February 19, 2010

Dear Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion,

Attached please find your copy of the EM Schedule covering the Spring cycle from Mar 6th thru June 20th, 2010. Your schedule inputs received by the due date were incorporated into the scheduling program unless Mass coverage required an exception.

Reminders: Team Captains (#9) arrive 15 mins prior to Mass, other EMs arrive 10 minutes prior and check in. Should a conflict arise short notice, or you’re unable to secure a substitute, make sure to notify #9 for that mass so they know to recruit a replacement from the congregation. Please continue your practice of dressing-to-serve even when not assigned in the event you are recruited just prior to mass to fill a vacancy. Number 9 is again reminded to check with the celebrant to determine whether a 5th EM will be needed at any Mass where we have only one clergy participating. Number 9 should also ensure the altar servers receive communion.

Hooray! You’ll all be happy to know that the hand purification dispenser has now been filled with odorless hand purifier as opposed to the scented (what turned out to be) soap. The receiving congregation will also be happy not to have that soapy-scented taste accompanying their communion host. My apologies for not catching that sooner.

On Holy Thursday, there is an opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration beginning after the 7:30 PM Mass of the Last Supper until midnight. It would be consistent with our Ministry’s Charism to avail ourselves of this special time with Our Lord. Thank you.

A Eucharistic Meditation courtesy of Caryll Houselander, British mystic, poet and spiritual teacher. “What is Holy Communion but Christ given to us, and we given to Christ, his words given to us to utter, his deeds to do, his beauty to reveal, his love to rejoice in, our littleness given to him? There are thousands of people with whom we come into contact who do not know Christ, who do not guess that he wants to be a brother, a lover, a child, a friend to them, who do not know that the gap, the emptiness they feel in their lives is there because God leaves it there on purpose, that they may hunger for his intimate presence, may accept the gift of himself! There is in every human heart, be it the heart of a man or a woman, an empty cradle, waiting for the birth of Christ to fill it. Those who have him, those in whom he is born again day after day, have just this one work to do: to show the others that what they want, what they long for, is Christ.”

May the blessings of this holy season shower down upon you and your families.

In His Service,

Norb Josten
EM Coordinator
(h) 610-874-9058
E-mail: josten3@comcast.net