“For at the Last Supper with his Apostles, establishing for the ages to come the saving memory of the Cross, he offered himself to you as the unblemished Lamb, the acceptable gift of perfect praise.” (Roman Missal p. 500) At every Mass we stand at the foot of the cross of our salvation. Through the ministry of the priesthood, the sacrifice is offered and distributed as the true life of Christ. Jesus invites us to feed on Him. The elements of bread and wine become for us – true food for the journey and an abiding presence of Love. The body, blood, soul, and divinity is received into the hearts of the faithful to guide our discipleship.
This great gift is available to each of us every day. This treasure of unfathomable love brings hope to the hopeless, comfort to the sorrowful, forgiveness to the sinner, and healing to the sick. As a priest, I am so privileged to bring the Eucharistic presence to the faithful and be a witness of their joy receiving him. Although many of us have been challenged during the pandemic around our personal reception of communion, I believe that the extra effort by so many people to participate in the Mass online or via television has encouraged the whole community to appreciate this gift of salvation.
As a parish community we have made the transition to our ordinary form of worship. With attendance slowly increasing, I am grateful for everyone’s patience and neighborly support for each other. We will continue to livestream Mass throughout summer and have it posted for people to watch at their convenience.
I extend a special thank you to all the helpers who made the bishop’s visit to Saint James an enjoyable experience. I am glad that many parishioners stayed after Mass to engage the bishop about our parish community. I also want to thank ahead of time the Knights of Columbus for hosting the hot dog reception at Saint Clement following the blessing of the Fatima statues this Sunday. Our parishes are coming alive again!
With the gift of the Eucharist as our nourishment, may we be a welcoming and vibrant presence in our community.
Peace of the Bread of Life,
Fr. Workman
THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)
"Faith should be personal, but not private."
~Bishop Malesic
Highlights of the bishop's visit and additional photos can be viewed here.
(Photos: Carol Kovach, editor of Northeast Ohio Catholic, and a parishioner.)
PARISH OFFICE SUMMER HOURS
The Parish Office will be open Monday, Tuesday & Friday during the summer from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Phone messages will be checked regularly during this time.
FROM THE DIOCESE: The Ohio Bishops welcome all back to Mass and lift the dispensation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, effective June 5. The full announcement as well as other info on transitioning back to our more normal worship practices can be found here.
HAVE YOU GIVEN AMAZON SMILE A TRY YET?
Would you like to support St. James Parish with your Amazon purchases, at no cost to you? All you have to do is register with Amazon Smile and use your regular Amazon account to shop. Every time you make an eligible purchase Amazon donates .5% to St. James. It's easy! Find out more and sign up here. (Select St. James Parish from the list of charities.) The Amazon Smile link can also be found on our parish website: www.stjameslakewood.com. Please invite your family and friends to participate. Every little bit helps!
ONLINE MASSES
St. Clement You Tube channel for livestreamed and on-demand Masses, from St. Clement and St. James Churches
EWTN: Broadcasted live on Sundays, 8:00am. Click Here
Past issues of Fr. Workman's Sunday reflections can be found and also subscribed to here.
FORMED. The Catholic Faith. On demand. Thousands of movies, video programs, audios and ebooks available free through St. James and St. Clement parishes. (Search on St Clement to access.)
Saint James Church
Corner of Detroit & Granger Avenue | Lakewood, OH
Saint James Parish Office
17400 Northwood Avenue | Lakewood, OH
