January 15th, 2012
I would imagine that John the Baptist was a very popular person. We are told that people came from all over to hear his preaching and his call to repentance. Many men and women accepted his invitation to be baptized and turn their lives around and live as God would have them live. As time went on certain men aligned themselves to John the Baptist. They became his disciples, his companions, his confidants. The same thing happened to Jesus when he began his own ministry.
Read more »
| Posted in Homily |
January 16th – January 21st, 2012
MONDAY – Thanksgiving Requested by the Rogue Reyes Family
TUESDAY – JOSEPH HINCH Requested by Marilou Wight
WEDNESDAY – SEAN KERR Requested by Heather Wooton
THURSDAY – BOB EHMANN Requested by the Mackenzie family
FRIDAY – Thanksgiving Requested by John Chan & Family
SATURDAY – DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE WROBEL & CHUCHRA FAMILIES Requested by the Family
Thursday, February 9th, at 7:30 PM
On Thursday, February 9th at 7:30 there will be a meeting for parents only of children who will be receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion for the first time. The meeting will be held here in the Church.
The books We Discover God’s Path and We Share in the Eucharist will be distributed at that time. Please ensure that you get 2 books and help your child learn and review the content.
A good vocation prayer to say every day, from the time we are young until we are in our golden years, is found in today’s first Scripture reading: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”. Just try it with sincerity, starting today and, if you think God is calling you to a Church vocation, call Fr. Hansoo at 416-968-0997or email vocations@vocations.ca
www.vocationstoronto.ca
In past years, Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings have been devoted to religious topics decided on by those who wish to participate.
The Miracles of Jesus Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30 PM Wednesday, January 18th at 10:30 AM
Our operating expenses average $14,000 per week.
Collection for January 8th, 2011
Loose Change – $996 Envelopes (521) – $3,472 Weekly Portion of Pre-Authorized Giving (168) – $3,246 Total – $13,994
The “Pre-Authorized Giving” Plan (PAG), authorized and supported by the Archdiocese of Toronto, is a direct debit program. It allows parishioners to make their regular offertory donations by automatic monthly bank withdrawal on or about the 20th of each month. Participation in the PAG provides a regular dependable cash flow of contributions to the parish and enables us to better manage the Parish finances. PAG brochures and sign-up forms are available in the Parish Office and on the tables at the back of the Church.
Please pick up your 2012 Offertory Boxed Envelopes in the Gathering Space. If you are not currently using parish envelopes and wish to have a set issued for next year, please contact the Parish Office. This is the most effective way to keep track of your donations. If you have recently changed your address or phone number, it would be helpful if you would let us know at this time.
We would like to remind you not to use envelopes from previous years as this number has been reassigned to another family.
If you are on the Pre-Authorized Giving Plan, you will still receive a smaller green box of envelopes, since these include Initial, New Year’s, Christmas, Easter and Maintenance envelopes. Your box can be found on the table beside the regular offertory boxes in the Gathering Space.
Nearly 1000 people are reported dead and hundreds more are still missing after flash floods in the Philippines when Typhoon Washi hit southern Mindanao Island and surrounding areas in December. An estimated 40,000 people, many of whom were already desperately poor, are now living in evacuation centres after losing their homes and possessions.
Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:
Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.
At this time of year, many will be receiving Christmas cards. Please remember to bring us your used postage stamps. These are passed on to the Leprosy Mission of Canada helping them work towards the day when leprosy is eradicated. They are happy to accept any and all trimmed stamps, leaving no less than ¼ inch and no more than ½ inch paper border. Stamps may be deposited in the basket on the cabinet just outside the Parish Office.
In plans for cost-cutting, Toronto City Council is considering selling properties that they own. Eleven of these houses are run by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. These homes and programs provide for recovering alcohol and drug addictive people. Selling them will mean that these programs will end. There are 86 beds and over 7000 people have been served over the years. The great majority have met with success.
St. Vincent de Paul is asking for an exemption for these homes from a proposed TCHC sale. So far, they have been met with vague official prevarication. Please contact the Councillors in Wards 13, 17, 18, 19, 28, 30, 32 and the councillors for Willowdale, John Filion and David Shiner, and convince them of the absolute need to retain these homes for the continuation of their present invaluable use.
Voting will occur in the next week.
Tuesday, February 7th at 7:30 PM in the Gabriel Room
Would you be interested in meeting other parents from the parish who are parenting young children, age 6 and younger? If so, please come out on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:30 PM in the Gabriel Room to meet others and talk about the commonalities about parenting little ones.
The evening will be facilitated by Judy Johnston, a parishioner of ours, who is a nurse-educator. Judy has facilitated parenting groups professionally. She had been a participant in parent networking groups when her children were small, and found that experience to be most beneficial.
To allow for a more focused discussion, this evening is intended to be for adults only, either mom, dad or both. To register, please call or email the parish office (416) 221-8866, stgabrielsparish@bellnet.ca. If you would like to have further information about the meeting, please contact Judy Johnston at (416) 733-0024.
Sunday, January 15th at Thornhill United Church
Mosaic Interfaith invites you to attend an afternoon of inspiring stories from our various faith traditions on equality, justice and peace and a presentation on Martin Luther King, Jr. this Sunday January 15th at Thornhill United Church, 25 Elgin Street, Markham (one block east of Yonge St., entrance on Dudley Ave). To RSVP or for more information call Nora at 416 218 0680. See notice on bulletin board.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 – 3:00 p.m. St. Michael’s Cathedral 200 Church Street (at the corner of Shuter & Church Streets)
Come and join us in prayer with His Grace Archbishop Thomas Collins, joined by His Grace Anglican Archbishop Colin Johnson, Lutheran Bishop Michael Pryse, Slovak Catholic Bishop John Pazak, Assyrian Catholic Bishop Emmanuel Mar Emmanuel and other city-wide religious leaders on Sunday, January 22nd at 3:00 PM at St. Michael’s Cathedral.
Refreshments will follow in Parish Hall. For further information, please contact the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs at 416-934-3400 ext. 344.
Sunday, January 29th 2012 5:00 to 7:30 PM Gathering Space
Thank you for a phenomenal response to the Potluck Dinner! All tickets were sold on the weekend of January 7th/8th. At last count, twenty-two different ethnic groups were represented.
We look forward to an evening of diverse culinary and cultural experience. It will also be a wonderful opportunity for us to meet on a more personal level. Participants are encouraged to come to the Dinner in their ethnic costumes!
Featuring the Sneak Peek Orchestra St.Gabriel’s Church February 4th at 7:30 PM
The Sneak Peek Orchestra is pleased to present its major concert of the 2011/12 season, Dreams of Flying. On February 4th, 2012 at 7:30 PM. Toronto composer Rob Teehan’s Juno-nominated Dreams of Flying will open the concert, followed by Kevin Lau’s newest creation, Foundation. Dazzling soloist Rachel Mercer will perform this cello concerto. Finally, return to earth but let your spirit soar with Ludwig von Beethoven’s epic masterpiece, Symphony No. 7 in A major. The concert will take place here at St. Gabriel’s Church. Tickets will be available after all the Masses for the next 2 weeks and will also be sold at the door. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Check out www.sneakpeekorchestra.com for more information.
| Posted in Bulletin |
January 8th, 2012
A few years ago I received a Christmas card from a friend of mine who lives in Derry in Ireland. She is very politically active and was on the streets of Derry on Bloody Sunday, Jan 30, 1972 when British soldiers shot and killed 13 unarmed protesters and wounded 13 others. She was then and is now a pacifist and still works for peace and justice around the world.
In this week’s bulletin, Phillipines flood relief, saving Toronto Community Housing run by the St. Vincent de Paul society, and a Mosaic Interfaith meeting.
January 1st, 2012
I’ve always found January 1 st to be a cluttered day. We’re all winding down from our Christmas celebrations and here we are with another feast. In days past this was always the feast of the circumcision of Jesus. Now we celebrate the feast of Mary the Mother of God and it is also the world day of prayer for peace and of course it is New Years Day.
In the year 431 a church council held in Ephesus, which is in modern Turkey, declared Mary to be the Mother of God. St. John Chrysostom, one of the early Fathers of the Church has this to say about Mary being the Mother of God. “Believe what we say about the Virgin then, and do not hesitate to confess her to be both servant and Mother of God, both virgin and mother. She is a servant as the creature of him who was born of her; she is the Mother of God inasmuch as of her God was born in human flesh. She is a virgin because she did not conceive from the seed of man; she is a mother because she gave birth and became the mother of him who before all eternity was begotten of the Father.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians Paul shows us the implications of the birth of Jesus on each one of us. God sent his son into the world, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. Jesus became son of Mary that we might be sons and daughters of God. The birth of Jesus is the foundation of our personal status before God. St. Paul tells us that before the world began God chose us in Christ to be his adopted sons and daughters. Jesus became one with us so that we might be elevated to the status of children of God, for that is what we are.
Beyond all these things we basically see this day as New Year’s Day. That’s why we greet one another with the simple words, “happy new year.’ It is a day of new beginnings. We’ve made our own unrealistic resolutions about eating and drinking less, doing daily exercises, going to the gym more regularly etc etc. But we know from sad experience these sincere resolutions will fade away.
When we look back over the past year we remember un kept promises, un kept resolutions, many things we neglected to do, un-made phone calls, un-written letters. Maybe there are some things we remember with shame. We remember things we’ve done and things we left undone. Some of these memories can weigh us down with shame and guilt.
St. Paul never forgot he persecuted the early Christians, he saw himself as the least of all the Apostles but in one of his letters he offers great advice to all of us who may be haunted by past sins and mistakes. Paul writes ‘there is one thing I do, I forget what is behind and I strive on to what is ahead and I go with confidence to the throne of grace.”
We are all mistake making beings but mistake making being deeply loved by God. Let’s begin this New Year forgetting what is behind. May we have the boldness to go with confidence to the throne of grace and love.
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