Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 29, 2021 3 Gulf Pine Catholic (ISSN No. 0746-3804) October 29, 2021 Volume 39, Issue 5 The GULF PINE CATHOLIC , published every other week, is an official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Editorial offices are located at 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532. Periodical postage paid at Gulfport, MS. —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The GULF PINE CATHOLIC 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —PUBLISHER— Most Rev. Louis F. Kihneman —EDITOR— Terry Dickson —PRODUCTION/ ADVERTISING — Shirley M c Cusker —CIRCULATION— Aimee McLendon —PHOTOGRAPHY— Juliana Skelton —OFFICEHOURS— 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— Editor: 228-702-2126 Production/Advertising: 228-702-2109 Circulation: 228-702-2127 Photography: 228-201-2132 FAX: 228-702-2128 —EMAIL— News: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org Production / Advertising: smccusker@biloxidiocese.org Circulation: amclendon@biloxidiocese.org Photography: jskelton@biloxidiocese.org —OFFICEAND MAILINGADDRESS — 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —WEBSITE— www.biloxidiocese.org —SUBSCRIPTIONS — Subscription rate is $18 per year. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address. Allow three weeks for changes of address. —DEADLINES for NOV. 12 EDITION— News copy and photos: Due NOV.4, 4 p.m. Advertising: Completed Ad and/or copy due NOV. 4, 10 a.m. Bishop Kihneman’s Schedule Oct. 30 Lumen Christi Awards, Nativity BVM Cathedral, 4 p.m. Oct. 31 Mass, St. Mary Parish, Gautier, 11 a.m. Nov. 3 School Mass & Visit, Nativity BVM Elementary, 9 a.m. Nov. 4 East Coast Deanery Meeting, St. Alphonsus Parish, 10 a.m. Nov. 5 School Mass & Visit, St. Vincent de Paul Elementary, Holy Family Church, 8:30 a.m. Nov. 7 Anniversary Mass, Nativity BVM Cathedral, 2 p.m. Nov. 9 Foundation Meeting, 3 p.m. Nov. 10 School Mass & Visit, St. Charles Borromeo Elementary, 8:30 a.m. Nov. 11 Presbyteral Council, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12 School Mass & Visit, St. Alphonsus Elementary, 8:15 a.m. Nov. 14 United States Conference of -18 Catholic Bishops Meeting, Baltimore Nov. 18 Jesu Caritas Meeting, -19 Baltimore BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi The Book of Genesis tells us that God created the world, that God Created us and God created us in love. God created us because He loved us into being. That’s us. That’s where we begin. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, the early Christian Church is telling us this about who Jesus is for us. It says that God’s love was so profound for us that Jesus was born of a woman -- the Son of God -- and lived among us, died among us and rose from the dead (Heb 2:9-11). That is a powerful state- ment of love that He gives to each and every one of us! In the Gospel of St. Mark, we hear Jesus teaching the people about marriage and divorce. What He is saying is that same spirit of love that took place in creation is the same spirit of love that we are called to in our marriages (Mk 10:2-16). The disciples are trying to figure out what in the world He was talking about because what Jesus was saying was different from the Law of Moses, which they had learned all their lives. As Jesus is describing this to them, we have an interesting moment happen. There are parents bringing their children to try and touch Jesus. Tons of them. Evidently, there are so many children that the disciples step in and try to turn the children away so they don’t distract Jesus from his teaching. However, Jesus chooses that moment to be a teaching moment and He says, “Let the chil- dren come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as Bishop Kihneman God created us because He loved us into being especially people of the Eucharist. It’s really a powerful moment in which we, as a people of God, are able to receive the love of God so personally, especially when we think of Holy Communion and the Body and Blood of Jesus as He is present on the altar and gives Himself, His loving touch, to us as we touch His Body and Blood. When we hear the proclamations, “The Body of Christ” and The Blood of Christ” and we respond “Amen,” we are touching the love of God. In another part of that same Gospel, Jesus says, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Imagine, He’s surrounded by kids. He’s probably got four kids on his lap, five or six kids on each side and a number of kids around Him and he’s saying to His disciples who just asked Him about marriage and divorce, which they consider the big time. But he’s saying to them, no, the big time is these little ones. The big time is to have a heart like these little ones. The big time is to be open to the love of God just like these children in wonder and awe and simplicity. Some years ago the Chicago Tribune car- ried an article entitled “Taking a Walk with My Grandson,” by Amelia Dahl. It was writ- ten in dialogue form and went something like this: Ricky: Grandma, why do trees take their clothes off at the end of summer? Grandma : Because they get worn out and must be exchanged for new ones. Ricky: Where do their new clothes come from? SEE BISHOP’S MESSAGE, PAGE 8 these.” The invitation is for us to bring our kids to Jesus. Obviously, parents, if you bring your kids to Jesus, you’re bringing yourself to Jesus also. It’s really a powerful moment as you see tons of children coming to Jesus with their parents. Each of them wants to touch Him. When I visit our Catholic schools, as soon as I enter a classroom, I have ten kids on each leg and when I lean over and my pectoral cross goes out, I have 20 hands reaching out to touch it. Those are moments of Jesus’s love but it’s also a daily invitation to us bring our children to Jesus and let Him touch them. That means we are called to be a people of prayer, a people of the Word of God and