May 21, 2023
Ascension of our Lord

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Reflection Questions:
Adults: With whom have you shared the Good News of Jesus in the past month?
Children: What Good News about Jesus could you share with someone?
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COLLECTION DETAILS:
Monthly Budgeted Income: $10,835.00
Collection for May 2023: $ 6,488.05

OMPH’S SANCTUARY CANDLE: For all those struggling with their mental health

SANCTUARY CANDLE FOR BOTH SAINT PATRICK’S AND OMPH: Each week we invite you to light the sanctuary lamp in memory of a loved one or for a special intention. The cost is $20.00 and you may drop the donation off at the office hours or place it in the collection with the information enclosed.

OMPH FOOD BANK COLLECTION: OMPH is collecting canned fruit (no pineapple) for the New Liskeard Food Bank

ST. PAT’S FOOD BANK COLLECTION: St. Pat’s is collecting non-perishable food items for Cobalt Food Bank.

FOOD HAMPERS: Do you know of anyone who could use a food hamper? If you do, please contact the office or Fr. Wayne. All names will be kept confidential.

SUNDAY OFFERINGS: The Parish is able to accept your Sunday offering via e-transfer. For those who wish to donate to the Parish in this manner, use the email “omphoffice@gmail.com” and the security password “OMPH81”

POPE FRANCIS - MAY PRAYER INTENTION: For Church Movements and Groups - We pray that Church movements and groups may rediscover their mission of evangelization each day, placing their own charisms at the service of the needs of the world.

CWL BURSARY: OMPH CWL council is offering a $200.00 bursary to a secondary school student who is graduating this spring and attending a post secondary institution in September or January. This person will have received the Sacraments of initiation, practise the faith, participate in Mass and in the life of the parish on a regular basis. Please reply to the Parish office before May 31st.

CEMETERY FUND COLLECTION: Our Parish is very blessed to have such a beautiful Catholic cemetery in which we can bury our loved ones. Each year our parish makes a financial commitment of $2,500.00 to assist with the upkeep of the cemetery. A special cemetery envelope can be found in this month’s offering box. We know that we can count on your continued support for our Catholic cemetery.

PRAYER LINE: In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed. If you or any member of your family, or anyone you know, is sick, in distress or experiencing troubling times, we invite you to call Emilie at 705-679-8814, to be placed on a prayer list.

MAY THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY: Join us for the Glorious Mysteries Rosary after the 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Masses on May 28th as we honour our Mother Mary during the month of May.

BUILDING A CULTURE OF VOCATIONS: What is a Deacon? A permanent deacon is a man ordained — like a bishop or priest – to serve as Christ Jesus who “came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The word deacon comes from the Greek word for service: diakonia. What qualifies a man to be a Deacon? Prayer. Humility, Service. Grace. Suffering. Love. A willingness to be changed and to offer his life in unpaid sacrificial service to God, to the Church, to any and all in need of God’s mercy. How does a man become a Deacon? Through a process of discernment and formation that takes about four or five years. If a man is married, his wife and family must also come to embrace the joys and demands of having a husband and father who is a deacon. Happy Thirty-Seventh Anniversary (May 25th) of your Ordination Deacon Larry!

BUILDING A CULTURE OF VOCATIONS: A misconception among some Catholics is that the priest has an ideal job: he works one day each week, Sunday. They forget that the other six days a week, the priest works long and hard behind the scenes: bringing communion to the sick and elderly, counseling troubled families, visiting school classes, preparing individuals for sacraments. Often the job is frustrating, exhausting and thankless, but always of vital importance. Take some time this week and express appreciation for the difficult work they do. Happy Twenty-Ninth Anniversary (May 26th) of your Ordination Fr. Wayne!

OFFICE HOURS: The office will be closed on Thursday, June 1st.

ASCENSION SUNDAY: In the course of a year, the Church celebrates the unfolding of the mystery of Christ, beginning with Advent, anticipating his first coming, and reaching a high point at Easter, the feast of feasts, celebrating Christ's resurrection. Through the Church Year, which includes the seasonal, daily, and yearly cycles of Christian time, we commemorate, and participate in, events in the lives of Jesus and his followers, through sanctified time. Thus, we experience in symbol what Jesus and his followers did in reality. We do this through daily prayer (The Liturgy of the Hours), worship, the Eucharist, the sacraments, art, changing colours, canticles, psalms, antiphons, symbols, and other means. The Church Year, including all liturgical celebrations and times of prayer, is one of the most meaningful dimensions of the Catholic faith. Many Christians of all traditions feel drawn to this system of holy time, and prefer to orient their lives around the Christian calendar instead of the secular calendar. Postmodern men and women feel especially drawn to many elements of Sanctified Time: mystery, connection to the past, and a multitude of religious symbols and experiential elements. Thus the Church Year is a postmodern Catholic evangelism tool, and a means of spiritual growth for all who use it.
https://stmargaretmary.org/feast-of-the-ascension-of-the-lord/

Sunday, May 21, 2023
 The Ascension of the Lord
by The Faithful Disciple 

GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE

GROW: Actions speak louder than words. How many of us have heard or said this exact phrase? I suspect most, if not all of us are quite familiar with this old adage. In fact, this is exactly what we are being told by Jesus himself in today’s Gospel when he says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus continues his direction of action by telling us to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We are not directed to simply speak about Jesus with our families and church communities, we are told to GO among all nations and add to Jesus’ flock. We continue Christ’s mission when we seek to spread his love. Before Jesus joined his Father in heaven, his instructions were very clear. This is an opportunity to think about the commission we were given as part of the baptized community, and how Jesus is asking us to take action in his name.

GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT

GO: Easier said than done. We’ve all heard that one as well. It’s hard to feel equipped to spread the word and the will of God. We worry our words will fail us and we will look foolish. We know we are not perfect and wonder if that means we cannot possibly be Christ’s hands and feet on this earth. However, today’s reading from Ephesians provides us with the perfect prayer to give us hope and faith in the Holy Spirit as we set out to fulfill the Great Commission given to us in this week’s Gospel: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.” We are challenged to act for God, but not without being given the tools to do so with confidence.

PRAY: Meditate on today’s second reading from Ephesians. Read it as if your priest was giving you a blessing before you head out of your house each morning. Let it fill your soul with love and awe for our Father, and let it give you the confidence you need to play an active role in building his kingdom until he comes again.