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SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

January 18 and 19, 2024​

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Saturday          - Haliburton       4:30 pm          Missa Pro Populo – Mass for the People

 

Sunday             - Bancroft          10:00 am         Special Intentions of Mary Dunn – Charlie and Rita Callaghan

 

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*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ROSARY IS PRAYED BEFORE MASS AT 8:30 AM ***

 

Monday            - Bancroft          9:00 am           Special Intentions of Grant Cruikshank                                                                                                                                          – Jerome and Gloria Leveque

 

Tuesday                                                                   NO MASS

 

Wednesday     - Bancroft           9:00 am           Memorial of St. Agnes

            Peter McEnery – Anthea Murrell

 

Thursday          - Bancroft           9:00 am           Special Intentions of Marcella and Henry Christiansen

                       

Friday               - Bancroft            9:00 am           Memorial of St. Francis de Sales

                                                                                Special Intentions of Christine Lohan and Colleen Selkirk

                                                                               - Charlie and Rita Callaghan

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~ THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME ~

​January 25 and 26, 2024

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Saturday          - Haliburton       4:30 pm          Joseph Mifsud – Carolyne and Frank Young

 

Sunday             - Bancroft          10:00 am          Missa Pro Populo – Mass for the People

 

 

 

 

 

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SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME:  The Gospel is from John 2:1-12. There are many lessons we can learn from this incident in Christ's life: for example, Christ's approval of marriage–there were some heretical sects later who said marriage was sinful, unfit for a Christian. Or we could see in it the intercessory power of our blessed Mother. Christ anticipated his "hour" for working miracles in order to grant her request. But the theme of today's readings is the goodness 'and kindness of God and we surely have a convincing proof of that loving kindness in today's gospel story.

 

Christ worked his first miracle in order to grant a temporal favor, an earthly gift, to save the newly-married groom from embarrassment. It had the other effects of convincing his very recent disciples of their belief that he was the expected Messiah, and also it convinces all Christians of the efficacy of our Lady's intercession for us, but its primary purpose was to confer a temporal benefit on the groom.

 

By this kind act he has shown us that he is interested in our earthly affairs also. He became man in order that we could become sons of God, he came on earth so that we could go to heaven, but this miracle at Cana proves that he has a deep interest in our many and varied activities during the course of our journey to heaven.

 

He told us "ask and you shall receive." That "shall" is very definite, our prayers will be answered, and what we should ask for is not only spiritual gifts, but the temporal aids also which we need. The "shall" applies to them too, as the miracle of Cana proves. We shall get our temporal requests, provided of course that they won't impede us on our journey to heaven. No kind father would give his child a gift that would injure him–God is the kindest of fathers and he sees what will or will not impede or endanger our eternal happiness. We can and should therefore make our temporal needs known to God in our prayers, confident that he will give us what we ask if it is for our real good.

 

But, someone may object: how often have I asked God for temporal favors I needed so badly, and my prayer was unanswered? Was it unanswered really? Perhaps you did not get the exact thing you asked for but you got something more useful, more necessary, something you never thought of asking for, but the good God saw your need of it. We have a father in heaven who really loves us, and cares for us, let us make our temporal, as well as our spiritual needs, known to him in confident prayer. Our requests will not go unanswered.

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—Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

 

 

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OUR LADY OF MERCY PRAYER AND BIBLE GROUP

 

Every Thursday from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm we meet in the Parish Hall for a prayer and Bible Study.

This is an open invitation to everyone to come out and join us.

The Agenda for next Thursday, January 23rd consists of:

 

TOPIC: “Jesus Cures the Official’s Son” (John 4:43-53)

LIFE OF SAINTS:  St. Francis de Sales

Lunch at 12:00 noon

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