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St.
Leonard Catholic Parish
The Fourth Sunday of Lent: "The
Prodigal Son"
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Please
note that wearing a mask is no longer required to attend Church
services. Should you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, we
encourage you to do so. As well, please note that our Catholic
obligation to attend Sunday Mass will resume starting Palm Sunday,
April 9, 2022.
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This
weekend we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent. It is also known as
“Laetare” (Rejoice) Sunday. In our Gospel reading for this Sunday
Jesus presents for us the model of “the ever-loving father” in the
Parable of the Prodigal Son. This Lenten season we are invited to be
reconciled with God through repentance and the confession of our sins
and to rejoice as we celebrate our coming home to be with our loving
and forgiving God.
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The
Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke chapter 15. Jesus is
responding to the Pharisees’ and Scribes’ complaints that Jesus eats
with tax collectors, sinners, and outcasts. He responds with the
story of the woman who lost her coin, the shepherd who lost his
sheep, and now the father who lost his son. All three rejoiced when
that which was lost was found.
The
main message of Parable of The Prodigal Son is that it does not
matter how far we stray from God or how much we waste the gifts that
have been given to us. God is always filled with joy when we turn
back to Him. His love is unconditional, and He is waiting to
greet us with open arms when we return to Him. Every lost child who
is found is a cause for a great celebration!
If
you reach a point in your life when you feel that you may have
squandered the gifts that God has given you and you are filled with
remorse, repent and return to God. Ask him to forgive you and welcome
Him into your heart. He will forgive you! He is waiting for you with open
arms. God’s greatest desire is for us to repent of our sins and
return to Him. In fact, God loves humankind so much that He sent His
Son to earth to die for our sins (John 3:16).
At
the same time, if someone has wronged you and approaches you full of repentance,
be merciful. For Jesus tells us, “Be merciful as your Father is
merciful.” (Luke 6:27-35)
I
hope to see you at Mass this weekend as we continue our Lenten
journey together.
God bless you folks, Father Gerard
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▶ Joshua 5:9a, 10-12 - Rites at Gilgal
▶ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - A new creation
▶ Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 - The Prodigal Son
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The
Passover & the Prodigal
The
event of the Passover celebrated the Hebrews' freedom from their
slavery in Egypt.
Passover
also celebrates freedom from the slavery of sin. For we Christians,
this is the call: to live a life "fully alive," free of
addiction and self-centered egotism. This is the story of the
Prodigal Son---the evocative parable that speaks up and down the
generations. It's the story of us all when we selfishly grasp out of
concern only for ourselves instead of honoring God, the giver of the
gift and life itself.
It's
also the story of conversion and the fact that God never gives up on
us. He's always scanning the horizon, waiting for us to come
home.
Everything
is grace and everything is a gift.
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Consider
watching this clip from the award-winning series Catholicism
(formulated for school enrichment!) on the themes within the Prodigal
Son:
- In the story of the Prodigal Son, who do I most
identify with?
- When have I been the Son?
- When have I been the Father?
- When have I been the Older Brother?
- Why do you think Jesus spoke in parables? Why
did he tell stories instead of simply telling people facts about
God?
"The glory of God is a man fully alive!"
St. Ireneaus
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Holy Week Celebrations April 10 –
April 17
Easter
Sunday 9 am, 11 am
- Saturday: 4:30 pm
- Sunday: 9:00 am and 11:00 am
Physical
distancing, Mass registration, and masks are no longer required.
Regular Confession times
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:
Each
week we will share new information or link on how you can better
understand the Synodal process in preparation for the survey that
will be sent out in the spring.
This
week please consider watching Monsignor Samuel Bianco speaking about
the Synod in his homily and at the end of mass after his final
blessing-
Questions
on how to Journey together?
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St. Leonard Parish NET Youth Retreat
(youth in grades 7 to university) Saturday, March 26th,
6-9 PM
Registration: To register, contact Colleen O’Mahony-Menton by
Thursday, March 24th colleen.menton@rogers.... or 613-692-1839. Please provide participant’s
full name, grade or age, and email address where the retreat link can
be sent.
Overview of NET Canada’s Virtual
Youth Retreats:
NET
Canada’s team of dynamic youth ministers are perfectly positioned to
help reach youth so that they open themselves up to having a personal
relationship with God. Backed by a professional staff team and over
600 hours of ministry formation. A NET Team can help plant
seeds of faith in youth through the facilitation of retreats.
Youth
in grades 7 through university are welcome with accommodation up to
40 young people. Ideally, each participant should have access to a
personal device (computer, laptop, iPad, phone, etc) and a stable
WiFi connection to fully participate in the retreat. The NET Team
will lead the young people through games, presentations, video
recorded dramas, music and prayer opportunities. It is our hope that
through these retreats, young people will be inspired to invite
Christ to be at the center of their lives and choose to live in the
fullness of our Catholic faith.
- 9-10 dynamic missionaries to share their
story and engage with young people
- 3 hours of live, virtual retreat content
- Small group breakout room discussions and
activities
- A combination of live and pre-recorded video
presentations
- Guided prayer time
- 2-3 St. Leonard adult parishioners: Trevor
Ibach, Joanne Kile and Colleen O’Mahony-Menton
St. Leonard’s NET Retreat Theme: Who is Jesus?
“We
owed a debt we couldn’t pay; He paid a debt He didn’t owe.” What does
that mean exactly? And what does burnt roast have to do with it? Find
the answer here by diving deeper into what original sin does to us,
how God redeems us, and what you and your breakfast are capable of.
The
facilitators were excellent. Their approach was genuine, thoughtful,
and fun. The retreat was well organized and flowed from big group to
small group activities seamlessly. The videos and guided prayer
chosen were relevant to the age group and kept their interest
engaged.” — Sacramental Coordinator
“Overall,
the retreat was amazing, despite it being a bit different with
everything being online, I was able to look at my relationship with
God in a sort of new light.” — NET Live Participant
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Stewardship
"What can I give back to God
for the blessings he's poured out on me?"
(Psalm
116:12) 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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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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