Second Sunday Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday

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Second Sunday Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to human ity. Pope St.

And this is what we are called to live today in our lives and in the life of the Church.

Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." In today's Gospel, the Risen Jesus shows the wounds of his hands and his side to his apostles.

2 Second Sunday Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to human ity. Pope St. John Paul II referred to mercy as "love's second name." We see this in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And this is what we are called to live today in our lives and in the life of the Church. Our Lord told Saint Faustina three ways we are called to exe cise mercy toward our neighbors: by deed, by word, and by prayer. To love as Jesus loved includes pra ticing mercy towards others. Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." In today's Gospel, the Risen Jesus shows the wounds of his hands and his side to his apostles. These wounds reveal the divine mercy. And Our Lord gave his apostles his own power to forgive sins and entrusted to them and their successors the ministry of reconciliation when he said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." In the sacrament of Reconciliation, we have an opportunity to experience the divine mercy in a powerful way through the forgiveness of our sins. As we celebrate the Sunday of Divine Mercy, may we always "give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his mercy endures forever" (Psalm 118:1). And may the Lord help us to spread his mercy and to give witness to it among our brothers and sisters! The Sunday after Easter has been designated Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus promised Saint Faustina Kowalska that: The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain thecomplete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary of St. Faustina 699) We want to encourage everyone to take advantage of this incredible promise and the additional Plenary Indulgence during this Jubilee Year of Mercy. We will pray the Chaplet & Litany of Divine Mercy at the conclusion of the 10:30am Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary today, April Deacon Daniel Hernandez Z z Please Pray For the Sick & Homebound Fr. Thierry Geris, Terry Flynn, Tina Reyes, Lydia Li, Desmond Fitzgerald, Tom Bednar, Renee Thompson, Stephen Lee, Romulo de Grano, Rosamila Agluba, Hanadi Pratt, Scott Simon, Agnes Tan, Tesfaye Dinka, Rose Lefebvre, Sharifah Shahrim, Olivia Gail Fermin, Andrea Binger, Corazon De Padua, Mary Kugland, Peggy Peterson, Noreen Scholz, Eleanor Webb, Laverne Kleeberg For the Recently Deceased Fred Carelli, Kate Church, Gary Stelle, Sr., Anne-Marie Kroeger, Jean Galvin, Gloria Carmichael, Alice McCarty, Marie Kieraldo, John Nittler, William Ambrosio, Thelma Maxine MacDonald, Madeline Muzio, Therese Knight, Gala Fermin, Karen Fruin, Al Bettencourt, Liz Zimmer, Mary Nurmi, Helene McKelvey, Lilian Mori Pray For Lists guidelines: Have permission from the person to be listed. Go through the Pastoral Home Ministry to list the names. Names will be on the list for 3 months and then be removed. Can request names to be continued after 3 months. Contact the Pastoral Home Ministry x22 or fongmt@hotmail.com Mass Intentions Sunday, April 3: Divine Mercy Sunday 7:30 am STA... Joseph Koo 9:00 am SAG... Tsung Chai Koo 10:30 am STA... Mrs. Gluesener & Family (SI) 10:30 am OLR... Alice & Leo McCarty Readings: Acts 5:12-16/Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24/Rev1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19/Jn 20:19-31 Monday, April 4: Annunciation 8:30 am OLR... Chuck Hauser 12:15 pm STA... Ann Abbott Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10/Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11/Heb 10:4-10/Luke 1:26-38 Tuesday, April 5: St. Vincent Ferrer 8:30 am OLR... Maria Trong Dinh Readings: Acts 4:32-37/Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5/John 3:7b-15 Wednesday, April 6 8:30 am OLR... Albert Bettencourt Readings: Acts 5:17-26/Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9/John 3:16-21 Thursday, April 7: St. John Baptist de la Salle 8:30 am OLR... Benito L. Viray & Marcelina Viray Readings: Acts 5:27-33/Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20/John 3:31-36 Friday, April 8 12:15 pm STA... Vince Giovannotto Readings: Acts 5:34-42/Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14/John 6:1-15 Saturday, April 9 Readings: Acts 6:1-7/Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19/John 6:16-21 Sunday, April 10: 3rd Sunday of Easter 7:30 am STA.... Mary & Tom Hamilton Readings: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41/Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13/Rev 5:11-14/John 21:1-19 or John 21:1-14 Happy Easter! Our entire Parish Staff joins together in extending to you our best wishes and all of the joy of Easter. Since Easter is fifty days long, we will have many opportunities to greet you personally and to thank you for the life you bring to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. We extend a word of appreciation to all who made donations of, or offerings toward our Easter flowers and plants, to all those involved in our Triduum Liturgies, as well as those who decorated our church. Thanks to all who sacrificed to make our Holy Week as prayerful, enjoyable, and inviting as it has been.

3 This Week s Highlights Sunday, April 3 NO Faith Formation Classes (OLR & SAG) 10:30 am...catechesis Pre-Conf 1st & nd yr (DC) 10:30 am... Catechesis K-6, Adult (ISTP) Monday, April 4 7:00 pm...rcia (SAGH) 7:00 pm...hisp. Lectors' practice (OLR) Tuesday, April 5 4:00 pm...svdp Meeting (PC1st) 6:30pm...Stanford Ministry (OLR&H) 7:00 pm...hispanic Prayer Grp (DCC) 7:00 pm...spirituality Tuesday (SAGH) Wednesday, April 6 10:00 am...adult Spirituality (PC1st) 6:00 pm... RCIA - Children (DC) 6:00 pm... S.O.U.P. (OLRH) 7:00 pm...community Life (PC1st) 7:15 pm...catechist Gathering (DC) 7:30 pm...sta Site Committee (THLib) Thursday, April 7 10:00 am...prayer Group (SAGH) 7:00 pm...1st & 2nd First Communion Catechesis (PC1st & 2nd) Friday, April 8 6:00 pm... Goretti Group (STA, THB) 7:30 pm...young Adult Meeting (KC) Saturday, April 9 12:00 pm...quinceañera (SAG) Thank You A special thank you to all those who planned, executed, and participated in our Annual Parish Seder Dinner. It truly was an educational and prayerful experience. Presider Schedule 3rd Sunday of Easter April 10, 2016 St. Albert the Great 1095 Channing Ave. Sat 5:00 pm... Fr. Mikalonis Sun 9:00 am... Fr. Luong Sun 11:00 am (Byzantine) Fr. Hernandez St. Thomas Aquinas 751 Waverley St. Sun 7:30 am... Fr. Hester Sun 8:45 am Msgr. Sandersfeld Sun 10:30 am Fr. Luong Sun 12:00 pm... TBD Sun 3:00 pm dcn. Daniel (Baptism) Our Lady of the Rosary 3233 Cowper St. Sun 9:00 am (Spanish)... Fr. Mikalonis Sun 10:30 am Fr. Mikalonis St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Spirituality Tuesday, April 5 Teaching the Holocaust in a Catholic University with speaker Dr. Miriam Zimmerman of Notre Dame de Namur University Come take a fresh look at a topic which we all know something about. Part lecture, part performance piece, part history lesson, and part prayer, this presentation will either provide some answers to your questions about the Holocaust, or perhaps, prompt you to ask new questions. This will be a view of The Holocaust through the eyes of educator, Miriam Zimmerman. 7:00 pm in the Hospitality Center at St. Albert the Great. Vacation Bible Camp Sing God s Praise! Dance for Joy! Walk with Jesus and his Family! Our annual summer camp for children ages 6 through 12 will be held the first two weeks of August (the 1st through 5th and 8th through 12th) from 9 a.m. to Noon in the Hall at Our Lady of the Rosary. Get to know more about Jesus and his family through scripture, drama, dance, music, and crafts. Throughout the two weeks we will build a Jesse Tree as we get to know Jesus ancestors. Children may attend one or both weeks. The cost for the camp is $50 per child per week. Don t let the cost keep you away: scholarships are available if they are needed. Registration forms are available on the parish website and in the vestibule at each of the churches. Contact Susan at suolsen@dsj.org if you have questions. Making A Difference We are making a difference already thanks to the Green Committee, the Building and Equipment Maintenance Committee and all the generous parishioners who funded both of our solar panel projects! An article in the latest issue of the San Francisco Archdiocese newspaper has a photo of the OLR solar panels and a mention of our parish in about the 8th paragraph. Thank you so much for everyone's support in the quest to be better stewards of our world.... The Green Committee A Night In Tuscany April 16 The Knights of Columbus Crab Dinner, Dance and Silent Auction has morphed this year into an upscale Italian dinner entitled "A Night in Tuscany" on April 16th in the Seton Auditorium after the 5 pm Mass. You will not want to miss out on this amazing event for 3 reasons: the food, the fun and the Auction! The auction is full of items, services, and events that will ensure our parish is engaged in activities for months to come. If you have a nice item for the auction, please drop it off at the Pastoral Center. If you are offering an event or service (such as babysitting, a dinner, or a wine tasting) contact Jerry Lucha directly with a brief description of the donation ( / gerald.lucha@sri.com). Get your tickets from any member of the Knights. No tickets will be sold at the door. Join us! Pray For Us Fr. Matt will be away next weekend April 9 & 10. He will be the spiritual director for an Engaged Encounter Retreat. Please keep the team and all of the couples in your prayers.

4 April 3, 2016 Weekly Stewardship Report Thank you for your generosity in this year's Easter s collection. We assure you that the love which these gifts represent will enable us to continue the work which we must undertake here at St. Thomas Aquinas. If you were not prepared for our Easter collection, we encourage you still to make your gift. Your generosity will help us more than you can imagine. Our goal for Easter was $40,000. March 20 (Week 38) Offertory by Mass: Sat, 5:00pm (SAG).....$666 Sun 9:00am (SAG)... $2,571 Sun 9:00am (OLR)... $1,104 Sun 10:30am (OLR).. $2,442 Sun, 7:30am (STA)... $1,277 Sun, 8:45am (STA)... $1,140 Sun 10:30am (STA).... $804 Sun 12:00pm (STA)....$668 Mail $925 Online Giving $2,763 Total $14,360 Weekly Goal $11,500 Thank you for sharing God's Gifts! Rejoicing in God s Mercy ADA Update ADA Goal: $135,000 * Pledged: $148,593 Pledges: 276 * Average Pledge: $538 % of Goal: 110% * Potential Rebate: $13,593 It is still not too late to make a pledge or gift to this year s ADA. Use your Visa or MasterCard, make an Electronic Funds Transfer from your checking account, or donate online at dsj.org. Anything raised above our ADA goal will directly benefit our St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and our always plentiful un-budgeted repairs to our buildings and grounds! Widow & Widowers Meeting April 7 Come join us on April 7, 2016 for a tour of the Mansion and Gardens of Filoli. We will meet there at 11:30 a.m. for an on your own lunch which you will choose cafeteria style and pay for before joining the group outside to eat. At 1:00 we will have a docent led tour for about two hours. You will need to be able to stand and/or walk for that amount of time. The cost is $15.00 per person per tour plus whatever you spend on lunch. Please call Irene with questions and to reserve your spot by March 25th, (650) Checks can be brought to the March Meeting or dropped off at the Parish office at 3290 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto before March 25. Carpooling may be an option. Greeting Card Ministry Join us in Kerry s Korner at Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Sunday, April 10, after the 10:30 am Mass to make greeting cards for use by the Pastoral Home Ministry Team. Ages 16 and up only please.

5 Welcome new parishioners to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish! We encourage you to register as members of our growing family. Please your name, address, and phone to Current members please contact the Pastoral Center to update your information. KEY REFERENCES DC... Dermody Center DCCh Dermody Center Chapel OLR.. Our Lady of the Rosary Church OLRH OLR Church Hall KC... OLR Kerry s Corner PC... Pastoral Center SAG.. St. Albert the Great Church SAGH SAG Hospitality Ctr. HOLY SACRAMENTS Please contact the Pastoral Center at for more information. Anointing of the Sick: Every first Friday at the 7:15 am, 8:30 am and 12:15pm Mass. Christian Initiation: Become a Catholic or renew your Catholic faith (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) as an adult, youth or child. Funeral: Arrange for a Funeral, Memorial Mass or graveside service for a loved one. Infant Baptism: Preparation may begin before or after the birth of your child. Marriage: Arrangements need to be made at least six months prior to the proposed marriage date. ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE STAFF, & COMMITTEES Main Phone: (650) Business & Operations Manager: Chuck Tully ext. 20 ctully@dsj.org Admin Assts: Cathy Miller ext. 24, camiller@dsj.org; Ron Aranha, raranha@dsj.org Pastoral Stewardship Council: (every 2nd Wed. 7:00 pm OLRH) Chair: Steve Carter (SCarter@aslcpa.com); Vice-Chair: Anne Morrison (ahbert55@aol.com); Secretary: Gabe Kralik (gabekralik@thujaglobal.com) SESS.. St. Elizabeth Seton School SESA. SES Auditorium STA... St. Thomas Aquinas Church THB.. STA - Thomas House Basement THD.. STA - Thomas House Dining Room THL.. STA - Thomas House Library Community Life: Anne Morrison (650) Green Committee: Katia Reeves (katia.reeves@sbcglobal.net) Human Concerns Committee: Chair: Paul Chestnut (650) St. Vincent de Paul Society: (650) For truck donation pickup (650) Parish Site Committees: STA: Kay Williams ; OLR: Chris Lundin clundin@stanford.edu; SAG: Pat Briggs (650) ; Kathleen Hart (650) ; St. Elizabeth Seton School (Daughters of Charity): 1095 Channing Avenue (650) Principal: Evelyn Rosa Advancement Director: Danielle Ambler (650) STA Photography: (650) , photography@ paloaltocatholic.org PALOALTOPHOTOG/SpecialR1 Stanford Hospital Chaplaincy: Fr. Samuel Nkansah - Stanford Chaplain (650) Lucile Packard Children s Hospital Chaplaincy: Rev. Diana Brady (650) Widows/Widowers Group: Lorraine Dabney (650)

ZFor the Sick & Homebound Fr. Thierry Geris, Terry Flynn, Tina Reyes, The Fourth Sunday of Lent. God Waits. Mass Intentions.

ZFor the Sick & Homebound Fr. Thierry Geris, Terry Flynn, Tina Reyes, The Fourth Sunday of Lent. God Waits. Mass Intentions. God Waits The Fourth Sunday of Lent Today's liturgy invites us once more to visit the Gospel of the Prodigal Son. A son that in very offensive ways asks for his inheritance even before his father is dead.