At the start of Advent, Holy Family will host 40 Hours with Mary waiting for Jesus. This 40-Hours Devotion from Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 5 will invite us to pause, reflect, and patiently pray with Mary for the coming joys of Christ’s birth. The Forty Hours Devotion is a special forty-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. It is an older custom in the Church for parishes to have periodic 40-hours devotions. The number forty has always signified a sacred period of time: the rains during the time of Noah lasted 40 days and nights; the Jews wandered through the desert for 40 years, our Lord fasted and prayed for 40 days before beginning His public ministry. The 40 Hours Devotion remembers that traditional “forty-hour period” from our Lord’s burial until the resurrection. As we look to Advent, the number 40 plays another important part – 40 weeks of a standard pregnancy. The conclusion of which in Advent is the wondrous Feast of Christmas. The ProLife – ProChild – ProWoman – ProFamily movement have hosted 40 Days for Life events. Our particular 40-hours devotion and prayer will center upon the ProLife event of Jesus’ birth. The greatest of all lives and gifts, born from the most wonderful of all women, Mary.
Solemnity of All Saints is on Monday this year. As such, it is still a Holy Day, but not an obligatory Holy Day. Holy Family will have a Mass to honor all the Saints on Monday, Nov 1 at 6p. Let us gather to be inspired and encouraged by the Goodness and Grace of God in those faithful Saints who have proceeded us and pray for us to join them forever in heaven with the Triune God.
Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed will be celebrated with Mass on Tuesday, Nov 2 at 6p. We will have a reading of the names of those we’ve lost from Holy Family at the Mass. There will also be a Book of Commemoration for parishioners and congregants to enter the names of their own beloved dead. We will lift them up in a special way in prayer during the Month of November.
Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
May the souls of all the faithful departed
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen
Next weekend, Nov 6-7, is the annual pledge weekend for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis United Catholic Appeal. You should receive a pledge card and brochure in the mail. Please prayerfully discern how God is calling you to support the UCA and bring the completed pledge card with you to any of the Mass next weekend.
Even with the pandemic in the past year, Holy Family continued its strong reputation of UCA support. Last year 29% of the parish households made a pledge and the parish contributed 135% of our goal. Holy Family’s local goal for this year is $72,175. I’m confident we will meet and exceed our goal once again. Thank you for your faithful support and contributions.
I encourage every household to make a contribution, while I expect every household to submit a pledge card. Even if at this time, you cannot make a financial contribution or pledge to the UCA, please return your pledge card with a zero, as that helps the parish participation rate. I’ve already made a pledge, and I invite you to do the same.
Holy Family, Always close to Mary, Pray for us.
~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries