What you need to know from this weekend’s bulletin:
A Sunday Reflection
November 19, 2023
The gospel asks us to think about what kind of life is a good life and what kind of life is a tragedy. We start with two examples. One is Blessed Carlo Acutis. His life was something that seemed like a tragedy to many, but is actually a great life. His holiness was evident from a very young age. His energy and intelligence made him very productive for the cause of Christ. He died at age 15. Long lives are not what matters. Heroic virtue matters.
His story is told in the book titled A Millennial in Paradise by Fr. Will Conquer.
The other example is based on the book Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. He tells a story: Bob and Penny took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Florida where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball, and collect shells.
The point he makes from this is that they have focused their lives on very worldly things. We will all be asked to give an account of our life one day before God. We do not want to tell him about seashells and fishing boats. What Bob and Penny are doing is all too common in our world today and it is actually tragic.
After this we move on to talk about 4 words in the scripture. They are talent, fear, sloth, and joy.
Talent is a confusing word. The English word for talent is actually derived from people talking about this gospel passage. Still, it misses the mark, so it is more confusing than anything. To the people of Jesus’ day, talent would simply mean money. It means a lot of money. Something on the order of millions of dollars. God is being pictured as a very generous giver.
The second word is fear. Fear is the reason the last servant gives for burying his talent. He is afraid of God. His fear is based on a bad picture of God. The master suggests that even using his talent out of fear would have been better. Not that fear is the best motivation for approaching God, but it will do. Hopefully we grow to relate to God as a Loving Father rather than as a strict slave master, but starting with the latter is better than not starting at all.
Lastly, we get sloth and joy. These are an opposing vice and virtue. Sloth is the reason the master suggests the man buried his talent. It is sometimes called laziness, but it is not really. Bob and Penny were not lazy. It takes a lot of work to retire in luxury. Yet they lacked energy and seriousness towards the things of God. Joy is the antidote. If we experience joy when we serve God, then we will spend more time and energy doing it. Delivering Christmas hampers can give us joy, or it can be just another item on your “To Do” list.
Healing Lines
Family Violence does not happen in a vacuum. It couldn’t be so widespread, or have carried on so long in silence, if it were only a matter of a few people not controlling their tempers. Abuse is rooted in a host of personal and social values that we have come to accept as right or necessary or “normal.” “God, we know that many of your children have been hurting for a long time. Open our eyes to their pain and help us to reflect on the values we hold which may contribute to the pain and silence around
family violence.”
Announcements:
Please see this weekend’s bulletins for all announcements:
Download St. Michael bulletin PDF
Download Diocesan bulletin PDF
Mass Schedule for this Weekend
Saturday, November 18 at 5pm – Fr. Kevin Chukwurah
Sunday, November 19 at 9am – Fr. Kevin Chukwurah
Sunday, November 19 at 11am – Fr. Edmund Vargas
Sunday, November 19 at 5pm – Fr. Edmund Vargas
November – Regularly Occurring Events:
Sundays | Coffee Sundays | Narthex | After 9:00am & 11:00am Masses
Mondays | Bible Study | St. Nicholas Room| 7:00-9:00pm
Tuesdays | Rosary Group | Day Chapel | 6:30-7:00pm
Tuesdays | RCIA | St. Nicholas Room| 7:00-9:00pm
Wednesdays | TMIY | Narthex | 6:00-7:30am
Wednesdays | Women’s Ministry | Theatre & St. Nicholas Room| 9:30am-12:00pm
Thursdays | Coffee Thursdays | Gathering Area | After 9:00am Mass
Thursdays | Moms & Tots | St. Nicholas Room| 9:30-11:30am
Thursdays | Knitting Ministry | Library | 10:00-11:30am
Thursdays | Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary | Day Chapel | 7:00-8:30pm
November – Special Events:
November 18 & 19 | Sign-Up for Christmas Hamper | Narthex | After All Masses
November 19 | Children’s Nativity Rehearsal for Choir, Narrators, Primary Actors | St. Nicholas Room & Guardian Angel Room | 12:00-1:00pm
November 19 | Sunday | Eucharistic Training Session | Sanctuary | 2:30-3:30pm
November 22 | Wednesday | Eucharistic Training Session | Sanctuary | 7:00-8:00pm
November 24 | Friday | Altar Servers Pizza Party | Narthex| 6:30-8:30pm
November 25 | Saturday | Angel Tree Begins | Narthex
November 25 | Saturday | Baptism Prep | St. Nicholas Room | 9:00am-12:00pm
November 26 | Sunday | Altar Server Training Session | Sanctuary | After 11:00am Mass
November 26 | Sunday | Children’s Nativity Rehearsal for Choir, Narrators, Primary Actors, Secondary Actors | St. Nicholas Room, Sanctuary, and Guardian Angel Room | 12:00-1:00pm
November 27 | Monday | Knights of Columbus Chapter Meeting | St. Gabriel Rooms 144 & 145 |
November 28| Tuesday | PPC Meeting | St. Michael’s Room | 7:00-9:00pm
November 28 | Tuesday | SVDP Meeting | St. Gabriel Room 145 | 7:00-9:00pm
November 30 | Thursday | Christmas Hamper Food Sorting Day
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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 19/11/2023, 773.18 KB