That Jesus calls us to love one another? This past Friday we celebrated Valentine’s Day. It made me think of when I was teaching some Sudanese children Catechesis in Buffalo’s inner city. In our conversations, I learned that they had never heard the words “I love you” nor had they ever told their parents that they loved them. This shocked me. What many of us consider a given was something they had never heard in their life. It simply was not part of their culture. Upon reflection I thought about the people in my life, my friends, colleagues, teachers, and even my own extended family. Was there love there? Yes. Did we say “I love you?” Yes and No. While we never said “I love you” verbally, we said it non-verbally in many ways – in our deeds and actions. In talking with these children, I let them know that they were very much loved, for while they may have never heard the words verbally, their parents say it to them every day by keeping them safe, wanting a bright future for them, putting a roof over their heads, and so on. And the children too, can say “I love you” by doing simply things, like doing the dishes without being asked or making their beds. As we read in 1 John 3:18, “Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” As baptized Christians, we are called to be instruments of love here on earth, through our deeds and actions, which are often unspoken. So whether it be a smile, holding the door open for someone, or dropping off some food for the poor, it’s these simple things that say to our brothers and sisters that they are loved without saying a single word.
That each of us are “blessed”? When we think of “blessed”, we are usually talking about something good, something great, something that other people would want. Yet in looking at the people Jesus labels as blessed, they seem to be the exact opposite of what the world tells us we should be aspiring for – the poor in spirit (those who have nothing in this life but their faith in God); those who mourn (not just those who have experienced death, but those who struggle with sin in their lives and “mourn” over the fact that they struggle with that), and the meek (those who seem powerless, insignificant to the world). Jesus is not giving us a pep-talk, but rather he is trying to change our perspective about what it means to be “blessed”. Jesus invites us to recognize that Blessed are you when even in the midst of all that is going on in your life, all the trials and tribulations you suffer and endure. Blessed are you when you realize God hasn’t abandoned you. Blessed are you when you realize this isn’t some divine punishment. Blessed are you when you see God is there with you in the midst of it all. Blessed are you when you endure with that
confidence of faith, knowing the love of God sustains you. All too often the world thinks that when we win the lottery, THEN we will be “blessed.” Our faith, and the fact that Jesus died for us reveals how blessed we truly are. That the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration? The Church at Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth. Just as we process in at the beginning of mass with lit blessed candles, the light of the candles symbolizes Christ, who is the Light of the World. This light symbolizes the infant Jesus, our Saviour, who entered into the temple with Mary and Joseph. God, our Father, who is the Source of all light, revealed to Simeon the Light of revelation to the nations. That was some 2020 years ago. So how are we to celebrate this feast today? We are reminded that we are to always bring that light of Christ we received at our own baptism to those who live in darkness. I admit, this is not always easy. It is with God’s grace that we are called to be the light of Christ today in our words, deeds, and actions, in our parish, in our families, and in our communities. Let us pray that, together, we may be the light of Christ for others – for each other!
That Saints were ordinary people like you and me? The Catechism tells us that a Saint is the “holy one” who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. In the classrooms we talk about how the Saints act as “role models” to us, each in their own way. The Saints inspire us, in our own little way, to be the hands, feet, eyes and voice of Christ in the world. Is this easy? Not all the time. It is at these very times that we rely on the graces that we receive in the Sacraments. The Saints were
young and old, from all over the world, and have been recognized by the Church for their service to others. We too are called to serve others, and to share our gifts to continue Christ’s work. I encourage all of us to look up some of the lives of the Saints, and to be inspired by their lives and service to others! That there is nothing “ordinary” about ordinary time? Bishop Bergie recently pointed out that for some “ordinary” implies a liturgical season that is uneventful or even unimportant. As we know this is far from the truth. The term “ordinary” is an English translation of the Latin word ordinalis which
refers to numbers in a series. Here we find the origins of the English word “order”. So Ordinary Time is really “ordered time” which reminds us that God has ordered all things beginning with bringing order to chaos as found in The Book of Genesis. Let us use this period of time prior to Lent to order our parish life toward God and our Blessed Mother Mary. In this way we will be doing something “extraordinary” during Ordinary Time. That the feast of the Baptism of the Lord closes off the Christmas season in the Church? I am in awe at how fast the season has flown by, and also in awe when I ponder the question “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” When we think of Baptism, usually we think of the Sacrament that washes away sin and begins our new life in Christ. Jesus doesn’t need either, since He is Christ, and He never sinned… yet He chooses to be Baptized anyway. At first it may seem a little odd that He does this, so the Catechism offers some insight: Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus’ gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying.” (#1224). Jesus’ self-emptying action is a central part of all that He came to do. It’s a humbling action, echoed by many other things Jesus would do to demonstrate self -giving, summed up beautifully in the words of consecration at Mass: “This is my body, given up for you.” We are invited to step through the waters of Baptism and live a life like Jesus lived: a life of self -emptying for the sake of God and others.
As I pause to reflect on the beauty of our Christmas celebrations here at St. Julia there are so many people that I wish to thank: our director of music Dr. David Holler and our wonderful choir for drawing us into the mystery of Christ’s birth through song; to Sophie Timmins, Bolu Fowler, Jennifer Enns Modolo, Brielle Kaminsky who shared with us their vocal gifts; Isabella Goveia
on violin and Oreoluwa Fowler on piano; our decorating team, with special thanks to Rebecca Alfieri and Annette Mastracci for the sharing of their time and talents; Peter and Marianne Van Beurden of Westland Greenhouse for the donation of the gorgeous poinsettias; the Liturgy of the Word with Children team, with special thanks to Liz Wood and Margaret Ricciuto, and to our children who acted out the Christmas story of Jesus’s birth; our ministers of the Word, ministers of the Eucharist, and ushers; our altar servers and in a special way the new servers who accepted the invitation to serve at the altar; our caretakers Mary McNamee and Jim Salmon for the preparing of our Church for our liturgies; to our office team, Chris Buckley and Cheryl Wood, for their dedication to our parish and for always going above and beyond; the collection counting team, for their time and accuracy; to Deacon George and Deacon Brian, for their commitment to our community and for assisting me. And most importantly, to each of you, the faithful family of St. Julia, for your presence, with your families and friends at our Christmas celebrations, and for the generosity extended to me, a big thank you for the many cards, gifts and goodies, I thank you for your kindness, love, and most importantly prayers. Thank you to all for making my first Christmas here at St. Julia a most memorable, joyous, and special occasion. It is my honour to serve here as your pastor. May God bless each of you and those that you love, today and always! Fr. Greg That the Epiphany is the feast which celebrates the manifestation to the world of the newborn Christ as Messiah, Son of God, and Saviour of the world? We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that the feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East,
together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee. As we begin this new year, we (including me) must remind ourselves to slow down, and take the time to adore our Lord and Savior Jesus. This may be in the form of attending our Benediction on Wednesday evenings in our parish, or just taking a moment after mass to offer a prayer of Thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist, that spiritual nourishment that helps us get through our days. And so we pray together…oh come let us adore him…each and every day of the year! ![]() New Year's Day is not just the start of a new year, it's also a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church! On January 1st we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, a liturgical feast day honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary's motherhood in the wake of the birth of the baby Jesus Christ. This holiday is also the Octave of Christmas or the 8th day of Christmas. As Mary's fiat reminds the faithful: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word." A solemnity is the highest ranking holy day in the Church calendar. As a family of believers here at St. Julia, let us begin the new year together, in prayer as we turn to our blessed Mother for her intercession as she takes our prayers and petitions for the year ahead to her son, our savior Jesus Christ! Welcome to our Christmas Celebrations! I’m so glad that you have joined us for this most joyous of occasions here at St. Julia Church.
The birth of Jesus is the greatest work of God because it illuminates for us God’s great love for each and everyone of us. God took on our human flesh, becoming one of us, by sending his son Jesus Christ to walk with us and to give us such a beautiful glimpse into the heart of our creator. Our salvation and eternal happiness rest in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. It is with open arms that we welcome you here at St. Julia Church. This caring community of believers is a place where all are welcome, and it is my prayer that every time you join us you are drawn into the great mystery of our faith – a faith centered on Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, the word made flesh. This is what we celebrate with the birth of Jesus – the Prince of Peace. It is my prayer that you experience and encounter the peace of Christ when you join us for Mass, and take that gift of peace into your homes, schools, places of work, and out into our world. May the peace of Christ be with you this Christmas Day, and may our loving God bless each of you and those that you love, today and always. Merry Christmas! |
AuthorFrom Our Pastor Archives
July 2024
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