Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent in “The Year of the Eucharist”. As we sat together drinking our afternoon tea while planning this letter, these thoughts came to us. Lent is our time of conversion — of change of heart. How does the Eucharist change us? The purpose of every act of Jesus’ life here on earth was His intense longing to become one with each of us. Through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, Jesus has given Himself to us totally and completely. To fulfill His everlasting desire, He gave us the Eucharist, wherein His Presence makes this union possible. He feeds us with His Body and Blood. Our reception of Him is silent, peaceful and gentle. We become one with our God.

In today’s Gospel, the blind man could not see Jesus; but He knew Jesus had touched and healed him.

With our human eyes, what do we see? A piece of bread and a cup of wine. Through the eyes of faith, what do we see?

Jesus may not be visible to us as He was to the man who once was blind; but, in this small piece of bread and in this sip of wine, we have Jesus with us even more real than did he. Jesus touches and heals each of us. He asks: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Can we answer, as did the blind man: “I do believe, Lord”?

How does the Eucharist change us? Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man and he was transformed. His life was never the same again. When we receive Jesus in Communion, He opens our eyes that we might better see and understand our God; trust in Him and love Him. We too are transformed. He makes our thoughts and desires one with His. We are now able to see our sisters and brothers as God sees them. We can now love them as God loves them. Holy Communion is not only our union with Jesus, but with one another as well. We are all bound together in one Body. Our hearts are united to Christ in love so that at all times and in all places we may show forth the image of Jesus. Our hearts are changed...we become other Christs.

God loves you and so do we,

Palm Sunday
The Children’s Liturgy Team is looking for Children (6 years of age and older) to be a part of our annual Palm Sunday presentation of the Gospel at the 9:30 a.m. Mass on March 20th. Rehearsals will be at St. Robert’s church on Monday, March 14th, Wednesday, March 16th and Friday March 18th. Rehearsals will be from 4-5 p.m. each day. Children can sign up on this Sunday and next Sunday after the 9:30 a.m. Mass in little church, or call Mary Ann Saisi.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
needs your help with non-perishiable food items

ESPECIALLY!!!!
CANNED HAMS

YOUTH GROUP EASTER BASKETS

The Youth group of the parish will be making Easter Baskets for St. Vincent de Paul in Hennessy Hall on March 8th and 15th from 8-9:30 p.m.

On each Friday in Lent Stations are celebrated in the Church at 6 p.m. A light Lenten Supper follows in Hennessy Hall. This is a time for us to pray together, eat together and get to know one another better. We ask that you put what you would have spent on your Friday dinner in the donation box on the serving table. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society will see to it that those members of our Parish family who are in need receive your help. On Friday, March 11th, Stations will be led by our Fil-Am Group and the Legion of Mary. Together they will also host the supper. Bring your family and friends.

A Lenten Thought

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 March 9th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items can be donated.

The Woman at the Well gospel last weekend presented a woman thirsting for truth who found it through her honest questioning of this Jewish stranger who wasn’t afraid to go against the customs of the day. This weekend, we hear of the Man born Blind, a story with many interesting characters. The disciples wonder (out loud and rudely) whether he has sinned or someone else has. He views him as an object for theological speculation. Jesus approaches him and cures him without his even asking for it. He is equally honest and answers everyone’s questions with what he knows, no more and no less. He probably had heard of the Pharisees’ plan to expel from the synagogue anyone who followed Jesus, but he surely couldn’t ignore what he had experienced. He refers to Jesus as “that man,” as “a prophet,” then as “a man from God,” and finally he confesses his faith in him as “the Son of Man.” He knows that the hand of God is in his healing. All those years without sight have given him great insight.

It is tempting to be very critical of the parents, but we need to remember the society of the time. If they acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, they would be ostracized from the community (since the whole community at that time was Jewish). They would be like the woman at the well: ignored at the marketplace, shunned by everyone who had been their neighbor and friend. But, by their decision, they missed the joy of their son being given a new life by Jesus’ action. Because of their fear, they couldn’t see the hand of God in this healing.

The Pharisees concluded that, since Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, he couldn’t be from God. They put the law ahead of someone’s need, unlike Jesus, and couldn’t fathom anyone connected with God breaking the law for a higher purpose. They missed the hand of God because their view of God as only a law-giver was too narrow.

     
MARRIED COUPLES
Scripture says about married people that “Two shall live as one”

How often do you find yourselves living as two? A World wide Marriage Encounter Weekend can help you get back to basics in this complicated day and age. For more information call Paul and Yvonne at (650) 366-7093.

Next SF Weekend: April 22-24, Burlingame.

WIDOWED, SEPARATED & DIVORCED WEEKEND
April 29th to May 1st
at Vallombrosa Retreat Center, Menlo Park.

This retreat helps those who have suffered a loss reevaluate themselves, their lives and move on to the future with renewed hope. For more information, call La Verne (650) 355-3978 or Ward (415) 821-3390.

VALLOMBROSA
250 Oak Grove, Menlo Park, Ca
(650) 325-5614 ext. 14

April 5th
An Evening with Ron Rolheiser, OMI
The 10 things we struggle with Today as Christians
7-9 p.m.
$15 a person

April 16th
Photography and Prayer
Carol Fowler

April 30th
The Challenge of growing older
Carol Kaplan

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

March 18-20
Silent Meditation
Opening Scripture: Uncovering Divine Light & Fire
O Barnhart, OSB, Cam.