Church guide

Photography for our new directory begins TODAY! Don't be left out-- Photography times are still available! https://booknow-lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/yvqkmbpk/

June 04, 2019 Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Gospel Jn 17:1-11a Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. "I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."

The Pastor's Advisory team is happy to announce SATURDAY NIGHT BINGO on Saturday, June 15. For those whose schedule does allow them to play on Friday nights, and for those who just can't get enough Bingo! Please come join us for an evening of fun, food, games, and fellowship.

June 03, 2019 Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs Gospel Jn 16:29-33 The disciples said to Jesus, "Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

As many of you know, Father Pervaiz's mother passed away on Friday. Our Deepest Sympathies go out to Father and his family during this difficult time. May God grant him safe travels home, and comfort his family in their grief. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

What is the most common image you've seen of the Ascension? It's typically Jesus hovering above the earth surrounded by brilliant light. The Ascension is a beautiful feast, but it's about more than the distant glory of God. It's about the blessing of God and the transformative power of trust. "You are witnesses to these things." Before he ascends, Jesus reminds the disciples of the basic message of the Gospel and of the disciples' own important role. They are to proclaim the Gospel message by their personal witness to the saving power of God. "I am sending the promise of my Father upon you... clothed with power from on high." Jesus promises to equip the disciples for this important mission. Not only are they receiving a command, but they're receiving the empowerment they need to move. "He... raised his hands, and blessed them." Even now, though the fulfillment of Pentecost is still to come, Jesus gives them a parting gift before he ascends into heaven. Finally, "They... returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God." The disciples faced an unknown future. Their teacher had left them, and the political and religious authorities weren't exactly thrilled about Jesus and his growing movement. But the memory of our Father's redemptive love, the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of Christ sustained them. Jesus trusted them to act in his name. They could trust him in return. Do you face uncertainty in your own life? Remember, we are all called to be disciples and witnesses. We have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at our baptism. We are blessed by Christ beyond imagining in the sacraments. This Ascension feast, we too can trust in God! With this firm trust, we too can return to our daily lives, praising God with great joy! © LPi

June 2, 2019 The Ascension of the Lord Gospel Lk 24:46-53 Jesus said to his disciples: "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

June: The Month Dedicated To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus The Catholic Church loves to celebrate. We celebrate feast days and solemnities, holy days and sacraments. The Church encourages private celebrations; the celebration of one’s baptism day, for instance. Each month is dedicated to particular devotions, and June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This dedication has its origin in the appearances of Christ made to St. Mary Margaret Alacoque, a French religious sister. After joining the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial in 1671, she began in 1673 to receive visions revealing the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She was rebuffed by her superior and by theologians for a time, about the validity of the visions, but remained humble, obedient, and charitable to those who persecuted her until the truth of the mission given to her by Our Lord convinced those who opposed her. The task given her by Christ, who called her the Beloved Disciple of the Sacred Heart, was to teach and encourage devotion to His Sacred Heart. It was based on this Christly inspiration that St. Margaret Mary was moved to establish the Holy Hour and Sacred Heart Devotion in the modern form. Prior to this time, there was a devotion to the love of Jesus and to the wounded Heart of Christ, but not established as the devotion is today. The practice encouraged by the saintly woman, at the guidance of Christ, included the Holy Hour on Thursdays, to share in the mortal sadness He endured when abandoned by His Apostles in His Agony, and to receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. Additionally, He appointed through St. Margaret Mary for the Friday after the octave of the feast of Corpus Christi to be the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Margaret Mary was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV and then in 1928, Pope Pius X reiterated in his encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor the value of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. If you have young children or grandchildren, a great way to introduce them to this devotion is through a fun craft and prayer. CatholicMom.com has a great idea for just this. If you’ve got older kids, Christina Mead has a lovely reflection on the Sacred Heart for teens. Perhaps you can enter into this reflection around a campfire or fire pit this month. There are many similar suggestions online; find one that’s right for you and your family, and entrust them to the care of the Sacred Heart this month. Posted on June 8, 2016 © Diocesan, 2019

June 01, 2019 Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr Gospel Jn 16:23b-28 Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. "I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

"Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord.”—Saint Ambrose of Milan

May 31, 2019 Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gospel Lk 1:39-56 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever." Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

May 30, 2019 Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter Gospel Jn 16:16-20 Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not know what he means." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

Second batch of stained glass windows have been installed!

Roof update: Almost there!

What a SPECTACULAR night we shared last night at St. Luke Catholic Church, as we hosted Night to Shine, sponsored by the @TimTebowFoundation. With 73 Kings and Queens, over 210 volunteers, and dozens of community sponsors—from the Red Carpet to the Crowning of the Prom Kings and Queens, to the dancing and karaoke, to the joyous smiles on every face—the night was unforgettable! This was the 5th anniversary year of Night To Shine, and was expected to serve more than 100,000 people with special needs through 200,000 volunteers and 700 host churches in all 50 states and 20 countries around the world! We were genuinely blessed to have the opportunity to host such an amazing event! Special Thanks to Pat Lato and Garber AutoMall for the cars and drivers, Lowe’s for loaning us plants, Middleburg McDonald’s, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Clay County Fire Rescue. We are very grateful for the support of our Clay County community! And to Jackie Arsenault, Organizer Extraordinaire, whose tireless efforts brought the event to life in 4 short months!! Heartfelt Thanks, and, WOW!!! This truly was a beautiful experience none of us will ever forget! #NightToShine

The Roof Restoration Project is getting closer and closer to its expected, end of February, completion. With 314 families participating and $125,793.51 collected, we are so very grateful for your support and prayers!

Stained Glass Install Time Lapse 1/28/19 - more info about the project at https://stlukesparish.org/news/st-luke-catholic-church-stained-glass-project

Stained Glass window project - installation 1/28/19

Exciting things were happening at St. Luke today... you've just got to see our 7 new GORGEOUS stained glass windows! More pictures tomorrow... or come to 8:30 am Mass and see 😍 for yourself!!

Our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was last Friday and it was a wonderful evening. We are so grateful for the generous gifts of Time and Talent in our parish.

Merry Christmas from St. Luke Catholic Church! The Church is beautifully decorated for this season - thanks so much to all who help to clean, prepare and decorate our Church, as well as those who donate to offset the cost of flowers for Christmas in honor of loved ones. Your donation of time, talent and treasure has made something beautiful for the Lord!

Please join us in caring for our beautiful Church. Information about the St. Luke Roof Restoration project is here: https://stlukesparish.org/roof-restoration