Sunday Mass
Jesus, Our Saviour
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve to live in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve broke that relationship for themselves and for all of their ancestors by choosing sin. Sin created a divide between man and God. Fr. Ken explains that we needed a Saviour to bridge the gap caused by sin, and He sent us His only Son to be our Saviour.
Listen to Him
In the entirety of Scripture, there is only one time where God directly speaks to a large crowd of people. We see this at the Transfiguration when He says: “This is my beloved Son: listen to Him.” This is a common theme in the Bible and a commandment that we must take very seriously. Fr. Mark explains how reading the Bible is key to living out this command. We live in a broken world affected by sin, and God’s Word…
The Father’s Heart
This is week one of our Lenten preaching series called “Return to the Father’s Heart”. We are created to be in relationship with God. A relationship with God is the best relationship we can have, because He is the only one who can perfectly love us. When we are baptized, we become an adopted child of God; He is our Father. Fr. Ken explains that God’s love is unconditional and deeper than any other love that we can experience. Deepen…
Let Love Lead Your Lent
Deciding what to do for Lent can be challenging, and sticking it can be even harder. Like a sailboat relying on the wind, we must also rely on God to strengthen our Lenten penance. Fr. Mark explains the “Daniel Fast” and how he learned to let love lead him through Lent. For more Lenten resources, visit stmarysottawa.ca/lent
Why You Should Love Lent
Who likes Lent? When we think about fasting, giving things up, and the spirit of the season, it seems easy to dislike Lent. Fr. Roger explains that when we come to understand the purpose of these forty days, we can learn to love Lent. Make the pledge to pray 10 minutes a day for 40 days; sign up for the Lenten Prayer Challenge at stmarysottawa.ca/lent.
Made in His Image
Do you know your identity? Many people are lost in this world searching for the truth. We are called to share the truth with the people around us – we are all children of God and made in His image. Fr. Mark explains that at St. Mary’s, we are driven by evangelization. Join the hundreds of parishioners who have decided to pray more this Lent by visiting stmarysottawa.ca/lent.
Fulfilling the Law of Love
Many people see the Catholic faith as simply a set of rules. In truth, our faith is meant to be a relationship – a communion between ourselves and God. Like any relationship, there are rules that must be followed. The Church admits that the Law is not perfect – it is a set of rules to live by, but the Law itself does not give us the strength we need to follow God’s commandments. Fr. Ken explains that Jesus is…
Serving the Poor in Our Community
We have a silent epidemic in our society; an epidemic of drug addiction, mental health, and poverty. As Christians, the Lord calls us again and again to serve the poor. St. Mother Teresa encouraged her followers to, “find their own Calcutta” – serve the impoverished members of their own communities. Fr. Mark explains how we can serve the poor in our neighbourhood and what St. Mary’s Parish is doing to respond to this call.
Humbled and Blessed
Sometimes we are confused as to what the true meaning of humility is. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; rather, it is thinking of yourself less. Pride is something we all struggle with. Fr. Ken explains how to identify pride in your life and how to increase in humility.
What’s My Next Step?
In the Guardian Angel prayer, it states that our Guardian Angels light, guard, rule, and guide. Where is our Guardian Angel meant to guide us? Maybe you’re wondering where the Lord is leading you. Often, he only reveals the next right step, illuminating the path one phase at a time. When Jesus called his Apostles, he simply told them to follow him; he didn’t tell them exactly what the next three years would look like, but gave them a simple…