October: Respect Life, Rosary, The Life of St. Francis, and much more....

            October: Respect Life, Rosary, The Life of St. Francis,                                                       and much more......

First, let us wish our St. Francis parishioners a happy and joyful Feast of St. Francis. The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is on October 4th, but we celebrate on October 1st. The custom of blessing animals originated from St. Francis’s love of all creatures. Animals used to come and listen to St. Francis preach. St. Francis loved all of God’s creation, in other words, loved all life. It is truly fitting that we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis in Respect Life month.

The Church dedicates the month of October to respect life and the rosary. Our life from womb to tomb is a gift from God and He is our Hope. The heart of the Ten Commandments is Love: love God and love one  another. Respect Life month invites us to reflect on love for life: womb to tomb. This year the respect life theme is “Radical Solidarity.”

An article for Respect Life Month explains that “Radical solidarity “refers to something more than a few  sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new mindset.” A culture of radical solidarity “gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives… and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others.” We each have our particular gifts, role, and obligation within the Body of Christ to help build a culture of life. We must honestly ask ourselves, “What radical, out-of-the-ordinary, actions have I  taken to help a pregnant or parenting mother in need, or to proactively contribute to a culture of life in some other way?”

In October, let us pray for life: life from the womb to the tomb. During the first week, we pray for unborn  babies, pregnant mothers, and babies aborted, and healing of their parents. We will say a prayer and      rededicate the statue of the unborn. In the second, we will celebrate Inclusion Awareness: praying for/with people with different abilities (disabilities). If you know someone who has not received the Sacraments at their appropriate age, please call Kathy Rominske and Sandy Kennedy for the sacramental preparation.

October 18th is the Feast of St. Luke, who was a physician and patron saint of medical professionals. On the third Sunday close to the feast of St. Luke, we pray for healthcare professionals and the sick and there will be an opportunity to receive the Anointing of the Sick. On the third Sunday, we also celebrate the World Mission Sunday. This year Pope Francis’ theme is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.” On the fourth Sunday for all those who are affected by domestic violence and human trafficking. Let us reflect on the dignity of life from womb to tomb. During the month of October, we will have the “Baby Bottle” campaign to support the   pregnancy resource centers. Please consider participating.

The month of October is the month of the Rosary. The Rosary is a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Rosary we walk through the life of Jesus. We celebrate, on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII officially dedicated the month of October to the Holy Rosary. We use Rosary beads to pray. There is a scientific reason for using beads. Sometimes we say I don’t have to use Rosary beads to pray the Rosary, it is old fashioned. When we use rosary beads to pray the Rosary, it stimulates the nerves of our   fingers and helps us to concentrate. Let us pay special attention to praying the Rosary this month and include our cluster in your intention. We will be reciting the Rosary before Mass. Please come early to join for the  Rosary.

This weekend’s reading places a question in front of us: are we for God or against God? In the first reading from Ezekiel, the Lord says, that since a person has turned away from sins, he shall live. Nobody is going to be punished for someone else’s sin. God told them that he was loving and merciful. He always gives a chance to each person. The Gospel of Matthew (21:28-32) presents the parable of two sons. The two sons represent two groups of people. The first son represents the sinners who repented at the preaching of John (21:32) and the second son represents Israel’s leaders, who refused the John the Baptist message. This parable tells us that it is not enough to give lip service to the importance of the will of God; rather, his will must be carried out in our actions.