ear Parishioners and visitors,

In this week’s Gospel, we hear about calamities, wars, and natural disasters. Certainly these things are not foreign to us. They are a reality for us. The Gospel encourages us to face these things, and all the difficulties of life, big and small, with faith and hope. The Gospel reminds us that Christ is our anchor, our hope, and our strength. We know that life is not always easy. Sometimes we feel like the little engine trying to get to the top of the hill. We may think we can, but with Christ we know we can.

The Gospel passage reminds us that we are a people of hope. We don’t look at things through a pair of rosy glasses but with the perspective of faith in the Risen Lord. Yes, life is not always easy. Life is not always fair. But we, you and I, are a people of hope. Remain steadfast; trust in the Lord; He is our hope and our strength.

FYI: At a recent meeting of our parish Liturgy Committee, one of the topics discussed was the Entrance and Communion antiphons at weekday Masses. We are going to move to a new way of doing this beginning on Monday, December 1st. This is the First Week of Advent.

The new procedure will be as follows: the lector for the Mass will be in the Sanctuary before Mass begins. The lector will lead the congregation with the Angelus and read the Entrance Antiphon from the pulpit. The lector will remain in the Sanctuary for the readings, the Psalm and the remainder of the Mass. After the celebrant consumes the Precious Blood, the lector will lead the congregation in the praying of the Communion Antiphon. The lector will join the celebrant and altar server in processing out of the Church.  May we praise God in all that we do.

Have A Great Bethany Beach Week!
Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

A Special Prayer for Peace
in the Holy Land

Queen of Peace, Chosen daughter of a land still devastated
by wars, hatred, violence,
We confidently address our plea to you: Do not allow that
Jesus’ cry at the sight of the Holy City, which did not under-
stand the gift of peace may, once again, fall into indifference
and political calculation.
Look at the afflictions of so many mothers, fathers, brothers,
sisters, children, victims of destructive energies that are blind
and without a future. Inspire ways of dialogue, a vigorous will in
solving problems and a collaboration of certain hope. Don’t let
us ever get used to oppression, to consider the struggles as
‘inevitable’ and the victims they produce as ‘collateral’.
Make sure that the logic of aggression does not prevail
over good will and that the solution of many problems is not
considered impossible.
Just like with Your prayer in the midst of the Disciples on
Pentecost, obtain from the Almighty that situations, even if
apparently insurmountable in the Holy Land, find ways of happy
solution.

Amen.

Fernando Cardinal Filoni, Grand Master of
the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

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