First Sunday of Advent November 30, 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  
 
   Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Psalm 122 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. Dec. 1  – No mass
 
Tues. Dec. 2 – 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Dec. 2 – 1:00 pm Mass at Elders Lodge on Flying Dust
 
Tues., Dec. 2 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) -  Anonymous

Wed., Dec. 3 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) -  Anonymous

Thurs., Dec. 4 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Anonymous

Thurs. Dec. 4  - 10:00 am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
 
Fri., . Dec. 5 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Anonymous

Sat., Dec. 6– 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church) -  People of God

Sun., Dec. 7 – 10:00 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) -  People of God

Sun., Dec. 7   – 12:30 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) -  People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Catechism  classes every Sunday after mass.
2. All are welcome to attend the MSP Advent Retreat in Cochin on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10:00 am.
3. Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast next Sunday, December 7 after mass.

  Sunday Collection –  November 23  Meadow Lake  $1180.85   Green Lake  $155.50   Children’s $4.50
                                               
Sunday Church Attendance –    November 23   Adults  136  Children  19  Total  155
 
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for December – For Christians in areas of conflict– Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation and hope.
 
 Season of Advent – Advent has a twofold nature: It prepares us for Christmas, when we recall Christ’s first coming among us, and it is also a time when we look forward to his second coming at the end of the ages. Advent is a season of joyful expectation. During Advent, each Sunday’s Gospel reading has a specific focus. The Old Testament readings, especially those taken from Isaiah, are prophecies about the Messiah and messianic times. The selections from the writings of the Apostles present exhortations and instructions on different themes of this season.                                 Taken from Ordo page 13
 
 
Reverse Collection – Once again we will have the Reverse Collection. Please pick a slip or two, purchase the items and bring them to the church. The food collected will be taken to the Door of Hope just before Christmas. Thank you for your generous support of this project.
 
Collection Envelopes – Envelopes for 2026 will soon be available. If you would like to have a set of collection envelopes please contact the office with your name, address and phone number. Thank you.
 
Simbang Gabi – Simbang Gabi means “Night Mass” and is a unique practice of the Filipino culture. We will adjust our daily mass times and try to welcome a little change into our parish practice. Please note that from December 16 – 23 our daily mass schedule will be altered. Everyone is welcome to join our Simbang Gabi masses.
 
The 2025 Bishop’s Annual Appeal – Please support the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. We sometimes need to remind ourselves that God has given us all the resources and we are but stewards of what we have been given. Our parish has been asked to raise $16,489.00 and Green Lake has been asked to raise $1885.00 for this year’s Appeal. Our Lady of Peace parishioners have made 21 pledges so far for a total of $7450.00. The diocese has 604 pledges for a total of $212,106.00.
 
Bishop’s Annual Appeal:
“Planting Seeds of Hope”
October 26 – December 31, 2025
Every gift is greatly appreciated!

 Scripture Insights – First Sunday of Advent
Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2026: The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2025, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 6.
 
 These Advent readings revolve around two themes. The first reading and the psalm offer a vision of peace centered around Jerusalem and its temple. Three times the psalm repeats a prayer for peace within the holy city. While the psalmist describes the tribes of Israel joyfully entering the temple, the prophet Isaiah sees a vision of all the nations streaming into Zion to receive instruction, a vision of international peace, of the weapons of war melted down and reforged into tools for farming.
 Jesus offers the dramatic images of one man in the field and one woman grinding flour being taken while the other man and woman are left. Both images evoke sudden judgment. Some Christians assume that the one taken is being rescued, while the one who is left will endure the tribulation of the end times, but the Gospel suggests instead that those taken away are like those swept away by the great flood of Noah’s day. Stay awake, Jesus urges, so that you might not be carried away on the day of judgment.
In Scripture, falling asleep is a metaphor both for death and for careless and self-indulgent living, living for pleasures rather than being attentive to God’s purposes. Jesus reminds his followers that they won’t know the hour or day of his return, which means they should live as if it might happen at any time. Likewise, Paul urges the Christians in Rome to live as if the day were about to break: the day of Christ’s return is at hand.
 
·         Jesus tells his disciples of the importance of preparing for the coming of God. However, Jesus does not capitalize on fear to promote his message, for the coming of God is not based on terror. Rather, as Christians, we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ. We do not prepare for the coming of God because we are afraid. Instead, we look forward to God’s presence in our lives with eager anticipation for what is to come.

• Christian waiting is rooted in hope, and hope is the opposite of fear. Hope gives life; fear causes desolation. We do not wait for the coming of Christ in a spirit of emptiness or loneliness. As Christians, we wait for the coming of Christ with eager anticipation and deep peace, knowing the immense happiness that comes from relationship with God.