our parish family
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Our Parish Family S t . Chr i s topher ’ s
6 8 U n i o n S t r e e t ,
F o r e s t O n t a r i o N 0 N 1 J 0
5 1 9 - 7 8 6 - 5 2 4 3
O u r L a d y H e l p
o f Chr i s t i ans 4 3 2 V i c t o r i a S t r e e t
W a t f o r d , O n t a r i o N 0 M 2 S 0
5 1 9 - 8 7 6 - 3 2 4 0
A welcoming Catholic faith community who gathers to celebrate the Word of God as a Eucharistic People.
Pastoral Team
Pastor: Father Tom Donohue
Forest Office: Connie Burns
Watford Office: Martha Moons
Deacons: John Lammers 519-490-3832
Tony Hogervorst 519-670-0891
Sunday Eucharist
Saturday 4:30 pm Forest 7:00 pm Watford
Sunday 9:00 am Watford 11:00 am Forest
Reconciliations:
After weekday church Masses Or by appointment
Office Hours: St. Christopher 9:00—4:00
Monday through Friday
OLHC 9:00—4:00 Tuesday and Wednesday
www.lambtoncatholic.ca Exerted from APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONGAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE
CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 19, 2018
Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. — John 6:53
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”
These are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict, disputes and
enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the basis of their ideas, their customs and
even their way of speaking or dressing. Ultimately, it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person
thinks he or she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem, Jesus proposes
a different way of doing things: the way of meekness. This is what we see him doing with his disciples. It
is what we contemplate on his entrance to Jerusalem: “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and
mounted on a donkey” (Mt 21:5;Zech 9:9).
Christ says: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your
souls” (Mt 11:29). If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and
weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air
of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining. Saint
Thérèse of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’ mistakes, and not being
scandalized by their faults”.
Paul speaks of meekness as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:23). He suggests that, if a
wrongful action of one of our brothers or sisters troubles us, we should try to correct them, but “with a
spirit of meekness”, since “you too could be tempted” (Gal6:1). Even when we defend our faith and
convictions, we are to do so “with meekness” (cf. 1 Pet 3:16). Our enemies too are to be treated “with
meekness” (2 Tim 2:25). In the Church we have often erred by not embracing this demand of God’s word.
Meekness is yet another expression of the interior poverty of those who put their trust in God alone.
Indeed, in the Bible the same word – anawim – usually refers both to the poor and to the meek. Someone
might object: “If I am that meek, they will think that I am an idiot, a fool or a weakling”. At times they
may, but so be it. It is always better to be meek, for then our deepest desires will be fulfilled. The meek
“shall inherit the earth”, for they will see God’s promises accomplished in their lives. In every situation,
the meek put their hope in the Lord, and those who hope for him shall possess the land… and enjoy the
fullness of peace (cf. Ps 37:9.11). For his part, the Lord trusts in them: “This is the one to whom I will
look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (Is66:2).
Reacting with meekness and humility: that is holiness.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”
The world tells us exactly the opposite: entertainment, pleasure, diversion and escape make for the good
life. The worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the family or all around him; he averts
his gaze. The world has no desire to mourn; it would rather disregard painful situations, cover them up or
hide them. Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality can
be concealed. But the cross can never be absent.
A person who sees things as they truly are and sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of touching
life’s depths and finding authentic happiness. He or she is consoled, not by the world but by Jesus. Such
persons are unafraid to share in the suffering of others; they do not flee from painful situations. They
discover the meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and
bringing relief. They sense that the other is flesh of our flesh, and are not afraid to draw near, even to
touch their wounds. They feel compassion for others in such a way that all distance vanishes. In this way
they can embrace Saint Paul’s exhortation: “Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).
Knowing how to mourn with others: that is holiness.
Please Pray each day for:
Ms. Natasha Cantestable Rev. Paul McGill Rev. Ronald Trojcak Ministers to the Separated & Divorced Rev. Terence Runstedler Dcn. Leonard Tetreault Dcn. Gerard VanSchyndel
Tuesday, August 21, at Watford Quality Care, 4:00 pm Living and deceased members of the CWL
Wednesday, August 22, at OLHC, 9:00 am
+Dick Moons—Martin & Bev Quenneville
Thursday, August 23, at Country Manor, 11:00 am
For the Parishioners
Friday, August 24, at St. Christopher, 9:00 am +Dick Moons—Laurie & Randy Vereecken
Migrant Worker Ministry —We are in need of recruiting more drivers to pick up migrants from our local greenhouse and farms and drive them to mass at St. Christopher Parish once a month. Please contact Vera Lawlor at [email protected] or 519-869-4389. We also need baking or donations of fresh fruit for the monthly dinners. The upcoming dates are: September. 16, October 21.
City of Sarnia Family of Parishes website: www.sarniacatholic.ca Diocese of London website: www.dol.ca
Bishop Fabbro has announced our Family to be: Our Lady Help of Christians, Watford St. Christopher’s, Forest St. Philip’s, Petrolia St. Joseph’s, Corunna The official beginning date has not yet been set but we are preparing to be ready for when the time comes. We will be the Lambton Catholic grouping. Please pray for a smooth transition to a mission oriented Family of Parishes.
Check out our NEW website: www.lambtoncatholic.ca
Thank you for your support of the parish. Do you have a question or need help with something? Please ask. ls there anything you think is needed for the parish? Please let us know. Are you new to the parish? Welcome! Please contact the office to register
Is your garden producing more than you can use? The Food Bank is happy to
accept fresh produce! Contact Monica at 519-786-5692 or [email protected],
to arrange delivery time.
International Order of Alhambra, a Catholic charitable organization assisting the intellectually challenged in our communities, hold an annual Labour Day appeal. Members will be at the doors of the church after all masses this weekend to accept
your donation to help them further their work. Please support this worthy organization and the work they do. New members are always welcome. Meetings are the last Thursday evening of the month, 8:00 pm, at the Algarva Clubhouse, 10080 Klondyke Road, Grand Bend. Website, www.algarva168.org, or go to Facebook- Alhambra Grand Bend -to view current events.
Thinking About Becoming Catholic? The RCIA program – or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults - is for people who would like to take a closer look at the Catholic faith. Interested candidates meet weekly in a group setting together with their sponsor (arranged by the parish or in partnership with the RCIA candidates them-selves) and members of our parish leadership teams. There are different presenters each week on a variety of topics. The RCIA program is a combined initiative of the parishes of the Sarnia deanery. The RCIA program is divided into four stages or periods. The first period or “Inquiry Stage” takes us through the fall. During this time, we take a closer look at what Catholics believe. The “Inquiry Stage” is open to anyone who wishes to take a closer look at the Catholic faith and there is absolutely no obligation to continue in the RCIA journey. Hosted at St. Benedict Parish on Wednesday evenings from 6:30—8:30p.m. beginning on October 11. Please register with your parish office.
Family Catechism — Resumes in October every 2nd Saturday morning at St. Patrick’s High School. Watch parish bulletins for details. For info, contact: [email protected] or call 519-542-3253.
Cemetery Sunday will be celebrated as follows:
Beechwood Cemetery, Forest, August 26, at 2:00 pm
Watford Cemetery, September 9, at 2:00 pm
St. Matthew’s, Alvinston Cemetery, September 16, at 2:00 pm
Notice : The St. Christopher’s Parish Community Annual Golf Tournament is cancelled for this fall, 2018. We will be having a “bi-annual” tournament going forward so start planning for 2019! This leaves a large loss in our 2018 budget so if you would normally support the golf tourna-ment please consider your current donations and if you are able to help with the shortfall. We are very grateful for the generosity of the community over the past 11 years!!
There will be a blood donor clinic in Forest on Tuesday, August 21, at the Forest Legion—We are preparing a Parish Challenge! More info to follow as details are agreed on. The clinic is currently in need of over 70 additional donors. Deacon John will speak to this in the upcoming Mass announcements.