LIFE EVERLASTING
The second book of Maccabees tells a powerful story, and a rather gruesome one at that. But central to it, beyond the horrible deaths inflicted upon the brothers and their mother, is their belief in the promise of resurrection and life everlasting in God.
Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for him as he spreads Christ's message of love, so that he might be delivered from other nonbelievers anxious to do him harm. The apostle is confident in such prayer, just as he is confident in the everlasting support of Jesus and God the Father.
And there's that “everlasting” word again. The Sadducees, not buying the idea, ask Jesus an interesting—albeit meaningless—question about the status of married life at the Resurrection. He tells the non-believers that marriage isn't an issue for the risen children of God. More importantly, he assures them that their ancestors do live on in God, even as evidenced by the Father's words to Moses.
© Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.
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SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Sunday:Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time;
Veterans Day
Monday:St. Josaphat
Tuesday:St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Thursday:St. Albert the Great
Friday:St. Margaret of Scotland; St. Gertrude
Saturday:St. Elizabeth of Hungary
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READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday:Wis 1:1-7; Lk 17:1-6
Tuesday:Wis 2:23 — 3:9; Lk 17:7-10
Wednesday:Wis 6:1-11; Lk 17:11-19
Thursday:Wis 7:22b — 8:1; Lk 17:20-25
Friday:Wis 13:1-9; Lk 17:26-37
Saturday:Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Lk 18:1-8
Sunday:Mal 3:19-20a; Ps 98; 2 Thes 3:7-12;
Lk 21:5-19
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My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God. —Psalm 17:5-6a
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TODAY'S READINGS
First Reading — The King of the world will raise us up to live again forever (2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14).
Psalm — Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full (Psalm 17).
Second Reading — May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father encourage and strengthen your hearts in every good deed and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16 — 3:5).
Gospel — Those who are deemed worthy of the coming age can no longer die (Luke 20:27-38 [27, 34-38]).
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Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous, love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offense and is not resentful. Best wishes to the families of ...
Meaghan Mc Hugh and Jeff Garrity
united in marriage on November 10, 2007
Congratulations. May your lives be richly blessed with an everlasting marriage of love and fidelity.
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An Evening of Music
Performance by Chris Brune
On Saturday evening, November 17, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Franklin, New Jersey will host a performance of The New Chautauqua.
The New Chautauqua is an evening of music, stories and poetry compiled and performed by Sussex County artist, Chris Brune. Brune got the idea for it from the Chautauqua movement of the 1900s, and has been doing these performances for 10 years. Chautauqua embraced every aspect of the life of the mind, bringing the world of ideas and imagination to people in communities throughout the United States. In that spirit, the November 17th program will include music of Bach and Ravel, poetry by John Updike and Jan Beatty, an original story and folk songs by Stan Rogers and Steve Spurgeon, all performed in the magnificent acoustics of one of Sussex County's most historic churches.
There is no charge to attend, but a free-will offering is asked with all proceeds to go to Birth Haven, a non-profit maternity shelter in Newton, New Jersey. Since 1985, Birth Haven has provided transitional housing, emotional support, and much needed services to girls and young women who are pregnant and find themselves with nowhere to turn. Birth Haven welcomes all women without regard to race, creed, national origin, age, financial ability, or marital status.
For more information, call the Immaculate Conception Rectory at 973 827-9575 during business hours or visit the parish web site at http://immaculateconceptionparish.org.
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Sacrificial giving nurtures the spirit of the giver and helps to build a better world. Thank you for your support and generosity for last week's collection.
Last Sunday's Collection: $5,733.00
All Saints Collection: $800.00
All Souls Collection: $846.00
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 Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Needy Families of Sussex County
Donations of food and gift certificates from local food stores may be brought to our church altar until November 18. All contributions will be brought to the Food Pantry and distributed during the week of Thanksgiving. Anything you can give is so very much appreciated!
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Thanksgiving
Ecumenical Service
The Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service will be held at the Franklin First Presbyterian Church on Main Street on Tuesday, November 20th at 7:30 p.m.
Immaculate Conception, Temple Shalom and the First Presbyterian Church unite to give thanks and praise to God at this wonderful spiritual service. Come share in the joyful celebration on November 20th.
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Parish Nurse, Social Worker and Ministry Volunteers Breakfast
November 29th from 9:00—11:00 a.m.
Enjoy a fine breakfast at the Brownstone in Paterson while we listen to Dr. Jagdish Dang speak about the issues of depression in the elderly. Nursing Contact Credit available.
Cost is $15.00. Reservations must be made. Send a note requesting a reservation; include your name, address and phone number to Home Care Options, 2 Market Street, Paterson, N.J. 07501. 973-523-1224
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Advent Wreath Lighting
As we approach the Advent Season, we are asking for families or individuals to participate in the Advent Wreath Lighting for all the Masses during the Advent Season. Participants would carry in the Advent candle and light it for the particular Mass that they signed up for and would also bring up the gifts of Bread and Wine.
Please click here, print the page, complete it and give it to Father Bogey or drop it in the collection basket.
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Attention Parishioners
Lessons and Carols
will take place on the First Sunday of Advent, December 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Enter into the full spirit of the season by joining us for this annual inspirational evening of scripture readings and song.
The Adult, Youth and Bell Choirs, under the direction of our most talented Music Director, Rosanne Huttman, will present the music for this delightful event!
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
Prayer Shawl Ministry Meetings are held in the Ministry House once a month. The next Prayer Shawl meeting will take place on Monday, November 19th at 7:30 p.m.
New members are always welcome. No knitting/crochet experience necessary. Come join us to knit and pray as we create mantles of caring for the person who will receive the shawl.
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Grief Support Group
On the first Wednesday of each month Immaculate Conception Parish offers an ongoing Grief Support Group.
If you or someone you know has suffered a loss, please join us for the next meeting this Wednesday, Dec. 5th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Ministry House.
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We all have such busy lives. Sometimes it is overwhelming. Take time and find the silence. For in the silence, you will hear His voice. “Be still and know that I am God.”
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Parish Cookbooks make great gifts!
We have plenty of Parish Cookbooks available. Each book is only $10.00 and make nice gifts. To purchase, contact rectory at 973-827-9575.
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St. Monica's Tricky Tray! Friday, November 16th ~ 6:30 pm At High Point High School
Great Prizes! Including Nets tickets—$200 Simon Gift Card—Kayak—Home Furnishings—Golf Outing—50/50 and so much more!!!! No one under 18 years old admitted.
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Lord, teach me… to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward, except to know that I am doing your will.
—Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola
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Our monthly Souper Sunday Food Drive will not take place during the month of November. All food donations will be for the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thank you for your generous offerings for our monthly “Souper Sunday” collections.
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Sunday Social
Stop by the Lyceum after the 10:30 a.m. Mass to enjoy a light breakfast with Fr. Bogie and fellow parishioners.
The Parish community expresses deep gratitude to all of the parishioners who volunteer to help with the preparations each week.
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Help reduce poverty in the United States
“Poverty Around Us”
It's a fact of life that people with health insurance have a better chance to be healthy. The number of Children in New Jersey without Health insurance rose by 37% between 2000 and 2005 while the national rate dropped by 9%. To learn more about poverty visit

• www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/poverty


• www.actnow.org/docs/07/First-Things-First-New-Jersey.pdf


• www.lsnj.org/PDFs/budget/FinalBenchmarksReport012507.pdf


• www.njpp.org/rpt_fallingshort.html


• Catholic Charities USA

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Support Immaculate Conception School
tickets available for their giant 50/50!
Don't miss the chance to possibly win up to $30,000. Contact an ICRS family or stop by the school office during school hours to purchase tickets. Drawing will be on December 7 at 10:00 a.m. in the lyceum.
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Divorce Seen from Three Perspectives
Stephen Ministry of Sacred Heart Spirituality Center is sponsoring an informational presentation on the emotional and legal issues of divorce, including rebuilding one's life after divorce. The presentation will take place on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Spirituality Center in Newton, NJ.
The presenters will be Claire Caines, a licensed clinical social worker; Tom Caines, a business and life coach; and Mark Gruber, a matrimonial attorney and divorce mediator. There will also be time for questions and answers. All are invited. For further information please feel free to call Sacred Heart Center at 973-383-2620 or Eileen Theys at 579-6145 or email at etheys@nac.net.
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 Please remember to pray for our parishioners and friends who are ill:
In Nursing Homes: Ceil Williams, Pauline Trofimuk, Anna Elekes, Betty Swetz, Frank Kalafut and Mary Devine.
At Home: Loraine Schenker, Maria Woppel, Diane Sidoli, Robert Zeuner, Evelyn Caljean, Danielle Dionisio, Thomas Dionisio, Jr., Steven “Itchy” Novak, Flo Yurchak, Ethel Segarra, Mary Carmody and Lisa Stine.
 
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Please continue to keep all those serving in the military in your thoughts and prayers especially:
Jamison Micke, Stephen Saski, Jr., Christopher Faber, SFC Morgan McHose, LCPL William Mathes, LCPL Ernest Mathes, Karen Hassler, Tom Oroho and CPL Matt Lindquist.
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A Family Perspective
In today's gospel the Sadducees questioned the mystery of the resurrection. As we approach Christmas, children may question Santa, a mystery they want to believe. The step into adulthood is costly. Often it is easier to retain what we once believed rather than grow into adult faith.
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Breakfast in Bethlehem
The First Grade CCD class will present Breakfast in Bethlehem on Saturday, December 1st at 9:30 a.m. in the Church.
The students are working hard to prepare for this joyous program depicting their version of the “First Christmas”. Reservation forms will be sent home with the CCD students in grades K-4th. If you do not have a child in CCD but would like to attend, please call the Rectory.
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Save the Date … RCIA RETREAT 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
at St. Ann's Church, 781 Smith Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Open to all Catechumens, Candidates, Sponsors, RCIA Directors and Pastors. Additional information to follow. Call Joanne Calafiore at 973-538-1418 x222.
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Altar Server Schedule
Next Weekend's Masses
Saturday 11/10
5:00 p.m. A. Sica, N. Moscalow
 
Sunday 11/11
7:30 a.m. J. Oroho, J. Williams
9:15 a.m. J. Friend, J. Friend
10:30 a.m. J. Payne, E. Radics
12:00 noon K. Allen, A. Allen
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 LOVE'S HUNGERS
Life has a way of feeding our hunger for relationships. Whatever shape or hue they may take, in one way or another our relationships seem to feed the deepest part of our being.
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INSIDE THE READINGS
The only mention of the Sadducees in Luke's Gospel appears in today's reading. The Sadducees were the wealthy aristocracy. In religious matters they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament, rejected the oral tradition of the Pharisees, and did not believe in angels or the resurrection of the dead.
The Sadducees use the levirate (brother-in-law) marriage law to bait their snare. "When brothers live together and one of them dies without a son, the widow of the deceased shall not marry anyone outside the family; but her husband's brother shall go to her and perform the duty of a brother-in-law by marrying her" (Deuteronomy 25:5). The Sadducees push this to a ridiculous extreme by proposing a case in which a woman ends up marrying seven brothers. They then ask Jesus, "Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?" (Luke 20:33).
Jesus responds by pointing out that in the coming age there is no marriage. Persons whom God judges worthy will be "the children of God because they are the ones who will rise" (20:36). Jesus then appeals to the Pentateuch and to Moses, both accepted by the Sadducees, to prove that there is resurrection. In the burning bush God revealed to Moses, "I am ... the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). Jesus adds, "He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive" (Luke 20:38). That last phrase, proper to Luke, may well depend on a text from the apocryphal Fourth Book of Maccabees: "They [the martyrs] believe that they, like the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, do not die to God, but live to God." (4 Maccabees 7:19).
Belief in resurrection of the body and retribution for evil first appears in the Old Testament period some two hundred years before the birth of the Lord. It is evident in the book of Daniel, written at the time of the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (167-164 BC).
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THOUGHTS FOR ACTION
As we go through life we'd like to know just whom we are going to spend eternity with and what it's going to be like. The truth is that none of us knows. Maybe the best we can do at this time is love those around us now, and let God take care of our future.
 
Excerpted and edited from LIVING THE WORD for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time commentary by Msgr. Ralph Kuehner and Rev. Joseph Juknialis, 8 2007 by J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. 11/11/07

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