INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY: The Law of Christ – “How I love your law, Lord. It is my meditation all the day.  Your command has made me wiser than my enemies for it is ever with me” (Ps 119:97 – 98).

    In Hebrew teaching, love and respect for the law in unmatched.  It was God’s greatest gift to his people.  To observe it was to find life and happiness and to be assured blessings from the Lord.  The Torah was Yahweh’s expressed will for his people; therefore, it had a holiness in itself.  There were later commentaries and specifications of the law applying it to all features of life.

    Jesus came with a new order of things.  While respectful of the Torah, he invited his hearers to go beyond it.  The new law of Christ was to be observed more in the spirit than in the letter.  As the post-Easter church develops, much of the Torah’s demands will pass away.  Paul will even speak of the former law as being nullified (Gal 3:15f).  But tension will continue for years in first century Christianity over the abiding validity of the Torah.

    Today’s readings reflect both Hebrew love for the saw (Sirach) and the way it was superseded with the coming of Christ (Matthew).  In 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks of our redemption as the great mystery of God, hidden form the ages and now revealed.

FROM THE RECTORS DESK

FORTY HOUR DEVOTION:  This March 13 to 15, 2023, we will have the 40 Hour Devotion to help us prepare during Lent for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery at the Cathedral.  It is an opportunity to devote ourselves to prayer, especially before Our Lord Jesus Christ, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, through adoration.  Father Eric F. Mason, a priest of the Diocese of Peterborough and pastor at St. Joseph Parish, Powassan, Ontario, will be the preacher each evening and the celebrant of Holy Mass each day.  Sign up sheets will go out for people of both parishes to take some time to spend in adoration during these days.  I would like to try and have adoration throughout the entire period, morning and night as is traditional if it is possible.  If it is not possible, we will have re-position each evening.

BENEFITS OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION:  Each time you approach the Blessed Sacrament, remember that Jesus has been waiting for you for twenty centuries for this personal visit from you. (St. Josemaria Escriva)

A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration is a sharing in the work of Redemption. (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)

The grace of adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament is given to everybody. (St. Peter Julian Eymard)

INCENSE AT 10:30 SUNDAY MASS:  Beginning the First Sunday of Lent, once again, the priest will use incense at the 10:30 AM Mass.  We will ensure not to overdo it but put just enough incense on the coal to accompany and enhance the liturgical action. Symbolic of our prayers rising to God, incense has been used by many ancient religions and continues to be used today in the Roman Catholic Church, both in the Oriental and Latin rites, as well as in the Orthodox churches.

FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNIOM:  Registration is now taking place for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion here at St. Columbkille’ s Cathedral.  A Parent and Candidate meeting will be held on Sunday February 19, 2023 at 09:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall with presentation of information and schedule of sessions.  Please contact the Parish Office for registration forms or call Deacon Adrien Chaput at 613-732-7933 ext. 206 for more details.  All forms must be completed and submitted to the Parish Office by Thursday February 16, 2023.

WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULES AT OTHER PEMBROKE PARISHES

 Our Lady of Lourdes                  Most Holy Name of Jesus                 Paroisse St-Jean-Baptiste

  Monday to Friday 8:00 AM           Monday to Thursday 7:00 PM     Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9:00 AM

(Please visit the Parish websites to confirm Mass times)

MASS ATTENDANCE FOR LAST WEEKEND – Saturday 7:15 – 50, Sunday 10:30 – 107, Sunday 5:15 – 82   

Your total offering for last Sunday was $2800.00

Thank you for your generosity and support.

In your prayers kindly remember the sick and those who care for them, the lonely, the handicapped, those isolated, and those who have died.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER:  World Day of Prayer is an ecumenical prayer service observed annually on the first Friday in March. This year’s service is on Friday, March 3^rd at 2:00 p.m. at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, at 307 Julien Street.  It was written by the women of Taiwan.  Their theme: “I Heard About Your Faith” and is centered around stories of faith, struggles and hope.  This year’s guest speaker is Pastor Janet Gulliver from St. Luke’s Church.  This ecumenical service is open to all.  The Pembroke Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada invites you to join us in prayer, song and fellowship.

ANNUAL WOMEN’S RETREAT: “Do whatever He tells you (John 2.5)” from March 24 to 26, 2023 at the Graphite Bible Camp in Maynooth. Fr. Zachary Romanowsky and Cheryl Ann Smith from Madonna House will be leading the retreat. The cost is $175.00 for 2 nights and 5 meals. Limited spots available! To register: fill in the Google registration form at RETREAT REGISTRATION , and send e-transfer to womensretreatcombermere@gmail.com (Question: what is name of retreat centre; Answer: Graphite). For more information contact us at womensretreatcombermere@gmail.com or call/text Caitlin 613 316-0992 or Kristan 613 585-0579.

THEOLOGY ON TAP – PEMBROKE: Join us at J&E’s Bored N’ Saucy, 185 Pembroke St. East, Pembroke, on Thursday, February 23^rd from 7 – 8:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Bishop Desrochers. Topic: Truth. Why it matters. This is a new initiative of the Family Life and Youth Ministry Office and is geared for those age 19 – 49 (ish). Different guest speakers will be invited each month to give a talk on a variety of different topics relating to the Catholic Faith. There will be time for questions, discussion and socializing. This new initiative will replace the Diocesan Young Adult Ministry program that ran each month. We have widened the age range in hopes of getting more people out and in a setting that may be easier to invite those who are not as familiar with the Catholic faith. In other words, better suited for evangelization. Each event will be posted on the Upcoming Events page on the Diocesan website (www.pembrokediocese.com) as soon as details are available. To receive an e-mail each month with date, speaker and location, etc., please contact Yvette Bourque at yvettebourque@pembrokediocese.com.

Bishop Smith Assembly fourth degree Knights of Columbus will hold its next meeting on Feb. 21 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Ellis Avenue. Starting time is 7 p.m.