January 21st, 2012
Jonah was an unwilling messenger of God’s mercy. God sent Jonah to Nineveh to show God was concerned for the well being of all God’s people. Jonah was caught up in the narrow nationalism that believed God was only concerned about the well being of the Israelites and he was disappointed that the people listened to his call to repentance and the city was spared.
God threatened to destroy the city and in a way that is what happened. Through the preaching of Jonah the people did repent and ceased to be the Ninevites that they were. The old Nineveh became a renewed Nineveh. A Nineveh with which God was pleased but Jonah was not.
We can imagine God was displeased with the people of Nineveh because of the way they lived their lives. We can imagine they were caught up in extravagant and wasteful life styles. We can imagine there was a rift between the haves and the have nots. We can imagine that the poor, hungry and homeless of the city were neglected. We can imagine that the citizens of Nineveh had no sense of the common good. We can be grateful that through the preaching of Jonah all this changed
The message of Jonah and Jesus was the same: repent. But what does it mean to repent? Basically it means we are determined change the values that govern our lives. The Greek word for repent is metanoiein – which means to change one’s mind. People who are willing to repent are people who take an honest look at their life styles and know they are meant for better things. They are people who face the fact that over-eating, over-drinking and smoking – just to use a few examples – shorten a person’s life and they are determined to change the ways they are living their lives.
The call to repent can also challenge our ways of thinking, our attitudes toward other people, our attitudes toward the way life is lived around us. Remember the old idea of the examination of conscience? At the end of the day we were to look back over the day and remember the good things we did and admit the things we failed to do. The deeper understanding of this practice was that it was meant to be an examination of our consciousness. How conscious are we about what was going on around us in the course of the day. How conscious are we about an atmosphere of prejudice in our work place or how conscious are we about the stress our fellow workers are under. How conscious are we about the social issues that are alive in our city. How awake and aware are we to what is going on around us.
We are not bad people but sometimes we allow ourselves to get sucked into values and mind sets that are not of the gospel – we’ve seen some of this in the battle of the budget- some of the cuts called for were cuts that some members of the council knew to be wrong and they stopped them because they touched the lives of the have nots, the most needy of citizens. They blamed the victims, good people who are suffering the most in these harsh economic times. Good people, who through no fault of their own do not know how to manage their lives, much less manage their money, limited people who need help. The debate wasn’t all that impressive especially in light of our gospel teaching on how we are to respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless and the helpless.
With the call to repent in both our first reading and the gospel maybe it would be good for all of us to examine our consciousness of the problems and the issues that affect our city and be willing to do what we can to make our city a more humane and kinder place to live.
| Posted in Homily |
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.
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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.
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
