Fr. Tom's Blog

As we come to the end of another liturgical year, which will officially end next weekend with the Feast of Christ the King, we hear in our scripture readings a focus on the end times. In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about certain signs that will help us know the end is near, such as: the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. But then he continues by saying something very important for us to remember: But of the day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. We are encouraged to stay focused on living our faith and trusting in the power of faith amidst the turmoil of the world. By being always ready and alert, we will not have to worry about the day or hour. In what ways can we be a sign of God’s Kingdom here and now?
 
This weekend is Commitment Weekend for our annual Stewardship Renewal and our Capital Campaign – Celebrating our Faith, Continuing our Vision. We have asked all parish households to complete and return a time and talent form and a pledge card for our Stewardship Renewal and Capital Campaign. We rely on your regular stewardship to help us continue all the great ministries and programs of our parish. This year has also been a special time for us as a parish to look to the future and focus on ways we can serve the needs of our active community. We are grateful to all those who have made a pledge to our campaign to help us complete needed projects. But we still need others in the parish to step forward so we can reach our Celebration goal of $4 million. If you have not yet made a pledge, please consider making a pledge to the campaign today. You can access all the information for our Stewardship Renewal and Capital Campaign on our parish website or feel free to call the Parish Office if we can assist in any way. Please help us be the best community we can be by sharing generously of your gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
This weekend we also celebrate our Parish Feast Day, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast is actually this Wednesday, November 21. This is a time for us to give thanks for our parish community and the example of our Blessed Mother, Mary.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Please join us for Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00am as we give thanks to God for all our blessings. In your November packet of envelopes there is one designated for Thanksgiving. All contributions in this envelope are used to assist those in need during the holidays. You may place your contribution in the regular collection or bring it on Thanksgiving Day. Many Blessings!
 

     We continue to hear examples from the Gospel of how we are called to give fully of ourselves in response to the generosity and abundance of God. The widow in today’s story gives from her substance, from her whole livelihood, as the Gospel states. This is in contrast to the many rich people who experience no sacrifice or suffering for their contributions. The poor widow was in touch with her total dependence on God. While most of us do not have to sacrifice from our needs or even our wants, we might ask ourselves how we can imitate the generous self-giving of the widow. Jesus teaches us the way of sacrificial giving. There are many ways we are called each day to follow this example.
     As we celebrate Veterans Day this weekend, let’s say a prayer of thanks for all those who have served our country and made sacrifices to protect our freedoms. May God bless all of them and keep safe all those currently serving in the military.
     Our annual Wine & Jesus Trivia Night is this Friday, November 16, beginning at 6:30pm. This is a fun evening for adults, so get a team together or sign up as an individual. See the bulletin for all the details.
     We are entering the last two weeks of the formal pledge period for our Celebrating our Faith – Continuing our Vision Capital Campaign. While we are grateful to all those who have made a pledge and helped us get over the $3 million dollar mark, we still have a ways to go to reach our $4 million dollar Celebration goal. I feel confident we can reach this goal given the number of people in our parish. This campaign is an invitation for all of us to make an investment in our future and do our part so our parish can continue to thrive and grow. If you have not yet made a pledge, I extend a personal plea to please support our parish by making your pledge in these final days. If there is anything we can do to assist you in the process or any questions we can answer, please feel free to ask. Your pledge gets us closer to beginning these needed projects.
We are also in the midst of our annual Stewardship Renewal. Please take the time to fill out and return the Time, Talent, and Treasure forms that were mailed to you. Next weekend is Commitment weekend for our Stewardship Renewal and our Capital Campaign. At all the Masses next weekend, November 17-18, we will offer a special blessing over the commitments we have made.  
     We will also celebrate our Parish Feast Day – Our Lady of the Presentation, next weekend. The feast falls on November 21, but please join us after Mass for Divine Donuts as we remember Mary being presented as a child to God in the temple by her parents Joachim and Anne.
Many Blessings!           
 
 

In the Gospel today, Jesus is asked, Which is the first of all the commandments? Jesus replied, The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus reminds us that our true loyalty, above all other things, should be loving God with our whole selves. But our love for God has to be seen in our love for others in order for it to be truly authentic. Our faith and following the commandments must be seen through the lens of love. When we focus our lives on our love for God, we can’t help but see God’s presence in those around us. Let us pray for the strength to love as God loves.
 
We welcome all the family members and visitors who are joining us for our Remembrance Masses at the 8:30 & 10:00am Masses this weekend. We are grateful for your presence as we lift up our deceased loved ones in prayer and remember the blessing they have been and continue to be for us. Through our faith and prayers we remember that the bonds of love we share will never end. May all those who have gone before us in death rest in the eternal peace of heaven.
 
The mid-term elections are this Tuesday. I know we are looking forward to a break from all the political ads, but don’t forget to exercise your right to vote and use Christ’s law of love to inform you. I share the following words from an “Election Prayer”: Lord, we pray your people may be awakened. Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation, their response to you requires that they be politically active. Awaken your people to know that they are not a sect fleeing the world, but rather a community of faith renewing the world.
 
All registered parishioners should have received a mailing about our annual Stewardship Renewal. You will be hearing more in the next couple of weeks about our call to live as faithful stewards and share generously our gifts from God. Please take the time to prayerfully reflect on your commitment to Stewardship.
In connection with our Stewardship Renewal, we also continue to ask for everyone’s support of our Celebrating our Faith – Continuing our Vision capital campaign. We have 3 weeks left for our pledge drive. If you have not yet made a pledge, I ask that you please do so this week. We need your support to reach our goal. As an example, remember that a total gift of $3,000 over the 3-year pledge period breaks down to $1,000 a year, which is just $19/week or $2.74/day. Please prayerfully reflect on your pledge and give in a way that reflects your means, but please give something!     
Many Blessings!