May 1st, 2008
Dear Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion,
Please find attached your schedule input request form for the EM scheduling cycle covering the period June 21, 2008 through September 14, 2008. Please return this form to me as quickly as possible. Deadline for incorporation in the scheduling program is May 18, 2008. If any of your contact information has changed, please include those changes on the input sheet. And, if you have an email address, please insure we have it as well for the roster.
Our Holy Fathers recent visit to the US prompted this thought. If you saw any of the coverage, you would have noted the upwelling of positive feeling among those personally attending the various Papal activities of the visit. People came from far and near just to spend a little time in the presence of the Holy Father. President Bush spoke at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast shortly after his visits with the Pope and remarked on the exceptional aura of Holiness that surrounded him and affected all those in his presence. We were fortunate to have had his physical presence here as a blessing How much more fortunate are we to have the presence of Our Lord himself amongst us in the Eucharist, and how blessed are we to be able to assist in bearing Him to His brothers and sisters. Let us pray for a greater awareness and appreciation for this incredible gift among us!
One way for us as EMs to work on developing our appreciation for the Eucharist would be to commit to 30 or 60 minutes each Wednesday in Eucharistic Adoration in the Parish House Chapel. Those who have enjoyed this practice consistently report an increased sense of interior peace and joy as a result. Our Lord is available to us in this special way from 9am to 9pm each Wednesday.
A reminder regarding dress as we move into the warmer weather: a jacket and tie is required for men when serving as EMs, and comparable modest attire is appropriate for the ladies. When not scheduled to serve, you are encouraged to dress in such a way that you are able to fill in for a missing EM if required. This will help keep a consistent and, therefore, transparent presence in fulfilling our ministry.
My compliments to those of you who have been filling the AM (Auxiliary Minister) position. This new position has required good coordination with #9 and flexibility and, by all reports, you have handled this smoothly. Thank you!
In His Service,
Norb Josten
Coordinator
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
610-874-9058 e-mail: josten3@comcast.net
Schedule Input for June 21 through September 14, 2008