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From the Pastor's Desk: Oct. 31, 2021
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As we begin the month of November this week, we are approaching the end of the liturgical year. Today we are invited to reflect upon our relationship with Jesus, the King of the Universe, and others. It is actually Jesus Himself who teaches us the most important way of preparing to be with Him in His Kingdom – “You shall love the Lord your God … you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus reminds us today that loving God with all of our being is one and the same as loving our neighbor and is only made possible by our self-giving disposition.
And yet, our post-modern world has, in many ways, given up on the idea of God. The sheer quantity of religions and denominations and their inability to agree on doctrines has created a cynical indifference to God. Government and popular culture have almost succeeded in keeping God in the closet – at best. What the seculars do agree about, however, is the importance of loving one’s neighbor – toleration, diversity, random acts of kindness, paying it forward…These are things we can sink our teeth into, so they say. So, is it really possible to make the sustained effort necessary for truly Christian love of neighbor, without staying connected to the reason why our neighbor ought to be loved? In other words, if I don’t love the God in whose image my neighbor is created, how long and how deeply can I really, truly love my neighbor? We also need to remember that no one draws near to God’s Kingdom by simply quoting the commandants. The way to the Kingdom is through an active love of God and neighbor. So, how far are you therefore from the Kingdom of God?
On Monday, November 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints Day — NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION this year. The liturgy of all the saints celebrates all the saints known and unknown to us, who enjoy the Glory of Heaven. Today we are reminded that sanctity is accessible to everyone in their various jobs and situations. From the towering figures like St. Augustine, Francis, Faustina, JP II, to the humble saints whose names are known to few or none – our grandparents, friends, teachers who lived their faith to the fullness. Today we celebrate them all. Please check the bulletin for the Mass schedule.
On November 2nd, we celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed – All Soul’s Day. This is a day when in a very special way we call to mind all the faithful dead, both those known to us and those we do not know. Prayer for the dead reaches deep into our human history and it has been our custom from the earliest days of the Church. The belief that our prayers can be of assistance to the dead is a treasured precept of our Catholic faith, since we profess it every time we recite the Creed: “We look to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come” (Nicene Creed). Beginning on Monday, for the entire week, we will pray at 8:15 am Mass for the names submitted on these special envelopes that will be placed on the altar.
On Sunday, we will also celebrate Halloween. It is important to remember that the celebration has dual origins. The first is in a pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with the Celtic New Year. The second is in the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (Nov. 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). In the British Isles, November 1st is called All Hallows, thus the evening before is All Hallows Eve. Today, we are witnessing a reverse process. A secular society is wiping out the very memory of our Catholic feasts. Halloween, once used to designate the eve of the Feast of All Saints, has become a strictly secular holiday in the minds of most people. The Feast of All Souls is all but wiped out of the minds of society at large causing confusion about religious holidays and traditions.
As we continue on our journey of life and faith, let us remember especially those who passed from this life and seek intercessions of the host of saints to assist us, so we could do something beautiful for God with our lives while still here on earth. “One cannot expect to become a saint without paying the price, and the price is much renunciation, much temptation, much struggle and persecution, and all sort of sacrifices. One cannot love God except at the cost of oneself.” –St. Mother Teresa
Have a blessed week! With prayers, Fr. Andy
