2nd Sunday of Lent

Daily readings:

01/03 Monday: [1] Daniel 9.3, 4b-10 [Gospel] Luke 6.36-38

02/03 Tuesday: [1] Isaiah 1.10, 16-20, 27-28, 31 [Gospel] Matthew 23.1-12

03/03 Wednesday: [1] Jeremiah 18.18-20 [Gospel] Matthew 20.17-28

04/03 Thursday: [1] Jeremiah 17.5-10 [Gospel] Luke 16.19-31

05/03 Friday: [1] Genesis 37.3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28 [Gospel] Matthew 21.33-43, 45-46

06/03 Saturday: [1] Micah 7.14-15, 18-20 [Gospel] Luke 15.1-3, 11-32

07/03 Sunday: THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT [1] Exodus 20.1-17 [2] 1 Corinthians 1.18, 22-25 [Gospel] John 2.13-25

REFLECTION ON THE READINGS

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

1. First Reading Genesis 22.1-2, 9-13, 15-18

Why did God test Abraham in this way? How might Abraham have felt inside? Have I ever been in a situation where I had to give or offer someone or something I greatly loved to God? How far does God expect us to go in obeying him? Why is Abraham’s faith in God so important to the history of salvation?

Psalm 25: “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”

2. Second Reading Romans 8.31b-35, 37

What causes me worry or anxiety? Am I worried about how God thinks of me? Am I worried about what others think of me? If I believe in God how will I decide what to do when I face the inevitable challenges of life? Do I trust that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ?

“Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ! From the bright cloud the Father’s voice is heard: This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him” Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

3. Gospel Reading Mark 9.2-10

“Peter did not know what to say for they were terrified.” In Mark’s account of the transfiguration, what thoughts might have been going through Peter’s head? Did the three apostles grasp that Jesus was God? What were they wondering about afterwards? If I had been there then, what would I have wondered about? How do we see Christ present in the world and in the Church today?

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.

Sunday Mass 28/02 at 11:30 AM Intentions

  • For the souls of Rosita Vergara and Minerva Gordon just passed away
  • For the soul of Roger Marcuis.

PRAYER FOR THE MONTH (March)

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Let us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God.

PARISH NEWS

Parish Learning Incentive Program. Our Parish is currently looking for financial donors for our elementary school. There are 8 classes in the school and each class is funded $300/year. Funds would be used for in-class awards and activities that encourage academic success. Please contact the parish office for more information.

Parish Lenten retreat: “To be with God in the Midst of Sufferings” will be given by Fr. Joseph Mary An Gia Cao, S.J from Rome, will be held via Zoom and live-streamed via YouTube through our parish website on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, March 23 from 8pm - 10pm in English
  • Wednesday, March 24 from 8pm-10pm in Vietnamese.

Attending via Zoom requires registration through the Eventbrite website. The tickets are limited and available now until March 21.

Lenten confession times:

  • Tuesday-Thursday: 7pm to 8pm
  • Friday-Saturday: 6pm to 6:45pm.
  • For special cases, please contact the parish office to make an appointment.

Fasting during Lent:

Fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday

  • Adults: from 18 to 59 years old: fasting and abstinence
  • Children from 14 to 17 years: abstain from eating meat
  • Elderly from 60 and older: abstain from eating meat
  • All Fridays during Lent: abstain from eating meat or can be replaced by acts of charity.

Exempt: Those who cannot keep fasting and abstinence due to health reasons, can do a self-sacrificing or some kind of sacrifice or charity.

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.

Parish Pre-school Service: Our Parish is currently preparing to offer “Pre-School Services” in the old rectory beside the school. Preparations include renovations to the old rectory and consultations with Early Childhood Education Professionals. The renovation will be conducted on Saturdays and Sundays this February. If you have any experience in these areas and are able to help with this project, please contact the parish office.

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.

Prayers of the Faithful: Can you be an instrument of the Holy Spirit in helping to write General Intercessions for Sunday Mass, once or twice a month? Guidance and mentoring will be provided. Please let the parish office know if you can help.

PARISH INFORMATION

Grade 8 Application now available - St. Patrick Regional Secondary Applications for the 2021-2022 school year are now available online for St. Patrick Regional. For more info, please visit our website at www.stpats.bc.ca.

Mass schedules: The suspension of Masses in person has been extended until further notice by the provincial health officer. Please check our website for further COVID updates.

Livestreamed Masses continue at 11:30 am Sunday in English, and Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday at 9:30 am in Vietnamese.

****The Cancellation of Receiving Holy Eucharist: We are sad to announce that due to complaints received by the City of Vancouver, our Parish will no longer be offering “in-person” Holy Communion. We understand that this is very disappointing news to many of you, and we ask for your patience and faith as we work through this situation.

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

40 Days for Life - Daily Online Rosary during Lent: Join us for the 40 Days for Life Evening Zoom Rosary at 8:00 pm every night throughout Lent. Sign-up at https://sthelen.ca/events/40-days-for-life-lenten-campaign

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.

A Lenten Retreat: Combatting the Evil One by the Power of the Lord: Come and join Fr. David Bellusci’s retreat to learn about St. Padre Pio’s teaching in the battle with evil forces with on Saturday, March 6 at 7:00 pm. Register online for free at https://beholdvancouver.org/events/a-lenten-retreat-combatting-the-evil-one-by-the-power-of-our-lord

King's Gambit - Online Vocation Live-In: Join (Seminary of Christ the) King's Gambit, the first-ever online Vocation Live-In on Saturday, March 6 on Zoom. This event is an opportunity for young men to meet other guys (age 17-35) searching for God’s will. Register online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVlN4yr4KU2UV86-DRTkuE41p3aP8qQA8kinpPcXA36VDFdw/viewform

FREE Estate & Memorial Planning Webinar: Join us for a free webinar to help you plan your estate, learn the beauty of the funeral rite, and start thinking about a pre-need plan on Thursday, March 18 at 11:00 am Register for free at rccav.org This event is presented by Gardens of Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

CHABC's $500 Bursary for Graduating Students

This year, the Catholic Health Association of BC (CHABC) will award a bursary valued at $500 to a graduating student who is enrolled in a Catholic secondary school, or who is a member of a BC or Yukon parish and enrolled in a public secondary school, or who is home-schooled. To apply for this bursary, students are asked to submit a 500-word essay before April 2, 2021. For essay and submission guidelines, please visit www.chabc.bc.ca/bursary

BEHOLD: Be sure to sign up and check this new archdiocesan portal for spiritual writing, workshops, events and other links! https://beholdvancouver.org/

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