God Is For Us. 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time October 30, Homily Next Week: Father Jack O Leary, SJ

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1 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time October 30, 2011 Homily Next Week: Father Jack O Leary, SJ Readings for November 6, 2011 First Reading: Wisdom 6:12-16 Second Reading: Thessalonians 4:13-18 Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday - 5 pm Sunday - 9 am, 11 a.m., 5:30 pm Weekday Mass Schedule Monday - Friday - 7 am Reconciliation Saturday - 3:30-4:15 pm in the Church or by appointment Parish Center Hours Monday-Friday - 8 am - 4:30 pm Saturday - 9 am - 1 pm th Avenue East, Seattle, WA Fax: (206) Parish Receptionist (206) Parish Staff (206) Pastor Rev. John D. Whitney, S.J. x107 Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Jack O Leary, S.J. x101 Deacon/Pastoral Associate Steve Wodzanowski x106 Pastoral Staff: Dottie Farewell, Director of Religious Ed. x112 Dennis Gentele, Facilities x110 Renée Leet, Administrative Assistant x100 Courtney Lilly, Development x103 Bob McCaffery-Lent, Music & Liturgy x109 Caprice Sauter, Administration x102 Greg McNabb, Administration Manager x108 Randy Novak, Communications x114 John Stuntebeck, Accompanist x105 St. Joseph School th Avenue East (206) Main Office George Hofbauer, Principal Rick Boyle, Academic VP Patrick Fennessy, Vice Principal x210 x213 x215 x218 God Is For Us Brothers and sisters, if God is for us, who can be against us? If God did not spare the Son but handed him over for us all, how will God not also give us everything else along with him? -Romans 8:31- When Paul writes these words to the Christian community at Rome, he is proclaiming a message that we still find hard to accept--the deep truth of the Incarnation and Passion that God s love for us is an infinite and inexplicable gift. For us who are used to checking the price tag on things, who always wonder how much every favor offered is going to cost us, or who are nervous whenever even our closest friends are more generous to us than we are to them, such a message can be disconcerting and is not easily received. I remember hearing these words--really hearing them, as though for the first time--during my 30 day retreat as a novice. I was praying about my vocation, and if it was God s will (which, I thought, meant how to make God love me more) for me to be in the Jesuits. When I prayed with this passage, something remarkable happened. I kept imagining myself at dinner with the Trinity, and trying to figure out how to share the bill, or thinking, Well, if they pay, I guess I have to pay them back somehow, or at least stay? Suddenly, Jesus looked at me and said, Don t worry. It s all paid. You can stay and sit or leave, whichever you want is okay. Suddenly I knew: staying or leaving wasn t a matter of debt, it wasn t about re-paying God for the supper or getting even with God for all the graces of my life. The gift was a gift, a sign of love given to me so I could begin to realize I was loved; and I would still be loved even if I went and did something else. Though I still don t always live like I believe it, that moment set me free and has changed my relationship to God in an amazing way: I belong to God in freedom, and so in fullness, not in the half-measures of one paying off a debt. In the last few weeks, we have seen introduced the notion of Covenant, and have been eloquently challenged to open ourselves up to our Sister

2 Calendar Monday, October 31 Tuesday, November 1 Wednesday, November 2 Friday, November 4 Sacred Silence, 7 PM, Church All Saints Day Mass 7 PM, Church Pathfinders, 6 PM, Mother Teresa Choir Rehearsal, 6:30 PM, Church The VOICE, 7 PM, Arrupe Eucharistic Adoration, Loyola Chapel Parish Ctr, 7:30 AM Healing Mass 11:30 AM, Church followed by Seniors Luncheon, Parish Center Note: Daily Mass is held in the Arrupe Room of the Parish Center at 7 AM Parish in Kenya. This week, we will be called again to pledge our resources to the Parish and to its work--asked to discern, in our hearts and our checkbooks, what we should and can give this coming year. In all of these discussions, it is easy for us to think in terms of the debt we owe to God and how we might get even in the books. But, the truth is, we are not called to get even--and we owe nothing to God that Christ Jesus has not already paid. Nothing we do will make God love us more (and nothing we have done makes God love us less), for God loves us infinitely and absolutely whether we sit at the table every Sunday or never cross the threshold of this church. So, then, why aren t we all home watching football? The perfect love of God in Christ liberates us from debt, but it attracts us in love. To live in the freedom of God is so amazing that, of course it draws us from all the little slaveries we accept--from our addictions and our fears, our minor desires and our annoying little sins. What God says to us today is that the bill is paid, there is no debt, but come to the Covenant, support the Church, give yourself away without an expectation of repayment--then, we won t be even but we will be One, united in love. St. Joseph s Men s Pickup Basketball Friday nights at 7 pm, beginning on November 11th and running through to the Spring. Bob Duffy at bob@rampgroup.com to be added to the Evite list or just show up at the Wycoff gym on Friday nights. All skill levels are welcome. This is great way to get your workout in! St. Joseph Community extends its prayers and hopes for the following intentions: For Rose s health...to have an interview and be hired... For a place to live... For Marilyn on her journey of life... God s blessings and best wishes to Annaliese Boehmer as she celebrates her 101st birthday... For the people in Turkey after the earthquake and for the rescue workers. Hear, O Lord, and have pity on me; O Lord, be my helper. ~Psalm 30:11 Remembering Our Beloved Dead During the Month of November November is the traditional month to recall the dead in our Church. As in previous years, we ask you to bring photos of your loved ones to be placed on the side altars of the church, and to inscribe the names of those who have died in the Book of Life, to be kept in the vestibule all month. Please bring your photos next weekend or on All Saints Day, and place them on the table prepared. We will then put them on the altars. (Please include contact information on the back of any photo, so it may be returned at the end of the month.) Feast of All Saints Mass The Mass of All Saints will be celebrated Tuesday November 1st at 7 pm, during which the community will also celebrate all our beloved dead, as we begin this month of remembrance. As we did last year, we will offer a special litany and a chance for members of the community to come forward and name those they recall, lighting a candle in their honor. Collection: October 23, 2011 Total Needed Weekly to Meet Budget: $15, Total for Masses and Gifts Mailed In: $18,257.50

3 Formation St. Joseph s Alternative Bazaar Sunday, November 13th, 10 am 2 pm in the Parish Social Hall. Please join us at this year s Alternative Bazaar to support fair trade products and local and international non-profits. We will have over twenty new and returning vendors this year! Some of this year s vendors include Chief Seattle Club, L Arche, Ten Thousand Villages, Education Across Borders, and Recovery Café. Questions? Please call Allison Nackel at or Sara Dittmer at Baptism for Older Children If you have a child four years of age and older whom you would like to be baptized into the Catholic Faith, please set up an appointment with Deacon Steve Wodzanowski at stevew@stjosephparish.org or Our first gathering for parents and children will be Monday November 14th -7:30 pm in the Church beginning with a potluck supper. The plan is to meet monthly (Dec- April) with family catechesis at home between sessions. In accordance with Archdiocesan policy, the norm is for children seven years of age and older to be fully initiated into the Catholic Faith by receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil Mass. Children younger than seven receive the Sacrament of Baptism only at the Easter Vigil. St. Joseph School News If you are a new family interested in applying to St. Joseph School for the 2012 school year, please visit our new website at stjosephsea.org and complete our inquiry form. Please take time to look over the Admissions section to help you understand our admissions process, deadlines and important dates. Applications are available three ways: filled out online, download and print, and from the office. Questions: call ext 243 or bsteinhauser@stjosephsea.org. There are 2 finalists in the Principal search. "This last weekend, our Principal Search Committee met to interview the five semi-finalists they had selected," Fr. John Whitney stated. "Based on these interviews, the Committee has presented to me, and I have endorsed, two finalists: Patrick Fennessy and Donna Ramos. These finalists will be on campus to conclude the interview process the week of November 7. IEcoJustice: Be Inspired! Here's a local opportunity to be inspired toward a more sustainable way of interacting with God's creation: The End of An Economy Based on Consumption- Nov. 12th: 7:00-9:00 pm University of Washington, Kane Hall Paul Gilding, author of "The Great Disruption," and John de Graaf, author of "Affluenza, What's the Economy for Anyway?", warn that our current economic policies threaten both social and environmental collapse, but that we still have time to turn things around if we act now. They will also be discussing The Happiness Initiative, a national project based in Seattle. Event is FREE, but register to save a seat. Go to and search on disruption in the upper right corner to find the registration. Never Let Me Go...Concert Sunday, November 6th - 2 pm Wallingford United Methodist Church 2115 N 42nd St, Seattle, $20 suggested donation Please join Soprano Madeline Bersamina, Pianist Christina Bach and our own Bob McCaffery-Lent on the guitar for an afternoon of beautiful music! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Concert Series Saint Joseph Parish invites you to join us on November 20th at 2 pm Spend an afternoon with the music of flutist Brian Fairbanks, Associate Musician and Chapel Organist at Saint Marks Cathedral in Seattle, and world renown pianist, Tim Anderson. They will present music for flute and piano by J.S. Bach, Carl Reinecke, the pianist Walter Gieseking, the organist Sigfrid Karg-Elert and the 20th Century master Paul Hindemith. There is a suggested donation of $15. Bring the entire family for an enjoyable, musical experience to celebrate Christ the King. Youth under 18 are welcome to attend free of charge to this event.

4 Social Ministry ISt. Vincent de Paul The Society of St. Vincent de Paul: King County Council is seeking adult volunteers to serve as Companions to formerly incarcerated individuals for the Ozanam 2nd Chance Companion Program. The program works with persons actively seeking a way out of the cycle of addiction, crime and incarceration by offering professional case managers and mentoring. Companions offer program participants a listening ear, supportive presence and wisdom of healthy living, and serve as role models and advocates. Orientation, training and ongoing support is offered to each Companion. For more information please contact Thomas Wagner at (206) ext 1121 or thomasw@svdpseattle.org. REQUIREMENTS: Companions must be at least age 35, mature, and interested in helping people. They must be dependable, reliable, compassionate, and emotionally stable. HELP NEEDED: Saturday Night Meal For St Martin de Porres Shelter Each Saturday night, St. Joseph s parishioners provide sandwiches, milk, fruit and hard boiled eggs for the 200 plus men 55 years of age and older who call St. Martin s home. We have four teams, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays with approximately 20 volunteers each. Each month when you are contacted you can decide how you want to participate. Right now we need 3-4 new volunteers for the 1st and 2nd Saturday teams. To volunteer, contact Deacon Steve at or stevew@stjosephparish.org St Joseph s Baby Corner After some blissfully warm late-summer weather, the rains and cooler temperatures have set in. Unfortunately, our winter this past year lasted well into June, which meant that we were distributing winter clothing over a much longer period than in previous years. As a result, we currently have very little winter clothing to distribute. We are in great need of warm clothes for newborn through 4T. Also, we are always in need of consumables diapers (especially sizes 3 6), baby wash, diaper rash ointment, and wipes. If you have clothing to donate, please bring in to our baby crib located in the church. Thank you for your help; we are grateful for everything you do to help these young children. Choose Life Ministry November 3rd is our First Thursday Holy Hour, from 7 pm to 8 pm in the Loyola Chapel, Parish Center, Refreshments to follow. First Sunday of each month, November 6th, is the monthly meeting of the Choose Life Ministry 7 pm to 8 pm at Jackie Quinn s house, th Ave E, Seattle. All are welcome! Questions: Tom Cannon or Jackie Quinn IChief Seattle Club You are cordially invited to Chief Seattle Club's Gallery during the 1st Thursday ARTWALK in Pioneer Square. November 3rd from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm There will be drumming, handmade art work by members, and refreshments. Please come, enjoy, and support the Club. Questions contact triciatrainer@gmail. com. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Seniors On The Go Monday October 31st - Seniors Writing Class, 1 pm, Mother Teresa Room, Parish Center Thursday November 3rd - Seniors Art Class, 1 pm, Arrupe Room, Parish Center Friday November 4th - Healing Mass at 11:30 am followed by Senior Luncheon, Parish Center Tuesday November 8th - Seniors Planning Meeting (brown bag lunch), 11:30 am, Parish Center Afternoon at the Movies, bring a snack or beverage to share, 1 pm, Parish Center

5 A Covenant of Community Ignited by the Eucharist to love & serve. -Mission Statement of St. Joseph Parish- Called by the Gospel of Jesus Christ into this Catholic community of faith and love, we gather together for the greater glory of God and for the living out of God s graces. We are women and men, young and old, those who come to this community as converts and those who were baptized as Catholic in our infancy. We come from various cultures and various states of life, from different educational and economic backgrounds and situations. We come as parents and children, as blended families and single adults, as members of religious communities and pilgrims seeking the path of God. We come because Jesus Christ, present in the sacraments and in the Church, ignites us with the Holy Spirit to love effectively, to serve communally, to live fully as members of God s people at St. Joseph Parish. I. To pursue a living relationship with God through full, active, and conscious participation in liturgy and through growth in personal prayer; II. To participate in the community of St. Joseph through active involvement in particular groups of parishioners and others, and through the intentional connection of those groups into the larger body of the Parish; III. To expand the circle of grace found at St. Joseph through active commitment to and loving solidarity with those on the margins of society; IV. To deepen our understanding and wisdom about our faith through study, reflection, conversation, and the various means that feed our intellectual desire for God; V. To provide for the continuing life of the whole St. Joseph Community through the sharing of goods and talents; through stewardship of resources; and through critical and loving commitment to the Parish. If you have questions about the covenant, please do not hesitate to ask! Father John D. Whitney SJ, jwhitney@ stjosephparish.org or Deacon Steve Wodzanowski, stevew@stjosephparish.org One God, Three Faiths Series Continues! Building Community Through Prayer Join us for an opportunity to participate in prayer and learn about the Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions, explore sacred space and share community. Temple Beth Am 2632 NE 80th St, Seattle, WA Friday November 4th 7:30 to 10 pm St. Joseph Catholic Church th Ave E, Seattle, WA Monday December 5th 7 to 8:30 pm Sponsored by the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, in collaboration with faith partners: Islamic Center of Shoreline, Temple Beth Am and St. Joseph Catholic Church To register please call or ipjc@ipjc.org

6 Reflection: A Parishioner s View of the Covenant Question of the Week In what ways am I nurtured by or nurturing of the community life of St. Joseph? Do I seeek greater closeness with others in the community? Do I share my gifts? I will bless the Lord always I will bless the Lord always and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. This part of Psalm 34 genuinely expresses my thankfulness to God for the many ways I have been nurtured by the community. After waking daily to my own shortcomings, each burden of guilt, lack and disappointment feels so much lighter due to this nurturing. The community life of St. Joseph s has so often removed the tears that easily dim the eyes. Because I want to relate to everyone in a new way, I am excited to see what door God might open besides that of being a lector and serving on the Parish Council. I feel I am already in a Covenant Relationship with St. Joseph s. I joyously sign our Covenant Statement and now, it is official! ~Marisa Spooner-LeDuff Parishioner since 1998 A Prayer To St. Joseph St. Joseph, Patron of our Parish, hear our prayer, and by your intercession, help us to be a people of covenant. Help us to discern: listening to the angels of our dreams. Help us to guide: encouraging the growth of Christ in every child. Help us to nurture: passing on the love we have received. Help us to protect: guarding the innocent and welcoming the poor. Help us to commit, with passion and courage, to the care of God s Son, Jesus, whose love is our reward and whose kingdom is our home forever and ever. Amen.