June 1st, 2008
Do you remember a few summers ago when they had all that rain and flooding in Quebec? It was a real disaster. Brooks became swollen rivers, dams collapsed, whole towns were wiped out. There was a picture in newspapers all across the country that became quite famous. The picture was of a small white house sitting on a large rock. All the topsoil had been washed away but the house stood firm. All along the street other houses had been swept away – one house survived the flood, it was built on rock.
In today’s gospel we’ve heard a basic teaching of Jesus. He taught it at what is the end of what is called the “Great Sermon” in which He taught us the beatitudes, the Our Father, the Golden Rule. We could almost say Jesus said, “Now to sum it all up, it is not those who say to me, Lord, Lord, who will enter the kingdom, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
Jesus uses the example of how houses are built, on rock or on sand and shows the results of such foundations when floods rise and winds blow. Houses with sand as their foundation are swept away, they don’t have a chance. Houses with rock as their foundation stand as firm as the rock on which they were built.
Those who built their lives on the lip service of sand will hear the frightful words, “depart from me, I never knew you.” It is those who built their lives on the rock of fidelity who will withstand and survive all the storms life throws their way and be faithful to Him to the end.
There is a prayer that begins one of the weekday Masses that goes, “What we profess with our lips may we live in our lives. We’ve all heard the saying “if you talk the talk then walk the walk.” Remember the words Liza sings in My Fair Lady? “Words, words, words, I’m so of words, don’t speak of love, show me, show me now.” Could Christ be saying these words to us right now? Don’t speak of love, show me, show me now. Show me your love, show me you forgiveness, show me your compassion, in the way you treat and relate to a member of your family, a co-worker, a neighbour or a stranger. Don’t speak of love, show me, show me now in the way you reach out and care for someone in need, in the way you welcome a stranger, in the way respect a person of a different faith or culture or life style. Don’t speak of love, show me, show me now in the way you are willing to heal past hurts, in the way you try to be reconciled with someone who disappointed you, hurt you, even betrayed you. Show me, show me now.
Are our lives as Christians lived on the sands of lip service or do we try and try again to live our lives on the rock foundation of fidelity, even though we may fail at times? As Christian men and women do we put our money where our mouth is? This is the righteousness St. Paul writes about in our second reading. It comes from a true, life giving relationship with God in and through a true, life giving relationship with others. Don’t speak of love, show me, show me now.
As we continue to celebrate this Eucharist we can pray for ourselves and for each other, that in our own struggles to live our lives as Christian men and women we will be blessed to hear the word of God and live it. That we will not only speak of love we will show love in the way we relate to all those who come into our lives each day.
| Posted in Homily |
“Because You Give…..”
Today is ShareLife’s third and final offering.
“Give and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you” Luke 6:38
Give with compassion and generosity according to the words of the Gospel of Luke. Because you give… your sacrificial gift today will help those in need and allow ShareLife agencies to continue to make a difference in 2008.
2007 ShareLife Total: $164,652.60 2008 ShareLife to Date: $ 128,633.00
Total: $8,475.95
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Wednesday morning, June 4 at 10:30 AM Topic: St. Paul – Pastor and Theologian
Our journey of life and journey of faith are meant to converge at an early age. For many of us, however, we tend to grow physically, mentally, psychologically etc., but remain at a childish level of understanding our faith. The following information is for those who wish to keep growing, to be able to enjoy the Good news of God’s love for us as members of God’s Church.
R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) meetings begin on Monday, September 15th at 7:30 PM. These evenings are for persons interested in learning about the Catholic Faith. Because the Parish Community itself is considered the official teacher and guide for potential new members, it is important that some parishioners participate by being present and by sharing their Faith in various ways. It is also an opportunity for “Born Catholics” to deepen their understanding of the faith. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist and/or Confirmation are welcome. For more information, please call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866.
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 36 casseroles for the Good Shepherd Centre for May. For June, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of June 28/29 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.
This is your last opportunity to get a copy of the St. Gabriel’s mosaic, The 10 remaining pictures, in a choice of frames, will be on sale after all the Masses for a reduced price of $45.
Vision TV Monday, June 2 at 3:30 PM Friday, June 6 at 10:30 PM (repeated Monday, June 9 at 3:30 PM)
Extreme Clergy is a new documentary series which premiered on May 16 on Vision TV. Filmed in hotspots around the world, the series offers a rare glimpse of challenges faced and met by spiritual people struggling to better the lives of the poor, the embattled and the desperate. In each half hour episode, you will meet a member of the clergy with extreme dedication to helping people in extraordinary and often dangerous circumstances. For a list of episodes visit: www.extremeclergy.com
The Sharelife Office will be accepting donations to support humanitarian relief efforts underway in China, assisting in the care for those injured or displaced from their homes. All contributions received by ShareLife will be forwarded to the appropriate relief partners. Please note that ShareLife does not apply administrative fees to humanitarian relief contributions – 100% of the funds collected go directly to the agencies involved.
As announced last week, please note that ShareLife continues to receive contributions for the ongoing relief efforts in Myanmar/Burma following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis on May 3 in that country. Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:
We offer our prayers for the thousands of families affected by these natural disasters. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to serve those in crisis around the world.
The Marygrove Camp collection will be taken up on June 14th and 15th. Marygrove offers 1,100 girls from less fortunate families an opportunity to attend summer camp. Please remember to support this important work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
LIVERight and join our local community Butterfly 5K Run/Walk in the East Don River Park in memory of Olivia Barron. Join the fun and help raise awareness and funds for children’s liver disease research on Sunday, June 8.
Register at www.runningroom.com. If you would like to contact us or pledge Olivia’s brother, please call 416-490-0134 or email us at p.barron@sympatico.ca.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul will be collecting gently used clothing and household linens for those in need on the weekend of June 14Th and 15Th. There is a particular need for textiles and footwear. A St. Vincent de Paul truck will be parked on the upper parking lot opposite the garden. Volunteers will assist with loading before and after each of the Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
Fred Speed, a long-time parishioner, is offering to teach English to small groups of new immigrant women. The groups will be between four and six persons. It is anticipated that classes, with an initial focus on conversational English, will be offered one afternoon a week here at the parish. They will be targeted to immigrants with a beginner level of English. Details about the classes may be found on the bulletin boards. Those interested, please contact Fatima Lee at (416) 221-8866, Ext. 228 for further information and/or to register.
Catholic Parents of Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons Day of Reflection Saturday, June 21, 2008 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM $40.00 (includes lunch) Scarboro Missions 2685 Kingston Road, Toronto For Brochure and information call John Montague at 416 – 523 – 644
| Posted in Bulletin |
May 25th, 2008
According to the teaching of the church the Mass or Eucharist is the most important prayer of the church. Right here, right now we are giving God the greatest glory. Other prayers and devotions pale in significance to what we are about this morning.
Every Sunday the first announcement from the pulpit in the Cathedral in Saint John, where I grew up was; “it is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday. One also sins who misses any part of the Mass through their own fault.” If a person arrived at Mass after the sermon they were expected to stay for the next Mass and be present for what we call today, the liturgy of the word. People made sure they were on time for Mass. In those days the word ‘dialog’ was not in the dictionary. Young people were not given a choice as to whether we went to Mass. We did what we were told.
Have we lost that sense of importance, even the magnitude and awesomeness of the Mass? Here, within this short hour we are touched with the truth; the cup of blessing which we bless is a sharing in the blood of Christ – the bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
In this short hour we are touched with the truth, “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will raise them up on the last day, for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me and I live in them.” Ideally, at this Mass and at every Mass when we hear the words of Jesus ‘this is my body, this is my blood’ we respond ‘this is my body, this is my blood, as You give yourself to me, I give my self to You.”
At this Mass, at every Mass we re-present – make present here and now – the sacrifice, the gift, Jesus made of His life on the altar of the cross on Calvary. We offer this sacrifice, this gift to the Father in thanksgiving for that first sacrifice and in thanksgiving for all the blessings of our lives. The Mass is all about ‘thanksgiving’. To every Mass we bring our needs, our frights and fears but most importantly we bring our attitude of gratitude. Ideally we are here because we know ‘it is good to give God thanks and praise.’ Ideally we are here not because we have to be here but because we want to be here to say ‘thank you’. Together we make this Mass all that it could and should be by our full and active participation in the prayers and hymns of the Mass.
Back in 1994 a German theologian named Karl Rahner wrote these words about the Mass – the Eucharist we are now celebrating: “We commonplace people make this mystery of eternal life so ordinary. Look how the priest performs his sublime office morosely, impelled by objective duty as though he were carrying out some chore and not the liturgy in which the light and blessedness of heaven are contained – and we in the pews – we receive the sacrament as if nothing were happening. Weary and lazy we take the same heart back home from the table of God into the narrow rooms of our lives where we are more at home than in God’s upper room. We offer the Son in sacrifice but we refuse to offer our own hearts. We play the divine game of the liturgy but we are not in earnest about it. Nevertheless Jesus welcomes us all, even if he does not find in our eyes radiant joy and eager longing. Jesus welcomes us as partners in love and companions at the table he provides.
These are disturbing and consoling words. Disturbing when we hear words such as the priest being morose and treating the Mass as if it were chore – or the congregation being weary and lazy and not really be in the spirit of it all.
Yet these are consoling words as well, consoling in the thought that for all our pre-occupations and distractions, for all our lack of radiant joy and eager longings, Jesus welcomes us all, priest and people, as His partners in love and companions at the table he provides for us Sunday after Sunday. One time the Pharisees complained that Jesus ate and drank with sinners. He still does and He enjoys our company as companions at His table of life.
As we continue to celebrate this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ we can pray for ourselves and for each other that as we receive the bread of life in communion we will be blessed with a deeper appreciation of why we are here together – and as Jesus gives Himself to us as our food we will be willing to give ourselves to Him in thanksgiving for His great love Has shown for each one of us by His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
In 1988, Les Centre D’Acueil Heritage began receiving funding from ShareLife. This agency not only provides residential services but also provides home help and social interventions. Les Centres D’Acueil is the only Francophone agency supported by ShareLife funding. They house residents who are ill, immigrants and people who have a great need of the social services provided. Because you give… ShareLife is able to provide the centres with the funds they require to help those in need.
Next week is ShareLife’s third and final collection. Remember, your gift to ShareLife can provide hope and make a difference to those in need!
For more information about the 34 Agencies funded by ShareLife visit our website at www.sharelife.org
2007 ShareLife Total: $164,652.60 2008 ShareLife to Date: $128,633.00
Total: $11,006.74
The parish of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome Darrin Nesmerak who was baptized on Sunday, May 18, 2008.
Sunday, June 1 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.
Friday, June 6 from 9:30 AM – 12 Noon Please see the time schedule on the table inside the Church.
Saturday, June 7 at 3:15 PM in the Library For information, please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
Vision TV – Monday, May 26 at 3:30 PM
Extreme Clergy is a new documentary series which premiered on May 16 on Vision TV. Filmed in hotspots around the world, the series offers a rare glimpse of challenges faced and met by spiritual people struggling to better the lives of the poor, the embattled and the desperate.
In each half hour episode, you will meet a member of the clergy with extreme dedication to helping people in extraordinary and often dangerous circumstances.
For a list of episodes visit: www.extremeclergy.com
As announced last week, please note that ShareLife continues to receive contributions for the ongoing relief efforts in Myanmar, Burma following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis on May 3 in that country. Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:
Two of our young parishioners, high school students Robin Ivory and Colleen Shea, will be traveling to Kenya this summer as part of a volunteer group organized by the Toronto Catholic District School Board in conjunction with Free the Children. They will be helping to build and supply a school in a remote tribal area, and are selling raffle tickets for a variety of great prizes to help offset the cost of materials. Robin and Colleen and their families have been active parishioners of St. Gabriel’s for many years, and we encourage you to support their efforts. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25 and will be available after all the Masses on May31/June 1.
Saturday, May 31, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM 396 Spring Garden Avenue (Raindate Sunday, June 1) $5.00 a wash The St. Gabriel’s Grade 8 Grads will be holding their annual Car Wash/BBQ to raise funds for their graduation celebrations. Your support is very much appreciated.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates Marygrove camp for disadvantaged girls ages 5 to 13. Over 1,100 children attend camp each summer. There will be a second collection for Marygrove Camp on June 15/16.
LIVERight and join our local community Butterfly 5K Run/Walk in the East Don River Park in memory of Olivia Barron. Join the fun and help raise awareness and funds for children’s liver disease research on Sunday, June 8. Register at www.runningroom.com. If you would like to contact us or pledge Olivia’s brother, please call 416-490-0134 or email us at p.barron@sympatico.ca.
May 30 to June 1, 2008
Have you ever wondered seriously if you have a vocation to be a sister, brother, deacon or priest? Are you looking for an opportunity to get away for quiet prayer and reflection to explore this more seriously? Set aside a weekend for yourself and make a discernment retreat arranged specifically for this purpose. The retreat, intended for persons ages 18 to 35, will take place at the Scarboro Mission Centre, 2685 Kingston Road from May 30 to June 1. It is sponsored by the Toronto Area Vocation Directors Association.
For more Information, contact: Sr. Agnes Roger DJC 416-0536-5313 Email: srmagnes@bellnet.ca
Fr. Len Altilia S.J. 416-962-4500 Email: vocations@jesuits.ca
Sr. Kateri Beaudry CPS 416-558-5718 Email: srkatericps@hotmail.com
May 18th, 2008
Today we celebrate the basic mystery of our Christian faith, the mystery of the Trinity. Every time we make the sign of the cross we express our belief in the Blessed Trinity. After the Our Father and the Hail Mary our most common prayer is “glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.” We begin every Mass with the greeting Paul used in his letter to the Corinthians, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.” These are all expressions of our faith in this great mystery. In dealing with any of the mysteries of our faith we have to remember that a mystery is not something of which can know nothing, a mystery is something of which we cannot know everything. Even when we see God face to face we will still not be able to comprehend God. The lesser cannot contain the greater.
In the teachings of Jesus we come to know that the inner life of God is a life of relationships. The Father loves the Son and the love that binds them together is the Holy Spirit.
In our first reading God told Moses how he wanted to be known, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. God proved that steadfast love when God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn us but to embrace us and bring us to everlasting life. Last week we celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us all, a Spirit who would teach us the truths of God and keep us faithful to God.
All our lives we are involved in relationships. We are made in the image and likeness of God in that we are able to enter into loving and life giving relationship. In the beginning God said ‘it is not good for you to be alone’. As St. Paul reminds us, “the life and death of each of us has its influence on others.” We cannot go through life untouched or untouching. We are conceived in a relationship of love, we enjoy an intimate nine month relationship with our mother, we are born into a family, we grow up making and losing friends, we have neighbours and co-workers; we chose a life long friend and companion in the sacrament of marriage.
We are in relationship with all those who share our Christian Catholic faith. As we pray at Mass, “May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.”
As we all know relationships can be tricky things. There are loving and life giving relationships and there are manipulative and abusive relationships. There are relationships that help us grow and mature and relationships that can make us submissive and dependent.
The quality and health of our relationship with others determines the quality and health of our relationship with God. Love one another as I have loved you… by this all will know that you are mine, if you have love one for the other. As often as you did these things to one of these the least of my brothers and sisters you did it to me.
In recent times we come to have a deeper appreciation of the relationship we have with the rest of God’s good creation. We are a strand in the web of life that makes up the life systems of our home the Earth. We did not weave this web we are a strand in it and what we do to the web we do to ourselves. Slowly we are beginning to realize that we are family with the rest of life on earth, slowly we are beginning to realize the negative impact we are having on the life systems of the planet, and slowly we are beginning to realize the need we have to heal that relationship.
God made us to be relational as God is relational. As we celebrate this mystery of the Trinity we can pray for ourselves and for each other that we blessed to appreciate the mystery and the possibilities of our own relationships, with God, with the family of the church, with friends and strangers and with the family of life that vitalizes planet Earth. We pray that in all these relationships we will be sources of life, love, growth and healing.
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