Monday - All Saints Mass at 8am
Followed by Sweet Rolls and the Gospel

Tuesday – All Souls Mass at 8am
We’ll remember all our family members who have died this year

Wednesday – SEEKERS 601 at 6:01pm
Happy Are They – The Teachings of Jesus

ALL SAINTS DAY, Monday, NOVEMBER 1 – HOLYDAY – normally of OBLIGATION except when it falls on a Monday or Saturday. This annual celebration in the Church reminds us that we are all called to be saints. This Feast demonstrates the great respect we have for holy men and holy women of the past. Honoring the Saints reminds us of our own goal of attaining Heaven as a reward for our efforts in living out the Gospel of Jesus in our everyday lives! So, even though you ain’t gots to come to Mass, come anyway. And after Mass you’ll be rewarded with B.J.’s sweet rolls and a brief sharing on the Gospel for the coming Sunday. This is a wonderful weekly gathering that Linda Cleary got started this past week.

ALL SOULS DAY, Tuesday, NOVEMBER 2 – You also ain’t gots to come to this Mass but it’s a good thing to do, especially if you had a family member die this past year. We remember our beloved dead at every Mass but on All Souls Day we remember in a special way all those who have died with Christ as their hope for new and eternal life. A votive candle is lit for all of our family members who have died this year and you are welcome to take the candle home.

SEEKERS 601, Wednesday, NOVEMBER 3 – We start with a simple (but free) meal at 6:01pm, followed by about 20 minutes of Bishop Barron’s awesome Catholicism video, followed by small group sharing. It’s a very enjoyable 90 minutes. All are welcome and it’s all the better if you can bring a friend (or like competitive Melissa several friends) who does (do) not already belong to our faith community. Call for a place at the table before noon on Wednesday so we have enough food. Parish Office – (912) 786-4505.

October 31, 2021
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
By The Faithful Disciple
Dt 6:2-6 | Heb 7:23-28 | Mk 12:28b-34

GROW: “Oh no,” was my first thought when I began reading today’s Gospel – “another scribe trying to trick Jesus.” But this scribe agrees with Jesus: Loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself are the greatest commandments. When the scribe explains that loving God and your neighbor are worth more than all offerings or sacrifices, Jesus recognizes that the scribe took these commandments “to heart,” as Moses had taught. He doesn’t just know the law, he understands it. Because he understands it, Jesus assures him that he is not far from the kingdom of God. So, how can we grow in our understanding of what it means to love God and love our neighbor? We grow in our love of God through the gift of faith and by the graces received in spending time with him. We do this by spending time in Scripture and “taking to heart” his words; by prayerfully reflecting on Jesus’ life and giving thanks for his sacrifice for us; by drawing closer to him through the sacraments; and by asking him to help us grow in our love for God, and for one another. An authentic love for God will show itself in love of neighbor, and the more we truly love one another, the greater our love for God will grow.
GO: Loving our neighbors is essential if we seek to draw them to God’s love. For many of us, that’s much easier said than done. It’s not easy to love someone with whom we disagree or are in competition with. And these days, with so much division in society, it is all too simple to assume the worst rather than the best about others with whom we interact or see on television. Can we commit to truly seeing others as God sees them – his beloved children, made in his own image? After all, it is through Jesus and in keeping his word that we become more like him, in thought and deed: “Whoever loves me will keep my word … and my father will love him and we will come to him.” Let us pray to see our neighbors as the Lord does; and pray that we ourselves might be the kind of neighbor in whom others may see God’s image! We have the opportunity to be an example of, and a witness to, a love that forgives and is not overcome by fear or division.
PRAY: As we prepare for the feast of All Souls, make an effort to see others as God sees them by reflecting on the lives of those who have loved you and what their lives have taught you about God’s love. Attend Mass and give thanks for those you hold in your heart. Then pray honestly and sincerely for those with whom you know you have a difference of conviction or opinion, asking God to graciously answer all their needs and to care for them as you yourself would like to be cared for.