“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

My dear Friends in Christ,

In the readings from the Book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Mark, we hear the same passage twice this Sunday, “You shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In the Gospel, Jesus adds, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The whole law is summed up in the commandment. On May 21, 2013, Pope Francis, while speaking at a meeting with the Missionaries of Charity, said “ … to love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve Him concretely.” So what does that call of service mean for us? People around us even in our Church may be suffering, broken, seeking God’s love. People need to feel loved and accepted especially in a world filled with contempt and hatred. It is sad to say that hate is all around us in the news, on social media, at the workplace and even among our families and friends. How do we avoid this? One way is to put aside judgment and pray that God will provide all the grace and strength we need to put His command into action.

I want to thank all those who participated and signed up for a ministry at last week’s Ministry Fair. It is only with your help that we build up God’s kingdom within our parish and make it vibrant and lasting.

On Tuesday, November 2nd, All Souls Day, Mass will be at 8:00 AM and a Service of Remembrance at 5:30 PM to commemorate all our loved ones from Corpus Christi Parish that we lost last year. All are welcome to attend.

May God bless you all,

Father John