Dear Friend,

Love lived well. Let that sink in for a moment. Love lived well. Sure does sound like something Jesus would ask of us. Love lived well!! In fact, He did. 1 John 4:16 tells us, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” Let this sink in, God is love. Love lived well means we are living for God. We can call upon Him every moment of every day, rejoicing in His love, the love He has for us, and the love we have for Him. More than this, John tells us to love God means He is more than being with us, more than protecting us and sheltering us, more than healing us, He is living in us. Again, John tells us in 14:23:  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” In these terrible times of this dreaded pandemic, I find comfort in knowing as long as I keep my eye on the Lord and my mind focused on His Word, it’s going to be alright.

Just look at all the Lord has done for us over the years. His gifts and His blessing showered down upon us; we are all His children, His followers, His beloved. Look at all the goodness in the lives of the people around us, their blessings, their prosperity, their hope in the future. Is it any wonder that Luke tells us in 13:17, “and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by Him.”

No matter what uncertainty faces us today, know that the congregation, priest, deacon, and staff at St. Jude Catholic Church are praying for you, and at this moment with you. All the people living with the anxiety of loneliness and separation are constantly in our thoughts and prayers. Turn to the Lord in prayer, breathe in the power of His presence, and be thankful and grateful, for He is our Lord. Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Amen

Dear Friend,

Sometimes it’s so hard not to be drawn into the troubles and drama of the world and all the daily events going on around you. Sometimes it seems things are turning against you making it harder than it should be. Sometimes it seems like our best efforts just aren’t good enough. But scripture reminds us; “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Hold on to Him, our Lord Christ Jesus in these moments of uncertainty when trials and troubles seem so over whelming. Let the power of His love and goodness bring some peace of mind to you. You know the harder life gets the more we need Christ’s blessings, all of us feel the same way. All of us depend on His goodness. As hard as it may be, all of us, need to look to our Lord so we might find the strength to help ourselves and the people around us. Today I am writing this note to you, it’s really from the priests, deacon, staff, and congregation of St. Jude Catholic Church because we want you to know you have not been forgotten. We want you to find it in your heart to carry on, to be strong in these times of troubles and find some peace of mind in this moment. We are all struggling, wondering when this pandemic will end. Know this for sure and for certain, the Lord is good, His plan is perfect. We should open our hearts and minds to Him and allow His blessings and healing to give us strength. Take a moment and pray with us, the congregation of St. Jude Catholic Church, for a renewing of body and mind, for a vision of the future, full of hope and trust in our Lord. Blessings for all of us.

Dear Friend,

This morning I would like to begin my prayers and my prayer with you, and for you, by calling to mind Ephesians 6:10. “Brothers and sisters: Draw your strength from the Lord and from His mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may  be able to stand firm……” What a beautiful message, the Word of the Lord, giving us strength in the face of uncertainty, mighty power in our faith, and armor for our protection in this terrible pandemic. Isn’t Jesus Christ our refuge in this storm, of course He is! Psalm 121:1-2, tells us where this help, this strength to stand firm in times of distress comes from. It reads, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” So, turn your eyes to the Lord, raise you voice in thanksgiving and gratitude for all He has done. Let your words rise to Him like incense, soft and sweet like angels rising up to the Lord.

Remember, you are not alone. The congregation of St. Jude Catholic Church, the priest, deacon, and staff are praying for you. Like you we ask for protection, safety and health for ourselves, our families and friends, and the caregivers who attend to you night and day. Like you, we pray for communities, cities, and our nation. Like you we pray for an end to this virus and the beginning of good times again, full of hope for the future. So, let us pray together, Psalm 42:8, “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.” Amen. Blessings for all of us.