The declaration of Jesus that he was the living Bread come down
from heaven and the source of eternal life, proved too much for
some of his followers. They could not believe in such a claim
and started to drift away. This was intolerable language and
they were no longer prepared to walk with him. Neither
surprised nor disappointed at their reaction, Jesus did not take
back anything he had said nor try to make his teaching more
acceptable. It was the parting of the ways. He turned to his
disciples and said: ‘Will you also walk away?’ This was moment
of crisis, of standing up and being counted. What Christ was
demanding of them was not understanding, but faith in himself.
There was no way they could avoid making a choice of being for
or against Jesus. Peter spoke for everyone: ‘Lord, where else
shall we go? You have the message of eternal life and we
believe.’
What happened then, still happens. We, in our generation are
faced with a decision to make about following our Lord – do we
stay or do we go away? This is the drastic choice that faces all
who come in contact with Jesus. Whether they will follow him
without conditions or not, nobody is forced because Jesus
respects our freedom. Our baptismal promises likewise put this
question to us. Whom do we want to serve? It’s not just a
matter of accepting that certain beliefs are true but it
involves a personal commitment at the level of the heart and of
the mind to live by the values of Christ. The personal option
to belong to Jesus regardless of where life may lead us is at
the centre of our faith; and is an ongoing struggle. It is so
easy for us to compromise and pick and choose from Christ’s
teaching what suits ourselves; God does not always correspond
to our idea of him or to what we would like him to be. Christ
invites us to surrender and entrust ourselves to him and to
follow him on the way to the Father. This means learning to
rely on God rather than on ourselves when the road ahead is
uncertain and light is dim.
Most of us, of course, have doubts and face difficulties about
our faith but, like Peter we would be lost without it. At this
Mass, Christ once again invites us to be his faithful followers
and to share his work among men. So let us repeat Peter’s
response from the depths of our hearts: ‘Lord, where else will
we go? We believe you have the message of eternal life.’
MASSES FOR THE WEEK
Mon Aug
28
9:00 a.m. +Diana Carvalho by Carvalho Fam.
Tues Aug
29
9:00 a.m. +Pat Greenidge by Earline Little
Wed Aug
30
9:00 a.m.
Thu Aug 31
9:00 a.m. Blessing on business by Fernandes Fam.
Fri Sep
01
9:00 a.m. +Anthony Cremona by Cremona Family
7:00 p.m. +Nicola Torres by Maria Torres
Sat Sep
02
9:00 a.m +Carlo Mattiassi by Wife
4:30 p.m.
+Ruth Said by Family
+Joseph D’Souza, +Eliza D’Souza (2nd Ann. )
Sun Sep 03
8:30 a.m +Anthony Cremona by Pauline Cremona
10:00 a.m. +Cyril Mendes by Veronica Mendes
11:30 a.m. +Alberto & Paolo Piccioni by Elisa Latini & Fam.
Pray for the sick of the parish, especially for Deacon
Bob Geisel, Patricia Kennedy, Levi Romero, David Re, Maria
Dimatteo, Joe O’Hearn, Rita Zarb, Tasha Bishop, Joe Muscat,
Nada Dancy,Catherina Donato, Bill Tuplin, Mary
Jane
Lafleur, Rose & Henry Castelino, Tina
Fiore, Violete Matar, Lucy Vairo, Barney Gallant, Helen
Briers, Alfred Vella, Bill Kinch, Edward Glanc, Caroline Wood,
Robert Masotti, Margaret Hickey, Teresa & Michael Manzo. Binny,
Mary Pennell, Peter Braganza, Ethel Butler, Maria Ierullo, Tony
Micieli, Deolinda Pereira.
Altar Servers: We
need more Altar Servers. Boys and Girls who are in Grade three
and above, who are willing to make a commitment are welcome.
Please contact the parish office.
Opus Dei-
recollection at Sts. Martha & Mary
Recollection aim
to assist the individual to relate their family life,
professional work and social commitments more fully to their
relationship with God.
The meditations
are preached by a priest of Opus Dei, a personal prelature
of the Roman Catholic Church.
Ladies Retreat: Tuesday, Sep 19th - 7:00 p.m.
Men’s Retreat: Tuesday, Sep 12th - 7:00 p.m.
www.opusdei.org
Marriage Preparation Course:
Sts. Martha and Mary Parish offers this course on seven
Wednesdays beginning on October 11th for seven
weeks.
Please call the office.
Job Opportunity –
Sts. Martha and Mary School requires a lunch hour supervisor
for the 2006-2007 school year. If you enjoy working with
primary aged children and can commit to working everyday
11:55-1:05 please contact the school. You must be willing
to supervise the children while they eat their lunches and
while they participate in free play outdoors (fall, winter,
spring and summer). A completed criminal reference check
must be provided (Forms are available at the school). An
hourly rate of approximately $10.00 per hour can be
expected. Please call 905-624-9625 and speak with Mrs.
Steer or Mrs. Patricio Fernando, if you are interested.
Cursillo is a small course in Christianity to
deepen your spiritual life to know more about our faith and to
find support through likeminded friends. It is a spiritually
enriching weekend.
Weekend for men: Nov 23-26, 2006
Weekend for women: Nov 30 – Dec 3,
2006
For more information please call
Jennie McRae at 905-206-1321 or Fr. Edwin D’Souza at the parish
office.
Philip
Pocock Catholic Secondary School
25th Reunion
September 29th through October 1st
2006
Schedule Events see at the back of the church.
Cost for all events $25.00 per person
For further information see the Pocock website:
www.dpcdsb.org/POCOK
For any questions or concerns please call
Mrs. Pogson at (905) 602-6172 ext 69172
Martyr
Shrine in Midland
For information for schedule and events visit
August 2006
27 - Mission Sunday at the Shrine
31 - Communal Anointing Service
www.martyrs-shrine.com
Life Chain – Sunday, October 1st,
2006
2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Be a part of the Mississauga Life Chain to show your support
for our pre-born! This is a silent, peaceful and prayerful
event for all the family.
Chuckle:
Bride: How can I keep my wedding ring clean?
Mother: Soak gently in dishwater three times a day!
