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HOLY
FATHERS PRAYER INTENTION
October
2018
Universal
Young People in Africa
That
young people in Africa may have access to education and work in their own
countries.
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THANK YOU to Hunter
Fullen, Lexi Fullen and Tom Vanzant for closing the windows in the Hall!
BILINGUAL TEACHING ASSISTANTS/HELPERS: CCD is looking for bilingual teaching
assistants/helpers on Mondays at 4:00pm, grades k-4th. If you are interested
in helping please contact Devin at 928-245-5382.
PRAYING THE ROSARY:
Every morning at 8:30 during the month of October we will be praying a
rosary.
SPECIAL COLLECTION:
Next Sunday there will be a special collection for World Mission.
SAFETY/SECURITY COMMITTEE MEETING: Tuesday, October 16, 7:00pm in the Hall.
Questions:
Bryon Harrington 928-245-0494.
FALL FESTIVAL:
Saturday, October 27th. If you are
interested in helping please contact Carlie in the office.
FALL FESTIVAL NEEDS: Pumpkins, hot dogs and buns, small bags of chips and cakes for the cakewalk. We would love to have
parishioners that are willing to do a trunk-or-treat for the kids during this
time as well! Thank you, as always, for your generosity! If you would like to
help with anything like hanging fliers, running games, selling bracelets etc
please contact Carlie in the office.:
HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION:
Thursday, November 1st, All Saints Day, is a holy day of obligation. There
will be mass in Alpine 4:00pm and Springerville 7:00pm.
FAITHFUL DEPARTED:
Friday, November 2nd, Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, Mass in
Springerville at 9:00am.
PRAY FOR THE SAFETY of our brothers and sisters in NICARAGUA,
especially the priests and bishops who are risking their lives to try to keep
so many safe from harm during this difficult time.
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Fall Festival
St. Peters Catholic
Church
203 E. Apache St. Springerville,
Az.
Saturday, October 26,
3:00pm to 6:00pm
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$5.00 /Bracelet at the door
includes
Halloween Costume Contest,
Cake Walk, trunk or Treat ,
Carnival Games!
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Pumpkin Contest;
$5.00
Snack Bar;
$1.00 Soda & Water
$2.00 Popcorn or Nachos
$3.00 Cotton Candy
$5.00 Hot Dog Meal:
comes with Hot Dog
Drink & Chips!
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Twenty-Eighth Sunday in
Ordinary Time:
Sometimes,
its good to take time out and ask ourselves, How are we doing? How am I
doing? As a Christian, am I making wise choices that help me in my
commitment to follow Christ? Or, am I a Christian in name only? How much does
my faith in Christ influence my daily life? Well, perhaps reflecting on
todays readings can help answer these questions.
From
the book of Wisdom, we are urged to pray for just that, wisdom. But, what is
wisdom? Well, the dictionary tells us that wisdom is the ability to discern
what is true or right and to make sound judgements based on that discernment.
We all know people whom we would consider wise. They may not be the most
learned or erudite of individuals, but they are able to live their lives in
harmony with their values. Wisdom is a gift from God, more precious than any
form of material wealth. And so, with the church today we pray for this gift,
for it is wisdom that guides us on the right path to following Christ.
The
brief selection from the letter to the Hebrews extols the word of God as
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. The ability to
discern, as noted earlier, comes with the gift of wisdom, and its source is
the word of God. This gift calls for accountability. We are responsible for
the way we receive this gift and make it effective in our lives. As the text
says, We must render an account. And, in our discernment, we need this
powerful reminder.
In
todays gospel Jesus meets a seeker, a man who desires to know how to live in
order to inherit eternal life. Jesus answer is basic: keep the
commandments. But, when the man declares that he has done so from his youth,
Jesus then invites him into a deeper relationship. The man is to be a
follower of Christ, letting go of worldly possessions and material goods
while desiring only the treasure that heaven can give. The young man,
however, is not ready to make such a commitment. Then we read some of the
gospels hardest words, He went away sad, for he had many possessions. The
young mans wealth kept him from the joy and fulfillment he could have
experienced as one of Jesus closest friends.
As
we hear the words of Christ in todays gospel, we are invited to apply its
message to our own lives. And so, let us return to our opening question: Are
we
No, Am I making choices that help me in my commitment to follow
Christ? The words of Jesus challenge us. The acquisition of wealth feels so
good, for it means security, social prominence, power, and prestige. But, it
can also become the focus of a persons life. Security in possessions and
money can thus pull us away from our dependence and trust in God, who is the
true source of life here and hereafter.
We
are invited to heed Jesus teaching, which warns about the danger of making
wealth the focus of ones life. Wealth can be lost in an instant. Natural
disaster, dishonesty, of just plain, dumb luck can always turn the tide on
ones fortune. Hence, wealth will never be secure, and as such itll never
cease to be a constant worry to the one who possesses it. Such preoccupation
can then, of course, prevent a person from developing true, altruistic human
relationships. But, worse of all, it can keep one from remembering that
everything we are and have is a gift from our loving and gracious God. People
may say with pride, Everything I have, I earned! But where did they get the
ability or the opportunity to earn? Life itself is a gift. We dont deserve
it; we dont earn it. It is pure gift, enabling us to live and to serve our
sisters and brothers in our one human family.
As
we return once more to our opening questions, it is good that we face them
directly. If we can say honestly that we have given real attention to our
call to follow Christ, the one who gave his life for all, we are blessed.
And, for this blessing, we give thanks. May we persevere in our service to
others with generous hearts. On the other hand, our reflection may cause us
to be aware of missed opportunities. Perhaps weve been so wrapped up in our
own struggles that we have forgotten the struggles of others. Nevertheless,
our merciful God understands our weaknesses and forgives our failures. May we
do better.
And
so, as I said before, our scripture readings today can help us with the
questions we asked at the beginning of our reflection together. May our
honest answers give us insight as we strive to live our days as followers of
Christ.
Margaret
Michaud, OSB
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