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The First Sunday of Lent February 17, 2013

We begin the season of Lent with ashes on our foreheads. What is symbolized by this smudging? Perhap

the heart understands better than the head because more people go to church on Ash Wednesday than o

any other day of the year, except Christmas or Easter. The queues to receive the ashes in many churche

are endless. Why? Why are the ashes so popular?

Perhaps it comes from the fact that, as a symbol, they are blunt, primal, archetypal, and speak thlanguage of the soul. Something inside each of us knows exactly why we take the ashes: "Dust you ar

and to dust you shall return!" Ashes are dust and dust is soil, humus: humanity and humility com

from there. Ashes function as a symbol within virtually all religions. To put on ashes, to sit in ashes, is t

say publicly and to yourself that you are reflective, in a penitential mode, that this is not "ordinary time

for you, that you are not celebrating, that you are grieving what you have lost, that some important work

going on silently inside you, and that you are in the cinders of a dead fire, waiting for a fuller day.

All of this has deep roots. There is something innate to the human soul that knows that, every so often, w

must make a journey of descent: to be smudged, lose our lustre, and wait while the ashes do their wor

All ancient traditions, whether religious or purely mythical, abound with stories of having to sit in the ashe

We all know, for example, the story of Cinderella. Her name means: "the young girl who sits in the ashesAs the tale makes plain, before the glass slipper is placed on her foot, before the beautiful gown, ba

dance, and marriage to the Prince, there must first be a period of sitting in the cinders, of being smudge

of being humbled, and of waiting while a proper joy and consummation are being prepared. In the story

Cinderella there is a theology of Lent.

The church taps into this deep well of wisdom when it puts ashes on our foreheads at the beginning

lent. Lent is a season for each of us to sit in the ashes, to spend our time, like Cinderella, working an

sitting among the cinders of the fire - grieving what we've done wrong, renouncing the dance, refrainin

from the banquet, refusing to do business as usual, waiting while some silent growth takes place within u

and simply being still so that the ashes can do their work in us.

.

Focusing on bible stories, the workshop will teach

you to: build your story; identify the clues to

telling a story; engage the listeners to participate

in your storytelling. Mondays, Feb. 18 and 25

from 7-9:00 PM; in the St Augustine's Bell Tower.

For information call Elizabeth Yorski 514-482

9580.

In this Year of Faith, as part of your Lenten

journey, you might like to become reacquainted

with this Jesus as he is portrayed in the Synoptic

Gospels those ofMatthew, Mark and Luke. Eight

sessions will be offered on Tuesday nights,

February 12 April 2, 7:15 - 9:15 pm, at the CND

Mother House, 2330 Sherbrooke St. W. We w

use the book INTRODUCTION to the SYNOPT

GOSPELS by Pheme Perkins from Boston Colleg

Cost: $50 book $20 offering $30. Pleas

contact Sr. Kay Duffin, cnd at 514-762-1844 o

kayduffin@hotmail.com.

This year the theme of the Share Lent Campaign

of D & P is Human Dignity. Regardless of our

economic or social status we are all created in th

image of God and are His children. Human Dignity

is an intrinsic gift and cannot be taken from

anyone. Failure to recognize a persons human

dignity leads to injustice. Please take home the

material available which will help in the

understanding of this years theme.

7/29/2019 The Ashes of Lent by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI

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Mass Intentions

February 17-24, 2013

February 16, 2013 Saturday, LentenWeekday

4:00 Alexander Cybulski George & Claudia

February 17, 20138:30 In Loving Memory

Alessandro Fiori, Luigi & Rosa Mammone, Joseph

Onesi, Cecilia Scartozzi11:00 Rosolino Sparapani Maria & Family

February 18, 2013 Monday, LentenWeekday

8:00 Ermando Giuseppe Nudo His Wife Elvira Nudo

February 19, 2013 Tuesday, LentenWeekday

8:00 Agnese, Martino & AntonioGagliardi

The Family

February 20, 2013 Wednesday, LentenWeekday8:00 Vincenzo Collati His Wife Francine

February 21, 2013

8:00 Deceased members of thePetrosa Family

Maria & Raffaele

Cinelli

February 22, 2013 Friday, The Chair ofPeter

8:00 Kathleen Pridham Lucy

February 23, 2013 Saturday, St.Polycarp

4:00 Antonio Bei His Wife Gabriella &

FamilyFebruary 24, 2013 The Second Sunday

of Lent8:30 Mr. & Mrs. Gianbattista Onesi Ida & Family

11:00 In Loving Memory

Fioravante Rotiroti, Mickie Laughlin

Your GenerosityThank you for your on-going support of our parish

Last Sundays collection was $3,104.20

2013 Lenten Reflection and Prayer Booklets

The 2013 Lenten Reflection and Prayer Booklets

are available for you to purchase at the main

entrance of the church. The adult, family and

childrens versions are priced at $2.00 each.Please put your payment in the Missalette andNewspaper Payment Box.

Practical SimplicityAnimated by Deacon Richard Boileau

The objective of this retreat is to focus attention oways of making simplicity a way of dealing with o

many challenges in order to achieve inner peac

and lasting joy.Join us on Monday,February 252013, from 6 to 9 PM. This Twilight Retreaincludes supper at the cost of$10.RSVP befoFeb. 21: Elizabeth Koessler, 514-925-4315 ekoessler@diocesemontreal.org.

Positive Discipline In this session we will focu

on a few parenting challenges, and discuss wayof overcoming them. Join us on Sunday, Februa24, from 10 to10:50 a.m., in the dining room the rectory.

Fr. Raymond will present the movie CHOCOLATon Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in the parish rectorJoin him for this inspirational movie, followed b

stimulating discussion.

Please refer to www.stmonica.ca and the posters

the Church entrances for additional information.

you have any questions, please contact Anna at th

office.

Wed. 27 February 2013 at 5:30 pm

Newman Centre 3484 Peel St.

Info.: 514-398-4106