Bishop Tobin of Ohio recently wrote the following words to his people. Give them some thought.

Dear Friends in Christ:

"Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day’" (Jn. 6:53-54).

These words of Jesus remind us as clearly as possible of the centrality of the eucharist to our Catholic faith. The eucharist is, in the simplest yet most profound of terms, the source of life. In giving us the eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus gave us his very own body and blood, a priceless gift, one that enriches our spiritual lives here on earth and leads us eventually to the perfection of eternal life in heaven.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us again of the importance of the eucharist in the life of the Christian:

"The eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life...For in the blessed eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the church, namely Christ himself...By the eucharist celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life...In brief, the eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith" (Nos. 1324-1327).

The teaching and lived experience of the church have helped us to understand more fully the many dimensions of the eucharist. It is a sacrifice - the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; it is a sacrament - the real presence of Christ under the forms of bread and wine; it is a meal - the same memorial meal Jesus shared with his apostles at the Last Supper; it is a liturgical celebration - a public proclamation of our faith in sign and symbol.

The eucharist is an inexhaustible mystery; to be loved, to be lived."

I hope the eucharist means this to all of us.

This year’s Parish Picnic will be held on August 29th at Beckner Shelter. Please mark your calendars!!!

We pray for the ill: Blake Interdonato, IIlar Schoenstein, Don Landers, Tony Coogan, Koret Koelman, Terry McLeod, Adela Florez, Ana Cosgaya, Peter Capodonicco, Rosemary McHale, Arthur Candia, Margarita Velez, Sandra Dill and Jane Bousquet.

We pray for the repose of the soul of Robert Bush and offer our sympathy to his family.

Once again, we are about to participate in the annual Collection for the Works of the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence). This year’s collection theme, "We are a People of Hope", reflects the Church’s focus on hope in this second year of preparation for the celebration of Jubilee 2000.

Hope, says the Holy Father, gives meaning and value to life. In Open Wide the Doors to Christ, a framework for preparation for Jubilee 2000, the U.S. bishops ask, "What is the source of hope for the future? It is the Holy Spirit in the world today, the promise of God’s love for us and his presence among us. The Spirit, alive in our world, gives us hope that in opening the doors to Christ, we can achieve great things".

How do we, as people of hope, reach out to those who know great suffering and struggle to find hope in the midst of difficult circumstances?

One of the many ways we can reach out is by supporting the charitable works of the Holy Father through this special collection. This annual appeal enables Pope John Paul II to respond with emergency assistance to victims of disaster, continue his pastoral care for the Church, and spread the gospel message throughout the world.

Join Barbara Elordi, Program Coordinator
Catholic Charities - Archdiocese of San Francisco

2nd and 4th Tuesdays
7:00 - 9:00 PM

St. Dominic’s Room - Cortez Avenue
(next to church)

TUESDAY, June 16th
Legion of Mary, 6:30 PM.......Library

WEDNESDAY, June 17th
Teens, 7:00 PM.....Hall
Choir, 7:30 PM.....Church

THURSDAY, June 18th
Council, 7:00 PM.....Library

FRIDAY, June 19th
In-Betweeners, 7:00 PM.....Hall