St. Robert's Catholic Church Bulletin, January 9, 2005

St. Robert's Catholic Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road, San Bruno, CA 94066

Tel: (650) 589-2800

PARISH BULLETIN
January 9, 2005
Baptism of the Lord

Dear Parishioners,

I, Yahweh, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you:
I have appointed you as a covenant of the people and a light of the nations.
Ps 42:6-7

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. This celebration comes very soon, just one week in the church calendar, after the magnificent feast of the Magi, where we see the Wise Men or Magi falling down in adoration before the infant in the manger. They offer homage to a little baby. They follow their heart and not their eyes to recognize Our Lord’s presence.

Now this week we see John the Baptist submitting to the will of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and performing the ritual of Baptism. John was rewarded for his acquiescence to Jesus’ request by seeing the heavens open and the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him, and hearing a voice from heaven tell him,

“This is my Son, the Beloved, my favor rests on Him”.

What were John’s reactions to this scene? What were his followers? John recognized Jesus but did his disciples? We were never told, but we do learn a great lesson from those two incidents in recognizing the presence of God in the unexpected. Yahweh is taking us by the hand every day and helping us to serve the cause of right in our family, community, neighborhood, nation and world. We must be willing to be lead by Him.

This month and year we must imitate the Magi and bring/send gifts of money, food, water, clothing and comfort to our sisters and brothers in Southeast Asia. God is there in the midst of disaster and suffering. It is very hard to recognize Him there. The ravaged areas of the world are calling out for our help and assistance and we cannot ignore nor neglect our God-given Baptismal duty and call to be

“a light to the nations”
and
“serve the cause of right”.

Sister Patricia

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

To the men and women who worked long and hard decorating the church. It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL .

To the Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers, Ushers, greeters, choir members, musicians and those that help plan the Christmas Liturgies. You made it come together so spiritually.

To the parishioners, their out of town families and friends who helped bring our Christmas collection this year to $36,965.35 .

To the community of St. Roberts who, through the year, come together to love and support one another.

May 2005 bring you peace and joy.

For this we are grateful,
St. Roberts Pastoral Staff

Monday - January 10 Readings: Heb 1:1-6 Mk 1:14-20
Mass Intention	6:30 8:30	Lonnie Ross † Lois Kane †
School Open House St. Vincent de Paul	6:00p 7:00p	Classrooms/Hall/Mahoney Rm St. Bruno's Main Hall
Tuesday - January 11 Readings: Heb 2:5-12 Mk 1:21-28
Mass Intention	6:30 8:30	Dan Drew Charles & Rita Agius †
Faith Sharing Group Religious Education Legion of Mary Faith Sharing Group Liturgy Committee Mtg. Youth Ministry	9:15a 3:30p 6:30p 7:00p 7:00p 8:30p	Mary's Chapel Hall/Church Library Convent Chapel Mary's Chapel Hall
Wednesday - January 12 Readings: Heb 2:14-18 Mk 1:29-39
Mass Intention	6:30 8:30	Angelina Svedise † Garth Klingensmith †
7th Grade Cheerleading Choir Practice Bible Study	3:00p 7:00p 7:30p	Hall Church Convent Chapel
Thursday - January 13 Readings: Heb 3:7-14 Mk 1:40-45
Mass Intention	6:30 8:30	Mrs. Flood † Tash McMahon †
Religious Education RCIA Parish Council & Staff Fil/Am Group	3:30p 7:00p 7:15p 7:30p	Hall/Church Convent Chapel Mahoney Room Hall
Friday - January 14 Readings: Heb 4:1-5:11 Mk 2:1-12
Mass Intention	6:30 8:30	Sipeni Mosess Langi Anthony Attard †
8th Grade Cheerleading	3:00p	Hall
Saturday - January 15 Readings: Heb 4:12-16 Mk 2:13-17
Mass Intention	8:30 4:30	Tony Lucey † Kelley Gallo †
Sunday - January 16 Readings: Is 49:3,5-6 1 Cor 1:1-3 Jn 1:29-34
Mass Intention	7:30 9:30 11:30 5:00	People of St. Robert's Warren McHugh † William Davenport † Mike Gigliotti †
Fil/Am Choir Religious Ed/Confirmation Youth Mass Youth Ministry	10:00a 3:00p 5:00p 6:00p	Hall Hall Church Hall

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS

After re-reading the beautiful cards you received during the Christmas Season, you really don’t want to just throw them away. They can have a second life. Send the front portion of each to:

St. Jude Ranch for Children
101 St. Jude Street,
Boulder City, NV 89005

The children there will turn them into new cards and use the proceeds to make their lives happier. They will take cards for all occasions too.

Please do not bring your cards to the rectory.

Applications for Kindergarten for the 2005/2006 school year will be accepted at the school office January 10th thru January 14th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Child must be 5 years of age by September 1, 2005. Please have copies of the child’s birth certificate, baptismal record, Social Security card and a check for $30 to cover the testing fees.

St. Robert School, mindful of its mission to be witness to the love of Christ for all, admits students of any race, color and national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at this school. St. Robert School does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, and national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex or disability in administration of educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administrative programs.

WALK FOR LIFE WEST COAST

32 years later...on January 22, 2005 the Walk for the Life West Coast will challenge the idea that abortion has been a good choice for women. Make history—join thousands from all over the West Coast as we walk along San Francisco’s historical waterfront in celebration of life. Come show support for everyone hurt by abortion. The Walk for Life will begin at 11 a.m. at Justin Herman Plaza. For more info—call (415) 586-1576 or visit our website www.walkforlifewc.com.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Next meeting will be, TOMORROW, January 10th, 7:00 p.m. at St. Bruno’s Main Hall.

COMPUTER CLASSES RESUME

Saint Robert’s will be offering Computer Classes again this semester. Classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., in the Computer Lab beginning January 22nd thru March 5th. If you are planning to take the Computer Class we are asking you to call in to the Rectory. These classes will be a continuation of our Fall Classes and will review Computer Basics, Internet, E-Mail, etc. Plus new skills will be taught. New applicants are welcome. There is no fee.

CONSOLATION MINISTRY

Saint Robert’s Grief Support Group will hold the next meeting on January 22nd in the Convent Chapel from 3-4:15 p.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 for support and strength. God Bless you in your sorrow. For more information call Sister Patricia at 589-0104.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

On Sunday, January 23rd, we will have the Anointing of the Sick during the 11:30 Mass. The Anointing of the Sick is a special sacrament celebrated by those who are elderly, sick in mind or body. We invite you who do have infirmed, homebound or elderly relatives or friends who would like to receive this sacrament to bring them to the Anointing.

SAINT ROBERT'S CHURCH LIBRARY

Spiritual reading is available at St. Robert’s after the Masses on Sundays. Please take a few minutes either before or after Mass and check out a book or two that interests you. You may keep your book until you have finished reading. We have some books on the Library cart in the foyer but we have many more in the Library/Reconciliation room (over 800 books). Enjoy reading!

JUNIOR LEGION OF MARY

Any young Catholic between the ages of 7—17 is invited to join the St. Robert’s Junior Legion of Mary. You must have a strong love for Our Blessed Mother, a desire to make her better known and appreciated. You must be willing to attend a meeting every week (on Sundays, for approx. 1 to 1-1/2 hours) and willing to do some good works during the week. Final details will be given when you sign up. If interested please, call Sister Patricia 589-0104 or contact any Senior Legion of Mary member.

AIDS LUNCH
January 12th

We are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you can prepare a favorite cookie, snack or lunch item for 10 to 12 people, please drop it off at the Children's Chapel, in the back of Church, by 9 a.m. on January 12th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items can be donated.

We appreciate your help!

Women’s Retreat

By the time you read this, our parish Women’s Retreat will be less than a month away! Saturday, February 5th, at 8:30 am, we’ll gather at Mercy Center for presentations, quiet time, a lunch (made by someone else!) and small group sharing, finishing by 3 pm.

Ash Wednesday is February 9 this year, amazingly, so this day will be a wonderful way to begin our Lenten journey. If you’d like to register, please e-mail me at

sistersheral@saintroberts.org , call Donna McGuigan or call me at 589-2800 to register. There are also fliers at the church entrances if you’d rather fill out one of those and drop them by the rectory or school with your $30 donation. We have a room which accommodates 40, so register soon! If you’d like to help plan the day, please let Donna or myself know this week, so that we can set a date to plan.

MERCY CENTER
2300 Adeline Dr.
Burlingame, CA
(650) 340-7474

February 18-20
Meditation Intensive Weekend
Gregory Mayers, C.S.S.R.
Cost $195/165 Commuter

March 6th - 1-5 p.m.
From the Depth to the Height:
A Lenten Journey Through Meditation, Dance and Music
Carla De Sola and Suzanne Toolan, RSM
Cost $35

SAN DAMIANO RETREAT CENTER
P.O. Box 767
Danville, Ca 94526-0767
(925) 837-9141

February 11-13
Men's Lenten Retreat
Looking for Love in all the Right Places
Gavin Griffith, OFM
$170/$140

February 13 - 1-5 p.m.
Day of Dialogue
Richard Purcell, OFM
No cost

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
THIS SUNDAY
January 9th

an afternoon of reflection
for St. Robert's Confirmation Candidatess & Sponsors
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Hennessy Hall
followed by attendance at 5:00 p.m. Liturgy

WORLD YOUTH DAY 2005

For Young Adults from 18-35 who would like to celebrate their Catholic faith with peers. It will be in Cologne, Germany with a 4 day pre-pilgrimage to Munich, Dachau and Fussen beginning August 11th thru the 22nd. Bishop John Wester will be joining us. Fundraising and scholarships are available to subsidize the $3,000 cost. We will begin meeting in January 2005, so register today! For more information, contact Mary at (415) 614-5596, www.sfyam.org.

This weekend January 8th & 9th,
the 2nd collection will be for the relief of those stricken by the devastating tsunami in Asia.

The Black and Indian Home Missions collection will be
next weekend, January 15th and 16th.

As a Parish Community...We pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, permanent deaconate and religious life. May many men and women walk in the footsteps of Jesus and courageously give themselves to him.

Dear Parishioners
PLEASE NOTE

We will list the names that we have been asked to pray for during the week. We continue to ask each week that parishioners pray for the chronically ill of our parish.

If you have a friend or loved one in need of our parish prayers please call the Rectory at 589-2800.

Also, please remember our Emergency prayer network that prays for specific intentions that require a concerted effort due to their critical nature. To facilitate the network, please call Michele Pipinich at 589-4963. The network people then pray frequently for the next 72 hours. We would appreciate a return call with the outcome so we can praise God for His faithfulness:

This week we pray especially for:
Janet Quintana, Donna Glass and Mary Shick

Our sincere sympathy to the families of
Shirley Rider &
Bernice Vitorelo
who died recently.

Scripture Classes will resume this coming Wednesday, January 12th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Convent Chapel.

All are welcome.

We will study the Gospel and letters of John.

THE CHURCH IS OPEN

Remember you can always come to Church and visit with God to find some peace. You will find St. Robert's Church open from 6:30am Mass until 5pm. As you're going to or from work or school or on your way home from shopping why not come in and thank the Lord for the gift of his love.

God's peace will refresh you.

by Sister Sheral

Thank You, One and All!
If you were present for one of the Masses last weekend, you had the joy of hearing the petitions in many languages. Since the magi came from the farthest corners of the earth to greet the Child Jesus, it seemed fitting to have some of our parishioners who also come from various countries and cultures remind us that the good news of Jesus has indeed spread throughout the world. Many thanks to those who shared one of the general intercessions in their (or their parents’) native language! These parishioners and their languages were:

Sr. Ita and Sr. Vianney, Gaelic
Rose Larson, Jomarie Moresco & Brian Mifsud, Italian
Jessie Mifsud, Punjabi
Jeannette Scanlan, Samoan
Ana Kimoto and Emily Gonzales, Spanish
Andrew Kimoto, Japanese
Ibrahim and Hanaydah Dababneh, Jordanian
Martha and Peter Fernandez, Tagalog
George Khoury, Palestinian
Therese Idiart, Basque
Heidi Beck, German
Martine and Michelle Blumenthal, Dutch
Linda Cuddy, Greek
and
Terry Thompson, Tagalog and Cebuano

Aren’t we blest to have a taste of the universality of the reign of God here in our own parish! May our hearts be open to share the gift of faith with those who are still searching for God and for meaning in their lives.

This weekend, we hear the wonderful readings of the Lord’s baptism in the Jordan. “Why does the Christmas season extend as far as this feast?” you might ask. “Because this is why Jesus was born,” I answer, “to come to know himself as the beloved Son, then to teach, heal, suffer, die, be risen from the dead, ascend to heaven and send us the Spirit.” How would we live differently if each morning we reminded ourselves that we, too, are beloved sons and daughters of the Lord! Jesus spends 40 days in the desert grappling with the meaning of this revelation given at his baptism. Only then, does his public life begin. What if we spend a piece of time each day grappling with our own call as Christians? What kind of person is God calling me to be? To what service or ministry might the Spirit be nudging me? Might reflection on these questions form the basis of a fitting New Year’s resolution?

Peace and every blessing in the new year!

Good-bye Christmas
A thousand thanks to all of you who made donations towards the Christmas d�cor! Many people, regulars and visitors alike, have commented on how beautiful the church looks. If anyone would like to help us “take down Christmas” we’ll be doing that this Tuesday, January 11th, after devotions at 9:15 am. “Many hands make light work,” so if you can even give us one hour, it would be most appreciated.

Thank you.