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Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Editor's note: There will be no newsletter next week. The next issue will be April 21.
Life is full of surprises. I thought when I was assigned to St. John Vianney it would be the last assignment before retirement. God and the bishop had another thought in mind. This has been a recent development. To celebrate the 25th Jubilee of the Diocese of San José the bishop has asked me to go to the Diocese of Montego Bay in Jamaica to begin a new mission co-sponsored by the Diocese of San Jose and the Maryknoll Priests. I have reluctantly accepted because I have always believed we should have a mission in another country. I was chosen because I am the only priest in the diocese that has been involved with: 1.lay, diaconal, and priestly formation; 2. community organizing; 3. parish work. The program is to develop a lay leadership program for the Diocese of Montego Bay.
I,
along with a Maryknoll priest, will be assigned for three years. This was a
great surprise for me. I recently bought a car and recently got a dog, so I
obviously was not expecting this. I feel St. John Vianney has been my home
and I am sad leaving it, but I am excited of this new venture of the
diocese. This is the only assignment that would have taken me away from St.
John Vianney. The new pastor of St. John Vianney (who has not yet been
chosen) will begin July 1, 2006.
Thank you for your support and I will continue to work for the parish wholeheartedly until then.
Palm Sunday: Entrance to Holy Week
by Ellen Turner
This week we celebrate Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday.
It's a strange celebration. We greet Jesus as the Jews did, with palms
waving, proclaiming Him King of the Jews, then by the end of the service we
have demanded his crucifixion. What fickle creatures we are!
The Palm Sunday liturgy starts with a procession. Outside the church we read the Gospel story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We wave palms and sing "Hosanna!" The Jewish Scripture reading reminds us of the Suffering Servant. The reading from St. Paul talks about how Jesus emptied himself for us, taking the form of a servant, obedient even unto death, but also exalted above all mankind.
These readings are followed by the long reading of the Passion of Jesus. This reading takes us through the treachery of the religious leaders of the time, the woman who washes Jesus feet with perfumed oil, the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the Last Supper, the agony in the garden, the arrest, trial, beating, and finally the death of Jesus Christ. It is a long reading and there is plenty to contemplate for each of us individually and as a congregation.
We take home a piece of the blessed palms to serve as a reminder, in our homes, of our salvation through the suffering and death of our servant-king. The palms will be gathered again next spring to burn to create the ashes used on Ash Wednesday.
Triduum: Our High Holy Days
by Ellen Turner
The Triduum, or Three Days, is the Christian High Holy Days. Many people think that Christmas, with all its splendor is the holiest time of the year for Christians, but that is not the case. Christmas is just the day and season that is best known in the secular culture. The Triduum, celebrating the death and resurrection of our lord, Jesus Christ, is a much more important feast. Without Christmas, you would not have an Easter, but without Easter, Christmas would make no sense.
Even if the term "Easter Triduum" is not familiar to you, you are familiar with the celebrations. The Triduum begins with Holy Thursday (called Maundy Thursday in some traditions) and runs through the Easter Vigil service, where traditionally, we welcome new members of the faith through the sacrament of Baptism.
The whole of Lent is preparation for these three days. The documents from Vatican Council II tell us: "Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life. Therefore the Easter Triduum of the passion and resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year."-General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, #18
The three days are
counted according to the ancient Jewish tradition, wherein the day begins at
sundown, rather than the modern tradition of counting the new day from 
midnight.
So Holy Thursday starts at sundown on Thursday and the three days run on
until sundown on Sunday. On Holy Thursday, we remember the Lord's Last
Supper and the gift of the Eucharist. This is my favorite ritual of the
year. The celebration includes the ritual washing of the feet, where we are
taught that to lead is to serve. The evening ends with a procession removing
the consecrated hosts from the church proper, in memory of the passion of
Jesus, when he was held captive by the Powers That Be and all seemed lost to
his followers. Parishioners are encouraged to spend time in silent prayer in
the room where the Eucharist is kept.
Good Friday is the only day of the year when the Eucharist is not consecrated. We remember the passion of Christ. Traditions abound for this day. Stations of the Cross are popular, so we can all relive and remember Christ's suffering for us. Another tradition, one you can keep at home, is to remain silent during the hours from noon until 3:00 PM, the traditionally understood time that Jesus was on the Cross. The Good Friday ritual is pretty long, with two readings from Hebrew Scripture then the long reading from the Gospel that tells the story from the time Jesus left the Supper Room until his death on the Cross. Everyone is given an opportunity to kiss the cross, which is a very moving experience.
The Easter Vigil
service is the most wonderful celebration of the year. It starts in
darkness, outside the church, with a reading from Genesis, and the lighting
of a bonfire. 
The
Pascal candle is lit and everyone in the congregation lights a candle from
that candle, so the church becomes bright with those who have faith. The
first reading from Genesis takes us through the story of creation. Then we
read another part of Genesis that talks about God's promise to Abraham, and
Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. The third reading talks
about the Exodus, when God leads His people out of slavery to form a new
society based on justice. The fourth reading reminds us that things don't
always go smoothly, but even when we abandon God, God does not abandon us.
The fifth reading invites us to come to the waters of everlasting life.
Reading six reminds us of the Babylonian Captivity which caused the Jews to
search for their identity, calling us all to renew our commitment to God
made at our Baptism. In reading seven, God promises to replace our hearts of
stone with a new heart, full of God's Spirit. Finally moving to the New
Testament, the eighth reading talks about Baptism, turning away from sin and
living in Christ. The Gospel then tells of Mary Magdalene and the other
women going to the tomb and finding Jesus gone.
There are other readings for the Easter Sunday Masses, but the most beautiful celebration is the Easter Vigil. As part of that service, the Elect are baptized into the Catholic Church. If you have never attended the Easter Vigil service, you should try to go. It is very moving as it takes you through the whole story of salvation history.
Together, these three days form one complete liturgy. For the richest experience, try to participate in all three days.
The Stations of the Cross is a Catholic tradition focused on the passion and death of Jesus. Every Catholic church has a set of the fourteen traditional stations, either as paintings, sculptures or bas-reliefs. One goes through the set of stations, remembering each incident and trying to apply the lesson of Christ's passion to one's own life.
The traditional stations are:
Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane- Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
- Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
- Jesus is Denied by Peter
- Jesus is Judged by Pilate
- Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
- Jesus Bears the Cross
- Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross
- Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
- Jesus is Crucified
- Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief
- Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple
- Jesus Dies on the Cross
- Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
To see a sample prayer service for the Stations of the Cross, click here.
There is Still Time for Lent
by Rosana Madrigal
Holy Thursday, or three days to Salvation - Think of Holy Thursday with blind faith. Pretend you did not know Jesus would rise on the third day. Now remember a trying time in your life, when you didn't know if you would survive the trial. That is Holy Thursday. The promise of Easter.
Even
if you never got around to going on a chocolate diet, or being pleasant to
your neighbor, all is not lost. Because as long as you have breath, you have
the chance to repent and be saved.
Lent does not end with Easter. As humans we can always use a little fixin'. We can always pray that we will be better Christians.
Holy Thursday could be the beginning of your Lent. It starts with the celebration of the Last Supper, but even during that celebration we are reminded of what is to come. Jesus prays to accept what is to come. We too can pray to let go and let God, or thy kingdom come thy will be done. Maybe all you can do is pray this little prayer at a stop light or as you get to work or just about anywhere. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done." or "Let go and let God."
Or at least pray for the grace to be saved. Let me remind you the real promise of Easter is transformation and the promise of salvation.
Was your sacrifice, or chocolate diet, just that? Or were you blessed with the grace of salvation or at least the promise to be a better person. Because, in the end, that is the greatest gift or grace - to be better than yesterday, and to recognize that our promise to be Christian is a promise until we are ashes.
Remember how we started Lent, with ashes on our foreheads? "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" or "remember that you are dust and unto dust your will return." The ashes on our foreheads remind us of our broken-ness, our desire for salvation - to be a better person, to be more Christian, to love God more - to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, to see the Christ in our neighbor - to love our neighbor whether that neighbor is a difficult boss or a world leader. Sometimes all we can do is pray for the grace that is the promise of Easter.
It is so easy to let Lent pass us by and say it is done, but think of Holy Thursday as the beginning of Lent and Easter as the end. Three days to pray for the grace to be saved.
Do you seek to be safe or to be saved?
Carry the Vision Community Conference on Nonviolence
It's at Evergreen Valley College on April 22, 2006.
The conference is designed to educate people about the power of nonviolence
and encourage them to take action. The event will draw on inspiration from
the lives of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Cesar Chavez. With
Gandhi's grandson, Arun, as our keynote speaker,
I know this will be a most inspiring day. It's not everyday that an
internationally known speaker of this caliber comes to town, much less to
our own backyard!
Another goal of the conference is to build bridges of peace and understanding between various groups in our community. During the afternoon session you will have an opportunity to meet people of different cultures, ethnicities, faiths, and ages, to examine the impact of violence on our lives, and to make a commitment to a "simple but profound act" that will demonstrate the transformative power of nonviolent change.
Many times we feel overwhelmed and even helpless in the face of the large problems that loom in our community and world. This conference reminds us that we don't need to solve the world's problems; we just need to take the step that is in front of us to take. This topic of nonviolence is so close to our own core as Christians.
You can register or get more info on the web at www.carrythevision.net, or click here to see the flyer. Click here to see the press release.
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PARISH AND DEANERY:
Faith in Action:
You are Invited to attend our next meeting on Saturday,
April 8,
9:30 AM, at the Parish Office Center.
Marriage Enrichment is Coming to SJV!
Married couples: If you have a sweet tooth for your sweetheart - and for
dessert, satisfy both your cravings by joining us for our first SJV
Marriage Enrichment Get-Together on Thursday,
April 27,
at 7 PM in the Parish Office Center. On-site childcare will be provided.
Contact Richard and Veronica Wildanger (408) 937-1483 or email rpwildanger@earthlink.net.
SJV Spring Fling 2006: The St. John Vianney Alumni Committee & The Drying Shed present "Springtime in Paris" on Friday, April 28, at the Drying Shed Restaurant, San Jose. For more information contact the SJV School Development Office at (408) 258-7677 or kheinemann@sjvsj.org. Click here to see the updated registration flyer. Click here to see the revised sponsorship flyer.
Parish Communications Workshop Series,
by Diocese of San Jose, to be held
May 2
and
May 9,
6:30-9:30 PM, at St. Joseph, Cupertino. To reserve a spot, call
983-0122.
St. John Vianney Fiesta 2006 - "Teams Building Our Community",
Friday,
May 19,
5-11 PM, Saturday,
May 20,
11 AM - 11 PM, and Sunday,
May 21,
11 AM - 9 PM. Admission is Free! A must for the entire
family! Authentic food, carnival rides, variety of
entertainment (popular bay area bands and more!) fun games and
booths. Raffle tickets available (win awesome prizes!!) AND.....THE
Famous Sunday Chicken BBQ, Tickets: Adult $8, Children (12 and under) $5. 12
Noon to 6 PM or until the food runs out. For more info call the parish
office at (408) 258-7832 or contact David Couch at (408) 314-2393, or email dave@TheRedCarpetTeam.com.
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Fiesta Chair Positions available: Sweet Booth Co-Chair Bingo Co-Chair Dart Toss Chair Multi-Media Co-Chair Raffle Ticket Coordinator Banners Co-Chair Set Up/Tear Down Coordinator Monday Clean Up Coordinator |
COMMUNITY AT LARGE:
Support Immigration Rights:
You are invited to join with other faith and immigrant rights groups on a
march in support of comprehensive immigration reform at 4:00 PM on Monday,
April 10.
We will begin to gather at 3:00 PM. This is the first day of Holy Week
and we will have living stations where immigrants from diverse cultures and
faiths will tell their stories of suffering and hope. We encourage
people to bring American flags to highlight the fact that we are all the
face of America, and to wear white shirts as a sign of peace. This
peaceful march will begin after school gets out on the corner of
Story and King and will continue to City Hall (about 3 miles). Please
join us on this historic day. Click
here to see the flyer. Submitted by Linda Batton, DJS Associate
for Evangelization, Justice, & Peace, Director of Missions.
Annual Community Nonviolence Conference Returns: Saturday, April 22, 9 AM to 5 PM, Evergreen Valley College, 3095 Yerba Buena Road, San Jose. You will not want to miss this powerful event, based on the teachings of nonviolence as exemplified by the lives of Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez. We are honored to have Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, as our keynote speaker. The day will be filled with music, information, and inspiration. Lunch will once again be provided by the San Jose Sikh Gurdwara. For more information or to get involved go to www.CarryTheVision.net.
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Palm Sunday: April 9
Mark 11:1-10 Procession, or John 12:12-16 Procession Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 Mark 14:1-15:47
Holy Thursday: April 13
Good Friday: April 14
Easter Vigil: April 15
Easter Sunday: April 16
2nd Sunday of Easter: April 23
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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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