This coming week, November 1st, is the Solemnity of All Saints, the day when we honor all those in Heaven, especially the “small s” saints who are not canonized and whom God alone knows. The saints are not just our models; they are also our friends. They cheer us on in our earthly struggles and support us with their prayers so that we might eventually join them in the praise of our God in Heaven.

The veneration of the memory of the saints (not worship or adoration) goes back to the earliest days of the Church, to the middle of the second century. The early Christians honored the memory, as well as the bones, of St. Polycarp following his martyrdom. It was around the martyrs that the veneration of saints began and by the sixth century that veneration extended to other men and women who themselves did not die a martyr’s death, but who nonetheless lived lives that were models of holiness.

In the early seventh century, following successive attacks on Rome, during which the catacombs were raided by barbarians, the bones of the martyrs in Rome were all gathered together and buried beneath the Pantheon, a pagan temple dedicated to all the Roman gods. The Pantheon was then dedicated by Pope Boniface IV as a church to the honor of the Blessed Mother and all the Martyrs with the feast being celebrated on May 13. A century later, Pope Gregory III dedicated a new chapel in the first St. Peter’s Basilica that was dedicated to the Apostles and all saints on November 1, suppressing the former feast celebrated on May 13. Some have attributed All Saints Day being on November 1st because of the Irish pagan traditions of celebrating the dead at that time. This is historically dubious since the November 1 celebration of All Saints did not begin as a universal feast but started in Rome, then spread to Germany, and finally to the rest of the Church.

Immediately following All Saints Day, the Church remembers all the faithful departed on All Souls Day (November 2nd) as well as through the whole month of November. Mass vestments on this day, as at funerals, may be white, violet, or black. The Church is especially mindful of those souls who, while dying in the state of grace, died with some remaining attachment to venial sin and are experiencing a process of spiritual cleansing and perfection in purgatory. The custom of praying for the dead is found in the Scriptures with one of the primary references found in 2 Maccabees 12: 26, 32, which says “turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. Thus they made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin.” Beginning on All Souls Day, the Book of Remembrance will be placed in front of the baptismal font so that you may inscribe in it the names of family and friends who have died and they will be remembered in prayer throughout the month of November.

All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation. Masses for All Saints Day are as follows: vigil (Oct. 31) 5:15PM; day (Nov. 1) – 7:00AM, 12:05PM, and 5:15PM. All Souls Day is not a holy day of obligation, but coming to Mass to pray for the faithful departed is one of the spiritual works of mercy and a commendable act of Christian charity. Masses on All Souls Day will be offered at the normal weekday times of 7:00AM and 5:15PM.

 Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, don’t get it. In last week’s Gospel, Mark recounted for us the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. James and John were there. The man had lived a relatively good life by all accounts by keeping the commandments, but the Lord asked him to surrender what was most precious to him: his wealth. The Lord asked the rich young man to place his treasure in the service of the poor, but the man was not able to detach himself from this one thing and thus left Jesus.

Detachment can be a very difficult virtue to master. It is something that I personally pray for on a daily basis. As disciples, we are called to live in this world without becoming entrenched in it through anything that it offers, material or immaterial. Detachment does not mean that we do not value people or things in this world but that we value God and life with him over anything and everyone else. This passage follows immediately after the story of the rich young man, both in the tenth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. While the story of the rich young man is a good example of the necessity for detachment from the material world, we see in the request made by James and John a good example for the need for detachment from immaterial things also.

“Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left,” ask James and John. What then follows is our Lord’s admonition to his Apostles, and to us, not to seek glory as the world understands it. James and John most likely did not yet have an understanding of heavenly glory. For the disciple, ultimate glory is given through the cross: first through our Lord’s own suffering and death and, secondly, through our own willingness to accept our crosses daily as pathways to the Kingdom. The Lord invites his Apostles to humble themselves. Humility embraces the virtue of detachment. It seeks the good of self after God and neighbor. Humility moves us to rely on God’s goodness and grace, helping us to understand that this life is not about us and that our will must be united with God’s will.

If you want to grow in the virtues of humility and detachment, I recommend praying the Rosary. The cornerstone of the Rosary is meditating on the mysteries of salvation as presented in the Lord’s life and in the life of Mary our Blessed Mother. In between those mediations is the praying of the “Hail Mary,” the Rosary’s principal prayer. Mary is the model of humility and detachment and she remains for us, and the Church, a great intercessor to help us grow in those graces.

James and John continued to seek glory, but, through their own growth in discipleship, they came to understand that there was nothing earthly about the Lord’s glory. They ultimately chose the Lord’s glory through their own crosses and sacrifices for Christ, the proclamation of the Gospel, and the building up of the early Church. We are also invited to seek glory, but not in any form offered by this world. At the end of her life, Mary was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven and given a share in the God’s glory by being crowned Queen of the Universe. By holding nothing back from the Lord and by offering everything to him and for him, Mary gained ultimate glory from her son; a glory that can never fade, be lost, or taken away. The Lord Jesus offers the same glory to us if we are willing to carry our own cross, united with him.

 Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

I do not recall hearing about stewardship when I was growing up in the Church. In fact, it has been only in the past few years that I have noticed that word being used in conversations about faith and discipleship. But as I came to understand more about living as a Christian steward, I realized that I had been taught about stewardship years ago from the masters of grateful response.

Eighteen years ago, I moved to Haiti to become director of the Aid to Artisans program based in Jeremie. Aid to Artisans’ mission is to create economic opportunities for low-income artisan groups around the world where livelihoods, communities, and craft traditions are marginal or at risk. I hoped to be able to help local artisans escape desperate poverty by improving their technical and artistic skills as well as helping them access markets, so they could sell their handicrafts.

One November, an American artist/business woman came to host design classes for groups of women embroiderers. We decided to target the most remote artisan groups because they were in greatest need of assistance. We arranged for the women to be transported to Jeremie so they could enjoy a few days away from the rigor of daily life in rural Haiti.

The women were so excited to be away from home for a few days as they arrived with their babies strapped to their backs carrying their meager bundles of personal belongings. The women were thin, prematurely aged and dressed in faded and worn out clothes. Several of their babies had uncorrected cleft lips and other birth defects. Before we could begin the workshop, the group leader asked if she might start with a prayer on behalf of the group. In her prayer she thanked God for the many, many blessings they enjoyed as a community. She expressed gratitude that God would send them this wonderful opportunity to bless their lives. She asked God’s blessing on the facilitators of the workshop and thanked Him for sending Aid to Artisans to their community. The consultant and I were deeply moved by the gratitude and depth of faith possessed by these women, who by outward appearance had very little for which to be thankful. I tear up again as I write this and remember it was several minutes before the consultant and I could proceed with the training.

This scenario repeated itself over and over during my time in Haiti. Each time my team went to a village to meet with artisans, we were welcomed with a song of joy and gratitude and prayers of thanksgiving to God for his abundant blessings. I tried once to counsel my housekeeper to save money while she was working for us so that if we moved away and she didn’t have another job right away, she would still be able to care for her sons. She must have thought I was crazy. How could she save money when she had a niece who needed school fees and a father who had medical needs and a mother who needed to be buried in a style commensurate with the love her daughter had for her?

What did I know about the grateful response of a disciple? My friends and neighbors in Haiti knew that everything was a gift from God and meant to be shared with others. Resources were not meant to be saved for later, when there was a need for them now. And they weren’t calculating percentages to see how much they would share. My friends in Haiti tried to teach me to be grateful for every good thing in my life as a gift from a generous God, and to pit it all in service to others.

Christians are called to radically follow Jesus Christ. We are called to radical trust in  God’s provenance.

Radical means changing the fundamental nature of something. Our encounter with Jesus Christ should affect a fundamental change in who we are and how we live and act in the world.

Too often we allow our layers of wealth, possessions, power and status to separate us from encountering God in a transforming way. Too often, when we come face to face with Jesus, we, like the young man in last week’s Gospel, walk away sad.

This season of stewardship is reminding me to look to the example of my friends in Haiti and hold nothing back in expressing my gratitude by returning all that I am and have to God.

Vicki Compton is the Coordinator of Faith Formation and Mission at the Cathedral. She can be contacted by calling the Parish Offices or emailing her directly at [email protected].

This past Father’s Day began with my youngest son asking me for money. As the day went by, he continued to ask me for things. It was actually quite humorous as it was supposed to be my day and I hadn’t asked him for one thing. It was all about what he wanted. Finally, after his latest request, I responded, “It’s Father’s Day! What I want from you is a day where you don’t ask me for anything.” I would have to say that he does not constantly ask me for things all the time and he is a good kid, but this day he did have me reflecting on how much a child asks from a parent.

We ask quite a lot from our Heavenly Father as well. I don’t think He begrudges us anything due to all our requests. However, like any human parent would, I think God would love it when He asks something of us that we can respond with a “yes.” We like to do all the asking, but too often we are not very responsive when we are being asked. It is an important aspect to reflect on in any relationship. If you seek to receive more than you are willing to give, what kind of lopsided relationship is that? God doesn’t want that type of relationship. Any father wants to give his son or daughter anything they ask for within reason, but offering the same back is what a real relationship is all about.

Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS is the Director of Parish Community and Engagement for LPI, Inc. He has a BA in theology from DeSales University and a MTS from Duke Divinity School.

When I was a junior in high school, a movie by the name of “A Few Good Men” was released. The movie tells the story of a cocky young Navy lieutenant, played by Tom Cruise, who serves in the Navy’s JAG core and who is assigned to defend two Marines who are accused of killing a third marine. The defense’s investigation takes them to the Marine base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and face to face with a smug commanding officer named Colonel Jessep, played by Jack Nicholson. At the trial, Col. Jessep is called to testify by Lt. Kaffey and the examination becomes tense and heated. The climax of the exchange between Kaffey and Jessup results in Kaffey’s full-throated demand to Jessup of “I want the truth!” Jessep’s reply serves as an iconic movie moment stating forcefully to Kaffey “you can’t handle the truth!”

In the Gospel this Sunday, Mark recounts for us the rich young man running after Jesus. With enthusiasm and fervor, he throws himself at Jesus’s feet and asks one of the most important questions in all of the Scriptures, perhaps second only to Jesus’s question to his disciples of “who do you say that I am?” The rich young man asks Jesus “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It was one of those moments when you probably could have heard a pin drop among those who heard the question and surely everyone wanted to hear the answer. For the rich young man, and probably for others around him, he was not ready for the answer; he couldn’t handle to truth. What about us?

Make no mistake, the rich young man had not lived a bad life; however, there are two sides to the coin in living what we know as the Christian life. By avoiding evil, the rich young man lived a good life passively; as Christians, we are called to avoid evil while actively seeking to do good. The Christian life calls us to live and to act in ways that reflect the goodness and glory of God and to also live and act in ways that build up the Kingdom of God here and now, that builds up our sisters and brothers. The Christian life that only seeks to avoid evil and does not actively seek the good is a life that is only half-lived.

The rich young man wanted to live a righteous life. He wanted to live a life that would lead him into a greater life still to come, but here is the problem: he wanted to live the present life on his terms. The rich young man was attached to this world and the things that belong to it. This is not to say that the things of this world are bad, but, for the rich young man, and for many of us too, the things of this world, and the comfort that they provide, though only temporary, are a distraction to the greater good that God was seeking for him, and for us, to do. The rich young ma’s heart longed for another world, but his heart was too entrenched in this life. All too often good people run the danger of falling into the trap of a worldliness that knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

You and I are called are to seek the grace of detachment: the ability to let go of anything and everything whether it be relationships, possessions, behaviors, attitudes, power, or privilege; anything that we are moved to value more than life and love with God. This is not saying that we must divest ourselves of the things of this life, but rather that we must see them as secondary to God and to always remember that they can never offer us the ultimate happiness that God wants us to know and share with him.

Now is harvest time. Throughout our diocese, men and women are in the fields harvesting the fruits of the earth. In a little over a month, we as a nation will celebrate Thanksgiving Day, the one civic holiday that remains for rendering thanks to God for the good things he has done. Here at the Cathedral, our parish is beginning its inaugural Season of Stewardship, a time each year when each of us will be invited to examine what we are offering to the Lord in the areas of our giving of our material goods, our prayer and worship, and our service to our sisters and brothers in the parish and beyond.

Examining our stewardship can be hard because we tend to be protective of our fiscal resources, our time, and our energy. The Lord knows this. He knows the challenges that this world throws at us just as he fully understood the challenge that faced the rich young man. The Gospel tells us that the Lord Jesus looked at the rich young man lovingly as he told him the hard truth of what discipleship would demand of him. The Lord Jesus looks at each of us with the same love each day as the world invites us to anchor ourselves to it, telling us to ignore the voice of him who calls each of us by name to follow him.

Consider this Cathedral church that was dedicated to the glory of God and the honor of our Blessed Mother ninety years ago this weekend. It was not built using fiscal reserves. There were no investments to sell then. It was built through the generosity of the men and women of this diocese, many of whom had little to spare, but offered what they could with faith in God and in the life that he promises to all who will follow him unreservedly. They offered what they had as act of stewardship, even though the term “stewardship” was not commonly used among Catholics then. It was an act of stewardship because it was the grateful response of individual disciples for the goodness of God in their lives.

I am asking each of us to examine our own discipleship and stewardship over the next few weeks at the end of which time all of us will be invited to make a pledge to the Lord of our stewardship in our giving, our prayer, and our service to God in this parish. As disciples, we are all capable of growth in stewardship. It may be in one area of stewardship, it may be in all three areas, but none of us can ever truly say that we have given God his due. The Lord wants the totality of who we are, not just a portion, but he also knows that we are weak and that our need for his grace to grow in discipleship is great.

The tragedy of the story of the rich young man is that he simply walked away from Jesus, that he didn’t take the time to follow the Lord, to grow in discipleship, and allow the grace of God to move him further down the path of spiritual perfection. We may find walking the path of greater discipleship & stewardship challenging and difficult. We may even find ourselves faltering at times, but we must remember that we have a loving, patient, and merciful God who does not go back on his word and who never changes his mind concerning the call to discipleship that he has made to each of us.

The truth is that God wants everything from us, the totality of who we are because the truth of our faith is that he gave us himself in Christ his son to save us and call us each day to new and greater life. Let us cooperate with the grace of God given us in so many ways; the grace that seeks to enable us to accept the truth who is Christ our Lord who seeks to set us free.

 Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

This weekend’s Gospel couldn’t provide us with a greater reflection on stewardship. Not just stewardship basics, but the call to be radical, intentional disciples who participate as stewards in our own lives, and in the life of our parish and beyond. The Gospel message today doesn’t let us forget the ‘tough love’ Jesus has for each of us:

 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Notice the phrase, “loved him” before Jesus gives the rich man His response. He is using ‘tough love’ because He knows his response is going to leave the rich man frustrated. Jesus knows how hard this is for each of us. He doesn’t ask this of us lightly; He wants us to remove the dist ract ions, temptations, or other items in our lives that distance us from a deeper relationship with Him. As noted in previous stewardship articles, we know that at the heart of stewardship is our relationship with Jesus. It was not enough for Jesus to ask the rich man to give up all his earthly possessions, but more importantly to come back and follow Him. We can not ignore the importance of a relationship with Jesus.

But what is he specifically asking us in today’s Gospel? Are we experiencing some tough love from Jesus in our own lives? Are we listening to His response or trying to make one up on our own? Simply put, Jesus is asking for us to be radical. To give up everything and follow Him. To pray more, serve more, and give more. To not be absorbed by percentages or service hours, but to pour out both into His Mission here on earth freely and abundantly. This is a radical call to stewardship for each of us. A stewardship way of life is often uncomfortable, unusual, and for some of us unaffordable. How could we give more? How could we budget differently? How could we take seriously the relationship we have with Jesus more than we are now? Can I serve more people or give more time? Each of us over the next few weeks should be discerning these questions, as they help us discern our call to stewardship. It is a radical call, but so is the call to be in deep relationship with Him. It is a call that when answered, provides great blessings in each of our lives, despite any sacrifices we have made.

We want to provide a healthy framework for each of us to discern our call to stewardship. Here are a few questions and answers that may be on your mind:

 Why is Cathedral doing a Season of Stewardship?

Each year, parishes across the country spend time reflecting and committing to a stewardship way of life. This season or process is a best practice for parishes making an effort to take seriously their commitment to grow as intentional disciples and utilize their time, talent, and treasure to be good stewards.

 Should I participate?

Yes! Everyone is invited to participate, regardless of your parishioner status. We are all called to be good stewards!

What will you do with the information?

Parish staff members will help cultivate an individual’s stewardship interest(s), nurture current stewards in the pews, and provide connections between par ishioner s and ministries or resources.

 Can’t I just think about it and do it on my own without filling out the form?

Filling out the form is a visible act of your commitment to being a good steward. It is through this good intention that you and your community will help you along the way to discipleship. It is also common that when we take seriously the discernment process and write down our intentions on paper, we tend to hold ourselves more accountable.

We hope that you will participate with us over the next few weeks and consider how we can be more radical in prayer, service, and giving, just as Jesus has asked us.

 Katie Price is the Coordinator for Stewardship at the Cathedral. She can be contacted by calling the Parish Offices or emailing her directly at [email protected].

I oftentimes say in prayer, “Grant me the wisdom to see Your will for my life and the courage to follow that will.” It is a request for true discernment to see that God’s will is always more important and fruitful than my own will. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking happiness and fulfillment lie in doing what I want to do and following my own wants and desires. Our entire secular culture is filled with that message. However, that road has led too many to a place of emptiness and regret. I must pray to keep in the forefront of my mind that God created me on purpose and for a purpose. Being wise enough to see that purpose is the key to true satisfaction in this world.

Giving of our gifts and talents in only ways we want to means that we become deaf and blind to the numerous times Jesus Christ calls us to give. We also easily avoid any form of real sacrifice, which often leads us to give only from our excess. Wisdom allows us to see where we are being called, even if we are unsure what increase will result from our investment. Our trust is no longer in the gift given but instead in the One who is calling us to give. When our lives of generosity and compassion are ordered in this way, it is hard for anything to steal our joy away. Our purpose is found, our aim is true, and our desire is fulfilled.

 Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS is the Director of Parish Community and Engagement for LPI, Inc. He has a BA in theology from DeSales University and a MTS from Duke Divinity School.

On Sunday October 14th, the Cathedral Church will celebrate being 90 years young. While the 14th is no longer the liturgical celebration for the Cathedral’s dedication, since its dedication anew on December 2nd, 2009, we will still celebrate this important day in our parish life of faith with a concert of sacred music on Saturday evening, October 13th at 7:00PM in the Cathedral. The choirs of the Cathedral, Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King, and St. Boniface in Edwardsville have been working to provide what will surely be a wonderful evening of song and praise. I hope to see you there.

I described the Cathedral’s birthday as “90 years young” because, while the building may need some care here and there due to time, the church itself is the epicenter for many great things happening in the parish. If you have not noticed in past issues of the Cathedral Weekly, there are many things happening in our parish. The parish’s faith formation program is in full swing with weekly offerings from talks on various theological topics, to Bible and book studies, to the Forge young adult ministry, and the parish high school youth group. The Parish School of Religion program is running, as is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. And if you are looking for service and fellowship opportunities, I invite you to check out the parish choir and other liturgical ministries, the Cathedral Council of Catholic Women, or the Father Tolton Knights of Columbus Council. If you have any questions about any of these offerings, please contact Vicki Compton at the parish office.

 Each week, Katie Price drafts our publication of the Cathedral Weekly and I am very happy to share with you that Katie and her husband Darren welcomed twins this past Monday, October 1. Please join me in thanking the Lord for the gift of Anne Marie and John Eugene. I would also like to thank Katie’s brother, Chris, who is filling in for Katie for the next several weeks to help keep the Weekly coming to you.

Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!

 Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.

The office was a large historic brick building on the south side of Peoria, nearing the downtown area. I remember thinking it was a mansion! Growing up I remember visiting the “mansion” when my mother would be at a Board meeting and I was an important “member” of the office staff. At the age of five, my first experience in “volunteering” was at the Peoria United Way “mansion” and my role included stuffing envelopes, but organizing the suckers and office candy was also a high priority for me. My mother thought it was very important to give back to her community. She brought me along to the United Way, but also to plant the initial flower beds at the Heartland Clinic in Peoria, which she was a Board Member of as well. From these experiences to many more over the years, she was example of a Christian servant and steward. I never realized at the time how much she was planting a seed within me. I am sure her demanding job and raising my brother and I kept her quite busy, but I always remember my father and mother giving back to the community in some way.

We all have unique ways in which we are called to serve. Some might find ourselves on Boards, some of us might be helping a neighbor next door, some of us might be serving at Mass. All of these are excellent examples of how to act as a disciple and answer God’s call in your life. We also should acknowledge that we are examples for each other. Just as my mom was providing an example to me, we provide examples to children around us. We also serve as examples to each other. I am sure many of you have volunteered for an event or ministry before, in which you were asked by your friends and family why you participate. Your witness story is important and you should be encouraged to share it!

When we are in service to each other, we are also being hospitable to each other. Hospitality is often understood as the way in which we prepare a meal or event, but it is so much more than that in light of stewardship! Hospitality focuses on Christian kindness. We are looking at how we care about each other, how we share with each other, and how we share a deep sense of belonging to each other. We each play a role in welcoming the stranger and encouraging hospitality.

 Think about your favorite restaurant for a moment. Maybe it was fancy, maybe it is a local favorite, but think about that exceptional restaurant. When you think about getting the chance to go there, how does that make you feel? When you arrive, does someone greet you or do they recognize you warmly? Think about the ambiance, the feelings you get when you are seated. How does the ambiance, the smells, or the music make you feel? How about the service at the restaurant? Are the servers attentive, warm, knowledgeable, and engaging with you? Think about the tables that surround you, how are those individuals feeling? Are those people at the tables around you also sharing in the positive experience and seemingly enjoying this restaurant?

 Now, think about Sunday. How would you feel if I asked all these questions about the Sunday Mass experience to you? How would you answer?

Hospitality through the lens of stewardship begins with Sunday hospitality. We warmly greet each other, we enjoy being present in the Eucharist to each other through a warm smile from one pew to the next, we find the priests and liturgical ministers knowledgeable and engaging, and we find the music or smells spiritually nourishing. When we all participate in the Mass together- friends, family and strangers– we are being radically hospitable. We always have room for improvement, but when we think about hospitality through the lens of stewardship, consider what that looks like—being radically obsessed with invitation and participation.

We are always trying to explore new ideas of stewardship through service and hospitality at Cathedral. While we continue to develop and grow these ministries at Cathedral we hope you will be encouraged and feel welcomed to join us. In the next couple of weeks you will have the opportunity to hear more about stewardship and each of our call to live a stewardship way of life. You will be invited to answer the call and plan with us, as we become Jesus’ hands and feet in the world.

 Katie Price is the Coordinator for Discipleship and Stewardship at the Cathedral. She is also working in the Discipleship and Stewardship effort at the Diocese of Springfield. She can be reached at [email protected].