FEBRUARY 1, 2015 MASS INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK February 2 - 8, 2015 Monday 8:15am- Amelia & Felice Amantea & Family Tuesday 8:15am- Anna Santini Spec. Int. Kate Dawson Wednesday 8:15am– Lee Rocca Spec. Int. Finley Dawson Martin FOURTH SUNDAY In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him (Mark 1:23-26). This week at St. James: Thursday 8:15am- Deceased Barnabite Fathers Tuesday Friday 8:15am- Vincent Walsh 7:00pm- Deceased in February Wednesday Thursday Saturday 8:15am- Spec Int. Rohan Ranaweera 7:00pm- Joao P. Soares & Gloria Soares Friday Saturday Sunday 8:30am- Our Parish Community 9:45am- Pr. Giuseppe De Rossi 11:00am- Paul Schimpf 5:00pm- Tony Sant February 2, Presentaion of the Lord. In obedience to the Old Law, the Lord Jesus, the first-born, was presented in the Temple by his Blessed Mother and his foster father. This is another 'epiphany' celebration insofar as the Christ Child is revealed as the Messiah through the canticle and words of Simeon and the testimony of Anna the prophetess. Christ is the light of the nations, hence the blessing and procession of candles on this day. In the Middle Ages this feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or 'Candlemas,' was of great importance. Sunday Collection $4,182.00 1:00 pm 7:30 pm 9:30 am 3:30 pm 7:30 pm 9:00 – noon 4:00–5:00pm Craft Group Scripture Reflection Class visit Gr. 3 Choir Choir Adoration Confessions PRIEST, PROPHET, KING ….Lenten Reflection Evenings 6 Thursdays beginning February 12, 2015 7-9 pm Chancery Office, 700 King St. W., Hamilton Through this presentation of Priest, Prophet, King, you will better understand Jesus, become more familiar with Scripture, and realize your own priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission. Using biblical insights and engaging stories, we come to see Jesus more clearly through the lens of the Old Testament. The cost for this series is $25. Contact Monica at the Discipleship & Parish Life Office at 905-528-7988, x 2238 or check out our website at www.hamiltondiocese.com for more information. Halton Alive (formerly known as Halton Pro-Life) has recently changed their name and rebranded, and have some exciting new programs and events happening this year, but we need your help to make them a success and spread the word! ($3,363.00, 227 envelopes average $14.81, loose ($819.00) God bless you for your generosity! Thinking about Priesthood or Religious Life? Find out by attending one of the upcoming events: Discernment Group (a monthly morning of prayer, reflection, and lunch): Saturday, February 14, at Canadian Martyrs Church in Hamilton: starting at 9:00 a.m.: Mass, Holy Hour, Discernment Groups for men and women, and lunch. For more information visit www.HamiltonVocations.com As we are trying to engage our community and be more of a presence, we would like to have one or two people from each parish volunteer as a Halton Alive Liason. This role would involve putting quarterly newsletters and posters in the narthex, coordinating bulletin announcements, and helping out with events when necessary at church. Essentially, this person will promote Halton Alive and stir up some excitement for what we do; to educate, equip, connect and promote a culture of life in our community. If you are interested, please contact your parish office or visit www.haltonprolife.com for more information - please note our website is under construction; the new one should be ready in a few weeks. SHARE LENT D&P WORKSHOP Sow Much Love to Give. Diocese of Hamilton Share Lent Workshop Anyone who would like to get involved in helping run the Share Lent program in our parish is encouraged to attend one of these meetings: HAMILTON Tuesday Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Church, 305 East 37th Street on Fennell in Hamilton HALTON Wednesday Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2265 Headon Road in Burlington Pope Francis has called a Synod of Marriage and Family to be held in October of 2015 which is to include Bishops from around the world. – this is your invitation to participate in the gathering of information from the Hamilton Diocese. There are two ways that you may submit your responses: 1)Fill in the questionnaire which can be found on the Hamilton Diocesan web site at www.hamiltondiocese.com. The questionnaire seeks information from the faithful on the content of the Lineamenta, which is the working document for the upcoming Synod. It can be completed on line, or printed and faxed or mailed to the Family Ministry Office. The deadline for submission is Feb. 27, 2015. 2)Attend one of two focus group gatherings where the questionnaire will be discussed and responses collected to include in the final report. Both gatherings will occur from 7:00 - 9:00 pm and you are asked to RRSP by phone (905-528-7988 ext. 2249) or e-mail ([email protected]) if you plan to attend. You may join in a focus group at St. Michael Parish (240 Hemlock Street, Waterloo) on Tuesday, Feb. 17th or at the Chancery Office (700 King Street West, Hamilton) on Thursday, Feb. 19th. The information being gathered will provide essential input to the Bishops as they prepare for the Synod. Please consider engaging in this process in one or both of the ways provided. For further information contact Teresa Hartnett at 905-528-7988 ext. 2250 or [email protected]. Praying for Vocations If you love priests and religious men and women, please support them by joining us in praying for vocations. Vocation Saturday is an initiative of the Vocation Office of the Diocese of Hamilton to gather people from across the diocese to unite in prayer for vocations. Join us on Saturday, February 14, at Canadian Martyrs Church in Hamilton, for 9:00 a.m. Mass and Holy Hour for Vocations. IN ORDINARY TIME Young Adults – Ages 19 – 39 SNOWSHOEING ADVENTURE Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 6– 8 p.m. Discover the magic of winter by snowshoeing through the woods, under the light of the moon at the Royal Botanical Gardens. We will begin with a basic introduction then we will hit the trails! Capping it all off by a bonfire with a hot cup of cocoa. Snowshoes are supplied. May our sharing of this world during the winter months lead us to share our souls, share our faith journey and share peace with like minded young adults. If there is no snow, our adventure will be a winter hike. To register contact M. Tessari by email @ [email protected] or Cristian Lecanda by email @ [email protected] DIOCESAN PRAYER CALENDAR This week we pray for: Feb 2 – Rev. Felix Nwatu Feb 3 – Rev. Mike Francis Feb 4 – Soeurs du Sacre-Coeur de Jesus (S.S.C.J.) Feb 5 – Rev. Moon Kab Shin Feb 6 – Rev. Florian Stasinski, C.R. Feb 7 – Rev. Henryk Drajewski, C.R. “Come Out of Him!” How do you think you’d react if you were confronted by the deranged man in the gospel today? Maybe terrified, irritated – or just relieved that Jesus was dealing with it! There’s nothing wrong with feeling our honest feelings. But today we are almost overcome with people on TV and radio, crying out for relief and help on every side. How can we deal with all this pain? Yet the Psalm today says “Don’t harden your hearts” to God’s voice! Notice how Jesus deals with demands for help? When others walk away, Jesus approaches, and listens. He doesn’t fear the evil; once he lets it speak, he can set the person free. When Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez was asked, “How do you meet the needs of the poorest of the poor in Latin America?” he replied, “The first step is silence.” Silence allows us to look, to see, to contemplate what is happening right in front of our eyes. Silence allows us to LISTEN to God’s urgings. This is why even when we are tired, troubled in spirit, and want to give up, it is important to keep our connection to God open. Jesus must have often been worn out by the effects of evil. But he took time away, nurtured his communication with God, so he could face the reality of sin and evil squarely, so that the sick person could then be healed. Like all unclean spirits, our sin also wants to hide from the light. But Jesus wants us to confess it into his light, so that he can drive the evil away forever. Then we too can be grace for another’s unclean spirits to “come out of them.” Go in peace to love and serve our God!