Soul Health CXI
Holiday Mass Schedule
**This Solemnity is a Holy Day of Obligation**
Saturday, December 31st: 4:30pm
Sunday, January 1st: 8:30am
Father Robert is celebrating a private Mass at 9:00am on Sunday, offered for the parishes of St Thomas More and St Willibrord.
Annual Parishioners' Meeting:
Saturday, January 14th, 2023 at 3pm
If you are a frequent, regular mass attender, your participation is anticipated, as it is your commitment and input that will shape this critical discussion.
With the parish at a crossroads, the outcome of your participation may well determine the future of the parish and even whether we continue.
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This weekend, we celebrate the great solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Of the many Marian Feasts in the liturgical calendar, this is the only one that is a Holy Day of Obligation in Canada.
Falling between the feasts of the Nativity and Epiphany, and also on the New Year, Pope Paul VI wrote in 1974 that this solemnity " ...is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation. It is meant also to exalt the singular dignity which this mystery brings to the Holy Mother...through whom we were found worthy to receive the Author of life. It is likewise a fitting occasion for renewing adoration of the newborn Prince of Peace, for listening once more to the glad tidings of the angels, and for imploring from God, through the Queen of Peace, the supreme gift of peace."
Our lives can become truly magnificent and meaningful by saying yes to God's plans for us, as Mary did. Let's start 2023 off on the right foot by following Our Lady's example in her love for Jesus, her openness to God's will, and her acceptance of the Holy Spirit's gifts as she took her rightful place in the Church.
In case you missed last week's Special Edition with Father Robert's Christmas letter, you can read it here!
Regular Liturgy Schedule & Intentions, December 31 - January 6
Sunday, January 1: For All Parishioners
Tuesday, January 3 (The Most Holy Name of Jesus): Deceased Members of the Purcell & Gallagher Families by Their Estate
Thursday, January 5: Brian Foran by His Wife Ann
The Sanctuary Lamp
This week the Sanctuary Lamp is lit for Gerald C. Gummersell by his sister Allanna
Farewell to Benedict XVI
The Holy See Press Office confirms that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery. Please join us in praying for the repose of his soul, and read the highlights of his life and career in this article from The Catholic Register.
Thank you!
We wish to thank Fr. Lou Cerulli for celebrating our New Year’s Masses.
We would also thank Fr George Zacharias for saying Mass this past Tuesday &Thursday.
Fr. Robert will be back for Mass next Thursday.
Magnificat Subscriptions for 2023
Parishioners who subscribe to the Magnificat are reminded that it is time to renew their subscription for $70.00, please contact the parish office. We encourage our parishioners to take out a subscription which would begin in February of this wonderful publication which includes readings, reflections and prayers.
Increase your spiritual strength in 2023 with a daily dose of the Catechism
Following the huge success of "The Bible in a Year," Father Mike Schmitz is launching "The Catechism in a Year" in 2023. With a new episode set to be released every day in 2023, this podcast is a deep dive into the the Catechism of the Catholic Church that complements the content of its predecessor.
As Father Mike told Aleteia in a recent interview, "The Bible in a Year was all about learning to see our lives through the lens of Scripture. With The Catechism in a Year, I hope that we will allow the truths of the Catholic faith to shape our lives. God’s story in our lives doesn’t end with the Bible, but God’s story continues with the Church, and the life of the Church."
Yours in Christ,
Father Robert Assaly+
