ADVENT, A TIME TO SLOW DOWN

Transcription

1 ADVENT, A TIME TO SLOW DOWN Modern man is always in such a hurry, Daily, he finds many causes for worry He rarely finds quiet moments to relax, His day-to-day needs are very complex Life for him is full of stress and tension, Often he finds himself in confusion His life has become a continuous race, He is in struggle to slow down his pace He s too busy even to check his cholesterol, He has no time to take just a healthy stroll. From far, you hear the pounding of his heart, Quickens his life from this world to depart He doesn t have time to give a helping hand- Or to smell roses and talk to a friend For ages, he hasn t read a good book, In all gatherings, he wears a restless look He has nothing to his credit, health wise, Ignores that he will pay a heavy price. His busy-ness doesn t bring him happiness, It only brings to his life emptiness When will men and women learn to slow down? From unrealities when will they come down? Life is short and it has much to offer, It is God s gift and is not to suffer. Questions: 1. Which stanza of this poem reflects a current challenge for you? 2. What ideas do you have to confront that challenge? 3. What do you think God wants of you? Reflections: One morning, I saw a young man doing four things simultaneously. He was driving his car, probably to work. While driving, he drank his morning coffee. Between sipping coffee and reading the newspaper he was also using an electronic shaver. I was amused, but he was deadly serious. Here is a clear example of a busy man with too many irons in the fire. Living in modern times, we are blessed with much more comfort than our forefathers, who struggled to make ends meet. Today s conveniences were not available to them, and life for them was much more challenging and demanding. However, they had much better time management skills, resulting in much less stress and tension than we have today. Evidence of this fact can be found in the prescribed medications that people take today. In the past, having to take pills daily was an exception. Today it is an exception if you are not required to take medicine on a daily basis. Are we healthier today? Consider this question carefully. Moving about in a perpetual state of haste is a defining characteristic of man living in the computer age. He has too many things to do with too little time, which naturally results in stress and strain. He has no time to relax or enjoy any moments of leisure, which adversely affects his physical health. The needs of his family are constantly increasing, and money is required to meet these demands. More money means he must work even harder, and many people find themselves working at two jobs or more, which reduces their sleep time. The importance of sleep for a healthy body cannot be overemphasized. Sleep is an important factor in maintaining mental health. Sleep-related health issues are recognized by medical science as one of the greatest current health threats. We are much more knowledgeable today than ever before, as we have instant access to technical knowledge on any field. Despite this technological advantage, we must humbly admit that knowledge has not made us better human beings. Who among us does not know how to maintain healthy body and mind, yet how many actually do so? SLOW DOWN! Do we really put this knowledge into practice? We are aware of the importance of such pursuits as yoga and what they can do for our spiritual, mental, and physical wellness. But how many of us find time to practice it daily? Recently, I suffered from sciatica, which was aggravated by the cold weather. In no time, I had tons of information as to what I should do. One person suggested physical exercises and applying patches. Another suggested applying tiger-balm with massage. Practically everybody had a useful suggestion. We do not lack information and knowledge. In most cases, we know what to do; but we do not do what we know. Let us learn to stop and smell the roses. Take a look at the towering trees which grow slowly and become great and strong. It is time that we begin (Continued on page 2) This week at St. James the Apostle Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA office@sjapostle.net

2 Message from Father Antony (Continued from page 1) to slow down and calm down. Ask what you have achieved in being busy and doing so many things. A young man who grew up in a simple family worked hard to give the best to his wife and children. He spent twenty hours working two jobs every day. He did not have quality time to spend with his family. It was too late for him to realize that the material gifts on which he spent so much time meant nothing when his wife and children left him. Let us slow down to talk to a friend; to look at flowers in the garden; to plant a tree; to read few lines from a good book; to listen to the stories of your children in the school; to share a joke with your family; or just to sit around with your wife and children and enjoy some light moments with them. You can do a lot better if you begin to slow down. On the average, one only saves three minutes by increasing the driving speed from 65 mph to 90 mph. Is it worth saving three minutes to risk your own life and the lives of others? Slow down and enjoy your life better, for you have only one life to live. Advent is a time to spend a few moments in silence to become prayerful and centered. Remind yourself of God s gracious presence as you come to prayer. We can only do this if we take the time to slow down and be attentive to God s message. The Mother Church has beautifully organized the Liturgical calendar in such a way that it gives us almost four weeks for our immediate preparation for the birthday of Jesus on Christmas. Every Advent can be considered as another chance that God gives us to begin all over again. It is a time to slow down with our many activities so that we have time to go deeper into our spiritual life and see where we are in relationship with God and our loved ones. It is a time to catch up with things that we missed during the year in order to nourish our souls. It is important that we come up with a definite plan for each day so that we can make this preparation very meaningful and fruitful. Set some spiritual goals to achieve during this time. Let s put our hearts and souls in preparing for the celebration of Christmas. Make Jesus the only reason for Christmas and keep Him at the center of all of your Christmas activities. Let us not make Christmas just another reason for social get- togethers. Let us not plan for the birthday party of Jesus without Him present. Christmas is the greatest celebration of hope because Jesus comes again as He came two thousand years ago to give us the assurance that He still loves us and that He will never give up on us. Christmas is the season of love and sharing, a time to renew our love and friendship with one another. It gives us a golden opportunity to reconnect with friends and relatives with whom we have not been in touch because of our busy schedule. Let us make it a point to find time to visit them or to call them during this Christmas. This thoughtful gesture is going to make a huge difference in our Christmas celebration this year. And our hearts will be filled with joy and peace. 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! We are men of faith & men of action. Please remember those in the armed services: Spec. Tara Mueller, Spec. 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 It s time once again to update our Prayer List for Please take a moment to send an to bulletin@sjapostle.net to update this list. You can also leave a message in the Bulletin box in the parish office or call 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. I will raise up for David a just sho ; he shall do what is right

3 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 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 EVENTS AROUND THE DIOCESE GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP The death of a loved one is a shattering experience. It leaves us in a state of shock, confusion, pain and sadness. You do not have to suffer alone. We invite you to participate in our grief support meetings. We will be meeting at St. Elizabeth Seton, 4001 Stoneridge Drive, Pleasanton, on December 13, January 10 and 22, February 12 and 28, March 14 and 28. There are two Tuesday evening meeting dates, January 22 and February 12. Please call Eleanor at for more information. All are welcome regardless of religious affiliation. Mary Kay Clauser SENIOR TEA - NOVEMBER 18 THANK YOU ORGANIZERS FOR A FUN AFTERNOON! COLLECTIONS NOVEMBER 17/18 $ NOVEMBER 24/25 $ CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT $ ST. MARY S MISSION $ HUMAN DEVELOPMENT $ Thank you, Parishioners, for your generous Thanksgiving donations for our sister parish, St. Mary s Mission in Tohatchi, New Mexico. FLOWER DONATIONS Thank you St. James Parishioners for your generous donations for the flowers for the altar throughout the year. We are now planning for the Holidays and all donations are gratefully accepted. Leave a donation or a message for Brenda Bagis in the Parish office. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITIONS Occasionally, someone raises a surprised complaint that while Christmas arrives on Santa s sleigh at the Macy s parade on Thanksgiving Day, the Church doesn t catch on too fast. They may even say that Advent is a newfangled idea. Not so. To trace its beginnings, we have to go back to the fourth or fifth century in France (then Gaul), when Epiphany was the favored day, next to Easter, for baptism. The old pagan structures of Rome were collapsing then, and many people sought to be baptized. Since adults always prepared for baptism by fasting, folks counted back a few weeks for a kind of retreat. Before too long, bishops were advising everyone to attend church frequently beginning on December 17. Soon, artists were imagining ways of expressing the Advent mystery, and in Italy this gave rise to beautiful mosaics of empty thrones awaiting the arrival of the Lord of all creation. Advent as we know it develops on two separate tracks: the first having to do with our spiritual preparation for celebrating the Christmas feast, and the second having to do with the way this is organized and expressed in the liturgical readings and prayers every day of the season. James Field, J. S. Paluch Co. THE PROMISE OF JUSTICE We are in fairly good company when we ask God for justice. Often enough we hear and agree with the lament of the people of Israel asking God why the wicked prosper. However, when we call out for justice, we usually want someone to get his or her comeuppance. God s justice is something other than this, of course. God s justice comprises a wonderful rightness between God and humankind. Today, Jeremiah looks ahead to a time when a just one will sprout from the shorn-off stump of Jesse of the house and family of David. Life was not fair in Jeremiah s time. Israel s kings held the promise of God s fidelity, but it was difficult to see how God s promise could be realized through them. Nevertheless, Jeremiah lifts his voice and announces that the Promised One will come. Luke s Gospel echoes that announcement, and Paul is filled with sturdy encouragement. And so Advent begins with a promise. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. and just in the land. Jeremiah 3:15

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 Knights of Columbus Membership Drive and Fundraiser December 8 & 9 after all Masses. Christmas Gift Candies will be for sale. 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 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 ( , address: srblackcherry1@gmail.com) or Tess Santos. NOVENA BEGINS AT 6:30 TOMORROW. THANKSGIVING WITH FATHER DALE FROM ST. MARY S MISSION Thank you St. James for your generosity!