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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 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 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth! (Psalm 66 Refrain) May 14, 2023 - 6th 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: Pat Bencharski Mass 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., May 15 – No mass Tues., May 16 – 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge Tues., May 16 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Special Intention by Louis & Yolande Gratton Wed., May 17 – No mass Thurs., May 18– No mass Fri., May 19 – No mass Sat., May 20 – 5:00 pm – St Jude Parish, Green Lake - People of God Sun., May 21 – 10:00 am – (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Sunday Collection – May 7: Meadow Lake $1464.05 Green Lake – $35.00 The Pope’s Prayer Intention for May – For church movements and groups – We pray that Church movements and groups may rediscover their mission of evangelization each day, placing their own charisms at their service of needs in the world. Pancake Breakfast – On Sunday, May 14, we celebrate Mother’s Day, and the Knights of Columbus are hosting a Mother’s Day Breakfast after the 10:00 am Mass at Our Lady of Peace Parish. Come and join us for Mass and/or Breakfast. Everyone is welcome and the Breakfast and the Company will be great! 😊 Thank you! I want to express my gratitude to the People of St. Jude and Our Lady of Peace Parishes who volunteered to lead the Sunday Liturgies of the Word with Communion while I was away on retreat. Along with your brothers and sisters I am so grateful for your generosity. I have heard good things about the prayer that has taken place! Thank you! I had a wonderful retreat at Chitek Lake. I used Week 3 of the Ignatian Exercises to guide my prayer. In Week 3 we are invited to reflect on the story of the Passion and Death of Jesus. As I prayed, I identified with the disciples who fell asleep. How often have I made choices that keep me from staying awake with Jesus – focused on myself and the things that are important to me rather than on the work of Jesus. I was brought to a heartfelt awareness of my tendency to remember the wounds from my past – I carry them with me and too often they influence in a negative way my present relationships. As I spend time with these wounds, I realize my attention is not on Jesus and on his Good News but rather on my past and what happened or did not happen to me. I was surprised as I became aware of the many ‘wound moments’ that I carry with me and worry over. At the same time, I became aware of how willing Jesus is to forgive me. As my retreat ended, I became aware of a desire and an invitation to let go and to share with others the same mercy and compassion that God constantly extends to me. After all, I too am a sinner, and I am in constant need of God’s grace. Perhaps my future will look a little different because of God’s mercy. Baptismal Formation Session, Thursday, May 18th at 6:30pm – Make sure to read and complete Lessons Three and Four. Janessa will facilitate the conversations for this session. We will move forward according to our time! The Pope’s Pastoral Works May 21 – This collection provides an opportunity for Catholics to make a financial offering to assist the Holy Father. One-third of the funds collected is for what is traditionally known as Peter’s Pence: donations used by the Pope for his charitable contributions to those most in need throughout the world, as well as for the support of the Holy See and its activities. Two-thirds of the Collection for the Pope’s Pastoral Works is to support the Holy Father in administering the Holy See and serving the Universal Church (see Canon 1271). Information about how Peter’s Pence is used, as well as donations in response to Canon 1271, is available in the Holy See’s yearly financial report. “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid. . . . The old question always returns: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods, and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (I Jn 3:17). Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 187 Taken from Ordo: Liturgical Calendar 2022-2023 page 244 St. Eugene de Mazenod Feast Day – Eugene de Mazenod was born on August 1, 1782, at Aix-en-Provence, France, on the eve of the French Revolution. His father, Charles, was of the noble class; his mother, very wealthy. At the age of eight, young Eugene had to flee France as it was rumored that the revolutionaries intended putting to death the sons of nobles. His exile lasted eleven years. Returning to Aix-en-Provence as a very worldly young man of twenty, Eugene sought to re-establish the family fortune by marrying into wealth. First, he could not find a woman rich enough, and then, the woman he intended to marry died! But on Good Friday, 1807, at the age of twenty-five, Eugene encountered Christ in his own life and recognized him as his Savior. “My soul was longing for its ultimate goal, God, the unique good whose loss I deeply felt.” Long dormant aspirations came alive. At the age of twenty-six, Eugene entered the seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris. His ideal was clear: He would be the servant and priest of the poor. Ordained in 1811, his bishop was faced with the dilemma of what to do with this young aristocrat. “…so personal and impetuous” he was relieved when Fr. de Mazenod asked to work with the poor and abandoned of the cities and outlying missions. The zealous young priest turned his efforts towards the youth. He founded an association for young people. He worked also with prisoners and preached to the poor. In 1815, Eugene de Mazenod felt the need for companions, who would share his apostolate, live in community with him, and commit themselves to God through religious vows. On January 25, 1816, Fr. de Mazenod and four companions committed themselves to God and dedicated their lives to bring the Good News to the poor. This they would do primarily by preaching parish missions. Pope Leo XII approved the Society in 1826 under the name of the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of the Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary. At his death on May 21 in 1861, his religious congregation numbered 417. His Oblates were found in France, Great Britain, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Today the Oblates number over 4000 brothers and priests working on five continents. In 1995, the Church officially recognized him as a Saint. Saint Eugene’s main spiritual synthesis is the book of the Constitutions and Rules of his Institute, a code of missionary action and of apostolic religious life. “The spirit of total devotion for the glory of God, the service of the Church and the salvation of souls is the spirit proper to our Congregation”, he wrote in 1817. He further stated, in 1830, that we must look upon ourselves “as the servants of the Father of a family commanded to succour, to aid, to bring back his children by working to the utmost, in the midst of tribulations, of persecutions of every kind, without claiming any reward other than that which the Lord has promised to faithful servants who have worthily fulfilled their mission”. All his life, as a priest, a missionary and a bishop, Saint Eugene sought to teach the poor “who Jesus Christ is”. Paul VI said of him that he had been a pastor passionately committed to Jesus Christ and an unconditional servant of the Church. John Paul Il on the day of his canonization, December 3, 1995, declared Saint Eugene as an “Advent man”, one who opens the ways to the Lord whose new coming will be the fulfillment longed for by all humanity. In 1861, on May 21st, the person who started the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. Eugene de Mazenod, died. Today, we as Oblates celebrate this day with glad thanksgiving. After serving the people of God and experiencing extensive suffering, St. Eugene was happy to return to the God who created him. In his last words he urged his brothers to be charitable to one another and to work hard so that everyone might come to know Jesus Christ. Perhaps as we remember St. Eugene, we can look at our own sufferings and our response to them and ponder the question, “What is God asking of me?” There is no doubt that God needs each of us to help people become aware of God’s love for the world. Let us join with St. Eugene and with countless others and try to make the world a place where God is known and loved by all people, a place where the hurts of my brothers and sisters are my hurts too, a place where each person looks to care for and support their neighbour! Fr. Doug is Celebrating 40 years as a Priest (June 3, 1983) – Come and join us for a special mass of thanksgiving on Pentecost Sunday, May 28th. The mass will be followed by a special pancake breakfast and program in the Parish Hall to celebrate Fr. Doug’s anniversary. The theme of his ordination was “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. The people from St. Jude’s and from Our Lady of the Smile are invited to join us for this celebration. There will be no mass in Green Lake on May 27th and there will be no mass in Waterhen on May 28th. DEANERY 6 CATECHIST APPRECIATION EVENT - On May 30th here in our Parish Hall, we will welcome Christine Taylor from the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis to animate a meeting for Parish Catechists. Catechists from the various communities in Deanery 6 will gather and Christine will encourage us to share our thoughts on catechesis, celebrate what has been done and offer some direction for new catechists. At the present time anyone interested in helping with children’s baptism, children’s liturgy, sacramental preparation, general catechesis, and RCIA are welcome to join us for the evening. If you want to take a closer look at what being a catechist is all about…come and join us. Our parish needs catechists, so your generosity is appreciated. Our evening will begin at 7:00 and conclude at 8:30 pm. Special CWL Mass at 6:30 pm on May 31. You are all invited to come and share in the prayer and in the social time that will follow the mass. There will be coffee, tea and snacks following mass. Please join us for this evening as we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of Mary and give thanks for the work that God is doing in the Catholic Women’s League. Report from Our Lady of the Smile, Waterhen Lake – On Sunday, April 30th after the celebration of our Sunday Eucharist at Joanne’s house we reviewed a sketch that had been developed for our new faith and worship space. Having made some adjustments and additions we will now meet with Bishop Stephen to look once again at our Facility. We will also make plans for the next step which involves obtaining a draftsman to make a technical drawing. Once a technical drawing is in place and we know the cost of what we hope to create we will begin fundraising and putting our finances in place for the construction and furnishing of the Church Building. Please continue to pray for us. We left Joanne’s house with lots of energy and enthusiasm. One person noted, “I can hardly wait until it’s built, and we can pray in it!” Scripture Insights – Sixth Sunday of Easter Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2023: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2022, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 202. Jesus reminds his followers of his call to follow his commandment of love: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). Love is at the heart of every relationship, especially our relationship with God and with our neighbor. We share in the very life of God, a life of love: “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father” (14:21). In the reading from Acts, the life of the early Church flourishes through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hearing that the Word of God had been preached to the Samaritans, the apostles send Peter and John to empower them with the gift of the Holy Spirit as “they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16). As Jesus came “to baptize with the Holy Spirit” (Jn 1:33), the apostles confer the gift of the Holy Spirit by “[laying] hands on them” (Acts 8:17). Here the foundation for the sacraments of baptism and confirmation is expressed clearly.
DIOCESAN NEWS & BEYOND Rosary and Reflection The next reflection from Bishop Stephen will be offered May 27th from 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm! It will be livestreamed on Facebook from the Diocese of Prince Albert! Oblate Spirit – The Oblate Spirit is published 4 times a year. It is available both online at: https://omilacombe.ca/mami/oblate-spirit/ and twice a year it is available in a magazine format. The move away from the magazine format to the online format is to help us cut expenses so that more money can be sent to our missionary work. If you would like to know about our work please go to the link. You can also offer financial support to our missions by contacting our Office in Saskatoon. Our address is: AMMI Lacombe Canada MAMI 601 Taylor Street West Saskatoon, SK S7M 0C9 Phone: 306 653-6453 or Toll Free : 1-866 432-MAMI (6264) or Fax: (306) 652-1133 Email: [email protected] 5/12/2023 0 Comments 5th Sunday of Easter - May 7, 2023Our 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 Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33 Refrain) May 7, 2023 - 5th 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: Pat Bencharski Mass 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., May 8 – Fr. Doug will say mass on retreat - People of God Tues., May 9 – 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge Tues., May 9 – Fr. Doug will say mass on retreat - People of God Wed., May 10 – Fr. Doug will say mass on retreat - People of God Thurs., May11– 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Special Intention – Louis & Yolande Gratton Fri., May 12 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace church & Facebook) - Special Intention – Louis & Yolande Gratton Sat., May 13 – 5:00 pm – St Jude Parish, Green Lake - People of God Sun., May 14 – 10:00 am – (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God Sun., May 14 – 3:00 pm – (Our Lady of the Smile – Waterhen Lake) - People of God THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Sunday Collection – April 30: Meadow Lake $1329.00 Green Lake – No collection taken The Pope’s Prayer Intention for May – For church movements and groups – We pray that Church movements and groups may rediscover their mission of evangelization each day, placing their own charisms at their service of needs in the world. Thank you from The Lodge – We recently received a card from The Lodge thanking us for the Volunteer work we do in support of the residents. The card came after National Volunteer Week which was April 16 – 22. Report on Extended Deanery Meeting – On Saturday, April 29th, people from Deaneries 4, 5 & 6 gathered at Edam for an opportunity to listen and to share experiences from the Synod. Specifically, we were invited to share what we have done with the two priorities we chose (Priority #1 and #4). The day began with a prayer and a presentation by Bishop Stephen reminding us of where we started and where we are at now. The work done by the parishes and missions of our Diocese was put together and shared with the Diocese. Our report was sent to a team chosen by the Bishops of Western Canada and a Western Canadian Report was put together. Finally, the reports from across the country were assembled into a Canadian report which was sent to Rome. Reports from around the world were put together and representatives – Bishops and Lay People from across the United States and Canada met via Zoom and responded to the World Report. They listened and discerned what the Holy Spirit was asking of the church at this moment. This process was done by the various continents – South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Each continent will submit a report to Rome for the gathering of Bishops and Lay Representatives in the Fall of 2023. Bishop Stephen urged us to continue listening and responding to what we have heard. Later we will incorporate what the Universal Church is hearing and saying into our own work. Bishop Stephen urged us to continue the work we have begun here and to make it a priority. After Bishop Stephen’s presentation we were divided up into 6 groups of 10-12 people and we listened and shared our responses to 3 themes: 1) Building and Rebuilding Parish Community 2) Listening to the Holy Spirit and 3) Walking with others. We then listened to each group share their insights and reflections on the themes they worked with. In the afternoon following the group reports we listened to each parish share what they had been doing regarding the priorities they had chosen. Unfortunately, I had to leave after the reports and so I was unable to hear the final message of Bishop Stephen. The gathering was good in that we were encouraged by the work being done by one another across the Diocese and the varied ways parishes are trying to rebuild their communities, discern the Spirit and walk with others. One person shared how when she was writing the report for her parish, she was discouraged but when she started listening to what was happening around the diocese in different communities her spirits were lifted. Unfortunately, other than I, no one was present from our Cluster. It was a great opportunity to experience the work of the Spirit in our Diocese. Report from Our Lady of the Smile, Waterhen Lake – On Sunday, April 30th after the celebration of our Sunday Eucharist at Joanne’s house we reviewed a sketch that had been developed for our new faith and worship space. Having made some adjustments and additions we will now meet with Bishop Stephen to look once again at our Facility. We will also make plans for the next step which involved obtaining a draftsman to make a technical drawing. Once a technical drawing is in place and we know the cost of what we hope to create we will begin fundraising and putting our finances in place for the construction and furnishing of the Church Building. Please continue to pray for us. We left Joanne’s house with lots of energy and enthusiasm. One person noted, “I can hardly wait until it’s built and we can pray in it!” On May 10, at 2pm (EST), tune in to our Living with Christ webinar: Mary as a Guide to Holiness. Our speaker, Josephine Lombardi, will present us with ways in which we can be more devoted to the blessed Mother of God. More info and registration can be found at https://en.novalis.ca/products/mary-as-a-guide-to-holiness Canada Health Day – Canada Health Day is celebrated May 12 in health care facilities and community services across the country. This day reminds us that health and healing are essential aspects of our baptismal vocation. We are called to take responsibility for our personal health: to prevent illness and to seek a healthy lifestyle. Good health concerns the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health of our communities, respect for God’s creatures and the nurturing of the whole earth. Baptismal Formation Session, Thursday, May 11th at 6:30pm – Make sure to read and complete Lessons Two and Three. We will move forward according to our time! Pancake Breakfast – On Sunday, May 14, we celebrate Mother’s Day, and the Knights of Columbus are hosting a Mother’s Day Breakfast after 10:00 am Mass at Our Lady of Peace Parish. Come and join us for Mass and/or Breakfast. Everyone is welcome and the Breakfast and the Company will be great! 😊 Fr. Doug is Celebrating 40 years as a Priest (June 3, 1983) – Come and join us for a special mass of thanksgiving on Pentecost Sunday, May 28th. The mass will be followed by a special pancake breakfast and program in the Parish Hall to celebrate Fr. Doug’s anniversary. The theme of his ordination was “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. The people from St. Jude’s and from Our Lady of the Smile are invited to join us for this celebration. There will be no mass in Green Lake on May 27th and there will be no mass in Waterhen on May 28th. DEANERY 6 CATECHIST APPRECIATION EVENT - On May 30th here in our Parish Hall, we will welcome Christine Taylor from the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis to animate a meeting for Parish Catechists. Catechists from the various communities in Deanery 6 will gather and Christine will encourage us to share our thoughts on catechesis, celebrate what has been done and offer some direction for new catechists. At the present time anyone interested in helping with children’s baptism, children’s liturgy, sacramental preparation, general catechesis, and RCIA are welcome to join us for the evening. If you want to take a closer look at what being a catechist is all about…come and join us. Our parish needs catechists, so your generosity is appreciated. Our evening will begin at 7:00 and conclude at 8:30 pm. Easter Season – The seven weeks from Easter to Pentecost are celebrated as one great Feast Day. St. Athanasius called them “the great Sunday.” Christians sing the “Alleluia” during these days in their rejoicing. Taken from the Ordo: Liturgical Calendar, page 211 Scripture Insights – Fifth Sunday of Easter Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2023: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2022, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 196. The nature of the Church’s ministry emerges in the first reading from Acts. In response to the continued growth of the early Church, the apostles chose seven men, filled with the Holy Spirit, to share their ministry of service. The role of deacon (from the Greek word diakonein, “to serve”) emerges. Preaching (leading people in worship of God) and service (caring for the poor) are the two foundational pillars of ministry. In his first letter, Peter identifies the risen Lord as “a living stone” (2:4), chosen by God the Father, as the cornerstone of a spiritual house where we, his followers, become “living stones.” In spiritual unity with the risen Christ, we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own” (2:9). The context for the Gospel reading is Jesus’ discourse with his followers at the Last Supper. Jesus refers to himself as “the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). We are followers of the Way (Jesus) that leads us to the Father. Jesus reveals his intimate relationship with the Father: he is in the Father, as the Father is in him. Jesus’ words are the Father’s words, and Jesus’ works are the Father’s works. United with him, Jesus promises his followers that they too will do great works. From these readings emerge a deeper understanding of Jesus and of our identity. Jesus is the human face of God, as Pope Benedict XVI described him in his encyclicals Saved in Hope and Charity in Truth. As God’s chosen race, we follow Jesus, the Way, to our eternal home.
DIOCESAN NEWS & BEYOND Rosary and Reflection The next reflection from Bishop Stephen will be offered May 27th from 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm! It will be livestreamed on Facebook from the Diocese of Prince Albert! Ron Rolheiser – “Struggling to Give Birth To Hope” (April 10, 2023). The following article, Struggling to Give Birth to Hope is taken from the following website: https://ronrolheiser.com/en/#.ZEx1IHbMKM8 After Jesus rose from the dead, his first appearances were to women. Why? One obvious reason might be that it was women who followed him to his death on Good Friday, while the men largely abandoned him. As well, it was women, not men, who set off for his tomb on Easter morning, hoping to anoint his dead body with spices – so it was women who were in the garden when he first appeared. But there is, I believe, a deeper and more symbolic reason. Women are the midwives. It is generally women who attend to new birth and women who are more paramount in initially nurturing new life in its infancy. In any birth a midwife can be helpful. When a baby is born, normally the head pushes its way through the birth canal first, opening the way for the body to follow. A good midwife can be very helpful at this time, helping to ease that passage through the birth canal, helping ensure that the baby begins to breathe, and helping the mother to immediately begin to nurture that new life. A midwife can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, and she always makes the birth easier and healthier. Jesus’ resurrection birthed new life into our world, and in its infancy that life had to be specially midwifed, both in its emergence and in the initial breaths it took in this world. The resurrection birthed many things, and these had to be midwifed; initially by the women to whom Jesus first appeared, then by the apostles who left us their eyewitness accounts of the risen Jesus, then by the early church, then by its martyrs, then by the lived faith of countless women and men through the centuries, and sometimes too by theologians and spiritual writers. We still need to midwife what was born in the resurrection. And many things were born in that event – an event as radical as the original creation in what it gave birth to. The resurrection of Jesus was the “first day” a second time, the second time light separated from darkness. Indeed, the world measures time by the resurrection. We are in the year 2023 since it happened. (Christianity was born with that event. New time began then. But scholars calculated that Jesus was thirty-three years old when he died and so they added thirty-three years so as to begin new time with the date of his birth.) Prominent within what the resurrection gives birth to and what needs still to be midwifed, is hope. The resurrection gives birth to hope. The women in the Gospels who first met the resurrected Jesus were the first to be given a true reason for hope and were the first to act as midwifes of that new birth. So too must we. We need to become midwives of hope. But what is hope and how is it given birth in the resurrection? Genuine hope is never to be confused with either wishful thinking or temperamental optimism. Unlike hope, wishful thinking isn’t based on anything. It’s pure wishing. Optimism, for its part, takes its root either in a natural temperament (“I always see the bright side of things”) or on how good or bad the evening news looks on a given day. And we know how that can change from day to day. Hope has a different basis. Here’s an example: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a deeply faith-filled scientist, was once challenged by an agnostic colleague after making a presentation within which he tried to show how the story of salvation history fits perfectly with the insights of science regarding the origins of the universe and the process of evolution. Teilhard went on to suggest, in line with Ephesians 1, 3-10, that the end of the whole evolutionary process will be the union of all things in one great final harmony in Christ. An agnostic colleague challenged him to this effect: That’s a wonderfully optimistic little schema you propose. But suppose we blow up the world with an atomic bomb. What happens to your optimist schema then? Teilhard answered in words to this effect: If we blow up the world with an atomic bomb, that will be a set-back, perhaps for millions of years. But what I propose is going to happen, not because I wish it or because I am optimistic that it will happen. It will happen because God promised it – and in the resurrection God showed that God has the power to deliver on that promise. What the women who first met the risen Jesus experienced was hope, the kind of hope that is based on God’s promise to vindicate good over evil and life over death, no matter the circumstance, no matter the obstacle, no matter how awful the news might look on a given day, no matter death itself, and no matter whether we are optimistic or pessimistic. They were the initial midwives helping to give birth to that hope. That task is now ours. |
Parish BulletinThis bulletin is prepared by the Parish Secretary and the Pastor Archives
January 2025
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