February 22nd, 2008
| Posted in Events |
February 17th, 2008
Friday evenings beginning Feb. 8th at 7:30 PM. While remembering the passion of Jesus, we also prayerfully reflect on the passion of Christ as it is experienced in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters today. Please try to join us at least once during this Lenten season.
During Lent we encourage your attendance at our weekday Masses on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 9:00 AM.
Thursday, February 14, 21, 28, March 6, 13 at 7:30 PM
Join us on Thursday evenings as we watch and discuss a video series entitled THE MYSTERY OF FAITH presented by Father Michael Himes, a teacher at Boston College. If you are interested in attending, it would be helpful for set-up if you would phone and leave a message with Mary Landry at 416-221-8866, Ext. 224.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH AT 7:30 PM
This is an opportunity to spend some time in peace and quiet, to reflect upon how we are responding to our call to be sons and daughters of God. Recognizing the fact that we are “good people” we also accept the fact that good people can sin. Through an examination of conscience we face those sins, admit them and are reconciled to God. For those who wish, individual confessions will be celebrated after the service. We encourage you to take advantage of this celebration.
Tuesday, March 3rd and Thursday, March 5th from 7:30 – 8:30 PM
Christ’s Passion can help us to grapple with and respond to the challenges of climate change. The difficult journey of his ministry reached a critical decision when he had to accept or reject a passion that he did not particularly want (Matt. 26: 37-39). A compelling urgency and necessity demanded that a choice be made so that salvation might eventually follow. The model of Christ’s action and the values that informed his decision can guide and inspire our response to the increasingly serious consequences of climate change. Join us for two evenings of reflection and prayer on March 3rd and 5th at 7:30 PM, guided by Dennis O’Hara.
A special thank you to all the wonderful people who volunteered their time and talent to help make this year’s celebration such a success. And a special thank you also goes out to all those who came to share and support us, helping to make this gathering so memorable.
There will be a potluck dinner for newcomers to Canada on February 29th at 6:30 PM in the Gabriel Room. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet other new immigrants in the parish and to share with one another the experiences of settlement and perhaps even some strategies for adjusting to new life in Canada. Please join us if you can. For more information, please contact Fatima Lee at (416) 221- 8866 ext 228.
Total: $9,372
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Your schedule for March 1 to June 29. 2008 and Holy Week is now available. Please pick it up as soon as possible.
Please remember those who will be received into the Church at Easter.
On Sunday the 24th of February, a woman will be offering religious articles made by Christian Arab artists in the Holy Land. We encourage your support of this sale, as this is one way of showing our solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters in the land of Christ. Fr. Paul
at St. Gabriel’s Church Friday, March 7th at 2:00 PM
The World Day of Prayer is an ecumenical service at which seven other local churches will participate with us. We need some volunteers to help us both before and during the service. We will be making crosses using palms (100 of them!) to hand out at the service. We also need a few greeters and four others to take up the collection which goes to various religious and social justice organizations. Please join us as we welcome our neighbouring Christian parishes.
Tuesday evening, February 19th at 7:30 PM Topic: The Passionists and their new project with Fr. Steve Dunn
Wednesday morning, February 27th at 10:30 AM Topic: Vocations by Father Michael Himes
Your prepared chicken rice casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. More volunteers are encouraged to get a copy of the casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
Monday February 18th 2:30 – 7:00 St. Gabriel’s Parish – Gathering Space. Please note that the date for February is a week earlier than usual.
March 3 & 4, 2008 on VISIONTV.
Father Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. will be the guest preacher for this year’s National televised Mission. His topic: Keeping a Mellow Heart in a Bitter Time. A powerful testimonial on this topic will be given by a father and his daughter, Tom and Barbara Zanig. Monday, March 3 – Show #1: 7:00 PM, 11:00 PM (repeat) Tuesday, March 4 – Show # 2: 7:00 PM, 11:00 PM (repeat)
Registration begins in February 2008 for Kindergarten and French Immersion at all Catholic elementary schools throughout the City of Toronto. For more information, please contact the Catholic school nearest you or at 416-222-8282, extension 5314 or visit the Board’s website at www.tcdsb.org.
Mosaic has been invited to partner with the Bayview Corridor of Synagogues group in a Sunday, Habitat for Humanity Build on April 6th. This is open to anyone aged 16 on the day of the build and older. You must wear a hard hat and safety boots on the site at all times. If you do not own them, there are loaners available. It is suggested that you bring your own work gloves. The site is on Kingston Road. Participants are requested to raise $50 in donations to Habitat for Humanity. Tax receipts will be provided. Full details and the necessary pledge sheets and forms will be mailed to those interested. Contact thisisfran@yahoo.com. The deadline for registration is March 10th.
Tuesday, February 19th at 1:00 PM Special guest: Tom Hayes Topic: Women in the Bible Refreshments and social to follow. All are welcome.
| Posted in Bulletin |
February 10th, 2008
There is a story told of a young priest asking a senior priest, ‘when do temptations cease?’ The senior priest answered, ‘a half an hour after you’re dead.’
Today’s scripture reading are all about temptations. A temptation is an allurement to something wrong under the aspect of it being good. In giving in to a temptation we are deluding ourselves into thinking that what we are about to do or say is really a good thing when in truth it is the wrong thing. We heard in our first reading that the fruit of the tree of good and evil was a delight to the eye, it was desired to make one wise and the really alluring part of this whole drama was that if one ate this fruit one would be like God, knowing good and evil. Surrounded by so many blessings the woman wanted more. She was not satisfied with being herself, who she was, she wanted to be someone else – she wanted to be like God.
So often our unhappiness comes when we fail to recognize how blessed we are, when we fail to appreciate our own selves and we try to be who we are not. We allow ourselves to be enticed into trying to be who we are not in the hope that this will fulfill us, bring us happiness. And it doesn’t work. We end up betraying ourselves, our own integrity. We allow ourselves to be enticed into relationships that are really not life giving but become the source of guilt and unhappiness. Someone described temptations as ‘truthy lies’.
After His baptism in the Jordan by His cousin John the Baptist, Jesus went into a time of prayer and fasting to sort out the full meaning of the words ‘this is my son the beloved with whom I am well pleased.’ In this self searching Jesus comes to realize that what His Father calls Him to be and do will not be easy. It will cost Him. He is to bear witness to the truth and justice of God to powerful people who will not want to hear what He has to say. He is to bear witness to the truth that the people need to change their ways of living life, change their external religious observances into something more of the spirit. He is to bear witness to the truth of the evil of political and religious oppression.
From the very beginning Jesus wondered, could His Father’s will be done in another way, a less demanding, less painful way. Even the night before He was to die Jesus prayed, ‘if it’s possible let this chalice pass me by.’ Jesus is tempted; He is enticed by the possibility of doing His Father’s will differently. Maybe He would change stones into bread and feed the hungry of the land. This would certainly bring the people back to God. Maybe He could bring the people back to God by doing spectacular things, do amazing feats that would mesmerize the people. This could be a way of bringing people to the Father. Or power, maybe He could have such a power, even political power among the people that He could overpower the powers that be. This would certainly attract the people and then He could lead them to God.
Jesus saw through these allurements. They called Him to be someone He was not. They would lure Him away from being the suffering servant of God Who would be faithful to His Father’s will to preach the good news, the challenging news, the demanding news of God’s love and mercy. Jesus rejected these enticing ideas. He saw through their emptiness. He would be what He was meant to be, God’s faithful Son. He would do what He was called to do, call the people to change their lives and return to God no matter the cost.
Temptation is part of all our lives. Every day we are conditioned to be consumers. We are enticed into believing our lives are not fulfilled if we don’t have the latest gadget, or wear the latest fashion, dine at a trendy restaurant, drive the latest automobile, use the latest ipod or blackberry. We are conditioned every day through the TV programs we watch to believe that uncommitted relationships are perfectly normal and can be easily trashed. No commitment means no one gets hurt. In work and social situations we can be tempted to look the other way, not get involved, and keep our thoughts to ourselves, when we see good people hurt by injustice or unfairness.
I read this little thought just recently, “we sit at our desks working hard, worrying about meetings and deadlines, wondering if we can live up to our own expectations and those of others. Right now we are important, everyone needs us.” I see this as the usual temptation to a god complex. It’s a temptation that has brought on many a heart attack. In so many ways, some subtle, some blatant, we will be tempted into relationships, lifestyles, attitudes, thoughts and actions that lure us away from who we really are, that diminish our true selves – under the guise of being good. It’s our reality.
Our second reading is a link between the tragedy of Eden and the faithfulness of the desert. Paul sees Jesus as the new Adam and His obedience, his faithfulness to the Father stands in sharp contrast to the disobedience of the first Adam. Where sin abounded grace did more abound. We are told Christ was tempted in all things, but did not sin. This is our hope and strength. We are not alone; Christ is with us in all our struggles. As we continue this Mass, we pray for ourselves and for each other that no matter what the allurement of the day or the hour, by God’s grace we find the strength to be faithful to who we are and what we are, brothers and sisters of the Christ Who was obedience, faithful, even unto death, even death on the cross.
| Posted in Homily |
Join us as we follow the path of Christ each Friday in Lent at 7:30 PM.
Join us on Thursday evenings as we watch and discuss a video series entitled THE MYSTERY OF FAITH presented by Father Michael Himes, a teacher at Boston College. If you are interested in attending, it would be helpful for set-up if you would phone Mary Landry at 416-221-8866, Ext. 224 and leave a message.
Friday, March & at 2:00 PM
The theme for this year’s service is “God’s Wisdom Provides new Understanding.” written by the women of Guyana. This celebration takes place throughout the world in Christian Churches. This year we are hosting this ecumenical service on Friday, March 7 at 2:00 PM
Wednesday, February 27th at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 from 7:30 – 9:00PM Please note the new date.
Parents of children receiving Reconciliation for the first time are invited to attend a Parents’ Only meeting in the Gabriel Room.
Total: $8,133
Tax receipts for donations made in 2007 are currently being prepared and will be mailed out by the end of February.
Father Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. will be the guest preacher for this year’s National televised Mission. His topic: Keeping a Mellow Heart in a Bitter Time. A powerful testimonial on this topic will be given by a father and his daughter, Tom and Barbara Zanig.
Monday, March 3 – Show #1: 7:00 PM, 11:00 PM (repeat) Tuesday, March 4 – Show # 2: 7:00 PM, 11:00 PM (repeat)
Tuesday evening, February 19th at 7:30 PM
Wednesday morning, February 13th at 10:30 AM
Topic: Vocations by Father Michael Himes
Just a reminder to the altar servers/ parents that the altar serving schedule for March 1 to June 29. 2008 and Holy Week is now available. Please pick it up as soon as possible.
Fair Trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend. Regular ground coffee: $5 Decaffeinated: $6 Whole beans: $5 Chocolate Bars: $4 incl. taxes Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $4.50 Teas: $3.25 by variety
Monday February 18th 2:30 – 7:00 St. Gabriel’s Parish – Gathering Space. Please note the change in date from the last Monday of the month forward to the third Monday. This is for the month of February only.
When your children were born, you started on a path of faith development and life-long learning. Let Toronto’s Catholic schools continue this educational and spiritual journey with you and your family.
Registration begins in February 2008 for Kindergarten and French Immersion at all Catholic elementary schools throughout the City of Toronto. For your convenience, extended registration hours will take place on February 7th from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. For more information, please contact the Catholic school nearest you or 416-222-8282, extension 5314 or visit the Board’s website at www.tcdsb.org.
St. Bonaventure Parish Centre Tuesday, February 26, 7:30 PM Join Syd and Ellen Kessler for this free workshop and learn pragmatic solutions for parent-child challenges.
CREATING A CIRCLE OF HOPE is named in honour of Meagan Bebenek who died of a malignant brain tumour. The seventh annual Dinner and Dance Gala will take place at the Liberty Grand Governor’s Ballroom at Exhibition Place. Cocktails at 6:00PM, Dinner at 7:00PM. Tickets are $150 per person. For tickets please visit www.meaganswalk.com or call 416-239-7843
February 3rd, 2008
One scripture scholar has this to say about this beautiful Sermon on the Mount to which we’ve just listened. He says, “Jesus did not preach this so called sermon. Jesus didn’t slave over his sermons the way I do. He simply said whatever was on his mind at the moment and reacted to his listener’s questions. Jesus probably said all these things in some way or other at sometime or other. But it was Matthew who brought them together as one sermon. Then Luke modified them to suit his own gospel agenda. So, seeing any special meaning in the sequence of the beatitudes might tell us something about Matthew and Luke, but perhaps nothing about how Jesus ordered His separate sayings.”
Every time we hear this sermon, this collection of the sayings of Jesus, we are struck by the fact that this is not the way we see things. What Jesus is trying to teach us is what He taught the people of His own time – the values of the kingdom He came to establish will always be at odds with the values that are constantly shaping our lives. Jesus and His teachings will always be counter-culture. We are conditioned to ‘do unto others before they do it unto us’. Its hard for us to get our heads around the idea expressed in the Beatitudes, that there is some kind of hidden purpose in sorrow, some unknown value in poverty, some precious ingredient in humility. As that scripture scholar says, “the beatitudes offer hope to disenfranchised people, and a promise that God does notice their plight and will take care of them.”
Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians long before Matthew and Luke wrote their gospels, but the sayings of Jesus were passed around from community to community. Paul probably heard many of them. He may have had such sayings of Jesus in mind when he wrote his encouraging words to the Corinthians about God choosing the foolish to confound the wise, the weak of the world to shame the strong, the things that are not to reduce to nothing the things that are, so that God’s will and work will be accomplished in ways that confound the wise, the rich and the powerful.
When we watch the news and see the tragedies the plague the world and even our own city and country we can be overcome by a sense of helplessness. We see the tribal violence in Kenya, we see miles upon miles of flimsy tents housing hundred of thousands of refugees in Darfur; closer to home we hear of the plight of our own Native People enduring winter in inadequate housing, deprived of safe drinking water, sending their children to rundown schools. Global warming and its inevitable effects on future generations are always in the news as we hear of governments setting up another ‘commission’ to study the issue.
We tire of it all; we get numb, swamped by the dimensions of it all. We wish it would all go away. We ask ourselves, “What can I do? I’m not the government, I’m not the UN. I have enough trouble holding my head above water, coping with sending a son or daughter to college, paying a mortgage, caring for a sick parent, dealing with the uncertainty as to whether I’ll have job next week. Give me a break.”
Certainly Paul’s people weren’t dealing with such issues, but they had their own. They weren’t all that educated, they didn’t have positions of power, they were not well connected. They were just ordinary people struggling to make a living, dealing with internal factions in their community, facing the hostility of their pagan neighbours. But God chose them to be that yeast that would permeate their society with the love and truth of Jesus. God chose them, dim candles that they were, to be a light to those in darkness.
The other week there was story on the news about this grade eight student in Florida who was confused by the fact that at the end of the evening restaurants threw out whatever cooked food was let over in the kitchen. He knew there was any number of hungry people in the State. Why couldn’t that good food be given to them? He was told, it is against the law. He made up his mind to do what he could to change the law. And he did. Just recently the State Legislature in Florida passed a law allowing restaurants to pass on unused food to agencies feeding the poor. We call it the power of one. God chose this young boy, not wise, not powerful, but a boy sensitive to the needs of others, a boy willing to take a change to make a change. And he did.
Most of us can identify with the limited, the powerless, the unconnected Corinthians and with the underdogs of the Beatitudes. What can we do about social justice or world peace? As my mother used to remind us, “I’ve only got two hands.” But with those two hands she feed and clothed a family of eight. But can we open our lives and our hearts to trust the truth that in some mysterious and yet ordinary way God can use any one of us to make a difference. It may not be a global difference, a socially noticeable difference, a world shattering difference, but a difference none the less. In the ordinary living of our ordinary lives we could ease someone’s sorrow, lighten someone’s burden of loneliness or depression, heal a long festering wounded relationship, change someone’s attitude of racism or bigotry, deepen someone’s awareness of the beauty of creation, help restore faith to someone estranged from the church.
Like the Corinthians, not many of us are wise by human standards, not many of us are powerful or well connected but remember God has done wonderful things through the foolish, the weak, the lowly like ourselves if only we open our lives to the working of God’s grace and power and wisdom.
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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Companion for the Walk of the Stations of the Cosmic Earth
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