Homilies and Stuff

Call to Action to Protect Conscience Rights

The federal government passed Bill C-14 on June 17, 2016. This legalized physician-assisted suicide across Canada. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has enacted a policy that requires physicians to provide an effective referral for euthanasia. Forcing healthcare providers to violate their conscience rights is a direct attack against their constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion, both of which are guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Section 2). The bishops of Ontario are urging us to take action. To do so, head on over HERE. You simply fill in a form with your address, and it generates a letter that you can submit to your MPP to express your concerns and to respectfully demand that the government of Ontario enact legislation to protect physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and all health care providers from being needlessly required to participate in euthanasia. I’ve done it, and it only takes about 3 or 4 minutes. I am encouraging you to do it as well.

This is scary stuff. If physicians can be forced to violate their own conscience and religious freedom, what makes you think it couldn't happen in other fields, or to you?

To get more information, click HERE.

To write the email to your MPP, click HERE.

Conscience and Why it Matters in the Question of Assisted Suicide: Reflections by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family.

Memo sent to all Ontario Bishops by Deacon Larry Worthen on the issue. If you're on Facebook, you can watch him HERE.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Bible Sunday)

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Just read the Bible, even five minutes a day, but the more the better.

What Is Lectio Divina? (includes video clips of Cardinal Collins)

Catholic translations of the Bible:

  • New American Bible (my preferred version) (NAB)
  • New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
  • Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
  • Good News Bible (good for children)
  • Jerusalem Bible (language is a bit poetic for my tastes)

Homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption, and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. No part of the structure of a living body is merely passive but has a share in the functions as well as life of the body: so, too, in the body of Christ, which is the Church, "the whole body . . . in keeping with the proper activity of each part, derives its increase from its own internal development" (Eph. 4:16).

Indeed, the organic union in this body and the structure of the members are so compact that the member who fails to make his proper contribution to the development of the Church must be said to be useful neither to the Church nor to himself (Vatican II, Apostalicam Actuositatem, 2).

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Two documentaries on the dangers of pornography:

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Other great resources:

  • Love People Use Things. A great new podcast by Matt Fradd for those who are tired of the fantasy of pornography and are ready for reality. Never despair. There is hope!
  • Your Brain on Porn. A nonreligious website with tonnes of info about the damaging neurological effects of pornography use. The founder of the site is an atheist.
  • Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids (Amazon link). This is a great book which you can use to learn how to speak to children about pornography.
  • Fight the New Drug. Another great nonreligious site which provides tonnes of general info about the dangers of porn use.
  • Covenant Eyes. The most reputable and effective internet accountability and filtering software.

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

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Mary is the Mother of God. She truly is the Theotokos. All she wants is for us to understand, love, and follow her Son, Jesus. 

If you're looking for a guide to consecration to Mary, you may want to check out 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr Michael E Gaitley (Amazon link).

If you want to go a bit deeper, read St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary(Amazon link).

Regina Mundi Parish is Going on a Road Trip!

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Join our parish as we take a road trip to attend an awesome Catholic conference hosted by the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, from July 27 to 29, 2018. Click THIS LINK to register as a part of our parish group (do not register through the main conference website).

The approximate fee for the bus will be CAD $125/each (valid passport required). Early registration fee US $114 (US$165 after April 6, 2018); 18 – 30 yr old/religious/deacons US$88; shared dormitory room on campus without A/C $85/each (USD); shared with A/C $105 each (USD); private no A/C $120 (USD); 6 meal plan $70/each (USD). An information session will be held at Regina Mundi parish hall, Tuesday, February 27, 2018, after the 7:00 p.m. Mass.

Here's a link for more info about the conference: https://steubenvilleconferences.com/adult/dfc/

 

Homily for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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What are you doing to build up the Kingdom of God?

"The organic union in [the body of Christ] and the structure of the members are so compact that the member who fails to make his proper contribution to the development of the Church must be said to be useful neither to the Church nor to himself" (Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem, 2)

"A Christian who in these times is not a revolutionary is not a Christian" - Pope Francis

Homily for the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Keep the light of faith you received in baptism burning brightly. Walk always as a son or daughter of the light. Keep the flame of faith alive in your heart so that when the Lord comes, you may go out to meet Him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.

Do this through prayer, the sacraments, study of the faith, and good works.

The spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Trent Horn, Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love (Amazon.ca link)

Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Mt 22:37-40).