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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-02-09, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012. St. Anne’s begins second term By Madelaine Higgins This week at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School, exams finished and students got a short break from studying before the start of second semester. Wednesday, Feb. 1 was an official PD day for the school and second semester began on Thursday, Feb. 2. Everyone was excited to start a new schedule of classes with new teachers and new friends in each of their four classes. The students all look forward to getting back into school for a second semester, as the members of Student Cabinet are planning some special events to boost school spirit, including an outdoor winterfest afternoon and a special movie night in the cafeteria featuring the 2011 film Footloose. Final report cards from semester one will go home on Feb. 10. We are excited to be hosting another Grade 8 Day for any students interested in attending St. Anne’s in the fall. Please check the school’s website at http://sacss.hpcdsb.edu.on.ca or call the school at 519-482-5454 for details. By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande Pastor,Walton and Bluevale United Churches Duff’s United Church in Walton will be celebrating 100 years of its building this year. The celebration commences with an open house on Saturday, June 9 (1 - 4 p.m.), an anniversary service on Sunday, June 10 at 11 a.m. followed by a porkchop barbecue and entertainment. Those familiar with anniversaries would understand that the success of this grand celebration would require adequate planning that involves meeting of various committees and the unified board. Because everyone wants to make this event a memorable occasion there is much determination to achieve this goal. The 2012 Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is now available on the shelves, and our much-awaited long- range forecast for the coming year is already felt. It is unusually cold and stormy weather and described as a winter of “clime and punishment”. There are predictions that April and May will be cooler and drier than normal. The almanac called for a cold winter and constant rain in the area in June and July. Summer will be warmer and drier than normal in the east and cooler and rainier than average elsewhere. In Greiger’s words, “it’s very practical to today’s living.” Most of the farmers I have spoken to regarding how they are adapting to the current conditions ask me if I can do something different. I reply that, I wish I could, but only God has control over the nature. I live opposite the McGavin Farm Equipment Centre and has control over the nature. I live opposite the McGavin Farm Equipment Centre and throughout the week farmers come either to buy parts or rent equipment to work in their farms. Notwithstanding all the climatic uncertainties farmers remain positive and expect a production outcome. On the political scene, the debate over the future Old Age Security (OAS) continues in the House of Commons. The opposition parties accuse the Tories of trying to balance the budget “on the backs of seniors, but federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said that the government’s pension review “has nothing to do with the budget for this year in terms of balancing the books in the medium term. It’s been made clear that no one receiving these benefits now could be affected by any of the review we’re doing.” Yet we wait to see the outcome of the benefits agreed on. As we strive for our economic well-being it is also important to strive for our spiritual well-being. Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22) marks the beginning of Lent. The journey through Lent is a way to place ourselves humbly before God, bringing in our hands no price whereby we ourselves can purchase our salvation. It is a way to confess our total inadequacy before God, to strip ourselves bare of all pretenses to righteousness, to come before God in dust and ashes. It is a way to empty ourselves of our false pride, of our rationalizations that prevent us from seeing ourselves as needy creatures, of our external piety that blinds us to the beam in our own eyes. In Advent, we rehearse the story of Christ’s birth and await his second coming. In Lent, we travel the wilderness with him and pick up the cross on which he will be crucified. In Easter, we celebrate that death is not the final word but that Christ has power to “make all things subject to him” (Phil. 3:21). Lent demands a response to this hope while it invites deep reflection. Lent offers us an opportunity about our discipleship in light of how others have lived in response to God’s call and command. Therefore, at the beginning of Lent, we are reminded that our possessions, our rulers, our empires, our projects, our families and even our lives do not last forever. “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). the liturgies throughout Lent try to pry loose our fingers, one by one, from presumed securities and plunge us into unknown baptismal waters, waters that turn out to be not only our death tomb but surprisingly our womb of life. Rather than falling back into nothingness, we fall back in everlasting arms of Jesus. Prayer is essential because God’s strength can shore up on defences and defeat Satan’s power. Observing Lent either by fasting, penitence and prayer will echo Jesus’ wilderness wandering. This may be a good time to think about the blessings we have and about the frivolous things we tend to hold onto. It may be a good time to give up something we enjoy as a reminder of the true meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice. People have tried all their ways to please God, but God had made his wishes clear “to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with you God (Micah 6: 6- 8). THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. 17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N. Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, February 12 Brussels Public School at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 Chris McMichael 519.482.1644 BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca Sunday, February 12 Ethel United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Brussels United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m. Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-2664 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School getlivingwater.org Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Living Water Christian Fellowship February 12: Mk. 2:1-12 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women At The Well Evangelical Missionary Church “Accessibility, Authority, & Audacity” Coming to Memorial Hall March 2: COURAGEOUS! Friday, February 17 at CRC 8 pm: “Faith-In-Song” Concert!Adults $10, children $5, ph 519-523-4299 Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m. CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS MINISTER Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. All Welcome MUSIC DIRECTOR Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224 FEBRUARY 12 ~ Valentines, Can’t Buy Me Love FEBRUARY 19 ~ I’ll Be There For You THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Welcomes you to come and worship with us Trinity, Blyth 9:15 a.m. Church Office: 519-357-4883 St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. 519-887-6862 Sunday, February 12 Rev. Perry Chuipka www.nabcom.ca/church You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743 www.blythcrc.ca SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Service 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH From the Minister’s StudyAt tax time, don’t forget spiritual well-being 119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131 www.huronchapel.org Rev. Mark Royall, Sr. Pastor 9:25 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 10:30 a.m Morning Worship Service Join us this Sunday for Missions Sunday Guest Speaker: Jason Bechtel