Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we continue to focus our prayers for our beloved deceased brothers and sisters during the month of November, we also reflect on the “the four last things” - death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Growing in awareness of the four last things can lead one to peace, as well as help a person to grow in humility and trust in God’s love and mercy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last week’s reflection on the Christian understanding of death invites us to turn our attention to judgment, which is next in the sequence of the Four Last Things. Judgment in general, is a word which is often misused and misunderstood. For example, you have heard someone say: “You can’t judge me.” “God knows my heart” “Only God can judge me!” These sorts of phrases are often used by those who wish a conversation to end because they don’t want to face the facts that their position may be weak or indefensible.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

November is when the Church focuses Her prayers for our beloved deceased brothers and sisters. During this month, the names of our parishioners who have died this past year will be displayed to honor and remember them. November is also an fitting time to reflect “the four last things” - death, judgement, heaven, and hell. The theological word for this type of reflection is called eschatology, which literally means the “knowledge of the last things.”

Dear Brother and Sisters,

For election seasons to be filled with uncertainty is one thing… but this election season has been rampant with polarizing issues that have divided our nation and our families. People are on opposite sides of issues and these opinions are often accompanied by strong emotions. During your time of discerning which candidates and issues you support, it is best to start it in prayer. We ask you to join us on November 1st at 7:30pm in the church for Holy Mass and a 12- Hour Prayer Vigil.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate respect Life throughout the month of October, Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every life. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Catholic Church is subject to an increasing hostility and discrimination that has never been seen in our lifetime. Attacks against Christian institutions and the maligning of Christian beliefs by the government, the courts, the media, and popular culture are reaching unprecedented and unacceptable levels. People who wish to practice their faith are being told by the elites that our faith is only to be seen as “personal” and “private” if it is to be seen at all.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You will hear media types say that life issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, human embryo research, invitro fertilization and mandated contraception are “deeply personal” matters that should be left up to the individual’s decision-making process. That is not true and to believe otherwise is an attack on the very foundation of our faith and our understanding of who we are as God’s children, created in His image and likeness.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the Gospel of Life recognizing that the right to life of every innocent human being is a fundamental component of a civil society and its legislation. (CCC, 2273). All Catholics are called by God to be prolife both personally and publicly. Faithful Catholics recognize the right to life for all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death. Knowing that human life is to be protected and cherished, informed and faithful Catholics have a responsibility to elect and support politicians who promote laws that protect life. Voting for prolife candidates a vital part of being a Catholic and an authentic disciple of Our Lord Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II were two of the most important and influential figures concerning faith and politics of the 20th century. Both men were extremely gifted in their determination and their words. Together, they liberated Europe and made the world a better place by being a voice for the voiceless. They recognized that the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics. Both men knew that the fight for justice is not exclusively the role of the state. The Church in her God given responsibility to proclaim the truth of the Gospel “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 183)