Concert and Workshop by Marty Haugen and Tony Alonso: April 20 - 21, 2007

Marty Haugen and Tony Alonso, world renowned composers of religious music, will present a concert at Saint Clare Catholic Church in Roseville, California on Friday, April 20, 2007 at 7:00p. Tickets for the concert are $30. Mr. Haugen has presented concerts and workshops throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia for the past 25 years for both Protestant and Catholic denominations. He has over 30 recordings and more than 400 separate printed editions.

Marty and Tony will also be conducting a workshop on Saturday, April 21, 2007, from 9:00a to 4:00p at Saint Clare. Tickets cost $40.

Tickets for both events cost $60. Group discounts are available.

Workshop and Concert
Marty Haugen and Tony Alonso
April 20 and 21, 2007
Saint Clare Parish

1950 Junction Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747

Contact Nina Malone at 916-772-4717 x112, or visit the Saint Clare web site for more information and registration.

Electronic Waste Day: March 31, 2007

On Saturday, March 31, 2007, from 9:00a to 3:00p, Saint Mary's School in Los Gatos will be having an Electronic Waste Collection Event.

Electronic Waste Collection

Saturday, March 31, 2007

9:00a to 3:00p

Saint Mary's School

30 Lyndon Avenue, Los Gatos

They are working in unison with a state-authorized recycling company that ensures your electronic waste is disposed of properly.

Items accepted include:

• TVs
• Monitors
• Computers
• VCR Players
• Microwaves
• Printers
• DVD Players
• Telephones
• Fax Machines
• Speakers
• Stereo Componets, and
• Keyboards

We will also be accepting various metals, including:

• Aluminum Cans
• Insulated Copper Wire
• Copper
• Metal Furniture
• All Appliances
• Ovens
• BBQ Grills
• Stoves
• Refrigerators
• Washer/Dryers
• Steel
• Brass
• All Metals
• Cardboard
• Radiators, and
• Batteries.

Catholic Charities workshop on JustFaith: April 22, 2007

The Call to Transform Our Hearts and the World

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
invites you to a Sunday workshop introducing

JustFaith

a program that empowers people

to develop a passion and thirst for God’s justice

presented by Jack Jezreel

Executive Director of JustFaith Ministries

Rooted in Hebrew and Christian scripture, and our experience in the world, the Catholic church has articulated principles of justice and just living that are summed up in these words: common good, shared rights and responsibilities, value of human dignity, solidarity, respect for creation, grassroots wisdom and energy, and the call to stand with the poor. These principles invite us to some remarkable possibilities in the name of love and compassion. The vision speaks to life-giving choices on behalf of a world that struggles to survive. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore some new possibilities for your life, your community, your heart!

Comments from previous participants: "I loved this workshop. It was both inspirational and challenging." "Extremely dynamic presentation." "Very motivating talk, inspiring, spiritual and practical." "Excellent presentation, rooted in scripture.” "This workshop is better than excellent."

Anyone interested in learning more about JustFaith or just curious to learn more about this faith tradition is welcome.

When: Sunday, April 22, 1-5 PM

Where: Holy Family Parish, 4848 Pearl Ave., San Jose (near highways 85 and 87)

Contact: Elizabeth Lilly, 408 325-5262 or elilly@ccsj.org

Cost: $15.00 a person with group discounts (starting at 2 for $25, ask about teams)

About the facilitator:
Jack Jezreel, popular national speaker and justice educator, holds a Master of Divinity degree from Notre Dame, spent six years in a Catholic Worker Community, and has been involved with parish-based justice ministry for 25 years. He is the author of JustFaith and serves as Executive Director of JustFaith Ministries. He received the prestigious Harry Fagan Award in 2006 for his unique contribution to the achievement of the Catholic vision of social justice. He is married and has three daughters.

About JustFaith: JustFaith Ministries is partnered with and promoted by Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and Bread for the World. JustFaith is used in over ninety dioceses with over twelve thousand graduates.

Download a registration form (Word doc) here.

Chrism Mass 2007 - Seating Charts

The seating chart for Chrism Mass 2007 is uploaded. Find out where your parish oil bearers are seated by clicking here (PDF file).

Don't forget about sending three representatives from your parish to be oil bearers. You can find all the information about this here.

To Veil or Not to Veil: Statues and Crosses during Lent and Passiontide

Prior to the revision of the Roman Missal (Sacramentary) in 1970, crosses and images were covered with veils during Passiontide which is the last two weeks of Lent, starting from the end of the Mass for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent. Crosses remained covered until the adoration of the cross at the Good Friday liturgy, and images were uncovered at the beginning of the Gloria at the Easter Vigil.

After 1970, the practice was left up to the decision of each episcopal conference. (The bishops of each country make up that country’s episcopal conference. In the United States, our episcopal conference is called the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or USCCB.) The rubric in the 1970 missal which is in current use says that the practice “may be observed, if the episcopal conference decides.”

Since 1970 in the United States, the practice of veiling crosses and statues was not allowed since the USCCB had not voted on the issue. In their April 1995 newsletter, the United States Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy said that “[i]nvidual parishes are not free to reinstate the practice on their own.”

With the revision of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), the USCCB, in 2001, approved adaptations specific for the United States. One of these adaptations included a rubric that said: “In the Dioceses of the United States of America, crosses in the church may be covered from the conclusion of the Mass for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent until the end of the celebration of the Lord’ Passion on Good Friday. Images in the church may be covered from the conclusion of the Mass for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.” The adaptation was later recognized by the Vatican.

This rubric, however, does not appear in the newly revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal because the Bishops determined that it was more appropriate as a rubric for the sections designated for the Easter Triduum in the upcoming revision of the Roman Missal, or Sacramentary. (If you go to the current Sacramentary and the section for the Easter Triduum, you will find several rubrics there specific to the Triduum that do not appear in the GIRM.)

Therefore, the new U.S. rubric allowing for the veiling of crosses and statues during Passiontide appears only in the as-yet unfinished English translation of the Sacramentary which is not in use anywhere in the United States.

Some will interpret this as saying that the current rubric holds—that crosses and statues are not to be veiled. This could be a valid interpretation since one cannot practically implement a rubric that has not yet been published.

Others will say that the new rubric went into effect as soon as the GIRM adaptations for the United States were promulgated in April 2002, even though it does not appear in the current ritual books. This too could be a valid legal interpretation.

However, in either case, the fact remains that the practice is not mandated by the United States Bishops, but simply allowed. It is not an obligatory practice, and parishes that choose not to veil crosses or statues during Passiontide are certainly following liturgical law.

Practically speaking, if your parish is only now deciding to veil statues and crosses, it may be better to wait to implement this practice until next Triduum when you can have better preparation for it as well as catechesis for the assembly.

Also, in either case, it is never allowed to veil crosses or statues throughout the entire season of Lent. (Nor is it allowed to empty the font of holy water during the season of Lent.) Crosses and statues may only be veiled during Passiontide—from the end of the Mass for the Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent to Good Friday (for the one main cross to be venerated) and the beginning of Easter Vigil for images.

The Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts provided by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship in 1988 states that after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, “[i]t is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the fifth Sunday of Lent” (57).

Note that in the rubric concerning the veiling during Passiontide, there is no mention of color of veils. If you will be veiling statues and crosses during Passiontide, make it easier for yourself and your environment team, and use shades of purple or red that would complement well with your Triduum environment.

Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference - July 26 - 29, 2007

Conferencia Hispana Para Músicos Pastorales
Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference

Mark Your Calendars for July 26-29, 2007
Albuquerque, New Mexico

What: Fifth Bi-Annual Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference
When: July 26-29, 2007
Where: Albuquerque, New MexicoWyndham Albuquerque Hotel
Sponsored By: The Southwest Liturgical Conference
Hosted By: The Diocese of Santa Fe

Click here for a brochure (PDF) in English
Click here for a brichure (PDF) in Spanish

Symphony Silicon Valley lecture on and discount tickets for Verdi's Requiem

Next Thursday, March 29, 2007, at 7:30p, Symphony Silicon Valley and a 100-voice chorale will perform Verdi's Requiem in the beautifully restored California Theatre in downtown San José.

Symphony Silicon Valley is providing discounted tickets for music ministers serving in our diocese's Catholic churches. The usual full ticket prices of $71 and $51 (both prices include a $5 processing fee) will be reduced to $60 and $40 (a $6 discount plus waiving of the processing fee) for those who purchase tickets by phone and identity themselves as choir members serving in the Catholic Church.

In addition, Rev. José Antonio Rubio, chaplain at San José State University Campus Ministry and diocesan Director for Interreligious and Ecumenical Affairs, will present a lecture on Verdi's Requiem before the concert on Thursday night at 6:30p.

Limited discounted tickets may also be available for Sunday's performance (April 1, 2:30p).

To purchase tickets, please call Symphony Silicon Valley at (408) 286-2600 x23.

End of the Jubile Year slideshow

Last Saturday, March 17, 2007, the 25th Jubilee Year of the Diocese of San José concluded with Mass and a reception at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph in San José. 58 youth and young adults representing the work of lay leadership, social justice, and ministry with and to youth and young adults in our parish communities were recognized, blessed, and commissioned by Bishop Patrick J. McGrath during the Mass. Click here to view a seven minute slideshow of the celebration.

Dial 211 for Free, Non-Emergency Help

United Way Silicon Valley is providing a great new resource for our San José diocese parish communities.

Dial 211 for a free, non-emergency, telephone service that connects people with hundreds of community services. A trained, caring professional will help callers in 140 languages, 24 hours a day, find information and referrals for:

• basic needs,
• child and elder care,
• counseling,
• employment assistance,
• health services,
• immigration assistance,
• volunteering,
• donating,
• and so much more.

Dial 211 is for everyday needs and in times of crisis. Rubén Solorio, Parish and Community Relations Manager, will be providing posters, brochures and information to all Catholic parishes and schools. To learn more, visit www.211scc.org or contact Rubén with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County at (408) 325-5129.

Classifieds: Diocesan Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Position available: Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry
The Diocese of San José is looking for an experienced and energetic person to provide leadership and support services to pastors and their staffs in carrying out their responsibility to meet the pastoral needs of the young church through formation, information and leadership support.

As associate for youth ministry you would: 1) oversee, develop and implement diocesan training programs for adult and youth parish leaders; 2) supervise volunteers or program leaders and resource persons who lead specific diocesan youth ministry programs and services; 3) provide direction and consultation to parishes seeking to develop or enhance youth ministry, and 4) act as Diocesan liaison to regional, national and other Catholic youth organizations.

As associate for young adult ministry, you would: 1) develop vision and a strategic plan for young adult ministry in consultation with parish leadership and the Young Adult Advisory Board; 2) support the collaborative deanery and OPM outreach strategy of young adults in the multicultural communities in the Diocese of San Jose, and 3) provide direction and consultation to parishes and deaneries seeking to develop or enhance young adult ministry.

Qualifications – Bachelor’s Degree in theology, pastoral ministry or related field; Master’s Degree preferred. At least five years of full time youth and young adult ministry experience required. Good verbal and written communication, relational, decision-making, organization, computer and presentation skills are essential.

Application Process – Please fax resume to 408-983-0203 or e-mail resume in text to personnel@dsj.org.

Beginnings and Beyond Institute: August 19 - 24, 2007

“Being initiated has changed my life drastically; my faith is so much stronger. This parish has been a great guide and the catechumenate team has been fabulous. I could not have done it without them.”

“The initiation ministry at this parish is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. All of the leaders create a caring and secure environment. This experience has never seemed like a chore but is instead a celebration of faith. It has changed my life!”

These are actual quotes from people in our diocese who have been initiated this year into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Whether we hear it or not, the work that God does through our catechumenate ministries indeed changes people’s lives.

Because of this, the Catechumenate Committee of the Diocese of San José invites you to renew, revitalize, and refresh your experience and understanding of the RCIA by immersing yourself deep into the rites and process of initiation at our Beginnings and Beyond Institute.

Beginnings and Beyond
in Spanish and English

August 19 – 24, 2007
Saint Francis Retreat Center
549 Mission Vineyard Road
San Juan Bautista, California
(45 miles south of downtown San José)

Registration form (PDF) in English
Registration form (PDF) in Spanish

Register by June 19, 2007, to receive a discount.

Scholarship Update!
Click here for Scholarship Application - English (Word doc)
Click here for Scholarship Application - Spanish (Word doc)
Ministers from the Diocese of San José receive priority.
For ministers outside of the Diocese of San José, scholarship are available directly from Forum.

Beginnings and Beyond is a five-day workshop-retreat in which participants experience the initiation process, rediscover the power of conversion, look carefully at catechesis, and study and celebrate fully the rites of initiation.

Like the catechumenate, the Beginnings and Beyond Institute is life-changing:

I was asked to coordinate the RCIA in our parish. It is only because of the training I received during the Beginnings and Beyond Institute that I felt confident in this new undertaking. The institute put me in the catechumen’s position of seeking, questioning, discovering, and growing so that I could answer “Yes” to God. I was given a deeper awareness of how to meet people where they are and how to guide them into discovering who they are in Jesus’ eyes. The initiation process was no longer just a document or a book. It came alive for me. –Blessie LaScola, Holy Family Parish, Coordinator of Christian Initiation

I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to be more confident and inspiring co-workers with the Holy Spirit in changing the lives of those who seek to be in a deeper relationship with Christ and the Church.

To register:

• Registration form (PDF) in English
• Registration form (PDF) in Spanish

Still not convinced? Read on.

Many years ago, I attended Beginnings and Beyond. I was working at Saint Elizabeth Parish in Milpitas and multi-tasking in several roles: teacher training, sacramental prep, and the youth program. The catechumenal model informed every aspect of my work with the parents, teachers, and youth. As my ministry changed over the years from parish-based ministry to high school campus ministry, the catechumenal modal continued to be essential in forming my ministry. Just like the challenges facing today’s faith formation teams in parish-wide catechesis, the catechumens and candidates come with various stages of understanding of the Catholic faith. The beauty of the RCIA process is the flexibility. Beginnings and Beyond helped me gain practical insights on how to adapt the rites to meet the diverse needs of our catechumens and candidates. –Mary-Anne Madruga

My first experience of this immersion process was extremely spiritual on a personal level. Beginnings and Beyond allowed me to go deeper into my own conversion process, beyond the textbook and into the experience of becoming a Catholic. Professionally, I was given tools to adapt and incorporate at the parish level. I met other parish ministers, and we had the uninterrupted time to develop a relationship, listen to the stories, and share wisdom. The experience of sharing in the rituals and rites of the entire process taught me the richness, the importance, and the necessity of each rite and ritual. –Sheila Baldi

Register now (in English) (in Spanish).

For more information, contact Diana Macalintal - 408-983-0136.

Rachmaninov's Big Hands

Don't ever let your limitations prevent you from doing big things.

Rite for Receiving the Holy Oils

From the Sacramentary Supplement, published by Catholic Book Publishing, Co., New York, 1994, p. 31.

1. It is appropriate that the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumesn, and the holy chrism, which are blessed by the bishop during the Chrism Mass, be presented to and received by the local parish community.



2. The reception of the holy oils may take place at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday or on another suitable day after the celebration of the Chrism Mass.



3. The oils should be reserved in a suitable repository in the sanctuary or near the baptismal font.



4. The oils, in suitable vessels, are carried in the procession of the gifts, before the bread and wine, by members of the assembly.



5. The oils are received by the priest and are then placed on a suitable prepared table in the sanctuary or in the repository where they will be reserved.



6. As each of the oils is presented, the following or other words may be used to explain the significance of the particular oil.



7. The people's response may be sung.

Download the following diocesan Rite for Receiving the Holy Oils (in English and Spanish) as a Word document here.

---

RITE FOR RECEIVING THE HOLY OILS

For use at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
on Holy Thursday in the Diocese of San José
revised 3/2006

The following are needed:

• the vessels containing the holy oils
• a table for placement of the holy oils with a burning candle upon this table

The order of ministers and representatives in the procession may be:

• incense bearer
• acolytes bearing lighted candles
• presenters bearing the vessels of the holy oils
• gift bearers with bread and wine

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

1. Procession of Gifts

Those who presented the oils for blessing at the cathedral carry the vessels in procession with the gift bearers. Arriving at the front of the assembly, they stand where they can be seen by all. A song or instrumental may accompany the procession.

2. Reception of the Oils

The presider, facing the people, gives an instruction concerning the blessing and use of holy oils in these, or similar, words.

Priest:
Several days ago, united with the priests and faithful of the Diocese of San José, Bishop McGrath consecrated the holy Chrism and blessed the oils for use in the anointing of the sick and in preparation of catechumens for Baptism. Tonight we receive these holy oils for use in the celebration of the Church’s sacraments during the coming year.

As each oil is presented, the cantor (in simple, solemn chant) or another minister (in recitation) makes the accompanying proclamations which follow. The vessel containing the oil is held high by each presenter.

Cantor:
Behold the oil of the sick, blessed by our Bishop Patrick, and sent to us for the anointing of all who suffer illness.

People:
Blessed be God forever! or Thanks be to God!

Cantor:
Behold the oil of the catechumens, blessed by our Bishop Patrick, and sent to us for the anointing of our catechumens in preparation for their baptism at the Easter Vigil and throughout the coming year.

People:
Blessed be God forever! or Thanks be to God!

Cantor:
Behold the sacred chrism, oil mixed with sweet perfume and consecrated by our Bishop Patrick, and sent to us for the anointing of the baptized who are to be sealed with the Holy Spirit.

People:
Blessed be God forever! or Thanks be to God!

The oils are then placed into the ambry or on a table with a burning candle. The Mass continues with the preparation of the gifts at the altar.

---

RITO PARA RECIBIR LOS SANTOS ÓLEOS

Para usarlo en la Misa de la Cena del Señor
el Jueves Santo en la Diócesis de San José
revised 3/2006

Para el Rito, se necesita lo siguiente:

• Los Santos Óleos
• Una mesa para poner los Santos Óleos y una vela encendida sobre la mesa

El orden posible de la procesión siguiente:

• El incienso
• Acólitos con velas encendidas
• Las personas que llevan los aceites
• Las personas que llevan las ofrendas del pan y el vino

LITURGIA DE LA EUCARISTIA

1. Procesión de las Ofrendas

Las personas que presentaron los santos óleos en la catedral para ser bendecidos, los llevarán ahora en la procesión de las ofrendas. Y al llegar frente a la asamblea se quedarán en un lugar donde todos puedan verlos. Durante la procesión se canta un himno de alabanza.

2. Recepción de los oleos

El sacerdote que preside explica el origen y usos de los santos óleos con estas palabras u otras similares.

Sacerdote:
Hace varios días, el obispo McGrath unido a los sacerdotes y fieles de la Diócesis de San José, consagró el sagrado crisma y bendijo los aceites que se usan en la unción de los enfermos y en la preparación de los catecúmenos para el bautismo. Esta noche recibimos estos óleos para usarlos en la celebración de los sacramentos de la Iglesia durante el próximo año.

Al presentar cada aceite, el cantor (con un canto sencillo y solemne) o un ministro (recitado) hará la siguiente proclamación. Mientras, la persona que lleva el aceite correspondiente lo mantiene en alto.

Cantor:
Miren el aceite de los enfermos, bendecido por nuestro obispo Patrick que nos lo ha enviado para ungir a todos los que sufren enfermedades.

Todos:
¡Bendito seas por siempre, Señor! o ¡Demos gracias a Dios!

Cantor:
Miren el aceite de los catecúmenos, bendecido por nuestro obispo Patrick que nos lo ha enviado para ungir a los catecúmenos en su preparación para el bautismo en la Vigilia Pascual durante el próximo año.

Todos:
¡Bendito seas por siempre, Señor! o ¡Demos gracias a Dios!

Cantor:
Miren el sagrado crisma, aceite mezclado con perfume y consagrado por nuestro obispo Patrick que nos lo ha enviado para ungir a los bautizados que van a ser sellados con el Espíritu Santo.

Todos:
¡Bendito seas por siempre, Señor! o ¡Demos gracias a Dios!

Los que llevan los óleos los colocan en una mesa con una vela encendida. La misa continúa con la preparación de las ofrendas.

Music, Youth, and Liturgy: An online workshop

Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Petaluma, California, with their pastor, Fr. Gary Lombardi, invited me to speak to their parish on March 11, 2007, on basic principles of music in liturgy with some focus on music that would attract youth. This short presentation was to help them prepare for small-group discussion on what priorities their parish would work on regarding music and the liturgy as they prepare for their 150th anniversary as a parish.

Fortunately, they videotaped my presentation. So now, you can also use this in your own parish and with your own choirs and liturgy committees. The presentation is relatively short (my part is about 25 minutes). So it could be a good discussion starter for one of your liturgy planning meetings or choir rehearsals.

Thanks to the good people at Saint Vincent de Paul for inviting me and providing this video online so others can use it!

Click here to view the presentation by Diana Macalintal on music in the liturgy.

I reference some handouts during the presentation which you can download here:

• Quotes all music ministers should know
• Principles for liturgical music planning
• Outline of the Mass
• Some rules for liturgy with children

St. Patrick's Breastplate - music and translations

Click here to get free sheet music (pdf) by Diana Macalintal of this prayer in English that you can download and use in your parish with permission.

Thanks to Rev. Wayne Negrete, SJ, for passing on these translations of the hymn ascribed to Saint Patrick.

Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Oración Coraza de San Patricio
http://www.ewtn.com/spanish/prayers/orac_san_patricio.htm

Cristo conmigo,
Cristo frente a mí,
Cristo tras de mí,
Cristo en mí,
Cristo a mi diestra,
Cristo a mi siniestra,
Cristo al descansar,
Cristo al levantar,
Cristo en el corazón de cada hombre que piense en mí,
Cristo en la boca de todos los que hablen de mí,
Cristo en cada ojo que me mira,
Cristo en cada oído que me escucha.


Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer
Panalanging Panangga

translated by Rev. Eli Rowdy Lumbo, SJ

Kristo kasama ko,
Kristo sa harapan ko,
Kristo sa likuran ko,
Kristo sa loob ko,
Kristo sa babá ko,
Kristo sa taas ko,
Kristo sa kanan ko,
Kristo sa kaliwa ko,
Kristo pag ako’y nahiga,
Kristo pag ako’y umupo,
Kristo pag ako’y tumayo,
Kristo sa puso ng bawat taong iniisip ako,
Kristo sa bibig ng lahat na pinag-uusapan ako,
Kristo sa bawat matang nakikita ako,
Kristo sa bawat tengang naririnig ako.

Parish Representatives for Chrism Mass - 2007

Three representatives from each parish are requested to present the oils for blessing during the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, at 7:30p. They should be selected in advance for this responsibility and be seated in their reserved seats in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 80 South Market Street, San José, by 7:10p.

Click here for a map (pdf) of the free parking lots near the Cathedral.

It is recommended that those presenting the oils represent some link to the oil to be blessed, for example:

• Oil of the Sick: A minister to the sick, elderly, or hospitalized; or a parishioner who was anointed in the last year.


• Oil of Catechumens: A parish catechumenate team member; or a catechist working in baptismal preparation; or a catechumen.


• Sacred Chrism: A neophyte initiated at last year’s Easter Vigil; or a candidate for Confirmation; or a catechist working in Confirmation preparation; or an "Elect" (adult preparing for Baptism at the Easter Vigil).

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Macalintal at 408-983-0136.

De-Mystifying Mystagogy - Catechumenate Support Group - March 22, 2007

The period of Mystagogy seems to cause lots of hand wringing in parishes. Fret not. Mystagogy is no mystery. Mystagogy is simply the process of reflecting on the depth and meaning of God’s love.

At our next Catechumenate Support Group meeting, we’ll discuss some of the following:

1. What is a practical, sure-fire, can’t miss method for mystagogical catechesis—something so simple my mother could do it?
2. How many sessions should we schedule for mystagogy?
3. Where can I find an outline for the sessions during Easter season?
4. What do I do if they don’t come back?

We’ll also look at the preparation rites for Holy Saturday, so bring your RCIA texts with you.

Everyone who attends the meeting will receive a FREE photocopiable bulletin insert on the period of mystagogy to be given to the assembly. Get some practical answers to these and your other questions at the next Catechumenate Support Group Meeting.

Catechumenate Support Group
"De-Mystifying Mystagogy"
Thursday, March 22, 2007
12:30p to 2:00p
Saint John the Baptist
350 South Abel Street, Milpitas

Bring your lunch and your own questions to ask!

RSVP with Bernard Nemis at 408-983-0126
or online here

Other Catechumenate Support Group dates for the year:

Thursday, June 7, 2007, 12:30p – 2:00p, Chancery Offices

End of the Diocesan Jubilee Year Mass - March 17, 2007

This is what the back of the diocesan Jubilee Cross looked like on the First Sunday of Advent, 2005, when Bishop Patrick J. McGrath opened the Diocese of San Jose's Jubilee Year, marking our first 25 years as a diocese.

Since then, our Bishop has been traveling to each of the diocese' parishes and communities to celebrate Mass with them and to add their tessera (a small glass tile) to the Jubilee Cross. This weekend, the last of the 52 tiles will be added to complete the image that records our diocese's young history.

Want to see what the completed Jubilee Cross looks like?

Find out at the Mass for the End of the Jubilee Year on Saturday, March 17, 2007, 10:00a, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph!

Bishop McGrath invites all persons of the diocese to celebrate with him the blessings of this Jubilee Year. He especially invites the youth and young adults and their families to this celebration. During the Mass, representatives from each of our parishes' ministries to the young Church will receive a blessing and commission to hand on our faith through the next 25 years.

End of the Jubilee Year Mass
Saturday, March 17, 2007, 10:00a
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose

Classifieds (non liturgy): Administrative Assistant

Let's face it. Sometimes working for the Church doesn't pay all the bills. Here's an announcement from the chancery that might help you or someone you know.

Administrative Assistant
There is an immediate full time opening for an Administrative Assistant to support both the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (80%) and the Office of Parish and Planning (20%). The position requires previous administrative experience, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to multi-task. Proficiency in Microsoft Office a must (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher). The ideal candidate will be efficient, customer focused, and detail oriented. Some knowledge of Catholic Church structure and procedures helpful. Bilingual Spanish a plus. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please forward a resume to the Personnel Office by March 16, to the Personnel Office. Resumes can be emailed or faxed to 408-983-0203.

Liturgical Coordinators' Gathering - March 6, 2007

The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar calls the 50 days of Easter “one great Sunday.” If a stranger walked into your parish on, say, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, would he or she be able to see what’s so great about it?

Liturgical Coordinators’ Gathering
“Where Have All the Lilies Gone?
Making Easter Last”
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
10:00a - 12:00p
Saint William Parish

611 South El Monte Road, Los Altos

Please RSVP with Bernard Nemis
408-983-0126 or online

You will come away from this meeting with:

• Six environment ideas for unifying the Easter season;
• Five principles for mystagogical preaching and catechesis;
• Confirmation do's and dont's;
• Four principles for music with teens;
• A liturgical template for First Communion;
• A sample bulletin insert for Easter rituals at home.

Come find out how others are planning for Easter, and bring your own questions, concerns, and ideas.

And here are the other dates for the Liturgical Coordinators' Gatherings for the year:

• Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 10:00a – 12:00p, Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (San José)
• Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 10:00a – 12:00p, Saint Mary Parish (Gilroy) with potluck lunch

Tools for Evaluating Liturgy

Evaluating liturgy can sometimes devolve into a competion of varying personal tastes and preferences. But by starting with some solid liturgical principles, such as the integral role of the assembly, silence, the purpose of music, the transparency of ministers, we can begin to evaluate our liturgies using some common baseline standards.

I discovered this Sunday Eucharist Evaluation Instrument in English (pdf) and in Spanish (pdf), developed by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. This can be a good starting point for discussion among your liturgical committee members.

Also, we developed these Observation Forms for liturgy to help your liturgical ministers and leaders look at your liturgies more objectively. Feel free to use them in your parish to evaluate and discuss your liturgical practices.

• Observation form for liturgy - Gathering Rites (Word doc)
• Observation form for liturgy - Liturgy of the Word (Word doc)
• Observation form for liturgy - Liturgy of the Eucharist (Word doc)
• Observation form for liturgy - Communion Rite (Word doc)

Classifieds (non-liturgy): Administrative Assistant

Let's face it. Sometimes working for the Church doesn't pay all the bills. Here's an announcement from the chancery that might help you or someone you know.

Administrative Assistant
The Personnel Office of the Diocese of San José has an immediate opening for a full time Administrative Assistant. 5+ years of secretarial experience, good organizational and communication skills, ability to multi-task, and the ability to meet deadlines and follow through on projects with little supervision required. Experience in HR procedures/databases, customer focused and detail oriented. Proficient in MS Office 2000 (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and familiar with web page management. Knowledge of Catholic Church structure and procedures helpful. Bi-lingual Spanish a plus. Email of fax resume to 408-983-0203.

Sample Intercessions for February 25, 2007 - First Sunday of Lent

First Sunday of Lent, Year C
February 25, 2007

Things, events, and news items to keep in mind:

• Click here for the day's readings.
• On the First Sunday of Lent, at the Rite of Election, the entire Church gives testimony to those catechumens in whom God has been visibly active and accepts their election to be baptized at this year's Easter Vigil. This year, the Diocese of San Jose will give testimony to 488 catechumens.
• The Church begins its holy season of Lent by observing more intensely disciplines of prayer, fasting, and charity.
• This week, over 30,000 persons will participate in the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, California. Several hundred from the San Jose diocese attend each year.
• Tensions increase in the Middle East with the British phasing out troops in Iraq and continued nuclear activity in Iran.

The following are just samples meant to inspire your work. Use them as ideas for your own assembly's intercessions. Read 10 Principles for Writing Intercessions and How To Write Intercessions to help you write your own.

Presider:
As we continue the Lenten journey
toward the joyful paschal feast,
let us turn to God who is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Reader:
Lord, remember your church: [pause]
Lead us by your Spirit to embrace more fully
the lenten disciplines of prayer,
fasting, and generous giving.
For this, remember your mercy.

Lord, remember your lands: [pause]
Let all nations live in peace,
especially in the Middle East
and in our cities and homes.
For this, remember your mercy.

Lord, remember your chosen ones: [pause]
Nourish your Elect and all the catechumens
with the bread of your Word
and the milk and honey of your blessings.
For this, remember your mercy.

Lord, remember your people: [pause]
Hear the cries of those maltreated and oppressed,
who labor without joy or justice,
who struggle each day without bread, dignity, or safety.
For this, remember your mercy.

Lord, remember your sick and dying: [pause]
Send your angels to guard them
and support them during their illness,
especially those we now name....
For this, remember your mercy.

Lord, remember your beloved dead: [pause]
Raise them from death and bring them to the salvation
you promise for all who call upon you,
especially those we now name....
For this, remember your mercy.

Presider:
Hear the voice of your Church, loving God,
and answer our cry,
for we call upon the holy name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Chrism Mass - Collection of Holy Oil Vessels

In preparation for the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 7:30p at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, please be sure that your parish oil vessels are undamaged, well-cleaned (you won't believe some of the things that we find in some vessels!), and delivered to the Office of Pastoral Ministry, in the carrying boxes in which they were presented last year.

Click here for some tips on how to clean your oil vessels and what you should do with the water used to clean them.

Please bring your empty, cleaned oil vessels to the Office of Pastoral Ministry, 900 Lafayette Street, 4th floor, Suite 405, Santa Clara by noon on Thursday, March 15 - new date!

Update
If you are attending the March 15, 2007, Lay Ministry Gathering at Saint Lucy at 9:00a, you drop off your vessels then.

Attention Institutions:
Hospitals, religious communities, and other institutions who wish to have oils blessed for use in 2007 are asked to bring stocks, carefully cleaned, to the Office of Pastoral Ministry by noon on Tuesday, March 20. Stocks will be available for pick-up from the Office of Pastoral Ministry on Wednesday, March 28 after 12:00p.

Chrism Mass - Purchasing New Vessels

If you need to purchase new Holy Oil Vessels, we recommend vessels from Meyer-Vogelpohl. The most common style vessel used in our diocese is their MV200 or MV201 set. You can get more purchasing information on this set by clicking here.

However, your Holy Oil vessels need not be limited to this style of vessel. Here are some things to consider when deciding on purchasing a vessel for your oils.

Beauty and Dignity
Any vessels used for liturgy should be beautiful and dignified. They should show care in craftsmanship and appropriateness for its liturgical use. Clear glass is good because you can see the oil, but vessels with some colored glass can also show off the oil. Plastic vessels are not appropriate. Well-crafted and dignified metal containers might be appropriate, but they may be more difficult to clean than glass containers.

Liturgical Use
These vessels are not simply pieces to be admired in an ambry (a niche or box in a sanctuary wall where holy oils are stored; usually placed near the baptismal font) like museum artifacts but are meant to be used during liturgies of anointing. Therefore, parishes should have at least one set of vessels that can be carried and held easily during a liturgy. If larger vessels are kept in an ambry, then smaller portable vessels can be filled from them.

What do OC, OI, SC, OS mean?
These are acronyms for the three different types of oils used:

• Oil of Catechumens
  
  OC - Oleum Catechumenorum or
  OS - Oleum Sanctum
  
  
• Sacred Chrism
  
  SC - Sanctum Chrisma
  
  
• Oil of the Sick
  
  OI - Oleum Infirmorum

Older vessel sets used the initials SC for Sacred Chrism, OI for Oil of the Sick (infirm), and OS for Oil of Catechumens. Newer sets have changed OS to OC for Oil of Catechumens. In any case, you should be able to distinguish which oil is in which vessel. Most parishes use vessels marked with SC for Chrism, OI for Oil of the Sick, and OC for Oil of Catechumens.

What do you do with old Chrism oil?

Find out here in this post from previous years.

Can there be joy in Lent?

Is the Pope Catholic?

If you're surprised, look again at the eucharistic prayer preface for Lent I (P8): "Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed." Then take a listen to Fr. James Martin, SJ, with his Ash Wednesday commentary from National Public Radio.

So smile, it's Lent!

"Remember,....what?" An Ash Wednesday telephone tag

Ash Wednesday can be so intense sometimes, as it should be. Conversion, repentance, reminders of one's mortality, and the physical, almost irrational, gesture of dirtying one's face are intense stuff.

But, of course, we are human--"Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return." And as humans, we can be quite funny sometimes even in the most serious of moments. Take this story told at our last liturgical coordinators' gathering.

At a school Ash Wednesday liturgy, the students were invited to sign each other's forehead with ashes and were instructed to say "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel." It started off fine enough with the first few students, but with the words not written down anywhere for the kids to read to each other, the accompanying phrase began to take on a life-form all its own.

After a long journey winding through the scores of students in the pews, the bowl of ashes finally came to the last of the participants with the profound admonition: "Take these ashes, for God's sake!"

I hope you all survived Ash Wednesday. God bless us all and all our human-ness during this wonderful season!

(Click on the pic above to learn more about these very interesting drawings.)

Hotel Rwanda in person - March 13, 2007

Don Cheadle gave an unforgettable performance in Hotel Rwanda as Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who risked his life during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rusesabagina sheltered more than 1,200 Tutsi and Hutu refugees. The 2005 Medal of Freedom recipient, Rusesabagina retraces those 100 days.

Here is a good, free, lenten activity for your parish and community.

"Behind Hotel Rwanda"
Lecture by Paul Rusesabagina
Activist, Author, An Ordinary Man
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
6:30p, Doors open
7:00p, Program
8:15p, Book signing

Morris Dailey Auditorium
San Jose State University
One Washington Square, San Jose

FREE EVENT
Sponsord by the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley,

and part of the Don Edwards Lectures.

Click here to make your reservations.

Lent articles redux

Some lenten articles from the past:

• Ashes to Ashes: How Our Symbols Speak
• Burying the Alleluia
• Five More Lenten Symbols
• What Lent Sounds Like
• Removing Holy Water from the Baptismal Font During Lent
• Lenten Reflections through Art
• Plays in the Liturgy
• Stations of the Cross / Via Crucis of Oscar Romero

Sample Intercessions for Ash Wednesday - February 21, 2007

Ash Wednesday
February 21, 2007

• Click here for the readings.

The following are just samples meant to inspire your work. Use them as ideas for your own assembly's intercessions. Read 10 Principles for Writing Intercessions and How To Write Intercessions to help you write your own.

Presider:
Assembled to begin the lenten journey
toward the joyful paschal feast,
let us return with all our hearts
to the God who is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Reader:
God of renewal, remember your church: [pause]
those who shepherd your people,
those ordained to serve,
those called to leadership.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of forgiveness, remember your lands: [pause]
cities devastated by war,
peoples plagued with hunger,
nations unable to reconcile.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of rest, remember your people: [pause]
those overburdened,
those imprisoned by fear,
those who have lost their way to you.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of salvation, remember our parish: [pause]
those who minister to the broken,
who shelter the homeless,
who seek safe refuge within our doors.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of living waters, remember our catechumens: [pause]
those who long to know you,
those who hunger for your bread of life,
those who thirst for your cup of salvation.
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of promise, remember our sick,
especially those we now name: [pause]
For this, remember your mercy, Lord.

God of resurrection, remember our dead,
especially those we now name: [pause]
For this, remember your mercy Lord.

Presider:
Lord, hear our prayers and grant them according to your will,
for we ask them through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rite of Election music - 2007

Here you'll find the music that we'll be singing for this year's Rite of Election. Please practice these refrains with your catechumens, godparents, and community members.

You can click here to get a rehearsal sheet of the music in PDF form.

Gathering Song
Vienen con Alegría (Cesáreo Gabaráin and Owen Alstott)
Music and Spanish Text: Cesáreo Gabaráin. English Text: Owen Alstott. © 1979, 2003, Cesáreo Gabaráin. Published by OCP Publications. All rights reserved. Used with permission under license #U3276 LicenSingOnline.

This song comes from "Cantemos Unidos/United in Song." Purchase this CD and music collection of bilingual music from Oregon Catholic Press.






Responsorial Psalm
Boundless Love (Lm Duy Thiên and Rufino Zaragoza)
English text: Rufino Zaragoza, OFM. Music and text: Lm Duy Thiên. © 1976, 2000, Nguyen Văn Thang. Published by OCP Publications. All rights reserved. Used with permission under license #U3276 LicenSingOnline.




Enrollment of Names
Sign Me Up (Kevin Yancy and Jerome Metcalfe)
Kevin Yancy and Jerome Metcalfe. © 1979, Kevin Yancy and Jerome Metcalfe. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-706533.




Closing Song
Sumus Ecclesia! We Are the Church (Gregory Schultz)
Gregory Schultz. © 2005, Gregory Schultz. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Fr. Thomas Jones, CSP - Lessons Learned and Treasures Received

Fr. Tom Jones, CSP, was my first and best boss in the world of church ministry. When I was a freshman ending my first year of college at UCLA, he and the music director of the University Catholic Center (Newman Center) interviewed me for the position of assistant music director. Part of the interview included leading a mock choir rehearsal with the two of them, teaching them the different choral parts of a song. That was my first clue that this was not your average priest. You mean you’re a priest who sings and reads music and can sing your part against another person? Wow!

In fact, he had already had a long musical life, playing trombone for the marching band of the University of Minnesota. At that time, I had never met anyone from Meen-uh-SOH-tuh, as Fr. Tom would say it. Again, little did I know that years later, I would make my way to his home state, a foreign land for a California girl, to spend six summers studying liturgy.

There was much I didn’t know when I met Tom, or “TJ” as all the students called him, but over the next four years, he formed me into so much of the minister I am today. He was the first homilist who made me cry...in a good way. His homilies were real and so human. After 18 years of going to church, I didn’t know that homilies could be that way. Later, I’d realize that they are supposed to be that way, supposed to “interpret peoples’ lives” through the Scripture (Fulfilled in Your Hearing, 52). Fr. Tom’s homilies always used the events of our lives to show us where God was hidden among the muck and mire, the joys and surprises of each day.

Yet they were never “fluff” homilies, touchy-feely things without substance. He did his work, and like those who have mastered their craft, it never looked like work. Years after I left the Newman Center, I prepared my first reflection for a parish liturgy. I sent Tom my final draft and asked him his opinion. He nicely and genuinely encouraged me, as he always did, but he also told me don’t skip the exegesis. It has to be there, but it doesn’t have to bang you over the head either.

He was the first to correct and discipline me for a serious mistake I made in my job. For me, a perfectionist, making a mistake is horrifying. And being called into his office for “a talk” was petrifying. I had overslept and missed the first half of the 8:30a Sunday Mass at the Newman Center (okay, 8:30a may not be early for you, but it sure is for me!). He called me in the very next day and made it clear to me, in a very gentle but firm way, that this was unacceptable and it was not to ever happen again. I can tell you that I still have nightmares of missing an early morning Mass, but I can also tell you that I have never overslept for Mass since.

Tom, and the rest of the Paulists that I worked with at the Newman Center, were the first priests I met who really, absolutely down to their core, loved the liturgy, and loved the assembly even more. They gathered students, cling-ons (graduates who wouldn’t leave), and villagers (locals who preferred the Newman Center to their parishes) to prepare, discuss, evaluate, and plan the liturgies and the seasons so that the assembly would be fully, consciously, and actively participating. Tom told me to read the documents, read the documents, and re-read the documents again. He sent me to conferences and conventions, institutes and workshops. He gave me opportunities no average pastor would give a 20-year-old. He asked me my opinions and paid attention to my suggestions. And when I eventually became the music director, budding liturgist, and catechumenate coordinator, he followed my directions, took risks, tried new things, and helped me make them better for next time.

We weren’t really close friends like he was with others at the Center, but we understood each other and respected each other, and that was what I wanted and needed from him. It all clicked for me one day when the staff took an enneagram test and we discovered we were both 3s—achievers, needing to succeed, eagles soaring above not just to be admired but also to see the bigger picture. Among all the staff members and student leaders that we worked with over the years, he and I were the only 3s.

Where he could never succeed was with his health. He had always been sick, going through kidney failure, broken legs, two kidney transplants, and skin cancer. For him who refereed ice hockey in his spare time (yes, a little bit of Minnesota in California), this was devastating. But all through it, he was our fearless leader and vision guy, inspiring us to believe in our dreams and showing us the real, concrete steps for making them happen.

He had courage not only in facing his sickness but also in standing up when others would rather keep their heads down. He dreamed big, said the hard words, and gave voice to the vision. He made me believe that what I do matters, not because God is watching or because my soul needs to be saved, but because the impossible vision of the Gospel needs to become a reality in the real lives of the people around us. He taught me that standing up for that vision is not just a bold thing to do; it was the only thing to do if we dared to profess our faith.

Some of you may have seen me wear a small jeweled circle on the lapel of my suit coat. That was from Fr. Tom, his first Christmas gift to me when I joined the Newman Center staff. It’s one of the few pieces of jewelry that I love because it’s so spare yet elegant. Unlike Fr. Tom’s homilies which were verbal jewels, elegant and economical in their use of words, I have rambled on. But I wanted to share with you a little about the person who I learned too late was a mentor in ministry and in life. A friend passed on to me this Holy Thursday homily by Fr. Tom (pdf) from 2005, one year before he would be diagnosed with the cancer that eventually killed him on January 16, 2007, at the age of 51. Although I can’t get Tom’s permission, I think he’d be happy to share it with you, another jewel to offer the church and one last lesson taught and hopefully learned.

Fr. Tom kept a blog during his last several months to keep in touch with his parishioners and his friends. If you'd like to learn more about Tom, click here.

Praying for Peace - call for photos

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph will be presenting a performance of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace on Saturday, March 24, 2007, 8:00p.

The event will be an opportunity for our diocese to pray for peace and to honor and pray for those who are in harm's way for our country. As part of the performance, pictures of those who have died in combat and those who are currently serving in the military in places of conflict will be displayed in a slide show. If you would like to add a picture of your loved ones who have either died serving our country in any war or conflict or are currently serving, please send them to Julie Wind as an email attachment or with a link where the picture can be downloaded. Please contact Julie if you have any questions about sending pictures or about the performance: (408) 283-8100 x2205.

Sin diagrammed

Here's one way to deconstruct sin. The site is interesting, at times hilarious, often thought-provoking. Some of her index cards take me back to 4th-grade math. Who knew subsets could be so funny? Her humor might not be for everyone, so click responsibly. :)

Catechizing the Assembly: Discernment

From September 21 to 23, 2006, catechumenate directors, team members, liturgists, and catechists gathered to discuss the issues and challenges of implementing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in our diocese and to study the Rite of Acceptance and the Scrutiny Rite. (Read about some of the strategies we discerned in this Word document.)

One primary concern that was raised from that gathering was the need for simple resources to help catechize and prepare the assembly for the rites of initiation.

So, catechumenate ministers of the diocese: we hear you!

Below is part of the unformatted text from a bulletin insert that you can download, print, and copy for FREE for use in your parishes to help you catechize about the Rite of Acceptance. I ask that you simply include the author and copyright information on any copies you make.

Get the fully-formatted ready-to-copy bulletin insert (pdf) here.


Christian Initiation of Adults
Discernment
Listening to God's Voice

by Diana Macalintal
© 2007, Diana Macalintal.
All rights reserved.


Hearing and Responding
A big part of becoming and being Catholic is learning to hear God’s voice and responding. Our Scriptures tell us many stories of people hearing God and responding.

Abraham heard God’s voice from an angel, a “messenger” of God, asking him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Confused and probably afraid, Abraham responds by trusting God’s voice (Gn 22). Moses heard God’s voice coming from a surprising and unusual source—a burning bush. He responded to this unexpected encounter with the Divine by taking off his shoes and accepting God’s call to set his people free (Ex 3). The Samaritan woman at the well heard God’s voice in the midst of her everyday chores, in an ordinary conversation with a stranger. She responded to Jesus by becoming the first evangelist proclaiming the Good News to her village (Jn 4). And Mary heard God’s voice in an angel with unbelievable and perhaps terrifying news for one so young—she would bear God’s child. She responded in faith with amen, “let it be done” (Lk 1).

Perhaps Adam and Eve’s sin was not just disobeying God but not responding when he called, for when they heard his voice after eating the apple, they hid themselves (Gn 3).

For discussion: Do you remember a time when you heard God’s voice and knew it was God speaking? Where or who did it come from? What did you feel when you heard God’s message for you? How did you respond?

Voices in My Head?
Unlike some of the Scripture stories, however, we will probably hear God’s voice in much more ordinary ways. Most of us will never have an angel appear to us with a divine message from God. Nor will many of us encounter a burning bush or other supernatural revelation of God. More than likely, we’ll hear God the way the woman at the well did—in a simple conversation with another person while doing the simple things we do everyday—or the way Mary did—in an unexpected turn of events.

As Catholics, we believe that God is constantly trying to reveal God’s self to each person, using the ordinary things we experience in our lives to be the “messengers” for God’s word. In our family, friends, and the familiar events of our life, through the stranger and the new experience, and most especially in the poor, the outcast, and those events that shake us to the core, God is trying to say, “Here I am. Listen.”

At critical moments in our lives, God’s voice may be very strong: at the birth of a new family member or at the death of a loved one; when we fall in love, or when we break up; when tragedy happens or when we are overwhelmed by goodness; when we are deciding on a career, a vocation, a life-long partner; when we are hurt, or when we cannot forgive; when we need to choose a new way of life.

When we hear God’s voice, we might feel unsettled or out of sorts. We might feel that we need to do something, to make a change or be more resolved. Discovering who God intends us to be (our truest self), what God is asking of us at this moment in our life, and making a decision to act is called discernment.

For discussion: When was the last time something critical or significant happened in your life? What was God communicating to you at that moment?

Discerning God’s Call
For Catholics, there are four honored places we listen for God’s voice: in Scripture, in our Catholic tradition and teaching, in the Church community, and in our own conscience. Those who are preparing to become Catholics—the catechumens—participate in an on-going process of discernment throughout their preparation, learning to listen for God’s voice in these four principle ways. They do this to continue growing in their new faith in Christ and to know when they are ready to take the next step toward initiation into the Church. We who are already baptized serve as models for the catechumens, teaching them by our example how to listen for God’s voice each day, especially when we need to make an important decision.

Scripture
The Scriptures reveal who God is and how God relates with his people. The Scriptures project God’s voice most clearly when it is proclaimed in the assembly within the liturgy and connected to the real-life stories of that assembly in the homily. In the Gospel, especially, we believe that Christ is speaking directly to us, calling us again to listen and respond.

In a special way, the catechumens listen and respond to God in the Scriptures by “breaking open” the Word. They are dismissed from the Mass with a catechist to “feast” on the Scriptures and homily they just heard—to chew on them, in a sense—and to discover together what God is calling them to do at that moment in their faith journey.

Church Tradition and Teaching
You can’t find answers in the Scriptures to every one of life’s problems. But you can find Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will remain with us always, guiding us, instructing us in everything (Jn 14:26). That Spirit has led our Church through the ages, inspiring saints and holy women and men to hear and respond to God’s voice in their own time and situation. Church tradition is the collective wisdom and presence of that Spirit, showing us how our ancestors interpreted not only Scripture but also the signs of the times through which God was acting.

Church Community
The apostles didn’t receive the Spirit as individuals but as a community. We believe that in the faithful, there is a “sense” of what God is calling us to be. When two or three are gathered, God is there. And so learning to hear God’s voice is a group exercise. Together we listen for God with those we trust and who know us best—our companions, literally, those we share bread with. Our companions help us to hear and see the things we may be missing. They do this not just by what they say but also by how they live. Catechumens are given special companions called sponsors to help them discern God’s voice throughout their journey to initiation.

For discussion: Who are your companions? Who is looking to you be their companion in faith? How can your own actions model for the catechumens a life of listening and responding to God?

Our Conscience
For those with faith, God’s word is not far from them—“it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts” (Dt 30:14). God’s Spirit is in us, guiding our conscience into knowing the path God wants us to take. If after consulting all the other areas of discernment, we still feel uneasy, it may be because our conscience, God’s Spirit in us, knows it is not satisfied. But if after true discernment, we feel at peace, even with a hard decision, we can trust that we have listened and responded well to God’s voice.

A Process for Discernment
When faced with a difficult decision or turning-point in your life, or you just need to know better where God is leading you at this time, try this process.

Pray daily: Praying is less about saying things to God and more about being still to listen to God. Find a quiet place, and just be still and open to what God is trying to reveal to you. Making the sign of the cross, reading the Bible, or praying the Lord’s Prayer may help you focus on being attentive to God.

Participate at Mass: Keep your eyes, ears, mouth, and hands open to encountering God when your participate at Sunday Mass. Read the Sunday readings before you come to Mass. Be present to those around you, especially the stranger. Bring your concerns to prayer in the community. Reflect with others after Mass.

Look to the saints and other holy people: Read about the saints and their writings. Read Scripture stories about our ancestors in faith. Pay attention to people in your church or in your life whom you admire because of their life of faith. Share your faith with them, and let them be your companion and sounding board.

Return to prayer: Be still again in prayer, and listen to the small voice within you. Imagine making your decision, and notice your feelings. Journal about them if it helps. Which decision gives you a sense of peace? Which choice feels right with who God intends you to be? When this peace comes, give thanks to God.

Scholarships for pastoral music students

Thirteen scholarships totaling $23,000 are available from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) this year for undergraduate and graduate study in pastoral music and related fields. The deadline for scholarship applications is March 3, 2007.

Click here to view scholarship information and download an application.

Food Available for Parish Food Pantries

Saint Joachim Church in Madera, California, near Fresno, has 60 tons of Italverde Trading Pasta: 5,000 cases, 24 lbs. each. Help Catholic Charities get this to families in parish communities. If your parish has a food pantry and you are interested, please contact Rubén Solorio immediately for more details. Catholic sister agencies in the Santa Clara County have already been contacted: Sacred Heart Community Services, Martha's Kitchen, Loaves & Fishes, St. Vincent De Paul and St. Joseph Family Center. Rubén Solorio’s contact information is (408) 325-5129.

Rite for Sending Communion Ministers to the Sick from a Parish Mass

The following rite was developed by the Diocese of San José and is made available for use in your parishes.

Download this rite as a Word document.


Rite for Sending Communion Ministers to the Sick from a Parish Mass

Before Mass, ministers to the sick place their empty pyxes on the credence table. At the end of the Communion procession, the priest, deacon, or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion fill the pyxes with consecrated hosts and place them on the altar.

After the communal silence or song of prayer, the celebrant calls the ministers to the sick forward and gives them their pyxes. Then he leads the assembly in the Prayer After Communion.

After the Prayer After Communion, the celebrant dismisses the ministers to the sick with these or similar words:

Celebrant:
My brothers and sisters,
you are sent to bring the Word of God
and the Bread of Life from this assembly
to the sick and shut-in members of our parish family.
Go to them with our love and our prayers
in the name of Jesus Christ.

Ministers: Thanks be to God.

(en español)

El Sacerdote:
Mis hermanos y hermanas,
ustedes van a llevar la Palabra de Dios
y el Pan de Vida de esta asamblea
a los enfermos de nuestra familia parroquial.
Vayan a ellos con nuestro amor y nuestras oraciones
en el nombre de Jesucristo.

Ministros: Demos gracias a Dios.

The ministers leave the assembly immediately.

World Day of Prayer for the Sick – February 11

Since 1992, February 11, the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, has been observed as the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. This is a good opportunity to give special attention to the needs and witness of the sick in our communities.

Below are a list of ritual suggestions which had been developed in consultation with the diocesan Pastoral Care of the Sick Committee. In addition, there are suggested general intercessions and a blessing for caregivers that can be a part of a parish celebration of Anointing of the Sick.

"When the Church cares for the sick, it serves Christ himself in the suffering members of his Mystical Body" (Decree on the Pastoral Care of the Sick, December 7, 1972).


Assessing your parish's ministry to the sick:

• Have enough ministers been trained and commissioned to bring Communion to the sick?
• Are parishioners encouraged to visit the sick in their homes and hospitals?
• Are the homebound invited to participate in parish life in whatever way possible?
• Are the sick and dying remembered in the prayers that begin parish group meetings?
• Does the parish support other organizations that assist the sick and dying and those who are easily forgotten?

Suggestions for a parish celebration remembering the sick

• Remind pastoral care ministers and ministers of Holy Communion to visit the sick and shut-ins of the parish.
• Place the names of the sick in a special book that is displayed in church.
• During February, place the names of the sick on separate pieces of paper and ask parishioners to take a name, pray for the person, and send him/her a card.
• Use the diocesan Rite for Sending Communion Ministers to the Sick from a Parish Mass.
• Schedule a parish Anointing of the Sick either during Mass or outside of Mass.
• Include intercessions for the sick or use the suggested prayers below.
• During Mass, give a special blessing for caregivers. Suggested text is below.
• The following prayer from the United States Bishop’s “Pastoral Care of the Sick” can be printed in the bulletin or on cards for people to pray at home or at weekday Mass:

  Father, your Son accepted our sufferings to teach us the virtue of patience in human illness. Hear the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters. May all who suffer pain, illness, or disease realize that they have been chosen to be saints and know that they are joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
  
  Padre nuestro, tu Hijo aceptó nuestros sufrimientos para enseñarnos la virtud de la paciencia en el dolor humano. Eschucha las oraciones que te ofrecemos por nuestro(a) hermano(a) enfermo(a). Que todos los que sufren dolores, enfermedades o males se den cuenta de que han sido escogidos para ser santos y para conocer que están unidos a Cristo, que sufre por la salvación del mundo. Te lo pedimos por Cristo, nuestro Señor. Amén.

General Intercessions for the Sick

For the Church: [pause]
May we accept the challenge to respond to the needs of God’s people.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who suffer throughout the world: [pause]
May they experience the peace of Christ.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who have come today for healing: [pause]
May they be filled with new hope and strength.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who are dedicated to the care of the sick: [pause]
May they receive the grace to continue their ministry of compassion.
We pray to the Lord.

For the families and friends of those who are ill: [pause]
May their faith bring them comfort.
We pray to the Lord.


Blessing for Caregivers

Almighty God, you are lavish in bestowing all your gifts;
your mercy is without measure,
and the treasures of your goodness without limit.

We thank you for the ministry of pastoral care
with which you have graced your church.

We thank you for these, your ministers,
who faithfully give of themselves in caring for their brothers and sisters.

Send your blessing upon them;
shelter them in the shadow of your wings.

May they see you in the faces of those entrusted to their care,
and may they share your gifts with those in need
out of love for Christ our Lord who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Sample Intercessions for February 11, 2007

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
February 11, 2007

Things, events, and news items to keep in mind:

• Click here for the day's readings.
• February 11 is World Day of the Sick.
• February 14 is Valentine's Day. This may be a difficult day for those who are lonely, single, in struggling relationships, divorced, or widowed.
• Hundreds are killed in massive car bombs in Iraq; several US soldiers die is helicopter crashes.
• Extreme cold hits the midwest and east coast, leaving the vulternable and the homeless in danger of death.
• Fires in South San José and in Sunnyvale displace hundreds and leave many homeless.
• Catechumens continue to discern their readiness for baptism this Easter as Lent approaches.
• Vietnamese and Chinese communities prepare for the Tet holiday and the lunar new year.

The following are just samples meant to inspire your work. Use them as ideas for your own assembly's intercessions. Read 10 Principles for Writing Intercessions and How To Write Intercessions to help you write your own.

Presider:
With confidence in our God,
let us pray for the needs of the world.

Reader:
For the church: [pause]
for steadfast hope in the Lord;
for fruitful witness to the Gospel.
We pray to the Lord.

For the world: [pause]
for an end to war and violence;
for streams of peace flowing in the desert.
We pray to the Lord.

For the catechumens: [pause]
for strength to listen to God's voice;
for their hunger to be satisfied by God's word.
We pray to the Lord.

For those in love and those struggling to love: [pause]
for couples and those seeking companions in life;
for all who mourn the loss of a relationship.
We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and the dying: [pause]
for the homebound and those in hospitals;
for their caregivers and all who comfort them;
for those we now name...[pause].
We pray to the Lord.

For the dead: [pause]
for faith in the resurrection of Christ;
for comfort to those who weep;
for those we now name...[pause].
We pray to the Lord.

Presider:
God our Father,
those who hope in you flourish in your goodness.
Fill the poor of the world with your blessings,
and give a hunger for justice to those filled with earthly concerns.
Hear our prayers, and we will leap for joy in your kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Calling all singers - Upcoming diocesan liturgies

Calling all singers! We've begun the diocese's busy season of liturgies. And for each of these, we need music ministers to assist with singing in the Diocesan Choir. Look at the dates below and see if you would be able to share your skills.

Rite of Election
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebrations:
Sunday, February 25, 2007, 3:30p
Monday, February 26, 2007, 7:30p
Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 7:30p

End of the Jubilee Year Mass
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, March 6, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebration:
Saturday, March 17, 2007, 10:00a

Chrism Mass
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Monday, March 26, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebration:
Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 7:30p

Neophyte Mass
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, April 17, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebration:
Saturday, April 21, 2007, 4:30p

Ordination to the Priesthood
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebration:
Saturday, May 26, 2007, 9:30a

Confirmation of Adults
Choir Rehearsal:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 7:00p - 9:00p
Celebration:
Sunday, May 27, 2007, 3:00p

All rehearsals will be in Loyola Hall, the parish hall of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph (80 South Market Street, San José).

And don't forget about the invitation to sing in the peformance of "Armed Man, A Prayer for Peace."

People interested in participating in any of these events can contact Julie Wind at (408) 283-8100 x2205.

"Who moved my Lent?" - Liturgical Coordinators' Gathering follow-up

On January 9, 2007, about 25 liturgical coordinators gathered at Casa Maria Conference Center in Los Gatos to discuss several lenten liturgical issues and share ideas. Here's a report on what we talked about.

Lenten ideas for connecting liturgy with justice

• 7 suggestions for a parish-wide fast for Lent
• "Get on the bus" - a project of Deanery 2 that unites children with their incarcerated mothers on the Friday before Mother's Day; each child is given a teddy bear and a letter from their mother pinned to the teddy bear.
• Operation Rice Bowl - in 2006, the Diocese of San José increased its Operation Rice Bowl collections by 218% from the previous year! That makes us #1 in of all the dioceses in the US in terms of percentages! We’re still not talking about a lot of money, but the increase over last year was incredible.
• "Can you hear me now?" - The campus ministry director at Notre Dame High School shared that the students are asked to fast from cell phone use during Lent.
• Catholic Charities - connecting Sunday with justice
• Catholic Charities - Do this in memory of me - ideas for Holy Thursday
• The children's catechumenate director at Saint Lawrence the Martyr involves the children catechumens in remembering God's promises by creating paper rainbows for Lent.
• Saint Catherine of Alexandria prepares different devotions and liturgies for each Friday of Lent along with a soup supper.
• The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary coordinate a South Africa project in Lesotho, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Ash Wednesday

• Can people take ashes home? - Some people have encountered people asking to take ashes home for family members who were unable to partipate in the parish's Ash Wednesday liturgy. We talked about the benefits of letting people take some ash home and also about the concern that people might "desecrate" the ashes or approach this in a "consumerist" way. In the end we felt that because of the nature of the day (when so many visitors and marginal Catholics come to church), it was best to use this as an opportunity to reach out to those we may never see during the year. In the same way that we allow people to take home holy water to use as a sacramental, ashes could also be given to those who want to bring them to loved ones at home. One parish in the past had prepared small envelopes containing a bit of the blessed ashes and a blessing for Lent printed on the envelope. We also suggested adding the parish's contact information and Lent and Holy Week schedule on these envelopes.

Ashes and palms

• How do you burn palms to make your own ashes for Ash Wednesday? - The liturgy director at Holy Family described how they do it. They put announcements in the bulletin two weeks before Ash Wednesday inviting parishioners to bring their dried palms from last year's Palm Sunday to any of the Masses on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. After each Mass on that weekend, they invite anyone who would like to stay to participate in a short ritual of burning the palms outside. The priest says a few words instructing the people about the tradition of burning palms for ashes. Then they burn the palms in a copper kettle with a screen. They also microwave the ashes afterward to kill any bacteria.
• Here's another blogger tackling the same question.

Reconciliation services

• Here's a sample reconciliation service you can use.
• Here's a sample lenten night prayer for home.
• Reconciliation service resources recommended by the pastoral associate at Saint Nicholas.
• The liturgy director at Saint Martin of Tours shared that the children celebrate first reconciliation together with the parish at the parish's Advent reconciliation liturgies. This has worked very well, and the parishioners serve as examples for the children.
• One of the pastoral associates at Saint Francis of Assisi shared that their parish penitential liturgy ends with an invitation to celebrate the sacrament of penance individually. Each penitent is given a lit votive candle which they place around the altar after they celebrate the rite. This is quite dramatic and meditative especially because the church lights are dimmed during this time.

Lenten movies

• The pastor of Saint Anthony mentioned that he saw "Freedom Writers" the night before and thought it would be an excellent movie for a lenten gathering and discussion. To read more about this movie and one person's reflection on the power of one, click here.
• Other people suggested "An Inconvenient Truth".
• To see a HUGE index of movies by Christian themes, click here.

Miscellany

• The liturgy director at Saint Catherine of Alexandria noted that the latest issue of the United States Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter talks about the appropriate use of the tabernacle and how "only under rare circumstances of necessity should the assembly at Mass communicate from the reserved sacrament in the tabernacle." This is one of Bishop McGrath's Communion norms for our diocese.
• The liturgy and music director at Most Holy Trinity recommended Dan Schutte's "Most Holy Night" as an excellent assembly/choral/schola setting of the Exsultet. The setting is found in "Easter Praises" a collection of Exsultet settings published by OCP. Click here to listen and order.