St Thomas More Catholic Parish & School Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time u October 13, 2019 “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Luke 17:17-18 What’s Inside: Seminarian’s Reflection Judaism to Catholicism Retired & Infirm Priests’ Collection SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2019 seminarian’s reflection God still surprises me. After being a seminarian for six years, I wish I could tell you that I fully expect God to be at work everyday in the lives of those he loves. However, I reluctantly admit that it still surprises me when, while busy minding my own business, God dumbfounds me with his action in my life. The most recent instance of this was on the STM Catholic eighth grade school retreat. The surprise came when, after sharing his testimony, Patrick Smith, our assistant principal, had a moment of inspiration. He challenged the students, “Think of one person in this class who you respect but aren’t very close to. What do you respect about them?” After a deliberation-filled pause, he then threw down the gauntlet: “Now tell that person!” Sitting in the back of the room, I instantly recoiled. Thoughts of, “This won’t work!” and “They’ll treat it as a joke!” sprung to my mind. Memories of my painfully self-conscious eighth grade self supported my skepticism. However, what happened next was truly inspiring. Many eighth graders instantly jumped to their feet and went straight to affirm their admiree. Before long, the room was a mob of affirmations, hugs, healing and many tears. Because they took the risk of being rejected in building up their peers, God could use this courage to work against the resentments, rivalries and cliques that we humans form in our brokenness. I was so moved. Many teachers told me the eighth grade class had a new closeness about it after that evening. This courage and vulnerability that the eighth graders showed is so important in the spiritual life. Ultimately, this is the courage and vulnerability that Jesus exhibited on the cross, giving everything for our salvation with no guarantee of us accepting. St. Paul imitates Christ’s love in today’s readings when he exclaims, “I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus.” We, like Paul, are called to take risks and suffer out of love with no guarantee of success. This love takes many forms. Saying “I love you” first. Affirming our loved ones first. Bringing up conflicts. Giving so much and still not knowing if it will all work out. Following the Church when it seems to be anything but holy. Loving God and following His will when we have no idea where he is leading us. C.S. Lewis powerfully sums up this idea in his book The Four Loves, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.” – Ryan Kent, Seminarian Welcome to St. Thomas More! Sunday Masses: Saturday (Anticipatory): 4:00 & 5:30pm Go and make disciples Sunday: 7:00, 8:30 & 10:30am (incense); 12:30 (ASL) & 5:30pm (Youth) 8035 S Quebec St | Centennial, Colorado 80112 Daily Masses: Monday–Friday: 6:30 & 9:00am. Saturday: 7:30am 303.770.1155 | stthomasmore.org Confessions: Six days per week. Monday–Friday: 8:00am. Clergy Thursday: 6:30pm. Saturday: 2:30–3:30pm Pastor: Very Rev. Msgr. Thomas Fryar, V.F. Morning Prayer: Monday–Friday: 8:30am Parochial Vicars: Rev. John Ludanha, Rev. Rohan Miranda, O.C.D., Rev. Ivan Monteiro, O.C.D. Holy Hour for Vocations: Thursday: 6:30–7:30pm Deacons: Dcn. Bob Cropp, Dcn. George Morin, Dcn. Alan Rastrelli, M.D., Dcn. David Simonton, Dcn. Steve Stemper Perpetual Adoration: 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration in Adoration Dcn. George Brown (retired), Dcn. Tim Walsh (retired) Chapel. Contact: [email protected] or 303.220.3392. Parish Office 303.770.1155 | Hours: Monday–Friday: 8:00am–5:00pm Sacrament of Baptism: For baptisms, contact Jo Holt at [email protected] no less than one month prior to the Faith & Academic Formation baptism ceremony. Visit stthomasmore.org for more information. Office of Catechesis | 303.770.0531 | Fax: 720.529.0157 Sacrament of Matrimony: For weddings, contact Jodi Lieske at [email protected] no less than eight months prior to the STM Catholic School Office(Address: 7071 E Otero Ave) 303.770.0441 | stmcatholic.org wedding for marriage preparation information. Youth Ministry | 303.220.3388 | stthomasmore.org/youth Sacrament of the Sick: Contact the parish office at onset of illness. In case of death in the family, contact the parish office For the complete staff directory with contact information for all our immediately at 303.770.1155. For sacramental emergencies parish staff members, visit stthomasmore.org (under “About Us”). when the parish office is closed, call 303.698.1111. 2 TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME CHRIST our HOPE in every season “Hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we hope: not any god, but the God who has a human face and have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm.” who has loved us to the end” (Pope Benedict XVI, Spe salvi 31). (Hebrews 6: 18–19) Christians know “they have a future: it is not that they know From the time we are knit together in our mothers’ wombs the details of what awaits them, but they know in general until we take our final breaths, each moment of our lives terms that their life will not end in emptiness” (SS 2). is a gift from God. While every season of life brings its own challenges and trials, each season also gives us new A woman experiencing a difficult pregnancy can find the opportunities to grow in our relationship with God. strength to welcome her precious child into the world. A man facing a terminal diagnosis can see that the end of his earthly Today the gift of life is threatened in countless ways. Those life is only the beginning of eternal life with Christ. who are most vulnerable, rather than receiving the protection they deserve, are all too often seen as a burden and as The Church teaches us that “the one who has hope lives expendable. As new attacks on human life continue to emerge, differently” (SS 2). Christ’s promise of salvation does not mean we can be tempted to despair, but Christ instead offers us that we will be spared from suffering. Rather, it ensures that unfailing hope. Hope is not false optimism or empty positivity. even in the darkest moments of our lives, we will be given the Christian hope is something much more profound and goes to strength to persevere. By virtue of this Christian hope, we can the very depths of our identity as followers of Christ. face any challenge or trial. When the seas of life swell and we are battered by the waves, hope allows us to remain anchored Hope is the virtue “by which we desire the kingdom of heaven in the heart of God. May we hold fast to Christ our hope, from and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s the beginning of life to its very end. promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1817). Like us, Christ entered the world through the womb of a Reprinted in honor of Respect Life Month from the USCCB’s woman. He willingly experienced the fullness of human annual Respect Life Program, a year-round, nationwide effort suffering. He breathed his last on the Cross at Calvary in order to help Catholics understand, value, and become engaged with that He might save us. Therefore, “God is the foundation of building a culture that cherishes every human life. JUDAISM to CATHOLICISM: a conversion story All are invited to attend two presentations by Roy Schoeman at St. Thomas More. He will be speaking about his journey to Catholicism and the role of the Jewish faith in Salvation History. Tuesday, October 15 in McCallin Hall • Salvation is from the Jews at 9:30am • Judaism to Catholicism: A Conversion Story at 7:00pm This free event is sponsored by St. Thomas Aquinas Society. Roy Schoeman was born and raised by Jewish parents who had fled Nazi Germany. He received a Jewish education, followed by a Bachelor of Science degree from MIT and an M.B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard Business School. While he was a Jewish Marketing Professor at the Harvard Business School, Roy received two supernatural experiences – one of Christ and one of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These resulted in an unanticipated and enthusiastic conversion to Catholicism. He is the author of two best-selling books – Salvation is from the Jews: The Role of Judaism in Salvation History and Honey from the Rock: Sixteen Jews Find the Sweetness of Christ.