The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which we celebrated last Sunday marks the closing of our diocesan Jubilee Year. As a parish we celebrated this in all the Masses last Sunday. On December 5, which is the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Bishop Cantu will celebrate the Closing Mass of our 40th Anniversary celebration at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph at 11:30 am followed by a Tree Planting behind the cathedral to mark this occasion. This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. We begin our preparation for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will have a two-hour Advent recollection on Saturday, December 11th in the Church at 10:00 a.m. Our very own Deacon Ron Hansen will do a guided reflection on three of the Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Experience yourself being inserted in these scenes and being moved by the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit leads you to insights and discoveries. Deacon Hansen has written many novels mixing history with morality and drama. His popular work is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Deacon Hansen is the Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University, where he teaches courses in writing and literature. He received fellowships from the Michigan Society of Fellows, the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the Lyndhurst Foundation, as well as an Award in Literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He was likewise inducted to the college of fellows at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology.
On Thursday, December 9th, there will be an Advent Communal Penance Service in the Church at 7:00 pm. I invite you to come and receive the Sacrament of Healing as we prepare as a community to meet Christ in his coming.
The Third Sunday of Advent replaces the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe since December 12 this year falls on a Sunday. Nonetheless, we shall honor Our Lady with a celebration after the liturgy on Saturday, December 11th.
Fr. Michael Syjueco
As the closing of the year draws near, we recall the many blessings that we received despite the challenges we may have faced during the year. I invite you, therefore, to think of those that you have, not so much on what you don’t have. This way you will be able to recognize better that even if things are not perfectly going your way, you are still very much blessed. What are you grateful for? Send your petitions of gratefulness via Flocknote. We will gather all these petitions and offer these during the Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, November 25th at 9:00 a.m. Bring your bread and wine for your thanksgiving table with you. We will bless them during Mass. See you there!
Next Sunday, November 28th, marks the First Sunday of Advent. It is rather ironic that on that Sunday we will also have the Christmas Tree Lighting event after that Sunday 5:00 pm Mass. Are we just too excited to bring in Christmas? While it is not liturgically correct to have such an event on the First Sunday of Advent, we are having the tree lighting event early, nonetheless, since as we move farther to December the chances of rain is high. There will be Christmas caroling before the tree lighting featuring members of the Schola Cantorum and some members of the Parish choir. Perhaps, we can look at the event as a glimpse to the joy of Christ’s promise come Christmas. “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise…” (Jermiah 33:14). If we have something joyful to look forward to, perhaps we can better prepare for the coming of Christ!
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.
Today’s Gospel speaks about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus predicted the horrible things that would happen on that day. The cause of the destruction of the Temple is the doing of the people of Israel when they turned their back against God. It was the consequence of their actions for their infidelity. We can also reflect on our relationship with God. As St. Paul says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Do I take good care of my relationship with God enough so that it won’t lead to the destruction of my soul, God’s temple within me?
The holidays are approaching. Please mark your dates for the Thanksgiving Mass on Thursday, November 25th at 9:00 am. In gratitude for all the blessings we have received during the year despite the challenges of the pandemic, let us gather as a community to celebrate God’s blessings for us.
If the weather permits, we will have a Christmas lighting event after the 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday, November 28th, the First Sunday of Advent. Please mark it on your calendar. We will have a mini-concert prior to the Christmas lighting. For us as a community to participate in this event, I invite each family to consider bringing in a gold Christmas ornament to be put on the Christmas tree. You may start dropping this at the vestibule in the Church. Please make sure to put a tape with the name of your family. We will put your ornaments on the Christmas tree with your name on it. If you wish to donate to cover for the cost of the Christmas lights and the 15-foot Christmas tree, you’re also welcome to do so. It would be highly appreciated.
Next Sunday, November 21st, we take up a second collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, working to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ "... to bring good news to the poor ... release to captives...sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free." (Luke 4:18).
Finally, please continue to help our brothers and sisters during this cold season. If you have any winter coats that you are not using anymore, or better yet wish to donate new ones, please drop these at the Church’s vestibule. What better way to prepare for the holidays than to serve Christ in the least of our brothers and sisters.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.
I am grateful to those who supported the Thanksgiving Food Program and the Grace Solutions project of the Outreach Ministry! Your generosity is not only a blessing to others this Thanksgiving, and cold season, but God blesses you too, for Jesus says: “I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me.”
I thank all those who came to the Mass of Remembrance not only to remember their beloved dead, but also to honor our parishioners who passed away last year and this year. COVID-19 has prevented many of our bereaved families from having a funeral mass for their dead last year. I can only imagine how painful that might have been for them. I thank God that this year we are blessed to have a Eucharistic celebration for them in a most solemn way.
I thank Mariqueta Churchill, and Christina for their hard work of putting up the Dia de los Muertos Altar of the Dead in Fr. Greg Kimm Community Center. It brought some festive feeling to the commemoration of our faithful departed, as that is how it really should be. We celebrate the fact that our beloved dead are now ever closer to the promise of eternal life! The Altar is indeed a narrative of our faith that in death “life is changed not ended,” and that death is a continuation of life. During the whole month of November, we pray for our beloved dead as they pray for us as we continue our pilgrimage here on earth towards the sure and certain hope that someday we shall see God face to face.
The Halloween Parade, Carnival and Fun Night organized and led by our St. Joseph of Cupertino School were a success. It was fun to see our students (not to mention their teachers and parents) in their Halloween costumes! I witnessed the creativity of people unleashed! But most of all, it was a joy to see parents, faculty, and students working together building community while having fun! I really had a blast!
Beginning this week, Phase Two of the Transition survey begins. I will attempt to meet with some parishioners either in person or via Zoom to listen to their ideas about the kind of parish with which they would be encouraged to engage their time, talent and treasure. I would like to have a picture of what that parish might look like. I am taking advantage of the opportunity that I have now to gather ideas. Later on, I will plan with the staff and some parishioners for what lies ahead so that when things start to normalize, we are ready to roll and embrace the new beginning!
Meantime, I encourage everyone to start coming back to Church. Watching the Mass in livestream is not the same as being in community to worship together in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We are doing all we can to keep everyone safe as they worship. Consider returning if you have not done so already. We greatly miss your presence!
Please continue to support your parish during these challenging times by the consistency of your giving either through the regular envelopes you have or online giving. As a parish, we have been falling short of our financial goals, and this has been impacting our operations. I am indebted to those who have given their share. God will surely bless your generosity!
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us!
In spite of the rain, we were able to have the Marian procession last Sunday right after the 11:00 a.m. Mass to honor Our Blessed Virgin Mary as we culminated the month of the Rosary. It was held inside the church instead of outside as originally planned. I am grateful to all who extended a hand to make the occasion possible: the ushers who carried the litter of the Praying Madonna, the lady acolytes, the choir, cantors and the pianist, the lector who proclaimed the scriptures for the Glorious mysteries, the ladies who beautifully decorated the litter, our maintenance staff, Hernando Gomez who built the litter, members of the Legion of Mary who provided the hospitality, and of course, Janice LaMotte for going out of her way to coordinate things for the event. Most of all, the Marian event would not have been a success if it were not for the participation of my fellow parishioners, as well as members of the Legion of Mary in various parishes who came for the occasion. I can never thank you all enough!
November 1st, All Saints Day, is not a holy day of obligation this year. There will only be the regular 8:30 am Mass. For the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on November 2nd, however, there will be two Masses: the regular 8:30 am Mass, and the special Mass of Remembrance at 7:00 pm. The latter mass is to honor in a special way those parishioners who passed away last year and this year. Also, the Altar of Remembrance will be put up on Saturday, October 30th. If you wish to have the pictures of your beloved dead displayed on the Altar as a way to honor and remember them, please bring their pictures to the Parish Office during office hours, or drop them in the box provided outside the Parish Office. No pictures larger than 5 x 7, please.
November is also the month when we think of the blessings we have received during the year and express our gratitude. I invite you to write down your petitions for what you are thankful for and drop this to the basket provided as you enter the church. These petitions will be offered each week during Mass. You may also send your thanksgiving petitions to Janice at janice.lamotte@dsj.org or through Flocknote.
The first phase of the survey done by the Transition Team Committee is completed. I wish now to go to phase two of meeting with interested parishioners, liturgical ministers, youth groups, and even school parents about their dreams and aspiration for the Parish, as well as ideas about the kind of Parish they would more likely be engaged in. This meeting will either be in person or via Zoom meeting. Please expect a Flocknote inviting you to reserve a slot for such meeting. Each group is no more than 10 people. You will have the option to sign in at the time that works for you.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.
The Fatima Rosary Crusade held last Saturday was a success! I am grateful to all the “crusaders” of Our Blessed Virgin Mary who came to storm heaven to pray for our nation and all the many challenges confronting our country today. Thank you to Bella Kawashima, a parishioner, and her Rosary Group who organized and led the events.
To culminate the month of the Rosary, a Marian procession will be held this Sunday after the 11:00 am Mass. Processions like these are not just a cultural tradition. They have their place in the Church. In fact, processions go back as far as the Old Testament such as the procession of the Ark of the Covenant, and in the New Testament when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. Processions, like a Marian procession, remind us that we are pilgrims making our way on toward our ultimate destination which is heaven. We pray with our bodies when we join a procession mindful that we are wayfarers en route to heaven. Marian processions recognize the role of Mary in our salvation when she courageously said yes to the invitation of God to be the Mother of God.
Each year the City of Cupertino recognizes individuals who have taken an extra mile to serve the Cupertino community. It appears that our Parish never runs out of people who unselfishly commit themselves to the service of the greater community of the City of Cupertino where our Parish belongs. This year’s Cupertino Lifetime Achievement CREST award goes to Jim Oberhofer. Jim is not only a long time member of our Parish, but also a long time liturgical minister at the 8:00 a.m. Mass when we used to have this Mass before the pandemic. Jim has been volunteering for the city of Cupertino for 28 years. He has been an Emergency Coordinator, Cupertino Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CARES). Under his leadership, Jim has maintained the highest standard of excellence which made CARES a benchmark of other cities in the County. I am grateful to Steve Hill, another long time parishioner who himself was an awardee of this prestigious award in 2019, for the information he provided about Jim. Kudos Jim!
The month of November is the month when we honor our faithful departed. I invite parishioners to bring the pictures of their departed loved ones to the Parish Office for the annual Altar of Remembrance. The Altar will be put up on Saturday, October 30th. If you wish your loved ones to be remembered in all masses in November, please send your All Souls Envelope to the Office. Speaking of All Souls, in addition to the regular 8:30 a.m. Mass for All Souls Day, there will be a Mass of Remembrance at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come. In this Mass we shall honor our parishioners who died last year and this year. Representatives of each family will be given the opportunity to honor their dead by offering a lighted candle for them during Mass. Those who have received an invitation to participate, please RSVP on or before Sunday, October 31st to Janice LaMotte, Pastoral Associate at janice.lamotte@dsj.org or call her at 408-252-7653 extension 130.
Finally, the flu season is here. I encourage my fellow parishioners to get their flu shot to protect yourself, your family and others. This year, it is more important to get our shots than previous years because alongside the spread of flu, COVID-19 continues to be spreading at the same time. Flu shots prevent you from getting seriously infected and spreading flu to your loved ones, most especially those at high risk for serious illness. Getting your flu shot is an act of Christian charity. Let’s do our share to slow the spread of flu.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.