This Tuesday, September 28, at 7-8pm, we will start the new Retreat series called Living the Eucharist: Circle of Life. There will be in-person live audience and we will also livestream it for those who cannot come in person. On Wednesdays, I will host a zoom call to break open the material a little more and answer any questions that might arise.
We will start the first session by asking the question, ‘If being a Christian disciple was a crime, is there enough evidence in our lives that would convict us?” It seems strange to ask that question, but it is the most basic place to start. Sometimes, we just move along from day to day and do not really live out faith in any real or tangible way.
If that is a real question and our lives were on the line literally in a court room, would we get convicted. What evidence would be shown in the courtroom to show and hopefully prove that we are really an active Catholic Christian. What are some concrete tangible things that we could name? Think about it; there was a time when being a Christian was a crime and some places in the world it still is. People get martyred or killed for it — even still today.
On Tuesday, we will start to answer those questions and see why “celebrating the Mass” is one of the most powerful ways to publicly display our faith. However, it will not get us convicted unless we live it out loud in our daily actions. As committed disciples, we are called to live our faith in real concrete ways every day. In order to fully understand the Mass as a sacrament, we need to understand the difference between a sign, symbol, and sacrament. It seems straightforward but it is the cornerstone of our faith as Catholics to truly understand the sacrament. Come join us for the first of the series on the Living the Eucharist.
Hopefully you saw the announcement during the week of St. Simon Parish School receiving the recognition of the 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. This award highlights the achievements of the students, educators, and families of Saint Simon. The school received this distinguished award for being an Exemplary High Performing School, which means its students place in the top 15 percent for English language arts and mathematics as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Saint Simon Parish School is one of only two private schools in all of California to receive this award in 2021. Congratulations to the students, staff and faculty for this outstanding recognition. Read more on the school website.
Finally, I hope you will be able to join us on Sunday, September 26 at 5pm to formally say farewell to Fr. Warwick at Mass as we never got to say thank you to him for his many years of service to this community and to the local diocese of San Jose. Come join us for the reception outside in the school courtyard immediately following the Mass.
God bless
Fr. Brendan