Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Second Maccabees 7:1-14 Second Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 Luke 20:27-38
Regardless of our reluctance or personal discomfort, the Scripture readings again prompt us to look at life through the lenses of death…hopefully understanding that death is but our limitation at not being able to see what lies beyond once someone has passed through that door. Interestingly, this weekend is the fourth anniversary of our first Masses in our Grand Hall; it was on the first Sunday of November in 2006 when thousands of our family gathered and entered into the Grand Hall for the first time.
Accompanied by much celebration, festive food, beverage and the opportunity for everyone to explore every nook and cranny of our new home; the inauguration of our FIRST permanent structure also set in motion a quiet procession of deaths and births. Not human deaths and births, but a refinement of the ways in which we had always operated. Procedures that had been relaxed and informal suddenly had to become refined and official ‘policy.’ With the influx of new participants within Corpus Christi, the necessity of limits began to intrude on what had previously been a relaxed attitude of ‘always being able to work things out.’
For example, with our sparklingly-fresh space, every group under the sun began seeking the opportunity to use our meeting space or lock their group in for long-term participation. Everything from pilate exercise groups to AA sought locks on our space, to which we have usually responded ‘no’ so that our own ministries and parish events have availability. In the early days it was not unusual for some of our Baptisms to occur within the homes of parishioners; now, with Baptisms occurring quite regularly, while still celebrated individually, they are now necessarily confined to particular days and times…at the Baptismal Font in the Grand Hall…simply due to demand and availability of space and priest.
With the embrace of the permanent structure, our informal customs associated with leased/rented schools or interim facilities had to ‘die’ and be replaced with our present way of living parish life. New customs have emerged, new traditions continue to energize us, but in these November days as we anticipate Thanksgiving, it is a good and holy task to look back and consider the changes not just in the life of the parish but within our own lives as well. Infants become toddlers who become teens who become men and women…and with each transition there is a sort of ‘dieing’ so that something/someone new can be embraced. Gainful employment leads to retirement and with the ‘Golden Years’ comes a whole new way of living life and seeking one’s fulfillment.
While you may not have used the concept of ‘death and birth’ to consider your own life changes…some honest reflection might give pause…some of the changes in life are wrenching, painful, death-like. In the same way, usually understood best with hindsight, some of the new starts and fresh beginnings in life are just as real as the birth of a child. What have been yours? Are there things you remember doing that you can no longer do? Are there things that have come into your life that you never dreamed possible when you were younger? Life and death, death and life….these are good days to consider things from which we ordinarily shy.
Happy Fourth Anniversary of our Grand Hall! Welcome amongst us as we slowly start to bring this Liturgical year to its close. There are but three weekends remaining before we start all over again with ADVENT…and along with the rush of the Church calendar comes the rush of our own personal events and celebrations. The Bulletin has a wide array of information regarding upcoming events, particularly our parish Thanksgiving Dinner on Monday, November 22nd.
Please take a copy home with you for your careful perusal. CONCERN Third World Hand Arts/Crafts is available outside after all the Masses this weekend, please enjoy checking out their gift selections. As we begin to rummage in our garages and storage closets to uncover our Thanksgiving platters and holiday decorations, remember, you are loved. FKB
