The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ:
The Feast of Corpus Christi
by Bruno Martinez

During the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we are called to recognize and celebrate the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Especially in this, the Year of the Eucharist, we have been called, both by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict the XVI, to proclaim everywhere the inexhaustible love and blessing that is the Eucharist.

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has urged us "to seek after celebration of the liturgy that is not content with the minimum but ensures that the encounter with the mystery celebrated penetrates consciences, nourishes the lives of the faithful, and leads them to become more and more conformed to Christ Himself." (Spiritus et Sponsa, first message of Pope Benedict XVI)

In order to achieve this, in addition to the Mass on Sunday, there will be Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel of the Parish Office Center from 8:30 AM until 8:30 PM on Sunday, May 29, 2005.

What is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrement? It is simply basking in the Glory of the real presence of Christ in our midst. Keep in mind that our Catholic faith is in part based on the fact that the Eucharist is not like Christ; it does not represent Christ, the Eucharist IS Christ. "I am the living Bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." (John 6:51)

During adoration we hold vigil with Christ, we pray solemnly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We can recommit ourselves to a full, conscience and active participation in our faith and to discipleship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We will also call all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to renew their commissioning as ministers.

Take time out to reflect on this Sacred Meal, the meal of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, conquers death, and gives us the promise of everlasting life. Take time to feel the awe and Glory of the Blessed Sacrament, for it is truly the eternal sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Notre Dame High School Homecoming Reunion

Notre Dame High School
2005 Alumnae Homecoming/Reunion
Saturday, June 25, 2005 (RSVP by June 12th)
Cost - $50 per person

Join us on campus to enjoy new ties with your Alma Mater and with your classmates. Take time to stroll through campus and see all the changes! Come celebrate your class reunion with us!

4:30pm - Registration and Social Hour with your classmates
5:30pm - Dinner Buffet in St. Julie Billiart Hall
6:30pm - Start Program
7:30pm - Tour of Campus & Farewell

Notre Dame High School
Development Department
596 S. Second Street,
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 294-1113
www.ndsj.org/alumnae/homecoming.html

Saint Vincent de Paul
by Bruno Martinez

Many of us hear the name St. Vincent de Paul, but how many actually know what they do in our very own parish? You might be surprised by the true breadth of their efforts in discipleship to Vincentian ideals and the teachings of Christ’s love.

The most tangible evidence of the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s efforts is a small shed next to St. Francis Hall. In it, the Vincentians, keep non-perishable food, some of which is donated at the Thanksgiving day Mass, for distribution to those in need.

Our SJV St. Vincent de Paul Society spends approximately $300 per month on diapers for mothers in need. They also distribute clothing and other basic necessities to those in need. The Vincentians also give out vouchers for groceries and household items.

The Vincentians find the people they will serve, and to whom they will minister, from those who call their phone line, (408) 535-0404, and from Community Ministry. Once they have a name, they call the person and set up an appointment to go visit them in their homes, taking what they can to help them, including the word of God.

How can our parish support this group of dedicated volunteers in their ministry of love and true discipleship to Christ? On the 5th Sunday of the month there is a second collection to support the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This Sunday is a 5th Sunday, so remember that Christ called us to serve and love the least of His people. Please help to support this vital ministry which these superstar volunteers perform every week.

Corpus Christi: What's Our Role?
by Ellen Turner

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. But what is that all about? What does it mean to me as one individual, trying to follow the Gospel of Jesus?

We are the Body of Christ. Saint Teresa of Avila said:

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out on a hurting world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now."

It is up to each of us, as Eucharistic People, to do the work of Jesus today and everyday. Heal the sick, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger. Matthew 25 tells us that we will be judged by how well we do this, by how faithful we are to the call to be the Body of Christ in today's world. Like the bread of the Eucharist, we are all broken and in our brokenness we share in the new life of Jesus. When we feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, welcome the stranger, we are living the Eucharist, we are the Body of Christ, doing the work of Christ.

In this year of the Eucharist, honor not only the consecrated host, but honor the full Body of Christ by taking up your part of the work of Jesus Christ. We are a Eucharistic people, the Body and Blood of Christ in today's world. What if we really lived that mission?

Are We Creatures of Habit? - Part 2
Seven PM Sunday Mass

Have you ever noticed many of us attend the same Mass time each week?  We even seem to sit on the same side of the church, in the same row? Why is this?

In the May 6 issue, the SJV Communication Team reported on our survey of the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass. We asked questions to help reveal the reasons behind our attendance choices and habits. We summarized results and presented three samples from our survey.

In this issue, we continue the report of our informal survey. Today's story, our second presentation, is about the 7 PM Sunday Mass. Below, we share three sample responses.  We heard from 13 participants this time, up from the number of responses from the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass survey.

As with the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass, many said they prefer to attend the 7 PM Sunday evening Mass time every week.  It's interesting that this particular Mass time was seen by many as both, the end of their day, and the beginning of their week.  Again, music and liturgy, and the opportunity to be with friends and family, came up often as reasons why we attend this 7 PM Sunday Mass, and why we sit in the same place each time.

A Walk with Jesus - Part 2: Living a Christian Life
by Judi Miel

(Part 1: "Who Is Jesus?" was in last week's issue)

Silicon Valley Young Adults (SVYA) presented a day retreat entitled "A Walk with Jesus" on May 14. The first part of the day was spent learning to understand who Jesus was and what is the role he plays in our lives. The second part of the day was spent putting together a spiritual action plan and recommitting ourselves to Jesus Christ.

During the earlier sessions, our group realized that to follow Jesus was a call to action. As Veronica Wildanger, the morning session facilitator, stated, "The Christian life is not something you only think about or that you have, but it is something you do." Richard, her co-facilitator added, "Following Jesus means far more than just hanging out with him, listening to his teachings or being healed by him and the like. It means to surrender yourself and give up your will, wants and needs." As Christians, we have to live the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ.

With this in mind, Gustavo Gonzalez, a long time SJV parishioner, led us into a session to put together a spiritual action plan for ourselves and our families. The purpose of the plan was to put concrete actions behind the concepts we spoke about in the morning sessions.

Gustavo began by asking us how much time we spent on our spirituality on a daily basis. I have personally thought that I spent a considerable amount of time in prayer and study. However, when I looked at my calendar, my time with the Lord was lost amidst work, meetings, errands, household chores and other busy work. I also realized that time I spent with God came a distant third behind time with friends and coworkers. This was a truly sad realization for me.

Gustavo also asked the group whether we were able to maintain a good balance with all the aspects of our lives: work, community, family, intellectual, personal and social. Most importantly, was God in the center of our lives? Or did he get lost in the details of everything else?

He then went through and asked for examples on how we could make God a part of our lives. Gustavo mentioned that the Jesus prayer, a form of meditation, was part of his daily routine. He did the Jesus Prayer twice a day to help him focus on the Lord on a regular basis. In discussing family and God, one participant spoke about teaching her children prayers she learned as a child. She then went on to say that she prayed with her child before bed on a daily basis. On the topic of work and spirituality, one participant stated that he planned on putting a statue of the Virgin Mary in his cubicle so that throughout the day he could be reminded of God's presence as he worked. On participant also stated that she would only work for a company that was in line with her spiritual beliefs.

After much discussion, Gustavo guided us through making up our own spiritual action plans. Some of us went off on our own to reflect. Others, who came with their spouses or significant others, got into pairs. All throughout the building, I could feel this excitement and flurry of inspiration. I could sense the Holy Spirit working in all and inspiring us. After a bit, we all came back as a group to discuss what we had come up with. For many, this inspired even more ideas. I could see a flurry of writing and heads nodding as we all shared ideas on how to make God the center of our lives.

In closing the workshop, Veronica, Richard and Gustavo shared some tips to help us keep to our plans. They suggested that we use God as the "sifter" in choosing our activities. In this way, our activities will be in line with our beliefs. Another suggestion was to actually schedule time in our calendars for the Lord. Much like we schedule time in our planners for other activities, we should get into the habit of setting aside time for daily prayer and personal reflection. Lastly, they suggested that we offer up each day to God. This way, we make him the focus and everything else will fall into place.

For information on future events, please contact Mike Navarro at mikenavarro@hotmail.com .

Announcements

Family Faith Formation is offered by St. John Vianney Parish. Registration will be taking place in June, with priority given to our own parishioners. Click here to see the Class Schedule & Registration Information for the upcoming catechetical year.

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