This Week at St. James the Apostle - May 9, 2021

This Week at St. James the Apostle - May 9, 2021

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Jesus’ discipleship is not without its cost, Without personal commitment it will never last. He does not accept a mediocre friendship, You must be prepared for any sort of hardship. His love for us wasn’t cheap, it cost him his life, The cross speaks of how he bought us eternal life. His love wasn’t hal earted or conditional, From the cross he manifests his love eternal. He once clearly said you cannot serve two masters, You will be faithful to one and hate the other. He warned against undue attachment to money, Loving God with lip service is an irony.

Gather treasure in heaven which no one can steal, The good deeds you do for God no force can conceal. Everything you have today is only God’s gift,

Sharing them with others you follow Christ’s spirit. If you love Jesus, show it by your example, Pride has no place in your life and so be humble. Washing the apostles’ feet Jesus showed the way, Only with good deeds our Redeemer we can pay. If you love Him we have to keep the commandments, And live the Gospel values without amendments. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the only life, Unless you die to sin there’s no eternal life. Questions:

1. What is your deepest desire?

2. Which stanza reminds you of your obstacles?

3. How will you overcome those obstacles to follow Jesus? Reflections:

Sycophancy is rampant among political, religious and

community leaders. People know what their leaders like to hear and likewise, and the leaders know how to make their messages palatable to their listeners or subjects. Flattery and honesty run parallel lines and will never meet. The only objective of flattery is personal advantage and selfish gain. While in India, I was very close to many political leaders, and had ample opportunity to see many sycophants, who literally lived like parasites off their leaders. Unfortunately, this has become a way of life in the world today, and it has destroyed the personal credibility of leaders in every walk of life.

This was not the approach Jesus, the leader of all leaders, followed. There was no place for flattery or sycophancy in his vocabulary. He was always straight-forward, and always told the truth regardless of the con-sequences. Unlike other leaders who were self- serving, Jesus never thought of Himself. He walked the talk and preached the truth without mincing or diluting it with empty promises. He was a man of His word, a characteristic very hard to find among leaders today. He never tried to build up an empire around Him, nor did he indulge in making money or pursuing fame. As a matter of fact, He did nothing to take care of Himself. His friends had to borrow a grave for his burial; this alone suggests how little he thought of himself. Materially He owned nothing, and yet there was never richer man who ever walked on this earth. But, true to His preaching, His riches were not of this world but of the world to come. He encouraged His disciples to follow His example and store riches in heaven, where moth cannot eat nor destroy. Though He did not have material wealth, He was not unhappy as many would have expected. He had a purpose for his life: every word he spoke and every deed he performed revealed, beyond doubt, the wealth of His heart, which knew only how to

love and give. He gave everything to others, and dying on the cross in exchange for our salvation and

redemption, He made his giving total and complete. He preached the Gospel of love. As if giving a hint about the kind of death he would have He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for ones friends” (John 15:13). This was His philosophy of leadership, which was meant only to serve. By washing the feet of the apostles, a job done normally by the slaves or servants, He made it abundantly clear that He was a

servant-leader and His was a servant servant-leadership. How sad that such spirit of true devotion and commitment is hard to find in the leaders today.

Though the apostles initially sought worldly power and position, once they understood the real power and position must be used in the service of others, they abandoned their selfish cravings and committed fully for Jesus without ever turning back. In response to someone who wanted to follow him He said, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nets, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest head” (Mathew 8:20). There is no room for compromise with Him. He demands a full commitment from those who choose Him. He does not

encourage using empty words or pretentious love. For Him, love should be visible through good deeds. He very plainly told those who were deciding whether to follow Him, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in

heaven” (Mathew 7:21). The true test of discipleship is when you are able to take up your cross and follow Jesus. If you are unable to accept all the challenges that you face in your daily life, and bear patiently all the suffering that comes your way daily, you cannot be his follower. You may even have to sell all you possess and give the money to the poor before you can follow in His footsteps. In short, if you love Jesus, you must put into practice His commandments.

A story is told of an underground church in communist Russia many years ago. The Catholics had secretly assembled for the celebration of Holy Mass in a large hall. During the Mass suddenly a soldier appeared with a gun ready to shoot. He shouted at the top of his voice, “If you love Jesus more than your life, you can stay. I give you two minutes to choose.” All except about twenty people stayed. The soldier lowered the gun and with a changed expression on his face he said, “Father, please continue with the Mass. I am a Catholic. We are better off without those fair weather friends of Jesus.” Truly, if you love Jesus you must be ready to give up everything, including your life. Jesus’ love for us was not cheap. He suffered so much on both the physical and emotional dimensions. He endured everything without complaint. He is the perfect example of love. We cannot fall short of His love, lest we should be unworthy of him.

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Mon: Acts 16:11-15; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Jn 15:26 — 16:4a Tues: Acts 16:22-34; Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8; Jn 16:5-11

Wed: Acts 17:15, 22 — 18:1; Ps 148:1-2, 11-14; Jn 16:12-15 Thur: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 [1-7,

11-13]; Mk 16:15-20 (for Ascension); otherwise Acts 18:1-8; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 16:16-20

Fri: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Ps 113:1-8; Jn 15:9-17 Sat: Acts 18:23-28; Ps 47:2-3, 8-10; Jn

16:23b-28

Sun: Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2,

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2021

May 9 KofC Novena Prayer for the Unborn after 10am Mass May 10 St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm

May 13 Our Lady of Fatima Devotion 7:00pm May 16 First Communion

May 17 KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm May 25 Pastoral Council 7:00pm

May 27 Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm June 4 First Friday

June 7 KofC Officer’s Meeting 7:30pm

June 13 KofC Novena Prayer for the Unborn after 10am Mass Our Lady of Fatima Devotion 7:00pm

June 14 St. Vincent de Paul Meeting 7:00pm June 21 KofC Business Meeting 7:30pm

June 24 Bishop Begin Assembly 3546 Bus. Mtg 7:30pm June 29 Pastoral Council 7:00pm

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2021

It is time for the 2021 annual Bishop’s Appeal. Your pledge for this drive goes to the Oakland Diocese who distributes the monies to several important ministries such as Religious Education and Faith Formation, Clergy Formation and Support, Priest Retirement and Care, etc.

It is still quite difficult for many families, even though we are starting to come out of the restrictions due to the pandemic.

Our goal is the same as last year, $23,000. We know that you contribute to the St. James parish family but we ask you to contribute to the diocese as well. We have a responsibility to them as well.

Make checks payable to: Bishop’s Appeal 2021 or if you wish, you may contribute online at:

wwwoakdiocese.org/giving.

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1st Collection $3969.00 Other Capital Improvement $764.00

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I was on my morning walk in the neighborhood and for the first time I looked straight up the sidewalk. I was amazed! Wow! I can't help but to wonder in awe - Why did I not notice this before?

This made me think about my coworker. She is very religious. But when her aunt passed away, she was asking why she hadn't experienced her or dreamt of her while all their friends and families had. She was confused and hurt.

When I had my own share of loss and grief, I was being swallowed by my own fears and doubts and guilt. But one thing gave me comfort. That is when GOD sent His angels to us. Where are the angels?

• That nurse, who I hardly knew or spoke to, that day listened to all my woes and even gave me an angel stone. She had put in her pocket and was surprised that she brought in with her that day.

• It was the school mate that I have never spoken to but she started sending me Bible verses for several months to send her condolences.

• It was the policeman who empathized with us and looked for my son.

• It was the friends who left their work to be with me during the time I was wailing in distress.

All these things and more. The angels are not being sent with their feathers and trumpets. The angels are all around us. We need to open our eyes to see them. --Majel Cantoria

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Esteban Zapiain, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Survivor

Unidos en Apoyo is a FREE Online Conference for Spanish speakers who are blood cancer patients, family members or caregivers to be held virtually on Facebook Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 11 AM PDT. This conference is sponsored by The Mexican Consulate & Embassy in Fresno, the Central CA Chapter of

the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and will be presented by Promotoras con Alma. If you or anyone you know can benefit from this conference, we encourage you to call (510) UNETE55 (510-863-8355). As a leukemia patient for 10 years I strongly urge your participation if you are a blood cancer patient, family member or caregiver. Registration link on website.

Conferencia en línea gratuita Unidos en Apoyo - Esteban Zapiain, sobreviviente de Leucemia Miloide Crónica

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The office is closed due to the COVID shutdown. You can call and leave a message. 510-792-1962 (Parish Office)

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Saturday Mass: 5:00pm

Sunday Masses: 8:30am, 10:00am, 12:00noon

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Warmest welcome to all who worship in our Community. Please complete a registration form available online. (Parish Info)

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Please call the Parish Office when a parishioner is home-bound or hospitalized to arrange for Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick.

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Please leave a message at the Parish Office at least 6 months in advance for weddings and 3 months in advance for Baptisms.

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To have your child baptized, please call to make an appointment with Father Antony. For details, please go to the Church website (Parish Info) or contact Marcial Vasco 650-303-7106.

Baptism Preparation/Training class: First Saturday of the month from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm in the Small Chapel. Baptism Celebration: Last Saturday of the month 11:30am-12:30pm in the church

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We recommend using Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services / Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and Holy Angels Funeral and Cremation Services. You may contact Bill Russell @ 510-901-2191.

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Call 510-999-5940, email [email protected]. (No prices or quotes are given over the phone or in an e-mail.)

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Fr. Antony Vazhappilly, Pastor

Ernie Dandan, Deacon

We encourage you to register in the parish so that you can receive communication via email or regular mail. Registration information is essential for the office to respond to requests, send important parish and diocesan information and verify donations for tax purposes. If you need a letter of good standing to be a sponsor or Godparent for a baptism or marriage,

registration is very important.

Please fill out this form and place it in the collection basket and we will mail you a Parish Registration form. You can also find a registration form on the website (sjapostle.net) - Parish Info - Parish Membership.

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If you or someone you know is in need, please

consider calling St. Vincent de Paul 510-796-5494

.

On April 24, 2021,

the Parish Family of

St. James joyfully

welcomed the following

children through the

saving waters of Baptism.:

Julian James Morrow &

Noelle Marie Miller

Baptism

Morrow Family

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