Saint Joseph’s 20676 Fraser Highway Langley, BC V3A 4G5 Ph: 604-534-3303 Fax: 604-534-6458 Email: [email protected] website: stjlangley.rcav.org Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mon – Fri Closed for Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. August 16, 2020

We celebrate today the 20th h Sunday in Ordinary Time. You will find the readings for the mass on page 465 in the Red missal.

Pastor: Fr. Patrick Chisholm Assistant Pastor: Fr. Giovanni Schiesari Deacon: Dan Ritchie Secretary: Pat Wright Bookkeeper: Trina Tang Catechism Coordinator: Kris Blair Youth Coordinator: Daniel Wack

Confessions during new normal – Saturdays between 10 am and 12noon.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings : Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67; Romans 11: 13-15,29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28

Who did Jesus come for ? Certainly the Jews – “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” But what about the Canaanite Woman whose daughter was tormented by a demon? Who would be admitted to his Holy Mountain? This questioned what was debated by the prophets. Isaiah tells us that salvation is possible for those who keep the Sabbath and hold fast to the covenant. Indeed foreigners could join themselves to the Lord.

As the Canaanite Woman approaches Jesus she does so in the form of prayer… “Lord, Son of David”, but Jesus doesn’t answer her at all.” As she persists, Jesus responds that, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She was on the outside looking in. She still persists, but Jesus answers “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Instead of giving up at being compared to a dog (which Jews did compare gentiles to) The woman responds, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat from crumbs which fall from their masters table.” To which Jesus answers, “Woman great is your faith, let it be done for you as you wish.”

The path of the gentile to the Kingdom of Heaven is faith. Jesus can work in the woman and her daughter’s life based on her faith. As we read Matthew’s account of Jesus and the Canaanite woman it will appear that he was treating her rudely. In reality he was treating as a Jew would treat a gentile, but at the same time he was calling her to respond in faith. Thus allowing her to be brought into the Kingdom.

St. Paul had a different problem; although the Jews were the people of God, of the Covenant, they did not as a group respond to Jesus’ teaching. While this saddens Paul, that they were not accepting Jesus, he realizes that God is not turning his back on them. He will not revoke the Covenant. That while we sometimes turn our backs on God, he is always faithful. His love is eternal, it is not given just to be taken away. Jesus was not rejecting the Canaanite Woman, rather he was opening the way. This is the God that we are called to live in relationship with. He calls on us to have a faith which persists.

This is a week of comings and going at St. Joseph’s. Last Monday Fr. Lawrence moved into the St. Joseph’s Residence in the St. John Paul II Pastoral Centre. This Wednesday Fr. Giovanni (Gio) Schiesari moved in to assume his role as Assistant Pastor. This coming Tuesday afternoon our Seminarian Jerome Robles will be leaving us to prepare for his last year at the Seminary of Christ the King, in Mission. My best wishes to all of them as they live out their vocations. I am particularly looking forward with the rest of the parish in getting to know Fr. Giovanni and to thank Jerome for all that he has done in St. Josephs’ this past Summer. Fr. Patrick

Welcome to St. Joseph’s: Rev. Father Giovanni Maria Schiesari was born in the city of () on June 24, 1985 (The Feast of St. John the Baptist). He is the 4th child of a large family of 14 people. His parents and 12 children: 7 boys and 5 girls. Fr. Giovanni first felt the call to follow Christ when he was three years old. At this early stage in his life, Pope John Paul II visited Giovanni’s hometown of Verona, for the purpose of beatifying a local saint: Don Giovanni Calabria. When the Pope passed in front of Giovanni’s parish, he felt the desire to follow Christ. Since that moment, Giovanni has never felt the vocation leave him. After Confirmation, and a time of catechesis, Giovanni joined the Neocatechumenal Community in Verona. He credits the community with keeping his call to follow Christ alive. At the age of 15, Giovanni went on a pilgrimage with Pope John Paul II to Israel. There he once again felt a strong call to pursue the priesthood. In September 2005, Giovanni went to a vocational meeting with the founders of the Neocatechumenal Way in Italy. There he made known his desire to join a “Diocesan International Missionary Seminary for the New Evangelization” anywhere in the world. Giovanni was sent to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of Toronto. After eight years in this seminary (a formation which included a missionary work-period in the countries of Colombia, Canada, and Italy) Giovanni was transferred to the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Vancouver, BC. He completed his third and fourth year of theology at Christ the King Seminary in Mission. On May 6th, 2016, Giovanni was ordained deacon for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and sent to St. Matthew’s Parish in Surrey to do one year of pastoral internship. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Vancouver on June 3, 2017. Fr. Giovanni is grateful to God for his whole life, and especially for his experience here in Canada as a missionary. He asks for your prayers.

PARISH NEWS:

FAREWELL: To desire is to long for that which we do not have. And how great was my desire to meet you, the parishioners of St. Joseph’s! I admit, there were times during Mass when I would often gaze at empty pews and imagine them filled with people, to hear the cries of infants, to offer a handshake or high-five at the door… may this not be a distant memory of the past but a hope to anticipate in the near future. And so, as I bid farewell, I leave you with one word: hope. The day will surely come when the doors of this church will not be able to contain the throngs of people gathering for Mass again – let us earnestly pray for that! Thank you for the summer and please pray for me.

May God bless you and your families, Jerome Robles – Seminarian St. Joseph’s Parish, Summer 2020

Recently Baptized: Dominic Canil

R.I.P.: Please pray for the souls of Robert Edward Blair, John Philip Hagan, Peter Francis Wright

Maria Van Vugt – NET Ministries – Maria will be going for a second year with NET ministries. Please support her through your generous prayers and financial aid. More info on the bulletin board posted inside the church. Maria can be reached at: [email protected]

FORMED - A perfect COVID way to learn more about the faith with your family and friends — for free too! Check it out online –. Register at www.formed.org enter parish code For further questions contact the parish office at: [email protected] Netflicks for Catholics

YOUTH NEWS

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