March 11th, 2007
God’s call to Moses from the burning but unconsumed bush is the beginning of a long adventure of freeing the Jewish people from slavery. This long adventurous journey would end when these freed slaves would enter a promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
In the 80th Psalm this freeing journey is described in this way: “You uprooted a vine out of Egypt – to plant it you drove out other nations – you cleared a space where it could grow – it took root and filled the whole country – it covered the mountains with its shade – the cedars of God with its branches – its tendrils extended to the sea – its offshoots all the way to the river.”
The whole history of Israel tells of how God cared for and tended that vine. But the vine – the Jewish people – rejected God’s care and began to worship false Gods. Then the vine came upon hard times – as the psalm goes on, “why have you destroyed its fences – now anyone can go and steal its grapes, the forest boar can ravage it, the wild animals eat it.” Then the people would repent and pray “look down from heaven, look at this vine and protect it, protect what your right hand has planted, Lord Sabaoth, bring us back, let your face smile on us and we shall be saved.” And God would patiently tend the vine again.
This imagery of the vine fits in well with the imagery of the fruitless fig tree Luke uses in today’s gospel. It was wasting the soil, taking up space, taking up the time and effort of the gardener. The owner of the garden has his own take on this useless fig tree, get rid of it, its not worth all the time and effort that’s gone into it. Cut it down. The patient gardener, the one who’s done all the work, pleas for just one more year. He’ll soften up the soil around it and put some manure on it – he wants to give it one more chance.
How many of you have been through something like this – a favorite house plant fails to blossom, it’s struggling to survive? You give it extra care, more water, more sunlight, more fertilizer, hoping the plant will respond. You may even call the man on the CBC at noon hour to get some advice on plant care; after all he’s the expert.
Jesus had been laboring for three years – going from town to town, preaching, pleading and healing. He tries to harvest from those who hear His message of God’s love for them, fruits of repentance, people turning back to God. In this gospel story Jesus is that patient gardener, willing to give this struggling tree one more year. As someone once wrote, “we are all living in that ‘one more year’ of God’s laboring love.” We are all in that ‘one more year’ of our lives needing God’s help to bring us more and more into God’s life and love.
It’s not as if we find ourselves in the bottom half of the ninth inning with two out and two strikes on us – it’s not as if we have one last shot at salvation. It’s all part of our ongoing relationship with God.
Yahweh, Who uprooted that vine out of Egypt, Who cleared a space and planted it to grow and prosper never gave up on His people, no matter how many times they were unfaithful to His law and His love.
Jesus, the patient gardener will never give up on this struggling fig tree – He continues to nurture it, care for it, and coaxes it to life and fruitfulness.
Maybe the message of today’s gospel is that we never give up on ourselves or others, especially when we see ourselves or others as losers – fruitless fig trees. God never gave up on His people, the vine God brought out of Egypt – Christ the gardener never gave up on that fruit tree, and He never gives up on us. We should not give up on ourselves or others.
There can be times when we are tempted to do so – we can get so frustrated with our own weakness, our own failing, so irritated with the number of times we disappoint ourselves or are disappointed by others. We can wonder, ‘why bother?’ So annoyed, we become like the impatient owner who wants to tear that fig tree out of the ground and throw it away, forget it. When we come to grips with our own weaknesses of the weaknesses of others we need patience. Remember we are works in progress as are all those who are in our lives: spouses, son and daughters, friends and strangers. God’s not finished with any of us yet. We need to give ourselves time; we need to give ourselves and others that ‘one more year’. Instant growth is not a healthy or lasting growth.
Holiness is God’s work and God is patient. Holiness is God’s work; we just have to make ourselves available, open to the working of God’s grace in our lives.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass, we can pray for ourselves and for each other that as Christ the patient gardener is willing to give us ‘one more year’, we will be willing to patiently give ourselves and others ‘one more year’ to grow and bear fruit as people who are loved by our ever patient God.
| Posted in Homily |
Friday evenings at 7:30 PM
THURSDAY MARCH 22nd from 7:30 – 9:00 PM in the Gabriel Room. This meeting is for the parents of the children receiving Reconciliation for the first time.
FIRST RECONCILIATION (St. Gabriel’s School children) Saturday March 24th at 11:00 AM in the Church.
FIRST RECONCILIATION (All children in Children’s Faith Program) Saturday March 24th at 2:00PM in the Church.
Total: $11,322
–>
LIBRARY March 21st 10:30 AM – 12 noon Vatican II – THEN AND NOW
March 20th 7:30 – 9:00PM Library TOPIC: “OTHER SEPARATIONS FROM THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH” For more information on any of the above topics, contact Mary Landry at 416-293-3760.
Since last November, a group of parishioners in the parish, who are newcomers to the country, have been meeting and getting to know and support one another. On Friday, March 16th, they will be having a potluck dinner at 7:30 PM. All recent immigrants who have not been able to join the group’s activities are most welcome to do so. For details call Fatima Lee at (416) 221-8866 ext 228.
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
Pelletier operates one group home and six foster care residences which serve 27 young women between the ages of 12 and 18. These youth turn to Pelletier to escape serious difficulties such as abuse. They face barriers to self-sufficiency, including emotional problems, low education, truancy, substance abuse and poverty. The organization offers residential care, individual counseling, life-skills development, educational and career planning, family and parental support, social and interpersonal skills development, ongoing support and an Educational Classroom. With your help we can make a difference!
Part 1 will be broadcast on Sunday, March 25th on VISIONTV at 7:00 PM. Rediscovering Catholicism – Part 2 – continues the following night Monday, March 26th at 7:00 PM. Matthew Kelly, who has spoken to 5 million people in 52 countries, will be joined by the world-renowned St. Michael’s Choir School. Finally a Mission for the entire family.
www.redemptorists.ca Lent offers us a chance to start over. Lent offers us a chance to look at ourselves, to become the person who God calls us to be. You will find daily scriptural reflections on-line that will provide you with opportunities to reflect, ponder and grow in faith through this season of Lent.
March 23 – 25, 2007 Married couples: You deserve a weekend to celebrate being together; to rediscover each other and focus on ways to make your relationship even better. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend offers this opportunity. Consider giving each other or another couple that you know the gift of a weekend away from daily pressures; time to be with each other and with God on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. For further information or registration please contact: David and Lucy Adams 905-470-9590 or email adams@rogers.com
CALL THE PARISH OFFICE AT 416-221-8866 IF YOU HAVE A STATIONARY EXERCISE BIKE THAT YOU COULD LOAN US FOR 2 MONTHS.
| Posted in Bulletin |
March 4th, 2007
Have you ever noticed that a lot of churches are built on hills or have a lot of steps you have to climb to get in? In the old days they never thought about accessibility. Building on a hill or having to climb a lot of steps was a way of recognizing the ‘aboveness’ of God. Mountains play a great part in Sacred Scripture – as in today’s gospel. The fact of the matter is we live our lives in the ‘belowness’ on the level plains of life.
In the gospel of the Transfiguration Jesus takes his friends, Peter, James and John out of the level plains of their lives into the ‘aboveness’ of God. Great and wonderful things happened – the very appearance of Jesus is transfigured – they saw Jesus as they never saw Him before. They are startled to see Moses representing the Law, Elijah representing the prophets – talking with Jesus. This is a true religious experience – it must have overwhelmed them. No wonder Peter said,” Lord it is good for us to be here” Then to hear the very voice of God, “This is my Son, My Chosen, listen to Him.” This whole experience allowed Peter, James and John to be part of the ‘aboveness’ of God. It must have been a bit like St. Paul’s experience when he tells of being swept up into the third heaven.
When Luke tells of the appearance of Moses and Elijah he tells us these two were talking with Jesus about his departure that He was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Jesus had been trying to tell the twelve that He would be betrayed, handed over to the authorities and be put to death. They didn’t want to hear this. This shattered all their expectations of a Messiah. As Peter told Jesus, ‘far be this from You Lord, this must never happen to You.’ But it would happen and they would fail to be there with Him and for Him – as scripture says, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’ And scattered they would be.
This sharing in the ‘aboveness’ of God was to prepare them, strengthen them for the coming experiences in the belowness of their lives and the life of Jesus. Luke goes on to tell us that as Jesus brought them down from the mountain and they were met by a large crowd with a desperate father whose son was possessed by a demon. The father begs Jesus to do something, anything for his son. Jesus asks him, ‘do you believe I can do this?’ the poor man didn’t know what to say except, ‘Lord I believe but help the little faith I have.’
This whole gospel story teaches us that we will live most of our lives, maybe all of our lives, on the level plains of belowness. Every now and then we may be blessed with an awareness of God’s love – we may be blessed to know that God saw us through a difficult time and really is with us and cares for us. But most times, when things are rough, we are like the desperate father saying ‘help my unbelief.’
There can be high points in our lives that see us through the low points. They are like rockets bursting in the air. The deep joy of a mother and father holding their new born child in their arms is what gives them the strength to face sleepless night trying to walk that baby to sleep. Even though it may be in the far distant past, that joy helps them see a rebellious teenage son or daughter through the madness of puberty.
The memory of the joy and excitement of a wedding day – if it is kept alive – can see a husband and wife through the struggles that are part and parcel of every married life.
Back to Peter, James and John. These are the same three Jesus took into the garden of Gethsemane – certainly a great ‘belowness’ in their lives and in the life of Jesus. In that dark place they see Jesus sweating blood and begging for His life – pleading, ‘if it is possible, let this chalice pass me by’. In Gethsemane no one said, ‘Lord it is good for us to be here’ – they couldn’t wait to get out of the place and when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they scattered. The memory of the mountain was lost in the terror of the garden.
As we continue to celebrate this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that there be times when we are blessed to experience the ‘aboveness’ of God, that we be gifted with those moments when we know God loves us, forgives us, sustains us. We pray too that as we live our lives in our belowness we will always have the honesty and courage to pray when things are rough ‘Lord I believe, help the little faith I have.’ In either of these experiences may we always say, “Lord it is good for us to be here.’ Because wherever we are You are there.
March 3rd, 2007
(St. Gabriel’s School children) Saturday March 24th at 11:00 AM in the Church.
(All children in Children’s Faith Program) Saturday March 24th at 2:00PM in the Church.
Total: $9,417
PLACE: LIBRARY March 7th at 10:30 AM – 12 noon Vatican II – THEN AND NOW
March 6th TIME: 7:30 – 9:00PM PLACE: Library TOPIC: “THE GREAT SCHISM” – The Roman Catholic/Greek Orthodox split For more information on any of the above topics, contact Mary Landry at 416-293-3760.
We have formed an environmental focus group here at St. Gabriel’s. Our next meeting will be on March 8, 2007 at 7:30 PM in the Gabriel Room. Everyone is welcome to join us and share their ideas. We will tour the new church with Marilyn Doré as part of our meeting. For more information contact Mary Landry at 416-293-3760.
Since last November, a group of parishioners in the parish, who are newcomers to the country, have been meeting and getting to know and support one another. On March 16th, they will be having a potluck dinner at 7:30 PM. All recent immigrants who have not been able to join the group’s activities are most welcome to do so. For details call Fatima Lee at (416) 221-8866 ext 228.
Call the parish office at 416-221-8866 if you have a stationary bike that you could loan us for 2 months
We are asked to be joyful givers. To give not only of our time, treasure and our talents, but to share all of the gifts that God has given us. We need to Recognize that we are here only for a short time as God’s caretakers, trustees and managers and He invites us to Reflect on how to share sacrificially with those in need. A gift to ShareLife enables us to Respond to those less fortunate, allowing us to say “I am privileged to share God’s gifts with you.”
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 68 casseroles for the Good Shepherd Centre for February. For March, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of March 24/25 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 2221-2791.
Married couples: You deserve a weekend to celebrate being together; to rediscover each other and focus on ways to make your relationship even better. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend offers this opportunity. Consider giving each other or another couple that you know the gift of a weekend away from daily pressures; time to be with each other and with God on a Marriage Encounter Weekend. For further information or registration please contact: David and Lucy Adams 905-470-9590 or email adams@rogers.com
Catholic Leadership: Identify. Motivate. Believe. is a leadership program designed by the office of Catholic Youth (OCY) for young people throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto. In four sessions held over four months (March – June), young people will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of their own gifts and be encouraged to put those gifts at the service of their parishes, schools, families and communities. The program is open to young leaders aged 15 – 19 and the total cost is $45.00 per participant. Anyone wishing to be involved should email his or her name, address, phone number, parish and school to John Dawson at: johnd@ocytoronto.org . For more information visit the website at: www.ocytoronto.org.
There will be a Day of Reflection for the catholic parents of lesbian daughters and gay sons on Friday June 1st from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at MANRESA JESUIT RETREAT CENTER in Pickering. Cost: $40.00 (includes lunch). For a brochure and information call John Montague 416-523-6449.
on Tuesday, March 9th at 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM. Speaker: Msgr. Conrad Dachuck, Pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria. Lunch will be served. Cost $13. RSVP: Kathy Nelson at 905-886-7681.
February 25th, 2007
This Sunday’s gospel is all about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Temptation – it’s probably our most commonly shared human experience. Usually when we hear the word ‘temptation’ with think of sexual temptations. One of our older priests was telling one time of the difficulty he had studying theology. He told us that every time he heard the word ‘grace’ his mind went automatically to a girl named Grace who lived next door to him when he was a teenager – she used to drive him crazy – the association of ideas never left him. You’ve probably heard the story of the young priest asking the old priest, ‘when do temptations cease?’ and the old priest answers, ‘a half an hour after you’re dead.’
Temptation: its defined as an allurement to something evil under the aspect of good. Remember when Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit – she knew God told Adam and herself they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – but Eve saw that ‘it was pleasing to the eye’, it was alluring and so she ate it. And it’s been downhill ever since.
In today’s gospel we have Satan trying to lure Jesus away from His life given task. Jesus spent His forty days in the desert trying to come to grips with the words He heard when He was baptized in the Jordon, “You are My Son, the Beloved, My favor rests on You.” In that time of fast and prayer Jesus came to have a better understanding of His relationship with God, Who He was and the mission to which God called Him.
Satan tries to lure Jesus away from that mission or distract Him from fulfilling that mission by the misuse of power, possessions and domination. Jesus rejects every allurement – every false promise of power, popularity and possessions. Satan tries to lure, entice Jesus away from being Who He is – Satan tries to lure Jesus into disowning Himself, disowning His own integrity.
Someone once referred to ‘the temptation fields of our lives’, something like the minefields of our lives. We have to tread carefully. There is not a day goes by we are tempted to be someone or something we are not. When we were baptized we received in a special way our identity – you are my beloved son, my beloved daughter, my favor rests on you. At our baptisms we became sons and daughters of the Father – this is our identity – and we are faithful to it when we try to live and love and forgive as Christ-like men and women.
But everyday we are tempted to be someone, something we are not when we are tempted to anger, resentment, when we are impatient with the weakness of others. Everyday we are tempted to be someone or something we are not when we exclude any person from our lives because of who or what they are – everyday we are tempted to be someone or something we are not when we imagine our happiness and fulfillment will be found in having, possessing. TV advertisements are all about luring us, enticing us to possess more and more – luring us into believing our happiness, our fulfillment will come when we live in this home, drive this car, wear this clothing, keep this diet, use this I Pod – the list could go on and on. Everyday we are tempted to be someone or something we are not when we give in to abusing the clout, the muscle we may have over someone else. Every day we are tempted to be someone, something we are not when we are tempted to ignore or belittle the calls for a change in life style to which the present environmental crisis calls us.
One of the worst temptations that may come our way is when we face our own faults and failing and we tempted by the conviction that God has no time for one such as me, God must be disgusted with me, that God couldn’t love one such me after what I’ve done.
Temptations are part and parcel of our lives – Satan tried unsuccessfully to turn Jesus away from Who He was and His mission in life. Satan will try to lure us away from being whom and what we are; sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of the Christ Who loved us and gave His life for us.
Facing this reality of our lives we can take courage from the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews when he encourages the early Christians with these words that never loose their power and truth: ‘For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin.’ Let us be confident then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
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