THE FAMILY ZONE

Psalm 23 is frequently heard at funerals and you will likely hear it at Mass on November 2. "The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want...." Though the Psalm is regularly connected to funerals, it is also a psalm we can pray every day to connect to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who provides us with hope, and peace, and will guide us in troubling times. It's also a prayer of gratitude, and trust that God wants everything that is good for us. It can provide us with strength and courage when we are facing change. If you would like to try praying with the psalms, some of our most ancient prayers, Psalm 23 is one that is still so relevant in today's world. Try praying it using the link below:

November 2 is All Soul's Day. During the weekend liturgies, the church often remembers those who have had funerals in the parish over the course of the last year. The day is a day to remember loved ones who have died and to pray for their souls. It is also a great time to reach out to someone who has lost a loved one recently. Too often, after the funeral is over, the grieving are left to make the long journey of healing, alone. We can show our love for others by connecting with them on All Soul's Day. It's a nice time to check-in, get together, pray with them and offer an opportunity for that person to talk about their grief over their missed loved one.

Have you ever paid attention to the statues of saints at your church or other churches? Look closely and you will see that you can often identify a saint by what is present in the depiction. For example, St. Patrick's statue might have him standing in a pile of snakes, St. Peter's statue will likely include a set of keys, and St. Lucy's statue will have eyeballs on a dish! It's fun to take a closer look at statue art and see if you can identify the statue by the items they are depicted with. Next time you walk through your church, examine the statues!

Here are some suggestions for bringing the saints into your daily life in the home!

Try this pumpkin prayer when you carve your pumpkins for Halloween!

Learn about the saints and even download a free coloring book for your kids!

This year, we will provide you with a recipe and a topic to keep the communication going beyond "how was your day?"

If you could be anything in the world, what would you be? Do you think people are ever surprised about what they become when they grow up?

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Editor: Leslie Barkin leslie.barkin@dor.org

Debtor in Possession

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

See them all here!