...continued inside

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 6, 2019

Saint Anthony of Padua Parish

With the Eucharist at the centre, we are a community desiring to be saints, sent out to love like Jesus and proclaim Him in every circumstance.

Let’s talk about faith. Many of you have said that you remember the story I told last year about Mother Angelica. After she, a nun, started a Catholic TV network in 1981, she felt called to expand it, and so, at one point, ordered a large satellite dish without having any money to pay for it. When the delivery truck brought it, it cost $600,000. She said to the man, “Give me a minute.” She went inside and prayed to God, “I thought you wanted me to have it, so You have to come through.” When she went outside and told the man she didn’t have the money, right then another sister ran out, “Mother, Mother, someone wants to speak to you.” It was a business man on a yacht in the Bahamas who said, “I’ve been reading your book, and something just told me I have to give you $600,000.” Why do so many of us remember this story? Yes, it’s remarkable. But it resonates with us because we wish we had that kind of faith. For most people, we have an awareness, though vague, that God exists and that there’s more to life than just being randomly created and having no greater purpose. And so, when we hear of people who actually live knowing that God loves and takes care of them, we say, “Wow! That’s how life should be. I want to live like that.” The apostles have that same desire according to the Gospel: “The Apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you’” (Lk 17:5-6). The scripture scholar Dr. John Bergsma points out something interesting: Jesus’ response is not a criticism, but an encouragement. “The point he is making… is… ‘You don’t need much faith to be effective! Just give me a little bit of faith and I can do great things for you! Just as I took five loaves and two fish and

fed 5,000, I can take a mustard seed of your faith and transplant a tree into the ocean…’ You do not need huge faith already in order to begin serving the Lord.” Now, when I was young, I thought this saying of Jesus meant that all I have to do is believe God exists and then I can literally move mountains. There are two problems with this: 1) God doesn’t do magic tricks. He only does miracles to strengthen faith. Jesus never used His divine powers to satisfy curiosity. 2) If we actually had such a strong faith, then we wouldn’t move mountains! Because, if our faith were that strong, we’d use it for the highest good, that is, help people become saints. Having faith the size of a mustard seed means we trust God to be who He says He is: our Father. Do you remember this saying in Matthew 13:58? “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Jesus does miracles if it helps us to love Him. He Himself already loves us! But, if we don’t have any openness to Him, He chooses not to work miracles because He knows it won’t make any difference. Last Sunday, we heard the rich man who was suffering in Hades say to Abraham, “Then, father, I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment” (Lk 16:27-28). Abraham responds, “They have Moses and the Prophets; they should listen to them… If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Lk 16:29, 31). There are already so many rational ways to know God exists, arguments from philosophy like causality, design, contingency, and morality; arguments from astrophysics like the fine-tuning of the universe. Some people, however, choose not to believe because they don’t want to believe. But, when it comes to miracles, if we have just a tiny bit of openness, like the size of a mustard seed, then we’ll see God work. Faith means that we know God is our loving Father who always does what’s right for us, and will do miracles if it helps us get to heaven. God loves us and wants a relationship with us, and faith is our response to His love. It’s not just a merely intellectual assent that says, “God exists, yeah, yeah, let’s move on with having a fun life.” Faith means we trust and obey Him. So let’s give some powerful examples of faith by talking about two spiritual gifts. 1) Intercessory prayer. Matthew Kelly tells a beautiful story about how in all great families there’s always a ‘giant of prayer.’ “These prayerful giants pray constantly for their families, surrounding them with God’s protection… Sometimes it is the grandmother or grandfather, the mother or father, an uncle or aunt, and from time to time you have to go back two or three generations, sometimes more… Every family needs a cornerstone of prayer to pray for the family” (Matthew Kelly, The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic). […] If we just had a little more faith, a faith that was unshakeable in who God is, then we’d pray throughout the day, we’d stop during

How do you spell faith? R-I-S-K

Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN

Address: 8891 Montcalm St., Vancouver BC V6P 4R4 Mailing Address: 1345 West 73rd Ave., Van., BC V6P 3E9 Tel 604.266.6131 Hours Tuesday—Friday 9:00 am—12:00 noon 1:00 pm—3:00 pm In case of emergencies, please call the office anytime. Web: stanthonyvan.com Email: office@stanthonysvancouver.org

St. Anthony of Padua School Kindergarten to Grade 7

1370 West 73rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6P 3E9

Principal: Mr. Michael Perry

Telephone: 604.261.4043 Website: stanthonyofpaduaschool.ca School Email: office@stanthonyofpaduaschool.ca

Sunday Masses Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm Weekdays Masses Confessions Monday 8:15 am 8:00 to 8:10 am Tuesday 7:30 pm Wednesday & Thursday 8:15 am 8:00 to 8:10 am Friday (school months) 8:00 am 7:45 to 7:55 am Saturday 9:00 am 9:45 am Confession Saturday afternoon 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm 1st Saturday each month 9:45 am to 1:00 pm; 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm; 7:00 pm to 9:45 pm Eucharistic Adoration enter at 1365 West 73rd Avenue Daily: 6:00 am to Midnight First Saturday of each month: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm in the church during all-day confessions. First Friday of each month: 8:45 am to 10:00 am in the church followed by Benediction.

TWENTY-SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 6, 2019

Weekday Masses & Intentions

Par ish Regis trat ion

Our parish family warmly welcomes new parishioners. Please register by filling out a registration form located in the vestibule or the Parish Office. If you are registered and moving, please advise the parish office.

Monday, October 7

Memorial

Our Lady of the Rosary Emanuela Reis †

Tuesday, October 8

Ferial Felicidad Co †

Wednesday, October 9

Ferial Rose Woodhouse †

Thursday, October 10

Ferial Kong Han Yap †

Friday, October 11

Ferial Kubo Chan †

Saturday, October 12

Ferial Aurora Reyes †

Prayers for the Sick At Holy Mass we remember the sick including: Nita Carvajal, Nung Chum, Isobel Clancy, Nick De Vos, Tamara Dixon, Elaine dos Remedios, Kathleen Francis, Feli Hempl, Cecile Hernandez, Yvonne Kharoubeh, Molly Loui-Ying, Susan Panlican, Huguette Piché, Barney Rousseau, Therese Rozario, Christina Sayo, Cynthia Wing.

Upcoming Homily Themes

October. 12 & 13 Healing Is Simpler Than Imagined

October 19 & 20 You're a Better Parent Than You Think

October 26 & 27 Spontaneous Prayers that Work

November 2 & 3 Guest Preacher: Deacon Keith Strohm

November 9 & 10 Preacher: Fr. Pierre Leblond

November 16 & 17 A Call for All Parishioners to Serve

November 23 & 24 The Importance of Mission

November 30 & December 1 New Season: Alpha as Culture The Urgency of Jesus' Offer

Pastor: Fr. Justin Huang Blog: thejustmeasure.ca Deacon: Andrew Kung deaconandrewrcav@gmail.com

Priest in Residence: Fr. Pierre Leblond plb.op272@gmail.com

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) Please call the parish office for more information on RCIA classes and other Sacraments.

In loving memory… Please pray for the repose of the soul of our long time

parishioner, Lilliana Taylor and for the consolation of her

family members. Vigil prayers will take place on

Wednesday, October 9 at 7:00 pm and the funeral Mass

will be held on Thursday, October 10, 11:00 AM at our

church.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CWL Coffee Shop and Bake Sale following this weekend’s 8:00 am and 10:00 am Masses. The CWL would welcome any donations of baked goods. Thank you for your continued support!

...continued from cover

the day to pray, and we’d spend more quality time with God in prayer. This doesn’t necessarily mean our prayer will always be focused and consoling, but we’ll want to pray. The amount of time and the frequency of our prayer is a reflection of our faith. And then, during moments of crisis, our first response will no longer be anger, resentment, blaming, but prayer. Our parish need more giants of prayer, people who have the gift of intercessory prayer, who pray for others in an intense, sustained way. Those who have this gift “tend to see remarkable — even miraculous — answers to their prayers for others on a regular basis. They have a tremendous confidence that God hears and will answer their prayers. They find praying for others energizing” (Sherry Weddell, Fruitful Discipleship). […] 2) The second gift is called Extraordinary faith. This is a radical trust in God’s love, power, and provision. This is like a man smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Union, knowing he could be arrested, and not feeling any anxiety. Or like a couple who moved to Taiwan with their eight children to serve as missionaries, and then to Vancouver, and the father was willing to work a lower-paying job than he’s used to, but God always takes care of them. We also see it when a couple feels they can’t have another child, but are open to God’s call, and knows He always takes care of them. How do you spell the word ‘faith’? R-I-S-K. Faith doesn’t mean we take unreasonable risks for their own sake or for some frivolous reason, but for God. The measure of our faith is the measure of the risks we take for Him. Do we pray in public?

God is beginning a new movement in Vancouver. Join us as we listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to God’s call in our Archdiocese at the Upper Room Conference on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Vancouver

Convention Centre. Connect with other disciples, and gain insight and resources on how to live out your missional call in our homes and communities. You can hear from incredible speakers, including Cardinal Dolan, Sr. Miriam James, Brett Powell, Archbishop Miller and our own Fr. Justin! For registration and conference info visit upperroomvancouver.com.

Volunteer First Aid Attendants needed at Masses Our Emergency Preparedness Ministry is seeking more volunteers to ensure full coverage at all Masses and events. Parishioners with health care or emergency response experience are welcome! Regular attendance at St Anthony’s and a commitment to participate in at least 1 to 2 Masses per month is necessary. Ministry members are available at the back of the church this weekend, to answer questions and provide application forms. For more information please call the Parish Office, 604.266.6131.

Consecration to Mary, the Mother of God Registration for our annual consecration to Our Lady takes place on the weekends of October 19 & 20, and October 26 & 27. There are 2 ways to prepare: 1. Totus Tuus by Fr. Brian McMaster starting on November 11. 2. Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary by Father Ed Broom starting on November 9. Both programs culminate with Consecration to Mary on Dec 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of

Guadalupe. If you have questions, please contact Tilly Bara at 604.321.4954 or mb391906@gmail.com.

Silent Auction Items Needed! Our annual Dinner & Dance fundraising event is fast approaching! To help make this our best ever Dinner & Dance we are requesting items for our Silent Auction. We would be very appreciative of donations such as gift baskets, sports and entertainment tickets, electronics, jewelry and accessories, and gift cards! All proceeds will go towards the Parish Centre Building Fund. Thank you for your support!

Do we speak what we think is right or do we sensor ourselves? Are we the first to forgive? Extraordinary faith is a rare spiritual gift, but perhaps some of us have it. As we’ve said before, we can ask for these gifts. Monitor your faith. If it’s weak, ask Jesus to increase it. He always gives it. All we have to do is receive it. No one can take it from us. Either we choose to receive faith or we choose to throw it away. We finish again with Mother Angelica. She had the gift of extraordinary faith. When she started EWTN, Eternal Word Television Network, it seemed like a joke to many people that a nun would start a TV network. Yet it’s now the largest religious media network in the world. The bishops and wealthy men tried to start something similar and all failed. And, who here, if we ever had a stroke and drooping face,

and had to wear an eyepatch, would go on TV or film videos of

ourselves? None of us would. It’d be too embarrassing. But

Mother Angelica wasn’t worried about what people would say

about her. She still went on TV. And people did make fun of her!

Faith doesn’t mean life will be easy, but it means it’ll be fruitful and

God will do miracles. Mother would say: “God expects His people

to do the ridiculous so He can do the miraculous.” […] She had

only a little faith, and let God move mountains.

- excerpt from Fr. Justin’s homily, October 6, 2019

Please support these advertisers; they support us.

THE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S LEAGUE

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA PARISH

SERVING WITH FAITH AND JOY

Life is a series of new beginnings; come join us! We invite you to join the League sisters. Drop-in during our meetings, held every first Saturday of the month or email:

cwlpresap@gmail.com for more info.

SHEILA CARROLL, BGS, MA ENGLISH TEACHER

Experienced teacher of the BC high school senior English curriculum for grades 10, 11, and 12. I offer help with finding meaning in poetry, stories, novels and Shakespeare.

Available to tutor in my home near St. Anthony’s where I am a parishioner (Marpole/one block east of Granville). Fee: $50 an hour: may be split between two students in the same grade or two in the same family.

604-261-1584 scarroll3@shaw.ca / sheilamcarroll3@gmail.com

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS St. Anthony of Padua Council 14925

We are men of faith and men of action.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE EMAIL

Hadi Susanto, Grand Knight cjsanto8i@yahoo.com

GRANVILLE DENTAL

WELLNESS GROUP 604-261-8164

8357 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC

SUPPORT THE ST. ANTHONY’S

BUILDING FUND

Family Dentistry - Cosmetic Dentistry - Implant

Dentistry - Children’s Dentistry - Orthodontics -

Wisdom Teeth - Dentures -

St. Anthony’s Parishioner Promotions

HAVE A NEW PATIENT EXAMINATION AND

HYGIENE APPOINTMENT DONE AND HAVE $50

DONATED TO ST. ANTHONY’S PARISH CENTRE

FUND IN YOUR NAME!!

Open weekday evenings and Saturdays

Comfortable treatment in a modern facility

Serving Marpole for over 25 years

Dr. Gianni Pisanu, Owner & St. Anthony’s Parishioner