Questions for Evangelium Forum at STM Toronto - Sept. 26

 

1. What is prayer? 

- "The raising of one's mind to God or the requesting of good things from God"

- Why do we pray? (benefits of prayer)

- How do we pray? (including tips)

- Difficulties in prayer

- Mistaken ideas about prayer

2. Salvation History

- Adam and Eve, the fall, the stain of original sin.

- Because God loves us, he offered several covenants to humanity throughout the Old Testament.

- God established covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the Prophets, and finally with John the Baptist.

3. The Ten commandments

- Established by God to Moses on Mount Sinai

- Commandment, explanation, example (biblical or modern)

- Tip for memorizing

Patronal Sung Mass, St. Thomas More, Toronto

Music for the St Thomas More Patronal Sung Mass tomorrow -- June 27 at 12:30 noon

Mass setting:

O Quam Gloriosum by Victoria

Anthems:

Justorum animae by Wm Byrd

O King all Glorious – Healey Willan

I Was Glad – C. Hubert Parry

Public Masses Resume in Toronto - this Sunday STM's Mass is at 12:30 p.m. No registration required. First come first seated.

Dear parishioners and friends,

Many will no doubt have heard that as of Friday June 11th, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ontario will move into "Phase 1" of the civil government's pandemic plan. This means that limits on indoor religious gatherings will be increased  to 15% of the building's occupancy from the current hard limit of 10 people. The 15% limit means that STM can accommodate around 80 people this Sunday. We are NOT requiring registration, however we will obey the regulations imposed by the government, so seating is first come first seated.

What the civil government has done is to officially classify religious worship as a non-essential service" therefore linking our capacity limits in the next phases of reopening to those of non-essential services. This is not something to celebrate or be thankful for; this is a sign of things to come, of how future government will treat those of faith. We should mourn the fact that the worship of God is now officially considered by our government to be less important than buying hallucinogenic drugs, or a new barbecue, or pool toys. We should fear God's judgement upon our city, our province, our nation, and indeed on Western civilization. There are few things that need to be said. Indeed, which cannot be left unsaid. This is NOT a victory, or a magnanimous gesture for which we should humiliate ourselves by groveling in gratitude. 

It may be no coincidence that this pyrrhic victory, the "permission" to worship our God, falls on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart this Friday. While we should be grateful to GOD that He faithfully waits to strengthen us in the sacraments, we should also make reparation for the outrages committed against Him and His Sacred Heart by those in authority. To this end, St. Thomas More will make available free of charge and to anyone who wants it, a devotional booklet on devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We encourage you to say the litany (p. 33) every day in June, and end it with the act of reparation (p. 37). The book will be available after Mass.

Please click here for a list of our Sunday Bulletins

Readings of the day for every day of the week are also available on the homepage of our parish website.

---

Act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee!

The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred heart of Jesus! The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hopes of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole hope of mankind! The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love the, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus! The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore it, O Divine Heart of Jesus! The more thy sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most generous Heart of Jesus! The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavour to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue! The more the devil labours to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed by the desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous lover of Souls! The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Ghost, O Heart of Jesus!

The more thy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavour to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus! The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more we will honour him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity, and pray for him, O Kingly Heart of Jesus!

O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become The apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be thy crown in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Don't forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel and to

follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Pentecost - Whitsunday. Light in the darkness....

This Sunday we celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost, the "birthday" of the Church, or Whitsunday as it has been commonly called for hundreds of years (white referencing the white robes the newly baptized would wear on this day in the early church). This marks the second consecutive Pentecost Sunday we are deprived of the ability to attend Holy Mass. There are no more words left to address this. We can only turn to God in prayer. May the Holy Spirit enkindle in our leaders the fire of love for and bring this awful time to an end, that the worship the Lord ay be restored to us.

There is much confusion regarding when we will be able to resume Mass in Churches of the Archdiocese of Toronto. We can only relate what we know and promise to keep you informed. The most optimistic estimate at the present time is August 1, the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. The situation is uncertain from one week to the next.

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Masses in Toronto are suspended. Again.

Dear Parishioners and friends of St. Thomas More,

As we endure this period of lockdown and uncertainty in Ontario, one thing is certain: we must pray more and pray more fervently. We must pray for our civil and ecclesiastical leaders: that they my be open to the graces of their offices and not frustrate them through cowardice, compromise, or collaboration with evil. We must pray for one another: that we may all be kept safe from the perils posed by both the Covid disease and the proposed solutions, both medical and societal. Finally we must pray for ourselves: that we may be infused with the supernatural graces of the Holy Ghost so that our wills may be guided by the theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) and our actions by the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance).

• St. Thomas More will continue to livestream Holy Mass every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on our YouTube channel (see bottom of email) during this difficult time. It is highly suggested that you use the Sunday Bulletin (link below) and a Bible to prayerfully follow along with the liturgy being streamed.
• The obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and designated Holy Days is excused when physical attendance is impossible, as it is now in Toronto and most of Ontario. As many benefits as watching the livestream carries, it is not a substitute for being physically present at Holy Mass and does not fulfil an obligation that would be generally binding in normal times.
  
• We are accustomed to chanting the Litany in the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. But it may be used on any penitential day, such as Wednesdays and Fridays, and at any time to beseech God to appease His anger and beg His protection from calamities. In light in light of the state of emergency that has been declared in Ontario and the subsequent suspension of the public celebration of Holy Mass, it is highly fitting that the Litany be chanted. As such, it will be chanted before each Sunday Mass until the stay-at home order is lifted and we are once again able to attend Mass publicly.
• Those who wish to receive Holy Communion outside of Mass may sign up here for one of the Communion Services authorized by Cardinal Collins and conducted by the Fathers of the Oratory at St. Vincent de Paul Church on Sundays.
• Our parish will do everything humanly possible to ensure that no one is left without access to the sacraments, no matter the circumstance. If you find yourself or a loved one in "trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity", please contact the parish through our website by phone or email and appropriate arrangements will be made to help.

Easter Lockdown - Suspension of Holy Mass

 This Sunday, April 16, will see the last public Masses celebrated in Toronto for a significant period of time. Our 12:30 Mass WILL proceed this Sunday. The suspension comes into effect on Monday. S. Vincent de Paul church will remain open for private prayer. If you are coming to Mass this weekend, please note the points below. The restrictions are not our choice and we have to enforce them under threat of significant civil penalties:

• No matter what one thinks of the measures imposed by the government, some people are very scared. The health risks are not imaginary. We must be charitable and not inflame anyone's fears. We must also not put the parish at risk of incurring the significant sanctions now in place.
• No one in the congregation may sing during the Mass or bring their own hymnals or any other materials. No one may come within 2 meters (6 feet) of someone not residing in the same household.
• Everyone who is not medically exempt must wear masks in the church at all times, even while seated, except the moment of reception of Holy Communion. Everyone must depart after Mass - gathering in a group of more than one household, even outside, distanced, and masked, is now a violation of the law.
• Our parish will do everything humanly possible to ensure that no one is left without access to the sacraments, no matter the circumstance. If you find yourself or a loved one in "trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity", please contact the parish through our website by phone or email and appropriate arrangements will be made to help.
• S. Thomas More will continue to livestream Holy Mass every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on our YouTube channel (see bottom of email) during this difficult time. It is highly suggested that you use the Sunday Bulletin (link below) and a Bible to prayerfully follow along with the liturgy being streamed. 

Triduum and Easter Sunday update - lockdown edition

 It has been a strange week - a strange year. Today the Ontario government has announced another month of lockdown, and there is some confusion about what this means for churches in Toronto.

• The lockdown, thankfully, does NOT further restrict our right to worship. The 15% capacity rule remains the same.
• The good news (if we can use that phrase with regards to the current situation) is that the capacity numbers for St. Vincent de Paul Church have been revised to more accurately reflect the actual capacity of the Church and consequently we can have a slightly larger number of people in the church and remain compliant with the 15% "rule".
• St. Thomas More is NOT requiring registration to attend the 12:30 Mass for parishioners and those who wish to come. That said, we must observe the capacity limits unjustly imposed by the authorities.
• As usual, please be patient and follow the directions of the ushers. You MUST wear a mask unless you assert a medical reason for not doing so.
• Pew segments are marked by green tape. Members of the same household may, of course, sit together in one or more marked "spaces" as necessary.
• Please do not leave empty "spaces" in the middle of the pews - this prevents us from fully utilizing the limited space available to us.

May we all observe this Holy Week with a renewed closeness to Our Lord and, entering into His passion in a special way this year, become more aware of what He suffered on Good Friday so that we may rejoice with Him on Easter Sunday.

SVP will be livestreaming the Sacred Triduum on the Oratory's YouTube channel:

• Holy Thursday: 8 pm
• Good Friday: 3 pm
• Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil): 9 pm

Public Masses set to resume this Passion Sunday, March 21st

Finally, after many long months, we once again resume the supreme public act of the worship of God - the public celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This Sunday, March 21 commonly called Passion Sunday, churches will be allowed to operate at 15% capacity. We are cautiously optimistic that this time we will stay open, but we cannot rely on blind optimism alone. We have a more powerful tool - prayer and fasting. Especially and most intently for whose in authority who are weak of mind and will, and lack courage.

This coming Sunday registration is not required for parishioners of STM, though we will be keeping careful counts so as to comply with regulations imposed on the faithful. Those who are not parishioners of STM may click here to register (scroll to the bottom to find the Ordinariate Mass). This may be revised in future as the situation develops, so stay tuned.

CARDINAL ERDO'S PRAYER

The following prayer by Cardinal Erdo of Hungary is being prayed daily around the world. Please join in praying with this translation and adaptation of the prayer to traditional English. 

Almightly LORD, GOD of our Forebears:

We bless Thee for the world created to enable human existence. We bless Thee for the wealth of creation and its miraculous principles. 

We bless Thee for allowing us to survive despite all the destructive forces that surround us. Enable us to recognise new insights in our world and in ourselves. 

We thank Thee for the opportunity to fight both individually and in community for our survival as well as for a better and a more meaningful life. 

But first and foremost we thank Thee for having been invited to eternal life; and that through the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ the Lord, the way has been opened for our eternal happiness.

Whenever a cataclysm hits us, against which we are unable on our own to find a solid protection, we understand that, after all, our life is in Thy hands.

Lord, we humbly beg Thee to help scientists quickly find antidotes for the present pandemic! Please give society’s leaders insight, enabling them to take the appropriate measures to cut the spread of contagion; and to help with prevention and the delivery of the effective treatment for those in need. 

Please grant mercy and everlasting rest to those deceased from this disease; grant recovery to the ill and grant strength and blessings to the doctors and to all the healthcare staff for their courageous stand. 

Please strengthen our faith, confidence and helping love, so that we would be able to provide maximum spiritual and physical assistance to our sick fellow humans as well as to the grieving and worried relatives. Please grant that our responsible behaviour becomes an efficient contribution to prevent the spread of disease.

Lord, please forgive us all our sins that are committed by thought, by voice, by action and by failure.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us!

Blessed Virgin Mary, Salus Infirmorum, pray for us!

Amen.