Bulletin – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Oct 11
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
SPECIAL NOTES & IMPORTANT DATES
BLESSING OF PETS/ANIMALS is on this Sunday @ 2pm in the parking lot.
Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 12): There will be no 7:30am Mass and the Parish Office will be closed.
The Knights’ Pancake Breakfast will be on Sunday, October 18th after the 8 & 9:30am Masses.
Please make note that our Priests will be away from November 17th to the 20th at a Study Week. There will only be an 8AM Mass during that time but no Confession.
MONTHLY COMMUNION is taken to the sick on the 1st Thursday. Should you need this service, please contact the Parish Office.
On the 4th Sunday of every month, the 11am Mass will be for all students & parents of our School. All parents & students are requested to attend.
The Filipino Mass is on the first Sunday of the month at 6pm.
Gluten-Free Communion Available - If you require a gluten-free Communion, please receive communion directly from the priest rather than from a Eucharistic minister. Kindly indicate your need when you come forward. Your health and spiritual well-being are important to us. We are committed to making Sacraments accessible and welcoming for all.
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP meets in person on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm.
You can make your parish donations by clicking below
Dear Parishioners
The word "Eucharist" literally means "thanksgiving" in the original Greek (eucharistia). Every single time we gather at the altar for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are participating in the ultimate act of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is a sacred invitation to pause, look back at the road, we have traveled this past year, and recognize the hand of God at work in every moment. We thank God for his blessings in this year. We are called to count his blessings in our lives. How the Lord has been good to us. We recall God’s blessings we have received through numerous persons in our families and communities. We thank God for so many generous persons known and unknown to us. They have touched our lives through their time, talents, resources, ministries and sacrifices. May Jesus bless our parish community and our families as we celebrate the Thanksgiving Day.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Ps107:1
~ Father Alex
MASS INTENTIONS
Sunday, Oct. 11
Repose Gilliam Morrison by Elisa & John Bueno
Spec. Intention Onyi Martins
Monday, Oct. 12
No 7:30am Mass
Repose Cristina & Serafino Vignone by Serafino & Zuzana Vignone
Repose Maria Garcia by Gaskell family
Repose Milagros Mangiliman by Gaskell family
Repose Reynaldo Ocampo by Gaskell family
Tuesday, Oct. 13
Spec. Intention Brendon Stainton by Louzado & Mendonca families
Repose Aida Maria Aguillardo by daughter Christina
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Repose St. Edmund Parishioners
Repose of the soul of Juanito V. Maranan by family
Thursday, Oct. 15
Spec. Intention Iwona Ruzicka by Peter & Fernande Husar
Saturday, Oct. 17
Repose John Cusanelli by Giovanna Cusanelli
REFLECTIONS
God wants our full conversion
Immediately after criticizing the religious leaders through the parable of the tenants in last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus proceeded to tell another parable, again directed at the religious leaders. We hear this parable in today’s Gospel.
In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus offers an image of the kingdom of heaven using the symbol of a wedding banquet. In today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah and in today’s psalm, the Lord’s goodness is evident in the symbol of a feast of good food and wine. Jesus’ listeners would have been familiar with the image of a wedding feast as a symbol for God’s salvation. They would consider themselves to be the invited guests. Keeping this in mind helps us to understand the critique Jesus makes with this parable. The context for this parable is the growing tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. This has been the case for the past two Sundays and will continue to be true for the next several weeks.
The parable Jesus tells is straightforward. The king dispatches his servants to invite the guests to the wedding feast that he is planning for his son. The listeners would have been surprised to learn that the first guests refused the invitation. Who would refuse the king’s invitation? A second dispatch of servants follows. Again to the listeners’ great surprise, some guests ignore the invitation. Some of the invited guests even go so far as to mistreat and kill the servants. The king invokes his retribution against these murderers by destroying them and burning their city.
We might stop here for a moment. Why would some guests kill the servants sent to invite them to the king’s wedding feast? It might be possible that the king was a tyrant, evidenced by the destruction of the city of those who refused his invitation. But if we follow this idea, then the allegory seems to be about something other than the kingdom of heaven. It is more likely that the destruction of the city would have been a powerful image corresponding to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, which would have been an important event for Matthew’s audience.
With the invited guests now deemed unworthy to attend the king’s wedding feast, the servants are sent to invite whomever they can find. The guests arrive, but it appears that accepting the king’s invitation brings certain obligations. The guest who failed to dress in the appropriate wedding attire is cast out of the feast. We are reminded that while many are invited to the kingdom of heaven, not all are able to meet its requirements. God invites us to his feast, giving us his salvation. Yet he asks us to repent for our sins.
Jesus’ message in the parable cautions against exclusive beliefs about the kingdom of heaven. The parable also teaches about humility. Those who assume that they are the invited guests may find that they have refused the invitation, and so others are invited in their place. To accept the invitation is also to accept its obligations. God wants our full conversion in complete acceptance of his mercy.
~ Loyola Press
PARISH GROUPS
The Catholic Women’s League meetings are in person on the 2nd Thursday of each month @ 7pm.
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
St. Edmund’s Christian Meditation Group
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 7pm in St Edmund's Church.
"No Experience Necessary"- The group leader will give new people the basics of meditation and some resources.
WCCM continues to hold a weekly virtual meeting on Mondays (via ZOOM), also at 7.00pm. You are sincerely invited to attend the WCCM meeting(s). All are welcome.
To learn more of WCCM, kindly contact: Luis Zunino - email lzunino@gzarchitects.com
Please note the following Zoom Link:
Canadian Christian Meditation Community
St. Edmund’s Meditation Group
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 832 0552 4810
Passcode: 965923
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Children's Choir is every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month; practices @10am & Mass @ 11am
Altar Servers’ Training - Every Saturday 11-11:30am
PREP REGISTRATION for 2026 - 2027 IS OPEN
Please complete the registration form and hand it over to the Parish Office or leave it in the mailbox to the left of the office entry gate.
PREP classes are held at St. Edmund’s School every Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Any questions can be sent to prepatsteds@shaw.ca
SCHOOL EVENTS
St. Edmund’s Elementary School
School Masses this month on Wednesdays @ 9am:
October 14th – Class Mass – Gr. 5
October 21st – Class Mass – Gr. 4
October 28th – Class Mass – Gr. 3
Find the October Newsletter here: October Newsletter
FINANCIAL UPDATES
Remember St. Edmund's in your Will - Gifts for Tomorrow
A planned gift to be realized in the future, such as the options below, may be the best approach for you and may allow you to make a larger gift than you might have thought possible.
• A Gift in Your Will - This is the most common type of planned gift - a gift in your will. Arranged today, a bequest is paid to St. Edmund’s Parish through your estate, after your death. You can give a specific sum, property, or a percentage of your estate. It is important that the full name of the parish and charitable number be included in your will so that there is no confusion about your intentions. (St. Edmund’s Parish, North Vancouver # 11884 9470 RR0064)
• Life Insurance - A gift of life insurance is a simple and thoughtful way to make a gift to St. Edmund’s Parish. Insurance allows you to make a modest gift now for a significant gift in the future.
• RRSP and RRIF Funds - Naming St. Edmund’s Parish a beneficiary of your RRSPs and RRIFs means all or a portion of these assets can now be left directly to St. Edmund’s Parish upon your death without having to pass through your estate. This arrangement means that no probate fees are payable on these assets. In most cases, the taxes owing on your donated RRSPs or RRIFs at death are offset by the charitable tax credits generated by your donation. Donations of this type are a great way to reduce the substantial deferred
ARCHDIOCESE NOTICES & EVENTS
Journey with Archbishop Smith on social media.
Follow for reflections, messages, and glimpses into parish life through photos and videos. Stay updated with event highlights, responses to current news, and invitations to pray together as a community.
Facebook: facebook.com/vancouverarchbishop
Instagram: instagram.com/vancouverarchbishop
Threads: threads.com/@vancouverarchbishop
Upcoming Marriage & Family Events
Monthly (First Saturday of the month) | Pro-Life Mass and Prayer Vigil
The B.C. Catholic - New Publishing Schedule
The B.C. Catholic will continue serving readers through a renewed print and digital model. The final weekly newspaper has been published, readers can now follow The B.C. Catholic each week through a new email digest. A redesigned monthly print edition will launch in September and will continue to be mailed to homes through Canada Post. Sign up for the new weekly email at bccatholic.ca/digest
LITTLE FLOWER ACADEMY is hosting our Annual OPEN HOUSE on Wednesday, October 21st at 6:00 p.m.
This evening is designed for prospective students currently in grades 6 and 7 and their parents to learn more about an LFA Education. It is an opportunity to explore our campus, meet members of our community, and learn more about life at LFA before beginning the application process for grade 8 admission. All students wishing to apply for our 2027-28 Grade 8 classes must sit the ENTRANCE EXAM on Saturday, December 5th, 2026.
For more information and online application, please visit our website www.lfabc.org or contact Kathi Wilson, Registrar wilsonk@lfabc.org or 604-738-9016 x114
THE MASS FOR DECEASED BISHOPS, CLERGY AND CONSECRATED MEN AND WOMEN
The annual Mass for deceased bishops, clergy and consecrated men and women will be held at Holy Rosary Cathedral on Wednesday, November 4 at 12:10 pm. All parishioners are most welcome to attend this special Liturgy concelebrated by the priests of the Archdiocese. Remember kindly in your prayers during the month of November those who have laboured for the Church in Vancouver and pray that the Lord will send more dedicated men and women to continue their ministry.
8th Annual Beloved Catholic Women’s Retreat – MYSTERIUM: Behold the Lamb of God
Women of the Archdiocese of Vancouver are warmly invited to join us November 13–15, 2026 at Camp Homewood on beautiful Quadra Island for a weekend of faith, friendship, prayer and renewal. Come away from the busyness of everyday life and enter more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist. With special guest Sr Damien Marie Savino FSE, we’ll fall deeper in love with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and take time to rest and reset just in time for Advent. For more information and to register please go to https://www.belovedvi.com
REQUESTS AND ADVERTISEMENTS
