Sunday Readings – Reflections

Dec. 29, 2019 - Feast of Holy Family - Scripture reflections for this feast are not available from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. Find reflections for this Sunday online at: OMI Reflection or: Vatican News Reflection 2018  or check out the Vatican News Gospel Commentary menu at: WEBSITE

These Scripture Reflection Guides are available for the study of the upcoming readings at the Sunday Eucharist. These are ideally suited for personal prayer and reflection or for faith sharing groups of parishioners, family or friends. There are two different reflection guides in the list above: if your group wishes to reflect and share on all three Sunday readings, see below. If you want to use the guide at the start of parish meetings and only want the reflection to take up about 20 minutes, you want the guide which deals only with the Gospel.

Scripture Resources

God has chosen many ways to make Himself known to us. The Bible is God speaking in our lives in a special way. The Word of God is life-giving and grace-filled. When we gather to read, to study, to share and to pray the Word of God we are both enlightened and encouraged. The Word of God reminds us that we are loved by God and precious in His sight. We never tire from hearing the message.

More and more our lives as Catholic Christians need to be deeply grounded in the Word of God. Through the promotion of Small Christian Communities and by offering various types of Scripture Resources, the diocese offers individuals and parish groups the means to develop this deeper relationship with Jesus who is the Word become flesh.

Related Links

New Revised Standard Version of The Bible online: https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Revised-Standard-Version-NRSV-Bible/

Preparation of Lectors with the Sunday Readings: http://www.lectorprep.org

Daily Mass

Looking for more spiritual nourishment? Daily Mass is available on a regular schedule at some parishes in our diocese, including these parishes in the city of Saskatoon:

Find the complete list of parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon: PARISH LIST / MASS TIMES

Msgr. Michael J. Koch Resource Library

Check out the searchable catalogue at: https://rcdos.ca/library/

Supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, the Msgr. Michael J. Koch Resource Library offers a wide variety of religious audio-visual materials and books, which can be checked out for use in parishes and homes, to enrich religious education programs of all ages, to enhance an individual’s spirituality or to support family faith formation.

Located in the Catholic Pastoral Centre, on the second floor of Holy Family Cathedral (123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, SK S7S 1H1), the library is accesible by elevator.

The library is open from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed over noon hour).

For further information or to have requests filled, please call the direct library phone number: (306) 659-5853.

The library is named for the late Msgr. Michael J. Koch (1934-2012), a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon with a passion for faith formation.

Diocesan Liturgy Commission

Judy Gatin (jgatin@rcdos.ca) chairs the Liturgy Commission, and Fr. David Tumback is Director of Liturgy for the Diocese.

Members are appointed by the Bishop in consultation with the Commission. The Commission meets at least three times a year. Among other things, the Commission offers instruction on the proper implementation of liturgical directives, provides support and workshops for liturgical ministries, and utilizes various educational opportunities. The Commission is responsible for diocesan liturgies such as the Chrism Mass or Ordinations.

Diocesan Choir

The Diocesan Choir is composed of singers who enjoy ministering the gift of music for special Masses held within our diocese. The Diocesan Choir provides the music ministry for the Rite of Election, the Chrism Mass, and any Ordinations, diocesan Farewells, etc.

The choir is directed by Colleen Murphy-Beresh, accompanied by Pam Pander – piano, Ken Neitz – organ and various professional musicians from the community.

New members are always welcome! Please watch for Bulletin Announcements about opportunities for participating in the Diocesan Choir or contact jgatin@rcdos.ca for more information.

 

Tips for Music Ministers:

By Colleen Beresh, 

Liturgical Commission Member & Saskatoon Diocesan Choir Director  

Hello to all who provide music ministry!

I’d like to share with you some information in regards to music selection, helpful websites, and a few tips about the Advent and Christmas Season.  Whatever your choir – adult, children, trios, etc., I know you will find something of value for your group. Below, please find a few websites that can be used to find music ideas, hear song clips, and gather information about music ministry in general. I like to use http://www.ocp.org and http://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/  and https://www.youtube.com to find listening examples of songs for my choirs.  Sending out the link with the sound clip, is a helpful tool to learn new melodies or to simply refresh the memory.

National Pastoral Musician http://www.npm.org –  In the “Planning” section of this web page, you will find musical selections from many Catholic books that follow the liturgical year.  Hopefully, the hymn book you have in your church will be listed here.

OCP http://www.ocp.org This site has a liturgy planning section but you or your parish must be a member to access it.  They publish a quarterly newsletter called Today’s Liturgy which is an excellent collection of articles and ideas for music ministry.  There is a subscription cost for this publication.

Novalis: http://www.novalis.ca/Message.aspx?msg=psalms  If you copy and paste this link and you will be able to hear the psalms that are included in the Sunday Missal.

GIA Publications http://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/  This is a music publisher site where they have sound clips, liturgy planning and many other resources you may find helpful. http://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/planning.cfm  Here you will find planning ideas for music liturgy.  They have a GIA Quarterly publication which has a cost attached.

World Library Publications http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com  This site will be helpful in browsing for new music to suit all kinds of choirs.  You may be able to listen to selections as well as download music and formats usable for your parish.

CCCB http://www.cccb.ca/site/Files/CBW_III_Music_suggestions_YrB.html    The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops website with a page dedicated to a comprehensive overview of Year B information and music.

The Newman Hymnal http://www.newmanhymnal.org/index.html  This excellent and interesting site has many tidbits in regards to music and planning.  There are listening examples and video examples of cantor work.

Three Tips for Advent and Christmas Season

1. Psalm singing – If you have a capable cantor in your parish, you are fortunate indeed.  If not, consider having the psalm led by the entire choir or a few select singers.

2. To mark seasons from ordinary time, try a few different ways of presenting the music. Try to keep it simple during advent by singing unaccompanied.  If piano is usually your sole instrument, introduce a different instrument to accompany you for a few songs or try adding a new instrument every week.

3. Alleluia is sung both in Gospel acclamations and in any other music selected. Glory to God is omitted during the Advent Season.

Advent Season – the joyful anticipation of the arrival of Jesus.

  • First Sunday of Advent – being watchful for signs of God’s presence.
  • Second Sunday of Advent – John the Baptist foretells of the one who is to come.
  • Third Sunday of Advent – John the Baptist is still featured this Sunday.  He reveals himself as God’s herald.
  • Fourth Sunday of Advent – Mary is a faithful example of discipleship – doing what must be done to make God’s will a reality.

December 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 24 – Vigil of Christmas

Christmas Season

December 25 – Solemnity of Christmas

December 28 – Holy Family

January 1 – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

January 3 – Solemnity of Epiphany

January 10- Baptism of the Lord

“…the first proclamation must ring out over and over: ‘Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.'”

– EVANGELII GAUDIUM, 164, Pope Francis.

Catechism of the Catholic Church – 1 – “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.”

 

For more information and resources about proclaiming the Gospel, please contact Director of Ministry Services Marilyn Jackson at the Catholic Pastoral Centre: mjackson@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5836.

Sharing the joy and the good news of the Gospel in this time and place!

What is the New Evangelization?

The New Evangelization is a call for every baptized person

to live more fully their call to missionary discipleship.

“God is opening before the Church the horizons of a humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel. I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”

– Saint Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, 1990

Find this Papal Encyclical at: Vatican website: Redemptoris Missio document

New Evangelization Summit May 4, 2019:

Held Saturday, May 4, 2019, the New Evangelization Summit was live-streamed to two locations in the Diocese of Saskatoon: the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon, SK. and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Macklin, SK. Find coverage of this event at Catholic Saskatoon News site: NEWS ARTICLE

 

For more information and resources about proclaiming the Gospel, please contact Marilyn Jackson, Director of Ministry Services at the Catholic Pastoral Centre: mjackson@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5836.

Challenge of proclaiming the Gospel:

“Behold! A sower went out to sow. As he sowed some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, and yielding thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold.”  – Mark 4:3-8

“Jesus, in the parable of the sower, proclaims the Good News that the Kingdom of God is near, notwithstanding the problems in the soil, the tensions, conflicts and difficulties of the world. The Gospel seed makes fertile the history of mankind and promises a rich harvest. Jesus also cautions, however, that the word of God grows only in a well disposed heart.”

– General Directory for Catechesis, Introduction

More from the General Directory for Catechesis:

“In  considering today’s religious situation, the Church is also obliged to take into account the extent to which Christians have been shaped by the climate of secularism and ethical relativism.  A prime category requiring examination is that of the many people who have been baptized but lead lives entirely divorced from Christianity. This in fact constitutes a mass of ‘non-practising Christians’ even though in many hearts religious feeling has not been completely lost. Re-awakening these to the faith is a real challenge for the Church…

… These concrete situations of the Christian faith call urgently on the sower to develop a new evangelization, especially in those Churches of long-standing Christian tradition where secularism has made greater inroads. In this new context of evangelization, missionary proclamation and catechesis, especially of the young and of adults, is an evident priority.”

List of Evangelization Resources from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a summary of the Church’s teachings, available on line at: Catechism Online or as a searchable file posted by the Knights of Columbus at: Catechism with search

The Catechism includes a Prologue and four parts:

Part One: The Profession of Faith (the Creed) Catechism Part One

Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy, Sacraments) Catechism Part Two

Part Three: Life in Christ (Vocation, Morality, Social Life, the Ten Commandments) Catechism Part Three

Part Four: Christian Prayer Catechism Part Four

 

Catholic prayers:

 

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard,
Rule and guide.

Amen.

Act of Contrition

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In His name. My God have mercy.

Amen.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

Amen.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:by the power of the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is adored and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

The Rosary

Information about the 20 mysteries of the Rosary: http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/misteri_en.html

Stations of the Cross

Meditation samples for the Way of the Cross:

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/index_via-crucis_en.html