Happy Birthday Debbie

Believe it or not it seems like only yesterday that I gave birth to you, my one and only little baby girl. You were just so cute. I won't give your age away Deb but even though you have come a long way you are just as cute today as you were then. Oh incidentally you share a birthday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Just a little bit of birthday trivia. Hope you have a great day and you blow out all the candles.
xoxo

Happy Birthday Kyle

Our oldest grandson turns 16 today. Wow! I can hardly believe it. It seems like only yesterday that you were in diapers Kyle. Well you have come a long way and grandpa and I love you so much and are so proud of you . I ask God to bless you today and may he guide you in all your endeavors.

Feast of Mercy / Second Sunday of Easter

I am always in awe of God's goodness and today is a reminder of just how good He always is to me. In spite of the fact that I am a sinner and that for my sins he died the most horrible death possible, still he loves me and shows me His mercy time and time again. No matter how many times I fall down he reaches out to me with his merciful love. I need only to repent of my sins and show His mercy to others. This message of God's mercy was made known to a saintly Polish nun around 1930.

THE MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
from Saint sister Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)
The Lord Jesus entrusted a great mission to a Polish nun, sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, Saint Faustina, who had complete trust in God - to proclaim His message of mercy to the whole world. Her mission was to introduce new prayers and forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy, which are to remind us of the forgotten truth of our faith - of God’s merciful love for every person. In the message, Merciful God reveals Jesus Christ the Savior, as the Father of love and Divine Mercy, especially to the most unfortunate, faulted and sinful.

Pope John Paul II chose the occasion of St. Faustina's canonization on April 30, 2000, to declare the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church. The Great Mercy Pope died on April 2, 2005, at 9:37 p.m., which was the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday that year, as thousands of the faithful prayed the Rosary in Saint Peter’s Square — thus ending a reign of more than a quarter century. The Holy Father‘s last gift to the Church was the Regina Caeli Message he had written in advance for Divine Mercy Sunday, April 3 (the Second Sunday of Easter). It seems prophetic to me that our saintly former Pontiff was called home on the eve of the Feast of Mercy. Below is the Vatican link to the homily of Pope Benedict on Mercy Sunday last year

HOLY MASS ON THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY

OF THE DEATH OF THE SERVANT OF GOD JOHN PAUL II
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
St Peter's SquareWednesday, 2 April 2008

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080402_anniv-morte-gpii_en.html

For more information on Sister Faustina and the Divine Mercy message please go to this link on my website
http://sites.google.com/site/faithfulcatholics/Home/divine-mercy

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009

Wow you gotta listen to this. What a performance! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Frances Wilkinson letter to the Ottawa Citizen

Letter-writer Frances Wilkinson draws on her own personal experience and her beliefs to urge women to reconsider their choice of having an abortion. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/letters/vigil+abortion+clinic+help+women+life/1428592/story.html

Dr. Bernard Nathanson's film "The Silent Scream" referred to in the letter below can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjNo_0cW-ek

The Gianna Jessen film can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ&feature=related

March 25th at the Abortion site in Ottawa

Yesterday, March 25 was the Feast of the Annunciation, and I wanted to pray at the abortion site ( 65 Bank Street) before attending Mass at 8:00 AM at Saint Pat's. I arrived there shortly after seven to see at least a dozen others there, most of them youth. It was bitterly cold and so I was glad I didn't pay any attention to the weatherman's forecast of a warm day. The wind blew the new sign down a couple of times so eventually one of the young women stood next to it to keep it in place. The young man standing next to me introduced himself as Dustin and said that he was a CCO member. He told me that the majority of the youth were from the pro life youth group at Ottawa University and every Wednesday morning they come to pray at the site. God bless them! I looked at their faces as they stood side by side shivering and praying silently. They all have such a look of peace and hope. There is no question about it!

Before long more youth dropped by after attending 7:00 AM mass at Saint Patick Basilica. When I left for mass around 8:00 I counted at least 12 young people. I thank God for our youth! They are our hope for the future! As I hurried over to mass, I thought how my parish of the Annunciation has been blessed by the good work of our own young people. At the mid point rally on March 19 all of the members of our parish NET Team braved the bitter cold weather across the street from the coldest part of the city.

After Mass I stayed and prayed for a while and then went back to the site to pray. The crowd had dwindled but there were still a couple of others including the man who walks up and down the sidewalk praying the rosary in front of the abortuary. Usually he is with another man but yesterday he was alone. There was a man in a wheelchair who went up and down the sidewalk bearing witness as well, alternating between sides of the street. After I was there for a while, Liz from Saint Clement and Sue from my parish dropped by to pray so the three of us said the rosary together. I left around 10:20 with a feeling of hope and gratitude.

Prayer Initiative at St. Patrick Basilica, Ottawa, ON

40 DAYS FOR LIFE PRAYER
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
St. Pats has kindly reserved a special pew in the church for a 40 Day for Life prayer initiative. It is our goal during the time the church is open, which also coincides with the time the abortion clinic is open, to have continual quiet prayer in front of the BLESSED SACRAMENT for the intentions of the campaign.
Our special focus is that we might be faithful and pleasing to God by saving the physical lives of God’s precious infants through the spiritual conversion of their mothers and fathers, for the abortionist and their staff, for our politicians and for all who through indifference do nothing to try to stop abortion. Our prayers also provide spiritual and moral support for our sidewalk counsellors at the vigil site. Our prayers are also to provide a personal love to God’s infants who will die that day at 65 Bank Street.
It is our hope that the regular weekday parishioners of St. Pats, as well as those who are unable to be at the vigil site, or those taking part in the vigil but who want to spend some time before or after, in front of the Blessed sacrament, will help with this initiative. No sign-up necessary.
As Catholics, we believe the most powerful prayer in the world is EUCHARISTIC PRAYER, prayer during the sacrifice of the Mass, prayer after receiving Holy Communion, and prayer to our risen saviour in His real but hidden presence in the Blessed Sacrament.


WEEKDAY VIDEO AND DISCUSSION
1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. in Scavi
The battle against abortion is a spiritual battle. To be effective in this battle, we need to know the nature of the battle and follow the battle plan, using the weapons given us, while being aware of the strategy of the enemy. The victory is ours but we must take it. With this in mind, we will be offering a video daily during the weekdays at 1:00 pm in the Scavi. The focus will be on Mary, The Eucharist, The Rosary, Prayer, Fasting, Adoration, the Saints etc., linking these with the call to The 40 Days for Life campaign. See website for video schedule.

Maggie

Sunday Vespers before the beginning of the 40 Days for Life Campaign

I was at Vespers at Saint Patrick Basilica last night and it was very uplifting to see about 300 in attendance. Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast gave a terrific homily on prayer and repentance and the call to conversion

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

homily of his Grace Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
Sunday before Ash Wednesday
- Vespers—February 22, 2009
St. Patrick's Basilica—Ottawa, Ontario

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J.,speaks on Saint Paul

Year of St. Paul series of monthly articles to celebrate the Year of St. Paul. Each month, Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., a noted Scripture scholar, will highlight a different aspect of Paul’s writings and times.
A Celebration of the Life of Saint Paul
Epistle to Romans contains Paul's theological legacy
Pauline Morality: Thoughtful Worship
The Self Emptying of Jesus
Christ's Coming In Glory
The Complex Nature of the End Times God's Son, born of a woman
The Conversion of Saint Paul
The theology of the body
Dying and Rising with Christ http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/2854/1026/
The Catholic Register 2008 © The Catholic Register

Saint Paul A Convinced Apostle

I attended a wonderful silent retreat on the weekend and I am still in awe of how spiritually rich an event this was. The retreat leader was Father Kenneth Leblanc LC a very holy and humble priest and a brilliant speaker. The theme of the retreat was "Saint Paul, A convinced Apostle" There were eight meditations in all including the Interior Life, Prayer and Paul's Conversion. Indeed we are temples of the Holy Spirit and God lives in us by Grace. Do I use my body to give Glory of God? Do others encounter God is me?

To commemorate the birth of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed this Year a Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul: from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009. "Saint Paul's Spirituality is based on prayer and is mission oriented" said Father Kenneth.

Father Kenneth said that during at least 20 of Benedict's audiences since the beginning of the Pauline Year, the pope spoke passionately on Saint Paul and calls us to be apostles like Paul ; to work for the salvation of souls and to become holy, because, as Christians, we are all called to be co-workers in the kingdom of God and to be saints.

For more on Saint Paul and the Pauline Year go to this link

Saint Paul

"....that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
(Ephesians 3:17–19).

12 year old speaks out on the issue of abortion

12-year-old "Lia" of Toronto has become a star at her school and on Youtube with her five-minute pro-life speech, crafted for a school competition. Despite discouragement and outright opposition, Lia's presentation was so well done that she reportedly won the contest she was told she would be disqualified from, due to the "controversial"message of her speech. The speech is available in its entirety on Youtube, where it has been viewed over 100,000 times and sparked a heated discussion.
click here for video of lia's entire speech 12 year old speaks out on the issue of abortion
See complete story on Lifesite News http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09021605.html

Pregnancy Support Centers

To contact a pregnancy helping agency in your area please call 1-800-395-HELP (4357)

Pregnancy Support Centers

Excellent Homily on Prayer and Fasting, By Father Paul Burchat from Priests for Life

PRAYER AND FASTING

By Father Paul Burchat from Priests for Life

This is a simple review of some of the basics concerning these two topics. I will start with prayer. One of if not the simplest and best place to read about prayer is in the fourth section of the Catechism. There are as many ways to define prayer, as there are ways of praying. Quoting the Little Flower the Catechism says, "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" (2558). That is not necessarily the most perfect definition of prayer but it certainly is a very good one. Prayer of course is a means to an end it is not an end in itself. The end is a deeper, ongoing union with God and prayer as much as anything is what accomplishes this. I make this point because some people can become attached to their form of prayer or style of prayer and miss the real point of it. They have a set routine of prayer and can feel distressed if for some reason that pattern is disrupted. At this point it is not so much God they are seeking but the self-satisfaction of having stuck to their routine. They do all the "right" things and miss the goal. In light of this we begin to see that prayer is a dynamic and not a static reality. Ultimately it is God who invites and stimulates us to pray. Our desire for God is the result of God's desire for us. And as with any relationship the one we have with God will change and mature as time goes by. As such how we pray will change with time as well. So we should not be surprised if our prayer routine, which at one time seemed to work so well becomes dry and unappealing. It usually means that God wants to show us more sides of himself and to enter into a new phase of the relationship he has with us. That entails allowing the old form of prayer to "dry up" so we can replace it with another. You could compare this to communicating with your child. If you are still talking to your son or daughter when they are twenty as you did when they were one year old something is very wrong. Of course sometimes no matter what we do prayer can stay dry and this is God's way of testing us to see if we will stay faithful and whether or not we are really seeking him or just the consolations that can come with prayer.
Prayer is to the soul as food is to the body. If my soul is to stay healthy I need to pray, otherwise my spirit can become sick and listless. "Humility is the foundation of prayer" (CCC 2559). Real prayer demands I understand how utterly dependent I am on God. Without this I may be talking to God but I am not praying. And of course more than anything else or should I say anyone else, prayer is meant to change me not other people. As a result of praying for others they may change for the better, but even if they don't (at least from my perspective) I should be changing for the better. If I am praying for others but expecting that I will stay the same I am undermining my efforts. Therefore there is no such thing as wasted prayer. My prayer may or may not help others but it can always help me. There is also no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Every one of my prayers has been answered. I just didn't always like the answer I got. God tells me what I need to hear not what I want to hear.
There are many styles and forms of prayer: vocal, meditative, contemplative, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, sacramental, intercessory, prayers of petition, etc. etc. Where does one begin? We begin with whatever works. There really is no right or wrong way to pray. In fact there is only one wrong thing we can do in prayer, i.e. stop praying. Apart from this the field is wide open and no matter how we pray good things are going to happen, at least to us. I did not say easy things but good things. However none of this can happen without self-discipline. If we are to develop a mature life of prayer and a stable relationship with God self-discipline is absolutely indispensable. We are fooling ourselves to think otherwise. You don't develop a solid friendship with anyone unless you put the time in with him or her and it is no different with God.
There are difficulties in prayer of course; the most common is getting distracted. When this happens we should not spend much if any time in trying to track down the cause or source of the distraction much less exert any effort in trying to expel it, as this would only increase the power it has over us. We should merely return to prayer as soon as possible (CCC 2729).
Fasting is limiting the amount of food eaten. Abstinence on the other hand is completely eliminating a particular foodstuff from the diet such as meat, dairy products or what have you. Practically speaking the Church understands fasting to entail the eating of only one full meal a day and cutting back on the portions at the other meals. Fasting is not done only by religious people or for religious reasons. People will abstain from certain foods or cut back on their quantities for a variety of reasons. Dieting is a form of fasting, which is done for the purpose of losing weight and with the intention of improving one's health and/or appearance. Some people may be allergic to certain foods and need to eliminate them entirely from their diet. When the primary intention is for the sake of appearance then the underlying reason is either to enhance ones' self-esteem, to engage our narcissistic or hedonistic tendencies or some combination of these. If people are ill or preparing for surgery there may a need to fast or stop eating altogether for a period of time. Others may fast as a means of protest or to further some ideological vision or goal. The Church on the other hand asks us to fast not because she considers certain foods evil but for sound spiritual reasons. The sacrifices we undergo by fasting, as we unite them to our Lord's passion and cross, are a means of doing penance for our sins and the sins of others and thus help to further the salvation of the world. From her perspective fasting helps to curtail our self-indulgence and to tame or mortify our appetites with the ultimate goal of enhancing our spiritual growth. Fasting is one of the three primary forms of penance which the Church has always put forth for our consideration; the other two being prayer and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday of course are obligatory days of fast and abstinence from meat. All the Fridays of the year (which are not Solemnities) are obligatory days of penance and we certainly are free to abstain from meat on that day, but here in Canada we may substitute some other form of penance such as acts of piety or charity for abstaining from meat. This then is the sense in which the Church understands fasting and why.

For more articles and homilies on prayer and fasting please check this link
Prayer and Fasting:

2 Chronicles 7:14

" If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land."
-2 Chronicles 7:14

Holy Hour Prayer Booklets

The 40 Days for Life Prayer and Fasting Committee has put together some Pro Life prayer pamphlets which are suitable for use in prayer groups or as Holy Hours in your Church or Parish. Below are links to the prayers.
Divine Mercy Chaplet Holy Hour
Journey to Calvary  ( The Way of the Cross for the Terminally Ill)
Sacred Heart Holy Hour
Sacred Heart Holy Hour - 2 ( different readings)
Saint Joseph Holy Hour
A Rosary for Life - The Joyful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE- THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
A Rosary for Life - The Sorrowful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE - THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
Pro Life Stations of the Cross
Respect for Life Meditations on the stations of the cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991.
Rosary for Life from Priests for Life Canada

Rosary making workshop

The Prayer and Fasting Committe of 40 Days for Life

invites you to attend a workshop on how to make a beaded string rosary. These rosaries will be given to our sidewalk councilors for them to use in their ministry. Thanks and may God bless you. Hope to see you there!
Rosary Making Workship:
When: Thursday Feb 19, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM
Where: 897 Blair Road, Gloucester ON

for directions please click on this link http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ottawa&state=ON&address=+897+Blair+Road%2C

Video on how to make a beaded cord rosary

Attention all you prayerful crafty men and women, The Spring 40 Days for Life Camaign now has a rosary making ministry and you will learn more about it at the meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00PM at Saint Pat's. We will be holding a workshop within the next week or two but if you would like a sneek preview on how to make a beaded cord rosary please click on the instructions below.

Actually this rosary is easier to make than the knotted cord rosary since the knot is the most difficult part of the rosary making
http://www.olrm.org/cord_inst.html

If you feel called to be part of this ministry please contact me at mtward@magma.ca

And while we are at it, if you have ever thought of making a knotted cord rosary go to
ROSARY ARMY website and watch the easy to follow video
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/?page_id=39f
or printable instructions please click here
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo2.2/images/rosaryinstructions1.pdf

Prayers for Canada

PRAYER TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR CANADA

O Most Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust our country to your loving care.
Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection.
Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilites that accompany human freedom.
Free us from falsehoods that lead to the evils of abortion and the breakdown of family life. Grant us the wisdom to know and proclaim that this nation was founded on God's law and that he alone is the True Source of our cherished rights and freedoms.
Guide and protect this land from every evil and from the attacks of the powers of darkness.
O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new culture of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Imprimatur: Bishop Roman Danylak, D.D
Titular Bishop of Nyssa - Dec. 12, 2004

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH - By Pope Leo XIII
O holy protector of the holy family, protect us children of the Lord Jesus Christ; keep far from us the errors and evils which corrupt the world; assist us from Heaven in our struggles against the powers of darkness. And as you once protected the Divine Child from the cruel edict of Herod, now defend the Church and our country and keep them safe from all dangers and threats. Spread over all of us your holy patronage so that by following your example and aided by your spiritual guidance, we may all aspire to a virtuous life, look to a holy death, and secure for ourselves the blessing of eternal happiness in Heaven.

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe we beg you to protect all mothers of the unborn and the children within their wombs. We plead with you for your help to end the holocaust of abortion. Melt hearts so that life may be revered! Holy Mother, we pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all mothers and all unborn children that they may have life here on earth and by the most Precious Blood shed by your Son that they may have eternal life with Him in heaven. We also pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that they may be converted and accept your Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. Amen

Anne of Green Gables by the Greely Players

I just love the musical Anne of Green Gables. Did I tell you that my sister Paula and my niece Michelle both have parts in the upcoming Spring presentation of this well loved musical by the Greely Players? Well I'm telling you now!

for more information please this website
http://www.greelyplayers.ca/

Maureen

Do you wanna dance?

I just love this video

Where the Hell is Matt? by Matthew Harding 14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. Thanks to everyone who danced with me. Matt