November 11, 2018 Open Mind Open Heart Open Door WIDOW S MITE Questions Reflections:

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1 November 11, 2018 Open Mind Open Heart Open Door WIDOW S MITE Jesus noticed the widow dropping her mite, All ignored her for she did not have might. The coin made no noise to catch attention. The woman prayed in her heart for protection. Her offering was like a drop in the ocean, Unseen, she continued with her slow motion. Peace came over her as she gave everything, God admired her for she kept for her nothing. She manifested her unconditional trust, Relying on God, she knew, is a must. Her faith in God was total and complete, She did not worry about what she would eat. She was ignored by all but the Son of man, He instantly knew the widow was God s fan. And seized the occasion to teach a lesson, He shared with disciples His observation. Strange, Jesus didn t see those putting big money, He knew well they were giving from their plenty. They made sure they had enough for the morrow, Independent, they would be ashamed to borrow. The widow shows that God is her security, Accepts dependence on God in humility. She knows God will take care of her every need, Her generous attitude is all that we need. Questions: 1. Which stanza of the poem reveals where your faith must be strengthened? 2. What prayers can you offer to God about this? Reflections: Can we read The Widow s Mite without hearing an inner voice inviting us to do likewise? The widow s example is an outstanding invitation to examine our conscience as we evaluate our style of giving. This widow, though her life and example, preached a beautiful sermon on stewardship by dropping her two last copper coins into the temple treasury. On an absolute scale she gave only a pittance to the church in comparison to what the rich people contributed. Apparently, Jesus seemed to be following a different kind of mathematics. According to conventional mathematics, her two coins had little or no value compared to the enormous amounts of money the Scribes gave to the temple. In the eyes of the world, they were much more generous than this woman. And yet Jesus says, I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on (Mark 12:43-44). It deeply hurts us to give, and to give quietly is even more painful. It (Continued on page 2) Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA office@sjapostle.net

2 Message from Father Antony (Continued from page 1) is a challenge to follow Jesus invitation: But when you give arms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you (Mathew 6:3-4). We have an insatiable desire for publicity and human recognition. God s logic differs from our logic. In the sight of God, what matters is not the amount you give but the spirit with which you give. Your giving manifests the kind of individual you are. Cain, choosing to give God the discarded and rotten fruits from his garden, manifested his sick and ungrateful heart. Abel, by offering the best fruits to God first, showed that he had a golden heart that recognized God s blessings in his life. The widow, by giving to God everything she had without considering how she would look after herself the following day, manifested her complete faith and trust in God. The world would consider her very foolish, since she did not live according to a budget and demonstrated no common sense with regard to her savings. She gave it all, without retaining anything for her future. Unlike this woman, we give only when we have taken adequate care of our future, and are careful to donate only from our surplus savings. There is a big difference between the widow s giving and the Scribes giving. The widow gave everything to her God, whom she wanted to please, and did not seek human recognition or appreciation. Her spirit of giving came from her golden heart, which was completely devoid of pretension. Though others gave much more than she, Jesus did not recognize them, as their main intent was to establish their own name and fame. Others gave more to gain human adulation and recognition. The more they gave, the more they expected their popularity to increase. God, if He was on their minds at all, was least among their reasons for giving. During Biblical times, widows were shamefully oppressed, often living in a personal hell. In the Book of Ruth, we read how miserably Naomi was mistreated. The widow of our story did not have social security to live on, nor did she have a bank balance. When she parted with her two coins, she emptied her tiny moneybag and walked into an unknown future. It was as though she lived on Jesus prayer, Give us this day our daily bread. She totally trusted in God s providence. Jesus did not merely praise her generosity; He told us how the spirit of her giving and her great faith moved Him. Her donation stored treasure in His Sacred Heart. Often, we are reluctant to give generously because we are afraid of the unknown: the future. There is a fear that we may be without any means to support ourselves in our old age. The more we rely on the security offered by worldly possessions, the more anxious we become of the days to come, and we become tightfisted. The key to overcome this fear is to learn to rely on Jesus words: That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe. Look at the birds in the sky. They do not now sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? (Mathew 6:25-27) St. James Bulletin and Website since 2007 Submission deadline is two weeks before publication date. articles to: bulletin@sjapostle.net. Send information for the webpage to: webmaster@sjapostle.net Carolyn Fiori... Editor Facebook: Search St. James the Apostle Church, Like the page. IF posting pictures, you must get consent from the people in the photo (per Oakland diocese Safe Environment). Please, NO tagging pictures. FATHER DALE FROM ST. MARY S MISSION JOINING US FOR THANKSGIVING Father Dale, from St. Mary s Mission, our sister parish in Tohatchi, New Mexico, will be joining us for Thanksgiving Mass, 9:00am Thanksgiving Day, November 22. As in the past, we will be donating items to the parishioners in New Mexico. Father Dale has sent us the following suggestions for items that are most needed. Food cards to Walmart, Target, and Safeway are preferable. Last year, several of the cards were for Lucky's, which were much appreciated but they do not have a Lucky's locally. When I was visiting this past July, I used the cards here in Fremont and filled my car with all sorts of dry goods like rice, pinto beans, flour, etc. before I returned to Tohatchi. If parishioners want to donate food on Thanksgiving day, please stay away from canned or glass jar items. They are just too heavy. Dry goods are better, i.e. Ramen noodles, beans, rice for example. Here are the clothing items that Sr. Pat and Sr. Marlene said that we could use. 1. Men's jackets with zippers (XL or XXL) 2. Thermal underwear (XL or XXL) 3. Socks, all varieties for work or casual) 4. Work gloves and then these items which we request annually Any and all kinds of blankets 2. Any and all kinds of towels 3. Sheets/pillows/pillow cases Thank you again for your generosity for our parishioners here in New Mexico. Father Dale PARISH CALENDAR Nov 11 KofC Novena Prayer for the Unborn after 10am Mass Nov 17 Bake Sale - MOMs Nov 18 Seniors Tea sponsored by Youth Ministry & KofC Nov 12 St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm Nov 19 KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm Nov 22 Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm Nov 22 Thanksgiving Day - Father Dale visiting from St. Mary s Mission, New Mexico. Nov 27 Pastoral Council 7:00pm Dec 2 Bake Sale - Youth Dec 3 KofC Officer s Meeting 7:30pm Dec 9 KofC Novena Prayer for the Unborn after 10am Mass Dec 9 Parish Christmas Party Dec 10 St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm Dec 12 Finance Council Meeting 6:30 pm Dec 12 Special Mass and Celebration - Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec Simbang Gabi (See flap for information) Dec 17 KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm Dec 25 Pastoral Council (to be cancelled or re-scheduled) Dec 27 Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm Dec 31 New Year s Eve Dinner Dance Jan 6 Santo Niño Fiesta Devotion Schedule on the Flap The Lord keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed,

3 TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Veterans Day began with the signing of a symbolic treaty between the Allies and Germany ending World War I (then called the Great War ) on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The auspicious date was actually a well-established religious holiday, the feast of Saint Martin of Tours, a beloved soldier saint of the army of Rome. After World War II, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Britain, but of course the feast of Saint Martin endures. Martin was named after Mars, the god of war, and against the advice of his parents he went on his own to church. He became a catechumen at the age of ten. By fifteen he was enlisted in the cavalry in France. Coming across a poor man, Martin had an impulse to divide his bright red soldier s cape and clothe him. He later had the insight that he had served Christ, and the other half of his cape became a lifelong sign to him of his duty to serve the poor. Housed in a tiny church capella or chapel, the cape became a great object of pilgrimage on the way to Compostella, and a favored place for the prayers of soldiers. Martin was not so eager to serve as bishop as he had been as a soldier, and legend says that he hid in a barn filled with geese to avoid episcopal election. To this day, the customary meal for November 11 is goose! Traditionally, this is the last feast day before winter closes in, and begins a period of fasting once known as Saint Martin s Lent or Martinmas, that later developed into the season of Advent. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. COLLECTIONS NOVEMBER 1-4 $ CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT $13, ALL SAINTS DAY $ Donation Envelope Users: Please put the amount of your donation in the space provided. It really helps reduce the time spent in counting. Your not folding your cash donations is much appreciated by the counters on Monday. Thank you! VIVA LA FIESTA! We will once again celebrate this timehonored tradition with our annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta day. We will pray our nine-day outdoor novena prior to a special Mass/celebration and procession leading up to December 12th. Unlike any other apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is where Our Lady left a miraculous image of herself unmade by human hands. Second, it is the only universally venerated Madonna and Child image where Our Lady appears pregnant instead of holding the Infant Jesus. Please join us for a Rosary at 6:30 beginning December 3 through December 11. Then a Mass and celebration on the December 12 Feast Day. For more information, contact Susan Johnson or Tess Santos. PRESENTS Talk # 3 of a 3-part series FAITH AND GRATITUDE Our guest speaker: Fr. Jeff Finley Coordinator of Palliative Care at Washington Hospital FRI. NOV. 16 7PM TO 9PM Fr. Jeff Finley was born and raised in San Francisco. He attended Catholic High School and at age 19, he entered St. Joseph College Seminary, received his Masters of Divinity and was ordained a priest for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. He served at St. Edward s in Newark and currently is the Spiritual Care Coordinator at Washington Hospital in Fremont. Fr. Jeff s dynamic and charismatic teaching style will touch your heart. Don t miss this exciting night of praise, prayer, and worship. Talk: The Last Word with our pastor Father Anthony Music: St. James the Apostle Parish Choir Free admission, free dinner refreshments, free parking, free ride sharing For information contact: Bro. Larry or Bro. Rick Please remember those in the armed services: Pvt. Christopher Mueller, Brian Christopher Carreiro, Sgt. Kristan Jofel T. Carado, Greg Savella, Major Jenny Ryan, Captain David Evans And Parishioners and friends who need our prayers or who are ill John DiPaola, Evelyn Reyes, Frank Smith, Concha Garcia, Todd Wetherwax, Deacon Ernie Dandan, Joel Rivera, Melanie O Connor, Katherine Gomes, Lydia DeGraf, Judy McKenney, Tomás Sandoval Klassen, Laura Skaff, Alice Ferreira, Agnes Harris, Ray Ballin, Bob Nehls, Dawn Barker, Martha Torres, Tammy Bumgarner, Margarete Matulich, Carl Dubose To add names to this list, please contact the parish office at or bulletin@sjapostle.net. gives food to the hungry. Psalm 146:7

4 WORSHIP SCHEDULE Monday-Saturday Mass: Rosary 8:10am, Mass 8:30am Saturday Mass: 5:00pm Sunday Masses: 8:30am, 10:00am, 12:00noon Holy Days of Obligation: Masses 8:30am & 7:30pm Confessions: Saturday 4:00pm or by appt. Every Friday Adoration: 9:00-10:00am First Fridays: Adoration 9:00 am-6:30pm Sacred Heart Novena 6:30pm Benediction 7:15pm Healing Mass 7:30pm Our Mother of Mass & Novena, Perpetual Help: Wednesdays, 7:30pm DEVOTIONS Weekly: Bible Study Divine Mercy Chaplet: In the Small Chapel: Legion of Mary Eternal Life Bible Study Charismatic Prayer Meeting Wed. 9:30 am (Kitchen) Thurs, after morning Mass Tues 9:30am Thurs. 7:30pm 2nd & 3rd Fridays 7:00pm Monthly: Divine Mercy Cenacle 7:00pm, 2nd and 4th Prayer Meeting Mondays (Small Chapel) Our Lady of Vailankanni First Saturday 7:00pm Respect for Life Rosary Second Sunday 11:00am Grotto Sacred Heart 6:30pm 1st Friday Enthronement (formal ceremony to make the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as the King of the house), please contact: Cora Surla (510) ; or Tessie Ricafort (510) PARISH OFFICE HOURS M-F 9:00AM TO NOON REGISTRATION IN THE PARISH Warmest welcome to all who worship in our Community. If you are not registered in the Parish, please complete a registration form available at church entrance or at the Parish Office. ANOINTING OF THE SICK Please call the Parish Office when a parishioner is home-bound or hospitalized to arrange for Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick. MARRIAGES AND BAPTISMS Please contact the Parish Office at least 6 months in advance for weddings and 3 months in advance for baptisms. BAPTISMS To have your child baptized, please make an appointment with Father Antony. Come to the St. James Parish office or call the Parish Office at For more details, please go to the Church website (Parish Info) or contact Marcial Vasco Baptism Preparation/Training class: First Saturday of the month from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm in the Small Chapel. Baptism Celebration: Last Saturday of the month 11:30am-12:30pm in the church FUNERALS We recommend using Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services / Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and Holy Angels Funeral and Cremation Services. You may contact Shirley X 133. MOTHER TERESA CENTER RESERVATIONS. Contact our Facility Manager & Event Coordinator Larry Bellamy ( , MTC@sjapostle.net) or leave a message at the Parish Office. (No prices or quotes are given over the phone or in an .) Fr. Antony Vazhappilly, Pastor Ernie Dandan, Deacon

5 Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses) 5:30am 2018 Mass Sponsors Mass for the Living/ Deceased Please note: Date availability is on a first come, first served basis. Deadline: December 14, Thank you. Name(s): (Living) Name(s): (Deceased) Per Person (Living or Deceased: $25.00 Per Family (Living and/or Deceased: Minimum Offering : $50.00 Please make check payable to St. James Food donations encouraged. Call Solita Cruz for information: All donations go towards building our new church. Phone #: Received by: Check No. Amount: Cash: $ Receipt Phone #: Dates: Received by: Check No. Amount: Cash: $ Please return form to the Parish Office