Introducing Our New Council Members

Last Thursday, parishioners gathered for the St. John Vianney Town Hall Meeting, and elected council members for our new Parish Pastoral Council.

The new council members are:

In the next few months they will have their first meeting and a retreat intended to help them function as a team, working to support our parish mission.

St. John Vianney Catholic Parish Council, 2005
Ray Turner, Gina Sebastian, John Leyba, Olga Rodriquez,
Ann McEntee, Lela Chavez, Joe Ponte, Diane Branch, and Steve Do

Community Ministry Honors Ann Maxwell

On February 2, St. John Vianney Community Ministry gathered to honor a long-time volunteer, Ann Maxwell. Ann was celebrated at a pot-luck dinner in St.  Francis hall. Our community Ministry Coordinator, Bonnie Ehle, opened the event with a welcome and blessing. About forty-five parishioners took part in honoring Ann for her seventeen years of service in our community.

Ann said that giving her time and energy to St. John Vianney Catholic Community has been something she has very much enjoyed. She said it keeps her young. Ann is a great inspiration to others, including her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

In appreciation, Joe Ponte and Elaine Lipiane read a story entitled, "Installing Love."

Other guests who joined SJV parishioners in honoring Ann included Sally Mercado (Food Committee Lead), Martha Perez (The Lord's Pantry) and Lourdes Pollard (Innvision).

George Black contributed to this article and provided the photo.

Women's Time Out

Women's Time Out (WTO) is a self-run program, by and for SJV women. If you are a woman, over the age of 21, this is for you. The group meets monthly for fun and support, away from kids, husbands, and work. For example, in January they gathered for a spa night with wonderful appetizers and decadent desserts, including cream puffs and chocolate dipped strawberries. They created a spa atmosphere with music and candlelight. Trying out different scrubs and creams, the ladies all went home relaxed and refreshed.

During Lent, WTO will not be meeting, but you can mark your calendar now for the next event: Thursday, April 28th, a Scrapbooking night hosted by Diana Albert, our own SJV School Second Grade Teacher!

Meetings are usually held the fourth Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM. This is your chance to get out of the house, share time with friends or meet some new ones. Activities have included wine and cheese socials, craft or scrapbooking nights, holiday cookie and ornament exchanges, Bunko nights, cooking classes, dinners out, etc. A Flower Show last spring and the recent spa nights were big hits.

Would you be interested in being a WTO Coordinator? The program can always use new leadership and volunteers. Please contact Laura Rossini at 254-8602 for more information.

Lent: A Journey of Conversion
Abstinence
by Bruno Martinez

Many Catholics think of Lent as a time of abstinence, from meat or other dietary vices, and of fasting. Both of these, plus the other themes of Lent, almsgiving (charity), and prayer, are all reminders and help us to focus on converting our minds, hearts and souls to a more perfect union with Christ and God.

Think about one of the blessings you may have received with your ashes on Ash Wednesday, “Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel.” As humans we are flawed and subject to temptations daily. In the Gospel we just heard, after 40 days in the wilderness, Christ was tempted three times by Satan. Each of these times, as a mortal human, Jesus Christ turned away from temptation (Matthew 4: 1-11).

We too are called to turn away from temptation and sin, but God granted us free will, and it is up to us to choose. Following temptation is always quicker, easier, and gives us instant gratification, which is why turning away is so difficult. But we must do our best, because what we struggle for, a loving relationship with Christ and God is so worth our best effort. Lent helps us to focus and identify our own imperfections and to turn away from them, embracing the perfection of God’s love for us.

Consider for a moment your own Lenten abstinence. It is true that we are to abstain from meat on Friday’s during Lent, and many Catholics take this cue and embrace other dietary abstentions. When you consider what to give up for Lent, don’t think of it in terms of another New Year’s resolution, maybe to drink less coffee or eat less snack food. Instead, abstain from something that damages your relationship with God. Then, through this abstention, you can convert your life and become more Christ-like. More importantly, allow the 40 days of Lent to be a primer for the rest of your life.

I read a story recently where the father of three sons, ages 15, 12 and 8, asked his oldest son, who had given up beating on his younger brothers for Lent, how it was going. His son replied, “Great dad. But boy, I sure can’t wait until Lent is over. Those guys have one coming to them.”

I will give this oldest son credit for being partially correct in that he gave up hurting his brothers. However, he saw the end of Lent as the end of his brother’s stay from pain and the end of his abstinence. But during Lent we are called to conversion. This oldest son would truly have embraced his conversion if Lent had been the beginning of him never beating on his brothers again, ever. Speaking as an older brother, I can assure you, that this would be no easy task, but if you can stop doing something for 40 days, why not 40 years?

The point is to embrace the opportunity Lent affords us to focus and convert your heart to more fully follow the Gospel, and therefore Jesus’ example, and God’s love for us. Just as Christ turned away from temptation, so can you. Choose something in your life to give up that prevents you from living and being Christ-like. Let Lent be the first days of a life of abstention from temptation and sin, not just a short vacation from our faults. We are all human and are bound to falter. This is why God gave us His only son, so that we may repent and be forgiven our falters and sins. Jesus Christ died for our sins, and you are among His faithful. Honor his sacrifice, God’s love and your faith during this Lent. Convert yourself to better faithfulness to the Gospel.

Thursdays of Lent

Mark your calendars for every Thursday in Lent. This week, we started our Parish Mission with Fr. Kevin Joyce. Other parishes who have had a mission with Fr. Joyce have reported that it was a wonderful experience and highly recommend everyone participate.

The mission continues for four sessions, then the following Thursday we have a Parish Reconciliation Service. The Thursday after that is Holy Thursday and the beginning of our most holy celebration, the Triduum.

- 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM -

Remember that we are taking up a special collection on Easter Sunday for tsunami relief. Instead of just "giving something up for Lent" why not see what changes you can make to your lifestyle that might be used to help tsunami victims.

From the Bookshelf

Ever feel the need for some extra inspiration to get you going? Check out this book, chock full of stories about faithful folks who are making a difference in the world.

Brave Hearts, Rebel Spirits:A Spiritual Activists Handbook, by Brooke Shelby Biggs, tells the stories of some of our lesser known heroes, heirs to the great tradition of faith-based activism. These spiritual activists are environmentalists and gay-rights activists, peace workers, land reformers, and child advocates. They are Buddhists and Catholics, Hindus and Muslims, Baha'is, Jews, and Quakers. The stories of these modern-day prophets of positive change will inspire you, and the resources provided in each chapter will help you put your own beliefs to work in the world.

Some of the activitist featured include Catholics:

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, founder of SOA Watch
Martin Sheen, actor and activist
Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
Mother Jones, a Catholic Labor Agitator

And non-Catholics:

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Protestant Theologian, Nazi Resister
Janusz Korczak, Jewish Child Advocate
Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Monk, Peace Worker
Isabell Coe, Wiragarieem Aboriginal Tent Embassy Diplomat

Some books we reviewed earlier in the St. John Vianney Parish Newsletter would make excellent Lenten reading:

The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality, by Ronald Rolheiser. (November 8, 2004 issue)

St. Francis and the Foolishness of God, by Marie Dennis, Joseph Nangle, OFM, Cynthia Moe-Lebeda, and Stuart Taylor. (November 12, 2004 issue)

Simpler Living, Compassionate Life: a Christian Perspective, edited by Michael Schut (February 11, 2005 issue)

Take a Moment for Prayer

Take a moment from your busy day to pray. Visit this Irish Jesuit Prayer site that is so wonderful for people sitting at a computer who want take a few minutes to pray every day. It's so well done! It's based on the Ignatian way of prayer.

www.sacredspace.ie

Ann Kangas recommended this web site.

Announcements

Please remember to turn in your pledges for the Annual Diocesan Appeal. You may do so by bringing your pledges to Mass, and submitting it during the collection. Thanks to a small group of parishioners, we have made our goal, so all funds raised now go for parish needs. Please make your contribution now, so we can move on to other things. Plus, we really could use that new sound system.

The annual St. John Vianney Fiesta "Celebrating Our Diversity" is quickly approaching - this year it is set for May 20 through May 22. We need CHAIRS and CO-CHAIRS....Manage a booth (Chair position) or assist in managing (Co-Chair). If you are interested in the above Fiesta Positions, please contact: David Couch at 408-314-2393 or at dcouch36@sbcglobal.net, or Patricia Tovar at patricia.tovar@arusd.org.

Do you know of parishioners who do not have email but would like to get the St. John Vianney Parish Newsletter? Perhaps you could print out a copy each week to share with them. The cost of printing and mailing to everyone in the parish is prohibitive, but if everyone shares and passes it along, we can reach a lot more parishioners. Also, we post a copy on the bulletin board in the back of church, to your right as you are leaving. We are hoping that folks would read that copy there so others could see it too. We are always happy to add new members to our subscription list.

The church is in need of some welding. Are you a qualified welder who might be able to help? Please contact Bruno Martinez at 408-274-7552 or bruno@sjvonline.net.

Weekly Readings

This Week:

2nd Sunday of Lent, February 20
  Genesis 12:1-4a
  2 Timothy 1:8b-10
  Matthew 17:1-9

Next Week:

3rd Sunday of Lent, February 27
  Exodus 17:3-7
  Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
  John 4:5-42

Praying the Scriptures:
  Visit this web site for ideas on
  praying the Scriptures:
  www.liturgy.slu.edu

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