Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe that was established in 1921 by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical letter Quas Primas. The Pope connected the increasing denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism throughout Europe. At that time many Christians began doubting Christ’s existence and authority as well as the Church’s power to continue Christ’s authority.

In the present, we face very similar problems with Christ’s and the Church’s authority. Individualism has reached such an extreme that for numerous people the only authority is the individual self. Many people do not acknowledge that rejecting Christ they reject themselves too because by His incarnation Christ has been united with every human being.

In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that His kingdom is not from this world. This means that we ought to fix our eyes more upon heaven that here below, so that walking on earth we may see this celestial horizon of everlasting life in the kingdom of God.

This week concludes the liturgical year. Next Sunday we begin the new liturgical year with the 1st Sunday of Advent.

This Friday, November 30th, we observe the Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle. He was a brother of St. Peter. In the Gospel of St. John, we read that Andrew first recognized Jesus as the Messiah and then brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. Tradition says that Andrew preached the Gospel along the Black Sea and the Dnieper river as far as Kiev. Hence, he became a patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. Andrew is as well said to found the episcopal see of Byzantium (Constantinople, Istanbul), so he is also recognized as the patron saint of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The iconography pictures St. Andrew crucified on a x-shaped cross, now commonly known as St. Andrew’s Cross.

Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, rule over us!

God bless,

Fr. Peter

Continuing with our “Let’s Talk About Our Faith” Series presented by Father Peter Jurzyk

The next meeting in the series will discuss Holy Matrimony, how it differs from civil union, and what the church teaches about the Sacrament of Marriage.

When: November 16th at 7:00 p.m.

Where: St. Lawrence Church Hall

The month of November is dedicated to our departed brothers and sisters. First we rejoice at the celestial glory of those who have already entered the heavenly kingdom and then we pray for those who are waiting for admittance. Therefore, we can hear that the faithful throughout the Universal Church pray for the souls in Purgatory. According to our Catholic faith we believe in four stages of the end of our earthly lives: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1005, 1013) reminds us that to rise in Christ we must die with Christ and that death is the end of man’s earthly pilgrimage. (…) When the single course of our earthly life is completed we shall not return to other earthly lives: “It is appointed for men to die once.” There is no “reincarnation” after death.

Catholic theology regards Purgatory is a state of cleansing and preparation for heaven. Only those with unremitted venial sins may enter Purgatory. Unconfessed or unrepented mortal sin is considered damnable. Until we are pilgrims on this earth we may pray for ourselves and for others both the living and the dead. Yet, when the course of our earthly life is completed we can’t help ourselves with prayers and we are in need of prayerful help of others. Our faith in the everlasting life, which we profess each Sunday during a Mass, encourages us to pray for our departed brothers and sisters so that they may be admitted to the kingdom of God. The prayer for the deceased has been in the core of the liturgy of the Church since her beginning. During each Mass in the Eucharistic Prayer the priest on behalf of the whole congregation prays for those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. Let us keep our love ones in our prayers!

This Friday, November 9th, we observe the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This feast reminds us of our unity with the Holy Father as the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church marking the day of the dedication of his cathedral. Many mistakenly think that the St. Peter’s Basilica is the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome but actually it is the Lateran Basilica that officially is named The Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the Lateran.

Let us keep Pope Francis in our prayers!

God bless,

Fr. Peter

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice – the entrance antiphon of the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time reminds us that we may find true joy while searching for the Lord. He is a source of authentic joy and happiness even if one experiences trouble. In the same spirit of the joy, the entrance antiphon for the Solemnity of All Saints speaks to us: Let us all rejoice in the Lord. This liturgical exhortation invites us to taste the heavenly joy of the saints.

Annually, on the first two days of November the Universal Church celebrates All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. The first feast is officially named the Solemnity of All Saints and it was established first for the local Church in Rome in the 8th century and in the next century it was extended to be celebrated by the Universal Church. On this day we honour all the saints, those formally recognized, those whose names remain unknown, and the baptized of every epoch and nation who enjoy the heavenly glory. The liturgy of this solemnity urges us to raise our eyes towards heaven and inflame our hearts with a desire for holiness. Our Lord wants us to be holy as the Father in heaven is holy, so we should generously respond, as the saints did, to this divine calling for holiness.
On November 2nd celebrating the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed we pray for all our sisters and brothers who completed their earthly pilgrimage and are waiting for admittance to God’s glory. It is our duty to remember them and help them with our prayers and self-denials to get in the kingdom of heaven. One day we will be in the same situation asking others for that same spiritual support.

This Saturday, as on the first Saturday of the month, we honour the Immaculate Heart of Mary with a Mass at 10 am.
Pope Francis encourages us to pray during the month of November for the following intention: That the language of love and dialogue may always prevail over the language of conflict.
All holy men and women pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

Screening and Discussion – In honour of both St. Faustina and Pope John Paul II, on Saturday Oct 20th at 7pm there will be a screening of Faustina in the church hall. Foustina is a 1995 Polish film directed by Jerzy Łukaszewicz about Blessed Sister Faustina Kowalska, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.