“I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among people. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his people and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the one who was seated on the throne said: ‘See, I make all things new.” Rev 21,1-5a 

Dear parishioners,

Such heartening words in today’s passage from the Book of Revelation. We do well to remind ourselves often of the eternal wonder that awaits us, and all those we love. And in today’s gospel, we have a nice, I would say redeeming hint as to how to make the wait-time between now and Heaven bearable. How to make our burdens light and our yokes easy. Very simple. Focus on love. Very often, the way that leads out of our distress is the road that leads us into someone else’s need. Focus on love, and all will be well. In the words of Jesus: “I am with you only a little longer. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Not a lot more that one can add…

In current parish news:

There is an important event coming up this Wednesday, May 18 from 5pm to 7pm, followed by the usual 7 pm mass. It is a mini-retreat hosted by Ave Maria Gardens and Catholic Street Missionaries, and directed by Fr.  Francis Qing, a member of the Companions of the Cross. I also know that given the involvement of Ave Maria Gardens, this will involve flowers in some way shape or form. I’m fairly certain that this is an event that you will enjoy. The mini-retreat will be in the church basement, followed by mass in the church. They have assured me that they will abide by our parish Covid safety plan, so it should be safe to attend. I remind you that a part of our parish Covid safety plan is that you wear masks at indoor gatherings and distance yourselves as much as possible.

A second important event this week, on Thursday May 19th at 7pm: the confirmation of the adults that we baptized at Easter, together with previously baptized Christians, Catholic or otherwise, who wish to be confirmed. So if you’re planning to attend the usual 7pm mass, just be aware that it will involve more than mass! Please make a place in your prayer for them, as well as for the PREP grade 7 students, whom we will be confirming this Tuesday, May 17.

This is a long way off, but I’ve come to accept that repetition is an essential part of effective communication. Pentecost falls this year on June 5th. We invite everyone on that day to come to the celebration of Pentecost dressed in red, the traditional colour of Pentecost, inspired by the tongues of fire that came to rest on each of the disciples on the day of the first Pentecost. If red doesn’t work for you, you might consider wearing orange or yellow, close enough!

Another long-way-off event: we are having another visit from Fr. Rob Galea! He will be here on Thursday, June 23rd, 6:30-8:00 p.m. His talk and singing will be aimed primarily at children, grades seven and under, for whom admission is free. Admission for parents and other adults will be $10. I hope and pray that many of our families with children in this age group will benefit from what promises to be a very uplifting event.

This event is also  a long way off but there is no harm in giving advance notice. On Saturday June 25th, beginning at 7:00 p.m., young people from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish will be providing us with a message about the love and the hope that are behind the well-known icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Their message will be supported by contemporary praise and worship music. This promises to be a really nice event. All are welcome, and admission is free.

A final reminder: tickets for this year’s raffle, an annual fundraiser for our building fund, are on sale after all Sunday masses until the final draw on June 24th. The prizes are $1000, $2000, and $5000. Tickets are 2 for $15, 6 for $30, 15 for $60, and 30 for $80. You can purchase your tickets after Sunday mass, or by going to the parish website or to https://trellis.org/thebig2022raffle . For more information, contact Teresa Lung at [email protected] 

Have a great week. God bless you and keep you safe. 

Fr. Guy