“He, Yahweh, is merciful, tenderhearted,
Slow to anger, very loving,
And universally kind: Yahweh’s tenderness
Embraces all his creatures. Ps. 147

As we start a new season, Autumn or Fall, we should keep in mind that though the seasons change, our God-Yahweh never changes. He remains tenderhearted, kind, loving and forgiving to all of us, His children. This psalm is an invitation to us to put God first in our lives and to communicate with Him daily through prayer and good deeds.

Prayer is powerful and we should never neglect or underestimate its power . Most of you probably remember from your school days how our prayer should spell out the word ALTAR. A=Adoration, L=Love, T=Thanksgiving, A=Asking, R=Reparation. Our prayer should not always be a “give-me” type of prayer, though Our Lord Jesus did encourage to ask His Heavenly Father for all our wants and for the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters.

Right now we have many sick and homebound in our parish who are in dire need of your prayers. Should you know of a neighbor or a relative who is sick or homebound and can not come to Mass, we ask you to inscribe their names in the Prayer Book in the church (near Mary’s Chapel) or ask that one of us to take Holy Communion to them. This way we can bring their pain and suffering to the Lord. Miracles still happen but only through Prayers. Let’ start this Fall season by renewing our efforts to pray daily for those among us who are still suffering.

The Church Is Open

St. Robert's Church is open before the 6:30am Mass until 5pm. As you're going to or from work or school or are on your way to the park, why not come in and thank the Lord for the gift of life and the beauty of these days?

“We have to a great extent rationalized abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, the death penalty and suicide. We have worked hard on the vocabulary of rationalization, calling abortion — the ‘termination of pregnancy’; infanticide — ‘the only humane choice’; euthanasia — ‘mercy killing’; suicide — ‘creative deliverance’. But deep within us we know that each of these euphemisms conceal a lie, a rationalization. Deep in our hearts we know that life is God’s precious gift to us .”

Mother Teresa tells us that we all need to find God and that He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. “God is the Friend of silence”. In the silence of our hearts, He will speak to us, if we stop talking and give Him a chance, if we listen, if we are quiet. David in his Psalms sings: “Be still and know that I am God”. (Life in the Spirit by Mother Teresa.)

The sacraments have always been important to us as Catholics. When the Second Vatican Council was announced by Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959, a three year process of preparation began, culminating in the opening of the Council on October 11, 1962. Part of that preparation included careful historical research going way back to the very earliest evidence of the Christian community gatherings. From that research and the conversations of the Council Fathers - bishops and cardinals from throughout the world -came renewed understanding of the heart of the sacraments. Though the centuries, the manner in which they were celebrated had “suffered injury through accidents of history” as the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #50 expressed it. The simple meal Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper, for example, had become a highly formalized ritual in a language no one understood and in actions no one could see. The Council Fathers, after much debate, let go of the preference for the Latin language and allowed the sacraments to be celebrated in the vernacular- the language of the people- and with the celebrant facing the congregation. They stated that “All the faithful should be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people’ (1 Peter 2.9, cf.2.4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #14)

Prior to Vatican II, most of us had been taught that the main parts of the Mass, those you needed to be present for to fulfill your obligation, were the Offertory, the Consecration and the Communion. One of the fruits of the Council was the realization that hearing the Word of God, was equally important; thus, the description of the Mass now as the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Since we have the joyful challenge of having fuller Masses now that everyone is back from vacation, we noticed that Communion was taking an inordinate amount of time, somewhat out of balance with the other important parts of the Mass. So last weekend at all the Masses except the 7:30 am, we added another Communion station in the very back with the hosts by the center doors and the cups by the side aisles. On those Sundays when we are very full, those standing and those coming down from the choir loft should receive Communion first, followed by the last rows, the second to the last rows, etc. The people in the last rows to receive can then join whichever line they choose. We have no intention of rushing people; rather our hope is that by distributing Communion in a reasonable time, all of us can stay focused on the Body and Blood of the Lord whom we have just received. May we more and more become His presence to our world, so in need of his mercy and love.

Women’s Retreat Day

The Sisters of the Presentation will be celebrating 150 years of service in the Archdiocese of San Francisco starting on November 13th. To launch a year of celebrations, the Sisters are presenting for benefactors, and friends a theatrical interpretation of their history.

Dancers, singers, and actors are being sought for roles in this production. A variety of ages and talents are needed for these open and non-paid roles. If you are interested in participating, please come to an audition on Thursday, Sept. 9th, at 7:30 p.m at 281 Masonic Ave. 3rd floor, S.F.,

Celebrate your marriage by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. Upcoming dates: October 22-24 in Burlingame.

We strongly urge all parishioners to register, to become informed on key issues, and to vote. The Church does not support or oppose any candidate but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues. We do not authorize the distribution of partisan political materials on parish property. For information on Catholic teaching about citizenship and public issues, please go to www.usccb.org/faithfulcitzenship.

(two choice times)
Monday, October 2nd at Noon or
Monday, October 4th at 7:40a.m. before school

Join us in the Upper School Yard, 347 Oak Avenue

Saint Robert’s will be offering Computer Classes starting on Saturday. Classes will be held on 8 Saturday mornings. To tailor the instructions to the needs of the class we are asking you to register by calling the rectory at 589-2800. You will be asked to fill in a very short questionnaire to help the instructors with the planning. The classes will cover: Computer Basics, Internet, Email, Outlook Express and hopefully other topics you request.

Saint Robert’s Grief Support Group will hold their next meeting on October 9th in the Convent Chapel from 3-4:15p.m. (before the 4:30 p.m. Mass). Anyone who is suffering from the loss of a loved one—spouse, sibling, child, parent friend or relative is invited to come and pray, share, comfort and be comforted. You are invited to bring a companion as for support and strength. God Bless you in your sorrow.

TIPPS

Toddlers, Infants, Preschool Parents Social.
Next meeting is Friday, October 8th, 6:30 pm