CWL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 - Annunciation of the Lord Parish

1 A Message from our President Dear Sisters in the League: My first year as your president has been both enjoyable and rewarding and has gone by very quickly. I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of women and I am looking forward to another busy year. As we read this NEWSLETTER we are already in Advent, and with Christmas fast approaching, try to relax. Don t let life s pressures weigh you down. Don t take life too seriously. Choose one intention that you will pray for every day this Advent. Practise generosity. Find ways to give to the poor and needy. Find time to be alone each day and reflect on the good things God has given you.

2 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, June Thibault CWL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015 Annunciation OF THE LORD Parish COUNCIL The Nativity, the birth of our Lord: Consider the birth of the Child, or of any child anywhere ours or someone else s. The whole concept of children s welfare, education and environment, would become loving, deeply Christian, and filled with understanding if, in each childbirth, we saw Bethlehem and Christ! Catherine Doherty, Bogoroditza, She Who Gave Birth to God We keep in our hearts and prayers our two sisters in the league who have passed away since our previous NEWSLETTER was published. Sister Eleanor Daly, CSJ September 9, 2015 Member since 1998 Mary McCool June 11, 2015 Member since 1989 On Wednesday, November 11th, in conjunction with our General Meeting in the Parish hall, we held our annual Memorial Service for Deceased Members.

3 Photos from the Book of Life were projected on the overhead screen and candles for each of the deceased were placed on the table, along with the Mini Books of Life. It was a beautiful and moving remembrance of our sisters who have gone to be with the Lord. A Message from our Spiritual Advisor, Father Dennis Hayes, The Year of Mercy The holy Year of Mercy inaugurated by Pope Francis will open on 8 DECEMBER 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception recalls God's action from the very beginning of the history of mankind. After the sin of Adam and Eve, God did not wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil.

4 So he turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love (cf. Eph 1:4), choosing her to be the Mother of man's Redeemer. When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy. In the words of the holy Father: .. I have chosen the date of 8 DECEMBER because of its rich meaning in the recent history of the Church. In fact, I will open the holy Door on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive.. We recall the poignant words of Saint John XXIII when, opening the Council, he indicated the path to follow: "Now the Bride of Christ wishes to use the medicine of mercy rather than taking up arms of severity.

5 " After speaking about Mary as the Mother of Mercy, Pope Francis shared his thoughts about the saints and blessed ones who have made divine mercy their mission in life. In this regard, he singles out St. Faustina: Our prayer also extends to the saints and blessed ones who made divine mercy their mission in life. I am especially thinking of the great apostle of mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska. May she, who was called to enter the depths of divine mercy, intercede for us and obtain for us the grace of living and walking always according to the mercy of God and with an unwavering trust in his love. Dear sisters in Christ, I pray that as members of our Parish CWL league you may all be ambassadors of God s merciful love in this special holy year of God s favour.

6 God Bless, Fr. Dennis Hayes PRAYER FOR FAMILIES Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendour of true love, to you we turn with trust. holy family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic Churches. holy family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division: may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. holy family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family , and its beauty in God s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayer.

7 Pope Francis, DECEMBER 29, 2013 Blessed Marie- lisabeth Turgeon 1840 - 1881 BLESSED ARE THEY The CWL Provincial Council recently announced the framework for its holy Year of Mercy Project . Each diocese in Ontario has been assigned a Blessed to celebrate, emulate and to pray for his/her canonization. Here in the Archdiocese of Ottawa, CWL Parish councils have received Blessed Marie- lisabeth Turgeon. During 2016, we will be endeavouring to study her life, discuss her virtues and plan/engage in activities to emulate these virtues using the seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy. We look forward to participating in this project to help celebrate the holy Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, and we welcome ideas from all of our CWL members here at Annunciation of the Lord Parish .

8 Submitted by Donna de la Bourdonnaye Communications Chair ** SUMMER INSTITUTE IN NEW EVANGELIZATION As I looked forward to returning to the Summer Institute held at St. Paul University for my second year, I was also a bit apprehensive, knowing how intense the program was, but so satisfying. We started again the Monday right after the August long weekend, on Aug 4th, and went until the 14th, with the weekend off in between, of course. Each day consisted of three 80-minute classes; one on the history of the Catholic Church, the next on Parish renewal, and the last class of the day was on post-modernism. Although one might think, what do some of these topics have to do with evangelization, the truth is that we need to know what went on in previous ages, so we can answer questions that others might ask.

9 We need to have parishes ready and welcoming to include others in our midst, and we have to be prepared with the right answers to the people of today who have so many different philosophies and beliefs that aren't in tune with ours. In all, it was a very satisfying, though exhausting, experience and I am looking forward to my third and last session next summer. This program will be running on an ongoing basis with years 1, 2 & 3 in place in 2016. I hope some of you will consider this very interesting and informative program in the future. I m always available to answer any questions you may have. Submitted by Jackie Cuthill, Spiritual Development Chair o What to Look for When Purchasing a Catholic Bible 1.

10 The Catholic Bible bears: the Nihil Obstat attests that there are no errors or contradiction to Catholic teaching, on the back of the title page. the Imprimatur permission by a Church official for the document to be published. 2. The following Catholic Bible translations are recommended: The New American Bible Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition) The New American Catholic Study Bible The New American St. Joseph (Catholic Edition) The St. Benedict Press RSV Catholic Edition The St. Benedict Press Catholic Scripture Study Bible The Ignatius RSV Bible The Jerusalem Bible 3. Check that the Bible you want to purchase has explanatory notes at the end of each page or at the end of each book to help you understand the text.