April 17, 2020 (Octave of Easter Friday)
Parish Update
For those who play the game of golf it can teach us a lot about life. Everyone young and old can play. All can learn and all have been given the God given talent but it does require practice. To play requires coordination of mind, body, and spirit, requires concentration, physical stamina, the willingness to accept good instruction, to be patient in defeat, and humble in victory. Those who play the game well practice their swing often, adjust their stance, hit hundreds of balls a day, play every day, and they love the game. Those who struggle with the game often do not practice, have poor stance, do not keep their eye on the ball, lack firm grip of their club, and when gentle advice is offered to help improve their distance, they can become indignant, impatient, frustrated, and at times angry. Those who refuse to listen to the good advice of others often just go on playing the same old way, keeping their same old stance, living and hoping for better results. When this seldom happens frustration builds and clubs start getting thrown. The game of golf, reminds us, and teaches us, that life, to be played well, and lived well, requires practice. It requires the coordination of mind and body and spirit. Those who play, young and old, who have the God given talent, know they must practice to continually improve. They improve by loving life, loving others, they listen, and are willing to accept the good advice of good mentors, and keep their eye on the ball. Those who do not play well often want to hold on to old techniques, old habits, better the devil you know than the one you don’t, and seldom, if ever, produce any good results. They do not listen to good advice, get easily frustrated, and find every excuse in the book to blame it on others. The Mass readings are about learning how to adjust one’s stance in life. From old stance to new stance. The disciples are hoping to catch fish. But they have come up with nothing. Suddenly a good mentor, a good advisor, a good instructor, appears and offers good advice. The good mentor is Jesus. He calls the disciples to cast to the right side of the boat. At first they are reluctant to do so, for old habits die hard, but then they listen, they concentrate, they pay attention, and change their stance. And come up with a net full of fish. The disciples learn the best stance in life is when our mind, body, and spirit coordinate with God. When the disciples listen to Jesus, they alter their stance, and move to the right side of the boat and come up with so much more. We come up with so much more when we listen to God. When we listen to His Son. St. Ignatius of Loyola invites us to seek more in our lives for the greater glory of God. By this he does not mean to do fill up our day with more activities, but, to become more in life. To be present to others more, to be more in family, more in love, more in forgiveness, to listen more in prayer, to concentrate and coordinate more with God. We must practice this more. A good golfer knows to keep one’s eye on the ball, concentrate, coordinate, practice, and be willing to change one’s stance. And so it is in life. Be a person, a golfer, a hockey player, a homemaker, a nurse, a care giver, a son, a daughter, listen and concentrate in prayer, be willing to listen to God, listen to His son, to move from old unproductive ways to better ways, to move to the right side of the boat, to change one’s stance, listen to Him and nets become full, and to use a golf expression, we make a hole in one.
Thank you to all who have signed up to help CARE FOR NEIGHBOURS TEAM. Those who have been asked to help a neighbour please keep a check on them.
Octave Easter Friday Mass is offered for the repose of the souls of Kathy Webster 1st Anniversary of her passing and for Joan Gurga. Also for Giovanni Vial, brother in law of Gabriella & Giorgio Porcellato. Passed in Italy.
Pray the Rosary at 4 PM in your homes offering prayers for end of the pandemic , the sick and afflicted, nurses, doctors, first responders, all serving the community for their health and safety. Remember all Volunteers of our community who we honour this coming Volunteer Appreciation Week. Esp in these times when so many brave volunteers are helping so many in need. And for nurses returning back to work in their retirement. All nurses in the parish.
Mail drop off at the Rectory mail box kitchen door. Place prayer requests, Mass intentions, messages, envelopes, letters. The mail box is carefully monitored. Again thank you for your offerings. They are helping me pay for the lights and heat!
Dry food items for food pantry can be placed in the grey bin outside office entrance doors. Thanks for the donations.
DIOCESE DECREES ALL WEDDINGS MUST BE CANCELLED UP UNTIL JUNE 30, 2020. A WEDDING CAN TAKE PLACE BUT ONLY WITH THE BRIDE, GROOM, AND WITNESSES.
FIRST COMMUNIONS AND CONFIRMATIONS ARE ALL CANCELLED . TO BE RESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE.
Reminder this Second Sunday of Easter 9 AM Mass will be live streamed. Instructions are posted on the Parish Website https://holyrosaryguelph.ca/ under the “MASSES” header on the home page of website. A link to a recording of the previous Sunday Mass is also available in the same location.
The Diocese has informed me today all parishes and parish offices closures are now extended to May 12th, 2020.
Courage everyone. Pray. With my blessing.
Fr. Vernon P. Boyd S.J.
Pastor
Holy Rosary Parish, 175 Emma Street, Guelph, ON, N1E 1V6
519-822-4701 x 22 www.holyrosaryguelph.ca
