32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Pastor’s Notes
MASS INTENTIONS:
5:30 p.m. Saturday, November 11 + Patrick Hildebrandt (Terry & Linda Oliver) 8:00 a.m. Sunday, November 12 All Souls (Rosa Lee Richie) 10:00 a.m. Sunday, November 12 For the People 8:00 a.m. Monday, November 13 David, Kara, Colton, Ayden, Philomena &Titus Stapleton (D. J. Stapleton) 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 14 Bruce Davison (Lilia Babbitt) 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 15 + Ginger Litzinger (Betty Snapp) 8:00 a.m. Thursday, November 16 + David R. Harrison (Paul & Jean Harrison) 8:00 a.m. Friday, November 17 Caleb Frazee (Birthday) (Donor) 8:00 a.m. Saturday, November 18 + Betty Hamm (Patty Hays) 5:30 p.m. Saturday, November 18 + Jon Turner (J. W. & Judy Turner) 8:00 a. m. Sunday, November 19 For the People 10:00 a.m. Sunday, November 19 Funeral Choir for Remo Rocchi (Lilia Babbitt) SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Sunday: Monday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time St. Frances Xavier Cabrini St. Albert the Great St. Margaret of Scotland; St. Gertrude St. Elizabeth of Hungary The Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter and Paul; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne; Blessed Virgin Mary
Total collection: Nov. 4/5 $3,944.00 Average expenses last 4 weeks: $3,962.90 Total in Electrical Fund: $224,003.37 Total Pledged for Electrical as of 7/24: $141,209.25 Attendance: 5:30 PM (56) 8:00 AM (65) 10:00 AM (109) All Saints: 5:30 PM (61) 8:00 AM (33) 7:00 PM (71) MINISTERS: EUCHARIST: LECTORS: SERVERS: USHERS:
SAT. NOV. 18 5:30 PM TERRY OLIVER JACKIE JONES KRYSTAL DAVISON GRETCHEN MCCONNELL STEPHEN KLINE JACOB KLINE
We are coming to the end of the current Liturgical year. Advent will soon be upon us. And as always in November, the Church in these last three Ordinary Sundays puts an emphasis on the “Last Things”: death, Judgement, heaven, and hell. The last three readings from Matthew’s Gospel that we hear on these Sundays this year do a particularly good job of helping us to focus on the last things. If we were to summarize them in one pithy statement it might go something like this: “Prepare for death (today’s Gospel) by using the gifts that God gives us (next Sunday) to serve the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Christ the King).” The predicament of the five foolish virgins in today’s gospel is probably summed up in the words of a young, French officer mortally wounded at Waterloo: “I hadn’t planned to die today.” The truth is few of us plan for death even though it is the one sure thing in life. Certainly, more and more of us prepare wills, etc. to ensure that our preferences are carried out after death. Many of us do pre-plan and pre-pay for our funerals. We buy life insurance to provide for our families in case something happens to us. But in the end few of us really focus on the simple fact that it is not a question of if we die but when we die. Let’s face it, death is not something most of us want to dwell on. Even when we believe in Jesus Christ and profess week after week that we look forward to the resurrection of the dead and eternal life our faith becomes brittle when we come to contemplate our own mortality. Simply put, none of us wants to die. Yet time and again Jesus warns us that we must be ready when He comes. Many in contemplating today’s Gospel have asked the question “What is this “oil” of which Jesus speaks?” There have been many answers including love, good works, and grace. Yet, as the parable makes clear whatever it is must be something personal to each of the virgins. It is something unique to each one that cannot be shared. Thus, perhaps the best answer may be personal holiness. The wise virgins are the ones who have spent their lives cultivating virtue and a personal relationship with God. Even when they are caught “napping” they are able to trim their wicks and get their lamps once again burning brightly (a reference to Purgatory?). By contrast, the foolish ones are those who despite having every opportunity to get close God have consistently refused. Whatever holiness they may have had has completely disappeared. Their lamps cannot be relighted and they find themselves shutout from the banquet. As Saint Paul wrote to Timothy “…If we deny Him, He will deny us…” Therefore, in order to be prepared for Christ’s coming we all have to become as holy as each of us can become. We have to develop a strong personal relationship with Christ by cultivating virtue and eliminating vice in our lives. Everything we do must be Christ centered. In that way we can be ready when time comes. And as we hear in next week’s Gospel, God will give to each of us the exact gifts that each of us needs to keep our lamps ready for when the Bridegroom, our Master, Jesus Christ returns.
FATHER TOM SUN. NOV. 19 8:00 AM PAUL KOCH MARIE GRAVELY GARRETT FRAZEE CALEB FRAZEE CHRIS DAVISON LARRY BESS
SUN. NOV. 19 10:00 AM _____________ KEITH ELLIOTT ___ MAUREEN KORMANIK __ ABBY HARVEY BLAISE DAVISON___________________ ALLEN WHITE MIKE STAPLETON _________
I CAN DO ANYTHING: I have started houses with no more than the price of a loaf of bread and prayers, for with him who comforts me, I can do anything. Frances Xavier Cabrini
FATHER THOMAS HAMM, JR. PASTOR
NOVEMBER 12, 2017________ WISDOM
We consider wisdom today. The first reading from the book of Wisdom presents this precious gift as a feminine spirit, a very desirable virtue sought by many and graciously present to all who seek her. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable to illustrate wisdom in a practical, measurable way. The wise will conserve their resources, use them prudently, and mark the passing of time. The foolish, on the other hand, not planning ahead, will be in the dark. Both of these readings tell us how accessible wisdom is to all who simply and honestly seek it. Paul's words to the Thessalonians are not about wisdom, but describe one result of true wisdom: To the wise person of faith even death holds no terror. Our faith in Jesus' resurrection tells us we will all one day rise to new life in Christ. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION classes today Sunday, November 12 after the 10:00 AM Mass. SPECIAL COLLECTION TO BE TAKEN UP FOR OUR SEMINARIANS: A special collection will be taken up at all Masses this weekend, November 11/12, for the seminarians of our diocese. This effort is being coordinated by the Knights of Columbus as they continue to support seminarians and vocations to the priesthood. If you wish to donate to this collection. Please put your donation in a blank envelope marked “Seminarians” and put it in the collection this weekend. I urge you to be as generous as your means allow and ask that you pray for our seminarians regularly and for the success of this collection. TODAY AT 2:00 PM THE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S CLUBS OF OUR DEANERY WILL MEET HERE AT ST. LOUIS FOR AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING TO ORGANIZE OUR DEANERY. ALL WOMEN ARE INVITED. RIGHT TO LIFE WILL HAVE THEIR MONTHLY MEETING ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 AT 7:00 PM. CONGRATULATIONS to Titus Anthony Stapleton, son of David J. and Kara (Meaige) Stapleton, on the occasion of His baptism here at St. Louis Church on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. CONGRATULATIONS to Timberly Marie Stapleton, daughter of Allan and Gina (Davis) Stapleton, on the occasion of her baptism here at St. Louis Church on Sunday, November 5, 2017. MSGR. WILLIAM MYERS UPDATE: Father Bill was moved to the Trinity Community Rehab on Wednesday. Here is the address: Trinity Community of Beavercreek Room 116 3218 Indian Ripple Road Beavercreek, Ohio 45440. Please keep him in your prayers as he recovers.
NAMES ON THE PRAYER LIST WILL REMAIN FOR 30 DAYS AFTER 30 DAYS THEY WILL BE REMOVED UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THE OFFICE.
These names will remain until November 30, 2017 Please pray for the health and the healing of our friends and relatives:
Resty and Gisela Alonzo, Donna Altizer, Wayne Bergdoff, Cathy Bostic, Andrew Calvert, Brent Coburn, Lori Cody, Margaret Coen, Marge Cornett, Amy Davis, Harriett Davison, Karen Davison, Keith Davison, Betty Doerfer, Greg Frasier, Sue Freyberg, Jonnie Lou Gabrielli, Albert Grable, Kelly Haas, Larry Haas, Patrick Hays, Seth Javosky, Noah Knackstedt, Alan Kuhn, Jess Luther, Davey Mathney, Richard Maynard, Jim McCausland, Bill Merry, James Merry, Lee Ann Mollohan, Sydney Elaine Preston, Bart Repass, Jeff Rider, John Rocchi, Vicky Ross, Charlotte Shaffer, Lyle Shillington, Dr. Mel Simon, Dr. Anthony Sola, Lori Stevenson, Gabe Stewart, Charles Surber, Len Sutton, Sandy Walker, Jamie Weis, Judy Werner, Jack Williams, Harry White and Patrick Wolfe.
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Next week, our second collection will be for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Over 46 million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs to empower people to identify and address the obstacles they face as they work to lift themselves out of poverty. By supporting this collection you give people a hand up, not a hand out. Learn more about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at www.usccb.org/cchs/collection. ITS’S TIME TO STARTING PLANNING FOR THE MARCH FOR LIFE TRIP 2018. This year’s trip will be Thursday, January 18th thru Friday, January 19. Cost is $50.00 per person early bird special, $100.00 after Nov. 30th. Includes Round trip motor coach bus, snacks on the bus, one boxed lunch, hotel accommodations (4 per room), metro passes, prayer materials, dinner on the way home. You can find registration forms on the table in the entryway of the hall. For more information please contact John Spencer at 740-444-9632 or email
[email protected]. THANKSGIVING FOOD BASKETS: Our Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Women’s Club are asking for non-perishable food items to fill food baskets for Thanksgiving. Please place your items in the hall by the memorial tree on the wall.
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION We had sixteen hundred years’ experience with one Eucharistic Prayer in our repertoire, and the liturgical reforms of the Council of Trent shaped the way we worshiped for four hundred years. In the last years of the Tridentine Mass, the early 1960s, we tended to see children as miniature adults. Fully rooted in the Sunday assembly by the decision of Pope Saint Pius X to push Communion back to the age of seven or so from the standard age of twelve to fourteen years during the early 1900s, children were still more tolerated than acknowledged. The Mass was in Latin, and by the 1960s the people had begun to regain their voices in the “dialogue Mass,” so the focus was on training little children to recite or sing in Latin. The new attention to the experience of children, their ability to enter into ritual, their spontaneity, their ability to grasp key concepts in faith, felt “untraditional.” Yet we can trace in our tradition the ways in which children have long been given a special place in the assembly. From earliest times, boys have served in choirs and certain ministries in monasteries and in parish churches. Girls were sometimes entrusted to nuns, learning liturgical chants and the arts. Yet, in our day, the formation of a Lectionary for children and Eucharistic Prayers suited to them are truly tremendous breakthroughs in our treasury of prayer. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.