Friends, please be assured that I will continue to minister to this wonderful parish community with zeal and love and work hard to ensure that the sacramental needs of our parish are adequately provided for.
Here are the most relevant reasons why my options are limited and how this will impact our parish
How many of us have felt the same interminable wait for a simple prayer to be answered much less the promises of salvation to be fulfilled? Surely the people of Nazareth, upon hearing Jesus’ announcement in the temple that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming of a Messiah, must have thought: Sorry, Bud, it’s too little, too late. But what they—and most of us—fail to realize is that we will never have to wait again.
Friends, the signs that we see in today’s Gospel are meant to get an important message across. As you begin a new week, allow the first of Jesus’ SIGNS to stay with you this week. Follow the example of Mary. Have faith and trust even when you don’t understand. If you want Jesus to turn water into wine in your life, you’ve got to provide Him with the stone jars.
This weekend, the Church provides us with an opportunity to explore the significance of the most primordial sacrament of the Church, the Sacrament of Baptism. Friends, Baptism is about belonging to God!
This weekend’s celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord grips our attention with the flickering light of a star. A star, as we hear in the Gospel of Matthew, that led the magi to the newborn king, the infant Jesus.
Christmas is often the occasion when we take a trip down memory lane. We remember not only the traditions, sights, and smells of Christmastime, but especially the people who, for various reasons, may or may not be with us this Christmas day.
I would like to offer a profound THANK YOU to Dan Palko, Director of Music Ministry, for sharing his gifts and musical talent here at St. James the Apostle Church. During our short time working together, Dan has proved to be an extraordinary musician and man of deep faith.
You may have noticed an upward trend in our Sunday Collections over the past few weeks…THANK YOU! Thank you for responding so generously to our appeal for your increased financial support. Your response to our appeal is humbling.
Advent is here and well underway. I hope you notice this year that the environment in the church will slowly develop as we progress further and further into the Season of Advent, ultimately culminating at Christmas. This slow yet methodical development is what’s called progressive solemnity.
It’s almost hard to believe that Advent has arrived. To be honest, I almost always begin the Advent season with mixed emotions. While the excitement of Christmas does stir the heart and comfort the soul, I just can’t shake off the fact that another year is almost over.