October 11th, 2020
Scripture scholars maintain that today’s parable of the wedding feast is a mixture of two parables: the wedding invitation and the lack of the wedding garment. Matthew’s gospel was written for the Jewish Christian community. From 66-70 AD the Romans were busy putting down a Jewish revolt. In 70 A.D. the Romans captured Jerusalem and destroyed it. The Temple was looted and leveled to the ground and there was a slaughter of the citizens. Whoever remembered this parable of Jesus told it in the light of the destruction of Jerusalem and the people’s rejection of Jesus and their persecution of the Christian community.
He saw the punishment of the citizens of the Jerusalem like the punishment meted out to those who ignored the invitation to the banquet celebrating the king’s son’s wedding. This happens different times as the writers of the gospels remember Jesus’ parables and apply them to a situation in the early Christian community.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving in a way we’d never dreamed of, today’s parable sets before us the danger of taking life’s blessing for granted and God’s graces for granted.
You’ve heard me talk many times about the importance of an ‘attitude of gratitude.’
We take so many of life’s blessings for granted. We got out of bed this morning, some maybe faster than others. A lot of people can’t. We’re gifted with health, sight, speech, hearing, mobility, we have a roof over our heads, a job, we’re surrounded by those we love and who love us and we have the freedom to come to church and worship God.
My constant memory at this time of year is from a novel I read. It was titled, ‘A Complicated Kindness’, by Mirian Teows. It’s the story of a young girl growing up in the prairies. She belonged to a strict, joyless old German Mennonite church. Her family life was totally dysfunctional, her mother and her older sister just took off to escape the oppression under which they lived. This young woman made her escape through drugs and booze, and sleeping around. In telling her of her crazy mixed up, dysfunctional life she made an interesting statement. She said, ‘my life has been an embarrassment of blessings.’ I had to read those words a couple of times to see if I was reading correctly. My life has been an embarrassment of blessings.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, with all its restrictions ,maybe we can remember that it is good to give God thanks and praise for the embarrassment of our blessing which we’ve been blessed.
| Posted in Homily |
October 3rd, 2020
October 5th to October 11th
MONDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by the Nguyen Family TUESDAY – INTENTIONS OF MICHAEL KIM – Requested by Thomas & Veronica Kim WEDNESDAY – JAE-WHAN DO – Requested by the Ta Family THURSDAY – GIUSEPPE DIDIODATO – Requested by Chiara & Tina Intini FRIDAY – ANNIVERSARY OF MARILYN & FRED BURKE – Requested by their Family SATURDAY – SHANNON OLDEN – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – JOSE ENRIQUEZ SR. – Requested by Jackie Enriquez SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – MARTHA SHORT – Requested by Patrick Mohan
Interviews for children who were prepared to receive their First Communion last May are now being scheduled.
Two dates have been added to accommodate those who have not yet called for an appointment:
Tuesday, October 6th and Wednesday October 7th
Interviews are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Please call the Parish Office at 416-221-8866-to book your appointment with Fr. Brando as soon as possible.
The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome: Sophia Crane Mia Elyse Lamoste Adrian William Lim Ah Ken Mackenzie Perez
These children received the Sacrament of Baptism on in the month of September. Congratulations!
Registration is now open for the 2020-21 Catechist Formation Program. The program runs from Sunday, October 18th, 2020 to Saturday, June 19th, 2021. It consists of a combination of online courses, seminars, retreat morning, as well as a Mass and blessing of catechists by Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, at St. Augustine’s Seminary. There is a $250 deposit, refundable upon program completion, and the cost of books.
For more information see the brochure at http://bit.ly/OCFP-Brochure2020 or contact Connie Price at: cprice@archtoronto.org or 416-934-3400, ext. 513.
Meetings in preparation for the R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults) will begin in October. These meetings are normally in person but, due to Covid 19, they will probably be online. They are for persons interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith. The exploration may lead the candidate to seek baptism, and become a member of the Catholic Christian community; or for Christians already baptized into another Christian denomination, the reception into the Catholic Church.
Adult Catholics who have not received the sacrament of Confirmation but who wish to do so are also encouraged to attend these sessions.
As well, these meetings may be an opportunity for “Born Catholics” to deepen their understanding of our faith. Very often, especially for those of us who received our religious instruction at an early age, we tend to grow physically, mentally, psychologically etc., but the understanding of our faith does not grow correspondingly. The RCIA may serve as a good opportunity for us to ask questions and to develop a more adult understanding of our faith.
If you are interested in joining the RCIA meetings or if you would like to have more information about it, please contact Sr. Maria Lucia at 416-221-8866.
While the first wave of Covid 19 was trying for everyone it was particularly difficult for anyone who was living by themselves or for those living with others but not feeling included, valued or welcome. As we prepare for a possible second wave of the pandemic, the team members of the Ministry of Maturing Adults would like to invite anyone who would like a telephone pal or email pal to contact the parish office or email us directly at stgabrielmma@gmail.com.
By providing us with your name, phone number or email, we will connect you with someone who would make periodical calls to check in on you at least once a week. These calls or emails could be used for a simple friendly chat, a chance to voice a concern to a compassionate ear, or a companion to pray with.
No one should feel alone… Each of us are weathering this storm in a different way, but we are all part of the same storm. Let us know if we can help!
The date for the National Seniors Day in Canada and International Day of Older Persons was October 1st. Both the Government of Canada and the United Nations have provided various resources that are available on their website, including virtual events. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the following websites: (1) http://www.ngocoa-ny.org/ (2) https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/national-seniors-day.html
We are discerning how the program will be delivered in these times. More information will be forthcoming, so stay tuned.
You can make a difference in the lives of the hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving by participating in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.
Good Shepherd provides hot meals and shelter for the homeless in our city as well as a chance to start again through the Resettlement or DARE Programs.
Rosalie Hall assists young parents and their children to realize their potential through the provision of a wide range of child development, community, residential and educational services.
Urgently needed items include: rice pasta and pasta sauces, cereal curry& garlic powder salad dressing hot chocolate powdered milk tea bags granola/protein bars chocolate bars cookies and crackers, hard candy sugar coffee canned tuna, soups, stews, corned beef, fruits and vegetables
Please check the expiry date as we cannot pass on expired foods. Please no fresh or frozen foods. We thank you for your generous support!
For the foreseeable future, we are stopping the collection of milk bags. There are no workshops being scheduled at this time and Sharon has many more than she can use. We will let you know when we can begin collecting them once more.
For Families of Parishioners
The Archdiocese Office for Refugees has a program to assist parishioners who would like to sponsor a family member that is in need of refugee sponsorship. This program is intended to assist parishioners only. If you are a parishioner, and would like to sponsor a family member, please contact the parish office to schedule a meeting with the pastor prior to November 15th. The Office for Refugees will look to the sponsoring family to provide the necessary funds for sponsorship.
The Process
Step 1: The Program is Announced at Parish by October 20th, 2020. Step 2: The Parishioner Meets with the Pastor – Interested parishioners are to arrange a meeting with the pastor by November 15th, 2020 Step 3: The Pastor Sends Request to ORAT by November 29th, 2020 Step 4: ORAT Invites Parishioner to an Information Session – Following the receipt of the request from the pastor, ORAT will extend an invitation to the parishioner, inviting them to attend the Introduction to Resettlement Information Session. This is a mandatory session for the parishioner. The session will take place on or before Saturday, December 12th, 2020.
The joy of discovery!
Check out the Garden Ministry web-page for a picture of the tiny, perfect bird’s nest, perched about shoulder height on the bough of a spruce tree on the southern walkway. Better still, take a stroll and discover it for yourself. Awesome ingenuity – a home skillfully built with materials at hand.
A testament to resilience! After the extreme heat of early summer, we thought the goji berry harvest was lost. The leaves on ninety percent of the plants had withered and dropped. But, the plants rebounded, leafing out for a second time and flowering. Chances are now very good that the berries will ripen before the first frost.
For more information on St. Gabriel’s gardens visit the Garden Ministry web-page on the parish website. If you would like to participate in caring for our gardens, please email heathermjb@gmail.com.
| Posted in Bulletin |
September 27th, 2020
From the moment Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus Christ on his trip to Damascus to arrest the followers or Jesus whom he saw as unfaithful Jews, his life was turned upside down. In the days and months and years that followed Paul would come to understand more and more who Jesus was and why he came into the world. He tried every day to model his life on the life giving life and death of Jesus. He would say of himself, ‘I live now not I, but Christ lives in me and the life I life I life it trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.’
In today’s second reading Paul shares with us his understanding of what the life, death and resurrection of Jesus were all about and the impact it had on Paul’s life and hopefully on all our lives.
Jesus was equal to God but he willing gave this equality up, emptying himself of his divinity and taking to himself our humanity, and humanity in its lowest form, that of a slave. An obedient slave, obedient even unto death on a cross, a death of shame and humiliation, deprived of all human dignity and worth. Jesus emptied himself of his divinity and his humanity in order to make the human family one again with God.
And it didn’t stop there. At the Last Supper Jesus took a piece of bread and a cup of wine telling us, this is my body, this is my blood. With these words bread was more than bread, wine was more than wine, they were the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus emptied himself still more and made himself the food and drink that nourishes our bodies and souls.
Many times we can be caught up with a sense of self -importance; our position in the company for which we work, our position in any society to which we may belong, how we are thought of among our social friends, how we are seen in our neighbourhood and many other life situations. We want to look good, impress people.
There can be times when we let this desire to motivate how we relate to friends and neighbours and strangers.
Jesus did not think his equality with God as something to be clung to, so he let go. He emptied himself of his divinity.
In our age of image makers there can be times in our personal lives when we may challenge to empty ourselves of mindsets and lifestyles that convince us that we are better than others, mindsets that encourage us to think ourselves better than people of color; it’s called racism. We could empty ourselves of attitudes that can encourage us to look down on men and women of different color, different faiths, different lifestyles or different social standing, seeing men and women as of less worth, less importance than ourselves; it’s called bigotry.
There is a key on every computer and laptop titled, delete. Whenever we imagine ourselves as more important than others, of more value than other people then it is time to press that key delete and empty ourselves of pompous attitudes, attitudes far removed from the mind of Christ who emptied himself that we might be filled with the love and forgiveness of God.
September 26th, 2020
September 28th to October 4th
MONDAY – GUILLERMO ACOSTA – Requested by Mirian Fabra TUESDAY – LOZANO ACOSTA – Requested by Mirian Fabra WEDNESDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Mirian Fabra THURSDAY – CARL LEFEBOUR – Requested by Yvonne Lefebour FRIDAY – THOMAS OWEN & JESSE PETER JOSEPH MILLER – Requested by their Family SATURDAY – GUS & MARIE CALDERONE – Requested by their Family SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – DOREEN YOUNG – Requested by Noreen Chen SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – LAUDELINA DESOUZA MOREIRA – Requested by Humberto Holanda
Interviews began on Tuesday, September 15th and will continue until Thursday, October 1st. They are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
This Sunday, September 27th at 10:00 AM.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some unique challenges for the Church, as well as for our efforts to plan for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees. In response, our office arranged for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees, which will take place this Sunday, September 27th to be celebrated virtually. On Sunday, Cardinal Collins will be the celebrant and homilist at the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. The Mass will be livestreamed. Following the livestream, the Mass along with pre-recorded videos from several guest speakers will be made available on ORAT’s website and Facebook page. These are intended to draw our attention to the plight of so many who have been displaced from their homes and homelands.
Please check the expiry date as we cannot pass on expired foods. Please no fresh or frozen foods.
We thank you for your generous support!
Monday, September 28th at 7:00 PM
Join Faith Connections on Monday, September 28th at 7:00 PM for a virtual evening of theology and reflection for young adults, ages 18-39! We welcome Rev. Leigh Kern, Hon. B.A., M.Div., for a discussion on “Colonization and Confinement: From Assimilation to Liberation,” which will examine the theological roots of our current judicial, policing and prison system, and their impact on Indigenous communities. For more information and to join us via Zoom, please visit the events section of Faith Connections Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FaithConnections/events. It’s sure to be a great night!
Please contact Faith Connections at faithconnections@csj-to.ca or phone WEBSITE: faithconnections.ca
When you see Garden Ministry members in the garden, you rightly assume we are its caretakers. What you might not see is the garden taking care of us. Its rich, earthy scents soothe anxiety; birdsongs lift a troubled soul out of shadows; soft breezes swishing through grasses calm an overactive mind; colours pique curiosity and loneliness fades as we are drawn closer to the myriad creatures that make the garden their home. In that quiet space, awaits the listening ear of our Creator. Our garden is there for all of us.
September 20th, 2020
September 21st to 27th
MONDAY – FIORENTINO GIANNOTTA – Requested by Lina Giannotta TUESDAY – SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Mirian Fabra WEDNESDAY – GERRY, MIKE & EDNA HATCH – Requested by their Family THURSDAY – AURITA FERNANDES – Requested by Tony Fernandes FRIDAY – FABRA LEYTON – Requested by Mirian Fabra SATURDAY – JOHN POWELL – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – RENATO BELLISARI – Requested by Chiara SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – INTENTIONS OF MIRIAN FABRA – Requested by Mirian Fabra
Interviews for children who have been preparing to receive their First Communion are now being scheduled. Interviews began on Tuesday, September 15th and will continue until Thursday, October 1st. They are scheduled every 15 minutes from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
This Sunday, September 20th
Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, has announced the institution of Stewardship Sunday across the archdiocese on the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The first Stewardship Sunday will take place this Sunday, September 20th. To mark the occasion, Cardinal Collins has authored a homily on stewardship (which is also available in a video format). You may read the Cardinal’s homily or view it on video at www.archtoronto.org
Sunday, September 27th at 10:00 AM.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some unique challenges for the Church, as well as for our efforts to plan for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees. In response, our office arranged for this year’s World Day of Migrants & Refugees, which will take place on Sunday, September 27th to be celebrated virtually. On that day, Cardinal Collins will be the celebrant and homilist at the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica. The Mass will be livestreamed. Following the livestream, the Mass along with pre-recorded videos from several guest speakers will be made available on ORAT’s website and Facebook page. These are intended to draw our attention to the plight of so many who have been displaced from their homes and homelands.
This Weekend, September 19th/20th
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is collecting gently used clothing, shoes and linens to support our neighbors in need or to be sold to help support their special works in the community this weekend, September 19th/20th.
They cannot accept books, dishes, furniture, appliances, mattresses, construction materials or videos and cassettes. Please bring your donations and help others in your community.
The truck will be open: Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM Sunday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Volunteers will be there to assist with loading before and after Mass.
Your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses next weekend. Each month, the casseroles are picked up early on Monday morning for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. We encourage you to pick up a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office. For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
As you are aware, St. Gabriel’s has always collected food for Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.
During the pandemic, there was no food collection and shelves were depleted so these organizations are desperate.
Please help if you can by bringing non-perishable foods such as rice, canned goods, powdered milk, coffee, tea sugar, cereal, peanut butter, jam, pasta and sauces. You may place them in the large bin in the Gathering Space.
Thank you to all the parishioners who heeded the announcement and already brought food. Your response has been awesome!
September sees the waning of most flowering plants in the south garden, but there is one wonderful exception: Smooth Blue Aster. It’s profusion of small, blue-pink blossoms remind us of the gentle, spring garden shades overtaken in summer by more raucous colours like the extravagant magenta of Hairy Beardtongue, which has just finished flowering or the boisterous yellow of Smooth Oxeye, which is still blooming. Take a stroll and enjoy the scene before the inevitable frost.
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