Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,

This Sunday we celebrate the great Solemnity of Pentecost and our Easter season of 50 days will draw to a close.  “Come Holy Spirit” is the theme of our celebrations and a reminder to each of us that we need to call upon the Holy Spirit every day.  How very true this is.  These gifts that we received at our confirmation are precious.  The question is, do I call upon these gifts?  Really and truly?  Do I call upon the gift of wisdom, and value spiritual things over worldly ones?  Do I contemplate the things of God?  Do I call upon the gift of courage, and stand up for God and His truths?  There is no doubt that this is what the world needs, and it starts in my own home.  Do I pray for the gift of knowledge?  This is the awareness of God’s plan.  This can be a challenge at this time and living through a pandemic.  Yet this is what we must pray for.  Do I pray for the gift of wonder and awe that increases my desire to draw closer to God and depart from sin?  The list goes on.  Here we have yet another challenge, but opportunity too.  When we call upon these gifts it has the power to change – wait – transform our lives, and live a rich and full life in communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 
May we call upon the Holy Spirit, the advocate, to make a home in our hearts, and to be an instrument of peace, love, and hope.
 
I look forward to you joining me for Mass this Pentecost Sunday.

May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord – the entry of Jesus’ humanity into divine glory in God’s heavenly domain, forty days after his Resurrection.
 
Immediately after Christ’s ascension to heaven, the first church in Jerusalem was under intense pressure.  Their first task was to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot.  They prayed that God would guide the casting of lots.  There were two candidates, and Matthias was chosen, whose Feast Day we celebrated on Friday.  
Many times, when we are under pressure or facing a difficult time, we can push others away.  Such was not the case with the first church and the apostles.  Instead, they let the pressure drive them closer together instead of breaking them apart.  As we continue to “welcome home” our parish family, may all feel the magnetic pull of Christ drawing us to our spiritual home of St. Julia.
As our Easter season quickly comes to a close, we prepare for the celebration of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles.  May we be reminded of the spiritual gifts that we received at our Confirmation, and may we pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the courage we need to navigate these times together as a community of believers, united in prayer. 

May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,

While I was in the seminary, we would be asked to complete theological reflections.  Here is part of my reflection on love from 2013.  How very appropriate this Mother's Day weekend.

According to 1 John 4:8, the very nature of God is Love, and love is present in Scripture as one of the central themes in describing the relationship between God and humanity. Indeed, love is the basis of creation. Because of his superabundant love, God willingly gave his own Son to bring salvation to the fallen world (John 3:16; Romans 5:5-9; 1 John 4:9). The task for all of us, then, is above all to love God with our entire heart (Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37). We are also called to love our neighbours (Lev 19:18, 1 John 4:11-21).

Jesus loved his friends so deeply that he was willing to lay down his life for them (John 13:1; 1 John 3:16) in order for them and us to be adopted daughters and sons of the Father. In return, the disciples were required to show their love by imitating the unifying love of the Son and the Father (John 17:21-23). Such a love had to be more than mere words; it had to manifested by deeds: “Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18), including keeping the commandments of Jesus (John 14:15, 21, 23; 1 John 5:3). Christians should also love one another (John 13:34; 15:17) with the same love that Christ showed to them (John 15:12).

Jesus’ actions reveal that he truly loves us. Jesus took care of those around him. He fed them. He looked after their physical needs and issues. He attended to their spiritual needs. And he ultimately died on the cross for us. These were all deeds and actions. He showed his love by serving God and his people. We too are called to live our lives by serving others, all out of love.

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical God Is Love: “The consciousness that, in Christ, God has given himself for us, even unto death, must inspire us to live no longer for ourselves but for him, and, with him, for others. Whoever loves Christ loves the Church, and desires the Church to be increasingly the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ.” As ministers in the church, and in fact as baptized Christians, we are called to be instruments of love here on earth, through our deeds and actions, which are often unspoken.

On this Mother's Day weekend, may we give thanks for all the ways we have been loved by our Mother's, for this love is a reflection of the love that Christ has for each of us.  

May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,

This weekend at our 11:00 a.m. mass we celebrate with the Grade 2 children from our parish attending St. Peter Catholic Elementary School as they encounter Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  For some, this will be their First Communion.  For a few, they accepted the invitation to receive their First Communion with their families on Easter Sunday.  Please pray for these children, their families, and all the children in our schools.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life."  We will hear these words of Jesus come alive in our Gospel from John 14:1-12.  These powerful words are not just words.  They are a guiding force for us on how we are to live our lives.  Mother Teresa's description of Jesus speaks of this beautifully.  I'll let Saint Mother Teresa take it from here.

May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

​Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,

This Sunday, April 30, is known as Good Shepherd Sunday.  It is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  The purpose of World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).  As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life.  While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries of priesthood and the diaconate, consecrated life in all its forms, male and female religious life, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity, secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life. 
 
One may ask, “where are the vocations to the priesthood today?”  Well, they are in our classrooms, our places of work, and around our kitchen tables.  The challenge is how does one hear this calling when there is so much noise in the world.  It is in the quiet and stillness of the heart where the Lord speaks to us.  And the opportunity is for us to tap that young man on the shoulder and to plant the seed, saying “I see the qualities of a priest in you,” or “have you ever considered being a priest?”  If it were not for Bishop Wingle, I would not be here today.
 
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let us unite our prayers together with those throughout the world as we pray to our Lord that hearts be open to a vocation, and may those discerning respond with a heartfelt and generous yes.

May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,
 
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.

This weekend we will hear the Gospel from Luke 24:13-35, "The Road to Emmaus."  I came across this reflection from Patricia Russell a number of years ago for our reflection this weekend:

As the disciples walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus, Jesus quietly joined their company, casually listening, questioning, and even challenging their assumptions about what transpired over the previous three days.  It wasn’t until they invited him to stay with them and sat down at table together that they recognized him, yet they’d felt something profound throughout their entire encounter. 

The Lord wants to be near us. He walks beside us and participates in the mundane aspects of our living. We feel his influence even when we aren’t entirely aware of his presence.  Imagine how much more joy we can experience when we welcome him as our honored guest and put him at the center of our daily routine.

This is the opportunity and challenge for us today and everyday, to put Jesus at the center of our daily routine, and at the center of our lives.  The result has the power to transform your life.

May God bless each of you and those that you love,

Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,
 
Easter blessings to each of you!  As an Easter people we continue to celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Our Paschal candle continues to burn brightly in our sanctuary and represents Christ, the Light of the World.  In fact, it will continue to burn for the entire fifty days of the Easter Season, concluding on Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.  The candle is made of pure beeswax and represents the sinless Christ who was formed in the womb of this His Mother, Mary.  The wick signifies His humanity, and the flame His Divine nature, both soul and body.
 
At our Easter Vigil I had the honour of lighting this candle with the new Easter fire, symbolizing our eternal life in Christ.  We then processed into our dark church, and with tapers, that light spread throughout the congregation to those both in person and our virtual congregation.  That light was then given to seven new Catholics through the Sacrament of Baptism and six others who entered into full communion with the Catholic Church, with eleven confirmations.  It is that light that is so very special for this truly is the light of Christ – thanks be to God.
 
This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.  In the Divine Mercy image, we see the risen Christ whose hands and feet bear the marks of the crucifixion.  The two rays coming forth from Jesus signify the sacraments of mercy (Baptism and Penance), and the Eucharist.  For me, this is an invitation to encounter Christ and for us to place our complete trust in our Lord.
 
Jesus, I trust in you.

Fr. Greg

Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

On this Good Friday, we purposefully slow down as we relive the events leading up to Jesus' death and Resurrection. 
Today we will hear proclaimed the Passion narrative from John.  These are incredibly difficult passages to read, let alone to have been alive to witness these events.  So why would we call Good Friday “good” when Jesus experienced such horrible pain and agony?
According to Christianity.com, some Christians do call Good Friday "Sorrowful Friday" as a somber reminder of the events.  But what about the rest of the church?

BibleStudyTools.com teaches us that we call Good Friday good for a number of reasons.  First, we remember that Good Friday did not end on that Friday.  We had Resurrection Sunday a few days later to look forward to.  It is good in the sense that we anticipate what would come to pass days later.
Secondly, we call Good Friday good because we cannot have the Good News of the Gospel without the bad news of sin first.  Good Friday helps us to realize the gravity of our sinful nature and how much we need a Saviour.  People don’t need good news unless they’ve endured something bad before.

Slow down.  Bishop Robert Barron notes that this day is "Good" because Jesus completes his mission, atoning for the sin of the world and, in doing so, reforming our capacity for relationship with the Father. 

The earth sits in silence on Saturday for Jesus is dead.  There is a coldness, and emptiness in the church.  "He descended into hell," we recite in the Creed.  It is a day of mystery and fascination and unnerving stillness, for God, the second person of the trinity, is dead.

But, we know the end of the story.
Let us share in the story together as we gather this day as a parish family and community of believers.
Fr. Greg

Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

We are about to enter into the most beautiful and sacred weeks in the liturgical life of our church.  We begin this weekend with Palm Sunday.  We will encounter Jesus when we wave our palms as He descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem and we cry out “Hosanna.”  On Holy Thursday, we will gather around the table as He celebrates the Last Supper with his apostles and we listen to Jesus’ command to each of us to “take this all of you and eat of it” and to love one another.  On Good Friday we will stand at the foot of the cross as Jesus takes his last breath.  Then at our Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, we will encounter the resurrected Jesus, having conquered sin and death.
 
This week, I invite you to listen to the words of Sacred Scripture as if you are hearing them for the very first time.  Be still.  Be in the moment.  Just be.  Immerse yourself in these liturgies and make the very most of this week as we journey with Jesus through His passion, death, and resurrection.
 
NEW THIS YEAR ON PALM SUNDAY

Join us this Palm Sunday, April 2 at 3:00 p.m. as we reflect on the "Seven Last Words of Jesus."  Sacred Scripture and music from our choir will make for what I pray will be a rich and meaningful experience for all present.  This will also be livestreamed.  I wish to sincerely thank our parishioner Alf McGrath for sharing this gift with our parish.

I look forward to us being united together this week as a parish family, and I wish you a truly blessed and grace-filled Holy Week.
Fr. Greg

Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

Glimpses of the season spring are all around us.  Recently in the morning it has been so nice to wake up to hear the birds chirping.  The days are getting longer, with more daylight in the evening.  It is nice to be able to walk outside and to smell spring in the air with each deep breath taken.  The daffodils in the upper gardens are getting ready to bloom.  This truly is a blessed time of the year because right before our eyes the world seems to come to life once again.  With the trees budding and grass turning green comes spring cleaning, all adding a freshness to our surroundings.

The same can be said about our spiritual lives.  The season of Lent presents us with the opportunity to freshen and awaken our lives and our relationship with Christ.  Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving directs our hearts and minds to God.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation during this season is spring cleaning for our souls, preparing ourselves for the great celebration of Easter.  Take the opportunity over this weekend and the coming weeks to encounter Christ in this beautiful sacrament.  No matter how long it has been, now is the time to take a deep breath, turn to or return to the sacrament, and experience the mercy and forgiveness that God wants to pour out upon you in abundance.  Leave with a sense of peace in your heart, washed and cleansed of sin, ready to embrace the season of Easter and Resurrection of our Lord.

Below you will find multiple opportunities to make this a reality in your life.

This weekend we celebrate the Third Scrutiny with our RCIA catechumens and candidates at our 9:00 am Sunday Mass, and we also welcome Mr. Royer's Grade 4/5 class from St. Peter Catholic Elementary School to our 9:00 a.m. as they lead us in the many ministries at mass.
May God bless each of you and those that you love, and I look forward to seeing you at mass this weekend on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  

Fr. Greg