I'm writing this for the bulletin the morning of election day. I pray that when you read this that we know who the president is and that the election went fairly smoothly. Even though we hear again and again that our country is deeply divided we are blessed to live in a democracy that empowers us to speak our personal truth in many varied and diverse public forums.

Many today also feel that democracy is a vital dimension of Christian spirituality, and that the commonly heard cry—"the church is not a democracy!" - is really alien to both scripture and tradition. They feel that the church of Jesus should be one committed, as he was, to radical equality. Others, of course, feel that the hierarchical pyramid is divinely ordained.

Eugene Bianchi is emeritus professor of theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Professor Bianchi suggests what is needed as a first step toward a more democratic Catholicism is a spirituality of democracy in the church "out of which democratizing structures would necessarily flow." He identifies eight touchstones for a spirituality of democracy. My priest support group which meets once a month reviewed these principles at our last meeting and agreed to pray and think about them in preparations for a conversation this month. I want to share them with you.

• The principle of dialogue. Dialogue involves facing the other in his or her differences with a spirit of empathy. It helps all of us to be transformed inwardly, bringing about new ways of seeing problems and challenges.

• The principle of subsidiarity. All decision-making rights and responsibilities remain with the smaller community unless the good of the broader community specifically requires that it makes those decisions. When subsidiarity tells us to look within the local community for decision making, it is analogous to the central preaching of Jesus that the kingdom of God is within us. Our worth comes not from outside authority but from our intrinsic value. This principle values the contribution of every member of the church.

• The principle of decentralization. Each community shall form its own body of governing regulations. This principle respects the diversity present in the universal church which embraces many peoples, races, languages and cultures.

• The principle of participation through election. Church history shows that the election process for choosing lead ers was much more common in the early days than now. Jesus broke barriers of exclusiveness. He fosters an open table where sinners sit with the seemingly righteous. All are invited to participate in positions of governance, even those outside of power circles.

• The principle of term limits. All world religious traditions encourage individuals to be ready to let go of ego gratification. The curbing of self-centered ego desires attempts to turn us toward humble service of the community. Limits on office holding better serve the common good. The constitutions of many of our religious communities support this reality.

• The principle of separate powers. Checks and balances in our religious institutions submit us to a spiritual discipline that can lead us to the empowerment of many over and against control by just a few.

• The principle of accountability. Scriptures speak of Christians as members of one body, an organic whole with many functions. One part of the body must respond honestly and openly to other parts of the body for the health of the whole. Such communal understandings have been intrinsic to the Christian movement from its earliest days.

• The principle of representation. All groupings of the faithful, including women and minorities, shall be equally represented in all positions of leadership and decision making. The spiritual dimensions of this principle stem from basic Gospel values. As Saint Paul teaches, "In Christ there is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Gentile, male nor female." The fallacy of certainty, of absolute possession of the truth, is an obstacle to spiritual development.

Bianchi wants to emphasize that the ways and means of democratic governance seems to be "very compatible with spiritual development" and its important to recognize that as we move forward into the 21st century. My first reflection on these principles concerned the sexual abuse scandal which has rocked our church and shaken the faith and confidence of so many of us. I wondered how these principles would have altered our leadership response if these principles had been in place.

Dear Parishioners

St. Robert’s Grief Support Group will hold a special meeting on Saturday, November 13th, in the Convent Chapel from 3:00—4:15 pm to help those who are facing the upcoming Holidays without their loved one—spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, grandchild, friend, relative. The gap left by a loss is felt most poignantly during these traditional times of celebration—Thanksgiving & Christmas. We invite you to come and pray, share memories, comfort and be comforted. May Our Lady of Sorrows comfort you.

During this season of thanksgiving to God, our creator, who has given us so much. Let our hearts go out to our sisters and brothers who are not as fortunate. Baskets for your gifts of non-perishable food have been placed on the altar steps. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society will see to it that those members of our Parish Family in need will be touched by our compassion and love.

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These Sundays are the culmination of the liturgical year which ends with the Feast of Christ the King. The readings for next week remind us of the hell fire and brimstone which many of us were accustomed to hearing about in our youth. The scariness may remind us of some bumper stickers which talk about “the Rapture” at the end of the world and how the occupants of the car will be taken up into heaven. These apocalyptic (end time) readings seem to give our Fundamentalist brothers and sisters ammunition for pessimism and for dividing the world into the good and the evil, the saved and the unsaved. The readings are really an invitation to ponder more deeply what we believe. Our faith teaches that Jesus has saved us by his life, death and resurrection. The fate of the world is not up in the air between the forces of evil and the forces of good. God has already prevailed!

What difference would it make if we believed we were already saved? Those of us who tend to be scrupulous, to take some practices of our faith too seriously, thinking that we are greater sinners than we are, could quit wasting all that energy. Those of us who don’t take our faith seriously enough might reflect on how very much God loves us and let that awareness overflow into greater love for God and others. Perhaps, those who taught us thought that believing we were saved would lead us to be presumptuous and take God’s gracious love for granted. But think about your own experience. If you had at least one parent or grandparent who really loved you, didn’t you try wholeheartedly to love that person in return, to live up to that person’s love for you? I remember so clearly not wanting to do anything wrong because I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. There wasn’t a lot of fear in my life, for which I am eternally grateful. My parents’ love for me helped me to believe in God’s love for me. So if we believe we are saved it shouldn’t make us arrogant, but set us free from worry about our salvation so that we can “love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves.” We just need to live into what God has done for us in Jesus. We need to think of ourselves as children of God, regardless of our age! When faced with a decision, we could ask ourselves, “What would a member of God’s family do?” Or as the young people have taught us, “What would Jesus do?” There is no better gauge.

Lector Workshop
On Tuesday, November 16 at 7 pm, all lectors, new and veteran, are invited gather in the church. The session will include the spirituality of lectoring and an opportunity to hear each other and offer suggestions. Please come prepared to proclaim the Advent reading of your assigned Sunday. If you’re not scheduled to read during Advent, please choose and prepare an Advent or Christmas reading.

We are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you can prepare a favorite cookie, snack or lunch item for 10 to 12 people, please drop it off at the Children's Chapel, in the back of Church, by 9 a.m. on November 10th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items can be donated.

The Church Is Open

During the next few months if you begin to feel the crazyness of the season remember you can always come to Church and visit with God to find some peace. You will find St. Robert's Church open from 6:30am Mass until 5pm. As you're going to or from work or school or on your way home from shopping why not come in and thank the Lord for the gift of life and the beauty of the Season.

Don & Michele Orque & Family
Phil & Joni Birkmyer & Family
Angelo & Carrie Cosentino

November is traditionally the month set aside by our church to commemorate and celebrate the memories of our departed loved ones. We will have a special shrine erected in Our Lady’s alcove (in the church). Please, bring flowers, pictures, or memorial cards of your departed loved ones to place in this shrine all during November. We will also post their names around the walls of the church, so that the faithful will be reminded of our departed loved ones each time they enter the church.