October 5th, 2008
This is the most important time of the year for farmers – it’s harvest time. By the quality of the food grown in Ontario this year, this has been a great year. The strawberries, the peaches, the corn were delicious. For any farmer it is a good year if the harvest is bountiful, but it is a disaster if the harvest fails. All that hard work for nothing and harvest time turns to misery.
Our first reading and the gospel are almost parallel stories. They tell of all the hard work that goes into developing a vineyard. Turning the soil, planting and caring for the vines, building a tower for protection, digging out a wine vat for making wine, all these are part and parcel of the vineyard. After all that effort and hard work one looks for and hopes for a good harvest. Imagine the disappointment on discovering the vines you cultivated so carefully have produced wild, sour grapes, good for nothing. The owner looses his investment, it’s not only the grapes that are sour.
The story Jesus tells runs pretty parallel to the one Isaiah tells. Its all about God’s generosity to His people, the people God chose to be His own. How is that generosity repaid? As our disappointed God asks, “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?”
We see the same disappointment in the gospel story. It is even worse. The tenants repay the generosity of the owner by killing his son. And there are consequences to the actions of the tenants. In the Isaiah story the vineyard is let go to waste, in the gospel the tenants are driven out and the vineyard is given to others. In hearing these two stories, but especially the gospel we may be tempted to read into this gospel something it does not say, that Christianity is superior to and supercedes Judaism. That’s not what this gospel teaches and to think this would be a dangerous and incorrect reading and understanding of who Jesus was and is. It’s important to remember that God’s love for and covenant with the Jewish people has not been taken away, nor is it replaced by God’s love for those who follow Jesus.
On Good Friday when we pray for the Jewish people we acknowledge they were the first to hear the word of God, to them belongs the covenant and the prophets and as Jesus told the Samaritans, “salvation is from the Jews.”
Matthew presents Jesus as sent to the people of Israel, the Jews, to call them back to their original experiences of the Exodus and God’s saving love and formation of them as God’s chosen people. At this Eucharist we are called back to our original experience of God’s saving love as we re-present the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The people of Israel and the people of Christianity are reminded of just who they are in God’s eyes and how they are to respond. The response of the people then and our response today indicate a similar human resistance to what God invites us all to be. The reading from Isaiah and the gospel of Matthew teach us that we, Jews and Christians are the vine, the vineyard planted and created for a just relationship with that Planter.
During his recent visit to France, Pope Benedict met with leaders of the French Jewish community. He had this to say, “Dear friends, for reasons that unite us and for reasons that separate us, we must live and strengthen our fraternity. And we know that the bonds of fraternity are a continual invitation to know one another better and to respect one another.” The Pope goes on to say, “By her very nature, the Catholic Church is called to respect the Covenant established by God with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She also places herself, in fact, in the eternal Covenant of the Almighty, who does not repent of his plan and respects the children of the Promise, children of the Covenant, as her beloved brothers and sisters in the faith. The Church repeats forcefully, through my voice, the words of the great Pope Pius XI, who said to a group of Belgium pilgrims in 1938 ‘Spiritually, we are all Semites’. Hence, the Church is opposed to all forms of anti-Semitism, for which there is no acceptable theological justification. To be anti-Semitic is to be anti-Christian.”
On Thursday of this coming week our Jewish friends and neighbours will be celebrating Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in which they face the reality of all those times and occasion where they have failed, individually and as a community to be a fruitful vineyard and commit themselves once more to be faithful to their covenant with God. We could join with them in that same spirit of sorrow as we face our own failures to be the fruitful vineyard and renew our own desire to be faithful members of God’s holy people, faithful followers of the Christ Who died for us so that we might live in the life of God.
| Posted in Homily |
Total: $9,175.62
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The Altar Service is now recruiting new members. If you are in Grade 4 or higher and are interested in becoming an altar server, please leave your name and phone number with the Parish Office at 416-221-8866. The orientation and training for new members will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 2:30 PM to 4:15 PM.
The Children’s liturgy of the word, for children 4 – 10 years old, began on Sunday, September 21 at the 10:30 AM Mass. We are in need of volunteers to help us interpret the readings through discussion and activities. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Tim Lychy at 416- 953-0555 or email him at tim@dibrinasure.com.
The ceremony for the blessing of the sick will be held on Sunday, October 19th at 3:30 PM. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Sacraments. It is celebrated with those who are seriously ill, those who are preparing for surgery and the elderly. The preferred place for celebrating this Sacrament is in the Church with family and the members of the parish community present. All are more than welcome to attend.
The Parish community would like to welcome: Kimora Creavalle, Jessica Martine Joy Lee, Jonathan Brendan Jim Lee. Rhys Douglas Justin Rublee. Kale Sokoloff, Joshua Ronyn Yong, Madison Sarah Yong, Ryley Matthew Yong,
Attention: Those who are Interested in learning about the Catholic Faith This is an invitation to come to our meeting on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 7:30 in the Library. Come with your questions, your curiosity, and your point of view. They will be the basis of our discussion. To Our Parishioners: Because our Parish Community is considered the official teacher and guide for possible new members, it is important that some of you help by being present and by sharing your faith in ways that are comfortable to you. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the sacraments of Eucharist and /or Confirmation are also welcome. For more information, please call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866.
In past years, Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings have been devoted to religious topics decided on by those who wish to participate. We have studied and discussed parts of the Bible, Church history, viewed videos, listened to tapes and read short but substantial books about Christ and the Church.
On Wednesday morning, October 8th at 10:30 AM, we will finish studying St. Paul’s Letters.
On Tuesday evening, October 14th at 7:30 PM, our topic will be “What is Liberation Theology?”
Both groups will decide what topics they wish to study through the fall. If you are interested, please come with your questions, your “puzzlements”, your concerns and interests about the faith (and sometimes doubts) we share. For further information, please call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866, Ext. 224.
World Mission Sunday is on October 19th this year. This world wide collection for the missionary church provides emergency aid when disasters strike, cares for refugees in war torn nations, provides rural health clinics and transportation for priests and catechists. Please pray for the missions and be generous on World Mission Sunday.
“Those who sing pray twice!”
We would like to invite new membership to our Senior and Junior Choirs. The Senior Choir practices Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 and sings at the 10:30 Mass. The Junior Choir practices Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 and sings at the 12:30 Mass. We invite all to consider joining this important ministry of music. For more information, please call Marilyn Calderone at 416-618-2041.
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 47 casseroles for the Good Shepherd Centre for September. For October, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of October 25/26 for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. More volunteers are encouraged to become active in helping to feed our less fortunate sisters and brothers. If you require more information or would like to get a copy of the recipe and a casserole pan, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416-221-2791.
Over the last few months we have collected a number of items in our Lost and Found. Currently unclaimed items include a camera and two pairs of glasses. Please check at the Parish Office, 416- 221-8866, for misplaced items.
Good Shepherd Ministries is unfortunately witnessing a growth in the number of people lining up to eat in their dining room each day. This past year, over 270,000 meals were served – 15,000 more than the previous year. We have been asked to participate in the 2008 Thanksgiving Food Drive. Rice, canned vegetables and meats, canned stews and soups, cereals pasta and sauces, peanut butter, jams, sugar, tea, ground and instant coffee, hot chocolate, powdered fruit juice, paprika, garlic powder, and condiments are urgently needed. Please drop off your donations in the designated containers at the doors of the Church. The parish’s donations of non-perishable food will make it possible for the Good Shepherd Ministries to continue to offer nutritious meals to those in need. They need our help more than ever!
Archbishop Collins will provide the opening address at a conference on woman abuse hosted by some of the Catholic agencies of the Archdiocese on Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The conference will be held at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in North York (Sheppard Subway Station). Come and learn about this important issue and what you can do about it. Youth (over 16 years) and adults, both men and women, are welcome. Pre-registration is required. The fee of $20 includes lunch. Please contact Carmela at 416-222-0048, Ext. 235
A group of synagogues in the Bayview corridor have project to supply two First Nation’s communities, located about an hour from Owen Sound, with donated sports equipment including skates, hockey equipment, skis and bicycles. A date (probably in October) and a location where items can be dropped off will be announced. Donated items must be delivered the same day since storage is not possible. If anyone would like to donate items for this project, please keep the items aside pending further details. There may also be a request for volunteer drivers with vans. Please stay posted for further information.
The archdiocese of Toronto has created an online space: www.archtoronto.org/federalelections that provides resources to help with the discernment process as we prepare to elect a federal government on October 14, 2008. We hope this is a helpful tool.
Thinking about the priesthood? Wondering what it might be like? Then “Come and See” is for you! November 7th to 9th, 2008, there will be an opportunity for young men of 18 years or older to visit our Archdiocesan Seminary in Scarborough. This weekend will provide time for prayer, reflection and information on becoming a Catholic priest. If God is calling you, say yes… and Come and See. Those interested are asked to speak with their Pastor or contact the Office of Vocations for further information at 416-968-0997.
Single women, 18 to 40, are invited to a retreat weekend October 17 – 19 given by a team of Sisters of St. Joseph. For further information, call Sister Dorothy at 416-927-0702. Also see the bulletin board flyer.
| Posted in Bulletin |
September 28th, 2008
We are back in the vineyard again this week. Last week we heard the parable of the owner of the vineyard hiring all through the day and paying everyone the same wage, much to the anger of those who labored all day. The generosity of the land owner seems so unfair. The early workers resented the late comers. In this parable the scribes and Pharisees represent the long line of holy and devout Israelites who bore the burden of faithfulness through the centuries. In the eyes of the Scribes and Pharisees the followers of Jesus are not only new-comers, they don’t even keep the customs and traditions nor do they respect the authority structures of God’s ways.
The Apostles and the disciples are the late-comers whom Jesus has called into the vineyard to labor with and for Him. They will be rewarded, though their fidelity has been shorter.
This Sunday we are back in the vineyard only this time we are dealing with the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sons. Again Jesus is directing His teachings toward the scribes and elders of Israel. The tax collectors and prostitutes had said with their lives and lifestyles “No!” to the call of the vineyard. Yet, by listening to the call of Jesus their choices change to a strong “Yes!” as they repent. The “elders and scribes” have been living a “yes” as they kept all the laws and observances but they choose to say “no” to the invitations of Jesus. They do not gain entrance into the kingdom as do the former sinners. The religiously upright elders have a problem with Jesus’ being so mercifully inclusive. They hear this parable and understand it to mean that though they have said yes, by their refusal to follow Jesus, they do not belong. They find this a very harsh parable and they resent Jesus, even to the point of wanting to do away with Him.
I have a feeling that many parents have had the experience of the father in today’s gospel. The rebellious ‘no’ son or daughter who finally come to their senses and see and accept the values parents offered them in their early years: the value of an education, the value of self control, the value of honesty, the value of having respect for other people, the value of faith and belonging to a faith community, the value of family. Parents have experienced as well the disappointment of seeing a son or daughter with so much promise, blowing it by making disastrous choices and harmful decisions. Parents know the feeling of the father in our gospel story who sees a ‘no’ turn to a ‘yes’ and a ‘yes’ turn into a ‘no’ and the consequences that follow such choices.
But in the living of our lives we are all both yes-ers and no-ers. The good that we would, that we do not and the evil we would not do that we do. We are all ambivalent to the demands of our relationship with God. We all have within us an orientation toward trusting God’s care and mercy. We stumble over that “yes” when the confusions of life spin our minds and hearts around and we say “no!” by our not wanting to deal with, accept, or live through all that Christ might ask of us. We can live a “No” as well by not allowing ourselves to go into the vineyard of life, because we cannot accept forgiveness, acceptance and love. The tax collectors and prostitutes were included, because they allowed their lives to be changed, their self images to be rearranged by Jesus’ merciful touch.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that, strengthened by the bread of life we receive at this Mass, we will try to always say our ‘yes’ to the call of Jesus, Who calls us to grow in His life and love.
Total: $9,196.78
The Children’s liturgy of the word, for children 4-10 years old, began on Sunday, September 21 at the 10:30 AM Mass. We are in need of volunteers to help us interpret the readings through discussion and activities. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Tim Lychy at 416-953-0555 or email him at tim@dibrinasure.com.
Classes for the Children’s Faith Program, for children attending private or public schools, have already begun. However, registration forms are still being accepted until the October 5th class. These forms can be picked up at the Parish Office. For further information, please contact Cheryl Teixeira at 416-261-9693.
Attention: Those who are Interested in learning about the Catholic Faith This is an invitation to come to our meeting on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 7:30 in the Library. Come with your questions, your curiosity, and your point of view. They will be the basis of our discussion.
To Our Parishioners: Because our Parish Community is considered the official teacher and guide for possible new members, it is important that some of you help by being present and by sharing your faith in ways that are comfortable to you. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the sacraments of Eucharist and /or Confirmation are also welcome. For more information, please call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866.
On Tuesday evening, September 30th at 7:30 PM, our topic will be “What is Liberation Theology?”
We do have a small but growing library. After each Mass on October 4th and 5th, I will introduce interested readers to it. Come to the office and down the hall. Mary Landry
Our school is in need of a lunchtime supervisor. Work schedule is on a daily basis from 12:00 to 1:00PM. Duties include supervision of students indoors and outdoors during the noon hour. Please contact the school at 416-393-5256 for more information.
Friday, October 3 from 9:30 AM – 12 Noon Please see the time schedule on the table inside the Church.
Saturday, October 4 at 3:15 PM in the Library For information, please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
Sunday, October 5 at 3:30 PM in the Gabriel Room For information, please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
Sunday, October 5 at 11:30 AM in the Gabriel Room
On the first Sunday of each month, the Passionist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality facilitates a 30 minute reflection and discussion prompted by the readings for that Sunday’s liturgy. This guided reflection brings an ecological perspective to the readings.
Retired, Senior, or available weekday/weekends? Providence healthcare is looking for volunteers to assist with customer service duties in our retail stores. Positions to be filled: Cashiers, Buyers, Bookkeepers, Merchandisers, Stock Clerks. For information about these volunteer opportunities, please call 416-285-3749. Providence Healthcare is located at 3276 St. Clair Avenue E., (Warden at St. Clair) www.providence.on.ca
Married couples: You deserve a weekend to celebrate being together; to rediscover each other and to focus on ways to make your relationship even better. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend offers this opportunity. Consider giving each other or another couple that you know the gift of a weekend away from daily pressures; time to be with each other and with God on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. Upcoming Weekend date: October 24-26, 2008. For further information, please contact David and Lucy Adams, 905-470-9590 or email adams@rogers.com
Elections Canada is looking for workers for October 14th, Election Day. Applicants must be Canadian citizens 18 years of age or older. For information call 1-866-281-5126, then dial 2.
September 21st, 2008
The parable in today’s gospel was one that Jesus used for one occasion and the Church remembers for another reason.
Many people could relate to the story Jesus tells. Unskilled laborers gathered in the market place hoping they would find work that day. Some were successful others were not. We can imagine the disappointed of the un-chosen. They would go home that evening with no money to feed their families. Someone has referred to this Sunday as, “It ain’t fair” Sunday. At first reading it really isn’t fair. Those who worked all day should have received more than these Johnny come latelies.
Jesus said that He was sent first of all to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; to the people who followed God’s ways since Abraham and the early covenants. They have been faithful, laboring to be a part of God’s kingdom. The apostles are being prepared to enter the vineyard here at the last hour. The scribes and Pharisees represent the long line of holy and devout Israelites who bore the burden of faithfulness through the centuries. They well know that God’s ways are different from theirs as they remember their long religious history. As we heard in Isaiah “My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are My ways your ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher you’re your ways. In the eyes of the Scribes and Pharisees the followers of Jesus are not only new-comers, they don’t even keep the customs and traditions nor do they respect the authority structures of God’s ways. The key words in this parable are those about how the owner kept going out at all hours to invite and employ. This owner is constant, his message is the same and his promises for payment are standard. God is faithful and inclusive, as opposed to our ways which are so judicial and selective.
The Apostles and the disciples are the late-comers whom Jesus has called into the vineyard to labor with and for Him. They will be rewarded, though their fidelity has been shorter. Is this fair? The first and last will all be included. All will have to adjust their feelings based on God’s ways not being like theirs.
This was the original teaching Jesus had in mind. But Matthew tells this parable with something else in mind. One of the big issues in the early Christian communities was the fact that non-Jews, the Gentiles were anxious to follow Jesus, they wanted to join what was strictly a Jewish community. Some of the first followers of Jesus resented their presence, resented their being welcomed into the community. So the parable is addressed to those members of the community who resented these late comers and who were convinced “it ain’t fair”. The message of the parable is true in both understandings, the older and younger, the newly-called and the ancients are all going to receive God’s love equally.
Maybe a modern parallel to this parable can be found in the mentality of people who resent new comers to Canada. Have you ever heard anyone complain about ‘these people’ who come over here and take jobs away from Canadians, ‘these people who come here and get government assistance paid for by our taxes?’ They are Freddy free loaders. This parable could apply to the protectionism of different professions who hinder the newcomer from practicing their skills in Canada. They use the lame excuse, “they don’t meet our standards, and they have no Canadian experience.” In other words, “they don’t belong here.”
If you are not a member of our First Nations then you are a boat person. Our families, no matter when they came to Canada, came here looking for a better life, a freer life. If we take the time to look back into our own family histories we would learn that they were blessed in having the chance to make a life in this land. Why would we deny that same blessing to others?
The message of the parable is that we are all a graced people. We have no exclusive claim on the mercy and love of God. As St. John tells us, “this is the wonder, not that we love God but that God first loved us and sent His Son to be our Savior.” St. Paul teaches, “Before the world began God chose us to be His adopted sons and daughters.” If ever we find ourselves resenting the goodness or mercy of God to others we could ask ourselves, “where would we be without that same goodness and mercy.” We may resent the generosity of God toward others but where would we be without that same generosity?
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that each of us finds in our hearts the generosity and inclusiveness we see the landowner and be happy that God is as generous with others and God is with us.
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.
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