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Monday evening, January 24th, at 7:30 p.m. to the parish hall for a special gathering. Fr. Bill and all of us would like to extend a warm hand of welcome and say "hello". We want, we need you! Come, and help us become one again!
And, if you are a Fully Initiated member of the Catholic Faith
and an involved member of our community,
You are what make St. Jude's Catholic Community the beautiful family that we are. Our parish priests (Frs. Bill, Dan, Walt and John) enjoy concelebrating Mass with you each week. In fact, each Sunday our priests when celebrating Mass, and breaking Bread with you, thank God for each of you. You are all such a gift to each of us! When we all receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we truly do become what we receive for the Lord is truly present within each of us. That is such a joy and truth and gift to share. Fr. Bill and all of us would love for you to bring a friend on Monday evening, January 24th, at 7:30 p.m. to share our peace and joy, our warmth and love that we all find in our Catholic family here at St. Jude's.
We are all looking forward for you to be with us on Monday, January 24th. We want to shake your hands most warmly and firmly in welcome and warmth. We want to hear all you have to say and share. We want to seek your forgiveness, if that is needed. Maybe we have not been warm enough, inviting enough, or have said or done something. We want to know you, and listen to you. We hope you will come to know us and all we are as Catholic Christians. We all are looking forward to seeing you on the 24th of January, 2000
THIS "JUBILEE YEAR" AND ME
This "Jubilee Year" is a special invitation for each of us to try and understand better the Mystery of God becoming a man like us in all things but sin. This Mystery of Faith reveals that God loves you! For love of you, the Father sent His Only-Begotten Son to become a human being and live among us. For love of His Father and for us, the Son became a man 2000 years ago: "The love of God has already been poured out for us into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Remember, moreover, the time Christ died for us, when we were still sinners and in sin. Few would accept to die for an upright person; although for perhaps a very good person, someone might give his life. But God showed His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:5-8).
How should I respond to this love of God for me? Well, I should become like Him. If He has loved me so, then I must try to love every person I meet, just as Jesus loves me: "Whatsoever you wish that others would do to you, do so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12).
The call of this "Jubilee Year" then, is to reflect on God, Who is "Love": "He who does not love, has not known God; for God is love . . . . This is love: not that we have loved God, but that He first has loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (I John 4:8, 10). Love will lead you to Him, and to peace in your heart.
During this Jubilee Holy Year, I am called upon to live as though praising the Lord is more important than anything else in my life. To do this, I must forgive those who have hurt me; in fact, I must try to reconcile with them. I must also try to become reconciled with those whom I myself have hurt and who now hold things against me. I must try to seek-out and bring-back to the Lord all who have strayed.
Things I must do are:
A thorough revision of my life as a baptized Christian.
So, what am I making of my life?
What do I really live for?
Can I really call myself a Christian?
Do my actions say I am a Christian?
Do my words say I am believer in Jesus?
Is my faith really alive?
Does my faith impact everything I do:
whether at home, work or play?
Do I remember the words of the Gospel:
"For what does it profit a man
if he gains the whole world
and loses himself?" (Luke 9:25).
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A sincere repentance and reconciliation with all.
The Lord cannot be deceived:
I, like all people, have something to repent of:
"There is more joy before the angels of God
over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10).
A firm resolution to change my heart and life.
"I arise and go to my father …." (Luke 15:18).
as a response to His invitation to me to come home.
"Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel." (Mark 1:15).
"Come to me, all you who labor
and are heavily burdened,
and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).
I can not love someone that I do not know. The better I come to know someone, the better I often come to love them. And so I need to make a personal commitment to come to know the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit as well as possible. The best way to come to know them, is by reading and praying over their very Words, which I can only find in the Sacred Scriptures.
Also, to help me better know and so love the Most Blessed Trinity, I need to deepen my knowledge of Catholic Christian doctrine by studying the "Catechism of the Catholic Church", and by taking updating courses in my Catholic faith.
Further, to know and love the Trinity, I must take part in the Liturgy, especially in the Sunday Mass and in frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist.
However,
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