A Look Ahead to All Saints Day

Tomorrow (1 November) the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a time to honor all the saints - those we know, as well as the countless ones we don't know (meaning everyone in heaven).

The readings assigned for the day are Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; and Matthew 5:1-12. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 24 (24:1-6).

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio has a good reflection related to this special observance - a reminder that each of us is called to holiness:

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: All Saints Day Means Holiness is for All

To assist readers in focusing on this day, Fr. Austin Fleming, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Concord, MA, has posted in his blog (A Concord Pastor Comments) a recorded version of the Litany of the Saints set to music by John Becker:

Concord Pastor: Litany of the Saints: All you holy men and women. . .

Finally, here is a reflection on All Saints Day by Fr. Peter Rocca, C.S.C., and the singing of the Litany of the Saints from the 2009 All Saints Day celebration at Notre Dame University's Basilica of the Sacred Heart:

YouTube: Litany of Saints at Notre Dame University

Reflections on This Sunday's Readings

Today the Church observes the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings for the day include Wisdom 11:22-12:2 (included in yesterday's post related to the book of Wisdom), 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2, and Luke 19:1-10 (the familiar story of Zacchaeus, the short tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus).

For some reflections on these readings, please visit:

Fr. Austin Fleming: Too short? Too tall? Too this? Too that? Or not enough . . . ?

Fr. John Kavanaugh, S. J.: Zacchaeus

The Christian Origins of Halloween

I recently ran across a blog post related to the Christian (Catholic) origins of Halloween.  There are a few similar takes on this subject, although there are some (minor) differences in historical interpretation. The links below will take an interested person to some of these accounts. (When I was teaching my seventh grade students at Saint Patrick School in Providence, I tend to use the version as given in the first link.)

To access these historical overviews, please visit:

St. Anthony Messenger: Halloween and Its Christian Roots

Beliefnet: Surprise: Halloween's Not a Pagan Festival After All

Catholic Culture: Halloween or All Hallow's Eve Activities

EWTN: Halloween: Its Origins and Celebration

About.com: Urban Legends: Halloween History and Origins

A Reflection Starter from the Book of Wisdom

A reflection starter from today's Office of Readings (Wisdom 11:21-12:2,11-19):

"Who can resist the might of your arm? Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls.

"Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

"Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant amnesty for their sins. For who can say to you, 'What have you done?' or who can oppose your decree? Or when peoples perish, who can challenge you, their maker; or who can come into your presence as vindicator of unjust men? For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned; nor can any king or prince confront you on behalf of those you have punished. But as you are just, you govern all things justly; you regard it as unworthy of your power to punish one who has incurred no blame. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; And you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins."

Questions Raised Over Manning of Portland (ME) Fireboat

A recent Portland Pres Herald article examined the Portland Fire Department’s manning of its fireboat company (Engine Company 7) as it also strives to provide medical coverage for Peaks Island. As the article mentions, the assigning of one of the company’s firefighters to assist in providing emergency medical coverage to the island has led to some delayed responses on calls involving the fireboat.

To access the article from the Portland Press Herald, please visit:

Portland Press Herald: Portland fire chief defends split crew on fireboats (23 OCT 10)

Background Information:

Portland Fire Department

Portland Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 740

City of Portland

Wikipedia: Portland, Maine

Peaks Island

Overall Value and Impact of Home Fire Sprinkler Incentives Underscored in New Fire Protection Research Foundation Study

Incentives for sprinkler installations in new U.S. homes are becoming increasingly common due to building codes and ordinances, and in recognition of the life safety benefits these systems provide. That’s according to Incentives for the Use of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems in the U.S., an October 2010 study released by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The report - which is the second part to a study released in 2008 that looked at the costs associated with home fire sprinklers - underscores the considerable influence incentives can have on building costs and the overall cost of a sprinkler system.

“For years, myths and misconceptions about residential sprinkler systems have proliferated among some groups, which have effectively worked to deter homeowners from even considering installing sprinklers in new construction,” says Jim Shannon, NFPA president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “The Research Foundation’s work debunks those fallacies with real-life examples, which demonstrate that the proper incentives can and do motivate homeowners and builders to install sprinklers.” In that process, Shannon notes, those communities are becoming better educated about sprinklers’ true feasibility.

Conducted for the Foundation by Newport Partners, LLC, with an advisory panel consisting of representatives from NAHB, ICC, NIST, fire service, home builders, and sprinkler contractors, the study evaluated the nature and impact of incentives by identifying, characterizing, and estimating the approximate value of sprinkler system incentives found in communities across the U.S. In-depth interviews were conducted among sixteen communities (including Gorham, ME, and Montpelier and Hartford, VT).  Each of these communities offered one or more incentives to encourage the use of sprinkler systems in new single-family homes. Incentives were categorized as financial trade-offs, on-site design flexibility, and off-site design flexibility, while the beneficiaries of different incentives were the homeowner, builder, or developer.

The report’s key findings include :

• A representative selection of builder-oriented incentives could offset approximately one-third of the cost of a sprinkler system for a new home. Examples of builder-oriented incentives included reduced or waived fees and reduced fire ratings for building assemblies.
• Incentives expected to accrue to builders were found to have the largest estimated value, totaling $1,949 per building lot; developer-oriented incentives were estimated to offer a value of $1,271/lot. Incentives relating to homeowners were lower, with a total first-year value of $145/lot.
• Each of the homeowner-oriented incentives (e.g. reduced property taxes) was found to have recurring benefits. When valuing these incentives over long-term, they compare more favorably to the values for builders and developers.

Newport Partners completed the Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report in 2008, which found the cost of installing sprinkler systems to the home builder averaged $1.61 per sprinklered square foot. They examined installation costs and insurance premium discounts associated with the installation of home fire sprinkler systems in 10 communities.

To access this report, please visit:

NFPA: Incentives for the Use of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems in U.S. Communities (2010)

To access the Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report, please visit:

NFPA: Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment (2008)

Timex Unveils New Sundial

Timex Group USA has donated a replacement clock (sundial) to the Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, CT.

The sundial being replaced was originally a gift from the United States Time Corporation, as Timex was then known, in 1956. It has been removed from the side of the building to be rebuilt. The new one is also a gift from Timex and is being built by Global Scenic Services in Bridgeport.

Both the previous sundial and the current one are the only sundials known to be calibrated to Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

To access the Connecticut Post article on this event, please visit:

Connecticut Post: Timex unveils new sundial on Shakespeare theater (23 OCT 10)

Background Information:

Stratford Festival Theater  (a.k.a. Shakespeare Theatre)

Timex Group USA

Timexpo: The Timex Museum, Waterbury, CT

Town of Stratford

Reflections on This Sunday’s Readings

Today is the Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Times, and the readings include the familiar parable (from saint Luke’s Gospel) of the Pharisee and the tax collector: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; and Luke 18:9-14. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 34. To access these readings, please visit:

USCCB: Readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In a reflection on today’s readings (in his homily of today), Abbot Brian Wangler, O.S.B., of Assumption Abbey, Richardton, ND, writes:

“Pride is the sin of good people. Fundamental to pride is self-deception. We can easily see pride in others, but it is hard to see in ourselves. There is, so to speak, the Black Devil and the While Devil. The Black Devil tempts us to break the law. He tempts us to lie, steal, cover up wrong we have done and get a thrill out of getting away with doing something sinful. The White Devil tempts us to obey the law and glory in our obedience.

“Pride is the sin of the virtuous person. It is the sin of the successful person, the righteous person and of the law-abiding person. The Pharisee was all that. He was not greedy, dishonest or adulterous. He fasted twice a week and paid 10% of his income to the church, or to the temple in his day. He was a good person, a pillar of the community, a pillar of the church.

“There was only one problem. He was completely disconnected from God. And, in most ways, he was disconnected with other people. He only brings in other people to drag them down.

“Pride is a sin of the soul. Most other serious sins are more related to the body. Lust, gluttony and envy are, each in their own way, more physical. They are more related to hormonal drives, to physical pleasure or to comparison of oneself to another. Pride is of the soul. It is a sin that isolates us from God. The Pharisee goes to the temple to pray. It is the right thing to do. But he is unconnected with God. He simply speaks to himself. Pride isolates a person. It leaves them cut off from God and others, depending on how great the pride is. . . .

“The difference between the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector is one of attitude. The Pharisee does not need God. He is already perfect in his own mind. He is a prime candidate for pride. Pride has long been considered the worst of all sins. The Tax-Collector needed God. . . .”

In his reflection on today's Gospel reading, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio notes that the parable teaches us a lot about pride, humility and . . . insanity:

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: The Pharisee, the Publican, and Humility

In a related commentary, Msgr. Charles Pope reflects on humility in prayer:

Msgr. Charles Pope: On Humility in Prayer

And Father John Kavanaugh, S. J., reflects on self-righteousness:

John Kavanaugh, S. J.: The Word Engaged: Self-Righteous

Russell Shaw on a Biomedical Pandora’s Box

Writer Russell Shaw, who often writes about Catholic-related events and concerns, has commented on recent news items concerning two biomedical-related events, each of which raised concerns about using morally bad means to achieve good ends.

To read Mr. Shaw's commentary, please visit:

Russell Shaw: The Biomedical Pandora’s Box (22 OCT 10)

A Reflection Starter from Saint Francis de Sales

“Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.” –Saint Francis de Sales

Providence College Rated a Top Catholic School

The Dominican Province of St. Joseph Blog has posted an item entitled "Providence College: A Top Catholic School."

To access this post, please visit:

Dominican Province of St. Joseph Blog: Providence College: A Top Catholic School

A Thought Starter from Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." - Ralph Waldo Emerson