This summer, we will be sharing with you some of our reflections from Breaking Open the Word. We believe the meetings help prepare us for the upcoming Sunday, to get more out of Mass, and we invite you to join us Tuesdays at 10am! Just email the parish office and we'll send you the Zoom link.

What a Joyful experience we had at today’s Breaking Open the Word! This is the kind of joy we get from the Holy Spirit, “gladness not based on circumstances” but gladness based on believing in God, obeying His will, and putting our trust in Him.

Sunday’s Gospel is from the 9th chapter of Luke, verses 51-62. Jesus is traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem. He knows this is his final journey before he fulfills his purpose. He is aware of the humiliation, the rejection, the pain and terrible death that await him. Still “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,” he makes his plans. Sunday’s Gospel verses tell us of some of his encounters along the way.

Jesus is not welcomed by the villagers, so he must move along. “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” That sounds pretty sad, doesn’t it? A taste of the rejection to come.

Later, he encounters two men who offer to follow him, but are they sincere? First, they must take care of business. “Let me take care of my earthly concerns before I turn to you, Lord.”

Jesus could not have felt gladness based on these circumstances! Exploring further, in the next Chapter (Chapter 10) Luke recounts that Jesus is full of joy. How can this be? Luke says His joy is through the Holy Spirit.

In the second reading for this coming Sunday, Paul tells the Galatians, " I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh."

Jesus may sound harsh in his replies to the men who want to follow him but need to first look back at what they may need to give up in order to do so. But is he? Or is he trying to tell us something? Are our worldly values, desires, and possessions more important to us than being with Him?

In times of trouble, we want to cry, "God, why is this happening?" How can we reconcile ourselves to the belief that everything that happens in our lives is a grace, to think, "Every moment is a grace God gave me." Trust is the key. Jesus wants us to know that God will take care of us.

Sometimes, we are so deep in our own grief that we can’t pray. The time will come again that we can reclaim a relationship with God. For those times when we can’t pray for ourselves, others can step in and pray for us.

Look ahead, not behind. Close the door on the part of your life that was dragging you down and move on. Prepare yourself to be fit for the kingdom of God.

Peter's Pence is a worldwide collection that supports the charitable work of Pope Francis. Funds from this collection help victims of war, oppression, and natural disasters, as well as to the support of the Holy See. Read More >

It's never too late to join us Tuesdays in the Fr. Grassi Community Park from 6:30-7:30p for Following Jesus: Then and Now. Read More >

Help Refugees

Please consider donating to the "Welcome to America!" packs by following the link to the Amazon Wishlist. The list contains those items required by the U.S. Government Office of Resettlement. Once the items have been purchased, our Refugee Ministry will assist Exodus World Service in setting up an apartment for a newly arrived refugee family. Read More >

Please join us at Mass on Saturday, Jul 9 at 5pm to bless and celebrate our SJS graduating class of 2018. If you are an alumni, be sure to wear your college t-shirt!