7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Moses proclaims in the first reading that God is asking us to be holy as God is holy, and that we are never justified in sin if or when our brothers and sisters behave badly. This is easy to say and hard to live. When Jesus says we are not to offer resistance to evil people, He isn’t telling us to become doormats. He is asking us not to return evil with evil, but to respond with the loving actions of prayer, extending love and generosity to enemies, and to offer kindness in all situations, even while we recognize and work against evil taking root in ourselves and the world. Peacemaking is not passive or easy, but it is our calling to witness how God works.

Prayer of the Faithful: For peaceful and loving responses to evil in our world, we pray to the Lord. Holy God, help us to follow you in responding to evil with perfect love. May our witness effectively build your Kingdom of mercy and love. Amen.

Reflection: CCCB
#SundayMass #CatholicYYC

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

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The first reading from Sirach has such a compelling and strange reminder: before us are life and death, good and evil, whichever we choose will be given to us. It’s strange, isn’t it, to think that when offered these choices anyone would freely choose evil and death? But we do, and the Gospel reading tells us why, albeit in a strange way if we read it literally! When Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away,” He isn’t suggesting literal mutilation of the parts of our bodies or souls that give into temptation. He is reminding us that sin takes root in our habits and attitudes, and often death and evil come to feel more comfortable than life and goodness. We become blind to what is good when sin gets familiar and we cling to the things that hurt us. How often do we regret a vindictive or angry word but seem unable to choose silence or kindness? Yet what we choose is in fact what we get. When we find this happening to us and we are given the grace to see where we have been choosing death, we get to choose again. Get to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, see a counsellor, apologize to those you’ve hurt, and do the work that will support God’s rooting out your attachment to sin. Choose life!

Prayer: For the courage to choose life when it means letting go of our attachment to sin and death, we pray to the Lord.

Baptised Jesus, you whisper over each of us the words your Father spoke over you: “This is my Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” May we be people who hear you speaking this over us, who believe it, and who proclaim it over all your people wherever we find them. Amen

#CatholicYYC #SundayMass

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

St Valentine Day

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By Scott Hahn

So February 14 is Valentine’s Day — and there are 14 saints by that name, at least!

The name “Valentine” comes from the Latin word valens, which means “strong” or “powerful,” and there were many people in the ancient world with that name.

The earliest one was St. Valentine of Rome. He was a priest in Rome, martyred in A.D. 269, and buried near the Via Flaminia. That’s pretty much all we know about him. (His skull is in the picture above.)

Another one who lived right around the time of the first was St. Valentine of Terni (or Interamna). He was a bishop in central Italy who was martyred in A.D. 273. He was also buried near the Via Flaminia.

The third St. Valentine was martyred with a group of companions in Africa at some point in the early Church.

“St. Valentine” was added to the liturgical calendar by Pope Galesius in A.D. 496. It may have been St. Valentine of Rome, or some combination of the three (the lives of saints with the same name sometimes blur together).

There are also at least 11 more St. Valentines that came later, but who are not remember on February 14th.

In fact, this is why St. Valentine’s feast was not included in the General Roman Calendar in its 1969 revision: “Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14.”

Everything You Think You Know About St. Valentine Is (Probably) Wrong by Church POP Editor – Feb 13, 2017

Taken from the Facebook page of Scott Hahn

28th World Day of the Sick

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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It can be tempting to look out for our own and to close our eyes to the people who suffer but who aren’t “our” responsibility. Both Isaiah and Jesus speak words to convince us otherwise. God’s work is to free the prisoners, feed the hungry, care for the sick, and bring light to each and every person on the earth. Having received the light and life God offers, we have been asked to join Him in that work, rather than hoarding God’s blessings for ourselves. We are called to feed the hungry — by not wasting food at home, by buying groceries or giving money for others, by inviting our neighbours to eat with us, and by accepting the invitations of others, especially to meals that are simple and spontaneous. We are called to stop before we buy more things we do not need, and to ask how God is asking us to use our financial blessings to give life to a hurting world.

Prayer: For the generosity to share the life we have been given, we pray to the Lord.

God of abundant blessing and justice, you have poured your grace upon the world. Make us agents of your life, sharing generously the life we have been given, and receiving the life that can be found in each of your people. Amen.

Reflection: CCCB #CatholicYYC #SundayMass

Taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary