Today, just a week after Pentecost, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Our celebration today is a song of praise to God who has called us to share in this mystery. Two of the most concise prayers and blessings include: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you,” And May the Almighty God bless you the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit. The Church teaches that: “The Trinity is One. We do not confess three God’s, but one God in three persons, the consubstantial Trinity. The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire. The divine persons are really distinct from one another. God is one but not solitary. Father, Son, Holy Spirit are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another “(CCC253-255.p.82-83). The sign of the cross that we make every time is not just a gesture that we use to punctuate prayer. It’s not just a sign of our being Catholic. This is a re-statement of our Baptism. These words were said over each of us as water was poured on our heads the first words that made us members of the Body of Christ. These are the same words we speak again as we re-Christian ourselves. We brand our selves with God in three persons. And whatever we do or say is in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We touch our hearts for the Father- the one who created us. This is where we began, in the mind of God, the Creator of our beautiful world. That finger on my forehead is a reminder not only of a Creator but of God so totally in love with us that He sent His only Sin to draw us back into his presence. This is the same Father we speak of as “Our Father who art i. Heaven.”
We touch our hearts for the Son- the one whose unceasing love took him to the cross, and the one who taught us, as well, how to love through his own Sacred Heart. He gave the ultimate and agonizing proof of His love for us on the cross.
We touch our shoulders for the Holy Spirit- the one who gives us strength, on whose shoulders we are carried, and who enables us to be God’s arms, working on earth. With the Holy Spirit around, no one is ever alone. God through the Holy Spirit is always with us. What we span in blessing, the Holy Spirit strengthens in life so that we may better shoulder our burdens and responsibilities.
God wants us to find Him. God is not an isolated Being, but a relationship of persons/ Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have been told so often that God is love, and the more we understand of love the more we will understand God . The more we understand of God, the closer we come to finding Him. The heart of the mystery is that God dwells within each of us. God is not just out there somewhere, God is alive within us... in the spiritual life that makes a human a child of God. Jesus promised us that He would never leave us alone, and we are not alone. He is with us always, not just outside of us but within us.
And so, we come to the end of the blessing- the joining of hands and the concluding, “Amen.” And we remind ourselves that the word “amen” means “so be it,” It is itself an expression of assent, in itself an act of faith in all that has gone before. And so with my “amen” I renew my faith. I believe in you... Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
When we make the sign of the cross, and pray the sign of the cross with those words. We make of ourselves an offering, and a prayer. We embody what the Trinity represents, and we strive to bring that with the example of our lives and with our actions to all those we meet. We do it in the name of God - all that God is, all that God does. We do it in the name of the Trinity.
SUNDAY MASS:
Mass will be live-streamed every Sunday at 10 am in our Parish Website and YouTube page. You can also watch the Mass later in the day. If you can, please consider dropping off your church donations in the mailbox, newly installed at Atwater Ave Church entrance door .
POPE FRANCIS’S PRAYER TO MARY :
(For protection from the Coronavirus)
O Mary, you shine continuously in our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the sick. At the foot of the cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of the Roman people, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to confirm ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us , through the cross, to the joy of the Ressurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas-we who are put to the test-and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and Blessed Virgin.
YOUR PARISH NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT:
Dear people of God .
At a time like this I feel uncomfortable to talk about giving. Our primary concern is health and well being of our parishioners. However, No doubt you are aware that our Parish relies on the support of our parishioners to operate parish salaries, programs and ongoing operating costs (Heating, Water,Electricity etc) are funded through the generosity of our parish community. It will be a challenge for our parish to maintain operations without the weekly offertory collections.
Here are the ways you can continue to support our parish at this time.
- Drop off or mail your regular offertory contribution to the parish mail box fixed at Atwater Church entrance door
-Contribute to your parish offertory by credit card.
- Contribute through ore-authorized giving.
For more ways to give go to
Thank you for your many contributions to our parish community. God bless you all
REST IN PEACE :
+ Jozef Rydorecki
+Cecylia Banaszak
+Jim Howie
+Helmtrud Krampert
+Dominic Baah
+Nicola Cicoria
+Ann Marie Cameron
+Genoveva Martins Stir
+James Roy Hollohan
THANK YOU!
Thanks for all your support and cooperation.Thanks to the Sunday YouTube mass committee for their time and assistance specially Sean Beator, prividing music. Freddy, Larissa and Farrell Gonsalves for their service. Our Parish Council Members Lisa Hyginus and Branca Noronha may contact you at this difficult time just to make sure you are ok. We are here to serve you and will address any issues to the best of our ability. Stay safe and healthy. Missing you all and Praying for you ! God bless!
