Church of the Home for Saturday, November 5

Updated: Oct 30

Faithful Citizenship

Election Day is Tuesday. In the current climate of political polarization, it's time more than ever to take to heart Pope Francis's words of seeking “a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good.”

We are called to work together to find solutions to the issues of our nation and world. We may not always agree but it is possible to respect different points of view on the issues or candidates. Disagreements on specific matters can happen without malice and bitterness.

As Catholics, we take to heart Jesus’ invitation to follow the example of the Good Samaritan, who challenges us to “become neighbors to all.” Let us be examples of how we can listen to each other for better understanding and seek truth together.

10 tips on dialogue from Pope Francis: a challenge to families…and candidates?

5 Tips from Pope Francis for "a Better Kind of Politics"

Faithful Citizenship within your Church of the Home

The USCCB states: "The most important place to share and reflect on this message is in our families. While it's always a challenge to use a statement like Faithful Citizenship—so obviously written to an adult audience—within a family context, it's worth the challenge! Civic responsibility starts with the adults in the family."

Activities for your Church of the Home from the USCCB:

Reflect as a Church of the Home.
- What kinds of leaders does our society need? For what should they stand and how should they lead?
- Why do the bishops encourage all Catholics, whether able to vote or not, to be involved in political life? What are other ways, in addition to voting, that you can be involved in advocacy for important issues?

Have a family night on "citizenship": Choose one or two issues from the statement that are of particular interest to your family. For example, if you have an aging relative in a nursing home, you may want to pick health care or Medicare reform as your issue to discuss. If you know someone who has been a victim of crime, you might focus on handgun legislation. Make a list of how this issue does or could affect your family. Develop a family statement that summarizes your view on the issue. Write this statement in a letter you send to one of the candidates, inviting their comments. End the evening with "patriotic sundaes": vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry and blueberry syrup or with the berries, if available.

Identify some heroes—people who have taken a stand on these issues—whom your family could learn more about. Blessed Theresa of Calcutta, Blessed Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez, and Gandhi are some well known examples of heroes, but you can probably find a number of local heroes as well.

With older children, reflect and act on The Call to Family, Community and Participation by using the CST 101 video on this topic.

Prayer Before an Election

Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city/state/country, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community. We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty. We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, Men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender. We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Vocation Awareness Week

God calls each of us to a particular vocation in life.

The Catholic Church defines both particular vocations as states of life including marriage, religious life, and priesthood, as well as a general vocation of all baptized believers.

National Vocation Awareness Week, celebrated November 6-12, 2022, is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.

Many Callings

A person can have many different callings in life. A person can have a calling to many types of vocations such as marriage, fatherhood, and a certain occupation. Everything we do should be ordered toward discerning and responding to the will of God. We do this in many ways:

Discerning our primary vocation (marriage, priesthood, religious life, etc.)
Discerning our particular vocation (whom to marry, etc.)
Following God’s will for our relationships
Avoiding sin and seeking to examine our conscience to discern where we are falling short and where we are responding to grace
Seeking to understand how God wants us to respond to the world

Each vocation requires some sacrifice in the service of others. Through serving others, we act as God to others and we become more and more like Christ each day. While we might fall short of what God desires for us, God still calls us to faithfully live our vocations in the hope that we will be with God in heaven some day.

What Now? 3 Ways to Discover Your Vocation

‘How Do I Serve the Church as a Lay Person?’

5 Ways to Embrace Your Vocation as a Grandparent

Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.

READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES

Sunday Readings

Scripture Reflection by Roger Vanden Busch

Sunday Connection from Loyola Press

VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION

It helps to find practical and real examples of people who have made a difference in the world. What are the stories of people that inspire you to live your faith? Join Fr Paul as he reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.