September 30th, 2007
I want to thank all those responsible for organizing the birthday reception held last Sunday after the 12:30 PM Mass. It was wonderful! It was good to spend time with all those present. I was thrilled to hear “Happy Birthday” sung in six languages: English, French, Italian, Chinese, Indonesian and Filipino. Thanks to those who said a few kind words about me and to the Children’s Choir for their ‘special song’. Thank you for your generosity and may God bless you all. FR. PAUL
Total: $9,661
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For families registered in this parish. If your child does not go to St. Gabriel’s School but wishes to receive the sacrament of Baptism, First Communion, Reconciliation, or Confirmation, please pick up a REGISTRATION FORM in the Parish office. These forms should be returned to the Parish Office with a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate (for First Communion and Confirmation) as soon as possible.
Parents please bring completed registration forms to the parish office (Gabriel room) on any of the following evenings between 7:30 – 9:00 PM: Thursday, October 11th; Wednesday, October 17th; or Tuesay, October 23rd. A photocopy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate needs to accompany the registration for First Communion and Confirmation.
on Mondays 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. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are welcome. For information call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866 ext 224.
For the past few 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 Tuesday evening, October 2nd at 7:30 PM or if you prefer Wednesday morning, October 3rd at 10:30 AM we will discuss what we wish to study through the fall. If you are interested, please come with your questions, your “puzzlements”, your concerns and your interests about the faith (and sometimes doubts) we share. For further information call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866 ext. 224.
We are in need of more ladies to help wash & iron the altar linens. If you can spare one turn a month or every six weeks to help in this ministry please call Marie at 416-221-8866.
For children 4 – 10 years old on Sundays 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 call Tim Lychy at 416-953-0555 or email: tim@dibrinasure.com
to help assist them with supervision during the lunch hour only (12:00 – 1:00 PM). If you are interested, please contact Mr. F. Clotildes, Principal at 416-393-5256.
Friday, October 5th at 9:30 AM – 12 NOON Please see the time schedule on the table inside the Church.
Saturday, October 6th at 3:15 PM in the Library. We welcome all who wish to share this time with us. For information please contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
Sunday, October 7th at 3:30 PM in the Gabriel room. For information contact Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
Sunday, October 7 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.
The Brothers of the Good Shepherd are asking for our assistance during the Thanksgiving Season. You can participate by bringing non-perishable food items this week and on the Thanksgiving weekend. The following is a list of urgently needed items: canned vegetables and meats, rice, canned soups and stews, cold breakfast cereals, cookies, tea, ketchup, instant and ground coffee, hot chocolate, sugar, powdered milk, powdered fruit juice, powdered soup bases (chicken & beef), paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Kindly drop off your donations at the front doors of the Church and place them in the designated containers. Your donations will allow their kitchen staff and volunteers to prepare and serve an average of 750 meals and snacks daily. You have always supported this appeal so generously. Please keep up the good work.
The choirs, made up of 120 students from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts present: “FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH”, which is a contemporary celebration of God’s creation, with the sounds of wolf, whale and loon. Music is by Paul Winter, Paul Halley, and John Rutter. This is a great opportunity to support the young people at Cardinal Carter School. Admission is $10.00
| Posted in Bulletin |
September 23rd, 2007
This is a difficult gospel. Jesus commends the thieving manager’s shrewdness and I have no idea what dishonest wealth means. I read another translation of this as, ‘make for yourself friends by means of your material possession even if they have been unjustly acquired.’
In the parable we know the manager is in trouble. He had been caught stealing, mismanaging his master’s money. We can tell from the story he is a survivor. He knows his lifestyle is about to change. He is going to have to ‘downsize’. He makes a deal with those who owe his master. We can see it as his willingness to take a cut in his own commission. He hopes these people will return the favor and come to his help when he is turfed out.
Without laying a good old Catholic guilt trip, because we are all in this together, I’d like to suggest that we read this gospel as it could apply to us in our time.
We pray in one of the prayers of the Mass, ‘you chose to create us in Your own image setting us over the whole world in all its wonder; you gave us the care of creation to praise you day by day for the marvels of your wisdom and power.’
Without sounding like the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” we all know by now that things are changing on planet Earth. Because of a combination of human ignorance, greed and indifference we’ve ended up in the global situation we know as ‘global warming’. In recent weeks we’ve seen pictures of ice breakers easily working their way through the Northwest Passage. Both the north and south pole are experiencing great climate changes. Plants and animals are losing their natural habitats. We hear of droughts in some areas and rampaging floods in others. Scientists claim that unless we do something about the warming of the earth that deaths from its effects will double in 25 years. They claim that sea levels could rise more than 20 feet and that more than a million species could be driven to extinction by 2050. I think we can be tempted to block out all this information, it’s too much with which to cope. I read somewhere that the underlying cause of global warming is the cooling of the human heart. The cooling of the human heart, what can that mean?
We can go back to: you gave us the care of all creation. What have we done with this task of stewardship, of caring? What have we done with the Master’s goods entrusted to us? Can we admit we have misused, embezzled our Master’s goods? Not just the goods of nature but the wellbeing of our fellow human beings. The scientists who are bringing us all this bad news tell us that this is a moral issue more so than an economic issue. We have an obligation to all other life forms that share Earth with us. As I said many times, “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.” As we diminish the earth we diminish ourselves.
We can take the words of Jesus, “whatever you do to one of these the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me” and apply them to all of God’s good creation.
Can we recognize the truth that not only do we exploit the resources of Earth, we exploit one another. We are blessed in our country. Even the poorest among us live like kings compared to men, women and children in other lands. Yet our lifestyle is at the expense of peoples of other lands. We can look at the labels of the clothes we wear, the tools we use, the toys we play with and know that the men and women who made these products are paid a pittance of what we pay for them. The same can be said for the food we eat.
This is heavy stuff. We live comfortable lives and we don’t take kindly to words like downsize, economize, scale back. But if we are to survive and overcome the crisis we’ve brought on ourselves and our children’s children, we are going to have to cut a deal, we need the shrewdness of the manager in the gospel – we have to use wisely our dishonest wealth.
I read this little reflection of today’s gospel: “as just stewards of this earth’s goods, those who have must address the needs of those who have not; justice demands of us a stewardship that cares and shares. Though dishonesty cost the manager his job, he is praised by Jesus for taking the initiative to save himself and secure his future. Similarly imaginative and even risky measures are required of Jesus’ disciples today. We are stewards of the earth and our brothers and sisters keepers.”
In this Eucharist Christ shares His life with us. From his generosity toward us may we find the strength we need to break out of our own little worlds to see ourselves in the bigger picture and do whatever we can to bring about the healing of the earth and the justice to which our times call us. We need to pray for ourselves and for each other because we’re all in this together.
| Posted in Homily |
Total: $8,328
Meetings will begin on Monday, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 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. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are welcome. For information call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866 ext 224.
For the past few 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, September 26 at 10:00 AM and Tuesday evening, October 2nd at 7:30 PM, each group will discuss what we 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 call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866 ext. 224.
We are in need of more ladies to help wash & iron the altar linens. This is a very worthwhile spiritual work of mercy and an honour to prepare the linens for Holy Mass. If you can spare one turn a month or every six weeks to help in this ministry please call Marie at 416-221-8866.
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.
Each year the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is asked to speak out, give leadership, or provide guidelines for the faithful on a wide variety of topics. In order for our bishops to be able to make proper judgments on modern topics, they must have the benefit of research and expert advice. Research and gathering information require staff, time, and money. Finding ways to provide channels to the Bishops from the people of God and ways of disseminating the thinking of the Bishops to the people of God also requires resources. Through the yearly Bishops’ collection for the needs of the Church in Canada, an appeal is made to all Catholics to be generous in supporting the work of their Bishops. In addition to contributions, we are also asked to pray for the work of the Bishops and to participate in and cooperate with the various projects of the CCCB. I
TORREN SMYTH ROCK ABIGAIL KATHERINE SEYMOUR AUDREY ANN SEYMOUR
is looking for a lunchtime supervisor to help assist them with supervision during the lunch hour only (12:00 – 1:00 PM). If your are interested, please contact Mr. F. Clotildes, Principal at 416-393-5256.
A provincial election will be held in Ontario on Wednesday, October 10, 2007. All those who are eligible to vote are encouraged to exercise their democratic right to do so. In the coming days, Catholics are asked to take an active role in learning more about the candidates seeking election in their riding, the views of political parties and how they will impact our community. A number of resources have been prepared to help Catholics reflect on the important role we play in choosing those who will lead our province. You may access these resources by visiting the Archdiocese of Toronto website at: www.archtoronto.org
The ShareLife office will be accepting donations to support humanitarian relief efforts, assisting those displaced by the recent floods. As in the past, funds will be channeled through Caritas International partners, who provide emergency supplies including food, clean water and clothing in several countries. Those wishing to help may do so in one of the following ways: www.sharelife.org, or by phone through the ShareLife office – 1-800-263-2595 or 416-934-3411, or through the parish, making cheques payable to: ShareLife – Name of Parish – Asia flood Relief
September 16th, 2007
We’ve heard this parable of the prodigal son so many times we could hear it in our sleep. We see the willingness of the father to let this mixed up son find his own way in life, we see him running out to meet him as he returns home, broke and hungry, we imagine the great party the father threw for him and we sympathize with the elder brother’s resentment at the reception his spoiled brother received.
One of the lessons parents can learn from this powerful parable is the truth that parents can give their children roots and wings. Often the wings carry them far from their roots but we have to trust the truth that roots are stronger than wings.
Reading Paul’s letter to Timothy we can imagine that Paul saw himself as a prodigal son – even though he probably never heard the parable. He saw himself as a blasphemer, a persecutor and as a man of violence. In his own enthusiasm for his Jewish faith he persecuted the followers of Jesus. In all sincerity his saw these followers as traitors to the ancient faith. He was determined to stamp out this heresy.
But like the prodigal son there was that moment of grace when Paul came to his senses, when he was graced to know that what he was doing was so wrong. As Paul says, “I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief” As the son in the parable came home to his father so aware of the wrong he had done, the hurt he had caused, so Paul opened his heart and his life to Christ and the grace of Christ overflowed for him with faith and love.
The message of this short piece from Paul’s letter to Timothy is the same as that of the parable – for this reason Paul – as did the prodigal son – received mercy, so that in Paul and in the prodigal son, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making them an example to those who would come after them.
Paul knew that that moment of grace that changed his life on the road to Damascus was totally God’s work, just as that moment of grace on the pig farm when that broke and hungry and homesick young man came to his senses was totally God’s work. Paul knew that all that had happened in his life, except for the sinning, was God’s work. As Paul told others, “God strengthened me, God trusted me, God appointed me, God had mercy on me and God graced me.”
Paul acted out of conviction, the young man in the parable acted out a deep need to find his own way in life. They both ended up making wrong choices; they both were graced, to change their lives.
I was reading a reflection on the words of Jesus on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The writer suggests that these words apply to all of us when we make wrong choices in our lives, when we fall short of being who we are called to be by Christ. We know not what we do because we have never come to grips with the love shown us by the crucified Christ. As Paul tells us, “it is difficult to die even for a good person, but what proves that God loves us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Because we’ve never really been able to get our heads around such awesome, unconditional and undeserved love, we really don’t know what we’re doing, we really don’t appreciate the love we are rejecting and betraying when we sin. We are good people but there are times when we do make awful choices in our lives, that is why we constantly ask for God’s forgiveness. We never give up hope because we trust in a forgiveness that stretches to seventy times seven.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass, having heard these powerful words of scripture, we can pray for ourselves and for each other that if and when we fail to respond to that tsunami of God’s love toward us, proven in the passion and death of the crucified Christ, that we be graced as were Paul and the prodigal son to come to our senses – admit to ourselves we have sinned and then return home to the love and the embrace of the Father Who so loved us He sent His Son to the world to bring us everlasting life.
Our parish party for Father Paul’s 75th birthday will be held on Sunday, September 23rd at 2:00 PM in the Gathering Space. Please join us for the celebration! All are welcome.
Total: $10,553
Meetings will begin on Monday, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 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. Adult Catholics who wish to celebrate the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are welcome. For information call Mary Landry at 416-221-8866 ext 224.
One group meets every second Tuesday evening. The other group meets every second Wednesday morning. Each group decides what the topics will be. Both classes are held in the Library. The first Wednesday meeting is on September 26th at 10:30AM. The first Tuesday meeting is on October 2nd at 7:30PM.
This liturgy, which is for children 4 – 10 years old, will begin on Sunday, September 23 at the 10:30AM Mass. We are in need of volunteers to help us interpret the readings through discussion and activities. If you are interested then call Tim Lychy at 416-953-0555 or email: tim@dibrinasure.com
A provincial election will be held in Ontario on Wednesday, October 10, 2007. All those who are eligible to vote are encouraged to exercise their democratic right to do so. In the coming days, Catholics are asked to take an active role in learning more about the candidates seeking election in their riding, the views of political parties, and how they will impact our community. A number of resources have been prepared to help Catholics reflect on the important role we play in choosing those who will lead our province. You may access these resources by visiting the Archdiocese of Toronto website at: www.archtoronto.org
The ShareLife office will be accepting donations to support humanitarian relief efforts, assisting those displaced by the recent floods. It is estimated that more than 20 million people are homeless in the wake of these floods. As in the past, funds will be channeled through Caritas International partners. Caritas teams are currently providing emergency supplies including food, clean water and clothing in several countries. Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways;
General meeting on Tuesday, September 18th beginning with Mass at 1:15PM, followed by the guest speaker, Sister Anne Schenck, csj, the founder of the Furniture Bank. All ladies 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