Our Parish Family · 2018. 8. 26. · Our Parish Family St. Christopher’s 68 Union Street, Forest...
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Our Parish Family St. Christopher’s 68 Union Street, Forest Ontario N0N 1J0 519-786-5243 Our Lady Help of Christians 432 Victoria Street Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0 519-876-3240 A welcoming Catholic faith community who gathers to celebrate the Word of God as a Eucharistic People . Pastoral Team Pastor: Father Tom Donohue [email protected] Forest Office: Connie Burns [email protected] Watford Office: Martha Moons [email protected] Deacons: John Lammers 519-490-3832 [email protected] Tony Hogervorst 519-670-0891 [email protected] Sunday Eucharist Saturday 4:30 pm Forest 7:00 pm Watford Sunday 9:00 am Watford 11:00 am Forest Reconciliations: After weekday church Masses Or by appointment Office Hours: St. Christopher 9:00—4:00 Monday through Friday OLHC 9:00—4:00 Tuesday and Wednesday www.lambtoncatholic.ca Exerted from APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONGAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time August 26, 2018 As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. — Joshua 24:15b “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve basic needs and our instinct for survival. There are those who desire justice and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus says that they will be satisfied, for sooner or later justice will come. We can cooperate to make that possible, even if we may not always see the fruit of our efforts. Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in the daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business. How many people suffer injustice, standing by powerlessly while others divvy up the good things of this life. Some give up fighting for real justice and opt to follow in the train of the winners. This has nothing to do with the hunger and thirst for justice that Jesus praises. True justice comes about in people’s lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it is expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak. While it is true that the word “justice” can be a synonym for faithfulness to God’s will in every aspect of our life, if we give the word too general a meaning, we forget that it is shown especially in justice towards those who are most vulnerable: “Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is 1:17). Hungering and thirsting for righteousness: that is holiness. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (7:12). The Catechism reminds us that this law is to be applied “in every case”, especially when we are “confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult”. Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly. For this reason, in the Gospel of Luke we do not hear the words, “Be perfect” (Mt 5:48), but rather, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” (6:36-38). Luke then adds something not to be overlooked: “The measure you give will be the measure you get back” (6:38). The yardstick we use for understanding and forgiving others will measure the forgiveness we receive. The yardstick we use for giving will measure what we receive. We should never forget this. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge”. He calls “blessed” those who forgive and do so “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his reproach: “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33). Seeing and acting with mercy: that is holiness. Happy Birthday to our pastor, Fr. Tom Donohue. We welcome into God’s family Owen Andrew Szmiett, Son of Brian & Jessica, who will be baptized this Sunday at Our Lady Help of Christians.
Transcript of Our Parish Family · 2018. 8. 26. · Our Parish Family St. Christopher’s 68 Union Street, Forest...
Our Parish Family S t . Chr i s topher ’ s
6 8 U n i o n S t r e e t ,
F o r e s t O n t a r i o N 0 N 1 J 0
5 1 9 - 7 8 6 - 5 2 4 3
O u r L a d y H e l p
o f Chr i s t i ans 4 3 2 V i c t o r i a S t r e e t
W a t f o r d , O n t a r i o N 0 M 2 S 0
5 1 9 - 8 7 6 - 3 2 4 0
A welcoming Catholic faith community who gathers to celebrate the Word of God as a Eucharistic People.
Pastoral Team
Pastor: Father Tom Donohue
Forest Office: Connie Burns
Watford Office: Martha Moons
Deacons: John Lammers 519-490-3832
Tony Hogervorst 519-670-0891
Sunday Eucharist
Saturday 4:30 pm Forest 7:00 pm Watford
Sunday 9:00 am Watford 11:00 am Forest
Reconciliations:
After weekday church Masses Or by appointment
Office Hours: St. Christopher 9:00—4:00
Monday through Friday
OLHC 9:00—4:00 Tuesday and Wednesday
www.lambtoncatholic.ca Exerted from APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONGAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE
CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 26, 2018
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. — Joshua 24:15b
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”
Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve basic needs and our instinct for
survival. There are those who desire justice and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus
says that they will be satisfied, for sooner or later justice will come. We can cooperate to make that
possible, even if we may not always see the fruit of our efforts.
Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated
in various ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in the
daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business. How many people suffer
injustice, standing by powerlessly while others divvy up the good things of this life. Some give up
fighting for real justice and opt to follow in the train of the winners. This has nothing to do with the
hunger and thirst for justice that Jesus praises.
True justice comes about in people’s lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it is
expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak. While it is true that the word “justice”
can be a synonym for faithfulness to God’s will in every aspect of our life, if we give the word too
general a meaning, we forget that it is shown especially in justice towards those who are most
vulnerable: “Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is 1:17).
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness: that is holiness.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy”
Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness
and understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: “In everything, do to others as you would
have them do to you” (7:12). The Catechism reminds us that this law is to be applied “in every case”,
especially when we are “confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and
decision difficult”.
Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which
gives and forgives superabundantly. For this reason, in the Gospel of Luke we do not hear the words,
“Be perfect” (Mt 5:48), but rather, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you
will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
give, and it will be given to you” (6:36-38). Luke then adds something not to be overlooked: “The
measure you give will be the measure you get back” (6:38). The yardstick we use for understanding
and forgiving others will measure the forgiveness we receive. The yardstick we use for giving will
measure what we receive. We should never forget this.
Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge”. He calls “blessed” those who forgive and
do so “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven.
All of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with sincerity and
listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his reproach: “Should not you have had mercy
on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33).
Seeing and acting with mercy: that is holiness.
Happy Birthday to our pastor, Fr. Tom Donohue.
We welcome into God’s family Owen Andrew Szmiett, Son of Brian & Jessica, who will be baptized this Sunday at Our Lady Help of Christians.
Please Pray each day for:
Dcn. Chris Masterson Ministers to the Homeless Ms. Leanne Moran Rev. Francis Murphy Rev. Thomas Donohue Rev. Paul Rennick
Tuesday, August 28, at OLHC, 7:00 pm
+Deceased VanderVloet & Meeuwsen family members
+Steve Joris — Sam & Luke Joris
Wednesday, August 29, at OLHC, 9:00 am
+Dick Moons — Ross & Mary Daly
Thursday, August 30, at St. Christopher, 7:00 pm
+John Whelan — Whelan Family
Friday, August 31, at St. Christopher, 9:00 am
+Martin Schoeley—Schoeley Family
City of Sarnia Family of Parishes website: www.sarniacatholic.ca Diocese of London website: www.dol.ca
Check out our NEW website: www.lambtoncatholic.ca
Cemetery Sunday will be celebrated as follows:
Beechwood Cemetery, Forest, August 26, at 2:00 pm
Watford Cemetery, September 9, at 2:00 pm
St. Matthew’s, Alvinston Cemetery, September 16, at 2:00 pm
Thinking About Becoming Catholic? The RCIA program – or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults - is for people who would like to take a closer look at the Catholic faith. We meet weekly in a group setting with sponsors (arranged by the parish or in partnership with the RCIA candidates them-selves) and members of our parish leadership teams. Different presenters each week on a variety of topics. The RCIA program is a combined initiative of the parishes of the Sarnia deanery. The RCIA program is divided into four stages or periods. The first period or “Inquiry Stage” takes us through the fall. The “Inquiry Stage” is open to anyone who wishes to take a closer look at the Catholic faith and there is absolutely no obligation to continue in the RCIA journey. Hosted at St. Benedict Parish on Wednesday evenings from 6:30—8:30p.m. beginning on October 11. Please register with your parish office.
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet.
St. Christopher Nursery - The Church Nursery continues to be available to children up to 3 years of age Sunday mornings for our 11am Mass. An opportunity to play, interact with others and enjoy a short story from the Children's Bible. The Nursery is located in the meeting room at the back of the hall. Please feel free to bring your child prior to Mass, or have them come back with the Sunday school children. Children return to Mass after the Homily.
International Order of Alhambra, a Catholic charitable organization assisting the intellectually challenged in our communities, hold an annual Labour Day appeal. Members will be at the doors of the church after all masses this weekend to accept your donation to help them further their work. Please support this worthy organization and the work they do. New members are always welcome. Meetings are the last Thursday evening of the month, 8:00 pm, at the Algarva Clubhouse, 10080 Klondyke Road, Grand Bend. Website, www.algarva168.org, or go to Facebook- Alhambra Grand Bend -to view current events.
Family Catechism — Resumes in October every 2nd Saturday morning at St. Patrick’s High School. Watch parish bulletins for details. For info, contact: [email protected] or call 519-542-3253.
Wood Sign Workshop with The Wooden Shoes—Wednesday, October 10, 6:30pm—St. Christopher's Hall Please join us for a night of fun and painting. $40 reserves your spot. You will all have the opportunity to create a wooden sign to take home with you at the end of the night. This is for all craft skill levels, we do all of the dirty work before hand, and you do all the fun work! The night will typically take approximately 2-3 hours to complete. 20+ sign templates, and 9 stain choices for you to choose from! Invite family or friends to join you for fun night out! Reserve your spot or ask any questions by contacting Trish Anderson at 519-333-7878 or [email protected]
A History of the CWL in the Diocese of London – A MUST for All — Monday, September 17, at 7p.m. Very interesting guest speaker, Debra Majer Fraser, Diocesan Archivist in the Sacred Heart Church meeting room, 1465 Lecaron Ave., Sarnia. Sponsored by the Sacred Heart Catholic Women’s League who will be serving refreshments including gluten free and diabetic treats. Free will donation with proceeds to Pathways pool refurbishments. For more information please call 519-541-0188 or 519-542-3720 .
Are you in your 20s or 30s, married or single, with or without children? If so, i.d.9:16 might be just what you are looking for. It is a wonderful way to meet other adults in the same stage of life. September we will be beginning a new initiative in the diocese called i.d.9:16 through Renewal Ministries. Monthly gatherings called “Disciples’ Nights” held on the first Thursday of each month starting September 6, at St. Michael’s Parish, 511 Cheapside St, London, are intended to help you grow in faith and be active members in your parish. Each evening will begin with Mass at 6:15, followed by the sharing of a meal at 7:00, and a live streamed talk and small group discussions at 8:00. The evening will end at 9:30. Check us out on FB at i.d.9:16 London. Nursing babies are most welcome! The cost of dinner and talk is $10 with an RSVP, $12 without an RSVP, $5 if coming for talk only. Please RSVP no later than Sunday, September 2, via FB event or email, [email protected]. If you do not RSVP by Sunday, September 2, you will not be on the RSVP list. There will also be alcoholic beverages sold for $2 each. September will feature a talk by Fr. Burke Masters. chaplain for the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team and the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Joliet. His story of coming to faith will help us examine our own goals and priorities as we try to grow as disciples.
Prayer Request : Due to the wildfires in northern British Columbia, the Diocese of Whitehorse is asking for prayers during this time, especially for the community of Telegraph Creek. The fires have destroyed both St. Teresa’s Mission church and the rectory, and the parishioners in this area have lost their homes and are finding themselves with nothing. Please pray for the residents in British Columbia and other regions who have been and are currently being affected by the devastating wildfires.
