From the Pastor's Desk: October 27, 2019

From the Pastor’s Desk:                                                                                                                 
October 27, 2019

     In the Gospel for this Sunday, St. Luke tells us that Jesus "addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else." His words powerfully complement the life and message of St. Paul, who today reminds us of the kind of journey of life that matters most. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” These are expressions that, God-willing, each of us will be able to say honestly at the end of our life. The world we live in presents a struggle to be a Christian. To be a Christian today is not easy. It is not only a battle between good and evil, against our weaknesses and failings, but to a greater degree a war against the forceful attempts to turn us from and against God.

     In truth, the Christian way of life is not a walk in the park. It is not about sitting down on a comfortable chair waiting for others to serve us and letting life pass us by. It is not a pretentious attitude as we do God a favor coming to Mass every so often. Christianity as a way of life is a race. It is a life-long marathon. St. Paul ran that race all over the ancient world and we, too, are called to live our faith with similar disposition. We are called to hasten to Church, to hasten to serve others, to hasten to grow in faith. And we are called to persevere in the marathon of Christian life, up hills and down into valleys of our everyday life.

     When comes down to faith, it is the greatest gift that someone can receive in life. Imagine if someone offered you the most incredible promise of happiness – but you could only receive it as a gift - you could not earn it nor deserve it. Would you accept it? To accept is to remain faithful and true to the loving covenant God had established. And to be truly happy is to share the gift with others. “But how did St. Paul preserve the faith? Not in a safe! He didn’t hide it underground, like the lazy servant who buried the talent. … He kept the faith because he didn’t limit himself to defending it, but proclaimed it, spread it, brought it to the farthest reaches of the world. … He preserved the faith because, just as he received it, he passed it on, throwing himself into the peripheries without hiding behind bunkers. Here we can ask ourselves: how do we, in the family, keep our faith?” (Pope Francis)

     On Friday, November 1 ^st, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints Day- A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. The liturgy of All 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 Saturday, November 2 ^nd, we celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed – All Soul’s 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. During the entire week, we will offer Masses in the intentions you submitted in the special envelopes that will be placed on the altar.

 "The devotion to the memory of the dead is one of the most beautiful expressions of the Catholic spirit.” Pope St. John XXIII
     “When we lose a loved one, the pain we experience is unbearable. We remember all that touched us so deeply. Prayer and time help to ease our hearts but they do not take away their memory. On All Soul's Day, we remember that death is a natural part of life and we lift our loved ones in prayer. The Catholic Church teaches that our prayers and sacrifices for our deceased helps them in great ways. In fact, Holy Mother Church names praying for the dead as one of the spiritual works of mercy. During the month of November, the Church invites us to consider our own mortality by reflecting on the Four Last Things - Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Likewise, it is also the month the Church specifically designates for us to pray in earnest for our dearly departed loved ones. And in a world that is quick to implicitly "canonize" the deceased, never has the need been greater. St. Ambrose reminds us, "We have loved them dearly during life, so let us not abandon them until we have conducted them by our prayers into the house of the Lord." (Women of Grace)

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in PEACE! 
      
I wish you a blessed week.  

       With prayers,
       Fr. Andy