Welcome to St. Rita Church!
We are delighted that you have chosen to worship with us. Please explore our website for information on our parish, becoming Catholic, lifelong faith formation, and more. Contact a staff member for more information on getting involved in parish life or for answers to other questions.
Upcoming Events
- Women Enjoying Rediscovering Our Catholicism - Tuesdays at 9:00 am in Room 1
- Free Community Dinner - Wednesday, October 21 at 5 pm
- Count It All Joy - Saturday, October 24 at 5:00 pm Mass
- Women's Faith Sharing - Thursday, October 29 at 7 pm in Room 1
- Breakfast @ St. Rita - Sunday, November 1 from 8:30-10:00 am
- Oremus: A Guide to Catholic Prayer - Wednesdays at 7 pm or Sundays at 11:45 am, September 30 - November 22
Latest News
- Catholic Ministries Appeal - All Things New: Embracing Our Mission in Christ
- Are you interested in becoming Catholic? - Contact us today!
- Beware of Scam Requests - if you receive a text or email from Fr. Tim asking for gift cards or a favor, please be aware that this did not come from Fr. Tim
- Liturgies with the Relic of Archbishop Sheen - click here to view dates and locations
What's Happening This Week
Scripture
An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings - October 25, 2026
“You Shall Love The Lord, Your God, With All Your Heart”
Our readings this Sunday focus our attention on the summation of all of Scripture (the law and the prophets) into two great loves— Love of God and love of neighbor.
In our first reading (Exodus 22:20-26), we hear part of the Covenant Code, wherein God instructed Moses how the Israelites were to live in right covenant relationship with God and one another. Particular emphasis was placed on the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the alien (refugee) - the most vulnerable of society.
“Thus says the LORD, you shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.”
In our Epistle reading (1 Thessalonians 1:5-10), St. Paul praised the faith of the Thessalonians and their turn from worshiping idols to worshiping the one true God. This love of God is the foundation of their faith. Paul reminds us that we are to be imitators of Jesus and of the Saints that have gone before us - with joy, even in affliction. This is how our faith is transmitted from one generation to the next.
In our Gospel reading (Matthew 22:34-40), we hear yet another Jewish leader try to test Jesus. All of our readings from the past few weeks take place during Jesus’ last week of His life, as He entered Jerusalem and the leaders plotted against Him to kill Him. In this passage, Jesus responded to the Jewish scholar by reciting two commands from the Torah. The first was the daily recitation of the Shema’ in Deuteronomy 6:4-6 “Hear oh Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. . . .” The second was from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as your self.” In this, Jesus summed up the entire law and prophets (meaning all of scripture). In so doing, Jesus did not abandon the ten commandments, but summarized them into two categories—the love of God (commandments 1 thru 3) and love of neighbor (commandments 4 thru 10).
Love is not a passive word; it implies action.
It is easy to love another when there is little cost. That's not the love to which we are called. We are called to love the good of the other completely, with our entire being—”with all of your heart, all of your soul and all of your mind.” It is to love joyfully "even in great affliction". This is how God loves us and it is how He asks us to love Him and one another.
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102526.cfm
