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In This Issue:
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"Blessed are you who
have come to us
so rich in love and mercy"
Great people were often controversial figures during their lifetime. It is history, which can look on from a distance and see things in proper perspective, that rectifies the often limited judgment of contemporaries. Something like this has happened to the Lord Jesus. His contemporaries, even his closest coworkers, did not understand him, especially not his strange ideas on suffering and death as a necessary passage to a better life. Only later did all of this become clear to them.
Today Christians
celebrate Palm Sunday. "Christ entered in triumph into his own
city, to complete his work as our Messiah: to suffer, to die, and to
rise again"
The triumphal entry, celebrated at the beginning of the passion-week,
emphasizes that the three elements: suffering, death, and
resurrection, belong together. Jesus' death was not a defeat. It
was a victory. It is the genuine insight of Christianity that the
events of Jesus' earthly life were meant to enable the execution of God's
saving purpose. This genuine insight should be ours also concerning
our own lives when suffering strikes us.
How do you deal with suffering in your life and when you encounter fellow
humans who die in suffering and distress? Paul states: "If
we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring
with him those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thes 4:14). "Lord,
... the death of your Son gives us hope and strengthens our faith. May
his resurrection give us perseverance and lead us to salvation."
St.
John Vianney Parish Mission Statement
We, the people of St. John Vianney
Parish, 
seek to promote the Gospel through evangelization, worship and community
outreach to a diverse community in the San Jose eastern foothills. We recognize the community to be ethnically,
economically, intergenerationally and domestically mixed, and therefore resolve to strive for a broad vision of this
parish's needs in light of the Gospel.
We are committed to fulfill the above goals by working together, offering supportive presence to one another, and
arriving at decision through prayer, active listening and consensus.
Spiritual
Growth
Bible Study Groups
at St. John Vianney
Learn the Bible
... from one of the Most inspiring Teachers in the
Catholic Church
Today. An 24-week video course that will transform your knowledge of the
bible! The "Great Adventure Bible Timeline" will give
you the tools for a lifetime of enriching bible study and devotional
reading. Developed and presented by Catholic theologian and author Jeff
Cavins, this video Bible Timeline seminar will give you "the big
picture" of salvation history by showing you how people, places, events
and themes of the bible fit together.
On Thursday evenings, beginning February 1, we will start a 24-week Bible Timeline course that is an overview of the entire bible. Registration is required for the course. If you are interested, pick up a registration flyer in the front of the church or call the parish office at (408) 258-7832.
St John Vianney
Parish has some important dates coming up. These events are aimed at
involving the entire community, so mark your calendars now and plan to join
other parishioners, enjoying each other and working to make a better
community. The following events are ways we can come together for fellowship
and good stewardship. 
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Order of
Christian Funerals Workshop: Monday, March 12, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Parish
Pastoral Council Meeting: Monday, March 12, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Parish Faith
Formation program: Saturdays, March 17 and March 31
Parish Council
Nominations to be held in May 2007 |
Lent is a time of preparation
for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Easter, and it is our holiest season. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon
"Lengten", which refers to the lengthening of days during spring.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days, excluding Sundays, until Holy Thursday, which is the start of
Triduum, and is based on the date of Easter Sunday. As you no doubt noticed Easter comes early this year, and therefore so does Lent. The date for Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon immediately following the Vernal (Spring) equinox.
40 days is very important throughout the bible, but during Lent, they specifically remind us of the 40 days Christ spent in the wilderness, in preparation for the fulfillment of scripture. During this time, Christ was tempted by Satan three times, and though he was hungry and worn down, he never faltered and refused the temptations.
The focus of Lent is almsgiving (charity and tithing), prayer and fasting. We are also called to pray together as families, attend daily mass whenever possible, and to remember and relive our baptism. The color of the season is purple, which reminds us of the other theme of Lent, penance and forgiveness. For it is through Christ&39;s eternal sacrifice that we are freed from sin and can enter into His everlasting life.
There are 2 days of fasting during Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is required of all healthy adults 18-59. During our fast we are to have only one full meal, though we are permitted 2 small meals, provided that combined, they do not equal a full meal. We are also permitted only fluids between meals.
We are also called to abstinence during Lent. All Catholics 14 and over are specifically called to abstain from meat, except fish, on Ash Wednesday and every Friday of Lent. We should also choose something else in our lives from which we will abstain, but consider giving up a behavior as well as your favorite food.
You may also notice that we do not say or sing the Alleluia or Gloria during Lent. In fact during Lent, the Gloria is only sung once, during Holy Thursday. After that musical instruments fall silent in church until the Alleluia during the Easter Vigil.
Though Lent seems solemn, its quietness is that of Grace, which reminds, focuses and prepares us for the fulfillment of scripture that is the Resurrection and for the time when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will come again, in Glory.
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Holy
Thursday
Good Friday
Holy
Saturday
Easter
Sunday |
Ash
Wednesday
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Parish
Announcements: Visit this web site to read the SJV Parish Announcements: sjvannouncements.blogspot.com
Parish
Events Calendar: |
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Praying the
Scriptures: Visit this web site for ideas on praying the Scriptures: www.liturgy.slu.edu
Take a
Moment to Pray: |
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