October 20th, 2013
Today’s parable is meant for people like us – people who grow weary of trying to do good and are tempted to give up on praying. How often have we had the experience of asking and are convinced we are not being heard? How often have we knocked til are knuckles were bare and no door was opened? How often have we searched and never found? How often have we asked ourselves,’ what’s the use, is anyone there?
How often do we read reports of people demanding an inquest into the cause of someone’s suspicious death, or a suspected misuse of influence by a politician and they get stone walled by those in authority? But, like the widow in our gospel they will not go away, they pester and cajole and finally get what they want?
I read somewhere that the word for widow in Hebrew means, silent one, and a voiceless person. But this widow certainly had a voice, she would not be silent. Every time this widow made her appeal for justice it was in a public gathering – an open court – she would be heard. For all his boasting and bluster the judge was aware of public opinion, he was concerned about his public image and it was probably public opinion that made him give in. For his own sake he had to get this voiceless woman off his back.
So often when it comes to praying we have our own needs in mind. We may be praying for our health, our family, our security, our peace of mind. As a parish family we pray every Sunday that we may live this Mass outside these walls. We do this when we make the concerns of others, civic and public concerns our own. We live this Mass outside these walls when we make ourselves aware of the issues of the blight of our first nations peoples living on the reserves, the homeless men, women and children of our city, the children of this city who go to school hungry, the many desperate young men and women who can’t find work, for all their education. And we make these concerns the object of our prayers. In so many ways these good people are the widows of our time – the voiceless. In so many ways they tend to lose heart, give up. They lack the stamina of the widow. We not only pray for these good people we try to stand with them and work to change public opinion. We can support movements such as Occupy Toronto or Idle No More or pro-life movements or the Peace Now movement. In whatever way we can we try to give voice to the voiceless. We can let our city counsellors know, our parliamentarians know that we seek justice for the have-nots of our society.
The widow of the gospel challenges all of us to give voice to our brothers and sisters who have lost heart.
We have a wonderful example of someone who would be heard in that young Pakistani high school student, Malala Yousafrai, who defied the Taliban order to put an end to the education of young girls. They tried to silence her by shooting her and their act of violence gave her a worldwide platform from which to plea her cause. She is voiceless no more.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we ask for the courage and the stamina of our gospel widow. Like her may we never lose heart but keep on praying and working for justice and fairness for all, especially for those who have no voice to speak for themselves.
| Posted in Homily |
October 14th, 2013
Fr. Brando was installed on October 6, 2013
| Posted in Events |
October 13th, 2013
The leprosy we hear of in our first reading and in the gospel is not the Hanson’s disease we know to be true leprosy. Hanson’s disease is only mildly contagious. The leprosy of biblical times was feared not because it was contagious but because it was unclean, it was dirty and so a leper would cause the family or the whole community to become dirty, ritually unclean.
As we know lepers were not allowed to live in the family or community. They had to live apart. They had to warn people of their presence by calling out ‘unclean’. They knew their place, their social boundaries.
Anthropologists point out that a society concerned with maintaining safe and secure body boundaries is also concerned with safe and secure societal or geographical boundaries. Rules governing the physical body replicate rules governing the social or geographical body. So we have such sayings as ‘you’re in my face or you are invading my space. We want people to respect our boundaries. We set social boundaries for ourselves. We all know of the mentality, ‘NIMBY – not in my backyard – we have our restricting immigration laws and our restricted membership clubs.
We have those who wonder if we are saved, if we are within the restrictive boundaries they’ve set for God’s life and love.
In the gospel Jesus respected the boundaries of the time. On other occasions he touched people, laid his hands on them. In today’s gospel he didn’t invade the space of these ten men who kept their distance, who didn’t invade his space. Jesus simply told them “go and show yourselves to the priests”, which they did, even though one of them knew he would not be allowed into the temple grounds because he was not a Jew.
On their way they realized their leprosy was gone, they were clean and they were no longer confined to their unclean space. In their excitement they immediately thought of their own families, their homes, their friends. Being cleansed they knew they would be welcomed into their spaces. In their excitement they forgot the priests and the temple and they headed for those most important to them, their families.
Except for the Samaritan who knew he would always be an outsider, a leper in Jewish society. Jesus probably wasn’t surprised by the behavior of the nine. When you are raised to believe you are special to God, you end up taking God for granted, they would find time to thank God later. Not the Samaritan, his heart was filled with gratitude as he fell before Jesus and poured out his thanks.
Today’s scripture emphasize the importance of thanksgiving. We all have so many blessings for which we should be thankful. One of the saints said,’ If the only prayer we prayed was ‘thank you’ that would be enough.
But the gospel tells of the social and religious barriers of those days and with that in mind we might ask ourselves;
What are the barriers of our lives? Who do resent or resist entering our space? Who are the people we keep at a safe distance because of the way they live their lives, because of their racial or cultural or social status? Do we have open minds or closed and rigid mindsets? Are we willing to follow Pope Francis as he calls us to be a welcoming church, an understanding church rather than a judgemental church? Are we willing to remove any barriers that make us unresponsive to the needs of the poor, the un-employed or under employed? Are we willing to do away with barriers that hide from us the realities around us; hungry children, single mothers on welfare, victims of the civil strife, victims of the sweat shops of the world? These are the concerns of Pope Francis and he wants them to our concerns too.
As we continue to celebrate our Eucharist may we all be given the strength and willingness to tear down the barriers that separate us from family and strangers. May our hearts be open to all those who come into our live and be thankful for the blessing with which our lives are blessed.
O, heavenly Father: We thank you for food and remember the hungry. We thank you for health and remember the sick. We thank you for friends and remember the friendless. We thank you for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that your gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.
Mass will be celebrated on Thanksgiving Day, Monday, October 14th at 9:00 A.M.
I wish to thank all of you for being part of my installation celebration as pastor of this wonderful parish. The celebration would not have been as vibrant, joyful and beautiful without the great effort made by the parish staff, the beautiful voices of the choir and the active participation of the whole community. Your gifts of presence and prayer are very much appreciated. Thank you so very much!
Fr. Brando
To help in the implementation of the Central Pastoral Region planning study, our parish, along with other parishes in the Central Pastoral Region, has been asked by the Archdiocese to conduct a Mass attendance count for the weekends of Oct 19/20 and Oct 26/27. The purpose of the count is to have a more accurate assessment of the number of people attending Mass on a weekend.
When you come in for Mass during those two said weekends, you may notice a few “counters” clicking on tally counters at the doors of the church. The counters will be doing their jobs in a way as discreetly and non-intrusively as possible.
Thank you for your support.
If you have, or know of, school age children (ages 7 to 14) who wish to prepare for Baptism, please contact the Parish Office, or Fatima Lee directly, at (416) 221-8866. Classes for them will begin in early October.
October 14th to October 19th 2013
MONDAY – THANKSGIVING DAY Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY – MARIA SUNG HAK LEE Requested by Elisabeth Chang WEDNESDAY – VINCE ABBATE Requested by Margaret Anne Leckie & Mary Alice O’Mahony THURSDAY – JOHN YEUNG CHUN KUN Requested by Agnes Wong FRIDAY – VINCENT HA Requested by Laura, Sylvia & Valerie Ha SATURDAY – KATHI WATTS Requested by Kathi Leah
FEAST DAY – OCTOBER 19th
St. Paul of the Cross was the founder of the Passionists (1720). Born in northern Italy in 1694, Paul experienced conversion at the age of 15 and began a lifetime of devotion to prayer and austerity. At age 20 he tried life as a soldier, but left after one year. Six years later, having had several visions, he determined that his vocation was to found an order dedicated to the passion of our Lord. Officials declared the visions authentic and Paul withdrew to write a rule. He was joined by his brother, who remained with him for the rest of his life. By 1747, the Passionists had three houses and were preaching missions throughout Italy. At his death in 1775, Paul was establishing a congregation for Passionist nuns.
Sunday, October 13th at 11:30 AM in the Gabriel Room
This Sunday, the Passionist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality will facilitate a 30 minute reflection and discussion prompted by the readings for this Sunday’s liturgy. Note that this is a week later than usual due to the Installation of Fr. Brando as Pastor. All are welcome.
GOOD SHEPHERD REFUGE
You can make a difference in the lives of the hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving by participating in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Please no fresh or frozen foods. We thank you for your generous support!
Did you know that the plastic, outer bags from four litres of milk can be woven into quick-dry, bug-resistant bed mats for flood-ravaged areas of the third world, like Haiti. This gives them a practical use since they take 40 – 100 years to decompose. A bin has been placed at the back of the church for the collection of clean, dry bags. Thanks you!
Thanksgiving Weekend
If you still have winter clothing you would like to donate, please do not miss this opportunity … Becoming Neighbours, an initiative sponsored by the religious men and women congregations in Toronto to serve the refugees among us, is seeking gently-used winter clothing and accessories (coats, jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves, and mitts, etc. If you do have items to donate, please bring them in this weekend. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
There will be a second collection today for the Evangelization of the Nations, otherwise known as “World Mission Sunday.” This is a worldwide collection for the missionary church. World Mission Sunday is our opportunity to assist at-need Catholic communities throughout the world. Thank you for your support of this important work.
We are collecting Canadian Tire money in support of Matercare International which is an association of Catholic Obstetricians and Gynecologists working in developing countries. This organization is dedicated to improving the lives and health of mothers and their children, both unborn and born, through initiatives of service, training, research and advocacy. Please support this worthwhile campaign by dropping your Canadian Tire money in the collection basket.
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
World Mission Sunday October 20th from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Come and discover mission with Scarboro priests and lay missioners! Mass at 11:00 A.M. – Light Buffet Lunch – Displays “Discover the Road Less Travelled” Please confirm your attendance for the buffet lunch by contacting Scarboro Missions at 416-261-7135, Ext. 265 or by email at lmo@scarboromissions.ca
Saturday, October 26th, 9:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. 1300 Leslie Street
Great buys on good used clothing, small appliances, jewellery, china, linens, books, decorations, toys, baked goods and more.
Tuesday, October 22nd at 7:00 P.M. Our Lady of Sorrows Church
Catholic Family Services of Toronto and Our Lady of Sorrows Church will host the 4th Annual Mass to End Woman Abuse on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00 P.M. The Mass will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church – 3055 Bloor St. W. (west of Royal York Rd.) in Etobicoke. Light refreshments will follow. Please join us as we gather to pray for all families who are affected by violence. Woman Abuse Hurts Us All.
Sunday, October 27th at 2:30 P.M. St. Paul Basilica, 83 Power St., Toronto.
The celebration commences at 2.30 P.M. with a 30 minute Prelude of Sacred/Celtic Music by The Irish Choral Society. The Mass of Memory begins at 3.00 P.M. The Principal Celebrant will be Fr. Jerry Scott and the Homilist will be Fr. Patrick Fitzpatrick. A reception will follow in the church hall. The Mass is dedicated to the memory of: our Irish Ancestors, Victims of the Great Famine of 1847 who died here in Toronto and were buried in St. Paul’s Catholic Cemetery which is now the school yard east of the Basilica; Michael Power, the First Bishop of the Diocese of Toronto; the doctors, nurses, and lay people who died here in Toronto serving the Famine Irish; family and friends who passed away this year.
For information phone Norita Fleming 905 881 5012 or email noritasbb@rogers.com
Sunday, October 27th from 2:00 to-5:00 PM Mullah Asghar Research Centre, Door #4 Jaffari Village, 9000 Bathurst Street, Thornhill.
The program theme is “Advocacy: Where Politics And Religion Can Mix”. We will hear from speakers from faith-based organizations working for those in need and those lobbying for change. There will also be information displays and a children’s programme. Jaffari Village will generously provide a vegan supper at the end of the programme. All are welcome.
Please RSVP to Nora at 416-218-0680 by October 21 or call for more information. See the poster on the bulletin board.
Our operating expenses average $14,550 per week. Collection for October 6th, 2013
Envelopes 387 $7,830 Loose Change $1,037 Weekly Portion of PAG 182 $3,519 (Pre-Authorized Giving) Total $12,386
Please remember to print your full name on your Offertory envelope and then seal it.
| Posted in Bulletin |
October 6th, 2013
I’ve always found the last words of today’ parable a bit troubling. Jesus is telling his disciples, men who have committed their lives to him, that when all is said and done, the only thing they can say about themselves is’ we are worthless slaves we have done only what we ought to have done.
There can be a temptation of those who take their spiritual lives and growth seriously to wonder how they are doing? They want to step back and take a look at themselves, take a bit of their spiritual inventory. They question, am I making progress, am I growing more spiritually? Am I any more Christ-like? This approach never works. We live by faith and not by sight.
We cannot earn the love of God. We don’t deserve the love of God, it is freely given. St. Paul teaches, ‘before the world began God chose us in Christ to be his adopted children.’ St. John echoes this thought we he writes, ‘this is the love, not our love for God but God’s love for us when he sent his son into the world to be our savior. God’s love for us is not our entitlement, it is a gift.
We spend our lives trying to respond to this great gift by living lives worthy of our calling as Christian people. When all is said and done we have done only what we have ought to have done – been faithful to marriage vows – tried to pass on faith and sound values to our children – been honest in our dealings with others – tried to help those in need as best we could, tried not to be suckered into prejudice and bigotry toward those different from ourselves, tried not to judge others of different faiths, cultures or life styles, tried to be faithful to a life and time of prayer – tried to live a life that was faithful to the teachings of Jesus – tried to trust in God’s love for us, tried to trust that our sins and failures are things of the past. We have done only what we ought to have done.
Fr. Ron Rolheiser has this reflection on these final words of today’s gospel. “What Jesus is doing in this parable is drawing the distinction between what comes to us by right as opposed to what comes to us as gift. If each of us were given only what is owed to us, we would live like that servant just described. But we are given more, infinitely more. The real task of life then is to recognize this, to recognize that everything (life, love, others’ service to us) is gift and that we need to keep saying thanks over and over again for all the things in life that we so much take for granted … recognizing always that it is nobody’s job to take care of us.’
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we pray for ourselves and for each other that we be blessed with a deep attitude of gratitude for all the blessings that come our way.
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