“[Jesus] looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name!
‘Zacchaeus!’ he said."
 
Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

This weekend we once again return to the Gospel of Luke and meet Zacchaeus, a short man who is the chief tax collector and a wealthy man.  Immediately we can pick up that Zacchaeus is not a proud man.  Think of this short man running ahead of Jesus and climbing a tree to see him.  Just think of the enthusiasm he has to know the Lord and to see Jesus.

Do we have that same enthusiasm to know our Lord?  To go to mass?  To get on our knees in praise and thanksgiving?  To break open our (study) bible to continue to learn and grow in our faith?  

Jesus never turns people away, and Jesus knows each of us by name.  Think about that for a moment.  Jesus know my name.

May we have the enthusiasm of Zacchaeus to come and seek out Jesus.  Zacchaeus is ready to give up a lot in order to follow Jesus (though he does not give up absolutely everything).  What are we willing to give up?  Would I be willing to make a fool of myself so that I can see Jesus?

It is my prayer that we continue to seek out our Lord.  May we ask our Lord for whatever it is we need.  May He call you by name when you approach the altar this weekend to receive His real presence into your heart.
 
May God bless each of you and those that you love, and I look forward to seeing you at mass this weekend.

Fr. Greg

Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

I have had the honour witnessing the marriage of a number of couples, and have been blessed to witness the excitement of welcoming a new life into this world.  When a baby is born, there are many emotions.  I have witnessed tears, laughter, hugs, relief, and joy.  It is an honour and it is indeed one of life's most significant and meaningful events.  Yet birth is not the ultimate goal.

At every baptism I find myself saying to the parents, next to the gift of life, the greatest gift you can give your child is the gift of faith.  This is a gift, and it is every parent's responsibility, in my opinion, to have their child baptized, and to raise their child in the faith, all for the salvation of that child's soul.  That is why I was ordained - for the salvation of souls.  Because birth is not the ultimate goal.  Birth is the beginning of an exciting journey.  Birth is the beginning of a life of promise, hope, and redemption.  A life of being open to God's plan and will for us.  Yes, there will be great successes along the way.  There will be some missteps too.  The ultimate goal, my friends, is nothing that can be found here on earth.  The ultimate goal is heaven.

When a life comes to its earthly end, the greatest gift you can give your loved one is a funeral in the church.  It is here where we pray for that soul, as that soul journeys from life here on earth to eternal life in heaven.  At funerals I have witnessed tears flow as they ease our sadness, yet I have also witnessed laughter, hugs, relief, and joy.  More times than not, the second reading is from our second reading this weekend from 2 Timothy:

I have fought the good fight. 
I have finished the race. 
I have kept the faith.

This is what the Christian life is all about.  It is my prayer that each of us will be able to utter these words in our heart from St. Paul when we are called home.

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

Fr. Greg

 
Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

Our R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) journey has begun.  This is always a blessed time to see the faith that I love through the eyes of those that the Holy Spirit has brought to our parish.  At the end of the day, I simply want these children of God to fall in love with God and his son Jesus Christ.  That is what I want for all of those entrusted my care.  It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit working through me that this is possible. 

The central focus of our Roman Catholic faith is the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and it is the Cross of Jesus that is our most precious symbol of our beloved Saviour.  Each Mass celebrated in the Catholic Church recalls the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross as the sacrifice for the sins of man.  Jesus died on the cross for each and everyone of us.  And Jesus would have done so just for you.  Think about that.  Just for you.

As defined in the Catechism, the Cross is the instrument of execution on which Christ died; a symbol of the unique sacrifice of Christ as sole mediator between God and man.  Jesus invited his disciples to take up their cross and follow him, in order to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its beneficiaries.  Catholics begin their prayers and actions with the Sign of the Cross “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.”  A devotional cross with the figure of Jesus suspended on it is called a “crucifix.”

For us as disciples of Christ, it all comes back to the cross, the sign of our Christian faith.  When we keep our eyes, hearts and minds focused on the cross and the figure of Jesus on it, the crucifix becomes our compass on our earthly journey.  May we raise our eyes to Christ, our magnificent and merciful Saviour.

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

Fr. Greg

 
Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

Pleasant fall days and cool nights, and another Thanksgiving is upon us. 

As we continue to navigate through these times together, seeing all that is taking place in our world, we remember that we place our trust in God and God alone, and we give thanks for the gift of our faith..  Indeed, Christ has been our guide, leading us and providing us with hope.  As we gather this weekend for Mass at our parish of St. Julia, either in person or virtually, we are reminded of the tremendous blessings God continues to pour out upon our community.  And as we gather with our families this weekend, perhaps in larger numbers than in years past, we thank God for the gift of our families, friends, and loved ones. 
 
May we be a sign of God’s goodness and hope for one another as we offer our prayers of thanks, not only on this Thanksgiving weekend, but each and every day.
 
May God bless each of you and those that you love, and I thank God for each of you, my spiritual family, and this community of St. Julia.

United in prayer,

Fr. Greg

 
Dear parish family and friends of St. Julia,

As we begin a new month, there is no shortage of people and things to pray for.  In a special way, in this month dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary and the Rosary, we have a most powerful tool at our fingertips and an intercessor we can turn to who will take our prayers and petitions to her son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
 
This weekend we welcome our Confirmation candidates and their families from our parish to our 5:00 p.m. Mass.  I met with these youth from our parish and their parents a week ago, discussing the beauty of this Sacrament and the power of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit they will receive this November.  We need to pray for these youth, as this is an important year for them in their faith journey.
 
This past week I met with the seven-year-old children from our parish family and their parents as they prepare to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this fall and First Communion next May.  May the joy in the eyes of these children and the excitement of receiving Jesus for the first time – and we pray 1000’s of times after, set the faith of their parents on fire – or reignite the faith if that may be the case.  We need to pray for these children and their families.
 
Our new initiative at Denis Morris Catholic High School is slowly gaining traction.  Cassi Werkman, our new Youth Leader, will join the Grade 9's on their retreat next Wednesday, and the Grade 12's on their retreat after Thanksgiving to discuss how putting Christ at the center of her life has truly transformed her life.  Her testimony I pray with touch the hearts of these youth.  Cassi will also visit the classrooms of the Grade 10's and 11's.  Her invitation will lead to the Discovery Faith Study during the two lunch periods here in our Divinity Room, and the vision, a youth group in the evening.  We thank Cassi for giving so generously of her time.  We need to pray for these youth and their families.
 
We need to pray for those who are sick.  I am currently journeying with a number of people facing a cancer diagnosis, one twice my age, another person my age, whose cancer has returned, and another, ten years younger than myself.  May their encounter with Christ in the Sacrament of the Anointing of Sick bring them comfort, strength, help, healing, and peace.  We need to pray for all those facing illness and for their families.
 
Last but not least, we need to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and diaconate, and that more men desire to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  We will launch a Men's Discernment group here at St. Julia that will meet monthly, with details in this newsletter.
 
Come Holy Spirit!  Blessed Mother, please intercede for us.  Loving God, hear these our prayers.

Please know of my prayers for each of you and all your intentions, and may God continue to bless each of you and those that you love.

I look forward to seeing you at Mass this weekend.

United in prayer,

Fr. Greg