Terrific Tuesday

Yesterday we had the Funeral of Victor Carnavale - a faithful parishioner with his wife Josie, a Knight of Columbus and an Usher at the 10 am Mass. Victor was remembered as a man of faith and "Mr. Fix It!"  He worked for Ford Motors, and would fix electrrical problems on cars that came off the assembly line.  In the last 5 weeks he learned that he had cancer - in many places in his body. The funeral rites of our church are powerful and comforting.  I continue to pray for Josie, who met Victor after her first husband, and his first wife had died.  Josie also a son - Gus - in a tragic accident in 1993.

Tuesday has been a full day - and there is still more on my calendar! This morning in period 1 of St. Michael's (8:15-9:35) I spoke to a class of grade 12 students on the Sacrament of Marriage.  I did the same thing in Period 4 (1:00 - 2:15) - both classes are taught by Mr. Brooks - a terrific new religion teacher at St. Michael's. He is the son of a religion teacher I have known (Mary Connor-Brooks) for almost 20 years - since I was an associate pastor at St. Jerome's Parish in Brampton!  My hope is that the students will remember that as a Catholic - they need to come to the church for their marriage - when ever that is in the future!

Then I had a friend drive by with her new Fiat car - Roberta is a consultant with Peel Children's Centre, and was up in Bolton to attend the Caledon Parent Child Centre 25th Anniversary Open House this afternoon!  She often has families that she serves here in Bolton.

After a Baptism interview this afternoon - I have a CCS Board Meeting this evening!  I have to say I have become quite learned in Local Health Integration Networks over the past year and a bit that I have been on the CCS Board. 

Christ the King

Despite the claim that we are a democratic people, we really act as if we are fascinated by monarchy - any Monarchy. When I was in Morocco there were pictures of the King - in every house, restaurant, etc.  The big deal actually was that this king was the first to have his Queen shown / photographed along side him...
Whether its the Queens Diamond Jubilee, William and Kate’s wedding or speculation about a child, Prince Harry’s antics – roalty in general still fascinates and captivates us...

Yet the readings this Sunday speak of a different kind of Kingdom.
I remember years ago working with Grade 12 students at St. Augustine's Secondary School, on a retreat where the first activity was to make "Dream Catcher / Timelines." The idea of dreamcatchers comes from our first nations peoples - who would hang them over their head when they slept... When the Sun rose - mit burned off the nightmares, and the good dreams were caught in order to provide hope and stength when facing adversity... 
Daniel captured his dream,  his vision, not in such a fancy dreamcatcher as the native peoples have, never the less, this dream was of a kingdom that would not pass away, that would not be destroyed, one kingdom that would be everlasting.

Daniel's dream,  his vision,  born out of the Historical reality of his time.  This book in the Hebrew Testament was written only about 150 years before the Birth of Christ - and at the time there were conflicts in the temple about increasingly pagan practises.
Daniel  had a certain eagerness for the kingdom.  Looking forward to that kingdom, to its arrival and to the differences that it would bring.

Jesus – in the encounter with Pilate – is called a title he never sought!  A Kingdom not of this world – but in this world.  "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
To Listen is more than hearing – it does involve hearing - yet so much more. I think it means making a change – from our way to His way so that we belong:  to Jesus; to Christ; to our real King.  When we pray in the Our Father: Thy Kingdom come – it  means also – MY kingdom must go!
Peace

Giving Tree & Building Permit

During this Year of Faith Pope Benedict often speaks of the "New Evangelization."  It could be considered as proclaiming the message of the Gospel in our words and deeds to the culture in which we live which may already have a large number of "nominal" Christians.  This culture - considered by some as already Christian, needs to hear once again with renewed vigor the saving message of the Gospel.  This Evangelization challenges us to live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy:

By working with our community we can affirm the aspects which support a culture of life - and one of those ways we work with CCS and the Santa Fund is our own "Giving Tree" at Holy Family Parish.  This Sunday at all the Masses there will be information shared about how we can support those who experience poverty this year at Christmas.

On another (related) note - The Exchange - the new food support hub that CCS is working on received its building permit today! 
Monty Laskin - the CEO of CCS said:
"With thanks to [those] that believed ... and who toiled long and hard through the ... drawings and revised drawings and revised drawings again!"
Construction has started!

Peace

Landing Home!

On Friday night I returned home - a little later than anticipated and a lot tired! My Dad, Fr. Scott and I were awake Friday morning at 4:15 to catch a cab to the airport in Casablanca, for a 7:30 am flight.  The connection was only 2.5 hours in Paris, but our plane was delayed a further hour while we were on board, because of foggy weather in Paris that had slowed down the departure schedule... so we arrived in Toronto an hour late.  Then there was a passenger who had experienced a medical emergency while we were over Newfoundland, and the EMS people at the airport needed time to take him off before we could exit the plane.  (He looked OK when we passed him inside the terminal!)

Some pictures from my last post - about the OLC conference ...

Jerry Galipeau and Catherine Ecker at "Go and Make Disciples" conference Nov. 6-8

... and my Godson Thomas who plays for the Toronto Titans!

My Godson - Thomas Schemitsch - MVP Big Nickel Tournament Nov 1-4, 2012

This morning I attended the Funeral of Msgr. Gerard Breen, who had been administrator at Holy Family  for about 4 months when Fr. Hank first got sick.

Msgr. Breen was 95 years old ...
and was 71 years a priest!  
God rest his soul!

Peace

OLC and Vacation

Greetings from France. I am on my way to Moracco for a week of holidays with my Dad and Fr. Scott. I will be back in the parish Friday Nov. 16, hopefully awake long enough for Edge.

Some neat things happened this week!

1. Last week I dog-sat "Cocoa" for my friend Maureen Schemitsch while she and her Mom and her son, my Godson Thomas Schemitsch were in Sudbury. Thomas' hockey team - the Titan's - won the Big Nickel hockey tournament and Thomas was named MVP of the tournament. (Thomas' older brother is Geoffery who plays in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals.
2. Our OLC conference went terrifically well this week. Jerry Galipeau was a terrific presenter - who helped us consider how we need to shift our thinking on sacramental preparation - to initiation - which is formation in a way of life - not simply teaching of doctrine. 
3. St. Michael Catholic Secondary school had their awards ceremony last night - and Julia Coffa won the Holy Family parish award for her involvement at St. Michael's and the parish in the past year!  Congrats Julia. 
4. I received word just last night as I was boarding the plane that CCS is starting the renovation work on the Exchange - the new poverty reduction - food support program I spoke about here last week.

I again urge you to buy a ticket for the Red Hot Gala - on the night of the 17th to support the very good work CCS does!

Peace. Fr. Larry

Oil and OLC

Last week I had 2 parents - the Mother and Father - of a Confirmation candidate come to the church and ask why I use so much oil at Confirmation.  The timing of the conversation was a little odd. They had phoned in to the office to complain to one of the students at the office - who said that they needed to talk to me as pastor.  Then they arrived as I was leaving - around 1:30 pm. that same afternoon.  While it was the last Sunday of October - and was the last Sunday for registration for Sacraments - its not like we had just had a meeting for parents, or there was some reference in the homily, or readings to oil... The timing was just odd.  
For years (centuries ago in fact) the Church struggled to define what was minimally necessary for a sacrament.  At least 3 "drops" of water and the Trinitarian Formula (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) for Baptism;  The consent of each person and at least 2 witnesses other than the Church witness (Priest or Deacon) for Marriage; imposition of hands, and anointing with oil by the thumb on the forehead for Confirmation.
When was the last time we saw 3 drops of water at a baptism? When was the last time you saw 5 people at a wedding?  Just because there is a minimum does not make it the standard.  The minimum is just that: minimal. I remember a liturgist once saying, "Large symbols speak, small symbols squeak!"  This is what I tried to communicate to these parents, with little success - standing at the doorway of the church - at the end of a busy Sunday.
I invited them to contact me for a further conversation - which has not happened - in hopes that they could hear some more reflections on this matter. They said - was there a possibility of change - and I said "YES - you could see things the way I do!"  They were not too happy with that - and said no way were they changing and turned to leave. I then said - "You want me to be prepared to change my  practice of over 13 years in my priesthood, but you yourselves are not open to that possibility of change yourselves."  Interesting.  Maybe they will go off and grumble with other parents. Maybe they will contact the Archdiocese. Maybe they will go to another parish. Or maybe they will realize, if they are regular parishioners, that the Bishop will most likely be coming to celebrate Confirmation in 2014 - and then "a little dab will do ya!"

This week (Nov. 6-8) the Ontario Liturgical Conference (OLC) - the organization which provides advice to the Bishops of Ontario on Liturgical matters - will be meeting in Mississauga. The OLC is composed of representatives of the different dioceses in Ontario, and "members at large" who have expertise in liturgical matters. (I am a member at large!) This year - along with the annual meeting - there is a workshop on Christian Initiation. The hope is that the 100 people who will be joining the 20 or so regular members of the OLC will be able to see that the work in parishes that is often considered "Sacramental Preparation" is really all about initiation.  Jerry Galipeau - who is Vice President and Chief Publishing Officer for JS Paluch a Catholic Pubisher in the US - is going to be our main presenter.  He has a blog that I highly recommend: GottaSingGottaPray
Peace

The Exchange

You may remember that last spring I participated in a Hunger Awareness Week activity: "Living on a Food Box".  Along with 9 other people in Caledon - I lived on what a person who receives assistance from the Food Bank receives.  Actually it was less than a week - only 5 days - but that was enough for me to realize that things needed to change.  People need fresh fruits and vegetables, not simply canned beans and peanut butter! 

This week I was able to attend a tour and simple Chili Dinner that was hosted by CCS in the unit that will become a new community hub addressing food and crises support.  The EXCHANGE is going to change things up.  This will not be your usual food bank!  There will be counselling rooms, food preparation areas, a meeting room, and a Pantry for people to choose the food assistance that they need.  This Pantry is named after our parishioners who own Garden Foods: "The Carbone Family Pantry." [ Their annual golf tournament has provided funds for CCS over the past 10 years. ]

Sorting area & refrigerators

This facility will be a place where the whole community can serve and be served.  Where there will be refrigerators in order to receive fresh fruits and vegetables, for those who need food support.  Where there is a plan in place to work with local suppliers & farmers to get some of this fresh product.  

I support the Exchange because I realized how absent fresh food was from the typical Food Bank Box.  That is why I support the CCS Red Hot Gala - so that we will have a Healthy, Engaged, Community for all!

Radiant Joy and CCS Gala

The XLT on Friday night was terrific!  With hundreds of people from Bolton and across the GTA - including the youth from Nativity of our Lord Parish in Etobicoke, there was praise and worship, a talk by Joe Chernowski from the Lifeteen office in Atlanta, and Adoration.  An awesome night for our parish and for the youth of the Archdiocese.  
Today there is the Empower Plus ministry training conference for youth ministers and CORE team members from southern Ontario, as well as some people coming from the northern states - New York and Michigan.  

Each year Caledon Community Services has a Gala in support of the many services that are provided in the community that do not receive government funding:  Crisis care, poverty reduction, food support, counselling and the like.  This year's Gala is only 2 weeks away - November 17 and is held at Caledon Golf and Country Club - which is on the west side of Highway 10 - off of Old Base Line Road.  I support this fundraiser, not only because I am a member of the board, but also because as a parish we send people to CCS all the time in order to receive support. By working together with other community partners we can make a difference - and have a "Healthy, Engaged, Compassionate, Community for All!"
I hope you will support the GALA - more info is here.
Peace

All Saints - All Souls

This is one of many tapestries of saints that hang in the Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.  I like this image because it contains some modern day saints, and blessed's and the placement, on both sides of the main place of assembly in the Cathedral, signifies that we are a pilgrim Church - and that we are surrounded by the communion of saints. For me this means that even those who have died, and are with God in the fullness of the Kingdom, are also with us at the Eucharistic Table, when  we pray today - the feast of all Souls - for those who are still on the way to that beatific vision.

It was funny to hear someone comment on what a coincidence it was that Halloween was the night before All Saints day!  Hello!!! All Saints Eve-> All Hallows Eve -> Hallows Eve-> Halloween!
Come on folks!  These two dates are connected.  And then there was the conversation on CBC on Wednesday evening - asking - should this "evening" be moved to the "weekend" so people would have time to shop and prepare their homes and their children!  Yikes...

On a more delightful note - this week Stephanie and 2 other young adults from the parish lead a retreat at St. Nicholas School for their Student Leaders - and Thursday afternoon we had a commissioning celebration - on the feast of All Saints!  May you be the hands and feet of Christ in all that you do:

St. Nicholas School - Student Leaders

Peace