From the Pastor’s Desk | November 6, 2022 | Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

“… and he is not the God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
~ Luke 20:38
Brothers and Sisters,
We are fortunate, as Catholics, that the Church sets aside November as a month of remembrance for those who have died. The first of the month begins with All Saints, a day when all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, are celebrated. Then the following day, All Souls’ commemorates those who have passed within the faith, including our loved ones. On this day, we take special care at our Parish to invite those who have lost friends and family during the previous year by remembering each of them by name. Won’t you join me and pray for all those who mourn these losses? In particular, I ask you to keep the Joyce family in your prayers. Teena Tom-Joyce, OLPH School parent and Eucharistic adorer, died and was laid to rest this past week. Her husband and father to their two children, Abel and Isabel, is battling pancreatic cancer. In addition, Fr. Anthony lost his mother, Mercy, at the beginning of the summer and his father, Aloysius, a few weeks ago. Please also pray for Deacon Mike’s brother, three children, and family; they mourn the loss of Marilyn, who was laid to rest this week. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them!
Jesus reminds us of who God is in this weekend’s Gospel. Our God is a creator of LIFE, a God of the LIVING, who offers us eternal life through the merits of Jesus Christ.
As we contemplate our mortality and keep those who have passed close to our hearts during November, let the truth that our God is FULLY ALIVE comfort and sustain us. Now, share this Good News by encouraging those who grieve while supporting them to live out their faith.
The mystery of The Resurrection can be challenging to accept at face value. Still, when viewed through the eyes of faith, while cultivating a relationship with our Creator, His only Son, while asking for guidance from his Advocate, the promise of eternal life, not by our own merits, but through God’s grace and mercy, will become perfect sense. Yet, because we are mere mortals, our limited understanding and reasoning make it hard to grasp the unseen, and we might have “Sadducees moments” when we doubt the Resurrection. During these times, humble yourself, go to Jesus, and be honest about your fears and apprehension. And remember that though we can never be sure about our futures in our physical bodies, which have limitations — Jesus’ death and Resurrection change everything! When the Sadducees say “no,” to life, our Lord will always say “Yes.”
In the Lord,
Rev. Michael S. Triplett