Pastor's letter and Mass Times

SAINT ANTHONY

PARISH

Dear Parishioners,

Today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we hear about who God is and how he relates to us. In the time of Moses, God did something new, revealing himself to his people and fighting on their behalf. Moses tells the people that God is the Lord of both heaven and earth. There is no other God. Therefore, they should follow his commandments so they can enjoy his promises.

In and through Jesus, God begins to fulfill these promises. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus instructs the Apostles to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. He tells them to teach all that he has commanded and promises to be with them until the end of the age, when all will be fulfilled.

The sending of the Spirit is how God is present to us even now. As Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans, we receive a Spirit of adoption at our baptism. We become children of God. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches us that God is three persons, united in love. We are baptized into this community, this family. We have received the Spirit that makes us sons and daughters of God the Father. God did something new when he revealed his name to Moses, but he did something even more radical when he became a man. Christ became human, so that we might become divine. Through our baptism we share in this divine life, the life of the Trinity.

God the Father is the source and generator of life. He bestows life and sustains it by his breath, otherwise known as the Holy Spirit. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. He exists with the Father from the beginning, but around two thousand years ago, he came to dwell among us, to be Emmanuel, God with us.

In Deuteronomy, Moses invites the people to ask themselves: Did anything so great ever happen before? We might ask ourselves the same question, recounting all the good works God has done for us, from the birth of Jesus up until this very moment, and the next.

Anything that God did then, God still does today. God still speaks to us, fights for us, and delivers us. God came to dwell among us once, but he also promised to remain with us always. On this Trinity Sunday, let us reflect on how our own lives, our own individual stories, fit into the grand history of salvation. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s presence with us in the Eucharist, may we thank God for the gift of faith that was born in us at our baptism and is nourished by this holy communion.

Blessings,

Fr. Tad

PRAYER FOR THE FALLEN

God our creator and sustainer,

today our country brings to our memory

those who have defended this nation in times of trouble.

They have sacrificed their lives to protect our shores

from those who would limit our freedoms

or enslave us to ways that are against your will.

Bring all those who have died in service to our country

into your heavenly presence.

We humbly call down your blessing on those still serving;

grant your heavenly protection to these men and women,

and open your Sacred Heart to give them peace and comfort.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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.

NEXT SUNDAY, JUNE 2, IS THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI. We will have a procession around the Church after 10:30 AM Mass. All are invited.

COMMISSIONING OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION MINISTRY

On Sunday June 2nd at 10:30AM Mass, on the occasion of the observance of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Fr. Tad will commission all the members of St. Anthony's Eucharistic Adoration ministry.

The Eucharistic Adoration ministers are committed to worshiping and guarding the Lord's Body in the Most Blessed Sacrament throughout the night, on the first Friday of each month, and after daily Mass, on Wednesday in the middle of the month. Their service to the Lord contributes to earn many blessings from the Lord for our whole parish community.

Please join us in praying over the Eucharistic Adoration ministry. If you have not yet experienced the joy of the encounter with the true and living presence of the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration and/or you would like to learn more about Eucharistic Adoration, please contact Edith at dr.edith.guido@gmail.com.

Next Adoration event will be Friday, June 7, after 6:30 PM Mass.

SAS/Saint Anthony Seniors Annual Mother’s Day Bake Sale was a huge success - thank you!!

Thank you again for making our annual Bake Sale successful. The money raised will be used for purchases, which will benefit all of our church community. A very special thank you to the non-SAS members who supported us through monetary donations, beautiful baked items, artwork and plants to sell.

Of course, thanks to all the SAS members who contributed their baked goods plus time, talent and treasure! We couldn’t do this without the team effort of our members to set-up and take-down tables and canopies at both churches, and all of our wonderful “Sales Force.”

With much appreciation, your officers:

Stephanie Procker, President

Tom Victorine, Secretary

Cheryl Buiano, Treasurer

Diocesan Eucharistic Congress, June 1 – Registration is now Open to the Public.

Eucharist Congress theme is, “The Road to Emmaus,” underscores the transformative encounter we have with Jesus in the Eucharist. We will reflect on our journey with Him through prayer and scripture and our subsequent mission to spread His word through love and discipleship beyond our church walls. Attending the Congress is free. An optional box lunch is available for $15 donation.

To register visit www.dsj.org/ eucharisticcongress.

IMPORTANT: SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING RENEWAL

By June 1^st we are required by the Diocese to complete or renew our Virtus Safe Environment Certification. Safe Environment Training is mandatory for diocesan clergy, employees and active volunteers working with youth or vulnerable adults. Safe Environment Training must be completed during the employee onboarding process or prior to volunteer participation. Training must be renewed every three (3) years.

VIRTUS Safe Environment Training is accessible from the VIRTUS website at www.virtusonline.org. Online training is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean languages.

Please contact the Parish Office if you have any questions.

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!

Religious Education Classes at Saint Anthony Parish begin in September. Forms are available in the parish office. The cost is $80 per child. Please sign up your child asap.

Any questions, please call Katrina Votaw at (408) 927- 8224.

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.