Last week I heard a wonderful interview on NPR, FM 88.5 with Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan woman who received the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004. She started a tree-planting campaign in Nairobi in 1977 that along with trees produced a grass-roots women’s rights and environmental rebellion composed of rural African mothers. That and her anti-corruption campaign landed her in jail during the 1990’s. 30 million trees attest to the success of her Green Belt Movement to overcome deforestation and provide women with income from growing the trees. She is also now a member of parliament under a new president who is committed to ending corruption and bettering the lives of the people.

Why a peace prize for an environmentalist? Because, as she says, “many of these conflicts [in the world] are being fought over resources. And so we are advocating for better management of our resources, more equitable distribution of these resources, which can only take place if we have a truly democratic space in the world.” She spoke of the effects of deforestation: poor people cut down trees for fuel or income, rains come and wash away the topsoil, causing flooding downstream and farmers to receive less yield from their crops. Trees lessen the erosion and stop the downward spiral. In the interview, she also spoke about the crushing weight of debt which countries like hers are trying to repay. In the 1970’s, Wangari says, banks were eager to lend money to corrupt dictators at huge interest rates, though they knew that the dictators operated without any accountability to their people. As part of the millennial celebration of the year 2000, all major religious leaders, including the Holy Father, pleaded with industrialized countries to forgive the debt of the poorest countries. Kenya spends 40% of its income to pay only the interest on the debt, leaving it way too little to provide even basic education, healthcare or infrastructure for its 30 million people. She also called on the world community to open up trade opportunities and to provide affordable drugs to fight AIDS and malaria.

COMMUNAL RECONCILIATION SERVICE

Tuesday, March 15th, 7:00 p.m.

Members of St. Roberts choir will be at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church for the presentation of the Lenten Cantata “Lamb of God” on Sunday, March 20th at 2:30 p.m. Also featured will be choir members from several parishes in the area .

Scripture is intertwined with solo and choral music in this dramatic presentation of Christ’s last days, from his arrival in Jerusalem to his final hours of suffering on the cross.

An afternoon of friends, fun and goodies to eat. Tickets will be sold after the Masses this weekend and next. For more information or to make a reservations call: Dolores Moynihan, Candie Whooley or Yvonne Giuseponi.

We Are All The Same: a story of a Boy’s Courage and a Mother’s Love, by Jim Wooten, is the next book for discussion. This is the book Msgr. Dreier mentioned in his homily last month.

ESPECIALLY!!!!
CANNED HAMS

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

Many of our parishioners have told us how very much they enjoy attending Stations on Friday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Church. There is a strong sense of family as we pray together and then share a light meal in Hennessy Hall. Stations will be led by our RCIA members and the supper will be hosted by the “In Betweeners”. Friday, March 18th. We ask that you put in the donation box whatever amount you would spend on your Friday dinner. Our St. Vincent de Paul members will see to it that your gift helps our sisters and brothers who are experiencing hard times. Come, bring your family and friends...All are invited!

St. Robert Youth present the 10th annual PASSION PLAY at 7:30 p.m. in the Church on Good Friday. You are cordially invited to witness the Passion of Christ as enacted by youth of the parish in a moving one hour presentation. Music provided by the adult choir in concert with adult and teen musicians. The Good Friday Holy Communion Liturgy will follow the Passion Play.

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, from 4-5 p.m. each day. Children can sign up on this Sunday after the 9:30 a.m. Mass in little church, or call Mary Ann Saisi.

Sister Mary says a sincere “thank you” to the members of the Women’s Guild for choosing her as “WOMAN OF THE YEAR”. She was honored at the February 14th Guild meeting. It was a very special celebration for Sister. She is very grateful to the members and to the friends/teachers from Religious Education who came to celebrate with her. Sister is particularly grateful for her years of ministry at St. Roberts and for the many wonderful people who have helped her on her journey of faith.

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Chrism Mass (March 22nd)
5 p.m.Tuesday,
at St. Mary's Cathedral, S.F.

Holy Thursday (March 24th)
Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7:30 p.m.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 10 p.m.

Good Friday (March 25th)
Silent Prayer Walk, 6:30 a.m.
(weather permitting, meet in the lot off Crystal Springs Rd.)
Stations of the Cross, 12 Noon
Celebration of the Lord's Passion, 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
Children's Liturgy, 1:15-3 p.m., in the Hall
Youth Passion Play, 7:30 p.m.
Followed by Communion Service

Holy Saturday (March 26th)
Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.
No 4:30 p.m. Mass

I need to apologize for leaving out of my last column the meaning of the symbols in the sanctuary. They are not intended to be a mystery contest. As one 7:30 am participant recalled when asked about the glass jug, the gospel that Sunday was about “the lady with the water.” The woman at the well left her jug behind as she ran off to tell the townspeople of this wondrous man she had met “who told me everything I’ve ever done.” The jug reminds us of our thirst, not just for regular water, but for the deeper meaning in our lives, for truth, for relationships that matter. Last Sunday’s gospel was the man born blind who, because of his openness, receives the light of faith. If you came to either of the evening Masses, you may have noticed that the jug was lit: our thirst quenched by the light of faith. Both of these two stories depict a gradual recognition of who Jesus is. The Samaritan woman recognizes him first as a Jew, then she calls him a prophet. When she speaks about the Messiah coming, called the Christ, he tells her “I am he.” She believes him, and takes off to tell everyone! The man born blind, similarly, comes to faith gradually as evidenced by the progression of his describing Jesus as “that man,” “a prophet,” and finally confessing his faith in him as “the Son of Man.”

This weekend, we hear the dramatic story of Lazarus being raised from the dead after four days in the tomb. The life in abundance that Jesus promises, foreshadowing his own being raised from the dead (and ours), is evident in this miracle of life from death. The last symbol reminds of that life growing in us as well, through our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Sometimes we can see spiritual growth in ourselves, when our response to a crisis changes from what it would have been a week ago or a month ago. Other times, our growth is so gradual that, like the opening of a flower, only the comment of another person can assure us that we are changing.

We seem confronted by signs of death everywhere we turn: on the news, on the ever more violent weekly shows, in the language we overhear at the mall. This last week before Holy Week, I’d invite all of us to look for signs of life. Peace.

Ecumenical Service
If you’re coming to the 9:30 am Mass next Sunday, you are invited to join us in San Bruno Park at 9:10 am for the Blessing of Palms with our brothers and sisters of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. We’ll then process to our respective parishes for our own Palm Sunday services.