January 13th, 2008
Total: $12,007
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Please remember to take your envelopes home with you today. If you have not been assigned envelopes and wish to use them, please register in the parish office.
Tax receipts for donations made in 2007 will be available by the end of February, although every effort will be made to have them in your hands as quickly as possible.
Tuesday evening, January 15th at 7:30 PM The Passionists and their new project – a conversation with Father Steve
Wednesday morning, January 16th at 10:30 AM Eucharist by Father Michael Himes
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 from 7:30 – 9:00 PM Parents of children receiving First Communion are invited to attend a Parents’ Only meeting in the Gabriel Room. In case of bad weather the meeting will be held on January 31st.
This year we are hosting this ecumenical service, written by the Women of Guyana on Friday, March 7 at 2:00PM. Do we have any parishioners from Guyana? If so, please contact Mary Landry at 221-8866, ext. 224 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 to $4 by variety
The Development and Peace (D&P) Action Campaign for this year continues last year’s focus on Canadian mining companies operating in the Global South to respect human rights and the environment. D&P is asking you to sign a card on the weekend of January 26/27 requesting the Canadian government to establish an ombudsperson’s office. This office will receive and investigate complaints of Canadian mining companies operating abroad, make recommendations and make the results of investigations public. More information will be provided and is also available at www.devp.org under Education Campaign.
invites members of MOSAIC congregations to a Shabbat celebration on Friday, January 18th at 6:00 – 7:30 PM. This is a special Shabbat – the Sabbath of Song commemorating the Song of the Sea the Children of Israel sang when they were freed from Egyptian bondage. The Temple is located at 7360 Bayview Ave., north of Steeles Ave. on the west side. See the bulletin board for more details including parking. RSVP needed to Nora at 416 218 – 0680 (or for more info) by January 14th at the latest.
at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre, Mississauga, January 18-20, 2008. The theme “DISCOVERING THE MYSTIC WITHIN US” will be given by the Queen of Apostles’ Centre Team. For further information or to register call 905 278 – 5229.
Parishioners of St. Gabriel’s Parish are invited to attend the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Celebration hosted by Archbishop Thomas Collins. The Archbishop has invited the major religious leaders throughout the metropolitan city of Toronto to join with him in prayer for Church unity. The service will be held on Sunday, January 20th at 4:00 PM at St. Paul’s Basilica, 83 Power Street (at Queen St.) Refreshments will follow. This year’s celebration marks 100 years of formal prayer for Christian Unity, first celebrated as the Church Unity Octave by the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement at Graymoor, Garrison, New York.
| Posted in Bulletin |
January 6th, 2008
A number of years ago a young fellow I know came home from school on his 16th birthday carrying all his text books. He went to the trash can, kicked it open and dropped all the books into it. Then he announced to his parents his schooling days were over. Legally he could leave school – he was never going back, it was a waste of time. Needless to say there was a family discussion with a lot of shouting. In the end he won out. His mother and father could not convince him of his need to finish high school
For the next couple of years he worked at a number of Joe jobs. He didn’t make enough to pay a reasonable rent. One job, in a warehouse, lasted for a year and a half. One day during lunch break he looked around at men much older than himself. He looked at them, good men all, and it dawned on him, this is my future. Many of his high school friends had gone on to college or university; he was still working in a warehouse.
He got up, walked into the office and told his boss he was quitting. Then he went up to the Finch Campus of Seneca College and asked to see a student counselor. Hours later when he left the counselor’s office he had a whole course of studies lined up and he started classes the next day. Of course he went home from Seneca and asked his mother and father why they didn’t make him stay in high school. It was their entire fault.
On that day, on that lunch break, in that warehouse this young man had an epiphany – an insight, a revelation about himself and the value of education for him. He’s never looked back.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany – the feast of the Maritimers because as Matthew tells us, the wise ones came from the East.
As you’ve heard before, the communities for whom Matthew wrote his gospel were basically Jewish men and women who believed Jesus was the Messiah. They were seen by family and friends as traitors to their ancient faith. They were persecuted for their faith. As these communities grew and as the teaching of Jesus spread from country to country, non Jews came to believe in Jesus and became members of the community. For many Jewish Christians this was a problem. They, the Jews, were God’s people. Time and time again they read in their scriptures, “I will be your God and you will be My people.” They believed this promise was for themselves alone. They resented these Gentiles, these intruders. Years after the death and resurrection of Jesus these communities had their epiphany, their insight into the mercy and love of God. That epiphany is described in the story of these holy and searching strangers from the east, looking for this new born king of the Jews, wanting to pay him homage. They represented all those non Jews who searched for the life and the love of God, made visible in Jesus the Christ and experienced in these Christian communities.
This epiphany that God’s love embraced all people spread throughout the Christian communities everywhere. St. Peter, after his encounter with the Roman Cornelius, expressed it when he wrote, “the truth I have come to realize is this, that any person of any nationality who does what is right, is acceptable to God.’ In one of the earliest pieces of scripture we have, Paul’s letter to the Christian community of Ephesus, we read his way of expressing this epiphany, “in former generations, namely, in our past history, this mystery was not made known to humanity as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, the Gentiles, all non Jews, have become fellow heirs, members of the same body and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” – through the telling of the good news.
This insight, this revelation that God’s love embraces any person of any nationality is an insight Christian communities often lost sight of throughout history. Outside the church there is no salvation – which church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Church, and the Protestant Churches. We have a sad history of religious wars, of forced conversions. We have failed to see the faith, love and goodness that vitalize non Christian religions. Thank God, in our time, we are more in touch with the real meaning of this feast of the epiphany – that any person of any nationality, who does what is right, is acceptable to God.
The tragic example of the Taliban and their fanatic, limited understanding of Islam and the teachings of the Prophet show the world how disastrous and evil religious fanaticism can become. But throughout our own history we’ve had our own versions of the Taliban.
Prejudices such as racism, sexism, homophobia, are proofs that as an individual or as a community we still need an epiphany – an embracing of the truth that we are all brothers and sisters before God, that any person of any nationality who does what is right is acceptable to God.
I’ve mentioned before that this ‘green church’ is meant to make green people. We all need an epiphany that opens our minds and hearts to the truth – earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth and what we do to the earth we do to ourselves. In the book of Genesis and the story of Noah and the ark we read that when the flood subsided and Noah stood once again on solid ground, God showed him a rainbow in the sky and told Noah, “Here is the sign of the covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature to be found with you for all generations to come. I set my bow in the sky and it will be sign of the Covenant between me and the earth.” This is an ancient covenant the human family has failed to keep. Every day we read in the papers or hear on TV of the crisis conditions which our life styles, our consumerism, our wastefulness have inflicted on the planet. As members of the human family we need an epiphany, an awakening, which brings us to a critical mass of consciousness which convinces us of our need to change if the planet is to be healed.
As we continue to celebrate this great feast may we be blessed to enter into the wonder of this epiphany which teaches that God’s love and salvation are for all people – that any person of any nationality who does what is right is acceptable to God – and should be acceptable to us. May we be blessed with an epiphany that helps us understand our oneness with all God’s creation and live our rainbow covenant with the earth community with deep respect for all God’s good creation.
| Posted in Homily |
With the Feast of the Epiphany, we close our celebration of Christmas. As a parish family we had a beautiful Christmas. Sincere thanks to our cantors and choirs, musicians, Ministers of the Eucharist, Altar Servers, Lectors, and Ministers of Hospitality. Special thanks to those who decorated the Church and to those who are keeping the plants looking so alive and healthy. Thank you for your generous support of our Christmas collection, St. Vincent de Paul, the Toy Drive and the Food Drive. You are wonderful people!!
Marilyn, who has been on staff at St. Gabriel’s since 1972, is now retiring. To thank her for her many years of service and ministry, we are having a reception in her honour today, Sunday January 6th from 3:00 – 5:00 PM in our Gathering Space.
There will be no Family Mass in January 2008. The next one will take place on February 3, 2008.
Tuesday evening, January 15th at 7:30 PM Topic: The Passionists and their new project
Wednesday morning, January 16th at 10:30 AM Topic: Eucharist by Father Michael Himes
Please pick up your box of envelopes in our Gathering Space. It is important that you throw away all envelopes from previous years as your number may have been assigned to another family. Remember to enter your full name and address on each envelope so that we may allocate donations correctly for income tax purposes. If you do not have envelopes and would like a box, please contact the office.
Please help us to update our parish records by calling the office with your new information at 416 221-8866.
invites members of MOSAIC congregations to a Shabbat celebration on Friday, January 18th at 6:00 – 7:30 PM. This is a special Shabbat – the Sabbath of Song commemorating the Song of the Sea the Children of Israel sang when they were freed from Egyptian bondage. The Temple is located at 7360 Bayview Ave., north of Steeles on the west side. See the bulletin board for more details including parking. RSVP needed to Nora 416 218 – 0680 (or for more info) by January 14th at the latest.
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 49 casseroles for the Good Shepherd Centre for December. For January, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of January 26/27 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.
at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre, Mississauga, January 18-20, 2008. The theme “DISCOVERING THE MYSTIC WITHIN US” will be given by the Queen of Apostles’ Centre Team. For further information or to register call 905 278 -5229.
Monday, January 14th, 2008 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM The Sisters of St. Joseph, Toronto invite young adults (19-39 years) to a thought provoking social evening at the Duke of York Pub (39 Prince Arthur Ave., Toronto). Francesca Scorsone, Chaplain at All Saints S.S. will speak about “LAITY IN A CHANGING CHURCH”. Munchies provided. For more information contact Vanessa Nicholas at 416 222 – 1101 or www.faithconnections.ca
December 30th, 2007
Today we celebrate the beautiful feast of the Holy Family. I mention this every year that religious, pious art has really distorted the harsh reality of the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In today’s gospel we see them as a refugee family, fleeing for their very lives into a strange country. We know that when they eventually returned to Nazareth Joseph struggled to make a living as a carpenter, teaching Jesus the trade. We all know the story of Jesus disappearing for three days in Jerusalem, driving his parents to distraction – talking to them about having to be about his father’s business. Mary must have been distraught many times as she heard reports of Jesus and what he was preaching and how he was alienating the powers that be. Good Friday had to be the low point in the life of Mary as she saw her son betrayed, denied, rejected and finally put to death as a common criminal. We know there has been only one Holy Family and we know too they had their problems.
Family life is not what it used to be. Stability and permanency are hard to find. Just recently it was reported almost half the families in the country are single parent families and there was an article in the Star recently about the poverty of single mothers as they struggle to raise a family. We have the reality today of same sex couples raising families.
We can romanticize the family, thinking back of the good old days when divorce was a rarity. But as someone mentioned one time, in those days there were all kinds of marriage breakdowns, financial circumstance would not allow marriage break ups. Wives and mothers were at the mercy of their husbands.
No matter what form a marriage or family life may take, the advice of Paul to Colossians is so important for sustaining any relationships – if a relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, brothers and sisters is to be sound and healthy then there must be compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. We have to be willing to bear with one another’s foibles and weakness – none of us is perfect – we have to be willing to forgive another as we have been forgiven. Every day we try to keep the great commandment, “love one another as I have loved you”. It is not easy but with God’s grace and our willingness, families can be holy and healthy.
We belong to different families – we all belong to the family of the Church, the family of God’s people. But there is one family and our membership that I’d like to think about today. It is our membership in the family of all the living species on earth. We are part of the family of life that inhabits planet earth. For too long we have been out of sync with this family. We’ve presumed upon this family, ignored it, imperiled it by our treatment of its other members. We’ve divorced ourselves from our family – we imagine we don’t need the other members of this family of life; in fact we’ve become unaware of our belonging to this family.
Our ventures into space gave us a whole new image of planet earth and scientists have helped us to recover an ancient truth of which we lost sight. We are not over and above other life forms; we are one with them in the circle of life, inter-dependent on them for our own survival. As I’ve mentioned before – we did not weave the web of life, we are a strand in the web and what we do to the web we do to ourselves.
Someone has described our human species as being autistic in our relationship with the earth family, we are abnormally self absorbed, and we lost our ability to be responsive to the life forms that surround us. We fail to see and respond to our relationship with the rest of life. We are unmoved by the extinction of other species of life. I think we catch a glimpse of this with the failure of the nations of the world to really do anything substantial about global warming at the recent congress in Bali – we are unwilling to give up our sense of ownership or superiority of the earth and it limited resources. We are deaf to the cry of the wounded earth.
All this heavy stuff, frightening stuff but it is our reality, a reality we deny at our peril and the peril of future generations.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass on this feast of the Holy Family we pray that God’s blessings be on all families, the strong ones and the wounded ones, the happy ones and the unhappy ones. We pray too for a more expanded awareness of our belonging to the family life that is sustained by Earth. May we all be graced to do what we can, by the choice of our life styles and the curbing of our consumerism, to heal the woundedness we’ve inflicted on our family and come to find the compassion, the kindness, the humility and meekness we need so that we can live in harmony with all the other species of life that share this home with us, as family.
Marilyn, who has been on staff at St. Gabriel’s since 1972, will be retiring at the end of this year. We would like to thank her for her many years of service and ministry by having a reception in her honour Sunday January 6th from 3:00 – 5:00 PM in our Gathering Space. All are welcome.
Friday January 4th at 9:30 AM – 12 Noon Please see the time schedule on the table inside the Church.
Saturday, January 5th at 3:15 PM in the Library We welcome all who wish to share this time with us. For information contact Linda law 416 918 – 8029.
SUNDAY JANUARY 6th at 3:30 PM in the Gabriel Room For information contact Linda Law at 416 918 – 8029.
SUNDAY JANUARY 6th 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. The guided reflection brings an ecological perspective to the readings. All are welcome.
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