This Sunday at Mass we celebrate Laetare Sunday. The Latin word Laetare means ‘rejoice’ and its origin is rooted in the Introit (opening chant) for the Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Jerusalem: “Rejoice, O Jerusalem and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.”
Laetare Sunday marks the midpoint of Lent and the rose-coloured vestments that I will be wearing at Mass give us a glimpse at the light of the end of the 40-day tunnel of penance. Yes, Lent is a penitential season. It is a time that we allow the spot light to shine in on our hearts, looking at the nooks and crannies to see what needs to pushed out, that is sin, in order to fully allow Christ to enter our hearts at Easter, with the new Easter light, the true light of Christ. This is what this Sunday is all about. Lent is not all about being somber. This Sunday we are called to rejoice in the reality of Easter – the promise of Easter – the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. At this midpoint I ask myself the question, “How has my season of Lent been going?” I ask you the same question. If you can say it has been a good season and that you have experienced God’s graces and blessings, that you feel closer to Christ, that you have experienced spiritual renewal, then thanks be to God! If you say it has been a little rough, that your Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving have fallen short of what you set out to embrace at the beginning of the journey, fear not. We are at the midpoint. Consider this a reboot, a new start. Rejoice in the fact that our God is a God of second chances and fresh starts. That is what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is all about. Make the most of these next three weeks by striving to realign your heart with the heart of Christ, returning to Christ through prayer, and take the time for your spiritual renewal. Remember that Christ fell three times carrying the cross. Now we too get back up, as people of hope. That is what we must remember at this moment. We may think how can I even utter the words rejoice at this moment in time with all that is taking place in Ukraine? It is our faith that we turn to for strength. We unite ourselves in prayer with our sisters and brothers of Ukraine. We place our trust in God. As Christ conquered sin and death by rising from the dead. For that and so many more reasons, we remain people of hope. May God bless you and those that you love. Fr. Greg We as a community unite our prayers with the people of Ukraine. Below you will information regarding our parish effort to provide support, prayers that can be offered, Pope Francis’ consecration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to Russia and Ukraine, and more.
The donation efforts of our parish reflects putting our faith into action. Our Gospel for this weekend illuminates for us that we must produce good works, and that our lives must radiate the presence and love of God in our actions. The Scriptures tell us that faith without actions is dead faith. This weekend, we will transition to distributing communion at the traditional time within Mass. So why stay after receiving communion? This brings us to the blessing and dismissal at the end of Mass. The final words, proclaimed by the deacon (when one is present) or the priest, “go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life” are the marching orders to produce good works, and for our actions to mirror what we hear at Mass by the example of Jesus. This is the link between our celebration and our mission. We come to listen to the Word of God and to be fed by the Eucharist, and then we go out into the world, to announce the Gospel, and to put our faith into action. As we continue our Lenten journey together here at St. Julia, may we be mindful of our mission and that we are eyes, hands, and feet of our Lord, called to mission to carry on the works that Jesus began some 2000 years ago. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg Last weekend Christ took us with him into the dessert. Our 40 days continue as we journey through this season of Lent together as a parish family. This weekend we witness the transfiguration of Christ in our Gospel.
In a most beautiful and special way, every time we come to gather for Mass, a transformation takes place. As we listen to Sacred Scripture, we are transformed by the Word of God. As we humbly approach to receive Christ under the form of bread, through the eyes of faith we know it is Christ. Stop and think about it. Christ is in our midst, His body, blood, soul and divinity. We come to be transformed and to be nourished. That is why we come to Mass, for His real presence can be found nowhere else. It is my prayer that the celebration of the Eucharist draws each of us closer to God, and to one another. Emerging from a pandemic and now watching the devastation unfold in the Ukraine, we need one another. We need Christ to be refueled. And we need Christ to transform hearts in the world in which we live. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg Prayer. It is how we communicate with God. As we begin this season of Lent together as a parish family, there is so much to pray for. This week’s newsletter is filled with many prayers. Prayers for the people of Ukraine. For our leaders. The request for prayers for our catechumens and candidate from our parish preparing to be welcomed into the church this Easter. For those who are sick, and for those who have gone before us. I have also included an article from America Magazine “Praying for Peace in Ukraine – Even When it Feels Useless.” As you will read in the article, Jesus over and over again in scripture says “Peace be with you.” That is my prayer for you.
Today is the World Day of Prayer, a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. May we continue to unite all of our prayers together as we pray for peace. When we may find it difficult to pray, may our prayers lift one another up. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg My message is simple this week, and yet there is nothing simple about it: Prayers for the people of Ukraine. We unite our prayers with those throughout the world for the situation in Ukraine. One life lost is too many. We seek divine intervention for peace and justice, and an end to conflict and suffering.
May our Lord be with the people of Ukraine at this most difficult time. May we come before the Lord and our Most Blessed Mother, uniting our prayers together as we pray for peace and for the people of Ukraine, Europe, and the rest of the world. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg Forgiveness. Loving one another. It sounds wonderful. Here we have yet again, as I see it, another opportunity and challenge, as is the case with so many things in life. The challenge is evident. How can I possibly forgive someone who has hurt me? Perhaps it was recently, or perhaps it was many years ago. And to take it one step further, I am called to love them. Challenges, challenges, and more challenges. So why does our Lord ask us to forgive – and to love?
Here is the opportunity - something I came across a number of years ago. Pastor Rick Warren writes: If you don’t forgive, you’re not going to enjoy God’s vision for the rest of your life, because unforgiveness will keep you stuck in the past. Forgive—and then get on with your life. This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be consequences for what somebody did to you. It just means that you let go of your anger and hurt and give it to God so that you can move on with God’s purpose for your life. What an opportunity this is. Allowing God to reveal the purpose of your life. The season of Lent is quickly approaching, as we prepare to celebrate Ash Wednesday on March 2. I invite you to begin thinking about your Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – with the underlying theme of forgiveness, and how much God loves each one of us. This weekend, please join me once again in welcoming Fr. Stephen Innamorati who will be presiding at our Saturday evening Mass as I complete my tenth day of isolation. I am most grateful for his ministry and assistance. I look forward to my return on Sunday at our 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Rest assured of my prayers. Fr. Greg This weekend’s gospel reading is the beginning of what is often called the “Sermon on the Plain”. We find a parallel to this passage in Matthew 5:1-7,11 that is often called the “Sermon on the Mount”. As these titles suggest, there are differences and similarities between these gospel readings.
When spoken from the mountaintop in Matthew’s Gospel, we can’t miss the impression that Jesus is speaking with the authority and voice of God. The mountaintop is a symbol of closeness to God. Those who ascend the mountain see God and speak for God; recall the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. As Luke introduces the location of Jesus’ teaching, Jesus teaches on level ground, alongside the disciples and the crowd. Luke presents Jesus’ authority in a different light. He is God among us. As we listen attentively to the Word of God this weekend, may we place ourselves at the feet of Jesus, listening to his every word. I had a very pleasant vacation in South Carolina and am rejuvenated and recharged, for which I am most grateful. Unfortunately, I did face a snag. As required for re-entry into Canada, I completed a COVID test on Monday. Much to my surprise, it came back positive. Other than some congestion, I have no symptoms and no fever. In disbelief, I completed another test on Tuesday with the same result. My Mom who joined me – negative. As a result, at this moment I am required to isolate for 10 days. This will make my return date to the parish Sunday, February 20th. In the meantime, I will be working from the rectory, though I will be absent for the most important part of my ministry – celebrating the Mass with each of you. This weekend, please join me in welcoming Fr. Stephen Collins who will be presiding at our Masses. I am most grateful for his ministry and assistance. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Rest assured of my prayers. Fr. Greg This weekend while I am away from the parish please join me in welcoming back to St. Julia Msgr. Leo Clutterbuck, pastor emeritus of our community and currently serving in residence at St. Alfred Church here in St. Catharines.
I thank him for his ministry and for presiding at our masses this weekend. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Please know of my prayers. Fr. Greg This weekend while I am away from the parish please join me in welcoming back to St. Julia Fr. Stephen Innamorati, past associate pastor of our parish and currently serving as associate pastor of Our Lady of the Scapular parish in Niagara Falls.
I thank him for his ministry and for presiding at our masses this weekend. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Please know of my prayers. Fr. Greg In his Apostolic Letter of September 30, 2019, ‘Aperuit illis’ Pope Francis established that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be the Sunday of the Word of God. He had already proposed something similar at the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Sunday of the Word of God is a day to be devoted to the celebration, study, and spreading of the Word of God. Pope Francis is clear from the very first paragraph of this letter that the relationship between the Risen Lord, a community of believers, and sacred Scripture is essential to who we are as Christians.
The Sunday assembly gathering to celebrate the Eucharist is the unique moment in the week where a community gathers in a particular place and when their communal identity is nourished by Word and Sacrament. An important advance in 20th century theological reflection is that every sacramental celebration is founded and constructed upon the Word of God, and that every proclamation of the Word of God is sacramental. Sunday of the Word of God is not a new feast! After all, the Word of God is proclaimed at every Sunday Eucharist, and one of the great blessings of the liturgical reform and renewal flowing from the Second Vatican Council is a greater appreciation of the foundational role of the Word of God in every liturgical celebration. The reform of the lectionary has led to much more scripture being proclaimed during our liturgical gatherings and a greater awareness of the role of the Word of God in the life of faith. This Sunday builds on the texts and prayers of the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time and is conscious that it comes during the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. While we are not yet united around the table of the Eucharist, we do share on many Sundays of the year the same scriptural readings in our different Christian assemblies. Pope Francis also urges us to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to continue our prayer for Christian unity. Sunday of the Word of God is a time when the community is called to give greater attention not just to the Word of God. It is also urged to reflect on how we honour that Word in our celebrations, the books that we proclaim the Word from. Is the Gospel book carried in procession? Is it a well-made book that shows forth its life-giving content? Do we sing during the Gospel procession? Pope Francis suggests in his letter that this Sunday is an ideal time to reflect on these issues. Click here to read “Aperuit illis” It is my prayer that our community of St. Julia continues to fall in love with Sacred Scripture, as we “unpack” the Living Word of God each week as we gather together as a family of believers. May God bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg |
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July 2024
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