ReflectionsReflectionsST. JOSEPH’S CHRISTMAS 2013 FOR SAINT JOSEPH’S PARISH COMMUNITY VOL. XX, ISSUE III Does CHRISTMAS Mean Anything Today? Message from Father Mike help, Jesus’ family overcame major obstacles. Van Honthorst, Gerard. Adoration of the Shepherds. Oil on canvas. 1622. And so can our family. Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany. Thirdly, the Christmas story is important ith the many political, social, and moral problems we face in our because it is . society and in our world today, the proverbial question we might A Story of Love W be asking ourselves is “Does Christmas mean anything today?” or “ Why is the original story – the baby in a manger, shepherds, wise men, angels – Jesus’ followers taught that His conception important, if at all? May I invite you to consider a few reasons why the original and birth were part of a divine plan to bring us Christmas story matters? genuine peace, inner freedom, and self-respect. Jesus explained, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who Firstly, the Christmas story is important believes in him might not perish but might have because it is . eternal life” (John 3:16). We are now part of the A Story of Hope and Survival greatest love story ever told! Our family here at St PAID The world Jesus was born into was one of great Joseph’s has done an extraordinary job in bringing NON-PROFIT PERMIT 2469 PERMIT that love to others in your involvement here every U.S. POSTAGE ORGANIZATION pain and oppression. Rome ruled. Corrupt tax JACKSONVILLE, FL collectors burdened the people; it was far from a Sunday and in the many ministries in which you perfect world! But then, why would Jesus come are involved in. into a perfect world? Why would a perfect world need a Savior? In the midst of social and cultural Perhaps you are becoming aware of the challenges, the Christmas story offers us hope and importance of the Christmas story in your own encouragement toward survival, hope of new life life. I hope you can celebrate this Christmas linked to someone greater than ourselves. knowing you are a member of His family here at St Joseph’s; that as we come together as a faith Secondly, the Christmas story is community to celebrate our lord’s birth, we once again show the world that this event is still, and important because it is . always will be, meaningful. A Story of a Family Christmas is a time for family gatherings, From home to home and heart to heart, from especially here at St Josephs. We gather here one place to another, may the warmth and joy of not only once or twice a year but every Sunday Christmas bring us closer to each other. On behalf to reconnect through our social and spiritual of all the staff here at St Joseph’s Catholic Church stories. No matter how technical our world may and School, I’d like to wish you, your family, and become, we still need to connect to people and your friends a blessed and holy Christmas. to our faith. Joseph and Mary had their share of family challenges, and so do we. With God’s Father Mike ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH CATHOLIC JOSEPH’S ST. Road Augustine St. 11730 Old 32258 Florida Jacksonville, CHRISTMAS 2013 Ministry News 2 A Journey into the Homeless Outreach Ministry What a year it has been, and I certainly about taking on this project myself. I had a crash course on couldn’t have done it alone. It has been the prior workings of the outreach and I was off and running, a year of faith and thanks for the many and PRAYING most of all. partners who have helped to enrich the lives of our homeless brothers and sisters God knew my heart and my intent, and He was off and in downtown Jacksonville. I became a running, too! With the assistance of many hands, we had a Catholic this year after completing the new location secured by Holy Thursday and had scheduled R.C.I.A. class at St Joseph’s. My first the resurgence of the outreach ministry to begin April 20 – course of action, after I was enrolled in what a whirlwind. What a wonderful gift God gave me for Melanie the class, was to find a place within the my entrance into the church at Easter Vigil as a new Catholic! Poyer church or community where the Lord He would also work through our ministry to give additional could best use the talents He has given gifts to our brothers and sisters downtown. There are many me. I saw two sentences in the bulletin hands involved in the completion of a single outreach each about a meeting for homeless outreach around January. I was month. We have members of our own church with whom I unable to attend the meeting, due to my work schedule, and work hand-in-hand. There are others I may never know, who inquired how I could become involved, only to learn that the pray for us and donate anonymously. Other fellow Christians program was suspended due to need for both a location and a and deacons join us from St Justin Martyr Orthodox Church. director. Over the course of the next few weeks, my heart was Most importantly, we have the hand of God. heavily burdened about this reality. How could we not continue this ministry? What does this say to our homeless community It never ceases to amaze me how many times, during the about our witness for God? Our Lord’s commandment found preparation of each event, a wrinkle of one sort or another in John 13:34 to “. love one another. As I have loved you, so will arise; however, I continue to have faith that this ministry you also should love one another” kept playing over and over in is truly meant to be, and God always finds a way behind the my mind. God would not leave me alone. scenes. I recall one specific month we were extremely low on food donations. Quite unexpectedly, at the last minute, As part of our progression through the R.C.I.A. process, a ladies group decided they would donate sandwiches, eggs, we were asked to choose a saint’s name for our Easter Vigil snacks, and fruit in quantities exceeding our regular needs. service and acceptance into the church. I The homeless community ate quite well that weekend. The was eagerly awaiting this date and my donations were always unexpected to me, and I never knew first Eucharistic celebration. It took from what source the food would come, but God knew. no thought at all as to which saint Speaking of food donations, I retrieve bakery donations at I most related to: Saint Francis of 10:00 p.m. on the Friday night before our outreach each Assisi. The prayer of St Francis month from the Reedy Branch Publix. Those pastries and says, “Lord, make me an baked goods are always a treat, as they are not a regular staple. instrument of Your peace; Nigel, the bakery manager, is a kind and good-hearted man, where there is hatred, let and is happy to assist me with the project each month. There me sow love; where there was one particular week in which a circumstance beyond is injury, pardon; where his control arose, causing donations to be unavailable to us. there is doubt, faith; where Before he called me, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes there is despair, hope; Dente, Michael Florin. St. Francis with Wolf and Lamb. to find a substitute bakery manager to help me and make where there is darkness, Bronze. Grotto, Portland, Oregon baked goods available because he felt so strongly about our light; where there is sadness, cause. Nigel called to give me the news and the alternate store joy. .” Imagine, for a moment, the lives of our homeless location close by. God touches so many, without me even community and how much despair, doubt, sadness, and knowing it, to continue this program. darkness they encounter each and every day. Not only do we offer food for the body, we also offer the love of God and I remember praying for two days about the rainy season food to nourish the spirit by both word and deed as part of approaching and how much I would love to provide rain this outreach ministry. The discontinuation of this program ponchos to each person who visits us downtown. We had was not an option. God laid this on my heart for a reason, received few donations after requests had been made, and I and I knew He must know what He was doing. I knew I had certainly did not have the funds to do this myself. Then, to act. I approached the previous directors and Deacon Chris I received an unexpected email regarding the Vacation Bible CHRISTMAS 2013 Ministry News 3 School. They had been collecting funds and had been studying succumbed to substance abuse, but there are others with Exodus. The Jews had been homeless in the desert and God different stories. There are some who are mentally challenged had provided. The children elected to donate their funds this and, for one reason or another, they do not fit into the year to the Homeless Outreach in honor of this year’s studies. current system of government help. There are others who I had already found the appropriate ponchos online, and have lost their homes due to current, unforeseen, economic guess how much money I received from VBS? You guessed it circumstances they never thought possible and are living in – enough to cover the cost of the rain ponchos if I contributed their vehicles.