Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time November 5, 2017

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

MASS READINGS GOSPEL REFLECTION Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, MONDAY: ROM 11:29-36, PS 69, LK 14:12-14 but do not follow their example. TUESDAY: ROM 12:5-16AB, PS 131, LK 14:15-24 When it comes to following the Lord’s directive in this WEDNESDAY: ROM 13:8-10, PS 112, LK 14:25-33 Sunday gospel we might react and say, “what should we THURSDAY: EZ 47:1-2,8-9,12, PS 46, I COR 3:9C- even do what they tell us”? Don’t we believe in practice 11, 16-17, JN 2:13-22 what you preach? There might be some merit in that if we FRIDAY: ROM 15:14-21, PS 98, LK 16:1-8 were left on our own with few or no one to guide us but, SATURDAY: ROM 16:3-9,16,22-27, PS 145, LK 16:9- the truth of the matter is we have a great “company of wit- 15 nesses” (Heb 12:1) who are more than happy to assist us. I NEXT SUNDAY: THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN am speaking of the Saints. While we may find it difficult ORDINARY TIME-RDGS: WIS 6:12-16, PS 63, 1 to follow the instruction and guidance of someone “close THES 4:13-18 or 1 THES 4:13-14, MT 25:1-13 to home” we might find it easier in one who has truly walked the walk and talked the talk. We would have to admit however, that sometimes we might be over critical of those who are our leaders for the precise purpose of avoid- MASS INTENTIONS ing what it is they tell us to do because it is decidedly un- pleasant for us to do it. That, of course is another matter. MONDAY: SPECIAL INTENTION But with the Saints we have the tried and true. We have a TUESDAY: DEC. OF ANDERSON/FARRELL FAMI- variety of personalities and talents from which to choose. We pick saints for baptism and confirmation names for the LIES purpose of eliciting their guidance and direction. In the WEDNESDAY: JIM RUMPZA spiritual life we are bound to come across a variety of indi- viduals whose lives have taken hold of our imagination and THURSDAY: IRVIN & MARY FISK inspired us to attempt things we would not normally try. FRIDAY: POOR SOULS Thus when it comes to following examples we would do well to look to the saints, their writings, their lives, and to VIGIL: JESSE & ALTA HUBBLE rely on their prayers, especially if we include a prayer in 7:30: FR. LEO MCHALE our spiritual repertoire that has been composed by a saint. I suggest the O Sacred Banquet from St. Thomas Aquinas 10:00: FOR THE PARISH especially before receiving communion. A good rule of NOON: JIM RUMPZA thumb for spiritual reading is to take up the works of some inspired saint. We may have to struggle through the language and structure, particularly for someone from a dif- MEMORIAL FLOWERS ferent era, but it is well worth it. The Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena is a case in point as are the letters of St. Theresa of Lisieux. Many have benefited from the Spiritu- For the Holy Father, all priests, deacon & religious: al Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the works of (Herm, Jane & Joe Deerr, Chet & Marge McDan- someone more recent like St. John Paul II and his iel). (Liberty German & Abigail Williams). Ben- “spirituality of the body”. The list is endless and the nett & Rayman families. (Marjorie Slifer, LaVena wealth of material is there for our advancement along the Hurst & Dolores Carte). (Charles Connor & Lori way of humility and holiness. We will not only find read- Cummins). Farrell & LaGuire families. Ann Hu- ing and meditating on them a delight but we will also find bertz. (Claude & Anna King, Robert & Mary that doing exactly what they tell us comes with its own Bloyed). Nufer & Vogel families. Norbert & Mark reward. Above all we might consider the words of Our FitzSimons. (Burnell, Anna & Henry Totten, Rob- Lady at the Wedding Feast of Cana when she instructed the ert Stump, Victor & Dorothy Ringle. stewards to “do whatever he tells you”. He would have us listen and follow the saints in the same manner. THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

"For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest" by William W. How, 1823-1897 1. For all the saints who from their labors rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confess, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest, Alleluia! Alleluia! 2. Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia! Alleluia! 3. Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old And win with them the victor's crown of gold. Alleluia! Alleluia! 4. O blest communion, fellowship divine, We feebly struggle, they in glory shine; Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia! Alleluia! 5. And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long, Steals on the ear the distant triumph song, And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia! 6. But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day; The saints triumphant rise in bright array; The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! Alleluia! 7. From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia! Alleluia! 8. The golden evening brightens in the west; Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest. Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia! Alleluia! THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS "God shows to men, in a vivid way, his presence and his face in the REFLECTION BY CARD. JOSÉ SARAIVA MARTINS lives of those companions of ours in the human condition who are more perfectly transformed into the image of Christ (cf. II Cor The lives of the saints show the world 3: 18). He speaks to us in them, and offers us a sign of his kingdom, "the divine in the human, the eternal in time' to which we are powerfully attracted, so great a cloud of witnesses is there given (cf. Heb 12: 1) and such a witness to the truth of the 1. "All it takes to make a man a saint is Grace. Anyone who Gospel" (Lumen Gentium, n. 50). In this passage from Lumen Genti- doubts this knows neither what makes a saint nor a man", Pas- um we discover the profound reason for the devotion to blesseds and cal observes in Pensées with his characteristic trenchant style. saints. I start with this observation to point out the dual perspective 3. The Church carries out the mission the divine Teacher entrusted of these reflections: in the saint the celebration of God to her to be an instrument of holiness through evangelization, the (indeed, of his Grace) combines with the celebration of man, sacraments and the practice of charity. This mission also receives a with his potential and his limitations, his aspirations and his substantial contribution to its content and spiritual incentives from achievements. the proclamation of the blesseds and saints, for they show that holi- The many objections today to the concepts of "holiness" and ness is accessible to the multitudes, that holiness can be imitated. "saint" are well known. Much criticism is also levelled at the Their personal and historical reality allows people to experience that Church for her traditional and uninterrupted practice of recog- the Gospel and new life in Christ are neither a utopia nor a mere nizing and proclaiming some of her most outstanding children system of values, but "leaven" and "salt" that can bring to life the as "saints". Some have insinuated that the special importance Christian faith, within and from within the different cultures, geo- John Paul II has given to beatifications and canonizations and graphical areas and historical epochs. the great number of them during his pontificate might mask an "The future of human beings" the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri re- expansionist policy of the Catholic Church. Others consider marked, "is never clear, for all their sins corrode all the paths of that the proposal of new blesseds and saints from such differ- history and lead to an intricate dialectic of cause and effect, error ent backgrounds, nationalities and cultures is merely a ploy to and nemesis, explosions and interruptions. The certainty that the market holiness, to assure the leadership of the papacy in con- saints will continue to accompany people is one of the few guaran- temporary society. Lastly, some see canonizations and the tees of the future" (Il Primato della Verità, 154). devotion to saints as an anachronism left over from religious 4. The phenomenon of the saints and of Christian holiness gives rise triumphalism, foreign or even contrary to the spirit and dic- to a sense of wonder that has always existed in the Church and can- tates of the Second Vatican Council, which placed so great an not but amaze even an attentive lay observer, especially today in a emphasis on the vocation to holiness of all Christians. world continuously and rapidly changing, culturally fragmented in It is obvious that an exclusively sociological interpretation of values as well as in customs. From wonder is born the ques- this subject would risk not only being reductive but also mis- tion: what makes faith incarnate in all the latitudes, in the different leading for an understanding of the phenomenon, which is so historical contexts, in the most varied categories and walks of life? much a feature of the Catholic Church. How, without the dynamics of power, enforced or persuasive, can 2. In the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte which the Pope presented to the Church at the end of Jubilee Year 2000, there be so many saints, so different yet so consonant with Christ he places profound emphasis on the topic of holiness. Among and with the Church? What is it that impels people freely to accept the "great host of saints and martyrs" which includes "Popes the fertile seed of Christianity that subsequently develops into such well-known to history or to humble lay and religious figures, diversity and beauty in the unity of holiness? (read more at: http:// from one continent to another of the globe", "Holiness", John www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/csaints/documents/ Paul II notes in his Letter, "has emerged more clearly as the rc_con_csaints_doc_20030315_martins-saints_en.html dimension which expresses best the mystery of the Church. Holiness, a message that convinces without the need for words, is the living reflection of the face of Christ" (n. 7). To understand the Church, we need to be acquainted with the saints who are her most eloquent sign, her sweetest fruit. To contemplate the face of Christ in the changing, diversified situations of the modern world we must look at the saints who are "the living reflection of the face of Christ", as the Pope reminds us. The Church must proclaim the saints and she must do so in the name of that proclamation of holiness that fills her and makes her, precisely, a means of sanctification in the world.

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

How to Make Use of the Lives of the Saints

Having looked at the importance and meaning of the Lives of the Saints, let us look now at the various ways we can make use of them in our spiritual lives.

First, we look to the Saints as our examples. Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ (I Cor. 11:1), the Saints say to us along with the Holy Apostle Paul. As Christians, we want to grow in the likeness of Christ, to have that likeness shine in us. For this to occur, we need to look often to the Saints to see that shining likeness: we must look to them for real, practical examples of how to live. St. Basil the Great gives this anal- ogy:

"Just as painters, in working from models, constantly gaze at their exemplar and thus strive to transfer the expression of the original to their own artistry, so too he who is eager to make himself perfect in all kinds of virtue must gaze upon the Lives of the Saints as upon statues, so to speak, that move and act, and must make their excellence his own by imitation.

Secondly, we must look to the Saints as our heavenly friends, as our brothers and sisters in the Faith, and as our preceptors. We read about them not as people who are dead, but as people who are living. And this is even more immediate than just reading a biography about someone who is still alive. Let's say we are reading the biography of some famous living person. As we read it, we may dream of perhaps one day meeting this person, or perhaps of writing him a letter and having it actually reach him, and even of receiving a reply from him, despite the fact that he is so famous that thousands of people are probably writing to him. Reading the Lives of the Saints offers us much more than this, because the Saints are alive in God, and are not bound by time and space in the same way we are. We can address them in prayer immediately and at any time, even right in the middle of reading their Lives. And they will hear us. Besides our private prayers to them, the Church offers us many other ways of commun- ing with them as our friends and honoring them as our preceptors. We sing their troparia, we venerate their icons, we perform services to them, and with a blessing from our Bishop we can even compose services in their honor.

As we read the Lives of the Saints each day, we will discover little by little those Saints whom our hearts go out to. They will become our close friends, those whom we pray to most of all, those in whom we confide our joys and sorrows. As Archimandrite Aimilianos, the present Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras on Mount Athos, writes: "These close friends will be the guides of our choice and a great comfort to us along the strait and narrow way that leads to Christ. We are not alone on the road or in the struggle. We have with us our Mother, the All-Holy Mother of God, our Guardian Angel, the Saint whose name we bear, and those close friends we have chosen out of the Great Multitude of Saints who stand before the Lamb (Rev. 7:9). When we stumble through sin, they will raise us up again; when we are tempted to give up hope, they will remind us that they have suffered for Christ before us, and more than us; and that they are now the possessors of unending joy. So, upon the stony road of the present life, these holy companions will enable us to glimpse the light of the Resurrection. Let us search, then, in the Lives of the Saints, for these close friends, and with all the Saints let us make our way to Christ." (Taken from: http://orthochristian.com)

What St. Ann Teaches Us about Faith

Think about the purity, holiness, and magnificence of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was the only human being ever to be sinless and constantly in a state of grace. Because Mary was such a beautiful symbol of grace, her mother, St. Anne, must have also been a devout woman of God. Though Anne’s name is not mentioned in the Bible, we can learn about her from tradition and legends. From these stories we learn that both Mary’s mother and father had a tremendous amount of faith. Anne and her husband Joachim were an extremely pious couple, but they were unable to conceive a child. This burden weighed heavily on Joa- chim’s shoulders, so he spent much time fasting and in devout prayer pleading for God to bless him and Anne with a child. According to tradition, Anne also became distraught. She went into her garden and prayed for God to bless her with a child, promising that the child would be dedicated to the service of the Lord. As Anne wept in prayer, an angel appeared and said to her, “The Lord has looked upon thy tears; thou shalt conceive and give birth and the fruit of thy womb shall be blessed by all the world.” Then the angel appeared to Joachim as well, and the couple rejoiced as they conceived a child, whom they named Mary. For nine months Anne carried in her womb the future mother of Jesus Christ. She was such a pious daughter of God that she was chosen to bear a sinless child who is now the mother of all mankind. God most definitely answered her and Joachim’s prayers. The story of St. Anne reminds us to continue to have faith in the Lord, even when things look impossible or hopeless. Anne never thought that she would be able to have a child, but she gave birth to the mother of Jesus Christ. St. Anne understood that all children are a blessing from God and that God alone has the power to decide when the life of a person will begin and end. When God blesses us, it can be easy to merely accept the gift and move forward with our daily lives. But St. Anne did more than receive the gift of a child. She went a step further and trusted in the plan of God by promising her child to God’s service. As we work to build a culture of life, we can easily become discouraged. But like St. Anne, we must put our faith and trust in God and His ultimate plan for our happiness. We can turn to God and pray for children, pray for an end to abortion, and pray for the gift of adoption. With God’s help, nothing is impossible. Emily Brown graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in May 2015. She began working for American Life League this summer and is the director of its new youth department, ALL Life Defenders. She plans on educating and collaborating with young adults all over the country to empower the new generation! THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

6) The saints are not perfect. WE ARE ALL CALLED TO Each of the saints had human flaws and faults. They made mistakes. Even at the end of their lives, they still found themselves in need of BE SAINTS contrition, pardon and reconciliation. Saint Jerome, it is said, had a fearful temper. When another scholar of Seven Characteristics of the Saints his time, a former friend, Rufinus, questioned his conclusions, 1) All saints are filled with the love of God. Saint Jerome wrote pamphlet after pamphlet blasting him. They have chosen God above all others and made a definite commitment Saint Aloysius apparently had bad timing in his spiritual quest; the to God. other novices were just as happy when he was not there. He was the In her book Saint Watching (Viking Press), Phyllis McGinley writes that kind of saint who did not seem to know how to enjoy the things of this saints are human beings with an added dimension. “They are obsessed by life. goodness and by God as Michelangelo was obsessed by line and form, as Some saints misunderstood their own visions. When Saint Francis was Shakespeare was bewitched by language, Beethoven by sound.” told to rebuild the Church, he thought it meant the local church build- 2) All saints love other human beings. ing. It is interesting and amusing to note that Jesus did not clarify the It cannot be any other way. In the First Letter of John (4:20) we read: “If request for him until after he had exerted a lot of sweat and energy anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever repairing an old church. does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has Saint Joan of Arc was coerced into signing a retraction of her visions, not seen.” although she later retracted that retraction. McGinley also says that, although saints may be different in many ways, Saint John Vianney, “the Curé of Ars,” did not believe the children of they are always generous. You will never find a stingy saint. La Salette concerning their visions of the Virgin Mary. 3) All saints are risk-takers. During the time of the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy at the end of When God called, they answered. For some it was taking a chance on a the 14th century and beginning of the 15th, when one pope resided in new way of life in a new place. In the Old Testament, we have the exam- Avignon and another pope in Rome, saints found themselves on oppo- ple of Abraham, called at an old age to leave his country and to go to the site sides of the rival popes, as confused as many of the common peo- place God had selected for him. Even today, it is difficult for older people were. ple to leave their level of comfort and to face the new and unknown. Abraham’s story is a marvelous example of trust in God, but even more 7) The saints are people of their times. One wonders how anyone escapes being of his or her time. There were so of a decision to plunge into the unknown. Like Abraham, saints re- injustices around the saints that they did not speak out against. sponded to the graces that were given to them. Some were called to be Saint Paul did not condemn slavery but encouraged slaves to obey their popes, bishops, abbots or abbesses. Others found their calling in a quiet, masters. Saint Thomas Aquinas considered women unequal to men. He reserved life, far away from the center of activity. believed their only task in life was to bear children. Saint Julian of Norwich lived in a small cell attached to a church. She If we look at the lives of all the saints, we can certainly find faults. Far was even walled in, but that did not keep people away; they came to her from discouraging us, this can give us courage. Perfection is not what and asked for her spiritual advice. we are striving for, unless it is as perfect a love as possible. Saint Catherine of Siena lived at home, not in a convent, as a person dedicated to God. People flocked to her, but not because she wanted Saints among Us My father died several years ago at the age of 91. He did nothing that them to. the world would call special in his life. He was the father of a large Others, whose names are not well-known, lived simple lives among their family. He worked hard and endured a loss of hearing for many years. families and friends, serving God with all their hearts, but never making And he always tried to follow the straight and narrow path as he saw it. a splash in the world. My father found real joy in going to Mass and celebrating the festivals 4) The saints are humble, willingly and lovingly attributing to God of the Church. He was always the one who was there for us, saying the all that they have and all that they will ever be. kind and understanding word, offering help when needed and knowing Humility has always had a poor press; many people think that humility when to let go. God was very real in his life. His faith was always means saying derogatory things about oneself. Far from it! The saints strong, and people said of him the most important thing one can say of showed their humility by using whatever gifts they had to perfection, but a man, “He was a good man.” never attributing these gifts to themselves. I doubt if my father ever thought about being a saint. I do know that in Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas were brilliant men and they his own way, he was one. And he, more than any priest or bishop or did not go around saying how stupid they were. They did acknowledge, canonized saint, taught me what it means to live the humble, simple life however, that all they knew was as nothing compared to the infinite wis- of faith. dom of God. We laypersons must recognize our call to holiness. There are no class 5) Saints are people of prayer. distinctions in the Church or in the Christian life. Nor are there any Some, especially members of religious orders, had entire days of prayer. obstacles in the lay life that prevent one from striving and achieving a Others found their time with God in other ways. deep spiritual life. Dorothy Day—not canonized but recognized by many as a truly holy We need to look at the obstacles and see them for what they are: oppor- person—started her day with prayer but said that she met God daily in tunities. There are enough opportunities, enough suffering, enough the crowds of the poor who came to her hospitality house. None of the challenges and, above all, enough grace for all of us to be as passionate saints saw prayer as a waste of time or as an activity for only the weak or about God as the saints are. naive.

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME NOVEMBER 5, 2017

Tippecanoe County RTL Fundraising Gala November 18th from 7-11:30pm at The Trails. Dinner, Speaker, Silent Auc- tion, Cash Bar, and Music. $50/person or $400 for a table of 8. Cocktail attire. Reserve your spot now! Online at tippecanoecountyrighttolife.com or Mail check to: TCRTL Gala, PO Box 207, Lafayette, IN 47902 or In person at St. Michaels Books, 522 Main St, Lafayette

Thanks for your continued support! Kristy Korchnak Do you have questions about the Rite of Christian Burial? More Directoof Operations specifically, are you curious about the Church’s position on the Tippecanoe County Right to Life practice of cremation? St. Mary Cathedral will be hosting a Catholic 765-714-9554 Burial Symposium at Bishops Memorial Hall on Sunday, November 5 from 1:00-2:00. Please join Fr. Jeff and local cemetery representa- STEWARDSHIP BY THE BOOK: There is no question that tives to answer common questions concerning burial practices. Jesus had a way with words. The Word of the Lord is filled with what we are very familiar with in our society — sound In John 17, Jesus prays that his people, the church, may be in perfect unity as he bites if you will, which convey so much meaning. The last and the father are in perfect unity. America today, is the most divided it has been verses of today’s Gospel from St. Matthew contain one of in recent history, and simultaneously God is moving His church in Lafayette those short statements which carry so much more meaning. closer together. To display and deepen that unity, the Greater Lafayette Gospel Jesus says, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Association and the Pastors Alliance are joining together with other churches to do the Unity Build with Habitat for Humanity. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” The Unity Build is an opportunity for diverse christian congregations in Greater Lafayette to love one another while we love our city. This will be a chance to build bridges with one another as we build a house together on Wabash Ave. Not In those two sentences are found the key to a stewardship way only will we be building a house, but we will also spend time strengthening rela- of life, which revolve around service and humility. There is no tionships with one another. There will be ways for each member of the partner question that these are powerful words. They reveal to us all congregations to be involved with the Unity Build including, Food, Work, and that we need to understand to be a true disciple of Christ. In his Prayer. letter to the Philippians St. Paul wrote, “Though He was in the We would like to humbly invite St. Ann’s to join us for the project. As the long- form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be est serving Christian Witness on Wabash Ave, it our pleasure to invite you to grasped, but EMPTIED HIMSELF, by taking the form of a participate in the build. Currently, the build is about fully funded, so we don’t servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in need financial participation, but would love your involvement in Building the human form, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF by becoming obedi- house, perhaps providing a meal for the workers, and participating in prayer. ent to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:5-8). To find out more, or to sign up to work, please check out the website: unityon- theavenue.com True humility will be ultimately exalted by God. Our society teaches us to strive to reach the top, but Jesus is reminding us Central Catholic’s Drama Department would like to invite you to its fall that we need to regard others as more important than we are. play The Pink Panther Strikes Again by William Gleason, based on the film We have two choices in life perhaps, to be self exalters, or to by Blake Edwards and Frank Waldman. Please support the performing arts at CC and laugh along with inept, but lovable Inspector Clouseau and wide be God-exalted. Is there any doubt as to what we as Christians variety of interesting characters. You won’t want to miss this hilarious and should pursue? slapstick silly performance. Show times are Thursday and Saturday, No- vember 2 and 4th at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 5th at 3:00 p.m. Tick- SUNDAY OFFERING The Lafayette Catholic School System is looking for bus drivers. Please contact Tim Bordenet in the Central Catholic Athletic Of- $6879 fice at 765-474-3524 for more information.

SAINT ANN’S CHILI SUPPER “FIND OUT HOW MUCH GOD HAS GIVEN SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2017 YOU, AND FROM IT TAKE WHAT YOU MEMORIAL HALL NEED; THE REMAINDER IS NEEDED BY YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE MEMBERS OF THE PARISH IN A TRADITION- OTHERS” AL CHILI DINNER. EVERYTHING WILL BE FURNISHED. WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY A RELAXING EVENING AND GET TO KNOW YOUR FELLOW PARISH- IONERS. A FREE WILL OFFERING WILL GO TO BENEFIT MATRIX. WE WILL ST. AUGUSTINE BE SERVING FROM 5:30 UNTIL 7:30. PLEASE CHECK YOUR CALENDARS AND COME DINE WITH US. (sponsored by ST. ANN’S CHRIST RENEWS HIS PARISH