The 6th Sunday of Easter
Important Updates
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION is on Sunday, May the 5th at 2 pm. All of you are invited to join in the Celebration and pray for the 29 children.
FILIPINO MASS is on Sunday, May 12th at 6 pm
Christian Meditation Group will meet in person on Thursday, May 16th at 7 pm
CONFIRMATION is on Wednesday, May 29th at 5:30 pm. Archbishop Michael Miller will officiate. You are all invited to come and join in the Celebration and pray for the 19 Confirmands.
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of ROSE MARIE LUCE BURCHILL who has gone home to our Heavenly Father. May she rest in peace.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! For Saturday, June 8th a 50th Birthday celebration for Father Steny starting with 4:30 pm Mass and then party. More details to come.
Special Notes
THE KNIGHTS’ FAMOUS PANCAKE BREAKFAST will be after the 8 & 9:30 am Masses on Sunday, May 12th. Bring your appetite and enjoy good food and good company.
FILIPINO MASS is on 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
2ND COLLECTION OF ENVELOPES FOR ONLINE & PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING USERS IS AVAILABLE. If you would like a set, please pick it up from the parish office.
BISHOP LOBSINGER MEMORIAL BURSARY – go to the Knights of Columbus notices for important information.
After 2 years of working with Immigration, we are delighted to introduce you to Marta, Nahom, Mazin, Mejdi, and Mariano - the Refugee family from Sudan who will arrive here on May 9th. We welcome them into our Parish Community.
We ask that you help with your gifts of food and clothing. Your financial help is also needed to pay the rent for housing.
We are grateful for any assistance you can give – may God bless you for your generosity.
~ Father Steny
Reflections
THE GRACE TO LOVE OTHERS
Today’s Gospel follows immediately after the Gospel proclaimed last week.
When John wrote this Gospel, his community was influenced by a set of religious beliefs called Gnosticism. It appears that one of John’s intentions was to distinguish Christian belief from the beliefs held by the Gnostics. Evidence of this can be found in today’s Gospel.
One of the tenets of Gnostic teaching was the importance of knowledge, or gnosis, as the determining aspect of faith. We read today’s Gospel as a response to this teaching. In John’s Gospel, we hear Jesus affirm that he is known by the Father and that his disciples will know the Father by knowing Jesus. In this passage, however, Jesus reminds his disciples that this knowledge is to be expressed in love. Those who know Jesus well—and Jesus says that his disciples do know him—will love one another. Knowledge leads to love, which leads to action. John reminds his community that Jesus taught that love is the sign of a true disciple and, thus, a true Christian. Even more, a true disciple shows a particular kind of love, sacrificial love.
In the Greek, there are two words for love that are used in this passage. The first is agape. The second is philia. The first word is most often used to describe love for other persons and for God. It is understood as the highest and most perfect kind of love. The second word is used to describe the affection of friendship. In this context, John appears to use these words as synonyms. The root of the Greek word for friend comes from this second term for love, philia. By using this word, Jesus transforms the terms of his relationship with his disciples and redefines for them their relationship with God. In the Hebrew Scriptures, faith in God made one a servant of God.
Here Jesus teaches that his relationship to his disciples is based on friendship, not servitude.
Another aspect of Gnostic belief taught that a believer was an elect person, chosen and set apart from the world. John reminds his community that Jesus also taught that a disciple is one who had been chosen—one who had been chosen by Jesus. To be chosen by Jesus, however, is not to be set apart from the world. Instead, to be chosen by Jesus is to be sent to serve the world as he did. The disciples of Jesus were chosen and were sent into the world to bear fruit by serving others, by sacrificing for others, in love.
This reading, like last week’s, is part of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse. In the context of John’s Gospel, these words are spoken before Jesus’ Crucifixion. We read his instruction to the disciples in light of his death and Resurrection. We know that Jesus himself gives us the greatest example of the kind of love and service that he teaches to his disciples. He has, in fact, laid down his life for his friends, for his disciples, and for us. Through his death and Resurrection, we have received the grace to love others as Jesus has commanded.
~ Loyola Press
Mass Intentions
Sunday, May 5
Healing Mass for Yanic Pean by Chantelle Pean
Repose Soo Kean Choi by Yang Choi
Repose Eddy Martin by Riger & Pat LaBreche
Repose Maila Gabriel Matthes by Erneida de Guzman
Monday, May 6
Repose Curtis Dayton by family
Tuesday, May 7
Repose deceased family members by Antoine Larose
Spec. Intention Lina Fazio by Adelina Cusano & family
Wednesday, May 8
Repose Beverley Larose by Antoine Larose
Thursday, May 9
Repose Laurette Larose by Antoine Larose
Friday, May 10
Repose David Brading by Liz Wong
Spec. Intention Elena Colangelo by Adelina Cusano & family
Saturday, May 11
Spec. Intention Celia Brading by Liz Wong
Repose all souls of Fiorvento family by family
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
Parish Education Committee (PEC) Elections
Notice is hereby given that elections to St. Edmund’s Parish Education Committee will take place on the weekend of May 25 & 26th, 2024
For the coming year, we need to elect (two) members from St. Edmund’s Parish for St. Edmund’s School Education Committee.
Eligible to nominate and to be nominated for election are all registered parishioners (Catholics living within our parish boundaries), over 21 years of age, and Catholic non-parishioners who have been attending our parish upon written agreement of their proper canonical pastor. (Pastor Authorization Forms are available in the parish office).
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School
Spring is here! The STA Parent Association is once again selling a beautiful selection of spring plants, hanging flower baskets, herbs, veggies, succulents, and more. Click here to make your purchase today.
Deadline: Tuesday, April 23 at midnight/Pick up: May 8 & 9
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 2024-2025
Information about the next series of classes will be posted in the bulletin nearer the time when they recommence.
Children's Choir Training
Every Saturday at 10 am
Altar Server Training
Every Saturday 11-11:30 am
Archdiocese Notices & Events
Saturday, May 11| 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Hall | No cost
This is a free opportunity for moms and their daughters to meet and spend an afternoon with religious sisters of different communities over tea, and treats, with activities organized by the Sisters of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Click here to register or to learn more.
Sunday, May 12| 1:30 PM
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Port Coquitlam
Archbishop Michael Miller, CSB will be honouring couples celebrating Milestone Marriage Anniversaries: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 & 60+ years of marriage.
Click here to register or to learn more.
Financial Updates
Remember St. Edmund's in your Will
Prayer Requests
Our Parish Community is asked to pray for the Special Intention of Father Steny & Father Cannio
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
Advertisements
If you would like to let St. Edmund Parishioners know of the services your company provides, please contact the Parish Office about advertising on this page.