Fr. Bob's Corner

Is someone looking over your shoulder? If you’re on the internet, you can pretty well bet that someone is trying to see what you are doing, and where you are going. Infact, people get paid to discover your internet habits, so that you can be sent adds, pop-ups, and all sorts of annoying things. In fact, your computer can be come so cluttered with this stuff that it slows down to an absolute turtle crawl. If, however, you go on the offensive and install two wonderful free programs on your computer, you can defend yourself. Go to the following links: SPYBOT SEARCH AND DESTROY ,and ADAWARE. Download these two programs, and update and run once a week. You’ll be astounded by what you find. Note: You still need your anti-virus program (from time to time I’ll post other tech suggestions).

My homily was brief this past Sunday, as Sister Christine spoke to the Parishioners at the end of Mass. However, I will try to relate the basic theme of what I said. The Gospel was about a ‘trick’ question posed to Jesus: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?” You can almost hear the glea behind the pretend sincerity of those who asked the question! They were sure that no matter how Jesus answered, he would be in trouble with some or all of the following: his followers, the emperor, the religious and civil authorities, and anyone else that heard his reply. Fortunately, Jesus avoided a disastrous situation when he asked his inquisitioners for a denarius (which they gave him), and asked: “Whose head is this, and whose title?” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

It is diffiult to deal with people who ask questions with closed minds, hardened hearts, and hidden agendas. Just before Mass on Sunday one the parishioners gave me this joke:

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.

(more…)

Every year at this time, the Ladies’ Guild of St. Mary’s sponsors, and coordinates a Harvest Supper. In the coming days I will share with our visitors some pictures of this special annual event.

This weekend Sr. Christine Gebel (Our Lady’s Misssionaries) spoke at St. Mary’s and St. William’s on her work in the Philippines, and updated us on the work of Our Lady’s Missionaries. I will complete this blog with additional pictures, Sr. Christine’s message, etc. in a few days.
OUR LADY’S MISSIONARIES (OLM) is an international community of women who have devoted their lives to service, by sharing life with the poor and least privileged, while focusing on women’s concerns and working for global justice, peace and care for the earth.Link to OLM website

Message of Sister Christine Gebel (summary):

We are aware of all that God has given us – especially of all that God has given us through you and through people like you across Canada. And in turn, it is our daily call and challenge to open ourselves up and strive to freely give of ourselves to others, most especially those on the margins in Brazil, Guyana, Nigeria, the Philippines and here in Canada. You have given us that opportunity, and we are grateful.

(more…)

AMBROSE LAFAVE (1916-2005)

The funeral will be celebrated at St. William’s Parish tomorrow morning, Saturday, October 15th, at 10:00am. The burial will follow immediately after the funeral Mass in the parish cemetery. A Luncheon will be held for friends and family in the church hall.

Visitation at M. John Fneral Home from 2-4pm, 7-9pm on Friday Oct. 14, 2005.

Vigil service at 3:30pm on Friday.

(more…)

It is so easy to forget that our life comes from God, and that each day is a gift of God. As I preached on Thanksgiving weekend, I was personally reminded of the beauty and signifigance of the prayer given to us by Jesus, the ‘Our Father’. The temptation to go with the flow of our culture is constant. A culture that is slowly distancing itself from God, assumes that we are the ultimate masters of our own destiny, that God is irrelevant, and we humans are soley in charge. Yet, God, in this little prayer reminds us of who we are, and calls us to a personal relationship (Our Father) in which we praise and give thanks for God’s goodness. “Hallowed be Thy name,” Jesus tells us to say, as we pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom, and the knowledge, courage, and ability to do God’s will and to help build the Kingdom. As Christians, we must constantly remind ourselves that ‘our daily’ bread comes from God, and that there is far more to life than money and posessions. With thankful hearts, we recognize that we are the eternal people of hope. The modern day desciples that God has called to be light to the world. Each one of us has a job to do in bringing this message to others. We accept God’s loving call, and open our hearts to God’s mercy, as we reach out in love and forgivenss to those around us: “Forgive us our trespasses,” we pray, “as we ourselves forgive those who trespass against us.” As I prayed this prayer this thanksgiving, I was more aware than ever of its relevancy. The prayer’s final words, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” appeared so pertinent, as I thought of the suffering and evil all over the world, and the temptation we are experiencing in our time to forget God, and to rely on self, and human creations – our rules, our will.

When I began this blog at the beginning of this week , I did it to publish various celebrations on our Parish Web Site. I set up this blog because it provided an easy venue for posting pictures, and writing brief articles. I’d like to share with visitors to our Website and Blog a few pictures from the Wedding rehearsal of Philip Schipilow, and Tanya Lapierre (daughter of Keith and Jeanette Lapierre of St. Mary’s Parish) who will be married at St. Mary’s at 2:00p.m. this afterenoon. I apologize for the rather poor quality of the photos, but I just started using a camera I got a little over a year ago. I hope that the old saying, practice makes perfect, will apply in my case, or atleast that I will improve. Later today, I will post a few more pictures from the rehearsal, and maybe a few from the wedding.

Let us remember to pray for Tanya and Philip, as they begin their married life together. May the lord bless them abundantly, and may they live to see and enjoy their children’s children.