Today’s gospel parable uses imagery and titles from the time when Christ spoke to the people of the ancient world. For some today, it may seem outdated and therefore dismissed as not applicable. However, if we view it with eyes of faith and an open mind, we can come to understand its power for our lives in 2023.Perhaps the main theme is this: if God knows me by words and deeds of my life, what will He think of me? Do I live out His Commands:

Our gospel this weekend, from Matthew (23:1-12) ends with the following statement "The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whomever humbled himself will be exalted" The gospel's ending asks us to consider the style of leadership that Jesus employed during His earthly life.

Some interesting Catholic-specific statistics from CARA, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, at Georgetown University illustrates the impact of fading Catholic influence in the United States. In addition, it calls us to a greater need for a “new and improved” mode of communicating the eternal-life saving messages of the Church.

A Teaching Mass Over the next few months, I will use three Specific Masses to teach the finer points of the Mass: what are we saying at Mass, what is the meaning and purpose of the words of the Mass, and what is actually happening at specific points of the Mass. These three Masses one Saturday Vigil, one 8 a.m. Mass, and one 11 a.m. Mass which have been slated as Faith Formation class Masses, will be offered so that we all have a better understanding of just what we are doing at the Mass. You know the saying, "The more you know...the more you participate".

This Sunday, November 5 at our 11 a.m. Mass, our parish will remember the Faithfully Departed all those who were buried from our parish from November 2022 through October 2023 in a brief ceremony following the homily. We will read the names of the faithfully departed, toll a bell, and incense the Book of the Dead placed upon our altar.