Bulletin

Dear Parishioners,

As Christians, we are often encouraged to read, study, and pray the Bible. But, when we open the Bible, we can find ourselves rather perplexed and left wondering what certain passages could mean.

Dear Parishioners,

On this Good Shepherd Sunday and World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I have been reflecting on what it means to shepherd God’s flock here at Infant Jesus Parish. In my conversations with Fr John, staff, volunteers, and parishioners, I have identified two particular areas that I believe we, as a parish community, can give greater attention to.

Dear Parishioners,

We are now in the third week of this great season of Easter! In my discussions with parishioners, I am often amazed to hear how some (many!) see Easter as one event, namely Easter Sunday. This week, therefore, I thought it opportune to highlight some important elements of this important season.

Dear Parishioners,

On Sunday April 30, 2000, before some 250,000 pilgrims, Pope St John Paul II proclaimed:

“It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.’”

Darkness, Light. Sin, Grace. Evil, Goodness. Death, Life.

In a world that seems to get darker each passing day, where is the light (cf. Is 9:2)? In a world where sin abounds, are we to believe that grace abounds more (cf. Rom 5:20)? In a world that prides itself on committing grave evil, is there goodness left (cf. Gal 5:19-23)? In a world where death has touched whole hordes of people, is it true that death has, in fact, lost its sting (cf. 1 Cor 15:55)? What, therefore, are we to make of our Christian faith?

Dear Parishioners,

As we celebrate Palm Sunday and so enter Holy Week, now is an opportune time to reflect on our Lenten journey so far. Our exploration of the Lenten observances began with seeing them through the lens of the Beatitudes.

Dear Parishioners,

Previously, we drew upon the teachings of St Teresa and St John of the Cross as we explored prayer and fasting (penance), respectively. This week, we look at almsgiving (charity) in the life and teachings of St Thérèse of the Infant Jesus (better known as St Thérèse of Lisieux or the “Little Flower”). If prayer helps establish a strong relationship with God, then penance helps one to be more receptive to God’s transforming grace. Prayer and penance, however, would amount to nothing if they did not bear the fruit of charity expressed concretely in the Lenten observance of almsgiving.

Dear Parishioners,

Last week we briefly looked at prayer and the teachings of St Teresa of Jesús. This week, we consider fasting (and penances in general) and St John of the Cross.

Dear Parishioners,
Sometime last year, I was approached to lead a Lenten Retreat. Unfortunately,
due to various factors, I could not deliver it. It, however, made me start
thinking about how I would approach the task, and, after some time in prayer, I
had the idea of exploring the three Lenten Observances of prayer, fasting, and
almsgiving through the lives and teachings of the three Carmelite Doctors of
the Church – St Teresa of Jesús (better known as St Teresa of Ávila), St John of
the Cross, and St Thérèse of the Infant Jesus – respectively.

Dear Parishioners,

From this weekend, worshippers will only be allowed to drink from the Chalice. We have been trying to transition away from self-intinction (dipping the Consecrated Host in the Consecrated Wine) to align with Church mandates and the guidelines of the Archdiocese. I wrote about this two weeks ago, and here I offer some more information.