Christmas Blessing

This is a prayer that Joyce Rupp (a Christian author) wrote and was passed on to me by a friend:

• May there be harmony in all your relationships. May sharp words, envious thoughts, and hostile feelings be dissolved. 
• May you give and receive love generously. May this love echo in your heart like the joy of church bells on a clear December day. 
• May each person who comes into your life be greeted as another Christ. May the honor given the Babe of Bethlehem be that which you extend to every guest who enters your presence.
• May the hope of this sacred season settle in your soul. May it be a foundation of courage for you when times of distress occupy your inner land. 
• May the wonder and awe that fills the eyes of children be awakened with you. May it lead you to renewed awareness and appreciation of whatever you too easily take for granted. 
• May the bonds of love for one another be strengthened as you gather with your family and friends around the table of festivity and nourishment. 
• May you daily open the gift of your life and be grateful for the hidden treasures it contains. 
• May the coming year be one of good health for you. May you have energy and vitality. May you care well for your body, mind and spirit. 
• May you keep your eye on the Star within you and trust this Luminescent Presence to guide and direct you each day. 
• May you go often to the Bethlehem of our heart and visit the One who offers you peace, and...
•  May you bring this peace into our world!

Christmas Peace and Joy to you!

Fr. Larry

Christmas Eve

It's 2:00 pm on Christmas Eve and we are in the "calm before the storm" so to speak!  The  church is decorated, the Banners are up, the poinsettias  are all in place, the Halls are set for the overflow... and all the messages on the answering machine have been cleared.  In my own life - last night was Baking time - making 5 batches of cookies that I give as gifts, take to a friend's house for their annual party after Christmas, and even some to share with the staff these days!  After the Midnight mass tonight - Fr. Sherwin and I will be heading to the Rectory and we will have a beverage, and we will open the presents that are under our tree. 
All of my gift giving to family is wrapped, and everything is packed in boxes and bags for transport on Christmas afternoon.  I will be travelling to Toronto, and then my Brother in Law will be driving to Kingston where we will all meet up at my Dad's house.  I will be in the back seat - snoozing - for the highway trip to Kingston!
Peace. 

Advent Conspiracy

One of our Teens posted the following video about Christmas and our Consumer Culture:

Peace

I wish you Enough!

I wish you Enough!
Recently I received an email from a friend about a Father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. The Airline  had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the Father said, 'I love you, and I wish you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.' They kissed and the daughter left. The Father walked over to the window in the terminal. Someone standing there could see he wanted and needed to cry. he asked the stranger nearby, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'
 "Yes, but why is this a forever good-bye?" asked the stranger.
 'I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' he said. 

'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?' asked the stranger.

He began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright 

     no matter how grey the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness 

     to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even 

     the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

He then began to cry and walked away..
Take Time To Live...

To you and your family: I wish you enough!

Peace

"O Antiphons"

The seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from Vespers (Evening Prayer) in the Liturgy of the Hours (Breviary)  during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is referred to as the "Golden Nights."  Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow (that is, Christmas Day) I come". The titles for Christ are:

• Sapientia 
• Adonai 
• Radix Jesse 
• Clavis David 
• Oriens 
• Rex Gentium 
• Emmanuel 

Today's antiphon is O Wisdom (O Sapientia):
O wisdom, coming forth from the Most High, filling all creation and reigning to the ends of the earth; come and teach us the way of truth. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
[Ecclesiasticus 24.3-9 Proverbs 1:20; 8; 9 and 1 Corinthians 1:30]

O come, thou wisdom from on high
Who madest all in earth and sky,
Creating us from dust and clay:
To us reveal salvation's way.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

A Shoe?

I get how things get left behind.  I know that I leave papers, gloves, even a hanger or 2 when I visit a parish for Confessions. I often hang up my Alb and Stole when I arrive at a rectory - before dinner, and then after confessions, I leave with the Alb and Stole in my hands - and I leave the hanger behind.
But really - a shoe!?! How does someone leave 1 shoe behind - I might comprehend how one could leave 2 shoes behind - you wore boots - and then changed into shoes at the church - that might be possible - but really, 1 shoe, I just don't get it! Maybe it was Cinderella!!!
There are many such items in our "lost and found" - waiting to return home! How is that for an Advent reflection!

Peace

Changes at Holy Family

When Fr. Sherwin was not made a Pastor last July - I have to admit I was surprised.  He has been ordained 6 years - and I fully expected he would be made a Pastor... well I was only a few month "early" in my expectations!  Last week Fr. Sherwin received official news that Archbishop Collins is appointing him as Pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Sutton, and its mission - Our Lady of the Lake in Keswick.  Like many older parish/mission combinations - the Mission is now bigger than the "parish".  (Like Schomberg and Nobleton)


Fr. Sherwin has of course been involved in all aspects of parish life - yet he has had specific responsibility for the Sacrament of Confirmation, and St. Nicholas and Pope John Paul II schools as well as being involved with the Edge and Life Teen youth ministries.


We will be able to have a celebration of thanks for Fr. Sherwin on Sunday afternoon, January 8th - between 2 and 4 pm.


We will welcome Fr. Damian Young-Sam-You as our new Associate Pastor effective January 11, 2012. Fr. Damian was an associate at Our Lady of Grace in Aurora for 2 years, and has been the Assistant Vocations Director at Serra House in downtown Toronto for the last year and a half.  Here is an introductory Video about Fr. Damian:

Peace

Target Canada - Comes to Bolton!

Until today I had no idea that the corporate mission statement of Target included a commitment to give 5% back to each local community that there is a store or office! Today I had the opportunity to witness Target Canada's first ever (history making) philanthropic event in Canada - and it was here in Caledon - at the Albion Bolton Community Centre - the site of the annual Santa Fund warehouse.

Target Canada - which bought up a number of old Zellers sites across Canada - has its Corporate Headquarters in Peel Region (in Mississauga) and so they had contacted Volunteer Canada - and its local organization - Volunteer MBC (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon).  Carine Strong is the Executive Director of Volunteer MBC and she is also a Board Member (like myself) for Caledon Community Services. There were no Organizations in Brampton or Mississauga that were willing to host the 50+ workers from Target for their 1 day Volunteering Experience.

Stockings stuffed !

They did some terrific work, sorting food, packing hamper boxes, stuffing stockings, sorting toys, and decorating the warehouse.  Not only did Target supply the labour, they also supplied thousands of dollars of toys, toiletries, decore, and trees as well as $5,000 worth of materials that CCS will be able to keep - Bins, carts, ladders, and trolleys.  Thank you Target Canada for your time and commitment to local communities.

The most humorous find in sorting the food (the volunteers check expiry dates to make sure that people are not provided "expired food") was a package of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese - that had an expiry date of 95 JN 21!  June 21, 1995!!!
Can you believe it - this item was in the back of someone's kitchen, or basement for over 16 years! Yikes! Good eyes on the part of SARA from Target! Great job by the Target volunteers, the CCS Staff, and Volunteer Canada/ Volunteer MBC!
Peace

Target Canada - Comes to Bolton!

Until today I had no idea that the corporate mission statement of Target included a commitment to give 5% back to each local community that there is a store or office! Today I had the opportunity to witness Target Canada's first ever (history making) philanthropic event in Canada - and it was here in Caledon - at the Albion Bolton Community Centre - the site of the annual Santa Fund warehouse.

Target Canada - which bought up a number of old Zellers sites across Canada - has its Corporate Headquarters in Peel Region (in Mississauga) and so they had contacted Volunteer Canada - and its local organization - Volunteer MBC (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon).  Carine Strong is the Executive Director of Volunteer MBC and she is also a Board Member (like myself) for Caledon Community Services. There were no Organizations in Brampton or Mississauga that were willing to host the 50+ workers from Target for their 1 day Volunteering Experience.

Stockings stuffed !

They did some terrific work, sorting food, packing hamper boxes, stuffing stockings, sorting toys, and decorating the warehouse.  Not only did Target supply the labour, they also supplied thousands of dollars of toys, toiletries, decore, and trees as well as $5,000 worth of materials that CCS will be able to keep - Bins, carts, ladders, and trolleys.  Thank you Target Canada for your time and commitment to local communities.

The most humorous find in sorting the food (the volunteers check expiry dates to make sure that people are not provided "expired food") was a package of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese - that had an expiry date of 95 June 21!!!  1995!!!
Can you believe it - this item was in the back of someone's kitchen, or basement for over 16 years! Yikes! Good eyes on the part of SARA from Target! Great job by the Target volunteers, the CCS Staff, and Volunteer Canada/ Volunteer MBC!
Peace

Reconciliation & The Kingdom

The Season of Advent bids us prepare the way of the Lord. The Scriptures this past Sunday speak of leveling mountains and filling valleys, so that the path is straight. Maybe not so much for God to be able to come to us, after all God is God – and can come – powerfully.

Yet maybe all this leveling of roads - for that is what is involved in making the path straight - all this leveling of roads is for us to be able to access GOD.  The timing of Isaiah’s prophecy is during the exile in Babylon: so the highway he’s talking about was to lead the chosen people - the people of Israel - back to promised land - back to their inheritance.  John the Baptist invites us to repentance, since it is sin that can block our access to God.  Reconciliation – Like that offered a week next Tuesday (December 13 at 7 pm) allows God to make straight the path in us once again, and hastens the coming of the kingdom.  

When we forgive and when we are forgiven - when that is a genuine experience of Reconciliation, it is as if there is a "spark" of the Kingdom.  A little "in-breaking" of the reign of God. And we can bask in the glow of that spark, the glow of God’s grace.

God comes to us so that we might approach God - not in fear and trembling – but in wonder and Awe.

Peace

Changes are difficult all the way around

I have to confess that I have a new-found respect for all of the priests who are 41+ years ordained.  As I have celebrated Mass this week in different situations (St. John the Baptist School, the parish, with seniors, and a marriage this morning) i have found myself so self conscious of all the little changes in the prayers that I pray - as well as the responses of the people.
And this is really without any change to the structure of Mass.  Those priests who worked through the changes in the late 60's and early 70's had structural and linguistic change to tackle.  God Bless them!!!


I think that slowing down, and being deliberate in the prayers is what will help me as a presider, and I hope will help those who listen to the prayers as they are prayed...
I know that these prayer changes are not easy - yet I also know that we can stick with it!  


Peace