HOLY FAMILY PARISH312 Tazewell Avenue, Tazewell, VA 24651 (276) 988-4626 • www.holyfamilyva.com

email: theword1875@verizon.net

ST. THERESA’S312 Tazewell Ave. Tazewell,VA 24651

ST. ELIZABETH’S 160 Merrick Lane

Pocahontas, VA 24635

ST. MARY’S 1122 Farmer Street

Richlands, VA 24641

ST. JOSEPH’S 1007 Independence Rd.

Grundy, VA 24614

OCTOBER 6, 2019 – 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

pastor’s notes

On June 30, 1859, a French man called Charles Blon-din became the first person

to cross a tightrope stretched across Niagara Falls at the border between Canada and the United States. That was not all. Blondin walked across the 160 feet above the gorge several times and each time he displayed a remarkable feat. He once crossed on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark and blindfolded. At another time, he crossed with a stove and even made an omelette while walking the tightrope. In fact, he became the greatest funambulist of his day and age.

On one occasion, Blondin asked the crowd that gathered if they believed that he could cross the tightrope with a wheelbarrow and the answer was a resounding “YES!” He further requested if anyone would get into the wheelbarrow, but nobody did.

Blondin later said to the crowd: “You all believe I can cross the tightrope with the wheelbarrow, but nobody believes we can do it together.” Faith is not just a noun; it is also a verb—a doing word!

On December 4, 1982, a male child was born to a family in Melbourne Australia. Without prior medical warning or explanation, the child was born without arms and legs. While growing up, Nick Vujicic (pronounced “Vooycheech”) could not understand why he was differ-ent from other kids. He struggled with depression but later faithed his condition by accepting it as God’s will and refused to be deterred by it.

Nick discovered and exploited “ability” in his disability. He could do practically everything any normal person could do including driving, swimming, playing golf and soccer, writing, typing, and many other things. Most of all, Nick rose to become one of the remark-able personalities of our time. He has travelled to over 57 countries to deliver inspirational talks. He has written many books and even became a New York Times Best Selling Author. He got married to Kanae in 2012, and they have two sons. Your attitude determines your altitude; faith is an attitude!

Today we are reflecting on faith. It is a gift from God; in fact, a super-natural gift (Eph. 2:8). Furthermore,

the letter to Hebrews (Heb. 11:1) defines faith as, “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen!” From the above, we have a comprehensive under-standing of faith, not just faith in God. We all have faith as a facility in us, though most of us fail to faith it when the occasion calls for it. Faith characterizes our sleeping and rising and our going out and coming back. The Catechism of the Catholic Church goes further to state that:

Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by Him. “Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth (CCC.153).

From the statement above, we discover that there is a difference between faith as a supernatural virtue (gift) and faith as a religious creed—for instance, the Chris-tian Faith. It is thus not enough to belong to a faith tradition; there is a need to exercise or faith our faith. It is based on this background that we are today reflecting on faithing it to make it!

In the Gospel today (Luke 17:5-10), the apostles asked our Lord Jesus Christ for a faith increment. Their Fr. Eric Anokye

FAITH IT AND YOU WILL MAKE ITY O U R AT T I T U D E D E T E R M I N E S Y O U R A LT I T U D E !

request was direct and purposeful. They could have been experiencing challenges in their new vocation as followers of Christ. We recall that before this time our Lord Jesus Christ was discontent about their little faith (Matt. 8:26; Matt. 16:8; Matt. 22:31). In all these instances, he did not say they lacked faith but spoke about their low-range or unfaithed faith.

In response to their request, our Lord used a phenomenon within their environment to demonstrate what faith is all about and how it can be faithed. He told them that if they could have faith as little as the size of a mustard seed, they could give a command to a sycamore tree to be uprooted and be planted in the sea and it would happen.

Let us pay attention here. Our Lord said if their faith could be as little as a grain of mustard seed it could avail much. Mustard seed is known to be the smallest grain which eventually grows into a big tree. This means that faith is useful

not on account of its size but due to its activation. Hence, our Lord was telling them that it is not all about increasing your faith, but it is all about activating the one you already have.

It may also be good for us to double check why our Lord used the allu-sion of uprooting a sycamore tree and planting it in the sea. Sycamore trees (ficus sycomorus) were very important at the time. They are short trees of about five meters and were found along the streets

in Israel and by the Nile in Egypt.They grow on the ground (and not on water) and to have one uprooted by mere words and planted in the sea would be unimaginable; this is only possible by faith. Our Lord was only confirming that faith in God brings about the occurrence of unbelievable things.

The next instruction was about a servant attending to the master first before attending to himself. On the face value, it seemed to deviate from the theme of faith. But on a closer look, we discover that our Lord was still talking about faith showing itself in action. Our Lord used the narrative to show the actionability of faith through ser-vice. This means that faith which is potent in us can be activated when we put ourselves into divine service.

The Christian life is worthless without faith. The letter to the Hebrews (11:6) instructs that it is impossible to please God without faith. We have this demonstrated through most people who had close

contact and connection with God, for instance: Abel, Noah, Abra-ham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, David Samuel and the prophets (Heb. 11:4-32).

Many have people have not been able to activate their faith because of doubt, which makes it difficult to faith it.The First Reading (Habak-kuk 1.2-3;”:2-4) ended by telling us that the righteous live by faith (not by fear). St. Paul would corroborate this by telling us that we live by

PASTORFr. Eric Anokye eanokye@richmonddiocese.org (276) 385-7312

ADMINISTRATIONDebi Cox

BOOKKEEPER Lydia St. Peter

OFFICE HOURSMon–Fri 9:30am – 2:30pm

Please call the parish office to make arrangements for the Sacraments of Baptism, Annointing of the Sick or Holy Matrimony as well as funerals. Reconciliation is available from 30 minutes before a scheduled Mass.

MASS TIMESSUNDAY 9am – St. Elizabeth’s 11:30am – St. Theresa’s

WEDNESDAY 8am – St. Theresa’s 5pm – St. Elizabeth’s

THURSDAY 6pm – St. Mary’s

FRIDAY 8am – St. Theresa’s

SATURDAY 4pm – St. Joseph’s 6pm – St. Mary’s

Cover image: Rembrandt van Rijn, St. Paul in Prison, 1627

“...faith which is potent in us can be activated when we put ourselves into divine service.”

faith not by sight (2nd Cor.5:7). Christianity itself is not a principle nor a title. Christianity is a way of life that should be lived through activated faith. That is faithing it.

We need to faith it as the woman with the issue of blood did (Luke 8: 43-48). We need to faith it like the blind Barti-maeus (Mark10:46-52). We need to faith it like the Centu-rion who believed that the words of our Lord Jesus Christ could heal his servant (Matt. 8:8). We need to faith it like the Canaanite woman who could not let go until she got an answer from our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 15: 21-28). We need to faith it like Charles Blondin who walked the rope across the Niagra Falls seventeen times and made it. We need to faith it like Nick Vujicic who discovered ability in what is considered a disability.

St. Paul in the Second Reading today (2 Tim.1:6-8.13-14) was asking us to faith it when he was reminding us to rekindle the gift of God that is within us. That gift which is faith expels the spirit of timidity from our lives and provides the spirit of power and self-control that moves us to testify.

There may be challenges before you. There may be an obstacle on your way. There may be hurdles on your path. There may be difficulties confronting you. Whatever they are, you need to rise and faith it. Sometimes in life failure is our inability to try again and faith it. Doubt can only double your dilemma, but faith can free you from the fetters. Faith it and you will make it. We need to make faith an attitude so that we can reach a desir-able altitude.

Faith it and have a grace-full week ahead.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

PENITENTIAL ACTWe have transitioned from everyday life to the Sacred Liturgy through procession and song , a kiss andthe Sign of the Cross. As we begin, we recognize our sinfulness and our need for and our dependenceon, the mercy and forgiveness of God. Together we pray the Confiteor: I confess to Almight God, and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned. In my thoughts and in my words; in all I have done and all I have failed to do. Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault (strike left breast three times). Therefor I ask the Blessed Mary ever-virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. If the Confiteor is not said, the priest may pray one of several versions of the Kyrie (Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy, Lord have Mercy).GLORIAAfter we have remembered God’s mercy and forgiveness given to us in Christ, the only appropriate response is to praise God. We do that in the Gloria which follows. This ancient hymn comes from the song of the angels at the birth of Jesus.The Introductory Rite concludes with the Opening Prayer, or the Collect. Here the priest gathers all our prayers—notice his hands and how they hold and lift up the prayers of the whole Church. What prayer did you bring with you today? Your prayer, all our prayers, are gathered together and joined with the prayer of the Church around the world. Every nation and in every language the same words are said. The Introductory Rite gives us the time and proper preparation so that we have the right disposition for participating in the Eucharist.

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

In part two of our walk through the Mass, we take a look at the final portions of the Introductory rites before we begin the Liturgy of the Word.

The MassA walk-through (part II)

Louise Serreno (homebound)Margie Stutso (homebound) Margaret Shawver Jeffrey Parkhurst Janet Brown Doug Vance Russell Stump Susan Joyner and family Zack CarterFrannie Minton Carolina Ferrari Elizabeth Gregory Sara Beth Wright Sue ShumateShane and Nia Sheridan Ed and Betty HodochConnor Gregory Lou Pierallini Dante Guanlao Thomas FarrellBrian HarrisonFay ChristianJohn ClarkLois WhiteLucas OaklandRandall & Summer Crouse

Christian LambertJane JonesGlenn HarrisonJohn BenishMosie & Rosalie RocchettiChristel Repp Melody DillingRex & Rachel Yabut Jim Shumate Darlene BlakewoodMary McCoy Shirley Hylton Mary Deiro Baby MasonMadelyn Palzer April Robinette Rayburn Minton II Grace Bolling Francine Horn Ruth Woodall Helen Shumate Barbara Shumate

stewardship of treasure

Donations Received as of September 28/29 (Week 14)

CHURCH ATTENDANCE RECEIVED

St. Joseph’s 12 $304

St. Elizabeth’s 25 $331

St. Mary’s 22 $600

St. Theresa’s 72 $977

Total Offertory 131 $2,212

Outside Donations $20

Year to Date Received $31,467

Goal $35,538

Ahead/Behind Goal - $4,071

other financial news

OUTSIDE DONATIONSDonor from Midlotian: $20

Backpack: $80

CONTRIBUTIONSBaby Bottle Blessings to Abel Pregnancy Resource Center to date: $223.78

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY COLLECTIONThere will be a second collection on October 20 for World Mission Sunday (includes Propagation of the Faith, Black & Indian Missions, & US Home Missions). Thank you in advance for your generosity.

council membersPARISH COUNCIL: Tonya Hylton, Frannie Minton, Ralph Shawver, Hillary Benish, Cindy Deskins, Barbara Jones, Donna Lambert

FINANCE COUNCIL:Kathy & Bob Buchanan, Randy Bolling, Doug Vance, Anne Danko, Jim Talbert, Jackie Shawver, Janet McDonaugh

Date Intention By

10/5 SATURDAY4pm St. Michael’s parishioners

6pm

10/6 SUNDAY

9amAlbert & Youlanda Monarchy U Jerry & Donna Lambert

11:30am Glen Harrison Holy Family Parish

mass intentions please pray for

parish news and events

BIBLES AVAILABLENew Testament for Catholics bibles are on sale for in the office for a $20 donation. The Bible is printed on glossy paper and loaded with footnotes and pictures. One bible is on display at each church. Please call the office to reserve your copy.WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTERGod has entrusted your spouse to your care – are you trustworthy in that care? The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is November 8-10, 2019 in Atlantic Beach, NC. Early sign up is recommended. For more information visit https://renewmarriage-vasouth.org.HELP WANTEDCommonwealth Catholic Charities is Seeking a Counselor for their Norton office. This position provides individual, marital, family, and group counseling services to adults and children to help them achieve effective personal, marital, and family development. CCC offers competitive pay and an excellent benefit package. To learn more or to apply visit www.cccofva.org/careers.PRO-LIFE FUNDRAISERThompson Valley Church will hold a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on Saturday, October 12 from 10am–6pm. Proceeds will help expectant mothers receive ultrasounds to see their unborn child.

birthdays & anniversariesOCTOBER 6: Debbie Ketzan OCTOBER 9: Cathy St. Clair, Brenda Pierallini OCTOBER 10: Randall Crouse, Mackenzie Bolling OCTOBER 11: Cynthia Froy

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