Did You Know?

• The message of The Divine Mercy is that God loves us – all of us. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.

• Celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, concluding the Octave of Easter

• In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.  Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000

• A number of instructions were left by Jesus around the feast day:

  1. 1. 1. 1. Come to him in Holy Communion on that day with complete trust in his mercy

           2. Make a good confession in preparation for this feast

           3. Receive Holy Communion on the feast day itself

           4. Have priests proclaim clearly the message of Divine Mercy on Mercy Sunday. This is usually done with traditional texts of the Missal for that Sunday already proclaiming his mercy loud and clear.

           5. Venerate the Image of The Divine Mercy publicly. The Image of The Divine Mercy sums up the whole devotion to God's mercy in one picture. It depicts His merciful love for us both in His Passion (in the Blood and Water flowing from His breast, as it did on Calvary) and in the Resurrection - the whole Paschal mystery and in the inscription at the bottom of the image "Jesus, I trust in You."

           6. Be merciful to others

Sources

-   https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

-   https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/divine-mercy-sunday-whats-feast-all-about-anyway

• The season of Easter is the fifty days following the three holiest days of the Church year the Paschal Triduum (Christ’s passion, death and resurrection). It starts from Easter Sunday and goes until Pentecost and is the central feast of the Church’s calendar.

• Also known as “Eastertide”, the joy of the Resurrection fills the whole world as we celebrate and bask in the glory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• The Sundays of this season rank as the paschal Sundays and, after Easter Sunday itself, are called the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays of Easter. The first eight days constitute the Octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities (a feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity) of the Lord.

• On the 40th day after Easter (or the Seventh Sunday of Easter) the Ascension is celebrated directing our attention to Christ who ascended into heaven, before the eyes of his disciples, and who is now seated at the right hand of the father.

• The weekdays after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost are a preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. The sacred season of fifty days concludes with Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the beginnings of the Church and its mission to every people and nation.

Sources:

-  https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/lent-and-easter-by-the-numbers

-  https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1073

• The root of the word "alms" comes from ancient Latin and Greek words meaning "mercy". The root of the word "charity" comes from the Latin word for love.

• According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Giving alms to the poor is a witness to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.”

• Almsgiving during Lent refers to the practice of donating money, goods or giving of your time to those in need (acts of charity). The Lenten call of almsgiving means making the needs of other people our own.

• Lent gives us the opportunity to cultivate a spirit of generosity and to share what we have and who we are with other people. It puts us in communion with others and helps us to understand that we are all members of the Body of Christ.

• It is a way to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and practice self-discipline by sharing what we have with others.

• Almsgiving or giving alms has always been an important part of Lent. For many it means donating to charities or other good causes. Such charity is rooted in our response to the teachings of Jesus. The Gospel encourages us to reach out to people in need not only through monetary means but with our time and talents.

• When considering how to incorporate almsgiving into Lent, ask yourself these three questions:

1. 1. 1. How can I use my time to serve others this Lent?

      2. How can I use my talents to serve others this Lent?

      3. How can I use my treasure to serve others this Lent? 

Sources

-  https://www.simplycatholic.com/what-almsgiving-really-means/

-  https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/why-we-pray-fast-and-give-alms-during-lent/

-  https://www.churchpop.com/how-almsgiving-benefits-the-soul-according-to-the-saints/ 

• Fasting is a spiritual exercise and as such is primarily an action of the inner life. Fasting can help us draw nearer to God and open our hearts to realize God’s many gifts.

• It is a sharp reminder to release our attachments to the things of this world as everything in this world will pass. 

• Fasting can be applied to other aspects in our life outside of food such as TV, Social Media, cursing or gossip. 

• The Church requires fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstaining from meat is another powerful invitation to grow in our spiritual lives and should be observed on both of the above holy days as well as all Fridays during Lent. 

•  As described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church fourth precept (You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church”) ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart (2043)), fasting can help us master our cravings rather than being driven by them, which is much more likely to help us make choices consistent with what the intellect determines to be good. 

• Fasting also has a penitential purpose and is often associated with repentance. In the act of fasting, we tell God that we are going to sacrifice a good (food) for a greater good (relationship with God). 

Sources:

• https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/lent/catholic-fasting.html 

• https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/how-to-fast-during-lent-and-why 

• Lent is the season where the Church prepares for Easter, starting with Ash Wednesday, spanning 40 days, not including Sundays, until sundown on Holy Thursday. The forty days is significant for Christians because it is the length of the fast and temptation of Jesus in the desert (cf. Luke 4:1-13) 

• As described in the gospel readings according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, following his baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert, where he fasted for forty days and was subject to temptation by Satan. To honor this sacrifice and conquest over the devil, Catholics and other Christians elect to set aside the season of Lent to refocus on Jesus and prepare to celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. 

• It is a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter when Christians carry out a three-fold mission, with the key pillars being fasting, almsgiving and prayer and where by we seek the Lord in prayer, serve by giving alms and practice self control through fasting. 

• We are called to not only abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to true inner conversion of the heart as we seek to follow God’s will more faithfully. 

• Purple is the liturgical color of Lent. Exceptions are Passion (Palm) Sunday (red) and for solemnities that occur during Lent (White). Such solemnities include St. Joseph Day (March 19th) and the Annunciation (March 25th).  

• Some of the traditional Lenten Practices include:

• Giving Something Up: can include things like giving up a food you really love, negative thinking or social media. Instead of giving something up you could make a  positive swap such as praying the Rosary daily or reading amazing catholic books. 

• Join a Spiritual Challenge: Join or create with other Catholics a spiritual challenge like a bible study for example 

• Deepen Your Prayer: Say special Lenten prayers like the Stations of the Cross 

• Attend a Fish Fry or Meatless Soup event: Since Catholics don’t eat meat on Friday’s join in on the Meatless Soup events hosted every Friday within our parish.  

• The essential connection with God, allowing individuals to communicate, receive guidance and strength. It is how we pray as Christians and deals with the meaning and importance of prayer in the life of believers

• The way we pray is always by living in relationship with God. God is always instigating, and we always have the opportunity to respond. If God is always initiating, then we never have to fight for His attention

• This pillar of the Catechism emphasizes the connection between prayer and the other three pillars of Catholic life: faith, liturgy/sacraments, and life in Christ and includes a special chapter on the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father).

Sources:

-        https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

-        https://www.thecatechisminayearstudyguide.com/

-        https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-are-the-pillars-of-catholic-life

• The fourth Sunday of Advent emphasizes the incomparable PEACE that our Divine Saviour brings

• The fourth and final purple (violet) candle also known as The Angel’s Candle is lit symbolizing PEACE. The Angel Candle is named such from the fact that the angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace and reminds us of the importance of peace as the true Saviour of the world is coming. 

• On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we reflect on the PEACE that Jesus brings to hearts and our world. We focus our hearts on the “Lord of peace” who came down from heaven in the form of a baby. 

Sources:

-     https://www.catholic.com/tract/catholic-answers-guide-to-advent

-     https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/second-sunday-advent.html

-     https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/meaning-of-advent-candles-catholic/

• The third Sunday of Advent symbolizes the world’s JOY for the long-expected Saviour’s birth. It is traditionally called Gaudete (Latin word for rejoice) Sunday.

• The rose-colored candle also known as "The Shepherd’s candle" is lit in the third week and reminds us that the Jesus’ coming is near as we reach the middle point of Advent.

• In the third week of Advent, we are invited to reflect on the JOY we have access to because of our faith in Jesus. It gives us the opportunity to prepare in our hearts a sense of holy anticipation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus as well as the promise of his second coming.

Sources:

-   https://www.catholic.com/tract/catholic-answers-guide-to-advent

-   https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/second-sunday-advent.html

-   https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/meaning-of-advent-candles-catholic/

• The second Sunday of Advent focus shifts to the theme of FAITH.

• The second purple (violet) candle also known as The Bethlehem Candle is lit, reminding us of Mary & Joseph’s FAITH and journey to the city Bethlehem where Jesus would be born. 

• The second Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare our hearts in faithful waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus and readying ourselves for his second coming.

Sources:

-  https://www.catholic.com/tract/catholic-answers-guide-to-advent

-  https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/second-sunday-advent.html

-  https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/meaning-of-advent-candles-catholic/

November 16/17, 2024: Why do we pray?

• Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God (St John Damascene). God enables us to approach Him, to know Him, and to be in union with Him and this personal relationship with God happens in prayer.

• By prayer one acknowledges God’s power and goodness, and one’s own neediness and dependence. It is an act of virtue implying the deepest reverence for God and habituating a person to look to him for everything. Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays

• Prayer is a living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him.

• Another way of looking at prayer is called the “ACTS” prayer model. Each letter represents a different dimension or focus of the prayer that we offer to God. See that idea explained as follows: 

• Sacraments are sacred signs instituted by Christ that give grace while sacramentals are instituted by the church and signify the effects which are obtained through the intercession of the church. By these sacramentals we are disposed to receive the chief effects of the sacraments themselves. Holy Water is a sacramental.

• As we bless ourselves with Holy Water coming into the church, we remind ourselves of the gift of our Baptism (the first of the 7 Sacraments in our Catholic Faith).

• Blessing yourself with Holy Water is meant to remind us that we were purified in Baptism and to seek forgiveness (“re-purification” so to speak) of our post-baptismal sins.

There are 7 Corporal Works of Mercy and are works oriented towards the body.

• The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise.

• The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy (and some examples) are as follows:

1.  Feed the Hungry: Provide nourishment through charity and hospitality.

Example: Donate to a food drive.

2. Give Drink to the Thirsty: Water is the very essence of life. To give drink to the thirsty is to offer them life itself.

Example: Collect bottled water to donate to a shelter.

• Known for several centuries by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory”

• Dominican Pope Pius V did much to foster devotion to the rosary. In 1572 he instituted an annual celebration to give thanks to the Blessed Virgin for having delivered Christendom from the Turks in the Sea Battle of Lepanto the preceding year, after calling on all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory.

• This feast, titled "Our Lady of the Rosary" (since 1573), was fixed for celebration on October 7th each year.  

October 19/20, 2024: The Works of Mercy

•  Works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbour in his spiritual and bodily necessities.

•  Works of Mercy are categorized into two additional areas:

  • •  Spiritual Works : works of mercy oriented toward the soul 

    •  Corporal Works : works of mercy oriented towards the body. 

•  All Works of Mercy are practical ways for disciples of any age to live out the Catholic faith using their gifts, talents, and treasure. Works of Mercy are powerful ways to show love to others.

There are 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy and are the works oriented towards the soul.

•  The first three Spiritual Works of Mercy are best performed by those with the proper tact, knowledge or canonical training to do so (clergy). The remaining works are considered to be an obligation of the faithful laity (us).

• The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy and some examples follow:

1.  Admonish the Sinner: helping someone who has fallen off track get back on the path towards holiness.

Example: A priest guides someone in confession.

  2.  Instruct the Ignorant: teaching others about the faith and how to live according to the Gospel and how to be followers of Christ.

Example: Help with an RCIA Program.