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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we approach the days of the events of our salvation, it is good to reflect on the ways in which the Passion of Christ was the cause of our salvation. St. Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologiae III, Q. 48, Art. 6, teaches that there is a twofold efficient cause: the principal and the instrumental. The principal efficient cause of man’s salvation is God Himself. However, since Christ’s humanity is the “instrument of the Divinity,” all of Christ’s actions and sufferings operate instrumentally, by the power of His Godhead, for the salvation of mankind. Therefore, Christ’s Passion brings about our salvation efficiently.

Let us now consider the manners in which the Passion of Christ caused our salvation:

1.By efficiency, in relation to His Divinity. Only the Divine Nature could offer a price of infinite value. Thus, the Passion of Christ, as united to His Divinity, efficiently brought about our salvation.

2. By merit, in relation to the will of the soul of Christ. Since merit arises from acts of the will, Christ merited salvation for us through His freely accepted sufferings.
3. By satisfaction, in relation to the flesh of Christ. Because the flesh is capable of receiving punishment, Christ, through His bodily suffering, satisfied the debt we owed and freed us from the penalty of sin.

4.By redemption, in relation to the price of His blood. As Scripture says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin” (Heb 9:22), and “By your blood you ransomed for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation” (Rev 5:9). The Passion of Christ redeemed us by paying the price of our sins.

5.By sacrifice, in relation to the offering of His Passion to God.  Christ’s offering was a true and perfect sacrifice, reconciling humanity with God.

As we enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s Passion during this sacred time, let us renew our gratitude for the immense love He showed us on the Cross. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, who stood at the foot of the Cross, help us to contemplate the mystery of our salvation with faith and love.

God bless you all.                           

Fr. Gaston Giacinti

WEEKLY NEWS

Holy Communion for the homebound

The Blessed Sacrament is the greatest treasure God has left us on earth: Himself. Because of this, the Church has always taken great care to ensure that we treat it with due respect and reverence.

One of the ministries directly related to the Blessed Eucharist is bringing Holy Communion to the homebound. Every Thursday, we have two ministers who bring Holy Communion to the homebound. Please let us know if you know someone in need so we can arrange to bring them Holy Communion. The Blessed Sacrament can be brought ONLY by a priest or an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. For practical and safety reasons, we will NOT be distributing the Eucharist to the homebound during the ‘Communion Line’ at Mass. Instead, it will be given only to Eucharistic Ministers after Mass. Fr. Gaston G.

Bible Study Reminder on the Gospel of Matthew – Upcoming Classes – April 10^th & April 24^th at St. John

Join the DRIVEN TO PRAISE prayer Group as we journey now through the Gospel of St .Matthew 7pm – 8 pm at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. For more info contact Daniel 647 928 6414. 

Prolife Annual Meeting

The Peterborough Prolife Annual General Meeting will be on Sat, April 12th at 12 noon at Knights of Columbus Hall, Reid St. Guest Speaker:  Jakki Jeffs, Alliance for Life. Light lunch is provided. Members and non-members invited to attend. 705  772 7579    peterboroughprolife.ca

Holy Thursday – April 17th

6:00pm Mass of the Last Supper at Sacred Heart by Fr. Stephen DeCarlo

7:30pm Mass of the Last Supper at St. John’s by Fr. Gaston Giacinti

7:30pm TLMass at Sacred Heart by Fr. Neil Roy

Good Friday – April 18th

10:00am Stations of the Cross at the Cathedral

1:00pm TLCeremony of the Passion at Sacred Heart by Fr. Neil Roy

3:00pm Ceremony of the Passion at Sacred Heart by Fr. Gaston Giacinti

4:30pm Ceremony of the Passion at St. John’s by Fr. Stephen DeCarlo

Easter Vigil – April 19th

8:00pm Easter Vigil Mass at Sacred Heart by Fr. Gaston Giacinti (concelebrated by Fr. Stephen DeCarlo)

10:30pm TLMass at Sacred Heart by Fr. Neil Roy

Way of the Cross 2025 On Good Friday, April 18th, 2025, the young people will once again reenact the Stations of the Cross in the streets of downtown Peterborough! Beginning at the Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains at 10:00 AM, concluding on the front steps of Immaculate Conception Parish.

Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope:

Save the Date Closing Celebration of the Year of the Sacred Heart:     On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday June 27, 2025, at 3:30 pm, please join His Excellency Bishop Miehm and the parishioners of our northern parishes at Sacred Heart Parish, Trout Creek, for the closing Mass celebration of the 350th Anniversary Year of the messages of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Program begins with Adoration and confessions 11-3, Holy Mass 3:30 pm and reception to follow.