St. Leonard Catholic Parish

Manotick, Ont

"Where Disciples Grow"

As a result of the Province of Ontario "Stay at Home" order the public observance of Mass at St. Leonard is cancelled until at least June 14th. The 4:30 pm Saturday Mass will be Livestreamed and will also be recorded for viewing throughout the weekend. It will be made available on Saturday evening here.  Weekday Masses scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 9:00 am will also be Livestreamed to our YouTube Channel. To visit this site click here. 

Mass Readings: Holy Trinity Sunday

Proofs of God's Love • Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 

Psalm 33:4-5, 6+9, 18-19, 20+22 

Sons of God Through Adoption • Romans 8:14-17 

Commission of the Apostles • Matthew 28:16-20 

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Our readings present us with a view of the great mystery of the Trinity; three Divine Persons in one God. The First Reading enables us to see the actions which could be attributed GOD the Father. GOD is proclaimed as the creator, the savior, and the life-giver to the people who are called by this one GOD. The Second Reading focuses on the power of the Holy Spirit. We have been given a share in the divine life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives – we are truly daughters and sons of GOD (not by blood but by adoption). In the Gospel, Jesus commissions His disciples to carry on His work. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19) In all the readings there is clear evidence of the Triune GOD in action.

The doctrine of the Trinity is this: There is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons; the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God! The Father is not more God than the Son, neither is the Son more God than the Holy Spirit. The Father is the first Divine Person; the Son is the second Divine Person, begotten from the nature of the Father from eternity; the Holy Spirit is the third Divine Person, proceeding from the Father and the Son. 

Our mind cannot grasp this doctrine which teaches that 1+1+1 = 1 and not 3. But we believe in this Mystery because Jesus, who is God, taught it clearly, the Evangelists recorded it, the Fathers of the Church tried to explain it, and the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople defined it as a dogma of Christian Faith.

But while the Trinity can be viewed as a challenging and inaccessible Christian doctrine, it is also the most ordinary and obvious. Every Catholic invokes the Trinity whenever they cross themselves in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Moreover, every single baptized person has been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Through baptism we have been sealed by the Trinity, brought within its dynamic relationship, and sent out on mission.

Think of it this way. God is love. There are Three Persons in the Trinity, the Father the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Together they represent the fullness of love. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father. The Holy Spirit is their love for each other. We are created out of love and made in the image of a triune God . God the Father, who created us, his Son who saved us, and the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us. Our lives should reflect the Trinity. We should be always creative like the Father, compassionate like his Son, and dispose our talents in the service of others like the Holy Spirit. Loving is at the very heart of being human and becoming divine. If we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we are capable of being God-like in our giving to others, too.

The Trinity is not only a “mystery;” it is also an agenda; it is not only a home, but it is also a summon to mission. The risen and glorified Son, Jesus, speaks the very word of the Father. He asks that we go forth and “baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  The Church’s mission, and our mission too, is to continue the mission of Jesus by gathering all the people into the love that connects the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Trinity. Let us enthusiastically accept this great commission - in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

God bless you folks, Father Gerard

Worship

Regular Mass Times

There will be no public observance of Mass until at least June 14th as we remain under a Province wide "Stay at Home" order.

Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons will air every ‪Sunday morning at 8:15 AM Eastern Time. Click on Bishop Barron’s YouTube channel and then chose the Sunday you wish to view.

Virtual Children's Liturgy

The St. Leonard Children’s Liturgy Team offers virtual Children’s Liturgy of the Word videos to keep our children connected to their faith! The videos include prayers, the week’s Gospel reading, lessons, all geared for our younger parishioners. Click here to view. to view.

Stewardship

Please remember your local parish during these extraordinary circumstances. If you are able to provide financial support to St. Leonard's, please consider making a donation online or by Interac e-transfer. You can also mail your envelope to the Church at the following address: St. Leonard Parish, 5332 Long Island Road, Manotick, ON, K4M 1E8

Faith Formation