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Welcome to the site of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans. We are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of over three thousand members, founded in 1703. Our missions are spread worldwide. While we may be found involved in many diverse ministries, we have dedicated ourselves to working with the poor and in those situations where the Church has difficulty in finding ministers. We hope you enjoy your visit to our site and that while browsing you will keep us in your prayers. May God bless you.

Gospel Matthew 21:1-11

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.' This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’ out.’

As we enter into Holy Week, we are going to hear many Scripture readings centred on the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ and it's meaning for us and for the world. As we go through the stories of Jesus, I suggest that we read them with two eyes, an eye to the past so as to appreciate what happened in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, and an eye to the present to see how we fit into these stories. Suppose I was there in Jerusalem during the first Holy Week, what role would I have played? If the arrest, trial, sentencing and execution of Jesus were going on today in my own city or neighbourhood what role would I play? We have just read the story of Jesus asking his disciples to go a neighbouring village and bring him a colt. If the owner of the animal asks them why they are hijacking a colt that did not belong to them, they were to answer that the Lord needs it. Now put yourself in the place of the owner and imagine how you would react? Remember that for the ordinary people in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus, colts were a privileged means of transport, comparable to a car today. How would we react if one evening we found some young guys trying to drive away in our car and when confronted, all they say is, "The Lord needs it?" We would immediately call the police. That shows the difference between people of little faith like you and me and people of great faith like the anonymous owner of the colt who deprived himself of such a great possessions and placed it at the service of the Lord.

One Sunday, a dynamic preacher was really getting his congregation fired up with his sermon. Near the end of the sermon he said, "This church has really got to walk," to which someone in the back yelled, "Let her walk, preacher." The preacher then said, "If this church is going to go, it's got to get up and run," to which someone again yelled with gusto, "Let her run, preacher." Feeling the surge of the church, the preacher then said with even louder gusto, "If this church is going to go, it's got to really fly," and once again with ever greater enthusiasm, someone yelled, "Let her fly, preacher, let her fly." The preacher then seized the moment and shouted with all his might, "If this church is really going to fly, it's going to need money." There was silence. Then someone in the back seat cried, "Let her walk, preacher."

What do I have that the Lord might need today? Am I ready to let the Lord have that which is so important to me? Can I let go for the sake of the Master?