May 20th, 2018
Pentecost is a feast of power and energy and activity. The apostles were seized by the living spirit of God and driven from their hiding place out in the city streets to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. We can imagine the Spirit taking the apostles by the cuff of their necks and dragging them out into the streets. All this is imaged by the violent wind.
In the early church and maybe even in today’s church the Spirit worked and works in such forceful but not normal ways. Today can we imagine the Spirit not pushing us but nudging us to act with compassion, patience and understanding of the needs of the people who are in our lives? The actions of the Holy Spirit bears different fruits in us that enrich our lives; fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness and gentleness.
By the Spirit’s gentle nudging we may be moved to be more patient and understanding of an aging parent or spouse who keeps misplacing things or who asks the same question over and over again.
Watching young children at play or a mother pushing a stroller may nudge us to be more grateful for the gift of our own families.
Seeing a man or woman using a walker nudges us to be grateful for the gift of our own mobility. Certainly a visit to a hospital should cause us to be grateful for our own good health.
Celebrating this Mass as a member of our parish family might move us to be grateful for out gift of faith and for our freedom to practice our faith openly.
As we enjoy this spring season and see the beginnings of new life in trees and plants may the Spirit move us to be grateful for the gifts and the wonder of God’s good creation. When we see the liter that lines our streets and highways or the tons of plastic polluting the oceans, destroying its marine life may the spirit move us to be ashamed of the many ways we diminish the beauty and health of God’s good creation.
Hopefully the Spirit may bring us to a sense of shame when we hear of so much food thrown out or wasted and know of the hunger that is the normal part of the lives of countless of our brothers and sisters.
When we see or hear of the ruins of bombed out cities and the lives of innocent men, women and children the innocent victims of civil strife – may the Holy spirit stir us to pray for peace and rid our own lives of racism and prejudice of any kind.
When we see the courageous work of doctors without borders, or of first responders or of United Nations aid workers who put their lives on line for total strangers may the Holy Spirit move us to admiration and gratitude for such brave men and women.
For all the lack of love we see around in acts of bigotry and prejudice, for all the exploitation of helpless men and women, for all the injustices that victimize our brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit still nudges, inspires and embolden generous and loving men and women to bring the love and mercy and healing power of God to our troubled world.
The Holy Spirit is still gifting us with the Spirit’s transforming power not so much in the heavy winds and tongues of fire of times past but in the nudges and pushes that inspire little people to do brave and generous things in our lives and world today.
As we continue to celebrate this feast of transforming power and love we pray for ourselves and for each other that each of us responds with open hearts to whenever it may be the Holy Spirit nudges or pushes us to say or do that we may, in some small way, bring God’s love, mercy and justice to the world.
| Posted in Homily |
May 19th, 2018
Monday, May 21st is Victoria Day. The Parish Office will be closed. There will be no 9:00 AM Mass that day.
Congratulations to the children from our parish attending our Children’s Faith Program and other Catholic schools who received their First Communion as a group on Sunday, May 13th, 2018 at the 12:30 Mass.
Kate Commendador Vivienne Confraria Kai Contway Chand Manuel Francis Gamalinda Isabel Ha Chloe How Evan Kroetsch Xavier Daniel Brummel Nascimento Alison Park Charlotte Quattrocicchi Carlos Regalado Eric Saavedra-Ikonomi Ethan So Isabella Viloria Toni Viterbo Matthew Wang (Bird)
We wish these young people every blessing and promise to support them with our prayers as they continue on their journey of faith.
The St. Gabriel’s Youth Group would like to give a special thank you to all who supported their Mother’s Day Fundraiser last weekend.
We raised over $1000! We appreciate your donations and purchases of flowers and rosaries to help the youth attend the Steubenville Conference this July and World Youth Day in January 2019.
We would also like to give a special thank you to Linda Law, Laura Cheung, and the members of the Chinese Rosary Group for helping provide flowers and rosaries, as well as Leslie Tan-Man and Chris McKee for providing the gift tags, signs, and decor for our sale.
Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, recently issued a call to action in advance of the June 7th provincial election to promote palliative care, conscience rights and the protection of faith-based facilities.
His Eminence has asked Catholics to visit canadiansforconscience.ca/ontario to send a letter directly to all candidates in their riding for the June 7th election. A pre-written letter is provided which people can amend as they choose.
If you did not receive Cardinal Collins’ emailed letter and you would like to receive them in the future, please visit bit.ly/archtosignup Thank you for advocating on these important issues!
Our parish Youth Group is very excited to share that we will be taking part in next year’s World Youth Day (WYD). World Youth Day is a worldwide encounter with the Pope which is celebrated every 3 years. The next World Youth Day is taking place in Panama City, Panama from January 22nd to 27th, 2019.
“WYD is open to young people who want to take part in a festive encounter with their contemporaries centered on Jesus Christ. This event is an opportunity to experience in first person the universality of the Church. WYD is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, by means of prayer and the sacraments, together with thousands of other young people around the world who share your interests and ambitions.”
This event is open to young adults in the parish ages 18-30.
If you are interested in attending, please contact sgpyouthgroup@gmail.com for more information.
May 21st – May 26th, 2018
MONDAY – VICTORIA DAY – No 9:00 AM Mass TUESDAY – CECILIA MANALANG – Requested by Plutarco Manalang WEDNESDAY – UNA BOYLAN – Requested by Nora Kerr THURSDAY – PRUDENCIO CLEOFE – Requested by his Family FRIDAY – FR. BRANDO – Requested by the Parish Team SATURDAY – RICHARD GARDIAN – Requested by Sally Gardian & Family
Leprosy Mission of Canada Stamp Collection Program
Make a difference with your mail! You can get involved by collecting, trimming and sending your used postage stamps to Effect Hope, the Leprosy Mission of Canada. Please place stamps in the basket provided outside the Parish Office
Living the Gospel by maximizing the impact of your donation
Administered by St. Elizabeth HealthCare, the Shared Services Initiative is supporting other ShareLife-funded agencies in the areas of human resources, financial services and information technology. Participating agencies report they are able to improve the quality, competency and accuracy of their work. Through this initiative, ShareLife-funded agencies are ensuring the maximum amount received is directed to the front-line service they provide.
Total Collected to May 14th, 2018 – $91,366 Next Sunday, May 27th, is ShareLife Sunday. Please give generously.
Your prepared frozen casseroles 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. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s website. 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 the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.
Thank you for your generous support of Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. Your food donations are very much appreciated.
Rosalie Hall provides a wide range of child development, community, residential and educational services for young parents and their children.
Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city as well as a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs
With everyone struggling at this time, your food donations are more important than ever. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.
We are continuing to collect eyeglasses for the Lions Club. Throughout the year, the Lion’s Club volunteers collect used eyeglasses and deliver them to regional Lions Recycling Centres. There volunteers clean, sort by prescription strength and package the glasses. Recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in low and middle income communities where they will have the greatest impact. Please place them in the baskets provided outside the office.
Monday, May 28, 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Duke of York Pub, 39 Prince Arthur Ave, Toronto
All young adults (ages19 to 39) are invited to join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation on theological topics! The special guest will be Rachel Ball. Munchies will be provided and a cash bar is available. Come and bring a friend!
Saturday, June 2nd from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Catholic Parents of Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons
Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre, Pickering, Ontario
The sixteenth Canadian Seeing with the Heart Day of Reflection will be held on Saturday, June 2nd, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering.
Fr. Roger Brennan of the Scarboro Foreign Mission will facilitate. John Montague from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish will assist.
The Cost is $40.00 which includes lunch. For questions and information call John Montague at 416-523-6449.
Weekend of September 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2018
St. Gabriel’s Parish
A Marriage Preparation course will be offered here at St. Gabriel’s the weekend of September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2018. The course will be held Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 please email Marie Deans at deansm@sympatico.ca. PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. For a registration package
Robert Cordy, Organic Horticulturalist, will be giving a workshop Sunday, May 20th, after the 12:30 Mass on Hugelkultur, the gardening method he is employing in the north garden.
On Saturday, May 26th, at 2:00, he will provide a workshop on vegetable gardening. All are welcome.
If you are interested in helping to care for the gardens, please leave your name, email address and phone number with the office, or email Heather Bennett at heathermjb@gmail.com.
Weekly Offertory Collection for Last Weekend Envelopes 389 $ 8,121 Loose Change 1,302 Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving 166 3,070 Total 555 $ 12,493
A bequest is a beautiful way to express your faith and your gratitude for a lifetime of blessings! A gift to the parish or any of our diocesan charities in your Will creates a lasting legacy that will help the Church continue its heritage of service and pastoral care to the faith community. When making your Will, please consider a bequest to St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish. To learn more about making a bequest, please call the parish office or the Development Office of the Archdiocese at 416-934-3411 ext. 519 or visit www.archtoronto.org/development.
| Posted in Bulletin |
May 13th, 2018
Two American presidents have made outlandish statements that proved to be totally untrue; they claimed a mission accomplished when in reality it was from being so.
Today we celebrate that moment in time when the risen Christ truly claimed, mission accomplished. Jesus returns to the Father, his mission is finished. Through his passion, death and resurrection Jesus reconciled the human family and God, making peace through the blood of the cross.
Before Jesus returned to his Father he gave the apostles their mission, a mission which is also our mission; ‘go into the entire world and proclaim the good news to all creation.’ Our mission is still a work in progress.
Ours has begun. Jesus told the apostles they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit and they were to his witness to the very ends of the earth. Their mission, our mission is still a work in progress.
Someone once wrote that our primary task, our primary mission, is not to do good works but to believe, to trust in God’s love for us revealed in suffering Jesus Christ. Once we embrace this wonder, Christ loved me and gave his life for me, then we are empowered and sent to love others.
Our unaccomplished mission is to live this Mass outside these walls in the lives we live, the work we do, the service we give and in the prayers we pray. We pray the words of mission every Sunday. The question we have to ask ourselves is, ’do we leave them here like the hymn books we use, or do we take these prayers with home us and try to live them, outside these walls?
Do we say only the good things people need to hear, things that will really help them? Do we talk to others with respect and encouragement? Do we challenge racial or social slurs? Do we defend men and women when we hear them stereotyped by people who diminish their dignity? Are we there for someone in need, family members or friends or total strangers?
Do we reach out to family members or friends who have wronged us, let us down, or do we wish them gone from our lives? Are we thoughtful about the damage our lifestyles, our consumerism, our wastefulness has on the health and wellbeing on the planet earth, our home? Do we give a thought to the homeless men and women in Toronto, or the men and women looking for work, or the men and women who are cheated out of a living wage? How do support families who come from away seeking freedom and security from persecution or civil strife?
As we celebrate this feast of the Ascension, the return of Jesus to the glory of the Father – mission accomplished – we pray for the strength and generosity to accept our mission – to preach the gospel as we live our ordinary lives in our ordinary way – and when necessary may we use words.
May 12th, 2018
To all the Mothers, Single Mothers, Grandmothers and Stepmothers, we wish you a very happy Mother’s day. May you be blessed with the graces you need, with courage, compassion, patience and peace.
The St. Gabriel’s Parish Youth Group will be selling flowers and rosaries for Mother’s Day this weekend, May 12th and 13th, after all the Masses. All proceeds will support the youth group attending the Steubenville Conference and World Youth Day.
Fr. Bernard is looking for a bookkeeper at the Passionist Mission Office. If interested, please contact Fr. Bernard at the Mission Office at 416-743-3500. Join the team and work for the missions in Haiti, Jamaica and Honduras!
Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, recently issued a call to action in advance of the June 7th provincial election to promote palliative care, conscience rights and the protection of faith-based facilities. His Eminence has asked Catholics to visit canadiansforconscience.ca/ontario to send a letter directly to all candidates in their riding for the June 7th election. A pre-written letter is provided which people can amend as they choose. If you did not receive Cardinal Collins’ emailed letter and you would like to receive them in the future, please visit bit.ly/archtosignup Thank you for advocating on these important issues!
May 14th – May 19th, 2018
MONDAY – JULIA MARTINS – Requested by Maria Martins TUESDAY – PHILIP TONG – Requested by Mary & Alec Chan
FRIDAY – ANA SOFIA NASCIMENTO & ALL DECEASED FAMILY MEMBERS – Requested by the Nascimento Family SATURDAY – GERRY & EDNA HATCH – Requested by their Family
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated next Sunday, May 20th, at 3:00 PM at St. Gabriel’s Church.
In preparation for this Sacrament, a Confirmation Retreat will be held on Saturday, May 19th from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at St. Gabriel’s Church. All candidates must attend. Candidates are reminded to bring a signed letter from the service coordinator or a parent stating the completion or anticipated date of completion of volunteer service hours.
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.
Living the Gospel by supporting mental health wellness
In 2016, over 2,000 people accessed individual, couple and family counseling at Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin, a ShareLife-funded agency. Often, clients sought help to address depression. Given that depression has replaced back injury as the number one reason for absenteeism at work, these services are helping clients maintain employment and stay out of poverty. By supporting ShareLife agencies like CFS Peel-Dufferin, you’re helping people find health and happiness.
Total Collected to May 9th, 2018 – $87,031 May 27 is the next ShareLife Sunday. Please give generously.
Weekend of May 19th/20th Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend. Regular ground coffee: $5.50 Decaffeinated: $6.00 Whole Beans: $5.50 Chocolate Bars: $4.50 incl. Taxes Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $6.00 Teas: $4.25
St. Gabriel’s Parish Weekend of September 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2018
A Marriage Preparation course will be offered here at St. Gabriel’s the weekend of September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2018. The course will be held Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. For a registration package please email Marie Deans at deansm@sympatico.ca.
Wednesday May 16th at 7:00 PM
Blessed Trinity Parish, 3220 Bayview Ave.
Blessed Trinity Parish invites all St. Gabriel’s parishioners to come and join them as they commemorate the past and honor the present members of Police Services, Fire Services, Paramedic Services and the Canadian Armed Forces. The Mass will take place on Wednesday May 16th at 7:00 PM at Blessed Trinity Parish A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
Meet the Candidates Thursday, May 17, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM St. Bonaventure’s Parish Hall
St. Bonaventure’s Church is hosting candidates from all parties seeking election to provincial office representing Don Valley East, West, and North Join them in the St. Bonaventure parish hall, 1300 Leslie Street, (just south of Lawrence on the west side of Leslie) on Thursday, May 17th, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Candidates will be invited to share their views on a variety of topics of interest for Catholic voters. Following the question and answer session, an opportunity will be provided to meet the candidates and ask questions individually.
We are hosting the meeting in conjunction with Catholic Conscience, a local non-profit, non-partisan organization seeking to improve the quality of our elected leaders. Questions may be directed to Catholic Conscience, by e-mail at info@CatholicConscience.org, or through their website, www.CatholicConscience.org.
For those wanting to explore the responsibilities of Catholics in elections, an information and discussion session will be held on Tuesday, May 22nd, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the parish hall of St Peter’s Church, 130 Bathurst Street in Toronto (across from the TTC Bathurst subway stop).
See you there!
Thursday, May 17th at 7:30 PM in the Gabriel Room
We would like to extend an invitation to the parish to come to a presentation by Fr. Walter Fernandes, a Jesuit priest based in Guwahati, Assam, India. He has studied tribal, gender and livelihood issues for over four decades of his professional life as founder and director of the North Eastern Social Research Centre (NESRC). He is also a well-known scholar on issues concerning development-induced displacement and challenges posed to human dignity. Some of his current work focuses on social justice in the context of tribal reconciliation (within north-east India), as well as migration from neighboring Myanmar.
Fr. Fernandes is visiting Canada at the invitation of St Mary’s University, Halifax to share his knowledge of Indigenous issues in North-East India and Myanmar.”
Join us in this unique opportunity to learn more about Indigenous issues and challenges.
Catholic Parents of Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons Saturday, June 2nd from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre, Pickering, Ontario
The Cost is $40.00 which includes lunch.
For questions and information call John Montague at 416-523-6449.
Robert Cordy, our Organic Horticulturalist, or members of his team, will be providing two workshops this month. To learn about Hugelkultur, the method of gardening being used in the north garden, meet us on Sunday, May 20th, in the north garden after the 12:30 Mass.
If you are interested in vegetable gardening, join us on Saturday, May 26th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. All are welcome.
If you would like to get involved in the care of our beautiful gardens, please leave your email address and phone number with the parish office, or email Heather Bennett at heathermjb@gmail.com.
May 6th, 2018
There is a psalm that sings; ‘this is the day the Lord has made let us be glad and rejoice.’ The church sings, this is the season the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad.’ Most people think of Easter as lasting a day but the church sees Easter as lasting a season, it is not a one day event, Easter lasts for 50 days, we’ve two other weeks to go before we celebrate the feast of Pentecost which closes our Easter season. We need Easter’s long day because it takes time to grasp and integrate what the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus was all about. What does it mean when Paul tells us; God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself? The frustrated Jesus complained to his disciples, ‘how long have I been with you and still you do not understand.”? He complained to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, ‘O how foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets declared . Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and so enter into his glory.’
There is an exercise called ‘theological reflection’ in which we ponder a truth of faith over and over to discover its deeper meaning. We can compare it to a kaleidoscope, it is made up of a set number of colored glasses and with each twist of the tunnel of the kaleidoscope we get a whole new pattern of color. In reflecting on a truth of our faith we might come to another and deeper meaning of that truth than we had before. Reflecting on the sufferings of Jesus we might come to see, in a way we never did before, that in his passion Jesus is telling us, ‘I can’t stop loving you. You may neglect or ignore of doubt my love for you, you may fail to return my love, but I can’t stop loving you.
In our first reading from Acts we hear of St. Peter, the first Pope coming to a deeper understanding of the saving power of Christ’s passion. As a Jewish person he believed his people, the Jewish people were God’s own. Everyone else was excluded. But his faith was challenged when in a dream he saw all kinds of food offered to him to eat. Most of the food was forbidden by Jewish dietary law so Peter refused to eat it only to be told. ‘ What God has made clean you must not call profane.’
Then Peter meets the Gentile centurion named Cornelius. He told Cornelius, ‘You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with of visit Gentiles but God has shown me that I should call any person profane or unclean.’ Then we have the shocking words of Peter and he is blessed with a eureka insight, ‘ I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God. Then we have Peter’s bold break with his ancient Jewish beliefs,’ can anyone withhold water for baptising these people who have received to Holy Spirit just as we have?
For all of that it took the Jewish members of the early Christian community a number of years to welcome non-Jews into their midst.
We are still in long day of Easter. May we be moved to pray for a deeper understanding of our faith and be open to the embracing love of our crucified Christ for all people and embrace the simple message of our shrine for the victims on Yonge Street – Love for all, hatred for none.
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.
Learn about Passionists and our insignia »
Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
St. Gabriel’s Garden – Guided Sensory Reflective Walk
