From the Desk of Father Tharp

Memorial Sundays at St. Ann and Sacred Heart

Memorial Sunday, the weekend when we remember deceased loved ones who have been buried from our parishes in the past year will take place for St. Ann at the precept Masses on the weekend of October 27 & 28.  The names of those buried from St. Ann will be read at the Mass and those mourning and praying for the loved one will come forward and light a candle in his or her memory. 

At Sacred Heart, those whose loved ones were buried from Sacred Heart in the past year will be invited to come forward and receive a candle at a special Mass at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 4.  Anyone wishing to pray for their deceased loved ones is invited to attend this special Mass.

The choreography varies from parish to parish, but the message is the same.  Pray for deceased loved ones.  It is a sign of affection that transcends death and testifies to hope.

October Count

As is the case every year, during the month of October we will count the people attending Mass at our parishes.  Special attention to weekly attendance at your home parish or pastoral region is paramount during this month.

All Saints Day November 1

Looking forward to All Saints Day, I will have the anticipatory Masses as usual.  St. Ann will have Mass on Halloween at 5:30 p.m..  Sacred Heart will have Mass at 7:00 p.m.

On November 1, All Saints Day, there will be the 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Ann, the 7:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart, the 10:00 a.m. Mass with students at St. Ann and the evening 7:00 p.m. Mass at Sacred Heart.  As always feel free to attend the Mass that is most convenient for you.  Your St. Ann or Sacred Heart envelope as always will be returned to your proper parish regardless of where you attend.

Reflection on Scripture

Authority is only validated by service!  This is a paraphrasing of the teaching of this Sunday’s Gospel.  James and John want “dibs” on sitting at Jesus left and right in the Kingdom.  Jesus responds that the cost is measured in suffering and asks if they can endure the suffering that goes with the authority?  Then Jesus reminds them that there is no “cast system” in Heaven.  Heaven means living in the presence of God for all eternity.   Living in the presence of God is the ultimate fulfillment; there can be nothing better!  Therefore, for eternity you are either in Heaven or not!  If you are, you have achieved the ultimate.  If not, you are going to be unfulfilled for eternity. 

So when James and John ask to have the best seats next to Jesus in the Kingdom, they are missing the point.  When we receive the Holy Eucharist; does one person receive more of the real presence of Jesus than the next? No!  The disposition of our heart may determine our cognizance of being one with God, but the gift is still the ultimate gift.  In language, when dealing with adjectives, there are no comparatives to a superlative.  One does not say “the more greatest!” Similarly, there are no gradations between how much of God’s presence we will know forever.  If our hearts are completely disposed to Christ, then each will receive the fullness of Christ in his or her heart.  The highest place in Heaven is Heaven!  There are no comparatives to a superlative.  The only comparative is quantified by how fully we have developed our openness to the Holy Spirit.  It is in service that we define our openness to the Holy Spirit.  The sincerity of our service will determine our experience of the quality of the superlative.

Next Weekend: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jer 31:7-9

Heb 5:1-6

Mk 10:46-42

Theme:   If your hope is in Jesus Christ, for Heaven’s sake, speak up!