Submitted by Cindy Bosman:  

You created every part of me. You put me together in my mother’s womb. When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there-and you saw me before I was born. Psalm 139:13-16

When I was expecting our third child, I suffered from excessive nausea during my first few months and it was so bad that I had to be hospitalized about every other week due to dehydration.  Apparently this does affect a small percentage of mums.  This had a large impact on our family life and my husband had to cope with boys of thirteen and three years old which was very hard for him as the sole bread winner of our family.  I was in hospital for one of these episodes when my gynecologist asked for more blood tests and one of these tests came back with the information that our baby was Downs Syndrome positive.

After this news I was feeling depressed and considering the ways our family life was going to change.  My oldest son had attention deficit syndrome and I was very aware that our lives would be changed.  I must have been crying and a nurse in the ward brought me this verse and various gospel songs for me to listen to.  I believe Jesus sent her to give me strength and make me aware that whatever happens in life, He would be there with me through every step of the way.  I did my medical research on downs Syndrome babies and my husband and I went on a Marriage Encounter weekend to discuss and pray for the way ahead.  Some people suggested we have an abortion, but this was not an option for us.  I felt that God's will would be done, and prayed for the strength to be a great mom for this little child.  Many people prayed for us.  When my son was born he showed no visible sign of Downs and we had to wait for the blood tests that took six weeks.  The results found that there was no sign of any abnormalities.

I believe this was one of the miracles the Father gave us. My son still had various problems with his ears and had to have a Tympanic eardrum replacement and much speech therapy, but the good Lord even used this for the good of others, as now in later life, all this experience has allowed me to work with children struggling academically.

Submitted by Danny MacDonald: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

My father picked his burial plot near his parents some years ago, it is a spot near a country road. We used to joke that he'll have a really good view of the road and that he could watch the traffic go by. Sadly he has now been laid to rest in that very same plot. 

My father suffered a lot during his final few years. I watched him endure pain and watched as his mind started to deteriorate. During this time I found comfort and hope in this bible passage from Romans. Even though I miss him a lot I still find comfort and a sense of hope from it.  

I can't help but think that my father has a very different view from the one at the road. I imagine him standing in wonder as the glory of God's kingdom is being revealed to him. I believe the sufferings of our life on earth will pale in comparison to the awesome experience of God's love.  

I also believe that as my father stands before the throne of grace, he is thinking about us and remembers us, the hope of this bible passage becoming his wish for all who suffer and are in pain.

Submitted by Danny MacDonald

Child Gift Coordinator

Chalice

Submitted by simonmt

Immersed in the presence of omnipresence, a presence you cannot sense....Prayer flows easily like the coursing of blood through your veins. Still the door remains closed; tap, tap, tap, tap...  Silence is the great reward -  the opening of the cocoon to reveal the tacit glory of the butterfly; but I am not ready, I don't have time for butterflies today.

I thirst for silence. Not simply the absence of noise. The thirsty don't simply crave the nearest wet. The thirsty soul needs to have the dry landscapes of their deepest soul replenished and nourished. Nothing grows on arid ground.

Prayer is a conversation, and a conversation demands relationship. I speak to you; you hear me and respond. The deepest, closest bonds need not even words. The response of the beloved springs forth from their knowledge of the loved soul. The strongest relationships need time; time to grow and strengthen. How can I hear you if I know not your voice? How can I know you deeply unless I listen to you?

Growing up Roman Catholic, prayer was a function of Church gatherings, the beginning of mealtime, and sometimes a way to wind down from my day. A lifestyle of prayer, or holiness was reserved for the priests. As a boy, I remember periods when I prayed a lot and I know God heard me pray, but my unease with silence made it more me talking to God than listening to or speaking with God. I became proficient at putting words in God's mouth. 

 After choosing to discern the vocation of priesthood, prayer became a constant companion, although my sinfulness sometimes got in the way of my relationship with the divine. Think about it though, how can a mortal, sinful, human being converse with an immortal, perfect God? This has to come about out of love, and grace. Upon abandoning that life, I abandoned prayer as well. I was deeply angry, angry that this vocation felt that it had been ripped from my hands. I remember being highly critical of anything religious; none seemed to have the power to break through my anger, to teach me to live as a Christian, even to inspire me to want to do so. The one that came the closest to doing so was the Anglican Church, with its very practical, down to earth spirituality. It is only now, ten years later, that I can finally start to embrace God again, to open myself to a relationship with Him.  

Did I have moments of prayer in the last ten years? Absolutely. Did I receive the grace of Christ? Truly. Has he worked at transforming my bitterness at matters of religion into a wider appreciation of how God works in our lives? Without any doubt God did nothing wrong to me. In truth, it was my decision to make the change I made. What I realize went wrong is that I didn't make the transition in a healthful way, and now I need to allow myself to heal by opening myself anew to the presence of God in my life.  In deepening my closeness to God, allowing myself to learn and study, I can only draw nearer to God. What that means for the rest of my life I have no idea, and there is freedom in that.  

In essence, the paradox of prayer is that in order for it to work well, it has to happen within the context of your relationship with God, a relationship with Three Persons you cannot physically hear, see or touch. You have to open yourself to silence and to hear the voice of the divine, listening intently to discern the voice of God among the thousands of other voices. This talking to the unsenseable and listening to silence requires that God loves us first.

With the excitement of the Winter Olympics waning, it's a good opportunity to reflect on what it has meant for Canada to host this most important event. The games have re-instilled and strengthened our patriotism and our love for country. United as never before, we gathered to cheer on our athletes, and to cry tears of joy as our fellow Canadians stood proudly on the podium to accept their coveted medals and sing along to 'O Canada'.

Our athletes, whether they won medals or not, are great role models for our youth and for all of us! They have shown us once again, through their dedication, their commitment to the end goal and their endless hours of training and conditioning, that hard work and determination are what makes us what we are and what we can become - as individuals, as communities, as a country and in the world.
 
During this season of Lent, let us take a lesson from our athletes. Let us never stop working - to strengthen our prayer life and our commitment to the poor, the brokenhearted, the sick and the lonely - our hard work and dedication on their behalf will build stronger people, stronger communities, a stronger country and a better world for all. 

Submitted by Erik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY&feature=related

I received this video last year from a good friend. It made me think how sometimes in life we take things for granted. Good health, a warm house, a plate of dinner, a peaceful environment, loving parent, brother, sister, close friend, people around us, a welcoming parish, an awesome GOD.

In our daily life, how much do we appreciate what we have? Do we think positively about our situations or are our thoughts confined to negative thoughts? How often do we thank the Lord for our blessings?

Sometimes when people pray, they forget to include a thanksgiving prayer while concentrating on offering their requests. It is not hard to include a thanksgiving in our prayer, even if just one thing which we are grateful for such as a beautiful clear day, a coffee time with a friend, an inspiring daily devotion.

Let us be contented with what we have, be positive in life, be thankful to God and always remember God’s blessings.

Peace and God bless,

Erik

Philippians 4:11-13

“¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”