Dear St. James Family,
This weekend we celebrate World Marriage Sunday, a day to affirm and support husbands and wives and their most holy institution of the family as the basis of all society. I will be preaching a homily especially for couples who are having struggles, though the practical and doable principle that I will be sharing can easily be applied to all relationships. If you understand and affirm the Church’s teaching on marriage and yet you are having ongoing difficulties in your relationship, this homily is for you. After Mass I will be leading a vow renewal for all couples who have entered into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
We experienced a Beautiful Candlemas on Thursday!
On February 2 it was Christmas once again at St. James! The building was filled with people and joy as we celebrated the fortieth day of Jesus birth when he was presented by his parents in the temple and where he was proclaimed to be a light to the nations. This liturgy begins in darkness followed by a candle-lit procession symbolizing the light of Christ coming into the temple which culminates with the entrance into the church and the lighting of the altar candles. After Mass we feasted on juicy pulled pork, ribs, chicken, sides, and deserts while the kids ran around and made lots of happy noises. Thank you to Cathy Messina who organized the RSVPs and food, to Al Lamoureux and the schola for the beautiful music, and to John Brown and his team who got everything setup.
-
Marriage Sunday: February 12 encouraging marriage homily, blessings and vow remembrance after Mass for couples united in Holy Matrimony
-
Catholic Beliefs Class: Mon, 7-9 PM, Feb 13, 20, 2023.
-
Chair of St. Peter: Sunday, February 19, 2023, diocesan feast day, champagne and drinks after Mass
-
Children’s Religious Ed: Sunday, February 19, 2023, 11:45 AM, ages 4-13. Meets third Sunday of the month through May 2023.
-
Shrove Tuesday: February 21, 5:30 PM. Prayer, Pancakes, Confessions. 2/19 RSVP deadline.
-
Ash Wednesday Mass: February 22, 5:30 PM Mass, 7 PM
-
Ashes outside of Mass: February 22, 7:00 PM, shorter liturgy with ashes
-
Penitential Procession: February 26, 10:15 AM 1st Sun. of Lent begins with Great Litany prayers
Check out All Upcoming Events at the Website
Yes, this Sunday is also Sexagesima Sunday Too
No, Sexagesima does not have anything to do with Marriage Sunday, although maybe it should 😊. It is a coincidence that World Marriage Sunday landed on the same day as Sexegesima Sunday. Sexegesima is the historic Latin title for this Sunday and it means sixty. There are three purple Sundays that help us to get ready for Lent and they are all named after the, give or take, number of days until Easter: Septuagesima (70), Sexagesima (60), Quinquigesima (50). Quinguigesima gets bumped out of the way this year for us so that we can celebrate together our diocesan patron of title: The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle.
I met with Bishop Pohlmeier and He Confirmed his Collegial Support for Us
This past Monday, at the invitation of the bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine I went to the pastoral Center and sat down with the new bishop. I found him to be an engaged and thoughtful listener. I was able to share my story with him and about the evangelization and growth that the Lord has accomplished through the community of St. James. Although St. James is not under his episcopal authority (we are a mission of the Ordinariate), he affirmed his support for our work and said that he may at some point come and visit us. St. James is listed on the Diocese of St. Augustine website as a Catholic mission and because I have been given priestly faculties to serve within the diocese I am also listed in the priest directory. I am grateful for a healthy working relationship between the Ordinariate (our diocese) and the Diocese of St. Augustine as we seek together, with our own unique gifts and charisms, to build the kingdom of God.
January Finance Update: Slightly Down from December, but Overall Doing Well
Giving for January: $6,228.85 | Monthly Average Giving for past twelve months: $6,915.84 (average giving at this same time last year: $4,551.42)
January Expenses: $5,589.45 | Covers quarter of priest’s support, half of pension, travel, liturgical supplies, music, building rent and liability insurance, advertising, bishop’s tax, almsgiving, hospitality
Capital Fund Balance: $43,863.35 | Used for long term purchases, when St. James is ready to move into long term leased facility ($75,000 needed for buildout), or to purchase property.
Our Own Space: help us increase our monthly average giving to $10,400 in order to move into a leased space allowing for daily Mass, 24/7 tabernacle access, classes, gatherings, meetings, space for children’s ministry, an office for Fr. Mayer. At our current growth rate we will meet this goal by summer of 2024.
Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support.
Advanced Hospitality – Listen to my most recent homily
Learn about an advanced form of hospitality that the early church called ecclesia domestica and how to transform your home into a place of flavor and light.
Listen to this and my other homilies at StJamesCC.org/Homilies or by searching “Fr. Mayer’s Preaching & Teaching” wherever you get your podcasts.
Lectio Divina Course: Learning to Hear Personally from God through Scripture
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” is a formative course on lectio divina, presented live by Zoom. Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. through April 13. A unique method of lectio divina is taught in this course, which is intended for Catholics in any state of life who have experience praying with the Scriptures and desire to respond to God’s living Word more fully. This course is taught under the auspices of the School of Mary (schoolofmary.org) by Deacon Stephen Arnold with the permission of Bishop Pohlmeier. Details and registration. More info: contact@schoolofmary.org.
Lenten Series on the Mass Hosted by Diocese of St. Augustine
The Eucharistic Revival Steering Committee, in collaboration with the Office of Christian Formation and Marywood, will be offering a five-part series on the Mass on Monday evenings beginning at 7 p.m. in the Wisdom Center of Marywood Retreat & Conference Center. Talks will be an hour followed by a question-and-answer session. These talks will be taped in order for us to create an adult education series on the Mass. The videos will be packaged in 15-minute segments with reflection questions. Bishop Pohlmeier will be recording a separate 15-minute session on Entering into the Mystery: Reverence and Sacred Silence.
-
March 6 – “Singing to the Lord: Sacred Music in Worship” with Dr. Bernie Sans
-
March 13 – “Celebrating the Paschal Mystery: History and Development of Liturgy with Father Tom Willis
-
March 20: “Proclaiming and Our Response: The Liturgy of the Word” with Father Tim Lindenfelser
-
March 27: ‘Joining in the Sacrifice: The Liturgy of the Eucharist” with Letty Valentin
-
April 3: “Living the Liturgical Year: How the Church Marks Time” with Father Michael Kieler
A crowd is expected, so RSVP for a chair is a must. Email emcgeever@dosafl.com
See you on Sunday :-).
Faithfully, your pastor,
Father Mayer