Mark Your Calendars
Monday, November 8^th at 8:30am               Meeting Room      Sweet Rolls and Gospel                                                                                                                                      Reflection
Wednesday, November 10^th at 6:01pm      Churchyard             SEEKERS 601
Thursday, November 11^th at 8:00am           Church                    Veterans Day Mass
Saturday, November 13^th at 7:00pm            Churchyard            After Mass Social
Wednesday, November 17^th at 6:01pm       Churchyard            SEEKERS 601
Sunday, November 20^th at 6:00pm               All Saints                Ecumenical 
                                                                                                              Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 25^th at 9:00am           Church                    Thanksgiving Mass
Sunday, December 5^th at 5:00pm                 Church                    Parish Listening Session
Sunday, December 5^th at 6:00pm                 Rectory                   Advent Open House
Friday, December 10^th at 6:00pm                Church                     Dedication of the Plaza
Friday, December 10^th at 7:00pm                Parish Gym             Saint Michael Night Out

A few notes on upcoming events:

5. On Mondays right after the 8am Mass all are invited for coffee and sweet rolls in the meeting room as Linda Cleary leads all present in a brief faith sharing session on the Gospel for the coming Sunday. There is another Gospel reflection group that has begun gathering on Sundays in the meeting room at 10am. Gospel reflection sheets can be found in the bulletin rack near the sacristy door.
5. Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven is the subject of Wednesday’s SEEKERS 601.
5. All military personnel – active duty and retired veterans – and their families are invited to a special Veteran’s Day Mass at 8am on Thursday. If you can please wear your uniform. A reception of coffee and donuts will follow Mass.
5. Please take note of the two events in December. I hope you can be involved in the Parish Listening Session that is part of the Church Universal and Diocesan Listening Sessions that are preparing for the 2023 Synod. We’ll follow the Listening Session with an Open House in the Rectory. And Bishop Parkes will be with us on December 10^th for the Dedication of our new Plaza. We’ll gather in the Gym for a meal after the Dedication.

November 7, 2021
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 17:10-16 | Heb 9:24-28 | Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
GROW: When it comes to money, I’m a worrier. Just ask my husband how I reacted when he had the audacity to pay for shipping! I shop carefully, armed with coupons. I’ve always been a saver, making sure to contribute to retirement, life insurance, and the “what-if-the-roof-comes-down” fund. Being fiscally responsible is a good thing, but the quest for financial security as the ultimate good is a fool’s errand. God is the true provider of all that we need, and what we have finds its fulfillment in service to him. The widows in today’s readings knew that too well. In the first reading, a mother and son are down to their last bites of food, facing starvation and death. Yet she gives her last morsels to the prophet Elijah. In the Gospel, the widow gives generously, not of her surplus, but of her entire livelihood. Both women exhibit utter and complete trust in God, and a generosity that knows no bounds. As we study today’s Scripture, they teach the worriers among us that God will and does provide, and that the more we give away, the greater our reward in this life and the next.
GO: Do you ever get that knock on the door from a Cub Scout selling popcorn just when you’re about the put dinner on the table or run out to a ballgame? Or perhaps you already have a full calendar and suddenly a neighbor really needs your help with an errand or a household emergency – and there goes a whole afternoon! Today’s readings invite us to set aside whatever “sticks we are gathering” and welcome the “Elijah moments.” They encourage us to give a bit of ourselves away, whether it’s time, money, or attention. In doing so, we give witness to the paradox of the Christian life – that the more we give away the more we are rewarded. We also set a positive example for our children and others, who will see our generosity in action.
SERVE: Even the budgeters among us can do this! Look ahead at your budget. In addition to regular expenditures and giving, look at something you can sacrifice – a meal out, a new sweater, a movie night – and decide as a family how you would like to use the extra money and/or time to help others.