Here are some words from St. Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, Eucharistia de Ecclesia, to sit with as you spend time with the Lord this weekend. “The mystery of the Eucharist – sacrifice, presence, banquet – does not allow for reduction or exploitation; it must be experienced and lived in its integrity, both in its celebration and in the intimate conversation with Jesus which takes place after receiving communion or in a prayerful moment of Eucharistic adoration apart from Mass. These are times when the Church is firmly built up and it becomes clear what she truly is: one, holy, catholic and apostolic; the people, temple and family of God; the body and bride of Christ, enlivened by the Holy Spirit...”
Allow the Lord to build you up. Have a deep conversation with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. Don’t hold anything back. Share everything. He wants to enter into your life anew to restore and bring hope to all that you do. Give Him permission to do that this weekend. He is very generous.
Looking ahead, here are some things coming up next weekend:
- Reminder that the last day to sign up for the The Summit Fall 2021 Men’s Retreat at Camp Christopher on November 19-21 is November 15th. Please pray about giving the Lord a weekend to transform your heart. Contact Mike Piglia at mpiglia@nmgaerospace.com or 330-595-4689.
- In the liturgical world, at the 9:00 a.m. Mass, we will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance for those in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. The Rite of Acceptance is an ancient Rite that recognizes the Catechumens and Candidates who will be preparing to receive Baptism. We are praying for you.
- At the 11:00 a.m. Mass, we will be commissioning Stephen Ministry Leaders—Ann Clark, Bill Dickey and Jessica Quentin. There will be more about Stephen Ministry in the bulletins to come. It is a ministry providing high quality, one-to-one care to hurting people in our community. Thank you ahead of time for the good work this ministry will offer to the community.
- Lastly, next weekend the Diocese will be offering an in- pew appeal (similar to Catholic Charities) that will give a chance to support the Heart of a Shepherd Campaign, which raises money for the seminary renovation, priest pension and alleviation of college debt for priests. Pray about how God is calling you to support this mission. Thank you for your prayerful support. We couldn’t do it without you!
May God’s peace and joy be with you,
Fr. Jeremy
P.S. Thanks for all those who joined me for a hike or two or more @ Holy Hiking during the months of September and October. We had beautiful weather. Thank you Lord!