This past weekend, our parish gathered for one of the most moving liturgies of our year—the Mass of Remembrance. The church was full, the spirit was tender, and the presence of God was palpable. So many of you came forward afterward to express how meaningful the liturgy was, especially for those who were unable to bury loved ones properly during the long months of COVID. What a grace it was to stand together, surrounded by the photos of your loved ones around the altar, the Remembrance Altar Cloth and in the Book of the Names of the Dead.

 

I encourage you this week to continue praying for each person whose image rests by our altar and on the altar cloth. What a gift it is to belong to a community that gathers across life and death – to celebrate our faithfully departed who now rest in God and share forever in the Communion of Saints. We are reminded again of Christ’s promise of eternal life, a promise that anchors our grief in hope.

 

This promise finds its fullest expression in the feast we celebrate today: Christ the King. In the Gospel, even as Jesus hangs upon the cross—His final moments—He is still offering mercy, still thinking of eternal life, still loving. To the repentant thief at His side He speaks the words every heart longs to hear: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

If He could offer such a promise in His agony, how much more will He offer it to us, who have tried, however imperfectly, to follow His way of love throughout our lives? Today is a reminder that Christ’s kingship is not one of power or domination, but one of compassion, forgiveness, and the eternal embrace of God.

 

And now, as we turn toward Thanksgiving Day, we are drawn naturally into gratitude – for faith, for family, for friends, for community, for our country and for the eternal life promised to us in Christ our King. On behalf of our entire parish and school staff, I wish you and your loved ones a very blessed and grace-filled Thanksgiving. May your tables be full and your hearts even fuller. If you have some spare time on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 29th, from 10am – 1pm, Cisco & Kristina Rivera and their family would love your help as they set-up the campus Christmas lights, the Christmas tree for our tree lighting event and to put up the nativity scene. You can sign up on Engage or email communications@stsimon.org..

 

On behalf of Kalena, our Youth Minister, I want to thank everyone who supported our Youth Ministry Pancake Breakfast last Sunday. It was a great turnout, delicious breakfast and the funds raised will help our teens attend the week-long Diocesan Youth Retreat at Lake Tahoe. The registration fee is approx. $700 and not all families can afford to pay that so we appreciate your support.

 

This weekend also marks the close of our liturgical year, next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent so this Sunday we have our Advent Wreath and Ornament Making event in the Parish Center after the Sunday 9am & 11:15am Masses. Register here or pay at the door.

 

Last week we shared our Annual Financial Report, which was emailed to all parishioners last week. It contains very positive news – both for the parish and the school. Thanks to your generosity and the tremendous support of this community, we ended the year with strong surpluses, continued growth in ministries, and major steps forward in our Bold Vision Master Plan. Please take a moment to read the full report here. (If you didn’t receive it by email, please email communications@stsimon.org or contact the parish office.)

 

To accompany this report, Tuesday Kintana and I prepared a short video describing our financial health and our stewardship vision. This year, we are inviting everyone to renew their commitment to what I call the “Gift Economy of St. Simon.”

 

A gift economy is built not on accumulation, but on circulation—receiving from God and one another, and then allowing those gifts to flow outward again for the common good. Here at St. Simon, we see this every day: every hour volunteered, every skill offered, every prayer lifted, every financial contribution—all of it circulates like grace in motion, blessing someone else.

We invite each parish household to consider the spiritual principle we teach every year:

“One Hour for God.”

  • One hour of treasure — If you earn $20 an hour, we ask you to give $20 per week. If you earn $200 an hour, then $200 per week.
    • One hour of prayer — Giving God intentional time to deepen your relationship with Him.
    • One hour of service — Offering your hands, your heart, and your gifts for the good of others.

It is not about equal giving, but equal sacrifice. A weekly offering of roughly 2.5% of income is less about numbers and more about aligning our hearts with Christ’s generosity. Thank you for your continued faithfulness to this gift-economy of grace that sustains our parish, our school, and our ministries for generations to come.

 

May Christ our King reign in your hearts and homes this week—and may your Thanksgiving be filled with peace, gratitude, and the joy of God’s eternal love.

God Bless,
Fr. Brendan