Dear St. Joe’s parishioners,
This Sunday’s reflection is offered by parishioner Joe Gunn on the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, both in video format and in-person at Mass. “The parable is hard to understand if we receive it as a message about strict justice or progressive labour laws. But what happens if we accept it as an invitation to comprehend God’s totally outrageous generosity? And what if the master in the vineyard was really giving precedence to the latecomers, especially to those who were left behind — the people without work, without hope, those who lacked any way to provide for their families? Who has been left behind today? Who should receive our preferential attention?”–asks Joe in his reflection. You can see the full video below or hear the reflection in person this weekend.
Liturgical Resources:
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – September 20 2020 – Liturgy of the Word for use at home
READINGS FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
READINGS FOR CHILDREN – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2020 – Prayers of the Faithful
Parish Update:
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- The Parish Front Office is now open for extended weekday hours. The new hours are Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kathleen Strader works the morning shift and David Trepanier works in the afternoon.
- Upgrades to the rectory front entrance and the Supper Table: If you come by the rectory during the week, you’ll notice our new floor in both the lobby area, and the Supper Table, as well as a new stainless steel kitchen area. These Supper Table renovations were covered by grant funding.
- Please register for the Parish AGM, scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2020 at 1 p.m. in the church. You can register here. We will be posting to our website the written AGM report from the Pastor, Parish Pastoral Council, the Treasurer, staff and various ministry heads next week. A video recording of the AGM will also be made available for those who cannot attend.
- All are welcome to in-person Christian Meditation in the church on Mondays at 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. and Fridays at 7:00 p.m. Please enter through 151 Laurier Ave. East.
- Limits on social gatherings in areas served by Ottawa Public Health: The amended order introduced this week does not apply to religious services, rites or ceremonies. Thus, they may continue with the current physical distancing requirements and a maximum of 30% of capacity. The same applies to weddings and funerals. The Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall sent parishes the following note on Friday, September 18th: “We are seeking greater clarity to determine if the new restrictions impact meetings or other events inside the church hall or on church property. For the present time, these meetings and events can continue to take place while maintaining the current limits (50 people indoors/100 people outdoors) as long as the parish applies the COVID-19 measures.” At St. Joe’s, staff continue to sanitize all surfaces in the church after every Mass, and hand sanitizer, as well as disposable masks remain available at the main entrance. Our reduced maximum capacity of 90 people in the church remains in effect. Thus far, we have not approached this capacity limit at any of our Masses.
- Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided that the My Little Church play area should remain closed for the rest of the year. We hope to be able to reopen this area for children in early 2021 and will keep the community updated.
- Registration for St. Joseph’s Confirmation Preparation is now open. You can register your child on our website at www.st-josephs.ca/sacraments/confirmation and follow the link to the registration page. Confirmation is open to any child between grades 6 and 12 and classes will begin on Nov. 1st and last for 7 weeks.
- A new school year has started and so too has a new season of our University Mass and Young Adult Ministry. University Mass is held every Sunday at 7PM from September to late April. If you would like to be added to the Young Adult E-mail list to receive updates on events and activities send an email to Andrew at apump@st-josephs.ca.
- Sunday Offering for September 13, 2020: $4,771. Thank you for your continued generosity! If you are attending Mass this weekend and would like to make a donation, you will find a Sunday offering basket near the main entrance of the church. You can leave your donation here at either the beginning or the end of Mass. If you are not yet returning to St. Joe’s for Mass this weekend or will be away, please consider using Canada Helps. You may choose the Parish fund of your choice through this form: http://www.st-josephs.ca/about/donations/.
- For the Love of Creation: Pope Francis has drawn a correlation between the pandemic and justice for the poor and the earth in his Message to the faithful for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Sept 1. “A Jubilee is a time to restore the original harmony of creation and to heal strained human relationships. It invites us to re-establish equitable societal relationships, restoring their freedom and goods to all and forgiving one another’s debts. We should not forget the historic exploitation of the global South that has created an enormous ecological debt … We also need to ensure that the recovery packages being developed and deployed at global, regional and national levels must be regeneration packages. Policy, legislation and investment must be focused on the common good and guarantee that global social and environmental goals are met.” This petition and For the Love of Creation coalition is endorsed by the Centre Oblat – A Voice for Justice, and many others. Please sign the petition today! Open for signatures until October 6: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2712 .
Peace,
Chris
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Christopher Adam
email: cadam@st-josephs.ca
Thank you, Joe. I really appreciated your reflection and am passing it on to some friends. Stay well during this time and God bless!