Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 26, 2021 3 Gulf Pine Catholic (ISSN No. 0746-3804) November 26, 2021 Volume 39, Issue 7 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 DEC. 10 EDITION— News copy and photos: Due DEC. 2, 4 p.m. Advertising: Completed Ad and/or copy due DEC.2 10 a.m. Bishop Kihneman’s Schedule Nov. 28 Mass, Nativity BVM Cathedral, 11 a.m. Nov. 30 Equestrian Order Mass, Nativity BVM Cathedral, 6 p.m. Dec. 1-2 ESP, 2 p.m. Dec. 3 School Mass & Visit, Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School, Biloxi, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 5 Mass and Pastoral Visit, St. Ann Mission, Hurley, 8 a.m. Dec. 7 Priests’ Mass & Luncheon, Nativity BVM Cathedral, 11 a.m. Dec. 8 School Mass & Visit, Sacred Heart Elementary School, D’Iberville, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 11 Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Sacred Heart Parish, Pascagoula, 6 p.m. Dec. 12 Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Biloxi, 7 p.m. BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus an- swered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false wit- ness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:17-22 The story of the rich young man from Mark’s gospel invites us into discipleship with Jesus Christ. We read the story of the young man who had a lot of wealth and was following the law and doing good. Then Jesus said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” That moment was such a crucial moment for him and for us, and it is an invitation that has been given to each of us. That moment of invitation is our moment too. We come to him. We try to do good things, and Jesus looks at us with love. The next step though is Bishop Kihneman The Gospel of Mark invites us into discipleship with Jesus Christ little stones represent the stone with which David slew Goliath. These “Little Stones” are Prayer/Rosary, Eucharist, Holy Bible, Fasting, and Confession. These, “Little Stones” can help us in our faith journey and our personal relationship with Christ. The first little stone to consider is, “Prayer with the heart: Rosary.” Do we pray each and every day? Do we listen for Jesus’s call to follow Him? Do we have days we miss and are those days that we miss days when we miss the Lord? Do we pray the Rosary daily when possible? As one of the “Little Stones,” Our Lady has asked us to pray the Rosary daily. This invi- tation to prayer in a place of prayer where 98% of parishioners at St. James Parish Church in Medjugorje are practicing Catholics was a powerful moment for all of us. Imagine our parishes at that level of par- ticipation. We prayed the Rosary as a group daily during the pilgrimage and prayed it together on our climb up Apparition Hill. We prayed the Rosary, and we spent time in intercessory prayer for others. At the top of Apparition Hill is the statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, which is the one of the places the apparitions of Our Lady are cele- brated. “Eucharist.” Are we people of the Eucharist? Do we come to Mass regularly to receive Our Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion -- every Sunday and during the week when possible? Do we do our part to keep “the new and eternal Covenant” with our Lord? Do we realize and take to heart that the Jesus we receive is the same Jesus who lived among us, suffered, died, and has risen from the dead? SEE BISHOP’S MESSAGE, PAGE 8 THE step. He says to the young man, “Go and sell all you have. Give it to the poor and come follow me.” He said it with deep love. I ask you meditate on this Scripture and con- sider the situation before you say, “Had I been there, I would have followed Him!” We need to unravel many things within our- selves before we can imagine how we would react. Through this Scripture, Jesus is calling us to follow Him. On my recent pilgrimage to Medjugorje, one of the messages Our Lady has given and that we embraced as part of the pilgrimage is “The Five Little Stones of Medjugorje.” The