"In order to receive the eternal life which will be given to us at the end, on the last day, the first gift that came to us from God's goodness, accompanying the beginning of fatih, was the forgiveness of sins." ~St. Augustine
St Augustine’s homily on this Sunday’s gospel stresses the importance of the gift of forgiveness that we receive through the Holy Spirit and of maintaining a repentant heart. Jesus declares that all sins will be forgiven men except the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. Augustine interprets Jesus’ words as saying that while the final perfect gift of the Holy Spirit is perfect love or charity, the very first benefit we receive as believers “from the kindness of God is the forgiveness of our sins in the Holy Spirit”. It is by this gift that the power of darkness brought on by the prince of this world, Satan, is thrown out of our hearts by our faith. “What speaks against this spontaneous, free gift, against this grace of God, is an unrepentant heart. So it is being unrepentant that is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven in this age, nor in the age to come.” As you prepare for Mass this weekend reflect on God's great gift of forgiveness as the starting point of a life of faith. How can you best share that with others?
This weekend at St. Augustine
  • Please keep in prayer our St. Augustine School students who graduated at a Mass celebrated on Friday evening.
  • Please also keep in prayer all the high school graduates from our parish. Graduates and their families of all denominations are welcome to a Baccalaureate service this Sunday at St. Augustine Church at 3:30pm.
  • Roses will be available for sale at all Masses (while supplies last and except for the 5:30pm Mass) to support Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Cost is $2 for one rose and $5 for three roses.
Our Augustinian Friars will be away this week for the annual meeting of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. There will be no weekday (8 AM) Mass Monday, June 11th - Friday, June 15th.

Daily Mass is held at St. Michael Church in North Andover at 6:45 AM and 9 AM,
at St. Theresa Church in North Reading at 9am,
and at Holy Family Hospital at noon.
 
While the friars are away, St. Augustine Church will be open for private prayer and devotion
-please enter using the side access ramp.
Please help fill the GAP. For more info and to donate online, visit StAugustineParish.org/GAP .  Donations may also be mailed or brought into the office or placed in the offertory with "GAP" designated in the memo. Thank you for continued generosity to our parish.
For complete information on activities and events check out ou r weekly bulletin
or visit our website at StAugustineParish.org

You received this email because you are a registered parishioner at St. Augustine and/or you signed up. If you no longer wish to receive them, please unsubscribe or update your preferences using the links below.