Lent: A Journey of Conversion
Penance and Forgiveness
by Bruno Martinez

During Lent we are called to repent for our sins in order to prepare ourselves for the resurrection of Christ. Like everything else in Lent, penance is a cause for us to examine our lives and to change our hearts to shape our lives into a truly Christ-like discipleship.

When preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are called to perform an examination of conscience. In a successful examination we not only identify our faults and sins, but we commit ourselves to change that in our life which brings us to sin. Only by making a faithful effort toward this conversion, can our reconciliation with God truly be complete.

In a similar way, the catechumenate or the Elect are given the rite of Scrutinies on the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent. This is a communal event, but it is not the community that examines the Elect, but rather the catechumens scrutinize themselves. The communal prayer strengthens the Elect with our prayers and support as they endeavor to convert their own hearts on their journey toward full union with Christ. While we think about the importance of communal support, reconciliation and indeed scrutinize our own lives, so must we remember that we are called to forgive others. Until we commit to forgive others, we ourselves cannot truly be completely forgiven, as Christ tell us in the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18: 21-35). And when Christ instructs us how to pray, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12) Christ directly tells us that we can only truly be forgiven when we forgive, otherwise our plea for forgiveness is empty. "If you forgive other's transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transactions." (Matthew 6: 14-15) Christ Himself spells out what God wants from us. Do not seek what you are not willing to give.

The path is clear, forgive to be forgiven, be sincere in your intent to stop sinning by changing your heart.

In order to help us all on our journey, there will be a communal Reconciliation service with individual confessions to follow on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 7:30 PM in the church.

Always remember that Christ is love, through His love for us, He gave His life to free us from sin. When we forgive we embody Christ's love for us.

Holy Week Schedule

The Triduum schedule is as follows:

Holy Thursday :	Mass of the Lord's Supper	-	7:30 PM
Good Friday :	Stations of the Cross	-	12:00 PM
Celebration of the Lord's Passion : (veneration of the cross to follow)	English	-	1:00 PM
	English	-	5:00 PM
	Spanish	-	7:30 PM
Holy Saturday : *	Easter Vigil	-	7:30 PM
Easter Sunday is normal Mass schedule.
* There will be no 5:15 or 7:00 PM Mass on Saturday.

Shelter Breakfast an Excellent Lenten Activity

Come join SJV parishioners to serve a pancake breakfast at the San Jose Family Shelter, on Sunday, March 20 at 7:00 AM.

We will cook and serve breakfast at the San Jose Family Shelter. We can always use more help. The Shelter is one of the few places in Santa Clara County where a homeless family can stay intact during difficult times.

Jesus preaches in Matthew 25 "Feed the Hungry". Join us to cook, serve and share our stories while eating breakfast with the families. Come spend two hours of your Sunday with Jesus's brothers and sisters.

If this is the kind of thing you have always thought you should do, but you have been unable to get started, this is a great opportunity, since you will be with other parishioners who will show you how easy it is to do. If not now, when? If not you, who?

San Jose Family Shelter is located at 1590 Las Plumas, San Jose 95133. Contact Pat Garcia for more information at 926-3826.

"When I was hungry, you gave me to eat... Whatsoever you do to the least, that you do unto me." MT25:35, 40

Fair Trade

The World Council of Churches (See note below.) gathered in New York in January, 2004, to create a statement about Just Trade. From that gathering came an agreement to celebrate a Global Week of Action for Fair Trade from 10-16 April 2005.

With Fair Trade, each worker is paid a living wage, and resources are used locally to benefit the community. With Free Trade, multinational organizations freely move goods and jobs around the world to take advantage of cheap labor, leaving one area when the locals organize. The long term result of Free Trade has been increased poverty. Free Trade makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. Fair Trade provides dignity to all.

Several actions are suggested for local and national groups. Our parish Liaison for Justice, Brendan Cunning, has asked people to come together to discuss how we can participate in this action for justice. If you are interested, we will gather at the Turners' Taco night on Friday, March 18, at 7.00 PM. Please contact Ellen Turner at newsletter@sjvonline.net if you are interested in attending. Ellen will then send you a map, and make sure we have enough food for everyone. (Fish and veggie tacos, because it is Lent.)

What is the Global Week of Action? A Week of Action from 10-16 April 2005, where as many campaigns as possible across the world active on trade come together in united action. The idea is for all of the organizations, networks and movements to take action in their own national and regional campaigns.

The aim is to challenge the free trade myth and put forward alternatives by delivering the biggest global mobilization we have seen.

Who are the organizers? Anyone and everyone! The Week of Action is not led or organized by any one organization or campaign. It is a campaign idea, coming from the International Trade Campaign Conference that anyone can get involved in. It is an opportunity for all movements and campaigns active on trade to join together in united action.

What are we calling for? There is no one detailed policy demand for the week of action, rather the week of action seeks to bring together and build on the reality of existing trade campaigns across the world. We are united by the 'call of action'. We call upon all social movements, mass organizations, local and national campaigns and coalitions to join together to organize a Global Week of Action from 10-16 April 2005.

For more information, visit the following web site:

www.franciscansinternational.org/news/article.php?id=650

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.

Faith in Action Series

The Interfaith Council on Religion, Race, Economic & Social Justice, a group that brings Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and others together, invites you to join other people of faith exploring our common call to justice.

A movement is growing among progressive spiritual activists. Record numbers are attending lectures, conferences and seminars about moral values and public policy. People of faith are seeking to shift the moral debate away from hot-button issues like gays and reproductive rights to the more urgent and broader spiritual crisis taking hold of our nation.

The Faith in Action Training Series (FIATS) is devoted this year to helping define that crisis and training activists to provide a prophetic witness for justice in our communities. This six-session course will bring together progressive spiritual activists from diverse traditions to learn, connect, and mobilize.

Date: Thursday evenings, April 7 - May 12
Time: 6:30 PM – 9 PM
Location: Rotates to different houses of worship
Food provided!

LIMITED SPACE . . . REGISTER NOW!

Questions?

Contact:
Rev. Carol Been
The Interfaith Council
408-269-7872 x 577
408-266-3790  fax
carol@atwork.org

Notes from Deanery Meeting
by Ray Turner

A Deanery is a collection of nearby parishes that collaborate together to work on common goals. The Southeast deanery of the diocese of San Jose - of which SJV is a member - met Tuesday night to discuss ways in which we could collaborate on implementing the vision of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan (for information on the Diocesan Pastoral Plan visit the web site: www.dsj.org/future/plan.asp )

First, a staff person from the diocese mentioned the many ways that the Diocesan Pastoral Plan was already coming to life, including:

Bishop McGrath then gave his vision for our diocese. He talked about being ordained in 1970 in the post Vatican II period and his dream of implementing the vision of the Vatican Council here. Saying we are all "the Church", he said every parish must have a financial council and a parish pastoral council to involve the laity and provide transparency. It's also important to keep reading the signs of the times and making adjustments to the Diocesan Pastoral Plan as the times change. For example, he recognized that Youth and Young Adult ministries are separate, with their own characteristics and needs.

Bishop McGrath said he realized early in his priesthood the importance of "scheduling time for God" (prayer). He said that Catholic Social teaching is the "center of who we are" and Matthew 25 is "our charter". (MT 25:31-46 "...Whatsoever you do to the least, that you do unto me.") Bishop McGrath said we must be welcoming to all and be "the face of Jesus to this valley." The Diocese of San Jose is expected to grow from 600,000 Catholics today to 800,000 in just 15 years. This presents us with some "good challenges" for the future.

Then we all went to work to generate a consensus of what concrete things our deanery could do together to further the diocesan plan implementation. Three things got the most votes from the people present (which included a large contingent of youth). They were:

We are now challenged to "make it so."

Bishop P. J. McGrath said: "Catholic Social Teaching is not just an appendage; it is the center of who we are!" March 8, 2005 Southeast Deanery meeting.

Announcements

Peace Conference, "A Season for Nonviolence."
Community Conference Partners are: Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (CSE), Resources for Families and Communities, and San Jose City Council Member: Dave Cortese.

Date: Saturday, April 2
Time: 9 AM - 5 PM
Location: Evergreen Valley College
Fee: Adults $25, Youth $10

TO REGISTER:
Go to www.carrythevision.net OR mail your check to:
   Carry the Vision, c/o Council Member Dave Cortese,
   801 No. First Street, Room 600, San Jose, CA 95110
   (Please make check payable to "CSE: Carry the Vision")

For more information, visit the website or call Dave Cortese at 408-277-5242.

Rachel's Vineyard Retreat - A healing and reconciliation retreat for those suffering from the emotional and spiritual effects of abortion. Friday-Sunday, March 18-20, 2005. The location is not published to protect the privacy of participants. For more information, contact Sister Mary Peter McCusker, RSM at 408-426-7343. The confidential warm-line for those seeking help after an abortion is 1-888-HOPE-790.

Please remember to join us for the Parish Lenten Mission on Thursday evening in English and on Monday evening in Spanish, 7:00-8:30 PM in the church. Childcare available.

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.

For the Irish Amongst Us: St. Joseph's in Mountain View will have their annual Mass in the Irish language on Sunday March 13 at 11:30 AM. Traditional musicians and dancers always participate. (Don't worry - most of the spoken Mass is in English but the songs are in Irish.) The music is not to be missed. Come early as the church is always very full. Generally after the Mass, tea and Irish bread is served.

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.

Weekly Readings

This Week:

  5th Sunday of Lent, March 13
  Ezekial 37:12-14
  Romans 8:8-11
  John 11:1-45

Next Week:

Palm Sunday, March 20
  Gospel at the Procession: Matthew 21:1-11
  Isaiah 50:4-7
  Philippians 2:6-11
  Matthew 26:14--27:66
  John 11:1-45

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

Take a Moment to Pray:
  Visit this web site for ideas on
  the Ignatious way to pray:
  www.sacredspace.ie

Join Our Mailing List!

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Visit our web site at: www.sjvsj.net