SEPTEMBER 25th, 2016
26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
YEAR C
A Reflection from our Pastor, Fr. Joseph
A soldier came to see a monk and told him that he would like to learn about heaven and hell. The monk looked at him and
said: “I see that you come to see me but you also carry a gun. But I bet that you do not know how to use that gun.” The soldier
got very angry, took out his gun and was ready to use it. Then the monk told him: “That’s hell.” The soldier calmed down
and holstered his gun. The monk then looked at him and said: “That’s heaven.”
As Christians we believe in heaven and hell. But it is not that often that we take the time to try and understand them. Heaven is
the easier of the two. It makes certain sense that if we have a loving and caring God who guides us in this life, then that same God
would extend life and joy after death. Hell is a stickier issue. How can we explain a loving and forgiving God who condemns his
creatures to eternal torment? Isn’t God all merciful and forgiving? How can we explain eternal damnation?
It is an honest question, and one on which today’s Gospel can shed some light. Today’s story, of the rich man and Lazarus, is one
of the few times, in the New Testament, when we are given a glimpse of the afterlife. What we see is instructive.
The thing to notice, in the story, is that the rich man never changes. While he is alive he is completely absorbed in himself, in
his purple clothing, fine linen, and sumptuous dinners. After death he is the same way. Even though he is in
torment, what he is most concerned about is securing a drop of water to cool his tongue. It is all about him, from
beginning to end, in this world and in the next. So, what this story is telling us is that we are responsible for our
own future, whether it is heaven or hell.
The great chasm in the story has not been put there by Abraham and it has not been put there by God. That great
chasm was created by the rich man, himself. His heart was so closed in, that he could neither give nor receive love
and mercy. The rich man wanted to be happy, he saw happiness far off, but he did not understand that his
condemnation was the result of his own selfishness. His isolation resulted from a chasm he had created through his own choices.
Now, Jesus tells us this story to warn us, to remind us that the choices we make today have eternal consequences. We are, today,
shaping the person we will be for all eternity. Whenever we make choices to spend our time and energy only on ourselves, we
increase self-absorption. When we make decisions that are based only upon our own comfort and pleasure; with each one of those
decisions, our heart closes in a bit more on itself. On the other hand, whenever we open ourselves to service, whenever we reach
out to help others, whenever we give of what we have to those in need, our heart opens a bit more to love.
The invitation to heaven is being offered to every creature at every moment. God cannot be blamed if some people so fill their
hearts with themselves that they cannot take in what He offers. God does not send anyone to eternal torment. But we can choose
to go there. We are making choices today that determine how much room we will have in our own hearts to accept love. So choose
carefully. If our heart has no room for love, just hatred, then we have condemned ourselves.
A 2 nd collection w ill be taken up this w eekend, at all
the Masses, for the Needs of the Church in Canada.
Through your contributions to this collection, you too can
collaborate with the Bishops of Canada in their ministry to
teach, sanctify and govern, as well as to support the faith and
evangelization mission of the church. Thank you.
SQUIRETTES NEWS
Bake Sale: The Squirettes are holding a bake
sale, this Sunday, after the 9 & 11 am Masses
in the vestibule.
ALTAR SERVERS
Until such a time as a new schedule is provided, all
trained altar servers are asked to volunteer their
services at the Mass they attend.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS
Mon. Sept. 26th - ST. JOHN DE BREBEUF & ST. ISAAC JOGUES
Rev. 7:9-17; 2 Cor. 4:7-15; Luke 9:23-26
Tue. Sept. 27 th- ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, memorial
Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23; Luke 9:51-56
W ed. Sept. 28 th - Job 9:1-12, 14-16; Luke 9:57-62
Thurs. Sept. 29th - ST. MICHAEL, ST. GABRIEL, ST. RAPHAEL, feast
Rev. 12:7-12a or Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; John 1:47-51
Fri. Sept. 30th - ST. JEROME, memorial
Job 38:12-21, 40:3-5; Luke 10:13-16
Sat. Oct. 1st - ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, memorial
Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-13, 15-17; Luke 10:17-24
Sun. Oct. 2nd - 27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4; 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14; Luke 17:5-10
PROJEC T ADVA NCE N EW S “Live gratefully, give generously”
If you have not donated to this year’s campaign, it is not too late. The deadline
is Dec. 31st. You can drop off your donation marked Project Advance in the
collection or give online at: www.rca.org/giving. Thank you for your support.
M ASS INTENTIONS FOR THE W EEK
Sun. Sept. 25th
Mon. Sept. 26th
Tue. Sept. 27th
Wed. Sept. 28th
Thur. Sept. 29
Fri. Sept. 30th
Sat. Oct. 1st
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9 am Mass for Elizabeth Lam, R.I.P.
11 am Mass for Josie Ramos, R.I.P.
5 pm Mass for parishioners
8 am Mass for Esther Baldasso, R.I.P.
8 am Mass for Gus Huggan, R.I.P.
9 am Mass for the int. of Nathaniel & Jaden Blanca
7:30 pm Novena Mass
8:00 am Mass for Jeanette Andersen, R.I.P.
8:00 am Mass for the int. of Rosette Viduya
9:00 am Mass for Humberto Almeida, R.I.P.
5:00 pm Mass for Eduardo Torillo, R.I.P.
SCHOOL NEWS
- Grade 7 Outdoor Ed: This Monday, our Gr. 7 students,
together with their teacher, Mr. Penaso, Mr. Perry, Fr.
Jun and Mrs. Ferreira will be going to Camp Squeah where
they will be involved with many outdoor activities. Please
keep them in your prayers!
- School Mass: This Wed., Sept. 28
th
- Early Dismissal: Thursday, Sept. 29
- Colour Day: Friday, Sept. 30
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at 9 am. Join us.
th
at 12 noon.
students are asked to
wear “Fall Colours”. Don’t forget to bring in your donation
of a loonie or more to support our sister school in Haiti.
- Parent Coffee Time: Please join us on Friday, Sept. 30
NEW BIBLE STUDY
THE GREAT ADVENTURE - Part II
A Journey Through the Bible (the old Testament)
nd
We will continue with the 2 half of the course. 12 weeks in
th
total, beginning on Saturday, September 24 . It will be held
every 2 weeks in the school basement, from 10 - 11:30 am.
The course is FREE. Please sign-up in the vestibule.
PREP NEWS
Our Parish Religious Education Program for children in gr.
1 - 8 attending public school has begun. Classes are
held every Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:45 pm in our school.
Registrations are still being accepted prior to classes.
RCIA & ADULT FAITH FORMATION
Wednesdays, at 6:30 pm, in the church hall.
It is being taught jointly by our assistant Fr.
Jun, Fr. Hawkswell and Maureen Creelman.
Interested? Know someone who might be?
Come or invite them to join our parish program called
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult). The program is
suitable for anyone who is interested in learning more
about our faith, for Catholics who have not yet received
the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion and
for those who would like to deepen their faith. “Drop-inns”
and those interested in a specific topic are welcome.
Our topic this Wednesday will be: “Who is Jesus
Christ?”. For more info (604) 434-6700.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK MASS
will be held in our parish this coming W ednesday,
Sept. 28 th at 7:30 pm, it w ill be followed by the
Novena prayer. All are welcome to attend
especially the elderly and the sick.
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE NEWS
- Friendship Day: will be held next Sunday Oct. 2nd ,
after the 9 & 11 am Masses at the entrance of the
church. Please join us!
th
in the music room from 8:45 to 10 am.
ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS
Up-Coming Events
Year of M ercy Reflection
“Indeed, mercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it
is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed
himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Christ Jesus, the
incarnation of creative and redemptive love.”
- Pope Benedict XVI
ST. ANTHONY’S RELICS - VISITING VANCOUVER
A M essenger of Hope from Padua, Italy.
Over 750 years ago, St. Bonaventure discovered the relics of St.
Anthony. Two of these precious relics from the Saint’s Basilica in
Padua, Italy, are touring BC for the first time. Please see the bulletin
board in the vestibule for dates, time and venue.
Archdiocesan Celebration - Saint of Calcutta
Mark the canonization of St. Mother Teresa!
Join us on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 pm at Holy Rosary
Cathedral, for a Celebration of the Canonization of Mother
Teresa. M ass celebrated by Archbishop M iller. Reception to
follow in Rosary Hall.
21st Annual Celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary
Celebration begins with Mass, followed by procession of Our Lady’s
statue, school children, altar servers, Knights of Columbus colour
guards, priests and congregation. Sing and pray the living Rosary in
multiple languages with school children, youth and adults from all
walks of life. Night ends with reception at the parish centre. Friday,
Oct. 7, from 7- 9 pm at All Saint Parish, Coquitlam.
St. M ary’s Padre Pio Prayer Group
Please come and join us on the inauguration of our St. Mary’s Padre
Pio Prayer Group on Saturday, Oct. 1, after the 8:30am Mass. There
will be a veneration of Saint Pio relic followed by our first prayer
meeting at 10 am in the church hall. St. M ary’s Padre Pio Prayer Group
is affiliated with the International Padre Pio Prayer Group in San
Giovanni Rotondo founded by Padre Pio himself. For more info, visit
stmarysvancouver.ca/
Life Chain 2016
Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life
individuals standing for 90 minutes, praying for our nation and for an
end to abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian
community that abortion kills children and that the church supports the
sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural
death. Visit rcav.org/lifechain for a list of dates and events.