Second Sunday of Advent
This week in the Church
PARISH CONFESSION will be here at St. Edmund’s on Tuesday, December 20th at 7pm
Automatic Holy Water dispensers are placed in the church. They are sponsored by Zofia Bronowska. Thank you, Zofia for your generosity.
2023 COLLECTION ENVELOPES – they are ready to be picked up at the Church entrance and are in alphabetical order. In 2023, it is very important that you use your 2023 envelopes to help ensure that you are credited for any donations. Do not use previous year envelopes, as envelope numbers may change and, again, you may not receive credit for your donations.
Important Updates
KNIGHTS’ PANCAKE BREAKFAST will be on Sunday, December 11th after the 8 & 9:30 Masses. Come & enjoy some good food and conversation. Also, Pro-Life Christmas cards will be available at that time.
Pro-Life Christmas cards are available from the Parish Office & during the next CWL Coffee Sunday & Bake Sale in packs of 10 for $10 and 3 packs for $25
Christmas Dinner is on Saturday, Dec. 17th at 6pm – details to follow
Christmas Star Competition
Dear Children and Parents, we encourage you to partake in this Competition.
The competition is open to all the parish members. The maximum size of the star should not exceed two feet X two feet (length x breadth). Please Signup before December 10, 2022.
The last day to submit the stars 22 December 2022. The prepared stars will be displayed inside and outside of the Church. The best star will be awarded with a prize. Prizes will be distributed at the Children's Mass on 24th December 2022. Stars of all sorts made by human hands in imitation of the heavenly stars appeared at the birth of Jesus.
How to make a Star? Here are some samples!
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS UPCOMING FUNDRAISER:
Twinkling Lights on a Christmas Night – takes place beginning Dec. 3rd & concluding Dec. 17th with a dinner celebration. All proceeds will towards our parish as well as various charities.
To achieve our goals, we are asking individuals, organizations, and local business in our community to assist us by sponsoring a Christmas tree. Sponsoring a Christmas tree is $250.00 with the cheques made payable to “St. Edmund’s Parish”. For more information please contact Vlad Florescu @ 604-367-8875 or Roney George @ 604-376-7127. Or pick up flyer/letter at entrance of church.
Helping Refugees
The Parish is in the process of welcoming a family of 5 to North Vancouver. If you would like to help, please join the Refugee Committee by contacting the Parish Office.
Reflections
Repentance and Reforming Our Lives
In this week's Gospel Reading and next week's, our Advent preparation for Christmas invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. In this week's Gospel, Matthew describes the work and preaching of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). In this reading, John directs a particularly pointed call to repentance to the Pharisees and Sadducees, parties within the Jewish community of the first century.
John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. Other groups in this period are thought to have practiced ritual washings for similar purposes, and John's baptism may have been related to the practices of the Essenes, a Jewish sect of the first century. John's baptism can be understood as an anticipation of Christian baptism. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is followed by Jesus' baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus' public ministry.
John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, December 4
Spec. Intention Bishop Gary Franken by Jane Richmond
Repose Michelina Tinaburri by daughter Paola Vignone & family
Spec. Intention Marie Melgarejo by Barbara Stuart
Repose Tony Diorio by Ness & Roger
Repose Rose Yoong & Francis Lai by Christine Keong
Monday, December 5
Spec. Intention St. Edmund Parishioners
Spec. Intention Rev. Stanley Galvin by Peter & Fernande Husar
Tuesday, December 6
Repose Anthony Lydynuik by Nora Gemino
Repose Dominic Milia by Cathy Shorten
Thursday, December 8
Repose Bernard Demers by Peter & Fernande Husar
Spec. Intention Bishop Gary Franken by Cecilia Son
Spec. Intention Pearl Peng by Elizabeth Wong
Repose Bernard Demers by Paulette Demers
Saturday, December 10
Spec. Intention Jovita & Rowena Ramirez by Zofia Bronowska
If you need a Mass Intention, please contact the Parish Office
Events
Parish
Parish Groups
ST. Edmund's Christian Meditation Group
Date: All Mondays at 7:00 PM
Participation in person:
please contact Luis Zunino - lzunino@gzarchitects.com or at 604-987-8304
Option to participate via ZOOM:
For an introductory conversation, please contact Luis Zunino - lzunino@gzarchitects.com or at 604-987-8304 – Afterwards, A ZOOM link will be provided
CWL
Catholic Women’s League meetings are now in person on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 7pm
The Knights of Columbus general meetings are in person on the 1st Tuesday each month @7pm/executive meetings are also in person on the last Tuesday of the month @7pm
School
St. Edmund's Elementary School
St. Edmund’s Elementary School - Purdy's Fundraiser
Purdy Chocolate order pick-up is in the school gym between 2:30 & 3:30pm on December 8th
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
STA Art Exhibition and Christmas Concert - Everyone is welcome to attend the event to take place in the foyer & gym on Monday, December 5th. The Art Exhibition will start at 6pm & the concert will commence at 7pm. Refreshments will be provided.
STA School Bucks - Order pickup is on Thursday, Dec 8th.
Sr. Boys Soccer are Provincial Bronze Medalists! - STA Sr. Boys Soccer end their AA provincial run on a winning note with a 1-0 victory over Langley Christian to claim 3rd place in the province. Well done, Saints!
Religious Education
PREP
Every Wednesday at 6-7pm
Children's Choir Training
Every Saturday at 10 AM
Altar Servers’ Training
Every Saturday at 11 - 11:30am
Archdiocese Events
PRO-LIFE CHRISTMAS CARDS
North Shore Pro-life is again offering a selection of pro-life Christmas cards in packages of 10 for $10 or 3 for $25. Orders available for pickup by emailing northshoreprolife@gmail.com
They will also be available at the next Knights’ Pancake Breakfast & CWL Coffee Sunday as well as a few packages in the Parish Office.
Ukrainian Families in Need
We are looking for temporary accommodation for a Ukrainian family of 3, mother, daughter (17 years and speaks English) and son (7). If you can help, please contact Gloria Lowe at glorialowe@telus.net.
Project Advance 2022
The Project Advance Webpage is live, please visit projectadvance.ca
You can donate by scanning ↘
Special Gifts
Remember a loved one with a special gift
Financial Updates
Remember St Edmund's in your Will
Prayer Requests and Advertisements
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 |  | Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of St. Edmund Parishioners |
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intentions of All Carmelite Priests |  |  |
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of Father Steny & Father Cannio |  | |