January 19th, 2020
This day is the beginning of the week of prayer for Christian lead by Unity. The Christian family throughout the world does not have a good history of family love and unity. Yet Jesus prayed for unity among his followers; Father may they be one as we are one may they be one is us that the world may believe that you have sent me. St. Paul prayed that the early Christians communities preserve the unity of the Spirit in a bond of peace.
Things have not worked out that way. There were divisions in the early centuries of the church; divisions healed by church councils. But the first great family feud was in the 12th century when our family split between the east and the west, the east following the oriental churches led by the Patriarch Constantinople; the west following the churches faithful to Rome.
The second great split was the Protestant Reformation led by the German monk Martin Luther. He called for a reformation of the abuses of the Church of Rome. Since then there have been other splits within the reforming churches both in Europe and in North America. Just recently there was a split in the Methodist Church in the U.S over the issue of accepting Gays and Lesbians into the Church.
In our Catholic Church we have divisions over people’s understanding of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, especially in the ways Mass and the Sacraments are celebrated. Some, not many, want to put things back the way they were years ago, Mass in Latin, Gregorian chants and the priest with his back to the people. Some people find Pope Francis too easy on people.
But there is way we Christians can be one; One in our respect for other people’s faith and convictions. One in our willingness to let go of ingrained prejudices of other faiths. One in our efforts to oppose anti-Semitism. One in our co-operation to work for social justice, such as affordable housing, a living wage, One in our willingness to accept refugees and immigrants to Canada. This is a oneness that bears witness to our faith in Jesus Christ.
Let our common prayer be, not just for this week but for every week; May we all be one in being faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
| Posted in Homily |
There has been an influx of request to bring the Eucharist to the homebound members of our parish community. As such, we are requesting anyone who would be interested in assisting us in this ministry of Extra-Ordinary Eucharistic Minister of the Eucharist for the Homebound, to contact Sr. Maria Lucia at (416)221-8866. There is mandatory training for all those who are interested in visiting those who are homebound and giving them the Eucharist.
Many people suffer from intense allergies today. Chemicals used in scented products can make some people sick, especially those with fragrance sensitivities, asthma, allergies and other medical conditions. Help us make the air we share healthy and fragrance free. We appreciate your help with making our Church comfortable for all.
January 20th– January 26th 2020
MONDAY – PAULINE FONG – Requested by Meiyung Fong TUESDAY – DOREEN YOUNG – Requested by Noreen Chen WEDNESDAY – DELPHINE OAKIE – Requested by the Family THURSDAY – JOSEPH D’GAMA – Requested by The Yeung Family FRIDAY – THANKSGIVING – Requested by John Chan SATURDAY – DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE SICINSKI FAMILY – Requested by Jack & Wanda SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – THANKSGIVING TO DIVINE MERCY – Requested by Steven & Simone Rozario SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – JOHN MCDONOUGH – Requested by Vivian Mulhall McDonough
Sunday, January 26th at 7:00 PM
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge Street, Toronto
“They showed us unusual kindness” cf. Acts 28:2
His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, will reflect on the Word of God with other Christian leaders. For more information, please contact ecumenical@archtoronto.org or 416-934-3400, Ext. 527. All are welcome.
Sunday, February 9th at 3:00 PM Mass
St. Isaac Jogues Parish, 1148 Finch Avenue, Pickering
Marriage Sunday highlights the importance of the sacrament of marriage and complements World Marriage Sunday celebrations that take place across North America.
The Celebration of Marriage Mass in the Archdiocese of Toronto will take place on Sunday, February 9th at St Isaac Jogues Church, Pickering. Cardinal Thomas Collins will preside over this special Mass with special recognition for couples celebrating their milestone 25th, 40th, 50th and 60+ wedding anniversaries.
A reception will follow Mass. All are welcome to attend. Everyone is required to register as seating is limited. Designated seating is available for milestone couples only. Register online at www.archtoronto.org/marriage or call 416 934 3400, Ext. 523.
As you are aware, in recent weeks, hundreds of forest fires in Australia have killed dozens, destroyed thousands of homes and threatened many local species with extinction. At present, more than 10 million hectares of bush, forest and parks in the country have been impacted.
100 percent of donations are used to support those who have been affected. Funds channeled through our Australian St. Vincent de Paul partners will provide:
Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways: Online through the Archdiocese of Toronto website: www.archtoronto.org
By phone through the Development Office at416-934-3411
By cheque made payable to St. Gabriel’s Parish – Australia Fires – Relief
Next Weekend, January 25th/26th
Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
More volunteers are needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Three recipes are available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Printed copies of the recipes are also available in the Parish Office. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.
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.
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.
Your food donations are more important than ever as the winter begins and numbers of needy people continue to increase. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.
Sunday, January 26th – Used Stamp Collection
Effect:Hope is a Christian organization, focused on achieving lasting, positive change among people living with the effects of leprosy and similar diseases – conditions long forgotten by much of the world. They continue to go into the slums and poverty-stricken communities of the world to bring healing and hope. They provide ulcer care, food and sanitary conditions, a safe home, help with mobility, job training and small business loans Your donation is a gift that will change their lives forever.
Please bring us your used postage stamps. These are passed on to Effect Hope helping them work towards the day when leprosy is eradicated. They are happy to accept any and all trimmed stamps, leaving no less than ¼ inch and no more than ½ inch paper border. Stamps may be deposited in the basket on the cabinet just outside the Parish Office. For more information please go to www.worldleprosyday.ca.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board welcomes families with junior kindergarten-aged children (born in 2016) to register for the September 2020 school year.
The Elementary Student Online Application for Registration (S.O.A.R.) for enrolment September 2020 is now available. Parents should complete an application at http://soar.tcdsb.org.
The TCDSB is proud to provide a wide range of programs and services to students in 201 publicly-funded Catholic schools from kindergarten to Grade 12.
For registration information, please call (416) 222-8282, ext. 5314 or visit www.tcdsb.org
Listening to God’s Voice When Facing a Decision
Monday, January 27th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM The Duke of York Pub, 39 Prince Arthur Drive
Fontbonne Ministries invite you to join Kevin Kelly SJ, a Deacon of the Society of Jesus, as he shares his insights into listening to God’s voice when facing a decision. All young adults, ages 19 to 39 are invited for an evening of faith, food, fun and fellowship.
Monday, January 27th at 4:45 PM
St. Augustine’s Seminary, 2661 Kingston Road,
Have you ever thought about becoming a priest? Spending an evening at the seminary offers discerners a glimpse into the place where priestly formation begins. The evening includes Holy Mass in the beautiful seminary chapel, dinner, a talk by Director of Vocations Fr. Chris Lemieux, and a tour of the seminary. Please contact the Office of Vocations at (416) 968-0997 or email vocations@archtoronto.org for more information.
WEB: https://www.vocationstoronto.ca/
Help for Troubled Marriages, January 24th at 6:00 PM, Niagara Falls
If you are thinking of separation or divorce — or you are already separated but want to try again — then Retrouvaille can help. This program will give you the tools to help get your marriage back on track. It will also give you the opportunity to rediscover one another and examine your lives together in a new and positive way.
For more information please call 416-281-6007, email info@torontoretrouvaille.com or go to www.torontoretrouvaille.com
Taking Care of Our Common Home
Saturday February 1st from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Blessed Trinity Parish Hall, 3220 Bayview Avenue
Almost 5 years after Pope Francis called on us in his encyclical Laudato Si to care for our common home, the ecological signs have grown more urgent. How can we live hopefully today? Karen Van Loon will explore what is happening to the world we share, how the Church is responding and what are ways for people of faith to protect and care for our common home.
Contact Kay Booker at 416 357 5378 or Maria Luz Manalo at 416 459 9586.
| Posted in Bulletin |
January 12th, 2020
We welcome new members of our Parish, individuals and families who joined and registered for the months of November & December 2019: Ryan Caesar, Liliana Cappella, Franklyn Disano, Juliana Doumakis, Dexter Flor, Daniela Gutierrez, Ann Krajan, Jed Lamoste, Ariana Martin, Benny Muega, Anthony Nasturzio, Elsa Pieto, Roshan Pillay, Yvonne Tio Nigel Wilson
We encourage you to participate in any of the various ministries of our parish community.
Many people suffer from intense allergies today. Chemicals used in scented products can make some people sick, especially those with fragrance sensitivities, asthma, allergies and other medical conditions. Please help us make the air we share healthy and fragrance free. We appreciate your help with making our Church comfortable for all.
January 13th – January 19th 2020
MONDAY – MOST NEEDY SOULS IN PURGATORY – Requested by Nguyen Family TUESDAY – ANGELINE NICHOLAS NAZARETH – Requested by John, Clara, Isidore & Sandra Pires WEDNESDAY – MARGARET & CATHERINE MORIARTY – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick THURSDAY – MAGDALENE LAM – Requested by John Chan FRIDAY – ANTONIA EVANS – Requested by Teresa Sheldrick SATURDAY – RENATO BELLISARI – Requested by Chiara SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – PHILIP TAYLOR – Requested by Anna Taylor & Family SUNDAY – 12:30 pm – LUCY BANEL – Requested by Joe Banel
The Parish Family of St. Gabriel would like to welcome Tomas Alejandro Leon Ayala and Keanna Pearl Lleno Bael who received the sacrament of Baptism on December 25th, 2019. Congratulations!
Wednesday, January 15th from 1:00 PM -to 3:00 PM Gabriel Room
Did you know that milk bags can be cut, looped and woven into sleep mats for individuals or families in developing countries? Please drop the colourful outer bags in the bin located in the gathering space. Please make sure that the bags are clean, dry and flat. All are welcome!
Weekend of January 18th/19th
Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend. Regular ground coffee: $5.50 Decaffeinated: $6.00 Whole Beans: $5.50 Chocolate Bars: $4.50 incl. Taxes Hot Chocolate and Cocoa: $6.00 Teas: $4.25
Tuesday, January 14th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Blessed Trinity Church, 3220 Bayview Avenue
This year, Pope Francis will inaugurate “Word of God Sunday” – the third Sunday in ordinary time (January 26).
Accordingly, his Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, will speak about the importance of the Word of God, the Bible in the life and ministry of the believer. Please join them. All are welcome.
Beginning January 15th
The Elementary Student Online Application for Registration (S.O.A.R.) for enrolment September 2020 will be available beginning Wednesday, January 15th at 10:00 AM. Parents should complete an application at http://soar.tcdsb.org on or after this date.
St. Augustine’s Seminary, 2661 Kingston Road, Toronto Monday, January 27th at 4:45 PM
Monday, January 27th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM
The Duke of York Pub, 39 Prince Arthur Dr., Toronto
Fontbonne Ministries invite you to join Kevin Kelly SJ, a Deacon of the Society of Jesus, as he shares his insights into listening to God’s voice when facing a decision. All young adults, ages 19 to 39 are invited for an evening of faith, food, fun and fellowship
Celebration of Marriage Mass, February 9th at 3:00 PM,
St. Isaac Jogues Parish, 1148 Finch Ave, Pickering
As part of Marriage Sunday 2020 celebrations, Cardinal Thomas Collins will preside at a special Mass to honour married couples in the Archdiocese of Toronto. All married couples are welcome to come and will have an opportunity to renew their wedding vows. A special blessing will be given to couples celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries (25th, 40th, 50th or 60+) in 2020 and group photos will take place after the Mass. A reception will follow after Mass.
In anticipation of high demand and attendance, please note that everyone wishing to attend the Celebration is required to register due to space limitations and to avoid disappointment. Non-reserved seating will be provided on a first-come first-served basis to all other married couples, family members, friends and others attending the Mass. Doors open at 2:00 PM.
For more information please contact Ella Okonkwo at the Office of Formation for Discipleship; at 416-934-0606, ext. 523, email formation@archtoronto.org or visit: www.archtoronto.org/marriage.
Several boxes of offertory envelopes are waiting for pick-up. They are now in the hallway outside the Gabriel Room. Please pick yours up as soon as possible.
Under the Canadian Income Tax laws, a donor is entitled to an income tax credit against income taxes payable based on a tax receipt from a registered Canadian charity like St. Gabriel’s parish.
You should consider using offertory envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) or Donate Now via Archdiocese of Toronto’s online giving for your offertory giving no matter the amount of your weekly donation. Envelopes are available at the Parish Office if you need one.
On this feast of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jorden River we are taken back to the time and day when we were baptised – baptised by water and the Holy Spirit and adopted by our Father as God’s sons and daughters. Because most of us were baptised as infants we have no memory of that event, when through no merit of our own God’s Holy Spirit was poured into our hearts giving us the boldness to call God – Father/Mother.
Today’s gospel tells of Jesus approaching his cousin John the Baptist to be baptized. John protests saying it should be the other way around. Jesus says, do what I ask. We don’t know how many people were around on that occasion but our scriptures tell us that as Jesus came out of the river the heavens opened and Jesus saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove over him and an approving voice saying the words,’ this is my son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased.’
Our first reading from Isaiah tells of unknown servant who delights the soul of God and receives God’s Spirit. This unknown servant is to bring justice to the nations and he is to be a source of healing and a light to the nations and bring freedom to oppressed people. Both this unknown person and Jesus were sources of delight to God
Can we imagine, even believe that God looks of each one of us here and now and says; ‘this is my son, this is my daughter in whom I am well pleased?
They’re not perfect, they’re not faultless but they are trying. They don’t live up to their own ideals, they struggle with their own issues and they keep coming back to me for the help and strength they need. They worry about their jobs; they worry about whether they are a good father, a good mother.
They struggle with their faith in a church that has shamed them with its scandals. They worry about their health and the health of those they love and they grieve over the death of those they loved. They wonder about the future of their children and grandchildren and the diseased planet they’re leaving them.They do their best to be there for people who need their help, they do what they can to help the poor and homeless and they resist the temptations that surround them to be racist and anti-semitic.
There are many times when wonder if I even care for them or even remember them.
But it is good for us to remember, to trust this truth; God does not deal with people as faceless members of a collective. He calls, and he heals one particular person at a time, as each individual comes to him. But then we ourselves need to come to the Lord, to face him, to know him, to love him, and to let him heal us. Come as ourselves, as we are, warts and all. We are God’s and God is our well pleased Father.
January 5th, 2020
The Epiphany of Christ is a shining light set at the turning of the year to illuminate all that has gone before and to guide us through the year ahead.
January 6th – January 12th 2020
MONDAY – JEANNE CLARKE – Requested by Patricia Bristol-Clarke TUESDAY – JUAN & CANDIDA VILLORIA – Requested by The Family WEDNESDAY – GERRY MOLLOY – Requested by Katherine Pezzack THURSDAY – ALL WHO ARE IN HOSPICE AND ILL – Requested by Mary & Ravi FRIDAY – STELLA VENTURINI – Requested by Cheryl Rancati SATURDAY – GEORGE OLDEN – Requested by Kathleen Olden-Powell SUNDAY – 10:30 AM – PERRY TANG – Requested by Amy & Michael Tang SUNDAY – 12:30 PM – WLLIAM SAURET – Requested by The De Biasio & Roman Families
With this Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we close our celebration of Christmas and we look forward to a peaceful New Year.
Sincere thanks to Everyone who supported our various outreach programs and all other events held and organized by our Parish.
A special mention also goes to all our Parish Ministries and their Volunteers. Your selfless contribution of your time and talents are certainly the greatest blessing that our Parish continue to have!
You are truly wonderful people!
Thank you to the volunteers who prepared 54 casseroles for December. For January, your prepared casseroles (frozen please) will be collected at the Masses on the weekend of January 25th/26th for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre.
You may pick up a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan from the Parish Office. Three recipes are also available on St. Gabriel’s web site. Please remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole. More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. For more information, please contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.
Sunday, January 26th, 2020 at 7:00 PM
St. Augustine’s Seminary, 2661 Kingston Road, Toronto Monday, January 27, 2020, 4:45 PM
Have you ever thought about becoming a priest? Spending an evening at the seminary offers discerners a glimpse into the place where priestly formation begins. The evening includes Holy Mass in the beautiful seminary chapel, dinner, a talk by Director of Vocations Fr. Chris Lemieux, and a tour of the seminary.
CONTACT: Office of Vocations at (416) 968-0997 Email: vocations@archtoronto.org WEB: https://www.vocationstoronto.ca/
Listening to God’s Voice When Facing a Decision Monday, January 27th, 2020 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM The Duke of York Pub, 39 Prince Arthur Dr., Toronto
Join Kevin Kelly, SJ, a Deacon of the Society of Jesus, as he shares his insights into listening to God’s voice when facing a decision. All young adults, ages 19 to 39 are invited for an evening of faith, food, fun and fellowship!
The Elementary Student Online Application for Registration (S.O.A.R.) for enrolment September 2020 will be available beginning Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM EST. Parents should complete an application at http://soar.tcdsb.org on or after this date.
For registration information, please call (416) 222-8282, ext. 5314 or visit www.tcdsb.org.
A few more offertory envelopes are in the Gathering Space awaiting for pick-up. Please pick yours up as soon as possible.
Under the Canadian Income Tax laws, a donor is entitled to an income tax credit against income taxes payable based on a tax receipt from a registered Canadian charity like St. Gabriel’s parish. You should consider using offertory envelopes, enrolling in Pre-Authorized Giving (PAG) or Donate Now via Archdiocese of Toronto’s online giving for your offertory giving no matter the amount of your weekly donation. Envelopes are available at the Parish Office if you need one.
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
