Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 31, 2023

 
        
       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  
 
  The Lord is our God, mindful of his covenant forever.
Psalm 105 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., Jan. 1– 10:00 am(Our Lady of Peace & Facebook) New Year’s Day -  People of God

Tues., Jan. 2 – 10:00 am  Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Jan. 2 – No Mass
 
Wed., Jan. 3 – No Mass
 
Thurs., Jan. 4 – 8:30 – 9:30 Exposition/Adoration before mass
Thurs., Jan. 4 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Louis & Germaine Wilfing and +Ray Wilfing by Nick & Eileen Charney

Fri., Jan. 5 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook)
+Matthew S. Morin by Florence Morin

Sat., Jan. 6 – 5:00 pm (St. Jude’s Green Lake) - People of God

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

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1.  Jan 2 – 3, 2024 – Two funerals – please keep Roger Chaillee and Victor Laliberte and families in your prayers.
2. Catechism classes resume next Sunday, January 7 after mass.
3. Marriage class and registration of new couples begins Wednesday, January 10 at 11:00 am.

Sunday Collection – Dec. 24:  Meadow Lake $3138.30   Green Lake – $106.00   Children’s Collection $10.00
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for January – For the gift of diversity in the Church – We pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community and to discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the Catholic Church.
World Day of Peace – January 1 – The World Day of Peace was established by Pope Paul VI in 1968 who asked that “every year, this commemoration be repeated as a hope and as a promise, at the beginning of the calendar which measures and outlines the path of human life in time, that Peace with its just and beneficent equilibrium may dominate the development of events to come.” Each year has a specific theme, chosen by the Holy Father.       Taken from Ordo   page 35
 
Bishop’s Annual Appeal
“Believe Love Share. . . In Jesus”
October 15, 2023 – December 31, 2023

 Bishop’s Annual Appeal – The Appeal Office would like to receive all pledges on or before December 31, 2023.   As of Dec.27 our parish has 33 pledges for $11,170.25. Green Lake has 1 pledge for $600.00. To date the diocese has received 1051 pledges for $388655.25.
 
Scripture Insights – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Taken from Source Book for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays 2024:  The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy, LTP Liturgy Training Publications Copyright 2023, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609, pg. 42.
 
            The readings from Genesis and the Gospel of Luke present us with scenes in the lives of two important families. The account from Genesis depicts Abram’s frustration at not having fathered a child. When God consoles Abram with another promise of offspring, Abram responds by placing his faith in God. In turn, the text tells us that “the Lord took note of Sarah,” and she gave birth to their long-awaited son.
            The refrain from Psalm 105, “The Lord remembers his covenant forever,” reinforces the message of the Genesis readings.
            In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author summarizes the story of Abraham and identifies him as a person of faith. Upon hearing this summary of Abraham’s life, the words of the psalm refrain are readily brought back to mind. Although Abraham struggled with believing that God could make Sarah fruitful, Abraham “put his faith in the Lord,” and for this reason, the praises of Abraham are extolled in the New Testament.
            Luke tells us of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. While Simeon and Anna are depicted as having long awaited the coming of this child, Mary and Joseph are described as being “amazed at what was said of him.” Upon the family’s return to Nazareth, the child Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.” The following verses in Luke, vv 41 – 52, tell the story of Jesus, at age twelve, in the temple.
                     
·         Language of family is not always easy for people to hear. Think about ways that we can use this weekend’s celebration of the Holy Family to talk about how all families are holy: even those families that are struggling right now, even those who long for family, even those whose families don’t fit into a cookie-cutter definition of what “family” means.
·         There are options for the readings today, but common threads run through them: lineage, inheritance, relationship. Consider the breadth of what this means: even today, some lineage denotes royalty, while some blood lines carry stigma or tragedy. Some inherit a fortune from their ancestors, and some inherit generational trauma that takes a lifetime to sort through. Some are fond of returning home for the holidays, and others operate best around a chosen family.
·         Remember that it takes a village to raise a child. Not only parents make an impact in a young person’s life, but each member of the assembly. What type of models are we offering?