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St. Leonard Catholic Parish
Manotick, Ont
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Monthly E-Newsletter for March 2018
Thank you for subscribing to the St. Leonard's monthly E-Newsletter. Make sure to check the schedule for all of the upcoming Lent and Easter services.
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Welcome Back and Happy Birthday to Fr. Titus!
Fr. Titus returned on the weekend of Feb 3rd and he was welcomed with two renditions of Happy Birthday on the occasion of his 56th birthday. One from the children and one from the choir. Welcome back Father! Oh and yes, the children (and the adults), thought that the cake was delicious too!
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Pastor's Message March 1st
Sharing the Good News
Last month I introduced the idea that there are 4 Stages in "Sharing the Good News" and suggested that people are first attracted to us as Catholics when they see that our lives are filled with joy and love. To proclaim the Good News means to give witness to the experience of Jesus that one has. A witness of joy and love leads others to accept the Good News of God which Jesus brings to us.
Once people show that they are open to us, we need to know what to say to them. This is the second stage in sharing the good news. Knowing the right words to say and how to say them can seem like a very daunting task. But if we are equipped with a little bit of knowledge and maintain a positive and bold attitude the Holy Spirit will help us along.
What knowledge should you be equipped with? For starters I would suggest that you be able to respond to the following questions:
1)
Does God exist and how do you know that?
2)
Why and how did Jesus save us?
3)
How did you come to believe in Jesus and what role does he play in your life?
For me, the best proof of the existence of God is His presence in my everyday life. However, when you are talking to others, perhaps a good place to start is one of the five philosophical arguments put forward by Thomas Aquinas way back in the 13th century. They are still valid today! My personal favourite is God as the first or uncaused cause. As Peter Kreeft says "If there is no first cause, then the universe is like a great chain with many links; each link is held up by the link above it, but the whole chain is held up by nothing." For a full description of this argument check out Peter Kreeft's website.
The core message of the Gospel is the Salvation Story. The Good News is that we have been saved by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus! During Holy Week the Gospel story comes to its climax;
- God loved us and created us for relationship
- Through sin we broke our relationship with God
- Jesus restored our relationship and offers us an invitation to follow Him
Check out Catholic Christian Outreach's Ultimate Relationship booklet for more details.
And finally, what is your faith story? What personal testimony can you give on behalf of Jesus? The one thing that I have always found is that people may take issue with impersonal arguments and proof statements but they never argue against my own personal story of God at work in my life. And that's because my story, or my personal witness to Jesus as it is sometimes referred to, is uniquely mine. You should be prepared with a concise two to three minute description of your own story. This testimony generally contains a description of what one was like before discovering Jesus and what one's life is like now. For some this may involve a major turning point and for others it may have been a gradual process over many years. Do not be afraid to admit that God is still working on you and you are not perfect. Trust me, if people are attracted to you because of your joy and love they will want to know your story! As Pope Paul VI said "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."
Having well thought out answers to these three questions is indeed a good start. Now look for the right opening to engage your family members, your friends and your co-workers in a positive dialogue on the topic that should be of utmost interest to them. Do not be afraid because the Holy Spirit is with you and remember that you just may be planting a seed that will grow to fruition in due time. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20
God Bless, Father Titus
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Evangelization
Tools and Support for Sharing the Good News
March 7th at 7:00 pm join us in the Parish Hall for the final evening of the "Sharing the Good News" course. Our focus will include:
- Overcoming objections
- Encouraging the next step in a person's faith journey
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A Conversation With Two Leading Evangelists
On January 13, 2018, Bishop Barron joined Dr. William Lane Craig, the esteemed Protestant apologist and evangelist, for an evening of dialogue at Claremont McKenna College. Bishop Barron and Dr. Craig discussed faith, science, secularism, evangelization and much more. If you want to understand the major issues facing Christianity today and hear some excellent strategies for "sharing the good news" in our secular world click here.
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Daily Gospel Reflections from Bishop Robert Barron
Introducing Bishop Barron's daily Gospel reflections!
Here's how it works:
STEP 2
- Make sure you receive the introductory email in your Inbox. If it's not there, check your spam or junk folders.
STEP 3
- You'll receive a brief email each morning. Each email will contain a link to that day's Gospel passage, so you can read the Scripture yourself. Then that will be followed by a short reflection on the passage from Bishop Barron.
It's short, simple, but extremely powerful. It's like getting a mini-homily each morning from Bishop Barron!
So be sure to sign up today to start receiving your reflections. Enjoy!
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Motivation to Go to Catholic Mass
You may have heard priests or devout Catholics say something like, "If only people knew what was happening at Mass, they'd be more willing to go." That may be true, but in this video, Fr. Mike also gets to the more practical-and painfully direct-heart of the matter. He points out that the heart of worship is sacrifice, and ultimately it's not about how engaged or entertained we are. Mass isn't about us; it's about God and what he asks of us.
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FORMED Resources for March
"When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him" (Matthew 1:24-5). This month, we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph, the silent and powerful father of the Holy Family. As we journey through Lent, may we create room for silence in our interior and exterior lives in imitation of St. Joseph, that we might hear and follow the Lord's will.
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If you are new to FORMED, to get ongoing FREE ACCESS to all programs and downloadable PDF guides, movies and e-books please
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UPCOMING CURSILLO WEEKENDS
WOMEN'S WEEKEND: 8-11 March 2018
MEN'S WEEKEND: 5-8 April 2018
Are you ready to take your Catholic Faith to a whole new level?
Would you like to have a more personal relationship with Christ?
Would you like to share an amazing weekend experience with like-minded people?
Please consider the upcoming Cursillo weekend retreats. Over 100 of your fellow St. Leonard parishioners have attended a Cursillo weekend and many would say it was the most transformative weekend of their lifes.
Cursillo is a lay movement which promotes Christian renewal by providing a joyful three-day experience of dynamic and enduring Christian living. It can be the start of a new and fuller awareness of what Christianity can mean in your daily life at home and work, with neighbours and with members of your Church.
Cursillo Weekends take place at Notre-Dame-de-la-Providence Retreat House, 1754 St Joseph Blvd. in Orléans. Transportation to and from the Retreat House will be taken care of. Weekends begin Thursday evening at 7 p.m. and end late Sunday afternoon. You are expected to be present for the entire time.
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Ministry and Fellowship
Bringing People Together
For more than 50 years, Development and Peace - Caritas Canada has been bringing people together and building bridges for peace by supporting local organizations in the Glo
bal South that promote dialogue, openness, and mutual understanding. This year, for Share Lent, discover the extraordinary accomplishments of Development and Peace partners working for peace in Cambodia, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Peru. We invite you to join them so we can act Together for Peace!
See our video here and hear from our partners here.
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Delicious and Inspirational Lenten Soup Supper
The annual Lenten Supper held the first Saturday of Lent featured guest speaker Garth Pereira, the Associate Director of NET Canada. The attendees enjoyed home-made soups prepared by four of our very own expert chefs and an inspirational dialogue between Judy Wood and Garth on how we can do a better job of engaging our youth in our Catholic faith.Thank you to all who attended, and special thanks to our four chefs; Giedre Abromaitis (Metabolism Boosting Soup), Rolando Lagmay (Sopas), Charles Slade (Vegetable Chili) and Marc Wood (Chicken Rice). An extra special thanks to Charles Slade for bringing together such a wonderful community event.
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Stewardship
2017 Parish Financial Update
We have just completed our 2017 parish financial statements and we are pleased to report that we show a surplus of $13,294
.
(click here
to go the St. Leonard's website and view
the
Financial Summary)
. We were able to achieve these positive results primarily through an increase in weekly offerings in 2017 that exceeded our weekly offerings in 2016 by $17,466. We are extremely grateful for the financial contribution you make to the parish and for the love and support you give us in being more welcoming and caring for each other.
There are several significant projects that are under review at the moment that will require increased funding. The most expensive of these is the possibility of converting our electric heat to natural gas. Secondly, we are looking at options to make our church basement more attractive and appealing which would enhance the overall experience of our downstairs gatherings. Very little has been done in this regard for a very long time. With your continued financial support, these projects and others may very well be within reach.
We would also like to highlight that the number of people using the pre-authorized monthly banking option has grown to 83. We started 2017 with 59 people using this option so we're making progress towards our ultimate goal of 100. If you are not part of this group, we continue to encourage you to consider joining. The pre-authorized option ensures financial viability throughout the entire year, especially in those summer months when church attendance typically declines but expenses continue. Here is a link to the authorization form which can be dropped off at the church office.
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Wed. March 7 Pastoral Council Meeting 7 p.m
Wed. March 7 Faith Formation- Sharing The Good News 7pm
Wed. March 14 Knights of Columbus Meeting 7 p.m.
Tues. March 20 Confirmation Session 4 6:30 p.m.
Wed. March 21 Parish Lenten Reconciliation Service 7 p.m.
Sat. March 24 CWL Meeting 7 p.m.
Thurs. March 29 Holy Thursday Mass 7 p.m.
Friday March 30 Good Friday Services 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sat. March 31 Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m.
Sun. April 1st Easter Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m. 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
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After the 9 am and 11 am Sunday masses in March coffee will be served in the Parish Hall. Click on the Parish Calendar for a full listing of upcoming meetings and events.
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Parishioner Feedback: We Love Your Input!
Dear Parishioners we are very interested in your feedback. If have any comments and/or suggestions as it relates to any of our Parish activities, including the E-Newsletter, please click here.
If you would like a direct response to your suggestion, please include your email address.
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Update on St. Leonard Communications
Stay Connected!
Stay up to date on what is going on at St. Leonard through the St. Leonard Facebook page or through the St. Leonard Parish app.
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Facebook
Don't have a smart phone or tablet? Like us on Facebook. Special events and reminders are posted continually on the
St.Leonard Facebook
page
BUT you have to LIKE the page. Do it now - go to
the St.Leonard Facebook page
and LIKE the page. SHARE with your friends!
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