Fourth Sunday of Lent March 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  
 
   Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34 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. 31 – No mass
 
Tues., Apr. 1 – 10:00 am Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Apr. 1 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Sarah Koch & family by Theresa Rodrigue

Wed., Apr. 2 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - God’s protection over the family by Bernardo Ferrer

Thurs., Apr. 3 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) -            Confessions
+Louis & Germaine Wilfing & Raymond Wilfing by Nick & Eileen Charney

Fri., Apr. 4 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) -            Confessions
Sarah Koch & family by Theresa Rodrigue

Sat., Apr. 5 – 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace) - People of God

Sun., Apr. 6 – 10:00 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God

Sun., Apr. 6 – 12:30 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) - People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Catechism classes every Sunday after mass.
2. Stations of the Cross this Friday, April 4 at 7:00 pm led by the Finance Council.
3. Penitential Service Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 pm with additional priests.
4. Opportunity for confession with Fr. Uche between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm on Friday, April 4.

 
Sunday Collection –  Mar. 23  Meadow Lake  $828.00  Green Lake  $240.00   Children’s $4.25
                                                           
Sunday Church Attendance –    Mar. 23   Adults  111  Children  19   Total  130
 
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.
 
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for April – For the use of the new technologies – Let us pray that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times.
 
Please note – We are reserving the front 3 pews on the west side of the church for those with mobility or health issues.
 
Chrism Mass – We are looking for people to go to the Chrism Mass in Prince Albert on April 15 at 6:30 pm to pick up the Holy Oils. If you are interested in going, please call the office or let Father Uche know.
 
Extended Deanery Meeting – will be held on Saturday, April 5 in Edam from 9:30 – 3:30.
 
Easter Cards – We invite all parishioners to write Easter cards for our shutins and seniors at the Lodge. Please bring the cards to the office and they will be distributed. If you know of someone who would benefit from this, please call Marie Mamchur at 240-6155 with their name and address. Thank you.
 
 
Save the Date – We are planning a Parish Garage Sale on Saturday, May 3 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. We will accept donations at the hall from Wednesday April 30 to Friday May 2.
 
Scripture Insights – Fourth Sunday of Lent
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. 138.
 
 Jesus’ parable is often called “The Prodigal Son,” but this misses its deeper meaning. If we portray it as the parable of the father with two sons, we see how it challenges us to love without limits.
The father, at his younger son’s request, sets him free so that he can make his own choices and bear their consequences. The son’s behest cannot be overstated. He has asked his father if they could pretend he is dead so that the son could take his share of the wealth. We see that the son quickly dissipates his father’s wealth and finds himself in the shocking reality of the unforgiving world. Coming to his senses, he intends to make amends and hope for mercy.
The father awaits his child’s return and welcomes him back into the household with great joy and celebration. If we end here, however, we miss the real point. This father risks losing his older son, the one who has remained faithful and true. One was lost and has been found, but as we close, the father is outside, away from the rejoicing, trying to save his second son, to whom he says, “Everything I have is yours” (Lk 15:31). Jesus points to a Father who makes demands of all who follow, but these must be understood in the light of a Father who is found in unexpected places, searching for all his lost children.
What is lost must be found. This message stands, and this is what Paul confirms in his Second Letter to the Corinthians. Jesus reveals a different God from the one expected and invented by the religious culture of his day. This expected image holds power today because we continue to look for God in the wrong places. The God revealed by Jesus is as much a surprise to us as to his listeners. We enthrone God on altars when he is likely to be found out in the dark, trying to save his lost children.
 

• The Pharisees view certain types of people as unworthy to dine with Jesus. So many areas of our lives are governed by this type of thinking – deserving and undeserving, earned or unearned, able or unable to pay. How is the parable inviting us to transcend this paradigm of distinction and become a community of beloved brothers and sisters – in our ministries, parish, community and school organizations, governmental institutions and legal system?

·         Jesus’ listeners – and modern-day readers, as well – would have seen this parent’s actions as reckless and foolish. Dorothy Day invites us to consider another worldview: “We must love to the point of folly, and we are indeed fools, as our Lord himself was who died for such a one as this.”
·         God always provides – sometimes just enough for us to get by, and other times in abundance. As we were called to communal grieving at the beginning of Lent, so we are called to be a community of reconciliation.