Merry Christmas and Happy Feast Day.

It was a pleasure to welcome Cardinal Collins to our parish on Friday December 30th to Celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. 
It was also a joy to see so many regular Families come out on a Friday evening. God Bless You as we continue in the Christmas Season - and celebrate the Feast of Mary - Mother of God and Epiphany of our Lord these next 2 Sundays!

Peace

Supporting Syrian Refugees

Riley is the 3rd from the left in the front row.

Greetings on these cold days in December.
One of our Parishioners - a student from St. Michael's Secondary School - has been on a Travel / Education program for the past 3 Months - and is shortly returning home. Riley Miller and her classmates are responding to the worsening situation in Syria with a crowd funding project.
Here is an email she sent her parents:

Yo! As many of you may or may not have noticed I have been travelling abroad with MEI International Academy for almost 3 months now and the end is quickly approaching, Surprise! I have been blessed to see the most beautiful parts of the world where I started in China and made my way through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and am currently in Cairns, Australia waiting to depart to Fiji and then home by December 18th. This experience has truly opened my eyes, I’m hoping this post will open yours. We are blessed. When you take a step out of our Canadian bubble you soon realize its more than just 3 bars of wifi you NEED. A bad day isn’t a bad day until you’ve seen little children playing in dirty fountain water with smiles bigger than ours.

Together, as a class of 25 students we hope to raise $25,000 by the 25th of December. AH so many 25’s! We plan to donate this money to a registered Sponsorship Agreement Holder which will support the Syrian refugee crisis, an uprising issue in our world TODAY. I need you to help me. Any little bit would mean the world to me and those you support. Let’s make dreams become realities. The link can be found in my Instagram bio, Facebook, or simply send me a message asking more. Thank you for all of your support! 

Here is the link...
GO FUND ME

Looking forward to seeing Riley again at Mass!
Peace

3rd Sunday of Advent + Week of Reconciliation

Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near
Earlier this year I had the oppourtunity to once again to Journey to the Holy Land – To Israel. One of the places we always visit is the Birthplace of John the Baptist - a peaceful place - tiny village of Ein Karem: fertile /green /Idyllic. I always think it odd that John leaves this place to go into the wilderness, to a dry and arid and forbidding landscape - Looking for God – Looking to announce God’s Kingdom.

In this past Sunday's Gospel Passage – John is in prison – wondering. Looking for signs – that Jesus is the one to come. Looking for signs of the kingdom.
After all of his prophetic Ministry, after pointing out Jesus - the Lamb of God - even after Baptizing Jesus, is it possible that the actual style and nature of Jesus’ Ministry was so radical as to prompt this question to Jesus: Are you the One who is to Come?

Matthew has Jesus echo the words we have heard from Isaiah:
The Blind See, the Deaf Hear, the Lame Walk, the mute can speak;
as well as adding from the accounts of Jesus’ Ministry that Lepers are healed the Dead are Raised, anf the poor have good news brought to them. Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near.
The messengers are sent - to be witnesses: Tell John what you see and hear:  These are signs of the Kingdom.

The Promise of our God is that we who experience our lives as exile; those who feel stuck in the Wilderness; those who are weak; those who are in pain; those who are numb in their grief - all may shout for Joy – for God will transform all things. 
Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near

The coming of the Kingdom: Already - but not yet...
Already here - but not yet fully here is where we are.
And the coming of this Kingdom Transforms all things:   People / Animals / All of creation - AND even the parched arid wilderness of our lives.

For this we give thanks and praise. God continues to bring about the Kingdom. God continues to call us out of exile.
Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near.

Through public announcements and even in private doubt John the Baptist has truly introduced us to the One who is to Come.
And like John we need to respond on the basis of what we hear and see. Rejoice – for the Kingdom of God has come near: as we eat and drink, Taste and see, this Kingdom Meal.

This week in the Archdiocese of Toronto we have additional times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. At Holy Family we will be celebrating on:
Tuesday 3-5 pm
Wednesday 9-11 am
and Thursday evening 7-9 pm

Here is an Examenation of Conscience based on the preaching of St. John the Baptist:

What hinders our journey to Christ, and as a witness of Christ to others?

Make his paths straight: 
Do we have a place for God in our life? 
Are we prayerful? 
Do we easily get distracted from time to pray? 
Do we read scripture and other books 
that will help us to deepen our faith in Christ?
Do we make our marriage a place to meet God?
Do we waste the material goods life offers (food, energy, water)?   Do we use our talents and opportunities well? 
Are we generous with our resources to charity and those in need?

Every valley shall be filled: 
Do we fill our life with work or play 
to the detriment of our relationships with God and others? 
On the other hand, are we lazy? 
Do we fill our life with food or drink? 
How important is gossip to us? 
Do we have petty dependencies on TV, the computer, 
the daily paper, or endless newscasts?

Every mountain and hill shall be made low: 
Are we an obstacle to good relations in our home, family or workplace? 
Do we seek out reasons to miss mass on Sunday? 
Do we hold onto old resentments or hurts or sins 
as a reason for not living our lives fully in Christ?

The crooked shall be made straight: 
Are we honest in all of our dealings? 
Are we greedy or selfish? 
Do we take advantage of others? 
Do we tell the truth? 
Do we avoid exaggeration 
or the need to put ourselves at the center of every story?

Rough ways made smooth: 
Do we use foul language? 
Do we tell crude stories?
Do we have a strong attraction to pornography? 
Do we set a bad example for others?

Are we intemperate in our demeanor at home or at work?

Peace

St. Nicholas Day Celebrations

Our Annual Celebration with St. Nicholas was held this afternoon...
here are some Photos...

Each Family is receiving fudge from the CCS Gala Fudge Tree!
Peace

CCS Gala - Fudge Tree!

Here are some photos from the CCS Gala Saturday Night! and I won the bidding on the Silent Auction for the "Fudge Tree" which will be delivered today in time for the St. Nicholas Day Celebration at the Church! So Childern will have an extra Treat!

And Here is the Fudge Tree!

Peace!

First Sunday of Advent 2016

Jesus tells his disciples that the coming of the Son of Man will catch many people unprepared. Jesus tells his disciples that they are to always be ready for the day of the Lord.

Many of us feel the pressure early in the holiday season to be ready for Christmas. But today's Gospel challenges us to be ready for something other than the gift-giving of Christmas.

Read together today's Gospel reading (Matthew 24:37-44). 
As a family, talk about what it means to be ready for the day of the Lord. One of the roles of the family, the domestic church, is to be a school of faith leading one another to salvation. Reflect together as a family on how your family helps one another to be better Christians. Commit to one thing that your family will do this Advent season to help one another be better Christians. You might choose to write this commitment down and post it in a prominent place in your home, perhaps near your family's Advent wreath.

Pray together that God will help you in this Advent commitment. Pray together the Lord's Prayer or today's Psalm.

Peace

Christ the King

Despite the claim that we are a democratic people we live fascinated by monarchy & royalty: Whether it is the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, William and Kate’s wedding, the birth of each of their children, Prince Harry’s antics – and his newest girlfriend possibly from Canada - royalty fascinates and captivates.

What does it mean “Christ the King”– when there is no clearly good earthly model or example of kingship?
Maybe we can be thankful – for then we would not be trapped into comparing God with an earthly, temporary, mortal ruler

I confess that I have been watching Netflix - Binge watching The Crown,  quite an engaging series covering the time of Queen Elizabeth II.  Interestingly I noticed that the advisers are always telling the Queen that she has to separate her personal from the title - herself from the crown.  But it is not so with Christ – He is always integrated - the Eternal Word is fully integrated in Jesus of Nazareth.


Many times we define an age or history by an event: In The Crown they might say it was the abdication of King Edward 8th; 
in recent times some might say it was the terrorist attacks of 9/11, or the Resignation of Benedict.  For you it might be a personal thing - Marriage, Birth of a child, of a grand child, or a car accident. People say  (Blank)  Changed the world forever

But really it is the Gospel today that documents the event that changed everything: Jesus – on the cross – His Death & Resurrection - this is what changed the world – Forever!
Christ the King on the throne of the cross, Crowned with thorns from a bush a Kingdom not of this world – but in this world

Our challenge is to recognize this life changing reality - and it means making a change – from our way to His way so that we belong:  to Jesus – we belong to Christ the King 

Thy Kingdom come – means also – MY kingdom has to go!

As we conclude the year of Mercy – God’s Mercy comes – and continues to come, while MY being Judgemental has to go!

When that happens - then we can say with St. Paul, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me."

The Cardinal is Coming!

Earlier last month we sent an invitation to Cardinal Collins - to celebrate the feat of the Holy Family with us - and we received word that he has accepted! 

Each Christmas season the Sunday between Christmas and New Years day is the Feast of the Holy Family - Our Parish Feast. This year - since Christmas and New Years each fall on a Sunday - the Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on Friday December 30th. So on that Friday will have Skating at the Arena from 4-6pm and then we will have Mass at the Church at 7:00 pm with Cardinal Collins as the main celebrant! Mark your Calendars. A reception will follow after the mass.

Rideau Hall

My Godson - Geoffrey Schemitsch - was named one of the top eight Academic All Canadian Student Athletes last month - and received the Award in Ottawa at Rideau Hall this past Tuesday.

Here are seven of the top Eight getting into the Limo and heading to Rideau Hall. (The 8th is playing professional Hockey in the Italian Alps League!)

Geoffrey and the Governor General - David Johnston

If you look closely at this picture, you can see above Geoffrey and I the name Jules Leger - he was the Governor General of Canada from 1974-1979.  It was an awesome experience and I was so honoured to be a part of it!

Peace.

Seven Brothers

A Small boy put this question to his father: “Dad what will happen to you when you die?”
“Oh, That’s easy to answer,” came the confident reply: “I just go out like a light.” After a moments silence to digest that answer there came a second question: "What if there is someone waiting to switch you on again?"

Our Readings today all look forward.
The first reading is a stirring account of the martyrdom of a mother and her 7 sons.  We hear only a portion of the story today, the first half, which describes part of the Jewish resistance against a foreign conqueror, 150 years before Jesus’ life.

What we have here are the main statements of belief made by the brothers as they go to their deaths because they bare unwilling to eat Pork:

1st Brother – Reason for the resistance: Faithfulness to God’s Law

2nd Brother – Expresses a belief in the afterlife

3rd Brother – this new life will involve a Resurrection of the Body

4th Brother – There will be no new life for their persecutors - there are consequences to our actions on earth!

This passage is one of earliest Biblical texts affirming life after death. The Sadducees did not believe in the Resurrection and so they tried to trap Jesus using an old and little-used law 
to discount thoughts of an afterlife.
The law was designed to ensure one who died childless would, through his Brother, have an heir to preserve his name.

But Jesus shows the Sadducees that the Law they quoted would not be relevant in heaven. The dead will already possess the Kingdom. There is no need of an Heir. All is already inherited!

As we come in November – remembering our faithful departed, our liturgy looks to the Future - and at this table – we have a glimpse – a taste of the inheritance promised for each of us in the Kingdom!

Proud GodFather!

I was so proud this week to learn that my Godson - Geoffrey Schemitsch was named as one of 8 Academic All-Canadian University Atheletes for the 2015-2016 season: 

TORONTO (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport proudly announced Wednesday the student-athletes selected as Top Eight Academic All-Canadians for the 2015-2016 season. Acadia's Geoff Schemitsch, a fourth year hockey player, was named to the Top 8. It is the fourth year in a row for Acadia to be honoured with a CIS Top 8.

The elite group will be honoured in Ottawa on November 8, when His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presents the fourth annual Governor General's Academic All-Canadian Commendation to the eight recipients during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, his official residence.

Every year, a growing number of CIS student-athletes are recognized as Academic All-Canadians, having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one - or more - of their university's varsity teams. 

Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four CIS regional associations are selected annually to make up the Top Eight. 

The 2015-16 recipients from Atlantic University Sport (AUS) are Elenor Henry (Toronto), a soccer player and biochemistry student from Mount Allison University, and Geoff Schemitsch (Thornhill, Ont.), a hockey player and kinesiology student from Acadia University.

"The number of Academic All-Canadians speaks volume about the quality of our student-athletes, but also our coaches, support staff and our universities," said Graham Brown, chief executive officer of CIS. "To be selected among 12,000 of their peers is an achievement these exceptional student-athletes should be extremely proud of. They represent the very best of what university sport is all about." 

Here is the Bio that is provided by Acadia University:

Geoffrey Schemitsch joined the Axemen for the 2013-2014 season, and made an immediate impact. Named to the All-Rookie team in his first season, the blueliner helped Acadia win the 2014 AUS title before posting a career-best three goals and 22 points – good for fifth in the conference – en route to Second-Team All-Star honours this past season. 

Studying Kinesiology, Schemitsch is a three-time Academic All-Canadian (2014-2016) and was named to the Dean's List from 2013-2016. He has also received numerous academic awards since arriving studying at Acadia, including the Sully Ashfield and Barbara Bill Ashfield Award, the Acadia Sports Therapy Clinic Award, and the Kirton Scholarship. The 24-year-old is also prominent in the community, volunteering at various fundraisers, group activities and team functions with minor hockey players affiliated with Acadia University's minor hockey program.

"Geoff is arguably one of the most committed, intelligent and hardest working individuals I have coached," said Acadia men's hockey head coach Darren Burns. "(He) is now a captain on our team and is doing exactly what I envisioned he would accomplish on our campus, in the local community and on the ice. I marvel at his accountability and responsibility in leading others."

They neglect to say that when he was 1 year old he brought up the gifts at the Mass of Thanksgiving that I celebrated at my home parish the day after I was Ordained a priest!

I am ecited to be going to mOttawa on the 7th-8th to see Geoffrey receive this Award!

Peace

Dedication of Two Altars

On Thursday I celebrated the dedication of the Altar at St. Michael's Catholic Secondary School and attended the re-dedication of St. Michael's Cathedral! Two Altar Consecrations in 1 day! I suspect that I was the only person in the world who has done this - certainly in the Archdiocese. Many priests said it was the first one they has seen in person (It was my 3rd - I saw St. Jerome's Church dedicated in 1998) 
The Cathedral is now honoured as a Minor Basilica! Henceforth it is known as:

St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica.

The Umbraculum - a symbol of a Basilica - with the Archdiocese Crest and the Papal Coat of Arms.

Tintinnabulum - A bell that is used in processions with the Holy Father at a Basilica.  
In the Middle Ages it served the practical function of alerting the people of Rome 
to the approach of the Pope during papal processions.

The new Casavant Pipe Organ in the Cathedral Basilica.

A view of the Cathedral from the Balcony. You can see the new floor in marble around the altar area.

This is Mike Di Domizio - a parishioner of Holy Family - who has been a member of
the Team of craftsmen working on the Electrical amd Mechanichal parts
of the restoration at the Cathdral. Mike works for Royal Mechanical.

This is the Altar at St. Michael Secondary School which  Cardinal Thomas Collins deleggated me
to Consecrate on the afternoon of September 29, 2016.

 Peace

Chasms

I found this reflection in a homily I wrote years ago:

It is time to cross chasms, to bridge gulfs, to fill in valleys. 
We cannot keep shooting missiles of right-opinion, judgment and airy theorizing at each other from safe perches, 
while people who drift anxiously in search of real food and urgent needs stretch our capacity to stay in reality. 

Jesus told a parable about a chasm between rich and poor that came into view after death, when it was too late to do anything about it. We have time to deal with our chasms. 
If we dare to see them, we can act. 
If we dare to imagine something better, we can act. 
What we cannot do is pretend that the chasms don’t exist. 
Whether the rich man ever saw Lazarus at his gate, Lazarus was there. 
Whether or not the rich man ever questioned his behavior in light of Lazarus’ presence, questions did arise. 
Better to see reality and to imagine resolution than to deny and pretend that the reality is not what it is. 

St. Pius of Pietrelcina

September 23 is the Feast of St. Pius of  Pietrelcina - more popularly known as "Padre Pio".

Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione, on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy. His parents were peasant farmers, asn he had an older brother and three younger sisters. At the age of 15, Francesco entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. He took the name of "Pio" in honor of Pope Pius I, whose relic he often saw at his local chapel. Pio was ordained a priest in 1910, and was known for his ministry of Reconciliation. In September of 1916, while hearing confessions, he felt pains in his hands. Doctors who later examined the stigmata were amazed at their perfectly round shape.

By 1919, word began to spread about Padre Pio's stigmata and people came from far away to examine him. Padre Pio became popular with the people he encountered and soon began to attribute supernatural occurrences to him. For example, he was said to levitate, and to be capable of performing miracles.


His popularity became a source of concern or the Church and the Vatican began to restrict his activities to minimize public interaction. Padre Pio himself was uncomfortable with his newfound popularity and the attention he received because of his stigmata. A Church investigation into his stigmata concluded that his condition was not faked. By the mid 1930's the Vatican's attitude changes and Pope Pius XI encouraged people to visit Padre Pio. In 1947, Fr. Karol Wojtyla visited Padre Pio who prophetically told him he would rise to the highest post in the Church." Fr. Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II in 1978.

Padre Pio died on September 23, 1968, and he was Canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002. 

While popular culture - and the Hollywood myth - portray a saint who has the wounds of Christ as experinceing pain, often saints refer to the Stigmata as being a source of ecstacy. In sharing in the wounds of Christ - our own wounds are healed.

Edge Camp West - 2016

What began with 4 or 5 parishes, and 150 people at Edge Camp in 2009 has now grown to 3 "weeks" of camp - each 6 days long - with 250 people each week (including teen and adult leaders).

Another Great Week!!!

Men's Fraternity - Year 2

Have you watched Border Security? There was a time I was facinated by this! The show is mainly about crossings at land border points and airports (Thats why I liked it I think!)There are also parts of each episode about Mail Facilities that search for contraband - here is an example:

Well today we received our package of materials for Men's Fraternity - Year 2 - and I noticed that the package had been opened by Canada Customs!

Maybe our Box will will be on an episode of Border Security!!!

We are excited for the this new series "Winning at Work and Home" which will start on Saturday Sept. 17th at 8:00 am in the Parish Hall.  All men are welcome to be a part of this.

Peace

Another year of Holydays!

We have concluded another Summer of Holydays! We are grateful for the Lead Staff: Shelby our Camp director, and Lucas, Laura, & Nicole who are our Co-ordinators. With Julia - our Youth Minister - these leaders made sure we had an awesome Camp!
Thank you to the Counsellors, the Volunteers and most of all to the campers - without whom Holydays would not be possible!

One of the highlights for me is cooking each week with the campers. This summer we made:720 Cookies & 288 Butter Tarts!

 

 The Final "Batch" (of campers making cookies!)

 

On the very last Batch we had a Casualty! the Wooden Spoon broke! Some would say I need to stir with less Intensity! The need for "Less Intensity" often follows me around!

Peace

WYDiary - July 30-31 - The "Heart" of WYD

In my last post, I talked about the "meat" of WYD. Saturday began the "heart" of WYD, which is never an easy experience! 

Our group heading out after the bus ride to the start of the pilgrimage route

Our pilgrimage to the papal vigil and Mass site took almost five hours, which included about 45 minutes on a bus and more than 14 kilometeres of walking. It was sunny and warm. 

Thankfully there were often water stations and people who lived on the route were sprinkling pilgrims with water from their hoses.

When we finally made it in and found our spot, we learned one disabled pilgrim from our group was still not there. She arrived only after the pope had left the vigil. She had been at the disabled transit point since 12:30 p.m. Crazy.

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, the pope arrived and drove by our section. Unfortunately I didn't get a great picture because the Sun was behind his vehicle. 

There were reflections on the corporal works of mercy and a stirring reflection from Pope Francis, who challenged the youth to not be couch potatoes. His reflection was followed by Eucharistic Adoration and benediction. After the pope left, there was a concert that went until 11 p.m.

Overnight was damp with the dew but we all got some sleep (more or less). In the morning we were delighted when some our lost pilgrims found us but were saddened to hear of the ordeal they faced. We slowly woke up and had breakfast as we listened to music from the main stage.

I made my way over to the priest section to get vestments for mass. On the way, I ran into a British bishop from just outside London.-He had stayed overnight in the field with his pilgrims. I think he was a shepherd who had the smell of his sheep!

One of the traditions of WYD is to provide priest pilgrims with a stole and chasuble at the closing Mass. The vestment is quite nice. 

WYD 2016 Vestment

We were seated in an area that had priests, religious sisters and other lay people like volunteers and other local supporters. I did not hear the translation of the Pope's homily at Mass because I had left the FM radio with the group of youth to allow them to hear the English-language broadcast.

I am always amazed at the logistics of distributing communion to such a cast crowd. There were priests in place for us that were concelebrants to receive the body and blood of Christ (by intinction) - others in the area waited until priests received then they received the body of Christ.

There were quite a few flags from Panama throughout the crowd - even where I was sitting! So I think they knew that the Holy Father would announce that they would be the site for WYD 2019.

Our trip home was marked with sun, rain, waiting, rain, crammed trains and blocked access points. And more rain! It took six hours to come home - but we walked a bit less because we figured out a train that was a short cut (and so did a few others)! I can tell you I was soaked to the bone; no part of me was dry.

When we arrived back at our hotel at around 7 p.m., we were exhausted. We learned that our disabled pilgrim who had left before I returned to the group from the priest section had arrived at the hotel about an hour and a half earlier - so getting home was better than getting there! When we gathered again, after taking showers and packing bags, there was so much energy in the room. It was amazing. Everyone was telling stories and relating experiences. It struck me as being a little like child birth: once you are through the pain, the joy emerges and you are overjoyed by the complete experience.

I am wrote this post on the bus as we transfered from Kraków to Warsaw for a direct flight home. We got on the bus at 1:45 a.m. Monday morning (so really still Sunday night). It has been pelting rain the whole time. All I can say is that thank God this was not the case Saturday night. That would have crushed us, I think.

When you get teens and young adults up at 1 a.m. for a four hour bus trip, you can be sure it's a pretty quiet ride.

The Cathedral of Krakow

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