Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year “B”

February 22nd , 2009 Lenten Mission Starts – Mar 22 Sun during masses and Mar 23 – Mar 26 at 7:00 p.m. February 22nd , 2009

“the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins “ Mark 2.1-12

Sts. Martha & Mary Parish Website –

Every Wednesday, Mass at 7:00 p.m. – Novena to “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”

During the course of a day we use thousands of words and take them for granted without giving much thought to the gift of speech. In this gospel we see the power of the word of God at work in a memorable scene, when four men arrive with their paralytic friend whom they lower to the feet of Jesus through an opening in the roof. This man had been a burden to his neighbours and Jesus sensed the deep distress behind the faith of those who carried the stretcher. When he uttered the healing words: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ God’s power flowed through the paralytic, freeing him of spiritual paralysis as well as bodily sickness. There was a moment of supreme suspense as the man rose to his feet, picked up his mat and walked outside. The cure of his illness was the sign that his sins had been truly pardoned. The scribes, who were spokespersons for traditional Jewish belief, stated that only God was capable of forgiving sin and questioned what Jesus had done.

In an age when it has become fashionable to ignore the reality of sin as an offence against God, our sins are ever before us, placing a barrier between Christ and ourselves. Like the sick man in the gospel we are in need of Jesus’ healing words, to free us from the burdens of our past and to enable us to live in a new way. His words heal the sickness of our souls and restore fullness of life to our personalities, crippled and blunted as a result of past wrongdoings. We should not be surprised to find forgiveness of sin at the heart of Christ’s ministry, for his mission is to bring the peace of God and wipe out the tyranny of evil. Sin is a form of paralysis that effects us all.

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing and the most profound healing a person can experience. One of the greatest gifts Christ gave to his church was the power to forgive sin, which is available through the ministry of any priest.

Pray for the sick of the parish,especially for:

Levi Romero, David Re, Maria Dimatteo, Joe O’Hearn, Rita Zarb, Tasha Bishop, Nada Dancy, Catherina Donato, MaryJane Lafleur, Tina Fiore, Lucy Vairo, Barney Gallant, Edward Glanc, Michael Manzo. Tony Micieli, Deolinda Pereira, Linda Trefler, Melba D’Souza, Tom Fitzsimmons, Eva MacMillan, Marilou Lontoc, Sandra Abrey, Rene Coles, Lorna Monteith, Annita Di Bacco, Wilhemina Cisterna, Kenneth Harris., Domenico Larocca.

Masses for the Week

Mon Feb 23 St. Polycarp, bishop & martyr

9:00 a.m. +Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

Tue Feb 24

9:00 a.m. +Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

Wed Feb 25 Ash Wednesday

9:00 a.m. +Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

+Adelino Marques Analiese

Int Basil & Norma Crooks

7:00 p.m. +Henry & Rose Castelino brother in law

Thu Feb 26

9:00 a.m. +Concetta & Donato Zita

+Giuseppe Zita Family

+Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

+Joan Wilding James Family

Fri Feb 27

9:00 a.m. +Genara Santos Family

+Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

7:00 p.m.

Sat Feb 28

9.00 a.m. +Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

4:30 p.m. +Joyce Camilleri Mallia Fam.

Sun Feb 29 First Sunday of Lent

8.30 a.m. +Teofilo Mazon Lourdes & Neil

+Nick & Frank Torres Maria Torres

10:00 a.m. +Angelo Said Friends

+Souls in Purgatory Derek & Greta Francis

11:30 a.m. +James Goddard Margaret & David MacDonald

Schedule for Confirmation Classes 2009

Confirmation Classes - held right after 11:30 Mass Downstairs.

Boys Feb 8 and 22,

Mar 8, Apr 5 and 26

Girls Feb 15

Mar 1 and 29,

Apr 19 and May 10

vocation –
Jesus healed the paralyzed man and forgave his sins. If you have received the forgiveness of Jesus and are able to rise and walk, others need your help to be brought to Christ. Rise and follow in His footsteps as a priest, brother or sister and lead others to be healed by the forgiveness of their sins. If you think God is calling you,
Call Fr. Liborio Amaral 416-968-0997

Catholic Women’s League of Canada

If you like to join us making crafts please come to our next meeting

Mar 17th or phone the office.

Spring clean-up: If you have any cotton fabric that can be used to make quilts or small dresses and or have any wool for knitting or crochet left over we are going to have a box at the back of the church. Many thanks.

Parish Retreat

March 22 to 26 – a visiting priest, Monsignor George Tomichek, will be preaching at all the Masses of the weekend. The first talk of the retreat will be on Sunday at 7.00 P.M. Then daily Monday to Wednesday Mass and Retreat talk will be at. 7.00 P.M. The Priests will be available for Confessions before and after the Mass and talk.

Please Mark these dates in your Calendar.

40 Days for Life - Pray to End Abortion 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion..

Being involved in the campaign against abortion is vital. The first step that everyone can take is to begin with prayer and fasting. For Information

Lenten Season – Ash Wednesday

Wednesday we begin the season of Lent that is we enter into season of penance.

Can. 1250: The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 1251:Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Can. 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.