Medieval legends inform us that most knights died from defending truth, beauty and freedom, but historians of later centuries inform us that the knights actually died from the result of their armor. The constricting metal "clothing" caused them to succumb to excessive heat exhaustion and dehydration; they usually died from a heart attack. Are you aware that the rules and customs of life which are supposed to support a good life often times can cause the death of one's heart. This is an issue which Jesus spoke and taught about, the death of life caused by rules that do not give life, but cause death.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

Next weekend is Labor Day Weekend. When I was young and at my grandmother’s house in Scituate there was a ritual pattern which we followed. Everyone gathered for the weekend at her house. This meant lots of adults and children and thus lots of laughter and fun. What a crowded house it was between all of us staying there with the day-hoppers and also relatives and friends in near-by houses! Then on the next day, Tuesday we all packed up and went back to Boston and started school the next day. Times change and now schools start different weeks and days for various institutions. Our Town has already begun. Colleges and Universities seem to start the soonest and private high school academies seem to start the latest. I treasure the memories of my summers in Scituate and hope that you all have created some memories this summer to cherish. I did. My grand nephews and nieces were at our home in Falmouth and it has been great fun and joy.

Whenever we enter a room through a doorway, we go through a place that it is called a "threshold". We cross this threshold when we have entered a new space and have left behind the room and space which we had been in. Many times, we stop at the threshold of a room to see what is before us, to remember what we left behind or to think about if we should even enter the new space. Thresholds hold great meaning, although often times we do not realize it. Thresholds are quite symbolic.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

In this past week a great and wonderful light in the Town of Franklin left us. Reverend Carol Rosine, the Minister Emerita of First Universalist Society in Franklin died. In more than 12 years which I have served at Saint Mary Parish, I was privileged and blessed to know Reverend Carol, serve with her on the Interfaith Council and various committees and projects, and also treasure her as a special friend. Reverend Carol brought joy, hope, strength and the presence of God to all who she met in her dedicated service in Franklin. The lost and lonely, the less and the frail knew that she was not only their friend but a strong advocate for them. Her ministry touched the lives of many, many people, including many beyond her congregation. On behalf of Saint Mary’s I have expressed prayerful condolences to Carol’s family and to her Universalist congregation. We are a better Town and Community because of her faith, heart and soul. We mourn her loss, but we rejoice that she touched our hearts and lives with her faith and strength.

The Feast of Mary's Assumption into heaven is a feast that celebrates the triumph of Mary into heaven first and then also includes "all who hear the word of God and keep it." Slowly, ever so slowly, the honor paid to Mary by Christians grew through time. In early church documents we learn of Mary's "dormition" meaning the falling asleep or death. In fact, it was the Orthodox Church, the Church of the East, which first celebrated as a formal feast Mary's Dormition, or what we have come in the Church of the West to call 'the Assumption of Mary into heaven." No matter its history or whatever word(s) you use to describe this reality, this feast of Mary is precious and is cherished in our Latin Rite Roman Catholic Tradition.

Today most of us are very conscious to "eat healthy" and not to indulge frequently in food that is not nutritious for us. Many people now shop only for organic certified foods. Some folks have now switched to an entirely plant-based diet. Overall we are blessed in this country with the privilege of having such a great variety of fresh and healthy foodstuffs. There are some among us, even in the Town of Franklin, who do struggle to obtain food. For them, food is a scarcity which both through your generosity, our Saint Vincent de Paul Society and the Franklin Food Pantry help them. Many of us also have memories of being young and having our parents say to us "Taste and see if you like it or just have a little". We often hear how important it is to taste food. This week's readings are about the spiritual food which is good for us.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

We are stepping right along to the Fall and the re-start in various ways of many of the activities and programs in our Parish. The Pandemic will still be among us in many ways, but we can begin a safe and thoughtful transition as people continue to be vaccinated and practice good COVID protocols. In many ways we will be transitioning for one full year. Whatever the new normal will be, it is mostly likely one year from this Fall. We will be consistently and slowly re-starting or opening various ministries, programs and services. With the arrival of our new part-time Pastoral Associate Leo Racine shortly after Labor Day, we will re-start according to good COVID safety rules Communion Services at our various institutional facilities. We will also be offering some evening meetings for Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers to help address these roles and now the different requirements and protocols in serving due to COVID Safety.

This weekend, we discover in our first reading that life was not easy for the Israelites as they left Egypt to go to the Promised Land. God had rescued them from the swords and whips of the Egyptians and now they had very tough going in the desert. They had adopted a typical human behavior of complaining unceasingly. When they quite bitterly and angrily complained of being hungry to God, he sent them manna, but they resisted that food. They continued to complain. It took Moses to point out to them that the manna was the answer to their prayers to God. They missed the obvious.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

We are progressing through the summer at a great speed. Somehow without me noticing, we are now in the month of August. Shortly our college age children will depart and leave for their educational institutions and begin to engage in their studies. This coming year will be different for them than last year as it will probably resemble more closely the traditional college pattern. It will be the same, but different. Our younger children will begin their education in late August or early September. Again their educational year will be similar to the past, but somewhat different. We pray for and hope for a better learning environment and experience this coming year. Our Educational Administrators, actual Educators and the entire Support Staffs certainly offered heroic service to all of our young people last year during the Pandemic. Karen Ackles, our Director of Religious Education, has been working diligently through the summer to prepare and offer a Religious Education Program that nurtures and develops our children’s faith, but also makes it as “user friendly” for parents as they re-engage with all the obligations and activities of their children this coming year. It is now the time to register for Religious Education… spread the word, please, for Grades 1 through 8 and also Confirmation 1 and 2. It is on-line at our website (stmarysfranklin.org) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

At Sunday Mass we read a major gospel each church year which tells the story of Jesus and His life; in this process we read only selected sections which have been curated to tell the essential story of Jesus Christ. In fact, we read from only Matthew, Mark, or Luke in a three-year cycle because they are gospels which are written from an "eye-witness" point of view. The Gospel of John offers a distinctly different view of the life and message of Jesus. This year our gospel is that of Saint Mark. We do, however, fill in at times with sections from the Gospel of John. Mark is the shortest of all of the gospels, so it is necessary at times to read at length from John to add a depth or a dimension to what we are following in the life of Christ each Sunday. This Sunday we begin the section of John called "the Bread of Life" passage. The Eucharist is the focus of our reading of the Gospel of John for the next 4 weeks. Perhaps these readings will help us put the proper focus on the controversies which are circulating in our Church and in the American public world. I am attempting to provide a reflection for your faith which hopefully supports and helps you to be a faithful disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, instead of being caught up in other things. How often have I said "to know what matters and pay attention to what matters." This advice sounds simple, but often it is very hard to follow.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

Another week of summer has rolled by us all; I hope you have taken some time for your family and friends. As you are aware, the summer really does not go all the way through Labor Day as it did in ‘the old days”. Nationally colleges and universities start in mid to late August and also most New England town and city educational systems begin just a few days before Labor Day. So I remind you, as well as I remind myself, make your family and friends a priority in the remaining weeks of summer.

In today's gospel, the writer Mark was trying to stir the deep memories of the Jews with his use of the image of a Shepherd. In the very long history of the Jews, they had always tended sheep. In fact, we can recall the story of long before the Jews had been Israel, when Abraham and his wife Sarah left their homeland for the Promised Land and took their many sheep along with them. You may recall that at one time even Moses tended the sheep of his father-in-law. The great King of Israel, David himself, was a shepherd. In fact, David was called from the fields when he was tending sheep to be anointed by Samuel to be King of Israel. Sheep and shepherds are in the memory DNA of the Jews at the time Mark is composing his gospel.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

I guess we now know what Noah was nervous about as he built his ark: “Would it be ready for all his family and the animals before it was too late?”. The amount of rain we have had certainly has filled to overflowing the flood plains, marshes, brooks, streams and rivers in our area. I am certain that a few lower levels of homes have been flooded.  There is no perfect balance in New England weather, even if we were not dealing with the effects of global warming. Our flower and vegetable gardens are saturated and now need some sun for everything to grow and ripen. We know the sun will come out, it takes patience.

Although we are usually an infant when we are baptized, the church's theology says that at the time of our baptism, our vocation to follow Christ starts. We are His beloved children and are united to Him. Every one of us at baptism is called to become a holy and good person. How this all happens depends upon the grace of God in our lives and how we accept this grace and live it. In our reading from Saint Paul this weekend, we hear how the great apostle Paul gave great praise and was full of gratitude and amazement that he of all people had been chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and drawn into the eternal mysteries. We need to know and understand that this calling and election is not Paul's alone. This calling and election, in fact, belongs to all the baptized. We need to remember that we also are chosen and are sealed by the promised Spirit. All of this has happened in each one of us and all we have to do, like Paul, is give praise and thanks.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

You will notice on the front areas of our church and rectory that we have signs which say “We stand with our Jewish neighbors”. As you are aware the increase in anti-Semitism in common culture today, not only in graffiti, but more importantly in violence is shocking. All of us need to stand for peace and respect of everyone. Anti-Semitism is a learned evil and we must present ourselves as examples that stand against this. Bear in mind that or children learn anti-Semitism by our silence, or even worse by our example. How can we tolerate that Jews live each day with fear for their personal safety in our nation and perhaps even in our Town and neighborhood? There are some additional signs available in the lobby at the elevator entrance of our church building if you wish to take and put a sign at your house. This action is symbolic, but symbols often have great meaning and power.  We must stand against any violence towards people in our land.

Today in common discussion we often use the word "revelation, or to reveal" in talking about parents who hold a 'gender reveal party". This word "revelation" is so frequently used in religious contexts. In religious use it means to "show forth" or to "make manifest." The root of the word, however, is a stem that means hidden or veiled. When we listen to or read scripture, the Bible, we are to recognize that God's thoughts and words are being shown forth or made manifest to us. When we read or listen and then also reflect on scripture, the Word of God, we learn many, many truths, ideas, and insights into ourselves and lives which may have been hidden for various reasons.