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As members of the Body of Christ, the parish of St. James, Lake Placid, Florida proclaims our belief in the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)With God's Grace, the example of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we seek to live out that belief as a community of worship, of shared faith and of service where each member shares with others the gifts and talents received from God.
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Pastor, Fr. Vincent Clemente
Father Vincent came to the United States from Italy at the age of 15, where his family settled in the Cleveland, OH area. He has one sister. Father was ordained to the priesthood on May 8, 1976 and has previously served at St. Martha’s in Sarasota, FL and as pastor of St. Michael in Wauchula and St. Paul in Arcadia.
WELCOME, FATHER! We look forward to continued spiritual growth with you here at St. James!
Parochial vicar Fr. Felix Gonzalez
Fr. Felix Gonzalez, our newest parochial vicar, was born in Venezuela on September 18, 1953. He studied philosophy in Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies and theology at the Seminary “Santa Rosa de Lima,” Caracas, Venezuela. He was ordained on July 18th, 1981 at the .Archdiocese of Barquisimeto. He came to the United States 20 years ago and studied monastic spirituality in Worcester, MA and worked in different parishes in the Archdiocese of New York— Manhattan and the Bronx. During those years he studied in IONA College and graduated with a Masters in Science, majoring in pastoral counseling. After serving St. Leo for almost two and a half years, he is happy to embark on this new part of his spiritual journey.
Our commitment to a Safe Environment
As Christian adults, we have a moral and legal responsibility and are entrusted by God with the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of minors and vulnerable adults. St. James adheres to the Diocese of Venice's Safe Environment program. To learn more, visit: https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/programs/safeenvironment/
Pope Francis' Letter to the People of God, regarding sexual abuse in light of the outcome of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury.
My Dear People,
In the first Reading, the passage of Daniel 7 is a famous and controversial one in biblical studies because in it two figures, or persons, appear, both of whom have divine characteristics. The “Ancient One” or “Ancient of Days” mentioned in 7:13 is clearly an image of the Lord God. Yet the “one like a Son of Man” who comes “on the clouds of Heaven” is also a divine figure; because “riding on the clouds” is a divine prerogative (see Ps 18:7-15). Many scholars have noted this, and some, like Jewish Bible scholar Daniel Boyarin, have freely admitted that in the Judaism studies there was already a notion of more than one person in the Godhead.
As Christians, we read this prophetic text and recognize progressive revelation. That is, as biblical revelation proceeds toward the coming of Christ, the truths of faith start to become more clear. So, in Daniel 7, an Old Testament text, we have an early vision of at least two persons of the Holy Trinity, God the Father and God the Son.
It is no accident, by the way, that Jesus’s favorite form of self-reverence in the Gospels is “Son of Man.” When Jesus calls Himself Son of Man, I am convinced He has in mind two Old Testament texts. Particularly our text here, Daniel 7, where the “Son of Man” receives all authority at the final judgement; and, Psalm 8, where the Son of Man is made “a little less than a God.” Ps 8:6 quotes: “for a little while, less than God.” But then, has: “all things [put] at his feet” (Ps 8:7). People think that Jesus’s title is, in fact, a reference to his eschatological role as king and judge. This becomes most clear at Jesus’s final trial when He was asked point-blank if He was the Christ.
But He was silent and made no answer. Again, the high priest asks Him, “Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed?” Jesus answered: “I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:61-62)
So, at this dramatic point in His earthly ministry, Jesus refers in our First Reading to define His identity and point to His role as eschatological judge.
The passage of the Gospel today mentions when Pilate asks Jesus if He is ‘king of the Jews’? Jesus was accused of being king, which was contrary to Roman Law, since they had Caesar. And Jesus replies: “His kingdom is not of this world!” If it were so, there would have been legions of angels defending Him. This is one of the great dramatic dialogues in biblical literature. Indeed, in all world literature! It lacks only Pilate’s cynical, or perhaps despairing, final reply: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
This passage is a great reminder to all about the nature of Jesus’s kingdom and His kingship. It is not of this world.
That does not mean it is not “in” this world. The Kingdom of Christ is very much in this world. Its visible manifestation is the Catholic Church. We could go into a description of many impressive external features of the Catholic Church! With over a billion members and two thousand years of history, it is both the world’s biggest and oldest organization. Contrary to appearances, it remains a major, perhaps the major, driver of world culture. World institutions and concepts that everyone takes for granted—like the hospitals, the universities, and “human rights”—come squarely out of the cultural heritage of the Catholic Church, even if their origin is forgotten. Even the dominant political force of our day—Western social liberalism with its suffocating “political correctness,” “anti-discrimination,” and unsustainable government-funded welfare programs—has religious roots in Catholicism. It’s basically Catholic charity divorced from Catholic morality.
So, we could talk about visible manifestations of Christ’s kingdom and its influence on the world, but this would be a lengthy distraction.
The heart of Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. It is in the next.
As Catholics, we distinguish the Church Triumphant (the saints in heaven) from the Church Militant (all of us struggling here below). The heart of the Church, and the Kingdom, is with the Church Triumphant—the “Jerusalem [which is] above. . . our mother” (Gal 4:26), to which we are joined by faith and sacraments.
[Source: Sunday Mass Reading for year B by John Bergsma]
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Vincent Clemente
NOVEMBER 19th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall
Prayer Group, 7PM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 20th— Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will Study, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Class, 7PM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 21st— Thursday. SVdP, 11AM, Social Hall. Bible Study, 7PM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 22nd — Friday. Operation Christmas Child Set-up 8:30AM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 23rd — Saturday. Operation Christmas Child Box-Stuffing Party, 9AM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 24th— Sunday. NO FAITH FORMATION.
NOVEMBER 25th — Monday. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 26th— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall.
KOC, 7PM, Social Hall.
NOVEMBER 27th— Wednesday. OFFICE CLOSED. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will Study, 4PM, Social Hall. NO CONFIRMATION CLASS.
NOVEMBER 28th— Thursday. OFFICE CLOSED. THANKSGIVING DAY.
DECEMBER 1st— Sunday. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 2nd — Monday. SVdP Meeting, 3PM, Social Hall. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 3rd— Tuesday. Child. of Our Lady, 10AM, Social Hall. Grupo de Juan 23, 7PM, Social Hall. Prayer Group, 7PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 4th— Wednesday. Bible Study, 10AM, Social Hall. Divine Will Study, 4PM, Social Hall. Confirmation Class, 7PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 5th— Thursday. CCW Meeting, 10AM, Social Hall. Bible Study, 7PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 6th—Friday. Kraft Korner, 10AM-12PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 8th— Sunday. Faith Formation, 11AM, Social Hall. Women’s Emmaus, 2PM, Social Hall.
DECEMBER 9th— Monday. OFFICE CLOSED—Immaculate Conception. RCIA, 6PM, Social Hall.
