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St.
Leonard Catholic Parish
Blessings and Woes, the Beatitudes
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In
this Sunday’s Gospel reading we hear of Jesus coming down from a
mountain with the apostles and addressing a large crowd speaking of
blessings and woes. It is very similar to the Beatitudes from the
Sermon on the Mount presented by the Gospel writer Matthew and it is
addressed directly to His disciples, It is often referred to as the
Sermon on the Plain. If the Ten Commandments are the minimum that we
as Catholics are called to obey, then the Beatitudes are the ultimate
in Catholic morality that we are to strive for.
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The
Sermon on the Plain begins with four beatitudes. Jesus pronounces a
blessing on the poor (“yours is the kingdom of God”), the deprived
(“you will be satisfied”), the sorrowful (“you will laugh”), and the
persecuted (“great is your reward in heaven”). Immediately following
the blessings, Jesus pronounces a series of woes, speaking of the
tragedy of being rich (“you have already received your comfort”), of
being satisfied (“you will go hungry”), of being carefree (“you will
mourn and weep”), and of being popular (popularity is no gauge of
truth). In this section of the sermon, Jesus reverses the world’s way
of looking at things. God’s value system is far different from
earth’s value system. Do not be deceived into believing what the
world tells us is important; it will only disappoint.
Perhaps
this little story will illustrate the point. Someone once asked St.
Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), “Why do you spend so much energy
on the poor, the hungry, and the weeping of those in Calcutta?” She
responded, “Jesus says the poor are the blessed ones. I take him at
his word. I treat them as the royalty of God’s kingdom, because they
are.” To grow into becoming fully Christian is to be transformed into
seeing the world as God sees it. It is to look upon the poor, the
hungry, the hopeless, the damaged from an eternally loving
perspective.
Today’s
Gospel reading teaches us that true happiness, or beatitude, lies in
the awareness of who we are and of what we are supposed to do. What
about us today?
This
message applies to us no less than what it did to the disciples two
thousand years ago. Do we find these words confusing or disturbing?
Or do we find in them a comforting yardstick with which to measure
our progress? What blessings will you share with people in your
life today?
Continue
to stay safe and healthy this weekend and join us for Mass if you
can. Please check out the Worship section below for Mass times and
public health requirements as we continue to be attentive to our
neighbour’s safety.
God bless you folks, Father Gerard
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St. Leonard Mass Registration
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St. Leonard Mass Registration
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▶ Jeremiah 17:5-8 - True Wisdom
▶ 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 - The Resurrection and
Faith
▶ Luke 6:17, 20-26 - The Sermon on the Plain
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Are
you happy?
Isn't
that what everyone is ultimately seeking, whether through money,
pleasure, fame, or comfort? Happiness?
This
is what Jesus means by "Blessed" (beatitudo =
happiness!) But what strange terms by which we are happy in the
Beatitudes: when we are poor, mourning, insulted, ridiculed, and
hated. Seriously, Jesus? But only by detaching from our worship
of money and status and comfort do we have the ability to operate in
the freedom of God—to truly be full of the divine life of grace and
be filled, be whole, and be happy.
We
are free to accept or reject the blessing God offers to each of us.
This week, what will we choose?
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Consider watching the short video from
Bishop Barron's award-winning series Catholicism (clipped here for high school use,
but recorded for all!) with these questions in mind:
- Why is "mercy" God's most tender
characteristic?
- What in my life is leading me to spiritual
death? What is hurting me from being "pure in
heart"?
"If you
have God, you have everything.”
St. Augustine
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- Saturday: 4:30 pm
- Sunday: 9:00 am and 11:00 am
Please
note that physical distancing and masking remain in place for all
Weekend Masses. This week the Archdiocese removed the requirement for
us to maintain contact information for contact tracing. However, we
would ask that you continue to pre-register for all weekend Masses so
that we may retain adequate crowd control. Hopefully by mid-March
this requirement may no longer be required.
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.
You can make reservations by visiting stleonardsparish.ca/... or, If you
do not have a computer, please contact Susan in the Parish office at
(613) 692-4254 before noon on Fridays and she will gladly help you
out.
Please
note that no reservations are required for Weekday Masses.
Regular Confession times (resuming next weekend)
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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Take this Opportunity for YOUR voice
to be heard!
Pope
Francis initiated a synodal journey of the whole People of God,
beginning in October 2021 in each local Church and culminating in
October 2023 in the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Guided by the
Holy Spirit, the goal of this first phase is to offer to as many as
possible a chance for their voices to be heard: members of the
Church, other Christians, the whole of society.
And
you may be asking, “What is a SYNOD”. What does it mean? In simple
terms, it means Walking
on the Road Together. The purpose of a SYNOD is to Journey Together to Chart
our Future.
Traditionally,
a SYNOD was a gathering of Bishops to meet with the Holy Father to
discuss the journey that we, together as Gods people, travel as a
church. This SYNOD will be different because it will be in
consultation with people throughout the church, throughout the world.
Every diocese in every country in the world has been asked to
participate, in order to help the Holy Father and the bishops to
chart the future of our church.
Over
the next few weeks, our Parish will be sharing information in order
for you to better understand and get involved in the process.
Ideally, this would have been done in person, but due to Covid
restrictions, we will instead provide you with information and links
so you have the opportunity for your voice to be heard.
This
will culminate in the spring, with a survey question. Your input will
be compiled and sent to the diocese, which in turn will be sent to
Rome.
We
invite you to begin by clicking on the following links.
Diocesan
Synod: If you would like to receive updates about the Synod and other
Catholic material via Flocknote, please register here: en.archoc.ca/flocknote...
ZOOM
Webinar: How do we walk together as a church? Embracing Pope Francis’
New Call to Synodality: February 16
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Glasses for the Philippines
Recently
over 150 pairs of eye glasses were sent from St. Leonard Parish to
Santo Nino De Praga Parish in the Philippines and distributed to
those in need. This was coordinated by Rolando Lagmay from the
Knights of Columbus and, from all reports, they were extremely well
received. Thank you for your generosity!
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Upcoming St. Leonard Youth
Activities….
1)
February’s Youth
Ministry Night
Saturday,
February 26th,
7-9 pm, Church
Hall
Showing “The
Chosen” Season 1 Episode #4; Plus….
Snacks
and Beverages Provided/Masks are required
2)
Back by popular demand - St. Leonard’s NET Youth Retreat
Saturday, March 26th,
6 pm – 9 pm
Stay
Tuned for more information
Youth grade
7 through university please join
us….
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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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“Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit for
Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care"
St
Leonard Parish continues its online program on Palliative Care. The
next talk focuses on the Christian call to accompany the dying
person and his or her caregiver. Join them Tuesday, February 15th
from 7 to 8 pm. Please register by contacting judyawood4@gmail.com
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For Kids: Time With Jesus-
Introduction
Time
with Jesus (TWJ) is a collection of short five-minute meditations
that take children (and adults) on a journey through 13 popular New
Testament bible stories to meet Jesus and speak with Him. Meditations
are brought to life by the use of different voices, sound effects and
music, making this an exciting and engaging prayer resource for
families and teachers, helping children grow in their relationship
with Jesus. Essentially, TWJ helps children encounter God and enjoy
praying!
Click Here.
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If
you wish to schedule an appointment with Father Gerard or for any
other administrative requirements please contact the Parish Office by
email (office@stleonardsparis...)
or by phone at (613) 692-4254.
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