Fifth Sunday of Lent
This Week
2023 TAX RECEIPTS ARE READY TO PICK UP FROM THE PARISH OFFICE or you can call the parish office to have the receipt mailed or emailed to you.
2ND COLLECTION ENVELOPES FOR ONLINE & PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING USERS IS AVAILABLE. If you would like a set please pick it up from the parish office
Please do not park in the Fire Zone or on Crosswalk – we have had complaints from our neighbors. It is against city by-laws and you could be ticketed or towed if you continue to do so.
FILIPINO MASS – is on Sunday, March 10th, at 6 pm
PENITENTIAL SERVICE - Wednesday, March 20 – St. Pius @7:00pm
PENITENTIAL SERVICE - Thursday, March 21 – Holy Trinity Parish @7:30pm
FRIDAYS IN LENT
9 am & 7 pm Masses – 6:30 Stations of the Cross (no 7:30 am Mass that day)
Are you ready to deepen your prayer life this Lent? Join fellow St. Edmund’s parishioners in a Lent Pray40 challenge using the #1 smartphone app for Catholic prayer and meditation, Hallow. The app presents prayer in different audio forms and includes many top Catholic speakers. In the Hallow Pray40 challenge, reflect and pray every day of Lent with Father Mike Schmitz, Jonathan Roumie (Jesus in The Chosen), Jeff Cavins, and others.
St. Edmund’s has organized a 90-day free trial of Hallow for parishioners. To access the free trial, from your smartphone:
Go to https://hallow.com/share/YXE51C and follow the directions to create your account. OR
Using the camera on your phone, focus on the QR code below. A link will pop up. Select the link and follow the directions to create your account.
Important Updates
Holy Week Updates
Confessions are available after the 9 am Mass and Sat. at 3.30 pm to 4.15 pm at St. Edmund’s. Additionally, Penitential Services are:
Friday, March 21 – Holy Trinity @7:30pm
Tuesday, March 26 – Christ the Redeemer @7pm
Tuesday, March 26 – St. Stephen’s @10:30am
The Blessing and the Procession with the Palms will take place 15 minutes before each Weekend Mass in front of our School. Please arrive early so that you can participate in the solemn entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Holy Thursday
Last Supper at 7 pm followed by Adoration at Repose Altar till 11 pm.
School Stations of the Cross at 11 am in the Church
Good Friday
Outdoor Stations of the Cross at 10 am.
Lord’s Passion at 3 pm.
Easter Vigil – 9 pm
Easter Sunday - 8am, 9.30am, 11am Mass
Easter Flower Donations: There are envelopes at the Church entrance. Your donation will help beautify the Church for Easter and they can also be offered in remembrance of a deceased loved one or other Intentions.
The 11 am Liturgy on Easter Sunday is a Children’s Mass. Easter Treats will be given to the children after the Mass. If you could sponsor the Treats, please contact the Parish Office. It will be highly appreciated.
Other Updates
FILIPINO MASS – is the second Sunday of the month at 6 pm
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP will meet in person on the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm
PLEASE PICK UP YOUR 2024 ENVELOPES – from the Parish Office. If you still have envelopes from other years, kindly do not use them. Instead, use a plain envelope noting your name and the amount until you pick up your 2024 set.
CWL MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR 2024 are due before the end of APRIL. Kindly bring your cheque or EXACT cash of $40.50 to the office during office hours, or drop an envelope into the communion basket, tagged CWL Membership. If you need to do e-transfer, contact Donna at dkmajeau@shaw.ca.
BISHOP LOBSINGER MEMORIAL BURSARY – go to the Knights of Columbus notices for important information.
Reflections
Through Jesus’ Dying and Rising, Salvation is brought to the world
Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the Gospel of John. We are reading much further into John’s Gospel than we have for the past two weeks. Chapter 12 of John’s Gospel is a preparation for the beginning of the passion narrative to follow. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead—an important sign in John’s Gospel, which inspired many people to believe in Jesus. This event also marks the turning point in Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish authorities. John’s Gospel tells us that the Sanhedrin met after this event and made plans to kill Jesus. In the 12th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus is anointed at Bethany and enters Jerusalem in triumph. We again see evidence of the significance of the raising of Lazarus to this event; John reports that the crowds also gathered to see Lazarus.
Following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus predicted his suffering, death, and Resurrection and prepared his disciples to believe in the salvation that his death would accomplish. Using the metaphor of the grain of wheat, Jesus presented the idea that his dying would be beneficial. He also taught that those who would be his disciples must follow his example of sacrifice. This theme will be repeated in John’s account of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an example of how they must serve one another.
The final section of today’s Gospel might be read as John’s parallel to the agony in the garden. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John does not record Jesus’ anguished prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Although comparable words are found in today’s reading, Jesus gives a confident response to the question he raises when asking God to save him from his impending death. After announcing his conviction that it is for this purpose that he came, a voice from heaven speaks, as if in answer to Jesus’ prayer. This voice, like the one heard at Jesus’ baptism and at Jesus’ Transfiguration—events reported in the Synoptic Gospels but not in John’s Gospel—affirms that God welcomes the sacrifice that Jesus will make on behalf of others. In John’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that this voice was sent for the sake of those who would believe in him.
In today’s Gospel, we also hear Jesus speak about the cosmic framework against which we are to understand his passion, death, and Resurrection. Through his death and Resurrection, Jesus conquered Satan, the ruler of this world. In this way the world is judged, but the judgment is not condemnation. Instead, through Jesus’ dying and rising, salvation is brought to the world.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, March 17
· Healing Mass for Yanic Pean by Chantel Pean
· Repose Nicolau Sebastiao Cardozo by Knights of Columbus
· Spec. Intention Fr. Cannio Cardozo & family by Janet Ficocelli & Adrian Brecelj
· Spec. Intention Clint L. by family
Monday, March 18
· Repose Nicolau Sebastiao Cardozo by Law family
· Repose Nicolau Sebastiao Cardozo by Jeannette Bertram
Tuesday, March 19
· Repose St. Edmund Parishioners
· Spec. Intention Hildegard Fercho by Hildegard Fercho
· Spec. Intention Chris Maurice by Flora Potton
Wednesday, March 20
· Repose Chris Farrell by Sue Farrell
· Spec. Intention Theo Wouters by Roger & Pat LaBreche
Thursday, March 21
· Repose Eamon Burke by Elizabeth Livingston
· Spec. Intention Hildegard Fercho by Hildegard Fercho
Friday, March 22
· Repose Antonio Testa by wife Lucia & family
Saturday, March 23
· Repose Nicolau Sebastiao Cardozo by Vignone family
· Spec. Intention Father Cannio by the Daytons
· Repose John Cusanelli by Giovanna Cusanelli
· Spec. Intention Lynn McLeod by the Daytons
Parish Events
CWL
2nd Thursday of each month @ 7 PM
CWL MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR 2024 are due before the end of APRIL. Kindly bring your cheque or EXACT cash of $40.50 to the office during office hours, or drop an envelope into the communion basket, tagged CWL Membership. If you need to do e-transfer, contact Donna @ dkmajeau@shaw.ca
Knights of Columbus
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
SPECIAL OFFER - Knights of Columbus - Free 1 Year On-Line Membership. You can enjoy the benefits of being a Knights of Columbus member including Accidental Death Benefit and the famous Columbia Magazine.
Promo Code: BLESSEDMCGIVNEY
After joining, please check your Inbox for confirmation.
St. Eds Christian Meditation Group
Thu 15th Feb @ 7 PM
The St Edmund's Parish unit of the 'World Community for Christian Meditation' (WCCM) will resume its in-person meditation meeting, on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7.00 pm in St Edmund's Church.
The first (resumed) in-person meeting will be held Thursday, 15 February at 7.00 pm.
WCCM had suspended in-person meetings owing to COVID-19 restrictions but continues to hold a weekly virtual meeting on Mondays (via ZOOM), also at 7.00 pm.
You are sincerely invited to attend the WCCM meeting(s). All are welcome.
To learn more about WCCM, kindly contact: Luis Zunino - email lzunino@gzarchitects.com
School Events
St. Edmunds Elementary School
School Stations of the Cross - All Welcome
Thursday, March 28th at 11 AM
St. Edmund’s School Walkathon
St. Edmund’s School Walkathon is our largest student-led fundraising event. Your donation to our campaign has an impact on our educational programs and activities. Thank you so much for your generosity in making pledges and supporting our students.
As our students walk through our community neighbourhood between April 8-11, they will be raising money for additional learning support materials for our Phys. Ed and Fine Arts Departments as well as 2 class sets of Chromebooks.
How to Help
Please donate to St. Edmund's Elementary Walkathon 2024 by:
1. Clicking on the "GIVE TO THE CAMPAIGN"
2. Enter the amount of your donation
3. Leave a comment in the COMMENT BOX
· Put the First Name and Last initial and grade of the student you are pledging toward.
· This way each student will know when someone has contributed for them. ie. "John D, grade 4, best of luck".
· You can also leave a comment after their name too!
4. You can also find our link at the bottom of the main page of our school website and a QR code on the attached poster.
5. In addition to the online option for collecting donations, your children will be coming home with paper pledge forms. If you collect cash or cheque donations and require a tax receipt, please be sure to complete the form with the donor's full name and address
Please tell your friends about our wonderful school!
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
Pilgrimage to the Medjugorje Youth Festival & Italy - The STA Alumni Association, in conjunction with STA Campus Ministry, is hosting a Pilgrimage to the Medjugorje Youth Festival and Italy from July 22nd - August 8th, 2024. All STA alumni & their families (18+) are invited to join.
Find more information at: https://www.aquinas.org/alumni
Religious Education
PREP
PREP classes will be held every Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm at St Edmund’s School
Children's Choir Training
Every Saturday at 10 am
Altar Server Training
Every Saturday 11-11:30 am
Archdiocese Notices & Events
This Lent, please give generously
This Solidarity Sunday, Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada’s Reaping our Rights campaign invites you to give generously and thanks you warmly for your generosity.
Your donation transforms the lives of some of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers across the world.
“Development and Peace — Caritas Canada accompanies, supports and respects our institutional autonomy. It creates a climate of trust. I thank our sisters and brothers in Canada for their solidarity, a solidarity that generates life opportunities, that accompanies the dreams of women and men, of families, of communities and territories. Thank you!” ― Eva Colque, Executive Director, Fundación NUNA, a partner in Bolivia
Help create hope and dreams of the communities we support in the Global South by giving to your Share Lent parish collection or at devp.org/give. Thank you for your solidarity!
Special Gifts
Remember a loved one with a special gift
Altar Candles & Sanctuary Lamp
Financial Updates
Remember St. Edmund's in your Will
Prayer Requests and Advertisements
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