How do you hope and trust in life? How is life celebrated-protected-nurtured... in your household, your family? At your place of work? As we approach the November elections and the selection of leaders on every level of government, how will you reflect this hope and trust in life in choosing your candidates for the various positions of service?
This Sunday, the 5th of October, is celebrated as Respect Life Sunday. Pope Benedict XVI has suggested that "hope and trust in life" serve as this year's theme. To hope in life, to trust in life... these phrases come alive when we remember the foundational truth of our faith: life is pure gift, given by God, who is Love. We hope in this gift and we trust in this gift in the way we care for life, in the way we protect life, in the way we nurture life, in the way we give thanks for the gift of life! Life is pure gift, and human life serves us in reflecting (dimly, as in a mirror) the majesty of God, for we are the image and likeness of the One Lord.How do you hope and trust in life? How is life celebrated-protected-nurtured... in your household, your family? At your place of work? As we approach the November elections and the selection of leaders on every level of government, how will you reflect this hope and trust in life in choosing your candidates for the various positions of service?
At the end of the month and on the weekend before Election Day, we will offer inserts in our Sunday bulletins, to remind every parishioner of our Church's teachings regarding the formation of conscience (according to the revelation of God's will for us) and the absolute truth of the sanctity of life. I urge you to read these inserts, as you seek to do the right thing come Election Day. And what is the right thing? You are a disciple of the Lord Jesus. You have accepted his invitation, to repent of sin and believe in the Good News. You have dedicated yourself, to align your free will to the will of God. The right thing come Election Day is to proclaim that faith in the way you select secular leaders for every level of government. Our Respect Life Ministry will be available on the last weekend of this month, to offer information on our Church's teachings on the "issues of life".
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To hope and to trust in life... is about ALL of life. One dimension of life that suffers from a lack of attention is our interior life... the life of the heart. The scriptures tell us that the Lord Jesus would leave active ministry from time to time, going to a solitary place for prayer. Though he was alone... he was not really alone. In that prayer, he and the Father deepened their relationship in love... for prayer is relationship (the highest form of communication).
We too, from time to time, need to find a place of quiet, to seek the Presence of the Lord in the silence of our own hearts. At most of the Masses this weekend, one of the fine Jesuit priests from Ignatius House will speak to us about prayer, and the Lord's invitation, that we take some time to be alone with God. Hopefully, just like last year, some of you will sign up and join me at Ignatius House for our parish's three-day silent retreat. This retreat begins on Friday evening, the 14th of November and concludes about mid-day, on Sunday the 16th. Please consider this invitation to prayer. Come and see me about it, or contact Ignatius House at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (404-255-0503).
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Finally, a beautiful way to hope and trust in life is to celebrate the gift of life in the joyful and fervent act of worship. How better to "pray the Mass" than to join one of our choirs, to add your voice to that group of voices, making a joyful noise unto the Lord! Please consider this invitation to look at joining one of our choirs.
AMDG
Msgr. David Talley
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