Christmas Program 2024 Kickoff

 

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It is that time of year when we start planning and fundraising for our Christmas Program and the food requirements of our families in need.  Thank you for your donations last year. Through your generosity you made Christmas special for over 1,000 less fortunate people in our community and allowed us to sustain these families with food vouchers and fresh food baskets throughout the year. The need is greater than ever.  In the first 8 months of 2024 we saw a 26% increase over last year.

One again we are reaching out to you, our supporters of those in need, hoping you will once again wish to donate to our Christmas program and food needs. To best serve our families in time for Christmas your donation would be appreciated on or before November 24th. You can make donations with a credit card here on our Christmas Page, as you did last year.  You can also go to the parish websites or simply use your smartphone to scan the QR code. This year you can also donate at the back of the church using your debit or credit card on the weekend of October 26/27 at St. John Chrysostom and on November 2/3 at St. Elizabeth Seton.

Use your smartphone to scan the QR code.

Family Flyer: October-January

Click on the flyer to pop it out.

How do you want your tax dollars spent?

 

Image credit: barrie.ca

Why are Canadian taxpayers still subsidizing the oil and gas industry which is making handsome profits?

According to CSIMarket (csimarket.com), in the second quarter of 2022, the net profit margin for the oil and gas production industry was 31.43%, significantly above the industry average; and the gross margin for the industry was 86.46% in the same period.

Both the federal and provincial governments provide financial support to fossil fuel companies through various means, such as tax breaks, direct funding, and public financing. A report by Environmental Defence estimated that in 2023, the federal government provided at least $18.6 billion in support to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. This includes $8 billion in loan guarantees for the Trans Mountain pipeline and $7.4 billion in public financing through Export Development Canada.

Here are a few ideas for a more compassionate and less environmentally harmful use of $18 billion from the federal government than lining the pockets of fossil fuel company shareholders:

• Affordable housing
• Childcare subsidies for single parents
• Education
• Healthcare, Pharmacare and Long Term Care
• Improved Disability Benefits
• Universal Basic Income (UBI)

Discrimination Against the Homeless Population

 

Image credit: https://thecanadaguide.com/basics/money/

In the spirit of our founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the Society of St Vincent de Paul has a two-fold mission in assisting those in need:

• charitable works
• advocacy for social justice when the poor are hindered from advocating for themselves.

It is being widely opined in the public media that the Ontario Government will be sending out cheques for $200 to Ontario residents, tax free, with a total cost of $3.2 Billion. If true, this will discriminate against the entire homeless population, and even many of the housed will fall through the cracks. Without a registered mailing address and up-to-date tax records with the Canada Revenue Agency, they will get nothing, regardless of their desperate circumstances.
If the Ontario government really wants to help all their citizens, they would have been better advised to put that $3.2B into health care, education, affordable housing, and the environment.

No doubt many of the people who will receive the $200 will be grateful because they really do need it, but most of us will not need it as desperately as those without homes and some of the families who come to our Society for food and other assistance. 

Charitable donations will reduce your taxable income. Please consider donating some or all of your $200 to a charitable cause as a way to protest the injustice and share with the poorest who will, yet again, be discriminated against with this latest round of Provincial Government largesse for the middle class. Just as importantly, do talk about it with your family and friends.

The Cry of the Poor - Laudato Si'

 

Image credit: https://institucionteresiana.org/en/focal-points/the-cry-of-the-earth-cry-of-the-poor

I asked Meta AI, "What does Laudato Si' say about 'The Cry of the Poor'?" 
Laudato Si' is an encyclical written by Pope Francis and released on May 24, 2015. It addresses the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues. Here is the response from Meta AI...

Laudato Si' emphasizes the intimate relationship between the cry of the Poor and the cry of the Earth. Pope Francis stresses that we're facing a single, complex crisis that's both social and environmental ¹. The encyclical highlights how the Earth's degradation disproportionately affects the world's most vulnerable populations, particularly the poor.

The Cry of the Poor

In Laudato Si', Pope Francis identifies two significant injustices experienced by the poor due to the climate crisis. Firstly, they're usually the first affected by extreme weather events, losing their livelihoods and facing displacement ². Secondly, despite contributing minimally to climate change, they bear the brunt of its consequences.

Key Points

- Ecological Debt: The global north owes an "ecological debt" to the global south due to commercial imbalances and disproportionate resource consumption ².

- Vulnerable Groups: The encyclical emphasizes the need to protect human life in all forms, with special attention to indigenous people, migrants, unborn children, and children at risk of modern slavery ³ ⁴.

- Spiritual Crisis: The ecological crisis is also a spiritual crisis, requiring a spiritual conversion to address the root causes of environmental degradation ⁴.

Pope Francis urges us to listen to the cry of the poor and respond with solidarity, advocating for eco-justice and defending human life ¹ ³. By doing so, we can work towards a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

Here are the references for follow up:

1 https://www.jpic-jp.org/en/a/the-cry-of-the-poor-laudato-si-2nd-goal

2 https://ssnd.org/shalom-laudato-si-laudato-si-reflections-response-to-cry-of-the-poor/

3 https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/listening-to-the-cry-of-the-poor/

4 https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/response-to-the-cry-of-the-poor/

Charity AND Justice

 

Image credit: Clyde Watts

Corry Wink is on the SSVP National Advocacy Committee

Social justice: Stronger Together Imagine a patient heading to a doctor with severe abdominal pain. A pain killer would solve the problem temporarily, but is the issue truly addressed? Charity is like the pain killer, a vital component of care but only a beginning. Social Justice takes the next step. Unfortunately, charity… Never fills the gap between need and sufficiency… Is often inconsistent as limited by the means of the giver… Is limited to people who know how to ask for it… May create a dependence, robbing people of their dignity and sense of self-worth. On the other hand, in social justice… The entire community is responsible for people’s well-being… All people are eligible, and benefits generally keeps up with inflation… Dignity and rights are given to basic needs… The entire community benefits, not just recipients of social programs. To illustrate, consider the following:

Charitable Activities Social Justice Measures Food banks and Christmas hampers Liveable incomes Clothing and household items from outlets Shopping options Couch surfing Shelters Out of The Cold programs Affordable, secure housing Medical treatment by pharmaceutical samples supplied by doctor Pharmacare Occasional special dental clinics A universal dental program

Liveable incomes whether from paid employment, the social assistance system or the pension system should provide enough money for people to have secure and safe housing, nutritious food and a modest level of basic needs such as clothing, communication and transportation. High quality publicly funded health care programs such as pharmacare and dental plans allow people to maintain their health as they age. When their basic needs of people are met, they have the stability, mental and physical health and strength to take their place in society as citizens and participants in the economy. The World Happiness Report produced annually by the United Nations finds that countries with the most generous social programs have better outcomes in every aspect of their societies: successful economies, good public health, and happier people.  Social justice measures benefit the entire community and end up costing society less than keeping people in poverty. How can you get involved? Society must respond to alleviate the suffering of those who live in poverty. Consider supporting food banks with food and financial donations as well as volunteer your time. For a just and fair society, advocate for liveable wages, social assistance and other social programs which can lift people out of poverty so that they can become productive citizens. Consider organizing a social justice committee at your conference or council to communicate the benefits of social justice programs.  Work with Vincentians and others to develop effective advocacy strategies.  Once elections are called, attend candidates’ meetings and support the need for better social programs. We call all Vincentians to join us to accomplish our goals as per the Fundamental Principles stated in the Rule and Statutes: Work as a team within the Society and in collaboration with other people of good will to: Serve people in need Discover and help redress situations of social injustice that cause poverty, suffering and need. Thank you for your engagement. Corry Wink, Advocacy Committee member

Personal Reflections on Today's Gospel

 

Jesus eats with sinners and publicans by Alexandre Bida

Some personal reflections by Terry McCann

Catholics are taught that when the priest at mass says the words of consecration: take and eat, this is my body, this is the cup of my blood of the new covenant; do this as a memorial of me -  that the priest is representing Christ who is really present in our midst, eating and drinking with us who are gathered "in his name."

My mother converted to Roman Catholicism so that my dad and she could get married in the Catholic Church. She died in January of the year that I would turn six years old. In December of that same year my dad married again - this time he married a non-Catholic divorcee. It is not surprising that he married again relatively quickly. I have been given to understand that I was something of a 'handful', with behaviour problems and temper tantrums. It must have been incredibly brave of my stepmother to marry my dad, given the baggage represented by the five year old brat that he brought with him. I found out later that, immediately after the wedding service at Manning Road Methodist Church in Durban, one of my aunts (second cousin 1x removed) said to my new mom, "Of course, you must realise that you are not really married in the eyes of the Catholic Church." This left my mom hurting and angry.  In all their married years, I have no recollection, other than with one exception, that they ever stepped foot in a Catholic church. Nor did they ever again communicate with that side of the family. I met that aunt at my dad's funeral. She was a stranger to me and had to introduce herself.

In his Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia), Pope Francis writes:

It is important that the divorced who have entered a new union should be made to feel part of the Church. “They are not excommunicated” and they should not be treated as such, since they remain part of the ecclesial community. These situations “require careful discernment and respectful accompaniment. Language or conduct that might lead them to feel discriminated against should be avoided, and they should be encouraged to participate in the life of the community." - AL 243.

Many of us know how that went down. A small but vocal contingent of fervent Catholics, led by some bishops, accused the pope of sowing discord and confusion in the Catholic Church. Sin is sin, they say, and adultery is sin and should be called as such.

We also know from the gospels how Jesus felt about sinners, and about religious people. He called the tax collector, Matthew, to be a disciple and then joined in the party Matthew gave to his friends, eating and drinking with other tax collectors and sinners. See Matthew 9:9-13. This shocked the pharisees who were fervent, religious and meticulous about keeping the law. And yet it was to the scribes and pharisees that Jesus gave his sternest warnings: Woe to you, scribes and pharisees. See Luke 11:37–54 and Matthew 23:1–39.

It is very dangerous for us to judge who should be 'in' and who should be 'out'. Let's not go down that road. Our call is simply to love. As a general rule, the ones who most need our love are the most vulnerable people, and those who feel least loved. Our Lord call us to serve these with love, respect, justice and joy.

Hope and Act with Creation

 

The Season of Creation began September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends tomorrow, October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology.

The theme for the 2024 Season of Creation is "To hope and act with Creation." This annual Christian celebration encourages Christians worldwide to pray and respond to the cry of Creation. The guiding symbol for this year's season is "The first fruits of hope," inspired by Romans 8:19-25.

The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are two sides of the same coin. The cry of one causes the cry of the other.

The times we live in demonstrate that we often view the Earth not as a gift from our Creator but as a resource to be exploited - almost always at the expense of the poor. However, Creation teaches us that hope is present in waiting, in the expectation of a better future. To hope, in the biblical context, doesn't mean remaining still and silent; it means actively groaning, crying out, and struggling for a new life even amidst difficulties. Creation and all human beings are called to worship the Creator and work toward a dynamic future from which the first fruits of hope can spring.

As the season comes to a close, let us reflect on our relationship with the Earth, seek reconciliation with the Earth and with one another, and resolve on meaningful new personal habits to care for our common home.