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Our Lady of Peace Parish
Also Serving Our Lady of the Smile parish, Waterhen Lake and St. Jude’s Parish, Green Lake Parish Office Hours: Monday – Closed; Tuesday – 10 am – 12 noon; Wednesday - Friday 10 am – 12; 1 – 4:30 pm Office Phone: 306-236-5122 Cell Phone: 306-304-7271 Parish Email: olpsecretary@sasktel.net Pastor Email: olpmlpastor@sasktel.net Facebook: Catholic Church Meadow Lake Website: https://www.meadowlakecatholicchurch.com/ Address: 504-3rd Ave. East, Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1H5 “Declare the marvelous works of the Lord among all the peoples.” Psalm 96 Refrain January 16, 2022 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 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 SaskHealth has informed us that all citizens age 5 & older are eligible to receive a Covid19 vaccine and that booster doses of the Covid19 vaccine are available. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Please encourage one another, including your children, to get vaccinated. Wearing masks, sanitizing, social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings also help. Let us be safe and care for one another. If you HAVE NOT been vaccinated and you choose to join us for liturgy, you are EXPOSING YOURSELF TO SERIOUS RISK because of the more infectious omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Mass Intentions When there is a funeral, the daily mass will be cancelled. Check Facebook for the most up-to-date information. On Tuesday to Friday and on Sunday, the Our Lady of Peace masses will be livestreamed on Facebook. Mon., Jan. 17 – No mass - Personal Intention Tues., Jan. 18 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Harry Gardiner by Catherine Gardiner Wed., Jan. 19 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Josette Laliberte by Catherine Gardiner Thurs., Jan. 20 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - +Linda Lepage by Carmelita Cameron Fri., Jan. 21 – 9:30 am mass (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - Wegwitz, Krieger & Kleinsassen Families by Carmelita Cameron Sat., Jan. 22 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake) - Anonymous Sun., Jan. 23 – 10 am (Our Lady of Peace Church, Meadow Lake & Facebook) - People of God Sun., Jan. 23 – 12:30 pm (St Jude Parish, Green Lake) - People of God Synod 2021-2023 Information – It is now time to move into the listening phase of the Synodal Process! Our group sessions and listening phase is January to the end of March 2022. You can take part at the parish level or you can take part at the Diocesan level. Last Sunday, Fr. Doug spoke about the Synod and how you can take part at the parish level. If you would like to participate in the Synod process as a Leader or a group member please contact the Parish Office so we can organize appropriately. I ask that each household in the parish pray every day from now until the end of March when we submit our thoughts and reflections to the Diocese. You can follow the Diocesan Synod plans here: https://www.padiocese.ca/synod2023. If you want to take part at the Diocesan level, there are a few opportunities to do so: Main Synod Questions (Belonging/Listening/Speaking Out) – February 9th REGISTER HERE Main Synod Questions (Belonging/Listening/Speaking Out) – March 9th REGISTER HERE Missionary Disciples (Sharing Responsibility) – March 23rd REGISTER HERE Christian Unity (Ecumenism) Zoom Session – January 26th REGISTER HERE Celebration (The Mass, Prayer, Devotions (rosary, pilgrimages etc.) – February 23rd REGISTER HERE These events are possible due to the generosity of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal supporters. A heartfelt thank you to all who donate. Facilitators Training Session – January 19th, 2022, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. This session is for those organizing a parish group session and those helping to facilitate (lead) the small groups at a parish or a group during the diocesan zoom sessions. We will review how to effectively run a gathering and provide hints on keeping your small groups on track. We will also further explain how to send the results of your consultations back to the diocesan committee. Our Synod Committee will be taking part in this Zoom Meeting. REGISTER HERE. Parish Secretary – If you know of someone who would be interested in this position, please have them contact Fr. Doug at (306) 236 5122 or they can email their application to olpmlpastor@sasktel.net Sunday Collection – Sunday, Jan. 9: Our Lady of Peace Parish: $2,432.35 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – January 18th–25th: “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt 2:2) Part 1 (of 2): According to the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12), the appearance of the star in the sky of Judea represents a long-awaited sign of hope, that leads the Magi, and indeed all peoples of the earth, to the place where the true king and Saviour is revealed. This star is a gift, an indication of God’s loving presence for all humanity. To the Magi it was a sign that a king was born. With its rays, it leads humanity towards a greater light, Jesus, the new light who enlightens every person and who leads us into the glory of the Father and the splendor of his radiance. Jesus is the light who has come into our darkness when, by the Holy Spirit, he was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became human. Jesus is the light who went even further into the darkness of the world when for our sake and for our salvation, he emptied himself and became obedient unto death. He did this to light our way to the Father, so that we might come to know the Father and know the love he has for us, who gave his only Son for us, so that believing in him we might not perish but have eternal life. The Magi saw the star and followed it. Traditionally commentators have seen in the figures of the Magi a symbol of the diversity of peoples known at that time and a sign of the universality of the divine call which appears in the light of the star shining from the east. They also see, in the Magi’s eager search for the new-born king, all humanity’s hunger for truth, for goodness and for beauty. Humanity has been longing for God since the beginning of creation in order to give him homage. The star appeared as the divine child was born in the fullness of time. It heralded God’s long-awaited act of salvation which begins in the mystery of the incarnation. The Magi reveal to us the unity of all nations desired by God. They travel from far-off countries and represent diverse cultures, yet they are driven by the same hunger to see and know the new-born king and are gathered into the little house in Bethlehem in the simple act of giving homage and offering gifts. Christians are called to be a sign to the world of God bringing about this unity that he desires. Drawn from different cultures, races and languages, Christians share in a common search for Christ and a common desire to worship him. The mission of the Christian people, therefore, is to be a sign like the star, to guide humanity in its hunger for God, to lead all to Christ, and to be the means by which God is bringing about the unity of all peoples. Part of the Magi’s act of homage is to open their treasures, to offer their gifts, which from Christian antiquity, have been understood as signs of different aspects of Christ’s identity: gold for his royalty; incense for his divinity; and myrrh foreshadowing his death. The diverse gifts, therefore, provide us with an image of the particular insights that different Christian traditions have into the person and work of Jesus. When Christians gather together and open their treasures and their hearts in homage to Christ, all are enriched as the gifts of these insights are shared. The star rose in the east (Mt 2:2). It is from the east that the sun rises, and from what is called the Middle East that salvation appeared by the mercy of our God who blessed us with the dawn from on high (Lk 1:78). But the history of the Middle East was, and still is, characterized by conflict and strife, tainted with blood and darkened by injustice and oppression. Most recently, since the Palestinian Nakba (the exodus of Palestine’s Arab population during the 1948 war) the region has seen a series of bloody wars and revolutions and the rise of religious extremism. The story of the Magi also contains many dark elements, most particularly Herod’s despotic orders to massacre all the children around Bethlehem who were less than two years old (Mt 2:16-18). The cruelty of these narratives resonates with the long history and difficult present of the Middle East. It was in the Middle East that the Word of God took root and bore fruit: thirty and sixty and one hundredfold. And from this east that the apostles set out to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The Middle East gave thousands of Christian witnesses and thousands of Christian martyrs. And yet now, the very existence of the small Christian community is threatened as many are driven to seek a more secure and serene life elsewhere. Like the light, which is the child Jesus, the light of Middle Eastern Christianity is increasingly threatened in these difficult times. Furnishing a Room in the Northwest Community Lodge. To date, we have collected $10,255.00. When we reach $12,000.00, the parish will pass this on to the Northwest Community Lodge Association. Donations will be added to your envelope total. Your donation will be receipted as per usual. Questions - contact Fr. Doug or Pat Bencharski! Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2022: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2020, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 66 Today’s readings speak eloquently about the theological mysteries of God’s mercy. The first reading comes from an anonymous prophet, sometimes referred to as Third Isaiah (see Is 56-66), who lived in the sixth century BC. He joyfully announces the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon. The exile had happened because the people broke their covenant with God. They did not follow God’s laws, and they neglected worship. The covenant worked like a land lease. If the people kept it, they kept the land. If they broke the covenant, they could be evicted. But the Lord’s mercy and love for the people is so great that it restores the bond between them. In this prophecy, God pronounces Israel fully vindicated; this nation, once despised, will now be honoured again. The Gospel today focuses on the mercy of the incarnation. In Ephesus, John’s community knew many synagogues that said Jesus was a great prophet but not divine. They also knew of the Docetists, who said Christ was only divine and not at all human. John attempts to show that Christ is both fully human and fully divine throughout his Gospel account. In this particular example, Jesus performs an incredible miracle to show his divine authority. But he acts at the behest of his mother in order to help relatives who would be embarrassed to run out of wine. What is more human than doing a favour for your mother? Even the dialogue bespeaks an intimate parent-child relationship. Mary never orders Jesus—she states that there is a problem, implying that he should do something. When he demurs, she merely tells the staff to do whatever he says. John shows us Jesus, prompted by his mother, responding to a human need with divine mercy as he performs his first sign—an apt portrait of the incarnation.
EVANGELIZATION AND THE PANDEMIC: CONCERNS, HOPES, AND DREAMS: At this interactive evening session, participants will be given the opportunity to share their concerns as well as their hopes and dreams for parish life and their ministry engagement after the pandemic. There will be an opportunity to plan first, second, third... steps that will bring that vision to reality with others who share a similar ministry. Come prepared to hope, to vision, and to work out practical action steps for your area of engagement in your parish. Session will be held JANUARY 27, 2022, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: 8-Day Online Bible Study series “We saw the star in the East and we came to worship him” (Matthew 2:2) January 18-25, 2002 12:15-1:00 pm daily except Sunday Jan. 23 which will be at 3 pm (Saskatchewan time) Presented by the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism and the Regina Council of Churches. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkdeGhrzgtEtd2wehNGffCCV1v3D_2PfZ6 The 2022 theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Mt 2:2), was prepared by the Middle East Council of Churches, based in Beirut, Lebanon. The international theme and resources speak to our world’s urgent need for solidarity and transformation in the face of political, economic, and social turmoil, including the challenges and injustices highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we join the Christians of the Middle East in the journey to Christ’s manger, may we become a sign of the unity that God desires for all creation, and may we return to our home, our churches, and our world by new ways. Themes and Bible study leaders: Day 1, Tues, Jan. 18th: Raise us up and draw us to your perfect light: “We observed his star in the East” (Mt 2:2) Rev. Mitchell Anderson, St. Paul’s United, Saskatoon Day 2, Wed, Jan. 19th: Humble leadership breaks down walls and builds up with love: “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” (Mt 2:2) Rev. Karen Stepko, Christ Lutheran, ELCIC, Rhein, SK Day 3, Thu, Jan. 20th: The presence of Christ, turning the world upside down: “When Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (Mt 2:3) Queens House Retreat and Renewal Centre – Sarah Donnelly and Simon Lasair, Saskatoon Day 4, Fri, Jan. 21st: Though small and suffering, we lack nothing: “And you, Bethlehem... are by no means least” (Mt 2:6) Rev. Paul Matheson – First Mennonite, Saskatoon For further details, contact Cathryn Wood at admin@pcecumenism.ca What’s your Catholic IQ? Last bulletin’s question and answer: There are two main parts of the Bible, the Old Testament and the (d) New Testament. Old Testament books make up about three-fourths of the Bible; New Testament books make up the other fourth. This week’s question: God promised Noah to never again destroy the earth by flood. The sign of God’s promise is (a) the rainbow (b) the daisy (c) the rose (d) incense [pg. 11, #2] OUTCASTS WHO BELONG: JESUS AND UNNAMED WOMEN IN THE GOSPELS - Join Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU and learners from around the world on Zoom as we explore this compelling topic. “He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” (John 1:11) Jesus, an “outsider,” shared the lot of women who were outcasts due to their status, infirmity or life situation. In these presentations we reflect - with visuals and stories - on the encounters of the outsider Jesus with ten unnamed outsider women who belong as insiders in the new world he came to establish. visit https://www.queenshouse.org/programs/ Presentation #1 - Outsider women due to their status: · Woman who anointed Jesus on his head (Mk. 14:3-9; Mt. 26:6-13; Jn. 12:1-8); · Widow of Nain (Lk. 7:11-17); · Widow who gave her last mite (Lk. 21:1-4); · Syrophoenician/Canaanite woman (Mk. 7:24-30; Mt. 15:21-28) Presentation #2 - Outsider women due to their infirmity: · Woman bent double (Lk. 13:10-17); · Woman with hemorrhage (Mk. 5:24-34; Mt. 9:18-26; Lk. 8:40-56); · Daughter of Jairus (Mk. 5:21-24; Mt. 9:23-26; Lk. 8:49-56) Presentation #3 - Outsider women due to their life situation: · Woman who wept at his feet (Lk. 7:36-50); · Woman taken in adultery (Jn. 8:1-11); · Woman at the well (Jn. 4:7-42) Thursdays, January 20, 27 & February 3, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., repeated 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. $90 for three sessions. Registration deadline: January 18.
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Parish BulletinThis bulletin is prepared by the Parish Secretary and the Pastor Archives
September 2023
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