2nd Sunday of Easter - April 11, 2021

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

Office Hours For Parish Secretary: Monday - Friday: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Office Hours For Fr. Doug: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 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
 
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.”  Psalm 118
 
 
April 11, 2021 - 2nd Sunday of Easter
 
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. Doug Jeffrey, OMI
Parish Secretary:
Lorraine Thibeault
Pastoral Council Chair:
Doris Beaubien
Finance Council Chair:

Mass Attendance:  If you would like to attend mass on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings in Meadow Lake, please call the Parish Office 306-236-5122 BEFORE FRIDAY NOON and leave a message.  Reservations are necessary as we have limited capacity (20 small groups), and we do not want to turn someone away from the door.
 
SaskHealth/Diocese of Prince Albert Regulations – At Our Lady of Peace Parish, our Saturday evening (7:00 pm mass) and Sunday morning (10:00 am mass) can accommodate 25 households. If you would like to take part in our liturgy you must register, maintain social distance, wear a mask and sanitize your hands. A virtual liturgy continues to fulfill our Sunday obligation. As our attendance numbers increase, we must maintain our vigilance as the virus has not gone away – the risk here in Meadow Lake has diminished, but we want to continue exercising caution.
Celebrating St. Joseph:  Wherever you are, let us continue to give thanks and praise for the faithful life and love of St. Joseph.
 

Mass Intentions

Mon., April 12 - Personal Intention
 
Tues., April 13 – 11:30 am (Facebook) - +Fr. Paul Paprosky OSB by Rhys and Pat Beaulieu
 
Wed. April 14 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Fr. Paul Paprosky OSB by Rhys and Pat Beaulieu
 
Thurs., April 15 - 6:30 pm (Facebook) - Healing by Ken and Margaret Alger
 
Fri., April 16 - 6:30 pm (Facebook) - Healing by Ken and Margaret Alger
 
Sat., April 17 - 9:00 am (Facebook) - Anonymous
 
Sat. April 17 - 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Parish Hall, Meadow Lake) - People of God

Sun. April 18 - 10 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - People of God
 
Sun. April 18- 12:30 pm (St Jude’s, Green Lake) - People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Please note the time change for mass on Tuesday of this week.  Mass will be at 11:30 am.
2. Songs at Seven – Tune into Facebook on Thursday night for another session of Songs at Seven.
3. Saturday, April 17 is the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha who is designated as the Protectress of Canada. St. Kateri’s picture is situated at the right front of the Church at Our Lady of Peace.
4. Fr. Kendrick Beler from the Goodsoil Cluster will be taking a brief holiday this coming week. Fr. Doug will be covering for him should any emergencies arise. Say a little prayer for Fr. Kendrick that he will enjoy his time off!

Easter Season – Notes taken from the Ordo (Liturgical Calendar 2020-2021) published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Did you know that in the mind of St. Athanasius the seven weeks from Easter to Pentecost are considered the ‘Great Sunday’. They are celebrated as one great Feast Day. The sound of Alleluia is a sign of our rejoicing. During the octave of Easter, the double alleluia is used at the dismissal. By ancient tradition, the Old Testament is not read during the Easter Season. The first reading is usually from the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation and the Second Reading is taken from one of the Epistles. During the Easter Season, the Apostles Creed is used. On Sundays during the Easter season, the Church continues its catechesis to all who are baptized. The homily and the intercessions should reflect this catechesis. The Second Sunday of Easter has the extended title – Divine Mercy Sunday – changes to texts or readings are not permitted or required. On this Sunday we are invited to receive the Holy Spirit and to engage in the ministry of forgiveness. The Gospel of John is clear that the mission of forgiveness has been given to us and is made possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit. This mission is given to us by Jesus himself.

Our sympathies are extended to Jamie Poitras and Glenna Carrieron on the death of their daughter Star Poitras. We pray for them and for the repose of the soul of Star.
 
THANK YOU:  A huge word of thanks to all the folks who contributed to our 40 cans for Lent project. We collected an amazing amount of food. 1460 items totaling 1365 Lbs. If you have not yet donated food and would like to, just drop it off at the Parish Office or the Church and we will make sure it gets to the Door of Hope. I am so grateful for the way in which you have responded and the care you show for your sisters and brothers here in Meadow Lake. I want to remind you that on average, every day from Monday to Friday, the Door of Hope feeds 30-40 kids and 120-140 adults. In addition, 20-25 Food Hampers are given out each week to those families who are in need.
Thanks to the Knights of Columbus who sponsor this project and a special word of thanks to those who helped to count and carry the food for transportation to the Door of Hope. Your generosity is so appreciated.

Landscaping Plans & Committee:  As you know, when we took down the Old Parish Office Building it was late in the fall and the ground was freezing and frozen. The hole was filled with sand. In taking a close look at the property, there is need for some landscaping – what do we do with that space? While looking at that space, it is prudent for us to look at what might be done to enhance the beauty of our entire Church yard. I am thinking that it would be good to develop a plan for our Church yard so that rather than reacting to immediate needs or concerns we work towards a plan for our property. If you have ideas or if you would like to be a part of a committee or if you are willing to do some work, please be in touch with Fr. Doug at the parish office. Thanks! Looking forward to what we can do together to enhance the beauty of our property!

Parish Secretary:  Next week, Fr. Doug will be posting a job opportunity for parish secretary. Lorraine has been working as the parish secretary for the last several months. It is the plan of the Thibeault Family to sell their home and relocate in Shellbrook. If you know someone who would like this work, please have them contact Fr. Doug at the Parish Office (306) 236 5122 for additional information.
 
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine:  There is a letter from Bishop Thevenot concerning the Shrine at St. Laurent and its need for financial support. Because there have been no pilgrimages due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their source of income has diminished rather significantly. The Bishop invites people from across the Diocese to support the Shrine as they are able. If you are interested and able to support the Shrine, information and envelopes are available at the Parish Office. Give a call or drop in during Office Hours. Thanks in advance for whatever you are able to offer.
 
Candles:   We have a number of old Easter Candles here at the parish – they are made from bees wax. Taken together there is a lot of wax. Does anyone have the hobby of making candles? Is anyone able to melt down the wax and perhaps make one or two new Easter Candles that we could use here at Meadow Lake or in one of the other parishes? If you have any ideas please be in touch with Fr. Doug at the Parish Office.

What’s your Catholic IQ?   Last bulletin’s question and answer:  When Jesus was praying for his Father’s help in the garden before he was crucified, he said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.”  But he finished this request by saying, (a) “yet, not my will but yours be done.” Jesus’ prayer in the garden was so intense that he sweated drops of blood.  He had asked Peter, James and John to stay awake and pray with him at this important time, but they all fell asleep.  See Luke 22:39-46
This week’s question:  The saint who followed what she called “The Little Way” to holiness is (a) St. Augustine (b) St. Therese, the Little Flower (c) St. John Bosco (d) St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

 
A Virtual Easter Season Sunday Gospels Study offered by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, facilitated by Christine Taylor.  A Virtual Easter Bible Study of the Gospel readings for each of the Easter Season Sundays has been created using The Catholic Serendipity Bible for Personal and Study Groups, Lyman Coleman. The reflection and bible study will run Thursdays from April 8 – May 20 from 7:00-8:30 p.m.  To register, go to the Evangelization and Catechesis Webpage Adult Faith Easter Resources web page. You will see the registration link in the left-hand column.  The bible study that we will be following can be found here.  We will be praying in the style of Lectio Divina for the first 20 minutes of each evening. This will be followed by small groups sharing on questions designed to help participants dig deeper into the Gospel reading.

Making Disciples Workshop – Reinvigorating Our Parish RCIA Teams begins the week of Apr 18, 2021, with a series of videos (6-7 short clips altogether approximately one hour in length) released to watch prior to the two workshops.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word will be offered during the Easter Season until Pentecost inviting and supporting families in their domestic Church to grow the faith at home. It will be available both on the OEC Facebook Page and the Diocesan Evangelization and Catechesis Webpage on Sundays after 11 a.m. from April 11 – May 23, 2021. 

All these events are sponsored by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal.  Thank you to all who contribute.

Evangelizing Through the Season:  Easter Time is the season of mystagogy.  It is the season in which the Church returns again and again to the central experience of the Paschal Mystery that has been celebrated again in the Triduum.  Our attention is so closely focused on this story that it sometimes  seems that we are hearing the same readings over and over at Mass.  How is this an opportunity for evangelism?  While it is certainly true that many in our culture have not heard the Gospel, it is also true that many who have heard the Gospel or grown up in the Church have become disillusioned with the Church and have stopped listening for God’s word there.
 
Easter Time can be a time of real growth for the Church, as she breaks open her own experience of the sacraments, of the stories and of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of neophytes.  And this work is an opportunity to invite those who might have become disillusioned back into the contemplation of what it is that the Church celebrates.
 
Mystagogical preaching is one place to begin in this task.  How can homilies invite people to reflect more deeply on their experience of God?  What common experiences from the liturgy might people reflect on together?  This pattern can be expanded beyond the liturgy but will always return to the experience of being church together around the table.  Common experiences of lectio divina, or visio divina, can open up the Scriptures read at the Mass.  They can also be opportunities for inviting people to come and reflect together about the Bible.  It’s not uncommon to hear from those raised in the Catholic Church that they think that they cannot read or interpret Scripture themselves, and lectio can provide a place to start and permission to reengage.  It can also be an experience to be shared with other Christians, by which the Gospel can be fostered together.  Alternately, people might be invited to reflect on their memories of the rites, either from when they themselves were baptized or confirmed or from when they observed those close to them be received into Christ’s Body.  Learning to listen for God’s action in our lives opens the ears of our hearts, allowing us to see more clearly the actions of grace throughout our lives.  Learning to do this together can be an important first step toward healing the rifts that have come between people and the Church.