Sunday
7:00 pm Youth Group
7:00 pm AA – Cafeteria
Monday
9:45 am Prayer Group
2:00 pm Depressed Anon
7:00 pm Respect Life Prayer
7:00 pm Charismatic Prayer
Tuesday
4:15 pm PREP
6:00 pm PREP
Wednesday
9:45 am Companions of Mary
1:00 pm Women’s Bible Study
6:00 pm PREP
6:30 pm Divine Will Prayer Group 1
7:00 pm Prayer Shawl
Thursday
10:00 am Divine Will Prayer Group 2
1:00 pm To Live Again Support Group (widow/widower) - Monthly
3:15 pm IHM Companions – 3rd Thursday
6:30 pm Flame of Love
6:30 pm Walking With Purpose-2nd Thursday
Friday
Saturday
7:15 am Men’s Bible Study
9:00 am Carmelite Community – Monthly 2nd Saturday
General Information on the Jubilee and Eucharistic Revival
> 2024 Year of Prayer to prepare for Jubilee Year 2025
Jan to Dec 2024
Pope Francis inaugurated a Year of Prayer ahead of the 2025 Jubilee, calling on the faithful "to pray more fervently to prepare ourselves to live properly this grace-filled event and to experience the power of hope in God.".... to recover the desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and worship him.
The Dicastery for Evangelization prepared a series of eight volumes titled Notes on Prayer and Other Subsidies. (for bookrack) https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/verso-il-giubileo/2024-anno-della-preghiera/scopri-quaderni-del-concilio.html
"Teach us to Pray", the handbook for the Year of Prayer
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/content/dam/iubilaeum2025/foto-sezioni/2024-anno-della-preghiera/insegnaci-a-pregare/pdf/nuovi/TEACH-US-TO-PRAY---Living-the-Year-of-Prayer.pdf
> Eucharistic Revival - Year of Going Out on Mission
July 17, 2024 – Pentecost 2025
“Walk with One” initiative
4 Pillars: Eucharistic Encounter, Identity, Life, and Mission (see Playbook for ideas)
Archdiocesan Events:
Sept 14, 2024 - Scott and Kimberly Hahn, "Communion of Saints, Family Life and the Eucharist" at Corpus Christi Parish in Lansdale, PA
Nov 24, 2024, 11 AM, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: Mass followed by Eucharistic Procession at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Apr 6, 2025, 11 AM, Fifth Sunday of Lent: Mass followed by Eucharistic Procession at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
> Ordinary Year of Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope
Dec 24, 2024 - Jan 6, 2026
Characteristics of the jubilee: Pilgrimage, Holy Door, Reconciliation (conversion), Prayer, Liturgy, Profession of Faith, Indulgences
Dec 24, 2024 The Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican will be opened inaugurating the Ordinary Year of Jubilee 2025.
Dec 29, 2024 the solemn opening of the Ordinary Year of Jubilee 2025 will be celebrated at cathedrals and co-cathedrals around the world and the Holy Door at St. John Lateran will be opened.
Jan. 1, 2025 The Holy Door at St. Mary Major will be opened
Jan. 5, 2025 The Holy Door at St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened.
(June 23- July 2, 2025 Parish Pilgrimage Shrines of Italy Tour with 206 Tours)
Dec 28, 2025, The Holy Year will end in the particular Churches throughout the world with the Holy Doors of St John Lateran, St Mary Major, and St Paul’s Outside the Walls being closed on that same date.
Jan 6, 2026 The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door in the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
Bishops around the world are asked to designate their cathedrals or other significant churches as special places of pilgrimage and prayer for the Holy Year 2025, the Vatican is not asking them to dedicate and open a "Holy Door" at those churches “In the course of the year,” Pope Francis writes, “every effort should be made to enable the People of God to participate fully in its proclamation of hope in God’s grace and in the signs that attest to their efficacy.”
App for the Jubilee - especially for those traveling as pilgrims
jubileum25 https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/applicazione.html
USCCB resources: https://www.usccb.org/committees/jubilee-2025
I attended the National Eucharistic Congress.
I hope more people take the opportunity to attend such meetings or pilgrimages. There were 50,000+ people and many were teenagers and many young families with babies!
The focus was on the Eucharist and the renewal (to make new again) our love for Jesus in the Eucharist. The living presence of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.
Please make Jesus in the Eucharist the center of your life and spend time just sitting with Him allowing Him to love you and you to love Him. If your mind should wander make a practice of turning back to Jesus as often as necessary!
Joan Capoferri
(Joan is a parishioner of Saints Simon and Jude)
The Eucharistic Congress: “A Parishioner’s Meditative Thoughts”
During the Eucharistic Congress last month Saints Simon and Jude Parish Deacon Jim Owens gave a series of five homilies at the 6:45 AM Mass.
Please find below “A Parishioner’s Meditative Thoughts” written down during the homilies by a daily Mass Communicant.
The Eucharistic Congress was held in Indianapolis, IN in response to the need for a Eucharistic Revival in our country. The Vatican called for this revival not only in the US but for all Catholics around the world. A Pew Study took place in the US and it found that only 1/3 of practicing Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
In response to this study a three year plan was created to increase the number of believers in the US. The plan was as follows:
1. Mid-20222 to Mid-2023: Planning
2. June 2023-July 2024: Parish Level Education
3. July 2024: Holding the Eucharistic Congress in Indiana
Faithful Catholics made pilgrimages from all around the country. They all converged in Indianapolis. They came by way of procession.
1941 is when the last National Eucharistic Congress took place. 1976 was the last International Eucharistic Congress.
The Eucharistic Congress Message: We are invited to “go deeper”, to increase our devotion. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God. We find our life by losing it. In John 6 Jesus says unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood you cannot have life within you.
We need to give ourselves willingly as Jesus did.
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The Church is calling for a Renewal, a Refreshing of our Eucharistic devotion.
St. John of the Cross spoke of the Eucharist as a gold mine. There are riches on every side. We are called to go ever deeper. We are in an apostolic age. We need to stand up for what we believe. There is mental adherence to the doctrine and we are called deeper to the heart.
In Biblical teaching, especially John 6, Jesus followers were flabbergasted at His words – Eat my Body and Drink my Blood. Jesus had opportunity to soften his words or correct his words. He did not. Instead Jesus doubled down and said even more strongly eat my Body and drink my Blood.
Many early Church Fathers spoke of the Real Presence including St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Iraneaus. In the Council of Nicea in 325 AD the Eucharist was affirmed. It was 1215 AD at the 4th Lateran Council that Transubstantiation was defined.
The Eucharist is not a metaphor.
We recognize the True Presence of Jesus.
Jesus asks us all, “Will you also walk away?”
In response, we echo Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”
The Mission of the Eucharistic Congress is the renewing of the Church. We come from the North, the South, the East, the West.
The Church teaching of the true presence was unchallenged for about 1000 years.
“I desire the Bread of Life” -St. Ignatius of Antioch
248 AD Origen of Alexandria “in full view of the flesh of the Word of God”
411 AD St. Augustine “Sanctified by the Word of God”.
At the Council of Ephesus – the Eucharist is life-giving.
11th century Archdeacon Barbongarious spoke of intellectual change and change of substances.
St. Thomas Aquinas spoke of the accidents and substantials having the appearance of the same, but by faith we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.
We are intended to grow. Make us new. We are meant to change.
We are called to be childlike, not childish. A child has a willingness to surrender.
Revival session
We are called to go deeper.
Mission: to renew the Church. With any close relative we need mutual sharing, contact, focus, and energy. We need a willingness to grow. Receiving Jesus in the Eucharist changes us. The more we receive, the more we are changed.
Forgiving and being forgiven are key. We are changed into Christ. We are what we eat. Jesus in the Eucharist is all we could ever desire – our promised land. At the end of the time in the desert the manna ceased. The Eucharist is the new manna, primary source of our nourishment.
Jesus is the Way, apart from Jesus we are malnourished. Close to Jesus, receiving Jesus, the healthier we become.
“The medicine of immortality” -St. Ignatius of Antioch.
God accomplished His purpose/ His Plan in us.
How holy do you want to be? How deep do you want to go?
We are in a Eucharistic Revival. How can we have a revival without repentance? We need to repent.
Examination of conscience:
Have I received the Eucharist distractedly?
Have I received the Eucharist with anger in my heart?
Have I received the Eucharist with a sense of shame?
We are called more and more close to the Eucharist. He is food for the journey.
Went to a life changing retreat over 50 years ago that changed his life. He felt the depths of God’s Love. He experienced growth through the Blessed Sacrament. That’s Deacon Jim’s story, what’s your story?
Jesus’ gift of Himself.
God has nothing more to give.
God gives Himself entirely in the Eucharist.
He is everywhere and in our own hearts.
Eucharistic outreach – not a thing, a person – Jesus.
Joy in us, that our joy may be complete.
What good is it if the bread is changed, but we are not?
Are we willing to be the food that we receive?
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We believe Jesus is truly present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist.
WORSHIP
SUNDAY MINISTRY SCHEDULE
Our Mission at Saints Simon and Jude is to support all that makes our worship more life giving, joyful and participative; and to becoming more actively involved in the Sacraments of the Church.
Please click on the links for more information.
Along with all parishes in the Archdiocese Saints Simon and Jude celebrates the start of the Eucharistic Revival. Click Here To Watch The Eucharistic Procession