Catechumenate Support Group - March 10

If you coordinate the catechumenate process (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in your parish, you have a place where you can ask questions, get some answers, and share your own stories with others who share your ministry. The Catechumenate Support Group meets every other month and is open for all who have responsibility for initiation of adults and children.

Catechumenate Support Group
Thursday, March 10, 2005
12:30p - 2:30p

note: different location
St. Lucy - Parish meeting room
2350 Winchester Blvd., Campbell

Free; bring your lunch.

For more information, contact Diana Macalintal at macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136.

FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Classifieds: Seek and Ye Shall Find

Event: Concert
Sacred Heart (Saratoga) Men’s Club is presenting a concert by the Yale Spizzwinks(?) on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 PM. The Spizzwinks(?) is the oldest underclassman a capella group in the United States. They have a unique blend of sweet harmony, original arrangements, traditional Yale college songs, jazz standards, ballads, show tunes and tongue-in-cheek humor. The concert is in Sacred Heart Church, 13716 Saratoga Avenue (south of highway 85). Reserved seating is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 14. Open seating is $10 for adults and $5 per child. There are group discounts available for choirs or music groups. Call 408-370-9030 for tickets and information.

Available: Organ
Holy Family parish has a 1925 Kilgen organ available to any parish that might be interested in having an organ in their worship space. It does need some work to maximize its potential, but it is in working condition (though it's been in storage for awhile). They would be grateful if someone had funds to make an offer on this organ, but they would also be happy to see it find a good home where it might be an asset to the worship of a commnity. If interested, please contact Susan Olsen at 408-265-4040.

FILED UNDER: CLASSIFIEDS

5th Week in Ordinary Time

I confess: I am a makeover junkie. I have seen almost every episode of Trading Spaces, What Not to Wear, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Now before you hand me my penance for my addiction, there’s something I’ve noticed about these makeover shows. These are not your typical shows in which a person is put under the knife to undergo thousands of dollars of unnecessary plastic surgery in order to feel better and in the end finally realize that it really wasn’t worth it. What has moved me to embarrassed weepiness when I watch these shows is seeing a person be really transformed, not because of new clothes, makeup, a fancy hairdo, perfectly-shaped eyebrows (although that's important), a renovated kitchen, or cool hair product. The transformation happens simply because people—friends and strangers alike—get together to do something for another person so that they could live with more dignity, joy, and peace. Take for instance two of my new favorites: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Town Haul.

In Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (not to be confused with Extreme Makeover: plastic surgery massacre), a struggling family is chosen to be given a completely new home, built on their home’s existing lot. A team of carpenters, designers, plumbers, and electricians meet with the family, not to show them designs and plans but just to get to know their story. They play with the kids, look at family photos, hear about their work, learn their hobbies, and listen to their fears for the future. Then they send the family on retreat at a spa or vacation resort to be pampered while the team builds their new home. Throughout the week, local businesses come and donate supplies and services, local artisans create beautiful woodwork, stone paths, and paintings for the new home, and neighbors, classmates, friends, and relatives help paint and hammer, sometimes creating video greetings from far away friends for the family’s homecoming. The big "reveal" is filled with many tears of joy and appreciation from the family and all those who built their home.

In Town Haul, an entire town commits to rebuilding and renovating the homes, businesses, and lives of some of its own members. In one episode, one local affectionately called “Cowboy Bob” was given a completely new home. Bob and his dog live in the outskirts of town in a small cottage. He lost the use of his legs, does not drive a car, and gets around only by electric scooter. The town decided they wanted Bob to have a home in town so it would be easier for him to get to the grocery store and other places he needs to go. The town banded together to form teams: those handy with carpentry and construction work built the foundation and put up the walls; the teens painted the house; the elders sewed pillows, curtains, and bed linens; the local artisans paved a new driveway using stone carving skills they learned in Italy, the Boy Scouts built a new dog house, the town mechanic put together a new scooter for Bob.

Cowboy Bob came home, and standing along his driveway were people he knew and many more he’d never met. The transformation was evident, not in the walls or the wood, but in the hearts of everyone there. Yes, he had a new home, but more importantly, the town had a new vision of relationship in which lives are changed for the better because people work together to make it happen. In a way, the town itself was renovated and became a new home for everyone who lived there. Really, they didn’t do anything extraordinary. They simply used the skills they had, tried to learn some new ones, gave their time and attention to each other, and shared their stories. By their work and care for each other, they changed Bob’s life, but they also changed their own.

I see the sacred season of Lent in the same way. In our town called Church, we have chosen the Elect to be our focus of attention. We build for them a new home not by relegating the task to a few people (pastor, godparents, or initiation directors), but by engaging the whole town in the work. We each do our part, whether it's praying more fervently, fasting more joyfully, or giving what we have to those in need—nothing extravagant, but all ordinary actions that take on extraordinary power when we all do it together. In the end, the Elect are changed into the Body of Christ not simply because we make them over with new clothes of white or new lighting for their mantles. They are changed because they have seen and heard and known the power of God’s love in us--the power to sacrifice in big and small ways, to love our enemies and forgive those who have hurt us, to share bits of bread and wine and call it a feast, and to put another’s needs before our own.

Lent is our extreme makeover. May the practices we take on during this season not be as short-lived as a Botox injection but transform us in our deepest corners of our selves so that our lives become living signs of Christ, dead and risen.

In this edition of DSJ Liturgy Notes, you’ll find:

• Ashes to Ashes: How Our Symbols Speak
• Five More Lenten Symbols
• What Lent Sounds Like
• Lenten Reflections Through Art
• Removing Holy Water from the Baptismal Font During Lent
• Schedule for Rite of Election
• Singers: We Need You!
• Rite of Election Music (listen to the actual music here!)
• Burying the Alleluia
• Flower Arranging Workshop – March 1
• Reverence: Revealing the Presence of God
• Three Ways to Grow in Reverence
• Eucharist: Many Ways to Describe One Mission

May our lenten spring cleaning bring us to new life!

Diana Macalintal
Associate for Liturgy

FILED UNDER: OPENING ARTICLES

Ashes to Ashes: How Our Symbols Speak

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 227, February 2003.

“Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return” (Gn 3:19). This reminder is given to those who are signed with ashes at the beginning of the Lenten season. This ancient action of wearing ashes has traditionally signified lamentation and repentance (see 2 Sam 13:19, Esth 4:1, Job 42:6, 1 Macc 3:47, 4:39, Lam 2:10, Mt 11:21). Still today, this symbol speaks dramatically of both the morbid reality of being human and the joyful promise made to all God’s own.

Why do we wear ashes?
Ashes symbolize sorrow and penitence. The early church ritualized this for those who had committed a serious or “capital” sin. These “penitents” would wear a penitential garment and have ashes sprinkled on them. Then they would be excluded from celebrating the Eucharist until the Easter Vigil. (Note that a person could be a penitent only once in a lifetime.) Although the order of penitents had declined, by 1091 all the faithful were encouraged to take on the practice of wearing ashes at the beginning of lent. Today we continue this practice as an expression of “our human condition as affected by sin” (Ceremonial of Bishops, 253). We mourn for “our sin and ignorance” (Responsory for Ash Wednesday) that has kept us from keeping faithful to our baptismal promises. We are marked with ashes as a sign of our commitment to “turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel” (Mk 1:15).

Where do the ashes come from?
The rubrics for Ash Wednesday say that “the ashes used today come from the branches blessed the preceding year for Passion Sunday.” Though there is no special rite for burning palm branches, many communities have made a tradition of preparing their own ashes during the weeks before Lent.

How long do I have to wear these ashes?
There is no rubric that states that ashes need to be worn outside of the Ash Wednesday liturgy, though you’ll see many smudged foreheads at work and on the streets on that day. The wearing of ashes is meant to be a sign of our inward conversion, and, as the Gospel of the day warns, not a way to gain applause. However, this could be a way to quietly evangelize our places of work and to find support from unknown fellow Catholics.

Is it a sin to not get ashes on Ash Wednesday?
Some people believe that it is a sin to miss receiving ashes on this day. Some even believe that one would not go to heaven if he or she were not marked with blessed ashes. Neither is true. (Ash Wednesday is not even a holy day of obligation!) This of course does not mean that we shouldn’t participate in this liturgy, nor does it mean that the symbol isn’t important. Wearing ashes must reflect our desire to act from our baptismal promises. Saying “we believe” requires us to live dead to sin. Wearing ashes demands that we live alive for Christ.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Five More Lenten Symbols

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 227, February 2003.

Unlike other seasons, Lent focuses our vision upon a different kind of symbol--the living, breathing symbols of people and actions.

The Elect
They will be baptized, confirmed, and will celebrate first Communion at the next Easter Vigil. They are symbols of God’s life-giving work in the world. Their election and scrutinies are signs of God’s love for the church and God’s power over evil.

The Faithful
Lent highlights the penitential and baptismal characteristics of discipleship. The faithful are a powerful sign of these aspects as they gather each week to practice more fervently the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and to prepare to renew their baptismal promises at the Easter feast.

Praying
Prayer begins with listening and is a symbol of our discipleship. In Lent we retreat in prayer not to leave the world but to become more attuned to God in it--to become disciples who know their master’s voice.

Fasting
Fasting is a sign of our conversion--our new “viewpoint.” We fast from food, bad habits, selfish ways, and apathy. Liturgically, we fast from alleluia’s and excess music and décor. We do this not to deprive ourselves, but to aim our thoughts upon what is essential.

Almsgiving
Our love for the poor is our greatest lenten symbol. It is a sign that death has not won.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

What Lent Sounds Like

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 249, February 2005.

Contrary to our typical desert-dry liturgical image of the season, Lent coincides with spring when the daffodils planted before the winter frost begin to bloom. In some places, spring is the most turbulent time of the year. Winter snows persist and spring storms attack the tender buds of young plants and bare trees. In this hostile environment, calves, lambs and other newborns fight to make it to the gentler days of early summer.

In a similar way, the church’s most vulnerable, the Elect, are fighting their own spring battle. During Lent, the Elect, their godparents and the church community begin an intense discipline to prepare for Easter when the Elect will be baptized.

The church sees itself as a participant in this great springtime drama between life and death, good and evil, between God and the devil. From this perspective, the intense preparation by the Elect and the church is somewhat like the final moments before a great battle, and it may be when both are at their most vulnerable. It is no accident then that Lent takes place in spring.

For this reason, the sound of Lent cannot be sad, anemic or depressed. We are reminded from the start of the season, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites” (Mt 6:16). The soundtrack to this great drama must be intense. We begin Ash Wednesday with “Blow the trumpet in Zion!” (Jl 2:15), a proclamation to gather the nations. But don’t confuse intense with bombastic or loud. Silence—penetrating stillness that cuts through pretension—is our most fundamental Lenten sound.

Recall too that Lent is not exclusively about Christ’s passion, the cross, the desert or penitence. “Lent is marked by two themes, the baptismal and the penitential….[These two themes] are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 109). Use your Easter water music now, adapting the instrumentation and tempo to fit the sobriety of Lent. And save your passion music for Holy Week: “Hymns which emphasize the passion and death of Christ should be used only in the last week of the Lenten season” (Liturgical Music Today, 48).

Take musical risks. Incorporate bold styles and techniques such as blues, gospel, hymnody or a cappella singing. Take music that is usually performed gently and turn them into proclamations by singing them with a bit more force. For example, “Song of the Body of Christ” (David Haas) or “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” (Scott Soper) become fitting statements of baptismal faith when sung at a fuller more intense dynamic.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Lenten Reflections through Art

As some of you know, I go to school at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, during the summer months. The Benedictines who live, work, and teach there have always been committed to the arts and especially to exploring how art deepens our relationship with God, the Master Artist.

One way they do this is through the ancient monastic art of Bible making. Saint John's has commissioned a handwritten Bible to illuminate the Word of God for a new millennium. Every time I see a new illuminated page from their Bible, I am amazed at how the artists have given a new perspective to ancient texts.

Unlike commercial art, these illuminations aren't meant to simply be admired but to be tools for prayer, contemplation, and action. To this end, Saint John's offers a five-week online Lenten Reflection that uses scripture, reflection questions, and illuminations from the Saint John's Bible to help strengthen your lenten prayer life.

Check out the reflections and illuminations at http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/LentenReflections/default.htm.

FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Removing Holy Water from the Baptismal Font during Lent

One practice that has become somewhat popular is to remove the water from the font or cover the font completely during the Lenten season. While this may be a dramatic sign of thirsting and dryness, this practice does not in fact support one of the main themes of Lent: “Lent is marked by two themes, the baptismal and the penitential. By recalling or preparing for baptism and by repentance, this season disposes the faithful…to celebrate the paschal mystery. The baptismal and penitential aspects of Lent are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis. Hence, more use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 109).

The Congregation for Divine Worship (the Vatican committee that oversees all things liturgical) issued a response in 2000 to a request for clarification on this issue. In their response, they say that removing holy water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. This is an issue of custom, not law, and so the liturgical laws in place do not address this recent innovation. However, this practice "is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts."
2. The fasting of Lent does not include fasting from sacramentals, such as the use of holy water.

The response continues: "The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e. Good Friday and Holy Saturday)."

In light of CSL’s statement and encouraged by the Congregation for Divine Worship, removing water from the font or preventing the faithful from touching the water in the font would be detrimental to the sign of baptism that is a focus of Lent. The baptized remain a baptized people throughout all of Lent. We do not pretend to be unbaptized along with the catechumens, just as we do not pretend that Christ is not risen during Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Our Lenten practices should more explicitly emphasize our baptism so that we can recognize those areas in our lives when we are not living out the promises of that baptism. What the faithful should be hungering and thirsting for is not the symbol of their baptism but rather a world in which the faithful living out of that baptism is evident. For the catechumens, their hunger for baptism may even be heightened when there are full fonts of water, just as a person who fasts is more aware of their hunger when food is placed before them.

It would be appropriate, as is our Church's tradition, to remove the water from the font after the Holy Thursday celebration, keep it empty during Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and fill it with new water at the Easter Vigil. One possible lenten option is to use a smaller piece of purple fabric that does not fully cover the font but adds some color to the area. In this way, the lenten color signifies the season while the water in the font is still accessible as a reminder of baptism for the faithful.

FILED UNDER: LITURGY

The Writing of the Torah

By Joe and Diane Juellich
Liturgy Team members at St. Julie Billiart, San José

On Sunday, January 23rd at 3:00 PM, my wife, Diane, and I attended an Open House at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos. The theme of the Open House was the Mitzvah (commandment) of writing a Torah scroll. This is the fulfillment of the final commandment of the Torah. Congregation Shir Hadash is a community of approximately 550 families that is celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

We were greeted by Rabbi Melanie Aron, who gave us a brief history of Congregation Shir Hadash and who explained the agenda for the Open House. The agenda was in three parts – the Jewish calendar, the Writing of the Torah, and the Holocaust Torah. We were then divided into three groups, with each group attending one of the agenda items. We began in the sanctuary with the Jewish calendar.

Dianne Portnoy conducted this session on the Jewish calendar. Dianne first explained the significance of the Menorahs in the temple sanctuary. These were seven branch menorahs not the nine branch menorahs that we are more familiar with during the celebration of Hanukkah. The seven branch menorah represents the six days of creation and the day of rest. Dianne then gave a brief description of the Torah. The Torah is the first five books of the bible, written by Moses. Unlike our bible which is produced by printing presses, the Torah must be hand copied from the previous Torah. The significance here is that all Torahs are identical going back to the original Torah of Moses. Next, Dianne described the Jewish calendar. The Jewish faith celebrates many more high holy days than the Christian faith. All of these high holy days are described in the Torah along with when they are to be celebrated. The Jewish calendar is primarily lunar but with some solar influences. A copy of this year’s Jewish calendar is to the right of this article. We then proceeded to the library for the second part of the agenda, the writing of the Torah.

We were greeted by Rabbi Moshe Druin, a sofer or official scribe, who lives in Florida and travels all over the world writing new Torahs. A sofer or scribe goes through very extensive and difficult training. Even then not all succeed in becoming a scribe. Rabbi Druin explained that special parchment and ink must be used in creating a Torah. As was mentioned earlier, it must be an exact copy of the previous Torah scroll. Nothing can be added, such as the scribe’s name or date of creation, and nothing can be deleted. The entire community takes part in writing the scroll and it takes approximately one year to complete. Rabbi Druin also explained that as a scroll ages with time and use, parts will eventually be damaged. These parts can and must be repaired. When a scroll reaches a point where it can no longer be repaired, it must be buried. We then proceeded to the school for the third part of the agenda, the Holocaust Torah.

Helayne Green conducted this most unforgettable session. Helayne was part of a group that traveled to Auschwitz in Poland to commemorate the liberation of the prison camp by the Russians. They also took part in the March of the Living where they walked along the railroad tracks from Auschwitz prison camp to nearby Birkenau just as the prisoners did during World War II. The day before they were to fly to Israel, a few of the students found two Torah scrolls in an old bookstore, which they immediately purchased. Fortunately they were able to get them out of Poland to Israel the next day. They were authenticated in Israel to have been written sometime in the early 1920’s. Somehow they survived the Holocaust although badly damaged. The scrolls ended their journey in San Diego, where one remains today. The other was obtained by Congregation Shir Hadash, where it will be restored. Approximately 40% of the scroll was damaged and will be repaired at a cost of approximately $15,000 over a six month period. We were actually allowed to touch it. Helayne also told us that anti-Semitism is on the rise again in Europe.

After that there was a reception and refreshments. We were able to talk with Rabbi Melanie Aron and many of her congregation. The exchange of information and sincere interest was overwhelming. Just as at St. Julie’s, where All are Welcome, so it was also at Congregation Shir Hadash. We thank Rabbi Melanie Aron and Congregation Shir Hadash for their hospitality and the opportunity to experience such a moving interfaith event. It was a wonderful educational experience and we both hope to be able to attend more of these types of interfaith events.

Schedule for Rite of Election

Below is the final schedule for Rite of Election 2005. Seating charts for each evening will be available next week. If you have any questions, contact Diana Macalintal at Macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136.


Monday, February 14, 2005 - 7:30p
Holy Family
Sacred Heart of Jesus
St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Elizabeth
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Julie Billiart
St. Lawrence the Martyr
St. Lucy
St. Maria Goretti
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
St. Thomas of Canterbury
Catholic Community at Stanford

Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 7:30p
Christ the King
Five Wounds
Holy Spirit
Most Holy Trinity
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Queen of Apostles
Sacred Heart - Saratoga
Santa Teresa
Chinese Catholic Community
St. John Vianney
St. Joseph - Mountain View
St. Joseph of Cupertino
St. Justin
St. Martin of Tours
St. Mary - Gilroy
St. Nicholas
St. Patrick Proto-Cathedral (including Vietnamese community)
St. Simon
St. Victor
San Jose State University Newman Center

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 7:30p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
Our Lady of Peace
Our Lady Star of the Sea
St. Anthony
St. Christopher
St. Clare
St. Cyprian
St. Frances Cabrini
St. Thomas Aquinas
Sts. Andrew and Paul
Santa Clara University


FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Burying the Alleluia

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries 239, February 2004.

We desist from saying Alleluia, the song chanted by angels, because we have been excluded from the company of the angels on account of Adam’s sin. In the Babylon of our earthly life we sit by the streams, weeping as we remember Sion. For as the children of Israel in an alien land hung their harps upon the willows, so we too must forget the Alleluia song in the season of sadness, of penance, and bitterness of heart. (Bishop William Duranti, 1296).

This medieval understanding of Lent and its traditions can help us voice our faith in the heavenly world to come and strengthen our awareness of our role in this earthly world now.

Before the reform of the liturgical calendar by Vatican II, the three weeks before Ash Wednesday were an additional time of preparation for Easter. The third Sunday before Lent was called Septuagesima Sunday (Latin for “seventy”). This was probably not to number the days before Easter but to remind the church of the seventy years of exile spent by the Jews in Babylon. Psalm 137 recalls how they prayed their tongues would be silenced if they forgot Jerusalem in ruins. From this psalm came the practice of fasting from singing the “Alleluia” during the Gospel acclamation throughout Lent and replacing it with a different acclamation of praise for Christ.

During the Middle Ages, the practice of “burying the Alleluia” on the eve of Septuagesima Sunday became popular. This lay-led ritual included a solemn procession to the church cemetery with a plaque, scroll, banner or even a coffin inscribed with the word “Alleluia.” Those in mock funeral procession wept while some sang the hymn, Alleluia, dulce carmen (known today as the hymn, “Alleluia, Song of Gladness”). The “Alleluia” was then laid to rest with the hope of its resurrection on Easter Sunday.

This burial was also called depositio, a Latin legal term meaning “the giving on deposit.” (Gravestones in Catholic cemeteries may have the inscription Depositus, or simply D, which comes from depositio.) When the burial of the Alleluia or of the faithful departed is understood by this term, the Christian belief in resurrection is clear. As we bury our dead, or as we enter into the fasting of Lent, we do not silence our tongues because of despair or permanent loss. Rather, we do so with confidence that what has been deposited into the earth—our dead, our Alleluia—will rise again. Yet in this period of preparation, we remain keenly aware of the mystery of sin and of our exile from the place where “Alleluia” abounds. So until we return to the New Jerusalem, let us not forget the sin that continues to devastate our world and our mission to heal what has been broken.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Flower Arranging Workshop - March 1

Christopher Citti of Citti's Florist and Joe Tirado of the Diocesan Environment and Art Committee will present a free hands-on workshop, teaching participants basic techniques of floral arranging for Easter liturgies.

Flower Arranging for Easter
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
7:00p - 9:00p

St. Cyprian parish hall
1133 W. Washington Ave., Sunnyvale

Register by contacting Sandra Pacheco at
408-983-0136 or Pacheco@dsj.org.

• Wear comfortable work clothes.
• Bring floral clippers if you have them.
• Children are welcomed to participate.

Click the graphic below for a flyer you can print and distribute. Click here for a PDF version of the same flyer.




FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Last Call for Vino & Vespers

You still have time to RSVP for our first Vino & Vespers this Friday. If you haven't heard of it yet, click here to find out what all the V & V buzz is all about.

Here are directions to the chapel at Villa Holy Names Spirituality Center where V & V will take place this Friday night.

The address for the chapel is 200 Prospect Avenue, Los Gatos.

From Downtown San Jose

• 280 N toward San Francisco
• HWY 17 S toward Santa Cruz
• Exit HWY 9 (Los Gatos-Saratoga Road). Get into left lane immediately.
• LEFT at the first stoplight which is University Avenue.
• Take University to the end where it forms a T with Main Street. LEFT on Main Street.
• Go to the first stoplight which is College Avenue and turn RIGHT (there’s a sign for “Novitiate” on the corner of College and Main).
• Go one block to the top of the street and turn RIGHT at Villa Avenue (follow the signs for “Novitiate”).
• Go 0.6 miles up the hill. When you see the Jesuit Novitiate and Winery on your right, turn LEFT onto Prospect Avenue.
• Go 0.1 miles and turn LEFT at the sign for "Sisters of the Holy Names Main Entrance." Parking will be in the lot on your left. The Chapel entrance is in the building to your right.
  

FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Reverence: Revealing the Presence of God

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries #246, September 2004.

Reverence, which is the synthesis of love and fear.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Spirituality is the consistent integration between action and feeling, the marriage of creed and deed. A Christian spirituality is one of reverence. It is our intimate love for the mysterious God expressed through our ordinary actions to reveal the extraordinary presence of the Creator in all things. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal defines reverence as an “interior disposition and outward expression” that proclaim the mystery of the Lord’s presence (3). Through our reverence, we are evangelizers, prophets and icons that say, “Look! God is here.”

As liturgical ministers exercising public ministry, think of yourselves as signposts for the holy. We have to know not only where to point but also how to give clear directions. That is, the sign we present has to accurately convey what we believe.

• Do you outwardly express your respect for the holiness of time and the work of the liturgy by giving time during the week to prepare for your ministry and arriving early before Mass?
• Do you show your belief in the Incarnation — God in human skin — by clothing yourself with dignity and moving with intention and grace?
• Do you honor the Body of Christ with words and actions by making and keeping your commitments to your parish community?

The church has always been about reverence for the holy. Yet, this reverence must always flow from an integration of action and feeling, an equal expression of familiar intimacy and dreadful mystery and a deep respect for both the human and the divine. Reverence without love is piousness, and reverence without awe (fear) is carelessness. Reverence never expressed deadens love, and reverence that attends only to the human or the divine while ignoring the other is idolatry.

As we proclaim the mystery of the Lord’s presence, we must do so from that middle ground between love and fear. When we walk upon holy ground, we remove our shoes to feel the dirt between our toes. We know in our bones and in our hearts that Eucharist is both meal and sacrifice, the altar is both dinner table and gravestone and the Gospel is both word of comfort and two-edged sword. As artists of faith, we pay attention to the discipline of structure, form and rubrics so as to move confidently, freely and gracefully through the dance that is the liturgy. We point to altar and tabernacle, font and infant, baptismal garment and priestly stole, host, cup, communicant and minister alike and proclaim with our thought and our actions, “Look! God is here.”

FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Three Ways to Grow in Reverence

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries #246, September 2004.

Revealing the presence of God is an extraordinary task, yet we can do so with simple ordinary actions.

Slow down. Like speeding down the highway, busy-ness and hurriedness prevent us from seeing God in unexpected places. Move slowly as you do your ministry. When the unexpected happens, look for the God hidden in disruptions.

Be fully present. Once the liturgy begins, your work is first as an assembly member. Don’t let the tasks of your specialized liturgical ministry overshadow your participation in the primary ministry of the baptized. Sing, respond, listen, move and pray as carefully as you do your other responsibilities during the Mass.

Seek the sacred in unfamiliar places. As Catholics, we have a common understanding of where God is present. These we call sacraments. Yet our vision of God’s presence need not be limited to just these. Note the people, places and things that you most outwardly reverence. Then look at those other people, places and things that seem more “ordinary” to you. For one day, give your reverent attention to these people. Spend time in an ordinary place and look beyond what you see. Enter into an unfamiliar experience and let God surprise you.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Eucharist: Many Ways to Describe Our One Mission

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in The Valley Catholic, January 2005, the diocesan newspaper of San Jose.

In his letter inaugurating the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II reminds us to begin at the end:

The dismissal at the end of each Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values. The Eucharist not only provides the interior strength needed for this mission, but is also —in some sense—its plan. (Mane Nobiscum Domine,
24-25)

Throughout this year, we will explore how the Eucharist we celebrate every Sunday is a plan for spreading the Gospel. We begin by looking at some of the ways our tradition has described what we do on Sunday.

Eucharist
Our celebration of the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving,” reminds us that all of creation is a gift from God. Our ongoing and public thankfulness for all God has given us is a powerful witness to those who are unaware of God’s bountiful love. “Eucharist” says we are dependent on a loving creator for all we have.

Lord’s Supper
The Eucharist is also called the “Lord’s Supper” because what we celebrate is a meal. Of all of Jesus’ meals, it is especially his “last supper,” the meal before his death, which gives shape to Eucharist. In that final meal, Jesus gave us the mandate to “do this in memory of me.” As disciples, we continue to gather around the table to eat and drink in constant faithfulness to the Risen Christ.

Breaking of the Bread
The Eucharist was first called the “breaking of the bread.” When the consecrated bread is broken, it is the Body of Christ that is broken. When the wine is poured out, it is the Blood of Christ that flows. These simple actions remind us that our Eucharist is not only a meal; it is also a sacrifice. And, the Pope suggests, it is also a plan for how we are to follow Christ’s example. In the breaking of the bread, we offer ourselves to be broken for the sake of the world, especially the poor.

Sacrifice
When we join ourselves to Jesus’ sacrifice, we are doing what our Jewish ancestors did when they offered sacrifices in the temple. They were giving back to God some of what God had first given to them. In doing so, they were offering their very selves to God. When we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to be broken and poured out for the world, we do so in union with Jesus and with each other as an assembly of believers.

Eucharistic Assembly
“Assembly” comes from the Greek ekklesia, which is, itself, a translation of the older Hebrew word, qahal. A qahal is a divine summons to gather. “The Old Testament qahal is an assembly of those who are gathered together by the Lord for life in the presence of the Lord” (John Gallen, SJ, “Assembly,” The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship, 71). When the faithful assemble for the Eucharist, we become “the visible expression of the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1329).

Liturgy
“Liturgy” means “public work of the people.” The Church teaches that “the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 10). The Eucharist is the public work of all the people of God in union with Christ. While it is not the total work of the Church, liturgy is its most central and most fundamental work.

Mass
“Mass” brings us back to the end. We are sent forth (missio) “so that [the faithful] may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1332). The purpose of Eucharist is the sending forth to accomplish the plan that has just been set out for us in our thanksgiving. In this sense, the Eucharist is mostly about what happens after the dismissal. As Pope John Paul II says:

It is the impulse which the Eucharist gives to the community for a practical commitment to building a more just and fraternal society. In the Eucharist our God has shown love in the extreme, overturning all those criteria of power which too often govern human relations and radically affirming the criterion of service: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mt 9:35). (28, emphasis in original)

In the next article, we will look at Communion and its relationship to Eucharist.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Week of Epiphany

My father lived most of his life on a beach. Once I visited his hometown in the Philippines and climbed up a ladder into a small beach hut on stilts made of bamboo shoots and banana leaves where a cousin I just met taught me to play chess. Every day my father and my brother would wade out into the ocean, and I would watch from the hut, never once venturing out into the water even though the days were mild and the ocean calm.

Many years before when I was a child, I went to the beach with my parents. We lived in Los Angeles then, and the beaches there are nothing like the beaches here in the Bay Area. The days were usually warm, if not hot, and the beaches were wide and inviting. You could watch the planes flying into LAX during the day and build a bonfire at night.

One summer day at the beach, my father took me out into the ocean. Hand in hand, we waded through each wave as the water crept up higher and higher until I was straining on tip-toe to feel the sandy bottom. Eventually I couldn’t reach the bottom any longer, yet we continued on as I wrapped my arms around my father’s neck. Finally, he too was treading the water as he led me to a small group of other swimmers. It felt like we were out in the middle of the ocean, the beach a distant line. I couldn’t comfort myself with the feeling of standing on my own legs and I couldn’t see the safety of the beach any longer. And I began to panic, grabbing my father’s neck so tightly that he couldn’t keep both of us afloat. I found myself underwater struggling to get my head back above it. As I broke through the surface I groaned and gasped for air, even though I couldn’t have been under water for more than a few seconds. The other swimmers nearby laughed as I cried and demanded that my father take me back to the beach.

To this day, I still have dreams of being submerged under water, and I still don’t go out into the ocean.

Each of us probably has some memorable experience of water—learning to swim, jumping off the high board, bubble baths and rubber ducks, water balloon fights and crossing the Golden Gate for the first time. Most of the time, water is a source of joy, refreshment, life, pleasure. Then other times, it kills and frightens. In these last two weeks, my nightmare of drowning became a reality for 150,000 people, and some of the poorest places on the planet were destroyed by the simple power of water.

This Sunday, we end our Christmas season in water. California is right now being blasted with the second major storm of the winter, and the liturgical calendar places Jesus in the middle of the Jordan river. The silent night of Christmas has become a tempest and the child in a manger is now a man on mission. Perhaps nature and the liturgical calendar are conspiring to teach us a deeper meaning of Christmas. As comforting as the nativity scene is, as safe as the beach feels, as warm as our beds are on blustery winter mornings, we can’t stay there. The Christ cannot remain a baby in our religious imaginations, we can no longer take for granted the force of water to change our world, and we cannot simply retreat back into our “usual” pre-Christmas routine as though the Incarnation had been just a “time out” from our normal lives.

The Christmas season, like the baptismal water into which we were drowned and out of which we were resurrected, is meant to change us and move us out into mission. Our gift-giving of the Christmas season now must become the daily sacrifice of love on behalf of those who are unloved. Our evergreens, dried out and discarded, must be transformed into a constant concern for the circle of all life and an appreciation for the resources of our planet. The candles and lights and holiday decorations that adorned our homes must become the mantle of joy and hope that now clothes our hearts throughout the year. And the wishes for peace sung in carols and proclaimed in Christmas cards now must become the hard work for justice in all our endeavors.

Ultimately Christmas is not for children. It is for the adults who have waded through the waters of tumultuous fear and uncertainty and yet still cling to hope, believing in the promise of peace, working for the dream of justice, and moving ever nearer to the reality of God’s reign.

In this week’s DSJ Liturgy Notes, you’ll find:

• Upcoming Events and Workshops
• Catechumenate Support Group – January 13
• Creating Sacred Space – January 13
• Cantor Workshop – January 25
• Vino & Vespers – January 28
• Liturgical Coordinators’ Gathering – February 1
• Diocesan 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass – February 5
• Rite of Election – 2005
• What Christmas Carols Teach
• Six Undervalued Carols
• Pope Paul VI Awards
• Finding God in Thailand
• Welcome to Sandra Pacheco!
• Classifieds: Seek and Ye Shall Find

Next time you dip your hand into the baptismal font, think of all the ways water has touched your life. And when you touch that holy water to your forehead, breast and shoulders in the sign of faith, recommit yourself to plunging fully into the joys, fears, hopes, and resurrections of daily life.

Diana Macalintal
Associate for Liturgy


FILED UNDER: OPENING ARTICLES

Upcoming Events and Workshops

Break in your brand new calendar with these upcoming events and workshops.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Sunday, January 9
After the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Ordinary Time begins. Thus, the Masses for this day as well as the environment and music still should contain elements of the Christmas season.

Catechumenate Support Group
Thursday, January 13, 12:30p - 2:30p
Chancery Offices, 4th floor, Education Department
900 Lafayette Street, Santa Clara
The Catechumenate Support Group meets every other month and is open for all who have responsibility for initiation of adults and children.
Free, bring your own lunch.
For more information: Diana Macalintal, 408-983-0136 or Macalintal@dsj.org.

Creating Sacred Space Workshop
Thursday, January 13, 7p - 8:30p
St. Martin of Tours Church
200 O'Connor Drive, San Jose
Learn how to create an appropriate space for prayer in almost any setting. Participants will learn four basic elements that go into preparing an environment for prayer. This workshop is especially suited for those who facilitate small faith groups and lead prayer at group meetings.
Free, registration required.
To register: Sandra Pacheco, 408-983-0126 or Pacheco@dsj.org.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Tuesday, January 18 - Tuesday, January 25
Pope John Paul II calls the Catholic Church to join with all Christian churches to pray for the unity of all who believe in Christ. For Sunday, January 23, Bishop McGrath encourages parishes to use the prayers of "Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions - For Unity of Christians" found in the Sacramentary or of "Eucharistic Prayer for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions: I. The Church on the Way to Unity." Click here for more information as well as liturgical resources, such as an ecumenical worship service, intercessions, and an eight-day biblical reflection.

Cantor Workshop
Tuesday, January 25, 7p - 9p
St. Simon Church
1860 Grant Road, Los Altos
Learn basic cantoring skills and singing techniques. In this master-class style workshop, some participants will have the chance to cantor a psalm and receive immediate feedback. If you would like to be one of the cantors at the workshop, please bring a copy of your psalm for the accompanist.
Free, registration required; please indicate if you would like to cantor at the workshop.
To register: Suzanne Fitzgerald, 650-967-8311, Litmusic@aol.com. Click here for a flyer you can print.

Ongoing Professional Education Series
Thursdays, January 27, February 3, and February 10, 9:30a - 12p
Transfiguration Church
4235 Jarvis Road, San Jose
Let’s Get Comfortable with the “E” Word: Catholic Evangelization in the 21st Century is a 3-part workshop series led by Fr. Keenan Osborne, OFM. All ecclesial lay ministers of the diocese are welcomed.
$20 total for pre-registration; $10 each session at the door.
To register: Iracema Gurbiel, 408-983-0127, Gurbiel@dsj.org. Click here for a registration form you can print.

Vino & Vespers
Friday, January 28, 7:30p - 9p
Villa Holy Names Spirituality Center
82 Prospect Avenue, Los Gatos
Spend an informal evening sharing prayer, intimate conversation, and good food. Our guest speaker is Tom Beaudoin.
Free will donation; registration required; adults over 21 only.
To register: Diana Macalintal, 408-983-0136 or Macalintal@dsj.org. Click here for a flyer you can print.

Liturgical Coordinators' Gathering
Tuesday, February 1, 10a - 12p
St. Nicholas Church
473 Lincoln Avenue, Los Altos
If you are responsible for preparing the liturgy for your parish, you're invited to gather with other liturgists and coordinators to discuss current issues in liturgy.
Free. RSVPs appreciated.
To RSVP: Sandra Pacheco, 408-983-0126 or Pacheco@dsj.org.

Diocesan 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass
Saturday, February 5, 10a - 11:30a
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose
Bishop Patrick McGrath invites all married couples celebrating 25th or 50th (or more) wedding anniversaries to a special diocesan bilingual Mass at the Cathedral.
Free; registrations required.
To register: Sylvia Blanch, 408-983-0126 or Blanch@dsj.org. Click here for a registration form you can print.

Rehearsal for Rite of Election
Monday and Tuesday, February 7 and 8, 7p - 8p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose
There will be two rehearsals for the Rite of Election. At least two people from your parish must attend one of the rehearsal (the catechumenate director may be one of the following persons):
one person to carry your Book of the Elect, and one (or two) people to read your names of the Elect. There is free parking on the street and public lots after 6p.
For more information: Diana Macalintal, 408-983-0136 or Macalintal@dsj.org. Click here for more information and for reservation forms for your catechumens.

Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 9
This begins the season of Lent and is a day of fast and abstinence. Click here for the day's readings.

First Sunday of Lent
Sunday, February 13
Make sure you celebrate the Rite of Sending this weekend for any of your catechumens who are ready to be baptized. Click here for the day's readings.

Rite of Election
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, February 14, 15, and 16, 7:30p - 9p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose
This is the turning point for those adults who are seeking to become baptized. Those who are deemed ready for the Easter sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Communion will be declared "the Elect" by Bishop McGrath at this rite. All are welcomed to participate. Read more about becoming Catholic here.
For more information: Diana Macalintal, 408-983-0136 or Macalintal@dsj.org.


FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Catechumenate Support Group - January 13

If you coordinate the catechumenate process (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in your parish, you have a place where you can ask questions, get some answers, and share your own stories with others who share your ministry. The Catechumenate Support Group meets every other month and is open for all who have responsibility for initiation of adults and children.

Catechumenate Support Group
Thursday, January 13, 2005
12:30p - 2:30p
Chancery Offices, 4th floor, Education Department
900 Lafayette Street, Santa Clara
Free; bring your lunch.

For more information, contact Diana Macalintal at macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136.

FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Creating Sacred Space - January 13

Many times, we need to prepare prayer for small groups or classes, and we don't always have the church building or chapel available. How do you make a classroom, living room, or parish hall a place where prayer can happen well?

You are invited to a free workshop to learn how to create an appropriate space for prayer in almost any setting. You'll learn four basic elements that go into preparaing the environment for prayer, and participants will learn by doing. The workshop facilitator is Diana Macalintal, the Associate for Liturgy for the Diocese of San Jose. Those who coordinate faith sharing, JustFaith, youth, or Bible study groups are especially invited.

Creating Sacred Space

Thursday, January 13, 2005

7p - 8:30p

St. Martin of Tours Church, Community Building

200 O'Connor Drive, San Jose

Free, but registration is required

To register, contact Sandra Pacheco at 408-983-0126 or Pacheco@dsj.org.


FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

What Christmas Carols Teach

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries, #249, December 2004.

Easter and Christmas are like two sides of a coin. The sights and sounds of one remind us of the smells and bells of the other. Theologically, one can say that the saving work of Christ’s resurrection and ascension began with his incarnation and, if we recall John’s Gospel on Christmas day, with creation itself.

Of these two feasts, Easter is the pre-eminent celebration. In the first three centuries of the Church, Christians celebrated an annual memorial of Christ’s resurrection, but it wasn’t until the fourth century that the Church began to celebrate Christ’s birth. These earliest Christians understood what one Christmas carol tries to teach: “Christ was born to save.”

Some of our oldest carols understand well this unified theology of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. Charles Wesley’s 1739 text, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” has several verses that are rarely sung in Catholic churches today:

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.

Here in this text, the meaning of the Word becoming flesh is not simply a Hallmark-card image of a baby in a manger or a sweet-sounding lullaby. It is the great exchange—the cosmic dance—between the Divine and the human. It is the primordial clash between light and dark, the serpent in the garden and the empty tomb that shouts, “Death, where is your sting?” God becomes one of us so that we may become more like God. In this lover’s exchange, God is clothed in human skin and takes on the mortality of earthly life so that we may be clothed with Christ and wear the garment of immortality.

This mystical union is the nuptial dance between God and creation, the weaving together of death and life, the push and pull of sadness and joy, and the counterpoint of our earthly song with the heavenly choir.

The definition of a carol is “an old round dance with singing.” It is the dance that comes first. Our carols teach us that Christian life is not about remaining at Bethlehem, frozen in winter snow, but about dancing together through the seasons of life to Jerusalem, to the cross and the empty tomb, dying and rising and thus birthing new life. Christmas is our reminder that our daily encounters with each other are another step in this pas de deux with God.
___

To reconnect carols with dancing and to give people the exquisite sensation of once again dancing to singing and singing while they dance, here is a collection of dances to fit 64 popular Christmas carols.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Six Undervalued Carols

This article by Diana Macalintal first appeared in Eucharistic Ministries, #249, December 2004.

Let’s face it. Some of our Christmas songs are clichéd, trite and a bit too “sweet.” Yet our musical tradition is full of carols and hymns that, in the words of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship 21, are “capable of bearing the weight of mystery, awe, reverence and wonder which the liturgical action expresses.” Here are some of those songs.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
This is probably not listed in the Christmas section of your hymnal, but this 5th century text is an extraordinary image of the Word made Flesh.

Of the Father’s Love Begotten
This simple chant sings of the Incarnation as salvation history.

What Child is This?
The chorus (“This, this is Christ the King”) originally sang of “nails, spear, shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you.”

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
This 14th century text answers why Christ was born: that we may no longer fear death.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Find Charles Wesley’s original verses and see the rich Easter theology in the text.

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
William Sandys’ 1833 text conveys that Christmas is “merry” because God dances with us even through death.


FILED UNDER: LITURGY

Cantor Workshop - January 25

Don't be chicken! You can become a better cantor! Learn the basics that will improve your singing technique and your leadership skills, and practice the habits that will make you a better leader of musical prayer. Some participants will have the opportunity to cantor and receive immediate feedback. This free master-class style workshop will be led by Diana Macalintal.

Cantor Workshop

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

7p - 9:30p

St. Simon Church

1860 Grant Road, Los Altos

Free, but registration required.

If you want to cantor, bring a copy of your psalm for the accompanist.

To register, contact Suzanne Fitzgerald at 650-967-8311 or Litmusic@aol.com. Please indicate if you want to cantor at the workshop.

Click the graphic to the left for a flyer that you can print.











FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Diocesan 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass - February 5

Married couples celebrating 25th or 50th (or more) wedding anniversaries are invited to celebrate with Bishop Patrick McGrath at the Diocesan Silver and Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass on Saturday, February 5, 2005, 10:00 a.m., at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (80 South Market Street, San Jose). Reservations are requred. For information and to register, call: Sylvia Blanch, 408-983-0128 or Blanch@dsj.org.

Las parejas que celebran su aniversario de bodas de plata o de oro (o más) están invitados asistir a la celebración con el Obispo Patrick McGrath el día Sabado, Febrero 5 de 2005, a las 10:00 a.m., en la Catedral Basílica de San José (80 South Market Street, San Jose). Reserve su lugar a tiempo. Para más información y registrarse, llame: Sylvia Blanch, 408-983-0128 o Blanch@dsj.org.

Click the graphic to the left for a registration form that you can print.











FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Liturgical Coordinators Gathering - February 1

Come have one last pre-Lenten bash the way only liturgists can--by talking about liturgy! If you coordinate the liturgy, you are invited to gather with others who know your joys and hopes, your fears and tribulations, your long hours for the sheer love of it all.

Liturgical Coordinators Gathering

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

10a - 12p

St. Nicholas Church

473 Lincoln Avenue, Los Altos

Free; RSVPs are appreciated.

RSVP with Sandra Pacheco at 408-983-0126 or Pacheco@dsj.org.

Come for the sharing of questions and concerns, stay for the good company.

FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Finding God in Thailand

Sue Schuttinger, a catechetical and liturgical leader in our Diocese, was on her way to visit her son who is in the Peace Corps in Thailand when the tsunami hit. Neither of them were directly affected by the wave, but both have witnessed first hand the sacrificing love of the Thai people for those who have suffered. Below is Sue's email about her experience.
___

You might want to let the Catechetical Community know that I was traveling to Thailand the day the tsunami hit. My son is in the Peace Corps there. There were no Peace Corps volunteers in the southern part of Thailand (Phuket, Koh Phi Phi where the tidal wave hit) since there had been some terrorist activity there where Buddhist monks, police officers, women and children were murdered, so the Peace Corps pulled all volunteers from Southern Thailand. There are many volunteers in the rest of the country which is 99% Buddhist. The people there are so kind and caring. All of the stories on the news are true: a Thai nurse taking off her shoes to give to an American to ease her walk through the bloody hospital floors; a Thai man who lost his wife and children, walking inland to a village only to return, carrying on his back, sacks of rice for the foreign tourists. I can tell many stories of the tremendous caring of the Thai people for others. Many news agencies have used the word magical about the Thai people, and it is so true. We Americans have much to learn from them. Any aid that can be sent is much needed and will be deeply appreciated. We Catholic Christians can learn much from the gentle, caring, compassionate people of Thailand. I was truly humbled and awed to be in their presence.

Take care,
Sue Schuttinger
___

Click here to donate to Catholic Relief Services Asian earthquake and tsunami aid.

Click here to donate to the Peace Corps.

FILED UNDER: SOCIAL JUSTICE

Welcome to Sandra Pacheco!

Though we are sad to say goodbye to Rebeca Aldaz who served as secretary for the liturgy office for so many years, we are happy to welcome Sandra Pacheco who has accepted the job in the Office of Pastoral Ministry (OPM). She will bring some great skills and energy to this position. She also comes highly recommended by two pastors and one of our associates in OPM. She has volunteered at St. Maria Goretti and Second Harvest Food Bank. She has her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and is completely bilingual in English and Spanish. So when you call the liturgy office, you'll hear a new voice on the line and you'll be in good hands. You can reach Sandra at 408-983-0126 or Pacheco@dsj.org. Welcome, Sandra!


FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Pope Paul VI Awards

The Diocese of San José will once again honor liturgical ministers of our parishes who qualify for the annual Pope Paul VI Award (learn more about Pope Paul VI here).

The Diocesan Liturgical Commission has established the following criteria as qualifications for reception of the Pope Paul VI Award:

1. Service as a liturgical minister is to be calculated from December 4, 1963 (promulgation date of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). Awards are given for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40+ years of service. An individual can receive only one award in a given year.
2. Such service is to have been rendered within the Diocese of San José since its creation in 1981 or within the County of Santa Clara before the establishment of the Diocese.

Years of service may be calculated as the cumulative number of years a person has served in any liturgical ministry. For example, one who has served as a music minister for 5 years then became a Communion minister for the next 10 years may be given an award for 15 years of service.

Personally signed certificates will be distributed to your parish in April, 2005. During a liturgical service in your parish, please present these certificates and acknowledge the years of ministry given by these individuals. Recipients of the Pope Paul VI awards will be recognized in a future issue of the Valley Catholic.

The deadline for submitting names of the recipients is February 16, 2005. Forms are available in PDF form at http://www.dsj.org/Uploads/Liturgy/PaulVI.pdf or in DOC form from Diana Macalintal at Macalintal@dsj.org.

FILED UNDER: WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

Classifieds: Seek and Ye Shall Find

Job Available: Payroll Administrator
The Personnel Office of the Diocese of San Jose has an immediate opening for an experienced payroll professional. This challenging position offers a wide variety of duties including data entry, management reporting, and month end reconciliation. 2-5 years experience, ADP-PC for Windows, and strong communication and organizational skills required. Please fax your resume to 408-983-0203 or email it (no attachments please) to personnel@dsj.org as soon as possible.

Available: Musician
Regina Mercado (St. Albert the Great parish, Palo Alto) is available as a substitute pianist or cantor. Please place her on your substitute musicians lists. May also be available on a regular basis. Contact information: 415-215-5629.

Special Event: Workshop on Islam
The Knights of Columbus, with the Social Justice committee of St. Elizabeth Parish, has invited Fr. Jose Rubio, Director of the Diocesan Office of Inter-Religious Affairs, to present "Islam 101" on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at 8 pm at St. Elizabeth (750 Sequoia Drive, Milpitas). Fr. Rubio will provide basic information for a better understanding of Islam. The intent, in the ecumenical spirit of Vatican II, is to work toward more than just tolerance, but rather, toward acceptance, and, eventually, cooperative activities with other cultures and religions in our community. Our peace and security in today's world, locally and nationally, not to mention our Christian charity, demands a better understanding of Islam. The presentation will be followed by questions and answers. Please bring questions! This is a free presentation. To RSVP and for more information: Andy Wang, Peace and Justice Liaison for St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 408-946-2605 or thewangs@lexicomp.com.

Special Event: Benefit Concert
The music ministers of Holy Family parish invite you to a benefit concert to raise funds for their church's renovation. The concert will be held on Friday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, January 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Family church (4848 Pearl Avenue, San Jose). It will be a time of great music and an opportunity to sing praises to our wonderful God.

Special Event: Concert
To all choral conductors: You are cordially invited to participate in the inaugural Pueri Cantores Festival and Mass in San Jose, CA., bringing together singers ages 7-18 from the five Bay Area dioceses. The date of the festival is February 26, 2005. Bishop Patrick McGrath will celebrate the Mass and Patrick Flahive, noted American children's choral conductor, will direct the singers. Participants will sing as one large, combined choir of several hundred choristers--a sound your singers will never forget! The repertoire is varied and accessible. The beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (80 South Market Street, San Jose) offers one of the most resonant settings for music and worship in Northern California. All parish and school choirs and encouraged to attend! Please click here for more information and to register your singers for this event.


FILED UNDER: CLASSIFIEDS

Rite of Election - 2005

To: Pastors, Catechumenate Directors (adult and children), Liturgy Coordinators

From: Diana Macalintal
Date: December 21, 2004
Re: Rite of Election 2005 – names of catechumens and rehearsal

Bishop Patrick McGrath welcomes to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph the catechumens for Election from all parishes, institutions, and missions of the diocese who are to be chosen for the Easter Sacraments. All the liturgies will be multilingual.

Rite of Election - 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005, 7:30p
Tuesday, February 15, 2005, 7:30p
Wednesday, February 16, 2005, 7:30p

Please note there is no Sunday Rite of Election this year.

So that enough seats can be reserved for your catechumens and their sponsors, please return the form below no later than January 12 to Diana Macalintal at Macalintal@dsj.org or by fax: 408-983-0121. The final schedule for the three celebrations will be announced in the Daily Bulletin on January 14.

There will be two rehearsals for the Rite of Election. At least two people from your parish must attend one of the rehearsal (the catechumenate director may be one of the following persons):

• one person to carry your Book of the Elect,
• one (or two) people to read your names of the Elect.

Rehearsals for Rite of Election
Monday, February 7, 2005, 7p – 8p
or Tuesday, February 8, 2005, 7p – 8p
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
80 South Market Street

After 6p, there is free parking on the street or in the parking lots on San Fernando Street between First and Third Streets. For more information, contact Diana Macalintal, 408-983-0136 or macalintal@dsj.org.



Click the graphic above for a Rite of Election reservation form for your Catechumens.

Vino & Vespers - January 28, 2005

Spend an evening with three of God’s best gifts. We’ll begin with Evening Prayer followed by an intimate conversation with our guest speaker about faith and daily life as we savor delicious desserts and fine wine.

Our guest speaker for this evening is Tom Beaudoin. Tom is a theologian, faculty member at Santa Clara University, and the author of Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X and Consuming Faith: Integrating Who We Are with What We Buy.

These “Theology on Tap” style evenings feature prominent Catholics talking about how they live their faith through the real events of contemporary life in the Silicon Valley. Young adults over 21 are especially invited.

Friday, January 28, 2005, 7:30 pm
Villa Holy Names Spirituality Center
82 Prospect Avenue, Los Gatos, 95030

Free will donation

Please RSVP at Macalintal@dsj.org or 408-983-0136

Desserts by Sugar Butter Flour of Santa Clara.

Click the graphic to the left for a flyer you can print. Or click here for a PDF version.