“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own kin; I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.” Dt 18

“He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mk 1,22

Dear parishioners,

Clearly, today’s gospel is affirming that Jesus, “the Holy One of God”, is the fulfilment of the promise made by God to Moses in today’s first reading. We also have in today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, a beautiful, clear, and simple definition of prophecy. We tend to think that a prophet is someone who predicts future events. Not necessarily. It is very clear in today’s first reading that a prophet is simply someone who speaks in the name of God.

This being the case, anyone can be prophetic, if only punctually. Anyone can be for us a message sent from God, either in what they do or in what they say. Since we all long to know more about God, about his will, about his dispositions in general and toward us in particular, it is wise to bear this in mind, and to be on the look-out, always, for messages coming to us from God, via the people in our lives. This requires, as well, a certain open-mindedness. If we exclude, a priori, many people, as possible prophets of God for us, we will miss out on a lot of messages. Be especially attentive to the sayings and doings of those you consider to be holy, close to God. They will be for you a constant source of inspiration as to the dispositions of God. Secondly, be attentive to the possibility that God is using you to speak to others. When you discover something beautiful about God, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it. You just might be causing someone else’s faith and hope to grow by doing so.

I don’t have a lot to report this week. We will know this week what awaits us in terms of in-person gatherings in our churches. Following this week’s announcements, we will be in a position to plan for Lent and Easter more firmly. As soon as we can, we will provide you with a schedule, and protocols for our celebrations of Lent and Easter. In the meantime, the current schedule remains in place until Saturday, February 13. This is to give us time to mobilize ushers, and establish a new schedule, and get the message out, should there be changes to the current restrictions. Our next liturgy team meeting is scheduled for February 6th. At that time, we will be able to plan at least Ash Wednesday and Lent. Soon after that, we’ll be communicating with you.

I do believe it is safe to say right now that under any scenario, we will try to organize “walk-throughs”, times when you will be invited to pre-register to come to church to receive ashes, to receive communion following a live-streamed service, or to venerate the Cross and receive communion. As the name indicates, this will be a walk through the church, as opposed to time spent in the church. The pews will not be accessible. Pre-registration will be required, and the process will be ushered. I repeat here what I introduced last Sunday. It will be very important that you arrive and leave within the half-hour for which you have pre-registered. This is to avoid crossing paths with those who leave as you arrive, and with those who arrive as you leave.

A word on security. We had an unfortunate incident last Sunday. A highly troubled and aggressive man entered into the church, and it is possible that he will come again. For this reason, we’ve had to double up on security measures. As soon as we have firmed them up, we will share them with you. For the time being, I can say this much. Until now, it was possible to come to pick up a box of envelopes without pre-registering. But since we must keep the church doors locked at all times, this is no longer possible. Effective this Monday, you must pre-register to pick up envelopes as well as for confession, communion, or just private prayer. When you arrive at church for whatever reason, the doors will be locked. The ushers will be watching for people who are arriving, to let them in. We are working on setting up a cell phone at the disposal of the ushers, with a number that you can call when you arrive, if the ushers fail to let you in. In the meantime, when you arrive, just make your presence known to the ushers, one of whom at least will be in the foyer. If you spend any amount of time in a parked car on our parking lot, especially alone, be sure that your doors are locked. And finally, don’t leave any visible valuables in your car.

A bit of good news: our over-all rebate from Project Advance for 2020 amounts to $80,000! We are one of five parishes in the archdiocese for which this year’s Project Advance rebate is our best ever! You have been incredibly generous, and provided us with a cushion, should we go into deficit with the eventual decline of the federal wage subsidy. Thank you again and God bless you for your generosity.

Ave Maria Garden Ministry is at it again. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, they are creating fresh flower bouquets, preserved flower bouquets, and their traditional Ave Maria Garden bouquets. These bouquets are the perfect gift for someone you love on Valentine’s Day. The proceeds of these sales will go to Chalice, a very fine, Canadian non-profit organization that provides needy families in the Third World with very practical, down-to-earth gifts, things like goats, cows, and sewing machines. For photos of the bouquets and more information on how to go about obtaining a bouquet, contact Jane by going to their Facebook page: “Ave Maria Garden Canada”. You can also email Jane at [email protected]

God bless us and keep us all safe and well.

Fr. Guy