Message from the Rector

October 14, 2018

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

In the coming week, the Church memorializes two extraordinary women for their building up of the Body of Christ.  On Monday, October 15, there is the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Avila, the Foundress of the Discalced Carmelites.  In the 400 years of their existence, the Carmelites have been an extraordinary source of sanctity and of the primacy of the interior life.  On Tuesday, October 16, the Church in Canada celebrates the Memorial of Saint Marguerite d’Youville, the Foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Montréal, which was the community that sent the Venerable Élisabeth Bruyère to Bytown. Here, she founded the community which is today known as the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa.

Next Sunday, October 21 is World Mission Sunday.  Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, the second last Sunday in October gives us the opportunity to pray for and to financially support the missions.  The collection is organized by the Pontifical Missions Society which assists some 1,250 mission dioceses.  Until 2020, a portion of the Canadian contributions will be sent to assist six dioceses in Northern Canada, which had been under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.  Parishioners who have boxed envelopes will find an envelope for this special collection.  Other parishioners can use the white Offering envelopes available in the pews in order to make a contribution in addition to their parish support.

The following is an extract from a treatise by Saint Ambrose: “The Lord Jesus urges you to pray earnestly and frequently, not offering long and wearisome prayers, but praying often, and with perseverance.  Lengthy prayers are usually filled with empty words, while neglect of prayer results in indifference to prayer.…  Again, Christ urges you, when you ask forgiveness for yourself, to be especially generous to others, so that your actions may commend your prayer.…  You are told to pray especially for the people, that is, for the whole body, for all its members, the family of your mother the Church… If you pray only for yourself, you pray for yourself alone. …  If you pray for all, all will pray for you, for you are included in all.…  To the prayers of each individual, the intercession of the whole people is gained for each individual.”

Fr. Kevin

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