Division of Kwik Kopy Printing Alvin Fu 604 West 8 th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 1C8 T: 604-873-0180 [email protected]St. Francis de Sales Parish 6610 Balmoral Street, Burnaby, BC V5E 1J1 Phone: 604-434-1328 Fax: 604-434-3038 Email: [email protected]Website: saintfrancisdesales.ca Pastor: Father Mario Marin Assistant Pastor: Father Charles Banduku Religious Education Coordinator Marguerite Goldsmith [email protected]Office Staff: Mora Kerr Danka Mak Parish School School Principal: Mrs. Irene Wihak Ornella Hatzisavva-Secretary Phone: 604-435-5311 Fax: 604-434-4798 [email protected]Pre-School: 604-434-3311 De Sales Ministry for the Deaf Pastoral Worker: Sr. Glenys Symons 604-434-7775 Cell Text 604-838-1206 St. George's Melkite-Greek Catholic Mission Byzantine Rite Mass at 1:30 pm on Sundays Pastor: Fr. Edward Ibrahim 778-251-8270 [email protected]Website: http://gm.rcav.org St. Vincent de Paul Society Help Line: 604-434-1328 Domestic Abuse Help Line: 604-640-7549 DUE TO COVID-19 ALL PUBLIC MASSES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Masses Confessions Please call or email the parish office to schedule an appointment AD Space Available AD Space Available Friendship: Friendship which could never end was never true. St. Francis de Sales
[email protected] Pre-School: 604-434-3311 De Sales Ministry for the Deaf Pastoral Worker: Sr. Glenys Symons 604-434-7775 Cell Text 604-838-1206 St. George's Melkite-Greek Catholic Mission Byzantine Rite Mass at 1:30 pm on Sundays Pastor: Fr. Edward Ibrahim 778-251-8270
Today we celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the Magi,
Gentiles from the East who came seeking the King of the Jews. Their
arrival in Bethlehem is fulfillment of today’s first reading, in which the
glory of God draws people of every nation to Jerusalem.
But look closely, and you will find something surprising, “Your light has come, “ the reading
says, and “the glory of the Lord shines upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). It’s Jerusalem itself, symbol of
God’s chosen people, that is attracting the Gentiles, not a sudden blaze of glory coming from the
heavens. It’s she shining witness of a people who have bound themselves to the Lord and to each
other. That’s where the nations will find the glory of God.
Imagine that! We ourselves, the people of God working and praying together, loving and
forgiving one another, we can be the manifestation of God’s glory to the world. If you light one
candle on a darkened, moonless night, you may be able to see it from a few feet away. But if you
bring hundreds of people together and give each one of them a lighted candle, you might see their
brightness from a mile away. Bring enough people together and you would see the light from outer
space! That’s God’s vision for us. He wants us to put aside selfish, sinful and prideful attitudes so
that we can love each other and serve each other and so be his light. He wants us to follow him,
not just because it’s good for us, but because he knows that a life of discipleship brings us closer
together and makes us shine out to the world even more brightly.
So join the Magi and bow before the infant Christ today. But as you do, pray for the Church.
Pray for your parish. Pray for the domestic church that is your family. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep
purifying you, and all of God’s people, so that together we can shine more brightly and draw more
people to him.
“Jesus, teach us to love each other so that we can fill the world with your glory!”
Stewardship Reflection
January 3, 2021 - Epiphany of the Lord “..they fell down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh...” - Matthew 2:11 Notice the order of events in the Magi’s visit. First, they knelt before Jesus and prayed to Him. Then they presented Him with their gifts. We, too, must take time to pray before we present our gifts to the Lord. We never know what God may be asking us to share!
On Sundays at 3:00 pm, we will be distributing Holy Communion. Parishioners coming for Holy Communion
in their car will come to the church through the Pre-school parking lot, down the back alley to the church
then into the top parking lot in front of the church, then to the front of the church ,they will get out of their
car at this point and receive communion, re-enter their car and drive to the Balmoral exit. (This is done so
that all the social distancing rules will be observed as each
household will be in one space, their car.) While in the lineup for
communion the following preparation for communion will be
said. (Anyone arriving by public transit is also welcome.)
Preparation prayers for Reception of Holy Communion
Call to mind your sins –then say the act of contrition:
I confess to almighty God
and to you my brothers and sister,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Read the following reading
John 6:54-55
He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink.
Say the Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name; thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not in to temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Receive Communion
Drive to our larger parking lot or on the way home observe a period of silence then say the ending prayer
Final Prayer
Lord, you have nourished us with one bread from heaven.
Here is a classic version of Spiritual Communion:
Spiritual Communion Prayer by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
My Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You
above all things, and I long for You in my soul. Since I cannot now receive
You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You
have already come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You, never permit me to be
separated from You.
Amen.
PRAY
January 3, 2021
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
GROW AS A DISCIPLE PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
The Christmas tree has become a fire hazard, shedding
needles everywhere. The kids have cast aside their new toys.
Perhaps we've overspent this holiday season and are vaguely
anxious about the bills. The bookmark in our Advent
devotional is stuck at Dec, 9, and we've already blown a
couple of New Year's resolutions. And yet, the words of
prophet lsaiah shake us out of our doldrums: "Rise up in
splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the
Lord shines upon you ... Raise your eyes and look about."
Freed from the busyness of the holiday season, we get a
kind of do-over. Even on the grayest of winter days, Christ's
light breaks through in this new year and presents new
opportunities to open ourselves to the activity of the Holy
Spirit acting in our lives. Let us pray for the grace to
recognize it.
I love the feast of the Epiphany because I went into labor
with my oldest son that night; he came into the world on a
rainy, blustery Monday morning in'1998. I remember the
joy my healthy baby boy brought to me and my husband,
his grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins. imagine the joy
the Wise Men must have felt when they followed that star
and saw baby Jesus for the first time! They praised the
Christ Child with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and
myrrh, God still dwells among us today, and the Light of
Christ beckons us all to follow it. As we bless our homes
this Epiphany and pray " May all who enter this home find
Christ's light and love," let us witness to God's presence in
our homes and in our hearts by offering Christ our very own
gifts - of our lives and our abiding faith in him.
Blessing of the Home and Household: "The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling place among us. lt is Christ who
enlightens our hearts and homes with his love. May all who
