‘Stay connected to your power source, Jesus’
CHARLOTTE — Bishop Jugis shared a special message for Catholic school students Jan. 30 at Charlotte Catholic High School. His message was delivered during his homily at Mass in celebration of Catholic Schools Week Jan. 26-Feb. 1.
Bishop Jugis used the Gospel reading from Mark 4: 21-25 as the basis of his preaching. This is the passage where Jesus asks His disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?”
“This Gospel theme of the lamp on the lampstand is a great message for Catholic Schools Week,” Bishop Jugis said. “That shining lamp on the lampstand represents our good deeds as Jesus explains.”
He also cited the Gospel of Matthew 5:15-16, “Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
“Jesus wants you to be active in good deeds,” Bishop Jugis explained. “That is the light of Christ that is in your heart that He wants to shine out through your words and your actions – the lamp on the lampstand.”
He further explained that If a lamp is not connected to its power source, the lamp stops shining; it goes dark and sheds no light. Whether that source be a battery or an electric current.
“So also, if your good deeds are not connected to their power source, namely Jesus, your good deeds dry up and go dark,” he stated.
Bishop Jugis then asked the students to keep four things in mind in order to stay close to Jesus and stay active in good deeds.
The first, he said, is to pray every day; in the morning upon rising, at meals, in the evening and intercessory prayer for others during the day and an act of contrition daily.
“Keep that prayer in your heart from the moment you wake up in the morning until you fall asleep at night, because when you pray you are inviting Jesus into your heart and you are staying connected to your power source,” Bishop Jugis asserted.
The second is to “Go to church every Sunday! Sunday is the Lord’s day, the day especially set aside for Him,” Bishop Jugis emphasized. “Monday through Friday are school days and we go to school. Sunday is the Lord’s day and so we go to the Lord’s house.
“What really could be more important than church on Sunday? Think about it,” he said.
The third thing Bishop Jugis asked the students to keep in mind daily is to practice charity.
“Be charitable toward others. That is the mark of a Christian, the mark of someone who follows Jesus who says ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The more we love the more the presence of Christ grows within us. And we share that love that we have of Christ with others,” he said.
The fourth thing he asked them to do is to know their faith and study their faith.
“As your bishop, I want each one of you to excel in your religion class,” he said. “It’s quite simple: pray every day; go to church every Sunday; be charitable to others; know your faith. These things will help the light of your good deeds to shine brightly and to shine consistently.
“May you always stay close to Jesus. That is my wish and my prayer for every one of you,” he said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — Eighth-graders from Our Lady of the Assumption School recently volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte.
In the community service project, students and teachers sorted and packaged food and non-food supplies that were then distributed throughout 24 local counties across North and South Carolina among the 800-plus partner agencies of Second Harvest.
These partner agencies include soup kitchens, emergency pantries, homeless shelters, senior programs and low-income daycares.
Since 1981, Second Harvest has aimed to eliminate hunger through advocacy, education and partnerships to collect and distribute food. Second Harvest employs programs to bring aid to children, seniors, families, veterans and pets. For example, one children’s program that OLA supports is the Backpack Program, which provides children at risk for hunger with backpacks full of ready-to-eat, nutritious foods for weekends and holidays when school meals are not available.
Last year, Second Harvest distributed more than 60 million pounds of food and other household items throughout its service region.
— Photo provided by Timothy Galarde