30 TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

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1 Since October 30, Christ the KING Kampala UG PARISH PRIEST Msgr. Gerard Kalumba ASSISTING PRIESTS Msgr. Joseph Mugambe Rev. Fr. John Bosco Ssembatya Rev. Fr. Richard Arthur Muwonge LEAD CATECHIST Evaristo Mary Baguma CHAIRPERSON LAITY Rogers Semakula SECRETARY LAITY We need not fear to be puffed with the knowledge of what God has done for us, if we keep well before us the truth that whatever good there may be in us, is not of us. Though a mule is laden with the precious treasures of a prince, is it not still a clumsy, filthy beast? -- St. Francis de Sales 30 TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A FIRST READING: Exodus 22:21-27; Sunday, 29th October 2017 If you afflict any widow or orphan, my wrath will burn against you. John Baptist Ssemitego PARISH EXEC. SECRETARY Mrs. Euphemia Kiwuwa SUNDAY MASSES 07.00am: Luganda 08.00am: English 09.00am: Luganda 10.00am: English 11.00am: English 12.00pm: English 05.00pm: English (Charismatic) SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Monday - Friday 07.45am (after 7.00am Mass) 12.15pm (before 01.00pm Mass) 01.45pm (after 1.00pm Mass) Saturday 07.45am (after 7.00am Mass) 05.15pm (before 06.00pm Mass) First Saturday of the Month (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary) Additional Mass: 09.00am A reading from the Book of Exodus Thus says the LORD You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. DAILY MASSES: Monday to Friday: 06.30am; 07.00am; 01.00pm Saturday: 07.00am; 06.00pm (for Sunday)

2 If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neigbour s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear for I am compassionate. The Word of the LORD. RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 47 and 51ab (R.2) R. I love You LORD, my strength. I love you LORD, my strength: O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my saviour. R. My God, my rock, where I take refuge: My shield, my saving strength, my stronghold I cry out, Praised be the LORD And see, I am saved from my foes. R. SECOND READING: 1Thessalonians 1:5c-10; You turned from idols to serve God and to wait for His Son. Brethren: You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the LORD, for you received the Word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the Word of the LORD sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God The LORD lives, and blest be my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted. The LORD gives great victories to his King, and shows merciful love for His anointed. R. A reading from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. has gone forth everywhere so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God and to wait for His Son from Heaven whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. The Word of the LORD. 2 Remember, Rejoice, Renew

3 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: John 14:23 V. Alleluia R. Alleluia V. If a man loves me, he will keep My words says the LORD, and my father will love him and We will come to him. R. Alleluia GOSPEL: Matthew 22:34-40; You shall love the LORD your God and your neighbour as yourself. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. At that time: when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him questions to test Him. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And He said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neigbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets The Gospel of the LORD. CHILDREN S PUZZLE BASED ON THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT. MATTHEW 22: hearing Jesus Pharisees expert Find the following words in the puzzle law question greatest commandment love Lord heart soul mind second neighbor yourself Remember, Rejoice, Renew 3

4 Our First Reading today highlights the biblical concept of Msgr. Gerard Kalumba affliction in the pictures of widowhood and orphanage which are the common images of wounded people. The afflicted, wounded, unloved and lonely people are the focus of Christ when He describes who the neighbour is. Who is my neighbour? My neighbour is the afflicted, the wounded, unloved, the stranger, the poor, the widow and orphan according to the teaching of Christ. So when Christ summarizes the commandments in that single word of love of God and love of neighbour, He gives us a doze of what Christian love is. The book of Exodus is one of the 5 books of the law in the Old Testament and in today s First Reading the people are called upon to appreciate what God expects of them in the law: You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him/her, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. If you longed to be free and to be home, please do not enslave others, but make all people feel at home. You shall not afflict any widow and orphan, for My wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans? THE PARISH PRIEST S REFLECTION Exodus 22: Thessalonians 1:5-10 Matthew 22:34-50 CHRIST COMMENDS LOVE THAT RESTORES JOY TO THE AFFLICTED, This is a very visible and outstanding image of what the law of love is like: Love of neighbour. WOUNDED, UNLOVED AND LONELY; IT IS THE LOVE OF GOD. harshly with those who afflict the weak, the needy, the sick, and the wounded; in summary, the poor. In today s Gospel Jesus silences His opponents who had gone to test Him with the question: Which is the great commandment in the Law? The Law according to the Jewish biblical concept are the first five books of the Old Testament: (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). His answer is brief and to the point: Love the LORD your God totally and love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend All the Law and the prophets. The whole Bible is summarized in one word: LOVE. The Bible is the Law and prophets. Christ s love is a love that RESTORES LIFE to its fullness. He restores the afflicted, the weak, the poor, the sick and wounded. He accommodates the strangers and homeless. Jesus delivers us from the WRATH (ANGER) to come according to St. Paul s letter to the Thessalonians in our Second Reading, if and when we follow his example of restoring a neighbour to dignity. A Christian is proved by love of his/her neighbour. Like Christ, a Christian must work to restore life to the suffering, afflicted, wounded, the widow and orphan and the poor. She/he must be welcoming to the Stranger and homeless. We must restore the image of God to have a true balance of humanity. 4 Do not be a creditor to a poor man to exact interest from him. Love does not promote oppression of the weak and poor. God deals Remember, Rejoice, Renew The love that Christ recommends is a big challenge to us all! Let us pray for one another. Msgr. Gerard Kalumba Christ the King Parish, Kampala

5 November is the month of remembrance, and as part of that month the Catholic Church celebrates All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. Because the two days fall one after another and both commemorate the faithful departed, they are often confused or lumped together. Each day, however, has its own significance within the history and practices of the Catholic Church. The first, All Saints Day, falls on November 1. This feast day is a commemoration of all the saints canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Today the feast of All Saints Day remains on the Catholic calendar as a holy day of obligation, on which we are to attend Mass. All Saints Day is a solemnity, so we treat it with the dignity that we treat a Sunday, said Fr. Price. We sing the Gloria, a hymn of praise to God. On Sundays we stand for the profession of faith, so on All Saints Day we do that as well, followed by intercessory prayer or the prayers of the faithful. Because we have so many saints in the course of the year we can t honor them all, said Fr. Rothell Price, Vicar General of the Diocese of Shreveport. We only have 365 days in the year. It s usually only one saint we commemorate on a particular day and sometimes there s a grouping, like a group of martyrs. Because we have thousands of saints, we can t honor all of them on every calendar, every year. So once a year the Church has a special Mass during which we remember all the saints. All Saints Day is the Church s commemoration of that whole body of saints who number in the thousands. November 2 holds another important feast day in the life of the Church: All Souls Day. NOVEMBER HOLDS THE CHURCH S MEMORIAL DAYS All Saints/All Souls: Remembering the Faithfully Departed On All Souls Day we are commending our dearly departed to the love and care of God, said Fr. Price. And throughout the month of November, we remember our dearly departed with gratitude to God for the gift of them in our lives and we pray that through our prayers, they be admitted to the eternal banquet feast of heaven. If any sins have clung to their souls, that they be fully pardoned of their sins to enter into the fullness of the life of Heaven. Praying for the dead has always been a part of Catholic tradition. As early as the seventh century, monks would offer Mass for their deceased community members on the day after Pentecost, and in 998, the Benedictine monastery of Cluny celebrated all their dead on November 2. The practice slowly began to spread throughout the monasteries, and eventually to parishes. In the thirteenth century, November 2 was marked officially as All Souls Day on the calendar of the Catholic Church. Many traditions have sprung up around the Feast of All Souls Day. Locally, we celebrate the feast day on the weekends surrounding November 2 by blessing local cemeteries. The scriptures tell us our prayers are efficacious for the faithful departed, said Fr. Price. Our prayers help them, as well as their prayers assist us. So annually on the feast day of All Souls, or close to the feast of All Souls, we have an annual commemoration of the dead and that s often marked by a visit to cemeteries and a blessing of graves. Local parishes also have individual ways of celebrating and praying for loved ones who have passed. Many will place tables in their sanctuary Remember, Rejoice, Renew 5

6 where parishioners can display photos of deceased loved ones, sometimes accompanied by candles that burn throughout the month of November. In other parts of the world, namely Portugal, Spain and Latin America, priests have a custom of celebrating three Masses on November 2, a practice extended to all priests by Pope Benedict XV in While these two feast days are distinct celebrations in the life of the Church, they share a common desire to pray for the faithfully departed. Those two feast days are related because the destination of the saints is Heaven, the destination of the faithful departed is Heaven and in the communion of saints we certainly remember them, said Fr. Price. In the Nicene Creed and in the Apostles Creed we pray for the resurrection of the dead and the life in the world to come. The month of November holds the Church s Memorial Days. It is also sometimes dubbed the month of saints, the month of holy souls or memorial month. It is a time to pray for both the saints who have gone before us in death, and for the souls of our loved ones. Take time this month to pray for them all. Ways to Remember:- How can we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day? Try a few of these suggestions to keep the faithful departed in your mind and prayers throughout the month. Some of these suggestions are also great ways to teach your family about these two special feast days on the Church s calendar! 1. Pick a saint, any saint. All Saints Day is a great time to become familiar with a saint you may not know much about. Maybe you need to find prayers and blessings for patron saints who help with something you re troubled with in your life. Traveling? Motherhood? Addiction? Healing? Nurses? There s a saint for that! 2. Ever heard of Happy Saints? This website is a great resource for ebooks for children (and adults) that include relatable stories of the lives of the saints with illustrations. www. happysaints.com 3. Mark your calendar! The whole month of November is a month of remembrance. Write the name of a saint on each day of the month and ask for their prayers that day. 4. Find a tradition. For All Souls Day, find out if your parish has a tradition for the day. If so, join in by bringing a photo of a deceased loved one, attending Mass or attending a Blessing of the Graves. 5. Share Memories! Many times our children will never know those whom we have loved dearly and who passed away before their time. Share memories of those loved ones throughout the month, and then say a prayer for their soul after you share the memory. 6. Prayer. On All Souls Day, remember your loved ones with prayer, family and food. Soul cakes and other breads are a traditional treat for this day Nuwagaba Michael for: Communication Office ANNOUNCEMENTS Let us remember the recently deceased of our Community: Adyero Suzan Ruth, Onecan Andrew, Maria Gorrette Nakuya, Mrs. Kizito may their souls rest in eternal peace. Let us pray for the Sick in our Community; Mrs. Marie Agnes Ojambo. Today is the climax of the Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the merger of Lubaga Archdiocese and Kampala Diocese. May the LORD bless the Family of God of the Archdiocese of Kampala. 6 Remember, Rejoice, Renew

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8 WEEKDAY Monday 30th October 2017 SAINTS AND READING OF THE WEEK READINGS Ordinary Weekday (Mass of choice): First Reading: Romans 8:12-17; Responsorial Psalm: Luke 68:2, 4, 6-7, 20-21; Gospel: Luke 13: Tuesday 31st October 2017 Ordinary Weekday (Mass of choice): First Reading: Romans 8:18-25; Responsorial Psalm: Ps 126:1-6; Gospel: Luke 13: Today the Church in Kenya celebrates the memorial of Blessed Irene Stefani (Nyaatha). Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of All Saints. Celebrations to be planned and organised: CELEBRATION OF ALL SAINTS CELEBRATION OF ALL SOULS SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING Wednesday 01st November 2017 Thursday 02nd November 2017 Friday 03rd November 2017 Saturday 04th November 2017 SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (Mass of the Solemnity): First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Responsorial Psalm: Ps 24:1-6; Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3; Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a. Other Masses are not permitted, not even funeral Masses The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (Mass of the Souls): Readings from Common of Masses for the Dead. First Reading: Job 19:1, 23-27a; Responsorial Psalm: Ps 26 (27); Second Reading: Roman 5:5-11; Gospel: John 6: Other Masses are not permitted. Ordinary Weekday (Mass of choice): or: St. Martin de Porres, Religious (optional memorial) First Reading: Romans 7:18-25a; Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94; Gospel: Luke 12: St. Charles Borromeo, bishop (Mass of the memorial): First Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29; Responsorial Psalm: Ps 94:12-15, 17-18; Gospel: Luke 14:1, Vigil Mass of the Thirtr-First Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Sunday 05th November 2017 THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A: First Reading: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10; Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 131:1-3; Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9,13; Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12. Other Masses are not permitted, except funeral Masses Christ the King Parish, Kampala Tel: Plot 3 Colville Street, P. O. Box 2551, Kampala - Uganda info@christthekingkampala.org