In his reflection on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, Fr. Jim shares: “We are invited to ponder the mystery of Christ’s resurrection through the experience of Mary. Today, we celebrate Mary’s assumption as a victory over death; a shining example for all who hear God’s Word and believe in the divine promises. The local traditions of the Assumption of Mary became an official teaching of the Catholic Church on November 1st, 1950. Pope Pius XII solemnly stated: ‘The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.’ The significance of the Church’s declaration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary in 1950 was not lost on a world exhausted by world war, and the death of over 50 million human beings. At a moment in history, when the value of human life had been so subjected to mindless brutality and destruction, Mary — an obscure first century Palestinian woman–is held up as the epitope of human existence and purpose…”
A Conversation Between Norah McMahon & Terry Byrne on St. Joe’s Parish History
Organ Music from St. Joe’s Performed by Tom Fagan
Liturgical Resources
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 15 2021 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home
READINGS FOR THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – 2021
READINGS FOR CHILDREN – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin 2021 – Prayers of the Faithful
Parish Update
A note for this weekend
If you join us this weekend for Mass, you may notice that the statue of Mary located by our church sign at the corner of Wilbrod and Cumberland has been removed. Unfortunately, the statue was vandalized last night. Following the guidance of the Archdiocese, we have reported this incident to Ottawa Police Services. We have moved the damaged statue into the workshop and our maintenance team is working on repairing it. The statue was donated to our parish three years ago.
A thank you from the Women’s Centre
On behalf of the women and children at the St. Joe’s Women’s Centre, we would like to thank Nepean Seventh-day Adventist Church and the attendees of Heroes VBS who donated wonderful kits full of supplies for our participants!
Summer programming in the Women’s Centre
The women of the St. Joe’s Women’s Centre had a great time producing tie dye t-shirts, as part of our summer day programme offering.
Breakfast & Snack Boxes still available
A dozen breakfast and snack boxes provided to the Parish by the Ottawa Network for Education are still available for free to families in our parish and community with school-age children. If interested, please contact the front office: 613-233-4095, ext. 251.
Vocation Reflection: “Well Discerned Life is Worth Living”
By Jarek Pachocki, OMI – Vocation Director
Today’s feast of the Assumption of Mary reminds us that she was a woman of ultimate discernment. Always listening for and answering God’s call! We can witness this in her conversation with the Archangel Gabriel during the annunciation, in her request to Jesus at the wedding in Cana, in her worries about Jesus’ ministry and people’s mixed reactions to it, and ultimately, under the cross listening to her dying son’s will, “Woman, here is your son.” (John 19:26). Mary’s whole life was a discernment of God’s call. And this confirms that a well discerned life is worth living! That’s why on November 1, 1950 Pope Pius XII could so confidently declare, “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44).
Read the reflection here (published on Friday August 13): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/
Thank you for praying for and encouraging vocations to the Oblate religious life!
