November 06, 2021
Click here to view this week's Mass. The video for the 4 PM vigil Mass will be available by about 7 PM on Saturday.
This week we honor our veterans, living and deceased. Because of their service, we are able to come together here in this church whenever we want to pray. It is not like that in all parts of the world today. There are places where praying the Mass is cause for torture and death. Our veterans have assured this freedom for us. They gave everything they had to protect all that we need. To all our veterans, thank you.
Serving in the United States military, our veterans gave all they had to protect all that we need. Today's readings are about this kind of giving. The widow in the Gospel and the widow in First Kings. They gave everything. Jesus saw the widow's gift as greater than any other, but how can this be, she gave only a few cents? Jesus keeps it simple: Love is more precious than gold. I would like you to think about that for a moment. Love, which is what the widow gave, is worth more than even a million-dollar lotto jackpot! I like that view of love. Love is priceless and yet, no matter how much love we pour out, we still have more. And our actions done out of love are more precious than gold! We often take the value of the love we hold for granted.
If you look around you, you won't see anyone who won the lotto jackpot. But as I look at you, I see the faces of people who have given gifts worth far more than gold. From the person who sells boards at bingo, to the person at bible study who offers heartfelt questions. Both gifts of love worth far more than gold. From the person attending our St. Vincent DePaul meeting, preparing to feed families, to the person selling tickets for one of our raffles. From the person bringing a turkey to the rectory for the poor, to the one teaching in our religious education program. From the person not able to attend Mass with us who prays unceasingly for St. Andrew Parish from their home, to the person placing money in the offertory envelope. Your actions are an outpouring of your love, and exactly what Jesus is teaching us to do in today's Gospel.
Each of these gifts, given out of love, are greater than the million-dollar jackpot. You are the givers of these gifts, and you are what make up St. Andrew Parish. The affect you have on the people around you, the affect our parish has on this community, and the affect the Catholic Church has on the world, are grounded in these actions of love.
At the beginning of Mass we pray the Gloria which talks about giving glory to God. Your actions to help others make that prayer real. In your actions, you give glory to God. The widows gave glory to God with their actions. Ours is not a religion of Pharisee's who devour the houses of widows. Ours is one rich in the love of its members. This is your religion. This is how you give glory to God!
Each time I meet with young new parents who are having their child baptized, I take some time to talk about the Catholic faith, the religion that their baby is being welcomed into. And that discussion is all about Jesus' simple instruction to love as the widow did, and it always includes the song "Glorious!" by David Archuleta. Please listen to it now as it is sung by the One Voice Children's Choir.
In your acts of love, you are part of a symphony giving glory to God! Amen
Just an update on the person who will take over my role upon retirement. I spoke with the diocese on Friday. By the end of next week there is a chance that they will have selected the right person. Kay and I will be with you until that happens.
I also wanted to take this moment, on behalf of Kay and myself, to say thank you for these past seven years. Thank you for your support. You inspired us with all the acts of love that I mentioned earlier when discussing the Gospel. St. Andrew Parish is you. If you are worried about the future, don't be. You have been inspired by the Holy Spirit and that is what makes us strong. The Holy Spirit will continue to guide you when a new person arrives to take on my role. Give them all the support and guidance that you gave Kay and I, and St. Andrew will continue to grow! Embrace the Road to Renewal and Families of Parishes. St. Andrew will become stronger when working together with others. We will continue to love you, and you are forever in our prayers.
God's Peace,
Deacon Dave and Kay
