July 30, 2024

Summer Happenings at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

July 30, 2024

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish,

If you are like me there are times when I fail to see the prize and the joy that is right before my eyes. Sometimes I search for happiness in all the wrong places. It seems to me that Jesus is trying to help us to figure out, in this weekend’s Gospel (John 6:24-35), how to deal with this dilemma.

Like the crowd in the Gospel, we all have a huge hunger, but we rarely name our hunger correctly. We may say to ourselves, “The emptiness I feel inside can be filled up, and pangs I experience inside can be relieved if I get just the right friends, just the right look, just the right connections, just the right reputation, just the right climate and place, just the right stuff.”

So, we go for it all, and we get it all: the friends, the reputation, the look, the connections…all the stuff. And we are shocked, we find that we are still hungry. The pangs and the emptiness are still there. So, we get more creative and try again and again. But the outcome is still the same: still hungry and still thirsty.

Is this all we can expect of the few decades of life that are given to each of us? Perpetual hunger and restlessness? Jesus says “no!” Jesus says that he himself will fill us with life. Not only can Jesus do it, but he also wants to do it. So why doesn’t he do it, right now? Why doesn’t he move in and fill us up? Because he has given us control over our own inner gates. We alone can open them---by our faith.

And so, the key that opens the gate is faith which is ultimately a relationship, a bonding between us and the Lord, a bonding that comes out of our lived experience of God’s graciousness. So, if you search for delight, gratitude, and faith, it is nothing more than speaking from the heart these words: “Lord, I entrust myself to you with total confidence, because I know I can count on your love.” The moment we say that and let God into the core of our being, we will be hungry and thirsty, restless and empty no longer.

So, listen to the message that your own life is speaking to you: “God loves you a lot, even more than you love yourself.” And respond from the heart in the only way that makes any sense: “Lord, I know that you love me, and I entrust my life to you.” See the prize and the joy that unfolds over time…. that was always right before your eyes.

Peace and blessings!

Fr. George Couturier

Join Us for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 4, 2024

4:00 PM Vigil at St. James

9:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

and livestreamed

11:00 AM at St. James

Stay for coffee & conversation after the Sunday morning masses!

FAITH FORMATION SUMMER BREAK NEWS

ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM FOR FALL FAITH FORMATION

CLASSES COMING BEGINNING OF AUGUST

Hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer and trying to stay cool! Your team in the Faith Formation office has been working to put together your children’s classes for the Fall and updating all the information that is needed for our online registration form.

This year we are excited to announce that we are adding Pre-kindergarten (age 4) - classes to our early childhood program which still includes kindergarten and first grade students.

Stay alert for emails, and information on our parish website, parish newsletter, parish bulletin, and other parish media for news when the registration form will be released online.

We also will be offering a two week early discount fee once the form goes live.

We have included two links for you to check out to share with members of your family as you continue to grow in your faith this summer. We still have lots of summer to enjoy! One is a summer bucket list, and the other is conversation starters for your family that you can use all year.

Please Email reo@sjbrh.org with any questions.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Monica Piombino and Faith Formation Team

HELP MAKE OUR ANNUAL PARISH PICNIC FUN FOR EVERYONE!

We need bakers, food servers, greeters, activity leaders and more. Check out all the opportunities to work a shift for our annual parish picnic. Many hands make light work!