Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen.
“Shifting from Darkness to Light: Not by Passive Hope.”
Sunday, December 21st from 7:30 to 9:30 PM
The hopeful expectation of the Advent season requires our active participation to effect change; it is not a passive hope. By examining the recent typhoon in the Philippines, we will seek signs of active hope and reflect on the Church’s calls for ecological justice. Please contact Elliott Allen Institute for Theology & Ecology at eaite.contact@utoronto.ca or Dennis O’Hara at dennis.ohara@utoronto.ca or 416-926-1300, ext. 3408 to register or for more information.
Rehearsal: Sunday, December 21st 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Each year, young people, Grade 3 and up, form a special choir for the Family Mass on Christmas Eve. Children must be at the Church by 6:00 PM. One rehearsal, which is mandatory, will be held on Sunday, December 21st from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
Please call Marilyn Calderone at 416-618-2041 for more information.
Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, December 21st at 1:30 PM
The Christmas Eve Pageant is a tradition at our church we hope to continue with again this year. But we need volunteer children to play the parts of Mary and Joseph, wise men, shepherds, angels and of course, the star. If you have a young child who would like to be in the Pageant at the 7:00 Mass on Christmas Eve, there is one mandatory practice for about an hour on Sunday December 21st after the 12:30 Mass in the Gabriel Room.
Day of Confession: Wednesday, December 10th from 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon and from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday, December 20th from 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon
CHRISTMAS EVE – Wednesday, December 24th No 9:00 AM Mass 7:00 PM: Family Mass – Carol Singing 9:00 PM: Contemporary Group 12:00 AM: Midnight Mass – Adult Choir, Carol Singing Office Open 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM only
CHRISTMAS DAY – Thursday, December 25th 10:30 AM 12:30 PM Office Open 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
BOXING DAY – Friday, December 26th No Mass, Office Closed
NEW YEAR’S EVE – Wednesday, December 31st No 9:00 AM Mass Mass at 4:30 PM for the Feast of Mary the Mother of God Office Open 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM only
NEW YEAR’S DAY – Thursday, January 1st FEAST OF MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD 10:30 AM 12:30 PM Office Closed
While parking at ground level is limited to 51 spaces, there is plenty of space in the underground parking lot. Please follow the instructions of the attendants. Do not park in front of the Church since this is a fire route and must be kept clear.
Additional parking is available on the east side of Elkhorn Public School and in the bus loop. Again, please follow the instructions of the attendant. The school requests that we do not park on the grass. Many thanks to Holly Richards, the Principal of Elkhorn Public School, for allowing us the use of the school property.
December 15th to December 20th, 2014
MONDAY – CAROLINA CAETANO-MACDONELL – Requested by the Family TUESDAY – MARGARET KANG – Requested by Wai Chin, Paul & the Hwang Family WEDNESDAY – EVELYN DYSANGCO – Requested by Maria Lourdes Luz THURSDAY – BARRY BRADBURY – Requested by Peggy Pusaka & Family FRIDAY – MARTIN SMEE – Requested by the Family SATURDAY – KATHI WATTS – Requested by Kathi Leah
Fr. Rick Frechette and Fr. Brando wish to thank you for your very very generous response to the Advent Day of Reflection and Fr. Rick’s homily at the weekend Masses. To date, almost $36,500 has been raised for Fr. Rick’s Mission in Haiti.
If you did not get a chance to donate and wish to do so, you may still donate at the table set up in the Gathering Space. Please make any cheques payable to the Passionist Missionaries.
Thank you so much for your wonderful response to our appeal for gifts for the Catholic Children’s Aid “Hope for the Children campaign, Rosalie Hall and St. Vincent de Paul. This weekend is your last chance to bring in gifts. Please include the mitten, stocking or gift tag with your gift. Toys for Hope for the Children may be left in the large box in the Gathering Space. Items for Rosalie Hall and
St. Vincent de Paul may be left under the Christmas tree. If you were unable to get a tag, you may still contribute. Just bring your gift and place it in the appropriate place.
There but for the Grace of God…..
Please help feed the hungry and homeless this Christmas by participating in the St. Gabriel’s annual Christmas Food Drive. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.
Food collected will be sent to the Good Shepherd Centre and Rosalie Hall. Thank you for your generous support.
Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.
Regular ground coffee: $5.50 Decaffeinated: $6 Whole Beans: $5.50 Chocolate Bars: $4 incl. Taxes Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $4.75 Teas: $4.25
Tuesday, December 16th at 7:00 PM Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 520 Sherbourne Street
Please join Development and Peace in welcoming Fr. Nawras Sammour, Country Director of Jesuit Refugee Services, Syria who will speak about his experiences in managing relief efforts for a refugee crisis of over 3 million people, a crisis which continues to be perpetuated through ongoing violence.
For further details or to RSVP, please contact Sam Jeffrey at sam.jeffrey@devp.org or by phone at 416-922 1592, Ext. 242.
Weekend of December 13th/14th St. Gabriel’s Church
The St. Gabriel’s School Me to We Committee will be selling rafiki chains for $10 in the Gathering Space after all the Masses on the weekend of December 13th/14th. In Swahili, the word rafiki means friend. Every rafiki friend chain is handmade by a “mama” in Kenya. $5 will go back to the “mamas” to help their families. The rest will be donated by the school towards clean water. Rafiki chains make great gifts for Christmas! For more information, please visit www.metowe.com
There will be catalogues available in the Gathering Space for those who wish to make a larger donation. The catalogues offer options such as buying a goat, which would provide milk for a family or a source of income to buy food and necessities.
Tuesday, December 16 at 7:30 PM
St. Gabriel’s Church
The Vocal Department of Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts presents A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Tuesday December 16th at 7:30 PM featuring 170 voices from grade 7 to 12. This service of scripture and carols is based on the annual service held at King’s College, Cambridge and includes a candlelight procession, traditional hymns, contemporary anthems and special arrangements of all your favorites like Silent Night and O Holy Night. General Admission is $15 and can be purchased at the door.
The Parish’s 2014 budgeted operating expenses average $14,550 per week.
Offertory Collection for last weekend:
Envelopes 413 $12,176 Loose Change 1,302 Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,058 Total 577 $16,536
If you are a regular Parish member and you do not contribute to the Offertory collection, the Finance Council reminds you that “the financial burden of the Parish is the responsibility of each and all parishioners to the extent that your means allow”.
For those parishioners who contribute to the offertory on a regular weekly basis, we thank you for your constant support.
Have you considered using PAG or Donate Now?
The 2015 Offertory Boxed Envelopes are available in the Gathering Space. Please pick yours up as soon as possible. If you have a PAG or Donate Now account, you will still receive a smaller green box of envelopes since these include Initial, New Year’s, Christmas, Easter and Maintenance envelopes. You may contact the Parish Office if you do not have envelopes but would like a box for 2015.
If you are moving out of the Parish or have a change of address, please contact the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 so that we can update our records. Thank you.
This Bulletin entry was posted on Sunday, December 14th, 2014.
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
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Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk