Dear Friends,
Tuesday, 5 November 2024, is Election Day, a consequential day for the nation. Given that we have entered a time of bitter vitriolic and unprecedented hatred of those not of “our tribe,” we really need to pray for our country. Hence, I invite you to spend at least some time in prayer on Election Day. St. John’s is hosting a full day of Adoration on Election Day. Our Eucharistic Lord will be exposed on the Altar in the Church from the conclusion of the 8:00 a.m. Morning Mass until 7 p.m. Tuesday, 5 November.
In addition, I invite you to pray this prayer, adapted from one on the USCCB website:
Heavenly Father, as election day approaches, we seek your help to better understand the issues and the choices that we must make. Please send your Holy Spirit to our aid, that we may grasp well how the Gospel compels us to respond to these issues and choices as Your faithful children and as faithful citizens.
We ask for eyes free from blindness, so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.
We ask for ears to hear the cries of unwanted children, those unborn and those abandoned, and of men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.
We ask for minds and hearts open to hear the voice of those leaders who will bring us closer to Your Kingdom. We pray for discernment, so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, keep to the ways of Your Truth given through Jesus and his Apostles, and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask all this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I am proud to say that I exercised my right to vote for the first time as a citizen. I urge you: please exercise your right to vote and do so as a well-informed voter. Please visit Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website (https://flaccb.org) for materials designed to properly form Catholic consciences for voting.
I would like to thank all of you for your outpouring of support for our Trunk or Treat event. Your very generous supply of candy and baked goods made the event extra special. Thanks to Shamir for coordinating so well with the WINGS ministry, which sponsored the event, and to all our other volunteers. Your efforts resulted in a wonderful evening of excitement and fun for the children and their families. And thanks to all who enthusiastically decorated your trunks and handed out the treats. Congratulations to the three families with the prize-winning trunks.
I wish to remind you that there is a special second collection this weekend. This is to help the victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton with their rebuilding efforts.
This week, the Church in the United States observes National Vocation Awareness Week from November 3 to November 9, 2024. This annual, week-long celebration in the U.S. Church is designed to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education. It is also designed to encourage the Faithful to renew their prayers and support for those considering one of these particular vocations.
How does someone know that they are being called to priesthood or religious life? Does God appear to them directly and tell them so? Or is the path a bit longer and not quite so clear?
In truth, it takes time and effort to discern a vocation. Let me share with you a few tips offered by the Holy Cross
Office of Vocations:
- Prepare your heart. Begin not by asking God but by knowing God. Attend Mass and Confession regularly, reflect on Scripture, pray, and offer
- Ask the Then ask for the desire to receive the answer, so that when it comes you might embrace it.
- Listen for God’s Waiting for an answer takes patience, but God makes His will known to those who seek it with sincere hearts.
- Address fears and Seek the counsel of a trusted Priest, Religious, or Spiritual Director.
- And have It is in answering God’s call that we find our greatest joy.
If you think you are being called to serve God as a priest or a brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross, please visit cscvocations.org to read about the men in formation, learn about seminary life, and discover the various stages of Holy Cross formation. Whether you're in high school or in college, or whether you’ve entered the workforce, discern with us, your fellow parishioners, and answer God's call! And remember: as a Church community, it is our solemn duty to pray that our young men and women will hear and answer God’s loving call to serve Him in Holy Orders or the consecrated life.
I have been contemplating for more than a year about doing something for the Veterans in our community. I know that we are blessed with so many men and women who have served – and still are serving – our country in the military. Therefore, I am filled with joy as I announce the launching of a new ministry designed to cater to our beloved Veterans. The name chosen for this ministry is SJE4VETERANS. I am grateful to Sean Edwards and Joann Molina and Tim and Lulu Ferrell for coordinating this ministry. We will have our first meeting of SJE4VETERANS on Veterans’ Day (Monday, 11 November, 2024) at 5 p.m. in the Holy Cross Hall.
As we celebrate the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, we hear Moses telling the people of Israel about something vital and fundamental to their existence. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6). These lines from Deuteronomy became the cornerstone of Jewish worship. The verses are called the SHEMA, which in Hebrew means “hear.” The Shema goes like this:
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.
These lines express the ultimate theme of the Book of Deuteronomy. It is so central because, when a person prays this prayer, they are being trained in giving proper reverence to God. The Shema exhorts the people Israel to remain undivided in their devotion to God. It also enjoins on them correct action.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus also asserts the importance of the Shema in his dialogue with a Scribe. (Mark 12: 28b-34) When the Scribe asks Jesus to clarify which is the first of all the commandments, Jesus answers with the Shema. He then adds the second most important commandment, namely to love your neighbor as yourself. In these two commandments to love are contained all of the Ten Commandments. Moreover, Jesus in essence says that love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor. Let us strive to live by these two “golden rules.”
Be Blessed. With Love,
Fr. John