To See, To Love, To serve
What helps to keep Christ as the center of our lives? As Christians, our love for the Lord, and truly in response for all that he has done for us, we can find ourselves longing to know Christ more and striving to follow him. We want to be firmly rooted and living steadfast out of his love for us.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, prayed for the grace “to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly and follow thee more nearly.” With clear and precise insight, St. Ignatius understood that to grow in holiness and be a disciple of Christ, one had to give one’s whole self – the mind, the heart, and the will. When we work to deepen our understanding of who Christ is, when we commit ourselves to prayer and when we give of ourselves through service to others, we are responding in love to the One who has loved us first.
We know that growth in holiness takes a lifetime. And, at Divine Mercy Parish we want to be intentional about these three elements of this Christian dynamic: coming to know Christ, coming to love Christ and coming to serve Christ. This is a vision of the Christian life that helps us become a disciple of Christ or to deepen one’s existing discipleship.
The Parish is excited to present different offerings and opportunities available this Fall under the three categories of To See, To Love, To Serve. You will be invited to choose something from each category. These will include Faith Formation offerings (both in person and on Flocknote); Prayer opportunities (in the church and at home) and Service opportunities in church ministries and in our families, work and community.
Day by Day, dear Lord,
Of thee, three things I pray;
To see thee more clearly
To love thee more dearly,
To Follow thee more nearly,
Day by day.
To See
To See:
“You cannot love what you do not know.” ~ St. Augustine of Hippo
At the heart of St. Augustine’s teachings lies the compelling assertion that genuine love is inseparable from true knowledge. This foundational idea serves as a guiding light toward a deeper understanding of the relationship between ourselves and God. We are invited to know Him more and through this knowledge to be drawn deeper into a relationship of love with God and each other.
The offerings under “To See” are focused on deepening our understanding and reflection of God. The deeper our understanding of God and His Church, the deeper we find ourselves in love with the Lord. Choose one for the following options.
Word on Fire: Catholicism-the series
Discover, or rediscover, the beauty, goodness and truth of the Christian Faith in this landmark series. Journey deep into the Faith with Bishop Robert Barron as you watch and reflect on each episode. From the sacred lands of Israel to the beating heart of Uganda… from the glorious shrines of Italy, France and Spain to the streets of Mexico, Kolkata, and New York City, the fullness of CATHOLICISM is revealed. 20 sessions, available through Flocknote Wednesdays beginning in November.
The Chosen: Season 1
Imagine you could see the life of Jesus through the eyes of the people who walked the earth with him — his disciples, Mary, his mother, those he healed. The Chosen allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew him. Join us for Season 1 playing on Thursdays over 8 weeks beginning October 31. We are offering this both in person and through Flocknote. In person, with an opportunity to share your thoughts and reflections – Thursdays following the 9:30am Mass. If you would like to watch the series through Flocknote, with accompanying reflection materials hit the signup button below.
“A Great Symphony of Prayer: The Our Father as a Programme of Life”
As part of the Year of Prayer in anticipation for the Jubilee in 2025, the Canadian Bishops hosted a webinar series titled, “A Great Symphony of Prayer”. The sessions on the Our Father were led by Dr. Josephine Lombardi, of St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, author of the book “On Earth as it is in Heaven” Discover the richness of the prayer that Christ taught his own disciples. Offered over 4 weeks in November on our Flocknote.
“A Great Symphony of Prayer: Mary, the Saints and Scripture”
As part of the Year of Prayer in anticipation for the Jubilee in 2025, the Canadian Bishops hosted a webinar series titled, “A Great Symphony of Prayer”. The sessions on Mary, the Saints and Scripture were led by Dr. Josephine Lombardi, of St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, author of the book “On Earth as it is in Heaven”. Offered over 4 weeks in May 2025 on our Flocknote.
To Love
To Love:
“For me, prayer is a burst from my heart, it is a simple glance thrown toward Heaven, a cry of thanksgiving and love in times of trial as well as in times of joy.” ~ St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese describes prayer as a “burst from the heart.” And this burst is directed towards the subject of our love – God. If we pay attention, we will notice how our hearts respond to God’s nudging in prayer. The Holy Spirit calls us by a gentle, persistent knocking on the door of our hearts, and if we are listening attentively, we will notice our heart’s response This is how prayer unites us to God’s own heart – through the subtle but persistent ways we respond to God throughout each day.
“To Love” lists the opportunities for prayer here at Divine Mercy. Some are in person (no registration required). Other offerings are online through Flocknote and will need you click the “sign me up” button.”
Manresa Retreat: Spiritual Exercises for our Times (Current retreat is full—watch for upcoming opportunities.
Lectio Divina:
Lectio divina (“divine, or sacred reading”) is a method of attentively and prayerfully reading the Word of God. Enter into the beauty and depth God’s Word through prayer. Available through Flocknote:
Sundays through Advent on Flocknote:
Sundays through Lent on Flocknote:
Novena of the Immaculate Conception: November 29 to December 7 made available daily on Flocknote (with an abbreviated form in our Sunday Bulletin)
Simbang Gabi: Christmas Novena December 15 to December 23 for Simbang Gabi, a Christmas Novena. Mass begins each evening at 6:30 pm in the church followed by a reception. ‘Simbang Gabi’ is Filipino for ‘Night Mass’ a devotional nine-day series of Masses in anticipation of Christmas. A wonderful way to prepare for the gift of the Incarnation – the Christ child at Christmas, all are welcome to gather in hope and praise.
Novena of Grace:
March 4 to 12, 2025 made available daily on Flocknote and the Parish Bulletin.
Parish Stations of the Cross: Fridays evenings throughout Lent Join us for a bowl of soup at 5:45pm. Prayer begins at 6:30pm
Parish Lenten Mission: March 2025 (Dates TBA) with Fr. Scott Lewis, S.J.
Novena of the Divine Mercy: April 18 to 26, 2025 made available daily on Flocknote and the Parish Bulletin.
The Rosary before Daily Mass Mondays through Fridays through the Month of May (9:15 am). Location: in the church at our St. Paul’s site.
The Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron: Pray this most beautiful prayer with Bishop Robert Barron and hear Bishop Barron give a small reflection on each mystery. Through the Month of May on Flocknote.
Novena to the Sacred Heart June 18 to 27 made available daily on Flocknote and the Parish Bulletin.
To Serve
To Serve: “True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement.” ~ St. John Paul II
Though we often think of a calling or vocation as applying to priests or those in religious life, the truth is that we are all, by virtue of our baptism, called to holiness and serving God in our own way. God fills us with grace, talent and passion so that we may better accomplish His purposes in the world.
The greatest example of this comes from the life of Jesus, who was the manifestation of God’s saving love in the world. Jesus spent his life in service to others. So great was Jesus’ love for all of us — for we are all children of God — that he willingly gave his own life.
To serve God, then, is to follow the example of Jesus’ life and earthly ministry to serve others. It is through service that we can truly express our love for God, for His creation and for one another. In our “To Serve” listings you will find opportunities to serve in our parish and neighborhood, as well as reflect on the graces, talents and passion that lead us to live as followers of Christ in our families our communities and our parish.
Gospel of Work
What is the Purpose of Work? Why do so many of us struggle to find meaning in our jobs or careers? The Gospel of Work wrestles with the significance of work, and how to find purpose in our work, no matter the field in which we labour. 8 sessions: available through Flocknote (Mondays February/March 2025).
Meet the Bulmans
The First Catholic Reality Show: Enter into the joyful life of the Bulmans. Enter into the joyful life of the Bulmans, a young and growing Catholic Family. Parents of four, we follow Jason and Rachel as they welcome their new born twins into their happy family. Reflect and share in the joy of the vocation of the family through this wonderful series. 8 sessions available through Flocknote (Fridays April/May 2025)
Ministries in Need
Through Baptism we share in one fundamental vocation — a call to holiness. We are all called to be holy—to know, love, and serve God with our entire being. This happens in our families, in our work, in our communities and in our parish. Divine Mercy Parish offers a number of ministries in service to God’s People. Some of those ministries are in need of helping hands and we welcome everyone with a desire to serve Christ. Check out some of these:
- Bereavement Team
- Liturgy of the Word with Children
- Sacrament Preparation
- Ushers
- Sunday Hospitality
If you are interested in learning more about any of our ministries, and how to get involved, please fill in the form below. For a full listing and descriptions, see our ministries page
If you would like to speak with someone regarding opportunities to serve contact us at faith.divinemercynl@gmail.com
Serve at Divine Mercy Parish
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