Newsletter- 31st Week of Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners
This weekend we keep the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B and our readings at Mass this weekend invite us to reflect on love, loyalty, and faithfulness. These themes are evident in the commands given in Deuteronomy (First Reading), the eternal priesthood of Jesus in Hebrews (Second Reading) and Jesus’ teaching on the greatest commandments in Mark (Gospel). Our readings this weekend can really help to guide us in our journey of faith.
In Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the people about loving God with all their heart, soul, and strength. This love is shown through loyalty and obedience to God’s commandments. Though the people often fail in their faithfulness, God remains steadfast and never abandons them.
God’s call to love Him is a call to be loyal and faithful. Despite the people’s shortcomings, God continually reaches out to them. This shows us that God’s love is constant and unwavering, even when we fall short. Our response to God’s love should be one of loyalty and faithfulness. We must strive to keep His commandments and put Him first in our lives. This type of love is not just an emotion but an ongoing commitment to follow God.
In Mark, a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds by highlighting the importance of loving God and loving our neighbour. He tells the scribe, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God,” showing that this kind of love is essential for the Kingdom. For the Kingdom of God to flourish, we need to embrace this love that Jesus teaches. It’s a love that looks beyond ourselves and reaches out to others. This love should be evident in our actions and in our personal relationships. Jesus’ emphasis on love as central to the Kingdom challenges us. It calls us to examine our own lives and see how we can better live out this commandment. Through this, we can help build God’s Kingdom here on earth.
Jesus could have focused on many aspects of His nature, such as His wisdom or power. Instead, He emphasizes a faithful and steadfast love. This is the love that He shares perfectly with the Father and calls us to imitate. Jesus shows us that faithful love is at the heart of His Gospel message. This love is constant and does not waver, even in difficult times. It is the kind of love that He has for us and wants us to show to one another. By focusing on this faithful love, Jesus invites us into a deeper relationship with Him and with others. We are called to reflect this love in our daily lives, striving to be faithful in all that we do. This is the love that builds up the community and reflects the heart of Jesus’ teachings.
In Hebrews, we learn about Jesus’ role as our eternal high priest. Unlike the priests of the old covenant who were many and temporary, Jesus’ priesthood is perfect and eternal. He offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, once and for all. Jesus’ eternal priesthood shows us His deep and faithful love for us. He continually intercedes for us, always remaining our advocate before God. This unchanging and steadfast role of Jesus reassures us of His constant care and support. Our response to Jesus’ eternal priesthood should be one of gratitude and faithfulness. We are called to trust in His ongoing work in our lives and to follow His example of sacrificial love. By acknowledging His eternal priesthood, we deepen our understanding of His love and commitment to us.
The readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B remind us of the importance of love, loyalty, and faithfulness. We see these themes in the commandments given in Deuteronomy, the eternal priesthood of Jesus in Hebrews, and the greatest commandments taught by Jesus in Mark. Let us strive this coming week to live out this love in our lives, building up the Kingdom of God through our faithful actions. A simple prayer we might like to pray each day during the week ahead is: “Lord, help us to love You with all our heart, soul, and strength. Guide us to be faithful in our actions and relationships. May we reflect Your steadfast love in our daily lives. Amen.”
November – Month of the Holy Souls.
This Sunday 3rd November – Annual Blessing of Graves – Grantham Cemetery – This Sunday at 2 pm we shall go to the local cemetery for the Blessing of Catholic Graves – I invite you to come and join us there as we offer a simple liturgy of prayer and blessing with holy water of our Catholic graves. A chance to pray for the repose of the souls of family members and friends buried in the cemetery. Please meet promptly at the stone archway as you enter the main cemetery gates at 2 p.m.
‘The Holy Souls – November Dead List’- You will find in the entrance to church the November Dead List Envelopes, and printed sheetsfor writing the names of deceased family members and friends to be included in the envelope with a donation, which can either be given to me personally or dropped through the letter box of the Rectory. The names of your deceased relatives and friends will then be placed in the basket close to the Altar throughout the month of November to be remembered each day at Mass, after which I will divide the names up into special Masses for the intentions of ‘The Holy Souls – November Dead List.’ These Masses will be offered throughout the year.
Remembrance Sunday – 10th November – The Vigil Mass on Saturday 9th November at 6.p.m. will be a Mass for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. On Sunday 10th November our parish Mass at 9.30 a.m. will be a Requiem Mass in anniversario. At this Mass there will be an Act of Remembrance before the Final Blessing, and we shall keep Two Minutes Silence. We offer Mass on this day for all who died in the service of their country and for our freedom in the past two World Wars and all subsequent conflicts since.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week ahead.
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
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