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. ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR ON PALM SUNDAY Join us this Palm Sunday, March 24 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. God bless, 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. Remarkably, the daffodils in the upper gardens are already in bloom! This truly is a blessed time of the year because right before our eyes the world seems to come to life once again. 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, now called the elect, at our 11:00 am Sunday 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. God bless, Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,
This Sunday at Mass we celebrate Laetare Sunday. The Latin word Laetare means ‘rejoice’ and its origin is rooted in the Introit (opening chant) for the Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Jerusalem: “Rejoice, O Jerusalem and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.” Laetare Sunday marks the midpoint of Lent and the rose-coloured vestments that I will be wearing at Mass give us a glimpse at the light of the end of the 40-day tunnel of penance. Yes, Lent is a penitential season. It is a time that we allow the spot light to shine in on our hearts, looking at the nooks and crannies to see what needs to be pushed out, that is sin, in order to fully allow Christ to enter our hearts at Easter, with the new Easter light, the true light of Christ. This is what this Sunday is all about. Lent is not all about being somber. This Sunday we are called to rejoice in the reality of Easter – the promise of Easter – the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. At this midpoint I ask myself the question, “How has my season of Lent been going?” I ask you the same question. If you can say it has been a good season and that you have experienced God’s graces and blessings, that you feel closer to Christ, that you have experienced spiritual renewal, then thanks be to God! If you say it has been a little rough, that your Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving have fallen short of what you set out to embrace at the beginning of the journey, fear not. We are at the midpoint. Consider this a reboot, a new start. Rejoice in the fact that our God is a God of second chances and fresh starts. That is what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is all about. Make the most of these next three weeks by striving to realign your heart with the heart of Christ, returning to Christ through prayer, and take the time for your spiritual renewal. Remember that Christ fell three times carrying the cross. Now we too get back up, as people of hope. That is what we must remember at this moment. Last year on this Sunday I wrote "We may think how can I even utter the words rejoice at this moment in time with all that is taking place in Ukraine?" Now, over a year later, this war continues. Once again I write that it is our faith that we turn to for strength. We unite ourselves in prayer with our sisters and brothers of Ukraine. We place our trust in God, for it was Christ who conquered sin and death by rising from the dead. For that and so many more reasons, we remain people of hope. May God bless each of you and those that you love, and I look forward to seeing you at mass this weekend on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. God bless, Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia, This Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew 2:13-25 recounts the “cleansing of the Jerusalem temple” by Jesus, as it is usually called. When I am visiting our St. Peter Catholic Elementary school classrooms (now virtually), sometimes I will get the question “Did Jesus ever get angry?” This is usually when I pray that the bell will ring. And so, we begin to unpack the answer together. Jesus was just like us, for he was fully human, (and as our faith teaches us, and fully divine). Taking it one step further, he was like us in all things but sin. This brings us to our Gospel, one of the best examples of Jesus getting angry. The temple-market in the court of the Gentiles, as well as the money exchange tables, were meant for the benefit of the many pilgrims who would come to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus, wishing to see the temple as something other than a market-place, sought to drive out the sellers and exchangers. “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace,” Jesus said. So, is it a sin to get angry? Jesus used his passions with zeal, with great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. He saw what was taking place in God’s house, His Father’s house, and spoke up. This zeal could in fact have cost Jesus his life. So, was this a sin, to speak with zeal, and what we may say get angry? No. We once again return to the commandments of “Love of God” and “Love of Neighbour.” Jesus saw what was taking place in the temple and spoke up because of His love for God. This was the use of passions for something good. When we see offences taking place against our God and our neighbour, we too are called to use our passions, our emotions, given to us by God, to speak up. An example of this is abortion and medically assisted suicide. Every life, from conception to natural death, is a precious gift from God. Treating our Church, the House of God, with respect, is another example. Our belief in the Eucharist being the real presence of Christ is yet another. Any offence is most troubling, and would cause us anger. So how do we speak up? This is done with the help of the Holy Spirit, and with a message delivered in love. Taking the very best of our passions, our emotions, and setting out to change the hearts of those that believe likewise, can bring about change. And as you know, we do not pray just for change, but transformation, so that there is no going back to former ways. And all of this is done delivered in a message of love. As I am writing this, other examples come to mind, and perhaps as you are reading this some examples are popping into your head. Let us pray for transformation. May we call upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we received at Confirmation, for the courage to speak up, by our words, deeds, and action. All delivered in a message of love, using the very best of our passions and emotions. Please know of my continued prayers for a grace-filled season of Lent and may God bless each of you and those that you love. God bless, Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia, This Sunday we once again hear the love letters of St. Paul as he writes to the Romans. As always, he opens with “brothers and sisters,” his beloved. Then he makes the bold statement “If God is for us, who can be against us?” As I always say, all Scripture is the living word of God, and Paul writes as if he is speaking to us in 2024. So, what does this mean for us today? This is the beauty of Paul’s writings and this is what I believe we need to hear today. No matter what we face, whether that be financial difficulties, health challenges, family concerns, or whatever may be weighing on our heart, God takes each situation and somehow, beyond our understanding and comprehension, uses it for our benefit, in the here and now, and ultimately for our eternal benefit. This is indeed something to wrap our minds around. God is with us always, in all our times of need, on this our earthly journey. God pours out His love and mercy upon us. Many times, in the present moment, this is not clear to us. It is only when we look to the past, to see how God brought something good out of a past challenge, that we can say to ourselves that we are not alone, and we trust that God will see us through this moment in time as well. This requires faith and trust in God. We are God’s chosen ones. God is with us. It is no wonder Paul proclaims, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" The answer quite simply is NO ONE! As we continue our Lenten journey together as a community of believers here at St. Julia, may we hold and keep one another in prayer. God is with us – and we, as His daughters and sons are loved. We must never forget that. May we unite any cross that we are carrying at this time with that of His son, Jesus Christ. Please know of my continued prayers and may God bless each of you and those that you love. God bless, Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,
In our Gospel this Sunday from Mark 1:12-15, the Spirit drove Jesus into the desert. This past year, we too have found ourselves in a desert, in what feels like at times forty times forty days. Yet in other respects, it is hard to believe that it has been almost a year. Mark writes, “He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” Angels. The ministry of angels can be found throughout the life of Christ. It was an angel who announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Baby Jesus. Angels were present at Jesus’ birth. They warned Joseph. An angel was with Jesus when he was praying at the Garden of Gethsemane. Angels were ready to help when Jesus was betrayed. An angel rolled back the stone from the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. An angel announced the resurrection of Christ. Christ ascended into heaven with angels present. The list goes on of how angels played an important role in the ministry of Christ. Just as angels surround the throne of God the Father and serve Him, they also were around Jesus - attending to God the Son. The angels observed Jesus dying a humiliating death between two robbers. They observed the great love that Jesus showed toward humanity. As a parish family, the angels have been with us and our community here at St. Julia, watching over us. May we embrace this season of Lent with an open heart, and allow the Holy Spirit, and the angels too, to minister to us as we seek a renewal of mind, body, and spirit. Please know of my prayers for all of your intentions, and may God continue to bless each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg On this the eve of Ash Wednesday, we once again, as a parish family, prepare to begin our Lenten journey. Lent is truly about renewal. Renewing our relationship with God, and his son Jesus Christ. It is an opportunity to renew our commitment to daily prayer and the opening up of our hearts to God. A renewal in breaking open the Word of God and to see where God is speaking to us through Sacred Scripture. What animates us is the spirit, the soul within us. When we are fed with the Body and Blood of Christ and the Word of God, our spirit is fed. While many of us hunger for that spiritual food at the celebration of Mass, I consider the season of Lent to be a great gift to us, the body of Christ. These 40 days allow us to take a look deep within at our relationship with God and our neighbour. It is an opportunity for us to offer penance for the sins we have committed. And best of all, it presents us with the opportunity to not just change our lives, but to transform them as we rededicate our lives to God. This is my prayer for each of us. May this season of Lent be an opportunity to reignite our relationship with God, confident that Christ continues to navigate us through these times together. I pray that it be a time of refreshment for our souls as we draw closer to God. May it truly be a time of spiritual renewal. May we emerge from this time, and this season of Lent, renewed in mind, body, and spirit. I wish all of you a truly blessed and grace-filled season of Lent. Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia, In this Sunday’s Gospel from Mark 1:40-45, we read about this leper coming forward to Jesus and miracle of the healing of this man. The miracles of Jesus can be grouped into seven categories.
It is interesting to note that more than 30 miracles of Jesus are recorded in the Bible, yet we know that there are far more, and counting. The miracles of Jesus continue to this day. So, what is required on our part? This is where the leper teaches us. This man whose name is unknown to us recognized that in Jesus all things are possible. He believed this in the very depths of his heart and soul. Are you in need of healing at this very moment? Perhaps it is physical healing. Maybe the pandemic has left you with the need for mental healing. Or maybe you are spiritually weak and are crying out for healing. Healing of body, mind, and spirit. Whether it is yourself or someone that you know or love, there is someone in need who is hurting in some way that needs some relief, compassion, comfort, strength, and yes, healing. Jesus is here to assist, and we, as God’s instruments here on earth, allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to provide comfort to those around us. With God, all things are possible. If you wish, you can make me clean. May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia, Lord Jesus, send us your healing touch. “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he (Jesus) got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). In this Sunday’s Gospel, we once again see the importance of daily prayer in Jesus’ life. Just like Simon’s mother-in-law, we too cry out, Lord Jesus, send us your healing touch. As a Church, as a family here at St. Julia, we pray for all those suffering. Not just those that are sick, but everyone. We are all suffering. We pray for spiritual and physical healing, for comfort for all those isolated in their homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. For those mourning the loss of a loved one. For all those separated from their families. For those facing job loss, financial difficulties. For parents and single parents trying to juggle work and family lives. The list goes on, and it is different for each one of us And so, we too, need to find the strength to pray, mirroring Jesus, in that quiet place. The prayer can be this simple… Lord Jesus, send us your healing touch Please know of my continued prayers for all of your needs and intentions, both personally, and during the greatest prayer that we offer, the celebration of the Mass. May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love. Fr. Greg |
AuthorFrom Our Pastor Archives
March 2024
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