Our Parish Family · 7/29/2018 · Migrant Worker Ministry —We are in need of recruiting more...
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Our Parish Family St. Christopher’s 68 Union Street, Forest Ontario N0N 1J0 519-786-5243 Our Lady Help of Christians 432 Victoria Street Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0 519-876-3240 A welcoming Catholic faith community who gathers to celebrate the Word of God as a Eucharistic People . Pastoral Team Pastor: Father Tom Donohue [email protected] Forest Office: Connie Burns [email protected] Watford Office: Martha Moons [email protected] Deacons: John Lammers 519-490-3832 [email protected] Tony Hogervorst 519-670-0891 [email protected] Sunday Eucharist Saturday 4:30 pm Forest 7:00 pm Watford Sunday 9:00 am Watford 11:00 am Forest Reconciliations: After weekday church Masses Or by appointment Office Hours: St. Christopher 9:00—4:00 Monday through Friday OLHC 9:00—4:00 Tuesday and Wednesday www.lambtoncatholic.ca Exerted from APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONGAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD ...Contemporary Pelagianism connued. A will lacking humility Those who yield to this pelagian or semi-pelagian mindset, even though they speak warmly of God’s grace, “ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style”. When some of them tell the weak that all things can be accomplished with God’s grace, deep down they tend to give the idea that all things are possible by the human will, as if it were something pure, perfect, all-powerful, to which grace is then added. They fail to realize that “not everyone can do everything”, and that in this life human weaknesses are not healed completely and once for all by grace. In every case, as St. Augustine taught, God commands you to do what you can and to ask for what you cannot, and indeed to pray to him humbly: “Grant what you command, and command what you will”... Grace, precisely because it builds on nature, does not make us superhuman all at once. That kind of thinking would show too much confidence in our own abilities. Unless we can acknowledge our concrete and limited situation, we will not be able to see the real and possible steps that the Lord demands of us at every moment, once we are attracted and empowered by his gift... When God speaks to Abraham, he tells him: “I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless” (Gen 17:1). In order to be blameless, as he would have us, we need to live humbly in his presence, cloaked in his glory; we need to walk in union with him, recognizing his constant love in our lives. We need to lose our fear before that presence which can only be for our good. God is the Father who gave us life and loves us greatly. Once we accept him, and stop trying to live our lives without him, the anguish of loneliness will disappear (cf. Ps 139:23-24). In this way we will know the pleasing and perfect will of the Lord (cf. Rom 12:1-2) and allow him to mould us like a potter (cf. Is 29:16). So often we say that God dwells in us, but it is better to say that we dwell in him, that he enables us to dwell in his light and love. He is our temple; we ask to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life (cf. Ps 27:4). An often overlooked Church teaching The Church has repeatedly taught that we are justified not by our own works or efforts, but by the grace of the Lord, who always takes the initiative. The Fathers of the Church, even before Saint Augustine, clearly expressed this fundamental belief. The Second Synod of Orange taught with firm authority that nothing human can demand, merit or buy the gift of divine grace, and that all cooperation with it is a prior gift of that same grace: “Even the desire to be cleansed comes about in us through the outpouring and working of the Holy Spirit”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also reminds us that the gift of grace “surpasses the power of human intellect and will” and that “with regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality”. His friendship infinitely transcends us; we cannot buy it with our works, it can only be a gift born of his loving initiative. This invites us to live in joyful gratitude for this completely unmerited gift, since “after one has grace, the grace already possessed cannot come under merit”. The saints avoided putting trust in their own works: “In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you empty-handed, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justices have stains in your sight”. This is one of the great convictions that the Church has come firmly to hold. It is so clearly expressed in the word of God that there can be no question of it. Like the supreme commandment of love, this truth should affect the way we live, for it flows from the heart of the Gospel and demands that we not only accept it intellectually but also make it a source of contagious joy. 56. Only on the basis of God’s gift, freely accepted and humbly received, can we cooperate by our own efforts in our progressive transformation. For that matter, the Church has always taught that charity alone makes growth in the life of grace possible, for “if I do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2). Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 29, 2018 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season. — Psalm 145:15 We welcome into God’s family Austin Jacob Willer and Lynn Marse Willer, children of Matthew and Danielle, who will be baptized this Sunday at Our Lady Help of Christians.
Transcript of Our Parish Family · 7/29/2018 · Migrant Worker Ministry —We are in need of recruiting more...
Our Parish Family S t . Chr i s topher ’ s
6 8 U n i o n S t r e e t ,
F o r e s t O n t a r i o N 0 N 1 J 0
5 1 9 - 7 8 6 - 5 2 4 3
O u r L a d y H e l p
o f Chr i s t i ans 4 3 2 V i c t o r i a S t r e e t
W a t f o r d , O n t a r i o N 0 M 2 S 0
5 1 9 - 8 7 6 - 3 2 4 0
A welcoming Catholic faith community who gathers to celebrate the Word of God as a Eucharistic People.
Pastoral Team
Pastor: Father Tom Donohue
Forest Office: Connie Burns
Watford Office: Martha Moons
Deacons: John Lammers 519-490-3832
Tony Hogervorst 519-670-0891
Sunday Eucharist
Saturday 4:30 pm Forest 7:00 pm Watford
Sunday 9:00 am Watford 11:00 am Forest
Reconciliations:
After weekday church Masses Or by appointment
Office Hours: St. Christopher 9:00—4:00
Monday through Friday
OLHC 9:00—4:00 Tuesday and Wednesday
www.lambtoncatholic.ca Exerted from APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONGAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE
CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD
...Contemporary Pelagianism continued.
A will lacking humility
Those who yield to this pelagian or semi-pelagian mindset, even though they speak warmly of God’s
grace, “ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain
rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style”. When some of them tell the weak that
all things can be accomplished with God’s grace, deep down they tend to give the idea that all things are
possible by the human will, as if it were something pure, perfect, all-powerful, to which grace is then
added. They fail to realize that “not everyone can do everything”, and that in this life human weaknesses
are not healed completely and once for all by grace. In every case, as St. Augustine taught, God commands
you to do what you can and to ask for what you cannot, and indeed to pray to him humbly: “Grant what
you command, and command what you will”... Grace, precisely because it builds on nature, does not make
us superhuman all at once. That kind of thinking would show too much confidence in our own abilities.
Unless we can acknowledge our concrete and limited situation, we will not be able to see the real and
possible steps that the Lord demands of us at every moment, once we are attracted and empowered by his
gift... When God speaks to Abraham, he tells him: “I am God Almighty, walk before me, and be
blameless” (Gen 17:1). In order to be blameless, as he would have us, we need to live humbly in his
presence, cloaked in his glory; we need to walk in union with him, recognizing his constant love in our
lives. We need to lose our fear before that presence which can only be for our good. God is the Father who
gave us life and loves us greatly. Once we accept him, and stop trying to live our lives without him, the
anguish of loneliness will disappear (cf. Ps 139:23-24). In this way we will know the pleasing and perfect
will of the Lord (cf. Rom 12:1-2) and allow him to mould us like a potter (cf. Is 29:16). So often we say
that God dwells in us, but it is better to say that we dwell in him, that he enables us to dwell in his light
and love. He is our temple; we ask to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life (cf. Ps 27:4).
An often overlooked Church teaching
The Church has repeatedly taught that we are justified not by our own works or efforts, but by the grace of
the Lord, who always takes the initiative. The Fathers of the Church, even before Saint Augustine, clearly
expressed this fundamental belief. The Second Synod of Orange taught with firm authority that nothing
human can demand, merit or buy the gift of divine grace, and that all cooperation with it is a prior gift of
that same grace: “Even the desire to be cleansed comes about in us through the outpouring and working of
the Holy Spirit”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also reminds us that the gift of grace “surpasses
the power of human intellect and will” and that “with regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on
the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality”. His friendship infinitely
transcends us; we cannot buy it with our works, it can only be a gift born of his loving initiative. This
invites us to live in joyful gratitude for this completely unmerited gift, since “after one has grace, the grace
already possessed cannot come under merit”. The saints avoided putting trust in their own works: “In the
evening of this life, I shall appear before you empty-handed, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my
works. All our justices have stains in your sight”. This is one of the great convictions that the Church has
come firmly to hold. It is so clearly expressed in the word of God that there can be no question of it. Like
the supreme commandment of love, this truth should affect the way we live, for it flows from the heart of
the Gospel and demands that we not only accept it intellectually but also make it a source of contagious
joy. 56. Only on the basis of God’s gift, freely accepted and humbly received, can we cooperate by our
own efforts in our progressive transformation. For that matter, the Church has always taught that charity
alone makes growth in the life of grace possible, for “if I do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2).
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 29, 2018
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
— Psalm 145:15
We welcome into God’s family Austin Jacob Willer and Lynn Marse Willer, children of Matthew and Danielle, who
will be baptized this Sunday at Our Lady Help of Christians.
Please Pray each day for:
Dcn. Donald McCullough Ms. Heather Cushing Hospital Chaplains Dcn. Jack Grim Rev. Dennis Wilhelm Rev. Joseph Hardy
Tuesday, July 31, at OLHC 7:00 PM-- +Dick Moons—Norio Vanderheyden
—+Steve Joris—Pete & Reinelda Leyten
Wednesday, August 1, at OLHC 9:00 AM—+Veronica LaForet—Martin & Bev Quenneville
Thursday, August 2, at St. Christopher 7:00 PM—For the parishioners
Friday, August 3, at St. Christopher 9:00 AM—For the parishioners
Cluster Parish Mission statement: As members of the body of Christ, our parishes celebrate our faith, recognizing our individual uniqueness and diversity along with our united strength. We are guided by the Holy Spirit and together our foundation is strengthened by our devotion to compassion, forgiveness, and service to others for the Glory of God.
Migrant Worker Ministry —We are in need of recruiting more drivers to pick up migrants from our local greenhouse and farms and drive them to mass at St. Christopher Parish once a month. Please contact Vera Lawlor at [email protected] or 519-869-4389. We also need baking or donations of fresh fruit for the monthly dinners. The upcoming dates are: August 19, Sept. 16, October 21.
City of Sarnia Family of Parishes website: www.sarniacatholic.ca Diocese of London website: www.dol.ca
Bishop Fabbro has announced our Family to be: Our Lady Help of Christians, Watford St. Christopher’s, Forest St. Philip’s, Petrolia St. Joseph’s, Corunna The official beginning date has not yet been set but we are preparing to be ready for when the time comes. We will be the Lambton Catholic grouping. Please pray for a smooth transition to a mission oriented Family of Parishes.
Check out our NEW website: www.lambtoncatholic.ca
If you wish an announcement of a summer event please submit information by email to [email protected] to be included in the Mass Announcements.
Is your marriage going down the right road . . . or is it a little off track? Life can be difficult, and so can the challenges you face in marriage. Does the distance between you seem wide? Are you already separated? Looking for a better way? Retrouvaille can help and offers hope for a better relationship. A peer ministry of volunteer couples that can help you learn the tools of healthy communication, build intimacy and heal, just as they have done in their own marriages. Retrouvaille is Christian-based, and Catholic in origin, but welcomes couples of all faiths as well as non-religious couples. Retrouvaille can help get your relationship back on track. Our next London Retrouvaille weekend program will be held August 24-26. Please contact registration team: Greg & Anita @ (519) 243-0687, e-mail [email protected] or visit our website, www.helpourmarriage.com
Bishop Fabbro and Bishop Dabrowski invite the faithful to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Merlin on Wednesday, August 15. Bishop Fabbro will celebrate Mass at 11 o'clock, followed by lunch. Prior to the Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered. After lunch, a Rosary Procession will take place, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 2:15 pm. The faithful can also join a walking pilgrimage to the Shrine. There will be two starting points for the pilgrimage; a 10 KM walk will depart from the North Buxton Museum at 8:00 am, and a 5 KM walk will depart from the Merlin Community Hall at 9:00 am. Pilgrims arriving by car will be able to park their vehicles at these locations and volunteers will be available after the day’s celebrations to drive pilgrims back to the parking lots. A diocesan representative will be at each of the two departure locations and will lead pilgrims to the Shrine. Pilgrims are welcome to bring their own lunches, or purchase a hamburger or hotdog from the Knights of Columbus for a small fee. It is not necessary to register for this celebration.
Thank you for your support of the parish. Do you have a question or need help with something? Please ask. ls there anything you think is needed for the parish? Please let us know. Are you new to the parish? Welcome! Please contact the office to register
Please remember if you are unable to attend Mass for medical reasons you may contact the parish office to have a member of our pastoral care team visit and bring communion.
Over the summer please check out our website www.lambtoncatholic.ca and our Facebook pages, St. Chris Forest, and The Connection, Watford.
Each Christian needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy; then we
need an hour.—St. Francis de Sales
THANK YOU
On behalf of my family and myself, I want to express my thanks for all the love and support
shown to us since the death of my husband. Thank you for the many Mass offerings. Your
prayers and kindnesses have helped us through this very difficult time. Please remember Dick
with a smile and do a good deed for someone in his memory. Thanks again.
Martha Moons & Family
