As Jesus sends his disciples off on their first apostolic mission in the Gospel today, three times he says to them: do not be afraid. Again and again (365 times in all, if you count the Old and New Testaments), these words are spoken to us by God: do not fear. You would think that hearing this once should be enough – but in our world still caught up by so many forms of fear and terror, we obviously need to keep being reminded.
What a year it has been, especially the past three months! As we return to the Sundays of Ordinary Time, we do so filled with so many graces: the joy of the Resurrection at Easter, of the Lord’s promise to be with us “always, until the end of time” at his Ascension, realized in the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and deepened in our pondering of the mysteries of the Holy Trinity and of Christ’s self-gift in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. We have continued to celebrate and live these great feasts, even when physical distance prevented us from being physically together to share the Eucharist as we normally do.
We celebrate today the Feast of Corpus Christi: the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In the Eucharist, bread and wine – simple gifts of God's providence and human labour – are transformed into the real and living presence of Jesus among us. We do this every Sunday - every day, in fact
On the Sundays immediately following the Easter season, the Church celebrates a series of “Feasts of the Lord in Ordinary Time”, highlighting diverse aspects of who God is, and therefore who we are, created in God’s image and likeness. At Pentecost, the Easter season was crowned with the proclamation of our identity as a Spirit-filled people, empowered and sent forth to bear witness to the One Spirit at work in a marvellous diversity of gifts, talents, and service.
As we gather on this Trinity Sunday, we also mark World Environment Day. In our liturgy, lovingly prepared by our Faith and Justice Committee, we are reminded of Pope Francis’ recent words on climate change: “The effective struggle against global warming will only be possible with a responsible collective answer that goes beyond particular interests and behavior and is developed free of political and economic pressures. On climate change, there is a clear, definitive and ethical imperative to act. The establishment of an international climate change treaty is a grave ethical and mora
Listen To What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches
Fr. Raymond Lafontaine, E.V.May 31, 2020
This Sunday, the Easter season draws to a close, and we are missioned by the Holy Spirit as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. As recorded by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, it is a scene of great drama: rushing wind, tongues of fire, the speaking of many languages.
Transitions are difficult moments in our lives. Whenever we come to the end of something in our life, we face the challenge of letting go of what is familiar, of plunging into the unknown. Letting go is hard. No less, beginning again is hard, even when the new reality is something to which we've been looking forward for a long time. As anyone who has worked their way through a 12-step recovery program knows, there is no other way: all we can do is “let go and let God”, living life “one day at a time!”
Jesus tells His disciples that the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd, that they run away from strangers. Even today, during the season of Easter there is a buzz in the sheepfold, a barely contained excitement: the Shepherd walks among us. We can feel Him as He draws near, gathering the children for their First Communion and clearing a way for them to the table. We can hear His gentle murmuring as He speaks to each of us, calling us by our name. Sometimes we feel so clumsy, struggling to carry out His wishes, falling prey to daily inconveniences and frustrations. But He comforts us with a touch, a word, a smile.
Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on our life as a journey. Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we may be running away from something that seems too heavy to bear: grief, disappointments, fears, tragedies like the Nova Scotia massacre, everything surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Easter has come and gone: we have rung the bells, sung the alleluias, eaten the chocolates – apparently, the Easter Bunny is still considered an essential worker - but have we really experienced the Resurrection? In this time of pandemic, where do we meet the Risen Lord? Have we heard him call us by name, like Mary Magdalene? Have we touched his wounds, felt his risen presence, like Thomas? Maybe we have – but for many of us, especially this year, it may well still all very theoretical, not quite real. Our sadness has not yet been converted into joy
St. Monica's Parish