30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - October 25, 2020
Love is such a big word. It covers a gamut of definitions and means something different to most everyone. But Christ brought an entirely new and radical meaning to the word. In him, we came to understand that love is more than an emotion, a choice, a commitment or an attitude. Love is a person. His name is Jesus Christ. If we want to know what love means, therefore, we must look at Jesus Christ. Love is a person, not just any person, but God, who forsook his divinity in order to take on our humanity. Yes, love is a person who has laid down his life for us, and by doing so, demonstrates to us the true depths and most profound meaning of that love. This is how Paul describes Christ’s love. “ For Christ died for us when we were yet sinners, and that is God’s own proof of his love towards us”. Love of God before before anything else, as the response of the entire person to God’s total self-giving covenant: love him with your mind, heart and soul. In other words, it is loving God with our entire being. Nothing is to be held back. Love doesn’t allow for a compartmentalisation that reserves certain sections of our lives. Neither is this love compromised even in the face of the love we have to offer someone, for example, a wife’s love for her husband or a husbands love for his wife, or their love for their children and vice versa. The love of neighbor can never take precedence over love of God. In all instances love of God must come first in its totality. If we have given everything to God, then how can we make sense of the second part of the great commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves? Here, Jesus, who is both God and man, joins the love of God and love of neighbor inseparably for eternity. Loving those around us is not competition for our undivided love of God. Rather loving our neighbor is evidence of our love for God. And no exceptional standard of ethics and morality can be valid without love of our neighbour. Through this two-fold Great commandment, Jesus provides us with wise directions to navigate between two dangerous pitfalls. If we say that we truly love God, then we must obey him in every way and not just be contented with having good feelings or wishes. And finally loving God empowers us and frees us to love other people, without the usual strings attached. The demand of love reminds us that we should never settle for a minimum concern for neighbours, but instead go the extra mile m, to give without expecting anything in return and finally even to emulate the example of our Lord to lay down of our lives for the other, for which there is no greater love.
SUNDAY MASS:
As we resume masses in the church , mindful of those who cannot make it due limited seating capacity, Mass will be still 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 .
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Our children are receiving their first Holy communion during our weekend regular masses it began from August 22, with 2 children per mass at the Saturday, 5pm Masses and the Sunday, 9.30 am Masses until Sunday, November 29 . We also have designated Saturday morning celebrations at 11 am for up to 10 children on the following dates
Parents are asked to limit their gathering at the Church to 15 individuals, including the First Holy communion child. All social distancing protocol will be maintained.
We
congratulate all those children who have already made their First Holy
communion and also those would be receiving . We thank parents for being part
of your children’s faith journey and for your support and cooperation during
this challenging time!
Thanks to parents and Children for attending the orientation session. Candidates Please take it seriously and participate in confirmation online sessions along with you parents, receive the sacrament of confession before the confirmation, attend mass on Sunday’s . As You all agreed to make note of Sunday homily and the Gospel (please submit it on Dec.5 )kindly learn Ten Commandments, Seven Sacraments, Precepts of the Church, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Test date will be announced soon. Our celebration of confirmation masses will be held during the week day evening masses on Dec. 8 ,10,15 and 17.
Right
now we are concentrating on the families who signed up when their children were
in Grade 7 or higher. The current Grade 7 students will be asked to register in
the spring 2021.
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.
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 Parish members for the upkeep of
the Church. Kindly support us with the donations (weekly offerings) . Thank you
for your great help during this challenging time! God bless you all!
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK:
OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday
, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am —12 noon. 1pm — 4.30pm .Please call the
parish office before you arrive.
THANK YOU!
Thanks
for all your support and cooperation. I sincerely thank our YouTube mass Team.
Sean for providing music and technical support. Joshua,Larissa Freddy And
Farrell Gonsalves for their assistance with the liturgy. 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! God bless!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We
Need more volunteers please consider to join our Team of Cleaning and Ushering!
CLEANING TEAM SCHEDULE
Saturday.5
pm mass- Larissa & Family .
Sunday.
9.30 am mass:-Val, Branca &Lisa
Sunday.
11.30am mass- Erica,Rose.
USHERING
TEAM
BAPTISM
Bundle Up Collection for Saint Vincent de Paul
St.
Mary Star of the Sea parish will be having a Bundle Up collection of clean,
gently-used clothing, bedding, footwear, toys and household items on Oct.
31/Nov. 1. A container will be in the St. Mary parking lot and open all day on
both of those days. The collection supports the work of Saint Vincent de Paul
in the GTA. No books, video tapes, dishes or furniture please.
