“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”

The next part of the “Our Father” has a powerful petition embedded with a loaded word - “as.” We petition God to treat us the same way we behave towards others: we give God the standard to use to judge how forgiving to be towards us for our own sinful behaviour with that one, little, significant word, “as.” In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” to make this point when teaching his disciples about mercy and forgiveness (Matthew 18.23-35). The unforgiving servant is released from a monumental debt himself but refuses to forgive a minor one owed him by another servant. For his failure to be merciful, he is obliged to repay his own huge debt. When we ask God for mercy for our sins against Him, we need to examine the way we forgive those who have sinned against us. Granting mercy or forgiveness to others is a choice we make that allows us the possibility to receive mercy. Sometimes we may need to pray for the grace to forgive others as God forgives us because it is not an easy thing to do when we have been hurt. Forgiveness does not mean that wrong behaviour was acceptable; rather it frees both the offender and the injured party from carrying the burden of guilt, anger or resentment, lightening the load for both people. It is a ‘big ask,’ but one that aligns us with the Father and the Son. When we ourselves practice compassion, mercy and forgiveness towards another, we are truly children of our heavenly Father.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

This petition is rich in meaning. We see once again that we are concerned for each other and ask God to provide for everyone: “give us this day our daily bread.” It is not enough for me to be ok if my sister or brother is suffering or going without the necessities of life. We pray for and also look out for each other. It is worth noting we petition God for what we need today, provisions for the present moment, and not an abundance providing for the future. This petition also shines a light on discerning the difference between our wants and our needs. This petition focuses on what we need at this moment.

There was a song years ago by the “Rolling Stones” that had a refrain “You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well, you might find, you get what you need” This petition focuses on prayers on asking for what we truly need. Finally, the phrase, “daily bread” is not a literally accurate translation from Latin. It is hard to translate the original phrase which alludes to the eucharist – ‘super special bread’ – which is the Body of Christ. This is the daily bread we need to sustain ourselves not only physically but spiritually each day. In these difficult days, more than ever we may need to periodically remind ourselves to pray with and for each other and to be grateful for the way the Lord sustains us each day. 

“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” – Hard Words to Pray

The words “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” are sometimes difficult words to pray and mean. When things are going well for us, it is easy to pray that the Lord’s will be accomplished in our lives. When we encounter difficulty or suffering, maybe we shy away from this part of the prayer or mentally qualify these words? What is God’s will for me? This is an important question that we need to reflect upon in our lives and to pray about asking Him for guidance. When we encounter suffering, our natural tendency is to ask to be delivered from it, for it to be ‘taken away’, which is a normal reaction. A more significant response is to pray to have the strength and wisdom to deal with the problem with God’s assistance, waiting on Him to show us the path forward.

In my own life, I stumble over these words in difficult times and it reminds me that I should place my trust in the Father and rely more on his strength than on my own ability to ‘fix’ the problem myself. God’s will or his plan for us is for our ultimate good even when in the moment we do not see its benefits. This part of the “Our Father” reminds us that God’s will for us is based on his mercy and compassion and his ability to see all of our life through with his eyes of love

The “Our Father” – the Perfect Prayer

Christ’s disciples often saw Jesus at prayer. One day, as he “was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples” (Lk 11.1). We learn the “Our Father” prayer at an early age and we pray it every time we celebrate the Eucharist. Many pray it everyday as part of their daily prayers.

Over the course of the Church’s history, a lot has been written about this perfect prayer. I would like to devote a few words to this gift that Jesus gave us over the next week. It is important to note that from the very beginning of this prayer, it is meant to be the prayer of the community and not just the intention of a single individual: “Our Father who art in heaven…”. This prayer is one we pray with and for each other, lifting our prayers together to our heavenly Father. If God is our common Father, then we are sisters and brothers. This is a profound statement. The next time you pray the “Our Father” think for a moment before you begin of all the people you are including in your first words of this prayer and realize that others are including in their prayer to God our Father. What an amazing gift!

Click here to read the message to Canadians from Religious Leaders in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rosary – A Prayer for When Words Fail Us   

When we are at a loss for words, do not know how to pray or maybe even what we should be praying for, we can always turn to the familiarity of the rosary. Its set structure of prayers means we do not have to be creative when we struggle to put our needs into words and the comfort of the rhythm of prayers carries us when need assistance. Some families are rediscovering the value of a rosary prayed together in the home. Each person takes a turn leading one of the decades of “Hail Mary” prayers and has an opportunity to present an intention for which to pray. I know one family where, pre-pandemic times, they did this on long car trips. The parents told me it was instructive to see what was on the hearts of the children that they wanted to bring to the Lord (many were requests for heavenly aid for their classmates whose relatives were sick or who were experiencing difficulties at home). The beauty of the rosary is that its pattern of Mysteries of our Lord’s and Lady’s life and the structure of the prayers are tremendous helps when we know we need to pray, want to pray and yet struggle to pray with the ‘right words’ or with all of our focused attention. I encourage you to continue or rediscover this powerful aid to prayer in this month dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary.

Prayer and Proximity

Prayer does make a difference and in these difficult times of physical distancing the value of being present in prayers with loved ones and people in need is especially relevant. 

My mom was taken to the hospital on Sunday morning. What is really hard on Dad, my sister, brother and me is that we cannot go into the hospital to be with her because of the new hospital protocol to protect patients and staff. We talk on the phone and I brought over her iPad but it’s not the same as ‘being with Mom’ in her illness and suffering. 

But we are praying for her and many others have offered their prayers too. Thank you so much! The prayers do make a difference and they are one way we show our love and concern for others. I encourage you to keep up the prayers for your family, those you know who are struggling, our senior citizens and health care workers and all who need God’s strength. 

I pray for the parish everyday. May God bless and strengthen you and in this month of May let us renew our prayers asking our Blessed Mother for her intercession.

The Month of May

Traditionally in the Church, the month of May has been dedicated to honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has a unique place in salvation history: she was not only the mother of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, she was also his first and best disciple. When the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Saviour, she responded with “here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1.38). The Blessed Mother models for us trust in God’s plans even when we do not know how exactly He is at work or when his plans will come to fruition. In this, she is a model for us in how to entrust ourselves to the Lord.

Mary was present when Jesus gave his life for us on the Cross. One of this final acts was to entrust the care of his mother to his disciple John: “Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home” (Jn 19.26-27). Jesus gave Mary to us to be our heavenly Mother, a powerful friend and intercessor with Christ her Son. This month we honour her for her “yes” to God’s plan for our salvation and we ask her for her heavenly maternal intercession. 

On May 1^st, Archbishop Prendergast, with bishops across Canada and the United States, consecrated our country and the Archdiocese of Ottawa and the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall to Mary and presented a statue of the Blessed Mother on the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral to our city asking her powerful prayers for all of Canada especially now in these difficult times. May Mary, the Mother of God, help us all with her prayers and example to trust in God and follow closely her Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Rosary

The rosary has been a favourite devotion for many years in the Church. Through it, we ask Mary to intercede with Jesus Christ her Son for us at this moment and in the hour of our death. Over the years, I have had discussions with people who mistakenly think we worship Mary because of the special place she holds in our faith. They imagine the rosary, for example, is a prayer to her, rather than to God. But the “Hail Mary” prayer is based on scripture. It comes from the greetings of the Angel Gabriel to Mary and her cousin Elizabeth’s famous words when a pregnant Mary visits her older cousin who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. The last part of the prayer asks for her intercession “now and at the hour of our death.” Can you imagine a better ‘pray-er’ than Mary or a more faithful disciple? Now that many of us have more time on our hands and may be wondering what we can do in anxious, idle moments, I encourage you to think about praying the rosary. You could make it a family affair with each person taking a turn to offer the ten “Hail Mary” prayers for a specific intention.  Here is an online PDF guide from the Knights of Columbus how to pray the Rosary including the specific mysteries with a scripture quotation and a step by step guide with all the necessary prayers.

http://www.kofc.org/en/resources/cis/devotionals/4772.pdf
May our Mother Mary be your powerful friend and intercessor this month!

Marian Consecration of Canada and the United States To Be Celebrated on May 1^st

From the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:

On Friday 1 May 2020, the Catholic Bishops of Canada will consecrate their individual dioceses or eparchies to Mary, Mother of the Church, seeking her protection during the Coronavirus pandemic, similar to what other Episcopal Conferences throughout the world have already done. Along with the Bishops, pastors, families, groups, individuals and other faith communities may likewise choose to join the consecration as part of the global effort to unite in faith and prayer in this most difficult time.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), in fraternal communion with the leadership of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has agreed that this Marian consecration be held on the same day in both countries, making this a most meaningful and powerful intercession throughout North America to the Blessed Mother. The Bishops of Mexico, as well as the other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, consecrated their dioceses and eparchies to Mother Mary this past Easter Sunday. Pope Francis has already offered up a moving Prayer to the Virgin Mary for protection in light of COVID-19 last 11 March 2020.

New Resource for Prayer in the Time of Pandemic

Many people I have talked with over the past few weeks have remarked on the monotony of life, combined with restlessness and worry, in this time of confinement as we try to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Some people have told me that their prayer life is improving now that they have more time to pray! But it can be difficult to pray when we don’t know what to say or grow weary of our usual prayer routine. The Vatican has published online a new booklet for this specific moment in our history. The free 192 page PDF booklet is available for download here:

English: https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/lev/forti-nella-tribolazione/pdf/eng/strong-in-tribulation.-20042020.pdf

Français: https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/lev/forti-nella-tribolazione/pdf/fr/FRANCESE_21_04_forti-nella-tribolazione.pdf

The booklet is called: “Strong in the Face of Tribulation”. From an online notification we read: “the first part contains prayers, rituals and supplications, including prayers for the sick and for liberation from evil. The second explains how Catholics can continue to practice the faith without the support of the Sacraments. The third section gathers together Pope Francis’ reflections since the pandemic struck.” I hope you find it encouraging reading and useful prayer resource to strengthen your resolve and enflame your hope in our journey through the holy Easter Season!

Happy 25^th Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination Archbishop Prendergast

Saturday April 25^th marked the 25^th Anniversary of Archbishop Prendergast’s Episcopal Ordination. Congratulations! We had planned a special parish celebration for the Saturday evening Vigil Mass with a reception in the parish hall to mark this significant milestone. Like so many things at this time, plans needed to be changed. Archbishop Prendergast celebrated Mass Saturday morning in the chapel downstairs with the priests who live in his residence for the Feast of St. Mark. Then we enjoyed a special luncheon together in the residence’s formal dining room. It was a small gathering but Bishop Guy Desrochers and the priests who live together with the archbishop were pleased to mark this special occasion even if the festivities were reduced in scale. May God bless Archbishop Prendergast and reward him for his quarter century of service to the Church as a bishop!

Where is God? A Biblical Reflection

In this trying time many are wondering where is the Lord in this suffering, fear and anxiety? Perhaps you have seen a blog posting or encountered a story in the media about this question. I can’t pretend to have a better explanation than others but my mind keeps returning to a retreat I had in my initial year in the seminary. In the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah flees from the Israelites who do not want to hear his message from God and are seeking to end his life. After fleeing into the desert, he receives heavenly aid in the form of some food and drink to prepare him for a long journey (forty days) through the dessert to a mountain where he comes to a cave:  
^“At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah? He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19.9-13).
As I ponder this passage I am struck by a few things. Elijah had done nothing wrong; in fact he was doing what God wanted him to do in speaking to the Israelites God’s message. Yet Elijah was persecuted and had to flee. It wasn’t Elijah’s fault he was suffering. Where was God for Elijah, we may wonder?
 
God directs Elijah to a place apart from his usual haunts – the cave in the mountain. To get there, Elijah needs to leave his regular life behind and take a long, arduous journey. We hear that God gave him the nourishment he needed to continue for that long journey. He didn’t magically transport Elijah to the cave. Maybe there was a reason why Elijah needed to make the journey himself? Perhaps Elijah needed the time to prepare himself for what came next.
 
When he reaches the cave, Elijah explains his predicament, he lays out his suffering to the Lord. God’s response is interesting. He reveals himself to the prophet but in an unexpected way. God doesn’t manifest himself in a spectacular fashion with flashes of fire, by an earthquake or a mighty wind (as He did other times in the Old Testament). Instead, God shows himself in silence… The quiet and stillness is where the prophet meets the Lord.
 
Our situation is not the same as Elijah’s but there are some similarities. We too face a situation not of our making; we also are on a journey through a difficult time towards an uncertain future; we too cry to the Lord asking him to manifest his power and glory in coming to our aid. Maybe we too expect something spectacular from God as proof of his presence and concern?
 
This makes me wonder if right now I should be looking for God in the small spaces, the silences and tiny gestures I am experiencing: the phone calls from friends, emails from parishioners, help with projects from the staff who can still work, the moments of quiet prayer and interactions with the priests I live with at the archbishop’s residence and the strange, small Masses with the handful of priests I live with where we pray for the parishioners, the Church and all who are suffering?
God gave Elijah strength to come to the mountain cave to meet him in the power of silence. God gives us strength through his grace to cope too with our long journey even if our ‘trip’ is to stay within the confines of our house for a while more. We too are on a journey to the mountain to meet the Lord – our mountain and cave experience may be when we are able to gather together to celebrate Mass where Christ himself is silently present in the Sacred Host and Precious Blood of the Eucharist. May God bless you and all your family. Let us pray for one another on our journey.

Financial Update Number Two

Happy Easter! I thought you might like a brief update on the state of our finances. Awhile ago I was talking to someone about “where does the money come from to run the parish?” I explained that the resources to run our parish come from the generosity of the parishioners so if we have no Sunday Mass and no collection we have no revenue to meet our expenses. A number of parishioners have been able to continue with their monthly, preauthorized donations for which we are grateful. We have also received some donations by cheques in the mail and through the “Canada Helps” portal on the Cathedral’s web homepage. Thank you to all of you who have donated!

Diane compiled a list of donations for the month of April up to this weekend. So far, we have received $3,274.20. In this difficult time any amount helps. I have received many requests from charities I support for help in this difficult time as they too struggle to help with diminished sources of support. If you are blessed to have some ‘extra’ money at the moment, please know your donation to support the parish or your favourite charity will make a difference. May God bless you in this Holy Season as we journey towards the great Feast of Pentecost!

Second Sunday of Easter (of Divine Mercy)

St. John Paul II designated the Second Sunday of Easter the optional celebration of Divine Mercy. The origins of this special celebration lie with a Polish religious Sister, St. Faustina Kowalska. The short version of the story is that she received a series of revelations from Jesus Christ about his great mercy for all of humankind. The series of visions resulted in a number of things: a compilation of her visions into a diary which has been subsequently published as a book; the creation of a special set of prayers that can be prayed using the rosary beads (the Divine Mercy Chaplet); and a striking image of Jesus that has been reproduced in many parishes (including ours) with an inscription -“Jesus, I trust in you.” There is a lot more to unpack in the Divine Mercy devotion, such as the Novena and the Hour of Mercy for example, so I will put a link at the bottom of the message to a site for more information.

I wish to highlight one important thing: what made St. Faustina’s message so powerful that it touches many hearts across the world is the emphasis on Christ’s love and mercy. Many people feared God’s judgment and worried about their slightest misdeed. Jesus’s message to St. Faustina was that he was merciful and that no matter what our circumstances, our fears, our anxieties or even our sins, we could go to him confident in his mercy for us and for the world. Truly, we can trust in him. At this moment when people are struggling with anxiety, ‘cabin fever’, and the pain of not being able to go to sacramental confession, this Sunday’s celebration “of Divine Mercy” is a timely reminder that in Jesus we have a loving Saviour and a merciful redeemer. Part of the Divine Mercy devotion is to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 pm. If you can do that this Sunday, I encourage you to join in prayer with millions of Catholics across the world. May I also encourage us all throughout the day when we have difficult moments, to repeat the short prayer “Jesus, I trust in you”? May God bless you and may you always remember Christ’s great mercy!

Website: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/
Link to How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

When One Day is Not Enough!
 
Happy Easter! He is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Have you ever had a day that was so special, so wonderful that you wished it could continue? Easter Sunday is the pivotal moment in all of creation. We celebrate the day when Jesus Christ broke the bonds of sin and death leaving an empty tomb for the disciples to find. Never was an absence more significant than the missing body of Jesus because of what it means for all of creation. The Church celebrates Easter Sunday for eight days – the Octave of Easter. Until the Second Sunday of Easter (the Sunday of Divine Mercy) we recognize that one day is not enough to contain our joy and the meaning of Easter! Happy Easter Week! May God bless you and all your family.

Christ is Risen! Truly he is Risen!
 
Happy Easter! Christ is Risen from the dead! Today we celebrate the mystery of our faith – God in Christ has broken death’s hold on humanity. Because of Jesus Christ, his life, death and resurrection, we have a future and heavenly home towards which to journey. Life has meaning and purpose because of the saving work of Jesus Christ that we celebrate on this most holy of days.

The universal Church has two lungs with which we breathe the saving grace of God – the Eastern and Western lungs or branches of our Church. Among our Eastern sisters and brothers there is a traditional greeting exchanged between people to celebrate this life changing reality. For Easter, our brothers and sisters joyfully great each other with: “Christ is risen!” and the second person responds with vigour “Truly he is risen!” As we celebrate this most unusual Easter, though we may be physically distant from one another, spiritually we are united through the risen Christ. Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! May I suggest we greet each other this Easter Week with this powerful statement of our faith? Happy Easter! May the joy of the risen Christ permeate your soul with Easter gladness. Christ is risen! Truly he is risen!

Exult! 

Every year the Church celebrates the central mystery of our faith in a spectacular liturgy on Holy Saturday night after sundown – the Easter Vigil. It is a powerful celebration combining light from the newly blessed Paschal Candle, the blessing of the Easter water, scripture from the Old and New Testaments proclaiming God’s saving action throughout history and beautiful music with psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles. One of the striking moments of the Vigil occurs when the Easter Proclamation (the Exsultet) is sung. It takes its name from the first word, proclaimed with power and joy – Exult! The hymn is a triumphant proclamation to the whole of creation praising God for Christ’s triumph over the forces of sin and death. Mere hours before we commemorated Christ’s death on the Cross for our sake. In that moment, it seems to the world that death, despair and darkness have triumphed. The Light of the World has been extinguished and life has no meaning.

Then, hours later, on Holy Saturday night, the cry of victory is sounded for all of creation to join: Exult! Here are the words this powerful hymn that reminds us no force on earth, no sin, no anxiety, no pandemic can break God’s people who through Christ have risen from the dead and look forward to a bright future. I was going to quote only the first few lines but it is so beautiful we need to see the whole hymn of exultation. May God bless you and your family. Exult! Please click here to read this powerful hymn.

Holy Week – “Ecce Agnus Dei - Behold the Lamb of God”

It struck me once more at Mass this weekend for Palm Sunday that the Mass texts, many of which do not vary from week to week, are profound. Words I have heard or pronounced myself countless times take on a new meaning when seen through the lens of a new experience. During Mass, the bishop or priest shows the people the consecrated host and precious blood and instructs us to “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.”

At this moment in history we are experiencing great suffering across the world: the illness and death of many due to the CV-19 virus, the hardship of losing a job or being temporarily laid off, the suffering of social isolation as we observe physical distancing and avoid gathering together. As I heard the words at Mass, I was struck by the fact that Jesus Christ fully embraced the whole human experience up to giving his life as an innocent offering, the sacrificial lamb, to reconcile us to God. Jesus knows our pain, our suffering, our anxiety, our doubts, our longing for Him and our desire to be with one another in his Church. On the way to the Cross, that we celebrate on Good Friday, he walked the path of rejection, of physical torture, of a death at a distance from his mother and beloved disciples. We may have to live for a while longer without gathering together at his table but his sacrifice reaches through any barrier to encounter us in our suffering. Jesus is the gentle Lamb of God whose love destroys sin and even death itself. May God bless you. United in Christ – Fr. Geoff

Mass Alone? We Are Never Truly Alone!

As we continue our Lenten journey and enter Holy Week, many of us are missing celebrating the Sunday Eucharist together; it is strange and sad. We have seen some creative ideas on social media such as priests printing pictures of parishioners and taping them in place in the pews as a kind of ‘reverse virtual presence.’ I have heard comments about how odd it is to have a “private Mass” with just the priest. The truth though is more significant.

Yes, it is unusual not to have you in the pew but the Eucharist is a miracle on more than level. We know as Catholic Christians that Christ is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine, body, blood, soul and divinity. But whenever Christ is present, the Head of his Mystical Body, the Church, we are united through him to each other and with him. In Christ, we are one and so we are never left alone or by ourselves. The continuing Masses in Notre Cathedral Basilica gather us together even though we are not physically present to one another. We know with the eyes of faith that we are with Christ and each other. The Masses we celebrate bring all of us many graces.

When I was away in the United States pursuing further studies, I got to know the family of one of the program’s secretaries. When I was moving home to Canada, her young adult daughter left me with these wise words of farewell: “We will see each other in the Eucharist.” My friends, I will see you each day of Holy Week and you are in my prayers. May God bless you. United in Christ – Fr. Geoff

Financial Update

Dear friends, it will not be a surprise to hear that we have almost no revenue during this time of physical isolation and restrictions on the size of gatherings. Thank you to those who continue using automatic deposit, who have sent a cheque by mail or have made an online donation on the website through “Canada Helps.” Your support has been a highlight on several otherwise somewhat depressing days.

The truth is we are ‘crunching the numbers’ for the last month as we move into April and the situation does not look great. I have had to temporarily lay-off several staff members who cannot work from home. I think it is important for you to know that we intend to hire temporarily laid off staff once the situation resolves and that we are looking to top up any Employment Insurance compensation they are eligible to receive. We are collaborating closely with the staff of the Archdiocese on this. They are working long hours helping parishes and pastors navigate these troubled waters. It is a scary time for employees across all the sectors in our economy and also for employers too who want to do right by their people yet who lack income because of the current measures to help contain the spread of the virus.

If you can afford to continue to financially support the Cathedral, please consider helping us. If you are not able to help with a donation, we understand: many are temporarily out of work and are experiencing financial hardship. You might like to know that one of our cost cutting measures is to reduce the salary of the priests: I am still at work and I live next door so I guess that counts as ‘working from home’ but priests are taking a pay cut of 30% starting April 1^st as all our parishes try to manage with dramatically reduced support. I thought it was important to give you an update sharing as much information as I can at the moment. I look forward to seeing you in person as soon as possible. May God bless you and your family.

It Feels Like a Long Time…
 
When we are happy, time seems to pass quickly and we wish the experience would last longer. When we are unhappy that experience can seem to drag on forever. Many people are wondering how long this ‘new normal’ of physical distancing and restrictions on gathering with others will last? Already it feels like a long time.
 
Have you noticed that Moses and the Israelites wandered for forty years in the desert before entering the Promised Land?   The number forty is significant in scripture because it meant “a long time.” Some have offered a tongue in cheek explanation that it took forty years to reach their destination because Moses was a man and when he got lost, he was too proud to ask for directions. The real explanation is more significant.
 
The Israelites had lived in captivity oppressed by their neighbours for a long time. The sense of their own identity and religious faith was being eroded by the dominant culture in which they lived. Part of the process of liberation from captivity was the time it took them to unlearn the things they had knowingly or unconsciously had absorbed. In the journey through the desert they relearned that their faith was in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They rediscovered their core identity and their faith. That process took a long time, forty years, that probably felt like it lasted forever. But that time helped prepare them to enter the Promise Land renewed.
 
Our Lenten journey of forty days this year has been unprecedented. I have heard from people how much they miss coming to the Cathedral for Mass, how they long for the Eucharist and to see their friends. This Lent has been a time of suffering and privation for much of the world as we see on the news. We have two weeks left in Lent but an undetermined time left in our efforts to limit the spread of the virus.
 
The Israelites knew they were on a journey towards a new beginning. They sometimes strayed from the path but they had a destination, a goal to reach – the land promised to them by God. It is important for us to live with a goal in mind. We are heading to the eternal promised land! We can choose to journey towards that goals with a spirit of hope knowing that Lent will culminate in the mystery of Easter where Christ arises from the dead, bringing life to us and freeing us from the burden of sin and death. So too, we will come through this pandemic as well on the journey to a restored home. Each act of kindness reaching out to others, each offer to shop for an elderly neighbour, each rosary prayed and Mass watched online or on TV in a spirit of prayer is a concrete act of hope in God’s saving and renewing power. We may be on a long journey this Lent but we can engage in it as a time of reflection and renewal on our ultimate journey home to God. May we see in this time of suffering and difficulty a time to renew our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, to entrust our country and world to the Blessed Mother Mary and to commit to being God’s agents of mercy, faith and hope to the world. May God bless you.

What Do I Do About Confession? Are My Sins Forgiven?
 
For many it is a difficult time because of the desire to go to individual confession. How can we do that and keep everyone safe from potentially encountering and then spreading the CV-19 virus? This is a big question. The reality is any individual encounter for Confession has to be in close proximity and if many people come to Confession we risk gathering people in numbers and thus exposing them to greater risk.

The Pope gave instructions through the Vatican Congregation in charge of the sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Confession or Penance) for this difficult time.
 
If we cannot go right now to individual Confession we are told: “where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by… the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).” (Note from the Apostolic Penitentiary on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic, 20.03.2020).

In simpler language, if we cannot go to Confession, then confessing to God out of our love for him our sins with a sincere desire for forgiveness and the intention to avoid sin and to go to individual confession as soon as it is possible, God forgives us our sins. God is just and merciful. He sees our love for Him and He knows our desire for forgiveness.
 
So, when the churches can be opened again and we can hear confessions, come and experience once more the grace of hearing “your sins are forgiven, go in peace!”

It's Difficult to Pray Right Now – What Can I Do?
 
For many it is a difficult time made more challenging by not being able to come to church, to receive Holy Communion and to gather with my church family and friends. We know we can pray anywhere but it is difficult to pray when we are anxious and not able to be together to pray. What can we do?
May I suggest one practical thing that may help? The Rosary is a great prayers that we can pray when we struggle ti find our own words or when we are feeling anxious or distracted. The prayers of the Rosary provide us with the words and the meditations of each mystery give us a brief instance from our Lord or our Blessed Mother’s life to give us a focus for a few moments. When we lack the words, the prayers of the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be to God “carry us”. Also we can offer our Rosary for those we love and miss, for our friends we do not see in person, for our church family and friends and for those who are suffering. It is a great prayer! I tell people not to worry if they find themselves distracted praying the Rosary. Just refocus and offer the distraction to the Lord (a sense of humour too can help – “there I go again wandering in my thoughts Lord. Sorry! I’m back!). I am positive the Lord understands and he values our efforts to pray especially when it is hard for us. Wouldn’t it be great if we could make an effort to pray the Rosary together each day even though we might not be physically together? When we pray, we are united to each other through Jesus Christ no matter where we are! May Our Blessed Mother intercede for us and may God bless you!  
Here is a link to the Rosary online that has the different mysteries and a ‘how-to’ guide for a refresher if you need it: http://www.kofc.org/en/resources/cis/devotionals/4772.pdf

Thank You for Your Financial Support
 
Thank you very much to parishioners who have been able to keep supporting the cathedral with a donation. All of our revenue for operations comes from you and your support is greatly appreciated. For now we still have staff working but yesterday we had to close the church even for private prayer yet many of the regular expenses are continuing with some changes. For many this pandemic has serious economic repercussions so thank you to all you contributed. May God bless you!

Closing of the Cathedral for Private Prayer
 
Dear friends, I am sad to announce that we have to close the Notre Dame Cathedral even for private prayer for the time being to help contain the spread of the virus. The Medical Health Officer for Eastern Ontario directed that all churches must be closed and our archbishop has followed this directive for the Archdiocese of Ottawa and the also Alexandria-Cornwall.