Congratulations to the newly confirmed members of St. James! On Thursday, March 11th, nearly 50 of our 8th graders received the Sacrament of Confirmation from the Holy Spirit through the prayer and imposition of hands of Bishop Parkes. It was a joyful night! These young men and young ladies have received all three Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion!
Using the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they will begin to exercise their roles in our parish and in the church. Some will continue to serve at the altar, some will be lectors, or participate in other areas and ministries of our parish life! Welcome them and help them to know that St. James is their parish and through their gifts, the Lord Jesus will continue and strengthen the great things He is doing in and through our parish!
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are Fear of the Lord, Piety, Knowledge, Fortitude, Counsel, Understanding, and Wisdom. A question to leave each of us with this week: how are you using these gifts in your life?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For the second year in a row, there will be no St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah. We all look forward to this day of faith, family, and friends celebrating our brother in faith, the great missionary St. Patrick. We can still do this in our own ways and with a scaled down crowd. May his evangelistic heart live in all of us and help us proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Novena to St. Joseph
Our Novena to St. Joseph continued this week and ends on Friday, March 19th, which is the Solemnity of Joseph, husband of Mary. Throughout this Novena, I will pray especially for all the men of St. James that they will be husbands and fathers like St. Joseph – righteous, obedient to Almighty God, and loving and tender towards their spouses and children. What a beautiful relationship he and Mary must have had! Oh, how they loved one another! Such deep and pure love filled and penetrated their hearts!
Please pick up a Holy Card of St. Joseph from the table in the Narthex.
Reminder
Continue to pray for your fellow St. James parishioners each day during this Lenten Season! I ask each of you to pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and a Glory be for your fellow parishioners. Offer those prayers for them that they might have the fortitude and grace to persevere in their Lenten exercises of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We are in this together as one parish family of faith. We can assist each other with our prayers.
May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly this Lent!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin