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.
As a Church, we can do a lot better when it comes to preparing newly engaged couples for the Sacrament of Marriage. Our new marriage preparation program will pair the newly engaged couple with a mentor couple from St. James
In an effort to provide support to families and individual parishioners in need, we are initiating a new charity fund, Apostle in Action Charity Fund. This parish-based fund will provide parishioners and members of our local community with some financial assistance.
While we still expect some additional expenses to be paid, we are thrilled to report that this year’s festival was a record-breaker – approximately $50,000 profit!!! Once again, a big THANK YOU to all who helped make this year’s festival a huge success.
Friends, I hope you would agree that St. James has the potential to become an increasingly dynamic parish family. The parish clergy, staff, lay leadership, and I are all working hard to make St. James a prayerful place to worship, a great place for families and parish life, as well as a place where anyone can apply his or her talents for the good of all.
The initial step that we need to collectively take to begin moving from Point A to Point B is to generously increase our weekly giving.
In an effort to provide support to families and individual parishioners in need, we are initiating a new charity fund, Apostle in Action Charity Fund. This parish-based fund will provide parishioners and members of our local community with some financial assistance. Whether it be rent, utility bills, unforeseen medical expenses, or mental health expenses, I feel it is important that our parish support those who are in need.
A BIG THANK YOU to all the organizers of the Parish Festival! Even after not having the Festival for close to two years, you made this year’s festival a unique success. I also would like to acknowledge, on behalf of our parish community, all the volunteers, benefactors, local partners, and guests for your presence, participation, and assistance.
How hard is it to enter the Kingdom?
The preferential option for the poor is sometimes criticized as a secret campaign against the affluent.
Why would God love poor people more than rich ones?
Is the church suggesting that disadvantaged folk are automatically more moral than wealthy ones?
In our readings this weekend, there is an underlying theme: Marriage.
As a sacrament of the Catholic Church which affect one’s state in life – not to mention somewhat of a hot-button issue in today’s American Catholic Church – it is worth making some important clarifications on the Sacrament of Marriage.