MAKE IT RIGHT
BUILDING A LIFE OF DISCIPLESHIP
The first ever MESSAGE SERIES at St. George Parish is a chance to build a life of discipleship based on the 6 Qualities of a Faithful Disciple we have been reflecting on over the last four years. This 6 week series explores each of the qualities making practical connections within the parish in our daily lives.
INSOMNIA
THE LIES THAT KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT
Everyone experiences fears. Fears often hold us back from what we desire to achieve or the people we want to become. But what is behind our fears? Very often our fears are based on lies or half-truths we have come to believe. Overcoming fear requires getting to the root of those lies and finding out the truth about God and ourselves. In this series, we look at some common fears and how to overcome them.
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR?
As we begin the Advent journey, we enter into a crazy season of shopping, buying, snow, chaos, Christmas staff parties and a very stressful time for everyone. We often just look to survive the season and not appreciate the time to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. Are we ready to welcome Him? What do we need to change in our lives so that we can truly celebrate the heart of Christmas?
BAGGAGE
THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS
As we begin the new year, we seek to make some New Year’s resolutions to change our lives. We may be starting new habits, trying to get into shape or letting go of the past. In order for us to move forward, we need to look back and let go of the baggage that weighs us down. What do we need to let go of and who do we need to forgive? Forgiveness is the most powerful way to encounter peace, light and freedom!!
HOME ALONE
LONELINESS IN OUR WORLD TODAY
While we have more means of communication and more ways to connect to the rest of the world in human history, polls and research shows that many in our culture struggle with loneliness. We feel alienated from each other, alienated from ourselves and alienated from our God. While loneliness looks different in our modern times — it continues to grow. What can help us with our loneliness? The gift of our faith and have the RIGHT KIND OF HEART by placing JESUS AT THE CENTRE of our lives beckons us to community, love and brings us into the presence of the Almighty. Our faith changes everything and calls us to each other!!
CATHOLIC ATHEIST
REMEMBERING GOD
While we come to church each week and pray, sometimes our actions don’t follow our beliefs and go through the motions of faith. We can drift so much that sometimes we act as if God doesn’t exist. How can we reconnect, remember and rekindle our faith and relationship with the Lord? This message series will give us concrete ways to reconnect and remember our severed or drifted relationship with Christ. The season of Lent is a time for us to turn back to Jesus who constantly reaches out to us. Let us turn back and be filled with his grace, light and peace.
UNKNOWN PATH TO EASTER
As we begin Holy Week we enter this year differently — in uncharted waters–may we together take this opportunity to learn, grow and deepen our faith on this unknown path to the resurrection.
HE IS RISEN
SEEING JESUS TODAY
This Easter season is the greatest and most powerful season of the Church’s year. It is a chance to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—his triumph over sin and death–our hope of eternal life fulfilled.
This series begins during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives are completely changed and we are in crisis. We have not been able to go to church or receive the sacraments. It is right now that we really need to see Jesus in our world today and deepen our faith. It is right at this time that we need to see the eternal light so that we can experience here and now the power of the resurrection. This series will help us have faith and see the saving power of God in our lives. We really don’t have to look too far!!
WHAT MORE DO YOU SEE?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very challenging and difficult time for all of us. Not being able to go to Mass, Confession or participate in parish life has been painful. Maybe we thought it would be just for a short time, but as time passes we are getting more and more frustrated and long for the presence of Christ in our parishes. We can stay distracted by the things we cannot do right now or look beyond the obvious and discover what more we can see. This challenging time can also be an opportunity to discover new things about God and ourselves. It can be a time to embrace a deeper sense of what it is to be disciple and messenger of hope in these difficult days.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
It has been over six months since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is tired, overwhelmed and seeking the days of old. We have had to change so many things in our lives and so many are simply fed up. We long for the chance to visit family and friends, travel and see a movie. Many can’t get to Mass or participate in regular parish life. There is a fork in the road—-we can choose to be bitter, angry and frustrated, which paralyzes us and drags us down—or—we can take the path of Christ seeking grace, strength and hope.
We need to take a timeout in the midst of this chaos seeking our generous and loving God who fills us up and offers us perspective and guidance to swing the momentum our way. Journey through this series and find out how we can do that in our lives today!
FAMILY TIES
Change is one of the constants in our lives. This is true in our faith. This message series which should remind you of the 1980s sitcom with Michael J. Fox, is a response to Bishop Fabbro’s decision to form a “family of parishes” with St. John the Divine and St. George Parishes.
Yet it goes deeper than that, as we move forward to form this one family, working together to help build the kingdom, this extends to everything we do within our family, school and work. The bonds that we have to take care of one another are strong. Through the gift of our baptism, we are called to share, support and love one another. We are better and stronger together—more than ever when left on our own. Let’s build strong family ties!!
COME BACK TO ME
Our Lenten journey is a time to come back to the Father!! We are called to turn away from sin and embrace the gift of the Good News. Lent reminds us that the Father in heaven is always faithful and He does everything He can to bring us back. We simply need to turn to Him and he will forgive, heal and embrace us!!
THE COMEBACK
There are so many challenges and storms that we as a Church, country and world are facing today. From the pro-longed global pandemic, the clergy sexual abuse scandal, Indian Residential School scandal, decreased church attendance and the world attitude that is all about “ME” can be truly overwhelming and beyond anything we can do. Yet we know of the many “comebacks” that we have seen in history that can inspire us to overcome against all odds. The world today needs a “comeback” to faith, hope and love—and it is up to us. We cannot walk away but together seek ways to bring the light of Christ in this world.
BACK TO THE BASICS
There are so many challenges and storms that we as a Church, country and world are facing today. From the pro-longed global pandemic, the clergy sexual abuse scandal, Indian Residential School scandal, decreased church attendance and the world attitude that is all about “ME” can be truly overwhelming and beyond anything we can do. Yet we know of the many “comebacks” that we have seen in history that can inspire us to overcome against all odds. The world today needs a “comeback” to faith, hope and love—and it is up to us. We cannot walk away but together seek ways to bring the light of Christ in this world.
THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE
We love stories. We watch movies, read novels and watch programs on tv seeing different characters make good and bad choices. These stories inspire, teach and entice us each and everyday. We too live our own story but with the gift of our faith—we can see our stories a bit differently. Our lives are important. All of our experiences, choices, joy and sorrows are significant in our lives and the lives of those around us. Yet they are not important due to the fact that we are the central figures of our lives—our personal story is part of the bigger story of God’s love. We can only fully understand our story when we see that we are part of a much bigger story. We are called to share our lives and story with others bringing us closer to the love of Christ.
