Wednesday evening, February 26th, Bishop Parkes will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on about 30 of our young men and women at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. The Cathedral was gracious enough to host us as our sanctuary is being renovated. The Holy Spirit will rush upon these young people and give them the gifts of Fear of the Lord, Piety, Fortitude, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, and Wisdom. Please keep them in your prayers this week!
Perhaps we can ponder this week our own Confirmation. Who was your sponsor? Who was your patron Saint that you chose? How are you using the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to you in this Sacrament? What are your gifts and talents and are you using them in your own discipleship of Jesus Christ and the building up of our community of faith here at St. James?
May our ears and hearts be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and may we be docile in following as He leads us into a deeper relationship with God!
PREPARATIONS FOR LENT
This Sunday in the pre-Vatican II calendar is called “Sexegesima Sunday”. We are only 10 days away from Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, March 5th! Can you believe it? Lent is upon us. We need to begin thinking now about how we will be entering into this wonderful season personally and as a community. Perhaps each of us can do one thing in each of these categories: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.
As a parish, I would like to propose that we do something together for Lent. Every parish in the world has boundaries. St. James the Less Parish contains every soul within the following circumference: South down Abercorn Street from the corner of Abercorn Street and Derenne Avenue to White Bluff, Southeast down White Bluff continuing down Coffee Bluff to the Ogeechee River, down the Ogeechee River to the Atlantic Ocean, north up the coast (encompassing Skidaway Island and Wassaw Island) to the Wilmington River, Up the Wilmington River to the Herb River, up the Herb River to where Derenne Avenue if extended would intersect, West on Derenne Avenue to the intersection with Abercorn Street. Everything within that circumference is the “territory” of St. James. Every soul in that area is considered a parishioner of St. James. Many people outside of that area are also our parishioners as they register with the parish. I propose that each of us pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and a Glory be for ALL the members of our parish – those registered and unregistered, Catholics and non-Catholics living within our Parish boundaries. Let’s do this as a community this Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday!
Also, please pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis as he battles his health issues.
St. James the Less, pray for us!
May you and your family have a blessed and beautiful week!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin