1st Sunday with the New Roman Missal

Well I think that went well!  Fr. Sherwin and I are mighty relieved.  We both felt that our own reading of the Mass parts beforehand (I had even taken a misselette sized resource with me on holidays!) had been helpful, and I think our parish was as prepared as any!  Good job on you all! Be generous with each other.  There will be a learning curve!
We will need to support each other and encourage each other to use the cards, especially at those 5 places where the changes are significant:

1. "And with your spirit." - This happens 5 times in the mass - including: Opening Greeting, before the Gospel, at the Preface, before the sign of peace, before the final blessing.
2. The entire Nicene Creed! We will pray this creed until the beginning of Lent in February 2012.
3. At the Preparation of the gifts: "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy church."
4. Preface Dialogue: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God - then "It is right and just."
5. Before Communion: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."

We also need to remember to Bow after the person in front of us in the communion procession moves to the side.


Even though the words are new - the important thing to remember is that the Mass is unchanged!  Christ is truely present among us when we gather, in the priest that Presides, in the Word proclaimed, and in the Bread and wine - the Body and Blood of Christ broken and poured out for our salvation.
It will be interesting to watch the evening news - and to see how different newscasts try to report this change in the church's language of prayer in English!


Peace
Fr. Larry

Waiting Wisely for the Bridegroom

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids 

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

I always think of the church of St. Maria in Trestevere, in Rome, when I hear this Gospel:


The Church

The Facade

Detail of the Facade

You can see that the lamps of the Bridesmaids on the left (on the right of St. Mary) have their lamps lit, and the Bridesmaids on the right do not - YET interestingly - ALL 10 have have a halo!!!
We need to be ready - but in the end Salvation is God's doing!
I am on Holidays for 2+ weeks - and may or may not post!


Peace

Time Change

So What would you do with an extra hour?
Every year, Canadians receive the coveted gift of 60 more minutes when clocks are rolled back for Daylight Savings Time.
But what if that annual ritual happened once a week?

With the nation poised to gain some time this Sunday, November 6, research group Angus Reid asked Canadians how they would use an extra hour every week — if, by some scientific marvel, they received one. The poll revealed Canadians are divided on how they'd spend a spare hour but most agree the last task they'd use it on is work.  Only three per cent of respondents said they'd channel those 60 extra minutes a week into their day jobs.
Instead, most Canadians wish they could spend more time sleeping and catching up on basic household errands. Twenty-four per cent of survey respondents said they'd use an extra hour to catch up on a mounting list of chores and household errands. But almost as many Canadians would gladly trade their brooms for a bed, with 22 per cent of respondents opting to sleep through an extra hour every week. Relationships emerged as a clear priority in the poll with results suggesting that Canadians would prefer to spend an extra hour socializing rather than exercising.
Only five per cent of survey respondents indicating that they'd spend an hour on community service, maybe we should be urging people to get involved.

Full results of the "Value of an Hour" poll:

• Family and friends – 25 per cent
• Chores and Errands – 24 per cent
• Sleep – 22 per cent
• Exercise – 14 per cent
• Interests and hobbies – 6 per cent
• Community service – 5 per cent
• Work – 3 per cent

Whatever you will do with this 60 minutes - remember to turn your clocks back an hour this Saturday Night before going to bed!

See you at Church!

Peace

Days of the Living and the Dead - Halloween - All Souls

Each Sunday, Week after week, having listened to God’s Word, we profess our beliefs ... In the words of the Apostles creed, tucked into the middle of the last sentence … 

"I believe in the holy spirit, the Holy catholic Church the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the Body, and life everlasting.

If what we Pray is what we believe - We believe in the Communion of Saints - how does it affects our lives ?

These 3 Days are connected & All Saints Day is at the HEART
the day before is Halloween … & the day after … All Souls day

Some of our Current stuff of Halloween is connected to All Saints … and some stuff is not… Like the Name – That is connected.
October 31st is the eve of All the Saints.

Saints – are the holy ones: Holy = Hallowed
(Our Father… HALLOWED be your name)
So it’s the Evening before the day of all the saints
All Hallows day Eve… All Hallows eve… Halloween
This time of year is very much a time of Harvest for us in our northern Hemisphere and there is a connection of the harvest of all the faithful… at the end of time.The earth is going dormant… Like when a person dies…  Our Current Practice of Trick or Treat (Dressing up to appear as one of the spirits) and Giving sweet treats as bribes comes from the Celtic / Druid customs which were part of Ireland / England. These customs spread throughout the world as Irish left Ireland in the mid 1800's during the potato famine. Jack-O-Lanterns are connected to the Druid Fires – Lamps that were used to guide the way. 

                                   [Reflection on Pumpkins: 

Being a good person is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all of the yucky stuff – including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a bright new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.]

All Saints Day on November 1 is set aside to remember not only the vast array of uncanonized saints—those individuals whose holiness was known only by a few - but also to Remember that we are part of the Communion of Saints.  Canonized saints are only a small minority of those celebrating the direct vision of God. There are many unknown or unnamed Saints - so this is their Day - this is Our Day!!!  In a sense we - the living - are small "s" saints - while those who are with God now in heaven are capital "S" Saints!

November 2, is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed
To Commemorate means to Remember - Remember before God
We pray for them. I remember my Mother and Grandparents, my aunts and uncles and family friends. This day marks the time to pray for them… particularly a chance to pray during the whole month of November…

Living as if we believe in the communion of saints means that we are among those singing at Funeral, that we are regularly praying for the dead,  and that we are invoking and praying with the Saints, asking their intercession.

Have a blessed - Memorable - November!

Peace

Busy Weekend

The Past few days have been busy for me - both at Holy Family and away from the Parish.  On Friday I traveled up to Martyrs Shrine in Midland to offer a retreat for the Board of Trustees.  This was a short 4 hour retreat - where we reflected upon the image of Sunday as the Day of the Lord, and that our gathering for Eucharist on Sunday is not for ourselves - but we are nourished and sent forth from the Table for the life of the world.
Then I came back to Bolton in time to help lead the Edge Night - on the Changes to the Roman Missal... 
Saturday started off with Breakfast with 200 women at the semi-annual "Magnificat" gathering in North York.  With a couple of Tables from Bolton / Caledon, it was impressive to see that many women celebrating their commitment to the faith.  The guest speaker was Sr. Mary Elizabeth Doolittle - who is a "Sister of Life" - a relatively new congregation formed by Cardinal O'Connor in the early 1990's in New York, and now present in a number of cities - including Toronto.  Sr. Mary Elizabeth spoke of her discernment story and how the Holy Spirit had been active in her life... She was a terrific, energy filled speaker.  I would love to have some of the Sisters of Life come to the parish and be a witness for our young people - especially our young women.


Meanwhile back in Bolton there was a full house in the Parish:  Edge had Teen Training for over 90 people from 6 parishes, and we had our final Lector Proclamation workshop.

The usual Saturday Night Lifenight was busy - with some visitors from Bradford and Orangeville...
Then Sunday afternoon - after the Masses - we had a Staff meeting for almost 3 hours with our entire - including the Student Part time Staff.  We have one of these meetings each year - and this year we are endeavoring to step things up - going from being a "good staff" to beeing a "great staff" in service of our parishioners...
I then high-tailed it to North York to have dinner with my Sister Julie and her family - Julie turned 40 this week (oops was I supposed to say that?)  It was a surprise to have Dad and I there for dinner - she had no Idea - since I had given her a card when they came to Mass Sunday Morning!
Its a busy week ahead with All Saints, All Souls, St. Michael's School Awards night, A Joint Meeting with Priests and Secondary School Principals in Dufferin Peel, and other preparations before I go on holidays next Monday, Nov. 7, for over 2 weeks.


Peace

A Year of...

Over the years the Church has had a number of different "Holy Year" times to focus non an aspect of our Salvation, of God, or a person of importance:

• 1975 - Holy Year (Typically held every 25 years)
• 1984 - Holy Year of Redemption (World Youth Day Cross)
• 1997 - Holy Spirit              Part of the
• 1998 - Jesus Christ            lead up to the
• 1999 - God the Father       Jubilee Year
• 2000 - Jubilee Year
• 2002 - The Rosary (We celebrated in 2003 in Toronto)
• 2004 - 2005 - The Eucharist
• 2008 - 2009 - St. Paul
• 2009 - 2010 - Year for Priests

Now this past Sunday Pope Benedict has announced another "Year of..."  that will begin next October on the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council - a Year of Faith.
Here is the text of the Holy Father's Announcement:

VATICAN CITY, 16 OCT 2011 (VIS) - During Mass this morning in the Vatican Basilica, celebrated to mark the end of an international meeting on new evangelisation organised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, Benedict XVI announced that he was calling a forthcoming "Year of Faith".
     The Year will begin on 11 October 2012, fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and will come to an end on 24 November 2013, Feast of Christ the King. Its aim "is to give renewed energy to the Church's mission to lead men and women out of the desert in which they so often find themselves, and towards the place of life, towards friendship with Christ who gives us life in all its fullness". The Year will likewise be an opportunity "to strengthen our faith in Christ and joyfully to announce Him to the men and women of our time", the Pope said.
     Commenting on this Sunday's readings, the Holy Father explained that the mission of the Church must be considered in the light of "the theological meaning of history. Epoch-making events, the rise and fall of great powers, all lie under the supreme dominion of God. No earthly power can take His place. The theology of history is an essential aspect of the new evangelisation, because the men and women of our time, following the tragic period of the totalitarian empires of the twentieth century, need to rediscover a global vision of the world and history. They need a truly free and peaceful vision, the vision which Vatican Council II transmitted in its documents and which my predecessors, Servant of God Paul VI and Blessed John Paul II, illustrated with their Magisterium".
     "In order to be effective evangelisation needs the strength of the Spirit, which enlivens the message and infuses the person who bears it with the 'full conviction' of which St. Paul speaks. ... New evangelisers are called to be the first to walk along the Path which is Christ, in order to lead others to the beauty of the life-giving Gospel. On this Path we are never alone, but always in company; it is an experience of communion and fraternity which is offered to everyone we meet, bringing them to share in our experience of Christ and His Church. Thus, witness associated with announcement can open the hearts of those who seek the truth, helping them discover the meaning of their own lives".
     Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the Gospel episode of the tribute to be paid to the emperor. Jesus command to "give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's", he said, "is rich in anthropological significance and cannot be reduced only to the political sphere. The Church, then, does not limit herself to reminding men and women of the just distinction between the authority of Caesar and that of God, between the political and religious spheres. The mission of the Church, like that of Christ, is essentially that of speaking about God, evoking His sovereignty, calling everyone - and especially Christians who have lost their identity - of God's rights over that which belongs to Him:our lives".

As we continue through the first 8 months of 2012 we will learn more and more  what this Year of Faith will look like.  There will be a general Synod of Bishops on the topic of Evangelization, and we will have been praying with the new Translation of the Roman Missal for some time, and will be comfortable with the new phrases and responses.
Peace.

Instant Messaging

Really – Love your Neighbour      How can I do that?

     I don’t even like my neighbour        

Maybe loving my neighbour is better than having to love 

my: brother – sister - Father – Mother – son – daughter – cousin – whoever

Love the Lord your God with all your heart

And all your soul      And all your mind.

What does that even mean?                              

I don’t even know if I can do that!        And He’s GOD!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind"

Jesus is Quoting the old testament phrase which was part of Daily prayer

For the Men of Israel - whould wear Phylacteries - little box -

near their heart (on their left bicept)  & on their Mind (On the forehead)

Doing as they have done – for nearly 3000 years

This Phrase – Love God with all your heart/soul/mind

   is on a scroll in that little box

     Jesus was quoting his daily prayer - 3 times a day as the answer to the test.

Friend from High School is married, 4 children - Her sons – are my Godsons

           she has been flying a lot lately – with her husband - a Doctor

This week I helped with her AirCanada Elite choices // Upgrade Credits

     I knew – when she’d get the email, the Pkg, and the [best]Options for her

Would that I would know Sacred Scriptures like I know Airplanes…

How can I make one step closer? 

     To lovng God  with all of my heart /soul /mind

By Being a person of prayer – like Jesus

When some person wants to trick / push / provoke me

          Being a person of prayer can allow me

Not guarantee us / allow us to love –

even if that person doesn’t love us back

Hinges bear the weight - mighty doors Strong Hinges

 Love of God  //  Love of Neighbour – 2 great hinges

How do I know I can love - because I have been loved

    even when I did not deserve it - here at this Altar table,

        & over the years around dinner table at my home...

Then having been loved - even when I did not deserve it -

we can go forth and love - even if we don't like...

Peace