End of Life Issues - Catholic Responses

Dr. Moira McQueen will speak at Holy Family Parish - Tuesday March 1, 2016 at 7:00 PM on Pysician Assisted Death & Catholic Responses. 

Dr. McQueen is the Executive Director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute, and has been a professor at the University of St. Michael's since 1994. Pope Francis appointed her to the International Theological Commission in 2014 for a 5 year term.

After her presentation, there will be a refreshment break, and a time for questions and answers. Please make time for this important Issue!

In our First week of Lent - driven into the Desert

These are real choices Jesus makes - Real Temptations he faces
Temptations of Food, Power, Prestige, Temptations of Self-Reliance / Self-Importance. Where are your temptations this Lent?
How will evil whisper to you?

Will you be Tempted with stuff/ Stones / Loaves?
With power / leverage/ authority
With prestige / privilege / status

There are all kinds of things that tempt–All kinds of stuff 

And so we take up the Disciplines of Lent Pray / Fast / Give
I have already posted some ideas online - lenten de-cluttering...
We also have the tree branches in the church - and invite you to tie Ribbons on the trees for each act of Praying / Fasting / and Giving that you do each week. 
For this time of Purification and Enlightenment 
this retreat of Lent – is to have a Baptismal Character 
Preparing those who will be Baptized at Easter … and …
  helping us – the Baptized – to renew our Baptismal Promises

The Glory of Jesus isn’t that he was some innocent who never felt temptation, But that he resisted temptation, & remained true to God. That Glory is our Glory as we share in the Kingdom Meal.

Lenten Ideas - Continued

Here is a great suggestion for people to consider this Lent. To Take this Bag - and drop it off at Chez Thrift - 301 Queen Street S. in the Dollarama Plaza. 

Lenten Journey

Yesterday , the Church embarked on a forty plus day retreat to prepare for the celebration of Easter. We join with the elect, those preparing to receive the three sacraments of initiation at Easter, in slowing down and considering the places in our lives that need to be transformed. Where has sin consumed your heart and distracted you from your relationship with God? Sin sneaks in and often becomes habit. We are invited to examine each area of our lives to uncover this darkness. We are asked to change our hearts and turn back to God. The words of the prophet Joel still ring true today. We need to repent and return to the Lord. Conversion isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight. It requires discipline, perseverance, and practice. The three disciplines of the Lenten season, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, help us open ourselves to God’s goodness and can draw us closer to the heart of Christ. Over these forty days, allow these disciplines to become habits that replace sin, move you to reflect on your life in Christ, and immerse you in the Paschal Mystery.

In the Gospel, Jesus instructs us not to publicly flaunt how we pray, fast, or give alms. As you meditate on the words of the psalm, think about what you might give up (fast), how you will set aside time for prayer, and to what you might give alms as a way of deeply entering the season of Lent and purifying your heart.

Pray              Fast             Give

This is our call this Lent

Peace