Explore the latest bulletin articles from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Jackson, MI—featuring weekly reflections, pastoral insights, faith formation, community updates, and spiritual inspiration for parishioners
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How to invest your life?
We have the parable of the talents for our reflection from the gospel. The master called his servants before a journey, and entrusted to them, five talents, two talents and one, to each one according to his abilities. The ones who had received five and two traded and made five more and two more with…
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Purgatory Prepares Us for Heaven!
Dear Parish Family, “Father, it’s been ages since I last heard about purgatory from the pulpit!” said one parishioner. “You really rocked me with that sermon!” said one senior. Yes, both an elderly man and a woman really used the phrase, “rocked me!” Is that a Jackson thing? Anyway, those were the kinds of comments…
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Visible and Invisible Church
This Sunday in the Church’s calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. This ancient place of worship in Rome was dedicated and consecrated to the Lord, by Pope Sylvester I, on November 9, 324. The Lateran basilica was honored as the episcopal seat of the pope as bishop…
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Hearty Congratulations! We did it!
Dear Parish Family, CONGRATULATIONS! We have hit our goal of $100,000 for our “Thank You, Fr. Murray” fund, which means that the Diocese of Lansing will wipe out an additional $100,000 off our debt! When you add that with the $420,000 that Fr. Francis Murray donated to our general fund, that frees us from all…
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Why did God make you?
We get the answer from the Baltimore Catechism that “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.” God created man that he might possess his Creator forever in the beatific vision. Those who die in the state of…
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Remembering St. John Paul the Great!
Dear Parish Family, My column for the Sunday bulletin is due on Wednesday, and this particular Wednesday happens to be the very first feast day that we celebrate St. John Paul the Great since his canonization this past April 27. He is a personal hero to so many who grew up during his pontificate. He…
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Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Jesus was a crowd puller, so the Jews challenged Jesus at various stages. They tested Jesus’s approach towards paying taxes or not paying taxes and about keeping the Commandments. Therefore a scholar of the law asked Jesus: “Teacher which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus often answered people’s questions with one of his…
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Things that are God’s
The opponents of Jesus joined together to trap Jesus and asked him whether it is lawful or not to pay taxes. A capitation tax, a Denarius, which was equivalent to a day’s wage, was imposed on the people by the Romans. The Pharisees looked for an answer from Jesus on the issue of tax. They…
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Bishop Earl is coming on Nov. 16
Dear Parish Family, On Sunday, November 16, our very own Bishop Earl Boyea is coming to our parish to install me as your new pastor. The Installation will be at the noon Mass that Sunday, as well as some type of reception in the parish hall afterwards.
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Join us for a Celebration
After reading this Sunday’s parable of the wedding feast it came to my mind about the wedding I evaded with few excuses. I had a wedding invitation for the last July 4th. Four months before the wedding they wanted to get the exact number of guests in order to arrange the dinner and wedding party.…
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New Evangelists Wanted!
Dear Parish Family, Do you have a desire to help people encounter our Lord Jesus and enter a relationship with him through the life of the Church? Maybe you sense in your relationship with God that he is calling you to something deeper by which he will use you to draw others to himself, but…
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With Brother Priests at the Presbyteral Convocation!
Dear Parish Family, As I write this, I am up north at Boyne Highlands for the annual Diocese of Lansing Presbyteral Convocation. “Presbyter” is just another term for priest. Every year, our bishop and the priests of the diocese gather for several days in autumn for 1) continual formation, 2) diocesan business, 3) fellowship, and…
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Rolling with the Departure of JCMS
Dear Parish Family, This is the third of a series of bulletin articles on the findings of the diocesan parish audit. Last week reviewed the outstanding parish debt of $615,041 and how the combination of Fr. Murray’s generous bequest of $420,000 and the gracious willingness of the diocese to forgive about half of the remaining…
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Fireside Chat Invitation
Have you heard about the Fireside Chat Program? Soon, Fr. Chas will be inviting you to a Fireside Chat in your neighborhood!
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Poised for the Future!
For the full unedited audio version, please listen to Fr. Chas’ homily on 9-21-2014. This is the second in a series of bulletin articles addressing the diocesan parish audit. This week, I would like to give you a broad overview of the financial situation of the parish, highlighting those areas that are of great concern.…
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Is God fair?
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is a reminder that we can’t argue about “fairness” over the distribution of God’s grace. In God’s kingdom the rewards will not be based on our usual pay scales and priorities, but will be generously given to all. Prophet Isaiah in the first reading reminds us, that…
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Our Bishop is Coming to St. John!
Dear Parish Family, Having been 19 years since the last time there had been a change in pastors here at St. John the Evangelist, there are a few things as a matter of protocol that occur on the diocesan level of which you may not be aware.
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In this sign you will conquer
This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. St. Paul writes about the redemptive significance of the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” We celebrate the…
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