Author Archive
Christmas 2008
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
homily – December 25
Thursday, December 25th, 2008Christmas
A couple of weeks ago I visited our grade two class at St. Gabriel’s. They were very busy, intensely coloring angels trying so hard to stay within the lines. We talked a bit about Christmas. The truth of the matter is, Santa Claus was more interesting to these children that the infant of Bethlehem. One told me that a kid he knows in grade four told him there was no Santa Claus. I said, ‘well older kids they think they know everything but they don’t do they?’ They all shook their heads, ‘No they don’t.’ There’s a Santa Claus.
Of course Santa Claus means gifts and gifts are very important at Christmas, especially for children. Tonight and tomorrow calls to ‘save the wrapping and the bows’ are lost as eager hands tear into beautifully and carefully wrapped gifts. And then there’s the usual question, “is that all, isn’t one more?” We can’t imagine a Christmas without exchanging gifts. For days after today the most asked question will be, ‘what did you get for Christmas?’
That’s what it’s all about – gifts. In the beautiful Christmas story told in the gospel, a story we never tire of hearing, it is all about gifts. God so loved the world, God gifted His Son to the world. All the Scriptures used for this feast tell of gifts, “a child has been born for us, a son given to us, the grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all, to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord, the goodness and the loving kindness of God our savior has appeared, the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.”
At this Mass we are given a gift. The Christ of Bethlehem, the Christ of Calvary, the Christ of the Resurrection says to us; ‘this is my body, take and eat, this is my blood, take and drink’. In this Mass Christ gifts us with His very self.
There was a song out years ago that told the story of a women who gave the boot to her boyfriend and the important words and message of the song were these, “flowers, perfume, candy, but you, you never gave me you, you never gave the greatest gift of all, you never gave me you.’
No matter how expensive, how beautiful, how rare or how simple the gifts we give to others this Christmas, be they flowers, perfume or candy, they pale before the greatest gift of all, the gift of ourselves. This is a gift we are challenged to give every day of the year. We give this gift in the simplest of ways when we give the gift of our time, the gift of our attention, the gift of our interest, the gift of our presence, the gift of our love, the gift of our forgiveness. In these gifts we give the greatest gift of all.
At the Christmas Mass Christ gives us the greatest gift of all, Himself in the Eucharist we receive. As we continue this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that having been nourished by this gift we can find within ourselves the generosity we need to give to the greatest gift of all, ourselves to those we say we love.
homily – December 21
Sunday, December 21st, 2008Luke 1:26-38
There is an old saying, “If you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans.” Today’s scripture readings are all about plans. King David has great plans. He had won great victories, he was secured in the walled city of Jerusalem, and he’d just finished building himself an impressive cedar home. He looked at the humble tent that housed the Arc of the Covenant. This just didn’t seem right. He ought to build a magnificent house for God. He planned to move God from a humble tent to a building worthy of God. But God said, “forget it; instead I’m going to build you a house, a dynasty. Your house shall be made sure forever before me. Don’t forget David, I took you from pasturing sheep and made you a prince over my people. I don’t need you but you will always need me. Forget your plans and be open to mine.”
Mary and Joseph must have had plans. They were engaged to be married, probably a marriage arranged by their two families. As any young engaged couple they made plans for their wedding, they planned on where they would live and raise their family, and they looked forward to an uneventful life in the town of Nazareth.
Not so Mary, not so Joseph. God had His plans for both of you. Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit you will conceive and you will bear a son and name him Jesus. Not fully understanding what this was all about but knowing God’s plan came before hers, Mary sets aside her plans and opens her life to God’s. “Here I am, the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” Finding that Mary was pregnant Joseph planned to divorce her privately but God said, “Joseph I have a new plan for you, I want you to marry Mary and raise the son she carries as your own and I want you to name him Jesus.”
If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
A few years ago our Passionist community would have these meetings. We would spend days on a five year plan for the community. Within months events took place that made these plans, these well thought out plans, irrelevant, beside the point. The Passionists of the western States had a big meeting to decide which of two houses to close, Detroit or Sierra Madre in California. It involved a real turf war. It was decided to close Detroit. Two week later an earthquake made the house in Sierra Madre uninhabitable. So much for plans.
The present economic melt down has brought havoc to many people’s financial plans. Investments, retirement funds all gone, quick fix schemes for making fast money – all gone. The little people who saw in all these plans the means of financial security in their old age were betrayed by greedy charlatans. The high rollers out for the fast buck are left high and dry. There was a quote in the New York Times that said, “many people in this city went to bed last night very wealthy only to find that when they woke up this morning they were broke.” So much for plans. Think of the number of people caught up in a tsunami of broken promises and shattered plans and it is so sad.
We all know people who worked for years and had great plans for their retirement only to have those plans dissolve because of illness or even death. We all know the frustration of parents who make plans for their children’s future. We all make plans, we all dream dreams but so often things don’t go our way. So many things can happen that muck up the works. Then we get angry, frustrated, discouraged, maybe even depressed.
It is good to remember that God has plans for us just as God had plans for Mary and Joseph. God’s plans are not always that clear to us but even our infidelities, sins, and scheming do not derail them. We are not Mary, we are not Joseph. We are sinners struggling to be saints. When our plans don’t work out it is good to remember the words we say every day in the Our Father: “thy kingdom come, thy will be done”. Some times those words catch in our throats but as scripture tells us, ‘in God’s will is our peace.’
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that when our personal plans go awry we be blessed with the faith of Mary and Joseph, into whose plans God intruded, and say with them, ‘be it done to me according to you will, according to your plan.’
bulletin – December 21
Sunday, December 21st, 2008
Christmas & New Year’s Schedule
| CONFESSIONS | SAT | DEC 20th | 10:00 am to 12 Noon and 7:30 to 9:00 PM |
| CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES | WED | DEC 24th | 7:00 PM Family Mass – Carol Singing |
| 9:00 PM Mass – Adult Choir – Carol Singing | |||
| 12:00 AM Midnight Mass – Contemporary Group | |||
| CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES | THUR | DEC 25th | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| OFFICE CLOSED – BOXING DAY | WED | DEC 26th | NO MASS |
| FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY | SAT | DEC 27th | 4:30 PM |
| SUN | DEC 28th | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | |
| NEW YEARS’ EVE | WED | DEC 31st | NO MASS |
| NEW YEARS’ DAY MASSES | THUR | JAN 1st | 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM |
Parking
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 at Elkhorn Public School. Again, please follow the instructions of the attendant. The school requests that we do not park on the grass.
Many thanks to Patricia Broderick, the Principal of Elkhorn Public School, for allowing us the use of the school property.
ANNOUNCED MASSES
| Date | Time | Intentions |
| December 23 | 9:00AM | BEA HARVEY Requested by Steve Previdsa |
| December 25 | 9:00AM | CHRISTMAS DAY |
| December 26 | 9:00AM | BOXING DAY |
| December 27 | 4:30PM | MARCELINO FERNANDES Requested by Tita & Family |
SUNDAY COLLECTION: December 13-14, 2008
Total: $11,495
| 4:30 | 8:30 | 10:30 | 12:30 | Loose |
| Env. $ | ||||
| Total | $2,946 | $2,108 | $4,281 | $2,160 |
| # of Env. | 144 | 99 | 209 | 94 |
Number of Envelopes Issued: 1136
Number of Envelopes Used: 546
A Holy and Blessed Christmas
May the Christ whose Birth and Life we celebrate strengthen us all and bless us with the peace and joy of this Holy Season.
OFFERTORY ENVELOPES FOR 2009
The 2009 Offertory Boxed Envelopes are ready for pick up in the Gathering Space today. It is important that you throw away all envelopes from previous years as your number might have been assigned to another family. Please enter your full name and address on each envelope so that we may allocate donations correctly for income tax purposes. If you do not have envelopes and would like a box, contact the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.
UPDATING OUR PARISH RECORDS
We are updating our Parish Records. If you are a new parishioner and have not yet registered, please fill out a registration card which may be obtained at the Parish Office. If you have recently moved, please let us know your new address so that our records will be correct. Parish Office: 416-221-8866
TUESDAY NIGHTS AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS ARE LEARNING TIMES
Next Meetings:
Wednesday, January 7th at 10:00 AM
Topic: Movie: “Romero
Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 PM
Topic: The Bible: How the Bible was written
CHILDREN’S CHOIR
FAMILY MASS – CHRISTMAS EVE AT 7:00 PM
Practice: Sunday, December 21, 3:00 PM – 4:30 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 6:00PM. There is only one practice and it is mandatory. Practice will take place this weekend on Sunday, December 21st from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. For further information you may call Marilyn Calderone at 416-221-8866, Ext. 227
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
Dress Rehearsal: This weekend, Sunday, December 21st, 3:00PM to 4:30PM
S.K. to Grade 5 children are invited to participate in the pageant. Please call Anne Murphy at 416-512-0340.
ST.VINCENT DE PAUL
Christmas Offering envelopes for the St. Vincent de Paul Society are available at the back of the Church. Your donations enable the Society to help those in need. At this time of year, they try to provide a little extra to add to their Christmas celebration. Your generosity is much appreciated.
CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE
Your prepared chicken rice casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at all the Masses next weekend, December 28th, for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. More volunteers are encouraged to get a copy of the casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.
“SURPRISE IS TO GRATITUDE AS COSMOGENESIS IS TO ADVENT”
The Passionist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality in cooperation with The Elliot Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology University of St. Michael’s College, Faculty of Theology Presents
ADVENT/WINTER SOLSTICE EVENING OF REFLECTION
The annual Advent/Winter Solstice Evening of Reflection will be held this weekend on Sunday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gabriel room. Because the feast of Christmas was deliberately timed to coincide with the darkness of the winter’s solstice, there is a link between theological meaning and cosmological setting. Join us for a guided exploration of the relevance of these theological and cosmological connections to today’s ecological challenges. This year’s theme is: “Surprise is to Gratitude as Cosmogenesis is to Advent.” To register or for more information, please contact Dennis O’Hara at dennis.ohara@utoronto.ca or 416-926-1300, ext. 3408. No fee.
CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY
“HOPE FOR THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION”
The Catholic Children’s Aid Society is inviting families to assist them in providing some little extras, such as new clothing, new toys, food vouchers and /or gift certificates to bring the joy of the season to one of their families. If you are willing to provide a donation or adopt-a-family, please call 416-395-1634 or email info@hopeforthechildren.ca.
KOLBE EUCHARISTIC MINI-RETREAT
Come and adore the Lord
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
Fr. Emeka Obiezu, O.S.A. will be speaking on “St. Paul and the Eucharist as a Sacrament of Unity” at St. Brigid’s Church from 2:00 to 4:30 PM.
For more information, please check www.kolbeapostolate.com.
homily – December 14
Sunday, December 14th, 2008Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
There are so many thoughts offered us in the readings of today’s Mass. Let’s start with the responsorial psalm, the Magnifact, Mary’s beautiful prayer of thanksgiving in which she rejoices that God has looked favorably on lowliness. In all humility Mary proclaims, “He who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is His name. Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” Think on this, each one of us here can say these words of Mary about ourselves. We may be burdened by our own sense of unworthiness, maybe we think only of our faults and failings, we may wonder if we really are living as Christ would have us live, but the truth of the matter is each of us here can say of ourselves, “He who is mighty has done great things for me.” Before the world began God chose us to be His adopted sons and daughters. He who is mighty has done great things for us.
Each one of us can echo the words of Isaiah; we can make his words our own because when we were baptized and the Spirit of God was poured into our hearts giving us the power and the boldness to call God, Father. That same Spirit is always with us touching our lives in so many different ways by the Spirit’s gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel, fortitude, piety and awe. Like Isaiah we can greatly rejoice in the Lord because he knew God’s Spirit was always with him as he faced opposition and hostility as he tried to proclaim the Lord’s year of favor. That same Spirit is with us as we face the joys and sorrows of our own lives. St. Paul tells us not to quench that Spirit but be open to it as the Spirit seeks to guide us and help us hold fast to all that is good.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, he has anointed us, he has sent us to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. We bring the good news of God’s love to others as we try, every day of our lives, to live the great commandment; “love one another as I have loved you.” We bring good news as we try to show the love of Christ for others when we reach out in any way to men, women and children less fortunate than ourselves, especially during this season of Christmas. We bring good news when we respect the faith and cultures of other people. We bring good news when we try to heal the wounds of past hurts and injustices that come from broken relationships and failed commitments. We bring good news when we try to bind up and sooth the wounds and hurts of good people who are diminished by sins of prejudice and bigotry, good people excluded from families and neighbourhoods because their race or faith or life styles.
We proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners when we free ourselves from the habit or the tendency to stereotype people. We proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners when we free ourselves from our propensity to label men and women of different faiths or races as ‘these people’. We proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners when we free ourselves from our own narrow-mindedness our own intolerance toward people different from ourselves. We proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners when we free ourselves from that insularity that convinces us that we Catholics have a corner on God’s love and God’s truth.
Some days we win, some days we loose but always we try to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor because He who is mighty has done great things for us, holy is his name. It is the Spirit Who gives us the insight to know when and were we can bring good new, set captives free, heal the broken hearted and we trust the truth that the one who calls us is faithful and He will do these things in us and through us and for us.
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.
