November 18, 2018 Open Mind Open Heart Open Door SIGNS OF THE TIMES PARISH CALENDAR. Devotion Schedule on the Flap

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Kelly Morris
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November 18, 2018 Open Mind Open Heart Open Door Nov 18 Nov 12 Nov 19 Nov 22 Nov 22 Nov 27 Dec 2 Dec 3 Dec 8-9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 10 Dec 12 Dec 3-11 Dec 12 Dec 16-24 Dec 17 Dec 25 Dec 27 Dec 31 Jan 6

Mtg 7:30pm Thanksgiving Day - Father Dale visiting from St. Mary s Mission, New Mexico.

1 November 18, 2018 Open Mind Open Heart Open Door Nov 18 Nov 12 Nov 19 Nov 22 Nov 22 Nov 27 Dec 2 Dec 3 Dec 8-9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 10 Dec 12 Dec 3-11 Dec 12 Dec Dec 17 Dec 25 Dec 27 Dec 31 Jan 6 PARISH CALENDAR Seniors Tea sponsored by Youth Ministry & KofC St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm Thanksgiving Day - Father Dale visiting from St. Mary s Mission, New Mexico. Pastoral Council 7:00pm Bake Sale - Youth KofC Officer s Meeting 7:30pm KofC fundraiser (Christmas Gift Candies for sale.) KofC Novena Prayer for the Unborn after 10am Mass Parish Christmas Party 4:00pm St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm Finance Council Meeting 6:30 pm Novena Rosary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Grotto, 6:30pm Special Mass and Celebration - Our Lady of Guadalupe Simbang Gabi KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm Pastoral Council (to be cancelled or re-scheduled) Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm New Year s Eve Dinner Dance Santo Niño Fiesta Devotion Schedule on the Flap SIGNS OF THE TIMES The Sign lived among the Jewish people, Being poor, He was born in a stable. He didn t fit with their expectations, Painfully, He suffered their rejection. His works showed He came from above, His preaching and life revealed God s love. He healed the blind and made the lame walk, By His healing touch, the dumb could talk. The dead He brought to life by His power, Upon the poor, blessings He did shower. He was the Master over wind and storm, His call to repentance caused great alarm. He taught with passion and authority, His message had superior quality. The miracles He performed were the best sign, His Father s love in Him would always shine. God speaks to us daily in numerous ways, Through various events, He visits us always. We miss Him like the people of Jesus time, We re busy making for ourselves, name and fame. Silence is the enemy of modern man, He s busy achieving many a plan. God is not on our priority list, To do God s works we forget to enlist. Questions: 1. Which line of the poem most vividly reveals the essence of Jesus to you? 2. What call to action does the poem inspire within you? Reflections: St. Francis of Assisi could communicate with the birds in the sky, the fish in the waters, and the animals in the jungles. He felt the presence of God in these creatures, would glorify Him through them. Through these witless creatures God would talk to him; to him those creatures were signs of God s love and providence. Every leper that Mother Theresa of Calcutta bathed and nurtured was a sign of God s unconditional love. Every abandoned child that she picked up from the slums and streets spoke of God s everlasting concern and mercy. She was able to read God s signs all around her. Saints like her knew how to read and interpret the signs of the times. These signs directed and helped them to focus on the ultimate purpose of their lives. God speaks to us through every event of the day. We need to be still and patiently listen to Him. Pope John XXIII, during the Second Vatican Council, popularized the expression reading the sings of the times. What is implied here is that God speaks to us in (Continued on page 2) Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA office@sjapostle.net

Message from Father Antony (Continued from page 1) various and numerous ways. Every event that happens in the world is a message from God, and we should be alert to these messages.

As we lovingly interact with the people around us, we begin to personally know God in a more tangible way.

2 Message from Father Antony (Continued from page 1) various and numerous ways. Every event that happens in the world is a message from God, and we should be alert to these messages. As we tune the radio for better clarity, our minds and hearts should be attuned to read the signs of the times. God is actively present in the world. As we lovingly interact with the people around us, we begin to personally know God in a more tangible way. This allows us to reflect and respond deeply to the events of the day, which unfold before our eyes having mature faith and belief. Jesus, towards the end of His ministry, wanted to know what the people thought about Him. The incident happened at Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus gave a lesson in signs of the times theology. He asked the disciples what the people thought about Him. Suddenly, they became very noisy as everyone shouted out their opinion. Unsatisfied, Jesus moved on to a reality show by asking, And you, who do you say that I am? He insisted on hearing what their inner voice, the Spirit within them, had to say. Peter experienced sudden enlightenment as he answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Peter, for a moment, was able to read the sign that Jesus was the Messiah for whom the Israelites waited so long. The knowledge of God is present in the world around us. We can find God in science, history, and anthropology. The knowledge of God is within us by discovering ourselves better through intensive meditation and contemplation. In addition, reading the Word of God helps us to discover Him personally. For many years the Jews lived in slavery under Roman rule. They did not have freedom, and longed for it like the blind long for sight. However, they knew the Liberator would come to liberate them. Unfortunately, when He came they did not recognize Him. He lived among them, associating with the people. During the last three years of His public ministry He did many extraordinary things, which were impossible for ordinary people to comprehend. The Pharisees, instead, accused Him of saying that He was using the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. They tried to persuade the crowd that the powers of Jesus, which astounded them, were not Messianic but demonic. Jesus performed several miracles to prove that He was the Son of God. These miraculous Godly actions or signs of the times were still incomprehensible to the baffled crowds. They kept asking for more and more signs from Jesus. Some of them wanted Him to play circus. King Herod, in fact, wanted Him to perform magic. He did not frivolously perform miraculous signs, which pointed to heaven from where He came. As a final blow, they crucified their God on the cross. Are we any better than the Pharisees and Sadducees? We say, If God will just give me some miraculous sign, I will believe in Him; if God finds me a new job I will follow Him. We can never count God s blessings, and still we are looking for more signs. Those who ask for signs are normally blind people who want to play God. Each morning we open our eyes is, in and of itself, a sign that God loves us unconditionally. Every gift we have today comes from Him who is Omnipotent. We should be grateful, for example, for existence itself. We should thank God for any ordinary miracles of daily life, our daily bread, the stars, the oceans, the flowers and the fall foliage. As Christians, let s keep in mind that God is a God of love expressed in specific blessings, which are all shown through the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. Gratitude humbles; it also uplifts. As God is who God is, we can make the Psalmist s words our own: Give thanks to the Lord who is good, whose love endures forever (Psalm 107:1). When I came out of the Church after Mass one morning, a mother approached me. She appeared very sad and upset and said, It s about my son. I spent all my money on his education giving him a Catholic education through college. Today he is living like an atheist. Never goes to church or pray. I am totally disappointed. I suggested that the only thing she could do for him was to pray. She agreed. It is very hard for a mother to go through such a trial, and there are many similar cases. This may be a modern trend reflecting the depth to which modern man has fallen victim to materialism. A disturbingly high number of young people have been distancing themselves from God and the Church. There is a spiritual vacuum in their hearts, and while they may be consciously unaware of it, their starving spirits are suffering. Since they do not know how to properly fill this vacuum, they poison their spirits by chasing wealth, luxury, pleasure and all manner of idols, a pursuit that ultimately leaves them ever more lonely and isolated. Man is made up of body and spirit. If the spirit is not taken care of, man becomes dangerous. You can see signs of it around us, especially with the disturbingly high number of dysfunctional families. We are living in a culture of single parenthood that ignores the singular fact that a child needs both a mother and father. One cannot take the place of the other, however smart or rich he or she may be. Families are being attacked both by the devil and man, and the children suffer the most, having no guidance or direction. The true foundation of families is prayer, and prayer has been the first casualty of our modern culture. Children deprived of a prayer life have no future whatsoever. A parent can spend their life savings educating their children and ensuring the greatest career, but without instilling a loving relationship with God and surrounding them with a loving family reflecting God's love and mercy, they may as well have thrown their children to the wolves. Jesus in the Gospel (Mark 13:24-42) speaks about the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. Jesus, through this story, stresses the fact that man is able to interpret the signs of the times like weather. But He also goes on to say that man has too often failed to recognize God's divine manifestations. The people of His time failed to recognize Jesus, the Son of God, who lived with them. Today there are many signs which should invite us to look beyond this world. Look at the gun violence occurring in this country: how many innocent lives have been claimed? We should be able to read this sign very clearly: the gun violence is an unmistakable sign that without God in our lives, there will be no life at all! Modern man suffers from an emptiness of the heart, which only God can fill. We must all admit that it is time to bring God back to our lives and our homes. Do you see the hand of God behind all these signs, inviting us to a conversion? KNIGHT S CORNER Would you like to join the Men in Blue Blazers? The Knights of Columbus of St. James the Apostle Council No is accepting applicants. A prospective candidate must be a practicing Catholic and at least 18 years of age. This is a great opportunity for single and married men to serve God and the parish s community activities, set an example for its youth and make families closer to God. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Willie Lagos, jwblagos@yahoo.com, Or ask a Knight! Thank you. We are men of faith & men of action. Heaven and ea h will pass away,

COLLECTIONS NOVEMBER 10/11 $7594.00 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT $11,591.00 Donation Envelope Users: Please put the amount of your donation in the space provided.

Our tradition holds great respect for bodily remains, since the body was created and redeemed by God, was once the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and has a destiny of life with God in glory.

The ancient Christian funeral liturgy ended with the relatives and friends giving a final kiss to the body. It expressed affection and showed their faith that the grave would not be the last word.

3 COLLECTIONS NOVEMBER 10/11 $ CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT $11, Donation Envelope Users: Please put the amount of your donation in the space provided. It really helps reduce the time spent in counting. Thank you. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION November is a month of remembrance for the dead, and cemeteries have long been a focus for prayer. Our tradition holds great respect for bodily remains, since the body was created and redeemed by God, was once the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and has a destiny of life with God in glory. The funeral practices of the early church contrasted greatly with those of the pagans, who had a great dread of the dead body. The ancient Christian funeral liturgy ended with the relatives and friends giving a final kiss to the body. It expressed affection and showed their faith that the grave would not be the last word. This kiss horrified pagans, who thought that any contact with the dead was degrading. Every year on their loved one s birthday to life, the Christians would return to the place of their burial to mark their profound communion with those whose lives were hidden in Christ. Typically, they buried the dead with their faces turned toward the east, symbolizing the rising of the Sun of Justice, Christ, at the end of days. They were attracted to the catacombs or burial grounds just as we are today. They would often celebrate the Eucharist at the tomb. Before long, as soon as Christians were allowed to build places for worship, they relocated cemeteries from beyond the city walls to surround the church. This was not so much because the church made the ground holy, but because the bodies of the saints hallowed the ground on which the church was built, a subtle but beautiful difference. Rev. James Field, J. S. Paluch Co. ENCOURAGEMENT This Sunday s Gospel is our final selection from Mark for this liturgical year. It is taken from the end of Jesus teaching in Jerusalem immediately preceding the account of his arrest and passion. In it Jesus gives his disciples hope to sustain them through his passion and death and any persecution or suffering that they would encounter after his resurrection. The words from the book of Daniel also provided hope and encouragement to the people of Daniel s time. The encouragement in these scriptures is meant for us as well, for none of us will escape tribulation in our lives. Followers of Jesus will be able to endure suffering with joyful hope, knowing that Christ s love will lead us along the way of discipleship and give us eternal life with God. J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. 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... 1.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 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. Remembering Fr. Middlestadt from St. Mary s Mission (photo 2011) READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Rv 1:1-4; 2:1-5; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 18:35-43 Tuesday: Rv 3:1-6, 14-22; Ps 15:2-5; Lk 19:1-10 Wednesday: Rv 4:1-11; Ps 150:1b-6; Lk 19:11-28 Thursday: Rv 5:1-10; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Lk 19:41-44 Thanksgiving Day Suggested: Sir 50:22-24; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Lk 17:11-19 Friday: Rv 10:8-11; Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131; Lk 19:45-48 Saturday: Rv 11:4-12; Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10; Lk 20:27-40 Sunday: Dn 7:13-14; Ps 93:1-2, 5; Rv 1:5-8; Jn 18:33b-37 but my words will n pass away. Mark 13:31

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

Baptism On September 29, 2018 the Parish Family of St. James joyfully welcomed the following child through the saving waters of Baptism. Lucas Morrow VIVA LA FIESTA!

We will pray our nineday outdoor novena prior to a special Mass/celebration and procession leading up to December 12th.

Second, it is the only universally venerated Madonna and Child image where Our Lady appears pregnant instead of holding the Infant Jesus.

5 Baptism On September 29, 2018 the Parish Family of St. James joyfully welcomed the following child through the saving waters of Baptism. Lucas Morrow VIVA LA FIESTA! We will once again celebrate this time-honored tradition with our annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta day. We will pray our nineday 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 ( , address: srblackcherry1@gmail.com) or Tess Santos. 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.

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

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