It is the voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to the heart and inspires Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.   
Let us trust and let ourselves be challenged by this prayer, which in my opinion, echoes the love of God, present in each of us. 

My children,
       Love one another,
       as I love you.
       Love one another as I love my Father
       and as he loves me.
       I have put my light in your eyes
       so that you can see what I see.
       I have put my path under your feet
       so that you can go where I go.
       I have filled your ears with my silence
       so that you can hear what I hear.
       I have put my riches and my generosity into your hands
       so that you can do what I do.
       I have put my truth into your mouth and on your tongue
       so that you can say what I say.
       I have placed my love in your heart
       so that you can love as I love.
       I have put myself in you so that you can live as I live
       and what I live.
       Amen

From the book “In Intimacy with Jesus” by Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I. Collection Volontaires de Dieu

Human beings by nature have a need for peace. But we are exposed to various problems in life that deprive us of peace of mind. Thus, none of us lives in an ideal situation of peace. Problems may be in the form of health problems, financial problems, or social problems, which can only be solved to a certain extent by helping each other. Thus, peace in the family or society depends to some extent on the members of the group. Each of us therefore plays an important role as a peacemaker.

But peace is an inner state, a personal experience, lived within us. For believers, peace comes from a truly intimate relationship with God. As Psalm 61 says, "In God alone my soul finds peace." So, living in God's presence gives us peace. In John 14, verse 27, we see Jesus, before his Passion, say to the Apostles: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I will not give as the world gives." The night of Christmas after the birth of Jesus, the angels of heaven appeared to the shepherds saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." So, every Christmas fills us with peace and Jesus came to earth to give us peace.

For me, since I joined the Volunteers of God, 10 years ago, I am slowly deepening the experience of peace. My faith in God's presence has become so strong that I now know that He is always with me. I am alone in my house. But I never feel loneliness or fear. I converse with Jesus while cooking, cleaning, gardening, etc., and peace flows through me, giving me a sense of well-being and ease. Peace is definitely a gift from God. The more we live in his intimacy, the more it increases, even when things around us or within us disturb and upset us.

Peace is flowing like a river
Flowing out from you and me…
Pouring out into the desert,
Making all the captives free.

Dr. Annie Thomas, Volunteer from India

I am glad to share the life experience of our Regional Meeting, Asia – Indian Ocean held from April 12 to 18, 2023 at Padanthalumoodu. We were all arrived on 12th April 2023 at our own Oblates' Community Centre which is newly constructed at Padanthalumoodu. It was a dream to have a centre of our own for Regional gathering. That dream became true. God has provided using Ms. Mercy Savariyaradimai as an instrument to have such a wonderful centre. We were all excited and proud to have meeting at our own family atmosphere centre. Everyone felt this atmosphere.

On 13^th we had an Opening Mass in our Chapel. Our main celebrant was IVD priest Rev. Fr. Churchill. (Tamil Nadu Regional Director) Two other priests from our neighboring parish concelebrated. Everyone expressed their happiness to have a family priest to bless our meeting. Fr. Churchill has helped us to have Holy Mass everyday by IVD priests. During the inaugural meeting, we honored our Vice-President Ellena Brelu Brelu.

All the countries were given opportunity to lead the prayer and liturgy every day.

The following topics were covered by the following members.

• Decisions of the General Assembly – Priorities – Lafleur Causette
• Forward Planning – Sayarak Manichanseng
• Amendments – Constitutions (Book 2) Brelu Brelu Ellena
• Amendments – Constitutions (Book 2) Continuation- Brelu Brelu Ellena
• Clarifications and doubts were enlightened by Savariyaradimai Mercy
  
  

All the countries shared the apostolic projects of all the Oblates through power point presentation. The Oblates activities in the society and in the Church were very inspiring. It was good to know each Oblate and her apostolic project.

The team animators shared how the Team Meetings are conducted, how it helps the Oblates in the challenges and achievements.

The Assigned Directresses and Formators shared their experiences as Assigned Directresses and Formators, and the challenges and achievements.

Every evening we had evaluation of the day, in the foreground of the community centre. This was a very interesting session. All the Oblates took part in this session very actively. All tried to express their experiences of the day in English. This session helped us to see the improvement of each Oblate and their bond of belonging and love of the Institute.

As per our schedule we conducted our sessions. Though we didn't have translator this time, every one tried to express their thoughts, ideas and queries in English. Everyone said that the Regional leader and Council had well prepared and delivered each topic. Queries raised by the Oblates were well explained to everyone. We all participated very actively. It was the first Regional Meeting experience for some Oblates. They all expressed their happiness, thankfulness and gratefulness to the institute for providing this opportunity to attend the Regional Meeting. When we come together as Region, we also get an ample opportunity; to know each other, to increase our bond of belonging and to learn English etc. As a whole we had enriching, vibrant and sweet memorable Regional Meeting.

On the closing day we had a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Churchill, I.V.D. On this day we thanked the God Almighty for his Omnipresence amidst us during our journey of meeting and expressed our appreciation and thankfulness to all those who helped us to render this meeting successful. May God bless all of us!

Love and peace!
Sebastiammal Lucas M.
OMMI

In Hawkesbury, at Saint-Alphonse de Liguori church in Saint-Pierre-Apôtre parish, Ms. Violaine Couture, Oblate, led the parish retreat on the theme “Together, Building Peace”, inspired by the spirituality of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, in the spirit of their founder Father Louis-Marie Parent, o.m.i., priest and missionary.

With the help of a slide show, Ms. Couture, armed with her guitar, was accompanied by musicians, Gilles Laframboise on bass (from Ottawa) and Ms. Marie Marleau on keyboard (from Embrun) and facilitators, Simone Samson and Gilles Nadon (from Cap-de-la-Madeleine). In this way, she led us through an interactive process of reflection in which we integrated the five attitudes of life of the Oblates and of the Volunteers of God (associated group) for building peace, namely, to be constantly in the presence of God; to banish from our lives all forms of destructive criticism, both internal and external, in order to be able to maintain a positive outlook on others and on ourselves; to know how to welcome the events of life positively, without internal or external complaint; to direct our lives toward service to others, in order to transform ourselves into peacemakers in the various circumstances of daily life.

As part of the retreat, the sacrament of the sick was offered to participants, and both priests, Éric Robichaud, parish priest, and Lucien Campeau, assistant were available to offer the sacrament of forgiveness. Afterwards, some of the participants gave testimonials of the benefits they had received.

The event closed with a vibrant testimonial from Madeleine Lacroix-Hébert of Gatineau on the five attitudes of life, a testimonial written “from the heart”, as Ms. Couture so aptly put it.

After each Sunday Mass, Ms. Violaine Couture delivered an evangelical commentary of circumstance greatly appreciated by the parishioners.

In the shadow of this retreat, let's mention the greatly appreciated contribution of Ms. Liza-Boucher Sutherland to the technological aspects of this retreat (video and slide show) and the Effata prayer group who supported the retreat with their silent prayer.

Pierre Beaulne, parishioner

     
Ms Mado                                                  Ms. Violaine Couture                                Simone Samson, Violaine Couture et Gilles Nadon, animation

See wonderful videos, in French:

Retraite Hawkesbury samedi matin: les entraves à la paix: critique destructive et plainte inutile
Avec le récit de la lèpre de Myriam, soeur de Moïse, on entre dans le mystère du mal, des conséquences de nos péchés de division, de critique destructive et ...

Témoignage de Mado Lacroix-Hébert, responsable des Volontaires de Gatineau et de l'Est de l'Ontario

Témoignage donné à la retraite qui a eu lieu à St-Pierre apôtre de Hawkesbury, du 24 au 26 mars 2023 sur le thème bâtir la paix. Mado témoigne de comment les...

Commentaire d'Évangile le 25 mars 2023 Hawkesbury
Voici le commentaire d'Évangile fait par Violaine Couture coordonnatrice des Volontaires de Dieu pour secteurs francophone et anglophone, durant la retraite ...

Équipe de coordination :
Excellente retraite paroissiale animée par Violaine Couture et son équipe.

Abbé Éric Robichaud :
Personnellement, j'ai bien aimé le développement sur la place de la « bénédiction » dans le monde judéo-chrétien, (aux Eucharisties).

Jacinthe Joly, membre du CPP de la paroisse :
Merci Violaine et votre équipe pour cette retraite inspirante, instructive et spirituellement enrichissante.
Vous avez su capter mon attention tout au long de la fin de semaine.
Les activités étaient variées; les présentations formelles étaient agrémentées de chants, de prière et de méditation. J’ai apprécié votre dynamisme et votre entregent.

Les ressources didactiques utilisées favorisaient la compréhension des concepts présentés. Le visuel a été choisi avec soin et transmettait des messages puissants et des images saisissantes qui inspirent l’amour, le respect, la détermination, la confiance et l’abandon.

J’ai apprécié le côté pragmatique des présentations. Vous nous avez donné des outils et présenté des moyens concrets pour développer une paix intérieure. Ces attitudes de vie à adopter pour notre bien être ont fait leurs preuves au fil du temps, combien important est-il de les revoir régulièrement pour qu’elles deviennent partie intégrante de nos âmes.

Merci pour tout cela.

Finding balance.

Throughout life, we must constantly struggle between failure and success, discouragement and hope, sorrow and joy.

Courage watches over the depths of the Self, it waits to be asked for help, it is always ready to make its appearance to help in all circumstances to react positively against surprises, stress, shock. However, we have times when we feel in control, full of hope and self-confidence; we feel ready to undertake things that seemed scary just yesterday.

Let’s aim for simple and useful objectives, we’ll feel that our personalities can take a breath and improve. We’ll see our feelings of affection, of solidarity for those around us rising within us, in the heart of our Selves.

Excerpt from the “Collection Volontaires de Dieu,” Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.

Do you want to change your life? (1) Five minutes can change a life 

Do you want to change your life? (2) Having a goal in life

Do you want to change your life? (3) – Move Forward

For me, the Secular Institute was a beautiful answer to the deep desire I had in my heart since my childhood. It is a beautiful spiritual family where one finds fraternity, sharing and joy. The spirituality proposed invites me to transform my poor heart little by little to become a credible witness of the Love of the Lord.

I would like to thank the authorities of the Institute for the trust they placed in me. It allowed me to live beautiful experiences in foreign countries and to open my heart to people who live in difficult conditions.

I am grateful for all the people who have accepted to put their talents and energies at the service of the Secular Institute The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate in order to continue this beautiful work begun by Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.

I am very happy, and I wish a long life to the Secular Institute The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, the project of the Father.

Germaine Deslandes

At the beginning of the book of Genesis, the Bible tells us that God planted a garden in Eden. Eden is a place of delights, gentleness, goodness, and kindness. After planting all the trees and plants in the garden, God placed the man and the woman there so that they would be happy and receive an abundance of life. Then God encouraged man to plant in turn, to multiply, to be fruitful in every sense of the word, for man was now to continue and complete what God had began.

But man breaks his contract with God. Adam and Eve are evacuated from Eden. Cain kills his brother Abel and does not want to take responsibility for it. Violence takes hold of the now mortgaged humanity and we are still experiencing its harsh consequences today. Who will repair this breach? The Bible already presents us with a female character who will crush the head of the serpent... a second Eve who, this time, will say "yes" to the Father's project. She will shelter in her womb the Prince of Peace; he will be born of her and will be planted in this world to install his light and his peace. On a cross planted on Golgotha, he will be erected and crucified to obtain our salvation.

Thanks to the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus, we can, in turn, work to build peace in our surroundings. With them, in the Holy Spirit, we can plant a garden of peace, plant by plant, seed by seed, by our actions and our attitudes, so that our world becomes once again a place of kindness and gentleness. I wish us to become "planters of peace", the fifth and not the least of our five attitudes of life.

Violaine Couture, Oblate fromCanada

Move Forward.

Courage is a glimmer of hope that refuses to fade into the night and is wonderful wisdom. We are built to fight and to win. We have within us the power to overcome obstacles inherent in life, but to succeed, we must become aware of and use the riches that are within us.

Is there anything more exhilarating than a fit athlete who fights hard and manages to outdo himself in a final sprint, where victory is the result of a last-second effort?

To move forward is to maintain courage, to become aware of one's inner mechanism, to find one's balance. Five minutes of reflection each day is the regime to follow.

Excerpt from the “Collection Volontaires de Dieu”, Father Louis-Marie Parent, O.M.I.

Do you want to change your life? (1) Five minutes can change a life
Do you want to change your life? (2) Having a goal in life
Do you want to change your life? (4) Finding balance