Daily readings:
05/04 Monday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 2.14, 22-33 [Gospel] Matthew 28.8- 15
06/04 Tuesday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 2.36-41 [Gospel] John 20.11-18
07/04 Wednesday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 3.1-10 [Gospel] Luke 24.13-35
08/04 Thursday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 3.11-26 [Gospel] Luke 24.35-48
09/04 Friday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 4.1-12 [Gospel] John 21.1-14
10/04 Saturday EASTER OCTAVE: [1] Acts 4.13-21 [Gospel] Mark 16.9-15
11/04 Sunday: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER [1] Acts 4.32-35 [2] 1 John 5.1-6 [Gospel] John 20.19-31
REFLECTION ON THE READINGS OF EASTER
“Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven…Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King, let all the corners of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness…This is the night when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld. Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed. O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ! O happy fault, that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!…The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty… O truly blessed night, when things of heaven are wed to those of earth, and divine to the human. Therefore, O Lord, we pray you that this candle…may persevere undimmed, to overcome the darkness of this night…may this flame be found still burning by the Morning Star, the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son, who coming back from death’s domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity and lives and reigns for ever and ever.”
This hymn, Exsultet, introduces the celebration of Easter. The Easter vigil recalls the history of salvation, from creation through the prophet Ezekiel. St. Paul (Romans 6.3-11) reminds us that we have been buried with Christ by baptism into death, so we may walk in newness of life, “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus”. In Mark’s Gospel (16.1-8), the women find the empty tomb, and flee in terror, amazement, and fear. What is Easter to me? The end of Lent? Or a mystery for deeper reflection? What is our share in this “necessary sin of Adam”, which brought Christ to his passion and still permeates the world? What is the gain from my birth, indeed from all God’s creation? Did my baptism bring death to sin? Is the flame of my baptismal candle burning still? Christ has triumphed! He has dispelled the night. Is he with me? Am I with him?
PRAY FOR THE SICK: May Chu, Caroline Bayle, Camilo Romero, Adela Lim, Mary Martin, Ky Truong, Gina Tabul, Olivera Lambeta, Ngan Thi Trinh, Thuong Van Tran, Francesca Cabrales, Maria Garcia, Pho Ho, Danita Chow, Hong Van Le, Tuyen Thi Nguyen, Phu Thi Truong, Bernard Boos, Hanh Huynh, Mary Magdalene H, Thanh Thi Dao, Sa Thi Dang, Phuong Van Nguyen, Hoa Xuan Thi Le, Estrella Rodriguez, Felipe Sobredo, Long Van Nguyen, Tuyen Van Nguyen, Patricia Rudolph, Shirley De La Cruz, Dinh Thi Luyen, Fr. Vincent Thao Dinh, Fr. Joseph Thuy Le.
PRAYER FOR THE MONTH (April)
Fundamental Rights: We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.
PARISH NEWS
Second collection: for Easter Offerings
Octave Week (from 05/04/2021 to 10/04/2021)
- Outdoor Mass: (50 people only)
- English Mass 8:00 AM
- Vietnamese Mass with livestream (50 people only): 7:00 PM
Devine Mercy Sunday: April 11
- Outdoor Mass: (50 people only):
- English Mass: 5PM (Anticipated Mass on Saturday), 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM on Sunday (with livestream)
- Vietnamese Mass: 9:30AM (with livestream (50 people only) and 3PM
Effective Monday April 12, “In- Person” Masses will have an ongoing schedule as follows:
- Monday to Friday at 8am
- Saturday at 9am
- Saturday Anticipated Mass at 5pm
- Sunday at 8am and 11:30am, with Live-Streaming for the 11:30am Mass Please note that all these services will be held outdoors and are limited to 50 people. You must register online.
- Also, these events are subject to changes with short notice. For the most updated information, please visit the Parish website. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
A NOTE OF CAUTION about attending any of the below in-person outdoor Masses to individuals listed below, because of their higher risk of suffering from serious complications of COVID- 19:
- a person 70 years of age or older, even if they have been immunized against COVID-19;
- a person who is living with another person who is infected with COVID- 19, or who has upper respiratory or influenza-like symptoms;
- a person with an underlying medical condition or a compromised immune system.
Tax Receipts: Please pick up your tax receipts for 2020 donations to the parish, school and Project Advance at the parish office. They are in numerical order by your envelope number or alphabetical order by family name for donors who do not have envelope numbers.
All Were Filled: Do you know anyone struggling to have enough food to eat? Maybe you lost your job due to Covid-19 and are having trouble making ends meet. The All Were Filled Project offers free frozen food packets of hearty soups and/or entrées to put over rice, pasta or potatoes. There is no qualifying requirement to receive the food, and your order is confidential. Every week, you can order your box of food by Friday at 5 pm and pick it up or have it delivered on Friday afternoon the following week. Just call 604-876-7826 or email [email protected] to order a box that has 6 different dishes (7 servings each). We are in this together. Help us get the word out or call to place your order today. No one we know should go hungry!
Weekly Collection Envelopes: for 2021 can be picked up at the church entrance.
PARISH INFORMATION
The Church is open for private prayer: from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Hand sanitizer, supplies to clean the pews, and marking guides to ensure distancing are available. Please help lower the risk of spreading infection at church by trying to minimize your contacts and staying home when ill, wearing a mask in the church, hand washing/sanitizing, cleaning the pew when you leave and giving other people space to stay safe. Thank you very much!
Stay in Touch: We welcome emails or phone calls to the parish office (604-876-7826 / [email protected]) if you have suggestions or need assistance. Please keep your contact information (address, phone, email) up to date.
Donations: To donate online go to www.rcav.org/sunday-offering and select St. Joseph, Van Offering.
ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS
Gifted to Give - 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines: Join the Filipino Community in celebrating the 500th Anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines on Friday, April 16 at 6:00 pm. For more info, please visit filipinoministry.ca or email [email protected]. This event takes place. Register online at filipinoministry.ca
Pilgrimage to Holy Rosary Cathedral: will continue to meet outside the Cathedral each Sunday to pray for the restoration of the public celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as long as restrictions on public worship persist.
Advance Planning for Catholics - FREE Webinar Series: This free webinar series offers a Catholic perspective on advance care planning, estates, wills, legacy, and memorialization. Register online for free at https://planning.rcav.org/
The Gospel of John: Signs and Glory: Among all the Gospels, the Gospel of John holds a unique place because of its message and extraordinary structure. Join us as we investigate the genius of the Gospel of John and the way it invites us to consider Jesus’ suffering and our own in a new light. Join us on Saturday, April 17 at 7:00 pm. Register online at https://beholdvancouver.org/events/the- gospel-of-john-signs-and-glory
Drug or Alcohol Addiction Recovery: If you, a loved one, or someone you know, wants to be free from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, consider Sancta Maria House. We offer a structured and supportive Catholic Christian 12-Step recovery program, in a pleasant, loving, family-like setting. We accept women of all faith backgrounds. For more information, visit: agapestreetministry.org/healing- homes/sancta-maria-house-1st-stage- recovery-house/ or call 604-731-5550.
Who Am I? Workshop: A 4-day workshop to help you find your inner strengths and live your best. This is an opportunity for an experience of self- discovery and development that explores the essential aspects of yourself. This workshop takes place from Friday, April 23 to Monday, April 26 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Learn more and register at https://beholdvancouver.org/events/who- am-i-workshop
Spirit Day 2021 “Connected as One”: Join us for the 17 th annual Spirit Day on Saturday April 24 th ! This event is designed to celebrate Grade Seven youth of our Archdiocese. The event has grown tremendously since the inaugural event in February 2005. It helps participants encounter the love of Christ, gets them excited about receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, and awakens the Holy Spirit in young and old alike.
The Things We Carry - Healthy Relationships Series: Behold Vancouver is offering a three-part online series on Healthy Relationships, with an opportunity for Q&A following a formal presentation by various presenters. Join us on Thursday, April 29 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm. Regsiter for free at beholdvancouver.org/events.
Into the Deep: 'Laudato Si' Five Years Later: Join us for an evening online with Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College in Michigan, as she reflects on the Special Anniversary Year of Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home) on Friday, April 30 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm on Zoom. Register for free at beholdvancouver.org/events BEHOLD: Be sure to sign up and check this new archdiocesan portal for spiritual writing, workshops, events and other links! https://beholdvancouver.org/
