Upcoming NET Retreats

We are starting to get excited about welcoming the National Evangelization Team (NET) to Bolton for our grade 7 retreats next week.  

NET's mission, to challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church, is accomplished by:

• Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ through a personal witness of faith.
• Inviting young people to live for Christ.
• Forming young people in Christian character through the study and practice of our faith.
• Equipping youth workers and young adults with the ministry skills needed for evangelization.

Really - it is a terrifically fun time that the students spend at the retreat centre - with Music, Skits, games, and times of prayer and reflrection.  The personal witness of the young retreat leaders to the young people on retreat is the most powerful element!

Here is a video - from NET USA - that sort of gives an Idea of what a retreat looks like (This prompted Stephanie to think about making something similar with our youth!)

Peace

Mission Trip

As I mentioned yesterday - 9 Students from St. Michael's Catholic Secondary School in Bolton have gone down to the Dominican Republic to work with dispossessed people from Haiti.
Their photos are already up! HERE
Here is a powerful Video that describes the plight of these people - it is long but very interesting!

Peace

Full Week

It has been a full week and I have felt like the ball in a pinball machine - popping all over the place!  Between a Funeral on Monday, a meeting with the Director of St. Michael's Choir School - because I am on the Advisory Board, meetings with the Administration of our St. Michael's Secondary School, helping with First Confessions in Mississauga Tuesday and Wednesday Evening, meeting with priests from Hamilton - in Milton, Physio, and on top of all that - 3 appointments for Baptism, Marriage, and a meeting for Confirmation.  Despite the arctic cold air - I spent 1.5 hours on the phone late Tuesday Night - and have finally secured my post Easter vacation to a sunny and warm climate - 2 weeks beginning April 17th.  

I am excited about Edge tonight despite the  winter wonderland that is going on out there! We have received our Edge T-Shirts for this year - and they use the facebook styling - saying "I like Jesus"

Saturday evening there is no LifeTeen - because of Exams, so I could have gone to an OHL Game - but Geoffrey's team is in Sudbury and Sault St. Marie this weekend!

Today 9 of our young people from St. Michael's have left for a Mission trip in the western portion of the Dominican Republic.  

They will experience working for justice with the people from Haiti who come in to work in the sugar cane fields.  It will be a very "hands on" encounter with those who experience extreem poverty and suffer injustice. Please pray for them. You can follow them on this link:

Dominican Mission Trip

Peace

Posada and Amazing Race

The Posada is a traditional Christmas celebration that Franciscan missionaries developed in the missionary work they did in North America with the goal of introducing the faith. It continues to be popular throughout Latin America and is a rich tradition that I was introduced to a number of years ago.  When the Anglican parish of a friend of mine obtained a new set of figures for their nativity scene, that community began a "Posada" with the new figurines. The Posada marks the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, looking for some room in the INN! 

One sources states:

The Posada expresses perfectly the suspense and surprises of the season. It is a prayer, a play, a party and a gathering for families, parishes and whole communities. It is a celebration that children and adults can enjoy together, as well as those from all different cultural backgrounds. www.kofc.com

For us it was a gathering of a few people, and a time of prayer, and a time of fellowship.  After that first year (when the statues of Mary and Joesph travelled to different parishioner's houses), we have used another set of figurines, and gathered in different parts of Ontario as these friends have moved!  This past Friday - I had a chance to celebrate "Posada" - even though it was after Christmas - with these friends.  We all met in Kingston, at my Dad's house, and prayed, ate and drank some fine wine.  It was indeed a terrific time!

Earlier Friday afternoon, my Brother and I filmed a video for submission to the Amazing Race Canada!  We both have been big fans of the Amazing Race, and love to travel - and we think a Catholic Priest and a Catholic Teacher - who are brothers - will be an interesting team!!!

I'll let you know if we will be selected in the audition process!!!
Peace

Rooted

ROOTED

A ministry for Students in grades 3, 4 & 5

What is Rooted?
Holy Family welcomes all parishioners in Grades 3-5 to join our interactive, fun, and faith-based ministry. This ministry aims to foster our youth in their faith development and offers a great environment to answer some fundamental questions our young Catholics may have. More information and a registration form will be posted on our youth ministry website www.hfym.ca 

When is Rooted? 
We encourage all individuals interested to attend the first ROOTED gathering at Holy Family on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10:00-11:30am! If you cannot make it to that one please feel free to join us at any other date. ROOTED will be held Saturday Mornings 
from  10:00-11:30am on: 

Saturday February 9Saturday March 2Saturday March 23Saturday April 13Saturday May 4Saturday May 25

Rooted Ministry needs Ministry volunteers who are interested in dedicating their time to our youth! If you are interested, please contact Stephanie Benedetti at 905-857-1938 or Stephanie.benedetti@holyfamilybolton.ca

A volunteer information evening will be held

Wednesday, January 16th at 7:30pm

Peace

Edge Social

Each Friday night we run our Edge Youth Ministry - for children in grades 6-8.  This is accomplished through the hard work and dedication of many teens and adults who are part of the Edge Youth Ministry CORE Team.  This past Friday night we had our first Edge night for 2013 - where we looked at needs and wants - and how commercials often try to trick us into thinking that what they have - the product that they produce - we need (not just want). This was from my teaching:

Here is the big lie that advertisers want us to believe – that their product will bring us happiness! If you eat certain foods, wear certain clothes, or go certain places, then you will be happy! The truth is – happiness comes and goes. You can wake up feeling happy, then maybe someone says something bad about you, about what you are wearing, what you said, how you look, and then you are sad.

What we can experience is joy - joy is not an emotion,     but is the fruit of having a relationship with God. Joy is not having a big smile on your face all day, every day – it is finding peace in God & his great love for us.

There is a great quote from Pope Benedict XVI: 

“The world promises you comfort. But you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness” 

World says that things (and more and more things) will make us  comfortable and able to live an easier life. Perhaps that is true on some level. However, being a Catholic Christian, we are not made for comfort. We are made for greatness – proclaiming Jesus Christ.

After the Edge night - the CORE Team headed over to the rectory - where we enjoyed a festive Christmas season Dessert Social! MMMM Good!
here is the picture of the entry way. Stephanie loves this image of the many shoes of those who walk in the way of Christ, leading our youth in their relationship with God.

Peace.

Vitamin F

Reading Ron Rolhieser's recent book "Shattered Lantern" we spoke on Tuesday Evening at Faith Nourishment about our imagination - and how it limits our understanding of God.
Jesus’ parables tell the story about God - They are revelatory – like Epiphany and they reveal the heart of God.  They remind us that God does not think and feel as we do. 
• Prodigal Son – who could have expected the father not to have grabbed the returning son by the ear…
• The Vineyard Workers – with the last worker hired receiving the same as the first worker hired...
• The good Samaritan – The priest and the leader of song walk by – and the foreigner stops...

God was always more than they had anticipated 
• Like a woman who loves too much…
• Like ointment that costs too much… And is spilled too much
• Like a seventy times seven God - Who forgives too much…
• Like a seed that grows too much and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold.

Here is a cute video on how what God does is unexpected!

Peace

Oshawa - Brampton OHL Game

Earlier in December - just at the beginning of the Christmas School Break - my Godson Geoffrey Schemitsch visited LifeTeen for a men's night session.  He shared part of his story, about playing in the OHL - originally for the Owen Sound Attack and now with the Oshawa Generals.  It was a great night.  We started with a workout - and my thighs were still aching 3 days later as I celebrated Christmas Eve Masses!

This past Thursday - Oshawa was playing in Brampton - and so a few of us headed down to Brampton to cheer on the Generals and Geoffrey!  It was a great time - made all the more fun as the Generals beat the Battalion 4-1.  
Interestingly - as we waited to meet Geoffrey after the game - I met Stan Cameron - The OHL Official Score Keeper, and Palgrave resident.  Stan is also the Public School Board Trustee for Caledon, and I had heard how good a trustee he is while I was at the December CCS Board Meeting.  It is a small, small world!

It is good to now be back on a regular Schedule - But with Fr. Damian off - I'll be celebrating all the masses this Sunday - and the Baptism's too.  Thankfully Deacon Robert is preaching - and he and his wife Gabrielle are taking me to dinner Saturday Evening.  Swiss Chalet - OK!

Peace.