of the Mass. It became the communion that we receive as bread and wine.

Also, because of the importance and sacredness of this act, a special feast day was made to commemorate it. It is called the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Pope Urban IV instituted the feast on August 11, 1264 and over the years the church has continued to recognize the great significance of this sacrament. Many Popes have written documents and held gatherings to teach people about Holy Eucharist.

There are many names with different meanings used to refer to the Eucharist. The word, Eucharist, itself comes from a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving." Holy Communion is the most common name. It means "in union with" because we unite with each other to share in the Body and Blood of Christ. The Wedding Feast is a different word used to describe the Eucharist. This is because Jesus is sometimes referred to as a Bridegroom that describes His love between Himself and the Church. The Most Blessed Sacrament is a name used as well. It is called this, because the Holy Eucharist is the most important of all the sacraments.

The physical representation of the Eucharist is in the form of a host made of unleavened bread. Unleavened bread was used at the Passover meal and at the Last Supper. Because of this, we continue to use it today. Wine is used to symbolize the Blood of Christ, again as at the Last Supper. The consecration in the Mass is the central part of the celebration. The priest prays over the bread and wine and with the power of the Holy Spirit he is able to change them into the Body and Blood of Christ. We know this as transubstantiation.

We are called to receive the Body and Blood in the form of Holy Communion to deepen our union with Christ. It is considered one of the sacraments of Christian initiation. It is also used with the Anointing of the Sick to remind us that it is a source of strength and eternal life with the Father. We become one with Christ, as He asked us to be, when we eat this food.

Since the Eucharist is most sacred, it is to be treated with respect and reverence. It is the source of life in the church to feed and nourish. It promotes growth in holiness and encourages acts of charity. The Eucharist reminds us of God's great love for His people because He gave Himself to us.

Reference:

Arinze, Cardinal Francis. The Holy Eucharist. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, IN 2001

Teachers as Learners

We had a very busy and productive day together on our professional development day, Tuesday, October 11, 2005. Teachers shared strategies on differentiated instruction that they have either used in their classrooms or learned at the summer two day training offered by the diocesan school department at the College of the Holy Cross. We are planning to continue with professional development on differentiated instruction later on during this school year.

Smartboard training was presented by CCS Presentation Systems from Chelmsford. Our interactive whiteboard was added to our library. We look forward to using this board as another teaching tool.

Our afternoon was spent working on our curriculum review for math, Catholic identity, and homework goals from the strategic plan. Our faculty appreciates having this time to work and plan together.

Meaningful Homework

Students in grade four were given a religion homework assignment from Sr. Rosemarie. They were asked to create a jingle that would convince others to stay away from sin. In keeping with the baseball season, Sean Hallice wrote these lyrics to “Take Me Out To the Ballgame”:

Take me out to church,
Take me out to Mass.
Give me some bread and wine this day,
I don’t care if I sit in the back.
For its root, root, root for Jesus,
If you don’t let Him in your heart, it’s a sin,
Cause it’s 1,2,3 sins you’re out and God is sad.

Reminders:

Friday, October 21 is our scheduled individual picture day. It is an out of uniform day for all students.

Please follow the school dress code and dress for outdoor play everyday. The students have outdoor recess most every day.

Halloween parade begins at 8:45 a.m. Students may wear their gym uniform under their costume on Monday, October 31.