St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Each year, the joy and light and innocence of Christmas refreshes our hearts, our souls. In the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we hear again the incredible story: that the invisible God, the author of all that is, chose to come inside creation, to be born in our own flesh and blood to be born of Mary. Christmas is the solemn celebration of God's eternal Word becoming flesh and blood. Theologians call this world-changing birth the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth lived the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth is the Incarnation, the mystery of God within our own flesh (caro). This man lived among us as the son of Mary and the Son of the Eternal One.

Each year, we ponder the saving mission of this Lord Jesus, during the sacred Triduum:  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday. After walking with him and hearing him speak the Kingdom (in our reading of the Gospels), we remember the rejection of this man, his trial, his suffering, his execution by the Empire... he, this son of David, stripped naked... dying a terrible death, nailed to a Cross. He, innocent of any sin, is executed in payment for sin.

Each year, the parish of SJN rejoices at Easter, the Lord's victory over sin and death. After the horror of that Good Friday and the silence of that Holy Saturday, the first day of the new week saw the birth of a new redeemed humanity, in the resurrection of the Risen Lord. Throughout this Easter season, we have listened to the proclamation of this victory of love, in the proclamation of the Good News!

Each year, the joy and light and innocence of Christmas refreshes our hearts, our souls. In the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, we hear again the incredible story: that the invisible God, the author of all that is, chose to come inside creation, to be born in our own flesh and blood to be born of Mary. Christmas is the solemn celebration of God's eternal Word becoming flesh and blood. Theologians call this world-changing birth the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth lived the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth is the Incarnation, the mystery of God within our own flesh (caro). This man lived among us as the son of Mary and the Son of the Eternal One.

Each year, we ponder the saving mission of this Lord Jesus, during the sacred Triduum:  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday. After walking with him and hearing him speak the Kingdom (in our reading of the Gospels), we remember the rejection of this man, his trial, his suffering, his execution by the Empire... he, this son of David, stripped naked... dying a terrible death, nailed to a Cross. He, innocent of any sin, is executed in payment for sin.

Each year, the parish of SJN rejoices at Easter, the Lord's victory over sin and death. After the horror of that Good Friday and the silence of that Holy Saturday, the first day of the new week saw the birth of a new redeemed humanity, in the resurrection of the Risen Lord. Throughout this Easter season, we have listened to the proclamation of this victory of love, in the proclamation of the Good News!

Each year, toward the end of the Easter season, we remember the day when the Risen Lord left this good earth, ascending into the mystery of God, who is Father to all that is. At Ascension, we remember the followers of the Risen Lord as they dealt again with the absence of the Lord. But before he left them, he told them: do not fear, an Advocate is coming, God's breath, God's power, and this living water will testify on my behalf.

Today, we come to the end of the Easter season. Today, we remember Pentecost, when the Church was born through an anointing of the Holy Spirit. With Pentecost, the age of the Church began, as the disciples of the Lord Jesus were given the mandate to continue the redemptive ministry of their Savior through their own flesh and blood, in the ministry of Christ's love.

The Lord Jesus, He is the Vine of Life and we, by the grace of baptism, are connected to him, as living branches. We are alive in the life of the Lord, and through the indwelling Spirit, we continue the work of mercy here and now, in this small part of Georgia. In an incredible act of blessing, we, the branches of the Vine, we serve Him in caring for our neighbor, for the poor, for those on the margins.

This parish family of SJN has been given the mission of joy and holiness: to live the life. Let us live this new Way together! Loving one another, and seeking only the good, longing for renewal, with hope in our hearts!

AMDG

Msgr. David Talley