18th Sunday in Ordinary Time August 4, 2024

 
        
       Our Lady of Peace Parish
Also Serving Our Lady of the Smile Parish, Waterhen Lake and
St. Jude’s Parish, Green Lake

Office Hours: Closed Monday
Tuesday - Friday 1-4:00 pm
Office Phone:  306-236-5122 
Cell Phone: 306-304-7271

Parish Email: [email protected] Pastor Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Catholic Church Meadow Lake
Website: https://www.meadowlakecatholicchurch.com/
Address: 504-3rd Ave. East, Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1H5  
 
  The Lord gave them the bread of heaven.
Psalm 78 Refrain
 
 Our Vision:
A Community of Disciples
Our Mission
We commit to form disciples
who joyfully and faithfully
live out the mission of
Jesus Christ
by enriching our relationship
with God and neighbour
through the intercession of
Our Lady of Peace.
Pastor: 
Fr. Uche Umechikelu, MSP
Parish Secretary:
Pat Bencharski
 
Masses
Intentions

When there is a funeral, the daily mass will normally be cancelled.  Check Facebook for the most up-to-date information.  On Tuesday to Friday and on Sunday, Our Lady of Peace masses will be livestreamed on Facebook.

Mon., Aug. 5 – No mass
 
Tues., Aug. 6 – 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Aug. 6 – 1:00 pm  Mass at Elders Lodge on Flying Dust
 
Tues., Aug. 6 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Annamma by Joby & Dona

Wed., Aug. 7 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Cody Corrigal & +Tiffany Opikokew by Peter Durocher

Thurs., Aug. 8 – 8:30 am Adoration before mass
 
Thurs., Aug. 8 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Raylene Fiddler & +Nessa Fiddler by Peter Durocher

Fri., Aug. 9 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Anonymous
 
Sat., Aug. 10 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church) - People of God

Sun., Aug. 11 – 10:00 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God

Sun., Aug. 11 – 12:30 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) - People of God

Sun., Aug. 11 – 3:00 pm (Our Lady of the Smile Waterhen) - People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Mass at Elders Lodge on Flying Dust Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 1:00 pm.

 
Sunday Collection – July 28:  Meadow Lake $1041.15  Green Lake $54.25   Children’s Collection $6.15
                                                            July CAFT  $2385.00
 
Sunday Church Attendance – July 28- Adults 126  Children  11   Total  137
 
 
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for August – for political leaders – We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.
 
                                                           
Scripture Insights – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2024:  The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2023, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 284.
 
 In Exodus 16, the Israelites grumble against Moses and Aaron (and God) for leading them out of the abundance of Egypt into the starvation of the desert. In response, God sends them a daily portion of manna, testing whether they will trust God to continue giving them what they need. When the Israelites hedge their bets and try to save a little for the next day, the manna spoils.
 The Swedish word lagom means “enough” or “just the right amount.” It is a word of abundance, not a word of scarcity. It indicates a way of living in the world without anxiety, trusting that one has what one needs and does not need to grasp for more. Today’s Responsorial Psalm declares that God sent the Israelites food “in abundance” (Psalm 78:25): God’s “enough” is true abundance. It is the same logic behind the prayer to give us “our daily bread.” We ask God to give us what we need for today and trust that God will do the same tomorrow.
The Gospel tells us that what God ultimately gives us is God’s own self: God’s Son, sent into the world not to condemn it but to save it; God’s body, broken on the cross and offered as true food to a hungry world; God’s heart, broken for us, so that we might never hunger again (John 6:35).
It’s a paradox that “enough” means “more than you will ever need.” To grasp this requires one to be “renewed in the spirit” of the mind, as Paul writes to the Ephesians. The old self – who Christians were prior to Christ – was corrupted by “deceitful desires.” It’s human nature to desire more, and more, and more. To trust God’s loving provision requires a new self, re-created in Christ’s truth. God provides that re-creation, too.
                    

• All of us can relate to the Israelites at the beginning of this first reading. So often, we find ourselves grumbling at God, for dreams not yet realized and hungers not yet satisfied. How quickly we forget all that God has done to bring us this far! But God does not abandon us, even in our lack of gratitude and our moments of profound impatience; rather, God gives us what we need to keep going. What keeps you going these days?

·         To an addict, the idea of putting away a former self and putting on a new self is a good goal. And sometimes we might slip. Sometimes that former self rears its ugly head, and we need to start again from square one. Luckily, our god is merciful and welcomes us back again and again – as many times as we need. But part of our challenge will be the realization that our former self is a part of us: the journey is not always a straight path, but we can treat ourselves with the same merciful kindness that God does. Don’t give up on yourself.
We always want proof. Even after we’ve seen miraculous things happen, the doubt creeps back in and we need another sign. It’s part of our human condition: momentary satisfaction that fades, and then we need our next thing, our next food, our next comfort. But Jesus invites us to consider a way of life that does not leave us wanting more. How might our experience of Sunday Eucharist be an example of gift and sustenance that is perpetually unfolding in our lives?