Free Community Meals - Newmarket

Here are all the free community meals that take place in Newmarket throughout the week, all thanks to volunteers who care about the people in their community:

• Sundays: Valley View Alliance Church hosts a community dinner every Sunday of the year between 4 and 5:30 p.m. at 800 Davis Dr. in Newmarket. 
• Mondays: St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church serves a free hot meal to anyone who needs it out of their parish centre at 432 Ontario St. The program is called Community Bread and runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday. 
• Tuesdays: Trinity United Church hosts its Lunch At My Place (LAMP) Supper Program on Tuesdays at the church, which is located at 461 Park Ave. It serves beverages at 4 p.m. and a hot meal from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. 
• Wednesdays: The Annex Cafe at Christian Baptist Church runs every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can enjoy a hotdog or burger out on the church lawn. There is also coffee and light breakfast foods. 
• Fridays: Inn From The Cold's community meal takes place weekly on Fridays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the community hall of their Penrose Street location. Different groups of volunteers sign up each week, whether they are corporations, religious groups, families, or friends. 
• Saturdays: Crosslands Church at 47 Millard Ave. West hosts a free dinner every Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m. 

Advent Reflection: Two gifts that are needed

 After telling us how King Ahaz, St. Paul. and St. Joseph received the gift of divine grace which they in turn passed on to bless and strengthen others, Claretian Fr. Ferdinand Okorie CMF, writing for the Catholic Theological Union, concludes a reflection for the 4th Sunday of Advent as follows:

"Next Sunday, we celebrate and renew our faith in the gift of God’s presence in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in doing so, we share in the spirit of the season by giving and receiving gifts with our loved ones, and with one another. But I invite you to think beyond the traditional routine of wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree, but rather to discern the impactful gift that your loved ones and the world are in dire need from you today. For our loved ones, trust is ebbing dangerous in our homes and society, affecting our respect and dignity for one another. Rebuilding a culture of trust can go a long way to repair fragile and damaged relationships. For our world, let us remember that every region has experienced a record climate disaster or the other. Time has come to give our world the gift of doing whatever we can to contribute to cutting down our carbon footprints. During this season of giving and receiving gifts, give the gift that is impactful and transformational to one another and to the world." https://learn.ctu.edu/fourth-sunday-of-advent-3/

Rebuilding a culture of trust: Instead of being negative and critical, can I be more positive, affirming and upbuilding? Pray the Prayer of Saint Francis

Cutting down our carbon footprints: Food waste? Plastic? Recycling? Unnecessary travel? Explore Laudato Si' - the encyclical by Pope Francis on the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor

Resources:
Laudato Si' Movement - https://laudatosimovement.org/
Laudato Si' - News and Resources - https://www.laudatosi.org/
Laudato Si' Action Platform - https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/

Image credit: https://cdn3.volusion.com/yhebw.jkdkr/v/vspfiles/photos/10501-2.jpg

Reflection: The Manger of Our Hearts

Image: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nBdZ_W-lWPQ/hqdefault.jpg

Conference Reflection by Catherine Doherty, selected by Deacon Steve.

Christ desires to be born in the manger of our hearts. Are the doors of our hearts wide open to receive the shepherds, the Magi, the stray visitors – in a word, humanity? Are they open to receive every person as Christ would receive each one of us? Are they open to receive those around us in our daily life?

Or do we think it enough to make a manger of our hearts so that we might hold Christ unto ourselves exclusively? If so, that was not what He was born for, and He might bypass the manger of our hearts.

Christ told us that, unless we become like a child, we would not enter the kingdom of heaven. We tend to associate children and Christmas in a very sentimental fashion: a newborn baby is “cute”; children are “lovable” creatures. So they are, but that is not what Christ meant. I think he wanted us to have the heart of a child.

What does it mean to have the heart of a child? A child is utterly trusting. A child is totally open, uninhibited, simple, direct, and unafraid. A child believes without reservation.

I pray that this coming New Year will be a year in which we will empty our inner “self” so as to carry the Christ Child comfortably and warmly in our heart. You know, the Child will be comfortable and warm only if we love and trust one another.

Catherine Doherty, “Donkey Bells: Advent and Christmas” p 42 – 43, Madonna House Publications, Combermere, 2000