HEALING SERVICE: On Friday May 18th at 7 PM, a healing Mass will take place at St. Helen.  Fr. Jay will celebrate Holy Mass, followed by Sacrament of the Sick and Eucharistic Adoration. All are invited to pray for healing for challenges being faced by themselves or intercession for others in need of physical, spiritual, emotional, or relationship problems or help to forgive.  God does the healing. The celebrant and those praying are the instruments that the Lord uses to provide a prayerful environment in which He can work. If anyone wishes to be added to the Mass Intentions for this service, call Joyce at 564-5805.
In conjunction with the Healing Mass all are asked to join in a Fast on May 18 for the healing of those in our community facing so many challenges. Please read the beautiful reflection on prayer, alms giving, and fasting which follows written by Paul Ellis and seriously consider offering up these sacrifices for the healing of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

On Fasting
From the Old Testament right on thru the New Testament, fasting is a big player in the prayer life and repentance for sin. However, in our present world of abundance and instant gratification, many people have never really experienced the transformational power of fasting.
The components of a complete prayer life include all of the familiar suspects; prayer, alms giving and fasting. The three prayer types really work best when practiced simultaneously as any one complements and completes the other two.
I like to think of prayer in terms of spiritual tools (I am a man after all).
A master craftsman can build a house with only three basic tools;
Tool #1 - The saw.
 The saw divides the work material (our lives as it were) into smaller and more manageable pieces. And so it is with mental prayer. We lift up our thoughts, intentions, concerns and praise to God in small and focused pieces that tend to be more manageable then the sum total of them all. One thing at a time.
Tool #2 - The chisel.
The chisel can shape the work piece in very precise ways: removing what does not conform to the desired final shape. The chisel removes material that prevents the finished parts from fitting together as they are intended to. And so it is with alms giving. Alms giving allows us to get rid of whatever material possessions or bad habits that may be keeping us from fitting into Gods finished work in the way that He intends for us.
Tool #3 - The hammer.
The hammer provides the exacting force needed to drive the chisel and also to fit the finished pieces together. And so it is with fasting. Fasting subdues the inordinate appetites of the flesh and makes the flesh subject to the spirit - instead of the other way around.  A flesh that rules the spirit prevents us from reaching our God given potential and thereby leading a life that walks towards holiness.
When we embrace all three forms of prayer we allow The Master Craftsman to build us into a true house of faith.
So when you really want to build your house of faith use ALL the tools at your disposal. You will find that the task is much easier with a full tool chest rather than using only one or two of them.