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Get into the ring! How this works...

This is easy! Each week on Thursday I post my homily idea...my main focus for preaching this coming Sunday. What I am hoping for is a reaction from people in the pews. Does my "focus" connect with your daily life, faith, and experience? Or not? Either affirm the direction I am going in (by giving me an example from your life) or challenge me, ask for clarification! Questions are the best! Reaction rather than reflection is what I'm looking for here. Don't be afraid, get in the ring. Ole!



Friday, November 11, 2016

November 13 Homily Prep St. Albert "pray for us"

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Saturday and 11:00am on Sunday

St. Albert the Great, Pray for us!

This intercession is often used at the ends of our prayers here at St. Albert.  I am convinced that 99.9% of us who have used that intercession have intended to intecede with our patron saint, Albert the Great.  This isn't an uncommon practice of the church throughout the ages.  In fact, one of the greatest musical prayers of the church has to be the Litany of the Saints in which we repeatedly invoke the individual saints by name and then pray...."pray for us".

On this year's celebration of St. Albert the Great our patron I am asking us to widen our thoughts about that phrase or prayer  "St. Albert the Great, pray for us".  You see, we are celebrating not only our patron saint, but our parish community.  Beginning this weekend we are introducing a new prayer initative called "Adopt a Friend in Prayer".  Over 450 members of our parish community are preparing to celebrate a Sacrament in this coming year, are serving in the military, or are grieving the death of a loved one.  St. Albert the Great (parish), pray for us"!

We have created seven different prayer cards on which the name of one of these brothers or sisters has been written.  "Adopt a Friend in Prayer" ministry is an opportunity for every member of our parish to adopt at least one of these people and to "pray for us"! We are called in this day and age to offer our parishioners a concrete experience of communion and that experience begins with prayer.  Let's open the doors of our hearts and the doors of our church to these members of our parish who are approaching the the sacraments.  Our prayer for them is a welcoming embrace.

Blessed feastday to all.  St. Albert the Great, pray for us!