Notes From The Pastor’s Pen – November 17, 2019

We are faced with strong and disturbing readings today that hold a certain fascination, since they seem at first glance to be blueprints for future inevitable wars and hardship. A fundamentalist interpretation focuses on this aspect. Yet we hear them at our Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, which infuses them with hope and optimism. Rather than dreading the future, today’s liturgy assures us that God is with us in all of life’s inevitable trials, and that we have a role in shaping the outcome of human history. Occasionally, some Christians have attempted to decode these readings for an exact measure of the world’s end, but they have thus far been disappointed.

Nothing lasts forever is a lyric from a Broadway show. Stars fall from the sky, leaves wither and fall, mountains wash into the sea, human projects and governments totter and collapse with great regularity. Today’s liturgy opposes this idea as incomplete, reminding us that Christ has made a permanent change in human history, and that life in him is life forever. Rather than inviting us to throw in the towel, today’s liturgy strengthens us for acts of goodness and grace in our families, communities, and world.

~James Field, © J. S. Paluch Co.

Notes From The Pastor’s Pen – November 10, 2019

Confidence in the Lord

We are nearing the end of the liturgical year. Today’s readings remind us that our own lives will draw to a close one day, and we can be certain that the Lord will encourage, strengthen, and save us–both now and at the last. The astonishing story of the Maccabees invigorates our faith as we behold an entire family willing to die rather than deny the Law of Moses. The psalm response echoes the faithful cries of the Maccabees: I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God. That same confidence appears in Saint Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. The Lord is faithful, he testifies; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. In the Gospel, Jesus explains just how long God’s protection will endure. The children of God whom God guards, Jesus says, will live forever like angels.

© J. S. Paluch Co.

Secondo – Hosted by St. Vincent de Paul on November 20th

St. Joseph Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul is sponsoring a new adult education opportunity each month, SECONDO.  Come learn about Catholic Social Teaching (in a non-political environment!) with guest speakers and group discussion. Javier Orozco, Executive Director at the Archdiocesan Office of Human Dignity and Intercultural Affairs, will be back on November 20th in St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, located at 106 N. Meramec Avenue, Clayton MO. The event will last one hour from 7 p.m until 8 p.m. You do not need to have attended the previous meeting to join us this time.

Refreshments will be served. – All are welcome.

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