Your Story is Important…

So often I listen to people lament about how their family just seem to not be interested in the faith, this appears to be the never ending narrative around the ‘Holy Water Cooler’.

Some of the issue is that we stopped telling ‘our’ story, we stopped telling people about how God is working in our lives, stooped seeing Christ in other and stopped taking time to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
We have traded the influence of the Most Holy Trinity for the influence of the secular trinity of time, text and television.

We live in a World of Quiet Talk, in which no one needs to speak and no one needs to listen.

We no longer witness,
any desire to leave the safe place and to travel to the Father’s house that has many rooms, any hope to reach the promised land or see the one who is waiting for the prodigal son,
any ambition to sit at the right or left side of the heavenly throne,
it seems that staying quiet, staying home, staying in line, being in your little group or tribe has become life’s most important goal… but that is a vote for the status quo.

Being a Christian leader means to lead other humans back to reconciliation, to see God face to face, to meet each other “Eyelash to Eyelash” (that is the meaning of ‘cili’).

The basic affirmation is that humans are human and God is God.
Without God, humans cannot be called human.

DG

Padre Pio – Pray for us

Back in 2008, as I was a few years into my journey back to a refocused faith. I made Cursillo weekend, and I sat at the St. Padre Pio table. Since then I have read many books and reflected on the life of this great saint.
Since the Fall, I have been reading, ‘ Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry.” True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1 &2 by Diane Allen.

The life & ministry of Padre Pio, his humility is a great inspiration for my own ministry and these prayers have found a place in my regular devotion and ministry.

Padre Pio’s Example Prayer
God our Father,
By your Spirit you raised up St. Padre Pio,
To show your people the way to perfection.
You made him a pastor of the Church,
To feed your sheep with his word,
and to teach them by his example.
Help us by his prayers to keep the faith he taught,
and to follow the way of life he showed us.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever,
Amen.

As a Deacon, I am asked regularly to pray for people who are in need of healing. This could be due to illness, injury, or maybe going through a difficult time. In those moments I use this prayer, maybe in its entirety or only the portions that are most relevant.

Padre Pio’s Healing Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving <N>.
I thank you for sending your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
to the world to save and to set us free.

We trust in your power and grace that sustain and restore them.
Loving Father, touch them now with your healing hands,
for we believe that your will is for <N> to be well in mind, body, soul and spirit.

Cover <N> with the most precious blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ from the top of their head to the soles of their feet.
Cast anything that should not be in <N>.

Root out any unhealthy and abnormal cells.
Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild and replenish any damaged areas.

Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection by the power of Jesus’ precious blood.
Let the fire of your healing love pass through their entire body
to heal and make new any diseased areas so that their body will function the way you created it to function.

Touch also their mind and their emotion, even the deepest recesses of their heart.

Saturate their entire being with your presence, love, joy, and peace and draw them ever closer to you every moment of my life.

And Father, fill <N> with your Holy Spirit and empower them to do your works so that their life will bring glory and honor to your holy name.
We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

A Season of channeling Peace…

A little more than a month, back at Blessed Sacrament Parish, it seems like September started in August.
There is a natural cadence that is developed early in our lives because of the starting of the new school year, we are accustomed, or can I thrusted into a new routine after the lazy days of the summer. We hopefully enjoy some vacation or down time and then September starts like a race with the sound of starting pistol.

Recently, I begin my days before the sunrise (which is getting easier every everyday) sitting in my ‘Prayer chair’ with a cup of coffee, Divine Office, rosary, daily readings, bible and a book of Pope Francis.

Yes, you read this correctly…. a book of Pope Francis.

Earlier this summer, after many years of waiting, we adding a statue of St. Francis of Assisi to our front garden. With that I began to immerse myself in the writings of St. Francis, Padre Pio and St. Brother Andre. I guess maybe in the search for Peace…. Biblical Peace.

And there is was a prompting, a nudge to re-read Fratelli Tutti, the 2020 encyclical from Pope Francis.
That’s it, I just did it … I made a conscience effort to ignore the “Twittbooktubernet” and dive into the writings of Pope Francis.

Every Holy Mass, we pray in the Eucharistic Prayer, for Francis our Pope, all the clergy … it should be a sincere prayer not with fingers crossed or agenda in our hearts.

In this time of fast paced instant communication of 80 characters or less, we have stopped listening and spend our time trying to grab all the information that is coming at us.

In reading Pope Francis, and his vision for the church, and yes, he wants to change the church but I am not convinced that the narrative that is out there is 100% accurate of how he wants to change it.

Pope Francis asks …
“Are we a Church that calls and welcomes sinners with open arms, that gives courage and hope or are we a Church closed in on herself?”
” Are we a Church where the love of God dwells, where one cares for the other, where one prays for the other.” (From the Book, the Church of Mercy by Pope Francis, A Vision for the Church. 2014)

DG

Carpe Diem…

Most of us are familiar with this phrase… Seize the day- Tomorrow we die.

What a difference a day makes… yesterday we celebrated and today we have the Gospel passage from Matthew that sure wakes up anyone who has adopted a prosperity gospel ideal.

“Anyone one who wishes to follow me, must deny himself and take up his cross…”

The cross we are to take up is the mission of Christ… what we are to deny is our own will, or a mission of self.

To have life and have it abundantly is to Love God and Love your Neighbour, the mission is to leave Peace.

Start doing this today … for tomorrow we may not have the chance.

Peace, DG

Another year of Diaconate Ministry

Yesterday, I celebrated my third year of ordination in the office of a Deacon… well, it really is more of a reflecting than celebrating.
Shared a meal with the other men and their wives… which is always nice and true to the feast day and the season, it was a BBQ.

I felt the prompting to reflect on the creed, at times we get caught up in tasks and forget the why.

Well …. Here is the why….

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen


Peace,

DG

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