Dear Parishioners,

It is Tuesday morning when I sit down to at my desk to write down some words of reflection for the bulletin for this coming Sunday. While thinking about it, I could not help but ask Edith – the Office Manager – if we got some ADA pledges over the weekend (you can see that this is such an administrative burden for every pastor when it comes to meeting the ADA goal). And what do I hear? I receive the report that another 42 families helped us very generously with their pledges. The last count was that we have received ADA pledges from 119 families (so far) in the amount of $94,300!!! I can hardly believe it! This is a FANTASTIC and extremely GENEROUS response from all those families.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

I haven’t seen other reports from the diocese yet, but I’m sure that we are one of the first parishes in the whole diocese – if not the very first – that made the required goal. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We have still around 80 families left in our community, and I would still like to appeal to those families to prayerfully consider supporting us. Please, know that from this moment, any amount above our goal will return to our parish. God only knows that we need it, because our collections have been down a lot in the last 6 months, and I don’t want to constantly speak about that because I know that there are many of you who value your church and your parish, and somehow, we will be able to make it.

In my daily celebrations of the Mass, I do say a silent prayer of thanksgiving to God for all of you.

May we all continue trusting in the One who provides for our needs.

Now, let’s start with the reflection.

We all know we should listen to Christ. We have all been told we should do as God commands. There is a prayer that begins, “Father, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me what you will …” While most of us would affirm this sentiment on some level, if we take a moment to really sit with the idea of abandoning ourselves into God’s hands, of letting go of what we want and asking God to do what only he wills… well, some of us might begin to squirm.

And then we have the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham didn’t squirm. God wanted Abraham to see how he would provide for him – God wanted Abraham to know that he could trust every command given by him, because he would always act, would always provide, would always love him. Abraham trusts in God’s goodness. This goodness is highlighted in our second reading from the Letter to the Romans. We are reminded that God, who did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all, will give us everything we need along with his Son. This is the depth of God’s love for us. God, who gave us his beloved Son, commands us: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.

Our God did not hold back anything, not even his beloved Son, to lead us to the goodness he desires for us. In the Transfiguration, he shows us the glory that awaits us when we live and love in service of him.

And this God is present here today. In this sacred season, God is inviting us to listen more closely to his beloved Son who invites us to take and eat, to receive the gift of his body, poured out for us in this Eucharist. This is the love that leads us through our Lenten journey and through our lives. May we, in this sacrament, grow in trust and learn to follow Christ’s voice in all we do.

Blessings,

Fr. Tad

CONFESSION TIMES DURING LENT

During Lent Season, Reconciliation service will be offered on 1st Fridays after evening Mass from 7-8 PM and during the mid-month Adoration from 11:30 AM – 12 PM and upon request by appointment.

MASS ETIQUETTE

• Remember to silence, turn off, and put away your cell phones, tablets, and gaming devices prior the start of Mass.

• Remember not to chew a gum in the church, especially during Mass.

• Keep in mind the Communion fast – we are to fast from food and drink (water and medicine excluded) one hour before receiving Holy Communion. Let us prepare our body and soul to worthily receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

• When we are in the church (specifically in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament), we should keep our volume to a reverential whisper, if conversation is necessary. This is to promote prayer to prepare our hearts and minds for Mass. Thank you for your mindfulness.

FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

March 1, 2024

"Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart! - St. Therese of Lisieux 

You are invited to come before Jesus in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this Lenten season. Come to quiet your hearth that you might hear His heart speak. All are welcome, The Stations of the Cross will start at 6:30 PM, and Adoration will begin immediately afterward. The church will be open the whole night until 7:00 AM the following morning. Breakfast will be served after the 7:00 AM Benediction.

Join us this Lent for A Biblical Walk Through the Mass

Wednesdays, February 21 – March 20

3:00-4:30 pm or 7:00-8:30 pm

Location: McKean Road Church

Make this one of the special things you do this Lent. Discover the beauty and riches of the Mass through videos and small group discussions.

Please come when you can—to one, some, or all of the sessions. Bring a friend or family member. No preparation or homework is required, and there is no fee. It is okay if you did not sign up. Just drop in. Come and see!

Topics:

Feb 21 Introduction: The Biblical Foundations of the Mass

Feb 28 The Introductory Rites

Mar 6 The Liturgy of the Word

Mar 13 The Liturgy of the Eucharist: Preparation of the Gifts and Eucharistic Prayer

Mar 20 The Liturgy of the Eucharist: Communion Rite and the Concluding Rites

Have you ever tried to “Sing the Hours”? 

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or Breviary, is the daily prayer of the universal church, with prayers dispersed at intervals throughout the day to sanctify time and work. The Office is organized around the Psalms, which train our voices speak and sing along with the voice of Christ.

Now, there is a new and easy way to learn the Liturgy of the Hours, by listening to the twice-daily podcast “Sing the Hours” with Paul Rose.  Visit SingTheHours.org to get started! After a few weeks of listening and praying and singing along, you will find the timeless prayers of Jesus and His Church becoming your own prayers as well!

SECOND WEEK OF LENT

OVERCOMING HUNGER



In Akwangagwel, Uganda, the climate is very hot and dry. Farmers in this region depend heavily on the rainy season for a successful harvest. But lately—due to the changing climate—the rain has been coming later than it used to and is more inconsistent. Sometimes, when it does rain, it causes flooding and ruins the crops. Learn how Adolf and Florence have taken the matter into their own hands, implementing new farming techniques they learned from a Catholic Relief Services program to improve their farm and fight against hunger in their community. Visit crsricebowl.org to read this week’s Story of Hope.

ACUPRESSURE SELF-HELP CLASS

Are you interested in learning acupressure self-help points? Learn about points to help headaches, migraines, neck pain, insomnia, anxiety, neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, carpal tunnel, TMJ, constipation/diarrhea, memory improvement, etc.

Betty Ko Licensed acupuncturist will be giving a class on Mar. 9, 2024 from 9 - 11am at St. Anthony Church at 20101 McKean Rd., San Jose, CA 95120. Cost is $60 can be paid by zelle to 408 348-3755, or cash or checks made out to Betty Ko. If you would like to repeat this class the cost is $30.

If you are interested, sign up for the course, click on this link (https://forms.gle/ibsU69QWEU7B2zRY7) or sign up after all masses.

Goal: $92,582

Week 3: $94,285

Thank you to the 119 families from our St. Anthony Parish who generously answered the call to participate and support our 2024 Annual Diocesan Appeal!

Gifts to the Annual Diocesan Appeal invest in the mission of our Church by supporting clergy formation and training, seminarian education, pastoral case at our 11 hospitals, promoting vocations and developing lay leaders. For instance, this year the Diocese is supporting six seminarians in their formation for the priesthood. Any gift or pledge, regardless of size, helps our Diocese reveal the presence of Christ in our community. For more information on the work of the Diocese of San José or to make a gift online, visit www.dsj.org/ADA. 

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; then will your barns be filled with grain, with new wine your vats will overflow.” - Prov. 3:9 

We welcome Fr. Wieslaw Banas - Fr. Tad's friend - who will stay with our community for 2 weeks. 

PICTURES FROM OUR FIRST SESSION

"A BIBLICAL WALK THROUGH THE MASS"

2024 Lenten Virtual Pilgrimage of Prayer

Join us as Kathleen Nichols unveils the timeless beauty of Christian prayer in Jerusalem, where believers follow the footsteps of the Lord and his disciples. Enjoy a daily brief and enriching spiritual exploration of the holiest city on Earth.

To receive daily videos in your mailbox, please click on the ‘subscribe’ button link below:

https://www.magdala.org/pilgrimage-of-prayer-confirmation/

February 7, 2024

Dear Fathers, Deacons, Religious, Principals, and Diocesan Synod Delegates, Commissioners, and Action Team Members:

In 2021, Pope Francis called Catholics worldwide to engage in the Universal Synod, a significant two-year journey of listening and discernment. Themed “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” the process invited deep reflection and meaningful dialogue across the Church globally.

Our diocese actively participated in this transformative initiative. We held various listening sessions, welcoming voices from all walks of life, including those on the margins. These gatherings culminated in the diocesan universal synthesis report (available on our website: DSJ Universal Synthesis Report 06.2022). Informed by this report and embodying Pope Francis' call to be a "listening synod," we held a local diocesan synod assembly in January 2023, where delegates from all over the Diocese of San Jose listened and discerned how to renew our mission locally as One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to live and proclaim the Gospel. This led to the development of our new pastoral plan, "Renewed in Christ, Together in Mission," which was promulgated on December 6, 2023. This pastoral plan represents a remarkable opportunity to renew our faith in Christ and participate actively in the life and mission of the Diocese of San Jose through the new pastoral plan.

While we begin to implement our diocesan pastoral plan, Pope Francis is once again asking for our collaboration for the Interim Phase of the Universal Synod. He is asking us to conduct local listening sessions (spiritual conversations) and synthesizing these conversations into a report, which will assist and contribute to the Synod Gathering of the Bishops of the United States (USCCB) of this year and the October 2024 Universal Synod General Assembly in Rome.

I therefore invite all the diocesan delegates as well as interested laity, religious, priests, and deacons to participate in one of two listening sessions to be held in our diocese. These sessions are an opportunity to reflect on how the synodal experience, both globally and locally, has transformed us and deepened our understanding of synodality.

We will contemplate two key questions during these sessions:

• How has our synodal experience influenced our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and living as a community of love and mercy in Christ?
• How does this synodal experience align with and enhance our ability to fulfill our mission and ministry, especially in relation to the universal synod and our local pastoral plan?

We have scheduled the listening sessions for early March and hope that you will find the time and space to attend one of them:

• March 5, 2024, from 6-8 pm at the Chancery offices (refreshments will be provided)
• March 14, 2024, from 6-8 pm at the Chancery offices (refreshments will be provided)

Please register for one of the sessions here: forms.office.com/r/7AE6EAqtkr. Please indicate in your registration form if you are willing to be a small group facilitator. We will be providing an online training session.

I have appointed Sister Ellen Hess (ellen.hess@dsj.org) as the lead for these listening sessions and communications. If you have any questions about the listening sessions or the facilitator training, don't hesitate to contact Sr. Ellen. 

Thank you to all who have participated in this synodal process. The insights from these sessions will inform our upcoming US Bishop’s meeting and our own pastoral plan implementation as we seek to spiritually renew our local church at all levels. I look forward to seeing you at one of our listening sessions in early March.

Let us pray together that through this synodal process of listening and engaging in the life of the church, we may achieve full communion, openness, and participation in our mission to evangelize the world.

DONATIONS INFO

It is easier now more than ever to make your stewardship and second collection contributions online. A "Donate" button has been added to the upper right corner of the parish website home page and an "Online Giving" button to the end of each week's parish email. Clicking these buttons will take you directly to our online giving app. 

Father Tad encourages you to praise and pray by singing at Mass. Here’s a chance to familiarize yourself with the songs planned for Sunday, February 25.

Click. Listen. Sing along. We look forward to hearing you!

8:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

In These Days of Lenten Journey

OFFERTORY

Be Thou My Vision

COMMUNION

Sacred Silence

RECESSIONAL

Grateful

10:30 MASS

ENTRANCE

In These Days of Lenten Journey

OFFERTORY

Be Thou My Vision

COMMUNION

Sacred Silence

RECESSIONAL

Grateful

St. Anthony Parish

20101 McKean Rd

San Jose, CA 95120

(408) 997- 4800