Search
-
Reflections | November 2026
-
-
Sunday Reflections | Monthly Rosary Reflections
SEEK
November begins with the saints and the faithful departed and ends with Christ the King and the beginning of Advent. Together, these observances invite us to look beyond what we possess and remember where our true treasure lies.All Saints shows us men and women who allowed everything they had—their abilities, relationships, work, possessions, suffering, and ultimately their lives—to belong to Christ. All Souls reminds us that earthly possessions eventually pass away and that our final destiny is communion with God. Thanksgiving then teaches us to receive what we have with gratitude, while the Solemnity of Christ the King brings the month to its central truth: everything belongs to Christ.This gives stewardship a deeper meaning. Christian generosity is not simply deciding how much of “my” money I am willing to give away. It begins by recognizing that life itself is received from God. Our homes, income, abilities, opportunities, relationships, and possessions have been entrusted to us for a time.The question for November, then, is not simply “How much should I give?” It is: “What has God entrusted to me, and how is He asking me to use it?”PRAY
Gratitude changes the way we see what we possess. When we begin with thanksgiving, generosity becomes less about losing something and more about returning something received.Jesus warns repeatedly against allowing possessions to possess us. Christian stewardship gives money its proper place. Wealth can provide for a family, support the Church, relieve suffering, educate children, care for the vulnerable, and accomplish tremendous good. But it remains a means rather than an end. Our treasure is meant to serve love of God and neighbor.This is why generosity involves more than spontaneous giving. It asks us to bring our decisions about money before God in prayer. Where does my spending reveal my priorities? Am I grateful for what I already have? Do I notice the needs of others? Does my giving cost me anything, or is it simply what remains after everything else has been satisfied?The parish also shares this responsibility. On November 22, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the parish financial report provides an opportunity not simply to look at numbers, but to consider how the resources entrusted to our community are being used for worship, formation, ministry, mercy, and mission. The pastoral emphasis for the month intentionally connects financial accountability with gratitude and discipleship.November therefore becomes a bridge. After reflecting on our time in September and our gifts in October, we now consider our treasure. But Christ is gradually asking an even larger question: not merely What will you give Me? but Will you allow your whole life to belong to Me?St_Lawrence_Martyr_Stewardship_…SERVE
Sometime after the parish financial report this month, make one prayerful decision about generosity. Rather than beginning with an amount, begin with prayer.Thank God specifically for what He has entrusted to you. Then ask where greater generosity may be needed. Perhaps it is increased support for the parish, assistance to someone struggling financially, a contribution to a work of mercy, simplifying an unnecessary expense so another person can be helped, or giving something you have been holding too tightly.The goal is not simply to give more. It is to become more free—more grateful, more attentive to the needs of others, and more willing to place what we possess at the service of Christ. This is the concrete practice proposed for November.For reflection:If everything I have ultimately belongs to God, what is one part of my treasure that He may be asking me to hold more gratefully, use more wisely, or share more generously?FOR REFLECTION
:If everything I have ultimately belongs to God, what is one part of my treasure that He may be asking me to hold more gratefully, use more wisely, or share more generously?- On All Souls Day, November 2, join our Annual Memorial Mass as we remember and pray for parishioners and loved ones who died between November 2025 and November 2026. Praying for the dead is one of the Church’s spiritual works of mercy and a reminder that our greatest treasure is communion with God.
- Visit the Fair Trade LA Marketplace on November 8. Purchasing fair-trade goods can be a concrete way of connecting our spending with solidarity, human dignity, and concern for those whose labor provides the goods we enjoy.
- Celebrate the One Heart Ministry’s 10th Anniversary Mass on November 14, giving thanks for a decade of fellowship, welcome, and ministry within our parish community.
- Support the Women’s Cornerstone Thanksgiving Bake Sale on November 22. A simple purchase can become an act of parish stewardship when it supports the spiritual life and service of others.
- On Christ the King, November 22, listen prayerfully to the parish financial report and consider one intentional decision about your own generosity.
- At Thanksgiving Mass on November 26, bring before God the people, experiences, resources, and blessings you too easily take for granted.