My dear friends in Christ,

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI remarked at Mass for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that “the Eucharist has the power to unite people, strengthen them and remind them that only God is worthy of worship.”  He would go on to say "to adore the body of Christ means to believe that there, in that piece of bread, there really is Christ who gives meaning to our lives, to the immense universe as well as to the smallest creature and to all of human history as well as to the briefest existence."
 
What is it that brings us together?  That is what this Sunday is all about.  The Eucharist.  It is what unites us, and with the Word of God, is the spiritual food that we need.  Once again, we are reminded that we are an Easter people, not just for the fifty days of Easter, but always.  We are people of hope.  We seek out that which unites us and brings us together.  And that is the Eucharist.  To be present and still in a sacred place.  To sit and adore our saviour on our beautiful crucifix.  To come together, and know from the very depths of our soul that we are all loved.
 
I look forward to you joining me for Mass this Corpus Christi Sunday.
 
May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.

Fr. Greg

My dear friends,
Our Trinity 
 
How have you defined God as Trinity? 
God for us, we call You Father, 
God alongside us, we call You Jesus, 
God within us, we call You Holy Spirit. 
 
You are the Eternal Mystery that enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things, even us and even me. 
 
Every name falls short of your goodness and greatness. 
We can only see who You are in what is. 
We ask for such perfect seeing. 
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. 
Amen. 
 
The above prayer comes from author Richard Rohr, Simplicity.
 
Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
 
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.   (2 Corinthians 13:14)
 
Sometimes less is more.
 
Whether in person or virtually, I look forward to you joining me for Mass this Trinity Sunday.
 
May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.
Fr. Greg

My dear friends in Christ,
 
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 and requires trust.  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.
 
Here is a reflection from a lady by the name of Marion who I met on a summer assignment in reflecting on the Holy Spirit…
 
If I look upwards, I will find the Spirit of God waiting to be invited into my heart, soul, spirit, life, to raise me to a new level of love, consciousness and intensity.  To love as Jesus loves makes me realize that I do not have His patience, tolerance, or depth of forgiveness.  This is where His Spirit comes in, and that is why the Spirit is given to us.  If I have the Spirit of Jesus living in my heart, then, surely, I can be a channel of His love, patience, and forgiveness in the lives of others.  Open your heart, invite the Spirit in. 'Come Spirit, breath, and power of God.  Enter my heart, and generate within me the heart of Jesus.  Let His love, forgiveness, and service flow through me to others.’  
 
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.  Wear red!
 
May God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.

Fr. Greg

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My dear friends in Christ,
​
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.  When we face the pressures and challenges of life, may we feel the magnetic pull of Christ drawing us home, to our spiritual home of St. Julia.  It is here where we are refueled, recharged, and nourished as we come together, lifting one another up in prayer and seek the assistance that only God can provide through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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 help us navigate whatever it is that we are facing, together, united in prayer.
May God bless each of you and those that you love.

Fr. Greg

My dear friends in Christ,

Along my journey, God has put a number of wonderful people in my path.  While our paths have taken us in different directions, quite often I will think of them and a smile will come to my face.  Now here is my weakness.  I will think of them, and have every intention to reach out to them.  Then I get sidetracked by something, and the moment passes, and then days, weeks, months, and so on passes.  And the opportunity and nice thought passes.
In our Gospel this weekend from John 15:9-17, Jesus commands his disciples to love one another.  Jesus gives us the greatest example of how to love and to serve one another.  As disciples of Christ, we are called to be the light of Christ to one another, and to love one another.  That love can be, as I learned this past week, something as simple as thinking of someone else, and putting that thinking into action.  When we do this, each in our own little way, we bear the fruit that Jesus speaks of as the branches attached to the true vine, Jesus Christ. 
Here is the opportunity and challenge for us today.  Don’t let this opportunity pass by and let another day get away from you.  Reach out to someone that you have not spoken with for some time, for whatever reason.  It will do you both a world of good.  Allow the Holy Spirit to work through you to bring comfort, strength, peace, and hope to that other person.  Be the light of Christ to that other person, who just may need it at this very moment in time.  The result will be that it will do you both a world of good – and feel cared for, remembered, and loved.
This is putting our faith into action.  I too am a work in progress.  Amen.
May God bless each of you and those that you love.

Fr. Greg