Our world needs Changing

To be sure there would have been more than 2 people in the temple during the day - it would have been filled with devout people who went to the Temple 3 times per day to pray. Perhaps it is these extremes that remind us that wherever we stand – we stand in need of God.  All of us – those in the front and those in the back, those wearing Mitres and those with baseball caps. We are complex, each of us a bundle of contradictions. There is a saint and a sinner in each of us. And that’s the person – the whole person that Jesus is calling us to recognise: calling us to stand before God in Honesty & Humility

Matthew Kelly from "Dynamic Catholic" recently said:

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempersWider freeways, but narrower view points We Spend more, but have less We have bigger houses, but smaller familiesWe have more conveniences, but less timeMore degrees, but less common senseWe have multiplied our possessions, but have reduced our valuesWe have been to the moon and back, but we have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbourWe have split the atom, but not our prejudiceWe have more leisure, and less funMore kinds of food, and less nutrition

Our world needs changing – and yet there is hope:Every day the Catholic church feeds more people, houses more people, clothes more people, visits more imprisoned people, takes care of more sick people, and educates more people than any other institution on planet earth could ever hope to. There is hope!
The Church needs game changers – not spectators! 

God emptied himself - to come among us in the flesh.
The life of Christ, on the Road, in the Temple,  on the Cross, and at our very banqueting table, the Altar, reminds us of God’s humility. And having been schooled in that humility at the table, we are equipped to be witnesses of that humility in our world! 

Peace

Saturday 3 PM

Well it is not quite done - yet it is ready to use for Sunday! There are many busy beavers scurrying around to reset the church.  I am not sure why it looks green from this angle - maybe just the high power lights and my phone's camera!

The final pews are being attached as I write this... and the entrance looks great.  I know that the men working - Steve, Rob, Adam and others have had in mind the Funeral we have on Monday - as well as the Sunday Masses!

And my Dad said - Oh yee of little faith!  I had faith - just seasoned with a little doubt!
Peace

3PM Friday

It feels like they are making alot of progress today!

This is standing at the entrance - looking towards the Sacristy (on the left).  By the way - Josef Schweighofer (Our Grand Knight) is painting the Sacristy this afternoon!

Here is a picture from the entrance - looking toward the right - the Choir area and Organ you can see in the background!

Saturday Morning will involve re-attaching the balance of the pews!
Peace

Carpet - Friday Mid Day

They have started to re-install the pews!

Next they have moved the final set of pews together to Grind and prep the last portion of floor - including the entrance area.

I think they will be working lat tonight and some time tomorrow morning - But they are confident! I am still like Thomas!!!
Peace

Carpet - Day 4

The progress continues on the carpet - with the 2 "wings" - side sections of the church being worked on today as well as the altar area.

Still praying that they complete the work before Saturday Noon - I hear they will not have the Sacristy done this weekend.
Peace

Carpet - Day 3

Here we can see Steve installing carpet on Wednesday Morning - Meanwhile Adam is out of Sight removing the carpet from the area in front of the Image of Mary - Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The dark area is the adhesive - which surprisingly is not really smelly, despite it being a high strength adhesive!
Peace

Carpet - End of Day 2

Well the carpet installers have been working hard - and they have finished about 1/4 of the church - and have prepared the next 1/4 with the grinding machines.  That pile in the middle of the floor is the glue residue left from the back of the 31 year old carpet!  

This picture was taken just before Lydia and I took the Green Banners down - to prevent any more dust getting on them!
Peace

Carpet - Day 2

Here is an update on the carpet replacement:
The installers do have to do some grinding of the floor to remove the original glue that was placed to hold the first carpet some 31 years ago - but not as extensive as originally thought. So this is both bad and good news!  We are writing people's names on the back of tiles - and these are being installed - even as I write this note!
Here is the picture from around 10:00 am today - the large dark area - that is the glue / bond already spread on the floor and you can see the first pallet of Carpet tiles has already been laid.

Pray for Steve, Adam & Rob - they are on their knees in the church all this week!
Peace

Carpet Day 1

It has been a hectic few days at the parish. We had all three of our Youth Ministry programs active this weekend - so that meant that we had over 200 young people engaged through these Ministries in the space of 28 Hours!  Wow!
Edge on Friday Night - Rooted on Saturday Morning - and Lifeteen on Saturday Night!
In addition - we had a Wedding Saturday and funerals Friday and Saturday Morning, and a lunch meeting Friday with Urszula - the chaplain of St. Michael's Secondary School!  Then on Sunday afternoon we had Baptisms in the Church and Parent / Candidate meeteings for Sacraments in the Parish Hall.  After those meetings we had to "Un-Assemble the Church" to get ready for the Carpet Installation this week.  With the help of our Property Committee, our Sunday Staff and some Knights of Columbus - we were able to have everything finished by 5:15 pm Sunday. For the coming week will be celebrating all of our Daily Masses in the Parish Hall.

Here is a picture from Monday Morning - the pews were out quickly for 1/2 of the right hand side of the church!  They will have to grind the floor to get the glue from the first carpet off of the cement pad that is our church floor.

Peace

Saint Johns Bible 2013

Wednesday evening I went to Regis College at the Toronto School of Theology - at U of T for an event celebrating the reception of the 7th and Final Volume of the St. John’s Bible. I went with our youth who were trained to be page turners.

It was a Catholic Who’s Who - with Most Rev. Terrance Prendergast, the Archbishop of Ottawa, and Phil Horrigan, the president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild, and George & Gloria Allen - the donor's of the Heritage Edition of the Bible to Regis College.

There were 3 priests who talked about the Illuminations in both the Old Testament and New Testament. One said: 

There is no place where God’s Word is not present.

Even in darkest panels – there is a line of Gold or Platinum.
Here is an Example - from the Suffering Servant portion of Isaiah:

God is present in surprising ways in the Scripures today: the foreigner Naamann and the Samaritan who returns to thank the Lord.  God can also be present in surprising ways in our lives – in the darkest panels – God is alive:

• Even when our Spouse is unfaithful;
• Even when we have to Bury a child;
• Even when a friend suffers depression;
• or when a Child is addicted to drugs.

Having an Attitude of Gratitude – allows us to see that Gold or Platinum thread in the panels of our lives - the presence of God!

Each Sunday we come to encounter the Lord
The same God who healed Naamann – foreigner
Same Lord who healed the Samaritans
Here we are nourished – in Word and Sacrament
We receive communion – and are strengthened and sent forth
More important than what we get – is what we give
Not just little white envelope – though its important
What we give – is our praise and thanks.
Always & everywhere - during ups and downs
mourning and rejoicing Wedding & Funeral

This is our best way of giving Thanks the Eucharist – where we are joined to Christ & sent out to announce the hope of the Resurrection.  Thanks be to God!

Thanksgiving 2013

Now my brother in law (Ian) has started to get on my case about the lack of a Blog entry for almost a month!  Usually it is Stephanie who is all over me about that!

I had 2 weeks of holidays where I visited Barcelona, Avignon, Nimes, Reims and ended in Paris.  Barcelona is home to a magnificent church that has been under construction since the early 1900's and is still not expected to be complete until 2026!  Sagrada Familia (Holy Family!) was designed by the famous architect Gaudi, and the roof was closed in only 3 years ago - when Pope Benedict consecrated it as a Basilica.  

It was a great visit.  Maybe I'll get back there for the completion - planned in 2026! 

My Dad, Fr. Scott, and a few friends then travelled to Southern France - Avignon and Nimes.  In the 1300's there were 7 Popes who lived in Avignon (The time period called the Avignon Papacy in History classes).  We visited the "Palace" and the "Pont-d'Avignon" made famous in song.

We stayed in Nimes - which has one of the best preserved Arena's from Roman Times (Smaller - but better preserved than the Coliseum in Rome.)  Nimes was actually an important Roman city in the time of Jesus - and was a "Northern Frontier" city.

Then we travelled North to Reims the centre of the Champagne District - and the place where Clovis - the King of the Francs was Baptized on Christmas Day 498.  (So much for RCIA and Easter Sacraments!)  The trip ended in Paris - and people came home over the last few days in dribs and drabs! 
A great time was had by all - especially me - since often people were picking up the tab for my meals - as a Birthday Present!

The ability to travel, to see the world, and to enjoy family and friends - a few of the many things I am grateful for this Thanksgiving!
Peace