Fr.Matthew’s Homily and Prayer of the Faithful for the 18th Sunday or Ordinary Time
Prayer of the Faithful – Aug 1 – 2
August 02 – 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
images – courtesy and used with permission – www.freebibleimages.org – copyright LUMO Project
Gospel Mt 14:13-21
From Fr.Matthew – Instructions for Parishioners on Attending Resumed Masses
Sunday & Weekday Mass at St. Bernard’s Parish will resume on Saturday, June 6, 2020
Beginning with the Saturday 5pm Mass, our normal weekly schedule for Mass will resume:
- Tuesdays 7pm: St. Bernard’s Church
- Wednesdays 7pm: St. Bernard’s Church
- Thursdays 7pm: Our Lady of the Assumption Church
- Fridays 9am: Our Lady of the Assumption Church
- Saturdays 9am & 5pm: St. Bernard’s Church
- Sundays 9am: St. Bernard’s Church
- Sundays 11am: Our Lady of the Assumption Church
Also Please note that the STFX Chaplaincy has two Masses at St.Bernard’s.
- Sunday – 11:30 AM
- Sunday – 2:30 PM
Note: Registration for weekday Masses closes at 2 pm the day of the Mass, For Friday 9am and Saturday 9am Masses, cut-off for online registration will be 2pm the previous day. For all Saturday 5:00 PM and Sunday Masses, registration will close at 12:00 on Saturdays.
Also, even if registration has been closed or “deactivated” for a particular Mass, you can still see the total number of people registered (i.e. 23/43) – in this case it shows that there is plenty of room left. You can still feel free to attend Mass and register in person when you arrive.
This is to provide time to prepare and print attendance lists for use at the door at the respective Mass times. During this first stage of the reintroduction of public Mass, attendance is strictly limited to 50 participants (including the priest and volunteers). For this reason, we ask those who wish to attend Mass [to register using the link below]. This will ensure that we remain compliant with the current expectations from the Province and our Diocesan Guidelines.
Given these circumstances, it will mean that those wishing to be at Mass on any day will need to pre-register for every Mass they wish to attend. As health and safety measures are continually being reassessed, the situation and our parish plans will remain fluid and are subject to change. For this reason, it is important to remain patient, flexible, and also to check for news regularly with the parish. We are committed to providing prompt and accurate communication of changes concerning these directives, and our local parish plans. Our main means of communication is on the website – and we ask that you help keep our parishioners up to date by sharing updates especially with those who do not have access to the internet.
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE:
You will find on the registration form a few different categories listed. Please follow these instructions:
- ** Please register carefully – there is no way for you to cancel your own mistaken registration. [If you need to cancel please contact office@stbernardsparish.ca
- Including your phone number will be required for now, but adding email is optional. To skip adding your email, type ‘no’ in this field.
- People deemed to be at greater risk at this time are welcome to attend Mass, and are subject to the general screening for symptoms. These people officially include those who are 65 years of age or older, and those with chronic medical conditions. They continue to be encouraged to choose prudential caution by avoiding public gatherings. “All people attend Mass at their own risk.” (Diocesan Directives)
- If you are simply attending Mass without volunteering, please register as an “Attendee”.
- Register separately for each member of your household attending.
- The number listed on the right end of the registration table indicates the number of spots available or needing to be filled.
- If you are willing to help clean and sanitize the church at the end of Mass, please register as a “Cleaner”
- Other volunteer positions (Lector, Usher, Point of Entry) are reserved for organized teams of volunteers. If you are willing to volunteer as Usher or Point of Entry greeter, please contact Fr. Matthew or the parish office.
- VOLUNTEER POSITIONS MUST BE FILLED FOR THE MASS TO BE CELEBRATED.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR MASS
Other Valuable Points to Take Note of:
Bishop McGrattan’s decree dispensing Catholics from the Sunday obligation continues to be in effect. This means that even though public Masses have resumed, Catholics are not obliged to attend Mass and those who attend do so out of their own free will and prudential judgment.
- You can preview the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, and anticipate that these questions will be posed to you and your family/party before entry to the church. If you experience any of the symptoms listed, please stay at home. This questionnaire reflects the recommended AHS self-assessment tool.
- ENTRY & EXIT: Doors will be opened 30 minutes prior to each Mass, and locked at the start of each Mass, as per required. ** Please plan to be early to Mass to ensure ability to attend.
St. Bernard’s Church: Entry will be through the main doors of the church only, after check-in with greeters. After Mass, we will exit according to instruction or guidance from Father. (access will be possible through side door if ease of access is necessary, with help from a volunteer after check-in)
Our Lady of the Assumption: Entry will be only through the main doors of the church, after check-in with greeters. After Mass, with guidance from Father, exit will be through the North side door next to Mary’s niche.
- CHECK-IN: as you enter, you will need to confirm your registration with a volunteer. Before entry, each party will be asked Self-Assessment questions for health and safety screening. Attendance records will be kept for only the required 2 weeks for the purpose of contact tracing and communication if necessary, securely in the parish office, and then destroyed.
- MASKS: All attendees are asked to bring their own mask, and are expected to wear it during the Mass. * Very young children wear masks at their parents’ discretion.
- HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION: There is instruction defined for the procedure of receiving Holy Communion, according to the Diocesan Directives. You can watch this video in preparation of attending Mass. These measures are temporary, and will be relaxed in due course.
St. Bernard’s / Our Lady of the Assumption – Mass Attendance Registrations
Note: Registration for weekday Masses closes at 2 pm the day of the Mass, For Friday 9am and Saturday 9am Masses, cut-off for online registration will be 2pm the previous day. For all Saturday 5:00 PM and Sunday Masses, registration will close at 12:00 on Saturdays.
Also, even if registration has been closed or “deactivated” for a particular Mass, you can still see the total number of people registered (i.e. 23/43) – in this case it shows that there is plenty of room left. You can still feel free to attend Mass and register in person when you arrive.
Masses:
Saturday, August 01 9:00AM – St. Bernard’s SIGNUP FORM
Saturday, August 01 5:00 PM – St. Bernard’s SIGNUP FORM
Sunday, August 02 9:00 AM – St. Bernard’s SIGNUP FORM
Sunday, August 02 11:00 AM – Our Lady of the Assumption SIGNUP FORM
Tuesday, August 04 7:00 PM – St. Bernard’s SIGNUP FORM
Wednesday, August 05 7:00 PM – St. Bernard’s SIGNUP FORM
Thursday, August 06 7:00 PM – Our Lady of the Assumption SIGNUP FORM
Friday, August 07 9:00 AM – Our Lady of the Assumption SIGNUP FORM
STFX Chaplaincy Masses:
Sunday, August 02 11:30 AM Mass SIGNUP FORM
Sunday, August 02 2:30 PM Mass SIGNUP FORM
Web Stations of the Cross from our Parish Churches.
As a response to the current restrictions on gatherings imposed during the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have created an online Stations of the Cross using the Station images from both St.Bernard’s and Our Lady of the Assumption. These are in the form of a slideshow slider. This slider will take one through the Stations of The Cross. The slides will automatically advance every 25 seconds, our you can bring up a set of controls to rewind, pause or forward through the slides by moving your mouse over the slide image.
Stations of the Cross at St.Bernard’s Church
Stations of the Cross at Our Lady of the Assumption
Thanks to Fr.Matthew for the photos, and for the concept.
Feast Days for the coming Week
Feast days for the coming week:
Sunday – August 02 – St.Plegmund of Canterbury
Monday – August 03- St. Mancus of Cornwall
Tuesday – August 04 – St. John Vianney
Wednesday – August 05 – St. Oswald of Northumbria
Thursday – August 06 – Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Friday – August 07 – St. Claudia
Saturday – August 08 – St.Dominic
Downloadable Prayer Cards Now Available
We have added a page with a selection of Prayer Cards for your enjoyment and use. These may be accessed from the main page menu, or from this link.
These cards are in Adobe PDF format, and will require a PDF viewer for viewing and printing.
Gospel Reflection – “Jesus Blessed and Multiplied the Loaves and Fishes”
God multiplies the little we have to bring great blessing to others
As evening approached the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away. Jesus, instead, commanded his disciples to feed the whole crowd. Why did Jesus expect his disciples to do what seemed impossible – to feed such a large and hungry crowd when there was no adequate provision in sight? Jesus very likely wanted to test their faith and to give them a sign of God’s divine intervention and favor for his people. Jesus took the little they had – five loaves and two fish – and giving thanks to his heavenly Father, distributed to all until they were satisfied of their hunger. Twelves baskets full of fish and loaves that were leftover show the overflowing generosity of God’s gifts to us – gifts that bring blessing, healing, strength, and refreshment.
Quote from the early church fathers: The Lord fills all things with blessing from above, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
“So that by every means the Lord might be known to be God by nature, he multiplies what is little, and he looks up to heaven as though asking for the blessing from above. Now he does this out of the divine economy, for our sake. For he himself is the one who fills all things, the true blessing from above and from the Father. But, so that we might learn that when we are in charge of the table and are preparing to break the loaves, we ought to bring them to God with hands upraised and bring down upon them the blessing from above, he became for us the beginning and pattern and way.” (excerpt from FRAGMENT 177)
Text and reflections, courtesy and used with permission – http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org
A Stewardship Minute
“Lord Jesus Christ, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude for your blessings and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.”
First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
Until further notice Eucharistic Exposition and our typical holy hours will continue to be suspended.
