Before we know it, Lent will be here. As Providence would have it, Ash Wednesday begins on February 14 this year, a date fixed in the imaginations of many as a time to celebrate Cupid’s proverbial arrow of love. This year, Valentine’s day can also be an opportunity for us to reflect on the arrow of God’s Divine love for us, received into our “hearts” at the moment of our baptism. Ash Wednesday calls us once again to remember God’s merciful love for us by renewing in us the perennial practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Over the past several weeks I have been reading a beautiful book that can, perhaps, serve as a helpful entry point into our experience of Lent this year. It is written by a man who has experienced profound brokenness in his familial relationships, mental illness, homelessness and the rejection of many in our society,
Tyler Dunlop’s life exemplifies the “desert” that is Lent. His personal experience of prayer, fasting and almsgiving gives voice to the darkness of our fallen human condition and the light of Christ that “draws straight with crooked lines”.
On Wednesday February 21, our Guild will begin its outreach to the homeless in our community. Please pray that our initiative will bring a sense of Christ’s light and hope, however small, to those who too often experience rejection by our society
Christ’s Peace,
Deacon Damien
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle, pray for us.
A thoughtful monthly reflection from our Chaplain:
Tuesday December 5, 2023.
Advent Reflection
This past Sunday we lit the first purple candle of a new Advent season. How time flies! Advent, of course, although a penitential season, is laced with the hope and joy that comes from our baptismal faith. Advent reminds us that our faith is rooted in our belief that we are God’s beloved, disciples who are called to bring the hope and joy of our humble Saviour to our families, our workplaces, and our world. To be a Christian is to be a missionary of hope and joy in a world that often forgets or denies God’s existence. Advent is a time to renew our baptismal commitment to become other Christs, to become disciples whose hope and joy attracts others to the uncreated Light we have seen and heard, the Light that shines in the darkness caused by sin and death. As we begin this most beautiful season of hope and joy, let us bring our experience of the Light of God’s mercy, hope and joy to our students and staff – to everyone who contributes to the gift that is Catholic education, itself “a light to the nations”. Wishing all of you and your families a joyful Christmas season and 2024!
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, pray for us.
–Deacon Damien
Recently, I read “The Universal Brother”, a beautiful book about the spirituality of St. Charles de Foucault. As you may know, St. Charles was a restless spirit whose conversion was catalyzed by his love for the sub-Saharan desert and the Tuareg, one of its poorest and most remote people. As we anticipate the coming of Lent, perhaps we, too, can invite the Holy Spirit into the poverty of our own hearts and use this precious season of renewal to renew our witness to Jesus, and better evangelize those entrusted to our care.
In a few weeks we will have a further opportunity to deepen our relationship with Jesus by participating in our annual Lenten retreat at St. Francis Xavier church in Mississauga. A helpful way to prepare for this retreat on the relationship between faith and science might be to view the superb series of 5 shorter short videos from the Word on Fire Institute on their YouTube channel entitled “Wonder: The Harmony of Faith and Science”.
Have a wonderful, joy-filled Lent!
Thursday in the 6th Week of Ordinary Time.
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
–Deacon Damien
February 23, 2023.
Advent Reflection
Last Sunday we began the beautiful season of Advent. Advent is a graced time when we prepare our hearts to celebrate our Lord becoming one of us, his presence among us today, and his final coming at the end of time. As partners in Catholic education we have the privilege of sharing the joyful hope that is at the heart of Advent: the hope that God is bringing about our own inner healing and the healing of our world through his healing Word made flesh in us. As we treasure the opportunity that Advent offers us, let us be mindful of those whose experience of life’s challenges sometimes clouds the hope that Advent offers us and keep them and all of our Guild members in our prayers. Happy Advent!
Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle.
St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
–Deacon Damien
November 30, 2022.
Reflection for Thanksgiving
As we approach these beautiful days which celebrate our Catholic faith, let us be mindful that the call to holiness is not just for special people but for everyone.
Holiness demands that we listen to the voice of God speaking to our hearts in our everyday encounters with others, great and small.
The journey to holiness reflects our response to the experience of being loved unconditionally by God and others, a love that helps us face and go through every kind of adversity.
Let us take a few minutes each day this November to invoke the Angels and Saints to pray for our loved ones and our Guild.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace. Amen.
St Jean Baptist deLa Salle, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!
–Deacon Damien
October 29, 2022.
This morning I read a report detailing the response of the Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak to the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia.After detailing the historical context of Ukraine’s history of invasions, the Archbishop went on to say that he recently prayed for Ukraine PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky to stand strong and to guide the defense of his country in a wise way and for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conversion:”to fall on his knees and realize that he will face Almighty God at the last judgement”.
As we anticipate the coming season of Lent, perhaps we, too, can ask Almighty God to guide our Lenten journey is such a way that our hearts are cleared of the temptation to use domination and force in our own relationships, so that the purity of the Gospel message finds a place in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
As we prepare for Lent, I would highly recommend reading and reflecting on Pope Francis’s book “Let us Dream”, where you will find an antidote to the temptation to violence within our own hearts: a respectful inner and outer dialogue with those whom we consider “other”, so that the Holy Spiritcan bring about a holy synthesis that reconciles us with one another and with God.
Let us also use our prayer, fasting and abstinence this Lent to pray for an end to the war inside and outside of our hearts that seeks to divide ratherthan unite us, so that the fullness of God’s Kingdom will find a welcome place in our hearts and in the hearts of others.
May Christ’s Peace reign more fully in our hearts this Lent.
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prayer for us.
-Deacon Damien
February 28, 2022.
A few years ago, I was on a plane that was experiencing severe turbulence as it made its final descent. After making several attempts to land, the pilot made another effort and landed our plane safely on the runway. For almost 2 years, we have experienced a different kind of turbulence, the physical, emotional and spiritual turbulence caused by the COVID virus and its mutations. Like the pilot who landed the plane I was on, our Catholic faith “pilots” us through the turbulence caused by the COVID pandemic. That faith is mirrored in the words of the famous English anchorite, Julian of Norwich who, in her writings, constantly reminds us that “all is well, and all manner of things shall be well”. As we navigate this new year, may we be reminded that Jesus, our Lord and Brother continues to “pilot” us on our pilgrimage through this life. A belated Happy New Year to all Guild members!
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prayer for us.
-Deacon Damien
January 13, 2022.
Almost 2 weeks ago I watched with joy the meeting of Pope Francis and Orthodox Primate Archbishop Ieronymous ll, a meeting that was live streamed on YouTube. Years in the making, this historic visit captured for me, the spirit of Advent: a treasured time of hopeful expectation. In this case, the hope that Jesus’s prayer at the Last Supper for unity within his Church will eventually come to fruition. As we enter this last week of Advent, perhaps we can continue to pray with Christians the world over for the unity and peace that only the Lord Jesus can give to us, our families, and our world. Happy Advent and a very Merry Christmas and Joyful 2022 to all of you!
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prayer for us.
-Deacon Damien
December 16, 2021.
November, the month set aside to pray for the loved ones who have gone before us. This month, Christians ponder the great hope of our faith: the resurrection of our bodies.
Our belief in the resurrection finds it’s expression in the communion of saints, the teaching which reminds us that “Sister Death” is not to be feared, but to be embraced with joy.
Easy to say – yes – but for Christians, death is the gateway in the fulness of life promised to us by our Lord and Brother, Jesus.
As we continue to pray for our loved ones this month, let us be mindful of the “Gospel of Joy” passed on and entrusted to us at baptism, a joy that we can pass on to our students, families, friends – to all of those we encounter each day.
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prayer for us.
-Deacon Damien
November 19, 2021.
A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Our recent celebration of Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful for the blessings we have received. As Catholic teachers, Thanksgiving reminds us of the eucharistic dimension of our lives, to be grateful for our vocations and the privileged position we share to pass of the faith to those entrusted to our care.
As we navigate the COVID pandemic, let us be mindful of Pope Francis’s constant plea to not forget about another “pandemic”, the “pandemic” of indifference that permeates so much of our culture today, whose “inoculation” can be found in the practice of the virtues of generosity, acceptance and kindness towards those who feel lonely and alienated.
As we look forward to our celebration of the Eucharist on November 24, let us remain grateful for all that God has given us by reaching out to those needy who cross our paths each day.
St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
-Deacon Damien
October 14, 2021.
Early this morning I watched a motorcade heralding the arrival of Pope Francis in the war-torn country of Iraq. Pope Francis’s peace initiative has been long in the making. It is a small but significant sign of hope to a country and a world that continues to be torn apart by indifference and sectarian strife. Pope Francis’s initiative calls to mind St. Therese of Lisieux’s strategy for transformation, that small gestures done with great love can act as catalysts for meaningful change, both individually and globally.
A few days ago, our Guild welcomed Fr. John Huber, a Basilian priest and Catholic school principal from Houston Texas, who animated our annual Lenten Retreat. Fr. Huber inspired us with his own small gesture of hope, reminding us of our common baptismal call to share in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of the Lord Jesus – to be witnesses of his mission to evangelize our culture by entering into the world of those entrusted to our care.
From May 2-7 of this year we will celebrate Catholic Education Week. This is an opportunity for all of us to witness to and celebrate the gift of our Catholic faith, a way of continuing to transform our culture by “injecting” it with the “vaccine” of hope that inspires us to make God’s Kingdom come on this earth as it is in heaven.
St. John Baptiste de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
March 5, 2021.
The other day a friend of mine shared with me a reflection about teachers. It said: “A mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates, a great teacher inspires.” Inspired teaching, of course, is not confined to the classroom nor are teachers confined to those who hold a Bachelor of Education degree. As we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord today, perhaps we can allow this feast to inspire us to give thanks for the teachers of the Teacher we call Lord – Saints Joseph and Mary – whose obedience to the angel Gabriel brought incarnated Love into our world, a love that sets us free to be heralds of His Gospel.
St. John Baptist de la Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
January 12, 2021.
Dear friends,
A lot has happened since my last post in January of this year! 2020 will be seared into our collective memories for years to come – and its not over yet!
Despite the COVID 19 pandemic, we have much reason to hope for as we enter the Season of hope we call Advent. Pandemics, like all historical crises, afford us the opportunity to renew our commitment to the One who came among us to inoculate us against the ongoing spiritual pandemic we call sin. As we look forward to our virtual retreat with Fr. Martin on December the 8th, let us be grateful for the opportunity to celebrate
Mother Mary’s immaculate conception by saying yes – with her – and allowing Jesus to continue to be born in our hearts!
A very happy Advent and Christmas Season to you all!
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
October 27, 2020.
As we savour the end of our Christmas break and head back to school, the Church’s celebration of the Solemnity of the Lord presents us with a golden opportunity to reflect on the raison d’etre of our newly formed guild: to become, like the wise men, faithful witnesses to our newborn king who has been born in our hearts. May we, like the wise men in Matthew’s Gospel account, adore our newborn King by placing our collective gifts at the service of our children and youth in 2020. Happy New Year!
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
January 5, 2020.
We’re off and running! A big thank you to our executive and especially to St. Francis Xavier parish for hosting our inaugural Advent retreat on November 23.
Advent is a time of hope, a time of great expectation, when all of Creation awaits the fulfillment that comes from Christ’s final coming. In this “already but not yet” season our hearts turn towards God’s Word made flesh in Mary, our Divine Mother, the Word that begs to be born in each one of us.
This season of hope and renewal calls us to remember – and to act on – the great privilege given to us at baptism: to bring the light of God’s merciful love into our oftentimes broken and chaotic world, a merciful love that satisfies collective hunger for relationship.
As we contemplate the many blessings that God has showered on our fledgling Guild, let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill us this Advent with the kind of gratitude that enables us to reach out to others, especially to the most vulnerable in our families, schools, families and neighbourhoods.
Maranatha! Happy Advent!
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
November 26, 2019.
Last month I attended a retreat that was based on the book of Exodus. The retreat was given by a Carmelite scripture scholar who, in one of his conferences, referred to the Jewish Talmud. Before referring to the Talmud he asked an important question: “How does God respond to our prayer requests?” After we responded, he shared with us the Talmudic view: “God answers prayer in three ways: ‘No’, ‘Yes’, and ‘Grow up!” Our retreat director added. “The majority of the time, God’s answer to our prayer is ‘Grow up!’
The Peel Catholic Teachers Guild came about because of a deep conviction to help all involved in Catholic education to “grow up” in our faith and to encourage others to do so by providing our members the opportunity to provide mutual spiritual support.
As we grow together, let us remember that our baptismal faith invites all of us to “grow up,” to respond to the invitation of our Risen Lord and Brother, Jesus, to live – and to share – the abundant life he has shared with us.
–Deacon Damien A. Mc Gowan
October 28, 2019. Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles.
