St. Eulalia - Winchester/Arlington

Welcome to St. Eulalia Parish

Catholics find meaning and hope in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father 
has sent into the world for the salvation of all peoples.

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Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Eulalia Parish,

“Be watchful! Be Alert!  is the warning that Jesus gives to his disciples which we will hear on the First Sunday of Advent (Mk 13:33). This warning is good to us all at the moment while we are preparing for Thanksgiving, which is an annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey in North America. It’s true that many people plan to travel eagerly to join family and friends despite the surge in cases of the COVID-19 virus.

Thanksgiving Day falls between the last Sunday of the liturgical year “A”: Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and the First Sunday of Advent, year “B”. It is therefore important for us to seek wisdom from the two Gospels so that our minds may be enlightened. Though two different gospels, they come together nicely to help us prepare well for that moment of life.

What I say to you, I say to all: “Watch!”, the saying from the Gospel of Mark (First Sunday of Advent 13:33-37) reminds us that the time of the Lord’s coming is kept a secret, and that we may be engaged to stand always upon our guard. The first two weeks of Advent celebration is the anticipation of the second coming of Christ. Indeed, Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe fulfills that anticipation. The Gospel of the day (Mtt 25:31-36) specifies everything that happens when Christ comes. He will separate the good people from the bad ones. The good will be rewarded with eternal life and the bad will be punished forever. The norm for his judgement is a simple one: you did for the least of my brethren, you did for me. Jesus does not ask people for their academic qualifications, nor their business successes, nor political ambitions, but these questions: Did you feed the hungry? Did you quench the thirsty? Did you clothe the naked? Did you heal the sick? Did you welcome a stranger? And did you visit a prisoner? These are all simple actions in life which require the good gift of faith.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life” (Sat. Lk 21:34) is great life advice from Jesus. Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to be together as a family to celebrate the harvest and to give thanks to God for His blessings. We thank God for the gift of family, the gift of life, because we have seen with our own eyes of those many broken families and the loss of lives during the pandemic this year.

As we go home to our families for the Thanksgiving holiday, a catechetical lesson is helpful (no.1346): The Eucharist is a “consecratory thanksgiving” and indeed is the Thanksgiving. It refers to both the Catholic Mass and the sacrament of Holy Communion. While we are home, let us join others in the Eucharist celebration in church and then start to practice that charity to our loved ones at home: serve one another at the table. When we go back to work or school, we will try to serve our neighbors who are in need.

“Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” (Ps 80:4)

                                   Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!
 
                             Fr. John Chen                      

The office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  .  
 
To send a message, you may email us from our contact page

Please tune into the 4:00 pm Mass this Saturday or 10:00 am or 5:00 pm Mass this Sunday and 9:00 am Mass daily.

Renewal Ministries:

Mass times at St. Mary Parish can be found on the St. Mary Parish website. 

ALERT- Click HERE  for contact information. Simply enter your street address, city, and zip code. Then click on the senator to obtain the telephone number or you can call 617-746-5630.

Please ask your state senator to vote NO on the budget amendment that would expand abortion in Massachusetts.