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March 27- Matt. 26: 14-26

today's other readings are Isaiah 50: 4-9 and Psalm 69 At the Newman Centre at the University of Toronto, when I served as its Pastor, we had a Student Campus Ministry (SCM) team who lived in the residence there, with me.  I like to say that in those years my respect for parenthood skyrocketed.  For the the term "Father" also included another title "substitute Dad".  And as "Dad", there were frequent moments when dishes would be left out on the table or in the sink, things would not be put away, etc., which would get my blood boiling.   Of course, when I would ask "Who did it?", the answer was always "Not me".  This became so frequent that I used to complain about the mysterious SCM named "Not me". This story comes to mind when I think of the story of Judas' betrayal and Jesus questioning him about this beforehand - "Surely, not I", or Peter's strong protests that he would end up betraying Jesus.   God knows our hearts before we do something wrong, and He certainly knows after we have done so.   The person of faith is called to avoid doing wrong, and if he or she does so, take the responsibility for doing so.  

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 27, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
1heart

March 26 - John 13: 21-33, 36-38

today's other readings are Isaiah 49: 1-6 and Psalm 71 Today' gospel reading is set during the Last Supper, which in St. John's gospel starts at the beginning of chapter 13 and concludes at the end of chapter 17. In our passage we hear that Jesus is troubled in spirit.  He knows that He will be soon betrayed, and that His death will occur with the next 24 hours. So He takes that time in the Upper Room to hold nothing back from His apostles.   These moments were precious ones between Jesus and the Apostles. After 3 years of living and traveling together, listening and learning and loving, here they are in that Room one last time.  Lots of memoires came to their minds as they ate and prayed and sang the ancient songs of the Passover Meal.  But there must have also been a quiet poignancy in the Room.  And those present would never forget it what they did, said and heard.  Have you ever had such a time with Jesus or the Father of the Spirit?  An extended period in which time seemed to have been suspended as you were in a deep communion with Them?  Have you ever hushed yourselves so as to listen to Him? Please do so this week. For example, you have a splendid opportunity during this evening's Holy Hour following the 7 pm mass.  Or after the the Holy Thursday mass when the church will be open for private prayer until 11 pm.   Do so.  You will be the better for it. 

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 26, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
1heart

Palm Sunday Homily

Today’s readings are Mk. 11: 1-10; Isaiah 50: 4-7; Psalm 22; Phil. 2: 6-11 and Mk. 14: 1 – 15:47 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  O, O, O, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? So goes the opening verse of the 19th century African American spiritual, Were you there? In the jarring account of the Passion (Mk. 14: 1 – 15:47) we just read, the answer to the question “Where you there?” is a definite NO.  Abandoned by His disciples and friends, Jesus was all alone.  Knowing this, Jesus is resigned to His fate.  Even when He is interrogated by the one man who can save Him, Pilate, Jesus has virtually no response.  And according to St. Mark, when Jesus is crucified, only a few women followers of His were there, but at a distance. Alone when He was betrayed, alone in His trial, alone on the cross, virtually alone when He died.  So alone.  Were you there?  No one was there. Fast forward 2000 years.  Today we begin another Holy Week.  Will you be there this week?  Will you be there as we recall Jesus’ Last Supper on Thursday evening, the passion and tragedy of Good Friday, and then the glory of His resurrection at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday? I pray that you will. But if you do attend, the question remains:  Will you be a mere spectator watching from afar?  Or will you immerse yourself fully into the midst of all the celebrations, with worship and prayer and reflection, with all your heart and soul? If you do just that, then early next week, if those words of Were you there? come back to your mind, you’ll be able to smile and nod your head and say, “Oh yes. I was there”.   

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 24, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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Bells and Baskets

Dear parishioners: Here's 2 different things to do as we look forward to the Holy Triduum this week.  Bells. For the mass on Holy Thursday evening (starting at 7:30 pm) and also for the Easter Vigil this Saturday (starting at 7:30 pm), you are invited to bring bells with you to ring at the start of the Gloria.  Bring those bells and let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord!! Baskets. There is a long standing tradition in many cultures to bring to church on Holy Saturday baskets of food to be blessed by the parish priest, which will then be used in your family Easter Sunday meal.  This Palm Sunday weekend, at the entrances to the church, you will find a handout of a traditional Polish Easter basket that you can use as an example.  Please note that what should be in basket are typical Easter foods of your own culture.  The baskets can be simple or elaborately decorated.  A special invitation also goes to our young ones to bring their Easter eggs and other Easter sweets to be blessed as well. You are invited to bring your baskets to the church on Holy Saturday, March 31st, from 1:00 - 1:30 pm, and Fr. Michael will joyfully bless your baskets.  

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 23, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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March 22 - Psalm 18

today's other readings are Jeremiah 20 and John 10: 31-42 "In my distress I called upon the Lord. and He heard my voice". (the response to today's psalm 18) Jesus' life, like ours, was always heading to the same destiny - death.  For us humans, this thought can be unsettling - how and when will it happen - what will the actually process of death be like? And of course, what lies on the other side? The human side of Jesus knew how we feel.  With the death of His friend Lazarus, He groaned deep in His soul (john 11:33). The prospect of His own death agitated Him, as we will read this Sunday in St. Mark's Passion (see 14:33, specifically). In St. Matthew's account He throws Himself onto His face (26:39).  Yet, He also faced this reality with great courage and that deep seated conviction that His death would be for all, and that through His death and resurrection eternal death would not have the final say in our lives.   This is what we look forward to - the gift of eternal life.  And this coming Holy Week we will again celebrate the events that brought us this gift. 

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 22, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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March 21 - Genesis 17: 3-9

today's other readings are Psalm 105 and John 8: 51-59 In our 1st reading, God establishes a covenant with the newly named Abraham, and God makes a number of glorious promises to him. As believers, we place our hope in the countless promises God made to us in our baptism.  Each moment, each breath reminds us that our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, lives, and that we have hope and trust in the guidance of our God in our lives.   But consider the promises that the Father and His Son make to all those, including you, who believe in Him.  Which promises do you cling to today?  And how do you witness those promises into a world that yearns for hope and meaning?

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 21, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
1heart

March 20 - John 8: 31-42

today's other readings are Daniel 3 for both the 1st reading and the canticle The opening saying from Jesus today, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free", brings to mind a memory of a statement made by one of my Seminary professors, Fr Joachim Pillai, who said, "yes, the truth will set you free, but it also can get you into a whole lot of trouble". Fr. Pillai is right.  The truth, especially speaking it or living it, can get you into trouble.  For there are, and have been, many people who find the truth very inconvenient, especially those in power for whom the truth threatens their positions or status.   Jesus spoke the truth.  The Jewish authorities certainly were not happy to have it spoken to them.  And we know the price He paid.  St. Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador in the country of El Salvador, spoke constantly of the truth of the suffering and the oppression of the poor of his country, paid in the ultimate price with his murder by the military of his country.  In fact, every martyr of the Church paid that same price for living the truth of our faith.   But the truth needs to be spoken and lived.  For all who do so, live lives filled with a sense of purpose, a purpose that only God can provide.   Let us pray that each one of us will live the truth of our Christian faith in all aspects of our lives.

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 20, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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March 19 - St. Joseph

today's readings are 2 Samuel; Psalm 89; Romans 4; Matthew 1: 16, 18-21, 24a "Preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words". attributed to St. Francis of Assisi I have always wondered if it was the example of St. Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus, that was the source of inspiration for the statement above that is widely attributed to St. Francis. Today the universal church celebrates the solemnity of St. Joseph.  This day is one in which we set aside the penitential aspects of the Lenten liturgy, such as the wearing of white instead of purple by the presider, and can savor the words of the Gloria in today's mass.   St. Matthew is the gospel writer who gives us most of our insights into St. Joseph.  But interestingly, Matthew attributes not one word to Joseph.  Joseph is the quiet man, but a man of action, and a man of faith.   St. Matthew draws lots of parallels between St. Joseph, and his namesake, Joseph the son of Jacob that we read about in the Book of Genesis.  One important parallel is that both of them were blessed with dreams, the ability to interpret them, and the fortitude to act upon them.  For example, St. Joseph listens to the dream in which he is instructed to take Mary as his wife.  In a later dream, after the birth of Jesus, he is instructed to take Jesus and Mary and flee into Egypt.  Many years later, in a dream he is told that it is safe to return home from the Holy Family's exile in Egypt.  He hears, he ponders, and then he acts.  His life was one of being very much in tune with the will of God.  And he didn't need words to show it.  Among the many titles given to Joseph includes the Principal Patron saint of Canada, as well as being the patron saint of fathers.  May his example be a source of inspiration for our fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and stepfathers, and for all Canadians. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 19, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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5th Sunday of Lent Homily

today's readings are Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Psalm 51; Hebrews 5: 7-9 and John 12: 20-33 If someone asked you what the word covenant meant, what answer would you give?  It’s one of those words that is rather elusive in its meaning.  But from a faith perspective, the word covenant means a profound, never-ending relationship. In our first reading today, God, through the prophet Jeremiah, speaks of a new covenant that He will be establish with his people.  It will be a covenant written not on paper, but on our hearts; and that He will be our God, and we will be his people.  Fortunately for us, He speaks of this relationship as a covenant, not a contract. For a contract is a legal agreement between two parties in which there is an exchange of goods or services or money along with certain conditions that must be fulfilled.  However, if the conditions are not met, then the contract can be declared null and void.  With that in mind, we need to be grateful that God chose to set up a covenant, rather than a contract, with us.  Because if you consider the countless times we humans have infuriated God with our sins, if we had a contract with God, then God would have declared us null and void a long time ago. A covenant, on the other hand, has no time limit, nor are there conditions set.  This is one of the reasons why the sacrament of marriage in the Catholic Church is spoken of in terms of a covenant rather than a contract – because the marriage relationship is supposed to be forever, and without terms or conditions.  Have you ever considered that your relationship with God is also a covenant relationship?  And what does this mean?  That He will be our God, and we will be His people, that this covenant will be written in our hearts, that we will know Him, and that our sins will be forgiven and no longer remembered.  Sounds straight forward.  But this covenant has a lot of implications.  Let’s consider a few of them.  First, that we will know the Lord.  For the people of Jeremiah’s time, to know God did not mean knowing God here (head) but here (heart).  Yes, we can learn about God through the thoughts of illustrious spiritual and theological writers, but those are their thoughts, their experiences of God.  What are yours?  How have you come to know the Lord?  Is it here in mass or in the other sacraments of the church?  In times of private prayer?  When you have gathered with others, like in our parish ministries or organizations, or in days of reflection and retreat, or in the glory of God’s creation?  God is present in your life.  Ask yourself, then, how have you experienced him?  How do you know God?  For God is with you. Second point - in this covenant God promises that He will forgive our iniquities and remember our sins no more.  Now that’s a promise! What God is saying here is not only that He forgives our sins and then forgets them, but He will still love us and accept us despite what we have done.  Wow! Now compare that to what we do with each other. When a spouse or close friend or family member betrays us or hurts us deeply, how long does it take us before we even consider forgiving them?   And even if we do forgive them, we still hold it against them.  A barrier of mistrust and pain now exists between us.  But in our covenant with God, the Lord promises that not only will He forgive us, but He will also never hold our sins against us afterwards.  No barriers.  No mistrust.  Just his everlasting, healing love. And one wonderful way we experience that forgiveness and love is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation – that sacrament where we receive God’s complete, unconditional loving forgiveness.  Last point – we are His people.  What does it mean to be that person of God?  To answer that, let’s first consider what God has done for us.  Which is a lot!! The gift of our life, the gift of the world He created for us, the gifts of our time and talents, the gift of our faith.  And the gift of salvation.  For we were saved through the saving Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God has done so much for us.  So how should we respond?  We start with gratitude.  Which should then compel us to be a person who both loves the faith and lives the faith, 24/7.  Jesus saved us! In turn we need to live lives that show that we are saved.  People whose thoughts, words and deeds day after day show you are one of God’s people.  I will be your God, and you will be My people.  Each of you is one of His people. In light of that truth, again I ask: how is your relationship with God?

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 17, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

2024 Holy Week Schedule March 23-31 For celebrations to be live-streamed - check the schedule on the homepage of www.myparish.org. Passion (Palm) Sunday Masses You will receive a palm cross as you enter the church. Saturday, March 23 – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 24 – 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 25 – 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 26 – 7:00 p.m. – a Holy Hour follows as we pray for our parish Wednesday, March 27 – 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 28 - 9:30 a.m. NO MASS THE HOLY TRIDUUM Holy Thursday, March 28 Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 7:30 pm - followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00 p.m. Good Friday, March 29 12:00 noon - Solemn Good Friday Liturgy 3:00 p.m. - Solemn Good Friday Liturgy 7:00 p.m. - Youth Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday, March 30 1:00 -1:30 p.m. blessing of Easter baskets 7:30 p.m. – Easter Vigil Mass Easter Sunday March 31st masses at 9:00 a.m. & 11:30 A.M. Parish office closed Easter Monday.

Fr. Michael Machacek

Mar 15, 2024 • Nativity of Our Lord
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