May 13, 2020 Eastertide Wednesday Fifth Week (Feast Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima)
Parish Update
When God created the earth he connected all the parts. He connected fields and forests, rivers and streams, oceans and sky. He connected all the creatures of the earth and all human life. All parts were connected working, flourishing, growing, and living as one with God and each other. But then something happened, one of the parts chose to disconnect from all the other parts. And when one part disconnected from the other parts the earth, the ocean, the sky, fields and forests, creatures, large and small, began to slowly die. When God created the world, he knew all the parts had to work in harmony with one another. The parts had to love the other parts. In fact, love was the glue. Without love it would be only a matter of time and all the other parts would disconnect. One part without the other could not and would not survive. God was the glue. The glue that kept all the parts working together and loving together. God is love.
There is a vine growing in the rectory garden at the back of the church. It is growing in a shady area and one side of the vine and all its branches get the sun and the branches love the sun. But the other branches get very little and they are struggling to grow. If you look carefully one can see how the vine and all the sunny branches are helping their brother and sister branches get more sun. The vine and branches are working hard, twisting, turning, and pulling their brother and sister branches into the sun. The sunny branches love their brothers and sisters and they want to share the sun with them. They are working together, they are helping one another, they are sharing and doing their part for one another. The vine loves the branches and the branches love the vine. They working together as one.
In the Mass readings today, the apostles are having a terrible argument. They are not working together as one. They are pulling and twisting one another apart. They are not working as one. The Jewish Christians want to exclude the Gentile Christians, and the Gentile Christians want to exclude the Jewish Christians. One branch wants to disconnect from the other branch. And so it goes in our world today. The desire to pull and twist apart, to refuse, to argue, to hate, to kill, to poison one part of the earth, and destroy it all. Unfortunately, the first and only part God created and wanted to disconnect from all the other parts was humanity. Humanity is choosing to pull itself apart. If we think of a family, it flourishes best when all the members or parts of the family, twist and pull together. When one member chooses to disconnect, the whole family suffers. To choose to disconnect is to disconnect from love. The moment that choice is made then all the parts suffer.
Today Jesus says I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. What Jesus is saying is that all the parts must remain connected to one another. If we choose to disconnect from the vine and branches, or from God, or if culture chooses to disconnect from God, then human life will slowly die. And all the other parts with it. Human life cannot and will not survive without God. God is the glue that keeps all the parts together. Many in our culture today say there is no need for God. That we are the masters of our own part and we need no other parts. But Jesus is saying such a choice will never work. Because apart from God we can do nothing. If we choose to disconnect from family, marriage, from community, or parish, we can’t survive. Without all the parts working in harmony together abiding in God, the vine, the glue, who keeps it all together, then the branches will never reach the sun. A family or a community that looks out for one another, and all the parts work together, then the family, the community, an individual, flourishes and grows and reaches the sky. (Scripture Ref: Acts 15. 1-6 John 15.1-8)
Congratulations to Mary & Frank Dobias on the occasion of their 60th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow May 14, 2020!
Congratulations to Fr. Daniel who has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation. He is now Dr. Daniel Syauswa, SJ. God bless Fr. Daniel on the occasion of his tremendous achievement!
Prayers Requested:
For a relative of the parish asking for God to help a cousin suffering from leukemia and seeking a bone transplant in Italy.
For Chuck Robertson in hospital. For Mary Margaret Frederick in hospital.
On this Feast of Our Lady of Fatima we pray for all health workers, doctors, nurses, personal support workers. In gratitude for their service and for their safety. And for our Parish family named in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Announcement: Following Government Guidelines the Diocese will now extend parish closures to May 19, 2020.
For Your Information:
Knights of Columbus has granted the generous amount of $5,000.00 towards the renovations campaign for the Parish. The Parish thanks the Knights!
The Diocesan Foundation Ex Corde has awarded Holy Rosary Parish the generous amount $25, 000.00 towards the renovations campaign. The Parish thanks Ex Corde Foundation!
The Car Raffle continues but the draw date will be moved to a future time when the church reopens.
Offerings April to May 06 2,735.00
Pre-Authorized to May 06 8,005.00
Regular Offerings 8,150.00
Loose Offerings 733.60
Total 19,623.60
Bottle Drive: 1,097.05
Pantry: 1,865.00
Share Lent: 920.00
Good Friday: 630.00
St. Anne’s: 145.00
Mass was offered today for the repose of the souls of Teresa Swiderski, Annina Raso, Sang Huynh, and for the intentions of Mary Margaret Frederick.
Thanks to all who have signed up to help CARE FOR NEIGHBOURS TEAM. Those who have been assigned to help a neighbour calling for help continue to please keep a check on them.
Pray the Rosary at 4 PM in your homes offering prayers for end of the pandemic, the sick, the afflicted, nurses, doctors, personal care workers serving in our hospitals and nursing homes.
Mail drop off at the Rectory mail box kitchen door. Place prayer requests, Mass intentions, messages, envelopes and letters. The mail box is carefully monitored. Thanks for your continued offerings. Very much appreciated.
Dry food items for food pantry can be placed in the grey bin outside office entrance doors. Thank you! Also don’t forget to donate your spirit bottles to grey bin to help raise funds for the capital campaign.
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 COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATIONS ARE ALL CANCELLED. TO BE REESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE.
Reminder that this Sixth 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.
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
