Welcome back! Hopefully, the joyful experiences of family and friends during these days away will stay with us during the times when we miss them and wish they were closer! I was one of those traveling on Dec. 31, leaving Sacramento at 8:45 am and arriving home in Belmont at 6:15 pm. I knew that I-80 had some troubles, but I had no idea how bad things were. 680 was closed at Cordelia Junction and 101 at Marin City had already flooded. I arrived in Fairfield at 10:45 am, (usually a 45 minute trip) to find I-80 closed at the West Texas exit. I spent an hour and a half at the Westfield Marie Calendar’s where waitresses couldn’t have been more attentive to me, though they were short-staffed because employees couldn’t get there. I ventured out again, only to find myself exiting at the very next exit! A local couple walking gave directions to the next exit, so I joined hundreds of cars creeping down one of the main drags. 45 minutes later, we were turned around, since that exit had also flooded. Everyone was very patient and polite, letting each other make u-turns and periodically, asking the driver in the next lane if he or she had a clue where we were going! I decided to go back to Sacramento since the freeway in that direction was clear. Once I arrived, one of our Sisters suggested that I take I-5. That hadn’t even occurred to me! I did and arrived home about three hours later.

I learned a lot that day. I was safe and warm, in a good car, with a cell phone and a credit card. What about those who were running out of gas and didn’t have the money to buy more? Or those who are paid hourly and for whom missing work would mean grave difficulty for their families? A few hours of discomfort and I was impatient. What about all those who waited and waited in Mississippi and Louisiana in life-threatening situations, having lost everything, without proper clothing, food or much hope that help would come? I learned a lot that day.

During this coming year, may the Word-made-flesh help us to see his presence in the goodness of people and to learn from the unplanned for and often, unwanted events of our lives.

Rev. Thomas L. Poisson will speak at all the services about a ministry providing direct relief to the poor throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Father Poisson will share what he has witnessed about Food For The Poor’s mission to care for the destitute as a means of living out the Gospel mandate to love one another.

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.

An Enchanted Evening of Sacred Music
Sunday, January 22nd at 7 p.m.
Kohl Mansion
2750 Adeline Drive in Burlingame

This evening honors Sister Suzanne Toolan, RSM, composer and performer of sacred songs, enabler of sacred music of our lives and co-founder of SVdP’s Catherine’s Center of San Mateo County.

The program features the Schola Cantorum of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, directed by John Renke, and will include Sister Suzanne’s composition, “God’s Gradeur”, from the poem by Gerard Manly Hopkins

 Letter Dated December 27th from
Padua Dining Room
Saint Anthony’s Church
Menlo Park

Dear Parishioners,

On behalf of myself, all our volunteers and the poor we serve, I wish to thank you for your generous donation of so many wonderful gifts for our “Toys for Tots” program here at St. Anthony’s in cooperation with the Menlo Park Fire Department.

We began distributing the toys at 6:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve and finished at 1:00 p.m. There were over 2000 children waiting patiently, some slept in the parking lot the night before. Thank God there was no rain and it was not as cold as expected. You can’t imagine the joy on their faces as the children picked out their gifts. It’s as special for those volunteering as for those receiving! Special thanks to Rob and his helpers for their timely delivery.

Thank you again for your continued support and please know that we appreciate your generosity.

May God bless you for sharing in our “outreach” programs here at Saint Anthony’s!

Sincerely,
Betty Steidel,
Toy Program Coordinator

Letter dated December 22nd from
The Presentation Sisters
Long Beach Mississippi

Dear Parishioners of St. Roberts,

Peace and blessings to you all at this Christmas Season. It is with a heart full of gratitude and thanks that I write this letter on behalf of the many victims of Hurricane Katrina who have benefited greatly from your kindness and generosity.

Yesterday I received a package of gift cards for various store around here to the amount of $3,360.00. These cards were collected through your Adopt-A-Family Program. These cards will be divided between St. John Parish and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish.

I wish you could see the joy and delight and relief on the faces of those who receive these cards. Through your care and concern for others you bring light into the darkness of so many needy people, just as Jesus was a light to the people of Israel.

I want to thank you and your wonderful parishioners. You have a great parish. You will be forever in our prayers as we continue to thank God for the many people who have helped us in so many ways. May you be blessed, and may the New Year be filled with many graces and blessings.

Spiritual Reading will be 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 interest you. You may keep the books until you have them read. We have some books on the Library cart but we have many more in the Library/Reconciliation room.

It’s the Feast of the Three Kings, “Little Christmas” for some cultures and the coming of La Befana for others. This feast dispels the Jewish belief that the Messiah would come for them alone; they were (and still are) the chosen people, but the Gift given them was to be shared with all humanity. The Magi represent all the nations of the known world for whom Jesus is the Savior. The beautiful readings for Christmas and for the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, give way to readings this week with a lot of tension. Herod wants to kill this newborn babe who threatens his throne and the Magi are warned in a dream not to return with the news Herod has requested. The first reading from Isaiah is lovely, but takes on a different tone when we realize that it is addressed to people returning from exile, people who have lost everything and have little to return to. Isaiah has the audacity to proclaim that God’s light will shine on them again and that all the nations will walk by that light. The tension between their reality and the vision presented must have been palpable. Though everything they experience is to the contrary, the prophet invites them to live and be nourished by this promise. But they must wait in hope for hundreds of years.

Jude Siciliano, OP adds: “If we believe that the light has already pierced the darkness and will overcome it someday, then we can set about confronting darkness in any of its myriad manifestations. If we believe the promises God has made to us, then we can imagine ourselves and our world differently and thus live as “children of light.” Our lives will be what the star was to the magi, a light in the darkness that leads others to Christ...Epiphany is a feast for our imagination. The Word of God invites us today to believe things can change, that the future is open and, no matter how difficult, dreary and discouraging our present may be –anything is possible.” (www.opsouth.org/preachers exchange)

God knows how much our world needs hope! We have been saved, so we needn’t worry about it, but only need to let people know the God who set us free. Peace, S. Sheral www.saintroberts.orgThank You!
I need to express my heartfelt thank you to Tom Dachauer and his crew; Peggy and Greg Hart and their sons; Una Uniacke; the Halili family; and the many confirmation candidates, whose labor and love transformed our church into a beautiful place in which to celebrate the coming of the Promised One. Wholehearted singers and musicians, well-prepared lectors, inspiring homilists, faith-filled Eucharistic ministers, and attentive servers made this a special Christmas. Much as we comment about the four times a year Catholics, the folks who were with us for the Christmas masses were all people of faith as evidenced by their praying and singing with us as a community. Filled with tragedy as this past year has been, we were signs of hope, light in the darkness for each other as we gathered to celebrate the Lord of Light.

Applications for Kindergarten for the 2006/2007 school year will be accepted at the school office starting January 30th through February 3rd, from 9 am until 3 pm. Child must be 5 years of age by September 1, 2006. Please bring copies of the child’s birth certificate, baptismal record, social security card and a check for $30.00 to cover the testing fees.