ASH WEDNESDAY - Welcome to Lent

On Ash Wednesday we hear a call to reorder our priorities. Isaiah tells us, "Rend your hearts...and return to the Lord." St. Paul speaks as an ambassador for Christ, "Be reconciled to God...Now is the day of salvation." And Jesus gives us some practical means to get our priorities straight.

We are living in a world that overwhelms us with all of the nastiness of life.  We only need to turn on the TV to see hate and greed, injustice and abuse. We see people being treated with absolute disrespect and we see people that think it’s their right to do so.  We are persuaded into thinking that if you don’t want to be the victim, you better be the aggressor or if you don’t agree with me the best way to solve that problem is to lash out with violence.  

If our only priority is “I, me and my” then that is all that we will be left with.  If we can’t see beyond just me and mine, to those around us in the school or country or the world and recognize the needs of others then we are missing an essential aspect of who and what we are as human beings.  We are at our core supposed to be in good, positive, loving relationships with people.  but “How do we do that?”

Looking to the words of W.A.Ward, American author, teacher and pastor and our own Pope Francis  -- 

We can FAST which means give up something that is negative…  

…but we can also FEAST on what is positive and real!

We can …

Fast from judging others And feast on Christ that dwells in them.

Fast from the large double double And feast on giving to charity

Fast from discontent And feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger And feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism And feast on optimism.

Fast from complaining And feast on appreciation.

Fast from the Cafeteria’s awesome supreme 

And feast on meatless Fridays

Fast from bitterness And feast on forgiveness.

Fast from thinking only about ourselve

And feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discouragement And feast on hope.

Fast from laziness And feast on enthusiasm

Fast from idle gossip And feast on purposeful silence.

And we ask God to help us with all of this during our Lenten Season.

You may have already decided that you are going to give up or do something for Lent but we will, as part of Morning prayer, focus on a different fast and feast each day during Lent.  We can give up something different each day. And by the end of this Lenten season we will all be reconciled to God. ...Or at least a little closer.   

May God Bless us and give us moments of grace over the next 40 days.

Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season
It's seems like just a couple of months ago we were participating in the Lenten season of last year. But in looking back, it really has been a whole year with lots of activity!
Ash Wednesday on March 1, 2017 marks the beginning of Lent this year.

Here is a great video produced by "Busted Halo" that might help with any questions!!

 And since today seems to be a technology day, you might enjoy one or both of these reflection videos found online!

Celebrating ADVENT

This past Sunday, we began the season of Advent by celebrating the 1^st Sunday of Advent. Advent is our time of preparation and time of waiting for the coming of Jesus.It is a rich and powerful season of the Church year.

We often miss Advent's power because these December weeks are full of secular Christmas parties and preparations for Christmas. Each year, the busyness of this season serves to distract us from having an Advent season that truly prepares us for the celebration of Christmas, with all its meaning.

We must see through the “Windows of Faith” when we look at our Advent preparations for Christmas rather than the “Screens of Society”. The computer screen, the phone screen, the tv screen or the movie screen.

Through “Windows of Faith”, we see the birth of the Christ-child, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace. We see that it is being with family that is the gift, the shared moments of grace that are important.  It is practicing goodness, generosity, hospitality and humility that give us the deepest sense of peace, joy and love.  We see those in need, the homeless and the hungry not just the overwhelming consumerism in the world.

The First Week of Advent

Jesus, Son of Mary, you are the hope in our messy world. This Advent, help us slow down, listen to your voice, see through "windows of faith" and focus on what’s really important. We place our HOPE in you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth on Christmas. We ask this through Christ of Lord. Amen.

The Second Week of Advent

Jesus, our Brother, you entered our world on Christmas as the Prince of Peace. This Advent, as we strive to look through the "windows of faith" and become the-best-version-of-ourselves, fill us with a deep and abiding peace. Help us share that PEACE with everyone we encounter, especially those who need it most. We ask this through Christ of Lord. Amen.

The Third Week of Advent

Jesus, the Christ-child, help us focus on you during this busy season. May we stay aware of the JOY you bring into our lives. When we look through the "windows of faith" we find you in the everyday moments and we can come with hearts of gratitude to your manger on Christmas. We ask this through Christ of Lord. Amen.

The Fourth Week of Advent

Jesus, Guiding Light, may the light of your love always shine in our hearts. As Christmas draws closer, we marvel at your great LOVE for us. Let your love transform every aspect of our lives, help us to see through "windows of faith" and touch everyone we encounter. Our hearts are open to you, Jesus. We ask this through Christ of Lord. Amen.

Advent Prayer for Families

Heavenly Father, your son Jesus is your greatest gift to us, 

a great sign of your love. 

Guide us as we strive to walk in that love 

together as a family this Advent. 

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, 

bring us closer to each other and to your son. 

Give us the grace and strength we need every day, 

help us to always trust in you 

and help us to look through "windows of faith" 

to see the world around us. 

Come, Lord Jesus, lead all people closer to you. 

Come and dispel the darkness of our world 

with the light of your love. 

Amen.

Good St. Anne. Pray For Us.

Faith in Motion

Someone else's need creates an opportunity for us to respond in faith!  


Some of our music students went out to St. John the Evangelist parish last week to share their gifts and talents. We led the music at the Thanksgiving Mass for St. John the Evangelist school in Woodslee.

When the need for music arose, our staff and students were quick to respond, not for glory but because that is what our faith calls us to do.   

In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Luke 3:11

It may not have been coats but the students shared what they had...                   Talent and Music

The St. Anne's Crew with students from St. John the Evangelist school.

Thanks goes out to...            St. Anne's students (L-R) Massimo Chiodo, Lucas Radlin, Amanda Gray, Olivia Toulouse, Morgan Pake and Emma Chenier.

Along with St. Anne's Campus Minister Mrs. Renee Fuerth and Fr. Moe Charbonneau.

The theme for Catholic Education week is "Walking Forward Together" and we have adopted something like it for our theme this year. 

WALKING TOGETHER-In The Light.  

You will see this throughout the year and we will refer to it often.  

But whatever theme we choose we will always look to our school motto of Fiat Lux - Let there be light. Not just any light, but the light of Christ.

So our theme of WALKING TOGETHER In The Light calls us to walk with each other in faith.

But what does it mean to walk together…

Well,  Psychologists tell us that as human beings we crave contact with others.  That it is part of what drives us in this life.  The need to be in contact with others. And that if we don’t have it, something just doesn’t seem right.  We need interpersonal relationships. 

An interpersonal relationship is a strong, deep, or close association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring. This association may be based on inference, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. That’s the official definition.  

But the simple one is...

We want to belong.  

Whether it’s to our family at home, to a club, a team, a group of friends, the band or a school community, we want to be a part of something.  And that is what our theme calls us to this year.  

WALKING TOGETHER In The Light.  It means journeying with the people around us in this crazy life.  It means listening and truly hearing someone when they are in need, showing compassion to others, supporting people when they are struggling with the difficult things that life throws at us like loss and tragedy.  

It means celebrating the gifts and talents that we all have and seeing each one as valuable, laughing and sharing your lunch with your friends. 

It means treating your teachers with respect 

and it means seeing the good in each of your students. 

It means walking in support of cancer research by walking in the Terry Fox walk.  It means supporting Suicide prevention week.  It means giving money to the missions or buying gifts for those who have nothing at Christmas.

But what sets us apart is that we don’t think that walking together is just a nice thing to do, we believe as people of faith that we are called to do these things.  That God has called each one of us to walk that walk. Together.  In the light of Christ.

They say that “One step at a time is good walking.”

So here is to a new school year of good walking!

Starting New

Well, September is upon us again and we are back to school, flowing through the hallways, riding the bus and doing homework. It is much like last year and the year before and the year before...
It's easy to get caught up in thinking that this will again be the "same-old, same-old" as always.  

It's easy to see how we can be swept up in the mediocre moving tide of 'whatever'. Our school-life, work-life, family-life and faith-life can all just becomes... 'whatever'.

But it's a NEW YEAR!! A "brand-spankin-new" opportunity to make a change, take a new direction, commit to a plan or even make a plan!!!!  Find your gift, discover your dream, and work like crazy to get it!  

Living with the regret of a 'whatever'-life is easily solved. 

You've got to invest your time and energy!! 

You've got to invest YOURSELF!!

You've got to be 'all in', as they say, and use your God-given gifts and talents to do it.  Do not look back on your life and regret that you merely floated along being carried by the current.

The only whatever we should be content to live with is...

• when someone says you can't do it ....  'whatever'
• you're not strong enough ....  'whatever'
• you aren't worthy ....  'whatever'

New year, New plan, New choices, No Regrets

Almost there...

The school year has a way of sliding by without much notice sometimes. We start school in September, then we have a hazy memory of Thanksgiving Mass and the Advent-Christmas Mass and brunch ...
                                 And then it's June 3rd!! 

We've had to make an effort to keep focused on the school year with it's ups and downs, ebb and flow.  There are weeks that the activities are fast and furious while other times, we settle into a routine of doing what is necessary to accomplish the task we have before us.


Faith is like that in a lot of ways.  One minute we are thrilled to be making our 1st Holy Communion and the next, we are in high school and we really haven't thought much about God... 
or Jesus... Or Faith...   
in like, forever, despite taking up pew space on Sundays.

It is just so easy to lose track of time, and of God in our lives; to realize that it has been months or even years since we've prayed, talked to God, felt a moment of God's peace.  

The truth of the matter is...  
for anything to be good we can't just let it slide.  
(school, faith, relationships, sports, music, working out, etc...)
We can't lose focus. 
     At the very least, we need to be able to Re-Focus!
We have to think about it, we have to work at it, we have to get up and do it, we have to appreciate the days that pass by because they never come again. 
Make the decision to work at LIFE, work at FAITH, work at LOVE. Everyday.