twenty-eighth sunday in ordinary time october 13, … · elisha sent a messenger to him, saying,...
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TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 13, 2019
Saint Anthony of Padua Parish
With the Eucharist at the centre, we are a community desiring to be saints, sent out to love like Jesus and proclaim Him in every circumstance.
I know a man who’s got a lot of problems: He struggles with his closest relationships, with his work, and with his direction in life. He blames everything: God hasn’t helped him, people are jerks, the government’s full of morons, and everything he’s tried hasn’t worked. But when someone asks him to look at what he could change about himself, he refuses. He’s looking everywhere around him for a solution when it’s right at his feet. What we’re dealing with today is looking for powerful, amazing solutions and avoiding the simple ones God gives us. I know a woman who lives with her parents, trying to take care of them, but constantly argues with them. The solution is to move out. But, in her mind, it just doesn’t seem possible. Not every solution God offers is simple. But some of them are. But we refuse them mainly because of our pride. The first reading is a portion of a famous Old Testament story about the healing of Naaman the Syrian, who has leprosy. The first reading only has the end of the story, so let’s start with the beginning: “Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy” (2 Kg 5:1). Naaman’s like us: We’re successful, think we’re above average, have a lot of pride, and have a problem we can’t solve. Where does the solution come from? “Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy’” (2 Kg 5:2). The solution comes from an enemy, a young Israelite girl taken captive in battle and now a slave of Naaman’s wife. But she still wants to help Naaman. This is important, because oftentimes God suggests cures for us that don’t come from sources we like: It’ll come from someone we don’t respect, like a family member, co-worker, or even a priest we don’t get along with. God loves sending us truth and good ideas through imperfect people, people who are full of problems themselves and even treat us badly! Why? Because He wants to heal our pride and grow our humility: Will we take a solution from someone we don’t like? Refusing good advice from someone we don’t like is foolish and only hurts ourselves. Put your hand up please if you’ll take good advice no matter where it comes from? So the king of Aram sends Naaman to Israel to be healed. Elisha, the Jewish prophet, hears of his arrival and invites him to meet. “So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kg 5:9-12). Naaman’s response is so human: Elisha doesn’t even meet him personally, but gives his prescription for healing through a messenger—this offends Naaman’s pride. And the solution is too simple: wash seven times in the river Jordan. That’s it? But I don’t know a single person who’s been cured that way. There has to be another way! “But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’” (2 Kg 5:13). This is what God the Father wants us to know: Healing is simpler than we think. The solution is just to move out and spend some regular evenings with our parents. The solution is to go to a Marriage Encounter weekend, which starts a journey of healing. You want to grow spiritually? Do what we’ve talked about for five years: Spend more time with the Eucharist. Go see a counsellor, go to Confession, tell a friend, go to the doctor. It’s not hard. We just need to humble ourselves. St. Ephrem remarks that the command to go to the Jordan represents the command of Jesus to be baptized, because Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. The leprosy that all people carry is sin, and it needs to be washed away by baptism (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther). “So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant’” (2 Kg 5:14-15). After the healing, Naaman acknowledges his error, and he has many of them. There are seven capital sins: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth. They’re called capital sins because they engender
Healing is Simpler Than We Think
Elisha refuses the gifts of Naaman by Pieter de Grebber
Address: 8891 Montcalm St., Vancouver BC V6P 4R4 Mailing Address: 1345 West 73rd Ave., Van., BC V6P 3E9 Tel 604.266.6131 Hours Tuesday—Friday 9:00 am—12:00 noon 1:00 pm—3:00 pm In case of emergencies, please call the office anytime. Web: stanthonyvan.com Email: [email protected]
St. Anthony of Padua School Kindergarten to Grade 7
1370 West 73rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6P 3E9
Principal: Mr. Michael Perry
Telephone: 604.261.4043 Website: stanthonyofpaduaschool.ca School Email: [email protected]
Sunday Masses Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm Weekdays Masses Confessions Monday 8:15 am 8:00 to 8:10 am Tuesday 7:30 pm Wednesday & Thursday 8:15 am 8:00 to 8:10 am Friday (school months) 8:00 am 7:45 to 7:55 am Saturday 9:00 am 9:45 am Confession Saturday afternoon 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm 1st Saturday each month 9:45 am to 1:00 pm; 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm; 7:00 pm to 9:45 pm Eucharistic Adoration enter at 1365 West 73rd Avenue Daily: 6:00 am to Midnight First Saturday of each month: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm in the church during all-day confessions. First Friday of each month: 8:45 am to 10:00 am in the church followed by Benediction.
TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 13, 2019
Weekday Masses & Intentions
Par ish Regis trat ion
Our parish family warmly welcomes new parishioners. Please register by filling out a registration form located in the vestibule or the Parish Office. If you are registered and moving, please advise the parish office.
Monday, October 14
Ferial
Thanksgiving Rose Woodhouse †
Tuesday, October 15
Memorial
St. Teresa of Avila
Chung Shee & Colin
Kim Sing †
Wednesday, October 16
Memorial
St. Marguerite D’Youville Judy Christo †
Thursday, October 17
Memorial
St. Ignatius of Antioch
Deceased members of
the De Gagne Family †
Friday, October 18
Feast
St. Luke, Evangelist Eric Gingoyon †
Saturday, October 19
Ferial Eleonora Piazzon †
Prayers for the Sick At Holy Mass we remember the sick including: Nita Carvajal, Nung Chum, Isobel Clancy, Nick De Vos, Tamara Dixon, Elaine dos Remedios, Kathleen Francis, Feli Hempl, Cecile Hernandez, Yvonne Kharoubeh, Molly Loui-Ying, Susan Panlican, Huguette Piché, Barney Rousseau, Therese Rozario, Christina Sayo, Cynthia Wing.
Upcoming Homily Themes October 19 & 20 You're a Better Parent Than You Think
October 26 & 27 Spontaneous Prayers that Work
November 2 & 3 Guest Preacher: Deacon Keith Strohm
November 9 & 10 Preacher: Fr. Pierre Leblond
November 16 & 17 A Call for All Parishioners to Serve
November 23 & 24 The Importance of Mission
November 30 & December 1 New Season: Alpha as Culture The Urgency of Jesus' Offer
December 7 & 8 Welcoming as Christ Welcomes Us
Pastor: Fr. Justin Huang Blog: thejustmeasure.ca Deacon: Andrew Kung [email protected]
Priest in Residence: Fr. Pierre Leblond [email protected]
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) Please call the parish office for more information on RCIA classes and other Sacraments.
Spiritual Care Volunteers needed at Columbus House Can you spare a couple of hours to sit with residents indoors and/or outdoors (weather permitting)? Would you like to be a meal companion to assist someone with dementia? Training will be provided. If you can volunteer your time, please contact the Parish Office.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Hospitality Ministry would like to invite more parishioners to become part of our team. There is a need for volunteers as Ushers, Greeter and Welcome Booth ministers at all Masses: Saturdays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at 8:00 am, 10:00am and 12:00pm. We would also welcome people who would be willing to act as “spares” when the regularly scheduled greeters are not available. For more information please email Ron at [email protected].
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other sins. Which one’s the worst? Pride, because we think we’re God, calling the shots, being the centre of worship, setting up our own plan as the best plan. How does Naaman counteract it? He shows gratitude. He acknowledges the gift that came from God, and that’s what today’s Gospel is about. And he promises to no longer worship false gods. Some healing is simpler than we think. Here are three that we should focus on: 1) The sacraments The sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession are ways that God gives light and strength. All of us have weak minds because of sin: We can’t see things clearly. We know, for example, that it’s bad to take revenge on people. Then why do we do it? Because sometimes we can’t see clearly and even when we do, we’re so weak that we keep on making the same mistakes. But if we receive the Eucharist with faith and love, and want to receive help, we’ll get it! […] Everyone I know who starts going to Confession regularly always grows, and everyone who starts receiving Communion with faith always grows. I guarantee that, if we approach the sacraments regularly and with faith, we will grow, and for some of us, this may be the healing solution. […] 2) Praying over each other. One of the spiritual gifts that God gives people is that of healing, where Christians are channels of God’s love through physical touch. In Alpha, this is normal: We pray with each other in very small groups, and, if a person is okay with it, we put a hand on their shoulder and pray over them. This is extremely healing for many people! God’s grace and love comes through each other. […] Last September, when I was in England at the Experience Alpha conference, I was with mostly non-Catholic Christians and marveled at how they’re so ready to pray over each other. On one day, certain people asked God for healing, and we gathered around them and prayed over them. One person said he felt healing from wounds of the past when I prayed over him—believe me, it wasn’t me! Another time, I was very drained and a pastor prayed over me, and it was very consoling. Peter might have the gift of healing, as someone told me that, after he prayed over her, she physically felt an improvement in her neck; Peter told me that this happens regularly. In this season of Made for Mission, we need to open ourselves up to this simple gift. We’re not used to it as Catholics, but it’s a good and holy type of prayer. My dream as pastor is that, in a few years, we’ll all be so comfortable praying with each other that it’ll be normal for us to pray for healing with each other, and place hands over each other. And I wish we could have some dedicated healing ministry here where we can pray for each other after Sunday Masses. 3) Counselling. As I’ve mentioned before, most Catholics have an aversion to counsellors because it’s embarrassing. They like to go to priests because they trust us more, there’s no shame in it, and we’re cheaper! But many of you could benefit from the listening ear and expertise of a good counsellor. […] All of us have wounds and sins; many of us have traumas
or mental illnesses. It doesn’t define you. There’s nothing to be
embarrassed about. […] Nothing bad can happen if we go to the
doctor or a counsellor at least three times. Stop making such a big
deal about admitting your problems. God wants us to be healed
and offers us many solutions. Healing is simpler than we think.
- excerpt from Fr. Justin’s homily, October 13, 2019
God is beginning a new movement in Vancouver. Join us as we listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to God’s call in our Archdiocese at the Upper Room Conference on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Vancouver
Convention Centre. Connect with other disciples, and gain insight and resources on how to live out your missional call in our homes and communities. You can hear from incredible speakers, including Cardinal Dolan, Sr. Miriam James, Brett Powell, Archbishop Miller and our own Fr. Justin! For registration and conference info visit upperroomvancouver.com.
Consecration to Mary, the Mother of God Registration for our annual consecration to Our Lady takes place on the weekends of October 19 & 20, and October 26 & 27. There are 2 ways to prepare, starting November 11: 1. Totus Tuus by Fr. Brian McMaster 2. Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary by Father Ed Broom Both programs culminate with Consecration to Mary on Dec 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. If you have questions, please contact Tilly Bara at 604.321.4954 or [email protected].
Silent Auction Items Needed! Our annual Dinner & Dance fundraising event is fast approaching! To help make this our best ever Dinner & Dance we are requesting items for our Silent Auction. We would be very appreciative of donations such as gift baskets, sports and entertainment tickets, electronics, jewelry and accessories, and gift cards! All proceeds will go towards the Parish Centre Building Fund. Thank you for your support!
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THE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA PARISH
SERVING WITH FAITH AND JOY
Life is a series of new beginnings; come join us! We invite you to join the League sisters. Drop-in during our meetings, held every first Saturday of the month or email:
[email protected] for more info.
SHEILA CARROLL, BGS, MA ENGLISH TEACHER
Experienced teacher of the BC high school senior English curriculum for grades 10, 11, and 12. I offer help with finding meaning in poetry, stories, novels and Shakespeare.
Available to tutor in my home near St. Anthony’s where I am a parishioner (Marpole/one block east of Granville). Fee: $50 an hour: may be split between two students in the same grade or two in the same family.
604-261-1584 [email protected] / [email protected]
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS St. Anthony of Padua Council 14925
We are men of faith and men of action.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE EMAIL
Hadi Susanto, Grand Knight [email protected]
GRANVILLE DENTAL
WELLNESS GROUP 604-261-8164
8357 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC
SUPPORT THE ST. ANTHONY’S
BUILDING FUND
Family Dentistry - Cosmetic Dentistry - Implant
Dentistry - Children’s Dentistry - Orthodontics -
Wisdom Teeth - Dentures -
St. Anthony’s Parishioner Promotions
HAVE A NEW PATIENT EXAMINATION AND
HYGIENE APPOINTMENT DONE AND HAVE $50
DONATED TO ST. ANTHONY’S PARISH CENTRE
FUND IN YOUR NAME!!
Open weekday evenings and Saturdays
Comfortable treatment in a modern facility
Serving Marpole for over 25 years
Dr. Gianni Pisanu, Owner & St. Anthony’s Parishioner