The miracle at Meribah and the conversation with the woman at the well are such beautiful mountaintop moments. But what happens to the Israelites and the woman in the hours and days that follow? After such significant signs, most of us find our faith wanes. We lose our sense of God’s closeness, and the mundane reality of living every day makes us forgetful, or worse, entitled. Signs and wonders, moments of intimacy with God, and other mountaintop experiences are not going to be our everyday experience. In between these gifts, we are called to faith that God is at work. In the second reading, Paul reminds us that “hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.” How are you leaning into hope at this stage in Lent, trusting that God is working out a resurrection yet to come?

Prayer: For hope to sustain us between the mountaintop experiences of faith, we pray to the Lord.

God of water from stone, and grace at a well, soften our hearts with hope that you will bring about the new life we long for, especially when we struggle to see what you are doing. May we be filled with hope now and always. Amen.

#CatholicYYC #SundayMass

Taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary

The Catholic Bishops of Alberta remain committed to the gradual reinstatement of public celebrations of the Mass and welcome the recent release of the Guidance for Places of Public Worship document as part of the provincial government’s relaunch strategy. These guidelines are being carefully considered by the task force that the Bishops have established under the direction of Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton and Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary. 

The task force is drafting for the Bishops a set of directives for the gradual reintroduction of Masses in public. The Bishops will present these to Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. The proposed directives will take into consideration the information that will be received from the Telephone Town Hall with the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer scheduled for Thursday, May 21. No date will be set for the resumption of public liturgies in our Catholic churches and institutions until the Bishops are satisfied that their own directives can be fully and properly implemented.

Any announcement of the date for the gradual reintroduction will be made at least five days before the first scheduled Mass. Parishes by then will have received diocesan guidelines which help ensure the safety of everyone.

“It is critical that we understand the risks and take steps in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 through prudent planning,” said Bishop McGrattan. “The health and safety of our parishioners, priests, and church staff are of utmost importance. Each and every life is a precious gift from God, and we are called to do everything in our power to protect them. This has been a tremendous sacrifice on the part of the faithful who strongly desire to celebrate the Eucharist in their parish communities. We are grateful for their cooperation, their patient endurance, and especially for their prayers.”- May 15, 2020 Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary

For more information and updates please click the links below:

https://www.catholicyyc.ca/blog/updates-on-gathering-covid19
https://www.catholicyyc.ca/blog/covid19 

Pope Francis composed a prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick, imploring her protection during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Let us join him in prayer. #CatholicYYC

Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick.
At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain,
with steadfast faith.
You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need.
We are certain that you will provide, so that,
as you did at Cana of Galilee,
joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the Father’s will
and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us,
through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
– Pope Francis, March 2020
https://youtu.be/D2wxD3YvfeQ

Taken from the post of Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton.

Jesus allows His closest friends to witness the Transfiguration to prepare them for His upcoming passion. In our moments of defeat, let us recall the times when we experienced God’s particular presence, power, and grace.

Here we are in Lent. These opening Sunday readings are a beautiful reminder for us to turn away from sin so we can choose righteousness. Our sacrifice and discipline need to turn us toward renewed life because “just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s righteousness the many will be made righteous.” God’s best plan for redeeming our sinfulness is one person’s virtue. Our turning back to God, and away from sin, is not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of the world. Every act of virtue, every sacrifice, and every effort to turn from sin is a window for God’s grace to be multiplied for the world in and through our participation in divine life. Let’s use this Lent to bring more life into our lives and into the world.

Prayer: For a turning toward God that changes our lives and the world, we pray to the Lord. Jesus, you saved us by your righteousness. Draw our Lenten promises into your redeeming love for the world. May our sacrifices be a participation in new life for the world. Amen.

Text: CCCB
#CatholicYYC #Lent #SundayMass

Taken from the Facebook page of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary