Dear friends,
As we begin the month of November, our thoughts and prayers go to our faithful departed. On the 1st of November, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, joyfully honoring all those who, through merit of their faithfulness, stand in the presence of God. Some have been canonized – officially recognized as saints by the Church – but there are many others there whom we do not know. On the 2nd of November, the Feast of All Souls, we focused our prayers on those faithful who have died but need some time of purification before entering the holy presence of God, for we know that “nothing unclean shall enter in” (Revelation 21: 27). Throughout the month of November, let us focus intensely on praying for the deceased members of our families and friends with the faith that our continued prayers and the sacrifice of the Mass might benefit them. Please take the time to include their names in the book displayed in the narthex.
I extend a warm and hearty welcome to Bishop John Noonan!
As you know, Hurricane Ian disrupted our plans for his blessing on 2 October, but we are now ready for his visit on Sunday, 6 November. Following Bishop Noonan’s celebration of the 11:00 a.m. Mass, he will bless the completed work of phase 1 and initiate the beginning of phase 2 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Grotto of our Lady. Thank you, Bishop John, for your support and encouragement of the family of St. John the Evangelist! As work on the grotto project commences, I request that you pray for the safety of those who will labor to completion. May our Mother Mary intercede for us.
I take this moment to congratulate Carrie Seringer for receiving the “Family of the Month” award for October 2022. She has been a great blessing to us, and her unstinting support and dedication to our parish is greatly appreciated. May her commitment inspire her family and friends to follow her enthusiasm in serving the Lord.
National Vocations Awareness Week is held from November 6-12 this year. It is an annual, weeklong celebration observed by the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education. In addition, we renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. Please pray for our own young men and women, that they may be open to God's call to serving him in this particular way. Visit https://www.holycrossusa.org/office-of-vocations/ for information about the Congregation of Holy Cross, and know of our enduring hopes, wishes, and prayers that young men and women from our parish might hear and answer God’s call to the priesthood and/or religious life.
This weekend, we celebrate the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Scripture readings invite us to reflect on the theme of the month of November, i.e., to reflect on our death, resurrection, and final destiny to be with the Lord. Luke tells us that our God is “not God of the dead, but of the living.” The Second Book of Maccabees presents to us a situation of a mother and her seven sons who were put to death for refusing to eat pork, a food forbidden by God’s law. The seven brothers chose death over the transgression of the laws of their ancestors, trusting in the promise of resurrection of the body: “You are depriving us of this present life, but the king of the world will raise us up to live again forever” (2 Mac 7:9). To live again, forever with the Lord, is our destiny and should be the primary focus of our lives. Of course, free will still has a role to play. We can choose to live forever in heaven as the fourth brother said before dying in 2 Mac 7: 14, “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.” What are our hopes and beliefs about life eternal? Are we preparing to live with the Lord forever in heaven? Our purpose here at St. John’s is to help one another achieve that end. Oh, what a joy it will be for all of us to be together again in heaven! Let’s endeavor to make that a reality.
Have a blessed week!
With love,