Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 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  
 
 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
Psalm 85 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.11 – No mass
 
Tues., Dec. 12 – 10:00 am  Liturgy with Communion at the Lodge
 
Tues., Dec. 12 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Louis & Germaine Wilfing and + Ray Wilfing by Nick & Eileen Charney

Wed., Dec. 13 – 6:30 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - Nasario Manatad by Soria Family

Thurs., Dec. 14 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Louis & Germaine Wilfing and +Ray Wilfing by Nick & Eileen Charney

Fri., Dec. 15 – 9:30 am (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - +Carol Paulhus by June, Anissa & Kevin

Sat., Dec. 16 – 5:00 pm - (St. Jude’s, Green Lake) - People of God

Sat., Dec. 16 - 7:00 pm (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God

Sun., Dec. 17 – 10:00 am – (Our Lady of Peace Church & Facebook) - People of God

THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH

1. Advent Adult Faith Study on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 5:15 pm in the crying room.
2. Simbang Gabi masses begin Saturday, December 16 at 7:00 pm.

Sunday Collection – Dec. 3:  Meadow Lake $2648.90   Green Lake – $104.25   Children’s Collection $4.75
                                                November CAFT  $2310.00
The Pope’s Prayer Intention for December – For persons with disabilities – We pray that people living with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions may offer inclusive programs which value their active participation.
 A Gift of Love – All parishioners are invited to prepare Christmas cards for our shut-ins, seniors, the sick and the residents of the Lodge. Please complete 5 – 10 cards which will be distributed randomly. You can sign your name or from Our Lady of Peace Parish. Please place them in the collection basket or drop off at the office on or before Tuesday, December 19.  Thank you!
2024 Boxes of Donation Envelopes – New boxes of envelopes are available to pick up at the back of the church. If you would like to have a box and your name is not there, please contact the office.
 
National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples – The Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998, proposes that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) be a National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. All are invited to join their Indigenous sisters and brothers in a special way this day through prayer and acts of solidarity.
 
Simbang Gabi – Simbang Gabi originated in the early days of Spanish rule over the Philippines.  The Simbang Gabi is a unique practice of the Filipino culture. Simbang Gabi means “Night Mass”. To acknowledge the many Filipino parishioners in Our Lady of Peace, we will adjust our 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. Be sure to check the mass schedule for mass times. Join us this advent for Simbang Gabi and get to know a little of the Filipino culture. Everyone is welcome.
 
Bishop’s Annual Appeal
“Believe Love Share. . . In Jesus”
October 15, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Every gift is greatly appreciated!

 Bishop’s Annual Appeal – If you have already sent in your pledge for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, thank you for your generosity. If you haven’t done so yet and are planning to, the Appeal Office would like to receive all pledges on or before December 31, 2023. If you have lost or misplaced your Appeal information, additional pledge cards are available from your Parish Office. Please continue to pray for the success of the 2023 Bishop’s Annual Appeal.  As of Dec. 4 our parish has 28 pledges for $8290.00. Green Lake has 1 pledge for $600.00. To date the diocese has received 873 pledges for $288,925.00.
 
Scripture Insights – Second Sunday of Advent
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. 14.
 
            What wonderful readings we hear on this Second Sunday of Advent! The text from Isaiah is often referred to as the opening of the “book of consolation,” a work attributed to a prophet who ministered near the end of the exile in Babylon. The announcement of the return to Jerusalem under the tender care of a loving God must have seemed too good to be true for a community living under the rule of the Babylonians, the people who had devastated both the holy city and temple and who were responsible for the circumstances of the exiles.
            The opening lines of Mark’s Gospel account state clearly that what is to follow is good news about the Son of God. While Mark attributes the next two sentences to the prophet Isaiah, the quotation is actually a conflation of material about guarding or preparing the way in the Books of Exodus, Malachi, and Isaiah. Although the author of Mark was quite familiar with the Old Testament, his quotations are not always in perfect sync with the most familiar texts. Nevertheless, this reading introduces John the Baptist, who in turn prepares us for the arrival of Jesus in the next scene in Mark.
                     
·         Comfort. Imagine it – perfect, unending comfort. Not the comfort of the cheeky platitudes found in greeting cards or in shallow professional communication. Not the temporal comforts of a home-cooked meal, or the nearness of a trusted friend, though these comforts give us a taste of the glory to come. But true serenity, peace, security: comfort. This is God’s gift to us, one that is worth the work of softening those rough places, worth the effort of wrestling with each obstacle on the road to glory. This is the comfort that allows us to carry a secret joy behind our brow while we strive to do the heartbreaking work of loving, of persevering: that the land of comfort, of milk and honey, of righteousness and safety, of true and lasting peace is what waits for us and for all God’s children. Do we believe it is there? Do we believe we are worth it?
·         What must it have meant for this desert dweller to baptize? Even young children know that the one thing a desert lacks is water. And now here comes a man of the harsh, dry land, plunging people into the Jordan river. From the desert, to the river. From such absence, now such overwhelming abundance. Think how it would have soaked into his dry, cracked feet. Think of that feeling of removing caked sand and mud and allowing your skin to truly breathe. Imagine going from such scarcity of water to nearly drowning on its bounty. It is from this position that John tells us, “If you think this is good, wait until you see what comes next.” Beyond our wildest dreams.