A Message from Fr. Jay
Dear Friends,
We are glad to see an increased number of the faithful in recent weeks. We welcome all our seasonal friends from the north.
Just a friendly reminder for your consideration is that our Church, being one of the Jubilee Churches, has confessions before special a 12pm noon Mass every day in the Our Lady of Rosary Chapel. The Adoration Chapel is also available for you to visit the Blessed Sacrament. More seasonal spiritual enrichment programs are on the pipeline. Keep an eye out for them in the bulletin and cherish a joyful Catholic living while you are here at St. John XXIII.
This Sunday, we observe World Mission Sunday. Our Pope Leo XIV merits this year’s Mission Sunday theme that was chosen by the late Pope Francis as “Missionaries of Hope among peoples”. We, as missionaries, carry the mission spirit as the mandate of our baptism. Let us remember the words of St. Paul “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)
Even after 2000 years of experiencing the resurrected Christ among humanity, we still find so many challenges to the mission work across the world and yet, it is also seen as very fertile for the proclamation of the kingdom of God. We could say that the Church is still young and, in some places, struggling to stand on its own. We need to promise our prayers and generous support for World Mission Sunday and hope that the far end of the earth that has not heard about Jesus yet, might receive the Way, the Truth and the Life.
In the first reading, we find Moses providing support to Israelites with prayer and aid while Joshua fought against Amalek. Prayer and aid are the two eyes of the mission. It is interesting to note that we have two patron saints for Missionaries who indicate the twofold demands of mission- Action and Prayer.
St. Francis Xavier: who travelled all the way to the farthest place, India (Action)
St. Therese of the Child Jesus: who stayed in four walls as a Carmelite nun (Prayer)
Following the gospel teaching of Jesus, we are called to be persistent in prayer and become an active missionary with our aid and support for the continuing evangelization mission.
God Bless,
Fr. Jay Raju
- Reading 1: Exodus 17:8-13
- Reading 2: 2 Timothy 3:14- 4 :2
- Gospel: Luke 18:1-8
