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St.
Leonard Catholic Parish
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We
are pleased to announce that we have moved to Step 2 of the Ontario
Government's Reopening Plan and are open for the public observance of
Mass this
weekend at 25% of our seating capacity (88 attendees
per Mass). All social distancing restrictions continue to be in force
and all attendees must continue to wear a mask. Pre-registration is
required for all weekend Masses. Arrive early to be seated in the
Church. You will be seated in the Parish Hall once the church is filled
to 25% capacity.
Kindly
register here for this weekend: (stleonardsparishca.flo...) or through the St. Leonard website on an ongoing
basis. Registration for the following weekend's Masses will be open
starting Monday. If you do not have a computer, please contact
Susan in the Parish office before noon on Fridays and she will gladly
help you out.
All
weekend and weekday Masses from St. Leonard's will be Livestreamed at
the time that they are scheduled to our YouTube Channel. To visit
this site click here. The 4:30 pm Saturday Mass will be recorded and made
available on Saturday evening here.
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The Lord Speaks to Ezekiel • Ezekiel 2:2-5
Paul's Weakness • 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Jesus at Nazareth • Mark 6:1-6
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Pastor's Message: Called to Be a
Prophet in Our Time
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This
week’s Scripture readings describe for us the identity and mission of
a prophet. This is a calling that belongs to all of us by virtue of
our Baptism. As we begin to get back to normal and start to
encourage more people to return anew to participate in the Mass and
to draw closer to Jesus, we have a great need for prophets here in
our midst at St. Leonard.
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In
the First Reading Ezekiel tells us of his call to prophetic ministry.
He recounts, “As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered into me.”
(Ezekiel 2:2) Prophecy is not a matter of one’s own opinions. It
comes from the Spirt of God. Prophets are seized by a power beyond
them. They are gripped by a power outside of themselves. Ezekiel
feels compelled to act.
Ezekiel
is sent on a mission to his fellow Israelites, to the chosen people
who have gone into rebellion against God. He knew this would be
difficult because these people knew him. Going to your own can be
harder then going to strangers. Speaking a challenging word to those
who have rebelled against God can be particularly challenging. People
do not like to be told that they have gone astray. But Ezekiel is
assured by God that, “whether they heed or resist—for they are a
rebellious house—they shall know that a prophet has been among them.”
(Ezekiel 2:6)
The
prophets in ancient Israel were summoned by God to speak his words.
They were oftentimes words of warning, admonishment, and correction,
as well as renewal, blessing, and hope. While some prophets foretold
the future, this was a lesser gift. More to the point in terms of the
future, a prophet “foretold” events because he could see the
consequences of sin and evil. As a modern example, we could say: If
you rob a bank, you are going to be sent to jail. It is not a
mystical power that reveals that, but rather a knowledge of actions
and consequences.
The
words of a prophet, therefore, were about listening to God, seeing
the world, exposing reality, and speaking the truth.
This
story is in many ways about us. We are all called to be prophets to
our own brothers and sisters in the Church, the new people of Israel.
Many Catholics are in rebellion just like those people of Israel that
Ezekiel was sent to. As an illustration, Vatican II says that the
Mass is the source and summit of our Catholic life. How many
Catholics go to Mass today? Pre-Covid that number in the USA was
under 20%. I fear to say that in the area that St. Leonard serves,
that number was significantly less than 20%. And with new Sunday
morning patterns established during the Covid lockdowns, can we count
on those folks returning?
God
calls us to prophesize to these people. We should speak, in
particular, to those people in our sphere of influence and let them
know of our great joy in returning to Mass and the peace that comes
from having a personal relationship with Jesus. We should encourage
them to join us for Sunday Mass at St. Leonard. This will not be easy
or make you popular. As today’s Gospel reading describes, even Jesus
received a negative reaction when he started to teach in His hometown
of Nazareth. But God promises, whether they listen or not they
will know that a prophet was among them. As Mother Teresa said, “God
calls us not to be successful but to be faithful.” Leave the
long-term success to God and do not be discouraged for you may be
incredibly surprised by the long-term impact your actions will have.
Last
Saturday as I baptized a beautiful innocent one-week-old baby girl, I
prayed, “God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from
sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed
you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of
salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may
you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”
Just like every other baptized Catholic, this little girl had
received the anointing of a prophet. And just as Jesus spoke, named
good and evil, and fought the fallenness of our world, so too she
will be called in her own special way and in her own time to do a
prophet’s work.
God bless you folks and have a great
Canada Day! Father Gerard

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Registration
is required for all Weekend Masses. Please note that no reservations
are required for Weekday Masses. You can make reservations by
visiting stleonardsparish.ca/... or, if you
don't have a computer, by calling the parish office at (613) 692-4254
.
- Wednesday-Friday: 9 am
- Saturday: 4:30 pm
- Sunday: 9:00 am and 11:00 am
Saturday
3:00 pm to 4:15 pm
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All
Weekend and Weekday Masses from St. Leonard's will be Livestreamed at
the time that they are scheduled to our YouTube Channel. To visit
this site click here.
The 4:30 pm Saturday Mass will be recorded and made available on
Saturday evening here.
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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.
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St. Leonard’s Parish Scholarship
Award

Announcement From the Pulpit on June
27, 2021
Good
morning, everyone. My name is Angela Marinelli and this is Gord
Greffe. We are part of the St. Leonard Parish Scholarship Committee
and it is our pleasure to be here this morning to announce this
year’s recipient. Although all the candidates are active in our
parish and are deserving of this award, we, as a committee, had the
challenging task of selecting only one recipient.
This
year’s successful candidate has been an ongoing, active member of the
St. Leonard Parish for many years. She is a dedicated parishioner who
attends Sunday morning mass with her family. If she’s not sitting
beside her family it’s because she is performing one of the countless
jobs in the parish. Our successful candidate is a responsible,
compassionate young lady who has initiative and who is always willing
to lend a helping hand. In addition to being a greeter, a slides
technician and a member of the Youth Ministry group, our recipient,
eager to increase her involvement in our parish, was inspired to
become a Sacristan and Eucharistic Minister. Furthermore, our
recipient has had an integral role in the delivery of our Children’s
Liturgy program, initially as a teacher planning engaging lessons and
then, taking on the more senior role of Coordinator. Although the
pandemic has put a pause on the in-person Children’s Liturgy, our
recipient was determined to find a way to reach our youngest
parishioners by creating a virtual Children’s Liturgy. Her self-made
videos have offered the children a way to keep actively involved in
their faith journey. Her commitment and drive to serve others,
especially during this unprecedented time, is to be commended.
As
well as her contributions to the parish, our recipient has played an
active part in St. ..Mark High School and in the Manotick community.
In the fall, this ambitious young lady is looking forward to starting
her post-secondary education in the Honours Arts Program, Teacher
Education Stream at Trent University. We wish her the best as she
pursues her undergraduate studies. With her passion, creativity, and
drive, she will be an exceptional educator.
We
are pleased and honoured to announce that the recipient of this
year’s St. Leonard’s Parish Scholarship Award is ... Elena Wilson.
Come on up, Elena.
On behalf of the St. Leonard Parish Scholarship
Committee, we’d like to present you with a certificate and a cheque
for $1000.00. Congratulations, Elena! We wish you the best of luck in
your future endeavours!
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Join Father Gerard on a Tour of
Egypt and the Nile
Next
Spring from April 28th to May 8th, Father Gerard will be providing
the spiritual leadership on the trip of lifetime to tour Egypt and
its world of ancient wonders.
Marvel
at the magnificent structures in the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx
in Cairo, admire the sophisticated giant statues and pillars in the
Temples of Luxor and Karnak, embark on a relaxing and luxurious Nile
River Cruise and felucca boat ride for fascinating natural sceneries
and spectacular ancient monuments along the river. It will be a
holiday you will never forget!
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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
Thank You
for Your Financial Support!
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For Kids: The Suitcase, A Story
About Giving
Zeal
and excitement are a part of every child. This picture book
celebrates a young boy's enthusiasm to put into practice the words of
Christ: to feed and clothe the poor, help the needy, and love one's
neighbor.
As Thomas shows his family the items he has packed into his suitcase
after hearing a stirring homily at church, they marvel at his
inventiveness and loving heart—he is traveling to the Kingdom of
Heaven, and he knows what it takes to get there! Thomas and his
family figure out a way, with his suitcase, to accomplish the goal
that Thomas is so excited about: to arrive at the Kingdom. Watch here.
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