Do We Include God in our Thanksgiving?

This weekend’s gospel speaks to the permanence and unchanging nature of God’s pledge of love for us. Of course we have been created with free will and are free to accept the offered love or to reject it. It seems particularly appropriate to consider this as we anticipate the coming celebration of Thanksgiving this week.  One of the positive signs at St. Brendan’s is that the number of people electing to attend Mass on this non-mandatory date increases from year to year.  Some people consider the simple act of giving thanks, expressing gratitude in kind phrases to others or in prayer as more important than the feasting on the plenty of food and other benefits that we enjoy as Americans.  We know that even our troops in the field of combat will have special Thanksgiving meals sent to them, and Hurricane Sandy victims who are just beginning to recover from their devastation will have donated special meals delivered for this date.  Yet isn’t Thanksgiving more about giving thanks than gorging ourselves on too much food?

The original Pilgrims were escaping religious persecution in England for their faith. These Puritan separatists’ religion began in England under the reign of Elizabeth I, (1558- 1663). Elizabeth was determined to stamp our opposition to the Church of England, (Anglican Church). The term “puritan” was derived from their stated purpose to oppose the English Church and to purify it from its Roman Catholic influences. In the spring of 1621, half of these Pilgrims who had been on the ship Mayflower had perished. The survivors had befriended friendly Indians who taught them to grow harvest from the soil. These Puritan separatists believed in the literal translation of the Bible and hence only celebrated two sacraments, Baptism and Eucharist, considering the other sacraments to be of human invention. The original Thanksgiving feast lasted 3 days, giving God the credit for their survival and good fortune to be alive and building their small colony. I believe that these original Pilgrims, though rejecting our Catholic faith in many parts, demonstrated a sense of God working in their midst.

In our modern day observance of Thanksgiving, to whom do we give thanks? For some it is the purveyor of the bountiful meal elements; for others it is the thought of commencing the Christmas shopping season; still others thank their family and friends; or reflect upon their blessings thinking of them as merited by our effort alone.

 What about thanking God ? Thoughts of thanking God for our good fortune, for being with us as we endure hardships, (thereby allowing us to be hopeful in the face of adversity) are not as popular as when this feast began. Let us resolve to restore the gratitude we owe God for never abandoning us and for His providence and love for us that “... will not pass away.”

 

   Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 Fr. Mike

 

News Around the Parish

 New Archdiocese Ministry for Homicide Victims – Five homicides in San Francisco within a few days apart, prompted the Restorative Justice Program of the Archdiocese to begin a Victim’s Assistance Program.  Because of our work with San Dimas Community, visiting the teens in Juvenile Hall, Fr. Mike and I were asked to assist in this ministry.  So far, we’ve gone over to the site of the fallen victims to pray for them, their loved ones and their perpetrators.  Each life is precious.  And when a person’s life is so violently taken away, we wanted to do something to say that the person’s life is precious to God and to their loved ones.  We should not treat life so callously.  The first person we prayed for, Jose Escobar, was a teen that San Dimas Ministry had been in contact with when we first met him in Juvenile Hall.  After his release, he changed his life and began doing better in school.  Each killing robs a person and their loved ones of a future.  So we pray for them and their families and try to assist them with what they need.  For example, burial cost for another victim, Cesar Bermudez, was over $5,000 that the immigrant family is having difficulties meet.  On behalf of the family, the Archdiocese is inviting the community to assist them and this new Victim’s Assistance ministry. 

If you’d like to make a contribution, you can make a check to St. Brendan Church, with Victim’s Assistance in the memo line.  We will forward it to them.

 All Saints – Last Sunday, 11/4, at the 9:30am mass, the parish was blessed by special visitors.  About 20 third graders came dressed as saints and they reminded us that we belong to a communion of saints.  Among the saints, were St. Anne, St. Brigid, St. Clare, St. Elizabeth, St. Francis, St. George, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Joan of Arc and of course, Mother Mary.  As St. Theresa, the Little Flower, promised that she will spend her heaven doing good on earth, so we have the confident hope that the saints in heaven, along with our beloved departed, continue to intercede for us.  I want to thank the “Saints,” their parents, Maria Detweiller, the Women at the Well, Dianne Marquez and the 9:30 choir for making this event possible.  Special thanks also to Paul and Beth O’Leary for providing the extra donuts needed at this mass.  Oh I want, to be in that number, oh when the Saints go marching in.

 

A Ministry of the Parish – as part of the Strategic Plan of the parish, the Parish Advisory Board have been discussing a ministry that all of us at St. Brendan can participate in, to live out our call by Jesus to discipleship.  We thought it would be important for our parish, not only to come together to worship and to learn about our faith, but also to live out our discipleship together.  This is a vibrant parish and there are many activities.  But many activities are inward focused that helps us and our children grow and blossom.  We were thinking, is there an activity that all of us, as children, teens and adults can do together that would fit in with our time, talents and abilities and that would also benefit our community?  Sr. Sharon Brannen has been meeting with St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity and others to see how we, as a parish, can work together to serve a need in our community.  If you have any ideas or suggestions, don’t hesitate to share them with Sr. Sharon, Fr. Mike or me.

 

Gratefully,

Fr. Dan

 

 

Reflections of Our Parochial Vicar

 

      The Greatest Commandment and Voting

This Sunday, the 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, the readings and the Gospel could not have been more appropriate.  In our first reading we are asked to love our God with all of our heart, mind and souls, in other words, with our total being and in total trust of God. Our motivation may not be as noble as we would like. Perhaps we only worship God and keep his commandments out of a sense of fear for our own consequences.  We hope to grow into relationship with God where we reach a point of relationship and trust that we do things from an informed conscience, our sense of duty arising therefrom and ultimately love and faithfulness with our God and Creator. Unfortunately, most of us begin from following precepts out of obedience, as a child obeys his/her parents. This obedience is rooted in trust that our parents and our God wish what is right for us. It takes a lifetime to develop a well-formed conscience and to act on that conscience.

It takes a relationship with God to ultimately move from obedience to acting out of love.

We are charged with doing our best, (NOTICE: We are not called always to succeed), to develop a sense of what we consider right or wrong and ultimately developing a well-formed conscience.

This takes patient listening to opposing views, it takes research into what we as members of the Catholic Church are called to do, it takes careful consideration, and after we have enough

information for acting FROM a well-formed conscience- it takes acting on our best decision of  what is right or avoiding that which we consider wrong.

 In 2007, The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops prepared a letter for use for Catholics regarding the responsibilities we as Catholics have in forming our society and in helping us to consider our faith responsibilities as we exercise our constitutionally guaranteed right to vote our conscience. An excerpt follows:

“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship is widely used to share Catholic

              teaching on the role of faith and conscience in political life. …
          In short, it calls Catholics to form their consciences in the light
         of their Catholic faith and to bring our moral principles to the
         debate and decisions about candidates and issues.”

 Importantly, this paper explicitly makes clear that no candidate or issue is advocated. What this position paper does make clear is that we are to vote our Catholic conscience. In our gospel of  this weekend, we are told of the basic commandment to love and serve God with all of our being AND to love our fellow brothers and sisters as well as ourselves. May God be with each of the good people of St. Brendan as they cast their vote and in so doing seek to accomplish this gospel imperative.          

 

Fr. Mike

 

News Around the Parish

 

The Gift of Sight – This is one of those gifts that we can easily take for granted.  In today’s gospel, Jesus asked a blind man what he wanted as he called out to Him.  The blind man responded saying that he wanted to see.  And Jesus restored his sight.  Last year, another young man who was losing his sight asked to see.  He was a young man that San Dimas’ ministry had visited while he was in Juvenile Hall.  He grew up in the Mission and was part of a gang.  After his release, he wanted to leave that life and San Dimas continued to stay in touch with him, helping him to make good choices.  He married and together they have a child but he started to lose his sight.  Doctors said he needed surgery in both eyes to restore his sight.  But he had no health insurance.  San Dimas did some fundraising and together with a $ 10,000 gift from the Mother’s Club and $ 6,000 from the parish, we contributed to his surgery.  To date, he had surgery on one eye and it went well.  At our last San Dimas monthly meeting, he attended with his wife and child and expressed his gratitude to all of us who were so generous to him.  And he also encouraged us to speak boldly to the youth in Juvenile Hall, that there is life beyond the “barrios” neighborhoods.  There is so much more than simply fighting over turf.  If you are interested in this ministry, let me know.  San Dimas (SD) is an

interfaith ministry.  Aside from Juvenile Hall here in San Francisco, SD members also visit the youth in San Leandro and San Mateo Juvenile Hall and in the San Bruno Jail for Men.

 Faith Sharing Book Club – 25 parishioners signed up for the Book Club and we began meeting last week, using Christine Watkins’ book, “Full of Grace.”  I want to thank the Year of Faith Committee members for suggesting this.  Eileen Miller, Lou Scheerer and Zdenka Bodisco helped coordinate this and are serving as facilitators.  In addition, the priests and sisters of this parish are also enjoying the small faith sharing groups.  If you’d like to join us, you can drop-in at the Convent’s conference room (234 Ulloa Street) in any of the following sessions:

              Thursday morning, 9:30-11:00 am (10/25, 11/1, 8 & 15) – Facilitated by Eileen  
               Miller with Sr. Catherine joining in.

   Thursday, 7:30-9:00 pm (10/25, 11/1, 8 & 15) – Facilitated by Zdenka Bodisco with 

    Fr. Dan and Sr. Sharon joining in.

    Saturday, 10 - 11:30 am (10/20, 11/3, 10 & 17) - Facilitated by Lou Scheerer with

                Fr. Mike and Sr. Herminia joining in.

Peace,

Fr. Dan

 

Reflections of our Parochial Vicar

ARE WE LACKING IN ONE THING?

Today’s gospel is the parable of the rich young man who was invited to follow Jesus, but first he had to sell his earthly treasures, give to the poor, and follow with a trusting heart. The young man knew that Jesus was good and was the key to eternal life, yet the one condition of selling his worldly possessions was a price he was unwilling to pay for eternal life with Jesus. He was unwilling to part with his possessions and to become more aware of the poor and those in need and, as we are, invited personally by Jesus to follow him. What is sad is that perhaps this young man, who was wise and learned, was perhaps Jesus first choice to become the first pope instead of Peter, the Apostle.

 

If this young man had let go of what would prove to be meager in comparison, there would have been great churches throughout the world and through the centuries named in honor of him. Just as there are many churches named after St. Peter. How many people throughout all time have followed the commandments faithfully and yet their possessions have become their identity, more than mere stewardship of good things – they have become the identities for some who possess gifts in this life?

 I found it noteworthy that when John Paul II was buried, as his body lay in a plain wooden coffin, and as his funeral was broadcast throughout the world and world leaders came together to pay respects, a commentator on one of the news channels remarked that all of John Paul II’s earthly possessions did not fill a medium sized suitcase – the same suitcase he brought with him to the Vatican when elected Pope.

In my vocation journey this bare fact was very strong. I was guilty of the same attachment to earthly treasure before entering the seminary. But luckily, God’s call persisted and it became too much for me to ignore and I am enjoying life as a priest more than I could have imagined.

I believe that all of the good people in our parish are blessed with more earthly treasure than the average man and woman in the world. That is true of America as a country. We must reflect the relative importance of following God in our lives versus our earthly treasure – hopefully God is the highest value in our lives! I have witnessed successful people by the world’s standards do heroic things for others by God’s standards and this is to be encouraged through today’s readings.

St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius were nobleman by birth, Mother Theresa was from a rich family. Yet both in past ages as in the present, some say “Yes” to God to follow him unreservedly. Some do not. This is tragic. Our accomplishments, possessions, our families and friends, our enjoyment, our weather, and so much more are really all signs of God’s love for us entrusted to us as stewards. Our gifts can become anchors, preventing our relationship with God if we are too attached. The only enduring gift that we possess is to beloved and the ability to love. When invited to say “Yes” to God, we are invited to share in his love for eternity. All of our gifts pale in comparison to this greatest of gifts.   -   Fr. Mike

 

 

Reflections of Our Parochial Vicar

Whoever is Not Against us is for us…”
 

I am reminded of the story told by a professor while I attended seminary. He asked the hypothetical question, if we seminarians believed that  God would exclude from heaven those who, whatever their faith,  in their actions displayed an uncommon generosity of self towards their neighbor the specific hypothetical was “Suppose that some soldiers are all sharing a foxhole against bombs and an enemy throw a grenade into the foxhole imperiling all of their lives. In the foxhole are two devout Catholics, two practicing Orthodox Jews and two Protestants who are active in their faith and regular attendees at services in their Church.

There is also another person who is an avowed atheist. When the grenade enters the foxhole, the first person to sacrifice his life in order to save the others is the atheist, the one who does not yet believe in God. The question put to the aspiring priests was “Does this man’s professed beliefs deny him God’s mercy or do his actions allow us to believe that God will be merciful to him. In other words, where does this man go at death — to heaven or to hell?”

 The answer was that the man’s actions would certainly entitle him to God’s mercy. Those of us who believe have the privilege of developing a relationship with God, yet we were warned our actions must portray this relationship.

 Of course, as outlined and emphasized in the second reading of the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, faith and works go together. We betray what we believe in our actions. In the Gospel for the same Sunday, Jesus asks us each, “Who do YOU say that I am?”

 We are further exhorted to remove causes of sin in our lives. This, too, will allow our faith and actions to become one. We are exhorted to seek to serve all regardless of recognition. There is a theme to these last Sunday’s gospels, namely to develop an integrity of heart between what we say we say we believe and what we actually do.

 In this Sunday’s readings, we are shown a demonstration of God’s mercy towards all and  specifically towards us. He is asked if a person who sins, even though they try to spread God’s word in what they say and do, will be deprived of heaven.

 Jesus answers with his characteristic gentleness. But I have observed so often in life, kindness does not equate to weakness, especially with God. He adds that if our actions are not consistent with our faith, or if we deprive others seeking our gain, not only will we not taste heaven but will be thrown into Gehenna, (another way of saying “Hell”).

We are offered a crossroads - choose God, generosity and concern of our neighbors, and salvation OR choose earthly pleasure, selfishness, and eternal damnation. We make this choice by each and every one of our actions in life. Let us remember that God does judge the integrity of our actions and the disposition of our hearts. Let us endeavor to possess and improve an integrity of heart and action before God. Choose God’s ways!

 Fr. Mike

 

News Around the Parish

   Welcome, Sr. Herminia – As many of you know, Sr. Rita Chen retired

   and returned to Hong Kong.  Sr. Herminia Cosico was sent by her

   community here to continue her work.  She is the 3^rd of 7 children. At a

   young age, she had read about St. Teresa of the Little Flower who wished

   to make Jesus known. 

At the age of 10, she already had a desire to be a missionary.  She was

the first in her family to enter religious life.  But not too long afterwards,

her 2 older sisters followed her and together they became Canossian

Sisters. A younger brother, the 5^th child, also became a priest and is

now a Monsignor.  She entered at the age of 18 and made her final

vows at 23. She spent part of her novitiate in Hong Kong and her

Cantonese was good enough, that she would help translate for the

patients and the Italian doctors. Later on she went to England to

study nursing and when she completed her studies, she returned

to Hong Kong and served as a nurse there for 9 years. 

   Her next assignment brought her home to the Philippines where

   she taught High School religion and College Medical Secretary

   for 4 years.  When there was a need to care for the retired sisters

   in Italy, she was sent there as a nurse and served in Milan and Sicily

   for 5 years.  She said she feels more fluent in Italian than in her native

   tongue.  After those years of service, Mother General called her to

   the United States.  Here, she served in many different capacities. 

   Her first assignment in the US was as a nurse to the handicapable in

   Albuquerque, NM for 7 years.  Later, in the same city, she did pastoral

   work at Annunciation Parish and put her nursing skills to work at the

   parish school.  Seven years later, she was transferred to Vancouver’s

   Canadian Martyrs Parish where she became the Superior of a

   Chinese community and a Chaplain at a Catholic Hospital for 3 ½ years. 

   She returned to Albuquerque, NM and served as Chaplain at the Catholic

   and Presbyterian Hospitals for 5 years.  Besides her work, she continued

   her studies and had studied for a Master’s in Theology and to be certified

   as a chaplain at UCSF’s chaplaincy program. 

   Because of her experience in chaplaincy work, she was called to serve

   in the Philippines for 5 years where she served not only as a hospital

   chaplain, but helped open a Pastoral Care Department and train

   volunteers to care for the pastoral nees of the sick and their families. 

   Her previous assignment, before joining us, was at Holy Name Parish

   where she coordinated the pastoral outreach program that cared for the

   homebound, seniors and the sick.  She said, in faith, she gladly accepts

   this new assignment because she believes it is God who has called her

   and she hopes to be an instrument of faith to us.  She asks you for your

   prayers and promises hers to us.  We are fortunate to have someone

   with such love for God, faith, and experiences join us.  In your name,

   I gladly welcome her and look forward to working with her for years

   to come.  Welcome, Sr. Herminia!

   Parish Picnic – Our Parish Picnic this year will be on Sunday

   September 23.  Due to my oversight, I forgot to reserve Blackberry

   Farm last year for our picnic.  Fortunately when our Mother’s Club

   President, Fiona Connolly, called to inquire, she discovered that we

   had not made a reservation.  She had suggested a few sites and

   after visiting a few of them, we discovered a hidden gem in

   Roberts Regional Park up in the Oakland Hills.  We reserved the

   Bay Vista picnic site that has a nice picnic area nestled underneath

   tall Redwood trees.  Nearby is a large grassy field that is set up for

   softball, soccer and volleyball.  It has a tremendous view overlooking

   San Francisco Bay.  It has everything for every age group from a

   children’s playground to a swimming pool.  And if you enjoy walking

   in the woods, it is a very peaceful and serene place.  It gave me a

   nice feeling of being away from it all, like I was still on vacation. 

   So I hope you’ll be able to join us then.  Plan to arrive about 11am. 

   We’ll celebrate mass there at 11:30am.  And the Men’s Club

   will be cooking up a wonderful lunch.  For more information about

   the Park, visit :  http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts#reach.

   Fr. Dan