Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Diocese of Peterborough,  

On this 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, so he withdrew to Galilee and from that time on began to preach. After John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus began His public ministry. St. John Chrysostom notes, “He did not preach till John was in prison, that the multitude might not be split into two parties.” And St. Jerome explains, “Mystically interpreted, Christ begins to preach as soon as John was delivered to prison, because when the Law ceased, the Gospel commenced.” Matthew emphasizes the fulfillment of the prophecy (First Reading) “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen” A note here: there were two Galilees, one for the Jews, the other for the Gentiles. This division had existed since the time of Solomon, who gave twenty cities in Galilee to Hiram, King of Tyre; this portion was afterwards called Galilee of the Gentiles, while the remainder stayed Galilee of the Jews. St. Jerome remarks, “According to the interpretation of those Hebrews who believe in Christ, the two tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali, were taken captive by the Assyrians, and Galilee was left deserted… Scripture here means that the region which had been the first to suffer captivity now was the first to see the light of Christ’s preaching.” A Gloss adds, “In the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, where the first captivity of the Jews by the Assyrians occurred, there the Gospel was first preached—where the Law was first forgotten, the light of Christ shines first” St. Jerome further explains: ‘The people who either sat or walked in darkness have seen light, and that not a faint light, as the light of the Prophets, but a great light, as of Him who in the Gospel says, “I am the light of the world”’

     Finally, Jesus proclaims: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Pseudo-Chrysostom comments, ‘He does not straightway preach righteousness which all knew, but repentance, which all needed. For repentance corrects the will. As if He has said: ‘Prepare yourselves by repentance, for the time of eternal reward is at hand’

Let us ask our Blessed Mother for those who live in darkness may be able to see the great ligth which is Christ.

Fr. Gaston Giacinti.

WEEKLY NEWS

Safety Message: Our parish, Sacred Heart, is experiencing some challenges due to homelessness and addictions issues in the neighbourhood. Recently, we have experienced some damages to property within our church, money stolen and drug paraphernalia left inside the church. We have security cameras, but they are limited in their ability to record all problems and cannot prevent damage. We are also considering additional lighting. Police have been notified and have indicated an intention to provide more patrols in our area.

With all these concerns, I’ve had to make some adaptations, for our safety and security: 1- The church must remain closed when there are no scheduled activities (as is the case in other city parishes as well). 2- The sacristy door, leading to the parking lot, will be used only for things related to liturgy (i.e. not the basement). 3- Going forward, the door facing the ramp to the rectory will be used for all groups and activities using the church basement. 

Let us pray for those in the community afflicted with addictions and homeless, that healthy solutions can be found.

Sacred Heart of Jesus: have mercy on us all.

Fr. Gaston Giacinti

Friday Adoration at Sacred Heart

Every Friday there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Sacred Heart in reparation for the offences made to the Sacred Heart of Jesus from 1:30 to 6:30PM and confessions from 5:00 to 6:30PM.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord -Candle Mass

All parishioners are invited to bring candles to be blessed on Monday, February 2nd, 8AM at St John the Baptist Church.

Palms – Please bring in your palms so that they may be burned for Ash Wednesday. You can bring them to the church, give them to the sisters or drop it at the church office Wed &Friday 3:00-5:00pm.

Shrove Tuesday- Shove Tuesday dinner on Feb 17 starting at 4pm until 6p.m, pay at the door. This is an all you can eat for $10 with a donation for any youth attending.  Menu includes Pancakes, Sausage, Beans, Fruit Cocktail and Apple Sauce.

Planning Meeting – A planning meeting on Tuesday January 27^th. at 9 am at Sacred Heart church hall. We encourage anyone who would like to help at the Shrove Tuesday dinner to attend this meeting.

Catholic Missionary Children Oratory – is organizing a special outreach event for children in our local community. Participants will enjoy games, prizes, and snacks while learning about Saint John Bosco, patron saint of youth. We kindly request donations of prizes, snacks, or monetary contributions to help cover the costs of this event. Approximately $500 is needed to ensure the event remains free for all children. If you would like to contribute with a cheque, please make it to St. John the Baptist Church with memo: St. John Bosco Festival. In previous years, this event has welcomed around 100 children. For more information, please contact Sister Inmaculada by text at 705-977-6410. 

DIOCESAN & OTHER NEWS

END OF LIFE SEMINAR—FINAL PLANS:

There’s no escaping it, our days are numbered—but we can get ready and be prepared. Presentations will be held on four consecutive Wednesdays at Immaculate Conception Church, 386 Rogers Street, Peterborough. Guest speakers will lead discussions about how each person can finalize the details needed to ensure they are cared for, their wishes are respected, and their faith in the resurrection revealed. The priests of the City Deanery invite everyone to attend for these very important informational talks.

• Jan. 21st – Fr. Randy Foster, Dean of the City of Peterborough, the Funeral Rite and Liturgies
• Jan. 28th – Joe Farace, Funeral Director at Highland Park Funeral Centre
• Feb. 4th – Fr. Tom Lynch, Moral Theologian on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
• Feb. 11th – Sean Dunlop, Diocese of Peterborough Diaconate program on Estate Planning and Finance

These presentations will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., with light refreshments being served in advance at the back of the church, at 6:45 p.m. Admission is free.