From the Desk of Father Mark - Our Pastor
November 1, 2026 - The Solemnity of All Saints

NOT AVAILABLE IN THIS BULLETIN EDITION

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From the Desk of Father Mark - Our Pastor
November 8, 2026 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out’.
But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.”

In this parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins, there is one important part to remember; they all had lamps, It is not a parable of some who had lamps and some who did not, but a parable of a group of people who all had lamps. The choice of how they used and prepared the lamps made some of them wise and some them foolish.

In the Sermon of the Mount, we hear Jesus say, ‘you are the light of the world...your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.’ The wise in the parable understand this dictate and use what they have been given to glorify God. In this sharing of light they are preparing, and are prepared, for a day when the Lord will appear suddenly, when there is no time to prepare. Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, we hear Jesus say, ‘everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rains fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined’. The wise had built their house on solid ground so that they were prepared, the foolish were not at an advantage. So, it may seem at first glance that the wise were unfair to the foolish in not sharing, but, in actuality, the wise had no option to share with the foolish. The means to ‘make up’ for a life ill-spent, cannot be made in a moment. When the bridegroom arrives, the recognized are the followers who have lived as disciples most of their lives. They have through acts of love and charity prepared for the moment they would meet the Lord.

In the world, success is often measured by what has been accumulated. In the eternal world, God’s world, success is often measured by what has been surrendered or given away. So, the wise in the parable have nothing to give the foolish, for the wise have already given what they have to the Lord.

~ Tuesday, December 1 is the now traditional ‘Giving Tuesday’. Please use this opportunity to make an impactful donation to St. Linus School. We have set a goal of $10,000. Please help us through your generosity to make this goal possible!

Thank you!

Have a great week!

Fr. Mark Walter
Pastor of Our Lady of the Ridge - St.Linus Parish