June 23rd, 2019
St. Paul tells us that Jesus did not consider his equality with God as something to be clung to. He emptied himself of his divinity and took to himself our humanity, becoming as we all are. He became a slave to his father’s will being obedient, even unto death, even death on a cross.
On this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ we are awed by another expression of Jesus’ emptying – becoming a piece of bread, a small host, for our nourishment. Our celebration of the Eucharist is the most important religious thing we do; it is our act of thanksgiving, Eucharist means thanksgiving, for the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the event that restored our friendship with God.
When we receive that small white host on our tongue or in our hand we are receiving Christ, our bread of life.
Baptism is the most important of all Sacraments but the Eucharist is the greatest of the Sacrament. We receive the body and blood of Christ and this nourishment strengthens us to be more Christ-like in the living of our lives.
Paul’s description of the Last Supper came from a direct testimony of Jesus, because Paul was not present at the Last Supper, as he said, ‘I received it from the Lord.’
At every Mass Christ is received, the memory of his Passion is recalled and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
Every cultural has a stable food they use as a basis for survival; it is usually some form of bread. As Catholic Christians our stable food is Holy Communion as we receive Christ our bread of life. When we eat any food it becomes part of our body. When we receive Communion we become more like Jesus who gave us this promise; ‘ he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood live in me and I live in him and I will raise them up on the last day.’
Before communion we say the words, Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the words and my soul shall be healed. None of us are worth to receive such a gift but all of us are needy.
The words of Pope Francis ring true for all of us; The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.’ God know we are all weak. May we all accept Christ’s invitation- take and eat, take and drink – this is my body, this is my life given for you.
May we always be thankful for such this gracious gift.
| Posted in Homily |
June 22nd, 2019
Sunday, July 7th after the 12:30 Mass
The Parish BBQ Picnic will be held on Sunday, July 7th after the 12:30 Mass in the parking lot. There will be hot dogs, games, face painting, lucky draws, music and more.
Tickets are $3 each.
Please bring your families, friends and neighbours to enjoy a summer afternoon with your parishioners.
We need more young volunteers to help and make this event happen. Please sign up by putting your name and phone number on the sheets at the back of church. For more information, you may call Linda Law at 416-918-8029.
The Children’s Faith Program is in need of teachers and assistants for the 2019/2020 classes. The classes are held every second Sunday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Gabriel’s School. If you are interested in joining this important ministry, please leave your name and contact information at the Parish Office at 416-221-8866 or email stgabrielsparish@bellnet.ca.
June 22nd /23rd
Spring Cleaning Year Round!
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul are collecting gently used clothing, shoes, linens and household goods to support our neighbors in need or to be sold to help support their special works in the community this weekend, June 22nd /23rd.
They cannot accept books, dishes, furniture, appliances, mattresses, construction materials or videos and cassettes. Please help others in your community. The truck is open Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Volunteers will be there to assist with loading before and after each Mass.
The Volunteer Hospitality Ministry is looking for new members. If you are interested in serving in this very important ministry, please leave your name and contact information with the Parish Office at 416-221-8866.
Liturgical Publications will be setting up the advertisements for our church bulletin. The advertising will begin in September 2019 and supports the bulletin service. Please support the bulletin and advertise your product or service. Call Liturgical Publications at 905-624-4422.
The Parish Family of St. Gabriel’s would like to welcome: Adeya Margeaux Arcega Arlo Marquis Arcega Iker Alonso Goyenechea Miguel de Oliveira Almeida Pieroni Lexie Zamora
These children received the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, June 16th, 2019. Congratulations!
June 24th – June 30th, 2019
MONDAY – JOHN & PHILOMENA FERNANDES – Requested by Tony Fernandes TUESDAY – MARY WON – Requested by Bona Oh WEDNESDAY – KENG OWYONG – Requested by Helen Owyong THURSDAY – LEONARD MARCHIE – Requested by Teresa Marchie FRIDAY – THANKSGIVING – Requested by Jack & Wanda SATURDAY – KAREN & AZZAREYA ABALAY – Requested by Corazon & Kenneth SUNDAY 10:30 – SUNDAY 12:30 – THANKSGIVING – Requested by the Lam Family
Registration forms for the Children’s Faith Program are now available in the parish office. This program is for children of the Parish who attend other Catholic schools, public or private schools. Classes are held at St. Gabriel’s School every second Sunday beginning September 8th, 2019.
Please note that a separate Sacramental registration form is required if your child will receive the sacraments of First Communion, Reconciliation or Confirmation during the 2019/2020 year. These forms are also available in the Parish Office. Baptismal Certificates are required for First Communion and Confirmation.
Living the Gospel by sending food to developing countries
Irma is a 29-year-old single mother to four children in El Salvador. Her children suffer from malnutrition because she earns just $5 per day selling household items at an outdoor market. A local charity reached out to Canadian Food for Children (CFFC), a ShareLife-funded agency. CFFC began sending shipments to her community that include food, clothing, and toys. Irma is relieved to receive ongoing support to help her feed her family. Please make a sacrificial gift to ShareLife through your parish or sharelife.org.
ShareLife Results for Previous Campaigns 2016 $190,334.25 2017 $217,507.08 2018 $172,230.78 Our Goal For 2019 $180,000 Collection to Date: $107,251
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 especially important as the number of casseroles often drops during the summer months but the numbers of needy people do not. Please check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired. Thank you for your generous support.
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. 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.
Saturday July 13th beginning at 9:00AM
Shrine of Our Lady of Grace at Marylake 13760 Keele Street, King City, Ontario
The 7th annual celebration in honour of Señor Santa Niño will be celebrated on Saturday, July 13th at the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace at Marylake. Fr. Richie Mercado O.S.A. will be the main celebrant.
The festivities begin at 9:00 AM with assembly at the Great Crucifix followed by a rosary procession, Open Air Mass and Benediction. The Sacrament of reconciliation will be available from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in the Angel Courtyard. There is ample space for fellowship and picnic following the Mass and Benediction.
Please join them for this great Augustinian Feast with the Filipino community. For more information, please call 416-787-4547.
Saturday, July 6th from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Come out for a mid-morning weekend “hike” through Colonel Samuel Park! A time of prayer, fellowship, reflection, while enjoying the beauty of God’s creation in our very own city.
The group will meet at 10:30 AM at the Southeast corner of Lakeshore and Kipling. Please bring comfortable walking shoes!
This Hike and Prayer will be facilitated by our special guest, Sabrina Chiefari.
To RSVP, please email faithconnections@csj-to.ca.
A second harvest from our community garden – lettuce, kale and spinach – was delivered to the Good Shepherd Ministries last Sunday. The chef was enthusiastic about receiving produce so fresh.
The tour of the south garden scheduled for June 23 has been cancelled. Plans are in the works for a tour to take place in September.
Drivers wanted! With our community garden crops maturing, please consider volunteering as an occasional driver to deliver the produce to the Good Shepherd Ministries on Queen Street.
Garden Care days are Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. We weed, harvest and plant and a member of the Garden Ministry team will be on site. Your help would be welcome!
For more information on the Garden Ministry, please contact Heather Bennett at heathermjb@gmail.com or leave your name and telephone number at the office.
| Posted in Bulletin |
June 16th, 2019
What a wonderful weekend to celebrate the feast of the Holy Trinity as we also celebrate Father’s Day. A mother wrote this beautiful reflection on the birth of her first child.
God is love, and the love between Father and Son is so profound that it begets a third Person, the Spirit. Our human experience of love approaches this mystery we call the Trinity. ‘I can remember catching a glimpse of the power of our relational God when I saw my first child at the moment of her birth. As I, a new mother, and her father looked at our baby we both cried at what our love had created.
As I’ve mentioned before a mystery is not something of which we can know nothing. A mystery is something of which we cannot know everything. Even when we come to see God as God is we will not be capable of grasping the immensity of God.
This feast is a feast that celebrates relationships. God’s inner relationships and God’s relationship with us, as Father, as Savior and as Sanctifier. It is a feast that challenges us to question the health of our own relationships.
That questioning might go something like this; in my relationships am I a source of life, love, growth, healing, forgiving. Do I enrich the lives of others by my friendship? Are people better people thru their friendship with me? Do I encourage, foster the gifts and abilities of others. Do I give my spouse, my sons or daughters, my friends, the freedom to be themselves, to find their own way? Is my friendship strong enough that I am willing to confront or face up to issues that are not healthy, that can weaken my relationship with another person? In any and all of my relationships am I dependable, trustworthy, and faithful?
Forming and maintaining good healthy relationships is not easy. Friends ‘fall out ‘husbands and wives split, parents and children are alienated. That’s why it’s important to question ourselves – am I a control freak – am I a demanding person, a needy person, do I try to manipulate, dominate family or friends. Does everything have to center of me? Living in healthy, life giving relationships is a life time task. When all is said and done – our whole lives will be judged on how we lived our many relationships – with family, friends or strangers – These are the facts by which our lives will be judged – I was hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned – and you were there for me – welcome into the eternal life giving relationship of Father, Son and Spirit – for as often as you did these things to one of these, the least of mine, you did it to me.
We refer to ourselves as St. Gabriel’s parish family. Years ago a person said to me, ‘I’ve been coming here for years and no one has ever spoken to me.’ I asked her how many people she’d spoken to. None. She presumed it was up to others to speak to her. We invite to greet those around as we begin our family celebration of Mass. Do you feel welcome here? Do you feel you belong? Do you feel at home? Have you made any effort to help others feel at home here? It’s something to think about.
A few years ago Pope Francis issued a letter to the world on the environmental crises facing us all but denied by many. We really have messed up our relationships with the rest of Earth’s life systems, systems that support and sustain our lives. To satisfy our need for more and more we have polluted Earth’s lakes and rivers with our wastes from pulp mills and mines. We’ve polluted Earth’s air with toxic fumes and the soil with pesticides. We’ve ignored the fact that we are not lords of creation; we are kin, we are family with all other life forms on our common home, Mother Earth. You’ve heard me say this many times, ‘The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth and what we do to the earth we do to ourselves. 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. We humans have placed a great strain on our relationships with the rest of God’s good creation. The church, even common sense, calls us to live simply that others may simply live and to see that Earth’s bounty is shared equally by whole human family.
As we continue to celebrate this feast of the Blessed Trinity, this feast of relationships we pray for the ability to always live in holy, life giving, life sustaining, life healing relationships with all those who come into our lives.
June 15th, 2019
To all the Fathers, Grandfathers, Stepfathers, Single Fathers and Great Grandfathers we wish you a very happy Father’s Day.
May you be blessed with the graces you need to be good and loving role models to your children. May God give you courage, compassion, patience and peace
Congratulations to the following young people who were confirmed on Sunday, June 9th, 2019.
The Sacrament was administered by Rev. Fr. Brando Recana C.P
Dean Canellos Darwyn Chang John Paul Mari Clemente Aidan Cologna Jhunn Kenneth Condes Cristiano Costa Matthew Dantzer Bernard Francis Dayate Carina D’Souza Adrianna Marie Edward Hannah Ha-Rhee Tia Hsu Joonyoung Jenny Kim Isabel Luke Jordyn Macrae Joshua Mac Kinnon Alexander Ian Malit Brent Andre Miranda Christopher Mong Avery Muradali Hayden Ng Lee Marcus Palermo Yonghyun Gabriel Park Jared Paul David Perry Justin Raine Quiamjot Eric Saavedra Ikonomi Matthew Smith Nicolas Salvidar-Brittain Samantha Smith Madison Sparkman Justin Takashi Lui John Lionel Tupaz Chloe Hor Yee Wong Sabrina Wong
Holy Spirit, be with them and help them. Work with them and teach them what is right. Guide them to be prudent in all their undertakings, and protect them by your glory .
Weekend of June 22nd /23rd
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul will be collecting gently used clothing, shoes, linens and household goods to support our neighbors in need or to be sold to help support their special works in the community on the weekend of June 22nd /23rd.
They cannot accept books, dishes, furniture, appliances, mattresses, construction materials or videos and cassettes. Please help others in your community. The truck will be open Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Volunteers will be there to assist with loading before and after each Mass.
The Parish BBQ Picnic will be held on Sunday, July 7th after the 12:30 Mass in the parking lot. There will be hot dogs, games, face painting, lucky draws, music and more. Tickets are $3 each.
We need more young volunteers to help and make this event happen. Please sign up by putting your name and phone number on the sheets at the back of church. For more information, you may call Linda Law at 416-918-8029
Liturgical Publications will be setting up the advertisements for our church bulletin. The advertising will begin in September 2018 and supports the bulletin service. Please support the bulletin and advertise your product or service. Call Liturgical Publications at 905-624-4422.
June 17th – June 23rd, 2019
MONDAY – MARY WON – Requested by Bona Oh TUESDAY – MARY WON – Requested by Bona Oh WEDNESDAY – JENN BLAIR COLLINS – Requested by her Grandmother, Jackie Craddock THURSDAY – MARY WON – Requested by Bona Oh FRIDAY – JOHN BONNICK – Requested by Carol & Hugh Mackenzie SATURDAY – FRANCIS PEREIRA – Requested by Sophie & Candida Pereira SUNDAY 10:30 – ALDO BIGIONI – Requested by Marie Bigioni SUNDAY 12:30 – SYLVIA HA – Requested by her Friends
Marygrove Camp Collection This Weekend, June 15th/16th
This weekend, June 15th/16th, there is a second collection being taken up at all the Masses for Marygrove Camp for Girls, run by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Each year over 1,000 young girls whose families are struggling with financial or domestic hardship enjoy a joyful camping experience. Each camper’s holiday is fully subsidized through the generous support of parishioners.
Please give generously. Thank you for your support! Envelopes are in the pews
Living the Gospel by helping homeless youth
On any given night, 6,000 people across Canada between 16 and 24 have nowhere to call home. This represents 20% of the total homeless population. The ShareLife-supported Rights of Passage program at Covenant House is making a positive difference in the lives of homeless youth on the streets of Toronto. The program matches adolescents with mentors who help them build life skills. By supporting ShareLife, you’re helping at-risk youth prepare for life on their own.
Please make a sacrificial gift to Share Life through your parish or sharelife.org.
ShareLife Results for Previous Campaigns 2016 $190,334.25 2017 $217,507.08 2018 $172,230.78
Our Goal For 2019 $180,000 Collection to Date: $98,366
Your food donations are more important than ever as the winter continues 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.
Saturday, June 22nd from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery Grounds 211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill
You are cordially invited to attend the Official Blessing and Open House of Holy Trinity Mausoleum located in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. Bishop WayneKirkpatrick, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto will be the Celebrant.
Following the blessing at 1:15 PM, you will have the opportunity to tour this new magnificent building. Please RSVP by Tuesday, June 18th. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome!
For more information, please contact: Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services either by or email at info@cc-fs.ca or phone at 416-733-8544, Michaela Ferracci x 2047.
Pure Imagination concert series Friday, June 21st at 7:30 PM St. Bonaventure Church, 1300, Leslie St., North York
Spring into summer with the Seraphim & Cherubim Chorus’ Pure Imagination concert series! Join them June 21st at St. Bonaventure Church at 7:30 PM for an evening full of harmonic music and imagination, with a great mix of Broadway, classical gems, pop songs both old and new, and Disney favorites! Advanced tickets are on sale now at www.seraphimandcherubim.ca and at St Bonaventure’s parish office. Hope to see you there!
First Harvest! Thanks to the children of the Children’s Liturgy, the first crop from our community garden – a bumper crop of radishes – was harvested and delivered to the Good Shepherd Ministries. Little fingers did good work!
On June 23rd, Paul Hayden, owner of Grow Wild Native Plant Nurseries who will be supplying all the flowers for the new south garden, will provide a tour of the installation. This will be an opportunity to see the progress of the garden and to get ideas for your own garden. Come, join the fun and learn about native plants!
Drivers wanted! Now that our first garden crops are maturing, we need drivers to deliver produce to the Good Shepherd Ministries on Queen Street.
Garden Care Days are Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 to 3:00.PM. A member of the Garden Ministry team will be on site. Your help would be welcome!
June 9th, 2019
Pentecost, a Jewish celebration, originated as an agricultural festival of thanksgiving for the early crop, the ingathering of the grain harvest, which had begun at Passover. Later Judaism transformed it into a feast of salvation history celebrating the giving of the Law at Sinai and the establishment of Israel as God’s people.
The apostles were probably celebrating this feast when all was changed as the Holy Spirit swept into their lives with the power of a mighty wind and the gentleness of tongues of fire resting over the apostles and Mary. This Spirit’s coming brought about great changes in the early Christian Jewish community. The old feast of the Law became the new feast of the life giving Spirit.
The violent wind of the Holy Spirit forced the frighten followers of Jesus who had hidden behind locked doors out into the crowded streets of Jerusalem to proclaim in many languages the wonderful work of God – the raising of Jesus from the dead.
As Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians the Holy Spirit enriched the church with a variety of gifts. But these gifts are given for the benefit of the whole community not the gifted individual.
We still believe the Holy Spirit guides the church today, the Holy Spirit is the source of the Church’s holiness despite the sinfulness of its members.
But how does the Holy Spirit touch our lives today? I like to think that it is not through a violent wind but through a nudge, a poke, a push. The Spirit nudges us to be more patient with others; the Spirit nudges us to keep our hurtful thoughts and words to ourselves. The spirit nudges us to visit a friend who is house bound or offer a ride to that person so they can get out of the house. The Spirit nudges us to bite our tongue and not say a caustic or hurtful answer in our conversation with someone. The Spirit pushes us to speak up for someone who has been put down by a racist or sexist remark. The Spirit pushes us to be involved in different parish activities such as being involved with the St. Vincent de Paul or the Good Shepherd Refuge. The Spirit nudges us to pray for our wounded church, wounds caused by a lack of honesty from our leadership.
We pray that the Holy Spirit broaden the horizons of our minds beyond our personal concerns and see the broader picture. We ask the Spirit to broaden the horizons of minds to appreciate the beauty and the woundedness of God’s good creation. We can ask the Spirit to help us appreciate the reality of climate change and the impact it will have on our children’s, children’s children. May the Spirit broaden the horizons of our minds to see the evils of racism and the fear of the stranger, broaden the horizons of our minds to see destructiveness of nationalism, the evils of world hunger and poverty. May our minds be broadening to the goodness in all peoples, in all faiths.
As we continue to celebrate this Spirit filled feast we pray for ourselves and for each other that we are responsive to the nudges, the poking of the Holy Spirit that we be open to the goodness and the needs of others and appreciate the goodness found within ourselves.
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
