August 12, 2005
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O, woman, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish.
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
For hundreds of years, Catholics have observed the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. The Feast of the Assumption celebrates both, the departure of Mary from this life by her natural death, and her assumption of her body into Heaven. Along with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) the Assumption is a principal feast of the Blessed Virgin and a Holy Day of Obligation.
The idea of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven after her death was first
expressed in narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries. They bear witness
to the very early belief in a teaching of the Catholic Church which was not
formally defined as a dogma (a teaching essential to the Catholic faith)
until 50 years ago.
Though it was almost universally believed for more than a thousand years, the Bible contains no mention of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. The first Church writer to speak of Mary's being taken up into Heaven by God is Saint Gregory of Tours (594).
On May 1, 1946, Pope Pius XII, asked all bishops in the world whether they thought this belief in the Assumption of Mary into Heaven should be defined as a proposition of faith, and whether they, with their clergy and people, desired the definition. Almost all the bishops replied in the affirmative.
On November 1, 1950, the Feast of All Saints, Pope Pius XII declared, as a dogma revealed by God, that "Mary, the immaculate perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven."
We have no real knowledge of the day, year, and manner of Our Lady's death. The dates which have been assigned to her death vary between three and fifteen years after Christ's Ascension. It is believed that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that after her burial, her tomb was found empty. Therefore, they concluded that her body had been taken up (assumed) into Heaven.
There is an important difference, of course, between the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven after His Resurrection, and the Assumption of Mary. To ascend is to rise up under one's own power; while to be assumed means something that is done to one. Jesus, being the Second Person of the Trinity, had no need of assistance; whereas Mary did not have this power.
The above text was
adapted from: www.wf-f.org/Assumption.html.
The article was submitted by Joe Nolan.
"Faith needs to be living . . . like any living thing, a person's
faith must
grow and develop or it will wither and die."
- Larry Livingston, The Catechist's Connection, June/July 2005.
Each of us (at any age), is challenged to continue growing in our understanding of God and Church. Faith Formation welcomes you and your family (Pre-school thru Adult) to participate in the many educational and sacramental programs offered through the community of St. John Vianney Parish:
* Basic Faith Formation (Discovering God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Church)
* Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation)
* Continuing Education (Our Role in Community, Our Commission to Serve)
For more information, please call 258-7832 x18 (English) or 258-7832 x30 (espaņol), or click here for the 2005 Class Schedule and Registration.
Faith formation is a life-long process for each individual as well as the work of the entire Catholic Christian community. Opportunities abound for you to serve the people of God! Receive spiritual enrichment by contributing your gift of time and talents to the SJV Faith Formation program. Please contact 258-7832 x24 (English) or 258-7832 x30 (espaņol) if you are able to:
* serve as a catechist or classroom aide
* provide general office help
* call for the phone tree
* drive for retreats/activities
* translate Spanish or Vietnamese (orally or written)
* help direct traffic at class arrival & dismissal times
* provide hospitality
* help set-up/clean-up for special events
* chaperone youth retreats/activities
The St. John Vianney Faith Formation staff thanks you for your willingness to serve! As always we shall keep you in our prayers!
Intro to Catholic Parish Social Ministry
adapted from
Parish Social Ministry: Strategies for Success,
by Tom Ulrich
Our call to social ministry begins with baptism and the call each of us receives to actively participate in bringing about the reign of God. The US Catholic bishops articulated this basic belief in their pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U. S. Economy. The section titled "The Christian Vocation in the World Today" states:
The Gospel confers on each Christian the vocation to love God and neighbor in ways that bear fruit in the life of society. That vocation consists above all in a change of heart; a conversion expressed in praise of God, and in concrete deeds of justice and service (Paragraph #327).
Further, the parish, as a constitutive part of its mission, provides an organized outlet for the community to respond to that baptismal call. The bishops developed this message in their document Communities of Salt and Light:
We see that parish dimensions of social ministry not as an added burden, but as a part of what keeps a parish alive and makes it truly Catholic. Effective social ministry helps the parish not only do more, but be more -- more of a reflection of the gospel, more of a worshipping and evangelizing people, more of a faithful community. It is an essential part of parish life (p.1).
That is, we are all called by our baptism to concrete deeds of justice and service. Social justice work is not an optional activity for a parish. It is essential to the parish, to keep the parish alive, focused on the Gospel, and truly Catholic.
Tom Ulrich
has nearly twenty-five years of professional experience in working with
parishes. He has a master's degree in social work (specializing in community
organizing), a bachelor's degree in psychology, and has been trained as a
trainer. He has worked as a caseworker for Catholic Charities, directed
parish social ministry for Catholic Charities at the diocesan level, worked
in the educational division of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,
and is currently the Vice President for Training, Convening, and Mission at
Catholic Charities USA.
What is RAINBOWS?
by Lily Tenes
RAINBOWS is a grief support program for children who are hurting because of a divorce or death in the family.
St.
John Vianney Parish has been very fortunate to have been able to offer this
program for the last ten years. We have helped many children to cope with
their painful situation. Our 12 week sessions on Monday evenings will begin
in September 19. Rainbows is held at St. John Vianney School from 7 to 8
PM. There are four age levels for children, kindergarten to 8th grade. For
more information, or to register, call Lily at 272-1861.
History: In April 1983, RAINBOWS was inaugurated in three Chicago area schools. Twelve additional school added the RAINBOWS curriculum that year. Today, there are nearly one million participants who have experienced RAINBOWS after their family's storm.
RAINBOWS has been implemented in 49 of the United States (the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam) and in Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Saipan, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland and Wales.
Please visit RAINBOW's national website at www.rainbows.org.
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe: Feast August 14
Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Fransican priest. Ordained at the age of 24, in 1918, he felt it his mission to combat the religious indifference he saw in the world around him. Kolbe founded a group aimed at fighting evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering. He started a magazine to preach the Good News to all nations. In order to manage the magazine, he founded a city, Niepokal, which housed 700 of his Francisan brothers. The magazine reached over one million readers. He had a strong devotion to Mary.
In 1939 the Nazis invade Poland and his little city was destroyed. Kolbe and
his friars were arrested, then released three months later on the feast of
the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941, Kolbe was again arrested and sent to Auschwitz. The Nazis were particularly interested in doing away with the leaders. The story is that a prisoner had escaped. The Nazi commandant announced that ten men would die for the escaped prisoner. He enjoyed tormenting his prisoners, choosing them at random for special pain. As the chosen victims were being marched away, Kolbe, prisoner Number 16670, stepped forward and volunteered to take the place of one of the men. (That man had a wife and children.) "Who are you?" the Nazi asked. "A priest." he responded, not mentioning his world-wide fame. The surprised commandant kicked Sergean Francis Gajowniczek out of line and marched off with Fr. Kolbe in his place. The ten prisoners were stripped of their clothing and left to starve in darkness. By the eve of the Assumption, there were four still alive. The jailer found Kolbe praying and injected a lethal dose of carbolic acid to end his life. His body was burned with the rest. St. Maximilian was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.
For more information about Maximilian Mary Kolbe, visit this web page: www.AmericanCatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1107
Did you ever notice, just before facing a difficult task, Jesus went to the mountains to pray? We can do that too. We are blessed to have a number of excellent retreat houses in our area, offering a variety of retreat and spiritual growth opportunities. Is it time for you to take a break, spend some time in prayer, and come home refreshed? Below is a list of local retreat centers. Give it a try!
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El Retiro San Iņigo
sponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) 300 Manresa Way Los Altos, CA 94022 (650) 948-4491 www.elretiro.org |
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Presentation Center
sponsored by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 19480 Bear Creek Road Los Gatos, CA 95030 (408) 354-2346 www.prescenter.org |
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Vallombrosa Center
sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco 250 Oak Grove Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 325-5614 www.vallombrosa.org |
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Villa Holy Names
sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary 82 Prospect Avenue Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 354-2312 www.snjmfire.com |
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San Damiano Retreat Center
sponsored by the Franciscans P.O. Box 767 Danville, CA 94526 (408) 837-9141 www.sandamiano.org |
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Attention All New & Continuing College Students: You are invited to attend the 7:00 PM Mass on Sunday, August 14. This Mass will be in your honor.
SJV Faith Formation
- To participate in the many educational and sacramental programs offered
through the
community of St. John Vianney Parish, please
call 258-7832 x18 (English), or 258-7832 x30 (espaņol), or click
here for 2005 Class Schedule and Registration information.
Receive Spiritual Enrichment by contributing your gift of time and talents to the SJV Faith Formation program. Please contact 258-7832 x24 (English) or 258-7832 x30 (espaņol) if you are able to:
|
* serve as a
catechist or classroom aide
* provide general office help * call for the phone tree * drive for retreats/activities |
* translate
Spanish or Vietnamese (orally or written)
* help direct traffic at class arrival & dismissal times * provide hospitality * help set-up/clean-up for special events * chaperone youth retreats/activities |
Summer Fun at the Boardwalk! All Middle School students and those entering Middle School this fall are invited to join us for a trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Board Walk on Friday, August 19. We will be leaving St. John Vianney at 9 AM and returning around 7 PM. If you would like more information, or if you would like to RSVP, please contact David Cortese at 258-7832 x34 or at dcortese@sjvsj.net.
Jr. High Youth Ministry: Want more information about upcoming events like our trip to the Boardwalk? Visit the Junior High Blog at www.JuniorHighYouthMinistry.blogspot.com. We have information about our upcoming events and you can add your comments as well as RSVP for events you would like to attend.
Parish Picnic Shindig! Sunday, August 28, St. John Vianney Rectory Gardens. Potluck is 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and Silent Auction. If you would like to help out, please contact Pat Garcia at 926-3826, Ann McEntee at 923-5788 or Ray & Ellen Turner at 272-9234. For details click here to read the article in last week's newsletter.
St. John Vianney School is still accepting applications for the 2005-06 school year for Kindergarten and First Grade. Applications can be picked up in the school office Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM or on-line at our school website www.sjvsj.org. For more information you can email mwood@sjvsj.org or contact Co-Principal, Martha Wood at (408) 258-7677.
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This Week:
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug 14
Assumption, Aug 15
Next Week:
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug 21
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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:
Visit this web site for ideas on the Ignatius way to pray: www.sacredspace.ie |
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