8th Sunday in Ordinary Time March 2, 2025

 
        
       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 MON, TUES, THURS & FRI
OPEN : Wednesday 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  
 
    Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Psalm 92 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., Mar. 3 – No mass
 
Tues., Mar. 4– 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Mar. 4 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - ++Sony Abraham by Swapna Abraham & Bijo Augustine

Wed., Mar. 5 – 12:30 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) Ash Wednesday
 
Wed., Mar. 5 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) Ash Wednesday - +Yolande Gratton by Louis Gratton

Thurs., Mar. 6 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Louis & Germaine Wilfing & Raymond Wilfing by Nick & Eileen Charney

Thurs., Mar. 6 – 10:00 am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
 
Fri., Mar. 7 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Therese Christensen by Louis Gratton

Sat., Mar. 8 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace) - People of God

Sun., Mar. 9 – 10:00 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God

Sun., Mar. 9 – 12:30 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) - People of God

Sun., Mar. 9 – 3:00 pm (Our Lady of the Smile Waterhen) - People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Catechism classes every Sunday after mass.
2. Ash Wednesday Service – 12:30 pm on Green Lake and 6:30 pm in Meadow Lake on Wednesday, March 5
3. Stations of the Cross will be taking place every Friday during Lent starting this Friday, March 7 at 7:00 pm.

 Sunday Collection –  Feb. 23  Meadow Lake  $1346.00    Green Lake  $209.00    Children’s $4.05
                                                           
 Sunday Church Attendance –    Feb. 23   Adults  110  Children  15    Total  125
 
 The Pope’s Prayer Intention for March – For families in crisis  – Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.
 
Season of Lent – Lent is the yearly celebration by the church of its corporate conversion in Jesus Christ. During Lent, the liturgy prepares catechumens to celebrate the Paschal Mystery by the various stages of Christian Initiation. It also prepares the faithful for Easter as they recall their Baptism and do penance in preparation for the greatest Feast of the year.
Lent has two major purposes: It recalls or prepares for Baptism, and emphasizes a spirit of penance. Through forty days of closer attention to God’s Word and of more fervent prayer, believers are prepared to celebrate the Paschal Mystery. Lenten instructions stress these baptismal and penitential themes.
During Lent, it is important to teach the social consequences of sin as well as the fact that the heart of the virtue of penance is hatred of sin as an offence against God. The church encourages penitential practices that are external and social, reflecting the circumstances of individuals and communities, as we pray and so penance for sinners.
                                                            Taken from Ordo  page 81
 
World Day of Prayer – March 7 – The World Day of Prayer is observed annually on the first Friday in March. It is an invitation for Christians to pause and pray together ecumenically. This recalls our Christian            responsibility to be sensitive to the signs of the times so that we might bring a more authentically Christian dimension to the concerns of our world, our country, our community. Sponsored by the Women’s Inter-church Council of Canada and its national counterparts around the world, it is celebrated in approximately 165 countries.
                                                            Taken from Ordo page 83
 
Scripture Insights – Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2025: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2024, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 102.
 
 The passage from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians contains the heart of today’s readings. Across the fifteenth chapter of this letter, Paul teaches the Gospel he has received (I Cor 15:3), which leads him to take on the challenge that death poses to this good news. The one living by faith is invulnerable to the power of death. He asks, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (15:55). He answers that it is found only in sin, for which Christ has atoned. Paul is, therefore, uncompromising that, through God’s plan, Jesus Christ has taken on death and beaten it. Christ’s work is not the end of the plan. Paul instructs that we are continuously to take part in the relationship with God, “always fully devoted to the work of the Lord” (15:58).
Today’s Gospel reading is from Luke’s narration of Jesus’ sermon on the plain and reads a lot like Jewish wisdom literature. Jesus presents a series of pithy remarks on practical ways to participate in the work of the Lord. From these teachings, we question whether the blind (read: uninformed) can lead others, and we are challenged to self-reflection and discernment before we call out others’ weaknesses. Jesus also assures us that fullness of heart must be the locus of our treatment of others. Jesus calls on his Jewish scriptural tradition for such teachings, and the verses from Sirach punctuate this wisdom. In the biblical tradition, there is no more powerful challenge to think before speaking. Our speech, says Sirach, is the primary testament to our integrity and concern for justice.
 

• It’s a common rule of etiquette never to talk about religion or politics, especially in mixed company. Yet our growth in wisdom will be greater when we learn to listen to those who disagree with us. Our churches can promote safe spaces to talk about difficult topics. In this way, when we go out into the world, the fruit of the tree will show the care that it’s had.

·         There are plenty of healthy sources of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional nourishment out there – and just as many toxic sources. From the news and entertainment we consume to the people with whom we spend our time, we are shaping our hearts. It is a timely moment on the verge of Lent to evaluate how we are nourishing ourselves and what fruits we are producing.