St. Boniface Catholic
by Sue Beams

On the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, members of St. Boniface learned that `the prayer of the lowly' is willing and speedily heard by God. In the Gospel, Jesus addressed the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The tax collector realized that he is a sinner and his only hope is in God. On the other hand, the Pharisee was self-righteous. He reminded our Heavenly Father of his good works and fully expected reward. In his homily, Fr. Jesse advised that we should fashion our prayers as the Tax Collector, who didn't even dare ask for mercy. We are saved through Christ, Jesus.

If, indeed we could earn our own reward, Jesus would not have had to die for us. We are spinning our wheels trying to earn heaven on our own merits. In John 3:16 we find the truth. Praise God!

When we exercise our faith, we can rejoice in our intimate favor with Jesus. We pray, knowing that by His death and Resurrection He has redeemed us! Not by anything we can do on our own. We ask His help in living by that faith today and every day!

Following the Eucharist, we heard a taped message from Bishop Corrada in regards to the annual Bishop's Appeal. The theme this year is "To Love as I Have Loved You." Catholics in the Diocese of Tyler were asked to give generously to the appeal. In his address, Bishop Corrada reminded us that as Disciples of Christ, we must include prayer, fasting and almsgiving in our lives.

Each year the Bishop's appeal collects fund through the generosity of Catholics for various financial needs throughout the Diocese of Tyler.

On Thursday, November 1, 2007, in commemoration of the Solemnity of All Saints, there will be recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:30 pm with Mass to follow at 7pm. Friday, November 2, 2007, is All Soul's Day and First Friday. There will be two Eucharistic Celebrations on that day. The first Mass will be at 9:00 am. The First Friday Adoration begins at 6pm with Mass following at 7pm. There are envelopes available for Intentions.

The Annual St. Boniface Thanksgiving dinner will be held Sunday, November 11 at 4pm in the community room. Sign-up sheets are there for your convenience. Please make plans to attend. St. Boniface will provide the turkey and members are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share with at least 10 others! Please use the sign-up sheets so we can get an estimate of how many to plan for. We also will need help setting up and cleaning up. If interested, please see any one of the ladies of the Altar Society who is sponsoring this event.

The next meeting of the Pastoral Council is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6 following the evening Mass which is celebrated at 6:00 pm. All Apostolic Group leaders are urged to attend.

In order to get information out to parishioners in a timely manner, there are several resources available. Please check your weekly bulletin for upcoming events. Also, from time to time, read the information on the bulletin board in the community room. There is also a table in the back of church with envelopes for Mass Intentions, special collections, etc. It is my hope that information found in this column will also be helpful. Check these resources often.

Congratulations and best wishes to all who are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. May God the Father comfort those who are sick and suffering. Remember, too, the faithful departed: May they rest in peace. We ask for continued prayer for those selfless men and women in the armed services who bravely defend and protect us.

Have a Blessed week!