Of all the stories in the Gospels, the story of Lazarus being raised is one of the few in which I can imagine myself being present. I can see myself in the crowd wondering what the teacher is going to do. I can relate to Mary and Martha telling Jesus “If only you had been here sooner.” I can understand myself agreeing with the objection to removing the stone from the tomb. I can imagine my doubt when Jesus says “Lazarus Come Out.” Sure, Jesus was a great teacher, and he has been able to do some amazing things, but this man has been dead for FOUR DAYS! He has already started to decompose! Does Jesus really expect Lazarus to hear His voice? It’s IMPOSSIBLE!!

I’m sure there were many doubters there that day, I would have been one of them. Yet, the impossible was accomplished. Lazarus heard the voice of his Lord and came out of the tomb. It truly was a miracle. Jesus gave life to a dead man.

Jesus calls out to us as well, he commands us to repent and to believe the Gospel. Although it does not seem like it to most Christians, this command from our Lord is equally absurd a Jesus saying “Lazarus Come Out.” By ourselves, we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sin. Jesus commanding a spiritual thing, namely repentance and faith, from a spiritually dead person is no different than him commanding the physically dead Lazarus to come out. In both cases, there is no way for the person being commanded to fulfill the command. Lazarus did not hear the command of his Lord and decide to come out of the grave. He did not perform 7 steps to be raised from the dead. He did not decide to come from the grave of his own free will. Yet he came out of the grave, only by the power of the Word of God.

In the same way that Lazarus’ physical death prevented him from obeying the Lord’s command, our Spiritual death prevents us from repenting and believing of our own free will. It is only by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God (whether it is present in the Written Word, Preached Word, or the Sacraments) that the command is obeyed. It is only by Grace that we are brought to faith in Jesus Christ. It is only by Grace that we are saved.

I wish to thank you for all your prayers during my wife’s stay in the hospital. She is now fully recovered and doing well

As a Parish Community we pray ... For those preparing for the Easter Sacraments and for each of us. May we renew and profess our baptismal vows with conviction and zeal.

Our sincere sympathy to the families of
Sandra Growney,
George Boisson,
Wallace Burton,
John Presutto and
Richard Ippolito, Jr.
who died recently

AIDS LUNCH
March 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 March 12th. Please pack the items in a non-returnable container. Frozen items are ok!

Thanks to everyone who contributes!

CONSOLATION MINISTRY

Saint Robert’s Grief Support Group will hold a meeting on March 29th in the Convent Chapel from 3:00 p.m.-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 and comfort you in your sorrow. Call, Sister Patricia 589-0104 or any of the consolation Ministry Committee.

**Consolation Ministry Committee meets after the 8:30 a.m. Mass in Mary’s Chapel on the first Wednesday of every month. If you are interested, you are welcome to join us.

Kevin Imbimbo and members of our choir invite all of us to a Tenebrae Service, Palm Sunday March 16^th at 2:30 pm at St. Matthew’s Church, 1 Notre Dame Ave. San Mateo. Many of us had the opportunity to attend this same type of service last year here at St. Roberts and found it very moving. Choirs from several churches will provide the music and the readings will take us from Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem to his crucifixion. This service sets the mood for the rest of Holy Week and helps prepare us for the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday/Easter. Please come and be renewed.

MEMORIAL EASTER FLOWERS

Easter flowers will decorate the Church during the Easter Season. If you would like to make a donation of $10 toward their purchase in memory of a loved one, please fill out the form below and return it to the Parish Office by March 19th. A memorial list will be published in the bulletin.

During our spiritual life, often we fall. Falls—great and small—can and do offer us an opportunity to grow closer to our God, provided we are sincerely repentant. Jesus says to each of us, “Come to Me all who are heavily burdened: I will refresh you”. We have a simple, but wonderful means to do this—The Sacrament of Reconciliation. We come together as Parish family to confess our sins; receive God’s merciful forgiveness; be reconciled to Him and return home burden-free and filled with joy. On Monday, March 10th at 7:30 p.m., we will celebrate our Lenten Penance Service, here in our church, along with parishioners from St. Veronica’s and Mater Dolorosa.

Operation Bed Nets

This weekend’s gospel is the raising of Lazarus. Due to lots of people’s efforts, many parents in Africa will be able to raise their children without their being debilitated or killed by malaria. Some folks have wondered which countries are bed nets are going to. I don’t know, but can tell you that the countries most affected by malaria are the following: Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We recognize many of these names from tragedies we’ve read about in the news. Several of these nations are considered “failed states;” some, like Kenya, have recently had grave civil strife. Liberia has its first woman president who is lobbying to have the country’s debt forgiven so she can build up its infrastructure, educational and health systems. Our help is going to the poorest of the poor. Thank you, St. Robert’s parishioners, for your donation of $895 this weekend.

The Social Concerns Group

GOOD FRIDAY WALK

Join the members of 6:30 a.m. daily Mass and Communion Service on their 15th annual silent walk up to the top of Junipero Serra Park in San Bruno (weather permitting). Meet at 6:30 a.m. sharp in St. Robert’s parking lot (Crystal Springs Avenue side). Wear layered clothing and sturdy shoes. All ages are welcome. Our approximate time of return to the parking lot is 8:30 a.m. Hope you can join us for this beautiful walk.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND LENTEN SUPPERS

On each Friday during Lent (except for Good Friday), Stations will be held in the Church at 6pm. A light supper consisting of soup, salad, bread and fruit will follow in Hennessy Hall. This is an opportunity for us to pray together and for members of our parish family to get to know one another. Please put what you would have spent for your usual Friday dinner in the basket on the serving table. Your donation will allow our St. Vincent de Paul Society to bring food to our sisters and brothers who are in need. On Friday, March 14th, Father Paul will lead the Stations. The Women's Guild will host the supper. Together we can practice the three Lenten observances which are:

PRAYER—STATIONS OF THE CROSS
FASTING AND ABSTINENCE—A LIGHT MEAL
ALMSGIVING—A DONATION TO ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

GOOD FRIDAY CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
March 21st

We invite the children of the Parish and their friends to join us in Hennessy Hall March 21st from 1:30p.m. to 3p.m. While you attend Good Friday church services they will have the opportunity to partake in many craft projects relating to Lent and Easter.

Pre-registration would be helpful to insure that we have sufficient material for each child. You can call MaryAnn Saisi or Michelle Blumenthal. Please leave your child’s name, age and a phone contact number. Doors will open at 1:15p.m. Last minute registration will be accepted at the door. We ask that you please pick up your child at the end of church services.

BED NET DONATIONS

If you didn’t have a chance to pick up a blue envelope for your bed net donation, they are in the vestibule of the church.

   
The Raising of Lazarus
Today’s gospel is so very human! Jesus’ close relationship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus is clearly evident and their frankness with him is unmistakable. Martha upbraids him for waiting for days after they sent word of Lazarus’ illness. “If you’d been here, my brother would not have died!” (Jn.11.21) In other words, “What took you so long? What was more important than coming here?” When Mary meets Jesus, she says the same thing. On seeing Mary and the Jews with her weeping, “Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled.” (11.33) Then Jesus wept. When they get to the tomb, Martha, practical as always, says, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” After he prays to his Father and they roll away the stone, he commands, “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus does.

John’s community who wrote this gospel has Jesus explain to the sisters that his delay was so that they could see the glory of God in his action. Perhaps, he weeps in regret for the pain he has caused them in the meanwhile. The raising of Lazarus, besides showing God’s power over life and death operative in Jesus, is important for another reason. It is the last straw for the Pharisees and chief priests who decide after they hear of this event that Jesus must die. Otherwise, too many people will believe in him, and “the Romans will come and destroy our holy place and our nation.” (11.48) So Jesus will die for a political reason – he is radically disturbing the peace; and for religious reasons – he cures on the Sabbath and, by calling God his Father, blasphemes. And ultimately, he will die because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” (Jn.3.16) As we celebrate Palm Sunday next week and enter into the holiest week of our Christian year, let us remember that it was love which enables Jesus to hand over his life completely into his loving Father’s arms. Franciscans have always taught that Jesus would have come if we hadn’t sinned to demonstrate in an unmistakable way how much God loves us. Peace, S. Sheral

P.S. Last year, the orchids and cala lilies which so many of you brought to decorate the Altar of Repose in the hall for Holy Thursday were lovely. They helped to make the hall conducive to prayer. If you have orchids and calas in your yard, could you please bring them to the rectory or with you to Mass by Wednesday, March 19th? Thank you.

SUNDAY COLLECTION

    
SIGN UP FOR E-CONTRIBUTIONS

Go to www.saintroberts.org and click on the e-contributions button. The first page explains the details. There is a button to take you to the e-paluch registration page. You can register online using either your checking account or credit card.

There is no cost to you for this service.

ARCHBISHOP'S ANNUAL APPEAL

As of 2/26/08 149 Families have pledged $34,500.10.
Thank you for your donation.

HERE's THE
2008 CENTERPLATE SCHEDULE

March 15th and 16th

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Mass

Sunday, 7:30 a.m. Mass

Sunday, 5:00 p.m. Mass