St. Michael Catholic Church
Welcome
to St. Michael Catholic Church located in Fernandina Beach Florida.
We are happy you decided to visit. If you have been away from the
Church, Christ longs for your return to join Him in the praise of God
at weekly worship. The words of Jesus are in our hearts as in His name
we extend a loving welcoming hand to you: "Come to me... and I will give you
rest. Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart...my yoke is easy, and my
burden light." Have you been away from the church? We welcome you back. Take a
tour and view all our photos. Read about Saint Michael or spend some time and
visit our prayers area.
We have many areas of information to offer. We
welcome your thoughts, concerns and prayers.
Please see our new section "Respect Life Ministry" Click Here
Vacation Bible School - go to the following link to find out
all about it and to register:
https://www.groupvbs.com/webtoybox/mysite/default.aspx
Click Here for the Parish Updates. PLEASE
NOTE:
The Saturday evening Mass at the United Methodist Church in Yulee is at 4:00 PM.
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
JUNE 22, 2008
1) Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 69
2) Romans 5:12-15
Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
In these days of indifference to the gospel message, it is good to recall the instruction Jesus gave to his apostles as he prepared them for their mission of preaching. Opposition to the gospel is inevitable as he points out the danger they will face. People whose evil stands to be exposed will not tolerate their preaching and will behave in an aggressive manner towards them. Their mission in a world that does not readily accept the good news will meet with resistance. This gospel is a reminder that we cannot expect the community around us to receive the teaching of Christ with open arms. Jesus makes no secret of the fact that bearers of the word of God will suffer ridicule and rejection, yet he urges us to bear witness to him openly and to be fearless in making a stand for truth and justice however unpopular this may make us.
Fear is an emotion with which we are all familiar as it often cripples our lives and hinders us from being the people we want to be. We can think of so many situations in life where our response to Christ is feeble and half-hearted. Because of the fear of being laughed at, being out of fashion or regarded as weaklings we often fail to stand up for what we know to be just and right in our hearts. Maybe in the company we keep there is a danger of losing friends, by going to church, refusing to take part in idle gossip that drags someone’s name through the mud, or saying no to drink or drugs. For evil to triumph, all that is required is for good people to remain silent. The pressure in the face of temptation to abandon our Christian principles because of the smirks and sneers of others arises daily and challenges our loyalty to the teaching of Jesus Christ.
The mission of Jesus was to proclaim his Father’s love and he never failed in carrying out that task. No one can be a follower of Christ without making an act of confidence in his work by announcing the message of the kingdom. If the word of God is to free us to act according to our deeper convictions then we must pray for the grace to overcome our fears. There are many situations in life when it is supportive to remember those words of the Lord, ‘Fear not.’ Whatever happens, God is always in control. It is his world. His power and his Spirit are at work in our midst and we can be sure of his steadfast love. When we have completed our earthly journey of professing the Good News, he will claim us as his own before the Father.
Readings For The Week
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday: 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18; Mt 7:1-5
Tuesday: Vigil: Jer 1:4-10; 1 Pt 1:8-12; Lk 1:5- 17
Day: Is 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26;
Lk 1:57-66, 80
Wednesday: 2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3; Mt 7:15-20
Thursday: 2 Kgs 24:8-17; Mt 7:21-29
Friday: 2 Kgs 25:1-12; Mt 8:1-4
Saturday: Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Mt 8:5-17
Sunday: Vigil: Acts 3:1-10; Ps 19; Gal 1:11-20;
Jn 21:15-19
Day: Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34;
2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18; Mt 16:13-19
Please pray for the sick, especially those names in our Prayer Request Book.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is immediately after the 8:30am Mass on Thursdays.
The rosary is prayed at 8:10am before each daily morning mass.
Our Mission Statement
St. Michael's has four M's
Melding, Ministry, Mirth, and Mission
We speak of melding into a new community. Remember Pentecost? We are from Fernandina Beach or Amelia Island, in Nassau County, Florida. We grew up in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Yulee, Callahan, and the regions around St. Mary's and Savannah in Georgia. There are even visitors from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ireland, Italy and Japan. Yet each of us hears about the Marvels God has accomplished.
Ministry: What marvels should all these expatriates hear? "There are different gifts but the same Spirit: there are different ministries but the same Lord: there are different works but the same God who accomplishes all of them in everyone." Could there be a better description of a healthy parish?
Mirth: "At the sight of the Lord, the disciples rejoiced." Holy laughter is the corridor of a healthy parish.
Mission: "He showed them his hands and his side. As the Father has sent me So I send you." These words speak of mission. They remind us that the task is far from finished. Years of what has been points to what must yet be, what lies ahead.
Jesus still shows his hands and his side today. He still bears his wounds in the Poor and downtrodden. Jesus will not allow complacency to set in. Thus the parish's mission continues.