In Sunday’s Gospel the disciples experience a miraculous catch of fish
and then share a meal with the risen Lord. When Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they have just caught, Simon Peter went out and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them. I always wondered how Simon Peter counted the fish and why their number was precisely 153. St. Jerome in his commentaries on Scripture gives us an interesting explanation of this number. He states that ancient zoologists calculated the species of fish at exactly 153. The meaning, then, would refer to all the kinds of men and women for whom the disciples will cast the net. The net symbolizes the Church created of the disciples and fishing refers to their apostolic mission. We can agree or disagree with St. Jerome’s interpretation; however, it reminds us of a true nature of the Christ’s Church and its mission: everyone is invited to be its member and the apostolic mission embraces all people. That truth brings to mind that I can and I should find my own place in the Church. It is the will of God that I can have a share in all the fruits that the risen Lord brings to people: love, hope, peace, victory over the evil, forgiveness of sins, and compassion. All of them are at hand exactly in the Church.

A few days ago, we began the month of May. This month is called a Marian
month because of our special devotion at that time to Our Lady. Mary, the
Blessed Virgin, perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father and she became a model for us in how we should respond to God’s call. Next Sunday the members of the Catholic Women League of our parish will crown the statue of the Blessed Virgin in our church.

The Holy Father asks the faithful throughout the world to pray during the
month of May for the following intention: “That the Church in Africa, through the commitment of its members, may be the seed of unity among her peoples and a sign of hope for this continent”.

This Sunday during the 2 o’clock Mass the students of St. Lawrence School will receive Holy Communion for the very first time. Let us pray for them and their families!

This Monday, May 6th , we observe a memorial of Saint François de Laval, Bishop, who is a Patron of the Bishops of Canada. He was born in 1623 in France and became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Quebec. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1980 and made saint by Pope Francis in 2014 by equipollent canonization. The pope may permit the veneration as a saint without executing the ordinary judicial process of canonization described by ecclesiastical law the cult of one long venerated as such locally. This act of a pope is denominated either “equipollent” or “equivalent canonization” or “confirmation of cultus”. According to the rules instituted by Pope Benedict XIV, there are three conditions for an equipollent canonization: (1) existence of an ancient cultus of the person, (2) a general and constant attestation to the virtues or martyrdom of the person by credible historians, and (3) uninterrupted fame of the person as a worker of miracles. Let us keep our bishops in our prayers!

God bless,
Fr. Peter

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest Today united in spirit with the crowds gathered almost 2000 years ago in Jerusalem with palm branches we greet Jesus entering the City of David. Palm Sunday always reminds us of two important events: Jesus’ solemn entrance to Jerusalem and His Passion and Death. The same people who greeted Jesus as a King of Israel afterwards cried out to Pontius Pilate: Crucify Him! Therefore, today in the liturgy we begin with the procession with palms and solemn, joyful hymns. Then we read the Passion of the Lord. Palm Sunday embarks upon Holy Week that is the most important week in the entire liturgical year. This Monday Bishop Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton, along with his priests, both diocesan and religious, consecrate Holy Oils during the Chrism Mass. The Holy Oils will be distributed to all the parishes within the diocese and are to be used to administer the Sacraments: of Baptism, of Confirmation, of the Sick and Holy Orders. We are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at 7 pm in our Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King to show our unity with the Bishop.

This Thursday we begin with the Last Supper Mass, the period of the greatest importance of the whole liturgical year that is called The Easter (Paschal) Triduum. Since the very beginning of the Church it has been one feast extended from Holy Thursday evening up to the Vespers (the evening prayer) of Easter Sunday. The faithful throughout the world are greatly encouraged to attend all the days of The Triduum so that they may experience all the mysteries the Church lives and be bestowed with all the graces and indulgences prescribed to those who attend. During the Last Supper Mass we thank the Lord for the precious gift of the Eucharist. We extend our thanksgiving with the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament following the Mass. On Good Friday we are united with our suffering Lord and His Death on the cross. In the evening we pray the Stations of the Cross and we begin the Novena to Divine Mercy. Good Friday is for the faithful throughout the entire Church a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. On Holy Saturday we remain in silence in union with Jesus’ time in the Sepulchre. The Easter (Paschal) Vigil, which is to be celebrated at night, belongs to Easter Sunday. This Easter Vigil is the most important Mass in the whole liturgical year. By keeping vigil during this Holy Night we express our longing for the coming of the Morning Star who never sets Jesus Christ who, coming back from death’s domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity and lives and reigns forever and ever.

This year during the Paschal Vigil five adult candidates will receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, which are Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. This is a great joy for our Parish! Let us keep them in our prayers during the final days of preparation!

God bless,
Father Peter

The 4th Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday that means Sunday of Joy. This Sunday we enjoy a relaxation from the Lenten austerity. The name of this Sunday is derived from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon in Latin: Laetare Ierusalem (Rejoice, Jerusalem).In the liturgy we may use a rose colour instead of the purple that is prescribed to the season of Lent. The rose (or pink) colour indicates a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter, just before we enter into the somber days of Passiontide (from the 5th Sunday of Lent). This Sunday, as an external sign of our internal joy for the upcoming Feasts of the Resurrection, we may have flowers in the altar.
Today also the elect have their second scrutiny. Through the Gospel account about the man who was born blind they are reminded that Christ the Redeemer is the light of the world. This is the next step on their way to fulfill their desire for purification and redemption that will be celebrated by the Sacraments of Initiation. In the rite of exorcism, the elect, who have already learned from the Church as their mother the mystery of deliverance from sin by Christ, are free from the effects of sin and from the influence of the devil. They receive new strength in the midst of their spiritual journey and they open their hearts to receive the gifts of the Saviour.
Let us keep the elect in our prayers!
This week we begin the month of April. The Holy Father calls on the faithful throughout the world to pray during April for the following intention: For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators in war zones, who risk their lives to save the lives of others.
This week we also observe the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the month with Masses respectively at 7 pm, 9 am, and 10 am.

God bless,
Father Peter

On the 3rd Sunday of Lent we have the option to read the readings prescribed to the liturgical year ‘A’ regardless of what liturgical year we have. This set ‘A’ is highly recommended if in the parish there are electi (adult candidates for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation). Since we indeed have electi, I have chosen to read these readings. In the Gospel we read about Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman. Jesus gently revealing the whole truth of the woman’s life led her to profess the faith that He was the expected Messiah foretold by the prophets.

This Sunday the elect (electi) solemnly profess their faith along with the entire congregation and in that way, they receive and accept the “Creed”. This is the next step on their way to becoming Catholic. On the 1st Sunday of Lent they attended the Rite of Election in our Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King. This rite closed the Period of the Catechumenate. At this rite, upon the testimony of sponsors and their affirmation of their intention to join the Catholic Church, the Church made her election of these catechumens to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. In the presence of the Bishop they inscribed their names in the Book of the Elect as a pledge of fidelity. They have begun a Period of Purification and Enlightenment that is the final intense preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation on Paschal Vigil. Please, let us keep them in our prayers!

This Monday, March 25th, we observe the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Again, Lent’s austerity is interrupted as we hold a solemnity in honour of the Annunciation (previously we observed the Solemnity of St. Joseph). This solemnity commemorates the most sublime moment in the history of time, the moment when the Second Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Thus, it is a feast of our Lord, even as it is of Mary, although the liturgy centres wholly around the Mother of God. This is also a Day of the Unborn Children when the faithful throughout the world pray for respect for every human life from its very beginning to its natural end. St. Pope John Paul II on March 25th, 2001 during his general audience at St. Peter’s said: “Today we want to thank God in a special way for the gift of salvation, which Christ brought to the world by his Incarnation: “Et Verbum caro factum est — The Word became flesh”. From contemplation of this mystery all believers can draw renewed spiritual energy for proclaiming and constantly bearing witness to Christ, our only salvation, and for faithfully serving the “Gospel of life” that he entrusts to us. Faced with the culture of death and attacks against human life that, unfortunately, are increasing, may we never fail to defend it at every stage, from the first moment of conception to its natural end. May humanity experience a new springtime of life, with respect and acceptance for every human being, in whose face shines the image of Christ!” Let us respond generously to this appeal drawing this renewed spiritual energy from participating in Mass on March 25th!

God bless,
Father Peter

On March 17th celebrated the 2nd Sunday of Lent. Every year this Sunday’s Gospel takes us along with Jesus and the three Apostles to the Mountain of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This spiritual mountain trip gives us strength to undertake and continue our Lenten observances because it foretells the future glory of faithful disciples of Jesus. When Jesus shows Peter, James and John His celestial glory they are bestowed with the strength and hope they will need at the time of trial. We also need that grace not to get discouraged among our Lenten struggles. Every Lent should be, for the faithful, a time of spiritual transfiguration that leads us closer to the Lord. This transfiguration is done first of all by the Sacraments. Let us approach especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the faith and hope that flow from the Gospel.

According to tradition, the transfiguration took place on Mount Tabor in Galilee. This location was confirmed by Origen, a Christian writer, in the 3rd century. Mount Tabor is 575 meters high. On its summit there is a beautiful Franciscan church dedicated to The Transfiguration of the Lord.
This Tuesday, March 19th, we observe the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Principal Patron of Canada and Patron of the Universal Church.

This Saturday, March 23rd, the Grade 2 students from St. Lawrence School will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the very first time. Let us keep them in our prayers, so that they may worthily receive this Sacrament and be prepared for their First Communion.

Next Sunday, March 24th, we will have a Lenten retreat day in our Parish. We will begin with the 11 o’clock Mass and continue with the reflection, discussion, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for Confession and conclude with the Eucharistic Benediction. We will also have a common meal so please let the Parish Office know if you are attending. The topic is: “How should we celebrate the Lord’s Day?” Our reflection will be based on the Sacred Scripture and ecclesiastical documents especially “Dies Domini” (The Lord’s Day) – an apostolic letter promulgated by St. John Paul II in 1998.

Saint Joseph – pray for us!

God bless,
Father Peter