Please perforate pages 7, 8, 9, 19 and 16. Thank you. Darlene Raila TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Sharings OCTOBER 16, 2011 From Father Rich Homa F YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER life in the 1950’s and early 60’s, you remember going to church on Sunday mornings (there were no Saturday evening “Masses of Anticipation”) I for what would later become known as the “old Latin Mass.” Inside the front doors of the church was a small gathering area called a “vestibule.” It wasn’t really an area for gathering, but a place to close umbrellas or shake off snow, and a place to give your dime to an usher who was seated at a felt-covered card table, collecting change for what was called “pew rent.” Inside the church proper, there was a long priest moved down the sanctuary side of the center aisle (and sometimes side aisles) altar rail distributing small pure-white hosts flanked by pews in straight rows, which faced while saying Latin words. An altar boy (there forward to a raised area called the “Sanctuary.” were no altar girls) would hold a “paten” under This sanctuary was separated from the main each person’s chin to protect against the body of the church by a low wall called the sacred host falling to the floor. People always “altar railing,” at which people knelt for the received the host on their tongue. reception of Holy Communion. Against the far wall of the sanctuary there was a number of By and large, people were more like steps leading up to the main altar of the observers at the Mass rather than participants. church. In many churches the sanctuary was Often, some people tried to follow the Mass wide enough to also accommodate smaller with the use of a “Missal,” a book containing “side altars.” the Latin words of the Mass side-by-side with an English translation, but many people People entering the church would dip the preferred to use the time in church to say the fingers of their right hand into bowls of “holy Rosary or other prayers while the priest prayed water”, and would “bless themselves” with the the prayers of the Mass. At some time in the sign of the cross as they walked up the aisle. Church’s history, the Mass received the title, They then “genuflected,” touching their right “The Unbloody Sacrifice of the Cross.” knee to the floor before entering a pew. OW DID THE CHURCH MOVE FROM At the main altar, the priest “said Mass” in participating in the “Table of the Latin while facing the wall. During the Mass Lord’s Supper” to observing a Latin people stood, sat, or knelt at various times as H dramatization of “The Unbloody the priest moved back and forth at the altar Sacrifice of the Cross?” Over the first fifteen saying the Latin words. Most singing was done centuries of the Church’s history, a number of by the choir, and sometimes there was an factors precipitated this movement. English “sermon” in the middle of the Mass. The ringing of bells highlighted the most (To be continued…) important part of the Mass, the “Consecration” of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood May God Bless You, of Christ. At Holy Communion, people went forward to kneel along the altar rail as the Page Two TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME October 16, 2011 FOCUS: LIVING IN GOD God’s word calls us to love with all our heart, mind and soul — that is, with our total person — and to love one another. God is the source of all love, the love we receive and the love we give. When we love, we live in and are the image of the invisible God. FIRST READING If you wrong the widow and the orphan, my wrath will flare up against you (Exodus 22:20-26). The Old Testament can seem like a series of defend them if those in power did not take meticulous instructions with little to do with this responsibility upon themselves. Aliens life. Not true. It was a precious gift from God and the poor were also considered to be in for it communicated His will to us. The law need of our compassion. God asked the was concerned with a spirit of compassion Israelites to remember when they were aliens Sunday that should be shown to all, especially to in Egypt. They were to treat others as they Reflections those who could not defend themselves. The wished that they be treated. And when they most obvious of the powerless were the lent money, they were not to make the for the widows and orphans. They had no one to stipulations of the loan humiliating, 30th Sunday in SECOND READING Ordinary Time Oct. 23, 2011 You turned from idols to serve the living and true God and to await His Son from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10). Paul thanks God for the conversion of the to serve them. He speaks of how the disci- Thessalonians. This was a clear sign of the ples became what the people needed to con- power of God, for they understood that the vert them. They did not pretend, but they pre- words he was preaching were the words of sented a message the people could accept. God (even though he arrived beaten up from Finally, the people were able to respond to his last missionary journey). He also thanks their sufferings and persecution with great God for the fact that the disciples were able joy, a clear sign the Spirit was guiding them. GOSPEL You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34-40). Once again, we hear the leaders of the Jews, ment: that we should love the Lord, our God the Pharisees and the Sadducees, trying to with all our heart, soul, and mind, and that we confound Jesus. Again they are not inter- should love our neighbors as ourselves. As ested in the truth. All they are interested in is we saw last week, love has two dimensions. to gain the upper hand over Him. They ask Love, for it to be true, must have a vertical Jesus what the greatest commandment is. dimension (love for God) and a horizontal Jesus responds with the great command- dimension (love of neighbor). One without the other is unbalanced and not true love. Readings for the Week REFLECTION In an article on “successful aging” (New Theol- Oct. 17th-Oct. 22nd ogy Review, November, 2010), Dr. Lawrence Mon.: Rom 4:20-25; Lk 12:13-21 M. Lenoir proposes that the art of giving and Tues.: 2 Tm 4:10-17b; Lk 10:1-9 receiving love is at the heart of growing old Wed.: Rom 6:12-18; Lk 12:39-48 gracefully. Research shows that being in a lov- Thurs.: Rom 6:19-23; Lk 12:49-53 ing relationship quiets the demons of depres- sion and despair. So, if you want to be healthy, Fri.: Rom 7:18-25a; Lk 12:54-59 be loving. Jesus would agree. The rabbis of Sat.: Rom 8:1-11; Lk 13:1-9 Jesus’ day argued about which was the great- est commandment of the 613 in the Torah. When the Pharisees asked Jesus, He answered that what God wanted most from the chosen people who had been liberated from slavery and called to live in a covenantal relationship was a return of the love God showed to them. This love has two faces: loving God totally and loving one another as one loves himself. Loving is a contagious activity. If you are loved, you tend to be loving. Paul is sounding this note when he writes to the Thessalonians about how they be- came imitators of him and his fellow evangelizers Timothy and Silvanus, and of the Lord him- self, receiving the word and living in faith, joy and love for each other, because they believed in God’s love for them, revealed in Christ. Our love must flow outward in compassionate generos- ity. The Lord called on Israel to show its love by not oppressing aliens, not wronging weak or- phans and defenseless widows, and not extorting the poor by demanding interest on loans. No less is asked of those who have received the Holy Spirit and live in community with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That’s us. Love one another. October 16, 2011 TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Page Three Calling all 5th graders and older who would like to be an altar server... WELCOME Antonio and Tsitsi Artista (Children: Daniella, Michael, and Zachary Artista) Kathleen Ecklund BAPTISM Congratulations to these parents on the baptism of their child on 10-9-11: Nathan James, son of Jason and Michelle Freeland WEDDINGS Please pray for the following couples who are preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony: Kimberly Dwan and Adam Esposito; 10-22 Carrie Boonstra and Patrick Keane; 11-12 Please come to an initial practice on: Saturday, Oct. 22nd from 9:30-10:30am ANNIVERSARIES Wednesday, Oct. 26th Congratulations to George and Eve Entress who are celebrating their from 4-5pm 46th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. Saturday, Oct. 29th from 9:30-10:30am PLEASE PRAY FOR Fr. Stan Kuca We remember the sick, infirm, and those recommended to our prayers, that they may experience the healing power of Christ: Ralph Mancini Lydia Irwin Danute Toeder SAVE THIS DATE! Marie McCormack Anrita Owens Juan Ramirez The 25th Anniversary Dance Luke Laska Krista Fiala (Milt/Mary Jo Taska granddaughter) And for our deceased: will take place on Saturday, Jose Carlos Laverne Fee Georgene Chmura February 18, 2012 at the “Heavenly Father, accept the prayers which we offer for them.” Orland Chateau.