Feast Of The Immaculate Conception - Virgin Mary, all nature is blessed in you!

From a sermon by Saint Anselm, bishop

Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night—everything that is subject to the power or use of man—rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendor by men who believe in God.

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.

Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.

Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.

To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.

Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.

O God,
who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin
prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son,
grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her
from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son,
which you foresaw, so, through her intercession,
we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Peace and God Bless

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Advent Week 1 - Love is Coming

Joe Paprocki shares what Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young have to do with Advent and gratitude;

Carry On - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

"The sky is clearing and the night has gone out.

The sun, he comes, the world is all full of light.

Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on.

The fortunes of fables are able to sing the song.

Now witness the quickness with which we get along.

To sing the blues you've got to live the tunes and carry on.

Carry on, love is coming, love is coming to us all."

How does does Advent inspire you to find the sun in the darkness, the clear sky through the clouds and rejoice...rejoice?

Why not have a listen?

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On The Solemnity of Christ The King - Your Kingdom Come

On The Solemnity of Christ The King - Your Kingdom Come

(Reading for Feast of Christ The King by Origen, one of the early Church Fathers)

The kingdom of God in the words of our Lord and Savior, does not come for all to see; nor shall they say: Behold, here it is, or behold, there it is; but the kingdom ­of God is within us, for the word of God is very near, in our mouth and in our heart. Thus it is clear that he who prays for the coming of God's kingdom prays rightly to have it within himself, that there it may grow and bear fruit and become perfect. For God reigns in each of his holy ones. Anyone who is holy obeys the spiritual laws of God, who dwells in him as in a well-ordered city. The Father is present in the perfect soul, and with him Christ reigns, according to the words: We shall come to him and make our home with him.

Thus the kingdom of God within us, as we continue to make progress, will reach its highest point when the Apostle's words are fulfilled, and Christ, having subjected all his enemies to himself, will hand over his kingdom to God the Father, that God may be all in all. Therefore, let us pray unceasingly with that disposition of soul, which the Word may make divine, saying to our Father who IS in heaven: Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come.

Note this too about the kingdom of God. It is not a sharing of justice with iniquity, nor a society of light with darkness, nor a meeting of Christ with Belial. The kingdom of God cannot exist alongside the reign of sin.

Therefore, if we wish God to reign in us, in no way should sin reign in our mortal body; rather we should mortify our members which are upon the earth and bear fruit in the Spirit. There should be in us a kind of spiritual paradise where God may walk and be our sole ruler with his Christ. In us the Lord will sit at the right hand of that spiritual power which we wish to receive. And he will sit there until all his enemies who are within us become his footstool, and every principality, power and virtue in us is cast out.

All this can happen in each one of us, and the last enemy  death, can be destroyed; then Christ will say in us: O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory.  And so, what is corruptible in us must be clothed in holiness and incorruptibility; and what is mortal must be clothed, now that death has been conquered, in the Father's immortality. Then God will reign in us, and we shall enjoy even now the blessings of rebirth and resurrection.

Almighty and merciful God,

you break the power of evil

and make all things new

in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.

May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory

and never cease to praise you.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

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The Year Of Faith: October 11, 2012 – November 24, 2013

 In promulgating the year of faith (October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013), Pope Benedict XVI has set aside a special year for Catholics throughout the world to rediscover, and share with others, the precious gift of faith entrusted to the Church and the personal gift of faith that we have each received from God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Father notes insightfully that faith is not content alone. It is not merely knowledge of those intellectual propositions that one might find in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or in the documents of Vatican II. One can read and know what’s in these documents or may know the content of doctrine and devotion without ever having faith. Faith believes, but it believes ultimately in “someone”! To profess faith is to believe in one God who is love: the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return (porta fidei, 1).

Why a Year of Faith?
Pope Benedict XVI has called for this special year as an invitation to “an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world” (Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, 6). He hopes it will inspire in all believers, “the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is ‘the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed... and also the source from which all of its power flows’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10). At the same time, we make it our prayer that believers’ witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year” (Porta fidei, 9).

Although there will be many public celebrations and common confessions of faith, the specific aim of this year is that every Christian may rediscover “the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ” (Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, 2).

Your Christ the King Parish family has been very busy putting together a host of learning sessions, a Parish Mission which has been scheduled for February 16, 2013, a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in October of 2013, and a variety of Bible Studies, Retreats, Seminars and Workshops that will take place throughout the coming year. In addition, our parish website, www.christtheking.ca, facebook page, www.facebook.com/CTKRegina, and parish bulletins will be used to share invaluable resources and reflections to help you and your family answer the Holy Father's “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world.”


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT THE “YEAR OF FAITH”

1. What is the Year of Faith?
At certain times in the history of the Church, popes have called upon the faithful to dedicate themselves to deepening their understanding of a particular aspect of the faith. In 1967, Pope Paul VI announced a Year of Faith commemorating the 19th centenary of the martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul. The 1967 Year of Faith called upon the Church to recall the supreme act of witness by these two saints so that their martyrdom might inspire the present day Church to collectively and individually make a sincere profession of faith.

This upcoming Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion – to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. The Pope has described this conversion as opening the “door of faith” (see Acts 14:27). The “door of faith” is opened at one’s baptism, but during this year Catholics are called to open it again, walk through it and rediscover and renew their relationship with Christ and his Church.

2. Why is the Year of Faith this year?
With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, Porta fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the Year of Faith will begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013. October 11, the first day of the Year of Faith, is the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and also the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. During the Year of Faith, Catholics are asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the catechism so that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.

3. How are Year of Faith and New Evangelization linked?
The New Evangelization is a call to each Catholic to deepen his or her own faith, have confidence in the Gospel, and possess a willingness to share the Gospel. The New Evangelization is first and foremost a personal encounter with Jesus Christ; it is an invitation to deepen one’s relationship with Christ. It is also a call to each person to share his or her faith with others. The Year of Faith, just like the New Evangelization, calls Catholics to conversion in order to deepen their relationship with Christ and to share it with others.

4. How does the Year of Faith affect the average Catholic?
Every baptized Catholic is called to be a disciple of Christ and proclaim the Gospel. The Year of Faith is an opportunity for each and every Catholic to live out the everyday moments of their lives with faith, hope and love. This witness is necessary for proclaiming the Gospel to family, friends, neighbours and society.



Prepared and published by Liturgy Committee                                                    
Christ the King Parish Regina
17 November 2012

Come Holy Spirit! Fill Us With The Fire Of Your Love!

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Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome - November 9

Today in our Church we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. It is one of our most rare types of feasts in that, while most all others have specific persons and/or events as their focus (Think of the two we just had; All Saints and All Souls), this one has a particular place as the focus of our prayerful attention. Below you will find a bit on the history and purpose of this particular feast, as well as a wonderful reflection on the relationship between the Temple of the Church and the Temple of our own bodies - two spiritual themes that this feast points to. Enjoy!

November 9 - Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - Feast

The Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of Rome, mother of all the churches. The Lateran Palace had been the home of a powerful Roman family, but became part of the dowry of Fausta, the second wife of Constantine. Constantine donated it to the Bishop of Rome, probably about 312. The basilica was dedicated in 324. The Lateran was the official residence of the Popes from the 4th century until their departure to Avignon in 1309. The church and palace declined during the 14th c., when there were two serious fires. The basilica was rebuilt. It is dedicated to Christ the Savior, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. It is one of the four ‘Major Basilicas,’ and honoring this church is an expression of love, for it “presides in charity” over the community of the faithful.


From a sermon by Saint Caesarius of Arles - We have all been made temples of God through baptism

(I love the last line of this ancient reflection "Just as you enter this church building, so God wishes to enter into your soul, for he promised: I shall live in them, and I shall walk the corridors of their hearts." - awesome!)

My fellow Christians, today is the birthday of this church, an occasion for celebration and rejoicing. We, however, ought to be the true and living temple of God. Nevertheless, Christians rightly commemorate this feast of the church, their mother, for they know that through her they were reborn in the spirit. At our first birth, we were vessels of God’s wrath; reborn, we became vessels of his mercy. Our first birth brought death to us, but our second restored us to life.

Indeed, before our baptism we were sanctuaries of the devil; but after our baptism we merited the privilege of being temples of Christ. And if we think more carefully about the meaning of our salvation, we shall realize that we are indeed living and true temples of God.

God does not dwell only in structures made by human hands, in homes of wood and stone, but rather he dwells principally in the soul made according to his own image and fashioned by his own hand. Therefore, the apostle Paul says: The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.

When Christ came, he banished the devil from our hearts, in order to build in them a temple for himself. Let us therefore do what we can with his help, so that our evil deeds will not deface that temple. For whoever does evil, does injury to Christ. As I said earlier, before Christ redeemed us, we were the house of the devil, but afterward, we merited the privilege of being the house of God. God himself in his loving mercy saw fit to make of us his own home.

My fellow Christians, do we wish to celebrate joyfully the birth of this temple? Then let us not destroy the living temples of God in ourselves by works of evil. I shall speak clearly, so that all can understand. Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be. Do you wish to find this basilica immaculately clean? Then do not soil your soul with the filth of sins. Do you wish this basilica to be full of light? God too wishes that your soul be not in darkness, but that the light of good works shine in us, so that he who dwells in the heavens will be glorified. Just as you enter this church building, so God wishes to enter into your soul, for he promised: I shall live in them, and I shall walk the corridors of their hearts.


If you have a spare 15-20 minutes today, why not head on over to www.divineoffice.org and pray the Office of Readings for today's feast!

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The Solemnity of Christ The King - Our Parish Patron - November 25, 2012

(edited from http://www.churchyear.net/ctksunday.html)

In addition to being the name-sake or patron of our Parish, the Solemnity of Christ the King celebrates the all-embracing authority of Christ as King and Lord of the cosmos. This highest of Catholic Feasts  is celebrated on the final Sunday of Liturgical Year, the Sunday before Advent. This year, the feast falls on November 25th.

Pope Pius XI instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925. The Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was most needed. In fact, it is still needed today, as these problems have not vanished, but instead have worsened.

Today individualism has been embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self. The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system. Though many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be oppressive, these individuals miss the point: Christ's kingship is one of humility and service.

Jesus said: You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them...But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45).

Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship.

The earliest Christians identified Jesus with the predicted Messiah of the Jews. The Jewish word "messiah," and the Greek word "Christ," both mean "anointed one," and came to refer to the expected king who would deliver Israel from the hands of the Romans. Christians believe that Jesus is this expected Messiah who came to free all people. He came to free us and the world from sin and death. Thus the king of the Jews, and of the cosmos, is king of all and of the world to come:

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Pope Benedict XVI, declared A YEAR OF FAITH in honor of the 50^th anniversary of 2^nd Vatican Council, which begins from 2012 Christ the King Feast to 2013 Feast of Christ The King. We are very specially Blessed and honoured since our Patron is Christ the King.

The Liturgy Committee of Christ the King invites and welcomes all to join us for the Special celebration we have planned.

A special reminder to everyone of us to wear red, gold or white on the weekend of the feast of Christ the King November 25^th 2012.

As we inaugurate the 2012-2013 Year of Faith throughout the world, let us take time this year to reflect in a special way how we might live more fully the Kingship our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to share.

May Christ The King be our God and Guide.

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Feast of St. Luke

Today is the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, one of the authors of the gospels and the book of Acts. I thought I would share with you some info on Luke, a wonderful reflection on one of the themes of Luke's writings by Pope St. Gregory the Great, and a prayer. All taken from www.divineoffice.org .

Enjoy!

October 18 - Saint Luke the Evangelist: Feast
“And he said to all, ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.”

Today is the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. Tradition assigns the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles to the Luke who was a companion of St. Paul. He wrote in fluent Greek and was well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures. He was a skilled story-teller who gives us the parables of Lazarus and the Rich Man, the Good Samaritan, and the Father and His Two Sons. He highlights God’s plan of Salvation in history, Jesus’ call to conversion and faith, and the evangelizing mission of the Church. As Blessed John Paul II remarked, “As a minister of God’s Word, Luke leads us to knowledge of the discreet yet penetrating light that radiates from it, while illustrating the reality and events of history.”

From a homily on the gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
The Lord follows his preachers

Beloved brothers, our Lord and Savior sometimes gives us instruction by words and sometimes by actions. His very deeds are our commands; and whenever he acts silently he is teaching us what we should do. For example, he sends his disciples out to preach two by two, because the precept of charity is twofold—love of God and of one’s neighbor.

The Lord sends his disciples out to preach in twos in order to teach us silently that whoever fails in charity toward his neighbor should by no means take upon himself the office of preaching.

Rightly is it said that he sent them ahead of him into every city and place where he himself was to go. For the Lord follows after the preachers, because preaching goes ahead to prepare the way, and then when the words of exhortation have gone ahead and established truth in our minds, the Lord comes to live within us. To those who preach Isaiah says: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. And the psalmist tells them: Make a way for him who rises above the sunset. The Lord rises above the sunset because from that very place where he slept in death, he rose again and manifested a greater glory. He rises above the sunset because in his resurrection he trampled underfoot the death which he endured. Therefore, we make a way for him who rises above the sunset when we preach his glory to you, so that when he himself follows after us, he may illumine you with his love.

Let us listen now to his words as he sends his preachers forth: The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest. That the harvest is good but the laborers are few cannot be said without a heavy heart, for although there are many to hear the good news there are only a few to preach it. Indeed, see how full the world is of priests, but yet in God’s harvest a true laborer is rarely to be found; although we have accepted the priestly office we do not fulfill its demands.

Think over, my beloved brothers, think over his words: Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest. Pray for us so that we may be able to labor worthily on your behalf, that our tongue may not grow weary of exhortation, that after we have taken up the office of preaching our silence may not bring us condemnation from the just judge.

Prayer:

Lord God,
who chose Saint Luke
to reveal by his preaching
and writings the mystery
of your love for the poor,
grant that those who already glory in your name
may persevere as one heart and one soul
and that all nations may merit to see your salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

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