“Teach us to number our days aright.” Is there a more wise and prudent prayer for people of all ages than this verse from today’s responsorial psalm? As we savor the lovely but limited days of summer we are reminded that nothing lasts forever. In today’s first reading, the master teacher (Qoheleth) asserts “All things are vanity!” while the Gospel of Luke describes the ease with which our possessions can possess us. The second reading makes the point as well: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” We see the problem of wealth from both sides today—from the viewpoint of the wealthy person who inevitably has to leave his riches to someone else and from the perspective of the potential inheritor who is at odds with his brother over how to divide their inheritance. The problem is clear; the wisdom is also.

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

Stephen Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, lists as his second habit: Begin with the end in mind. Is that not the point of our scripture reflections today? We know we will die. We know we “can’t take it with us.” If you’ve ever been tasked with cleaning out the home of a deceased person, you know how easily once-treasured items simply become another burden to deal with. Or you may have experienced how quickly the joy of owning the latest smart phone becomes as outdated as the model itself. So how do we think about all the stuff that we buy, accumulate, fret over where to store, and pay taxes on? Heaven forbid if we ever have to move!

RICH IN WHAT MATTERS TO GOD

Luke sets us on the right path when he affirms that we must be “rich in what matters to God.” Needless to say, he is not saying that possessions themselves are evil. Today’s psalm asks God—twice—to “prosper the work of our hands for us!” The danger is that, as one wag put it, “we never have enough of what we don’t really need.” What does matter to God? What is the opposite of vanity? Kindness to one another, mercy, forgiveness, generosity to the poor and needy—all of these remain beyond death. These are what we can take with us when we die. The great mystery in all this is that God is never outdone in generosity; the more we give away, the more we have.

July 31 is also the feast day of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He epitomizes richness in what really matters. His military and court aspirations evaporated after he was seriously wounded in battle. His subsequent change of heart led him to found one of the most influential religious orders in the history of the Church. If the opposite of vanity is wealth that remains after death, Ignatius is most appropriately honored today.

Today’s Readings: Eccl 1:2; 2:21–23; Ps 90:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 14 and 17; Col 3:1–5, 9–11; Lk 12:13–21

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

WEEKDAYS

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM

In the Church & Online

RECONCILIATION

Saturdays 4:00 PM In the Church

WEEKENDS

Sunday Vigil - Saturday 5:00 PM

In the Church & Online

Sunday 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM

In the Church

Online Mass Links: Zoom | Facebook

Mass Intentions

July 30 - August 5

To schedule a Mass intention, please email stmartinoftours@icloud.com.

Saturday 5:00 Josephine Marrujo †

Sunday 8:30  Souls in Purgatory †

Sunday 10:00 Ronda Massey †

Sunday 11:30 Connie Latoza

Monday 8:00  James & Vincee Viso †

Tuesday 8:00  Rose Scudero Jones †

Wednesday 8:00  Lucila Palmaras Alemania †

and Florentino Bacareza Alemania

Thursday 8:00 Leovigildo Bacareza Alemania †

Friday 8:00  St. Martin of Tours Parishioners

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE DECEASED:

James O'Connell, Gerald Juellich,

Carino Borjas,

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE SICK:

Pat Lesaca, Tony Jones, Gloria Rojas, Louis Zarka, Diane Borella, Larry Snapp, Brandi Duval, Helena Knapen

Monday, August 1st from 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Scripture Study

All are welcome!!! Please join us in the Bailey House.

Contact Todd Tomlitz at newbeing@pacbell.net or 408-218-0572 with any questions.

Tuesday, August 2nd at 5:00 PM

ICF Monthly Meeting & Dinner in the community building Please remember RSVP to john.busco@gmail.com by Friday July 29th. Cost for dinner is $10.

Thursday, August 4th at 7:00 PM

Holy Hour with Happy Hour

in the church

Friday, August 12th

Eye Clinic for Farmworkers' Families

in Watsonville, CA

Save the Date....

Serve Jesus by Serving the Children:

 Become a Catechist for Children's Liturgy of the Word

We hope to resume Children’s Liturgy of the Word for elementary school kids in September at the 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM Masses. Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) offers the children an opportunity to listen and respond to the Sunday Gospel at an age-appropriate level. 

In order to provide the children with this opportunity, we will need adult catechists who will lead the children out of the church before the Liturgy of the Word to read the Mass readings in a simpler form and help the children reflect and talk about what the readings mean for their lives. The children return to the church during the collection so everyone can participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Volunteer commitments are on a scheduled rotational basis.This is also open to youth volunteers who are in the 7^th grade and up. We will sign off on any leadership points needed.

If you are interested in volunteering for this important ministry, please contact Lerma Simpson at lerma.simpson@dsj.org or at (408) 294-8953.

FAITH: THE NEXT GENERATION PASS IT ON!

Boldly go where many have gone before and help pass on the Good News of Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith.

This fall, our parish children and young people, grades 1^st through 5^th, will sign up to learn more about Jesus and our Catholic faith. You can help them learn about Jesus and be the face of Jesus to them by becoming a catechist for Faith Formation. As you nurture the faith of our young, you will learn and grow as well! As one long time catechist put it, “I learn so much as I teach the faith and from the children themselves!” You don’t need previous experience as a catechist, just a love for Jesus! You will be trained and will learn along the way. The children’s faith formation sessions are on Wednesdays from 4:00 pm to 5:15 pm, once a month on Wednesdays from 5:30 pm to 6:45 pm and on Sunday mornings.

High school students who seek leadership points and actively practice their faith, we encourage and invite you to pass down the faith to those younger than you by becoming catechist aides.

If interested, please contact Lerma Simpson at lerma.simpson @dsj.org or at (408) 294-8953 ext. 321.   

St. Vincent de Paul - Volunteers NEEDED

Please consider becoming a SVdP Society Volunteer

We need a volunteer as our Treasurer which includes, depositing checks, bookkeeping, monthly and yearly reports, keeping up-to-date records, and sending out yearly tax information to contributors. Our current Treasure will be leaving in August.

We also need:

• Phone monitors to scan calls
• Spanish translators
• Home visitors to make phone visits during Covid (and home visits when resumed)
• Food/Toiletries Visitors for sidewalk food drop-offs
• Computer help with spread sheets and data entry
• Computer technician to set up a SVdP-SMT webpage and a manager

To volunteer, donate money, and used cars so that Saint Vincent de Paul can continue fulfilling our mission to reach out and assist local families in need please phone (408) 515-6104

Mary Kay Tocce, Sec.

Thank you and blessings from SVdP at SMT

REGISTER FOR FAITH FORMATION

REGISTRATION FORMS FOR THE 2022-2023 FAITH FORMATION SEASON ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH OUR PARISH WEBSITE, SELECTING THE LINKS BELOW, AND IN THE PARISH OFFICE.

Children’s Catechetical Ministry (deadline is September 15)

First Eucharist (deadline is September 15)

Youth Confirmation (deadline is September 29)

Adult Confirmation (deadline is August 15)

Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and Children who are at least 7 years old

(deadline is August 15 - please contact Lerma Simpson directly)

If you have any questions, please contact Lerma Simpson at

lerma.simpson@dsj.org or at (408) 294-8953 ext. 321

Family Summer Activity

Plan an Evening Picnic



Choose a night with clear skies to enjoy the outdoors. While picnics can be fun in the middle of the day, summer evenings can provide reprieve from heat and sun. Grab a blanket, a picnic basket, and pack some sandwiches along with a cooler of lemonade. Enlist the help of each family member in gathering supplies and preparing a meal. To begin your picnic, pray together. Take the opportunity to thank God for the gift of healthy food, the beauty of Creation, and the joy of family. Bring along a children’s Bible and share Scripture stories together after enjoying your meal.

Catholic IQ...

A self-assessment for your fun and enlightenment.

1.     In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about God’s great mercy: The Prodigal Son, The Lost Coin, and The Lost __________.

a) Disciple

b) Sheep

c) Samaritan 

d) Woman at the Well

2.     On September, we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months after we celebrate __________.

a) The Immaculate Conception

b) Christmas

c) Easter

d) the Assumption of Mary

3.     Raphael, Gabriel, and _________ are the three archangels mentioned in Scripture.

a) Tobias

b) Zachariah

c) Peter

d) Michael

4.     Muslims, Jews, and Christians are part of the same spiritual family.

True/False

5.    In the Middle Ages, stained glass windows were used to teach people about the faith because many people could not _____________.

a) Find a nearby Catholic school

b) buy books

c) read

d) go to religion classes

Answers CLICK HERE

Family Reflection

July 31, 2022 18^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 • Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 • Luke 12:13-21

“One’s life does not consist of possessions.” —Luke 12:15

 Have you ever been sick with a fever or the flu or something else that all you wanted to do was rest on the couch or sleep, even if it wasn’t nighttime? If you were sick enough, you wouldn’t have even wanted to play with your toys, watch television or videos, or play with friends. Being sick yourself or knowing someone who is very sick (or even dying) helps us remember that the most important things in life aren’t what we own. Jesus reminded people of that a lot. If we think having things is more important than the people in our lives, we’ve got things backwards. It’s better to be rich in the things that are important (like people we love and who love us) than it is to be rich in things.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to put more attention on people than on things that we own.



Family Reflection: What are your most important possessions? What is more important to you than those?

Children's Sunday Bulletin & Activities

Web Link for this week - Children's Sunday Bulletin & Activities:

CLICK HERE

Married Couples



Looking for a romantic get-away? Whether you’ve been married just a few years or over 50 years, Worldwide Marriage Encounter is one of the best and most affordable marriage enrichments available anywhere. Take the time you need for each other and give yourselves the marriage you deserve and God desires for all couples to have. The next local experience is November 4-6 at St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista. For more information or to register visit wwme.org. For questions, call Ken & Claranne Schirle at 408-782-1413.