#IGIVECATHOLIC - Giving Tuesday - December 1

St Jude Catholic Church of Pearl, Mississippi is participating in the #IGIVECATHOLIC program this year. We have a great response so far in advanced giving. We are grateful for all who have already donated.  We hope to have a good turnout for Giving Tuesday this year too.  Our goal this year is to fund several different projects.

1. Filling in the hole on the hill on the front of our church grounds.

2. Painting and putting down carpet in our expanded atrium classroom

3. Installing and putting in a walking path for outdoor stations of the cross

4. Getting old rectory ready for use for meetings and groups. 

We hope to raise $15,000 to fund these projects.  You may donate to #IGIVECATHOLIC in honor of a loved one.  For on-line giving, the #IGIVECATHOLIC giving day is December 1 and the early giving days are November 16 - 30. At our parish, you may give at anytime through cash or check.  And remember, you may donate in honor of a loved one. 

Here is the link to donate online:

https://jackson.igivecatholic.org/organizations/st-jude-catholic-church

 

An Advent Prayer: There is a Light in this World

 Last week, I shared an Advent prayer from Catholic Relief Services.  Today, I would like to share another Advent prayer from that same source.  I love different prayers and poems that so eloquently present a truth of our faith and the truth of our human condition. May we all be able to recognize Christ’s light this Advent season.  May we all aspire to pass on this light to others through our love, our charity, and our example.  

Loving Jesus,

In your name, we mark this season:

As we bring forth light to defy the claims of darkness,

As we bring forth joy and song to defy the claims of sadness,

As we bring forth a spirit of generosity to deny the claims of want,

As we bring forth peace to defy the claims of war.

That in the darkest, saddest, most wanting, warring corner of the world,

All may look to Bethlehem,

Where, in the humblest of circumstances,

In a time of repression

From the person of a poor refuge woman

In the filth of a manger

In the form of a most vulnerable child

You came among us to say, “No, there is a light in the world.”

Let us be this light to others,

Let us be the fruit of the branch of Jesse’s tree.

Let us be the bearers of the indescribable gift that is your grace.

And so defy all false claims on your people and their dignity.

And so, may you be born anew, into every season

into every age

into every land and every human heart.  AMEN.  

2 December 2020 - Wednesday of the first week of Advent - Isaiah 25:6-10a

      We hear from the prophet Isaiah in our first readings this week.  When I think of Advent I always think of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, whose prophecies foretell the coming of the Messiah.  Yesterday, we hear of a shoot that will spring from the stump of Jesse, foretelling of Jesus’ family tree from which the chosen one would come.  This connects to the devotion of the Jesse tree that we have as a Catholic tradition during Advent.  Today, we hear the familiar reading from Isaiah of a great banquet that God has prepared for us. We often have this reading from Isaiah at Catholic funerals.   This reading is a good juxtaposition to yesterday reading which references to Jesse’s family tree and Jesus coming into the world, which the reading today is more about Jesus’ second coming at the end times.  Notice that the reading says that the banquet will provide for “all peoples,” not just Israel, God’s chosen people.   God calls every person to experience his love and share in his eternal presence.  Think of the droughts, floods, exile, plagues, poverty, and struggles that we hear about in Scripture.  It makes sense that a bountiful banquet would speak to the people about the abundance of eternal life.  In biblical time, only the very rich would be able to experience such opulence. What are some take-aways of today’s reading?  Perhaps we can look at how our works of charity can provide a glimpse of God’s banquet to others. Also, it is a good remind that during Advent, we reflect upon not only Jesus’ upcoming birth at Christmas time, but also on Jesus’ second coming in the end times.  May we never lose focus of these multi-faceted characteristics of our faith.  

29 de noviembre de 2020 - primer domingo del adviento - ciclo B - Marcos 13:33-37

      Hoy celebramos el primer domingo de adviento y el comienzo de un nuevo año litúrgico.  Sabemos como católicos que el adviento es una temporada en la que nos preparamos para la navidad, cuando se recuerda la primera venida de Cristo al mundo.  Sin embargo, de acuerdo con las Normas Universales sobre el Año Litúrgico promulgado por el Papa Pablo VI en 1969, hay dos características principales del adviento.  El adviento también es una temporada en la que nuestro recuerdo dirige nuestra mente y nuestro corazón a esperar la segunda venida de Cristo al final de los tiempos.  Pues, El adviento es un tiempo de espera gozosa por las dos venidas de Cristo.

      Este primer domingo de adviento, se nos dice que estemos atentos y alerta mientras esperamos.  El tema de este primer domingo de adviento resuena los temas de las lecturas que escuchamos al final del año litúrgico en las últimas semanas: de las jóvenes que estaban preparadas y tenían suficiente aceite para sus lámparas mientras esperaban la llegada del novio y del amo que dio a sus siervos talentos para cuidar, sin saber cuándo regresaría el amo.

       Es un trabajo duro estar alerta y atento, especialmente durante el Adviento de este año, en medio de los desafíos y dificultades de la pandemia, en medio de nuestro cansancio y frustración.  Siempre me ha gustado la temporada de Adviento, en la que pienso en nuestra realidad actual.  Quiero guardar al amor que he tenido por Adviento que tenía en el pasado.  Compartíamos en nuestra comunidad de fe los recuerdos que teníamos de Adviento de nuestro niñez.  A mi mamá, siempre le encantaron los calendarios de Adviento; siempre tendríamos uno diferente cada año al crecer. E. Cada día, el calendario de Adviento reveló un símbolo religioso o un breve versículo de la Biblia.  Pero, incluso cuando era pequeña, sabía que el calendario de adviento me ayudó a contar los días antes de navidad y a recordar que debía concentrarme en Jesús y en mi fe, no en las decoraciones navideñas o los regalos de navidad que soñaba con recibir.

      Me encantan los dichos breves y sencillos de la Madre Teresa. A. Este dicho de la Madre Teresa me llamó la atención cuando comenzamos nuestro camino de adviento: “El ayer se fue, el mañana aún no ha llegado. Solo tenemos hoy, comencemos.”  En algún momento, podemos estar tan ocupados con el pasado, con las heridas del pasado, los fracasos del pasado, las rutinas pasadas y las viejas formas de hacer las cosas.  No es que el pasado no sea importante, porque lo que sucedió en el pasado es parte de nosotros y aprendemos del pasado.  Entonces, podemos estar tan obsesionados con lo que sucederá mañana que perdemos de vista el presente.  Sí, nuestra realidad actual del presente es importante.  Tenemos trabajo que hacer en el adviento, este camino que comenzamos hoy.   Tenemos preparaciones para hacer, entonces, debemos estar atentos y presentes.  Debemos estar atentos a lo que sucederá en el futuro, pero también debemos preocuparnos por lo que estamos haciendo en el presente. Todos los días cuentan. En nuestra fe, debemos vivir la vida al máximo.

      Además, una vez, cuando la Madre Teresa estaba de visita en nuestro país, le preguntaron qué virtud los norte americanos más necesitan.  Ellos pensaban que ella a decir: “caridad.” Pero ella dijo que la virtud que más necesitan los norte americanos es la esperanza, y dijo que el mundo moderno, muchas personas han perdido la esperanza. Podemos decir que hemos puesto la esperanza en cosas equivocadas, en cosas que finalmente no pueden satisfacer nuestros anhelos más profundos y nuestras necesidades más profundas.  El adviento no se trata de gratificación instantánea o de lo que nuestro dinero puede comprar.  El Adviento se trata de estar alerta mientras Dios nos acompaña en nuestro camino, mientras ponemos nuestra esperanza en nuestra fe.

       En cualquier dificultad y oscuridad que tengamos, estar alerta y vigilante en nuestro camino, requiere dos cosas.  Primero, debemos perseverar. Ojalá hayamos aprendido la importancia de la perseverancia durante el pandemia.  Segundo, estamos llamados a buscar a Jesús en lugares inesperados en nuestro camino durante el Adviento, pensando en cómo Cristo vivió su ministerio en lugares inesperados: visitando a los pobres, comiendo con los recaudadores de impuestos, conversando con los paganos, haciendo amistad con los pecadores, y sanando a los leprosos.  En nuestra vigilancia y nuestra espera en esta temporada de adviento, el Señor también nos llama a algunos lugares inesperados.

       Me gustaría cerrar mi homilía este mismo domingo de adviento con esta observación: por lo general estoy muy concentrado y preparado para el adviento, esta temporada de preparación y espera.  Pero este año no estoy tan seguro como en el pasado.  Durante esta pandemia, estoy un poco desconcertado y cansado, tratando de hacer todo lo posible para adaptarme como sacerdote y discípulo de Cristo a esta desafiante realidad.  Pero no, esto no es fácil. ¿Cómo podemos estar atentos y alertas durante la pandemia? 

       Mi respuesta es: no se preocupe. Traiga su realidad a su camino de adviento. Aprenda en el camino de adviento. Haga todo lo posible por estar atento y alerta. Nuestro camino de adviento nos enseñará. 

1 December 2020 - Tuesday of the first week of Advent - Isaiah 11:1-10

     We are in the first week of the Advent season, in which we start with a very appropriate reading from the prophet Isaiah, telling us that “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” The prophet Isaiah foretells the coming of the Messiah, which is why he is a prophet who hear from often in the Advent season. B. Isaiah’s words helped people know that the One who was promised to them by God would be born into the family of Jesse.  In the stories of the Old Testament, we hear ofJesse of Bethlehem and his seven sons.  Jesse’s youngest son, David, watched over the sheep for him. One day the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house and met David. Samuel anointed David. David would eventually become King of Israel.  It was from Jesse that the family tree branched out to David and his descendants.  Jesse and David were ancestors of Jesus.  At the time of Jesus’ birth, all those who belonged to the family of David had to return to the town of Bethlehem because a census was being taken.  Since Joseph and Mary were of the House of David, they had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register, where Jesus would be born. 

     You might have heard of the Jesse tree. The Jesse Tree is a special tree used during the season of Advent, as it represents the family tree of Jesus.  It serves as a reminder of the human family of Jesus.  God gave his only Son as a perfect Gift to an imperfect humanity.  The people who were the human ancestors of Christ, with the exception of Mary, were a sinful people, with faults, weaknesses, and shortcomings. They were promised a Savior. Generations of people waited for the coming of a Messiah. The ornaments of the Jesse tree are symbols that represent the ancestors of Jesus or a prophecy fulfilled at his coming, which traditionally include Adam and Eve and God’s creation. Today, as we are in the first days of our Advent journey, we remember the foundations of our faith.   We remember Jesus, his human connections, and those who foretold him coming.  

29 November 2020 - First Sunday of Advent - Cycle B - Mark 13:33-37

      Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year.  We are now entering Cycle B of our Sunday Mass readings.   We all know as Catholics that Advent is a season where we prepare for Christmas, when Christ’s first coming into the world is remembered. However, according to the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, this is only for the two main characteristics of Advent. Advent is also a season when our remembrance directs our minds and our hearts to await Christ's second coming at the end of time.  Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation for the two comings of Christ.  

     This first Sunday of Advent, we are told to be watchful and to be alert as we wait. The theme of this first Sunday of Advent seems to echo the themes of the Gospels that we heard at the end of the liturgical year in recent weeks: of the maidens who were prepared and had enough oil for their lamps as they awaited the arrived of the bridegroom, of the master who gave his servants talents to take care of, not knowing when the master would return.  

       It is hard work to be alert and watchful, isn’t it?  Especially during Advent this year, in the midst of the challenges and difficulties of the pandemic, in the midst of our weariness, fatigue and frustration.  I always have loved the Advent season, which I think about in our current reality.  I want to hold onto the love I have had for Advent each year. We were sharing in our small group on Zoom memories we had of Advent growing up.  My mom always loved Advent calendars; we would always have a different one each year growing up.  Each day, the Advent calendar revealed a religious symbol or a short Bible verse.  But, even as a small child, I knew that Advent calendar helped me count down the days before Christmas and to remember to focus on Jesus and on my faith, not on the Christmas decorations or the Christmas presents that I dreamed of getting.  

       I love the short simple quotes of Mother Teresa. Her simple words make us think a lot about the profound meaning behind them.  This quote from Mother Teresa struck me as we begin our Advent journey: “Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, let us begin.”  Sometime, we can be so occupied with the past, of past hurts, past failures, past routines, and old ways of doing things.  Not that the past isn’t important, because what happened in the past is part of us and we learn from the past.  Then, we can be so fixated on what is happening tomorrow that we lose sight on the present. Yes, our present reality is important.  We have work to do in Advent, this journey we are starting today.  We have preparations to which we need to be alert, to which we need to be present.  We are to be alert as to what is going to happen in the future, but we need to also worry about what we are doing in the here and now.  Every day counts.  In our faith, we are to live life to the fullest.  

      Also, once when Mother Teresa was visiting our country, she was asked which virtue Americans need the most. You would think she would have said “charity,” right?  But she said the virtue Americans need the most is hope, saying that too many people today have lost hope.  Perhaps, we could say that we have misplaced our hope, not lost it.  Perhaps we have put our hope in the wrong things, on things that ultimately cannot fulfill our deepest longings and our most profound needs.  Advent is not about instant gratification or what our money can buy.  Advent is about being watchful and alert as God accompanies us on our journey, as we place our hope in our faith. 

    In any difficulties, darkness, and trouble we have right now, to be alert and watchful on our journey requires two things, according to Father Dave Pivonka in the Ignite your parish program we are using in our small groups during Advent. First, he says that we must persevere.  Perseverance has been an important virtue to us during the pandemic, hasn't it, and it hasn't always been easy to persevere. Second, we are called to look for Jesus in unexpected places on our Advent journey, thinking of how he lived out his ministry in unexpected places: visiting the poor, eating meals with tax collectors, conversing with unbelievers, befriending sinners, and healing the lepers. Perhaps in our watchfulness and our waiting this Advent season, the Lord will call us to some unexpected places as well. 

       I would like to close my homily this very Sunday of Advent with this observation: I am usually very focused, very prepared, and very ready for Advent, this season of preparation and waiting.  But, this year, I am not so sure.  If you are me, during this pandemic, I am a bit discombobulated.  I am exhausted and weary, trying to do my best to adapt as a priest and a disciple of Christ to this challenging reality.  It is not easy. It is not easy at all. How can we be watchful and alert in the midst of the pandemic?  My answer is: Don’t worry. Don't be afraid. Bring your reality to your Advent journey.  Learn on your Advent journey.  Try your best to be watchful and alert.  Our Advent journey will teach us. 

Prayers of the faithful - Thanksgiving day - 26 November 2020

Penitential Rite: 

Lord Jesus - you call us to have thankful heart - Lord have mercy. 

Christ Jesus - you join us in giving thanks to our Heavenly Father - Christ have mercy. 

Lord Jesus -  you bring us new life - Lord have mercy.  

Priest:  With grateful hearts and with confidence in God’s care and mercy, we place our prayers before him this Thanksgiving morning:

1. In gratitude for God’s loving care, we pray that he that he will guide our Holy Father, Pope Francis, our Bishop, Joseph Kopacz, and all of our Church leaders. 

2. In gratitude for our nation and our state, we pray God’s help for our president, our governor, and all our national, state and local elected officials. 

3. In gratitude for our family and friends, we pray God’s blessing upon them today – especially those most in need of God’s assistance at this moment. 

4. In gratitude for the gifts of health and material blessings, we pray for those who do not have these gifts, that God may aid them and that we might mutually support one another. 

5. In gratitude for the faithful departed and for our loved ones who have gone before us, that God might grant them eternal life in his presence. 

6. In gratitude for those who keep us safe: our first responders and the men and women in the military, especially those who are not able to spend Thanksgiving with their families. May the Lord lead them and guide them in their service.  

7. In thanksgiving for the missionaries who bring God’s word both near and far, may the Lord inspire them in their ministry.  

8. For all those who have been negatively affected by the pandemic.  For help and healing for those in need.  

9. In the silence of our hearts, we present our personal prayer petitions.  

Celebrant: Hear our prayers, loving Father, on this Thanksgiving Day. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  Amen. 

25 November 2020 - Thanksgiving - Luke 17:11-19

     Thanksgiving is a very American holiday, as we celebrate in the spirit of an event from the beginnings of the our nation’s history.  Thanksgiving is so much a part of our national identity.  It is so much a part of our families and our communities.  But, also, giving thanks and showing gratitude and appreciation are a big part of our faith as well.  We in the Catholic Church have a tradition of having Mass on Thanksgiving, I tradition I love very much.  I would like to start out with a quote from Pope Francis.  He states: “Gratitude is always a powerful weapon. Only if we are able to contemplate and feel genuine gratitude for all those ways we have experienced God’s love, generosity, solidarity and trust, as well as his forgiveness, patience, forbearance and compassion, will we allow the Spirit to grant us the freshness that can renew… our life and mission. Like Peter on the morning of the miraculous draught of fishes, may we let the recognition of all the blessings we have received awaken in us the amazement and gratitude that can enable us to say: ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man’ (Luke 5:8). Only then to hear the Lord repeat his summons: ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men’ (Luke 5:10). ‘For his mercy endures forever.’”

      By practicing an attitude of thanksgiving in our daily lives, we as disciples of Christ follow the model set by Jesus himself, who expressed gratitude to the Father many times throughout his life and ministry.  This gratitude and thanksgiving that is such an important part of Jesus’ life is also an important part of our liturgical celebrations, as the Eucharist begins with a prayer of Thanksgiving, modeled after the example of Jesus at the Last Supper with the apostles.   Gratitude indeed is our appropriate response to God who is our Creator, Lord, and Savior, for out of his goodness,  God redeems and sustains us. Ingratitude, which St Ignatius of Loyola saw as the gravest sin, is really at the heart of all sin, as ingratitude is associated with those who are in rebellion against God. 

      The lepers who met Jesus as he was entering a village were in difficult circumstances.  Not only were they social outcasts in society, but physically, they were afflicted with a terrible, painful disease.  Yet, in the midst of their difficult circumstances, the one leper out of the group of ten came back to Jesus to give thanks, feeling the need and responsibility to express his gratitude for having been healed.  God asks all of us to have faith and to give thanks in the midst of our difficult circumstances.  We are to love God and to give thanks even in the midst of the pandemic, in the midst of any physical afflictions or limitations we might have, in the midst of the resources that we lack, in the midst of our frustration and confusion, in the midst of our lack of self-esteem and low self-worth, in the midst of our depression or anxiety, in the midst of the dark nights we may be experiencing.  

       Lord, today, whatever our reality, help us to give thanks and to recognize our blessings.  Help us to grow in our faith.  

Bulletin Reflection - First Sunday of Advent

  This weekend, we celebrate the beginning of the Advent season right after our Thanksgiving holiday.  I am sure you all are like me this year, feeling a bit mixed up and uneasy as we begin this season of preparation for Christmas.  I am still reflecting upon how God wants me to approach this Advent season, as things are so different in the world right now.  I found this prayer on the Catholic Relief Services website.  Reflecting on this prayer has helped me think about how I need to prepare during this season of Advent. 

An Advent Prayer: In Shadows as Well as Light 

     Loving and gracious God: When the days grow longer, casting long, cold shadows, allowing fear and despair into our lives, let my light shine brighter. 

     When the task grows more wearisome, filling valleys and flattening mountains, building highways in the desert, be the strength in my bones. 

     When I wait on you, and they shake their heads, saying, "Have you not heard the news?”, keep in my heart the great good news that makes even the child in the womb leap with joy:

That you are coming into the world. 

May I praise you in shadow as well as light.

May I praise you in winter as well as spring.

May I praise you in silence as well as song.

May I praise you in solitude as well as companionship. 

May I praise you in illness as well as health. 

      And when the last, glowing beam disappears over the horizon and darkness shrouds the land, give me the grace to say to all: Despair not. 

      Morning is coming:  Come, Lord Jesus, come.   AMEN.  

26 November 2020 - Friday of the 34th week in Ordinary Time - Luke 21:29-33

     In telling the disciples to look for signs to determine that the kingdom of God is near, Jesus also adds: “This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.”  When he refers to that, it is not that his final coming will take place during the disciples’ lifetime.  Rather, with Christ’s own suffering and death, the new age that Jesus sets into motion is underway.  In a short time as well, the people of Jerusalem will see their Temple destroyed.   Indeed, all the things of this world will one day disappear.  However, Jesus’ words, words of truth and new life, they will be valid forever. These words represent a vision of life and the values of God’s kingdom to which all human beings are called. We come to the end of our Church’s liturgical year, as this Sunday we will start a new liturgical year and will once again enter into the holy season of Advent. 

     Our journey of faith is alway full of choices.  We continuously choose whether we are going to continue to follow a life of discipleship or not.  As we end our liturgical year and begin Advent, it is time for us to make the decision of whether we want to belong to the kingdom of God that Jesus is inaugurating, the decision if we want to be a part of the proclamation of the kingdom.  To be prepared when Jesus comes again.  To be prepared for Christ’s birth at Christmas.   

24 November 2020 - Tuesday of the 34th week in Ordinary Time - Psalm 96

       In one of the devotionals I was looking at for today’s mass, I saw a reflection on Father John LaFarge Jr, a Jesuit priest who died in 1963.  His father John LaFarge Sr was a famous artist in New England.  His mother was a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the famous 19th century naval commander Oliver Perry.  Coming from a very affluent upbringing, LaFarge was a ordained a Jesuit priest after his graduation from Harvard. His first assignment as a priest was as chaplain of the notorious Blackwell’s island prison in New York City, which awaken him to the Church’s Gospel of social justice.  After having served as pastor of an historic African American parish in Maryland, his writings on racial justice gained prominence as a writer for the Jesuit publication America Magazine.  Pope Pius XI asked him to write the draft of an encyclical on racism in 1938.  LaFarge put forth racism as a sin and a heresy.  However, the Pope died before the encyclical was published.  He continued to be a voice for racial justice in the Church and in the beginning stages of the Second Vatican Council.  He died several months after he participated in the Civil Rights March in Washington, DC with Dr Martin Luther King in 1963.  

       Our psalm today declared that the Lord comes to judge the earth.that he shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.  We human beings, however, often fall very short of the ideal of justice.  God sends us prophets like Father John LaFarge to proclaim God’s justice and to call us back to right relationship with the Lord.  We need prophets like Father LaFarge.  

25 November 2020 - Wednesday of the 34th week in Ordinary Time - St Catherine of Alexandria - Luke 21:12-19

      Catherine of Alexandria is the saint we commemorate today.  A martyr in the era right before Constantine embraced Christianity, Catherine died for the faith around the year 305 CE, when she was still a teenager.  She was greatly honored and admired by Medieval Christians.  Pope John Paul II restored her feast day to the status of memorial in our liturgical calendar in 2002.   Born in Alexandria, Egypt, a great center of learning and education in the ancient world.  Catherine was highly educated and came from a noble pagan family.   Tradition holds that Catherine was converted through a vision she had of the Virgin Mary and the child Jesus, inspiring her to live as a virginal spouse of Christ and to reject a marriage proposal that she received.  Tradition also holds that Catherine came before the Emperor Maxentius during a time of brutal repression of Christians.  She successfully defended the faith before a group of pagan philosophers and refused to renounce Christ.  She also refused to become the emperor’s mistress.  The was beheaded after brutal torture.   It is interesting that more than 1,000 years after her death, Catherine would appear to the young French maid Joan of Arc in a vision, urging her to take up arms in defense of France.  We know that Joan would allow die a martyr for the faith and become a beloved saint just like St Catherine of Alexandria.   In a time when Christianity is facing hostility and persecution, when Christians are having to defending themselves from different kinds of attacks, Catherine’s example of faith speaks to us very profoundly today.  

      As we hear Catherine’s witness of faith today, we hear Jesus in the Gospels declare that his followers will be seized and persecuted, handed over to synagogues and prisons, lead before governors and kings, leading to his followers to give testimony of the their faith.  Jesus tells his followers that he will accompany them in their persecution, giving them courage and strength and helping them with the words they need to say to defend themselves.  Yet, sometimes we suffer and make sacrifices for our faith.  Let us pray that we may have the courage to be true to our faith, no matter the cost. Let us not be surprised or shocked that the response to our faith could be anger and hostility.  However, at the same time, let us reach out to others in truth, love and mercy, to quell the unjustified fears that others may have in response to our faith.  

23 November 2020 - Monday of 34th week in Ordinary Time - Revelation 14:1-5

       In a passage in the Book of Revelation, it presents the followers of the beast, the agent of Satan, as branded on the hand or on the forehead with their name and number.  This is similar to how cattle are branded with the sign of their owner.  The beast is identified with the number 666.  We know that even in our popular culture today, this number 666 is identified with the Devil.  

        In the reading we have today from the 14th chapter of Revelation, the followers of the beast are contrasted with the followers of the lamb, who are marked with their name and their of the Father.  We remember how there was a remnant in Israel that returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonia exile.  Just so, the followers of the lamb are the remnant of the New Israel, those faithful Christians who survived persecution and who will restore the kingdom of God after God’s enemies have been destroyed. 

       Today, we celebrate the feast day of Pope Clement I, who was pope for 11 years in the last part of the first century.  He is considered the first of the apostolic fathers.  There is a letter written by Clement to the Christian community in Corinth that asserts the authority of the presbyters who serve in that community.  It is one of the oldest existent church documents outside of the Scriptures of the New Testament.  According to Church tradition, Clement was imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Trajan.  During his imprisonment, it is said that Clement ministered devoutly to his fellow prisoners. He was killed by Trajan by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea.  Clement is the patron saint of mariners. Let us ask for the prayers and intercessions of St Clement as we remember him on his feast day today.  

Reflection - Thursday - 26 November 2020 - Thanksgiving

   As we approach our national holiday of Thanksgiving, we are probably thinking a lot about our current reality, which is a very harsh reality.  Some aspects of this reality may be distracting us from our call to give thanks.  This has been the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the pandemic currently increasing in the US and throughout most of the world, not decreasing. It has been a year of social unrest. of violence in the streets, and of a very tumultuous national election.  I think all of us can admit that we are a country that is very much divided at this point.  For those of us who are Christians, we have seen our religion increasingly come under attack.  We have seen our church buildings burned down and our statues desecrated.  We have heard politician call some of our saints white supremacists.  We have seen politicians defend the right for people to protest, yet, at the same time, some of these same politicians try to deny the right that Christians have to protest in front of an abortion clinic.  This has been a tough year.  And it continues to remain so, as none of this has been resolved.  

      Yes, this past year has been filled with tremendous loss, grief, anxiety, hurt, unrest and fear.  But, in the midst of this year, we give thanks and we celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving.  As Paul gave thanks for the joy he had in his heart even in the midst of his difficulties and his incarceration in prison, we are called to give thanks in the midst of our struggles and our difficulties.  We are called to recognize our many blessings in the midst of our challenges.  I found this prayer of thanks on the website of an Anglican Diocese in England.  I wanted to share its spirit of thanksgiving with all of you.  Blessings to all of you as we celebrate Thanksgiving together as a nation.  

Prayer of Thanks: God of all creation, thank you for the wonderful things you have made. Thank you for the universe full of stars and planets. Thank you for our world, full of life. Thank you for making each one of us. Thank you for loving each one of us. Take these gifts we now offer back to you. May they be used to the glory of your name. We offer you ourselves and all the gifts you have blessed us with. Take us and use us to share your love with the world.  Amen.

20 November 2020 - Prayers of the faithful - 33rd week in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus - you bring us hope.

Christ Jesus - you bring us the Father’s love. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us God’s word.

Priest: Let us turn to God our Father in confidence in our prayers. 

1.  For the Church and for all our Church leaders, that all Christ’s faithful people will commit themselves to bringing his light to the world. 

2. For all those who serve us in the government, that they will always strive to protect the dignity of human life. 

3. For the healing of the nations, that all people may learn to live in peace and endeavor to bring an end to war, violence, and terrorism. 

4. For all who are starved of hope, especially the world’s poor and all of us who are weary of the consequences of the pandemic, that our sufferings may be recognized and may we work to keep other safe. 

5. For our own parish community, that we may be always ready to hear God’s word, do God’s will and face God’s judgement. 

6. For the sick, the suffering and the housebound, that they may know the healing touch of God’s love. 

7. For those who have died, that they may enjoy their eternal reward with Christ in heaven. 

Priest: Heavenly Father, you know each one of us and all our needs. Forgive our failings, keep us in your peace and lead us in the way of salvation. We ask this through Christ, our Lord forever and ever.  AMEN.  

18 November 2020 – Wednesday of 33rd week in Ordinary Time – Luke 19:11 -28

      Last Sunday, we heard the parable of the talents from the Gospel of Matthew.  Today we hear a similar message in a parable from the Gospel of Luke.  Each of the 10 servants receives a gold coin – the equivalent of about 3 months of wages according to Scripture Scholars, so it certainly was not an insignificant amount of money.  Those who invest their coin and use what the king gives to them are rewarded, but the servant who keeps the coin hidden is punished.  The end of the parable says that Jesus continued on his journey to Jerusalem.   We as modern-day disciples of Christ know that Jerusalem is the city where Jesus met his death on the cross, but it is the place of resurrection and salvation as well. 

       I find it very interesting that our parable today is about a king. This Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King at the end of our Liturgical Year.  Then, the next Sunday after that, we will get ready for the start of the Advent season as we prepare for the coming Christmas season. It is interesting, in the past few weeks here at St Jude, even though we are in the midst of the pandemic, I have had funerals, a wedding, baptisms, and today I was called to visit a lady in hospice who is nearing the end of her days.  Some of these parishioners I know very well, while others I do not know very well at all. All of these sacraments mark meaningful moments in lives. But we are all children of God and part of the community of faith.  We live out of faith in different ways.  We strive toward perfection, but due to our human failings, we never reach that perfection, so we ask pardon and forgiveness of God and of our brothers and sisters.     

        Sometimes life can be very joyful.  Other times it can be very sad.  But we do our best.  And we continue on our journey.  This is what connects us with today’s Gospel of the gold coins: How are we using the gifts God gives use – today and everyday?  Because we just don’t know when our journey on earth will come to an end. 

Prayers of the faithful - 33rd week in Ordinary Time - 17 November 2020

 Lord Jesus, you call us to live with joy in our hearts - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you call us to be good stewards of our gifts - Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you call us to live in solidarity with our brothers and sisters - Lord have mercy.

Prayers of the faithful:

Priest:  Out of our call to stewardship and discipleship, we present our prayers to God.  

1.For our Church leaders and governmental leaders, as they help us navigate the difficulties of this pandemic.  

2. That the missionary spirit of the Church may rekindle in every believer a zeal for carrying the Gospel into all the world.

3. For unity in our Church, in our country, and throughout the world, that we may not bear hatred for any neighbor, but love him as ourselves.

4. For all the trials and sufferings we are going through in life - that they Lord will deliver us and heal us.

5. For those who are sick or shut-in, for those in the hospital, hospice, and nursing homes.  For the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.  

Priest:  As we continue on our journey of faith, as we heed to call to conversion and renewal, we present these prayers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever and ever.  

22 de noviembre de 2020 – Homilía - Solemnidad de Jesucristo, Rey del Universo – Ciclo A – Mateo 25, 31 - 46

       Estamos en el último Domingo del año litúrgico en la Iglesia Católica.  Este domingo, celebramos la solemnidad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Rey del Universo.  Es una celebración muy importante en nuestras vidas como católicos y como discípulos de Cristo.  En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús nos explica la conexión que existe entre nuestra fe, nuestro mundo, nuestra conducta, y el juicio último que tendremos cuando Jesucristo, nuestro rey, llegará otra vez a nuestro mundo. Es seguro que todos de nosotros vamos a salir este mundo terrestre.  Tenemos la esperanzo de nuestra fe que podemos entrar la  vida eterna con Cristo.  

      Es verdad, para ser discípulo de Jesucristo, no es una teoría o algo que solo podemos aprender en la Biblia o en las doctrinas de la Iglesia.  Al contrario, seguir Jesucristo es algo muy práctico en la vida de fe, en la vida diaria en el camino de fe.  Es algo que necesitamos practicar y vivir en cada momento de cada día. En el juicio último, Jesús nos habla sobre los grandes sacrificios y las grandes renuncias que necesitamos hacer en la vida.  Jesús habla sobre las obras pequeñas que podemos hacer – las obras de caridad y de amabilidad que podemos hacer día tras día, en los momentos ordinarios que tenemos cada día. No importa para Jesús si tenemos mucho poder o mucho dinero o mucha educación o mucha influencia en el mundo. En nuestra vida aquí en la tierra, necesitamos dar comida al hambriento, algo de beber al sediento, la ropa a la persona que no la tiene.  Necesitamos visitar al enfermo en el hospital y al prisionero en la cárcel. Estas acciones de caridad son muy importante según Jesucristo, pero, en muchos sentidos, no son muy importantes en los valores de nuestro mundo secular.

      Pero, estas buenas obras son mas de buenas obras – tienen su profundidad en la fundación de nuestra fe, en nuestra relación con Jesucristo, en los valores del Evangelio de nuestro Señor.  Hay seguidores de Cristo que están preocupados en lo que ellos llevarán en sus manos en su encuentro de nuestro Señor al juicio último. Pero, no es importante lo que llevamos – es importante como nosotros vivimos como servidores en nuestro mundo, servidores a los pobres y los mas necesitados del mundo.  Es nuestra misión.  Es nuestra responsabilidad.  Necesitamos hacerlo si Jesucristo es nuestro rey, si Jesucristo es nuestro Buen Pastor. 

       El jueves de este semana, celebramos el día de acción de gracias aquí en los Estados Unidos.  En los desafíos de la pandemia, es importante para dar gracias y para reconocer las bendiciones que tenemos en nuestra vida diaria, y la gracia de Dios que tenemos para sobrevivir los desafíos de la vida también.  Si, tenemos sufrimientos y desafíos en las luchas de la pandemia.  Pero, es importante para dar gracias en el gozo que tenemos en la fe.  Demos gracias hoy en la celebración de Cristo rey. 

What is your spiritual journey?

 

We all have our own spiritual journeys.  Sometimes we probably think that our spiritual journey is the journey that is depicted on the drawing on the bottom.  That is ok.  God is with us no matter what the trajectory of our spiritual journey.  

17 November 2020 - Tuesday of the 33rd week in Ordinary Time - Luke 19:1-10

     We hear the familiar story of Zaccheus today in our Gospel from St Luke.  To me, the story of Zaccheus is one of the most vivid imaginative stories in sacred scripture.  Here is this short little man who climbs up a tree in order to get a better view of Jesus.  So what is Zaccheus’ background.  First, we know that he has a Hebrew name which means just one or righteous one or pure one.  So, even though we don’t know the events, circumstances or issues surrounding Zaccheus’ life, it would be reasonable to assume he came from an observant Jewish family if he had such a name as this. 

     How did someone like Zaccheus become a chief tax collector? Tax collectors in Israel were cooperating with the Roman authorities.  They were seen as the worst of the worst by the Jews in Israel: betrayers who turned against their own people.  Chief tax collectors would have been shunned by the Jewish people.  They would have had considerable wealth, but few friends and few social connections.  There would not have been a lot of hope in their lives.  But Jesus can see beyond this.  He sees what a person can become.  He sees how faith can transform a person, even if that faith starts out with just a curiosity or a small little glimmer the size of a mustard seed.  No matter what a person’s history or circumstances may be, that person can be transformed by their relationship with Christ.  So even though the rest of society did not see any good in Zaccheus, Jesus saw the possibilities that were present in him.  

      In the story of Zaccheus, we see the portrait of a man who has repented, who has changed his life and has changed the way he sees things.  In his giving of his possessions to the poor and providing restitution to those he has wronged, Zaccheus shows us his sorrow and his sincerity.  Jesus sees Zaccheus as a son of Abraham, as a person of faith who has truly repented and has amended his ways.  Let us identify with Zaccheus today.  Let us follow in his footsteps of faith.  

 

Bulletin reflection - Jesus Christ - King of the Universe - 22 November 2020

    This Sunday, we commemorate the end of our liturgical year with a great celebration, honoring Jesus as the King of the Universe. As I reflect upon this wonderful celebration, I remember a story told to me by one of my parishioners in a parish where I served as pastor. The catechist was reading a story book with a little boy. There was a drawing of a little crown on one of the pages. The catechist asked the little boy whose crown that was. The little boy replied, “That is Jesus’ crown. He is the king of kings.” It is amazing to see the profound insights our children have into our faith, insights some adults may overlook.  

    We might think about the different names we have for Jesus and the different images we have of him. Many of us see Jesus as our brother and our friend, as the Son of God, as our Savior and Redeemer. In Jesus’ day, different people saw him in different ways. The zealots wanted Jesus to be a military leader who would bring them back to military might and glory. The Pharisees and Scribes saw Jesus as a threat to the way they saw God and the way they practiced their faith. We are called to see Jesus through the eyes of faith, through the life of discipleship that we follow. To us, Jesus is a great teacher, a prophet, the Messiah, and the King of the Universe. We only have to look at the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus to see such divergent perspectives. One of the thieves mocked him, while the other believed in him, seeing him as the Son of God. The title of Jesus as the King of the Universe also goes hand-in-hand with the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who always seeks out the lost, who never abandons his flock, and who leads his sheep to green pastures and live-giving waters. 

        As we celebrate Jesus as the King of the Universe today and end our liturgical year, we transition to Advent, to this season of preparation. In this midst of this challenging year, we look to Advent as we prepare for the coming of Jesus as God incarnate with us, as the bread of life who fees us and nurtures us. 

#IGIVECATHOLIC - ST JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH - Pearl, Mississippi

 This year at St Jude, our #IGIVECATHOLIC program is funding several different projects.  

1.  Filling in the hole on the hill on the front of our church grounds.

2. Painting and putting down carpet in our expanded atrium classroom 

3. Installing and putting in a walking path for outdoor stations of the cross

4. Getting old rectory ready for meetings rooms 

 

We hope to raise $15,000 to fund these projects.  You may donate to #IGIVECATHOLIC in honor of a loved one.   For on-line giving, the #IGIVECATHOLIC giving day is December 1 and the early giving days are November 16 - 30.  You may give at anytime through cash or check.  

Website: https://jackson.igivecatholic.org/organizations/st-jude-catholic-church

20 November 2020 – Friday of 33rd week in ordinary time – Rev 10:8-11

Several times in Sacred Scripture, prophets are told to eat pages of God’s Holy Word.  This happens to the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah.  I remember this because, it really makes an impression on me when I hear this.  Today, in Revelation, John is told take take the scroll that is in the hand of the angel and to eat it.   Asking these men to actually eat the pages of God’s word is symbolic of how the word is to become a part of their entire being.  Rather than remaining on the surface of our lives, the word of God is to enter our lives, we are to chew on it and digest it, to be strengthened by it and nourished by it.  Only then can we become evangelizers of God’s word and to transmit that word to others.  By eating God’s word in the book of Revelation, John acquired a greater understanding of the word. 

          On September 30, on the 1600th anniversary of the death of St Jerome, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter entitled Devotion to Sacred Scripture (Scripturae Sacrae Affectus).  In this document, the Pope spoke about how St Jerome lived his life devoted to God’s word, as a hermit and as a scholar.  He had a great knowledge of the ancient languages such as Greek and Hebrew, which allowed him to translated Scripture into Latin, the universal language of the day.  Pope Francis states that St Jerome’s love for divine Scripture was grounded in obedience.  However, Pope Francis points out that this obedience was not merely passive, but but that it demanded an active personal effort to understand God’s word.  Jerome’s response was faithfulness to the word and devoted study.  

God’s word is truth, not just mere information.  God’s word seeks to transform us.  In the present mood in our secular society, we are often pressured to accept a secular version of what is truth based on what is politically correct.  But, in truth, God’s Word can be difficult and challenging.  Often it requires sacrifice. But, if we truly apply God’s Word into our lives, it will transform us and change us.  And then there is no turning back. 

15 de noviembre de 2020 - Domingo de la 33a semana del tiempo ordinario - 1 Tesalonicenses 5: 1-6 - Mateo 25: 14-30

       En la primera carta a la comunidad cristiana de Tesalónica, San Pablo escribe: Ustedes saben que el Día del Señor ciertamente vendrá como un ladrón en la noche. La gente dirá "paz y seguridad", pero de repente vendrá el desastre. Y la gente no escapará.  Los miembros de esa comunidad se convertían al Camino de Jesús de las religiones paganas. Dejaron a un lado todos los demás mensajes que los llamaban en el mundo, eligiendo seguir a Jesús. San Pablo tuvo que dejar esa comunidad abruptamente, pero siguió preocupado por su bienestar.  Su carta los animó y aconsejó en medio de las pruebas y persecuciones. D. Pablo les dijo que la Segunda Venida del Señor llegaría en un momento inesperado y sin previo aviso, por lo que debían estar preparados.  Aunque Pablo escribió esas palabras a mediados del primer siglo, todavía nos hablan en nuestros días. 

      Hace 31 años este lunes el16 de noviembre de 1989, 8 católicos fueron asesinados por su fe en el pequeño país centroamericano de El Salvador.   Desde los primeros días de la Iglesia, los mártires han tenido un lugar especial en la comunidad de los santos.   Al honrar y recordar a estos mártires de El Salvador, podríamos preguntarnos: ¿Cómo nos afectan sus vidas y sus historias en nuestra vida aquí en Mississippi?  Estos asesinatos estaban una parte de la guerra civil de El Salvador.  Las fuerzas militares de ese país recibieron la orden de matar al padre jesuita Ignacio Ellacuría, rector de la Universidad de Centroamérica, y no dejar testigos.   Lo mataron con los otros cinco sacerdotes, su cocinera y su hija que estaban presentes en la residencia ese día. ¿Por qué las fuerzas militares querrían matar a un sacerdote católico y no dejar testigos?  Fue por miedo al mensaje que proclamó. Ese mensaje llegó con amor y fe a un país en la mitad de la violencia de una guerra civil. Ese mensaje llegó a la pobreza y la opresión que afligía a la mayoría de la población allí. ¿Por qué hay tanta injusticia, opresión y pobreza?  Estos sacerdotes jesuitas hicieron esa pregunta, poniendo muy nerviosos a los que estaban en el poder.  Como resultado, se tomaron medidas para destruir a estos sacerdotes y el mensaje del Evangelio que llevaron al mundo. Por eso es importante que recordemos cómo murieron por la fe.

       Es sin duda una historia inspiradora, pero ¿cuál es la conexión con nosotros?   Pensamos en todos los problemas de justicia a los que nos enfrentamos como sociedad, especialmente en esta pandemia. En nuestra fe, no debemos responder por violencia o miedo o ira.  Según San Pablo, necesitamos responder como hijos de la luz.  Estos problemas que enfrenta nuestro país y nuestro mundo son muy complicados. Los jesuitas han dicho que la vida y la pérdida de estos mártires en El Salvador han influido en la comunidad jesuita en Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo, llamándolos a pensar en lo que significa ser discípulos de Cristo, lo que significa ser comunidad católica. Nos hace pensar en lo que significa abordar los problemas de justicia social en la Iglesia.  Pablo escribió en su carta que debemos estar listos para la segunda venida de Jesucristo.  Podemos reflexionar en manera en que la muerte llegó a los mártires jesuitas de forma violenta como un ladrón en la noche. Sin embargo, por su trabajo, sus vidas y su testimonio, estaban preparados. ¿Y nosotros? ¿Estamos listos como ellos? 

     Sí, estos días de la pandemia son desafiantes. El virus crece en casi todos los países del mundo. Aquellos de ustedes que han venido a misa desde que se levantó la orden de estadía en casa saben que nos tomamos muy en serio nuestra seguridad y nuestros protocolos aquí en la parroquia de St Jude. Vaya, sé que llevar una mascarilla en la misa es muy incómodo.  Probablemente ustedes me vean luchando con la mascarilla muchas veces en la misa. Pero, es un sacrificio muy pequeño para mantener seguridad en esta pandemia.  Escuchemos la llamada de Pablo a ser hijos de luz.  Sigamos viviendo aa fe de manera creativa en la pandemia. Debemos continuar aprendiendo y creciendo en la fe, participando en nuestras actividades de formación en la fe de Adviento que tenemos por delante. Sigamos volviendo a misa. Tenemos la misa al aire libre y misas durante la semana en la iglesia. Seguimos transmitiendo por el FACEBOOK LIVE. Al igual que Pablo animó a sus comunidades, yo, como párroco quiero animarles hoy para que todos nosotros podemos vivir la fe con gozo y convicción: preparados y listos.