This weekend we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time which means that we are quickly coming to the end of the Church’s liturgical year. Advent is just "around the corner". But our readings point to more than just the end of the year—they direct our minds to the end—the big One—and the readings this weekend are difficult to hear as they provide for a great deal of fear and anxiety.

In the first reading from Daniel (12:1-3) we are told that "…it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began…Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace…But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever." In today’s Gospel of Mark (13:24-32) we hear Jesus tell His disciples that "…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shine its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken…" Depending on where you think you stand in that "judgment line," the images offered do indeed bring to mind some fearful thoughts about eternity. I remember as a little boy, around the age of 8 or so, hanging upside down at the foot of my bed and wondering what "forever" meant and considering what heaven or hell would be like. In those days, the images given to even little children were not as "warm and fuzzy" as today’s children hear. We were told about "eternal damnation" and the "pains of hell" – helping to keep us in line and a bit more respectful I suppose. But as I would hang off my bed I would dream up images of hell – spiders and snakes, fiery pits (thank you, Sister Mary Helen!) forever and then I would be good for an hour or so…

It is true that Catholics believe that the end times will include our final judgment by Christ. Today’s first reading from Daniel and the Gospel of Mark offer the reality of Christ as Judge of all Creation, and us as the created, but there is also a second image that we cannot fail to recognize and trust in: the image of the second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:11-14, 18) where we are told of the perfect sacrifice, once and for all, of the One sent from God. And when He takes His seat at the right hand of God this one offering is mercy and love, something that we all might take hold of and help us to better understand the images found in today’s accounts from Daniel and Mark.

The question for us today is "how do we as sinners rec-oncile our fears and anxieties with the mercy and forgiveness of God so that we might stand before the Lord not confident in our-selves but rather confident in His Mercy? The Lord tells us in the Gospel not to worry about the "when," the "where" and the "how" of the final judgment, rather He wants us to be sure of the fact that it will happen "and that we must be prepared, "…learning a lesson from the fig tree..," a lesson of preparedness. Let’s consider this great analogy: a young teenager out with friends on a Friday night is en route home and comes upon a mandatory sobriety road check. Usually when a driver is pulled over fear runs through them. But this particular teenager makes it through the police check point without incident. Upon arriving home late, her parents ask her why she is beyond the curfew and she tells them about the police. Asked if she was afraid, she tells her father "No, not at all. I hadn’t been drinking! What’s to fear?" This is not to say we have nothing to fear as if we lead a sinless existence. Rather, what we are to take from these readings is that we shouldn’t feel as though our salvation depends on us laying claim to our own goodness but that in trying our best to follow the Will of God in our lives—we can lay claim to God’s ultimate Mercy to welcome us into the Kingdom of Heaven. The moral of the lesson is to study and understand the Word of God in Sacred Scripture, to practice our faith each and every day as best as we can, to partake in the Sacraments of the Church which were given to us by Christ for our nourishment and strength so that we may accomplish His Will in our human lives. Always remembering that God knows our humanity, which Christ shares in, and has given us His gift of Faith and Church so that we may one day be judged by Him according to His plan of salvation.

Like the teenage driver who did nothing wrong that night, let us be confident in God’s power to provide for us the ability to see His Will in our lives and to live it out as best as humanly possible. He does not expect perfection on our part—for that would require a confidence we cannot muster up—but rather He requires only that we seek to do His Will in our lives by the power of His Grace. Let us be confident in God’s Mercy…that we will be the ones who shine forever. Let us do our best today to lead others to justice by what we say and do.

Preparing for winter. With the coming onset of Advent, winter is close by too. Here in the parish we are working on some issues with the heating system in the parish center. In the last two years we have been working with a few different HVAC providers. It is a very high tech and elaborate heating and air conditioning system and, unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to provide the appropriate service. Add to that the fact that since it was built there was no service performed on the system. Each year belts, wires and parts need to be serviced and replaced. We are in the midst of ordering some new parts so that the dual heating and air systems will both be up to excellent and efficient working condition. Right now we are operating on half the heating system. A new service provider, New England Mechanical, seems to have a very good hold on what is going on and what needs to be done. It is my hope that very soon we will have both the Pilot System and the IVUE System fully operational and have better control of the entire system and hopefully allow for more efficient use of utilities. I want to thank the Building and Grounds Committee for all their help and in a particular way thank Dr. Phil DePasquale for his many hours of attention to this matter. Also you will see that the outside doors to the parish center are being repaired. We have to thank James DePasquale for this great work as he prepares to become an Eagle Scout. Mike Grappone, our part time facilities maintenance person, is keeping the property looking great. He has been clearing out some of the overgrown brush along the property lines as well as overseeing the entire inside of the buildings. I also want to thank all the wonderful individuals who have helped to maintain the church and rectory property over the summer. Those who planted flowers and kept up with the weeding and watering all summer long certainly made sure that the property was beautiful. I received many nice comments not only from parishioners but also from our neighbors. Thanks to all for all that you do!

Do you have old magazines lying around the house that you’d like to get rid of?
Please deposit them in the box marked “magazine collection” in the atrium and vestibule
for the next two weeks. The High School Youth Group will use them for a project.

Members of the St. Catherine’s community will be preparing and serving dinner for residents of
St. Elizabeth House in Hartford on Sunday, November 22nd. If you would like to help by preparing or providing part of the meal or join us in serving it, please sign up in the atrium. Donated items should be at the church by 3:45PM on Sunday, Nov. 22nd. We will leave church by 4PM and return by 6:15PM. Please call Pat or Bill Walsh @ 658-2606 with any questions.

Thank you to everyone who attended and/or made a donation! Our goal was $6,000 and we have netted a
little over $4,500. Therefore, we are $1,500 short of our annual goal. If you haven’t had a chance to help out, we are still accepting donations. Please write a check to “St. Catherine of Siena, Feed the Hungry” and mail it to Maureen Jessen, 52 Old Stone Crossing, West Simsbury, CT 06092.

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who helped set up, cook, serve, clean up, bake cookies and/or donated supplies. Your hard work was overwhelming!

SUNDAY, NOV. 22nd All parishioners are invited to the 2nd Annual Advent Wreath Making Party on
Sunday, November 22nd, at 1PM in Russell Hall. Supplies will be provided for you and your family to assemble an Advent Wreath for your home. Advent begins November 29th and Fr. Whyte will be on hand for a blessing at the end of this fun event. Come with friends and meet new ones. Please sign up in the atrium or vestibule to attend, bring a dessert or munchies. Drinks will be provided. If you have any questions, please call Karen or Rich Sickinger @ 408-1295 or sickfam@comcast.net.