The First Reading shares God's exhortation
to care for those who might not be our loved ones.
Cause no harm to anyone in need - including those seeking refuge and the widow, orphan, and poor. These are the people who can most easily have advantage taken of them and be held permanently in their difficult circumstances by small, or dependence-building, handouts.
Our actions must be pure in aiding them and should offer
true help to overcome their need, not sustain their dependence.
Be reasonable in lending and borrowing, aiming to help while maintaining their dignity, leading them back to self-sufficiency , not extorting, but borrowing through fair and equitable agreements.

The Psalmist praises God for being his constant protection and strength - a safe refuge in troubled times of attack. The enemy (think spiritual enemy...) cannot overwhelm God's fortress in which those who lean on Him seek refuge. Rather they are delivered to freedom.

 St. Paul opens his letter to the Thessalonians in the Second Reading, by recalling their successful conversion despite "great affliction." They opened their hearts, minds, and souls to the Good News, such that they abandoned their culture's idols and became role models of Christianity to other communities.Their conversion bore such good fruit that before Apostles arrived, other communities already knew the Thessalonians story - and the preaching that led to it.

Always competing against the Sadducees, the Pharisees sought to best Jesus after Jesus bested the Sadducees. In this Gospel, though, they were bested. Their question focused on the letter-of-the-law , whereas Jesus answered from the spirit of the law - Love. God is love, and the greatest thing we can do is to love God, for from that love flows an authentic love that seeks the true, eternal good for all others.
Newsy Notes
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Current 8th grade Confirmation
  1. 1. Turn in Service Project Report form
  2. Continue Decision Point Lessons at home!
  3. Remember our Retreat on December 12th

Current 2nd grade First Reconciliation
Watch the Presentation and return Feedback!
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November
1- Daylight Savings - sleep in 1 Hour!
1 - All Saints Day! - Celebrate your patron saints!
18 - Monthly Rosary in Church
26 - Thanksgiving Day
29 - No PSR

December
12 - Confirmation Retreat
16 - Monthly Rosary in Church
25 - Christmas Day
27 - No PSR

January
3 - No PSR
Meditations
"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts,
there can be no more hurt, only more love.” 
- St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Greetings Parents!
            "Mom, you do more for us than Dad does." "In what way?"
I ask. "Well you drive us places and do things with us during the day." So I ask, "How would we have a house, a car, your video games, and the food we eat if Dad didn't work his job?" And in typical teen fashion, "I can walk and if he did stuff with us then I can live without video games." Which is where I see my point was won and they save grace by offering a silly answer. Sometimes, though I go for one more point, "If you completed chores without being nagged and helped out with a few more things, instead of playing video games, Dad and I would have less to do and more time to spend with you."

            So considering parents as children and God as parent - is there a message there? Certainly I take for granted the many actions of God on my behalf - and done for pure love of me and my welfare. Most basic (and deep!)- if HE ceases to think of me, I cease to exist. When a slew of things go wrong, how quick I am to ask why is this happening, rather than "What do you want me to learn or do in this moment?" It isn't always about me - maybe God is asking me to do something for Him...

           In the meantime, there are people, ministries, organizations, entertainment, and government programs that bring good things to my everyday life. Their actions make more easy my current life, adding some momentary pleasure or easing of suffering that is greatly appreciated. We can become so appreciative of what we see before us that we forget where it came from originally - God. Pondering this reminds me that He probably likes a little love and appreciation back!
            Hug your children tight, say prayers together, especially at night, and ponder what God did for your family this day and what the family did for God as well - which can be as simple as everyone making a point to get along and caring for one another.

-- Linda Bader, Coordinator of Religious Education

P.S. Did you know... St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born of a well-to-do family, but after a vision of Jesus while riding a train, she gave everything up and began her journey to serve the "unwanted" and "forgotten." Caring for those lying in the streets with maggots in their wounds and smothered in their own filth, she saw Jesus in every life before her and knew their innate dignity required her to cherish each life, regardless of the inconvenience or its brevity. Learn more at: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20031019_madre-teresa_en.html