St. Theresa's Parish

Message from our Pastor:

“LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH…. AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME”

In his message for the World Day of Peace that will be celebrated in Catholic churches worldwide on New Year’s Day, on the Obligatory Feast of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Francis emphasized that politics is “at the service of peace” and “respects and promotes fundamental human rights.”

He warned that “when political life is not seen as a form of service to society as a whole, it can become a means of oppression, marginalization and destruction.”

Pope Francis reminds us that “bringing peace is central to the mission of Christ’s disciples.” He concluded his message by identifying three inseparable aspects of peace:

First, “peace with oneself, rejecting inflexibility, anger and impatience”; Second, “peace with others: family members, friends, strangers, the poor and suffering people of the world”;

Third, “peace with all creation, rediscovering the grandeur of God’s gift and our individual and shared responsibility as inhabitants of this world, citizens and builders of the future.”

The recessional hymn for our New Year’s Mass is “Let There Be Peace”.

More than ever, we need to pray for peace! Peace in our world, among nations, within families and parish families and within our hearts.

To be a people of peace, we must first be a people of compassion and mercy, kindness and generosity, forgiveness and love.

May our New Year’s resolution for 2019 be to mirror the Prince of Peace in all of our relationships, beginning with oneself, then reaching out to family and friends, and extending to our parish family then to all our neighbours.

May the Prince of Peace fill your lives with His hope, peace, joy and love!

And may the Peace of Christ reign in your hearts and strengthen your resolve to be good and faithful disciples of Jesus, The Messiah!

God Bless,

Fr David Kowalski