Horn of Plenty Café St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church We, the Catholic community of St. Anthony of Padua, relying on the wisdom and the grace of God, unite ourselves to the call for renewal and transformation of our spiritual, social and economic life 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 04 February 2018 Rev. Fr. Steny Mascarenhas OCD PASTOR steny1ocd@shaw.ca (778-321-8301) Deacon James Meskas (604-615-5677) jamiemeskas@gmail.com PARISH STAFF Beccie Bokenfohr (Administrative Assistant) st.anthonys@shaw.ca SUNDAY EUCHARIST Sunday 09:00 am, 11:00 am WEEKDAY EUCHARIST Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 09:00 am Tuesday, 7:00 pm SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8 to 8:40 am, Tuesday 6:30 pm to 6:55 pm ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Every Friday at 09:30 am (Benediction at 10:30 am) PARISH GROUPS Parish Finance Council: Karl Dopf 604 302 1988 Parish Pastoral Council: Rick McArthur 604 220 5843 CWL: Joan Postnikoff 604 491 1891 Knights of Columbus: Gerard Gouwenberg, 604 316 9708 Youth Ministry: Adriana Striker, 604 795 0270 PREP: RCIA: Ginny Lejeune 604 796 9573 Lectors: Jack Van Dongen 604 997-4625 Eucharistic Ministers: Cruz Ortiz 604 761 1929 Counters: Wilma Struys 604 796 8901 Sacristy: Patrick Donegan 604 796 0261 Ushers/Greeters: Gerald Struys 604 796 8901 Fundraising committee: Jack Van Dongen 604 997-4625 Parish Screening Committee: Peggy Turner 778 878 0650 Maintenance: Frank Van Scheyndel 604 491 3000 SACRAMENTS: Please contact the Parish Office Music coordinators Anna Gouwenberg at 604-796-2341 Ron & Marguerite Rocheleau 604 796 1236 Anthony Pavick 604 860 0202 Janelle Ryan 604 796 1078 Project Advance: Leonne Beebe 604 796 3382 Gerard Gouwenberg, 604 316 9708 Parish Website: http://stanthonyagassiz.ca Reflection: In today’s first reading Job reminds us that life is short: “Remember that my life is a breath”. From that perspective, our vocation as Disciples of Christ takes on a certain sense of urgency. For St. Paul, and Jesus, proclaiming the Gospel was an urgent priority in their lives. We see that in today’s readings. Our life is short, and today, more than ever, there is an urgent need for each of us to be good stewards of the Gospel. Living as authentic Christian stewards inspires us to be agents of evangelization. Our faith is a gift from God. As stewards of the mysteries of God, we want to share the gifts and graces we have received from God. We desire to share Jesus with those who do not yet know him. Please remember St. Anthony’s Parish in your will. (The Bequest Clause can be added to your will as a codicil.) Bequest Clause: I give and bequeath to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver, incorporated under a special Act of Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and whose offices are located in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the benefit of St. Anthony’s Parish, 7237 Morrow Road, Agassiz, BC; the sum of $------ dollars, or -------percentage of the Estate, or the total of the residue of the Estste. We are Running short of Mass Intentions, Would you PLEASE consider offering some? The practice of requesting a Mass to be offered for loved ones, living or deceased, is a beautiful and wonderful part of our Catholic tradition. An individual may ask the priest to offer a Mass for several reasons: for example, in thanksgiving, for the intentions of another person (such as on a birthday, anniversaries), or, as is most common, for the repose of the soul of someone who has died. A $10 stipend per Mass Intention is customary, and should accompany each request. These stipend donations are directly sent to the formation of the students for Priesthood. Intentions for Mass may be scheduled in person in the parish office, by calling 604-796-9181, or by mail. Mass Intentions will be listed in the weekly bulletin. Carginal Tagle in Vancouver: March 19 Save the date! Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, will be giving a public address at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, on Monday, March 19, at 6 p.m. Highlighting one of our Archdiocesan Priorities and Goals: Strengthening Marriages and Families, Cardinal Tagle will address the challenges of living the faith within family life. Family time, among today’s many distractions, continues to be an almost lost reality for many. Join us for his talk on Keeping Families in Faith: The Domestic Church in a Global Village. Tickets are not on sale yet. More details to come at: http://rcav.org/event/cardinal-tagle Horn of Plenty Café 7237 Morrow Road, Agassiz BC V0M 1A2 Email: parish.sapa@rcav.org or st.anthonys@shaw.ca Phone: 604-796-9181 Web: http://stanthonyagassiz.ca/

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 04 February 2018 Something to Think: Mathematics may not Teach us how to Add happiness or how to Minus sadness. But, it does teach One important thing. Every PROBLEM has a SOLUTION. One Conference - Mercy & Beyond: Sharing our Joy The annual ONE Conference brings together 1,000 parish and ministry leaders from across Catholic Vancouver to connect, learn, and inspire each other. Mercy and Beyond: Sharing our Joy is the theme of the 2018 ONE Conference. Fr. James Mallon (Divine Renovation) and Dr. Josephine Lombardi are our keynote speakers, and we will hear practical tips from breakout session speakers Jake Khym, Dr. Deborah MacNamara, Abbott John Braganza, OSB, and Brett Powell about sharing our joy within our parish, our families, and our friends in the greater Church community. Join us Saturday, Feb. 10, from 9-5:30 p.m. at Chandos Pattison Auditoium at Pacific Academy in Surrey. Register today at onecatholic.ca. Third Annual Ordinandi Dinner: Join Archbishop Miller and members of the Catholic faithful as we gather together in support of the men who are soon “to be ordained” (“ordinandi”) to the priesthood. Meet your future priests: Deacon Guy Zidago, who will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and Deacon Ken Anderson who will be ordained for the neighbouring Diocese of Prince George. Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $50 (Student rate: $25). You can also sponsor a priest or seminarian. To register or for more info on how to sponsor a priest or seminarian, visit vocationsvancouver.ca. Archdiocesan Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life: Join Fr. Rodney Nootebos, Director of Vocations and Seminarians, along with other members of the faithful throughout the archdiocese, in a monthly Holy Hour of prayer, intensely focused on asking the "Lord of the Harvest to send forth labourers into the harvest." The next one is Thursday, Feb. 15, at St. Anthony's Church, West Vancouver, 7 - 8 p.m. Please pick up your 2017 Tax receipt on your way out of the church this morning. They are available in the Gathering Area. Up-Coming Events Adoration: First Friday of every month at 9.30am Divine Mercy Novena: Every Friday 9.30 am. Parish Pastoral council meeting is on Feb 6th @ 7.30pm Knights of Columbus Pancake breakfast on Feb 11th Anointing of the sick Feb 10th Saturday after 9 am Mass And also on Sunday Feb 11th After the both Masses Ash Wednesday Feb 14th Masses 9am and 6pm Soup and Buns every Wednesday in Lent Stations of the Cross Sundays in between the Masses in Lent Family Day is on February 12th, Mass is @ 9am Holy Communion for the shut in - may be given at home upon request. Please contact the parish office. New in the Parish? Have you registered yet? If you are new or have not registered yet, please fill out a Parish Registration Form available in the gathering area. Drop off at the office or in the collection basket at Mass. We remember in prayer all those who are sick, including: Peggy Turner, Florence Sinclair, Cheryl Yaretz, Fr. Gerry Guillet, Paul Mckenzie , Ernie Solomon, Louis Hunter, Carol Beebe, Mike Harrison, Nick Rusnak, Terry Huculak, Quirinus Corneilius, Stella Hildebrandt, Ken Ferguson, Mike Joe, Sr. Theresa Clarrizio,SA, Teresa Talbot. We remember in prayer: those who have died: Edward Charles Roche Anointing of the Sick: This upcoming Saturday, February 10th, there will be anointing of the sick immediately following the 9:00 am Mass and also on Sunday February 11th following the both the 9 am and 11 am Masses. This is being done in recognition of the World Day of the Sick which is on February 11th. Special Collection: The B.C. Catholic newspaper February is Catholic Press Month and with it comes the annual Catholic Press Collection. On the weekend of Feb. 3/4, there will be a second collection at all parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. This is a great opportunity for parishioners to show their appreciation for receiving The B.C. Catholic. The collection helps defray your parish’s costs of mailing the newspaper to parishioners. For those who don’t receive it, it’s also a great chance to help out as all the money collected stays in the parish. Please give generously this weekend so we can continue to deliver to parishioners in the Archdiocese of Vancouver this vital, award-winning publication. Visit www.bccatholic.ca for more info on the Catholic Press Collection and the Catholic Press Association. Development & Peace – Free workshop Development & Peace – Caritas Canada invites you to a free workshop (everyone welcome), Together for Peace, on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s church in Vancouver. contact pinky.devpeace@gmail.com Reflection: Today’s Gospel presents a beautiful cameo of the ministry of Jesus: That evening after sunset they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils... He cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another, he also cast out many devils... Widespread sickness, at least on a statistical basis, is often a factor of poverty. Many people in Jesus time faced poverty: agriculture was changing from small family farms to big landholdings owned by absentee landlords. The common diagnosis of possession by evil spirits was almost always a mis-diagnosis. People had no concept of emotional or mental illness and mistakenly lumped such sufferers under the heading of possessed. Even with the more common sicknesses, little was known about their natural causes. Sickness was the result of someone else’s action: the evil-eye of envious neighbours, the punishing hand of God or the arbitrary behaviour of angels or devils. To be sick was not to become the object of society’s compassion but to be labelled sinner and condemned, sometimes ostracised, or to feel powerless and fearful before the superior power of witches, angels or demons. It meant being unable to work, to earn, to stay alive or to support a family. Sickness was bad news! Jesus didn’t just cure people, like an antibiotic might. He related to their feelings of fear, guilt and self-worthlessness. He related to the structural sin that kept them marginalized and poor. His healing touch reached right to their deepest core. Against this background it is interesting to listen to today’s first reading, from the Book of Job. Is not life on earth nothing more than pressed service, time no better than hired drudgery? Like workers with no thought than their wages, months of delusion I have assigned to me. Lying in bed I wonder: When will it be day? Risen I think: How slowly evening comes! Restlessly I fret till twilight falls. My life is but a breath, my eyes will never again see joy. It reads like a classic case of depression. Depression is not altogether unfamiliar in our current world, and frequent enough in rural communities, sometimes leading even to suicide. Winston Churchill suffered from depression and called it the Black Dog. Thank God there is a growing awareness in the community of the reality of the problem of depression, and along with that, of mental illness, too. There was a time when the Church would refuse Catholic burial to a person who committed suicide. Thank God we know better now, though there is still so much ignorance. Perhaps we could do more as a parish to know more about it. It can be a medical condition, and therefore can be controlled medically. It can be an emotional condition that can be addressed as well. What is going on in a person’s world may be out of their control, but the crucial issue is not what is happening but how they view it and react to it and handle it. Here people can help each other; and professional help can be invaluable. Many people certainly experience our present world as stressful. Stress is a condition that can be noticed, monitored and dealt with. One spin off of meditation can be stress-reduction. That is the main reason why some people in fact meditate. I see the purpose of meditation quite differently, but if it has beneficial side-effects, all the better. The gospel today went on to say that after Jesus had been with the sick and suffering, he went off to a lonely place and prayed there. I certainly see prayer as part of the package deal of keeping life in perspective. In prayer we can touch into the mystery of Being, which we also know is love. We can slowly come really to believe it. We can surrender into mercy. We can find true inner peace. Development & Peace: Share Lent on April 7 In 2018, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada’s Share Lent theme is “Together for Peace”, which follows up on our Fall 2017 write-in campaign of “Peace be with Her”. After 10 years of campaigning, we celebrate the just-announced appointment of an ombudsman to oversee the responsible social behaviour of the extractive mining industries at home and abroad and are thankful for the over $1-million D&P response to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. In a world rife with religious, ethnic, and political conflicts, D&P is working to heed the words of St. Franci and be “instruments of God’s peace and of bringing hope where there is despair”. Please generously support your D&P campaign this approaching Lenten season. Vocation Live-In for boys or young men On the weekend of February 16 - 18, there will be a Vocation Live-In for boys or young men interested in the priesthood or the consecrated life, at the Seminary of Christ the King, Mission, BC. For more information call 604-826-8715. Parenting Ministry: Couples Connect: A Deeper Bond This is a workshop to help couples better understand each other and develop a deeper connection. Through teaching moments, demonstration, and practice, this six-week workshop provides couples with a unique opportunity to practice the skills learned and receive feedback from counsellors. Couples will learn how to manage and work through conflict, increase sexual intimacy, fondness and admiration, feel more connection with their partner, and build a long-lasting relationship of love. Learn more on Wednesdays, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, and March 7 at John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Vancouver, 7 - 9 p.m. Cost is $130. Register to reserve your spot. rcav.org/event/couples-connect-deeper-bond  .  Mass Intentions Sunday 9 am 11am Monday Tuesday 7 pm Wednesday Doris Rusnak (Birthday) Thursday Friday Saturday Carol Beebe 28 January 2018 Envelopes $895.00 Loose $130.60 Total $1,025.60 Pancake Breakfast 11th February At 10am All are Invited .