Lent Begins - Prayer, Fasting and Almsigving

The Season of Lent has three Pillars - Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Over the next few weeks we will examine these, as well as other, aspects of this Season of Grace.

Prayer
The Gospel of this Sunday ( Mark 1:12-15) says that Jesus spend Forty Days in the Desert - Praying. So we begin our Lenten reflections the same way - looking at Prayer.

Our family of faith is one that recognizes the importance of prayer in all that we do. Prayer is the common bond that we share as a family, regardless of our language, age or geographic location. From the child praying before bed to the prayer group at the parish, our family of faith continues to pray for those in our community and those around the world.

Everyone is called to live a “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2558

We can pray alone or with the others, we worship together as parish communities at Mass and pray as families. There are many types of prayer and many different styles of worship, but all center on living and experiencing our relationship with the living God.

Four basic elements...

1. Blessing and Adoration (praising God)
2. Prayer of Petition (asking for what we need, including forgiveness)
3. Prayer of Intercession (asking for what others need)
4. Prayer of Thanksgiving (for what God has given and done)

Tips for Praying:

✝ Find a quiet place and time
✝ Calm yourself and put away distractions
✝ Speak what you feel to God, or use set prayers
✝ Take time to listen
✝ Use the Bible in your prayer
✝ Consider keeping a prayer journal
✝ Pray daily

Breakfast and a Book

Breakfast and a Book
Re Discovering Catholicism

So often in his messages, Pope Benedict XVI invites us to "rekindle our baptismal faith". The Season of Lent affords us a special period of time in which to do so. All parishioners will be given the opportunity to read a thought provoking book by Matthew Kelly entitled, "Rediscovering Catholicism." Copies will be made available for interested parishioners. An opportunity to discuss the contents of this book with Father Freitas will be provided during an interactive breakfast gathering on the following dates at 9:00a.m. in the Parish Centre (concluding at 10:00am.)


"We Become What We Celebrate" on Saturday, February 25, 2012

"The Authentic Life" on Saturday, March 3,2012

"The Seven Pillars of Catholicism" on Saturday, March 17, 2012

"Now is Our Time" on Saturday, March 31, 2012

Getting Ready for Lent

What a great evening we had last Sunday at our 3rd Annual Parish Spaghetti Supper! We had 25 tables filled with happy parishioners who agreed “the proof was in the pasta.” Thank you to all who helped with the event; especially our Fundraising and Social Committees, our Confirmation candidates, our kitchen helpers, and our set-up crew. Amazing job everyone !

Inserted in the bulletin this weekend is the Lenten edition of our parish newsletter “Our Family of Faith.” The Season of Lent (which begins this Wednesday) is a time of spiritual renewal. I have highlighted for you a few activities:

During Lent, every Monday, Mass will be celebrated at 8:00a.m. I encourage you during Lent, if possible, to attend Mass during one of our weekdays.

Tuesday Night Together - Lenten Edition. On March 6 we will welcome Dr. Moira McQueen, Professor of Moral Theology at St Michael’s College, Toronto who will talk about the various moral questions of today. Mass is at 7:00p.m; the evening presentation will begin right after.

This year, for our “Lenten Parish Mission” we will welcome various guest preachers on the Lord’s Day Weekends of Lent. Please see the newsletter for a complete list of our guests.

Parish Penance Celebration: On Wednesday, March 21st, five visiting priests including Monsignor Edward Sheridan, Vicar General of the Diocese of Hamilton will be here to lead us in celebrating the Mercy of God.

Stations of the Cross will be prayed each Friday evening at 7:00p.m. We encourage you to come out and use this opportunity for spiritual growth.

Visits to the Homebound and Sick. During the Season of Lent, I wish to make special visits to each of our homebound parishioners to celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick and Reconciliation individually with each. Families are asked to call our parish office to arrange a home visit during Lent.

Come Home Weekend will be March 3 & 4, 2012- It’s a special weekend to welcome home friends who have been away. Our special guest on this weekend will be Bishop Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton. Please pray about who you will invite.

The Year 2012 is the 155th anniversary of the founding of our parish family. Much has been accomplished in God’s grace, through the intercession of Our Lady of the Visitation, by those who have worked together within our parish family. To mark our anniversary five major events will take place:

1. Lenten Speakers Series: During the Lord’s Day Weekends of the Season of Lent various guest preachers will be invited to make the entire Lenten Season - a Parish Mission. The guest priests will include Monsignor Vincent Kerr, Chancellor of Hamilton Diocese. Father Ken LeBlanc of the Legionaries of Christ. Father Peter Amszej, Professor at St Peter’s Seminary, London. And on the weekend of March 4/5, 2012, Bishop Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton. It will be a spiritually blessed Lent for our parish!

2.Taste of St Mary’s Dinner: We will be hosting a parish wide dinner - potluck! It will be an opportunity for all in the parish to bring your favourite dishes, cultural specialities and unique family recipes to the largest Potluck Dinner in Hespeler ever. Details will be coming- get your recipes ready!

3. Visitation Garden: We have engaged local Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz to create for us a unique design called "Our Lady of Visitation Garden". It will include a life size sculpture cast in bronze metal of the Visitation. It will be placed in the garden area between the Parish Centre and Church and will surely become a focal point of parish life. It will also include a monument to the Gift of Life. Please watch for details and ways you can help with this project.

4. Parish Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, Rome and Assisi in October 2012. We will embark upon an exciting parish pilgrimage; watch for details.

5. Anniversary Mass. We will conclude our Anniversary year with a special Anniversary Weekend on December 8/9th with Father Thomas Roscia, CSB, President of Salt and Light Television, as our guest. It will also mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of our Adoration Chapel and special activities are planned for December 8th .

May all that we will do together during our 155th Anniversary Year be only the genesis of what we will be: A Home Where There is Something for Everyone; a Family of Faith that Remembers our Past, Celebrates our Present and Believes in the Providence of God for our Future.

Listen and Launch

This past week as I sat in a waiting room I made conversation with a lady sitting next to me - as my best friend tells me - you talk to everybody and anybody don’t you - yep ! She asked me what I do for a living? and so I told her. "Oh" she said and then put her magazine closer to her face seeming to read; even though it was upside down. After a few minutes of akward silence she turned and asked: "So what do you when all your excuses for now persuing what you think you should are gone ?". I paused looking a bit confused and so she continued " Your kids are out of the house, your marriage is comfortable and you know there is more to life- what do you then ?"

I had no great wisdom for her - except - listen and launch. Listen and Launch. Listen - Speak Lord, Listen - I want to God, Listen - Tell me How

Launch - I will go Lord, Launch - I will Follow - Launch - Yes I will do it Jesus
- Launch - I know your there to Help me - I don’t need to do it alone

God's Word for you and me this weekend reminds us that God has a dream for each of us. I have dreams for you God tells Jonah in our First Reading (Jonah 3:1-5,10). He encourages him to dream that dream for himself and the people of Nineveh; to trust in God. "Come Follow Me" says Jesus to His Friends in our Gospel(Mark 1:14-20). James and John heard the call and followed Jesus because, even though life was comfortable with their father's business, they knew there was more if the would go and do God the Father's Business.

So often in scripture we hear it said "Be not Afraid" and in essence that message is an invitation to close the gap between a daily life to a dreamy life - a life of discovering not what the world tells you your life should be about - but what God’s plan is - because those who do are the happiest ever!

But in our humanity, we make excuses for not doing the things we know we should. We are all too busy we will say, and none of us knows the perfect place to start and so we become overwhelmed and we don’t take a single step. We thinking dreaming is for other people and we think its silly. Or, maybe, someone tells you its something you can’t be or do. Maybe a teacher, a parent or a boss told you - you can never do that - and so we beleived them. Michael Jordan was told by his dad in College - give up on this dream of basketball. He said " Son your not actually that good". O what we would have missed.

Listen to that still small voice. Listen to that constant inclination. Listen to that profound call to come and see the dream of God for you. Listen and then launch.

Two Weeks Ago, I wished you an Epiphany - that you might say - yep I made it to 2012 and you might recall those who got you here - the stars that are in your life - friends, family, faith community; and truly give thanks.

Last Week, I wished you an invitation to Come and See. Top just come & see what God has in store for you, to see wait for His invitation.

This Week, I Hope you will do some Dreaming. I hope you’ll listen to what God’s dreams for you are and that you’ll launch - without fear or faulting. This time of year - end of January - is when Resolutions go to die - I hope instead you’ll listen and launch.

What about?

I get the following question I great deal as a result of the Liturgical Changes to the Mass.

I have been meaning to ask you about the significance of the line in the new creed we recite which refers to jesus "descending into hell". I first heard it at an anglican sermon several months ago and was shocked. I almost keeled over when I hear that WE too were reciting it.

My child asked me to explain and the best I could come up with was "well, I guess it refers to Jesus being in a place without God until he rose again..." Admittedly, I have no idea. Please shed some light on this for me.

So here is some answers...............


There is a great deal of confusion in regards to this question. This concept comes primarily from the Apostles' Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means the “place of the dead” or the “place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek word that is used for hell is “hades,” which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11-15 gives a clear distinction between the two. Hell (the lake of fire) is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to hell because hell is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions (Matthew 11:23, 16:18; Luke 10:15, 16:23; Acts 2:27-31), the abodes of the saved and the lost. The abode of the saved was called “paradise” and “Abraham's bosom.” The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus ascended to heaven, He took the occupants of paradise (believers) with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10). The lost side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18-20.

Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages as Psalm 16:10-11 as translated in the King James Version, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption....Thou wilt show me the path of life.” “Hell” is not a correct translation of this verse. A correct reading would be “the grave” or “sheol.” Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to the “paradise” side of sheol/hades. He then removed all the righteous dead from paradise and took them with Him to heaven. Unfortunately, in many translations of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”

Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross and His suffering in our place that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7-9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ's struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.

When Jesus cried upon the cross, “Oh, Father, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it was then that He was separated from the Father because of the sin poured out upon Him. As He gave up His spirit, He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to the paradise side of hades. Jesus did not go to hell. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

On this Solemnity of the Epiphany, the Magi follow the guidance of a star that leads them to Bethlehem. In a spirit of deep humility, they present their gifts to the One who is priest, prophet and king:

▸ Frankincense for a priest, for Jesus is the eternal high priest of the new covenant.
▸ Myrrh for the anointing of a body at the time of burial, for Jesus fulfills the prophetic word that the Saviour would give His life for the salvation of all people.
▸ Gold for a king, for Jesus is the king of all creation.

During the Christmas season, we too worship the newborn King and place our gifts before Him. The Gospel today reminds us that the Magi were humble enough to seek direction in order to find their way. On the journey of faith, we also need others to assist us, to pray for us and to encourage us to persevere.

As a parish family, may we continue to support one another on the journey of faith. May Our Lady of the Visitation continue to be our inspiration, model and guide.