November 7-8

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

In the Eastern or Greek rites of the Catholic Church and in Orthodox Divine Liturgy there is this proclamation by the deacon or priest:  “Wisdom be attentive”. These words prepare the congregants to listen actively to the Words of the Holy Gospel. Though this command is not part of our Latin rite, we could very well learn to prepare ourselves for the Wisdom that will penetrate our ears, our hearts, and our minds as Our Lord speaks to us through His Sacred Word.  What, after all, is wisdom? God has something to say to us for our benefit, and then He freely allows us to either accept it or turn a deaf ear to it. There certainly are consequences for what we decide.

When the wisdom of God enters into us, we start to see things in a different way. The parable of the wise and foolish virgins makes this quite clear. The unattentive, foolish virgins are mindful only of themselves. They lacked foresight; they were unprepared for contingencies; they expected others to bail them out.  As a result of their self-concern, they missed out on the joyous celebration to which they had been invited.  On the other hand, the wise virgins anticipated a longer wait; they did not think so much of themselves as they did of the bridegroom who they were waiting to honor. They made prudent judgments and so were well-prepared for the unexpected arrival.  How then, are we prepared for the unexpected? Have we been prudent in attending to the wisdom of God’s urgings in our life? Do we take time to ponder the mystery of our existence and its culmination when our earthly journey comes to an end. Those who are always ready and prepared through a life of repentance and grace (Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist) never need to fear. When Jesus, the Bridegroom comes, they will be welcomed into the heavenly banquet.

Following the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, 10 of our seniors will receive the Bishop’s Youth Award. This recognition is bestowed upon those young Catholics who demonstrate a love for their Church and exemplify discipleship by their faithfulness to Christ and His teachings. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to them and pray that in the years ahead they will grow in wisdom and

devotion to the Faith. the recipients are: Nathanael Bateman, John Christiansen, Conor Coar, Azlyn Fritz, Brooke Landers, Eric Lukan, Hannah McConnell, Abigail Meagher, Paul Meagher III, and Shannon O’Day.

With Blessings,

Father Langan