From the Pastor

3^rd Sunday of

Advent – B

Gaudete [Rejoice] Sunday

December 17, 2017

By now we have had our fill of commercials showing idealistic and unrealistic images of tensionless, joy-filled, ‘perfect’ Christmases: late-night returning college students who make coffee; new luxury cars parked in snowy driveways; turkeys perfectly carved – at the table no less; Santas who bring everything wanted, already assembled! While we should dream of, hope and pray for a ‘perfect’ Christmas, we must also accept the fact that in our imperfect world, human weakness mars our best efforts. Even the Holy Family had its struggles: no room in the inn; a death-defying flight to Egypt to escape a madman; a child lost for three days …

Just as Jesus, Mary and Joseph endured every trial and challenge, so can we – IF we follow their example of total trust in God and His plan – and imitate their constant prayerfulness. Again, while Votive Masses are not usually celebrated during ‘privileged times’ like Advent, it might be good to keep the following orations close at hand, so we can pray them before family gatherings. Who knows: maybe this will be a more ‘perfect’ Christmas … if we ask for – and use – God’s help to make it so! Here are the Mass orations entitled ‘For the Family.‘

Collect – For Promoting Harmony

O God, who are perfect unity and true charity,

grant your faithful one heart and one mind,

that the body of your Church,

which rests on the confession of the truth,

may flourish in harmony

and be made strong in enduring unity.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

ONE HEART AND ONE MIND.
Talk about a dreamy ideal: make us ‘one heart and one mind!’ Some families, like my own, have ‘set rules’ for family gatherings: no discussions about politics, sports – or even religion. [That last one’s often tough for me to keep!] However, Jesus never ‘beat a dead horse;’ sometimes He disengaged with those whose hearts and minds were ‘dead set’ against His heart and mind. So when it’s a ‘no win’ situation – learn to let go and leave it in God’s hands!

Prayer over the Offerings – For Promoting Harmony

O God, who renew us in your image through your Sacraments and your commandments,

mercifully guide our footsteps in your paths,

that through these sacrificial offerings which

we bring we may possess the gift of charity,

for which you have taught us to hope.

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

DIVINE HELP WITH HUMAN STRUGGLES.
So many try to ‘go it alone’ when they deal with stressful family situations … yet God is always ready to help – but we must ask for and use His help! While it’s difficult to keep the Lord’s Commandments as others break them, God never said, “Thou shalt not … unless others do.” Dealing with belligerent, issue-laden, negative family members does not give us the right to treat them as they treat us. And let’s admit it: sometimes we are the offenders. That’s where the Sacraments come in handy: the Eucharist gives us the grace to become another Christ; Penance, Confession or Reconciliation can heal us when we’ve caused the fire, or added fuel to it. Do we use the divine help God offers through the Commandments and Sacraments?

Prayer after Communion – For Promoting Harmony

We have received, O Lord,

the Sacrament of unity; grant us, we pray,

that, living in your house in holy accord,

we may possess the peace we hand on

and preserve the peace we have received.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PASS ON WHAT YOU RECEIVE.

As members of God’s family, we are beneficiaries of so many gifts: pardon of sin; supernatural grace; community support; time-tested, divinely inspired teachings. Do we invite others to enjoy – and benefit from – what we so freely receive through the Church? Do we take tranquility and peace for granted? For having a holy family does not happen by magic; it requires prayer, sacrifice, patience, a positive attitude – and God’s grace. Are we doing our part to make this the most ‘perfect’ Christmas possible? Jesus, Mary and
Joseph, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

2^nd Sunday of

Advent – B

December 10, 2017

Votive Masses are not usually celebrated in what we call ‘privileged
time‘ which is every
day in Advent and Christmastime, Lent and Eastertime, and on all Solemnities, Feasts
and Obligatory
Memorials. However, there are exceptions to this rule, as when we want to honor our Blessed Mother, so the Roman Missal provides orations we call ‘Commons‘ or generic prayers, some of which highlight a certain theme. This weekend, between two Marian Feasts: the Immaculate Conception
and Our Lady of Guadalupe, I’ll reflect on the ‘Common‘ orations for use during Advent. For who else can better help us understand Advent: a time of joyful expectation, patient waiting, and hope-filled worry, than she who literally
lived these things for nine months: our Blessed Mother?

Collect – Common of the BVM in Advent

O God, who willed that at the message

of an Angel your Word should take flesh

in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

grant that we, who pray to you

and believe her to be truly the Mother of God,

may be helped by her interceding before you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

TO BE PREGNANT WITH JESUS.
While only our Blessed Mother knows what it is like to literally carry the unborn Christ in her womb, Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” [Luke 8:21]
So, to be ‘His Mother’ and bring Him to birth, we must do what all pregnant women should do: we must prepare
ourselves to receive Jesus, nurture Him, and enable Him to come to birth through us. We must better understand how God wants to work now in us – by knowing how He worked through others in the past. We presume our Blessed Mother
knew the Scriptures, and was attuned to how God worked in the past. With her family, she celebrated the Jewish rituals that made their faith come alive, so she was well prepared to act on her faith when God invited her to do so. We who wish to bring Christ to birth must strive to follow Our Lady’s
example.

Prayer over the Offerings – BVM in Advent

Accept, O Lord, these offerings, and by your power change them into the Sacrament of salvation, in which, fulfilling the sacrifices of the Fathers, is offered the true Lamb, Jesus Christ your Son, born of the ever-Virgin Mary

in a way beyond all telling.

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

WHO ARE ‘THE FATHERS?’
The Church uses the term ‘The Fathers’ to designate special groups of men who played key roles in the development of our Faith. The Council Fathers were the Bishops who had major input at the 1960’s Second Vatican Council. The Apostolic Fathers were Bishops who personally knew the Apostles. From AD 100 to 800, the Patristic Fathers
formed the Creed and other dogmas.

But the Fathers referenced in this oration are those who, in Old Testament times, entered into covenants with God that were sealed with a sacrifice. Among them are Father Abraham, as Jesus calls him in a parable, who was tested by being asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The more we understand the sacrifices the Fathers of old made, the more the greatest sacrifice of all: God’s sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, means to us. We presume our Blessed Mother’s
knowledge of these sacrifices helped her accept her Son’s self-sacrifice as she stood beneath His Cross.

Prayer after Communion – BVM in Advent

May the mysteries we have received, O Lord

our God, always show forth your mercy in us,

that we, who commemorate in faith the Mother of your Son, may be saved by his Incarnation.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

WILL YOU CELEBRATE THE INCARNATION?

While Christmas means many things, it is, above all, the mystery of the Incarnation: God became a man, born of a Virgin, who totally gave herself to the Lord to make God’s plan a reality. How can we give of ourselves so God’s plan to save the world through Christ becomes a greater reality through us?
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

1^st Sunday of

Advent – B

December 3, 2017

Born on April 7, 1506 to nobility in Spain’s Xavier Castle, Saint Francis Xavier travelled extensively before he died on an island off China in 1552 on December 3, which is now his Feast Day. He was ordained a Priest on June 24, 1537, with Saint Ignatius of Loyola; they, with a few other friends, formed what would become the Jesuit Order. Pope Paul III denied his request to be a missionary to the Holy Land due to all the political unrest there; instead, in 1541, the Pope appointed him Papal Nuncio or Ambassador to Goa, India.

Three years later he went to preach on remote Indonesian islands; in 1549 he went to Japan, and made the first recorded Japanese convert, a man named Anjiro. Some say he was the first missionary to reach the Philippines. After a brief return to India, he set off for China, arriving in April, 1552, where he fell ill and died later that year. On each voyage he faced opposition and criticism; he also struggled to learn each culture and language: no easy feat in Oriental lands. He is often depicted preaching to those from many lands. Canonized with Saint Ignatius on March 12, 1622, Saint Francis Xavier is the patron saint of Missionaries and Catholic Missions.

Collect – Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won many peoples to yourself,

grant that the hearts of the faithful

may burn with the same zeal for the faith

and that Holy Church may everywhere

rejoice in an abundance of offspring.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

“LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME.”
This quote from Jesus, recorded in three of the four Gospels, was crucial to Saint Francis Xavier. In each town he entered, he walked through the streets ringing a bell [a precursor of the ‘Good Humor man?’] to attract children, whom he took to a church for catechetical lessons. What do we do to share our Faith with children?

Prayer over the Offerings – Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Receive, O Lord, these offerings we bring you

in commemoration of Saint Francis Xavier, and grant that, as he journeyed to distant lands out of longing for the salvation of souls, so we, too, bearing effective witness to the Gospel,

may, with our brothers and sisters,

eagerly hasten towards you.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DO WE HELP OR HURT THE CAUSE?
One of his greatest obstacles in spreading the Faith was the unchristian, often scandalous behavior of Christians! He was often embarrassed by the conduct of Portuguese sailors and businessmen, many of whom had come to India simply seeking adventure. Many had even been prisoners or troublemakers back home, and their bad example severely hindered the good he tried to do. By our words and example, do we hurt or hinder the cause of evangelization?

Prayer after Communion – Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

May your mysteries, O God, kindle in us that

fire of charity with which Saint Francis Xavier burned for the salvation of souls, so that, walking ever more worthily in our vocation,

we may obtain with him the reward you promise to those who labor well in your harvest.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DO WE HAVE FIRE IN OUR BELLY?
Besides images of his vast missionary activity [sailing
vessel, globe, catechism, crucifix] he is often depicted as a young, bearded
Priest, holding fire or a flaming
torch. For as his orations stress: he was aflame with a burning desire
to spread the Good News. He is credited with making 40,000 converts and baptizing 10,000 in just one month! What a feat!

His body is still enshrined in a shrine in Goa, India, but his right arm
– with which he blessed and rang that bell – is in Rome’s Church of the Gesù, the ‘Mother House’ for all Jesuits. Do we allow ourselves to be consumed by the love of God? Do we have a burning desire to evangelize? Saint Francis Xavier, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – A

November 26, 2017

As the Church crowns another liturgical year by honoring Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we crown the growing season by giving thanks for God’s annual gift of the harvest. As a country that still says she’s ‘one nation under God’ [who knows how long this will be allowed before political correctness bans every mention of faith from the public forum!] we have just celebrated Thanksgiving Day – a day set aside to thank ‘someone’
for the fruits of the earth. While farmers, harvesters, transport drivers, store workers and others enable us to enjoy a bountiful spread at our tables, Christians and other faith-based people know that all things are – ultimately – a gift from God. So on this weekend, as we give thanks to God for the gifts of the earth, we reflect on the orations provided by the Catholic Church for giving thanks ‘After the Harvest.’

Collect – After the Harvest

O Lord, good Father, who in your providence

have entrusted the earth to the human race,

grant, we pray, that with the fruits harvested from it we may be able to sustain life and,

with your help, always use them to promote your praise and the well-being of all.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

GOD’S GIFTS ARE TO BE SHARED.
As Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ [On Care for Our Common Home],
God’s gift of creation is NOT inexhaustible. So we must protect and preserve, carefully ration and use reasonably and sparingly, share and secure for future generations, all that we so often take for granted. And it is imperative that we Christians express – in word and deed – our appreciation for God’s gracious and countless gifts. We must ask ourselves: how often do we ‘say grace’ or pray before and after meals? How often do we offer support for – or even serve in – soup kitchens, or take part in other ways that feed the hungry and share the earth’s bounty?

And we must never forget that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, helping the poor and needy and so on … are truly acts of worship!

Prayer over the Offerings – After the Harvest

Sanctify, O Lord, the offerings we bring to you with thanksgiving from the fertile earth

and, as you give us a rich harvest

of the earth’s produce, so make our hearts abound with heavenly fruitfulness.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ARE WE AS FRUITFUL AS THE EARTH?

We all bemoan the fact that weeds grow so easily, so quickly, and so forcefully almost anywhere; some spend loads of time and money to ‘weed out’ such ‘undesirables.’ And only a fool would expect a great harvest from a field that is left to fend for itself, devoid of daily care, unfed by nutrients and other aids, like sunlight and water, for its growth. Yet what do we who hope to be the chosen fruit of the greatest harvest, the one that will take place at the end of time, do [or try not to do] so we can be gathered to the Saints in heaven? Do we faithfully, regularly celebrate the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist: our primary nourishment, and Reconciliation, Confession or Penance: the ultimate in ‘pulling up the weeds?’

Prayer after Communion – After the Harvest

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that,

as we give you thanks in this saving mystery

for the crops harvested from the earth, we may, through the same mystery working within us,

be worthy to receive still greater blessings.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN.”
These words from Genesis 3:19 recall how while we humans are the highpoint of God’s creation we are still ‘of the earth.’ Have we forgotten our ‘roots?’ The same ‘hand of God’ that created and sustains, provides for and has a plan for all He made – also does the same for each one of us, personally! Do we live up to all God made US to be? For Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.” [Matthew 7:16-17]
What is God hoping to harvest from us?

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

33^rd Sunday

in Ordinary Time – A

November 19, 2017

We honor the two great Apostles, Saint Peter
and Saint Paul, on November 18: the ‘Dedication Day’ of two Roman basilicas under which each is said to be buried. Both basilicas were given by the Emperor Constantine in the 300’s. By the 1400’s, after centuries of additions and renovations, the age-worn Saint Peter Basilica
had to be demolished; the new basilica [above] was dedicated on November 18, 1626. The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls
[right] – also a gift from Constantine – was destroyed by fire in 1823; the new basilica was dedicated on December 10, 1854 by Pope Pius IX, two days after his dogmatic declaration of the Immaculate Conception. [He did that since many Cardinals and Bishops were still in Rome for that solemn occasion.] It’s called
‘Outside-the-Walls’ since it is not in Vatican City-State; it is an extraterritorial property of the Vatican.

Notice I never said either basilica is a cathedral; the Pope’s cathedra or seat as Bishop of Rome
is in the Archbasilica of Saint John in Lateran, commonly called Saint John Lateran, which is built on Lateran Hill and is named in honor of Saint John the Baptist
and Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. We have a similar situation in Washington D.C.; the Cathedral of Saint Matthew houses the Archbishop of Washington’s cathedra; a plaque also marks where President Kennedy’s body rested for his Funeral Mass in 1963. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. is a Shrine; it honors our Country’s Patroness: Our Lady, under her title, the Immaculate Conception. More important than a Saint’s basilica is the example of the Saint for whom it is named. Here are the orations for The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.

Collect – Dedication / Saints Peter & Paul Basilicas

Defend your Church, O Lord, by the protection of the holy Apostles, that, as she received

from them the beginnings of her knowledge

of things divine, so through them she may receive, even to the end of the world,

an increase in heavenly grace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

OUR ‘ROCK’ FOUNDATION AND GREATEST TEACHER.

Our Church is firmly built on the Confession
of Faith by Saint Peter: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:16]
and on Saint Paul’s
encyclopedic Epistles, which explain the Faith. As the Collect for their basilicas’ dedication states: we must build on the revealed truths God entrusted to them. If we do not, we are building on sand; if we do, our faith has the best chance of standing the test of time and weathering every storm … as their respective basilicas have almost endured!

Prayer over the Offerings – Dedication / Basilicas

As we bring you this offering of our service, we beseech your mercy, Lord, that the truth handed down to us by the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul may endure undefiled in our hearts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

FAITHFUL TO OUR ROOTS.

The Church is ‘ever new’ since she applies the timeless truths God entrusted to her to each generation’s questions. She cannot be swayed by opinion polls, popular notions, the latest fads, or other passing, often foolish ideas. We owe it to Saint Peter, Saint Paul
and countless others who gave their life to defend and promote God’s truth to try to understand and live by God’s truth.

Prayer after Communion – Dedication / Basilicas

May your people, we pray, O Lord, nourished by the Bread of heaven, rejoice in commemorating the Apostles Peter and Paul, for it is through your gift that we are governed under their patronage. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE EUCHARIST IS CENTRAL.
The main reason we have basilicas and cathedrals, churches and chapels, is so that we have a place to come together to celebrate the holy Mass: to hear God’s Word and receive Christ’s Body and Blood. May these two great Apostles
watch over and protect our place of worship.

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

‘Jumping Jehoshaphat!’
The Hebrew name Jehoshaphat
means “God has judged!” It’s the name of Judah’s 4^th king, whose reign [873–849 BC] was peacefully prosperous. Over the centuries many took that name in its Greek or Latin form: Josaphat, like the Saint we honor on November 12. Born in Lithuania in 1580 in an area equally split between Catholic and Orthodox Christians, he was martyred in 1630 on his present feast day. To understand his importance, we need a crash course in Catholic and Orthodox, Western and Eastern Churches.

All Catholics accept Peter’s successor, the Pope; while we of the Latin or Western Rite keep the customs developed in the Roman Empire, Eastern Rite Catholics follow many customs of the Byzantine Empire, which split from the Roman Empire in 295. While all Catholics adhere to the basics, we differ in disciplines and customs: the Roman Rite is less elaborate than most Eastern Rites; they allow Priests to marry, we do not [our married ‘Permanent’ Deacons only began 50 years ago!]; we use unleavened [flat] wafers, they use leavened bread, etc.

Since these are non-essential differences, we are one Church … but some Eastern Rites split from Rome in 1054 over political issues, fueled by sinful desires on both sides for power, position and prestige. This tragically split Christianity in two; each side ‘excommunicated’ the other – a rift that still sadly exists. But in 1964, Blessed Pope Paul VI met his Greek counterpart in an historic meeting during which they lifted their mutual bans, and the dialogue to heal the rift continues to this day. This brief history omits one man whose quest to heal the rift cost him his life: Saint Josaphat; here are his orations.

Collect – Saint Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr

Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord,

the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat

as he laid down his life for the sheep,

so that through his intercession

we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit

and not be afraid to lay down our life for others.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

FIRST CANONIZED EASTERN RITE SAINT.
You can easily tell Eastern Rite clergy by their vestments: their Deacon’s stole crosses his chest and hangs down his left side; Priests wear more cape-like vestments than our chasubles; their Bishops don crowns, not miters. Orthodox Bishops not in union with Rome wear long black veils. Most Roman Catholics mistakenly think we’re the only Catholics; Roman and Eastern Rite CATHOLICS can receive Holy Communion in each other’s Churches, but intercommunion with the Orthodox is not yet permitted. Saint Josaphat
worked tirelessly for Roman and Eastern Rite Catholics to respect each other’s differences, but was hated by both sides. His symbol is an axe, since he was hacked to death trying to unite two Catholic factions severed from each other. He’s also seen with an olive branch for his efforts to restore and keep peace.

Prayer over the Offerings – Saint Josaphat

Most merciful God, pour out your blessing

upon these offerings and confirm us

in the faith that Saint Josaphat professed

by the shedding of his blood.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DO WE WORK FOR CATHOLIC UNITY?
Do we let non-essentials split our Parish, Diocese or the whole Church: styles of music, architectural designs, customs or other traditions? In honor of Saint Josaphat let’s make sure we never make mountains out of molehills … or major issues over what are merely preferences.

Prayer after Communion – Saint Josaphat

May this heavenly table, O Lord,

bestow on us a spirit of fortitude and peace,

so that, following Saint Josaphat’s example,

we may willingly spend our lives

working for the honor and unity of the Church.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHRISTIAN UNITY. While we will not be able to quickly heal millennial-old schisms, we can learn more about other Christians. What will you do to promote Christian unity and worldwide peace? Saint Josaphat, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

31^st Sunday

in Ordinary Time – A

November 5, 2017

Centuries before the end of WWI, November 11 [now known as Armistice Day
{the 11^th hour of the
11^th day of the 11^th month} and Veteran’s Day] was the day the Church honored the patron saint of, among other things, a soldier: the warrior turned monk turned Bishop: Saint Martin of Tours. Born in 316 in Hungary, Martin
was conscripted into the Roman army and deployed to Gaul [France]; he died on November 8, 397 and was buried on what is now his Feast Day, November 11, not in his Cathedral’s crypt, but – by his own request – in the Cemetery of the Poor. His relics were moved to the Tours basilica named for him; it was a popular pilgrimage site until 1562 when militant Protestants destroyed it. Ironically, the father of Protestantism, Martin Luther was baptized on Saint Martin’s feast day and was named after him. During the basilica’s reconstruction in 1860, small fragments of his tomb were found, and his relics are reverenced there to this day. Here are his orations and the rest of his story.

Collect – Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

O God, who are glorified in the

Bishop Saint Martin both by his life and death, make new, we pray, the wonders of your grace in our hearts, that neither death nor life

may separate us from your love.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

SAINT MARTIN’S CAPELLA OR CLOAK.
As he rode his horse to Amiens, [he’s the patron saint of horses] he passed a naked beggar; he cut his military cloak in two and gave half to the beggar. The word for ‘little cloak’ is capella – from which we get the English word chaplain – which is used for clergy who ‘share themselves’ and attend to the spiritual needs of those in the military, hospitals, prisons, etc. Capella also gives us the word we use for little places reserved for religious services: chapel. In honor of Saint Martin of Tours, we should all consider ways to share whatever we have, and whatever we can do, to help the poor or needy, frightened or sick, imprisoned or lonely. By serving God in such people, we, too, can hope to inherit heaven!

Prayer over the Offerings – Saint Martin of Tours

Sanctify these offerings, we pray, Lord God,

which we joyfully present in honor of

Saint Martin, so that through them our life

may always be directed

whether in tribulation or in prosperity.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

SAINTS STRUGGLE WITH LIFE AS WE DO.
By age 20, Saint Martin was tired of fighting; in fact, he is the first documented conscientious objector
and is their patron saint. After leaving military life, he sought solace in a hermitage, living as a monk. However, his leadership skills and keen awareness of a main theological issue of his day: Arianism, which denied Christ’s full divinity, were well known. This led to his being ‘acclaimed’ Bishop, as it was done back then, but he refused! So he hid in a barn from those who ‘acclaimed’ him a Bishop, but was ‘outed’ by a flock of gaggling geese. [He is also the patron saint of geese!] This may all sound so silly, but don’t we also flee from God’s call to serve in His Church? When an opportunity arises for you to use your skills and abilities to promote the Gospel, don’t be a … silly goose!

Prayer after Communion – Saint Martin of Tours

Grant to us who have been restored by this Sacrament of unity, O Lord, perfect harmony with your will in all things, that, just as

Saint Martin submitted himself entirely to you,

so we, too, may glory in being truly yours.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CATHOLIC UNITY STARTS AT THE PARISH. As Bishop of Tours, Saint Martin
is credited with starting the custom of a Bishop regularly visiting each Parish in his Diocese, to assure orthodoxy and proper practices. These days, Bishops need not be as physically present to maintain these things; diocesan offices and policies help keep us ‘Catholic.’ Do you support – and use – all our Diocese offers to keep us up-to-date with current theology and liturgical norms, and to see that our Catechists and all who minister in the Church are certified and officially mandated? Saint Martin of Tours, pray for us!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS

From the Pastor

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

October 29, 2017

This week we celebrate the two ‘Festivals of the Great Harvest’ as some call them: All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day. I encourage all to attend holy Mass not only on Wednesday’s holy day of obligation, All Saints, but also on Thursday’s Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. These two days offer great hope for the living and the dead. First, we celebrate with those who, like Saint Paul, can say “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”
and have received “the crown of righteousness … which the Lord, the just judge, will award … to all who have longed for his appearance.” [C.f.: 2 Timothy 4:7-8]
Then we pray for all who are still doing penance for their sins, for as Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” [Matthew 5:26]
The following orations may be used at Masses offered for our deceased Relatives, Friends and Benefactors.

Collect – Deceased Relatives, Friends & Benefactors

O God, giver of pardon

and loving author of our salvation,

grant, we pray you, in your mercy,

that, through the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever-Virgin, and all your Saints, the members, friends, and benefactors of our community,

who have passed from this world,

may attain a share in eternal happiness.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ … and ever. Amen.

GOD WILLS EVERYONE TO BE SAVED.
The Church’s firm belief that prayers can be offered for
others, even for the dead, has many biblical roots. As Saint Paul wrote: “… I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved.” [1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4a] And it just makes logical sense that God gives us the means AND the time
needed for all to be saved. And since God also made our Faith a communal affair, it is only ‘right and just’ that we pray for the dead and offer sacrifices for them. For whom will you pray for this week?

Prayer over the Offerings – Deceased Relatives, etc.

O God, whose mercy is beyond measure,

receive with favor our humble prayers

and through the Sacrament of our salvation

grant to the souls of our relatives, friends,

and benefactors, remission of all their sins.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

WHO WILL PRAY FOR US WHEN WE’RE DEAD?
This may seem a silly question, but more than once – a person who went to daily Mass died and had no Funeral Mass
or any Catholic burial rites – because no one in their family went to church! Sometimes people do not get all they hope for at their funeral because they never wrote it down or made it known. Not that their salvation is in jeopardy; God surely does not hold such things against those who do not get a proper Christian Burial
because someone else denies it. But it’s sad for fellow parishioners, who may have worshipped with them every day and never got a chance to formally say goodbye or publicly pray for them. A word to the wise: pre-plan your funeral; you can even choose your own readings, hymns, etc. Contact the Parish Office to make funeral pre-arrangements.

Prayer after Communion – Deceased Relatives, etc.

Grant, we pray, almighty and merciful God,

that the souls of our relatives, friends, and benefactors, for whom we have offered

this sacrifice of praise to your majesty, may, through the power of this Sacrament,

be cleansed of all their sins,

and receive from your mercy

the happiness of perpetual light.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CATHOLIC WAYS TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD. The most profound and beneficial way to pray for the dead is to have holy Mass offered for their intention. Or light a 4-day votive candle; arrange to have an annual candle lit for them; memorialize the bread and wine offered at Mass, or the Sanctuary Lamp that burns near the tabernacle, or one that burns near a statue. Visit the cemetery; bless the grave; create a shrine at home. Above all, come to Mass on All Souls’ Day!

In His holy Name,

Rev. Thomas J. Serafin, KHS