I am so pleased to know that we are, once again, offering an opportunity for our parishioners (and any family members they have visiting) to come together on Thanksgiving Day for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Chef Johnna from the DeSoto Club has agreed to prepare and provide a delicious meal for us.  I want to thank Johnna for doing this for us. The relatively low price she is charging us is, in part, a "thank you" to our parish for using her services throughout the year for many of our dinner gatherings.  We are inviting those who would like, to bring a dessert to share for our Thanksgiving dinner.  While this dinner was started with the concern that some of our parishioners were either alone or did not have many people to prepare a whole traditional Thanksgiving meal, I see it now as an opportunity for any single, couple or family in the parish to forgo cooking and instead, be with a larger group of "family" (fellow parishioners) to share fellowship and good food.  Donations to help pay for the meal will be accepted.  Remember, we are having Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 a.m.

Also, PLEASE remember our annual Parish Memorial Mass on Wednesday, November 30, at 9:00 a.m. as we encourage all parishioners, especially those whose loved ones have passed into the merciful, loving arms of the Lord in this year, 2016, to join us to pray for these loved ones, and to support each other, and in a special way those who are grieving their loved ones passing from their sight, buh not their hearts.  We certainly want to include those whose loved ones died outside the parish, as we (as a parish) weren't able to be there to support our fellow parishioners at the funeral or their loved ones.  Please join us for the Mass AND the reception that will follow with food and drink in the Lower Hall.

All of us have "routines" in various aspects of our lives that we often hate to break for any reason whatsoever.  So too, whether we realize it or not, we all have routines when it comes to when and what we do when we come to church for Mass.  Some get there right before Mass begins and only have time to find a pew to sit in.  Others come very early and pray.  Others come early enough to read and reflect on the readings of the day.  Others spend most of their time before Mass visiting with people (hopefully outside of church or in the narthex or quietly in the pews).  Are any of these "routines" best for some or for all?  I think not.  That's why it is truly a blessing that the church has a "routine" to get all of us ready for the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  It is called the Introductory Rite and it consists of a greeting, a penitential rite, the Gloria (most of the year) and the opening prayer disposition, so that we can enter fully into the celebration of Mass with minds and hearts ready to be touched by the Lord in a unique and personal way. Aren't we blessed to have a Church that is so concerned with our spiritual formation at every Mass regardless of what we do or what I say in my pastor's remarks before Mass begins?

During last weekend's homily, I quoted our United States Bishops who said how important it is to read the ENTIRE document "Forming Our Consciences for Faithful Citizenship."  While I echo their sentiment and urge everyone to pull-up the link to that document on our website:  www.hsvsacredheart.com or look forward to prayerfully reading it when hard copies arrive, I feel it is important to quote two paragraphs from this teaching for our reflection before we go to the polls to vote.  The first is paragraph 34 on page 18.  It says "Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote.  This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-informed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods.  A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, IF THE VOTER'S INTENT IS TO SUPPORT THAT POSITION.  In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.  At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity."

Since we are all aware that some people are truly considering not voting for either of the two major candidates for President of the United States and are understandably conflicted about doing so, I quote from paragraph 36 on page 18 which says this:  "When all the candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma.  The voter can decide to take the extra-ordinary step of not voting for any candidate or after careful deliberation, can decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed postion and more like to pursue other authentic human goods."

I encourage all of us to ponder these and all the other points our bishop makes in this document AND pray before, during and after this election for our leaders, citizens and all who have the responsibility to advance the common good in our country and throughout the world.

Please join with me and many other people of faith in praying a prayer to Mary, Immaculate as a Novena from October 30 through November 7 for election day.  The prayer can be found in this weeks bulletin.