Stand firm in faith.

 Letter From Our Pastor

Lent is the time to examine where we are in our relationship to God and with others. There are three, tried and true things the Church encourages us to do in Lent to help us focus our attention on the coming Easter celebration: pray, fast and give alms (which means to give to charity). We all know that we need to pray if we want to receive God’s grace in our lives. Faith is about a relationship with God. Any relationship needs time spent together speaking, but most importantly, listening to each other. Prayer is a conversation with God – with a lot of effort on listening to Him.  Fasting is the practice of giving up something we like during Lent. This small privation helps us in two ways: firstly, it reminds us of Christ’s supreme act of self-sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation. A little ‘suffering’ on my part helps me to recall what Jesus did for me and my salvation. Secondly, our token sacrifice of, for example, dessert at dinner or a favorite program, helps us build up our willpower too. If I can say no to something good I enjoy, it proves I can say no to things I shouldn’t have or do. Fasting builds willpower. Finally, by giving to charity, we call to mind the many ways God has blessed us with material security so that we share with others in need. Many of us have a lot of possessions but there are some in our midst who lack the basic necessities for a decent life.  Charity is a way of sharing our blessings with those in genuine need. May God bless you and your family this Lent with a fruitful time of reflection and preparation for Easter!

Father Geoffrey Kerslake

Pastor

Sunday Reflection:  2nd Sunday of Lent, March 16, 2025

Stand firm in faith.

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel shows how we can get so focused on the glory of Jesus we forget that the Cross always proceeds the Crown.  Peter gets side tracked by this powerful moment, and, at a loss for words, he blurts (paraphrased):  “Hey, this is great!  Let’s all just stay here and hang out together”.  Saint Peter has a big heart, he loves Jesus, but he doesn’t always say or do the right thing.  Yet, Jesus chose him to be our first pope.  There’s a lesson here for us:  God wants our love but we don’t have to have it all together, know all the right answers, and be ‘good’ enough to be worthy of following him.  We do have to listen to Him and be ready to follow, especially when in the moment, we don’t fully understand what God may be doing in our lives.

Father Geoffrey Kerslake

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To all the Parish’s generous faithful

Thank you to all who donate to the ongoing operation of the parish.  For e-Transfer please send it to admin@holyspiritparish.ca and use the password, Holyspirit (all one word with a capital H).  We currently have a significant number of parishioners who contribute via bank auto debit.  If you would like more information about the program or wish to participate, please contact the parish office at 613-836-8881 or email admin@holyspiritparish.ca