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Dear Parishioners,
Discipleship requires us to consider to whom I belong; where my loyalties lie; and whom I must serve. Surely each of us is called and strives to remain faithful to some duties in our own place—towards our families, jobs, neighborhoods, and friends. But if we are to take our faith seriously, we are also concerned about others who are far away from us. These connections to others pull on us especially when we see them in light of our personal relationship with Jesus.
In Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew (Matt 22:34-46), we hear Jesus’ response to the question: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment.
The second commandment is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Earlier, in Matthew’s Gospel, we read that Jesus insists that we forgive our brothers and sisters from our heart.
In a world filled with revenge and personal destruction, one wonders if there can be another was to live Jesus call to peace and reconciliation. It seems to be far from our reach. Yet this is what we say we are about as Catholics.
On November 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the School Hall - Dr. Terrence Rynne, PHD, a Professor at Marquette University will give a presentation titled: The Nonviolent Way of Jesus. Learn more about Dr. Rynne from Marquette University’s website.
Rynne, who holds a Ph.D. in theology from Marquette, is the author of three books, including Gandhi and Jesus: The Saving Power of Nonviolence and Jesus Christ, Peacemaker: A New Theology of Peace. He has also authored articles from various publications including Sojourners and the National Catholic Reporter.
Rynne was honored, along with American diplomat Brett McGurk, who received the 2019 “Hostage Freedom Award” for his work in negotiations that led to the release of several Americans held captive in Iran, including journalist Jason Rezaian. Additionally, Rezaian, who was unjustly detained in Iran during his tenure as the Tehran bureau chief for The Washington Post, received the 2019 “World Press Freedom Award.”
The event was hosted by Christiane Amanpour, chief international anchor of CNN's global affairs program "Amanpour" and host of "Amanpour and Company" on PBS. She also delivered the evening’s keynote address.
All Saints and All Souls’ Day — November 1st and 2nd is the time we annually celebrate and remember the canonized Saints and all our deceased loved ones. All life needs to be recognized, welcomed, and celebrated in some way.
Please mark your calendar for this interesting and challenging evening. Call the rectory to register for these events.
Sincerely, Fr. Mike Meany
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