My great JOY on ALL SAINTS DAY was that our church was packed with children and their parents! I had nothing to do with this little miracle...This was due to the initiative of Sister Rosario, our Coordinator of Religious Education, with the support of all our CCD teachers and aides. Instead of CCD classes last Monday evening, the entire focus was for CHILDREN, Youth, and their parents to participate in the ALL SAINTS MASS and have a procession with many children dressed as their favorite SAINT. We felt the presence of the Saints in our church: they are an integral part of the Church, and we worship with them at every Mass.

Another little miracle was that our children were reverent throughout the entire Mass. This is a tribute to their teachers and parents. Parents were present and most of the children were sitting next to their teachers. It is my dream that EVERY SUNDAY, before or after CCD Class (9:45-11:15 am) all parents and their children/youth attend MASS TOGETHER AS A FAMILY! We can all pray that we can get closer and closer to achieving that GOAL!

At the beginning of my homily, I asked everyone to raise their hands if they were BAPTIZED. Nearly all hands went up! Then, I asked if they wanted to GO TO HEAVEN. Again, nearly all hands went up. I was almost ready to ask who wanted to go to Heaven right now...but I did not do so to avoid confusing the little children. Most adults would have laughed and almost no one but little children would have raised their hands. None of us is in a hurry to go to heaven, and for good reason. We believe that God is the one who decides the time HE wants to call us back to HIM. WE BELIEVE that HE has a plan for each one of us, without exception. That plan includes a journey on earth leading back to God: going through mountains and valleys, the ups and downs of average lives. He will keep us on earth as long as HE wants to.

HOW can we be SAVED? How can we join all the Saints in Heaven? Last week's readings were about SALVATION. They focused on the GREATEST COMMANDMENT: THE COMMANDMENT OF LOVE! Jesus tells us: "I love you so much that I am simply asking you to love me back so that we can always stay together. I know that if you LOVE me and trust me, you will keep my word, you will follow my commandments, including the greatest one of LOVING both GOD AND YOUR NEIGHBOR. I want you to focus on "LISTEN, HEAR " - "SHEMA" in Hebrew. Last Sunday, we heard three times the "SHEMA", the most important prayer for Jewish religion for centuries (Deuteronomy 6:4-6), a prayer that Jesus as a child would have prayed every day with Mary and Joseph:
 

SHEMA ISRAEL!                      HEAR O ISRAEL!                    LISTEN O ISRAEL!
ADONAI ELOHENU,               THE LORD IS OUR GOD,     THE LORD OUR GOD,
ADONAI EJAD                         THE LORD ALONE                THE LORD IS ONE

"ADONAI“ means "LORD" (the Lord GOD) in Hebrew, ELOHENU means "OUR GOD", and "EJAD" means "ONE". THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE. There is no other but OUR GOD, therefore: "you will LOVE the LORD YOUR GOD with all your HEART, with all your SOUL, with all your MIND and with all your STRENGTH". This means that we must LOVE GOD TOTALLY. HOW CAN WE DO IT? GOD LOVES US FIRST. HE will do everything possible to have us stay with him. WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. We have simply to DESIRE TO LOVE GOD ABOVE ANYONE ELSE AND ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE.

Jesus also mentions the second commandment of LOVE: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (from Leviticus). As GOD is ONE, so are those TWO Commandments: they are the ONE LAW OF LOVE. GOD IS LOVE (1John 1:4) Later, Jesus gives us a new commandment: LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. Jesus raises the bar; He shows us the greatest possible LOVE: through the Cross, he GIVES HIS LIFE FOR US. JESUS IS OUR LORD: ADONAI. JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR: YESHUA. To go to the Father, we need to go through Jesus: JESUS is the only mediator between GOD the FATHER and us, His humble children and servants. JESUS is the only WAY to HEAVEN. Also, the easiest way to go to Jesus is to go through His mother Mary. This is the way to

Salvation: Mary leads us to Jesus and Jesus leads us to Mary. You are all invited to CONSECRATE yourself to Jesus through Mary on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: the 33 days of preparation begin this First Friday November 5. GO to: www.olhoc.com/33day-consecration

Heavenly Father, help me to OPEN my ears to YOUR WORD! Heavenly Father, help me to OPEN my heart to YOUR WORD! Heavenly Father, help me to OBEY your greatest commandment of LOVE! Heavenly Father, help me to DESIRE to DO YOUR WILL, not mine! Heavenly Father, help me to BE A SAINT!

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain