Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

Thus John the Baptist quoting the Prophet Isaiah called upon the people of God to repent and return to the Lord. On our Advent paths in today’s liturgy we meet two forerunners of the Lord who in a special way prepared the way for the Saviour: the Prophet Isaiah and Saint John the Baptist. They both tell us that the way of the Lord leads through personal repentance.

On December 8th every year the Universal Church observes the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1854, Pope Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”. This solemnity refers to Mary’s sinlessness, not to Jesus’ as some mistakenly think. Since this year December 8th falls on Sunday this Solemnity of Immaculate Conception is transferred to Monday, December 9th. In our church there will be Mass celebrated at 7 pm.

This Thursday, December 12th, we hold the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. There is a beautiful story about Juan Diego to whom the Blessed Virgin appeared in 1531 in Mexico. He was a simple farmer and labourer. While he was making his way to Mass in the early morning of December 9th Our Lady became visible to him as a native princess and her words sounded more beautiful than the sweetest music ever made. She wanted him to bring a message to the local bishop, so that a church dedicated to her might be built. A miraculous sign was given to the bishop: on Juan Diego’s tilma (outer garment) appeared an exquisite image of Our Lady. This picture is still venerated in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The image to this date cannot be explained by science. It contains many miraculous details. In 1945, Pope Pius XII decreed Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the Patroness of the Americas.

Immaculate Mary – pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

Today, the First Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the new liturgical year. The season of Advent has twofold character: It prepares us for Christmas, when we recall Christ’s nativity in Bethlehem; and it is a time when we look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of the ages that is called Parousia. Usually we remember the first meaning of Advent because we are surrounded by Christmas decorations almost everywhere in spite of having just entered Advent. In fact, the major part of the Liturgy of Advent is dedicated to Christ’s second coming and only the last 8 days refer to the mystery of the Nativity. During each Mass just after the consecration we profess our faith and expectation for the second coming of the Lord saying:

“We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again”.

In many churches and households throughout the world the faithful a beautiful tradition of having the Advent wreath with four candles. The wreath is a part of our long-standing Catholic tradition; yet its origins are uncertain. It has an interesting and profound meaning. The wreath is made of various evergreens that depict the immortality of our soul and the new everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the Eternal Word of the Father. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. Some tradition says that each candle stands for a thousand years to sum to four thousand years, which are said to pass from Adam and Eve to the Birth of the Saviour.

Pope Francis asks us to pray in the month of December for the future of the very young: “That every country take the measures necessary to prioritize the future of the very young, especially those who are suffering”.

This Tuesday, December 3rd, we observe the memorial of St. Francis Xavier. He was a missionary priest, a companion of St. Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and apostolic service according to the directions of the pope in Paris in 1534. He sailed to India, the islands of Malaysia and to Japan. Whenever he went, Francis lived with the poorest people sharing their food and rough accommodations. He intended to go from Japan to China but this plan
was never realized. Before reaching the mainland, he died. His remains are enshrined in the Church of Good Jesus in Goa, India.

This week we also celebrate First Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the month with special Masses and prayers respectively at 6:15 pm, 9 am and 10 am.

St. Francis Xavier – pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

“This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict”

Luke 21

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of terrifying trials to come and He instructs His disciples to let God guide them so that they may be true witnesses to the Lord and the Gospel. When we look back on the history of the Church, every epoch has had its challenges. Proclaiming the Gospel always met adversities. This should not surprise anyone because Jesus foretold that His true disciples would be facing persecution, misunderstanding, ridicule, mockery, derision, betrayal and treachery. These trials are certainly a challenge to those faithful to the Lord and His Gospel but, paradoxically, facing these challenges gives the true disciple such eloquence and wisdom that none of their opponents might withstand or contradict them. This is the prize of authentic discipleship. In the present, we are also called to witness to the Lord and His Gospel despite all circumstances and this is our joy and happiness.

Today we observe a World Day of the Poor which was established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera issued on November 20th, 2016 celebrating the close of the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. We pray for the poor and those who care for them. The Bishops of Canada also recognise this Sunday as a Day of Prayer for Canadian Home Missions.

This Monday, November 18th we celebrate the memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul. St. Peter’s is probably the most famous church in Christendom. It was built on the Vatican Hill where the faithful gathered to pray at St. Peter’s tomb and St. Paul’s Basilica Outside-the-Walls where St. Paul is believed to have been beheaded.

On Thursday, November 21st, we observe the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation only in apocryphal literature. Although it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.

On Friday, November 22nd, we hold the memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr, Patroness of musicians. Let us pray for those who serve our parish in music ministry.

St. Cecilia – pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

The hour of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith

The words of St. Paul from his Second Letter to Timothy remind us of our final destination and prepare us for the mysteries of the first days of November.

Annually, on the first two days of November the Universal Church celebrates All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. The first feast is officially named the Solemnity of All Saints and it was established first for the local Church in Rome in the 8th century and in the next century it was extended to be celebrated by the Universal Church. On this day we honour all the saints, those formally recognized, those whose names remain unknown, and the baptized of every epoch and nation who enjoy the heavenly glory. The liturgy of this solemnity urges us to raise our eyes towards heaven and inflame our hearts with a desire for holiness. Our Lord wants us to be holy as the Father in heaven is holy, so we should generously respond, as the saints did, to this divine calling for holiness. It is also the First Friday of the month and we honour The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On November 2nd celebrating the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed we pray for all our sisters and brothers who completed their earthly pilgrimage and are waiting for admittance to God’s glory. It is our duty to remember them and help them with our prayers and self-denials to get in the kingdom of heaven. One day we will be in the same situation asking others for that same spiritual support. This year it is also the first Saturday of the month. Although we will be celebrating a Mass of All Souls’ Day, we will be praying the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Children’s Rosary after the Mass.

Pope Francis asks the faithful throughout the Church to pray during the month of November for the following intention: “That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together”.

All holy men and women pray for us!

God bless,
Fr. Peter