Confirmation "Season"

One of many newly Confirmed in 2013

I think it is only at Holy Family that we can speak of Confirmation being a Season! With 8 celebrations on 8 Weekday evenings in a row - it feels like a block of time! We actually have 9 celebrations when we include the Pentecost Sunday Morning celebration we had with 2 Adults who were Confirmed at the 8:30 mass.
We have really had a wonderful time over these 2 weeks, and to have the prayerful support and ministry of so many of the regular Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and Altar Servers has been terrific!  There have been 286 people Confirmed these past 2 weeks, and we have appreciated the assistance of Peter and his sons at Excel Cleaners who have been cleaning the gowns each morning after the celebration the night before!

Fr. Damian and I split the preaching - so that we take turns alternating each day.  We have both spoken of the importance of the gifts given by God - for the building up of the community - and how we grow into these gifts.  These homilies have brought to mind the story Jerry Galipeau (who gave our Parish Mission in March) told about his friend who wanted a certain pair of designer jeans for Christmas one year.  She took her Mom to the Mall, and tried on a pair of jeans - and showed her exactly which pair, which size, which colour... On Christmas Morning when she unwrapped her presents, she went to her room to put on the jeans - and found that they were 2 sizes too big, and was devastated. When she complained, her Mom said "Don't worry - you'll grow into them!"
Maybe thats the way it will be with these young people we are confirming, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit - they will grow into them!
It was Jerry who also spoke about the Church Doors as being "Service Entrances" and on Pentecost we heard Jesus in the Gospel saying "As the Father sent me, so I send you."  Each of us - having been nourished at the table of the saviour - is sent forth thru the "Service Entrance" to be a witness - to be the presence of Christ, for the life of the world.

Peace.

Ascension

Make us Witnesses!

Good and gracious God,
   you who promised us the
   power of the Holy Spirit
   to make us witnesses
   throughout the world,
   renew that power in us.
Make us eloquent when
   we speak of your Kingdom,
   and convincing in our deeds.
Trusting in you to fulfill your promises
   and looking forward to your reign,
   we ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ,
   your Son, who lives and reigns with you
   in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
   one God, forever and ever. Amen.

A few things are happening these days:

• This Sunday is Mother's Day - and we pray for all of those who Mother their children, for thos called to be caring and loving.
• We will begin Confirmation celebrations Monday May 13, for the next 8 weekday evenings. In total we have 280+ candidates for confirmation.
• The next 2 weeks are also the Archdiocese of Toronto Priests' Retreat - so please pray for the priests of the Archdiocese in these days.  
• NEXT Sunday is PENTECOST - se we encourage you to wear RED to Mass as we celebrate the "Birth" of the Church...

Peace

Returning from Vacation - Hitting the ground running!

Thursday evening I "hit the ground running" as I got back from Holiday checking in at one of the retreats for Confirmation, and then going to the Funeral Home to do prayers with the family of Domenico Vendetti.
The Funeral was Friday - and then we had our LifeTeen youth on retreat for the weekend!  That meant that there were fewer team members around for Edge and Rooted (Friday and Saturday).
It also meant Fr. Damian and I were there for confessions Saturday Evening, and the closing prayer on Sunday after noon!
We also had a wedding on Saturday afternoon, and I was preaching last Sunday.  Here is the text of the story I used: Cocoon

A Student on the way to School found a cocoon.  Brought is to his  home room - a Biology lab. Teacher put it in an unused Aquarium. Lamp installed to keep warm.
Week went by, when there appeared a small opening - on the underside of the Cocoon. Students watched as it began to began to shake. Suddenly tiny Antennae emerged, followed by head & tiny front feet. Students would go back to lab - to check check on the progress. By lunch - struggled to free listless wings, and the colours revealing it to be a monarch butterfly.
It wriggled, shook, and struggled, but now appeared stuck.
Try as it might - it couldn't - get through the small opening.
Finally one student decided to help the butterfly. He took scissors and cut off the restrictive covering - and \out plopped an insect like thing. Top Half: Butterfly- listless wings, bottom half out of cocoon large& swollen. "Butter -Piller" or "Cater-Fly" never flew.
It just crawled around dragging the listless wings and the swollen body. The next day the Biology Teacher explained that the Butterfly's struggle to get through the tiny opening in the cocoon was necessary in order to force the fluids from the swollen body
into the wings so they would be strong enough to fly.
Without the struggle - the wings never developed and the butterfly could never fly. So too with us - It is in the struggles that we develop and are given the strength to fly - like the early Christian Community.

Monday I met with the Governance Committe for St. Michael's Choir School Advisory Board, of which I am a member - and we began the process of Strategic Planning for the Choir School in light of the Archdiocese of Toronto Pastoral Plan.
Monday I learned the sad news that the North American Forum on the Catechumenate will be closing its doors in less than 2 months! This is a group that I have been a team member since 2002 - and the reason I know my group of friends we call the "Chicago 6".
Here is a good article annalizing the situation.

Monday afternoon we had another Confirmation Retreat, and Tuesday I had School Masses at Pope John Paul II - Easter Season Masses.  Yesterday was a gentle day - my 20th Anniversary of Ordination, and I spent some time with friends, and I saw part of the St. Michael's - R.F. Hall Baseball game before Mass with the CWL and the crowning of Mary !  (St. Mike's won!)

My Dad has no sympathy - I told him I have to work twice as hard the week after being on holidays!!!
Peace