The 5th Sunday of Lent
Follow this beautiful Carmelite Lenten Retreat with Catholics around the world.
This Week in the Church
FRIDAY, MARCH 31st - 9am & 7pm Masses – 6:30pm Stations of the Cross
Penitential Services
· Thursday, March 30th @ Holy Trinity @ 7:30pm
· Monday, April 3 – Christ the Redeemer @7pm
· Tuesday April 4 – St. Stephen’s @10:30am
TRIDUUM SCHEDULE Holy Thursday - April 6, 2023 7 pm - Mass of the Lord’s Supper Followed by Adoration at the Repose Altar Good Friday - April 7, 2022 10am - Outdoor Stations of the Cross (starting inside St. Edmund’s Parish) 3pm – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion Followed by CWL Soup & Buns Easter Vigil – April 8, 2023, 9pm 9pm – Resurrection of the Lord Easter Sunday - April 9, 2023 8am/9:30am/11:00am 6pm Filipino Mass Resurrection of the Lord
PLEASE NOTE:
THERE ARE NO MASSES ON GOOD FRIDAY – JUST THE 3PM CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION
NO DAYTIME MASSES ON HOLY SATURDAY – THE 9PM EASTER VIGIL IS THE ONLY LITURGY ON THAT DAY
Important Updates
Easter Floral Donation Envelopes are at the Church entrance – thank you so much for helping add to the Joy of Easter.
2022 TAX RECEIPTS - available from the Parish Office.
2ND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH – there is a Filipino Mass at 6pm (next one is Easter Sunday, April 9th)
Reflections
Christ Conquered Death Once And For All
Our Gospel on this day, the fifth Sunday of Lent, is again taken from the Gospel according to John. The reading from John continues the break from Cycle A’s focus on the Gospel of Matthew. Today’s Gospel reading recounts another sign, or miracle, found in John’s Gospel, the raising of Lazarus. As our catechumens move closer to the celebration of their Baptisms at the Triduum, today’s reading invites us to reflect upon what it means to call Jesus the Resurrection and the life.
The context for the story of the raising of Lazarus is the Jewish leaders’ growing animosity toward Jesus. Jesus has been in Jerusalem, taking part in the feast of the Dedication, which we have come to know as Hanukkah. The people have been pressing him to declare plainly whether he is the Messiah. Jesus tells them to look to his works, which testify to his coming from God. Many do not believe Jesus, however, and some try to stone him for blasphemy.
Into this scene of confrontation, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, send word to Jesus that his friend is ill. Jesus is said to love Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but he delays his journey for two days. The delay heightens the drama and shows Jesus’ obedience to God, who is to be glorified through Lazarus’s resurrection. When Jesus finally declares that he will journey to Bethany, his disciples fear for his life. Thomas declares that he and the other disciples should prepare to die with Jesus.
The scene described at Bethany is a sad one. Martha meets Jesus weeping and saying that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died. Yet she remains confident that God will do whatever Jesus asks. Martha affirms her belief that there will be a resurrection of the dead in the last days. Then Martha’s sister, Mary, comes to Jesus with the same confidence, saying that Jesus could have cured Lazarus. Jesus asks to be brought to Lazarus’s tomb where he prays and calls Lazarus out from the tomb. At this sign, many come to believe in Jesus, but others take word of the miracle to the Jewish authorities, who begin their plans for Jesus’ death.
Set against the backdrop of Jesus’ impending death, many elements of the raising of Lazarus foreshadow the good news of Jesus’ own Resurrection. Jesus, facing the conflict with the Jewish authorities, acts in complete obedience to God. In raising Lazarus, Jesus shows his power over death so that when Jesus dies, those who believe in him might remember that and take hope. Just as Jesus calls for the stone to be rolled away from Lazarus’s tomb, so too will the disciples find the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb.
With our catechumens preparing for their Baptism at Easter, the Gospel today calls us to reflect on Baptism as a dying and rising with Jesus. In Baptism we die to sin’s power over us, rising as children of God. In Baptism we join ourselves with Christ, who conquered death once and for all so that we who believe in him may have eternal life. With Martha and Mary, we are called to profess our belief that Jesus is indeed the Resurrection and the life.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, March 26
· Repose Milagros Mangiliman by Tony & Weng Gaskell
· Repose Serafino Vignone by son Angelo & family
· Repose Antonio Martino by Elisa & John Bueno
Monday, March 27
· Spec. Intention St. Edmund’s Parishioners
· Repose Harold Watson & Mike Diplock by Bev Watson
Tuesday, March 28
· Spec. Intention Thanksgiving & Blessing Rosa & Eric Zivarts
Wednesday, March 29
· Spec. Intention Estelle Harriott by Barbara Stuart
Thursday, March 30
· Spec. Intention Elizabeth Livingston by Roz Kerr
Friday, March 31
· Spec. Intention David Fercho by Hildegard Fercho
· Spec. Intention Caitlin Teng by Liz Wong
· Spec. Intention Lorne Beauchamp by Nora Gemino
Saturday, April 1
· Spec. Intention Christina Gallagher by Janet Ficocelli
· Repose Molly Aberdien by Roz Kerr
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
Catholic Women’s League meetings are now in person on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 7pm
SPECIAL NOTE: Starting April meetings will be in person
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
Please note - the Knights’ Pancake Breakfast will not take place in March or April.
All Spring Term lessons are now available to book at https://cjtenniscoaching.ca/booking-page-groups .
Registration for Summer camps and lessons will be available in April.
School
KINDERGARTEN APPLICATIONS for the 2023/2024 school year are now being accepted at St. Edmund’s School. Please submit a copy of your child’s birth and baptism certificates with your application form. If you are non-Catholic, please submit a birth certificate. Application forms may be printed from our website www.stedmunds.ca and e-mailed to the school office at office@stedmunds.ca
Kindergarten to Grade 7 Principal: Ms. Diana Silva
Office Telephone: 604.988-7364
Email: office@stedmunds.ca
Website: www.stedmunds.ca
Instagram: @stedselementary
Our school is a vibrant faith and learning community dedicated to developing the full potential of each child using Christ as our centre. We are blessed with caring and dedicated educators committed to inspiring life-long learners in all areas. We welcome the opportunity to share the many enriching learning experiences with you and your family. Please contact the school office for more information.
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 Notices & Events
The Good Friday Collection is requested by the Holy See to help maintain the Church’s holy places in the Holy Land, so important to the faith of Christians everywhere, and also to support the faithful who struggle to survive under political and economic oppression and persecution. This Pontifical Collection will be taken during the Good Friday celebration on April 7 2023. Those who are unable to attend the service, or who prefer to contribute online, may do so by Interac e-transfer or CanadaHelps by visiting www.commissariat.ca/supporting-us
World Wide Marriage Encounter hosts a weekend retreat - April 14-16, 2023 in Kamloops! Come join us to live your best life in love, renew your marriage & rekindle romance. For more information and to register visit: Behold Vancouver website
Registration closes Mar 28/23 - see WWME on Youtube: https://youtu.be/VvQUEZ35Ufg
Catholic Health Association of BC
Apply for our $500 Bursary!
This year, the board of directors of CHABC is pleased to announce that it will grant a $500 Bursary to a graduating student who is enrolled in a Catholic secondary school, or a member of a BC or Yukon parish and enrolled in a public secondary school, or home-schooled.
Interested students are invited to submit a 500-word essay by April 7, 2023, that demonstrates an awareness and understanding of the significance of Spirituality in Health Care. In your essay, please explain why you believe that care for the spirit is just as significant as care for the body, and why spiritual care is particularly important in tending to the sick and dying, to their families, and to those who care for them. Applicants must demonstrate a clear understanding of spirituality in care as opposed to focusing on religious beliefs and services
Deadline: April 7, 2023
Emailed submissions must be sent prior to midnight on
April 7, 2023 to info@chabc.bc.ca
For essay and submission guidelines, please visit www.chabc.bc.ca/bursary
Catholic Health Association of British Columbia
Project Advance 2023
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
Bread and Wine
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 |  | |