My dear friends,
The last Spiritual Work of Mercy is to "pray for the living and the dead." Each November beginning on the 2nd, our Church turns the focus of our prayers to those who have gone before us into Eternal Life, particularly the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As Christians our goal is heaven and we desire that for ourselves and our loved ones. Jesus directs us to pray also for our enemies and to imitate his example of forgiveness while dying on the Cross. Short of the Pope declaring a soul Blessed or a Saint, we find in our faith in Jesus Christ reason to have hope of heaven without presuming or despairing of someone's salvation since only the Lord knows the heart and what purification may remain or be possible before the Beatific Vision of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the reason for our Catholic practice of praying for the dead, requesting a Mass card for someone who just died, and offering sacrifices and indulgences for those who have gone before us.
This, then, is a providential month to open the entire 2022 Mass Intention Book for IHM. It will be done in the following way:Requests for specific intentions (to a maximum of 5 Mass requests at this time) will be accepted both online (the preferred method with offering available) or by written requests to the Rectory, delivered by email to ihmchurch@ihmscarsdale.org, in person or by mail, from Wednesday, November 10th at 10:00 AM until Tuesday, November 16th at 5:00 PM. We will then take a pause to process such requests.All requests during this initial time will be given equal consideration.In 2022 every First Saturday's 8:30 AM Mass will be reserved for parishioners who died in the prior month; November's First Saturday morning Mass will be reserved as usual for the Annual Bereavement Mass.At this time Masses will not be available for specific intentions on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Easter Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day and All Souls' Days.A recap of how to request Mass Intentions and a reminder of when the window begins and ends will be sent out via Flocknote on November 10th.
I am looking forward to welcoming Sr. Paula, SC, back to IHM for her 101st Birthday, this Sunday at the 12:00 noon Mass! The 9:00 AM Family Mass will be all in the main church this Sunday. The Children's Liturgy of the Word will resume next Sunday, November 14th.
Allow me to give a plug to the two-week course on the Second Vatican Council's document on Divine Revelation (including Sacred Scripture) offered below called the Dei Verbum Reading Challenge. The Parish Council has been urging a Bible Study of some kind. This will be a good Catholic foundation of how we understand God speaks to humanity and the way the Scriptures are meant to be interpreted before we implement such an opportunity to discuss and share the Scriptures. It starts Monday!
His Eminence, Cardinal Dolan, has asked that all of the New York priests go on one of three archdiocesan retreats this year. I will be away on this second retreat that will take place at
Huntington Seminary on Long Island starting this Monday, November 8th. Know that I will be praying for all at IHM and I ask for your prayers as well.
Have a blessed Sunday and week!