My dear friends in Christ,

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.”  In our Gospel this weekend from John 15:1-8, we are taught that we must cling to Jesus the way that a vine is attached to a branch.  How important this is.  We must cling to our Lord, and our lives must grow from our Saviour.  I think that is what carries me through - by clinging to this vine, Jesus, through prayer and being nourished by the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ.   When you reflect, I pray that you can say the same – that your faith and being fed, for many spiritually, has provided you with the strength, comfort, and hope that only Jesus and our Father can provide.  On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, we are reminded once again that we are an Easter people – a people of hope.

We begin the month of May next Wednesday, the Month of Mary, dedicated to our Blessed Mother.  We too cling to her, asking for her intercession, to protect us and our loved ones.
As a community of believers here at St. Julia, may we cling to the true vine, Jesus Christ, our Blessed Mother Mary, and cling to our rosaries as we pray for peace in the world.  

May God continue to bless and keep safe each of you and those that you love. 

Fr. Greg

My dear friends in Christ,
 
On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, I find great comfort in our Gospel from John 10:11-18 when Jesus says “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”  As sheep, as disciples of Christ, we place our hope in one God, made up of three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 
 
The Gospel passage continues “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  This passage demonstrates that Jesus cares for us as a shepherd cares for his flock.  We are his flock.  Jesus knows us inside and out and will do anything to save us.  This is the beauty of our relationship with Jesus.
 
This Sunday and this upcoming week, may we focus on our relationship with Jesus, for He loves each of us and has given His life for us.  This is what the season of Easter is all about - renewing our relationship with Jesus, a personal relationship at that.  May we dive deeper into all that Jesus did for us, and continues to do for us as our shepherd and friend.  May we continue to be an Easter people, people of hope.
 
Please know of my continued prayers for each of you and those that you love.
 
Fr. Greg

Dear parishioners and friends of St. Julia Parish,
This Sunday's Gospel from Luke recounts the events as the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus return to the upper room to tell their story.

In many ways, this Gospel sounds almost the same as last week’s Gospel from John when Jesus appears to his frightened disciples in the Upper Room to reassure them and bring them “Peace.” Jesus likely was using the Hebrew greeting: “Shalom” which means much more than peace and quiet. Its meaning includes
peace
harmony
wholeness
completeness
prosperity
welfare
tranquility

This is what I want for each and every one of us.  Where does this gift of peace come from?  The Prince of Peace himself, Jesus Christ.  It begins with His Word, and is fed and nourished by His presence in the sacraments.

Pay attention to how many times the word Peace is spoken in the mass.  It is the gift that Jesus wants to give us this day.
Peace be with you.

May God continue to bless and protect each of you and those that you love, and may the peace of Christ be with you always.
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 seven others who entered into full communion with the Catholic Church, with twelve 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