Musings

Good Evening, Church

The hussle of the holidays have passed by and after some much needed time away (read: fishing) I'm once again back at the helm of St. Ann's.

It was a fruitful holiday season and I give thanks for the people of Flin Flon, Snow Lake & Cranberry Portage, MB who spoiled me over Christmas. Kismet & I both need to lose some weight from the past weeks.

There have been some interesting developments in the Church as a whole over the last weeks. Pope Benedict has named new Cardinals to help lead the Church, the faithful are still adjusting to the changes in the liturgy (for many coming back at Christmas this was an awkward surprise) and there are the beginnings of new ventures for parishes in the New Year.

All will be tackled will be tackled with God`s Holy Spirit guiding us and I will spend some time over the next few days addressing them in turn.

For now, know of my prayer of blessing for you all this day and thank you for the indulgence and understanding over the last weeks. This blogging is difficult to stay up on.

Blessings,

Fr. Paul

Thought for the Day: Gathering up Our Lives

I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a shiny sliver out of one hour. I dropped it carelessly. O God! I knew not I held an opportunity.
—Hazel Lee

Once, a famous artist was hired to put stained glass windows into a great cathedral. His eager young apprentice pleaded for the chance to design just one small window. The master artist feared an experiment on even a small window would prove costly, but the persistent young apprentice kept up his pleas. Finally, the master agreed that he could try his hand on one small window if he furnished his own materials and worked on his own time.

The enterprising apprentice began gathering bits of glass his master had discarded, and set to work. When the cathedral doors were open, people stood in groups before the small window, praising its delicate excellence.

Our lives are like this. If we take the time to gather together the moments and opportunities we too often discard and waste, we find we can weave them into something beautiful.

What can I make of moments I usually waste today?

Happy New Year

Blessings for the beginning of 2012!

Fr. Paul & Kismet

On this the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, I pray that we may all imitate her example of remaining open to God's will for each us.

Let us not enter this year with fear, but rather the knowledge that we are in God's favour and that Our new-born Christ will gift us with the presence of His Peace in our lives.

My homily for this Solemnity can be found here.

With all my love and prayer for this coming year.

Father Paul