ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CALGARY
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder

Painting St. Paul's Church: A true celebration of Catholic community

9/15/2022

3 Comments

 
Picture
Men from the God Squad and several Catholic churches in the Calgary Diocese recently came together to give an old church a facelift in Brocket, Alberta, located on the Piikani Nation between Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek.
 
The work done at St. Paul’s was more than just some exterior painting and repairs. It was also symbolic.
 
Deacon Tom O’Toole, who is assigned to St. Paul’s, said the parish is a community of elders and it doesn’t have all the resources within the Nation to handle some of these bigger projects.
 
“We think it’s an opportunity in the spirit of truth and reconciliation to show the universality of the Church in its beauty and diversity,” said O’Toole, who has been at the parish for about six or seven years. “They did some of the harder work that we were not able to accomplish on our own but we gave them something too.
 
“We paid them with our affection. We fed them. They brought their own food. But we participated in that. And our elders were here. It wasn’t just a simple act of splashing paint on a building. It rolled up into a bigger purpose which is to bring all God’s people together and show the beauty. These people who came from St. Peter’s, I’ve known them for a long time. So I’m not surprised how fantastic they are and a few of them have come to help before so they’re not a stranger here either. That to me is how relationship is built and how truth and reconciliation makes its way around the bases so to speak.”
 
During his ministry as a Deacon, O’Toole has also been assigned in the past to St. Peter’s.
 
Sean Lynn, who spearheads the God Squad organization, said about a dozen volunteers came out in late August to do some work on the aging St. Paul’s building.
 
“It was a great opportunity for us to put into action a love for the Church and reach out to the First Nations’ community showing that we want to work with them, we want to start those conversations, we want to be present in their community. And the Church, it’s a way of reopening the dialogue with them,” explained Lynn. 
Picture
Lynn also wanted to give a big shout out to Dan Lebsack of Cougar Painting, who joined the work crew for the St. Paul’s initiative, offering his professional experience, advice and expertise as well as his painting skills.
 
“They did great work. A great service that we all appreciate. I announced it in the church,” said Rev. Roy Jayamaha, of St. Paul’s. “We really appreciated their great efforts. It was a wonderful thing. They put their heart and soul and work for our community. It was a great thing.
 
“We believe that the door to salvation is always open and so are the doors to our church. Our mission is to be fully devoted to Jesus by opening our arms to those in search of the truth. We show God’s love and concern for our fellow humanity at every opportunity. Through works of charity and opening our doors to listen and love, we feel that we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”
 
The God Squad, a Catholic men’s organization, whose vision through the guidance of St. Joseph, is to form and strengthen men, inspiring them to embrace God’s vocation in their lives.
 
Other volunteers included people from St. Peter’s, Holy Spirit and St. James churches in Calgary as well as St. Mary’s in Brooks.
 
Father Roy was originally from Sri Lanka and arrived in the Calgary Diocese in 2014 after having worked as a missionary in Pakistan for 38 years. Bishop Frederick Henry appointed him pastor of St. Paul’s in January 2016.
 
“My prayer for this community is that together we will rediscover the joy of the Gospel, bringing many people back to church by our personal witness. The youth and children are our future and together we must strive to find new ways and means to share God’s love for creation. My faith tells me, it is the work of the Lord we are doing and He will guide our steps forward,” said Father Roy.

Picture
Written by Mario Toneguzzi for Faithfully. Mario is a veteran writer living in Calgary with his wife Marlene and their three children. They attend St. Peter's and St. Stephen's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Calgary. 
​
Photo credits: Jan Myhre and Sean Lynn

3 Comments

Feeling anxious in social settings?

9/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Feeling socially anxious? This video may help.

​Learn about the spotlight effect and see if this applies to you and your thoughts. If it does, calm down, walk into the room, and be yourself.

Consider this…

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
Psalm 139:14
​
Each one of us is wonderfully by God. We have different personalities and styles. So don’t be afraid to showcase your gifts and your talents while you discover the gifts and talents of others. And if you happen to stand out, use it for the glory of God!
0 Comments

Understanding circular economy

8/9/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Our lifestyle and choices affect other people and the environment. We do not live in isolation even when we think that we are making private, personal, and individual acts or decisions that do not involve others. Our action and inaction have consequences on others and the world around us.

As consumers in today’s world, it can be overwhelming to make purchasing decisions that have less of a negative impact on others and the environment, as it is not as simple as it seems. For example, not all recyclables are the same. Not everything labeled as “made from recyclable materials” is actually 100% made from recyclable materials as these materials degrade in quality over time. And just because it’s recyclable doesn’t mean it’s actually being recycled especially when these products do not make their way to the recycling facilities. Recycling materials also require so much energy to process that reusing might be a better alternative to recycling. Our heads spin… we can easily burn out and give up.
​
In order to make good and responsible choices that support our lifestyle, it is beneficial to understand the concept of circular economy. Watch this six-minute video and learn to see beyond the products as you understand their life cycle and their impact on people and the environment. 
Consider this…
To have dominion over creation is to have the responsibility of caring for a reality that is interconnected. We belong to an entire ecosystem. What affects one part ends up affecting the other parts. As Christians, we need to have the ability to see the whole picture because everything is interconnected.
Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 

​
Genesis 1:26
0 Comments

Faithfully: How to be a better neighbour

6/14/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
How’s your neighbourhood? Do you know your neighbours? A good relationship with our neighbours helps us to feel at home especially in the summer when we spend more time in our yards.

Watch: How to be a better neighbour 
​
If you realize that you do not know your neighbours at all and have not had the courage to get to know them, this video offers some helpful tips on how to break the ice and begin the art of good “neighbouring”.
​
  1. Make a friend out of a stranger
  2. Name the elephant in the room
  3. State your intentions
  4. Prepare your talking points

Having a great neighbour is a blessing. Don’t plan to only introduce yourself when there are problems to be solved or complaints to be addressed. Be proactive and get to know them while all is well.

Consider this...
“…better a neighbour nearby than a relative far away.”
Proverbs 27:10

A good neighbour can be like family. 
​
Contribute to growing a great neighbourhood. 
0 Comments

Dad talk

6/12/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dads, as we gear up for Father’s Day, let’s take a moment to watch this video and see if we can find a fresh perspective on fatherhood or a new inspiration to step up our game! 
​
Thank you for always trying to be the best dad that you can be! Have a wonderful time with your family on Father’s Day.

Consider this...
“And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:4
​

Teaching the ways of God and of love can never be through the path of anger! Lead by example. We must be the first to admit our need to grow, and in the process, show others the way through our small and sincere efforts in becoming a better version of ourselves through Christ.

Here’s a support resource for men: https://godsquad.ca/
0 Comments

All things are possible with God

6/1/2022

3 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
I was born and raised in a Catholic home. I remember attending church with my parents but I sensed early on as a young child that my father was not living out his vocation and role as a husband and father. My father was an alcoholic, and because of his addiction, he was unable to be fully present to his family, or to teach me and prepare me for life the way a young boy needed.

I missed out on having a personal relationship with my father, on experiencing his love and acceptance. I was not given a proper example of how I should conduct myself as a mature person. Having personally experienced what life was like with an alcoholic father, I told myself many times that I would be different towards my own family, that there would be joy and love, mutual understanding and peace in the home; the very things that were missing in my own home and upbringing.
 
After I got married and started my own family, I came to realize that things were not so easy as I had imagined them to be. I struggled with dealing with my obligations as a husband, father, and provider. Often times alcohol served as a comfort and means to deal with daily challenges, but then it was followed by feelings of guilt, remorse, bitterness, and regret. Even hatred towards my father would surface for not having prepared me for life’s circumstances. I grieved over my father’s inability to model for me how to be a good husband, father, and man. I was terrified and panicked by the fact that I was becoming just like my father. I sought solace through alcohol, and of course, that made things worse.

While moving through life in this way, I longed for something more. I sensed that there was more. 

​I owe so much to my wife, who kept our family together, and never stopped believing that things could be different, better… that I could become the man she knew I could be.  I knew that I needed help. I knew that the future wellbeing of my family, marriage, and the good of my 3 children depended on me becoming the man God called me to be. but at the same time feeling I couldn’t do it by myself.  I needed help and direction.  I needed God, and a renewed sense of faith and prayer to rise above the pain, hurts, resentment, and challenges.

Having exhausted various avenues, I cried out to God for help. It was then in the experience of powerlessness and sincere sorrow that God answered the call of my heart. He sent a friend my way who then reintroduced me to God and His mercy, to the loving protection of our Mother Mary, and who invited me to model my life after the example of St. Joseph in my call to be father, and to model our family after the example of the Holy Family.
 
It has been a long journey, but ever-grateful to the Lord, I am happy to share that I am alcohol-free for the last seven years. There have been many good days, tougher days, but I am better equipped to deal with them than ever before. My wife and I have been engaged in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and the experience of the Spirit’s current of grace has been life-transforming.

Not only have I come to know Jesus in a personal and intimate way, received a new and ongoing outpouring of the Spirit, discovered that I am loved by my Heavenly Father, but through this new life in the Spirit, I have come to terms with my past, and have been given the grace to forgive and pray for the eternal repose of my earthly father. I have come to know God and that He is with me always, and that with Him all things are possible.

Thanks to God, my relationships with my wife and children have improved and I have become a better husband and father, and that my family can count and rely on me. Recently my wife shared with me that I remind her of St. Joseph!

​Yes, with God, all things are possible, all things are made new.


Picture
Written by Slawomir Wisniewski for Faithfully. Slawomir lives in Calgary with his wife Ania and three children. He and his family are active members of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish. 

Photos courtesy of Slawomir Wisniewski.
3 Comments

Faithful Living: The Miraculous Medal

5/29/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
48,000 miraculous medals will be blessed by the Bishop on Monday, May 30, 2022 during the Mass at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies. These medals have been donated by a very generous couple for distribution to the parishes of the Diocese.

You may be curious about the meaning behind the miraculous medals and the practise of having such blessed objects of devotion.

The miraculous medal belongs to a category of religious or devotional objects blessed and dedicated for the purpose of inciting faith and devotion. A blessed medal can make a person realize the closeness of God through His Saints especially our Blessed Mother.

Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830 and showed her images with the instruction to “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.” This medal was to express her closeness to her children especially those who call on her for help.
​
The following explain the meaning and significance of the design of the medal:
Picture
Front side
Mary is standing upon a globe, crushing the head of a serpent beneath her foot. She stands upon the globe, as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her feet crush the serpent to proclaim Satan and all his followers are helpless before her (Genesis 3:15). The year of 1830 on the Miraculous Medal is the year the Blessed Mother gave the design of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré. The reference to Mary conceived without sin supports the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary—not to be confused with the virgin birth of Jesus, and referring to Mary's sinlessness, “full of grace” and “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28)—that was proclaimed 24 years later in 1854.
Picture
Back side
The 12 stars can refer to the Apostles, who represent the entire Church as it surrounds Mary. They also recall the vision of St. John, writer of the Book of Revelation (12:1), in which “a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars.” The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this, we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church. The two hearts represent the love of Jesus and Mary for us. (See Lk 2:35).
The 48,000 blessed medals will be packaged and distributed to the parishes shortly after May 30, 2022. Please remember to look for these medals in your parish and take however many you would like to bring home and use. 

May the medal remind us that the mother of our Saviour is always concerned for our well-being. She wants us to be close to Christ and to pattern our lives after Him. May the medal make us experience her closeness… only a prayer away.

Consider this...

​“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.” 
Acts 19:11-12

The handkerchiefs or aprons held no special power! It was the Will of God and the power of God that brought about healing. He chose tangible ways to convey his closeness and to channel the gift of healing.
Source: AMM - Miraculous Medal Story
1 Comment

Faithful Living: Reducing Food Waste

5/12/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value. Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry." Pope Francis, 2013. 

About 17 percent of global food production may go wasted, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2021, with 61% of this waste coming from households, 26% from food service and 13% from retail. 

As a good steward of our resources, we are called to do our part to reduce food waste by being more conscious of our choices and actions. 

Seven quick reminders:
  1. Plan meals and stick with your grocery list. Avoid getting carried away at Costco or big box stores.
  2. Buy foods that are in season because they taste better, so you're more likely to finish them. 
  3. Leaf to root eating. Try to consume all edible parts of a plant (cauliflower leaves, carrot greens, potato skins). Get ideas and recipes.
  4. Bring older foods to the front of your fridge, and make leftovers visible. Or store food in the "Eat this first" storage area in your fridge, or label it so. Consider using online help like SuperCook to find recipes using items you already have in stock. 
  5. Rescue foods that are about to go bad. Roast it, stew it, pickle it, mix it in fried rice or soup, bake it into bread, make it into a smoothie or the base for soup.... there are many creative ways out there to give your leftovers a new life.  Think of leftovers as culinary adventure. Watch: 4 meals we make with leftovers
  6. Use the freezer to store leftovers, and remember to consume it. You can also start a "Catch-all bowl" in the freezer to store clean fruit and vegetable scraps, ready to use for a future soup base.
  7. Feed others. Share with your friends and family!  

Consider this...
Even the smallest actions: reflecting on food waste, avoiding overbuying, mindful of leftovers - are movements in the right direction, sowing the seeds of change.  

“It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack.” Laudato Si' #222
0 Comments

5 little things to start in spring

5/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." Genesis 2:1-14. 

We are called to take meaningful actions to care for God's creation. If you are unsure of where to start, here are 5 ideas to consider this spring:
​​
  1. Set aside a garden space for prayer and contemplation. Starting a Mary's garden is delightful way to honour our Blessed Mother this month. A prayer garden doesn't have to be elaborate, or even outside. Surround yourself with plants or flowers you enjoy, and pray. 
  2. Make 'seed bombs' - Sowing wildflowers in your garden provides vital resources to support or increase biodiversity. Throwing, breaking up or digging ‘seed bombs’ (or balls) into areas in your garden is a perfect way of spending an afternoon with your family, or friends! Learn how to make seed bombs here or here 
  3. Get involved with a clean-up in your area. Plan your own, or find/register one at The Great Global Cleanup or local one like these ones, and help clean trash from our neighbourhoods, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks. 
  4. Start composting to use the leftovers you can’t consume. While diverting food from landfills, composting helps enrich soil, promotes plant growth, filters and uses rainwater, and decreases greenhouse gasses. You can compost anywhere! How to make easy compost at home 
  5. Supporting a local farmers market is a delicious way to support and preserve God’s creation, especially farmers and artisans in your community. It also reduces transportation pollution and cuts back on trash and plastic bag usage, since produce is minimally packaged.

There are many simple and creative ways “to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations” (Laudato Si’ 67). Find more action items in Laudato Si' Week 2022 Celebration Guide (May 22-29, 2022).

0 Comments

They’re powerful – they just don’t know it yet

5/8/2022

3 Comments

 
It is a beautiful thing to birth a baby and nurture a child through life. Motherhood, which is arguably the pinnacle of the experience of being a woman – whether through birth, adoption or spiritual motherhood – is highly underrated in the mainstream. We know that women are essential to life giving love, and with the example of Our Lady, women walk this journey in dignity and strength.

But women who come through adverse circumstances are almost a truer testimony to the strength of character and the resolve that it takes to be a mother. Add a global pandemic, and you’ve got a myriad more problems to work through.

Michelle Haywood is the program manager at Elizabeth House. Listening to her speak of what she has witnessed at one of Calgary’s a homes for pregnant women at risk, was balm for the soul as she told success stories of the women who resided there in the past 2 years.

“They are coming to us in crisis, and they’re leaving with sometimes a whole lot more confidence and resourcing than they came in with. They have to decide – its that choice that they made to do it and they’ve got to work hard to make this happen. I’m seeing dogged ethic and determination in every woman in her own way.”
PictureNewly built grotto at the Elizabeth House
I often imagine Our Lady in her own adverse circumstances, and am thankful for the relative ease with which I’ve raised my children by comparison. But Our Lady has special meaning for Michelle and Elizabeth House:

In its original location in an historic building in the heart of the city, Elizabeth House, founded by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis, had a grotto with a statue of Our Lady. Unfortunately, the grotto did not make the move when Elizabeth House moved to a more suitable location. The statue, as Michelle put it, “followed us without a dedicated home.” 

The Knights of Columbus at St. Peter’s parish who have been instrumental in creating a homey atmosphere in the front and backyards at the house with landscaping and upkeep, arranged to have a new grotto built for the original statue, which has also been repainted. 
​

"We asked the St Peter's Knights of Columbus to rebuild the grotto and they came through as always. They even found the gentleman who was the original brick layer to build the new one!" Michelle said.

A dedication ceremony will take place with Bishop McGrattan at the beginning of June.
​

“I believe that all the women that come through are under her mantle and enfolded in Mary’s robes. I constantly think of that as being part of the leadership that we are all in her presence always, and it helps us get through some really difficult moments.”

Difficulty doesn’t even begin to describe what it must be like to be newly pregnant and unsupported by family, friends or community and without a place to go;

“Some of the research has shown that one of the most substantial reasons that women choose abortion is that they believe that they can not provide the optimal conditions for motherhood,” Michelle said, adding that housing is also a major contributor,

“If you have no idea where you’re going to sleep or you can’t guarantee in your mind that you can keep this baby safe from harm, that’s what might lead a woman to that decision. They want to feel like they can be the best mother possible.”

The proof that Elizabeth House moms can and do achieve the best motherhood possible is in their stories. Michelle emphasised the determination and hard work that many women have shown her over her 15 years there, especially the last two years in the midst of global pandemic,

The public health restrictions had a myriad of consequences for Elizabeth House. Some of the regularly accessed programming was closed, outside visitors were not allowed at times, and isolation for symptoms had to happen in the four walls of a small bedroom.

“We saw more acute mental health needs and crises,” Michelle said, adding that being in a staff position was very difficult, because inevitably acting on the public health measures made them feel they may be doing harm.

Despite the hardships faced, there were also silver linings.
​

“We had only one isolated case of COVID-19 in a place where people are coming and going, and that speaks to how well we cared for one another,” Michelle said.

Strength and resilience of the community showed through as well when amidst the fear and the struggle, victories were won.

“We were seeing women just circling the house – nowhere to go. Schools were closed. We have from time to time women who are in post-secondary education. Now they were online with a baby, and guess what? They did it. They absolutely did it.
​

“We had one woman finish her post-secondary degree at home with a brand new baby during COVID. This is what can happen. This is what I’m speaking to, just the resilience, the strength, the courage, the sheer determination of the women here. This isn’t about the program; this is about them. We are simply giving them the space to shine.”

Another woman was able to purchase her first home during the pandemic, which is a first for the program.

“We’ve never had a woman move into that situation before, but she worked so hard to get everything in place for her next steps.”

Michelle and the staff at Elizabeth House have been grateful for the financial and physical support that continued despite the pandemic.

“It slowed down understandably but it never ended. We were overwhelmed both Christmases with donations and still getting people who want to volunteer as soon as restrictions are lifted. In those incredibly dark moments, the support and care never ended and that really mattered.”

After only a few minutes of talking to Michelle, I noticed and admired how she spoke about the women Elizabeth House serves. She spoke with admiration and respect, and emphasised the dignity of each woman, saying that it is their hard work that makes the difference for them, and that Elizabeth House, just like a midwife to a birthing mother, holds up a mirror to them saying “You’re doing it. You’ve got this.”

“They’re powerful – they just don’t know it yet – and we are helping them to see that and to practice it so that they can move forward.”

Picture
Jessica Cyr is a freelance writer living in Calgary, Alberta. Her primary focus is raising five children, ages 4 - 12. When she is not homeschooling and enjoying time with her kids, she can be found reading, gardening, volunteering in her community or writing for small publications. She is interested in current events, social justice and history.
3 Comments

Faithful Living: Saving gas and the earth

4/30/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Here are 5 small individual actions that help save you gas, build community, and can have a huge impact for our earth:
  1. Arrange ride sharing to Mass and other parish events. Perhaps you can take this a step further by organizing  occasional walk-to-church weekends?
  2. Increase your use of public transportation. It's not too cold outside. With buses and trains operating all seasons, making use of them instead of your car — even just 2 or 3 times a month — is a step in reducing emissions and traffic congestion. Gain the rare opportunities of saying hello to a stranger, listening to forgotten podcasts, reading a book, or praying your examen or rosary in between stations. 
  3. Take more time for a leisurely walk in a park or along the river, whether alone or with family or friends. Appreciate the great beauty God has given us in all aspects of creation. 
  4. Set aside one day a month or a week to leave the car parked and instead walk, ride a bike or use transit to get where you are going. It's a small step that can benefit the health of God's creation, and yours as well.
  5. Good driving habits lessen fuel consumption. Some examples: proper usage of vehicle’s cruise control; avoid aggressive practices such as speeding, heavy braking, heavy accelerating; avoid extended idling; use the right gears; replace air filters regularly; have tires properly inflated, and so much more. Find 'green' driving tips here

Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that our environment is God's gift to all people, and the use we make of it entail a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations. 

​"We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence of particular interests." (2010)

Consider this...
Everything starts with a small step.  

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Galatians 5:9

0 Comments

Faithful Living: The joy of Easter

4/14/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
In preparing for this great feasting season of Easter, we abstained, prayed and gave alms. What would happen if we lived the Easter season with as much fervour as we live Lent?

What can we do to colour our spiritual lives with Easter joy during this liturgical season? 
  1. Stay connected to the liturgy. The readings for daily Mass during Easter take us on an exciting journey through the Last Supper discourse and through the amazing and frightening experience of the early Church. Spend time reading the commentaries on these passages, meditating on them, and allowing God to speak to our hearts through them.

  2. Find ways to rejoice! Enjoy God’s goodness such that joy overflows from our spirits, into our emotions, and even into our bodies. Some inspiration: make Sunday lunch or dinner a truly festive occasion for your family and friends every Sunday of Easter; carve out some extra time during Easter for your whole family; reflect Easter joy in your wardrobe, baking, outings, movie selections etc.

  3. Reach out. Jesus taught us that “there is more joy in giving than receiving.” Renewing our efforts to bring others closer to Christ, to help others who are in need – those close to us, or those far away – can colour our lives with Easter joy, if we season those efforts with prayer and faith.

Why should Lent be the only time we make resolutions? God has graces in store for us this season, just as he did during Lent. We only need to keep our eyes peeled so that we don’t miss them.

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
~ Hebrews 12:2

Excerpts taken from Fr. John Bartunek's article in SpiritualDirection.com:
"How can we celebrate the Easter Season more fully?" ​
0 Comments

Praying away anxiety?

3/28/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Any of our daily concerns can become a source of great anxiety if we do not manage them. In general, the antidote to anxiety is trust in the Lord. Sometimes, however, it feels like we can't just pray away our anxiety, which makes us feel that we must not have enough faith and trust in God for not being able to shake it off.

This short video explains how anxiety feels and provides simple tools which can be used in daily our conversation with God. The anxiety journal, for example, can unpack and slowly dispel a looming concern as we write down what we are anxious about, what their root causes are, and how are we going to confront or tackle the real issues. All done prayerfully before God.

Consider this... Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the causes of your worries or anxieties and work out a plan to resolve the root causes "for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

​Remember that we have been created for freedom in Christ. Take responsibility and take care of the gift of freedom which we have received in Christ.
0 Comments

Faithful Living: Peace in the world

3/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Little things we can offer for peace in the world...

1. Pray
  • Offer constant prayers throughout the day for peace not only in the world but also for our own surroundings. Take a moment and pray for peace using this video.
  • Go to Mass daily.
  • Offer the Holy Rosary daily for peace and conversion.

2. Offer penances
  • Love is expressed by gestures and not just words. Offering penance for others is offering concrete prayers to God for others. It begins with our conscious acceptance of ordinary incoveniences and discomforts,,, accepting the daily crosses. When we are aware of these daily challenges, pause, recognize the sacrifice, and offer them to God for peace in our world. Instead of kicking and screaming and perhaps whining and complaining, endure the incoveniences and turn these moments of sacrifice into prayer.
  • Another way of offering penance is by actively doing something good for others that we do not normally do for them and secretly offer this loving gesture as a sacrifice to God for peace in our world.

3. Watch or read the news and pray for the people you see & hear about
  • Doing this reminds us that they are all human beings like you and me, and in need of prayer. 
  • While it may be tempting to not pray for those who do evil and only pray for the victims, they need our prayers too. We must pray for the grace of conversion that their hearts may be softened. After all, we are all human beings in need of God's grace.

Consider this... 
St. Paul says, "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." ~ Colossians 1:24

We all share in the sufferings of Christ and have a part in His crucifixion. As we consciously unite ourselves to His suffering and the suffering of others, we also unite ourselves to the gift of the resurrection and new life.

0 Comments

Calgary Ukrainian Churches find overwhelming support for the people in Ukraine

3/14/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Fr. Michael Bombak at St. Stephen's Church. Photo credit: Mario Toneguzzi.
PictureWelcoming special donations for Ukraine.
Two Ukrainian Catholic Churches in Calgary have joined a worldwide movement to support the devastated people of Ukraine who have suffered from the vicious Russian military invasion of their country.
 
Since the Russian forces started a war in Ukraine, parishioners at St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church and The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church have launched several initiatives to help the Ukrainian people through this terrible crisis.
 
Thousands of items have been donated through various efforts and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given.
 
Father Michael Bombak, of St. Stephen, says the response is incredible and he’s been “blown away” by the support.
 
“The first and most important thing we’re doing as a parish community, and Assumption is doing as well, is prayer. That’s number one. This whole thing has coincided at this particular acute area of time with our beginning of the Great and Holy Fast. And so we’re increasing our prayer and fasting usually at this time but we’re also doing it now with a special intention of supporting our brothers and sisters in Ukraine,” says Bombak.
 
“That’s number one what a parish can do and should do. That’s the first and foremost. Prayer and fasting. St. James says you can’t tell your brother that you love him and then not feed him and clothe him and take care of his needs. So we’ve had the parish mobilize in supporting the Eparchial fund - that’s our word for Diocese. All the churches in Alberta are collecting funds through Catholic Near East Welfare Association. That’s a Papal charity and that ensures that all of that humanitarian aid that we’re collecting is going to go to Ukraine and be protected that way.
 
“We’re very grateful for that. We’ve had a generous donor who is matching the funds to $500,000. So we are collecting money for that continually. As well, we are collecting non-perishables, we are collecting various goods, clothing for humanitarian relief. Assumption is joining us as well.”
 
Father Bombak says the church will continue with its Lenten services with special intentions for Ukraine and its people, 

PictureVolunteers worked to provide humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Mary Chudyk, Charity Director at St. Stephen, says all the donated items are being shipped by land or air to Toronto then by air to Warsaw in Poland. Meest, a transportation and delivery company, will drive the items to Ukraine where they will be distributed to people through various accredited institutions.
 
“I’m overwhelmed with the generosity of people and I’m grateful that people want to do something,” she says. “It’s just been fantastic. People have been wonderful offering support, offering encouragement, offering prayers, showing up and just helping us out.”
 
Dave Wandzura, a parishioner at St. Stephen, says he’s very, very sad about what’s happening in Ukraine and the people there don’t deserve this.
 
“They’ve actually gone through so much stress and strife in their life in the last hundred years . . . Right now, we have to send funds to the people who need it most . . . Support in any way. Prayer is one of the big ones and financial support and goods as well.”

​Maria Dwulit, another parishioner at St. Stephen, who has relatives in Ukraine, says what everyone can do for the people of Ukraine is pray.

 
“They just need the power to fight this evil,” she says.
 
Father Bombak says the situation is a complete injustice - absolutely terrible to see the suffering of innocent people.
 
“Your immediate gut reaction is to hate. That doesn’t serve anyone in the long run. It needs to be stopped. Innocent people are dying. Innocent people are suffering greatly. People are being displaced. This is a problem that is going to affect generation after generation,” says Father Bombak.
 
“I was born in this country because of a previous persecution. My grandparents were displaced people themselves. You see that it’s going to have a huge impact inter-generationally. So your immediate gut reaction is anger - this sort of righteous decision that this has to stop. But that can easily turn into something that is a spiritual pitfall and that’s hatred. You have to avoid that at all costs. And yet still work as best as we can to make sure that this ends because it’s wrong.”
 
When talking to children about this horrendous time in human history, Father Bombak says people have to speak the truth in love. Bombak and his wife Kimberly have five children ranging in age from 13 years old to three years old.
 
“You can’t spare them from this. It doesn’t work. They know more stuff than we know in many ways. So you have to be truthful. But you do have to say the whole truth in a way that they’re going to understand and in a loving way,” he says. “There’s feelings of depression, helplessness.
 
“Our kids have voiced the concern of what can we do. That question is echoed not just with kids. We are receiving information through social media and the internet at such a rate that it feels as though we can’t do anything because we’re bombarded by that information so quickly. So my advice and the way I talk to my kids is we have to do what we can do. We’re going to pray for Ukraine right now. We’re going to pray as a family. We’re going to go out and support places that are supporting Ukraine. We can work here in the parish to support. Those are all viable options.”
 
Those wanting to make a financial contribution to the humanitarian efforts by the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton can visit here: https://eeparchy.com/donate/

Picture

Picture
Written by Mario Toneguzzi for Faithfully. Mario is a veteran writer living in Calgary with his wife Marlene and their three children. They attend St. Peter's and St. Stephen's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Calgary. Mario was recently named one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the world.  
0 Comments

Learn & Live with DOCAT

3/9/2022

0 Comments

 
Interested in growing spiritually this Lent both in knowledge and in practise? Watch this short video about DOCAT!
  • Download the "DOCAT What to do?" app to study the Catholic Social Doctrine of the Church in a manageable way and put what you have learned into practise.  Get it from Google Play | App Store
  • If you prefer to have a hard copy of the book instead, search DOCAT what to do? in the library or from your favorite bookstore.
Consider this... 

"‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’"
Matthew 22:36-40
​
Love God and love others. Learn and live.
0 Comments

4 Facts about Fasting

3/9/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Watch this short video on the four facts about fasting by Chris Stefanick. 

Aside from fasting from food and abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the spirit of fasting goes beyond merely depriving ourselves of food. The act of fasting is an act of emptying ourselves in order to make more room for God in our lives. It is an act that tells us that we're okay even when we don't eat as much or when we do not snack at all as we focus our minds and hearts to the Lord.

Eating can often become a mindless activity that fills our boredom. Fasting reminds us that our core belongs to God and that we ought to be detached from whatever distracts us in order to be fully attached to God, to be grounded in Him.

As we fast and abstain from meat, we detach ourselves from our usual comforts and open our minds and hearts to the needs of others, especially to those who are suffering from the ravages of war. We unite our prayers in solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters as we turn our backs on our petty concerns. 

This is the spiritual workout which will help us to become saints... no longer focused on ourselves but on God and with the needs of those who are suffering.

Consider this... This sounds noble... "I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.”" (Luke 18:12) but this was the line of the Pharisee who did the right thing but did not have the right heart. 

Let our fasting be one that will change the heart and the mind... may our fasting help to free us as we have been made to be free to honour and worship God.
0 Comments

Be a thermostat and not just a thermometer!

2/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
In this very short video of Chris Stefanick, he uses a line that should make us think about our ability to not only gauge where others are but also set the stage for where others can and perhaps should be. Chris reminds the students that they have the power to bring joy in the lives of others, that we are all called to serve others in humility.

​So he says, "Don't be a thermometer that gauges the temperature of that room. Be a thermostat that sets the temperature of that room." 

Isn't this true? We can choose to either be passive and we become bystanders in life, or we can choose to be active and contribute to the life of others. Christ calls us to be "salt" that changes the flavour of everything.

Consider this... Does the room turn dark when you enter or does it light up when you're around? Are you remembered for your kindness and concern for others or do you just like to blend in and disappear? Christ calls us to be more!
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

​​Matthew 5:13-16
0 Comments

World Day of the Sick 2022

2/6/2022

2 Comments

 
Saint John Paul II established the World Day of the Sick in 1992 to invite the Church to be attentive to and to pray for the sufferings of the sick and those who care for them.
 
Institutions providing Catholic healthcare have long been a sign of the Church’s commitment to care for those who are sick and to accompany them in their suffering.  In fact, many religious congregations were founded to address the suffering of the sick, and in doing so, have established hospitals, promoted education in the medical sciences, and offered formation for those in the healthcare professions. This witness continues today around the world through the charisms of many religious congregations and Catholic lay faithful who serve as doctors, nurses, aids, and researchers.  This affirms in our world the Christian belief in the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception to a natural end, even with the challenges that illness and suffering can bring into the life of a person.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC”) recognizes that when we are afflicted with sickness, it is both a time of challenge and a time of grace:
Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death." CCC #1500

"Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a return to him." CCC #1501

When we become ill and more acutely aware of the fragility of our own good health and how this can change so quickly as demonstrated during the pandemic, it is understandable for some to be burdened with uncertainty, questions, and fear.  This can be an experience of desolation and for some, isolation.  The importance of our works of charity in caring for the sick cannot be overemphasized.  In the Message for the 2022 World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis describes the importance of our pastoral presence to the sick, “This helps us to see how important is the presence at our side of witnesses to God’s charity, who, following the example of Jesus, the very mercy of the Father, pour the balm of consolation and the wine of hope on the wounds of the sick.”

This presence or accompaniment of the sick happens in several ways. 
Picture
I would like to remind everyone that closeness to the sick and their pastoral care is not only the task of certain specifically designated ministers; visiting the sick is an invitation that Christ addresses to all his disciples. How many sick and elderly people are living at home and waiting for a visit! The ministry of consolation is a task for every baptized person, mindful of the word of Jesus: 'I was sick and you visited me'" (Mt 25:36) - (Pope Francis, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36) - Standing beside those who suffer on a path of charity, Message for the World Day of the Sick 2022.)
Picture
St. Francis de Sales writes, “The Prayer of the sick person is his patience and his acceptance of his sickness for the love of Jesus Christ. Make sickness itself a prayer.”  And St. Jane Frances de Chantal echoes this same belief, “Suffering borne in the will quietly and patiently is a continual, very powerful prayer before God.”
Picture
Let us thank the Lord for the progress that medical science has made, especially in recent times; new technologies have made it possible to prepare therapies that are of great benefit to the sick; research continues to make a valuable contribution to eliminating old and new pathologies; rehabilitation medicine has greatly expanded its expertise and skills. (Pope Francis, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36) - Standing beside those who suffer on a path of charity, Message for the World Day of the Sick 2022.)
As we mark this 30th World Day of the Sick and the COVID pandemic continues to challenge the world let us be generous in our support and prayers for those who are suffering with physical and mental illnesses, their care-givers and especially our healthcare workers.
Picture
Picture
Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
​
​Feb. 6, 2022
2 Comments

Faithful Living: You are not alone

2/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
We live in a very connected world. We hear about the bad things happening across the world in an instant. Good and heartwarming videos can easily go viral. And yet sometimes it feels like the people you live with do not even know what you're going through. While it certainly feels like you are alone, you are not alone! Watch this video on mental health and know that there are many who feel disconnected, lost, and isolated. 

It's important that we reach out to someone and try our best to overcome the hesitation to talk to someone. If you need to speak to someone in the field of mental health, or visit this link for information. Alternatively, you can call 211 to access services that may make you realize that you are not alone and there is help available for whatever burdens you.

Contact 211 to access to an entire network of community, social, health and government services. Your call, text or chat will be answered by a professional 211 Community Resource Specialist who is trained to assess your need and refer you to the most appropriate service or services. 211 is available across Alberta and is offered in over 170 languages over the phone.

Why would I contact 211?
  • I need food, shelter and/or transportation
  • I need financial support to help pay my utility bill, rent and/or damage deposit
  • I need to find mental support
  • I need information on Government programs and phone numbers
  • I don’t know where to go for Legal support
  • I want to volunteer for an organization
  • I want to make a donation of furniture and/or clothing
  • I am concerned about a friend or family member
  • I am looking for services for a client Gain access to thousands of other services
​
​Consider this... we are made to walk this life together. 
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4
0 Comments

Faithful Living: A prayer room in your home

1/23/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
Our homes hold a lot of what is near and dear to us. For starters, our family. The home provides shelter for the people we love.

Aside from our belongings which we need in order to function in life, our home is a shelter for the things that define us, objects that hold special meanings. Be it a special painting, a family heirloom, or that memorable walkman from the 80s.
In a Catholic home, some of the objects that hold special meaning to us are holy images or religious articles that help us think of God and the communion of the saints and the angels. 

Some Catholic homes have home altars or prayer corners/rooms where the family can spend time of prayer, meditation, or teaching the Faith. This YouTube vlogger, A Catholic Mom's Life, features her prayer room as a place not only to pray but also to read and hang-out as a family apart from the living room or the kitchen. 

Tips for starting your home altar/prayer corner or room...
  • It would be helpful to have the home altar or prayer corner/room situated in an area where there is some silence and privacy.
  • Imagine one focal holy image. Ask yourself what image will move you to pray and have a conversation with God.
  • You can choose to have only one large image or statue flanked with candles or have one large one and a few small images or statues that hold some significance for you.
  • Think about your preferred posture when praying at home. Do you tend to sit on a comfortable chair, kneel, sit on the floor with pillows, or the combination... have this set up near or around the home altar/prayer corner or in your prayer room.
  • Consider the lighting. A space for prayer would need to have soft or ambient lighting to make it cozy, soothing, and easy to slide your way to an intimate time with God.
  • If you like to pray and meditate with soft sacred music playing in the background, perhaps have a device for playing music nearby.
  • To keep the area neat and tidy and free of distractions, make sure that things are placed and organized in presentable storage boxes that do not need to be seen until needed. Keep the area clutter-free.
  • Once you have all of these set up, figure out the routine or times of prayer in your home.

Having a home altar or prayer corner/room can help us consciously make room for God in our lives.

Consider this... Our homes should be a refuge, a place where everyone can come home to rest, to be nourished, and to be re-energized for the next day. Carve a place for prayer and let the peace of Christ dwell in your house. 
For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat." Isaiah 25:4
1 Comment

Faithful Living: Self care is for both body & soul

1/21/2022

0 Comments

 
Catholics, or Christians in general, can sometimes forget that we are both body and soul as human beings. We are not spiritual beings like the angels even when our human nature also has a spiritual dimension. We are human beings beautifully made by God, body and soul. 
  • Watch this 10-minute video by Christopher West on the unity of the body and soul to understand how we should understand and see ourselves according to the teachings of the Church. 

Sometimes we can go on extremes with how we take care of our selves.
  • We can focus so much on our bodies that when something goes wrong with our bodies we may think and feel like it is no longer worth living. Vanity will have a lot of control and influence on our lives, and we become enslaved by it. We can become like hollow shells.
  • We can also see ourselves mainly as spiritual beings trapped in the shell of a human body. We can overspiritualize things and begin to neglect the proper care of our bodies. Some even begin to form an inherent hatred towards their bodies.

How we see and treat ourselves will often shape how we see and treat others.
​
Christ became one of us as a human being, body and soul, in His incarnation while continuing to be God at the same time. He even bothered to be raised both in body and soul in His resurrected state because we matter. We matter to God both in body and soul and only death separates both from each other. Thus, the Lord opens for us the path of the resurrection to eternal life.


Consider this... God loves you - body and soul. You are wonderfully made. ​
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." ~ Matthew 10:28-31
Picture
0 Comments

Human Fraternity - Justice, Peace, Solidarity

1/17/2022

1 Comment

 
It is the New Year, a time that marks beginnings, and it also coincides with the end of the Christmas season and the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Scripture records that as Christ emerged from the waters of the Jordan, “the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17). This feast celebrates the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. A ministry which was to embrace all peoples despite their status, the circumstances of their life, the culture, and conditions in which they live. Through our baptism we share in this call, this mission of service through the continued outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who can renew our strength, courage, and fortitude in the midst of the challenges we currently face with the pandemic.

The New Year also brings with it the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18 to 25 and the International Day of Human Fraternity on February 4. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 is, “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him” (Mt 2:2).  The theme speaks to the pressing need globally for solidarity and fraternity in the face of economic, political, and social turmoil, including the challenges and injustices which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted. This celebration will be an opportunity to pray for the unity that God desires for all of creation.  It is this unity of persons which sows the seeds of mutual understanding that inspires justice, peace, and solidarity.

On December 21, 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/75/200 declaring February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity. It is now observed annually in order to heighten our awareness and focus upon human fraternity, solidarity, justice, and peace.  It is significant that the evolution of thought and work toward this resolution included Pope Francis and came as the result of Christian-Muslim cooperation. The Higher Committee for Human Fraternity provided the UN Chief with a message from Pope Francis and the Grand Imam, proposing that February 4 be designated as the annual International Day of Human Fraternity.
The UN resolution included three clauses specifically directed toward the religions of the world:
​
  • Expressing deep concern at those acts that advocate religious hatred and thereby undermine the spirit of tolerance and respect for diversity, especially at a time when the world confronts the unprecedented crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which requires a global response based on unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral cooperation,

  • Recognizing the valuable contribution of people of all religions or beliefs to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind,
    ​
  • Underlining the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and religions or beliefs and of education in the promotion of tolerance, which involves  the acceptance by the public of and its respect for religious and cultural diversity, including with regard to religious expression, and underlining further the fact that education, in particular at school, should contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief, …

These values of tolerance, respect, engagement, dialogue, and understanding which are articulated in the resolution are also expressed with the depth of our Faith in the encyclical letter on fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis released on October 3, 2020.
Picture
The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity met at the Vatican, Sep. 11, 2019. Photo: Vatican Media.
Our mission through baptism is to recognize in one another the sacred dignity we have as a son and daughter of God.  It is this type of dignity that Pope Francis describes as foundational to our relationship with one another.
​For Christians, the words of Jesus have an even deeper meaning. They compel us to recognize Christ himself in each of our abandoned or excluded brothers and sisters (cf. Mt 25:40.45). Faith has untold power to inspire and sustain our respect for others, for believers come to know that God loves every man and woman with infinite love and “thereby confers infinite dignity” upon all humanity. (Fratelli Tutti, 85.)
When this recognition of each other’s dignity is present, Pope Francis describes the sense of fraternity and solidarity that is fostered, a fraternity which cannot overlook the sufferings or injustices of another person.
The world exists for everyone, because all of us were born with the same dignity. Differences of colour, religion, talent, place of birth or residence, and so many others, cannot be used to justify the privileges of some over the rights of all. As a community, we have an obligation to ensure that every person lives with dignity and has sufficient opportunities for his or her integral development. (FT, 118.
Pope Francis speaks to the people, the generation of this time to urge a fraternity among all people rooted in the recognition of each person’s dignity.
It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women. … (FT, 8.
​Let us join together in praying for that universal aspiration to social fraternity.
Picture
Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary

​Jan. 10, 2021
1 Comment

Faithful Living: Spend less than you earn

1/3/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
Watch this video and learn about a very simple financial principle that will require some discipline to live faithfully.
*The video is used for illustration purposes and is not an endorsement of the financial institution.

We must all live within our means. Even with more money, without any clear purpose, we can spend more than we make. Without this clear purpose, we can get into debt which causes a lot of negative impact on our spiritual, mental, and even physical well being.

Let's keep these in mind: 

  • Everything that we have is a gift from God and is to be used to glorify Him. When our spiritual lives are not in order, one of the most common symptoms of this disorder is financial mismanagement. We may get into debt trying to pay for a lifestyle we cannot afford. This lifestyle choice is often an attempt to fill the void in our lives. The more we fill this "unfillable" void, the more money we spend and the more we get into debt thinking that we can always pay for it later.  

    Let God fill that void. The mathematician, physicist, and Catholic theologian, Blaise Pascal, said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Only God can truly make us happy and free. We must overcome the habit of buying things to address the emptiness that we feel and must turn to God.

  • Steps to take to stop the cycle of overspending and start paying your debt:
    • Calculate your total income and monthly expenses. The goal is to have your expenses lower than the income. If you are always overspending, the first task is to lower the expenses where you can and begin to live within your means.
      • Some practical tips: use cash, not cards, and decide the budget for food, presents or entertainment in marked envelopes; for gift giving, consider a joint gift with others; make your own gifts; avoid unnecessary trips to supermarkets or the mall so to minimize exposure to temptation; movie nights at home instead of the cinemas; hot chocolate by the fire or in the park vs a coffee shop visits, etc. You get the idea.  
    • When you are in debt, include monthly debt repayment in your monthly budget and work towards paying off debt. If you have multiple credit cards to pay off, you may want to consolidate them into the credit card that has the lowest interest rate or to a personal line of credit if you have it. To ensure that you will be able to totally pay off debt over time, stop adding to the debt by always living within your means. ​
      ​
  • A banking institution has this clever slogan, "You are richer than you think." Ultimately, it's not just how much money you earn but how much you spend that determines if you have enough. The financial principle is simple but the discipline required to live it is grounded in the personal conviction that only God can truly fulfill us and not material things.

Consider this... does your money own you or do you use your money to serve God and His purpose for you?
​Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." ​Proverbs 3:9-10
2 Comments

Faithful Living: What makes you truly happy?

12/12/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
In his recent apostolic visit to Cyprus and Greece, Pope Francis addressed the youth... 

​"Realize that your worth is in who you are and not what you have. Your worth is not in the brand of the dress or shoes you wear, but because you are unique.

Here I think of another ancient image, that of the sirens. Like Odysseus on his voyage home, in the course of this life, which is an adventure-filled journey to the Father’s House, you too will come across sirens. In mythology, the sirens by their songs enchanted sailors and made them crash against the rocks.

Today’s sirens want to charm you with seductive and insistent messages that focus on easy gains, the false needs of consumerism, the cult of physical wellness, of entertainment at all costs... All these are like fireworks: they flare up for a moment, but then turn to smoke in the air. I understand, they are not easy to resist." 
(Athens, December 6, 2021) 
Consider these during Advent... 
  • The Holy Father's message does not only apply to youth but to adults as well. What are those "sirens" that give you false hope and pull you away from true happiness?
  • Does the passing of each Christmas season add to the richness and meaning of your life or does it leave you feeling more empty after Christmas has come and gone? How might you try to make your Christmas different this year? Advent is not over yet. You have time to examine your preparation and planning for Christmas and make the necessary tweaks. 
  • It's important to be connected. Connect with God, first and foremost. Then connect with the people who may be significant in your life. Often, this is clear. We love these people in our lives. Sometimes, however, we dream these people away by wishing that they would be different. Ask the Lord if He wants these people in your life. If He does, He might like for you to find His presence in them and in the circumstances you find yourself. There might be lessons that needed to be learned. ​Put God first and everything else will fall in the right place. ​
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
​
1 Comment
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Author

    Catholic Pastoral Centre Staff and Guest Writers

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All
    Advent & Christmas
    Art
    Bereavement
    Bishop Emeritus Henry
    Bishop McGrattan
    Book Review
    Care For Creation
    Catechetics
    Catholic Charities & Development
    Catholic Education
    Catholic Schools
    CCCB
    Christian Unity
    Climate Change
    Consecrated Virgin
    Conversion
    Covid 19
    Culture
    CWL
    Development & Peace
    Devotions
    Diocesan Event
    Discipleship
    Ecumenical
    Elizabeth House
    Environment
    Euthanasia
    Evangelization
    Faithful Living
    Faithfully
    Family
    Feed The Hungry
    From The Bishop's Office
    Fundraising
    Funeral
    Grieving
    Health
    Health Care
    Homelessness
    Indigenous
    In Memoriam
    Interfaith
    Jubilarians
    Lay Associations
    Lent
    Lent & Easter
    Liturgy
    Marian
    Marriage
    Mary
    Mass
    Mental Health
    Migrants
    Miscarriage
    Mission Mexico
    Movie Review
    Music
    One Rock
    Online Formation
    Ordination
    Parenting
    Parish Life
    Pastoral Care
    Pastoral Visit
    Permanent Diaconate
    Pope
    Pope Francis
    Prayer
    Pray For Peace
    Priesthood
    Prolife
    RCIA
    Reconciliation
    Refugee
    Religious Education
    Religious Freedom
    Religious Life
    Resources And Guidelines
    Sacred Art
    Safe Environment
    Saints
    Scripture & Reflection
    Seniors
    SFXC
    Social Justice
    Stewardship
    St. Joseph
    Synod
    Vatican
    Vocation
    Youth And Young Adults
    Youth Ministry

    RSS Feed

GET TO KNOW US
Our Bishop
Offices & Ministries
​Our Staff
Read our Blog
Catholic Community
​Lay Associations
CONNECT WITH US
Contact us
​Careers
​Parish Boundaries

News & Events
Faithfully
Volunteer Screening
NEED INFO ON
Becoming Catholic
Marriage Preparation
​Vocations
Annulment 
Sacraments Prep
Catholic Funeral
GIVE TO
Diocesan Ministries
Together in Action
Feed the Hungry
Elizabeth House
Your Parish Church​ 
​Other Ministry
REPORT ABUSE

Catholic Pastoral Centre  | 120 - 17th Ave SW, Calgary, AB  T2S 2T2 | ​Phone: 403-218-5500 | communications@calgarydiocese.ca
Charitable Number: 
10790-9939-RR0076​. Donate Now.
Photo used under Creative Commons from aronbaker2
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder