Soul Health CXV
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
As St Paul writes in his letter to the Church this week, "Consider your own call...not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth." Yet we have all been called to discipleship by God, who knows all of our weaknesses shortcomings and still calls us to do His Work anyway because it is through our flaws that His Perfect Love can be shown in the world.
To underscore this point, the Gospel this Sunday gives us the Beatitudes - a set of eight powerful statements focused on love, humility, and compassion taught by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount.
Picking up on the Old Testament's teachings on what constitutes a righteous and godly individual, the Beatitudes give us the New Testament's description of a disciple transformed by a personal relationship with God. Such a transformation begins deep in the heart, with the acknowledgement of the disciple's own brokenness, sinfulness, and need for God; it then spreads outward as the disciple learns to recognize the needs of the world and the importance of meeting those needs with actions that imitate Jesus' mercy, peace, and gentleness.
Have you allowed this transformation to take place in your own heart and to continue growing outwards by following Jesus in wholehearted discipleship? Or has complacency kept you standing still at the side of the road while Christ is passing by?
Sunday, February 5th 2023
Mass at 10:30am followed by Coffee
**No Masses at St Thomas More
Saturday February 4th & Sunday February 5th**
What does a parish on mission look like?
What happens on a normal Sunday in a parish that's committed to discipleship?
What difference can it make in your life to celebrate, worship, and pray in a community that's engaged in meaningful Christian fellowship?
Come and see at St Willibrord's on February 5th!
This is important enough for the future of our parish that a mini-bus has been arranged to help us all get there! We will leave from the front stairs of the church at 10am, and return together after Coffee Hour. To reserve a seat on the bus please call the parish office.
On Saturday, February 11th at 2:30pm we will meet again as a community in the Mary Room to then discern a future for our parish.
Sunday, January 29: For All Parishioners
Tuesday, January 31 (St John Bosco): Jimmy Whelton by Caroline & Peter
Thursday, February 2 (The Presentaton of the Lord): Hazel Boyce by Wally & Rose Gregory
Sunday, February 5 - 10:30am at St Willibrord: For All Parishioners of Saint Thomas More & St Willibrord
The Sanctuary Lamp
This week the Sanctuary Lamp is lit for Andy Thompson Sr by His Wife & Family
Mother Teresa: No Greater Love
This film is currently showing in English at Cinéma Guzzo Méga-Plex Sphèretech 14 (3500 Boulevard Cote Vertu Ouest, Saint-Laurent). A detailed list of showtimes from this weekend up to February 2nd is available on CinemasGuzzo.com and we encourage you all to encounter Jesus through the work of Mother Teresa on the big screen!
A true saint of the 20th Century, Mother Teresa's work with the poorest and most vulnerable members of society was well-covered in mainstream media. She was beatified in 2003 by Pope Saint John Paul II only 6 years after her death, and canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis.
Featuring unprecedented access to institutional archives and the apostolates of the Missionaries of Charity, this documentary reveals how Mother Teresa's vision to serve Christ in the poor continues to be realized through the Missionaries of Charity today.
Coffee Break Catechesis
In honour of the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, which was this past Wednesday, enjoy a cuppa with Scott Hahn in this video about the Saint's journey from Persecutor to Apostle.
Spiritual Support for Separated or Divorced Persons
If you have been wounded in your experience of marriage, heal yourself and rebuild yourself in Christ through the welcoming and supportive community for separated and divorced persons led by Deacon Francis Joannette and his wife Jackie.
Yours in Christ,
Father Robert Assaly+
