St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

Friends,

One goes and one comes……Fr. Hugo left this past week for Brazil to celebrate his grandmother’s 95^th birthday and last Sunday, Fr. Emmanuel returned from Africa after a couple months of research and vacation. We are happy that Fr. Hugo is getting some vacation at home and also happy that Fr. Emmanuel has returned to his Jesuit community to finish his doctoral dissertation……..That is the way that church happens: one comes and one goes, and the church goes on.

Our parish is gathering steam for our Fall Festival. The raffle is doing well and you should have received your tickets by mail, if you are a registered member of St. John’s. We do need a few new volunteers to work for two hours on Sunday, Sept. 21. I know it is hard to volunteer, but that is what good Christians are called to do. Jesus called his first disciples to “come and follow Him.” Here at St. John’s, we are continuing to call people to give a little of their time. I really think that most of us could afford two hours of our time on Sunday, Sept. 21. I am sure you would enjoy it and the Lord would bless you as well. Just phone the rectory: 232-5659.

One last point…… We have planned a fantastic dinner-dance for Saturday night, Sept. 20. We will have great food, a live band for those who can still dance and a live auction for all sorts of goodies. Most of us do not get out enough and kick up our heels. Here is a great chance to really celebrate. Send in your reservations now.

Peace,
Fr. John Maxwell

Friends,

I would just like to bring to your attention a couple new things that you might have missed in our parish.

1. On the front of our church on San Pablo Avenue, we have a wooden statue of St. John the Baptist. In the course of time, the wind, rain and sun beats down upon this large wooden statue. Mario Navea took down the statue, refurbished it, filled in the cracks and re-finished St. John. It looks like a new creation, and it is appropriate that our patron looks down on all of the people of God traversing San Pablo Avenue.
2. In the patio and fountain area near our gym, we have a wooden deck. Like all exposed wood, we had a lot of dry rot and weather damage. We are replacing this decking with a new product that will hopefully last a long time and provide a safe and sanitary deck for both our church and school use.
3. Lastly, take a look at the small vestibule in the front of our church. We have developed a beautiful shrine for our statue of St. John baptizing Jesus. We have some nice votive candles for your use. We are not finished with the vestibule, but this is a fine addition to the on-going beautification of our church. As we read last week in the words of Isaiah: “…….my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Fr. John Maxwell

Friends,

Today in the first reading from the Old Testament, the great prophet Isaiah speaks for God, using these words: “For my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” This sentence is worth our meditation. I think it is very true for our church on San Pablo Avenue. St. John the Baptist Church is surely a “house of prayer for all peoples.” God has blessed our parish with a very diverse community of “all peoples.” Everyone is welcome to come to St. John’s and join our prayer-life. Likewise, we want everyone to know that they are always welcome to come to St. John’s to pray. When we are facing a difficult decision, the church is where we ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. When we are troubled in spirit, the church is a place of calm and peace. When sickness and death come into our lives, we come to church and find consolation and healing and courage to face these grim realities. When our little world seems to be falling apart, the house of God is where we go to find answers and guidance.

I encourage you to bring all of your blessings and challenges to the Lord in our church. St. John’s is the “house of God,” and God dwells in our church in a very special way in the Blessed Sacrament. Our parish church should be your “hiding place” and your place of refuge during the storms of life. This is your home away from home. This is the house where God dwells.

Peace,
Fr. John Maxwell

Friends,

We have finished our Summer Education Series on St. Paul, and I would appreciate any comments you might have on the three weekends we talked about St. Paul. Your feedback is important and is much more relevant than someone saying: “Nice homily, Father.” Just talk to any of our priests or our deacon with your reflections or criticism. We want to hear from you.

The Old Testament reading this week is one of my favorites. Elijah was waiting for a message from God. The voice of the Lord was not in the driving wind; the voice of the Lord was not in the earthquake; the voice of the Lord was not in the fire. It was only in a “TINY WHISPERING SOUND” that Elijah heard the voice of the Lord. That is something for us to think about. We live in a very noisy world. Radios blare and TVs spout out sounds 24 hours a day. The traffic is noisy with fire trucks, emergency vehicles and police wailing away at all hours. It is very hard to find a quiet place in our modern American world. However, if we wish to hear the voice of God, we must imitate Elijah and cut out the noise and listen for that “tiny whispering sound.” Personally, I really need some peace and quiet when I pray and try to hear the voice of God. I hope that you can find some safe and quiet oasis in your home for prayer and contemplation. This quiet spot is good for your soul and also for your body.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Peace,
Fr. John Maxwell

On Stephen Ray’s web site you can find a time line that shows St. Paul’s travels and when he wrote his various epistles. see http://www.catholic-convert.com/Portals/0/Documents/St_Paul_Timeline.pdf

Friends,

(This is “borrowed” from St. Paul to the Thessalonians.)

“From John, Ray and Hugo, to the church in El Cerrito, the people of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that God will be kind to you and will bless you with peace. We thank God for you and always mention you in our prayers. Each time we pray, we tell God our Father about your faith and loving work and about your firm hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear friends, God loves you, and we know that He has chosen you to be his people………” (1 Thess. 1:1-4)

I hope you are enjoying our Summer Educational Series on St. Paul. I have learned some more information about St. Paul and the early Christian church. I am strongly reminded that we never stop learning. We might get lazy and rely on the TV instead of picking up our Bibles or some other good Catholic books. Most of us have to push ourselves, but we have so many great resources at our fingertips. I like to listen to tapes when I am driving my car. I have just finished a fine series on St. Paul. … Other folks like to have DVD’s, and there are hundreds of good titles for our viewing. However, my favorite is reading. I have a good library of a wide array of books that I have read and enjoyed. It is up to you to determine how you will expand your understanding and knowledge of our beautiful faith. Just do it.

Peace,
Fr. John Maxwell