Newsletter November 6th 2022 (32nd Sunday in Ordinary)

Reflection

· In our Catholic tradition of remembering the dead we are living out our faith in the fact that we belong to a community that goes way beyond our family, our school or our   parish. We  belong to a community that reaches beyond the grave and which reminds us that:  Love never ends (1Cor 13:8). We belong to the Communion of Saints, the Mystical Body of Christ.  This is a community that invites to know that in times of great sadness we are never alone, that we are linked to one another through an unbreakable bond of love.

· The month of November begins with the two days of remembering which give us a chance to recall this – All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  These are days of great hope and love because they invite us to think about how blessed we have been in the family  members and friends who have gone before us.  They have given us so much and taught us so much and these are treasures that are not lost with the passage of time as the first reading reminds us.

· These days also allow us to feel the pain of our loss, something we must do if we are to grieve properly.  We are reminded in the Gospel reading that Jesus asks us to not be afraid to bring our burdens to him.  He knows our pain and wants us to find our peace in him.  These days also encourage us not only to pray for our departed friends but also to pray to them, knowing that through our faith we are linked by a love that never ends.  

· They also remind us of how we in our community might support and encourage one  another at times of suffering and loss.  We are not only a community of faith we are also a community of care and compassion.

Let us pray for those who parted from this life and whose soul continues to live with God.  Let us give thanks for their lives, their gifts and the love we shared.

Please feel free to download or share the prayer service below.