Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 4, 2018

Transcription

1 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 4, Addison Street, Berkeley, CA Phone (510) Fax (510) info@stjosephtheworkerchurch.org STAFF Rev. Kenneth Nobrega In Residence: Rev. Raphael Okitafumba Deacon José Manuel Pérez, Permanent Deacon Eddie Valladao, Sacristan Gloria Maldonado, Parish Secretary, Safe Environment Coordinator Elizabeth Oishi Comly, Parish Events Coordinator MONDAY-SATURDAY Mass: 9:00 am SUNDAY Mass: 8:00 am Confessions: 9:45 am Mass: 10:00 am Mass: (Spanish) 11:30 am WEDNESDAY EVENING Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: 6:00 pm 7:00 pm Confessions: 6:00 pm 6:45 pm MINISTRIES Baptism/Bautismos Deacon José Manuel Pérez Platicas: Los domingos. Para otro dia llamar a la oficina. Lectors/Lectores Chris Notti (English) Erika Guerrero (Español) Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Tita Brodt (English) Ruben Araujo (Español) PARISH OFFICE HOURS Tuesday thru Friday 9:00 am 6:00 pm (Closed 12 Noon 1:00 pm for lunch)

2 + + St. Joseph the Worker Beautiful Liturgy - Reconciliation - Healing THIS WEEK AT ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER On Wednesday Evenings Holy Hour, Confessions and Rosary Prayer Group Every Wednesday evening we have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 6:00 7:00pm with Confessions available from 6:00 6:45pm. The Rosary & Devotion Prayer Group meets at 7:00pm following the Holy Hour. All are welcome. Sant Egidio Community The Community of Sant Egidio meets every Thursday at 7:00pm for prayer in our church chapel. All are invited to join for prayer and for some Christian fellowship. PARISH OFFICE HOURS Gloria Maldonado, our office secretary is ready to welcome and assist our parishioners and visitors. St. Joseph the Worker Parish Office Hours are from Tuesday thru Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm (closed noon to 1:00pm for lunch). Dear Visitors and Guests: Our basic mission at St. Joseph the Worker is to offer God's people beautiful liturgies, healing & reconciliation. If you have been blessed by your visit to St. Joseph, please consider blessing our parish with a gift. Through generous donations by faithful people like yourself, we intend on restoring this historic church back to its former glory, little by little. You can make a safe, fast and easy one (1) time donation or a recurring donation with the ease of your smart phone through PUSHPAY. Follow these steps below: Step 1) Enter the number: Step 2) Enter the letters SJW in the message section. Masses - February 4, :00am Fr. Raphael Okitafumba 10:00am Fr. Kenneth Nobrega 11:30am (Spanish) Fr. Rafael Chavez TODAY S READINGS First Reading Job experienced months of misery and troubled nights (Job 7:1-4, 6-7). Psalm Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted (Psalm 147). Second Reading I have become all things to all, to save at least some (1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23). Gospel Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases (Mark 1:29-39). Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time; World Day for Consecrated Life; St. Agatha St. Paul Miki and Companions Thursday: St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita; International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking Saturday: St. Scholastica Have a Special Prayer Request? You can easily place a special prayer request thru our new St. Joseph the Worker Parish APP on your mobile device. Our APP name is: SJW Berkeley Would you like to have a Mass offered in honor or memory of someone? It is easy, stop by our parish office or Gloria Maldonado, our parish secretary at: gloria@stjosephtheworkerchurch.org If you have a particular date in mind, let us know and we will try and accommodate you. The suggested donation is $ MASS INTENTIONS Sunday February 4th 8:00 am St. Joseph Parishioners 10:00 am Myrna Gregory 11:30 am Jesus Morales + Wednesday February 7th 9:00 am Pauline Wright + Thursday February 8th 9:00 am Joseph "Joe" Hurlimann + Friday February 9th 9:00 am Lydia Price

3 February 14, 2018 Ash Wednesday Mass Schedule Illuminate our church with devotion and prayers. 9:00am 12:15pm 7:00pm Spanish TIRELESS DISCIPLESHIP The stories we ve been hearing these weeks come from the very first chapter of Mark, and they show us the public ministry of Jesus in its infancy. Today s account shows some of the strain or adjustment of his new life of preaching the reign of God, healing the sick, and casting out demons. Notice that after sunset, when darkness ended the workday, people brought the sick and possessed to Jesus. The following day he rose before dawn to get away by himself to pray, but to no avail. Simon Peter and the others don t just look for him, they pursue him, filled with the fervor that his ministry has incited. With the self-sacrificing example he gave until the end of his earthly life, he tells his followers that this is his whole purpose. Through Mark, he is also telling the early church, and he is telling us, that this is our purpose, our vocation: to be tireless in our pursuit of proclaiming the Good News, and in bringing the healing, reconciling touch of Christ to the world. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. Give back to God & help TEXT: Thank You! Your votive candle is a silent but visible sign of prayer and devotion. Why Light a Votive Candle? A Votive Light is a "silent sentinel" and can burn for your special intentions or for someone who is in need of prayers. This is a thoughtful expression of your sentiments and best wishes for any occasion. Your Votive Light can be an act of faith and charity - the light is a symbol of the sacrifice you have made in behalf of someone else - and it is a silent reminder of your prayers for them. Unlike a regular purchase, a votive candle donation is an "offering" made to God through the intercession of the Saints which also helps support our St. Joseph the Worker Church's mission of beautiful liturgies, reconciliation and healing. Your prayerful votive offerings are "lighting up" our church with beauty and prayer. Thank you, and may God bless you. Need A New Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation or Marriage Certificate? Sacramental certificates from St. Joseph the Worker can be obtained from our parish office usually within one or two business days. We kindly ask for a $25 donation for each requested certificate which will go towards the support of St. Joseph the Worker Church. Please contact Gloria Maldonado our parish secretary at (510) or gloria@stjosephtheworkerchurch.org

4 She responded to the Lord and immediately served Him out of gratitude. The fact that today s Gospel from Mark makes reference to Jesus curing Peter s mother-in-law would seem to point to the fact that Peter was married. However, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that the wife may have died before Peter was called by Jesus as an Apostle. In fact, there are many misconceptions about St. Peter. For one, although often portrayed as much older, he was probably younger than Jesus. In fact all 12 Apostles were most likely younger than Jesus. Also, Peter is often presented in paintings and movies and books as being a very old man, but historians have also concluded that Peter was martyred in Rome when he was about 66 years old. He was never the old, old man in his 80 s we see quite often. All of that is secondary to a simple statement in today s Gospel about the mother-in-law. Specifically, St. Mark writes, He (Jesus) approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. St. Matthew reveals this same fact in his Gospel (Matthew 8:15), and he writes, He (Jesus) touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. The message for us is very basic. Peter s motherin-law responded to Jesus the same way we should when Jesus blesses us. She responded to the Lord and immediately served Him out of gratitude. That should be our motivation, and action, as well. V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with Thee; Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary, etc. V. And the Word was made Flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. LET US PRAY Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. [The LORD] tells the number of the stars and calls each by name. Psalm 147:4

5 St. Theresa of Avila on the Power of Holy Water By Father Carota In St. Theresa of Avila s autobiography, chapter 31 we read about her belief in the power of Holy Water: he went away. I then began again and he came back. I think I began the prayer three times and not until I had sprinkled some holy water on him could I finish it. St. Theresa of Avila said she would die for one drop of holy water since what gave it it s effectivity was the precious blood of Jesus. She believed this because of the ancient saying that you say when blessing yourself with holy water. By this holy water and by thy Precious Blood wash away all my sins, O Lord. From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. The also flee from the cross, but return; so holy water must have great value. For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation. In fact it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a refreshment which I cannot possibly describe, resembling an inward joy which comforts my whole soul. This is not fancy, or something which has happened to me only once, it has happened again and again and I have observed it attentively. It is let us say, as if someone very hot and thirsty were to drink from a jug of cold water: he would feel the refreshment throughout his body. I often reflect on the great importance of everything ordained by the Church and it makes me very happy to find that those words of the Church are so powerful that they impart their power to the water and make it so different from water which has not been blessed.. One night, too, about this time, I thought the devils were stifling me; and when the nuns had sprinkled a great deal of holy water about, I saw a hug crowd of them running away as quickly as though they were about to fling themselves down a steep place. I will only describe something that happened to me one night of All Sous Day. I was in an oratory: I had said one nocturne and was repeating some very devotional prayers which follow it they are extremely devotional: we have them in our office book when actually the devil himself alighted on the book, to prevent me from finishing the prayer. I made a sign of the cross and PRAYER TO ST. JUDE Are you faced with a desperate situation? The prayers to St. Jude printed below help remind us that nothing is impossible with God, even help when you re at your wit s end. Considering that thanksgiving notes appear in newspapers to this patron saint of desperate cases, praying to him must have some effect! This prayer, courtesy of the Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude Dominican Friars, is wonderfully straightforward: Most holy Apostle, Saint Jude Thaddeus, friend of Jesus, I place myself in your care at this difficult time. Help me know that I need not face my troubles alone. Please join me in my need, asking God to send me: consolation in my sorrow, courage in my fear, and healing in the midst of my suffering. Ask our loving Lord to fill me with the grace to accept whatever may lie ahead for me and my loved ones, and to strengthen my faith in God's healing powers. Thank you, Saint Jude Thaddeus, for the promise of hope you hold out to all who believe, and inspire me to give this gift of hope to others as it has been given to me. V. Saint Jude, Apostle of Hope R. Pray for us!

6 St. Raphael, a powerful healer for anyone suffering right now. by Phillip Kosloski properties. Raphael was disguised as Tobias travel guide, and in this tradition he is often invoked by pilgrims. On the way back home, Raphael and Tobias stopped at the home of Tobit s kinsmen the parents of Sarah. Tobias and Sarah fell in love, and on their wedding night Tobias pledge of chaste love, stirred by Raphael s angelic power, defeated the demon. Returning home with his bride, Tobias laid the fish liver on Tobit s eyes and his blindness was healed. At the marriage feast of Tobias and Sarah, the family turned to thank Raphael, who only then revealed himself as an archangel. The word Raphael in Hebrew can be rendered as, God heals, Divine Healer, or Remedy of God. His angelic mission on earth is to heal, which is very important for those suffering in any way. The archangel's name in Hebrew means "Divine Healer." Among the three archangels named in the Bible, St. Raphael is probably the least known. This is likely due to the fact that St. Raphael is only found in the Old Testament (and there only in a book not considered canonical by Jews or Protestant Christians), while Gabriel and Michael feature prominently in the New Testament. Below is a prayer to St. Raphael for any intention you may have, especially for anyone you know who may be hurting right now. In light of recent events, all of us should pray for the healing of our country, and all those suffering in mind, body or spirit. Traditionally, Raphael had a separate feast celebrated on October 24, though recently his feast was combined with those of the other two archangels on September 29. St. Raphael is a powerful intercessor whom we should not forget, especially during times when we are most in need of healing. Raphael is found in the Book of Tobit, where he reveals himself as a healer of mind, body and spirit. The first part of the biblical story narrates the life of Tobit, a righteous Jewish man who took upon himself the burial of the dead even when it was forbidden by his Assyrian captors. Tobit became blind after bird droppings fell into his eyes. The blindness lasted for several years and sent Tobit into a deep anguish, creating in him a desire to die. At the same time there was a woman named Sarah who was tormented by a demon. She married seven times, but each time her bridegroom was killed by the demon on their wedding night, before the marriage could be consummated. She too was deeply depressed and wished for death. St. Raphael was sent to both. He brought about their healing by accompanying Tobit s son, Tobias, on a journey to find a special kind of fish liver with healing Prayer Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the medicine of God I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (here mention your special intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

7 'Do not be afraid': Fighting fear with faith. Eight ways to overcome anxiety and place our trust in God. Exclusively for you. This path. This challenge. This calling right here, right now. And you re... afraid. Hopeful. (Perhaps God misdialed.) Dumbfounded. ( I thought you really knew me, God, but I can tell from this that... ) And humbled. (Really? Me? Wow!) God commands us to fear not, but too often we re worried about the unknown. Scripture seldom has an angel begin a visit with Hello. There s no How are you? Yes, to a young woman in Nazareth it s, Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you. Then, seeing her reaction: Do not be afraid, Mary. Time and time again, it s Fear not, Do not be afraid or some variation on that theme. Perhaps in Aramaic, Hebrew or another ancient language used by the people of Old and New Testament times, those were the equivalent to our own Hey, it s OK. Or Yeah, I know, but just be cool. Fear not is asking a lot of anyone under those circumstances. Then the angel delivers the particular message and, because we know the end of the story, everything seems to be relatively fine. A little bumpy at times, certainly, but spoiler alert God takes care of him or her, and it all works out in the end. Accepting God s call Maybe it would be more comforting for us, even perhaps easier to believe, if just one of the recipients of those messages, with eyes cast upward, had said, Are you kidding me, God?! Because, let s be honest now, isn t that how you feel? Isn t that what you want to ask when it seems pretty clear God has revealed a bit of his plan for you? But, again, let s be honest: Mostly, you re terrified. Just as, it seems likely, so was every character in the Bible who was visited by an angel and told to fear not. Every character who did what God asked him or her to do. Every character who not only had the God-given gift of faith but then used that gift, no matter how frightened or unsure he or she was. Not just with the angel s appearance and message, but also at some points along the way of the path on which God had set his chosen one. (Mary was frightened later? Well, it seems safe to speculate her blood pressure was up during the three days she and Joseph searched for Jesus before finding him in the Temple.) Facing fears A few points to keep in mind. 1. Faith and fear aren t mutually exclusive. Imagine a stained-glass window with a Venn diagram (you know, one circle intersecting another). The first is blue: faith. The second is red: fear. The middle, the intersecting part, is purple. There can be a lot of purple. A great jumble of faith and fear (in a penitential color, which seems pretty darned appropriate). 2. Fear is easy. We can do it when we re an infant. We can do it when we re 100-plus. We can and do fear at every step and stage in between. Faith takes two things: God and you. To quote the glossary from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it s both a gift from God and a human act by which the believer gives personal adherence to God who invites his response. 3. What about fear of the Lord? Again to quote the glossary, it s one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that ensures our awe and reverence before God. We aren t God s peers. We owe him everything. But, to quote St. Gregory, We do not render true service to God so long as we obey from fear and not from love. Maturely acting on faith isn t based on our concern for God smiting us; its foundation is our love for the God who loved us first. And always will. Perhaps a way of looking at it in human terms is this: We don t want to let him down. - Bill Dodds OSV Newsweekly

8 5 Ways to Sanctify Your Day By David Guzman We all live busy lives, rushing to work, running errands, and navigating rush hour traffic. With all the busyness, it s hard to live a prayerful life and be mindful of God s presence, even if we want to. But ultimately, quietness comes from within, and incorporating holy habits into our lives can help us keep recollected in the midst of all the noise and chaos of the modern world. Here are 5 simple ways to slow down and live a more peaceful and prayerful life. 1. Spend time in prayer in the morning Trust me, I know how hard it can be to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. The feeling of grogginess can be hard to shake. But is important to start the day with prayer. In my own experience, my day is productive and peaceful in direct proportion to my ability to get out of bed and spend time in prayer and spiritual reading. When I do this, I find myself more peaceful, more patient with others, and more recollected to God s presence throughout the day. But when I hit the snooze button, the rest of the day, including my interactions with others, seems to suffer. I know it can be difficult to know what to do when you make time for prayer, so I will share my own morning routine in a future post. 2. Say a Hail Mary before beginning work When I sit down at the computer, my first impulse is to start anxiously checking s and reading my favorite news websites. Instead of giving into this impulse, however, I have gotten in the habit of saying a Hail Mary before I do anything else many times before I even turn on my computer. I ask Our Lady to bless my day and guide my priorities. My work day is inevitably less stressful and hurried when I start it in this way. 3. Say the Angelus The Angelus is a beautiful, time-honored prayer that reminds us of the miracle of the incarnation and the importance of conformity to the will of God. It is also a great way to pause, turn your heart to Our Lord, and take a deep breath, so to speak, in the middle of a hectic day. Traditionally, it is prayed at the noon hour, so maybe you could start your lunch break by praying it. We don t all have jobs where we can pray the Angelus, but if you do, I would encourage you to set an alarm and pray it tomorrow. 4. Pray the Rosary The rosary is one of the most popular and well known Catholic prayers, and for good reason. When prayed with concentration and devotion, it is one of the best prayers we can pray. Our Lady of Fatima asked all the faithful to pray the rosary daily, so it should be the one prayer we manage to pray, even if we can t make time for anything else. Consider praying the rosary after dinner. It is a great way to spend time with Jesus in Mary at the end of your day. If you have a family, pray it as a family. If you can t find time during the day, try praying in the car on the way to work. Whatever you do, pray the rosary. 5. Examine your conscience before bed Sin is a reality, and chances are, we are saying, thinking, and doing things that are displeasing to God throughout the day. If you don t think so, you are deceiving yourself. Go to bed with a clean conscience by examining yourself daily. Pause before bed, cast your mind s eye over your thoughts and interactions with others, and ask yourself if you ve done anything displeasing to God. Then, think of Jesus crucified, full of love for you. Tell him you are sorry for your failings and resolve to do good by saying an act of contrition. Conclusion It is easy to get distracted and forget God s presence throughout the day. Reminding ourselves of God s presence often requires sanctifying our day with good daily habits. Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge! - Psalm 62: Addison Street, Berkeley, CA Phone: (510) Fax: (510) info@stjosephtheworkerchurch.org