Over the last several weeks we have discussed how God has given us the seven sacraments as a means for sharing His Grace with us. Part of our call as Christian stewards is to share God's grace with other people.

At SJV, we have adopted a vision to be the "Hands of Christ" as the manner in which we will share the grace of God with each other and with our community. Just as there are seven sacraments, we have organized ourselves around seven "Hands". Each of these hands is a different way that we can contribute.

Our church teaches that "Faith without works is dead". This means that each of us is called to live out the faith we profess and demonstrate that faith in our actions. Over the next several weeks, we will explore each of the "Hands" and how each of them allows us to demonstrate our Attitude of Gratitude to God.

The last Sacrament we will cover is that of Holy Orders. This sacrament is conferred on those men who are called to serve as Deacons, Priest or Bishops. These men dedicate their lives to the Church and are consecrated to delivering the sacraments to the faithful.
Deacons have the authority to deliver the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony. They were originally called to assist in administration and care for the people so that the Apostles could focus on teaching, preaching and spiritual development.
Priests have the additional authority to confer the sacraments of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Eucharist and under special delegation from the Bishop, Confirmation. It is the priests that have the primary responsibility for our spiritual lives and our nourishment with the Word, the Eucharist and the other sacraments.
Bishops receive the fullness of Holy Orders and trace their lineage directly to one of the Apostles. They have the additional authority to confer Holy Orders and Confirmation. The Bishops hold the full teaching authority of the Church in their diocese and they have they have the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the faith.
The primary responsibility of the ordained is our spiritual well being. Unfortunately, most Deacons, Priests and Bishops spend a significant amount of their time in administration of the secular needs of their parishes or Dioceses. It is the responsibility of the lay faithful to take care of the secular needs of the Church. Show your Attitude of Gratitude for our ordained ministers by becoming the hands of Christ in our parish.

The first five sacraments parallel the various stages of live. These sacraments are experienced by nearly everyone. The last two sacraments parallel specific callings for some, but not all. Holy Matrimony is the sacrament that pertains to those who are called to join together and serve God as a married couple.
A married couple makes a lifelong covenant with God and with each other. The Church is indivisible from Christ, so, too, a valid Catholic marriage is indivisible. A married couple become as one, therefore they share the responsibility of helping each other make it to heaven. Finally, the married couple may be blessed by naturally cooperating with God in the creation of new life. They, therefore, shoulder the responsibility of leading a new soul to the light of Christ.
Those who live out their marriage in the grace of God demonstrate the love of God to each other and their children. The love they share and the sacrifices they make for each other serve to model an Attitude of Gratitude to their extended family, the Church.

Many of Jesus’ miracles were healings of the infirm. Quite often when Jesus would heal someone, he would simply state “your sins are forgiven.” The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick reflects both the healing power of God, and the forgiveness of sins, just as Jesus demonstrated.
Those that are seriously ill hold a special place in God’s heart. First of all, they are bearing the cross of suffering, which Christ told us we all must carry. Second, the infirm often display a heroic level of humility and fortitude which can set an example for others to follow. Finally caring for the infirm is a way for each of us to share God’s love with someone, who may desperately need to feel loved.
This sacrament is granted to those who are seriously ill as a way to strengthen and cleanse them spiritually, quite often in preparation of their final journey to heaven. We will all be blessed at some point in our lives to need and desire the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. A wonderful way to demonstrate your attitude of gratitude is to reach out to the infirm, visit them, and show them God’s love.

Dear St. John Vianney Parishioners, It is with humility but with great joy that I take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as your new Pastor. My name is Fr. Michael Joseph O’Connor...

Dear SJV Kids,
We hope you all are enjoying your summer vacation. Vacation Bible School this year was a great succes where ou learned about our Catholic faith through fun-filled activities.
God loves each one of us so very much that He gave us His only son, Jesus Christ. We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus in our daily lives. He taught us how to pray to our hevenly Father in simple and yet very powerful ways. When you do not know what to pray, just say the "our Father", the prayer the Lord taught us. Say it slowly and think about each word in the prayer.
Jesus aslo aught us how to be good. He showed us how to be opedient to our parents. Although He is from God the Father, He opeyed, helped and grew up just like any other kid. Let us show our attitude of gratitude by following the footsteps of Jesus.
The Stewardship committee and the children of SJV Parish bid a loving farewell to Fr. Edwin and welcome Fr. Michael with open hands. We offer thanks and prayers to God for all our priests.