MARRIAGE PREP AND MASS TIME CHANGES
Last weekend, I announced that the Marriage
Preparation Course dates had to be changed. The new dates are – January 23 – 24
and January 30 – 31. Please come to the office to register if you are planning
to be married in 2015 or beyond.
I also announced the new Mass times. As of October 4th,
Masses will be as follows:
Ø Saturday evening at
5 pm
Ø Sunday morning at
9:30 am & 11:30 am.
Please make sure that you note these changes. All of
our weekday Mass times will remain the same.
HARVEST BAZAAR
The plans for the harvest bazaar on October 4th are coming
along very well. Your involvement, either before the day, or on the day, is
very important if this is to be the fund-raiser I am hoping for. We would
appreciate more donations for the Silent Auction and the Grandma’s Attic table.
Please spread the word to your family, friends and neighbours. Invite them to come out to the bazaar and
have a great time. Thanks!
The Triumph of the Cross…
Today the sign of the cross has become a universal Christian symbol.
When people sneeze and cross themselves or athletes make a sign of the cross
before or during play, we recognize them immediately as Christians. Ornamental
crosses are fashionable today in the form of necklaces, broaches, earrings and
the like. A crucifix (the cross with an image of Christ's body upon it)
identifies a church as a Christian church. Likewise, crucifixes in the homes,
the school and the classroom is a constant witness and reminder of our faith in
Christ who died on the cross to set us free. These are all useful and important
ways of proclaiming and lifting high the cross of Christ. The cross is not just
a piece of wood. It is a symbolic summary of the suffering, death and
resurrection of Christ by which we have been redeemed. It is a symbol of our
faith in the crucified and risen one, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught us that the cross should be a constant feature in the daily
lives of his followers: "If any
want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross
daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). To take up the cross in this way
we need to do more than wear a crucifix or place it in our surroundings. To
lift up the cross the way Jesus asks us to do is a way of life. It is to accept
self-denial and sacrifice as part of our daily lives. Sacrifice means to give
up something that is of value to me for the sake of God and the benefit of my
neighbour. Another word for it is love. Love is measured by sacrifice. People
who love much, sacrifice much. Yet sacrifice does not make us poorer but
richer. This is what we see in Christ. This is what we see in the lives of the
saints. This is what we are all called to be. Let us all today resolve to "Lift high the cross, the love of
Christ proclaim / Till all the world adore his sacred name."
Fr. Phil
