November invites us to remember those who have died and to reflect on our own journey toward eternal life. An ancient Christian practice offers guidance for this reflection: memento mori, a Latin phrase meaning “Remember that you will die.” Although these words may sound unsettling, they invite us to live with greater faith, gratitude, and love. Our earthly lives are precious, and our time is limited.

A Saint is in heaven; we must die before we become saints. On earth, a saint in the making toils and struggles, and sometimes muddles through life's experiences, but does so with the Paschal Mystery on their heart and mind. Today we glory in the reality of Heaven by realizing the constant reminders that we as Catholics have to get to heaven, because saints go to heaven, sinners go to Purgatory, and those who deny God may go to Hell. We are called to be a saint of God.

Ordinary Time continues to teach us much about Jesus' public ministry. We have gained insight from his encounters, his miracles, parables, and even his contact with the Pharisees. We know all too well that whenever the Pharisees show up, it’s never a good thing. In all these encounters, and even today, we learn that Jesus wants us to keep our priorities straight. He even says that to accomplish this, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength! It’s that simple. What are some practical ways for us to keep God at the center of our universe?

Jesus only speaks in terms of heaven. This is the hard part for us, because we think in earthly terms. Heaven is very different from what we know here now. We must begin to think on heavenly terms, not earthly ones, if we are going to truly understand where Jesus is coming from.

This way of life unfolds for us as Catholics by living the tangible sacramental life we are given. Each of us must arrive at this place knowing that the reality of Jesus' presence on the altar MUST become the reality of his presence within us!

Today’s Gospel affirms for us God’s bountiful generosity. We know this is true because Scripture says that many are called but few are chosen. Ordinary Time continues to unfold for us the reality of God’s abundance, but receiving all He has to offer makes the greatest difference in the world. The great differentiation is for the faithful to actually heed what the Lord is saying, to actually put into practice living the Ten Commandments, being well rooted in the sacramental life by frequent confession and reception of Holy Communion.

Ordinary Time will continue to the Advent Season, and in this time, we enjoy being opened to the public ministry of Jesus. His public ministry includes not only meeting people on the fringes, but also meeting people who are within the fold, faithful themselves.

This is affirmed in last week’s Gospel when Jesus warned the Pharisees and other leaders that tax collectors and prosti- tutes are gaining the Kingdom of Heaven before you. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus continues, warning that the Kingdom of Heaven will be taken from you because you fail to bear fruit.