The first part of today’s Gospel parable spends a lot of time telling us about the landowner. The point is that the earth doesn’t belong to people. Life does not belong to people. We don’t own it. We are all renters here. You get to participate in the ultimate mystery of time and space but you do not own it; it is somebody else’s possession.

All we can really do is acknowledge our tenant status and participate in its gifts and offer its realities to the one who does own it. This is an obvious truth because of the fact of birth and death. We are only passing through. You can’t really argue this deep truth, but you can easily forget it. The one who owns it sends people to remind us that we are renting. But we do not like this so we kill the messengers.

The drive for possession and the will to murder is at the center point of the story. "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." (Mt. 21:38) This drive to possess what is not ours is fundamental to the human story. The first murder in the book of Genesis is driven by the desire to possess. The name "Cain" in Hebrew means to possess. We are not content to participate and bear the fruits of the owner; we want to possess it. Most sins are rooted not in generosity but in selfishness—a concern about my wants over another’s needs, a focus on my will over God’s. Emphasis on getting and having is rampant in our culture. "The one with the most toys wins" is the way we’re often encouraged to gauge our own worth and that of others.

God is the most generous of lovers—the giver of life, blessings and salvation. All of us have dignity and worth simply because we are God’s loved creation. We must acknowledge God’s gifts to us and recognize the value and rights of all others.

We are called to be Christian stewards, to "receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord" (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 450). Under the umbrella of our stewardship are life, possessions, truth and justice.

The U.S. Bishops have called our leaders to find moral responses to the current financial crisis. "This crisis involves far more than just economic or technical matters, but has enormous human impact and clear ethical dimensions which should be at the center of debate and decisions on how to move forward. Families are losing their homes. Retirement savings are at risk. People are losing jobs and benefits. Economic arrangements, structures and remedies should have as a fundamental purpose safeguarding human life and dignity. The scandalous search for excessive economic rewards even to the point of dangerous speculation that exacerbates the pain and losses of the more vulnerable are egregious examples of an economic ethic that places economic gain above all other values…. As Church leaders we ask that you give proper priority to the poor and the most vulnerable." (http://www.usccb.org/comm/ archives/2008/08-140.shtml)

During October, we focus on our stewardship of all God’s gifts; the most fundamental of these gifts is life itself. The sacredness of human life is at the heart of Catholic moral teaching, but this has ethical consequences for many dimensions of human life. E. J. Dionne, in his discussion about abortion – a core issue of the Catholic respect for life ethic – points out the economic factors that impact this issue.

"The public debate usually ignores the fact that abortion rates are closely tied to income. As the Guttmacher Institute has reported, "the abortion rate among women living below the federal poverty level...is more than four times that of women above 300 percent of the poverty level." The numbers are stark: 44 abortions per 1,000 women in the lower income group, 10 abortions per 1,000 women in the higher income group.

In other words: If you truly care about reducing the number of abortions, you have to care about the well-being of poor women." ("Souled Out," p. 109)

The Service Commission is sponsoring a Not Your Ordinary Food Drive to benefit Ronald McDonald House in Detroit on October 11 & 12. Ronald McDonald House serves families with seriously ill or injured children being treated in any area hospital. In some instances, they become home for the children themselves as they receive outpatient care. The goal is to provide a home away from home for families whose children are receiving medical care. A portion of their funding comes from the McDonald owner/ operators. The remainder must be raised by the House through fundraising and individual contributions. Families pay a nominal fee of $10 a night for their stay in one of the 25 bedrooms. They also have 17 bathrooms, a living room and playrooms and a large communal kitchen.

St. Paul encourages us in today’s second reading to focus our thoughts on good things, and in doing so, we may change our hearts and our lives. "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just…" think about those things. I don’t think Paul was being "Pollyanna" in his thinking. The reality is that what we think about does affect how we feel, and consequently, how we act. If we spend the day in worrying, we usually end up feeling almost paralyzed with the worry. Perhaps we should focus our thoughts on hope instead of worry. So Paul continues…"whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable…" think about these things. When we struggle with feelings of unhappiness, perhaps stopping several times throughout the day to think about those specific things that bring joy might help those feelings. In the words of Paul, this week "may the God of peace be with you." Peace, Nancy

THIS WEEK – Adult Formation Opportunities

If you call yourself a "Green Catholic-Christian" or are concerned about the future of the planet, we invite you to a special film showing on October 9th. Christ the Redeemer will be showing the video God’s Creation and Global Warming at both 9:30 in the morning and again at 7:00 in the evening. Both showings will follow with discussion led by Diane Zande. Come and grow in your awareness of the issues facing our planet. This gathering will take place in the Library.

Bible For Rookies begins this Wednesday and Thursday. There will be a morning session on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 9:30am – 11:00am and the same session will be repeated on Thursday evening, October 9th from 7:00 – 8:30pm. Both sessions will take place in Mark. This is a three week series, with the first week focusing on What Is the Bible, What’s In the Bible…we will discuss how to find things in the Bible, the difference between the Old and New Testament, some common words associated with Scripture study (inspiration, revelation). The following weeks will focus on the Old Testament (character, stories, background) and the New Testament (Gospel writers, Acts, letters, and Revelation). No matter what your background, or even if you have no background, you are welcome. God’s Word always opens the soul…come and learn how to open the Word.

Do you know someone who might be interested in knowing more about the Catholic Church? Is there someone in your family (young adult, adult) who might be "tempted" to become part of the Catholic Church in a more formal way by celebrating Baptism or Confirmation? Please feel free to call Nancy Clancy (248 391 4074, ext. 20) or email ctrdirector@ameritech.net for more information.

Calling all couples to a mini-retreat evening on October 17th from 6:30-9:00. The evening will consist of a simple dinner, faith sharing, Scripture and prayer. There will be a little time for couples to share individually and a little sharing around the table. A perfect opportunity for a night out, a bit of community plus the bonus of a little spirituality. Because food is involved, we are Requesting that you RSVP for this evening. We look forward to being together.

In the weeks ahead, watch for information about an Evening of Heart Music… a chance to appreciate music and poetry as another source of spirituality.

Our 9th Annual Advent by Candlelight will be held Thursday, December 4. It is an evening of shared stories and beautiful music; appetizers, desserts and candlelit conversation. It’s an ideal opportunity to refresh our spirits so we can enter Advent with a clear focus on what is most important-making room for Christ in our sometimes too-busy lives.

Canterbury Village is holding a silent auction of decorated Christmas Trees during the holiday season. Proceeds will benefit Love INC. Christ the Redeemer will decorate one 4 foot pre-lit tree. We are looking for a team of crafty parishioners who would like to help organize and decorate a tree. Tree decorating will take place at Canterbury on Saturday, November 19. If interested contact Karen/Lisa in the parish office, 248- 391-1621.

Next Weekend .....