Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Entrance Antiphon (Esther 13:9-11; Ps
118:1)
Cantor:
All things are submitted to your
will, O Lord, and no one can
resist your decisions; you have made
all things, heaven and earth, and
all that is contained under the vault
of the sky; you are the
master of the universe.
( Vs. Blessèd
are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord. )
All: Glory be
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…
**Gloria chant- may
be found on page 9 in the digital missalette**
Psalm Response: The
vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Offertory Antiphon:
There was a man in the land of
Hus whose name was Job,
a
blameless, upright and God fearing man;
Satan asked to be allowed to
tempt him, and the Lord gave him pow’r
over his possessions and his body;
and so, he destroyed his possessions and
his children, and he ravaged his flesh with
horrible sores.
Communion Antiphon:
My soul aspires after your salvation;
I hope in your word;
When will
you judge those who persecute me? The
wicked are persecuting me;
Come to
my assistance, O Lord my God.
Communion Hymn:
Refrain
I receive the living
God, and my heart is full of joy.
I receive the living
God, and my heart is full of joy.
Verses
1. Jesus says: I am the Bread
Sent to you from God Most
High.
Take and eat, and you will live;
You need never fear to die.
2. Jesus says: I am the Vine,
Far from whom no life can
grow.
If you join yourself to me,
A rich harvest you will know.
3. Jesus says: I am the Way,
And my path is straight and
true.
Follow me to where I lead;
There my Father waits for you.
4. Jesus says: I am the Truth.
If you follow close to me,
You will know me in your heart,
And my word will make you free.
5. Jesus says: I am the Life,
Raised in triumph from the
dead.
As one Body now remain,
Members joined to me, the Head.
6. Jesus says: I am the Day,
Shining brightly through your
night.
Welcome me, and you will walk
By the Spirit’s guiding light.
7. Jesus says: I am the Love
Which can bind you close to
me.
Those who know this gift I bring
Will find true community.
8. Jesus says: I am the Peace
Which the world cannot
bestow.
Learn to love and live in me,
And in you my Reign will grow.
9. Jesus says: I am the Lamb,
And my death set sinners
free.
Those who drink the cup I drink
Must take up this work with me.
Text: Vss. 1-3, 5-9,
Bernard Geoffroy, b. 1946; tr. by Ronald F. Krisman, b. 1946
© 2011, GIA
Publications, Inc.; vs. 4, anonymous
Reprinted with
permission under ONE LICENSE #A-700703. All rights reserved.
RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY - BABY BOTTLES - Today marks the
beginning of Respect Life Month. Please read the reflection at the end of this
Flock Note. We invite you to participate in our Baby Bottle Campaign. Bring
home a bottle after Mass and fill it with loose change throughout October.
Return it in November. The money will be used for Respect Life activities here
at St. Columba, including donations to Care Net and Birthright.
CONFIRMATIONS - Bishop Colacicco will be with us Saturday,
October 3 for Confirmations at 10:30 am & 1:30 pm. We are delighted that
our former Pastor will confirm our teens. A reminder that these Liturgies are
not open to the public. Seating by ticket only due to the pandemic. Please pray
for our Confirmandi.
FIRST COMMUNIONS – Our children who were scheduled to
receive First Communion last May will receive the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist
on Saturday, October 17 at 9:30 am & 12:00 noon and on Saturday, October 24
at 9:30am. Due to the pandemic, these Masses are not open to the public as
seating is by ticket only for the safety of all. Please pray for our First
Communicants.
ST. FRANCIS PET BLESSING – Bring your pet this Sunday,
October 4 at 1:30 pm for this annual blessing. We will be on the lawn in front
of the church. Please wear a mask, keep social distance, and ensure that you
can control your pet if needed!
GOD SQUAD YOUTH GROUP – Our High School Youth Group is resuming
with a picnic in the rectory back yard this Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 pm. We
will wear masks, keep social distance, enjoy seeing each other again and plan
for the year. It is by reservation, but if you missed the deadline and still
want to come, call 227-8380 and leave a voicemail for Father Connolly (#15).
PARISH COUNCIL – Meets on Monday, October 5 at 7:00 pm Zoom
Conference.
FINANCE COUNCIL – Meets on Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00 pm
Zoom Conference.
TRI-PARISH LIFE CHAIN – A peaceful reminder of the
sanctity of life. It will take place Saturday, October 10 from 10:00 am to 12
noon along Rt. 82 in front of St. Columba Church. Come for a few minutes or
more: pray, wear a mask, and stay 6 ft apart. Signs will be provided.
AMERICA NEEDS FATIMA ROSARY RALLY – Right after the Life Chain, on
Saturday, October 10 at 12:00 noon, we will join parishes across the country to
pray the Rosary for America. We will beg God and Our Lady to save America from
today’s chaos, immorality, and social upheaval. In 2019 there were 21,145
public rallies. This year St. Columba will join this effort. This is a Public
Rosary so we will stay right on Rt 82 in front of the church. We are giving
witness to our faith. Bring a Rosary. If you forget or do not have one, we will
have a Rosary for you! Wear a mask and keep social distance.
CHURCH
FINANCES – As we finish up the fiscal year report, our accountant indicates
that we ended the fiscal year with at least a $30,000 deficit. A deficit is also
projected for 2020-2021. Indications are that the collection is down about
$1,000 per week which is the cause of the deficit. Appropriate actions now need
to be taken to deal with our financial situation. Our Finance Council will help
us make good decisions. We are most grateful for the many parishioners who are
keeping up with your church contributions. You keep your parish going, together
with all your prayers and your participation. God bless you!
CARDINAL’S APPEAL as of September 18
Goal
- $139,000.00
Pledge
- $95,159.00
Number
of Gifts – 405
Average
Gift - $234.96
Any
gift, large or small, is deeply appreciated!
RENEW AND REBUILD as of September 18
Goal
- $1,709,000.00
Pledged
- $1,758,846.92
Paid
- $1,108,513.03
Many
thank for keeping up with your pledge!
Live the Gospel of Life
Respect Life Reflection
Twenty-five years ago, Pope St. John Paul II wrote that the
Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world (Evangelium
vitae 1). In taking on human flesh, dwelling among us, and sacrificing his
very life for our redemption, Christ reveals the profound dignity of every
human person. This God-given dignity does not change with our stage of life,
abilities, level of independence, or any other varying circumstance.
Rather,
it is rooted in the permanent fact that each of us is made in the image and
likeness of God, created to share in the very life of God himself. The human
person is a “manifestation of God in the world, a sign of his presence, a trace
of his glory” (EV 34). And we must reflect this truth in how we act and how we
treat one another.
The truth of the Gospel of life is at the foundation of who
we are as followers of Christ. In his earthly life, Jesus provided the perfect
model for how we are to love our neighbor and live out the Gospel call: “Truly,
I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did
it to me” (Mt. 25:40).
Jesus calls each of us to “care for the other as a person
for whom God has made us responsible” (EV 87). The Gospel of life is
intrinsic to the whole Christian life and foundational to the decisions we make
on a daily basis. For, “the Gospel of God’s love for man, the Gospel of the
dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a single and indivisible
Gospel” (EV 2, emphasis added).
In his encyclical on the Gospel of life, Pope St. John Paul
II recognizes the full range of threats against human life, from poverty and
malnutrition to murder and war. He places particular emphasis, however, on
threats to life at its beginning and end—precisely when it is most in need of
protection. In modern times, children in their mothers’ wombs and those
approaching the end of their lives are certainly among the “least of these” in
our world’s estimation. Practices such as abortion and assisted suicide
tragically reject the truth that human life is always to be cherished and
defended with loving concern.
As the Church celebrates the 25th anniversary of
Pope St. John Paul II’s prophetic encyclical, let us reflect on how we
personally live out the Gospel: Do I talk about and act towards others as I
would talk about and treat Jesus himself? Do I inform myself of the Church’s
teachings and engage in the civic arena as first a follower of Christ? Do I
support and advocate for laws and policies that protect and defend human life?
Do I help pregnant and parenting mothers in need? Am I ready to support a loved
one nearing death?
Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, may Our
Lord grant us the grace to truly and courageously live his Gospel of life.
