Dear Friends
Last Sunday was a grace-filled day in our parish community as we solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Word. I take this occasion to thank our Lectors and Cantors who tirelessly proclaim the Word and do so with joy. I am also grateful to all those who took home a Catholic Bible with them this past weekend. Our counts tell us that last weekend alone about 870 Bibles were taken home. This is simply breathtaking. A special thanks to you as well for the donation of $ 4,126 towards the Bibles. This will enable us to buy more Bibles so that eventually everyone of our homes would have a complete Catholic Bible and treasure reading the Words from the Sacred Scriptures and be spiritually nourished. Some have already promised me that they are going to read it regularly. I am so proud of you all. Remember those unforgettable words of St. Jerome: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” Just as Christ opened the minds of the disciples on the way to Emmaus, so may the Spirit of the Lord open our eyes and ears that we might see and hear him speak to us. The Word of God is life giving for we sing joyfully: “Your words are spirit and life O Lord, richer than gold, stronger than death.”
This Sunday, the 2nd February, we celebrate the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time and since it falls on the 2nd of February the church celebrates it as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast day Gospel reading from Luke opens with these great lines: “When the days were completed for their purification according to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord” (Luke 2:22). It indicates that Mary and Joseph were very faithful Jews abiding by the Law of the Lord as dictated in the sacred Scripture. Embracing the Lord in the words of the Scriptures indeed will be both joyful and demanding as it was for Mary all along her life. Mary had to go through some of the most ecstatic moments of joy and also the most heart wrenching moments of sorrow on account of being faithful to God. Learning from Mary let us be grateful to both moments of joy and the inevitable moments of sorrows in our life as we place our trust in the Lord. Just as Mary and Joseph carried Jesus to be presented in the Temple, so may they present us to the Lord through their powerful intercession.
The 2nd of February also marks the 1st anniversary of the dedication of the Our Lady of Sorrows courtyard. I take this moment to sincerely acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our CCW who take meticulous care to keep it clean and tidy. We also have a Garden Committee that keeps the courtyard and the surrounding area filled with seasonal flowers which are pleasing to the eyes. Our thanks are due to our lovely CCW members and the Garden Committee. If you so desire to join CCW and the garden committee please do so without hesitation for they do wonderful ministry.
A huge thanks to our TEENS who participated in the March for Life Rally in Washington D.C. accompanied by Jim and Charlene, our youth ministers. Let us continue to cherish life in all its totality.
The most anticipated event of the year, the International Festival, will be celebrated on the 9th February 2020 at the 11 a.m. Mass followed by delicious and mouth watering food from different corners of the world. You will then be treated to great dance and music from around the world. Don’t miss the celebrations!
Have a Blessed Week! With Love,
Fr. John