Hi there, everyone! Hope that you're having a great day & enjoying this beautiful weather! I'm hoping to finish up office work this morning/early afternoon & spend some time outside later today. Pretty soon we'll be in the 20s, 30s, & 40s & the white stuff will be falling from the sky so let's enjoy it while we've go it :)
Here's our Flocknote for this week...
1) Time Change: Don't forget to set your clocks BACK on Saturday evening before you go to bed, otherwise you'll be an hour early for whatever the first thing you have on Sunday is :)
2) Eucharistic Saints:
In this time of Eucharstic Revival in our Church, we are invited to deepen our appreciation & love for & our understanding of the great gift of the Eucharist. One way that we can do this is by joining together to learn more about some of the Saints of the Church who have devoted their lives to our Lord in the Eucharist. Fr. John has put together a brief talk (no more than an hour) on some of the, what he calls, “Eucharistic Saints.” He will offer this reflection twice on Monday, November 14th. At St. Vincent de Paul he will be sharing with us at 9 am following the 8:30 am daily Mass (as long as there’s no Funeral that day) & then that evening at 7:00 pm he will be offering the talk at St. Pat’s. You are invited to join us at either time at either parish, both talks will be held in the Church.
3) Thanksgiving Day Mass:
We're drawing near to Thanksgiving Day & gathering together around the Lord's table to express our gratitude to God for all the blessings that He has given to us. Starting this year, we will be celebrating a JOINT Thanksgiving Day Mass for both parishes, rotating each year which parish the Mass is held at. This year's Mass will be on Thanksgiving Day @ 9 am at St. Patrick's. We'll be celebrating a Joint Mass because that day I will be the only one around to celebrate Mass & it would be impossible to celebrate an 11:00 Mass at one parish, like we do on Sunday's, because by then many would either be in the final stages of getting dinner ready at & waiting for family to arrive or already on the road traveling to be with family.
I look forward to joining together with you, two individual parish families, but one large family of faith united in Christ, to celebrate God's abundant blessings in our lives.
4) Holy Land Wood Carvers: Next weekend, 11/12 & 13, we will have a visit from some wood carvers from the Holy Land. You may remember when they visited last year, they had some wonderful hand-carved olive wood products for sale that, not only were beautiful, but that also benefited our Christian brothers & sisters who are struggling in the Holy Land, please check them out next weekend.
5) Retreat/Prayer for Priests: I will be on Retreat this upcoming week. Each year a Priest is required by Church law to take a week of retreat, different from a vacation, to focus on their relationship with God. After all, we (whoever we are) can't hope to help others to know God better if we, first, don't take the time to grow in our own relationship with Him. Please pray for me in the week ahead & know that you will be (as always) in my prayers as well.
Lord Jesus, You have chosen your priests from among us and sent them out
to proclaim your word and to act in your name. For so great a gift to your Church, we give You praise and thanksgiving.
We ask You to fill them with the fire of your love, that their ministry may reveal your presence in the Church.
Since they are earthen vessels, we pray that your power shine out through their weaknesses. In their afflictions let them never be crushed; in their doubts never despair; in temptation never be destroyed; in persecution never abandoned.
Inspire them through prayer to live each day the mystery of your dying and rising. In times of weakness send them your Spirit, and help them to praise your heavenly Father and pray for poor sinners.
By the same Holy Spirit, put your word on their lips and your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the brokenhearted.
And may the gift of Mary your mother, to the disciple whom you loved, be your gift to every priest. Grant that she who formed You in her human image, may form them in your divine image, by the power of your Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
– from the Sisters of St. Clare
Since I'll be on retreat next week, we'll resume our Flocknotes on Friday the 18th.
Have a Blessed Week!
Fr. John