22 Page Two 4th Sunday of Easter April 22, 2018 Calendar 23 24 25 26 27 28 10:30a CLW and Sunday School 5p Confirmation 7p SFX Liaison Meeting, Conference Room 8:30a Coffee Hour, 3:45p RE Elementary, Lower School 7p Choir Practice, Music Room 6:30p OTCF Meeting, 6:30a Altar Society, Church 8:30a Lively Seniors, HCH 6:30p Adoration with Benediction, Church 7:30p ROCCC, We pray for our sick parishioners that they may know the healing of Christ. Sandra Smith Teresita Blazon Kirk Taylor Vashie Ratzinger Jane Walsh Kathy Segura Olivia Smith Michael Castro Tom Cooper Joe Ventura Nadia Agaman Maria Sampley Felix Diaz Today, the following Confirmandi will carry Jesus message out to the world: Andrew Adkins Alberto Jose Ayala Anthony Paul Chiaravalle Thomas Stanley Chiaravalle Niko Vincent Coccio Robert Thomas Cranston Reeta Dabbous Natalie Reyna Danao Jan R. De Guzman Weston David Dunkin-Butcher Phillip Maxwell Baltazar Garcia Giselle Kyla Gerona Gonzaga Kassandra Handal Gonzalez Andrew Julian Jaramillo Seth Gabriel Jones Brandon Huy Kim Andrea Sciarra Eugenio Lopez Katelyn Eligia Lopez William Machon Daniel Patrick Maddigan Matthew Mai Nathan Yen Mai Estefano Megerdichian Alessandra Maria Mills Danielle Grace Morejon Nicolas Thuan Paglia Riley Rojas Posadas Justin Tyler Robinson Allison Michele Romagnino Tiffany Safar Marisa Elena Sanchez Crystal Joanna Sanrow Samantha Audrey Sardarov Lela Renaud Spellman Katherine Ann Treadway Ryan Jesse Zapata Adults: Danielle Nicole Coye Jessica Eliot Rebecca Sarah Penaflor Nancy L. Johnson
St. Francis Xavier Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He Knows Us By Name. Page Three A beautiful and meaningful comment on the life and legacy of St. John Paul II was made by the famous televangelist the late Billy Graham. In a TV interview he said, He lived like his Master the Good Shepherd and he died like his Master the Good Shepherd. In the Gospel today we hear Jesus saying that he is the good Shepherd. A good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) Today the Church celebrates Vocation Sunday reminding us about our vocation as the chosen people of God and the vocation to priesthood. Together with our vocation we celebrate Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Every vocation starts from the great mission of Jesus. He accepted and identified himself as the good shepherd. The life of a shepherd is very demanding. The shepherd, if he is true to the call, has to know and live with the sheep. Sheep follow only the one who is genuine and true to his work. He may even have to sacrifice his life. This is Jesus. He, accepting the mission from God the Father, came down to be with the chosen people. He sacrificed his life for them. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Everyone who follows Jesus knows that they will be cared for and protected. The vocation to priesthood and religious life is a special call to continue the mission of Jesus here on earth. It needs people who are like the good shepherds, who care, take time, and above all, do the mission of Jesus. Therefore, we have to pray for more vocations. Vocation starts from the family. It is the primary duty of every Christian family. To foster vocation a family has to live its faith in Jesus. Through their prayer life and example, they share the compassion of Jesus and encourage vocations. Let us pray for good priests and religious. PRAYER FOR VOCATION Father, in every generation you provide ministers of Christ and the Church. We come before you now, asking that you call forth more men to serve our Archdiocese in the ministerial priesthood. Give us priests who will lead and guide your holy people gathered by Word and Sacrament. Bless us with priestly vocations so that we can continue to be a truly Eucharistic Church, strengthened in our discipleship of Jesus Christ, your only Son. Raise up, we pray, men who are generous in their service, willing to offer their lives and all their gifts for your greater glory and for the good of your people. We make our prayer in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Readings for the week of April 22, 2018 Sunday: Acts 4:8-12/Ps 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,29/1 Jn 3:1-2/Jn 10:11-18 Monday: Acts 11:1-18/Pss 42:2-3;43:3-4/Jn 10:1-10 Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26/Ps 87:1-7/Jn 10:22-30 Wednesday: 1 Pt 5:5-14/Ps 89:2-3,6-7,16-17/ Mk 16:15-20 Thursday: Acts 13:13-25/Ps 89:2-3,21-22,25,27/Jn 13:16-20 Friday: Acts 13:26-33/Ps 2:6-11/Jn 14:1-6 Saturday: Acts 13:44-52/Ps 98:1-4/Jn 14:7-14 Adoration with Benediction Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: April 22, 2018 April 28, 2018 People of St. Francis Xavier Ezio Figliuzzi & Rosalee Garcia Roy & Yasuko Otsuki Virginia Albert & Pura Antonio Emerita Sevilla & Robert Wilson Evelina Alba & Eustacio Mendoza People of St. Francis Xavier
Page Four 4th Sunday of Easter April 22, 2018 Rejoice and be glad! We are blessed with a new apostolic exhortation from our Holy Father, Gaudete et Exsultate ( Rejoice and Be Glad ), which is a beautiful and practical reflection on the meaning of our Christian lives. The themes of the pope s exhortation are close to my heart. All of us, every baptized Catholic, need to understand how important we are, what our lives mean in the eyes of God, in the light of his beautiful plan for creation. The meaning of our lives is to be saints, to be holy, each in his or her own way, the Holy Father says, quoting the Second Vatican Council. The pope speaks personally to each one of us. You need to see the entirety of your life as a mission, he says. That mission is to follow Jesus on the path to holiness to live as children of God and to try to become like Jesus; to be holy as he is holy. Do not be afraid of holiness, the pope says. You will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. We are all called to be witnesses, Pope Francis writes, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness. This is one of my favorite passages from this new exhortation: We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by laboring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain. One of the saints said that wisdom consists in doing the next thing. This is true also about holiness. And the pope takes this same approach: This holiness to which the Lord calls you will grow through small gestures. Throughout this exhortation, he holds up the witness of ordinary people doing ordinary things. He even speaks of the middle class of holiness. He finds holiness in parents raising their children with love, men and women working hard to support their families, in the smile of a person who is sick and burdened. He celebrates unknown or forgotten women who, each in her own way, sustained and transformed families and communities by the power of her witness. And he reminds us that since the early Church, the family has been the cradle of holiness and that mothers and grandmothers have always been the first teachers of holiness. He adds: Their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord. Pope Francis also wants us to know that holiness is personal, but it does not isolate us from others. To follow Jesus means we need to seek with him the kingdom that he came to bring. Your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace, the Holy Father writes. In strong language, the pope reminds us that true holiness is expressed in living generously and with great concern for our brothers and sisters. There is much more to say about Rejoice and Be Glad. I pray that you will take time in these 50 days of Easter to reflect on it. - excerpted from ANGELUS, New World of Faith by Archbishop Jose H. Gomez
St. Francis Xavier Calling All Vendors! We are currently looking for vendors and crafters interested in hosting a booth at the Old Tyme Country Faire this year on June 8th through 10th. If you are interested, please contact Nancy Willard in the Parish Office at 818/504-4400 or nancy.willard@sfxburbank.com. Congratulations to SFX student Emma Clegg, who was chosen to sing as a finalist in the upcoming charity singing contest, Burbank Singing Star! You can watch Emma and the other finalists perform at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Burbank Singing Star is produced by the Kiwanis Club of Burbank in conjunction with the Music Junction, and proceeds benefit students in music programs. Tickets and more details can be found at www.themusicjunction.com/bss. Parish Goal: $44,850 Amount Pledged: $43,420 Amount Paid: $33,471 If you haven t made your donation to Together in Mission yet this year, envelopes are available in the back of the church. Thank you for your generosity. Tickets for the Sistine Chapel Choir s first-ever performance in Los Angeles are on sale now. The Pope s Choir from Rome will perform during their muchanticipated U.S. National Tour at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on July 23, 2018. The choir is comprised of a high accomplished group of 20 professional singers, chosen from all around the world. The treble section, known as the Pueri Cantores, is made up of 35 boys aged between 9 and 13, who are selected through rigorous auditions. They are known for playing an active part during papal celebrations in St. Peter s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel itself. Tickets are available at sistinechapelchoirtour.com or axs.com. Shred Day at St. Francis Xavier SAVE THE DATE! Page Five Our annual Old Tyme Country Faire will be here soon and we are looking for items for our awesome Silent Auction. Each year we solicit businesses in the community for donations of merchandise, gift certificates, professional services, or promotional items. No donation is too small and all donations are tax-deductible. For more information or to make a donation please contact Rita Recker in the Parish Office or call 818/504-4400. SFX Parishioners Barbara and Jessica Bocek, the JB Premier Team at Rodeo Realty, are hosting a shred event at St. Francis Xavier on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 9 a.m. to noon or until the truck is full. Why shred? To avoid identity theft, help the environment by recycling and protect your personal information. Examples of what to shred: Tax returns Photo IDs Bank statements Voided checks Employee pay stubs Credit card information Copies of sales receipts Documents containing sensitive information such as name, address, phone number or email Employment records Eucharistic Minister Training Please join us for our next Eucharistic Minister Training on May 5 at 9:30 a.m. in the. Led by Deacon Jaime, the training is available to anyone interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister or to those who would like a refresher course. Hope to see you there! Come early, grab a doughnut and coffee, and sign up to win a $50 gift card to Nordstrom. RSVP or questions: email Jbocek@rodeore.com.
Page Six 4th Sunday of Easter April 22, 2018 March Parish Collections Thank you for your generosity and support for St. Francis Xavier Church. 1st Week: 2nd Week: 3rd Week: 4th Week: Electronic Monthly: Don t forget to mark down these dates of upcoming events at SFX: Sun., April 22 Confirmation, 5 p.m. Wed., May 2 First Communion Rehearsal, 3:45 p.m. Sun., May 6 First Communion Day, 1 p.m. Sun., May 13 Baptism Sunday, 1 p.m. Sat., May 19 Baptism Workshop, 10 a.m. Fri., June 8 through Sun., June 10 Old Tyme Country Faire St. Francis Xavier is on Social Media! Follow us so you don t miss out on our great events and activities. @LoveSFX Twitter St.francisxavier Instagram St. Francis Xavier Facebook $19,410 $ 8,159 $ 7,245 $ 8,312 $12,324 Total Contributions: $55,450 2018 Working Together to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Brochure The Office of Safeguard the Children annually publishes the Working Together to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse brochure, which provides an up-to-date listing of the policies, programs, resources, contact numbers and other important information on how the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is working to prevent child sexual abuse. Copies of the 2018 brochures are available in the parish vestibule or visit: http://www.la-archdiocese.org/org/protecting/ safeguard/pages/capm.aspx. Welcome to St. Francis Xavier Parish! We invite you to become a member of our community! Thank you for printing neatly and dropping in the collection basket or Parish Office. Name: Address: Email DIRECTORY OF MINISTRIES Annulments Deacon Jaime Baptism Bereavement Ministry (Funerals) Children's Liturgy of the Word Confirmation Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick (818)767-5630 First Eucharist (Grades 1 & 2) Marriages Pastoral Ministry to the Sick (818)767-0407 Quinceñera R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) Reconciliation by Appointment Peace & Justice Ministries (818)504-4428 Interested in engaging in the spirituality of Justice call Food Pantry Environmental Stewardship Advocacy Formation & Leadership Program Community Outreach