Fr Xavier Writes 29th October 2023
It’s indeed a great privilege for me to get in touch with all my people through this media of newsletters and I regard this as a God-given opportunity. Many blessings and abundant grace to you as we are nearing the Feast of All Saints. It’s rather a festival of obligation and Faith because we celebrate the countless millions who, down through the centuries, have gone to God. In them we are given the glimpse of our future. They took their faith seriously and toiled and suffered to complete the task that God had given them, where only few held some positions in the church and others went unnoticed even in their communities. They lived their faith maybe in an unspectacular manner, as parents, partners in life and executors of important commitments, struggling to make ends meet. In their hard times too, they managed to keep their sights on the living God, that he would work all things for the good.
Through this Feast Saints are put before us for our imitation, to show us the way and point out the path we have to travel. We also need human faces and firm friends to help us in our search for God. Their exemplary lives encourage us and keep us buoyed up, telling us that our future is with God. What they left us is that our glorious future should be worked out here on earth and the necessary grace is given to us to achieve it. This Feast of All Saints Day gives us courage to renew our resolve and to thank God for giving ordinary people like us the ability to become saints. Let us pray that where they are we also may one day be.
We have another important day of All Souls Day, on 2nd November, that somehow pulls us together because we are sentimentally attached to our parents, family members, friends, relatives and parish communities. They may be nearing the pearl gates of Heaven but need some reparations so that they become worthy. Hence, we, as their near and dear ones, have the obligation to pray and offer some good works that they are made worthy.
I would like to remind you all that as responsible people of God let us observe the day of obligation on All Saints Day and attend Masses on All Souls Day as well, that is 10 am and 6.30 pm on both days. I also want to give advance notice that the Blessing of Graves at Hills Cemetery will be at 3pm on Sunday 5th November. May I kindly request all the parishioners to participate and pray for all deceased people of our families and parish.
Wishing you all a pleasant week of Heavenly Glory.
