June 18th, 2017
In John’s gospel we read, ‘In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ Such was God’s desire to be close to us, one with us. But today’s feast of the Body and Blood of Christ goes even deeper in Christ’s desire of closeness.
Jesus shocked his hearers, he turned many of them off when told them, ‘Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you cannot have life in you… whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in them.’ How close can we get?
We read that many of his followers found this to be a hard saying and walked with him no more. Who ever heard of eating another’s flesh, drinking another person’s blood? The very idea is revolting. Yet this is the reality when we receive Holy Communion. Bread is more that bread and wine is more than wine. They are the body and blood of Jesus.
Every Jewish person knew the story of the manna, the mysterious bread from heaven that helped them survive their sojourn in the desert. Jesus tells the men and women listening to him that he is the new manna, the new bread from heaven. He adds the promise, ‘whoever eats this bread will live forever.’
This is the reality we celebrate on the day – the day of the Body and Blood of Jesus our Christ.
Receiving Holy Communion is not a private devotion. When we receive Communion we answer Amen, meaning I believe I am receiving Christ’s body. But there is more. We are affirming ourselves to be members of the Body of Christ the Church. St. Paul asks us,’ do you not know that you are the body of Christ? Paul teaches that when we receive Holy Communion we are bonded to Jesus and also to our neighbours, to everyone here with us. As members of the Church we support and sustain it by our good works; works entrusted to us by Christ; feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, welcome the stranger. Holy Communion has a horizontal as well as a vertical direction.
Before we receive the Body of Christ we repeat the words of the centurion, ‘Lord I’m not worthy that you should enter under my roof, say only the word and my soul shall be healed.’ Worthiness has nothing to do with all this. Who of us is worthy of such a gift? Need is our reality at this moment, our need for the grace of Christ, the strength of Christ, the love of Christ, the compassion of Christ, the forgiveness of Christ that we lack in our own lives at this time. The words of Pope Francis are so encouraging when tells us that the Eucharist, Holy Communion is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak – which we all are. Receiving Holy Communion we hold out an empty hand, showing our need for the strength and help we need to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus. Holy Communion is the bread, the nourishment we need to follow in the footsteps of the One who said, ‘love one another as I have loved you, forgive one another as I have forgiven you.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass may we always be thankful for this great gift, the Body and Blood of Christ.
| Posted in Homily |
June 17th, 2017
To all the Fathers, Grandfathers, Stepfathers, Single Fathers and Great Grandfathers we wish you a very happy Father’s Day.
May you be blessed with the graces you need, with courage, compassion, patience and peace.
Sunday, July 9th after the 12:30 Mass
The Parish BBQ Picnic will be held on Sunday, July 9th after the 12:30 Mass in the parking lot. There will be hot dogs, games, face painting, lucky draws, music and more…..
Tickets are $2 each.
Please bring your families, friends and neighbours to enjoy a summer afternoon with your parishioners.
We need volunteers to help and make this event happen. Please sign up by putting your name and phone number on the sheets at the back of church. For more information, you may call Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
The Building Maintenance Committee is currently working with a landscape designer on a new vision for our gardens. If you are interested in participating in the planting and maintenance of the new gardens as well as learning about the plants and their care, please call the Parish office at 416-221-8866.
St. Gabriel’s Volunteer Screening Committee is seeking two committee members. The Screening Committee interviews and screens parish volunteers. If interested, please visit the parish office and ask for a copy of the position description. To speak with a committee member, leave your name and phone number with the office staff. A committee member will call you. The Screening Committee has also been tasked to plan and deliver St. Gabriel’s 2018 Volunteer Recognition. To achieve committee gender balance, male applicants are encouraged.
Thank you to all parishioners who are recycling their clean milk bags at the church. Please remember to flatten them before putting them into the box. This would be a great help to the weavers,
The Milk Bag Workshops, led by Sharon Gusz this year were very successful. The week of March Break was especially productive due to the enthusiastic participation of the Youth Group. Thank you to Sharon and all the milk bag weavers for their excellent work.
Workshops will begin again in the fall. For further information about this program please visit www.milkbagsunlimited.ca or contact Sharon Gusz at sharongusz@gmail.com.
June 19th – June 24th, 2017
MONDAY – JOAN PEREIRA – Requested by her Family TUESDAY – BASIL GABRIEL MARKIDES – Requested by Jeanne Robinson WEDNESDAY – BR. ISADORE WASYLENCHUK FSC – Requested by Margaret Anne Leckie THURSDAY – SPECIAL INTENTION – Requested by the Ng Family FRIDAY – GERARD McGURK – Requested by Nora Kerr SATURDAY – AMPERO VILLAFRANCA – Requested by his Family
Registration forms for the Children’s Faith Program are now available in the parish office. This program is for children of the Parish who attend other Catholic schools, public or private schools. Classes are held at St. Gabriel’s School every second Sunday beginning September 10th, 2017.
Please note that a separate Sacramental registration form is required if your child will receive the sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation or Confirmation during the 2017/18 year. These forms are also available in the Parish Office.
Living the Gospel by helping women in crisis…
Early in life, Tanya was unfortunately sexually abused by her extended family in her native country, who regarded her as a worthless, dangerous person who should be chained up. She became suicidal and was admitted into the hospital. Tanya then fled to Canada as a refugee searching for safety and happiness. She first came to Street Haven three years ago through their Learning Centre, enrolling in the literacy and numeracy classes. The staff connected her to their Emergency Shelter, where she stayed and had access to legal aid and other vital supports to assist her through the refugee process. “I now have hope since I came to ShareLife supported Street Haven and know that I have the tools to move forward with my life.” shares Tanya. Street Haven helped Tanya move forward with her life and she now lives in a safe home where she can start again.
Please make a sacrificial gift to ShareLife through your parish or at www.sharelife.org
This Weekend
The second collection this weekend is for Marygrove Camp for Girls. a residential camp situated on 39 acres of beautifully treed grounds and a quarter mile of Georgian Bay waterfront near Penetang, Ontario. This summer, 1,100 girls from less fortunate families will be attending camp. Please support this important work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Each and every child’s camping experience is fully subsidized through this collection. Thank you for your support! Envelopes are in the pews.
The Archdiocese of Toronto joins the CCCB and faith communities across Canada in launching a joint appeal, entitled Pray-Give-Speak Out, in response to the desperate food crisis in South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia.
The United Nations has confirmed that South Sudan has 100,000 people living in famine conditions. Reports suggest a total of 20 million people are on the brink of starvation in the region. A declaration of famine has not been made by UN agencies since July 2011 when some 260,000 people died in Somalia – half of them children under the age of five. The world must not let those horrors be repeated.
The joint appeal aims to engage the faithful in three ways:
Pray: Keeping the people of South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen in our prayers. Give: Making a financial contribution to support those affected by the crisis. Speak Out: Becoming better informed and to speak about the crisis with family, friends and neighbours. Contacting their local Members of Parliament about their concerns.
The CCCB has identified three Canadian Catholic agencies – Aid to the Church in Need, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, and the Canadian Jesuits International – as recipients of donations from the Catholic faithful.
The Government of Canada has created a “Famine Relief Fund.” The federal government will match every donation made between March 17th and June 30th, 2017, by individuals to registered Canadian charities participating in this campaign.
Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways: Online through the Archdiocese of Toronto website: https://community.archtoronto.org By phone through the Development Office at 416-934-3411 Through the parish, making cheques payable to: St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish – African Famine – Humanitarian Relief
Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend. Each month, the casseroles are picked up early on Monday morning for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. We encourage you to pick up 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.
Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre
We encourage you to continue bringing non perishable foods during the summer months. During July and August, food donations tend to drop off.
Your donations of canned foods, cereal rice and other non perishables are more important than ever as families struggle to make ends meet.
Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.
Did you know that when Typhoon Haiyan devastated the central Philippines, Development and Peace (D&P) raised $12 million and is helping affected communities become more resilient and participate directly in the reconstruction process. Drawing on the expertise of its existing partners, D&P is addressing the poverty, socio-economic inequality and state of powerlessness that makes poor and marginalized communities so vulnerable to natural disasters. To find out more about the work of D&P or to become a member or donor, visit the website at http://www.devp.org/en/get-involved.
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.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at 7:00 PM
Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services, Archdiocese of Toronto wishes to invite all families within the Archdiocese of Toronto to participate in the Annual Mass for the Faithful Departed on Wednesday, August 16th, at 7:00 PM.
Mass at Mount Hope Cemetery will be celebrated by Rev. Monseigneur Robert Nusca. In the event of rain, Mass will be celebrated at St. Monica’s Church, 44 Broadway Avenue.
Mass will be celebrated by His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Collins at Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill. In the event of rain, Mass will be celebrated in the Mausoleum.
Liturgical Publications will be setting up the advertisements for our church bulletin. The advertising will begin in September 2017 and supports the bulletin service. Please support the bulletin and advertise your product or service. Call Liturgical Publications at 905-624-4422.
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| Posted in Uncategorized |
June 15th, 2017
On June 4, the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered by Most Rev. Robert Kasun CSB, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto on 50 of our young people at this parish. Here are some pictures of this Spirit filled celebration.
| Posted in Events |
June 11th, 2017
Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Trinity. This is a mystery basic of our faith as Christians – this is the mystery that separates us from the great faiths of Judaism and Islam. They too believe in the one God, the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But we believe that the “ God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob loved the world, loved us, so much He sent His Son to the world – not to condemn the world – but in order that the world might be saved thru him. We believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sent the Holy Spirit to us at Pentecost to complete the work of Christ on earth and bring us to the fullness of grace.
. As you know a mystery is not something of which we can know nothing, a mystery is something of which we cannot know everything. Even when we see God face to face and know God as God is, we will still be dealing with mystery. Our limited intelligence cannot comprehend the immensity of God.
What this feast celebrates and teaches us is that the inner life of God is a life of relationships. The Father speaks the Word and the Holy Spirit binds Father and Son together in a relationship of love. One author put it this way, ’There is otherness in God’s oneness. God is the beholder and the beheld, the lover and beloved.’
Through the insights of science and thinkers we’ve come to know, if not appreciate, that all creation, the galaxies, the solar systems and Earth reflect the reality of the inner life of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Father, Son and Spirit are not expressions of God, each has their own identity, and they are different one from the other yet live in community, one with the other.
Slowly we’ve come to see our own reality in this way. Last week we celebrate the feast of Pentecost – the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. The Spirit reminds us of our individual dignity ‘do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you ‘and Spirit reminds us of our oneness with all who share our faith and our common humanity. The Spirit binds us together in a life of love and service. But the reality of our own individuality and our oneness with all others goes beyond our human relationships.
Fr. Thomas Berry, a member of our Passionist Community expressed it this way;’ in reality, there is a single integral community of the Earth that includes all its component members whether human or other than human. In this community every being has its own role to fulfill, its own dignity, its own inner spontaneity. Every being has its own voice. Every being declares itself to the entire universe. Every being enters into communion with other beings.’ We are one with, we are family with everything, living and non-living that make up the planet Earth, this life pulsating planet we call home.
We try to recapture that sense of wonder St. Francis of Assisi had when, in his canticles he would sing of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, when he would sing of Brother Wolf and Sister Loon. In his heart he knew he was kin, family to all life on earth. Unfortunately we’ve lost that sense of oneness with the rest of God’s good creation. Through the centuries we’ve made great strides in science and technology and unfortunately we’ve come to see ourselves as masters of creation and see the bounty of Earth’s resources as commodities to exploit and waste. We have come to see Earth and all it contains as a collection of objects, resources to be developed and exploited, not as a community, a family of subjects. We forgot that everything on Earth, from the smallest sub particle to the greatest of whales has its own uniqueness; it is different from every other being yet is a vital part of the community of Earth. We are seldom impressed by the wonder and beauty of creation – we take it for granted. Pope Francis has reminded the world of this reality of oneness in his letter to the world titled ‘Laudato Si’. He gave a copy of this letter to President Trump recently. The President said he’d read it but it is probably being used as a door stop at the White House. The President’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord trashes the message of Pope Francis. Issues such as climate change, the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil that feeds us, national issues about the safety of oil pipe lines, oil spills that pollute the oceans, tar sands developments and fracking, are issues we should be concerned about because they have an impact on the quality of our relationship with the rest of God’s good creation. The health and wellbeing of our environment are moral issues because we are dealing with our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet.
The human family and our relationship with Earth are matters of our faith in God, creator of heaven and earth. Remember the truth, the earth does not belong to us we belong to the earth and what we do to the earth we do to ourselves. We did not weave the web of life; we are strands in the web and what we do to the web we do to ourselves. What goes around comes around.
On this feast of the Holy Trinity made we be bless to know and to live out the reality that as God’s inner life is a life of loving relationships and so too is our life here on earth, when it is lived in a loving, life giving relationship not just with family and friends but with the total Earth community human and otherwise. May we all be blessed to know and live life in this reality.
June 10th, 2017
Congratulations to the following young people of our Parish who were confirmed on Sunday, June 4th, 2017. The Sacrament was administered by Most Rev. Robert Kasun CSB, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto.
Sara Maritza Alvarez Blasquez John Kenneth Aguila Einsten Augustine Tyra Barcallon Xavier Brooks Crysteen Joecel S. Calica Cristina Caetano Macdonell Meghan Cammerson Janner Castellfort Brendan Chan Olivia Chan Ashley Choi Denelle Coelho Eileen Cooke Jody Genevieve Francis Connors Elissandra Cosico Chloe Anne Mae Cusi Isabel Dantzer Mikaela De Pinto Bridget Doherty Gloria Freire Isabel Gilmour Penney Edward Golshenas Rad Emiliano Golshenas Rad Seo-Youn Allie Jeon Joshua Joseph Ashley Kim Alyssa Stephanie Lazzer Alzena Lee Yunjee Chloe Lee Christopher Leung Leon Li Luis Joseph Limgenco Stella Marie Ashley Luke Rachel MacKinnon Michela Marie Marra Adam Medwecky Sasha Medwecky Vicente Amaro Maturana Toledo Aria Shania Noronha Onyinyechi Oguamana Diego Pachas Ramos Olivia Perras Sebastian Roccatani Bernadette Roque Sarmiento Darcy Sheldrick Alejandro Socas Alayon Connor Sparkman Estela Victorine Emily Yue Zhang
Let us pray for them as they continue on their journey of faith guided by the Holy Spirit.
Please bring your families, friends and neighbours to enjoy a summer afternoon with your parishioners. We need volunteers to help and make this event happen.
Please sign up by putting your name and phone number on the sheets at the back of church. For more information, you may call Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
The Building Maintenance Committee is currently working with a landscape designer on a new vision for our gardens. If you are interested in participating in the planting and maintenance of the new gardens as well as learning about the plants and their care, please call or email Heather Bennett at 647-774-9742 or heathermjb@gmail.com.
June 12th – June 17th, 2017
MONDAY – YVAN MARKIET – Requested by Jacques & Denise Dussault TUESDAY – MIGUEL & GERTRUDES REGO – Requested by Maria Da Silva WEDNESDAY – RODENSA CHEUNG – Requested by Minnie & Alice THURSDAY – LEONARD MARCHIE – Requested by Teresa Marchie & Family FRIDAY – BERNIE CABRERA – Requested by Olivia Cabrera SATURDAY – JOHN & CHRISTOPHER DI LALLO – Requested by Val Palazzo
Living the Gospel by helping young families to succeed…
When Amber found out she was going to be a mother, she was afraid and uncertain about who to turn to and where to go. After a friend told her about Rose of Durham, Amber arrived looking for help preparing for the arrival of her son. After one session with her counselor, she felt very safe and welcome, and her anxiety about becoming a parent begin to decrease. Amber took advantage of all the programs and services Rose of Durham had to offer and as a result, her self-esteem drastically improved, along with her parenting skills. Amber admits she would not be the parent she is today if it wasn’t for the help and guidance she was offered at ShareLife-supported Rose of Durham. Last year, over 1,270 young parents received the care, counseling and educational support they needed to care for themselves and their new families.
Please make a sacrificial gift to ShareLife through your parish, or at www.sharelife.org
Weekend of June 17th/18th
There will be a second collection for Marygrove Camp for Girls next weekend, June 17th /18th at all the Masses. Marygrove Camp is a residential camp situated on 39 acres of beautifully treed grounds and a quarter mile of Georgian Bay waterfront near Penetang, Ontario. This summer, 1,100 girls from less fortunate families will be attending camp. Please support this important work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Each and every child’s camping experience is fully subsidized through this collection. Thank you for your support! Envelopes are in the pews.
Fair Trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses on the weekend of June 17th/18th.
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: $5.00
Please note that there are no Fair Trade coffee sales during the months of July and August.
Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre. We encourage you to continue bringing non perishable foods during the summer months. During July and August, food donations tend to drop off. Your donations of canned foods, cereal rice and other non perishables are more important than ever as families struggle to make ends meet. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.
Did you know that in 2001, following the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, Development and Peace (D&P) expanded its program in the Middle East? Participation of the most excluded, including women, was encouraged. In Afghanistan the main focus of our program is to support citizen participation in the development of this young democracy, improve societal conditions for women and to promote peace at all levels of society.
To find out more about the work of D&P or to become a member or donor, visit the website at http://www.devp.org/en/get-involved
Friday, June 16, 2017
St Gabriel’s Church
With winter in the past and summer approaching, there is no better way to celebrate than by joining the Seraphim Men’s Chorus this June for our Can’t Hurry Love concert Series! A concert fit for all ages, with a great mix of Broadway, classical gems, pop songs both old and new, and Disney favourites! Please join us at St. Gabriel‘s Church on Friday, June 16th at 7:30 PM. . Advanced tickets on sale online at www.seraphimandcherubim.ca or at St Gabriel’s after Sunday Masses. See you soon!
June 15th and 17th
Theatre at Cardinal Carter Toronto Catholic District School Board Staff Arts is pleased to present Into the Woods at the Theatre at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, 36 Greenfield Avenue, North York.
June 15th and 17th at 7:30PM. Admission is $25. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit the website: www.tcdsb.org/staffarts or call 416-222-8282 ext. 2787.
Mass at Mount Hope Cemetery will be celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Robert Nusca. In the event of rain, Mass will be celebrated at St. Monica’s Church, 44 Broadway Avenue.
Liturgical Publications will be setting up the advertisements for our church bulletin. The advertising will begin in September 2017 and supports the bulletin service. Please support the bulletin and advertise your product or service. Call Liturgical Publications at 905-624-4422
| Posted in Bulletin |
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