Beloved friends in Christ,
Generous giving. These words aptly describe the two widows we encounter in our liturgy of the word this Sunday. "Reckless," generous giving perhaps captures the sacrificial nature of these poor women's giving to God's mission. The Zarephath widow's sacrificial giving of "a handful of flour in her jar and a little oil in her jug to Elijah (1 King 17: 10-16) in the time of biting scarcity is a testimony to her faith in God and detachment. Likewise, the poor widow who contributed all her livelihood and life to the treasury (Mark 12: 38-44) teaches us poverty in spirit and trust in God. Detachment, trust in divine providence, stewardship, and faith are the lessons these women teach us today.
I can testify that our parishioners have imbibed this lesson of generous giving and good stewardship of their treasure, talent, and time in several ways. One indication of my optimistic view of the generosity of our parishioners is the response I have received from you in my pleas to contribute towards the parish DAC 2024 goal of $83,106.68. We have not only met our goal, we have exceeded it! As of October 31, 2024, we have received gifts of $86,931.51, and I believe more are still coming! The good news is that the Diocese returns the money to our parish without tax. These monies will be put into the support of our parish ministries. An exciting aspect of the giving is the percentage of parishioners who have given so far: 178 of 760 households (23.42% participation rate). This percentage could be better, but it is still good when viewed in the context of participation in DAC across the Diocese.
At this point, I want to thank donors for their generous giving to me and the parish. I will eventually give more extensive details, but at this point, a huge thanks to my ever-reliable and supportive CCW and Men's Club members. Thank you for your labor of love in the name of the parish. Other parish societies and individuals have gone beyond the norm to give their treasure, time, and talent. Thank you. I will be extending further words of appreciation to you. Like the woman who never ran out of flour and oil, may you never run out of spiritual and material blessings.
Thanks to all who turned out for Eucharistic adoration on Monday night to pray for vocation and a peaceful election. I was impressed at the number of people in attendance; such should be the norm, not the exception. I know God has heard our prayers and continues to act in our lives. The election has come and gone, and may God's will continue to be. Meanwhile, we must continue to pray and love as Christ instructed us.
Please continue to offer suffrages for the souls in purgatory. November is the month dedicated explicitly to this holy and charitable act. Remember to pray at mass for the departed faithful and offer your penances and works of charity for this intention. We recently lost one of our precious parishioners, Michael Vertucci. Please pray for the repose of his souls and those of all the faithful departed of our parish.
Let's stay positive, generous, and loving. Let's be Christlike in all we do.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
Generous giving. These words aptly describe the two widows we encounter in our liturgy of the word this Sunday. "Reckless," generous giving perhaps captures the sacrificial nature of these poor women's giving to God's mission. The Zarephath widow's sacrificial giving of "a handful of flour in her jar and a little oil in her jug to Elijah (1 King 17: 10-16) in the time of biting scarcity is a testimony to her faith in God and detachment. Likewise, the poor widow who contributed all her livelihood and life to the treasury (Mark 12: 38-44) teaches us poverty in spirit and trust in God. Detachment, trust in divine providence, stewardship, and faith are the lessons these women teach us today.
I can testify that our parishioners have imbibed this lesson of generous giving and good stewardship of their treasure, talent, and time in several ways. One indication of my optimistic view of the generosity of our parishioners is the response I have received from you in my pleas to contribute towards the parish DAC 2024 goal of $83,106.68. We have not only met our goal, we have exceeded it! As of October 31, 2024, we have received gifts of $86,931.51, and I believe more are still coming! The good news is that the Diocese returns the money to our parish without tax. These monies will be put into the support of our parish ministries. An exciting aspect of the giving is the percentage of parishioners who have given so far: 178 of 760 households (23.42% participation rate). This percentage could be better, but it is still good when viewed in the context of participation in DAC across the Diocese.
At this point, I want to thank donors for their generous giving to me and the parish. I will eventually give more extensive details, but at this point, a huge thanks to my ever-reliable and supportive CCW and Men's Club members. Thank you for your labor of love in the name of the parish. Other parish societies and individuals have gone beyond the norm to give their treasure, time, and talent. Thank you. I will be extending further words of appreciation to you. Like the woman who never ran out of flour and oil, may you never run out of spiritual and material blessings.
Thanks to all who turned out for Eucharistic adoration on Monday night to pray for vocation and a peaceful election. I was impressed at the number of people in attendance; such should be the norm, not the exception. I know God has heard our prayers and continues to act in our lives. The election has come and gone, and may God's will continue to be. Meanwhile, we must continue to pray and love as Christ instructed us.
Please continue to offer suffrages for the souls in purgatory. November is the month dedicated explicitly to this holy and charitable act. Remember to pray at mass for the departed faithful and offer your penances and works of charity for this intention. We recently lost one of our precious parishioners, Michael Vertucci. Please pray for the repose of his souls and those of all the faithful departed of our parish.
Let's stay positive, generous, and loving. Let's be Christlike in all we do.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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