St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church

St. Jude the Apostle Parish Adjusted Daily Mass Schedule
for the Week of January 8-12

Please Notice: During the week of January 8-12, Father Trey, Deacon James, and Deacon Billy will be out of the Parish Office. For this week only, the daily Mass schedule will be as follows:

Monday, January 8
No Mass, No Communion Service

Tuesday, January 9
No Confessions
5:30pm Communion Service
Adoration to Follow

Wednesday, January 10
No Confessions
10:00am Adoration
12:00pm Communion Service

Thursday, January 11 schedule remains the same, Mass at 8:30 am.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Please make a note of this temporary schedule change. Many Blessings!

Dear St. Jude Community,

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your generosity with your time, talents, and treasures. Your contributions have made a significant impact on our fellow parishioners in need.

As we approach the end of 2023, we would like to take this opportunity to reflect on our collective endeavors and celebrate the following provisions that we have been able to provide to our community:

LISTED BY MINISTRY:

PRIME TIMERS:
* 65 Bags for the Homebound

GARDERE INITIATIVE:
* Christmas Party for the families and children in The Gardere Initiative Program

CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS:
* Annual Bake Sale to support their many outreach ministries
* Deaf School Christmas Party
* St. Agnes Meal
* St. Jude Blood Drive

St. Vincent de Paul of St. Jude (SVDP):
* Thanksgiving Baskets for 65 families
* Christmas Food and Toys for 75 families
* Assisting Neighbors in Need - $5000/week this Christmas season

GIVING TREE:
* Ornaments Filled 500
* Families Served 40
* Additional children in Gardere Served 65
* Donation to Gardere Initiative $3000

ST. MARTHA MINISTRY:
*Donated over 100 hand knitted items for the homebound and needy families

ST. JUDE SCHOOL
* Annual toy drive
* Annual food drive
* Donations to the needy
* Just to name a few

Thank you again for your unwavering support and dedication to our mission. Let's continue to work together to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us for 2024! If you would be interested in joining any of these outreach ministries please visit our website: https://stjudecatholic.org/ministries


MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

🎉 Join us this weekend for a special Mass celebration! 🙏

We are excited to welcome you to our church for a special Mass celebration this weekend. Come and join us as we celebrate the holiday season together.

Screenshot our updated holiday schedule for your reference, see attached photo.

Mary Margaret Bains, wife of Deacon Frank Bains, passed from this world shortly after 12:00am on Christmas morning. Everyone is invited to join us to celebrate her life and to offer support for her husband, Frank, and their entire Bains family.

CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E4AA5AB22A5FA7-46961568-womens #/

Our Annual Christmas Concert and Mass are about to begin! Join us LIVE at 3pm on Facebook or YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBTe5P3qAYeQ_Somc1pzew

Fourth Advent Candle/Sunday: Love
“And in the end, everything else will turn out to be unimportant and inessential, except for this: Father, Child, and Love.” – St. (Pope) John Paul II

The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. Called the “Angel’s Candle,” the fourth candle of Advent is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the color purple, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth. This Advent, light the fourth candle on Sunday, December 24, 2023.

Advent Prayer from Hallow: I pray for focus today, dear God, because during Advent, my mind and attention tend to wander. There are so many distractions, many of them well-meaning. But nothing gives my heart rest like resting in You. I pray that I keep You at the focus of my day today, because I know the peace that only You offer. Amen.

https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/

Parish Office Schedule Update: Our Parish Office will be closed tomorrow, Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 26th. We pray that you and your families have a very Merry Christmas!

JOIN OUR ST. JUDE MEN’S CLUB
General Members Meeting
January 18th, 6:30 PM, Parish Hall

Please join us for our first meeting of the new year. This will be a great event to bring any friends and/or family looking to join the Men's Club.

Our guest speaker will be Rohan Davey (former LSU and New England Patriots Quarterback). Rohan's catering service will be providing the food for the event, so get ready for some Jamaican style cuisine.

Case Roberson, President, St. Jude Men’s Club
225.235.8012 [email protected]
www.stjudemensclub.org

Celebrate 40 Years of St. Jude St. Jude the Apostle School Baton Rouge! Purchase your tickets soon - the price goes up after December 20th!

Let’s FIESTA! 🪅🪇

Our Cougars 40th Fiesta is quickly approaching, and we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you for our 40th year of St. Jude School. Buy your tickets today for night of live music, silent and live auction items, food and more!

🎟️ link: https://shorturl.at/cqDJV

NEW ALTAR SERVERS

We are looking for more altar servers and training is coming up soon!

The Altar Server Ministry is open to any boy or girl in the parish who has completed their First Eucharist and who is in the 3th grade or beyond. All new servers must attend one training session. There will be two sessions to choose from: Thursday, January 18th or Thursday, January 25th. Both sessions begin at 4:00 pm in the church. Registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact Deacon James in the parish office, 766-2431 or by email: [email protected]. Deadline to register for either of the training dates is January 11, 2024.

Third Advent Candle/Sunday: Joy – “Gaudete Sunday”
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10-12)

The third candle of Advent symbolizes Joy. As we continue to approach Christmas Day, our joy grows more and more. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem, even before the wise men. On this third Sunday of Advent, which the Church calls “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice or praise, we light the third candle and rejoice like the shepherds. For this reason, the third candle of Advent is called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” and its color is pink, the liturgical color for joy. This Advent, light the third candle on Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Advent Prayer from Hallow: Lord, send down Your Spirit to guide me during Advent this year. May the Holy Spirit help me journey closer to You and lift me up when I feel down and led me when I feel lost. I may stumble at times, but I know my ultimate journey is to draw closer to You and build Your kingdom here on earth–a kingdom that Jesus’s birth, life and death helped secure. Amen.

https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/

Join us in celebrating the true meaning of Christmas at our Christmas Masses! 🎄🙏

We are excited to invite you to join us in celebrating the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, at our Christmas Masses. Come and experience the joy and wonder of the season with us! If you are unable to attend in person, we will be live streaming the 3pm Christmas Concert and 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th, available on our YouTube Channel or on our page.

Visit our website for the full Christmas Mass and Parish Office Schedule and links to our other social media platforms:
https://www.stjudecatholic.org/

St. Jude School is looking for two new Assistant Athletic Directors to oversee our Girls and Boys sports programs. If you or someone you know is interested, visit our website to inquire: https://www.stjudebr.org/about-us/job-opportunities/

Local restaurant Zippy's Burritos Tacos & More received a heartwarming letter from an 8th grade student at St. Jude the Apostle School Baton Rouge recently, thanking them for being such a great addition to the community.

Zippy's posted the letter on their page and it was an immediate hit garnering hundreds of likes, shares and comments.

"As someone who has been living in Baton Rouge for eight years now, I would like to thank you for the wonderful things that you and your restaurant do for our community," the letter read.
"Zippy's is such a fun place to hang out with friends and have fun," the student said in the letter."

Read the entire letter below and check out Zippy's Burritos on Perkins Road near the overpass!

A MATTER OF BALANCE
Offered by Our Lady of the Lake Community Health

Do you have concerns about falling? Many older adults experience concerns about falling and restrict their activities. A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. This program is for people late 50's or older.

You Will Learn to:
· View falls as controllable
· Set goals for increasing activity
· Make changes to reduce fall risks at home
· Exercise to increase strength and balance
Who Should Attend?
· Anyone concerned about falls
· Anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength
· Anyone who has fallen in the past
· Anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns

Please note that this class is not for anyone with dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the first round of classes, now is your chance to signup for the second round of classes! There is no cost for this class. Space is limited to the first 23 people, so sign up now - this is a popular class and fills up fast!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E4AA5AB22A5FA7-amatter

Second Advent Candle/Sunday: Peace
“May we be in this world a ray of that light which shone forth from Bethlehem, bringing joy and peace to the hearts of all men and women.” – Pope Francis

The second candle on the Advent wreath represents Peace. Like the first candle, it is also purple. Often called the “Bethlehem Candle,” the second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace. As we read in the quote from Pope Francis, this light of peace shone forth from Bethlehem for all the world. This Advent, light the second candle on Sunday, December 10, 2023.

ADVENT PRAYER from Hallow: Heavenly Father, heal my heart during this season of Advent. Help me to love more fully. To forgive more generously. To wait more patiently for Christmas, embracing each day and hour knowing the joy that awaits. In Your name I pray. Amen.

https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/

Join us for our annual Christmas Choir Concert at Christmas Eve Mass!

We are excited to invite you to our annual Christmas Choir Concert at Christmas Eve Mass. Our talented choir members have been rehearsing for weeks to bring you a beautiful selection of Christmas carols and hymns. Come and celebrate the joy of the season with us!

📅 Date: Sunday, December 24th
🕰️ Time: 3:00 pm and 5:45 pm (Prior to Each Mass)
📍 Location: St. Jude Church, 9150 Highland Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810

We can't wait to see you there! 🎉🎁🌲🙌👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

First Advent Candle/Sunday: Hope
“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” – C.S. Lewis

It is only fitting that the first candle on the Advent wreath represents Hope – the first Sunday of Advent not only leads us to anticipate the birth of Christ but celebrate the beginning of a new liturgical season as well. The first candle is purple, the primary color of Advent and a color symbolizing royalty. Sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle,” the first candle harkens us back to Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ and all of the promises God gave us in the Old Testament that would be fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. This Advent, light the first candle on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Dear Lord, please allow me to embrace Advent in the way the Church intends: as a way to prepare for Your arrival. May everything I do–every gift I send, every party I attend, every meal I share–remind me to prepare space in my heart for You. Amen.

https://hallow.com/blog/advent-candles-and-advent-wreaths/

On December 8, we honor Mary, our Mother. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic feast celebrating Mary's conception without sin. Even though this feast day occurs in the liturgical season of Advent, which prepares for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. https://www.marywood.edu/about/history/chronological/1854-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception/

MASS AND OFFICE SCHEDULE:

Thursday, December 7th
Regular Mass at 8:30 am
Immaculate Conception Vigil Mass at 6:30 pm

Friday, December 8th
Parish Office & Prayer Chapel Closed
Immaculate Conception Mass at 8:30 am
Immaculate Conception Mass at 6:30 pm

HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT:
"Don't Wait for Your Plane to Crash"

https://stjudecatholic.org/news/dont-wait-for-your-plane-to-crash

GIVING TREE GIFTS ARE NOW DUE

PLEASE NOTICE OUR PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED FOR THIS YEAR

After you’ve purchased the item listed on the ornament:
Wrap gift, then tape ornament and receipt to outside of package

Returning Gifts:
We have volunteers this year to accept and process the gifts at the Youth House, adjacent to the Parish Office, as follows:

Drop off gifts at the Youth House 1/2 hour before or 1/2 hour after each Mass the Weekend of December 2 & 3, or anytime on Monday, December 4th from 8am-4pm. This is the last day to return your gifts.

Thank you for your generous spirit!

God loves a cheerful giver! This , if you'd like to help support and grow our ministry here at St. Jude, please feel free to visit our website for all of our giving options: https://www.stjudecatholic.org/financial-giving

We have 19 diocesan parishes, schools and ministries taking part in 's Giving Tuesday extravaganza! Join us in helping these organizations reach their goals by visiting https://batonrouge.igivecatholic.org/search?page=1&show_all=true.

Blessing of Expectant Mothers, Couples, Families
Saturday and Sunday December 16th & 17th
During All Mass
The Third Sunday of Advent
No Registration nor Reserved Seating Required.
All are invited.