Saint Michael Bedford MA

06/07/2026

Dear Friends,

On the occasion of a First Holy Communion celebration, a priest once said to the children: “When you come forward to receive, remember: the One you hold in your hand is the One who holds your life.” What a beautiful and profound truth.

More than two thousand years later, we gather in this church to do what the first Christians did in Jerusalem, and what the Apostles did with Jesus in the Upper Room. On this special feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, we do what the Lord Himself commanded us: “Take and eat. Take and drink.”

The details have changed over the centuries. The Upper Room was different from the first Christian communities, and they were different from our church today. Yet the reality remains the same. The truth has not changed. Jesus said, simply and profoundly: “This is my Body. This is my Blood.”

These are incredible words, words that not everyone could accept. In the Gospel, Jesus said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” For many of His disciples, this teaching was too difficult. They drew back and no longer walked with Him. They asked, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Yet Jesus did not take back His words. He did not soften the teaching. Instead, He turned to the Twelve and asked, “Do you also want to leave?”

Today, we celebrate this great Eucharistic truth: the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is not merely a symbol. It is not only a remembrance of the Last Supper. It is the real presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, given to us as food for eternal life.

And the Eucharist gives life. Saint Paul expresses this mystery beautifully when he says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” In Holy Communion, we receive Christ so that we may become more like Christ. We become what we receive. Christ comes to dwell in us, and we are invited to live in deeper union with Him.

But this feast also asks each of us a very personal question: After receiving the Eucharist for so many years, has it made a difference in my life? Has Holy Communion changed the way I speak, forgive, love, serve, and suffer? Do I prepare my heart before receiving this great gift? Do I come forward with faith, reverence, wonder, and gratitude? Or has the Eucharist become something ordinary, something routine, something I do simply because everyone else is doing it?

Each time we come forward, the minister says, “The Body of Christ.” And we answer, “Amen.” That Amen is not just a word. It is a profession of faith. It means: Yes, I believe. Yes, I believe that Christ is truly present. Yes, I receive Him with love. Yes, I want Him to live in me. Yes, I commit myself to becoming what I receive.

Therefore, as we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, let us come forward with renewed faith. Let us receive the Lord with humility, reverence, wonder, and gratitude. Let us remember that the One we hold in our hands is the One who holds our life.

May the Eucharist bring peace to our hearts, strength to our souls, and transformation to our daily lives. May it make us more patient, more forgiving, more generous, and more faithful. And may the Christ we receive at this altar continue to shape us into His living presence in the world.

Fr. Peter

06/02/2026

After the 4:00 PM Mass on Sunday, May 31, our Youth Group gathered to bake cookies for the Pine Street Ministry. It was a grace-filled opportunity to witness our young people come together with joyful hearts, generous spirits, and a genuine desire to serve. Through this simple yet meaningful ministry, they not only provided for those in need, but also deepened their understanding of what it means to live as disciples of Christ. In serving others, they encountered the joy of Christian community and the blessing of sharing God’s love through their actions.

Moments like this remind us that faith formation extends far beyond the classroom and the walls of the church. Our faith comes alive when it is expressed through acts of charity, compassion, and selfless service. As our youth offer their time and talents for the good of others, they become living witnesses to the Gospel and instruments of God’s love in our parish and the wider community. Their willingness to serve, collaborate, and grow together in friendship reflects the transformative power of Christ at work in their lives.

We are especially grateful to Annemarie Silver, the supervisor of our Youth Group, for her faithful guidance, inspiring leadership, and devoted care for our young people. Through her commitment and encouragement, she helps foster a welcoming, prayerful, and faith-filled environment where our youth can grow as disciples, deepen their relationship with Christ, and embrace lives of service and fellowship.

May God continue to bless our Youth Group, their families, and all those who generously support this important ministry. May our young people always know that they are deeply loved by God, richly gifted, and called by Christ to share His light, hope, and goodness with the world.

05/31/2026

Dear Friends,

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

At Confirmation, an Archbishop once asked a group of children, “Can anyone tell me what the Holy Trinity is?” A little girl answered very softly, “The Holy Trinity is three Persons in one God.” The archbishop, who was older and rather hard of hearing, replied, “I did not understand what you said.” The young girl answered, “Your Excellency, you are not supposed to understand it. The Trinity is a mystery. Nobody fully understands it.”

This simple story brings us to the heart of today’s feast. The Holy Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved, but a mystery to be adored, believed, and lived. We cannot fully grasp God with our limited human minds. Yet God, in His love, has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mystery is not meant to confuse us, but to draw us into deeper faith, humility, and love.

In the life of the Church, everything begins and ends in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Every prayer begins with the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The sacraments are celebrated in the name of the Trinity. We are baptized, forgiven, anointed, strengthened, and blessed through the grace of the Triune God. The Trinity is not only a doctrine we profess; it is the very life into which we have been baptized.

Today’s solemnity invites us to contemplate the deepest mystery of our faith: who God is in Himself. There is one God in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not three gods, but one God. This mystery cannot be fully mastered by human reason, but it can be received in faith, contemplated in prayer, and lived in love.

When we reflect on the Trinity, we should avoid two extremes. On one hand, we should not exhaust ourselves trying to explain completely how one God can be three Persons. God is always greater than our words and our imagination. On the other hand, we should not simply say, “It is a mystery,” and make no effort to understand or live it. Faith seeks understanding. The Church invites us to use our minds, but also to bow our hearts in humility before the greatness of God.

Traditionally, we speak of the Father as Creator, the Son as Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier. The Father creates and provides for all His creatures through the Son in the Holy Spirit. The Son is sent by the Father to redeem us, reconcile us with the Father, and become the bridge between humanity and God. In Jesus Christ, God’s love becomes visible, touchable, and near. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us, strengthens us, comforts us, teaches us, and guides us toward holiness. He helps us become faithful disciples of Jesus and leads us, through the Son, to the Father. Although we describe these works in different ways, the three divine Persons are never separated. What one Person does, the whole Trinity does in perfect unity and communion.

St. Augustine helps us approach this mystery through the language of love. Since God is love, Augustine speaks of the Trinity as the Lover, the Beloved, and the Love between them. The Father is the Lover, the Son is the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit is the living Love shared between the Father and the Son. This teaches us that at the heart of God there is not loneliness, isolation, or selfish power, but communion, relationship, and self-giving love.

This is why the mystery of the Trinity speaks directly to our lives, our families, and our parish community. If God is communion, and we are created in the image of God, then we are created for communion in love. We are not made for isolation, division, resentment, or selfishness. We are made to love and to be loved. We are made to live in relationship with God, with one another, and with the whole family of creation.

The Trinity also becomes the model for Christian families and Christian communities. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in perfect unity, equality, and love. In the same way, our families are called to reflect this divine life: love without domination, unity without uniformity, forgiveness without resentment, and service without selfishness. A Christian family becomes holy when its members continue to love, forgive, support, and pray for one another.

The same is true for our parish community. A parish is not simply an organization, a building, or a group of programs. A parish is called to be an image of the Trinity: many members, many gifts, many ministries, yet one body in Christ. When we serve one another, forgive one another, welcome one another, and work together for the mission of the Gospel, the life of the Trinity becomes visible among us.

Today, as we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity, let us not reduce this mystery to a formula only to be memorized. Let us enter into it as a way of life. Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, let us remember who we are: children of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

May the Father renew in us the gift of life. May the Son strengthen us with His mercy and redemption. May the Holy Spirit sanctify our hearts and guide us in peace.

Fr. Peter

05/30/2026

Please support this wonderful cause. Thank you St. Michael Parishioner Will Cefalo for organizing this toiletry drive for Veterans!

Community members can donate toiletries for veterans during a May 31 collection drive organized by Bedford High School junior Will Cefalo.

05/24/2026

Dear Friends,

Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not only a teaching of our faith, but the living power of God who enters our hearts, renews our lives, and transforms us from within. We see this transforming power clearly in the Acts of the Apostles. Before Pentecost, the apostles were afraid. They were hiding behind locked doors, uncertain of the future, and unable to proclaim Christ openly. But after receiving the Holy Spirit, they were changed. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and boldly proclaimed Jesus crucified and risen. Fear became courage. Confusion became faith. Weakness became mission.

Among them, Saint Peter was especially transformed. Peter had denied Jesus three times. He knew his own weakness and failure. Yet through the gift of the Holy Spirit, he became the leader the early Church needed. The Spirit did not erase Peter’s personality. Rather, the Spirit purified him, strengthened him, and used his gifts for the building up of the Church.

We see the same transformation in the life of Saint Paul. Before his conversion, Saul was dedicated and intelligent, but his heart was closed. He persecuted those who believed in Christ. He was zealous, but his zeal was not yet guided by love. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Paul remained energetic, courageous, and brilliant, but he became a man of deep faith, compassion, understanding, and pastoral love. The Holy Spirit did not destroy who Paul was; the Spirit redeemed and transformed who Paul was.

This is very important for us. The Holy Spirit does not transform us into identical copies of one another. Peter remained Peter. Paul remained Paul. Each kept his own personality, gifts, and mission. But the Holy Spirit strengthened the good within them and helped them mirror Christ in their own unique way.

The same is true for each of us. God knows that we all need transformation. The fact that we are Christians does not mean that we automatically think, speak, and act like Christ in every situation. We still have many rough edges. We still struggle with fear, impatience, selfishness, pride, anger, distraction, and lack of trust. Like the apostles, we need the Holy Spirit to teach us, strengthen us, comfort us, and renew us.

But God never forces His gifts upon us. The Holy Spirit comes as a gift, but we must be willing to receive Him. Sometimes we close the door of our hearts. Sometimes we resist change, even when the change is good. Sometimes we are afraid that if we truly open ourselves to God, He will ask too much of us. Sometimes we fill our lives with noise and distraction because silence before God makes us uncomfortable. We would rather be busy, distracted, or even bored than pray, read Scripture, or listen to the voice of the Lord.
Yet if we want to see what the Holy Spirit can do, we only need to look at the first Pentecost. A small group of ordinary people became witnesses to the ends of the earth. Those who were afraid became courageous. Those who were confused became clear in faith. Those who were weak became strong in mission. The Holy Spirit became the moving force of their lives.

And this is the same Holy Spirit given to us. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation. The same Spirit who spoke through the prophets. The same Spirit who overshadowed the Virgin Mary and made her the Mother of God. The same Spirit who descended upon the apostles in tongues of fire. The same Spirit who is the soul of the Church, guiding her, sanctifying her, and keeping her faithful to Christ. That same Holy Spirit dwells in us.

In today’s Gospel, the risen Jesus comes and stands in the midst of His disciples and says, “Peace be with you.” This peace is not simply the absence of trouble. It is the deep peace that comes from knowing that God loves us, that Christ has conquered sin and death, and that the Holy Spirit lives within us. This is a peace that the world cannot give, and a peace that the world cannot take away. On this feast of Pentecost, Christ invites us to open our hearts again to the working of His Spirit. Let us not block the Holy Spirit through fear, distraction, pride, or resistance. Let us allow the Spirit to renew what is weak, heal what is wounded, strengthen what is good, and guide us toward holiness.

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful. Kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Peter

05/19/2026

MichaelMas Scholarship Recipients: On Sunday, May 17, St. Michael Parish joyfully celebrated this year’s MichaelMas Scholarship recipients: Emelyn Sutton Heeney, Katherine Adams, and Christopher Randazzo. Missing from the photo is high school senior Kate Patterson.

The MichaelMas Scholarship is made possible through the generous donations of our parishioners each spring. We are deeply grateful for your support of our young people and their future.
Emelyn has faithfully served for the past three years as a catechist in our Religious Education program. Katherine has lovingly served as a catechist for our kindergarten students and has been active in both our parish and the Bedford School community. Kate has graciously and generously served as a catechist, Eucharistic Minister, Vacation Bible Camp volunteer, and as a teen leader for our Bedford Day booth. Christopher serves on our Youth Group leadership committee and is also a welcoming presence as an usher at Mass.

We thank these young adults for their faith, dedication, and generous service to St. Michael Parish. As they begin this new chapter in their lives, we pray that God will continue to guide them, bless them, and strengthen them in all that lies ahead.
Congratulations to our MichaelMas Scholarship recipients, and thank you to all who support this beautiful parish tradition.

05/18/2026

On the evening of May 17, after the 4:00 PM Sunday Mass, the youth of our parish gathered for their youth activities program. They enjoyed pizza, shared in Bible reflection, and participated in different games and fellowship.

We are grateful to see our young people growing in faith, friendship, and joy within our parish community. May God continue to bless them and guide them always.

05/17/2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Today’s Gospel is taken from John, chapter 17. This chapter is often called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, because in it Jesus prays not only for Himself, but also for His disciples and for all who will come to believe in Him. In other words, Jesus prays for the Church, and He prays for each one of us.

Prayer is at the heart of Christian life. Prayer is our communication with God. In the difficulties, struggles, and challenges of life, prayer becomes the sacred place where we bring our burdens before the Lord. Through prayer, we come to understand, accept, and face what we cannot face by ourselves. In prayer, we do not simply ask God to change our situation; more deeply, we allow God to enter our hearts and change us.

Throughout His earthly life, prayer was central to Jesus’ ministry. He prayed in moments of busyness, in moments of decision, in moments of suffering, and in moments of mission. He often withdrew to quiet places to pray. Jesus knew that communion with the Father was the source of His strength, peace, and mission. His disciples saw this, and they came to Him with a simple but profound request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Perhaps this is also the prayer we need to make today: Lord, teach us to pray. Teach us not only to say many words, but to place ourselves before You with trust. Teach us to open our hearts, to listen, and to receive Your grace.

Prayer truly has power. Saint Monica prayed for many years for her son Augustine, who was far from God and living a restless life. Her prayers, tears, and perseverance were not wasted. Through God’s grace, Augustine was converted and became one of the greatest saints and theologians of the Church. Prayer may not always work according to our timing, but no sincere prayer is ever lost before God.

In today’s Gospel, the heart of Jesus’ prayer is unity. Jesus prays that His disciples may be one, just as He and the Father are one. This unity is not simply human agreement or external cooperation. It is a spiritual unity rooted in God’s own love. True unity is born from prayer, because in prayer we learn humility, patience, forgiveness, and love. We often say to married couples: the family that prays together stays together. This is true not only for families, but also for the Church. A parish that prays together grows together. A community that prays together learns to forgive, to support, and to love one another.

This is one of the reasons we come together every Sunday. We do not come to Mass only as individuals. We come as the Body of Christ. We come to pray with one another and for one another. That is why Jesus taught us to say “Our Father,” not “my Father.” Christian prayer always opens our hearts beyond ourselves. It teaches us to remember our families, our parish, the sick, the suffering, the lonely, the poor, and even those we do not know.

Sometimes we think prayer must immediately produce a visible result. We may think prayer is mainly about changing God’s mind. But the deepest purpose of prayer is not to change God; it is to allow God to change us. Prayer places us in God’s presence. It opens our hearts to His will. It makes us more loving, more forgiving, more peaceful, and more faithful.

As we celebrate this Seventh Sunday of Easter, let us ask the Lord to renew our life of prayer. Let us pray with trust, with patience, and with perseverance. Let us pray for unity in our families, in our parish, in the Church, and in the world. And let us remember that whenever we pray, we are never alone: Jesus Himself, our High Priest, is praying for us.

PARISH UPDATES
This weekend, St. Michael Parish will host a Ministry Fair on Sunday after the 10:00 AM Mass. Representatives from many of our parish ministries will be present to share their mission, answer questions, and help you discern how your gifts may be used in service to God and His people. Coffee will be provided. Please join us and discover where the Lord may be inviting you to serve, grow, and become more deeply involved in the life of our parish community.

On Monday evening, May 11, our Parish Finance Council gathered for a very productive meeting. The council reviewed the past fiscal year and carefully considered the budget for the coming fiscal year. Members also discussed the parish building HVAC project, future capital needs, and other possible renovation plans that will help us continue to care for our parish facilities with responsibility and foresight. We are deeply grateful to the members of the Finance Council for their wisdom, dedication, and generous service to our parish community. We also thank all our parishioners for your continued generosity and faithful support of St. Michael Parish. Your stewardship helps us sustain the mission of the Church, care for the spiritual and practical needs of our community, and prepare responsibly for the future. May God bless you for all that you do in support of our parish family.

Fr. Peter Shen

05/15/2026

On May 13, the Young Adults of St. Michael Parish held their monthly gathering. Paul Horgan presented a thoughtful talk on “The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” His reflection helped us open our hearts more fully to God and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit more faithfully.

These gifts—wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord—strengthen our faith, deepen our love for God, guide our decisions, and give us courage in difficult moments. Like sails on a boat, they allow the Holy Spirit to move our souls toward God. As we approach Pentecost, we ask the Holy Spirit to renew us, guide us, and help us live as faithful disciples of Christ.

The Young Adults of St. Michael Parish gather on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for their monthly meeting. On the other Wednesdays of the month, they meet from 7:00 to 8:00 PM for Bible sharing. All young adults are welcome to join.

05/12/2026

On Sunday, May 10th, our First Communicants crowned the statue of our Blessed Mother Mary in a beautiful gesture of faith, love, and devotion. This meaningful tradition reminds us that the month of May is specially dedicated by the Church to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother in faith. As we honor Mary, we do not simply admire her from a distance; we look to her as the perfect disciple of her Son, Jesus Christ. Her life of humility, obedience, prayer, and trust continues to guide us on our own journey of faith. Through the May Crowning, our children helped lead the whole parish community in expressing our love for Mary and our confidence in her maternal care.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.