Bulletins by St. Clare Parish (Page 4)

“I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower. . . Remain in me, as I remain in you.” Using the image of the vine and the branches (chapter 15, Gospel of John), Jesus describes the connection between Him and believers and, by extension, between and among believers. It is impossible to be connected to the Lord without being connected to others. Just as the branches are joined to the vine, so are they joined to one another. Faith comes through a community, in fact by means of various communities; first among these is the family, then the parish, perhaps the school and sometimes from one’s friends and classmates. Faith is also nurtured by these relationships. We should never discount our role in the faith life of others. Not only by our words, but especially by our example, others can come to – and remain – in Christ, the vine.

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” because the gospel readings are always from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. On “Good Shepherd Sunday,” the Fourth Sunday of Easter, we take up the annual collection to benefit the retired priests of the Diocese of San Jose. This Sunday has been chosen for this appeal as a way to honor our retired priests as good shepherds, after the heart of Jesus, who said: I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep (John 10:14-15). Our gifts to this collection will help to stabilize the retirement fund that benefits 45 currently retired priests and the 38 priests who will reach retirement age in the next 12 years.

It is easy to forget the Apostles’ first reaction to the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, as narrated in this weekend’s passage from the Gospel of John; they thought He was a ghost. Jesus’ response is an indication of His disappointment in them, but also a sign of His patience: “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” The Lord is also patient with us, with our questions and our doubts. When we have them, we should never be discouraged. If the Lord forgives all our sins, how much more will He ‘forgive’ our questions and doubts, that are not sinful, but merely human?

The celebration of Easter lasts for 50 days, until Pentecost. However, for the Church, the day of Easter extends until today, the Second Sunday of Easter. Throughout Easter Week, we have continued to chant, “Alleluia! Alleluia!” at the conclusion of every Mass. Why do we do this? Because the joy and wonder of the Resurrection of Jesus cannot be contained in a single day. If one were to listen closely to the prayers during the liturgies these days, you might hear the priest speaking of “this day,” even though the day of Easter has passed. For example, in the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer, after echoing the assembly’s response, “It is right and just,” the celebrant says: It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O Lord, but on this day above all to laud you yet more gloriously, when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. It may be presumptuous to believe that we could do the feast justice even if we were to celebrate it for a thousand days. In fact, every Sunday is called “The Day of the Lord” because in a real way we observe Easter on all the Sundays of the year. That is why we keep Sundays as our weekly holy day, unlike the Jewish people, for whom Saturday remains the Sabbath, in honor of the day that God rested in the biblical account of creation. So we say to all, once again: “Happy Easter!”

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Now that we have finally arrived at the Easter feast, we rejoice in the Lord’s Resurrection. We allow ourselves to be renewed by the very mysteries we celebrate these days and, indeed, every time we gather around the Table of the Lord: His Life, Death and Resurrection. Of this, Cardinal Basil Hume once remarked: “The great gift of Easter is hope – Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in His ultimate triumph, and in His goodness and love, which nothing can shake.” Walking with the Lord and with one another, sharing the joy of those who are newly baptized in our parish, our cities, throughout our Diocese and around the world, we deepen our commitment to the life that Baptism has opened to each of us. If you are visiting us for the first time, we hope you will come back soon. To those who have wandered away for some time – perhaps due to the pandemic or other personal reasons – we have missed you and we are so happy that you are with us today. What a wonderful gift you have given to all by choosing to be at Saint Clare. We can never be complete until you join us again! We thank you for the privilege of allowing us to serve you. May God continue to bless you, your families and your loved ones this Easter and always! Sincerely,

The message of Palm Sunday and the days that follow is found in the second reading, from Saint Paul to the Philippians: Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name (Phil. 2:8-9). It is this obedience that we commemorate, the “emptying” of Himself, to the point of death. And the Resurrection that followed. The liturgies of Holy Week invite us to enter more deeply into the life-death- resurrection of the Lord Jesus, to make ourselves present to those saving events, events that continue to live in our lives. United with Him in Baptism, we die to our “old” selves and rise with the Lord to newness of life. Please join us for as many of our celebrations as you are able.

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus” was the request made to Philip. This same request has been made for two millennia, by inquirers and believers alike. It is both the first step toward faith and the deepening of faith in those who already share that gift. In the Gospel account this Sunday, Jesus responds to those who want to see Him with the stark reality of His fate: “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Yet there is also the warning and invitation to believers: “Whoever loves one’s life loses it, and whoever hates one’s life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” The more we come to know Jesus, the more real is the challenge to join Him in “losing” life so that we may “preserve” it for eternal life. These final two weeks of Lent invite us to renew ourselves as disciples of the Lord; may our solemn commemoration of His Dying and Rising deepen our sharing in the mystery of the love God has for us, the same love we are privileged to have for one another.

In this weekend’s first reading, from the Second Book of Chronicles, we hear that, in spite of their infidelities, the Lord continued to send messengers to Israel. But they were not welcomed. The third chapter of the Gospel of Saint John narrates God’s response to this bitter reception: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Indeed, this is at the core of our faith: God’s love for humanity is so great that the Lord held nothing back, not even His only Son, given to us for our salvation. As we approach Easter, we prepare to celebrate the depth of God’s loving embrace in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. But even now we share in this each time we celebrate the Eucharist, brought into communion with the Lord and each other. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ, given that we might live. This is the good news of Laetare (“Rejoice”) Sunday, which cannot be taken away, even in the midst of Lent.