Go in Peace…

Today, I begin another adventure in my diaconate ministry, this prayer that came to me this morning is a great reminder of what we all should strive for every day in each of our Christian journeys.

We all need to live for peace … in ourselves, our families, our parishes and workplaces, and those we meet each and everyday.
Go in peace… Glorifying the Lord with your lives. DG

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 
Where there is injury, pardon; 
Where there is doubt, faith; 
Where there is despair, hope; 
Where there is darkness, light; 
And where there is sadness, joy. 

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console; 
To be understood, as to understand; 
To be loved, as to love; 
For it is in giving that we receive, 
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. 
Amen.

Walking Together Retreat

Working together with Kateri Native Ministry we have co-ordinated a multi-day retreat based on the Kateri Native Ministry’s new Kendaasawin Learning program helps both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous participants develop wisdom practices that promote life, love, and respect for all Creation.

www.katerinativeministry.ca

The Retreat will take place on August 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2023 and will be hosted at Galilee Centre in Arnprior for the meals and accommodations, as well as some sessions.
There will also be a visit to the Land where Kateri Native Ministry we working to erect the John Corston Healing & Training Lodge.
We are also responsible to keep vigil of the sacred fire for the duration of the retreat. 

The Cost of this Retreat would be $300 per person which covers accommodations, meals and facilities as well as the Retreat activities from the elders and Kateri Native Ministries.

Please advise if you have any dietary concerns, in addition there are some accessibility restrictions at the Galilee Centre and an outdoor nature hike to the Land.

Currently there are about 25 spots available at this time, please book and submit payment by June 30th, so we can finalize all the bookings.

Peace,

Deacon Guy Cote

343-585-4009

Bridging the Great Divide

I spend a great deal of time, reading and listening to Bishop Barron & Christopher West in addition to Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
This video gives some great insight to the mission of the Church, it is not either/ or but both/and.

We often find two groups in the Church in tension with each other: those concerned with the liturgy and those concerned with social justice.

On this week’s episode of the Word on Fire Show, Brandon Vogt and Bishop Barron discuss how to bridge this great divide, and why we should have enthusiasm for both the liturgy and the Church’s social doctrine.

Click the video below to watch this week’s episode of the Word on Fire Show.

Be the Sign…

In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11:29-32, we read Jesus making the statement.
“This … is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it.”
We can be upset or disturbed about Jesus’ tone or implication but there is another option. Maybe instead of seeking, searching or waiting for a sign, we can spend our time becoming a sign.

With this mindset, we can ‘take up the cross and follow Christ’, not into suffering and hardship but into becoming a sign that this generation needs. DG

The Rise of Euthanasia

Last week I listened to this podcast from Bishop Barron, and this morning it was sent to my inbox … I am taking it as a indication that it needs to be shared.
We need to continue to pray that families realize the dignity of life and meaning of service and suffering.

Peace,
DG

Do we have a right to choose how and when we die? Should we be worried about the rapid rise of euthanasia, including in the United States?

Euthanasia has been in the news lately thanks to reports out of Canada, where last year, over 10,000 Canadians ended their lives via euthanasia. Those numbers are sure to go up, as Canada has loosened restrictions so that people can now choose euthanasia not only to avoid pain and suffering in the face of terminal disease, but simply for “mental health reasons.”

On today’s episode of the Word on Fire Show, Brandon Vogt and Bishop Barron discuss these alarming trends and how to make the case that life is worth living.

Click the video below to watch this week’s episode of the Word on Fire Show.

How many times does God knock me off of my horse?

This morning during my regular prayer time … what I found myself reflecting on just how many times God knock me off of my house. I guess if I had a horse its name would be Pride, envy, gluttony, lust … I think you can recognize my pattern.

Today we celebrate the conversion of Saul … it is safe to say that we can all relate to his conversion … we all charge ahead on ideas, opinions and decisions that we believe are correct and true.

Here is a quote from Pope Francis for prayer and reflection

“[Paul] was consistent, because he was a man open to God. If he persecuted Christians, it was because he was convinced that God desired it. But how can that be? Never mind how: he was convinced of it. This is the zeal he carried for the purity of the house of God, for the glory of God. A heart open to the voice of the Lord. And he risked all, and charged ahead. Another characteristic of his actions is that he was a docile man – full of docility – and was not hard-headed.”

My Reading Table for 2023

Each year, during some of the quiet moments of Christmas. I look through my library and pull out some books that I have collected over the past year and add them to my reading table. It is a small goal that I set for myself to ‘read these books’ in the upcoming year.

Some of the books like JPII’s Theology of the Body and the Christopher West commentary have been on my reading table for at least two years, I am working through them, about half way through each.

Here is my reading table for 2023…