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Homily – April 19, 2015

Sunday, April 19th, 2015

It is the evening of the day Christ rose from the dead. The two disciples who walked with a stranger as they returned home to Emmaus rushed back to Jerusalem with the news that they had seen Jesus and knew that it was him as they shared a meal with him. While they were telling all this Jesus comes to the disciples again and offers them, as he’s done before, his gift of peace. With this gift Jesus is saying to them ‘all is forgiven,’ your denials, your betrayals, your abandoning me, that’s all in the past. This echoes the words of Isaiah, though your sins be as red as scarlet they shall be white as wool, though they be red as crimson they shall be white as snow. Then Jesus said, I have things for you to do, as the Father has sent me so now I am sending you.

Even seeing Jesus face to face, hearing his voice, seeing him eat a bit of fish they still couldn’t take it in. They were startled, terrified, skeptical, and overjoyed all at the same time. They couldn’t get their heads around the wonder standing before them. Jesus lives, his is risen from the dead.

Patiently he opened their minds to understand the scriptures they all knew but had missed the deeper meaning in them – that the Christ, the Messiah they longed for, was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all nations.

It must have been difficult for these disciples to trust in the peace Jesus offers them. They were so ashamed they had let him down so badly. They couldn’t look him in the eye. They knew in their hearts they held grudges and resentments against people who wrong them but no one wronged them the way they wrong Jesus. Yet here he is offering them his peace, his love, his friendship

Forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all the nations because God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The Risen Christ wants us to know that we can have peace with God, we do have peace with God when we repent, admit our sins of selfishness, our bigotry, our rejection of others, our indifference to the sufferings of others, our envy of other peoples blessings, our misuse or squandering of the gifts with which we have been blessed and make up our minds to try harder to be the kind of man, the kind of women we are meant to be as a follower of the risen Christ.

But to know Christ’s peace we have to be at peace with others, especially those closest to us, our spouses, our sons and daughters, our relatives. To know Christ’s peace we have to be at peace with those we feel wronged us by the way they spoke of us or to us. To know Christ’s peace we have to be willing to let go of past hurts and disappointments, let go of our long held grudges. To know Christ’s peace we have to forgive as we seek forgiveness.

As I’ve said so many times, we are good people but we struggle every day with a basic fact of life – the good we would do that we do not and the evil we would not do that we do. We are mistake making beings. There are times when we can make very bad, hurtful, selfish mistakes. It is then more than ever that we need the peace and forgiveness of our Risen Lord.

As one writer observed, ‘my difficulty is not so much in believing that God exists, my difficulty is believing that God loves, that God loves someone like me who has done some pretty awful things in my life. If and when we think like this we we are challenged to hear the words of the risen and forgiving Christ – peace be with you. If and when we fail to trust the peace and forgiveness we could remember the confident words of Paul, the persecutor of the church, ‘there is one thing I go, I forget what is behind and I go with confidence to the throne of grace’. It is there that Paul knew peace. It is there that we will know peace, peace beyond our understanding. Peace be with you.

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Bulletin – April 19, 2015

Saturday, April 18th, 2015

ANNOUNCED MASSES

April 20th to April 25th, 2015

MONDAY – JAN TRUDEL – Requested by Gilles Trudel
TUESDAY – HUI SOU LIN – Requested by Linda Law & Family
WEDNESDAY – ED KARTHAUS – Requested by Society of St. Vincent de Paul-St. Gabriel’s
THURSDAY – LEONARD MARCHIE – Requested by Theresa & Family
FRIDAY – JOSEPH RORAI – Requested by Sheila & Family
SATURDAY – DAVID POGSON – Requested by Cecilia Borbely

CLIMATE CHANGE IS UNDOING GOD’S GIFT

Our modern day lifestyle is slowly undoing the miracle of God’s work. Following Pope Francis’ April 2015 prayer intention, this month we pray and reflect on the goodness of creation and how our dependence on fossil fuels is putting life at risk, at home and around the world. We prepare for the forthcoming encyclical and reflect on what we are called to do, to act. Look out for more information and show your support by signing the petition online at www.CatholicClimateMovement.global.

SHARELIFE

Working wonders in our livelihoods…

“My worst day clean is better than my best day using” exclaims Suzanne, as she shares the details of her past use of drugs and other substance abuse. “I was on medication constantly to deal with the side effects and was a chronic pain patient for 35 years. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. With the support of Catholic Family Services, I was able to finally kick the habit.” The Closed Trauma and Sister mentoring program were crucial to helping Suzanne get her life back on track. The positive influence of CFS program supervisor Valerie Anderson and encouragement from other professional staff gave Suzanne the courage to try again. She sheds ‘tears of joy’ as she now speaks on behalf of CFS, sharing the detailed differences Catholic Family Services has made in her life. Over 79,000 individuals received help in getting their lives back on track through ShareLife-supported family services program.

ShareLife, 2014: $220,250
ShareLife to Date: $77,651
Next ShareLife Sunday – May 3, 2015
Please give generously. You can work wonders!

CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Weekend of April 25th/26th

Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.

More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Please get a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.

MILK BAGS

Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Schools churches and senior homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area would welcome your contributions. Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com

FEED THE HUNGRY

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall or the Good Shepherd Centre. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL BUNDLE-UP COLLECTION

Weekend of May 2nd/3rd

The Society for St. Vincent de Paul will hold their annual Bundle Up Collection on the weekend of May 2nd/3rd. Bring your gently used clothing and household linens to share with others.

A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be in the Church parking lot to receive donations. We will donate or sell these donations to support our outreach efforts. Thank you for your continued support.

The truck will be open in the parking lot on Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and all day Sunday, May 3rd until 1:00 P.M. Volunteers will assist with the loading before and after each Mass.

PLANNING TO BE A CATHOLIC TEACHER?

It is important for you to know that to be hired to teach in any Catholic School Board in Ontario, as part of your application for employment, there must be a letter of reference from your pastor. If you are planning to apply to teach in a Catholic School, a contact with the pastor is highly recommended. Please plan to have a conversation with your Pastor early in the process, well before applications are to be submitted.

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for Last Weekend

Envelopes 402 $ 7,195
Loose Change 792
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 166 3,153
Total 568 $ 11,140

FAMILY OF FAITH

The pledge total as of Monday, April 13th 2015 is $ 1,060,493. Thank you!

USE OF OLD OFFERTORY ENVELOPES

If you have prior year’s offertory envelopes, please do not use them!

Each year we go through the unused envelopes for which no donations have been received and may reassign that number to another parishioner.

If we then receive an offertory envelope from a prior year and there is no identification on the envelope, that offertory donation could easily be credited to the wrong person.

We are asking that you not use old envelopes, but if you do, please ensure your name is written legibly on the front.

REGIS COLLEGE BOOK SALE

April 21st to April 24th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
100 Wellesley Street West

A reader’s paradise can be found at the Fourth Annual Regis College Used Book Sale! More than 20,000 gently used (many as good as new) fiction and non-fiction books on a range of subjects, including theology, spirituality, art, history, travel, biographies, cooking, hobbies, business, children’s books and more! Cash, cheque, debit, Visa and MasterCard accepted. Proceeds support Regis College.

Admission is free with the exception of $5 entry fee on Day One from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. For more information, please visit www.RegisCollege.ca/BookSale or call 416-922-5474, ext. 244. Regis College is the Jesuit School of Theology at the University of Toronto.

SINGLE PRACTICING CATHOLICS GROUP

Speed dating Event

Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30 PM

Hi, if you’re a Single, Practicing Catholic, age 25 to 95 years, why not join our Group? On Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30 the group will hold a Speed-Dating Event for ages 25 to 40, 35 to 50 and 50+.

Membership is free. There is no speed-dating fee. The event will be at a restaurant near Lawrence and Don Mills Road.

For more information go to http://www.meetup.com/Practicing-Catholic-Singles-Aged-25-Up-Speed-Dating-On-line/

MEAGAN’S WALK – CREATING A CIRCLE OF HOPE

5km Fundraising Walk and Hug

Saturday, May 9th, 2015

Registration from 8:30 to 9:30 AM at Fort York

10:00 A.M. Walk to SickKids

On Saturday, May 9th, the fourteenth annual Meagan’s Walk: -Creating a Circle of Hope will take place.

Registration opens at 8:30 A.M. at Fort York and the Walk begins at 10:00 AM. The Walk concludes at SickKids with the “Hug”. The day includes live music and entertainment, face-painting, an opportunity to sign our Wall of Honour, and moving and powerful messages from Meagan’s Walk’s founder, youth ambassadors and world-leading doctors and researchers.

Proceeds from this event support the SickKids Foundation and are designated to the Meagan Bebenek Endowment Fund and awareness, research and treatment of paediatric brain tumours at SickKids!

MEN’S DAY OF RETREAT

May 9th from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre

A Men’s Day of Retreat will be held at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre, 1617 Blythe Road, Mississauga, Ontario, on Saturday, May 9th from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The theme of the retreat is “A Biblical Journey into a Deeper Relationship with Christ.” The facilitator is Greg DeMarchi, deacon, doctor, surgeon, as well as a scripture scholar.

The day begins with coffee, tea, muffins and a wonderful four -course lunch will be served in our dining room at noon. The suggested offering is $35.00.

To register please contact the Centre at 905-278-5229.

INSPIRATIONAL TALK ON MARRIAGE AND ANNULMENT

May 11th at 7:00 PM

Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge Street, 4th Floor

New Beginnings and Catholic Family Services invite you to join them for an inspirational talk entitled Marriage and Annulment. Fr. Brian Clough, Judicial Vicar, Archdiocese of Toronto will provide you with an understanding of the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage and annulment.
The Catholic Pastoral centre is located at 1155 Yonge Street, adjacent to the Summerhill Subway Station. Free underground parking is also available.

For more information, please call 416-921-1163, Ext. 2227 or email alopechuk@cfstoronto.com

CELEBRATE YOUR MARRIAGE WITH A WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND!

May 22nd to 24th

Married couples: You deserve a weekend to cherish being together; to rediscover each other and focus on ways to make your relationship even better. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend offers this opportunity. Consider giving each other or another couple you know the gift of a weekend away from daily pressures; time to be with each other and with God on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend.
The next weekend will be held on May 22nd to 24th, 2015

For more information and application, please go to www.wwme.org or contact: Gerard & Marge McCauley at gerard.marge@rogers.com or (905) 792-1925.

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Homily – April 12, 2015

Sunday, April 12th, 2015

Today’s gospel tells the familiar story of the doubting Thomas. Thomas would not take the word of the other disciples that they has seen the Lord. He had to see for himself and touch the wounds of Christ otherwise he would not believe. A week later Jesus come to the disciples again and Thomas was present. Jesus invites Thomas to put his finger into his wounded hands and put his hand into open side. There is no need. Thomas falls on his knees before his risen Lord and all is made right. This gospel event is meant for us – we are those blessed ones who have never seen and yet believe in the Risen Christ.

But I’d like to say a few words about the short reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Paul gives us a glimpse of what the community life was like in those first years in the life of the church. The different communities were not large in number but they were noted for their care for one another, especially widows and orphans. It sounds like a far off Camelot, no one claimed private ownership of any possessions but everything they owned was held in common. This so-called early Christian communism certainly was not based on any economic doctrine; rather it was a spontaneous expression of Christian love and concern for all the members of the community. For the first followers of Christ their first priority was to provide for the needs of every member of the community, especially the neediest. If it were not then they were not faithful to the teachings and example of Jesus.

In his letter to an early Christian community St. James makes it quite clear that action follows from faith. ‘If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them – go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what good it that? Faith without good works is dead. The faith of these early Christian communities expressed itself is the care they took of the neediest among them.

Through the centuries it has been the church that cared for sick and the poor, it was under the leadership of the church that hospitals and orphanages and centers of learning began. It made sure the needs of the neediest were met. Here in Toronto the Sisters of St. Joseph have provided our city with the rich legacy of St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Providence Villa and Sacred Heart Village and many other centres that care for the sick and the poor. Today these centers of care are now run by the government but the spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph still vitalizes these centers of care.

You good people of St. Gabriel’s have always been faithful to the spirit of the early church. You’ve always done your best to respond to the many needs that come our way. Through the years you’ve sponsored six refugee families and have always been there for people in need.

As you know we live in an imperfect world, we live in an unjust world. Pope Francis, in the many sermons and talks he has given confronts the consumerism and injustices of our times. He names the reality that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poor. He speaks out for the young generation who, for all their education, cannot find work. He speaks out for the working poor. Government policies that call for cut backs in spending never touch the budget for the military but always hit the monies meant for welfare and adequate affordable housing. Governments turn a blind eye to many of the social needs of our fellow Canadians. Life is unfair to so many people. Again, the rich get richer and the poor are poorer. Our Christian faith and the teaching of the Popes through the centuries call us to be socially conscious of the needs of those around us and if at all possible get involved in the social issues of our city and our country. Have a critical ear for all the statements of our politicians – shift the chaff from the wheat.

From ancient times we have been taught we are our brothers and sisters keeper. May we have the faith to see in the wounds of our risen savior the injustices done to the countless millions of oppressed and exploited men women and children in our prosperous world. We pray for a new expression in our day, in our country, in our church of that time when the neediest were our top priority.

We can’t change the world but we must not let the world change us. We will not let the consumerism, dog eat dog mentality, an indifference to the needs of the poor, worm their way into our life and faith values and our ways of relating to other and respecting the worth and dignity of every person.

As we continue to celebrate this Mass we pray for a new expression in our day, in our country, in our church of that time in the life of our church when the neediest among us were our top priority.

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Bulletin – April 12, 2015

Saturday, April 11th, 2015

PARISH NEWS

At the Easter Vigil, the following children received the Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist for the first time: Francesca Apiou, Leon Li and Amy Xie. Amy was also confirmed. Yang Zhao received the Sacrament of Baptism.

The following adults received the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation: Mei Cheng, Marsha Ryan, Katrina Young, and Tengzhen Zhao

Ernest Eisentraut was received into full Communion with the Catholic Church.

Charlotte Wong received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The parish family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome and congratulate them!

ANNOUNCED MASSES

April 13th to April 18th, 2015

MONDAY – ESTRELLA C. GAVIETA – Requested by Cherrie, Stella & Isabel
TUESDAY – WELL BEING OF THE CHIU FAMILY – Requested by the Chiu Family
WEDNESDAY – WELL BEING OF THE FUNG FAMILY – Requested by the Chiu family
THURSDAY – MARY MILLER – Requested by Don & Marie Harris
FRIDAY – EDGARDO RECANA – Requested by the Family
SATURDAY – MIKE PALAZZO & CHRISTOPHER DI LALLO – Requested by Valentina Palazzo

FIRST COMMUNION INTERVIEWS

There are still some families of children who wish to receive their First Communion who have not yet booked an interview.

Those children attending the Children’s Faith Program, private schools or others are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 14th, 15th, 17th, 21st, 22nd or 23rd.

Children from St. Gabriel’s School are asked to choose one of the following dates: April 23rd, May 5th, or May 6th

Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.

THANK YOU FROM THE YOUTH GROUP

Our Youth Group held a bake sale after all the Masses last Sunday. Due to the generosity of you good people, $1,028 was raised. The money will go towards the group’s expenses for the World Youth Day to be held in Poland in July, 2016. Thank you for your continuing support!

SHARELIFE

Working wonders in our community…

“ShareLife supports a large family of Catholic agencies that truly do feed, clothe and shelter people, care for the sick and frail, and befriend the isolated and lonely. Reflecting Catholic charity, they protect the vulnerable, guide and counsel the troubled, visit people in prison and give a voice to the voiceless. Regardless of their religious beliefs or personal background, ShareLife agencies meet people where they are, treating them with the dignity and respect we all deserve.”
-Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto

ShareLife, 2014: $220,250
ShareLife to Date: $72,223

Today is ShareLife Sunday
Please give generously. You can work wonders!

JUST COFFEE

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

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL BUNDLE-UP COLLECTION

Weekend of May 2nd/3rd

The Society for St. Vincent de Paul will hold their annual Bundle Up Collection on the weekend of May 2nd/3rd. Bring your gently used clothing and household linens that weekend to share with others.

A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be in the Church parking lot to receive donations. The Society will donate or sell these donations to support their outreach efforts. Thank you for your continued support.

The truck will be open on Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sunday, May 3rd from 8:30 AM to1:00 PM. Volunteers will assist with the loading before and after each Mass.

FEED THE HUNGRY

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall or the Good Shepherd Centre. With everyone struggling at this time, these donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your ongoing support.

MILK BAGS

Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Schools churches and senior homes throughout the Greater Toronto Area would welcome your contributions. Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com.

NEW BEGINNINGS: “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing”

Monday, April 13 at 7:00 PM

Catholic Pastoral Centre 1155 Yonge St. 4th Floor.

Catholic Family Services of Toronto New Beginnings invite you to a talk entitled, “The Art of Journaling for Inner Healing” on Monday April 13th at 7:00 PM at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge Street. 4th Floor, adjacent to Summerhill TTC Subway Station. Free underground parking is also available.

Martez Schembri-Diskey, author, therapist and instructor, will guide us through a unique journaling approach which employs meditations, affirmations, gratitude, intentions and connections to balancing the spirit, body, mind and emotions for trauma, stress, pain management and self-care.

FAITH CONNECTIONS PRESENTS CHRIST AND CULTURE: AGO

Art Gallery of Ontario 316 Dundas St West
Wednesday, April 15th at 6:45PM

This is a chance for young adults (18-39) to engage culture from the perspective of the nature and person of Jesus!

Each of our Christ and Culture events are designed to open our eyes to the world of God’s beauty as expressed in every person. With that in mind, we will discuss and open our hearts to Christ in one another. Our event will be held at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Its collection includes more than 80,000 works spanning the 1st century to the present day.

Free! (The AGO does not charge an admission fee on Wednesday evenings). We will meet by the information desk near the front door.

RSVPs would be appreciated. For more information, contact John-Paul Markides at faithconnections@csj-to.ca or phone 416-467-2645.

REGIS COLLEGE BOOK SALE

April 21st to April 24th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

100 Wellesley Street West

Regis College (the Jesuit College at the University of Toronto) is having its 4th annual Sale of used hardcover and pocketbooks. There are more than 10,000 gently used books in all categories.

The College is located at 100 Wellesley Street West at the corner of Wellesley and Queens Park.
The Sale runs from Tuesday, April 21st to Friday, April 24th from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

BREBEUF COLLEGE ALUMNI EVENTS

Brebeuf College, 211 Steeles Avenue East

Pub Night Friday, May 1st

Mass and Luncheon – Sunday, May 3rd

Brebeuf College will be holding two upcoming events at the school for alumni and friends. A Pub Night Reunion will be held on Friday, May 1st. The Order of St. Jean de Brebeuf Mass and Luncheon will take place on Sunday, May 3rd. See www.brebeufalumni.org for more details or contact Michael Da Costa at Michael.dacosta@tcdsb.org

MEAGAN’S WALK – CREATING A CIRCLE OF HOPE

5km Fundraising Walk and Hug

Saturday, May 9th, 2015

Registration from 8:30 to 9:30 AM at Fort York
10:00 A.M. Walk to SickKids

On Saturday, May 9th, the fourteenth annual Meagan’s Walk: -Creating a Circle of Hope will take place.

Registration opens at 8:30 A.M. at Fort York and the Walk begins at 10:00 AM. The Walk concludes at SickKids with the “Hug”. The day includes live music and entertainment, face-painting, an opportunity to sign our Wall of Honour, and moving and powerful messages from Meagan’s Walk’s founder, youth ambassadors and world-leading doctors and researchers.

Proceeds from this event support the SickKids Foundation and are designated to the Meagan Bebenek Endowment Fund and awareness, research and treatment of paediatric brain tumours at SickKids

“INVITATION TO JOY” A WEEKEND OF PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATION

Weekend of May 29th to 31st

Single Women are invited to a retreat weekend, on Lake Simcoe, in Orillia offered by a team of Sisters of St. Joseph on the weekend of May 29th to 31st. Please register by May 14th.
Cost is $150.00 (subsidies available)

For information and registration, please contact Sister Rosemary Fry CSJ, rfry@csj-to.ca or 416-285-4166.

FINANCE CORNER

Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week.

Collection for Last Weekend

Envelopes 658 $ 19,875
Loose Change 2,862
Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 164 3,117
Total 822 $ 25,854

Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land: $ 6,662

Posted in Bulletin | Comments Off on Bulletin – April 12, 2015

Homily – April 5, 2015

Sunday, April 5th, 2015

Easter

’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, ’first things first’. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds the early Christian of what was handed on to them that is of first importance, ‘that Christ died for our sins and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day. This reality is of first importance for those of us who claim to be Christian. If Christ has not be raised then his passion and death was for nothing. We are still in our sins.

But Christ is raised and we too will be raised in him. We will all die but we know that death is not the end of life, it is the beginning of a new and endless life. In a time known only to God and in a way known only to God our bodies too will be restored to life.

Paul tells the Corinthians that Jesus appeared first to Peter and then to the twelve and then to many others. Paul was not a member of Christ’s followers at the time of the resurrection. Paul came to Christ, or rather Christ came to Paul a few years later so in Paul’s telling of the resurrection of Jesus there is no mention of Mary Magdalene. But the truth is that it was to a woman, Mary Magdalene, the Risen Christ made himself known. Mary was given the task of bringing that awesome news to Peter and the others and finally to the world. Mary, a woman, a second class citizen, was the first person to say ‘I have seen the Lord.’ Mary was made the apostle of the resurrection of the crucified Jesus.

This is a real shock if we consider the social position of women at the time of Christ. It was pretty like it is for women in many Moslem countries in the Middle East. Women lived very restricted lives. Woman never left the house unless they were accompanied by a male member of the family. They were never to be seen talking to a man in public. They were forbidden to be a witness in a court case because everyone knew women were unstable. Jesus turned his world upside down, he broke the mold when he made a woman, Mary Magdalene, the witness to his resurrection; ‘go tell my disciples I live.

Jesus delighted in upsetting the normal way of doing things. At the last upper he shocked the Apostles when he, their teacher and lord became their servant, washing their feet and challenging them to imitate his servanthood. ‘I have given you an example’.He upset the religious authorities and they complained,’ he eats and drinks with sinners, the unwashed.’

Can we imagine that in choosing Mary Magdalene to tell the world he lives, he was challenging all of us to take a deeper look at how we see people different from ourselves, how we see the others in our lives. Is Jesus calling us out of our own tombs of bigotry or narrow mindedness to see life and other people in new ways? We all have our own prejudices, hang ups about men and women who come from different countries, racial backgrounds, faiths and life styles. There can be times when we find it difficult to understand or accept the validity of their lives and customs. Our politicians want us to see other Canadians as threats, as disrespectful of Canadian ways. They come here they live and think and act as we do, or else.

When we let our lives be lived with such restrictions and stereotypes we bind and cramp our possibilities of living full and Christ like lives. Jesus Christ died for each one of us, he died for the very ones who nailed him to the cross, he died for the men and women who teased him to come down from his cross.

If we are to be true followers of Jesus the crucified then we try as best we can to accept and respect men and women whose culture, faith or life styles we don’t understand, for we are all sons and daughters of God and Christ died for each one of us. Today the risen Christ calls each one of us to try, try and try again to ‘love one another as I have loved you.

I can’t imagine the number of bishops and parish priest Pope Francis has really upset by washing the feet of women on Holy Thursday in the prison he visited. His action breaks all the liturgical rules, it is just not allowed. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples – men. That’s it. I think Pope Francis is saying, ‘get over it’ think outside the box, be with the people.

On this day of the risen Christ we pray for ourselves and for each other that we hear the call of Christ to each of us to come out of our tombs of narrow mindedness and bigotry – come out to life come out to love.

Posted in Homily | Comments Off on Homily – April 5, 2015

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