From Fr. George
Prayerful greetings from St. Bonaventure Parish.
We live in a world, where people give scandal & become stumbling blocks to others. A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed. A scandal may be based on false allegations. From the Greek skandalon (σκάνδαλον), a trap or stumbling-block, the metaphor is that wrong conduct can impede or "trip" people's trust or faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines scandal as “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil” (CCC #2284). We used to consider a scandal as some disgraceful happening, but here ‘to give scandal ‘means to behave in such a way that you encourage others to sin.
This weekend’s readings give us a strong warning against jealousy, intolerance & giving scandal. Jesus warns against scandal-givers: those who cause the “little ones” to sin. We cause scandal to others, when we are unkind or unjust in our treatment of others, when we reject others because of their weakness, faults or sins, when we humiliate others by hurting their pride & damaging their self-image, when we discourage, ignore, or refuse to accept others, when we ridicule them or deflate their dreams.
Jesus also says, “pluck out an eye or cut off a hand or foot if they cause scandal,” Jesus is not speaking literally. These sayings are actually about our attitudes, dispositions, & inclinations. Jesus is inviting us to integrate our bodies into our following of Christ, so that our hands become instruments of compassion, healing & comfort, our feet help us to bring the Gospel to the world, & our eyes learn to see, & our mouth to speak the truth, goodness & beauty all around us. Let us seek with all our souls, our minds, our bodies, & our strength to humbly serve & obey the Lord Jesus in His Mystical Body, the Church.
God bless you all.
Garage Sale this Saturday
Saturday, September 25th
Join the St. Bonaventure Knights of Columbus for their annual garage sale
this Saturday beginning at 9:00 am. All are welcome.
Knights of Columbus Bottle Drive
In Support of St Vincent De Paul Society
Saturday October 2 & Sunday October 3, 2021
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
The Knights of St Bonaventure Parish are holding a bottle drive on the church parking lot. Please save & bring your recyclable beverage & other refundable containers to this fundraiser. Contact Bill Wolff, 403-620-3479 if you need your beverage containers picked up from your home at any time before the sale, or if you have questions.
World Day of Migrants and Refugees
September 26
The 107th World Day of Migrants & Refugees will be celebrated this Sunday, September 26, 2021. The theme chosen by the Holy Father for WDMR 2021 is Towards an ever wider “we”. In response to his call to ensure that “after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ & ‘those’, but only ‘us’”, we are sending you some materials to help build this “we” together. In his new video, the Holy Father calls upon everyone to take part in a ‘we’ who care for our Common Home.
Needs of the Church in Canada
Do you know that your donation to Together in Action (TIA) contributes to the needs of the Church in Canada through the works of the Canadian Bishops & their pastoral ministry?
To contribute this weekend, please donate to Together In Action (TIA) with the green envelopes in the pews, or on our parish website.
Our parish goal this year is to raise $60,247. We have $18,289 left to raise.
Any surplus funds will be directed to the following organizations:
- Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society
- L'Arche Association of Calgary
- Youth Central Society
Thank you for your continued support!
Ride for Refuge
October 2, 2021
St. Bonaventure is being represented at Ride for Refuge this year by the Subasic Family & “Bonaventure Alpha Team Bravo”. This team is riding over 10 km on October 2nd for Elizabeth House (a diocese run home for pregnant & parenting teens). This will be the 6th year that Bonaventure Alpha Team Bravo has ridden for Elizabeth House. Stop by the parish office & leave a donation, go to: http://ride.wiith.me/bonaventureatb , or stop by our church garage sale this Saturday, September 25th to donate to Team Bravo.
Keep praying the Holy Father's intention this month: "Let us pray that that we all will make courageous choices, the choices necessary for a simple & environmentally sustainable lifestyle, taking inspiration from our young people who are resolutely committed to this."
An Environmentally Sustainable Lifestyle
The need for urgent action to combat the social & environmental crisis isn’t anything new; there are more & more global alerts to try to raise the awareness of humanity that something must change. But as Pope Francis wrote in Laudato si´, “It would hardly be helpful to describe symptoms without acknowledging the human origins of the ecological crisis.”
This is why it is imperative, first of all, that we reflect on the lifestyle we lead, to see to what extent our actions harm the planet: “Especially during these moments of health, social & environmental crisis,” Holy Father says in The Pope Video, let us “reflect on our lifestyle.
Let us reflect on how the way we eat, consume, travel, or the way we use water, energy, plastics, & many other material goods, is often harmful to the Earth.”
Diocesan Resources
- Diocesan Events Calendar
- FCJ Centre - Retreats, Programs, Counselling, Spiritual Direction - here
- The Year of Amoris Laetitia Family Video here - Guide here
Crisis line for Indian Residential School survivors & family:
1-866-925-4419
Catholics for Truth & Reconciliation (Facebook group)
Pope Francis' message on the Kamloops Residential Schools.
Bishop William McGrattan's message on Kamloops Residential Schools.
A Catholic Response
Call to Action 48 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Delegation to the Holy See: diverse group of Indigenous people to meet with Pope Francis
Sunday Readings - Reflections
Mass Readings
- The More the Merrier. Who cares if other Christians are also doing the good things that Catholics do? Or other believers? Or even non-believers? The kingdom of heaven is not an exclusive club. By God’s design, everyone belongs. Jesus says: “Whoever is not against us is for us.”
- What good can I affirm that someone else is doing this week?
- How can I foster others to do good work?
- How can I help others to care for “little ones”?
Diocese of Springfield
Our Sunday Mass Times
Saturdays at 5 pm
Sundays at 7:30 am, 9 am, 10:30 am, 12 noon & 7 pm
(please note the time changes)
- You do not need to register to attend mass.
- The dispensation of the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues.
- The sign of peace is to be exchanged with a bow, not by a handshake.
- Collection baskets will remain in the Narthex to drop off your donations.
- Holy Communion will be distributed by the priest (center aisle)
- There is a limit of 50 attendees for funerals, weddings & baptisms.
- Tuesday & Thursday evening masses at 7 pm.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available
- Mondays to Saturdays from 8:30 - 8:50 am (before morning mass)
- Saturdays from 4 - 4:45 pm (before the Saturday mass)
- Or by appointment
To book an appointment for confession, please email Fr. Colin (frcolin@stbonaventureparish.ca) or Fr. George (frgeorge@stbonaventureparish.ca) or call the church office 403-278-7556 during office hours.
Parish Guidelines
- Masks are mandatory at all times.
- Hand sanitizers are located throughout the building for your convenience. We ask that you maintain proper hand hygiene.
- Please exercise charity & kindness in respecting peoples level of comfort regarding physical distancing, physical contact, cohorts.
- There is a limited capacity of 1/3 of fire code capacity.
Livestream Masses
Livestream of masses from our diocese, around the world & on TELUS Optik TV Ch. 877 (choose Diocese of Calgary tile logo).
COVID-19
Anyone who has even the slightest symptoms or feelings of illness must remain at home.
The dispensation of the faithful from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues at this this time.
Information & Covid-19 General Directives from the Diocese of Calgary here
Please know that our parish community is here for you.
If you or your family need spiritual or emotional support, or if you would like a priest or parishioner to call you, please contact the parish at 403-278-7556 or reply to this email. If you require assistance with food hampers from St. Vincent de Paul, you can contact the parish office to connect to the SVDP Society.
Parish Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 9 am - noon
The church is open for prayer Monday - Friday mornings after mass until noon.
Parish Office: 403-278-7556 or info@stbonaventureparish.ca