St. Mary's at 1115 Pearl St., Anderson, IN 46016 US - Nov. 22, 2009

            This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King.  That means several things.  First of all, it is the last week of the Liturgical Year.  (Where did it all go?)  Also it means we begin the Season of Advent next Sunday.  Catechumens and candidates for full communion always find Advent most interesting and a welcome alternative to what the culture puts forward at this time of year.  We’ll hear more of this in the Advent weeks to come.

            Thanksgiving Day is always a kind of watershed day.  Many think of it as a holy day of obligation (to come to Mass) but it isn’t.  But the Eucharist, the perfect prayer of thanksgiving, is heartily recommended.  Check the Mass schedule.  The secular celebration of Thanksgiving focuses on material wealth and agricultural productivity.  This is all well and good.  However in our liturgical celebration (of the Eucharist), our primary reason for thanksgiving is the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ, God’s perfect gift to us, which we in turn are privileged to offer to God.  As the First Eucharistic Prayer for Children says, ?We bring you bread and wine and ask you to send your Holy spirit to make these gifts the body and blood of Jesus your Son.  Then we can offer to you what you have given to us.” (Italics mine).  See you Thursday for Mass?

            The Sunday cycle of readings has already said farewell to the Gospel of Mark.  In the new Liturgical Year we will welcome Luke’s gospel.  Quite a change stylistically.  For those of you who consult the commentaries on the scriptures, now is a good time to get a jump on it.  Both parish libraries have good reading materials down this line.

            With the naming of a new bishop, Kevin Rhoades, to succeed Bishop John D’Arcy in the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, it is speculated that our number is coming up soon.  Of course, no one really knows outside of a very small circle.  Our bishop, Anderson native William Higi, will be retiring and he plans to do so in Lafayette where he has spent the overwhelming majority of his years since being ordained a priest.  The present system requires bishops to submit their letter of resignation to the pope on their 75th birthday.  Bishop Higi is now 76 and they still haven’t named a successor.  Wouldn’t you say it looks imminent?

            One of our seminarians, Dominic Petan, is undergoing treatment for cancer.  He is from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Carmel and is continuing his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary (200 Hill Dr., St. Meinrad, IN 47577-1301).  Please keep him in your prayers and feel free to drop him a card to that effect.  Blessings on him, and on all of you!

            Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!

RLW