This booklet has been prepared to provide guidelines and ... · Web viewWe all know the word ‘Selfie’, especially among us who use smart phones a lot. “Selfie” is a term referring

Annual Appeal 2016 Parish Manual

Archdiocese of Regina

Thank you for assisting with the Annual Appeal Campaign

Please call our office, 352-1651 – ext. 210 if you have any questions


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Table of Contents

Archdiocesan Annual Appeal Goal 1

Parish Goals 2

FAQ - Parish Goals & Rebates 3

Kit Contents 4

Duties / Responsibilities 5Pastor/Parish Administrator/Associate PastorParish Appeal Chairperson/RecruiterParish Appeal SecretaryTeam CaptainsVolunteers

5 5 56

6

Income Tax Receipts 7

Submitting Gifts to the Appeal Office 8 Of Note Receiving Gifts Transmittal Form Mailing to the Annual Appeal Office

89

1011

Suggestions for a successful campaign 12 Recruit enthusiastic, informed volunteersStart earlyKeep your parishioners informedTalk about the Appeal in your homilyPersonal contact with parishioners

12131313 13

Important Dates - 2016 Annual Appeal 13

Weekly Parish Resources 14Weekend prior to Campaign Mailout Sept. 25Week One – Oct. 2Week Two – Oct. 9Week Three – Oct. 16Week Four – Oct. 23Week Five – Oct. 30Week Six – Nov. 6Week Seven – Nov. 13After the Campaign – Nov. 20

15 17 19232629323539


Archdiocesan Annual Appeal Goal

The goal for the 17th Annual Appeal is $1.4 million

2016 - Annual Appeal Budget - funds will be allocated in 2017

Pastoral Ministry Grants $ 888,300 Allocations within the Pastoral Ministries are disbursed based on need and approved by the Finance Committee.Health Care Chaplaincy $168,000Youth Ministry 116,000Permanent Diaconate Formation 111,000Priest & Moderator Placement & Travel 110,500Education of Priests & Seminarians 103,200Lay Ministry Formation 52,000Catechetics 44,000Social Justice/Refugee Support 36,600Aboriginal, Non Aboriginal Relations 30,000Valley Native Ministry 25,000Visitation House 25,000Martha House 25,000Catholic Health Ministries 16,600Vocations/Stewardship/Ecumenism/Liturgy 12,800French Pastoral 9,600Indigenous People Ministry 3,000

Partnership Ministry Grants $104,000 Allocations within the Partnership Ministries are disbursed based on the total raised and approved by the Finance Committee.Catholic Family Services $50,000 Santa Maria 20,000University Chaplaincy/Campion College 15,000Archdiocesan Youth Camps 15,000Friends on the Outside 4,000

Special Programs & Projects Fund $137,700Allocations within the Special Programs & Projects Fund are disbursed based on the total raised and grant applications received. These grants are approved by the Finance Committee.

Parish Incentives (Rebates) $65,000

Total Allocations $1,195,000

Total Appeal Costs to raise these funds $205,000

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Parish Goals

Every parish in the Archdiocese of Regina is provided with a financial goal for the Appeal Campaign.

The goals are calculated using a formula based on:1. your parish percentage of the total parish households in the diocese (Housholds number provided by parish in Annual Report – Pastoral Section) 2. your parish percentage of total parish revenue in the diocese3. Those 2 percentages are averaged and then applied to the goal of $1.4 million to determine your percentage of the total Annual Appeal goal.

Parish Goal Example:Parish A’s number of households is equal to 10% of the total number of households in the diocese.

Parish A’s revenue is equal to 20% of the total revenue in the diocese.

We then calculate the average of 10% (households) and 20% (revenue), which is 15%.

Parish A’s goal is 15% of the total diocese goal - $1.4 million X 15% = $210,000. Don’t worry, no parish has a goal that big, we used those numbers strictly as an example!

Parish Rebates At the end of the campaign, parishes that surpass their goal will be given a rebate cheque for 80% of their overage. For example:

• Parish X has a goal of $50,000 and receives gifts of $75,000 • 80% of the overage ($25,000) = $20,000 and will be returned to parish X• Parish Rebate cheques will be provided in the year following this campaign.

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Frequently asked questions - Parish Goals and RebatesPlease contact our office at 306.352.1651 X210 if you require additional information.

1. When we updated our Annual Appeal parish list this year, we removed many parishioners that no longer attend our parish. However, our goal did not go down as a result of that. Why?

The Parish list that you update for the Annual Appeal is used only for the mailing list for the Annual Appeal. Your ‘households’ value that we use in the formula to calculate your parish goal is the value that your parish provides in the Annual Report - Pastoral Section completed by your parish each year. We use the number from the report submitted in the year previous to the campaign. I.E. For the 2016 campaign, we are using the number from the report you submitted at the beginning of 2015.

2. If our parish’s number of households did not change from last year, why did our parish goal increase this year?

There are several factors that affect your Parish Goal:1. your parish number of households2. the total number of households in the diocese3. your parish revenue4. the total revenue in the diocese5. the total Annual Appeal goal for the year

Even if your parish household number did not change, the total number of households in the diocese may have decreased or increased. This will cause your parish percentage of the number of households to increase or decrease, resulting in a higher/lower parish goal. Please refer to the Parish Goal Example on the previous page for more details. These principals also apply to parish revenue and diocesan revenue in the same way discussed concerning households.

3. Our parish surpassed our Annual Appeal goal, but did not receive a rebate cheque. Why?

In order to save on processing costs, the Annual Appeal Office will not be issuing rebate cheques for amounts less than $25. However, your rebate amount will be applied to your parish Annual Appeal donations for the next Annual Appeal campaign.

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Kit Contents1) Parish Gift Listing

→ provided only if your parish already has gifts deposited for the 2016 Campaign

2) Parish list in alphabetical order→ for your records – Please use this list to ensure you write the DonorID on all gift cards that are completed by hand.

3) Blank Gift Cards→ for donations submitted by parishioners without gift cards Please use yourparish list to ensure you write the DonorID on all gift cards that are completed by hand.

→ for parish envelope gifts, you do not need to submit a completed gift card, please contact the Annual Appeal office for more information

4) Parish return envelopes→ can be used for parishioners without donation envelopes

5) Annual Appeal brochures→ extras for your parish

6) Transmittal Forms→ to be used when submitting gifts to the Annual Appeal Office

7) Annual Appeal DVD→ to be viewed by your parishioners

8) Thermometer Poster→ to keep your parishioners updated on your campaign progress

9) Annual Appeal 2016 Parish Manual (this manual) with your parish goal listed on the cover

→ for your reference, please contact our office if you have any questions 352-1651 ext. 210

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Duties and Responsibilities

1. Pastor/Parish Administrator/Associate PastorAs with any project undertaken by the parish, the prime motivator is the Pastor, Parish Administrator or Associate Pastor. Parishioners look to their priests for leadership, guidance and support. For this reason, Archdiocesan Annual Appeal requests the active involvement of the Pastor, Parish Administrator or Associate Pastor.

Responsibilities: consider your own gift to the Appeal attend the Appeal Kickoff Event recruit Appeal Chairperson and assist the chairperson to recruit other volunteers speak positively about the Appeal from the pulpit at mass and at parish meetings attend parish meetings regarding the Appeal include an Appeal Thank you letter to your parishioners along with their tax receipt sent

from your office

2. Parish Appeal Chairperson / RecruiterThe Parish Appeal Chairperson should be a well-respected member of the parish who is committed to the goals and objectives of the program.

Responsibilities: consider your own gift to the Appeal attend the Appeal Kickoff Event assist the pastor in all aspects of the Appeal and work with the priest to determine your

parish strategy to raise Appeal funds provide leadership and training to volunteers contacting parishioners speak positively about the Appeal chair all parish meetings regarding the Appeal keep parish informed of progress (use Thermometer Poster from parish kits) ensure video is shown in your parish and put on your parish website if applicable utilize the announcements, bulletin inserts and Prayers of Intercession from the Parish

Manual

3. Parish Appeal SecretaryThe Parish Appeal must be capable of keeping accurate records and comfortable with numbers.

Responsibilities:• attend the Appeal Kickoff Event • submit gifts to the Appeal Office• speak positively about the Appeal• consider your own gift to the Appeal

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4. Team CaptainsLarge parishes may wish to recruit Team Captains to organize their individual Appeal. Team Captains are asked to assume responsibility for the successful completion of the Appeal within an assigned portion of parishioners in your parish. Each captain should possess leadership qualities and organizational skills.

Responsibilities:• attend the Appeal Kickoff Event • assist the Appeal Chariperson in recruiting volunteers• personally contact all assigned parishioners• be enthusiastic and promote the Appeal• consider your own gift to the Appeal

5. VolunteersResponsibilities:• attend the Appeal Kickoff Event • personally contact all assigned parishioners• report all donations and monies received from donors• be enthusiastic and promote the Appeal• consider your own gift to the Appeal

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Income Tax Receipts

Please ensure you inform your parishioners if their Appeal amount is included on their parish tax receipt. Thank you.

Parishes are responsible for issuing tax receipts for all Annual Appeal donations processed in your office. Once your parish deposits your parishioner cheques and cash and sends us one parish cheque for the total, your parish will be responsible to issue the tax receipt to each parishioner for the gift amounts. Any parishioner gift that you deposit will be tax receipted by your office. The Appeal Office will continue to issue tax receipts for the gift amounts we process in our office. These will include:

parishioner cheques sent directly to us post-dated parishioner cheques deposited in our office credit card donations pre-authorized payment donations

To aid parishes in the process of creating income tax receipts, we have created a 3 part gift card.

Pink copy to be retained by the parishioner

Yellow copy to be retained by your parish office for your records and can used to create the tax receipts for the gifts deposited by your parish. Please remember to create Income tax receipts only for those gift card amounts deposited by your office. (Box # 2 on the Transmittal Form) The Appeal Office will create receipts for all donations in Box #‘s 3 and 5 of the form.

White copy sent to the Annual Appeal Office along with the Transmittal Form.

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Submitting gifts to the Annual Appeal Office

Of note:The 2016 Campaign can accept gifts until December 31, 2016. During the campaign, please forward all gifts promptly so our records and totals will be up to date. This also allows us to process credit cards gifts received in a timely manner.

In order to give your office an opportunity to submit 2016 gifts received in late December (up until midnight Dec 31, 2016 only), we keep our books open until January 13, 2017.

After this date, any gifts received will go toward the 2017 campaign.

Please provide the Name and DonorID for every gift submitted. Please use the Parish list we have provided in your parish kit as reference. Even if it takes some additional time on your part, it will be more efficient overall. Our office processes thousands of gifts each year and searching for DonorID’s in our database prior to posting these gifts is extremely inefficient.

Post dated cheques made out to the Annual Appeal, auto debits, and credit card donations are processed in our office. Please list them on your transmittal form in the appropriate box. More details are provided in the Transmittal Form section below.

We require a name for each gift received to allow us to personally thank our donors. Thank you for your cooperation.

Every gift received (other than gifts received via parish envelopes in your Special Collection box) should be accompanied by a gift card. Please contact our office to discuss the most efficient way for your parish to submit Annual Appeal gifts via parish envelopes. A completed gift card for each gift received via parish envelopes is not required.

Ensure Annual Appeal Gift money submitted to the Annual Appeal is on a separate parish cheque. Please do not include Annual Appeal gifts with other payments such as assessment, special collections, or insurance payments to the Archdiocese of Regina – Finance Office. The Annual Appeal has a bank account separate from the Finance office in the Archdiocese of Regina.

Address your envelope to the Annual Appeal Office, rather than the Archdiocese of Regina.

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Receiving GiftsIf you receive a donation through an Annual Appeal envelope in your Special Collection boxes:

Please contact our office to discuss the most efficient way for your parish to submit those gifts. A completed gift card for each gift received via parish envelopes is not required.

If you receive a donation from a parishioner on your parish list (provided in your Parish Kit) that does not include their gift card:

Please complete a blank gift card (provided in your Parish Kit) with:DateNameDonor_ID (from the parish list provided in your Parish Kit)Gift amount

In this situation, please only include their mailing address if there is a change to it. (This saves us verifying whether or not there is an address change)

If you receive a donation from a parishioner not on the parish list we have provided:DateNameComplete mailing address and phone number (if available)Gift amount

In this situation, their full address and phone number will help us determine if they already exist in our database. Our goal is to ensure we have no duplicate records in our database. Even if the parishioner attends more than 1 parish, they only require 1 record in our database.

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Transmittal FormGifts submitted to the Annual Appeal Office should be accompanied with a Transmittal form. This allows for better record keeping for both your parish and the Annual Appeal offices.

Line 1 - Number of Gift Cards included with this Transmittal FormWhen the transmittal forms are received in the Annual Appeal office, our first step is to ensure all the information on the Transmittal form balances with the cheques and gift cards included. If there are any issues with balancing, the Annual Appeal office uses this number (Number of Gift cards included) to determine what might be causing the imbalance.

Line 2 Total amount of: all parishioner gift donations of cash all parishioner cheques made payable to your parish

This box should equal the total of the parish cheque included with the transmittal. All personal cheques made out to your parish and gifts of cash are deposited in your parish account and 1 parish cheque (payable to the Annual Appeal) is sent to the Annual Appeal office for this total.

Please do not include Annual Appeal gifts with other payments such as assessment, special collections, or insurance payments to the Archdiocese of Regina – Finance Office. The Annual Appeal has a bank account separate from the Finance office in the Archdiocese of Regina.

Line 3 Total amount of: all one time parishioner gift donations of credit cards to be processed immediately

by the Appeal Office

This box should equal the total of credit card gifts to be processed immediately.

Line 4 - Total of Line 2 + Line 3 as per transmittal form

Line 5 Total amount of: all post-dated payments (credit cards, auto debits, post-dated cheques) to be

processed by the Appeal Office

This box should equal the total of all post-dated payments via credit card, autodebit or cheque. If a person provides a pledge that will be paid over a number of payments, the total pledge amount is added in. If a person is providing an on-going payment, then the total up until Dec 31st of the current year is added in. Amounts deposited after that will go toward the campaign in the next calendar year and will be listed on your Parish Gift list for that same year.

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Even though we encourage all 1 time cheques to be made payable to your parish, some folks will make them payable to the ‘Annual Appeal.’ You may include those cheques in this total as well.

Line 6 - Total of Line 4 + Line 5 as per transmittal form

Mailing to the Annual Appeal Office

Address your envelope to the Annual Appeal Office.

Submit the following to our office (our address is on the Transmittal Form): the white copy of the Transmittal Form the white copy of the completed gift cards cheque(s)

Keep the yellow copy of the Transmittal Form for your parish records.

The yellow copy of the gift card is for your parish office use.

Please contact the Appeal Office at 352-1651 – ext. 210 if you have any questions regarding this process or if you have any suggestions for ways we can be more efficient.

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Suggestions for a Successful Campaign having supportive and enthusiastic priests, parish ministers, and volunteers getting started right away in the fall using the announcements and intercessions from this Parish Manual providing parishioners with regular updates about how the campaign is proceeding inviting a speaker who has been touched by ministries that are supported by the Annual Appeal

campaign to your parish hosting an Annual Appeal fundraising event volunteers personally contacting parishioners to request their financial support

Success Rates for asking for donations (Uniting in Faith Campaign presentation)

Direct Mail: 1 – 5%Phone and mail: 15 – 20%Home visits: 50%Home visits (peer to peer): 75%

Based on feedback from parishes, here are some suggestions:

Recruit enthusiastic, informed volunteersParishes that have the active support of the priest(s) and campaign volunteers are more likely to be successful in reaching their parish goal.

How Do I Get People to do a Job? – Ask them…. Few people will volunteer their services. This does not mean that they don’t want to be involved. Statistics on volunteers show that out of every 100 recruits, 87 were personally approached while 13 responded to a general appeal.

Approach recruiting as an opportunity to emphasize the personal:- “I am interested in what you can do for the parish.”- “I know that you are respected by parishioners.”

You do not need to recruit the same people who have always done the job. People need and enjoy change and growth. Don’t be afraid to challenge someone’s comfort level.

What Do I tell them?…. Be clear about the task you are asking them to do, and be sure it has a definite beginning and end. Tell each person how their task fits into the big plan. People want to understand things that they are a part of, and they work best when they know that others are depending on them.

Let them know that their help is valued and appreciated. If they feel that you are “just looking for people,” they will feel easily replaceable and less responsible for doing a good job.

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Start earlyStart your Appeal right away. One parish has had success by offering an ‘Early Bird’ draw for those that send in their completed gift cards before a certain date.

Keep your parishioners informedUse the announcements and intercessory prayers listed at the end of this manual to keep the appeal on parishioner’s minds.

Talk about the Annual Appeal in your homiliesUse the Weekly Parish Resources section provided at the end of this manual.

Personal contact with parishionersIf your parish has enough volunteers, personal visits to homes are the most effective way to

contact your parishioners and request their gift. Phone calls can be effective as well.

Example:Hi! My name is _______. You received an envelope from the Appeal Office. Can we count on your support this year? If the parishioner agrees to contribute, you can offer to pick up their envelope or they can put it the collection basket at church or mail it in to your parish.

Important Dates

September 25, 2016 Announce launch for Annual Appeal fall campaign to parishioners. Gift cards and envelopes will be mailed to homes in the coming week

Oct – Dec 2016 Show video during mass. Use the announcements and reflections provided in the Weekly

Parish Resources section Keep your parishioners up to date using the Thermometer poster in

06900 your Parish Kit. Please send gifts to the Annual Appeal office promptly.

January 13, 2017 Deadline to submit gifts and transmittal forms. Submissions received after this date may not be included in year-end totals

In order to give your office an opportunity to submit 2016 gifts received in late December (up until midnight Dec 31, 2016 only), we keep our books open until January 13, 2017.

After this date, any gifts received will go toward the 2017 campaign.

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Weekly Parish Resources Pulpit Announcements Bulletin Announcements Prayers of Intercession Homily Guide

Thank you to the Fr. Carlos Jimenez for providing input for the weekly Parish resources.

The following weekly parish resources are included to keep the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal on the minds of your parishioners. They are also a resource for priests. The Homily Guides can be used either as they are or used as a resource by priests as they write their own homilies during the Annual Appeal Campaign.

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 | SUNDAY PRIOR TO CAMPAIGN MAILOUT__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Archdiocesan Annual Appeal is now on its 17th year and it’s about to take off for 2016. Please look into your mail box this week as the Archdiocese of Regina is sending out its mailing for the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. Kindly read the enclosed brochure and consider supporting the Church’s mission of mercy through the pastoral programs of the Archdiocese of Regina.

BULLETIN REFLECTION – 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME CAm 6:1,4-7| 1Tim.111-16 | Lk. 16:19-31

The Gospel from St. Luke for this Sunday may seem a bit heavy in the way it handles the rich man’s treatment of Lazarus. However, Jesus tells us over and over to be conscious of those around us, especially to the myriads of opportunities God gives us to share His blessings to the Lazarus’ at our gates. In other words, God is saying that we are blessed in relation to others, that what we do is in preparation for eternal life with Him in heaven. [Source: Adapted with permission from Catholic Stewardship Consultants. www.catholicsteward.com]

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

As we are about to launch the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal this week, may we recognize our God given gifts and be imbued by grace to share them with others, knowing that by this act, we are helping to build Gods’ Kingdom in the world. Let us pray to the Lord.

HOMILY GUIDE – 26th Sunday in Ordinary TimeLk. 16:19-31 - The Richman and Lazarus

A man walked into a lawyer's office. "What are your rates?" he asked. "Fifty dollars for three questions," the lawyer replied. "Isn't that awfully expensive?" the man asked. "Yes," the lawyer replied. "Now, what's your third question?"

Three questions come to mind as we read the gospel parable today from Luke 16:19-31. The first question - why was the rich man condemned to eternal misery? We are not told he acquired his wealth by dishonest means, or he is responsible for the poverty and misery of the poor. We are not even told that the poor man begged from him and he refused to help. All we are told is that he was feeding and clothing well; as any other successful human being has a right to do. Why then did he deserve eternal misery in the afterlife? Precisely for one reason: he decidedly ignored the needy poor man Lazarus. Here lies the problem for all of us. We often we think of sin in terms of our evil words, thoughts and deeds – but forget that we sin more in our neglect of the good things that we can and must do; or the sin of omission. This is precisely what the rich man did – he decidedly turned a blind eye on Lazarus as if he did not exist. He knew Lazarus, because in the afterlife when he saw the poor man beside Abraham, he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue for he is in great torment in the flames. The rich man named Lazarus, and that means he knew him and he was aware that he was a fixture at his gate. But he decided to ignore Lazarus and his lot because it was a waste of his time. In the parable of the last judgment in Mt. 25, Jesus says that those who are going to be condemned to the everlasting flames will be consigned there for neglecting to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. The second question - why the poor man went straight to heaven? Is being materially poor a ticket to heaven? We were told that the poor man did not do anything except to beg at the rich man’s gate.

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http://www.catholicsteward.com/


But have you not noticed one detail in the story? The poor man has a name and the rich man nameless. The name Lazarus is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means God is my help. Lazarus, in other words, is not just a poor man, but a poor man who believes and trusts in God. This must be why he found himself in Abraham’s bosom in Paradise, because of his faith and trust in God, not just because he was poor. Failing to recognize the significance of Lazarus name, tends one to conclude that in the afterlife there will be a reversal of fate – the rich is consigned to eternal misery, and poor to eternal bliss. This is not always the case. The rich can still be rewarded eternal bliss in heaven with their wealth used to serve God in the poor and the needy without counting any return. The poor can still end in eternal misery in the afterlife if they choose to despair in their condition and refuse to hope in God and to trust Him fully as Lazarus did. The third question - doesn’t God know each of us by name? Then why are the rich man and his five brothers nameless? God knows each of us by name. Even before we were born, He knows us by name. The rich man and his five brothers in the parable are nameless because being decidedly self-indulgent, their identity was in their wealth, which created a great chasm between themselves and God. Wealth is nameless to God, being a utility and not a human being whose image and likeness is God. Only a human being identifying himself and his need for God is known to God – and known to him by name. The rich man and his five brothers are those who care for nothing but themselves, their needs, and their wealth. But we must know that God warned us. Abraham replied to the rich man who pleaded for warning to be sent to his 5 brothers “Let them listen to Moses and the prophets”. In other words, warning voices are here with us. But being too self-indulgent to material things stifles the voice of the Holy Spirit in us. The voice of the spirit speaks a language foreign to those who live on the sensual level. Therefore, it would be difficult for them to understand it and not even a shock treatment, such as close shave with death or someone coming back from the grave, would turn them around. We have enough warnings from the Lord the gospel is telling us, take it or leave it. We all know the word ‘Selfie’, especially among us who use smart phones a lot. “Selfie” is a term referring to a picture taken by the subject of himself/herself and posted in a social media network to be known, seen, or recognized. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but it says a lot about our tendency to be focused on ‘me, myself, and I’! Are rich people more “selfie” than the poor? Are the poor not also guilty of being “selfie” if their constant focus is on their needs? Be that as it may, the Lord Jesus challenges each one of us today, to focus not on our wealth or miseries, but rather on the voice of God calling us to Trust in Him fully and to be generous in the many opportunities God lays before us – like the upcoming Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. Sharing our time, talent and treasure regardless of whether we are rich or poor, we contribute in many ways to help the Lazarus’ at our gate where God always is! [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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WEEK 1 | LAUNCHING OF THE APPEAL | OCTOBER 2, 2016__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Archdiocesan Annual Appeal for 2016 has started and moving to high gear this week. You will be receiving the brochures and the financial report for the past year’s campaign and where monies were used. The money raised in the annual appeal keeps the Church’s mission of mercy in the Archdiocese of Regina moving through its various pastoral programs. Among others are the education of future ministers of the Archdiocese; Priests [Seminarians], Deacons and Lay Ministers, and for the spiritual and educational enrichment of Priests currently serving in various parishes. In giving back to God for his boundless generosity to you and your family, please consider giving to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. As Catholics we share in keeping the mission of mercy the Church is tasked by our Lord to build God’s Kingdom in the Archdiocese of Regina.

BULLETIN REFLECTION - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time CHab.1:2-3 ; 2:2-4 | 2Tim.1:6,-8, 13-14 | Lk.17:5-10

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6). Most of us are aware that a mustard seed is incredibly small; in fact, it was one of the smallest seeds known in the world. The mulberry tree, on the other hand, was known to have a vast and large network of roots which spread far out from the trunk of the tree. Jesus’ point is that faith cannot be measured by size or depth. It is as if He is saying that the key is quality, not quantity. It is not the size of one’s faith, but its presence, and the willingness of each person to rely on that faith in trying times. One of the most important facets of a disciple’s life is trust in God. It is that trust, a trust built on faith, which gives us the strength to follow lives of responsibility and service. What Jesus is saying at the end of today’s Gospel, “…we have done only what we ought to have done,” is that service is a privilege – a gift of God’s love and mercy, not a burden. [Printed with permission: source.www.catholicstewardship.com]

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Service is a privilege gift of God to us. May we recognize our God given gifts and share them generously with others by giving to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, knowing that by this little act, God will multiply them to overflowing in the lives of others. Let us pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Matter of Faith!Hab. 1:2-3;2:2-4 | 2Tm. 1:6,-8,13-14 | Lk. 17:5-10

The story is told about a man who was selling his dog. The interested buyer wanted to know: “Is he a dog that can be faithful to his master?” The seller replied: “Guaranteed, sir. In fact, I have sold him five times already, and he has come back to me five times!” Unlike a dog that is wired to be faithful to its master no matter what, we humans are not. We are endowed with independence and freedom of choice. We have faith but most of the time are conditioned by our expectations or can be carried away by the circumstances of life. The disciples were all aware of these, thus their prayer to Jesus, ‘increase our faith.’ In answer to their request Jesus gave them two descriptions of what faith should be. First, he describes that faith even as small as a mustard seed could move a huge tree with an elaborate root system like a mulberry tree. To our rational mind, uprooting and replanting a tree rooted deep into the earth is just impossible to do. How much more so if we just say the word and this would happen? Understanding faith in this way is missing the message of Jesus. What Jesus is saying is when we have faith, it isn’t a question of how small or great it is, but a question of how powerful God is, and with Him nothing is impossible. Additionally, little or great faith may not be able to literally move a mulberry tree, but surely it can move the heart of Jesus and God. Remember how Jesus was moved to work his first miracle, the changing of water to wine, in a wedding at Cana, when his Mother Mary requested him in faith to do something to spare the couple of embarrassment when they ran out of wine for the party? (Jn.2:1-11). Or how Jesus cured the daughter of the Canaanite woman, a gentile, who would not take no for an answer to her pleas (Mt.15:22-28) and how he cured an epileptic boy upon the pleading of the boy’s father (M.9:14-29)? Little or great faith should not be a matter of concern for us, we know that faith can move mountains because it moves the heart of the all- powerful and loving God. The second description of faith Jesus told his disciples, was the parable of the worthless servant. Jesus tells that the worthless servant comes back from plowing the field and proceeds straight away to prepare supper for his master and to wait on him while he eats. Only after the master’s needs are fully satisfied does the master then give the servant leave to attend to his own need for food and rest. How does this parable answer the request of the apostles for an increase of faith? Jesus is saying that if we have faith we would put the will and pleasure of God first in our lives at all times. If we have faith we do not expect any return for our work at the end of the day, nor expect any pat on the back or higher pay for the service we rendered, knowing fully well that we are just servants of a great Master. As faithful servants we forget ourselves and give the best of ourselves to God’s service, knowing that God will come to our aid when and how He deems right. While studying for the Priesthood way back in my country, I remember vividly the 50th anniversary of Ordination of my professor in Philosophy, Fr. Alois Lehberger, SVD, a German Missionary Priest who practically lived his entire priestly life in the Philippines teaching in seminaries. Concelebrating the Mass with him were 4 Bishops, and 43 religious and diocesan priests, not including his former and current students in the pews who packed the Seminary chapel. At the end of his homily Fr. Lehberger said, “I am but a servant, I have done only what I ought to have done…” echoing the words of the worthless servant in Jesus’ parable. God can really do great things with the little that we give in faithfulness to Him. We may not be wired to be as faithful as a dog to its master. But we know we are asked to be faithful to God our creator. Faith in God is not a matter of how great or small it is, it is a matter of giving totally of ourselves in faithful service to the Lord day in and day out in whatever circumstances we have in life, not counting so much about results or expecting any return for our work, but trusting fully that God at the end of the day accounts for everything that we do – great or small doesn’t matter to Him. What matters most to God is our faithfulness to Him in all the seasons of our lives. Today we ask the Lord not to increase our faith, but for faith the size of a mustard seed so that we can see God do great things with our humble and small ways. [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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WEEK 2 | OCTOBER 9, 2016__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

Our financial goal for our Archdiocesan annual appeal is $1.4 Million. It is the same as last year’s. This amount will help the Archdiocese finance the operations of its pastoral programs. In contributing to the Archbishop appeal, we are investing in the future of the church in her goal of spreading God’s love and mercy to all people for generations to come. Please consider supporting the Archbishop’s appeal this year.

BULLETIN REFLECTION - 28Th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

2Kgs. 5:14-17 | 2Tm. 2:8-13 | Lk. 17:11-19

The Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote, “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” This quote follows upon the wisdom that is displayed in today’s readings. In the Gospel from Luke, for example, Jesus cures 10 lepers. They have been given something — health – which they once only hoped for. Yet only one of them, a Samaritan as a matter of fact, returns to the Lord to thank Him. Jesus says “Where are the other nine?” A grateful heart focuses on one’s gifts, on ones’ many blessings, not on what one may not have, or what one may have been denied. In gratitude, not only do we need to concentrate on those gifts, but we need to take the time to thank God and others who may have provided us those gifts. When was the last time you actually thanked your parents for the gift of life? When did you last thank your spouse for all that he or she may have done for you? When did you last thank God in prayer? Have we considered giving for a cause, like the Archbishop’s annual appeal as a way of thanking God for his many blessings to us? Catholic encyclopedias says that there are five kinds of prayer — adoration, contrition, love, petition, and thanksgiving. Among these prayers, for a thankful heart, thanksgiving is foremost. [Source: www.catholicsteward.com – Printed with permission]


For the grace to see the wealth of this world as gifts of God and as opportunities for us to invest true wealth in God’s kingdom by sharing these generously through the Annual appeal. Let us pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE 1 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time2Kgs. 5: 14-17 | 2Tm. 2: 8-13 | Lk. 17: 11-19 “Your faith has saved you.” With those words, Jesus looks at the Samaritan leper who returned to offer Him his deepest gratitude for being cured. He was the only one of 10 who, not only seemed to realize from whom the cure had come, but the importance of conveying his gratitude to Jesus. Readings from Holy Scripture are almost always about faith, but the readings for this Sunday have a heavy dose of salvation as well. Naaman, who is featured in today’s first reading, was a respected army commander in Syria. In those days Syria was considered dark and sinful, unlike Israel. And Naaman had a severe problem — he suffered from leprosy. What is described in Naaman’s cure is a harbinger of Jesus, of Baptism, and of salvation. There are two crucial ingredients for us in being faithful followers of Jesus. The first is totally believing in the power of God. The second is being willing to humble ourselves in service to the Lord. Like Naaman we may be hesitant or even reluctant to follow the Lord’s lead, but like Naaman the fruit of our faith is salvation and cleansing. Paul’s letter to Timothy, in the second reading, emphasizes and strengthens what Paul is trying to communicate to Timothy throughout the letter. That is, if we are loyal to Christ and if we follow Him explicitly, we can find the salvation he offers us. The Gospel story of the 10 lepers has a number of secondary implications. Most of us are aware that lepers were isolated from the general population because of the serious and contagious nature of the disease. We may not, nonetheless, be aware of the social repercussions. The popular culture of Jesus’ time believed that leprosy was a punishment for sin, a sign of God’s displeasure. Of course, we understand that is not the way God works. Thus Jesus wants to cure these lepers, both as a sign of the power of faith and as a sign that their cleansing means more than disease, a sign that any sins had been wiped away. Jesus wishes to counter the culture that disease is a sign of sin; at the same time he wants to demonstrate the power of God. It is essential that we take note of the one who comes back to thank Jesus. It might be said that ingratitude is a sin. It is easy to be ungrateful; it is easy to think that our blessings are the result of our own efforts without recognizing and giving credit to God. Gratitude is a recognition that everything we are and everything we accomplish is done with God’s grace and blessings. We might say that “spiritual leprosy” is rampant in our society. To be a disciple of Christ requires us to seek cleansing through reconciliation and to show our gratefulness to God in prayer, in sharing our gifts by giving to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, and most importantly in living our lives in faith and thanksgiving to God. It was the faith of the thankful leper which distinguished him. We need to aspire to that same level of faith. [From Catholic Stewardship, Inc. Homily Guides, Stewardship Reflections on Sunday Readings]

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HOMILY GUIDE 2 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thanksgiving2Kgs. 5:14-17 | 2Tm. 2:8-13 | Lk. 17:11-19

Passengers aboard a luxurious cruise ship were having a great time when a beautiful young woman fell overboard. Immediately there was an 80-year-old man in the water who rescued her. The crew pulled them both out of the treacherous waters. The captain was so grateful as well as astonished that the white-haired elderly man did such an act of bravery. That night a banquet was given in honor of the ship's elderly hero. He was called forward to receive an award and was asked to say a few words. He said, "First of all I would like to know who pushed me.” Surely the man did not appreciate being pushed into the situation he did not choose. There are many people in our society today who are pushed into situations they would rather not go. Whatever good this may turn out to be may not have a profound effect on them. Such people have a mindset that they have earned every good that comes their way and, therefore, do not need to thank anyone or any god for it. They don’t appreciate that the blessings that come into their lives which at times are brought about by situations they never expect, are God’s blessings given before they become their achievements. Come to think of it. What did any of us here do to merit being born alive while some others were born dead or were even aborted? What did you do to deserve loving parents while many people never had any? What did you do to have eyes to see, ears to hear, tongue to speak, feet to walk, that some people among us do not have? How much did you pay God to make you such an intelligent and beautiful person? Think of the many wonderful teachers, friends and relations that you have had and that you still have. We take our blessings for granted. Emerson, the 19 th Century American Poet once said, “If the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them.” We have seen the stars so often that we don’t bother to look at them anymore. How easily we grow accustomed to our blessings and forget to give thanks for them. In today’s gospel Jesus heals ten lepers. Only one returns to give him thanks. Why do you think the other nine lepers didn’t return? But before we judge the nine to be ungrateful let us understand their mindset. We heard Jesus tell them, “…go and show yourselves to the Priests.” Why go to the Priests? It was the prescription of the Law of Moses, in Leviticus 13 that Priests have the authority to declare a person afflicted with leprosy or not, if he does, the person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp” (Lev 13:45-46). To be unclean in ancient Israel was not to be declared sinful, but to be “out of order” and therefore unable to live in community with the people of God or to worship God in the Temple. To distinguish between clean and unclean was God’s command and this duty falls on the Priests. (Lev 11:44-47). So when the other nine realized they were healed and made clean on their way, they went straight to the Priests who will declare them healed and not unclean, and thus fit to be restored back to the community and in temple worship. Apparently, the nine were so overwhelmed by the healing, and the feeling of not considered ‘out of order’ anymore, they felt it more important to go straight to the authorities for confirmation than going back to thank Jesus for the healing.On the other hand, the tenth leper being a Samaritan, doesn’t have the slight idea why he needs to go to the Priest who would not even come near to him because he is not Jewish and does not observe Jewish Law, so instead of going to the Priests, he simply turns back and run toward Jesus prostrates himself before him to thank him. The nine Jewish lepers had to go to the Priests because they feel the need to fulfill the requirement of the law. This is more important for them; their mindset. Jesus instead praise the Samaritan, for having the common sense to follow his natural instinct of gratitude in his heart, rather than following doctrine and laws that isolate and discriminate people. Apparently, common sense makes more sense in interpreting the will of God in particular situations. People who disregard common sense and reason and have the mindset of only fulfilling laws, rituals and doctrine often end up getting it wrong, like the nine lepers. Gratefulness is a spontaneous response to goodness received.

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A grateful heart knows only one law, love. Love begets love. And love is from God. No wonder, Jesus praised the grateful heart of the Samaritan. Charles Plumb was a jet pilot in Vietnam. On his 76th combat mission, his fighter Jet was destroyed by a surface to air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy territory. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived his ordeal.Several years later while he and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!” “How in the world you know that?” asked Plumb. “I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and joked, “I guess it worked, huh!” Plumb assured him, “If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.” That night, Plumb could not sleep. He kept wondering “how many times I might have seen him and not even said, good morning, how are you or anything else – because I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.” Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, each time holding in his hands the fate of someone he didn’t know. We can ask ourselves, who is folding our chute every day? It is not unknown to us that many Christians today do not attend Sunday Mass. More than anything, this is an indication that we have not been grateful to the One who folds our chute every moment of everyday. We have become an ungrateful people. The main reason why we Christians come together on Sunday is to give thanks to God. The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” If we are conscious of how blessed we are, if we realize that God folds our chute every day, then we shall be more likely to act like the Samaritan leper when he realized he was healed and like General Naaman of Syria in our first reading – to turn to the Lord our God in worship with joy and thanksgiving – every Sunday. We can also return His blessings in many other ways, like our giving to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal and at every opportunity given to us by God with every breathing moment of our days…. [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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WEEK 3 | OCTOBER 16, 2016__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Scripture readings today remind us of the virtue of perseverance in our life of discipleship in Christ. This brings us into the depth of the mystery of God’s love for all of us. It channels us into the many avenues to which God deepens our relationship with him, in ways whether convenient or inconvenient. The bottom line of which is the joy and happiness He wants to give us. Our contribution to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal is not a measure of how big or small it is, or whether it makes a difference to change the course of the Church’s mission but in our consistency of giving knowing that whatever we share God will make it enough for His purpose.

BULLETIN REFLECTION - 29th Sunday in Ordinary TimeEx. 17:8-13 | Ps. 121:1-8 | 2Tm. 3:14-4:2 | Lk. 18: 1-8

Many have referred to St. Paul as “The Persistent Apostle.” Thus, Paul serves as a great example and model for what is laid out for us in all the readings for this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Persistence and its importance to people of faith is an intricate part of each of the readings. The conversion of Paul is recounted six times in scripture — three times in the Acts of the Apostles and three times by Paul himself in his letters. The intensity and the persistence of Paul’s faith lead us to see how important persistence is to live our life as disciples of Christ. From the persistence of Moses in the first reading from Exodus, to Paul’s urging us to “be persistent” in his letter to Timothy, to the Parable of the Persistent Widow in the Gospel from Luke, we are advised that we should always pray and never give up, work for good even when it seems nothing’s changing, give even if our giving is too little to be significant. The turtle wins the race in the ‘Turtle and the Hare’, very slow in his little steps, but persistently moving forward without let up towards the finish line. No matter how little we can afford to share in the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, but done lovingly and consistently, we are confident that God will multiply it with overflowing for His purpose. Perseverance is a hallmark of a disciple of Christ. Good Christians know that living in that way is not always easy and comfortable. Yet with the grace of God, the strength to both live that way and to fulfill Jesus’ call to carry our lives as disciples of Christ is both possible and a path to great joy and happiness. [Adapted from http://www.catholicsteward.com – Printed with permission]


We pray for the grace to persevere in our works of mercy, and be generous sharers to the annual appeal knowing that the good works of the Archdiocese are extensions of our life of service to others for the greater glory of God. Let us pray to the Lord.

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Get What You Want!Ex. 17:8-13 | 2Tm. 3:14-4:2 | Lk. 18:1-8

This is a true story that happened not so long ago. There was a little girl born into a very poor family in a shack in the backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever — a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her. Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very intelligent, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit. So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhythmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion that she would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean be a runner with a leg like that? At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her to quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered. Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to participate in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter race, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olympic gold medals. Finally the 400-meter relay came. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games. She was hailed as the fastest woman in history in the 1960 summer Games in Rome, Italy. She indeed became the world’s greatest woman runner as she dreamed she could be. Another woman with the same indomitable spirit is told by Jesus in the gospel today. Although Jesus’ story is fictional, he related it to teach the truth about God. Jesus’ story was incredible considering the situation, the personality, of the person – a woman, a widow, an unbelievable context of a story during those times. A woman and a widow in Jesus time had no status, she was considered nothing! In the Mosaic Law, widows should be cared for by their nearest male relative, and it is he who should be pleading her case before the judge. Jesus pictures the judge as proud, who feared neither God nor any person. As expected the judge was unwilling to hear the plea of the widow. But the widow in the parable of Jesus was different. She did not give up until justice was accomplished. We can imagine her going back to the courtroom every day, raising her voice in protest, calling out to the judge, telling him he might as well listen to her today because if not, she’ll be back tomorrow. She sees people with influence and with money being attended to, while her only recourse was her voice and her presence. But the judge was impervious to her pleas. He continues to ignore her until he can no longer stand her insistent protests. He finally relents. The usual way of interpreting this gospel is, the Judge to be God, and the persistent widow represents all of us who need God to attend to our concerns by persevering in our prayers. But this is not the case. It is the reverse. For how can we equate the insensitive Judge to God when the Bible says God readily hearing the cry of the poor, is eager and willing to give good things to those who ask. In all likelihood, the attitude of the widow in the parable picture God most. She knows what she wants; to correct the wrong done to her and persevered in pleading her case until justice is served. The

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widow’s attitude resembles that of Jesus’ manner of tirelessly preaching and acting to correct the wrong done by those in power to small and insignificant people. The lesson we get from the gospel parable is persistence in our commitment to do the right thing. In our world today, especially in Canada, what do we need to commit ourselves to in order to right the things we perceive as wrong in society? Let us focus on the issue of faith. We all know that Christianity is consistently in decline through the years and continues the trend until now. Present statistics tell us that in fifty years, Christianity will be taken over by non- religious. Canada will be an agnostic country. In one of the Christian Ethics class at Vanier Collegiate to which four of us priests in Moose Jaw were invited to have discussions with the students, at one time the teacher asked the students how many believed in God. More than half of the class raised their hands. How many did not believe in God? Five hands were up. The last question asked was how many do not believe Jesus is God, and surprisingly more than five hands were up. For me, I did not expect any agnostics in a Catholic High School. Is this not an indicator of the present condition of our Catholic faith? What shall we do about it? Do we care to arrest the decline of the Faith of the founding families of Canada, or we just let it go down the drain of complacency? Deep in the hearts of every serious Christian is the desire to continue to witness the good news of Jesus Christ in today’s agnostic world. The answer of our Archdiocese to this prevailing problem is for every Catholic to live their lives as good and faithful stewards of the faith. Stewardship of the faith, is not maintenance, it is committing oneself to actively proclaim the good news of Jesus like the first disciples. Good stewards are not just keepers but growers of the faith. Stewards are not just regular Sunday Mass attendees or ministers during the celebration of the Eucharist, but also bold in proclaiming their faith in Jesus and tireless in service for the benefit of others. Our parishes have varied ministries and committees for each one to participate in the stewardship of our Catholic faith. Putting part of your budget in the collection or to the Annual Appeal each time you come to Mass keeps the church building maintained and meets operational requirements [God will reward you for it]. But God demands more than monies – your time and your talents are to be used for people who need your help in their faith journey. The widow in the gospel challenges us to be persistent in the stewardship of our Catholic faith. St. Paul’s advice is “to be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable, to convince, encourage and rebuke with outmost patience.” The story of indomitable spirit of Wilma Rudolf is an incredible story of perseverance and commitment. If we want our country and our community to be dynamic and faith-filled, we need to start committing ourselves to our Catholic faith by accessing the indomitable spirit within us. It is never too late to start committing ourselves to the gift of faith Christ has infused in each one of us! [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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WEEK 4 | OCTOBER 23, 2016__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

Archbishop Donald Bolen would like to express his heartfelt thanks to all of you who have continuously supported the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. For those contemplating to contribute to charities, please consider the Archdiocese’s needs to continue the Church’s mission of spreading the good news of God’s mercy and love in southern Saskatchewan.

BULLETIN REFLECTION - 30th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSir. 35:12-14,16-18 | Ps. 34:2-3,17-19,2 | 2Tm. 4:6-8,16-18 | Lk. 18:9-14

In Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the Pharisee exhibits all the good and respectable qualities. The Tax Collector is just the opposite, both a traitor of his people and a greedy cheat who takes more than his due. But God accepts the prayer of the Tax Collector and not the Pharisee’s. Why? Because the Pharisee is busy praising his own goodness and is concerned only about his opinion of himself. The Tax Collector, knowing what sort of person he is, asks God for mercy and forgiveness. In the reading from 2 Timothy, St. Paul also mentions some of his sufferings and declares, “I have kept the faith.” But it’s clear that he knows that it’s only through the strength that God provided that he was able to do this, not his own strength. Of course, we’re called to reject sin, but these readings can remind us that Jesus died to make us holy, not respectable, and he taught, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Our discipleship of the Lord, like sharing our resources with the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, is a grateful response to God’s generosity to us, not an attempt to impress others – or ourselves.[Adapted from: http://www.catholicsteward.com – Printed with permission]


For the grace to see ourselves as channels of God’s mercy to others by our contribution to the annual appeal, let us pray to the Lord.

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Sir. 35:12-14,16-18 | 2Tm. 4:6-8,16-18 | Lk. 18:9-14

A dad named Paul gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, "Dad, how do you spell best?" Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, "How do you spell kid?" Finally he asked, "How do you spell ever?" When the boy showed him what he'd written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see "I'm the best kid ever." Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: "You're the best dad a kid can ever have." Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It's still there. [Michael Josephson www.charactercounts.org] To be regarded by your child and looked up to as good parent is different than regarding yourself estimable by going around and bragging about it. To brag about one’s own intentional effort to be upright is the problem of the Pharisee in the Parable Jesus relates in the gospel today. True, the Pharisee was respectable. He reminded God about this in his prayer. He proclaimed himself clean of the sins of greed, dishonesty, and adultery. He pointed out that he fasted twice a week, instead of the once a week commonly practiced. He even asserted his own generosity, evidenced by tithing his entire income. He sounds like the sort of parishioner many of us pastors would love to have. He’s never in trouble, and his pledge is always up to date. It helped the Pharisee’s case that a tax collector had come to the temple at the same time. It would be hard to find a more dramatic contrast. Of course, no one likes to pay taxes, but the tax collectors in Israel at the time were resented on multiple levels. First of all, they were viewed as traitors, for they collected taxes for the hated Roman Empire, which had conquered Palestine, thus ending the Jews’ independent national life. Secondly, tax collectors obtained their own incomes by charging more than they had to turn over to the Romans. There were guidelines as to how much the tax collectors should demand, but there was no one to enforce the guidelines, and no one to appeal to if tax collectors exceeded those limits. The tax collector, then, was an outcast – a traitor who associated with Gentile invaders and who was most likely both greedy and dishonest. He definitely was not respectable. And yet God accepted the prayer of the tax collector, but not the prayer of the Pharisee. Why? The key to this parable is found in Jesus’ opening line, “The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you.’” While in form addressed to God, his main point is his own self-congratulation and his desire to remind God of all his good qualities. There is no real thanksgiving to God for anything except his self-satisfaction, no real thanks for any gifts or graces God has bestowed upon him. The prayer of the tax collector is different. He knows that under his own power he has fallen flat. Without God’s grace and forgiveness, he has no hope. So all he can do is address God with humility and penitence, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” God accepts such a prayer and offers his mercy. Jesus sums up the message of his parable in the statement, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” The reading from 2 Timothy 4 would seem to contradict Jesus’ message in the parable. St. Paul is recounting the sufferings he’s experienced for the sake of the Gospel and declares his steadfastness despite the opposition, “I have kept the faith.” It may sound a bit like the Pharisee, but there is a crucial difference. For St. Paul, God – not himself – is the principal actor: The Lord will rescue him and bring him safe to his kingdom and award him the crown. Besides, what’s so upright about being a prisoner? Our effort to be upright before everyone, especially our family, if such effort is motivated by love of God and gratitude for His grace and mercy, is different from boasting of your own effort to be respectable to others like the Pharisee. May our contribution to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal be a manifestation of our love and gratitude to God for His grace and mercy to us rather than taking credit for it as our effort to keep the gospel message going in the Archdiocese. As followers of Christ our motivation in all our efforts is gratitude to God. Jesus died to make us holy, not to make us upright,

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even though sometimes we seem to confuse those qualities. However, if we live upright lives so that other people will praise us, how much do we really care about God’s opinion?[Adapted from http://www.catholicsteward.com - stewardship-reflections-on-lectionary-readings - 2010][Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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Week 5 | OCTOBER 30, 2016__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

“Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew… ” The first reading for today’s mass begins with this statement, which reminds us of the awesome power and presence of God. But for God’s love to work in the world we need to share our blessings to others. If we give out of love, God will make it possible to accomplish the purpose for which we share. Sharing to the Annual Appeal assures the constant spreading of God’s love and mercy in our Archdiocese through the archdiocesan pastoral programs. Everything we share from the heart, the Lord of the universe multiplies more than a hundredfold.

BULLETIN REFLECTION – 31st Sunday in Ordinary TimeWis. 11:22–12:2 | Ps. 145:1-2,8-11,13-14 | 2Thes. 1:11–2:2 | Lk. 19:1-10

As we read the gospel story for this Sunday about the story of Zacchaeus, most of us have no trouble visualizing him, a short man who climbed the sycamore tree so he could see Jesus as the Lord passed. Zacchaeus was on the verge of something important, but he probably did not go up in the tree so Jesus would notice him; he climbed the tree because he was seeking Jesus. Zacchaeus was wealthy. He was wealthy because he had over-collected taxes from the people. They hated him, but as Jesus reminds us all at the end of the Gospel passage, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” Zacchaeus was not a good steward of his blessings. Jesus was aware of that when he went to Zacchaeus’ home to be fed. Something important happened to Zacchaeus; he went through a conversion experience – an encounter with Christ, an event that changed his life. He began to share with special regard to the poor. He began to reach out to those whom he had mistreated. God calls us and interested with us as He did with Zacchaeus. He continuously invites himself to us in our own hearts; he says, “I want to stay at your house today!” If we respond to this invitation like Zacchaeus did, a transformation of mind and heart will ensue. What will follow will be to reach out to others especially to those who are destitute, both spiritually and actually. Like Zacchaeus, sharing our blessings is responding to God’s call of love and mercy to those most in need among his children. Sharing our financial blessings to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal accomplishes our goal of reaching out to others in charity – especially to God’s children who are destitute both spiritually and actually. As St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Love is not patronizing, and charity isn’t about pity; it is about love.”[Adapted from: http://www.catholicsteward.com/2013/10]


For God’s blessings upon the Archdiocese of Regina, may we seek to share God’s love and mercy to all by our generous support to the Annual Appeal. We pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time C

The Small Man Zaccheaus!Wis. 11:22-1,2:2 | 2Thes. 1:11-2:2 | Lk. 19:1-10

What is the average height of Professional Basketball players in the NBA? 6’7”. In a league dominated by huge and towering men, there are players who are small that outperform tall players in the NBA. Guess who the smallest Professional Basketball Player that ever played many seasons in the NBA is? Tyrone “Mugsy” Bogues. He is the shortest man to ever play in the NBA. He is only 5’3”. Despite his height, he used it to his advantage by becoming known as a player who was a great passer, ball-stealer, and definitely one of the fastest on the court. His career was set in stone on June 22, 1988 when he was signed to play for the Charlotte Hornets during an expansion draft as a point guard. After settling in, he was able to play for the Hornets for 10 years and became one of the team’s most popular players. Who is the smallest Professional Hockey Player that ever played in the NHL? Roy "Shrimp" Worters. He was a Canadian professional Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Canadiens and New York Americans, and was notable for recording 66 shutouts in his career and being, at 5'3" tall, the shortest player ever to play in the NHL. These men, though small in stature, are remarkable in their achievements in Professional Sports Leagues. They stood tall over giants who dominated their particular sports. In the gospel today a remarkable man, also small in stature, is featured in the story of Jesus. His name is Zacchaeus. Of all the stories in the Bible especially in the New Testament, his story is the most charming and one of the most significant for the following reasons: 1. Zacchaeus is the chief tax collector in the rich city of Jericho where Jesus is passing by. Last Sunday’s gospel tells us the story of two men who went to the temple to pray. Who went home justified? It was the tax collector, a sinner by profession instead of the Pharisee, a religious man by profession. But in the gospel today, not only does Zacchaeus go home justified, he is even privileged to have Jesus as his guest. 2. Zacchaeus is described as a wealthy man. This reminds us of the other rich men in the gospels, the rich man who had so much that he had to build bigger barns (Lk. 12:16-20), the rich man feasting sumptuously while refusing to share anything with Lazarus who sat begging at his door (16:19-31), and the rich young man (18:18-23), who went away sad when Jesus invited him to sell all he had and give the proceeds to the poor, thus making Jesus’ remark that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Their counterpart is Zacchaeus who accepts Christ’s invitation with enthusiasm and gives away half his wealth to the poor, and the other half he will repay anyone he defrauded four fold. He is thus saying he will give all his wealth to the poor. 3. Jesus defended Zacchaeus not only from the Pharisees who normally grumble when Jesus reaches out to the poor, the sick, women and sinners, but this time from all the people including his disciples, as the gospel says “all who were there said, he has gone to a sinners house as a guest.” In other words, every right minded Jew hated him. Zacchaeus is known as Jericho’s top Revenue Officer. Jericho is a resort city, a very rich one; the city where the rich and famous gravitated with their luxurious villas due to its balmy weather all year. It lies 770 feet below sea level - the lowest city on earth. Moreover, the Dead Sea lies only 10 miles to the south, with its spas and healing waters laden with salts and minerals. With its perennial spring, Jericho is an oasis in the desert, dotted with palm trees and producing luscious fruit all year round. So it is a rich city indeed. Knowing the tax system during the time, where taxes are paid in a lump sum to the Romans, tax collectors were allowed to charge way above the required amount. It is their job to compute how much is charged to every tax payer. Being a chief tax collector, it is understandable then why Zacchaeus is very wealthy, and hated for cheating. Aside from being a cheat, Zacchaeus is also a collaborator of the Roman occupiers. Therefore, he is considered the worst of sinners that every Jewish citizen hated. Only Jesus understood and defended Zacchaeus when he says; ‘the Son of Man has come to search out and to save what was lost.’

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4. Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus. The crowd, too was curious to see Jesus, but were blind because they did not see Jesus the way Zacchaeus did – as a savior of sinners. This follows a preceding incident in which something similar happened. As Jesus drew near Jericho, a blind man had faith to see Jesus as healer and savior, whereas the people with sight failed to recognize who Jesus really was. Now what is our take from this story of the remarkable small man Zacchaeus? Let us take his role, especially in our presence today in this Mass, in order to see and hear Jesus. And we hear Jesus invite us to hurry home so he can stay at our house as our guest. But for this experience to have any significance in our lives, we have to respond the way Zacchaeus did. How? First, we have to acknowledge our sinfulness and start changing our ways. How can Jesus justify us if we don’t repent and reform? Second, we have to be willing to let go of certain things to follow the Lord. How can Jesus find a place in our hearts if it’s full of love for money, pleasure or power? Third, we have to realize that without Jesus we would be lost. How can we stand our ground except by the grace of God? Fourth, we must have faith to see Jesus in our midst. How can we expect to recognize Jesus in the faces of people we mingle with every day, in the cry of the poor that surround us, or the longing for care and attention of family members if we don’t have faith in a loving God? We may not have a lovely and inspiring story about our achievements, like the small sports legends Mugsy Bogues and Shrimp Worsely, but we surely have experienced Zaachaeus’ story in our lives. We have experienced the invitation of Jesus to hurry down from our lofty sycamore trees of pride and selfishness. We are given this opportunity by the Lord during this season through the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. We may not be able to give back to God four times of what we have received like Zacchaeus did with his tax collections. But if we respond the way Zacchaeus did to Jesus’ invitation with whatever we can offer; we will also experience the joy of having Jesus with us. With that kind of joy, nothing else matters. [Sources: Rev. Fr. Albert Cylwichky, CSB. His Words Resounds, pp.292-294. Sr. Barbara Reid, OP. America Catholic. Rev. Fr. Danagh O’Shea, OP. Goodnews.ie]

WEEK 6 | NOVEMBER 6, 2016

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__________________________________________________________________________

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Archdiocesan Annual Appeal is the source of financing for many of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Services. Through these pastoral programs of the Archdiocese, we as the Church in Southern Saskatchewan, fulfill our mandate from the Lord to proclaim the good news of God’s love and mercy for the time given to us in our generation. By donating to the Annual Appeal, we are taking the opportunity to be one in this mission. Kindly read the case statement provided in your mailing.

BULLETIN REFLECTION - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time2Mc. 7:1-2,9-14 | Ps.17:1,5-6,8,15 | Thes. 2:16–3:5 | Lk. 20:27-38

What does it mean to hope in the Lord? The seven brothers and their mother who are featured in the first reading from 2 Maccabees both know and understand what it means. One of the brothers declares that everything he has received came from God, and he hopes to get them back again. Another brother speaks of the “hope God, the King of the Universe, will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life.” Living as stewards of God is living lives of hope. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul speaks of the “good hope” we have of God’s grace. Paul reminds us that the Lord “will strengthen and guard you.” The hope we have in the Lord is what gives us the total trust in Him which allows us to live lives of stewardship. Jesus encourages us to have hope in the living God in today’s Gospel. In our approach to life, that everything we have and are comes from God, exemplifies our confidence in His goodness and love. We are to take God’s love and spread it among those around us through sharing and service. One of the ways to fulfill this is by participating in the pastoral programs of the Archdiocese by donating to the Annual Appeal. Through the Annual Appeal we reach out to others in an anonymous way that only God can see. It’s one of the ways we multiply our hands to reach out to others in response to Gods’ grace in us, a natural and fulfilling way to live. As followers of Christ we are optimistic. As Helen Keller once said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”[Adapted from www.catholicsteward.com – 2013/10]


For God’s abundant blessings upon the Archdiocese of Regina especially to those who share in fulfilling its mission in an active-anonymous way through the Annual Appeal. We pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Resurrection2Mc. 7:1-2, 9-14 | 2Thes. 2:16-3:5 | Lk. 20:27-38

Two children were heard discussing their problematic parents who were always quarreling. The first one said: “When our parents die, do you think they will still meet and recognize each other in heaven?” The second one said: “I don’t think so. That’s why it is called heaven!” Many people today in our technological and materialistic age do not believe in the resurrection, heaven and spiritual beings. They say that these are superstitious and baseless. But what these people do not realize is that this is not a modern thing at all. Even at the time of Jesus there were people who did not believe in heaven, in spirits, in angels and in the resurrection of the dead. These people were known as the Sadducees. The Sadducees, if they believed in God at all, was more for their convenience. These were the political elite, very rich, and usually collaborators of the colonizers of Israel because they want to maintain their status in society. This group recognizes only the first five books of the Bible called the Torah, or the Pentateuch, in the Old Testament. In the gospel we see the Sadducees seriously making a point to Jesus of how ridiculous the belief in the resurrection is, so they make up an example about the 7 brothers marrying the same woman bearing no children until all died. So their question is, “in the resurrection whose wife will she be?” This question was not baseless at all. This was in their tradition, an example of the Levirate Marriage mentioned in Dt.25:5-10. The Law says, if a man died childless, his nearest male kin was to marry his widow, and the first child born to them was considered the child of the dead man, “so that his name may not be blotted out of Israel”(Dt 25:6). Jesus did not laugh at them, but listened to their deposition intently knowing where they were coming from. In answer to them Jesus gave them two answers, First on marriage. Marriage is only for the children of this world and the things of this world… in the new world to come children of the resurrection “…neither marry nor are given in marriage.” In the resurrection “they will not die anymore all will be like angels, sons and daughters of God, children of the resurrection.” To this Jesus confirmed the prevailing belief of the majority of people about angels, and life after death. And the Second answer, Jesus gave the proof of the resurrection from the scriptures they believed (which none of the Rabbis during that time ever had the insight) in Exodus 3:15 in which God says to Moses that he is “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”. Jesus asserts that if God speaks of the current existence of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then this demonstrates that “he is God not of the dead, but God of the living; for to him all of them are alive.” There is a resurrection. There is life after this present life because God is God of the living. God has created us for life and not for ultimate extinction. God does not blow us into life like bubbles, here today, gone tomorrow. No, God gifted us with life even after this earthly existence is over. An American tourist visited the Polish rabbi Hofetz Chaim. He was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books, a table and a bench, so he asked, “Rabbi, where is your furniture?” “Where is yours?” replied the rabbi. “Mine?” asked the puzzled tourist. “But I’m only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.” “So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim. We are more than what we can see, far more than what we can have in this world. In this world we are just passing through. So that everything that we have, even our life is meant to be shared to all. We are but stewards of the Lord. The resurrection is meant for us who consider our life and all that we have as belonging to God, that we are just trustees tasked to grow and multiply these. This is accomplished only if we share it with the needy among us. God gives us every opportunity to do this within our limited time. One of these opportunities within our grasp is contributing to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal. If faith should mean we understand everything what is happening to us, then it is not faith. Faith is a leap from our materiality into the mystery of the revelation of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to eternal life. We can never understand exactly how it will be in the life of the resurrection. Our take is to trust God like the seven brothers of 2 Maccabees who said, “All that we have are from heaven… and the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life.” And with St. Paul who had

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seen for himself the resurrected Christ – we take his words to heart, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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WEEK 7 | NOVEMBER 13, 2016

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Archdiocesan Annual Appeal campaign is drawing to a close. On behalf of Archbishop Don, we thank all those who have made a donation this year to our appeal. If you who have not done so, there is still time. Any amount you give to the appeal keeps the Archdiocese going in furthering the mission of the church in spreading God’s love and mercy to all.

BULLETIN REFLECTION – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeMal. 3: 19-20A | Ps. 98: 5-9 | 2 Thes. 3: 7-12 | Lk 21: 5-19

Jesus predicted that the Jerusalem Temple, beautiful as it was, would be destroyed. He then went on to speak of wider turmoil among the nations, throughout the natural world, and in the heavens. But before the end, the Day of the Lord, which will bring judgment on evil and healing to the faithful, there will be a long period which will be marked by rejection, persecution, and even execution for faith in Christ. However, he urged perseverance to secure our eternal life. St. Paul wrote to tell us in this waiting period, we should carry on our daily tasks and work, taking responsibility to support ourselves. That keeps disorder out of the Christian community, and leads us to a quiet yet active life of faith in which we share our time, talent, and treasure to serve Christ and his Church.[Adapted from: http://www.catholicsteward.com/2010/11] PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

For God’s constant blessings upon all those who have generously share in the Archdiocese of Regina annual appeal campaign, and for all its beneficiaries. Let us pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE (OPTION l) - 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mal. 3:19-20 | 2Thes. 3:7-12 | Lk. 21:5-19

What can you do when it seems that the whole world as you know it is collapsing around your head? When you feel threatened and vulnerable? Be prepared, but do not lose faith and do not panic is the message our Lord has for us, according to St. Luke. This whole discourse from Jesus must have shocked the disciples. They were in Jerusalem shortly before the Passover, worshipping in the public areas of the Temple. Some were commenting on the grandeur and the beauty of the Temple. Then Jesus caught them by surprise by responding that, impressive as it was, the whole Temple would be destroyed. The impact this prophecy made on its hearers must have been enormous – some who overheard it even used it as evidence against Jesus at his trial (Mk 14:57-59). Then Jesus went on to make more global assertions about the end of the world, using apocalyptic language familiar to his hearers. There would be wars and revolutions among nations of the world; earthquakes, plagues, and famines across the earth; and even disturbances in the heavens before the day of the Lord comes. That day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment at the end of history, will mean doom for the doers of evil and the triumph of God’s justice for those who look to him as the source of good, as we read in Malachi 3. Many years will pass between the destruction of the Temple, which took place under the Romans in 70 A.D., and the Day of the Lord. Among the many events of these intervening centuries comes the persecution of Jesus’ followers. Jesus warns us that this may be severe indeed, including hatred and rejection by society, betrayal by family and friends, even prison and execution. We will have the opportunity to testify to the truth of the Gospel at our trials, when Christ himself will give us the message we are to proclaim. And when the End comes? No matter what we suffered, no matter if we were killed for our loyalty to Christ, we shall experience the healing rays of the sun of justice. “Do not be terrified,” Jesus said, “By your endurance you will gain your souls.” How does this dire scenario with a joyous ending affect our lives as Christians today? Jesus warned, “The end will not follow immediately,” after the destruction of the Temple. He mentions deceivers that will come in his name, and all the turmoil among earth’s peoples and throughout the natural order. He tells of the coming persecutions, which have continued throughout the Church’s history. But through all these events, don’t be deceived and don’t be terrified. In other words, carry on your normal life, be loyal to Christ, and depend on his strength to bring you through your trials. That’s what St. Paul was writing about in 2 Thessalonians 3. Even though he was in Thessalonica on a temporary basis to preach the gospel and establish a Church, Paul and his companions did not depend on the generosity of his converts. Instead they worked at their own trades to support themselves. He had heard that some of the Thessalonian Christians – in expectation of Jesus’ early return – had quit their jobs, and now, with too much time on their hands, were interfering in the personal affairs of other Church members. His solution was simple: if anyone is “unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” So although we know that this present age will come to an end, and meanwhile we may experience rejection and persecution, nevertheless we are called to carry on with our regular duties in our ordinary lives. So we’re to work quietly, mind our business, and eat our own food. The sort of balanced life St. Paul had in mind means that we have some time to pray and spend with family. We have our talents to offer for the service of the Church and of those in need, and we have some treasure to give for the spread of the Gospel like our gift to the Annual Appeal and to some other charities. That sort of life glorifies Christ and benefits our own souls. [Source: www.catholicsteward.com/2010/11/02 and Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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http://www.catholicsteward.com/2010/11/02


HOMILY GUIDE (OPTION ll) - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeMal. 3:19-20 | 2Thes. 3:7-12 | Lk. 21:5-19 A devout believer in astrology, French King Louis XI was deeply impressed when an astrologer correctly predicted that a lady of the court would die in 8 days’ time. Deciding, however, that the too-accurate prophet should dispose of him, King Louis summoned the man to his apartments, having first told his security officer to throw the visitor out of the window when he gave the signal. “You claim to understand astrology and to know the fate of others,” the king said to the man, “so tell me at once what your fate will be and how long you have to live.” “I shall die just 3 days before your death, your Majesty,” answered the astrologer. The shaken king canceled his plans! [Source: Bible.org] Do you know how many end of the world predictions there are? One website Google retrieved says there are ‘over 200 end of the world predictions and counting.’ In its lists for example, predictions of the second coming of the Messiah or end of the world, became known as early as 44 AD, with a certain Theudas declaring himself the Messiah, taking 400 people with him into the desert, where he was beheaded by Roman soldiers. Fast forward to the 17th Century London, year 1666 - A bubonic plague outbreak killed 100,000 and the Great Fire of London struck the same year. The world seemed at an end to most Londoners. The fact that the year ended with the Beast's number (666), didn't help matters either. In the 19th Century American Founder of the Adventists movement, William Miller, basing himself on certain passages of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, prophesied that the second coming of Christ would occur on March 21, 1843. Many people believed him. When it did not happen that day, Miller moved the date to October 22 of the same year. He was all wrong. Other Christians tried to predict the date of the end of the world including Charles Russel (1852-1916), the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of the Mormons. Then the Korean Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, predicted 1967 would be the date, when it did not, moved it to ‘80-81. Expectedly, he too was wrong. The earth is still spinning happily undisturbed. More recently, from the book “We Are Almost There" by Harold Camping and Brian Miller D.S. Grand Rapids, prophesy that, THE END OF THE WORLD: OCTOBER 21st, 2011. The authors says, “God is giving us advanced warning as to what He is about to do. May 21st, 2011 will begin this 5-month period of horrible torment for all the inhabitants of the earth. Earthquakes will ravage the whole world. People who died as saved individuals will experience the resurrection of their bodies and immediately leave this world to forever be with the Lord. Those who died unsaved will be raised up as well, but only to have their lifeless bodies scattered about the face of all the earth. Death will be everywhere.” Then on October 21st, 2011, God will completely destroy this creation and all of the people who never experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ along with it.” Then in 2012 there was the hype about the Mayan calendar. It was said that the end of the Mayan calendar was the date when the world ends! The Mayan calendar started on August 13, 3114 BC with the birth of Venus. It ends on the Winter Solstice of 2012, that is, December 21, 2012. Coincidentally, Michael Drosnin, author of "The Bible Code," found a hidden message in the first five books in the Bible predicting that a comet will crash into the earth in 2012 and annihilate all life. Again, an article in Weekly World News describes a find by Professor Lloyd Cunningdale of Salt Lake City who was excavating with his students at the site of the famous Donner party disaster of 1847. The latter were a group of settlers bound for California who became trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Cunningdale and students have found a time capsule left by the settlers which contains many predictions for the future. They predict that nations will abandon traditional methods of conflict and resort to the use of biological warfare. In 2016, one such disease will spread and kill all humans on the planet; predictions of end time did not stop here. Its 2016, we had Ebola Virus and currently we have the Zika Virus going around the world but here we are still standing, the earth is still happily spinning and the universe still keep expanding!

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Jesus himself confessed that he did not know with any precision when the end of time would come. In Matthew 24:35-36 He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away. But on that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."1

In the few passages of the gospels which touch on the end-time, Jesus does not focus much on the chronology of events and even less does he indulge in time speculations. In fact, when it comes to measuring the interval of time preceding the second coming, the signs he mentions as announcing it are so general and so numerous that they can fit any generation! For what generation in the past 2,000 years has not experienced wars, plagues, earthquakes, famines, great celestial phenomena and religious persecutions? These are recurring signs in the world. It hardly changed ever since, apparently Jesus capitalized on them. These are so many and so common as to be worthless as time markers. For all intents and purposes, they only confirm that predicting the time of the end is a loser’s game. Now, if that is the case, then the only reasonable course of action left is to prepare oneself as best one can for that momentous event. This is precisely what Jesus insists on. There are two inescapable realities in life that will certainly come to us: sudden death and aging. These will help us prepare ourselves for the inevitable, especially in motivating us to live better lives. Anyone can die any time. Cardiologist Maurice Rawlings wrote in a book with the statement: “in 25% of heart attacks there is no warning at all. People just drop dead.”2 Then there are traffic accidents, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, terrorist bombings, plane crashes and what not. The picture of these disasters tells us anyone can die any time. Preparedness to meet God therefore, is an absolute necessity. The phenomenon of ageing is another reality of life that incites us to be prepared. The warning of the approaching end is more discreet in ageing, but it is nevertheless relentless. I remember when I was ten years old, days and nights were so long, I couldn’t wait to be 21. But when I was 35, days were passing by so quickly. Now, I don’t look at time passing by anymore, I am resigned to the fact that I am getting old. We all know that in ageing the body gradually breaks down in preparation for the soul’s imminent liberation. A wise Christian will be alerted to these signs of decay and prepare for the great departure near at hand. In fact, old age is meant to be a time of accelerated spiritual growth, a time when we can let go of old resentments and childish attachments. Persevering in these, Jesus says, you will gain your souls. Old age should be a time then to pause and reflect and prepare for eternal life and eternal love that’s ahead. It is the state of life, like a caterpillar, about to become a butterfly. One last point. In the gospel Jesus makes a strange statement. In the same breath he joins two things which seem irreconcilable. He says, “..they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of me. Yet not a hair of your head will perish.” Here Jesus joins in a paradoxical unity being put to death and not a hair of one’s head will perish. How do we understand this odd harmony? Jesus is telling us here, that there is really no harm in dying, since death brings us to Him. Death is the best thing that can happen to us. While preparing for our encounter with God, ‘how are we using the time, talent and treasure gifted to us, and what do we hope to accomplish with these in the years ahead?’ Have we invested in these spiritual assets, like the opportunity of giving back to the Lord part of our material blessings in this season of the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal prompted by God’s multiplying grace in us? If we are active spiritual investors for our heavenly home, cowering in fear about predictions of the coming end of the world in 2016 by doomsday prophets should be brushed aside. We will all keep our hairs and heads, as Jesus assured. We predict that we will leave this world fulfilled and happy long before the world crumbles into destruction. Jesus said that He would remain with us forever. In Him we can securely anchor our future, as we patiently enjoy our lives by sharing our gifts with others, ever mindful of our mission to proclaim God’s love and mercy to all we meet, and as well caring for the world around us. Age-old fears can easily grab our attention, but Jesus’ enduring love is what counts. Let us trust that His love is perfect; “perfect love casts out all fear.” [Source: With additions adapted from the Homily Book “Hearts Burning”, Cycles ABC by Rev. Nil Guillemette, SJ.] [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

1 Mk 13:32; Acts 1:72 Nil Guillemette. Hearts Burning, p.437 “To Hell and Back”, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993, p.12”

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SUNDAY AFTER THE CAMPAIGN | NOVEMBER 20, 2016

PULPIT ANNOUNCEMENT

There are many ways Christ Our Lord and King manifest himself to us! But only those whose heart is openly searching for God would recognize him in our midst like the good thief hanging with Jesus on the cross as the gospel of Luke tells us today.

The Archdiocesan Annual Appeal campaign has officially ended. To all of you who donated thank you so very much. Your donation will help the archdiocesan pastoral programs: the youth and lay ministries, diaconate and seminarians formation for the Archdiocese, to continue despite the scarce resources. God will multiply beyond our expectations whatever we give to Him from the heart. And those whose heart and hands are open in sharing their gifts will be blessed equally as well by the Lord whose ways are far beyond our human ways!

BULLETIN REFLECTION – Solemnity of Christ the King!2Sm.5:1-3 | Ps. 122:1-5 | Col. 1:12-20 | Lk. 23:35-43 “Amen, I say to you; today you will be with me in Paradise.” Are those not the words we all aspire to hear? Jesus reminds us throughout Holy Scripture that we must keep our Christian life focus on two points: Jesus Himself, and that our lives lead to Eternity. It is these thrusts that should make us lead lives of gratitude and thanksgiving to God. This Sunday is traditionally called Christ the King. Yes, we recognize Jesus’ Kingship over all the earth and all its peoples, but the Gospel points to the part of His dominion that cannot be matched by anyone else: He rules over death as well as over life. St. Catherine of Siena once said, “All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, ‘I am the way’.” As we prepare for Advent, which begins next weekend, and as we end our liturgical year this week, we need to dedicate ourselves anew to being good stewards of all that the Lord, Christ our King, has blessed us with and to share those gifts as God’s children. We also join with the forgiven thief who was crucified next to Jesus and place our total trust in God. While we attempt to be disciples of the Lord, we need to share what we have - time, talents and treasure in every opportunity the Lord gives us, no matter how small our best effort. In sharing our gifts with the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal, we silently utter “Thank you, God” and “Lord, remember me.” [Source: http://www.catholicsteward.com/2013/11]


That we may always recognize Christ the King in our midst and every opportunity that He lays before us to share our gifts with others and to respond with total trust to His ways in our lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

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HOMILY GUIDE – SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING!2Sm. 5:1-3 | Col. 1:12-20 | Lk. 23:35-43

At the height of a political corruption trial, the prosecuting lawyer questioned a witness. "Isn't it true," he bellowed, "that you accepted 80 thousand dollars to compromise this case?" The witness stared out the window as though he hadn't heard the question. "Isn't it true that you accepted 80 thousand dollars to compromise this case?" the lawyer repeated. The witness still did not respond. Finally, the judge leaned over and said, "Sir, please answer the question." "Oh," the surprised witness said, "I thought he was talking to you." In all four gospels Pilate, like a prosecuting lawyer, asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” At that moment Pilate was sitting on a throne of judgment, and Jesus was a bound prisoner before him, totally at his mercy, and soon to be put to death. When Christians assert that Christ is King they are not associating him with this world’s images of power; it is absurd to imagine him lined up with, for example, Henry VIII or with any king we have ever seen or read about. Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire for repeating that Christ was Lord and King, because this was taken to mean that he was looking for what Caesar had. But Jesus is the exact opposite of an earthly king. When the feast of Christ the King was added to the Church’s calendar in 1925 it was to make a statement about the hollow pretensions of Mussolini, who at that time had been ruling Italy for three years, and about the rising power of Hitler’s Nazi Party in Germany, and about all dictatorships. The crown that Christ wears is a crown of thorns. To call Christ our king is a subversive declaration, as it was for the early Christians; it is to say that anyone who presumes to lead us – like Bishops/Priests/Mayors/Prime Ministers must be prepared, like Jesus, to wear a crown of thorns. It is to situate oneself in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets who declared that leaders must be shepherds of the people, caring for them, dealing wisely, and doing justice in the land. When Israel was about to choose its first king, God warned them through the prophet Samuel that a king would lord it over them, tax them harshly, and promote inequality and injustice. And that is what most of their kings did. We have to ask whether it is what the majority of kings, emperors, and political leaders have done throughout history. Christ is Emmanuel, a name that means “God-with-us”. He journeys with his people, leading them through the wilderness of life, into death and beyond. It was when he was hanging on the cross, as the gospel of Luke tells, that he was recognized by the thief, who asked to be admitted into his kingdom. The 19th-century Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen made a clay model for a statue of Christ the King, the arms raised in triumph. But the weight of the soft clay was too much for the inner structure, and in the morning when he entered his studio he saw that the arms had sagged downwards. At first he was deeply disappointed, but when he looked at it again he saw that it now expressed something deeper than triumph; it expressed welcome and forgiveness. The Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer at today’s Mass describes Christ as wanting to present to God the Father “an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” We cannot help but notice that the world is not really like that. That's the bad news. The good news is that there are seeds of this glory everywhere, and sometimes even fruit. Worldly kingdoms are built on power and wealth. But where we see forgiveness, where we see people helping one another and caring for one another, like the outpouring of aid to the earthquake victims in Italy, or welcoming of refugees from Syria and war torn countries by Canadians, or in lesser and non-spectacular scenes like giving to the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal for the Pastoral programs of

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the Archdiocese of Regina, we are witnessing the kingdom of God at work in each Canadian. Deep inside the black heart of the world at its worst; wars, terrorism, exploitation and bullying, the seed of God's word is stirring with new life. "The kingdom of God is among you," Jesus said (Luke 17:21). It’s within each of us! But Christ’s reign is stalled in many of us! Today and every day, we are invited to respond, like the good thief, to allow the overflowing grace of Jesus to reign within us. Let us listen to the promise of Jesus to the good thief, and to all of us, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise!” [Father Carlos Jimenez, Holy Family Parish, Regina]

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This booklet has been prepared to provide guidelines and ... · Web viewWe all know the word ‘Selfie’, especially among us who use smart phones a lot. “Selfie” is a term referring