ST. BRENDAN CHURCH
29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. No. (415) 681-4225
www.stbrendanparish.org
May 26, 2019 Sixth Sunday of Easter
To Know Him Is To Love Him We begin a new three-week message series today called Faith Answering Questions. Back by popu-lar demand from last summer, we’ll answer your questions about the Catholic faith during the Sun-day message and in the bulletin articles each week. Taking time to ask questions about our faith is im-portant because we can’t really love God until we know him. In any relationship when one person doesn’t know the other, the peo-ple involved drift apart. We see it in many types of relationships, but the saddest of all is when we drift apart from God or really nev-er knew him in the first place. For some Catholics, religion was merely an academic subject in school. They may know theological facts or the names of the parts of the Mass or famous saints, but may not really know God’s heart and what he’s about. Some Catholics might not know God because the entire content of their Sunday school curriculum was no more specific than “God is love.” For other Catholics, the faith was presented as a compilation of rules and laws to follow and know-ing God in a personal and intimate way was not emphasized. Still other Catholics are unfamiliar with God because every time they went to Church it was so boring, they just assumed God was bor-ing and not worth the time to get to know. There can be many reasons we don’t know God, but this is not what God desires. The God of the Bible expresses a great desire for intimacy and
that we come to know him well. We’ll never un-derstand our Creator completely, but he wants us to know him in a personal and intimate way. Certainly, we can come to a deeper knowledge of God through private prayer, Sunday Mass attend-ance, and participation in a faith community. But asking thoughtful questions about our faith also is an effective way to grow in our relationship with the divine.
In the very early days of the Church, there was no little conflict over theological matters. In fact, the first controversy erupted less than twenty years after Jesus’ death. It started to divide the Church when self-appointed preachers, “without any mandate”
from the apostles, “upset” many believers with their false teachings (Acts 15:24). In response, the apostles convened and discerned true teaching to restore “peace of mind” among Christians. In the gospel reading, Jesus said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word,” and he promised that the Ho-ly Spirit would teach us everything (John 15:23, 26). When we are willing to ask the tough questions and listen to the answers provided by the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the Church, we’ll be able to keep God’s word more fully and come to love him more deeply. Listen to our message live this Sunday or online to hear the answers to your questions on faith. —Father Roger Gustafson, Pastor
Share these articles with your friends online at www.stbrendanparish.org.
Come aboard and navigate life with us. As a member, we ask that you take steps to grow in your disciple-ship. In fact, STEPS is an acronym for how to become a better disciple of Christ. As a member, we'll ask that you consider: S - Serving in a ministry T - Tithing & Giving E - Engaging in a small group P - Practicing prayer, including regular Sunday worship with us S - Sharing your faith by inviting your friends and neighbors to church If you think you're ready to become part of our church family, stop by our welcome desk at the entrance to the church before or after any Weekend Mass.
Making Church Matter
If this is your first time to Saint Brendan or your first time to church in a long time, we’re glad you’re here! We are a cozy community of believers who seek to find our way in life by following Jesus together, and we want you with us on the journey. Explore some possible next steps for you below. We’re here to help. If you have any questions, stop by our welcome desk located at the entrance to the church, check out our website at www.stbrendanparish.org, or just give us a call.
Become Part of Our Church Family
Welcome Aboard!
Serve in Ministry & Mission
We know many things compete for your attention. But we also know you’ll never really be happy until you begin serving others and putting your love to work. There are so many opportunities to make a differ-ence: • Help make Sundays an irresistible celebration by joining our Sunday Liturgy Support Ministry. • Help children, teens, and adults on their journey of faith by joining our Faith Formation Ministry. • Keep parishioners and visitors connected to one another by joining one of our Parish Life Ministries. • Take the love of Christ to people who are suffering by joining one of our Outreach Ministries. Whatever God is calling you to do, take that next bold step in faith. Explore our website for more infor-mation or just call us. We’re happy to get you connected!
News & Events Featured News & Events
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED FOR STAFF LEADERSHIP RETREAT!
May 28 (at noon) through May 30
No, don't worry! We're not going off to get massages, mani-pedis, and liquid refreshment! We're actually
spending a few days in sunny Healdsburg in a parishioner-donated home so that we can brainstorm, think, and plan to Make Church Matter even more for
you! Thank you for understanding!
YEAR OF PRAYER BOOKLETS AVAILABLE AT WELCOME DESK
As many of you may remember, the theme for last
year’s Year of Prayer was “Pray Together, Stay Together.” Throughout the Year of Prayer, the
bulletin each week contained an article addressing some aspect of prayer. We have compiled these
articles into an attractive booklet for you to use as a reference in your prayer life. Pick up your copy at
the Welcome Desk after Mass!
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR ONLINE GIVING
Will your summer travel plans cause you to miss Mass at St. Brendan? Your consistent support is vital to our church, especially during the summer months. If you haven’t already, please consider
signing up for Online Giving before you go away. Online Giving is a fast, easy, and convenient way
to support the good works of our parish. www.stbrendanparish.org/giving
EXPERIENCED NAVIGATORS’ DINNER Monday, June 3, 6:00 p.m.
Villa D’Este Restaurant 2623 Ocean Avenue
Join the Experienced Navigators, our age 55 and over
group, for an evening of dinner and cabaret performances at Villa D’Este Restaurant.
Dinner includes salad, choice of three entrees, and dessert for $36 (including meal, tax, and tip). For more information, call Tony Fernandez
(415) 586-6992 or Barbara Casey (415) 285-2943.
Featured Article
FAQ Lighter Side
During Mass, we’re addressing some of your more complex questions about the Catholic faith in our message series, Faith Answering Questions. Here are a few less weighty but still interesting questions we received. For the past few weeks, we’ve talked about how to make evangelization easier and more natural. But one of the main reasons Catholics give for being hesitant to evangelize is a lack of knowledge. So, in the few short weeks before summer, we’re go-ing to be responding to “FAQs — faith answering questions” and hopefully tackle some of those doubts. In this article, we’re going to answer three questions. First, is it appropriate to chat before, during, and after Mass, or does that disturb the sanctity of the space? Second, what are the rules about eating before Com-munion? Is it a sin to eat less than one hour before receiv-ing the Body of Christ? Fi-nally, why is Communion wine sometimes not red? It is the blood of Christ, after all. We’ll talk about the sec-ond and third ones together, as they do both concern the Eucharist. Regarding reverence at church and during Mass, it is completely correct to say that the church is a sacred space for worship and prayer, a place where we worship both as an entire Christian community and in the privacy of our hearts. Thus, loud, unnecessary chatting during Mass (even if it’s related to church or the message being shared) is discouraged, as it detracts from the experience of those around you. If something said inspires
you to speak, remember that point and have a fun conversation after Mass over coffee and donuts. Before and after Mass, just be conscious and cour-teous of those praying around you and try to keep conversations to a low volume. That being said, remember that church is just as much a time for community-building and catching up with friends as it is for quiet prayer and reflection, and try not to fixate on the whispers or the pre- and post-Mass chats of others. We’re all here for the same reason, after all, united in our love and beliefs, no matter how vocal (or not) we choose to be. Regarding fasting before Communion, it is indeed stated in Canon Law that one should refrain from
eating or drinking one hour before receiving the Eucha-rist. Exempt from this are the sick, the elderly, those caring for the sick and elder-ly, and priests who are say-ing more than one Mass in a day. The consumption of water and medicine do not count as breaking the fast, either, for everyone. The concept of this kind of fast-ing is that it keeps us physi-cally hungry, and thus opens our hearts to be more fully filled with spiritual nourish-ment during the Mass. Final-
ly, communion wine (otherwise known as sacra-mental wine) may be red or white. The color and the grape are not vastly important as long as the wine is not spoiled, as the blood of Christ is not present until the wine is blessed. --Claire Kosewic, Parishioner
Parish Year-End Celebration Saint Brendan’s Year of Healing concluded this weekend with an annual dinner Saturday evening, commemorating the feast of its patron saint. Since early September, the parish has been reflecting on the healing power of Christ. The theme, Getting Better Together, invited parishioners to focus on their spiritual wellness. The celebration began with evening Mass, featuring the Saint Bren-dan choir and full musical ensemble. In his homily, Father Roger urged the congregation to continue the healing message of Jesus by encouraging others.
Christian author, humorist, and inspirational speaker, Terry Hershey, spoke to over 150 people at the din-ner about the need to find rest and renewal amid the busyness of everyday life. To experience spiritual healing, Hershey said that each person should find a personal sanctuary for rest,
celebrate the “sacrament of the present moment” on a regular basis, and try to be “Jesus with skin” for other people who need help un-plugging from the rush, hurry, and stress of life. The church hall filled nearly to capacity, as members and guests gathered to enjoy lively conversation, a catered spaghetti dinner, wine, dessert, and even a signature cocktail. “I am deeply grateful to our dedicated staff, event planner Kirstie Manalo and her hus-band Bishal, and the many volunteers who worked so hard to or-ganize this wonderful event,” said Father Roger. “I can’t think of a better way to end our year of healing than by bringing people to-gether in faith, fun, and fellowship.”
Stewardship
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:27). Whatever blessings God has given you, we invite you to make a planned, proportionate, sacrificial, and enduring financial commitment to this parish and to the poor.
SECOND COLLECTION NEXT WEEK:
CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS
CAMPAIGN
Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares them generously in love of God and neighbor. Stewardship is not about money or fundraising. It is a spirituali-ty. It is a way of life.
A steward recognizes that God is the source of all life and every blessing and that all gifts of time, talent, and treasure come from God. A steward is grateful for those gifts. A steward takes care of and increases those gifts and freely gives back the first and best portion of those gifts to God.
2019 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal
100%Goal $125,274
Amount Pledged or Paid $125,486 WE HAVE REACHED OUR GOAL! Additional AAA donations will all come back to our parish!Thank you for your generous support!
SUNDAY COLLECTION May 18-19, 2019
GOAL $ 9,500
TOTAL $ 7,992
Under
$ 1,508
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SAINT BRENDAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Church
29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA 94127 Rectory Phone: (415) 681-4225 Mon - Thurs: 8:30 am - Noon, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Sun: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm www.stbrendanparish.org
School 940 Laguna Honda Blvd. San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. (415) 731-2665 www.stbrendansf.com
Convent Canossian Sisters 234 Ulloa Street San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. (415) 681-3465
STAFF
Pastor (415) 969-6788 Fr. Roger Gustafson [email protected] Parochial Vicar (415) 681-4225 Fr. Celestine Tyowua Ext.214 [email protected] Member & Volunteer Care (415) 969-6813 Sr. Angela Furia, FdCC [email protected] Children’s Faith Formation Carol Grewal (415) 969-6814 [email protected] Music Ministry (415) 218-1767 Mario Balestrieri School Principal (415) 731-2665 Dianne Lakatta [email protected] Parish Manager (415) 969-6815 Lisa Rosenlund [email protected] Financial Administrator (415) 969-6823 Maeve O’Reilly [email protected]
Administrative Assistant (415) 969-6824 Elizabeth Gamarra [email protected]
MASSES
Sunday: 7:30, 9:30,11:30 AM, 5:00 PM Mon-Fri: 6:30 & 8:15 AM Saturday: 8:15 AM 5:00 PM Holy Days: 6:30 AM, 8:15 AM and 6:00 PM
CONFESSIONS Saturday: 4:15 - 4:45 PM Wednesday: 7:15 - 7:45 PM
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Wednesday: 7:00 - 8:00 PM Saturday: 4:00 - 4:45 PM
BAPTISMS & WEDDINGS
Please call us at (415) 681-4225 or visit our website at www.stbrendanparish.org.
MASS INTENTIONS (May 27-June 2, 2019)
Weekend
SAT 8:15 a.m. Available
SAT 5:00 p.m.
David O’Connor (D)
SUN 7:30 a.m. Albert & Madeline Brandi (D)
SUN 9:30 a.m. People of St. Brendan Parish
SUN 11:30a.m.
Henry Lee Underwood (D)
SUN 5:00 p.m. Gerald Morell (D)
6:30 a.m. 8:15 a.m.
Monday Angela & Giuseppe Tardio (D)
Available
Tuesday
Available Angela Maria Lioy (D)
Wednesday Available Available
Thursday Available Available
Friday Available Carmel Fahey (D), Ed (“Papa”) Proehl (D), Kiyoko Hayashi (D)
Weekday