June 8th, 2008
The prophet Hosea is really giving the people ‘what for’ as he confronts them with their fickleness in their relationship with God. The fidelity of the tribe of Ephraim and Judah is like a morning cloud, like the dew on grass that goes away quickly. Hosea reminds them that God prefers their steadfast love over their sacrifices, sacrifices deaden by routine and lack of commitment.
Hosea encourages the people to ‘press on to know the Lord’. What he wants the people to do is to rediscover the God Who loves them and enables them to love others. His words are as true today as the day they were first spoken. Let us press on to know the Lord. Know the Lord through our reading of Scripture, know the Lord by finding a time in our busy day to be present to Him in prayer, know the Lord by being attentive to the different ways God works in our lives, intrudes into our lives by the different situations that may come our way in the course of a day. In one of the psalms we read, ‘if today you hear God’s voice harden not your hearts.’ If we are attuned to the presence of God in our lives, if we know that God enters our lives in every person we meet in the course of the day, if we are conscious of the fact that God is with us in all the events that make up our days, then we would appreciate the depth of the words, ‘press on to know the Lord.’
Many of you remember Fr. Luigi. He worked for years with the Italian community and held our St. Gabriel’s Festa every August. He died four years ago on May 18th. I keep in touch with his sister Sue. She is the last of his family. I called her last Sunday to see how she’s doing and she was telling me about her husband who is 85. Sue is 81. Her husband has Alzheimer’s disease and requires constant care. Sue won’t even consider the possibility of putting him into a long care facility. She knows she is wearing herself out caring for him but she said, ‘when I think of how hard he worked caring for this family, 15- 16 hours a day in the bakery, I just can’t hand him over to someone else. We owe him so much.’ To my mind, the sensible, the rational, the pragmatic thing for Sue to do is to put him into a home. She’ll be dead before he dies if she carries on like this. What I got out of that phone conversation of Sunday was a lesson in selfless love and dedication. Sue lives the vows she took at her wedding 61 years ago, ‘for better, for worse, in sickness and in health til death.’ Other spouses in similar situations have made other decisions and they can’t be second guessed – but I was really daunted by Sue’s commitment to her husband. That conversation really made me question my own sense of generosity. If today you hear God’s voice.
In the gospel we hear of Jesus interrupting Matthew at his work collecting taxes. We have no idea whether or not they ever met before. Imagine this total stranger coming into Matthew’s life and saying ‘follow me’. Stranger yet is the fact that Matthew did just that. He left his tax booth and followed Jesus. Whatever happened between them certainly turned Matthew’s life around. To celebrate his transformation Matthew threw a party. He wanted to show off his new found friend, Jesus. Of course the only friends he had were tax collectors and sinners like himself.
When the Pharisees, who certainly weren’t invited and would never think of attending such a ‘do’ saw this, they could not understand how a holy rabbi could be seen with such a rabble. And we have their famous question, “why does your teacher, your rabbi, eat with tax collectors and sinners”? Its scandalous. He should be ashamed of himself.
Press on to know the Lord. The Pharisees learned nothing from the act of Jesus eating with these sinners. When you stop to think of it Jesus does this same thing at every Mass we celebrate. Here we are, sinners all. The first thing we do as we prepare to celebrate this Eucharist is to admit our failures to be grateful for the blessing that enrich our lives. But Jesus delights in our company, He is glad to be with us as our companion and our food. The sadness is, the Pharisees were so convinced of their own righteousness, their own closeness to God they couldn’t understand why Jesus would waste his time with the likes of Matthew and his friends. All the frustrated Jesus could say to them was ‘go and learn what this means,’ I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ If they really understood their Scriptures they would have known this. Time and again God told the people their mercy and justice toward one another was far more important than all the temple sacrifices. In fact their temple sacrifices were useless without mercy and justice.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass having heard the word of God inviting us to ‘press on to know the Lord’ and understanding that God makes Himself and His will known to us in all the events of our lives, and that He delights in our company, we can pray for ourselves and for each other that we always ‘press on to know the Lord’ as Jesus makes His love, his mercy, his compassion and his healing known to us in the ordinary living of our ordinary lives.
| Posted in Homily |
Recently the president of our local conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Mr. Phil Taylor, was asked to take on the duties of President of the Toronto North York Particular Council. As of June 1st the new president of the St. Gabriel’s Conference will be Frances Murphy. We congratulate them both and thank them for their efforts in the ever important work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Total: $9,987.79
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Sunday, June 29TH 1:30 PM Mark your calendars for this special day with family and friends. Please bring your lawn chairs and umbrellas. We do need volunteers. If you are able to give some of your time to help organize this great event, please contact Linda Law at 416-981-8029 after 6:00 PM. There are also sign-up sheets on the tables at the back of the Church.
Congratulations to those children from the Children’s Faith Program who received their First Communion on Sunday, June 1st. It was a beautiful celebration. We promise to support them with our prayers as they continue on their journey of faith.
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, Ext.224.
Vision TV Friday, June 13 at 10:30 PM (repeated Monday, June 16 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 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.
1,100 less fortunate girls will be attending the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Marygrove Camp this summer. Marygrove is funded by an annual collection which will be taken up the weekend of June 14th and 15th. Please remember to support Marygrove and help send a child to camp.
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
A tridium in honour of Our Mother of Perpetual Help will be held at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (St. Patrick’s Church) on June 25th, 26th and 27th. The Church is located on McCaul Street, immediately north of Dundas Street, 2 blocks west of University Avenue. Mass will be celebrated each evening at 7:00PM. Our celebrant and homilist for each evening is Archbishop G. Pettipas, C.Ss.R. All are welcome to attend.
The Office of Catholic Youth (OCY) of the Archdiocese of Toronto is calling all young people between the ages of 14 and 35 to attend their World Youth Day celebration to be held at Martyr’s Shrine in Midland from July 17th to July 20th. Please register immediately by visiting www.ocytoronto.org or by calling John Dawson at 416-599-7676 Ext. 226.
This is your last opportunity to get a copy of the mosaic above the doors of the old Church. The 10 remaining pictures, in a choice of frames, will be on sale after all the Masses for a reduced price of $45.
| Posted in Bulletin |
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.
“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
Wednesday morning, June 4 at 10:30 AM Topic: St. Paul – Pastor and Theologian
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)
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
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.
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