12-15-07 Sacred Heart Food Bank service

02-02-08 Fr. Deutsch's talk

Saint of the week: St. Raymond of Pennafort

聖雷孟 （St. Raymond of Pennafort ，1175-1275 ）

慶日： 1月 7日

主保：教會法編撰者

1175 年，聖雷孟誕生於西班牙的巴塞隆納附近；由於他是西班牙的貴族成員之一，因此從小便接受了極完備的教育，且很早就對聖母懷有一份溫柔的愛與崇敬。聖人20歲時，已是一位名聞遐邇的哲學教師，他在 30歲時同時取得了教會法與民法的博士學位。然而，他卻拋開一切世俗的光榮，毅然地在 41歲時加入了「道明會」。

當時的教宗額我略九世非常賞識他，將聖人召喚至羅馬為他工作，並成為教宗的個人告解神師。他在羅馬的主要工作是：彙整過去教會 歷史中，所有教宗與大公會議的典章律例，這巨大的工程在聖人接手前已進行了 80個年頭。最後，聖人編出了一套五本名為《教會律例大全－ Corpus decretalium》的教會法典彙編。 1917年新的教會法典彙編出版前，這部「教會律例大全」是最好的教會法典參考。稍早，他也曾寫過一部助人善行告解的著作，名為《個案大全－ Summa de casibus poenitentiae，那不僅是一部條列罪與補贖的著作，還更是討論教會道理與法律的書籍，是聽告神師必備的工具書之一。

60 歲時，聖人被教宗指定為Aragon首都Tarragona 的總主教，但他並不喜歡如此的 尊榮，後來藉病重之名，二年後辭去了主教的職務。然而，聖人卻無福享受平靜的生活，因為隔年即被自己的同會弟兄選為道明會的總會長。於是，聖人只好努力地 工作，徒步拜訪所有的道明會士，且修訂會憲，允許總會長於任內辭去職務。新會憲通過的那一年，聖人時年 65歲，他也順利地辭去了總會長的職務。

生命的最後 35年，聖人致力於對抗異端邪說與勸說摩爾人（Moors）皈依的工作。他為人極其謙和，且非常親近天主；他常做克苦，其良善與仁慈也常為天主贏得罪人們的靈魂。聖人與 Aragon的國王James 、St. Peter Nolasco一起創建了「Our Lady of Ransom 」修會，該修會致力於從摩爾人的手中救回被俘的可憐基督徒。

James 國王本是位秉性良善的人，可惜，他卻常隨自己的偏情私欲而行。一次，聖人與他一同前往瑪約卡島（the Island of Majorca）宣講耶穌基督，但King James卻立了壞榜樣，因為王在該島上與一位婦女有著苟且的關係，聖人命令王遣走那婦女，王雖口頭答應，卻未信守承諾，於是聖人便離開了那座島。 王盛怒，便下令：凡載送聖人回巴塞隆納的船 長，都應受嚴厲的懲罰。聖人只好全心信賴上主，於是他將自己的上衣平鋪在海面上，將其中的一端綁上木柴做帆，劃了十字聖號之後，便腳踏自己的上衣，一路航 行了六小時，最後安抵巴塞隆納。國王被此神蹟所感動，於是對自己的行為深感愧疚，並且認真地追隨聖人的教導。最後，聖人一百足歲之時，天主才讓聖雷孟完全 地從人世間退休。

「你們的純潔和虔誠要求應得的報酬；因為你們為天主所悅納，願你們的純潔由於不斷的打擊，而愈加純潔，直到完美的境界。如果你們一而再，再而三地受天主的利劍打擊，應視其為圓滿的喜樂、是天主愛你們的標記。

天主的利劍內外鋒利：外有戰爭，內有恐懼；天主再再地磨練你們，是因為狡猾的惡神常以詭計和陰謀擾亂你們的內心。這一切的攻守，你們已有相當的體驗，否則便不會獲致內心如此美好的平靜與安寧。…

切望慈愛與和平的天主親自使你們心靈安寧，並加速你們現世的旅程。也願祂將你們暫放在祂的身旁，遠離他人的騷擾，直到把你們安置在圓滿的光榮中為止。在那裡，你們將永遠安居在平安的光榮中，和安全的帳幕中，安祥地享用無盡的富裕。」

（節選自一月七日《誦讀日課》──聖雷孟司鐸書信集選讀 ）

January 7- St. Raymond of Penyafort (1175-1275)

Since Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life.

By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican. Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome to work for him and to be his confessor. One of the things the pope asked him to do was to gather together all the decrees of popes and councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian. Raymond compiled five books called the Decretals. They were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of canon law.

Earlier, Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases. It was called Summa de casibus poenitentiae. More than just a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor.

At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, the capital of Aragon. He didn't like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years.

He didn't get to enjoy his peace long, however, because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order, the successor of St. Dominic. Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominicans, reorganized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a master general be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond, then 65, resigned.

He still had 35 years to oppose heresy and work for the conversion of the Moors in Spain. He convinced St. Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles.

In his100th year the Lord let Raymond retire.

Comment:

Raymond was a lawyer, a canonist. Legalism is one of the things that the Church tried to rid herself of at Vatican II. It is too great a preoccupation with the letter of the law to the neglect of the spirit and purpose of the law. The law can become an end in itself, so that the value the law was intended to promote is overlooked. But we must guard against going to the opposite extreme and seeing law as useless or something to be lightly regarded. Laws ideally state those things that are for the best interests of everyone and make sure the rights of all are safeguarded. From Raymond, we can learn a respect for law as a means of serving the common good.

Quote:

"He who hates the law is without wisdom,/and is tossed about like a boat in a storm" (Sirach 33:2).

Saint of the week: St. Basil the Great

聖巴西略（St. Basil the Great－330-379）

教父、聖師

慶日：1月2日

主保：醫院管理者

聖人330年時誕生於小亞細亞的凱撒肋雅（Caesarea今日土耳其的東南方）。他的父母皆出生貴族，且信仰甚篤，後來亦被教會冊封為聖人。這個聖善的家庭育有十個子女，其中就有四位是教會公開列品的聖人（除了聖巴西略外，還包括與聖巴西略、聖額我略納齊盎齊名的聖額我略尼沙St. Gregory of Nyssa 335-394）。

聖人年輕時在君士坦丁堡求學，後來在雅典學習時，認識了聖額我略納齊盎（St. Gregory Nazianzen 330-390， 素有「神學家」的稱號），二人結為莫逆之交，後來都成了偉大的學者。當越來越多的人慕名前來聆聽聖人的宣講時，聖人意識到一種驕傲的思想在他心內升起。於 是，他變賣所有財物，施與窮人後，便決定到曠野隱修去了。他先在曠野中拜訪隱士們，然後將他們組織起來，並發展出一套完整的隱修規則與制度。當時，他創建 了極可能是小亞細亞的第一座隱修院。為東方的隱修制度而言，聖巴西略的地位就如同聖本篤之於西方教會一樣。他所訂下的原則，至今對東方教會的隱修制度仍有 著莫大的影響。當聖人決定按福音的貧窮勸諭開始修道生活時，他已走在一條成為知名教師的路上了。

聖人被祝聖為司鐸後，先擔任凱撒肋雅總主教的助理，隨後，自己也成了該地的總主教（370）。不過，在他任內，曾有幾位副主教反對他，或許是因為這些人已預先看到那以後要來的革新吧！

亞 略異端是教會歷史中最危險的邪說之一，它否認基督的天主性，為正統信仰有極大的危害。在聖人的時代，此番論述正達頂峰。當時的帝國皇帝華倫斯 （Valens）迫害著具有正統信仰的信眾，並對巴西略施以壓力，要求聖人對迫害保持沉默，並強迫他接受亞略與教會的共融。巴西略堅持不從，華倫斯只好放 棄，但問題卻依然存在。當偉大的教師聖亞大納修（St. Athansius 295-373）辭世後，教會對抗亞略異端的重責大任就落在聖人的肩上了。他付出極大的努力，將那些因暴政或內部分歧而四散的團體凝聚在一起，然而， 卻因此被誤解、造謠中傷，且被控以邪說與野心。在這樣的處境下，他雖求助於教宗的協助，卻未獲得任何的回應。他說：「因著我的罪過，每一件事都看似失敗。」

聖人在牧靈關懷上總是孜孜不倦，他一日向群眾講道二次，且創建了一座被稱為「一個世界的驚奇」的醫院（聖人年輕時曾為安頓饑荒者組織過一小團體，並親自在廚房中從事煮湯食的工作）；並且，為救助人靈，聖人也努力對抗賣淫業者。

聖人的雄辯之才極負盛名；他的著作，在聖人尚在人世時，並未在教會內獲得應有的地位。然而，在他過世72年後，加采東大公會議（the Council of Chalcedon, 451）描述他為：「偉大的巴西略，將真理傳佈至整個世界的恩寵管理者。」

聖人於主後三七九年的一月一日辭世，著作等身為他在教會內贏得「聖師」的頭銜；他所制定的隱修規則，則成為東方教會隱修院的圭臬。

聖巴西略說道：「你未曾食用的麵包，就是饑渴者的麵包；你懸掛在衣櫃裡的長袍，就是赤身露體者衣服；你不穿的鞋子，就是赤足者的鞋履；你保持深鎖的錢財，就是窮人的錢財；你不願踐行的愛德，就是諸多你所干犯的罪過。」

St. Basil the Great (329-379) bishop, Doctor of the church

January 2nd

Doctor of the Church, Bishop of Caesarea, one of the most distinguished Doctors of the Church, was born probably 329 and died on January 1, 379. He ranks after Athanasius as a defender of the Oriental Church against the heresies of the fourth century, especially Aryanism, which denied the divine nature of Jesus Christ. With his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his brother Gregory of Nyssa, he is part of the trio known as "The Three Cappadocians", of which he was the most important in practical genius and theological writings. Basil resisted the pressure from Emperor Valens, an Arian himself, who wanted to keep him in silence and admit the heretics to communion. No wonder, when the great St. Athanasius died, the responsibility of being the defender of the faith against Aryanism fell upon Basil. Seventy-two years after his death, the Council of Chalcedon described him as “the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.”

Soup kitchen service and holiday food packing

Lighthouse and Cornerstone members participated in two more community service events on December 15th.

Some helped sort and serve food at the St Anthony's Padua Dining Room. Others helped pack food at Sacred Heart Community Service.

Lighthouse 1 community Services in December 07

Date: Sunday 12/9/2007
Time: 9AM-1PM
Location: 1st floor social room of the Senior Apartment85 South 5th Street, San Jose
Itinerary:9-10AM Group Mass presided by Fr. Koo
10-10:20AM Anointment, followed by Confession at the side room
10:20AM-12PM Lighthouse Activities: music & games12-1PM

18 Lighthouse members participated in this event. We sang during the mass. We also had a little Christmas carol 'concert' for the elderly after mass. We played Bingo and served lunch to about 50 seniors.

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Date: Sunday 12/15/2007 Holiday Food Packing
Time: 8:30AM-11:30AM
Location: Sacred Heart Community ServiceCenter - 1381 South First Stree, San Jose, CA 95110

Packing food for Sacred Heart annual holiday event.

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Date: Sunday 12/15/2007 Soup Kitchen Service
Time: 8:30AM-1:00PM
Location: Padua's Dining Room, behind St. Anthony Church3500 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Between 8:30-11am, Lighthouse will help out in the kitchen and cleaning/setting up the tables.Between 11:30am-1pm, Lighthouse will serve lunch. We won't be doing any actual cooking. The facility has 2-3 chef who will do the work. We are there to assist, like washing and chopping vegetables.

SJCCC Activity Update/James Hua + Monchi

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Here are something we would like you to know...

12/8 (Sat)
   7:30 Mass - The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
                     (Solemnity & mandatory) at St. Clare's upper Church.
   晚上7:30 - St. Clare's 樓上教堂, 聖母無染原罪瞻禮中文彌撒。
   Charismatic Prayer Meeting canceled due to the time conflict.
   聖神同禱會暫停一次。

12/9 (Sun)
   Evergreen Group Activity 松柏組活動
   at 85 South 5th Street, San Jose, CA
   09:00 - 10:00 am Mass 彌撒
   10:00 - 12:00 pm Reconciliation and Anointing of Elderly 告解，傅油
   12:00 - 01:00 pm Lunch 午餐

12/16 (Sun)  SJCCC 2007 聖誕晚會
   5:00 pm - Christmas dinner party starts right after 3 pm Mass
   時間: 12/16 (週日) ，5:00pm
   地點: Parish Hall
   門票: 大人和10 歲以上青年 預先購票: $7 當日購票: $8
           4-10 歲小孩預先購票: $4 當日購票: $5
           4歲以下小孩免费
   請於彌撒後在川廊購賣晚餐券, 12/9 最後預購機會。
*** 目前聖誕老人從缺,急徵義工,僅需出場30分鐘,拜託,拜託! ***

   SJCCC 2007 Christmas Celebration
   Time: 12/16 at 5:00pm
   Place: Parish Hall
   Tickets: Adults and youth 10 yrs & up - $7, at the door: $8
               4-10 years old child - $4, at the door $5
               kids below 4 are free.
   Tickets are now on sale at the hall across the church.
   The last chance pre-sale day is 12/9.
*** So far no Santa Claus candidate, urgent request for volunteer,
    only 30-minute show up time.  Please help. ***

I hope you enjoy the season of joy and may God bless you!  Thanks!

James

Host, lead and snack persons are needed for Lighthouse bible study 2008 schedule. Please sign up./Joanne Ho

Hi Lighthouse friends,

Happy Holidays!!

Year 2008 is just around the corner. I would like to start planning for our 08 bible study schedule and asking for volunteer hosts, bible study leads and snack persons, especially for January to March 2008.

Please see the attached spreadsheet for draft schedule.

- Yellow dates are bible study in the Fremont area. However, all are welcome to join and support!!

- 3/22 is the day before Easter. Just like last year, we can have potluck together and attend vigil mass afterward.

I also provide Jan 08 to Jun 08 Sunday mass readings for your reference. Dean and I will update our Lighthouse calendar website later this month.

Please sign up with me as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance for your generosity, talent and time. I am looking forward to grow spiritually and be enriched by God's words with you in 2008.

Toietries Drive for the homeless/Jenny & Jade

Dear Lighthouse,

For the next two weeks, Leland's school is doing a 'Toiletries Drive" for the homeless.

I need travel-size toiletries likes shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, soap, disposable razor, deodorant. Things you would bring home from vacations and business trips.

By the end of the drive, students will pack them into individual bags and pass out to the homeless in the community. This is a great way to clean up your bathroom cabinets and help others at the same time.

If you have any, please bring them to Jade at Saturday's potluck. Thank you.

-Jenny

Lighthouse's new group leaders are..../Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

The results are in. Our new group leaders in 2008 will be Joanne & Dean.

-Jenny

Thank you so much!/Chris Lee

Dear Jenny and friends of the Bible Study Groups,

Thank you all very much for your support and encouragement in the last few weeks! Without your support, I would not have gotten elected. But most importantly, thank you for all of your prayers - it's really God's blessing more than anything else.

I never thought I could win the election against the many highly qualified and renowned members of the community, and would have been equally content with the learning I received from participating in the election. But I’m so honored to receive the support from many, including all of you and at the same time, I’m humbled by the trust and responsibility placed in me by the residents of the Cupertino Sanitary District (CSD).

I will go and do the best I can to help improve the services and operations of the CSD and address the concerns by the residents. Hopefully I can do a good job and be a good example as a Christian servant. Please continue to keep me in your prayers.

I’d very much like to hear from all of you because I can learn from all of you; and any suggestions or feedbacks you provide will only help me to better serve the community.

Please keep in touch! Once again, thank you so much for your support!

Best regards and God bless,

Chris Lee

Cornerstone's gathering/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

Cornerstone, a Bible study group in Cupertino, is having Fr. Deustch as a guest speaker tomorrow night. He will talk about Catholic Catechism, specificially on Jesus' prayer. All lighthouse members are invited.

The talk starts at 8:00pm. There is a dinner gathering at 7pm, a potluck style.

Location: St. Joseph in Cupertion (corner of Stevens Creek and De Anza Boulevard.)

If you have any questions, email Maria Maria Wong.

-Jenny

It's time to vote !!/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

It's the time of the year, 'election time' at Lighthouse.

Please nominate TWO persons and email me your choices by 11/10. You can nominate anyone. The two persons with the highest nominations (and agree to take up the responsiblities) will be next year's group leaders. Marcus and Wenlan will announce the result around 11/17.

-Jenny

Two Advent workshops/Jenny

Dear Lighhtouse,

Our sibling church, CCCSJ in Fremont, has arranged two workshops to prepare us for the upcoming Advent period. Please make yourself available on Nov. 18 and Dec.2.

1) Nov.18, Workshop: Lead By Fr. Bona Lin (林思川神父)
St. Joseph School in Fremont, Class Room #7, 1:50PM~3:50PM

2) Dec. 2, Workshop Lead by Sr. Ng (吳瑞環­蚺k)
St. Joseph School in Fremont, Class Room #7, 1:50PM~3:50PM

Please see the attached file for more details.

In Christ,
SJCCC Chair Board

Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition/Darien+Henry

Dear Lighthouse,

Darien wants me to pass the following information (from Watermark Bible Study Group):

**************************************************************************************************

Hey Everyone!

I think this will be a neat and fun "field trip!"

There's an exhibition of all the official Vatican
approved Eucharistic miracles, like with pictures and information and
stuff about them, and we can just go and look. I was told that in
total, there's only like about 130 of them more or less, and there's
supposedly one poster for each of them. But they will be split up to
be shown at two different churches this weekend, half at one and about
half at the other. This is happening THIS coming weekend (10/27-28).

1. Sacred Heart Parish in Saratoga.
They will be on display in the church vestibule and the church is open
for people to look at them AFTER their Masses for about an hour. Their
Mass times are Saturday 5pm, Sunday 9am, 11am, 5pm.

2. St. John Vianney Parish and School in San Jose
(4600 Hyland Avenue). They will be on display in the "garage," it's
supposed to be like a hall. And we're free to go and look at them
anytime they're open. The hall will be open on Saturday 11am-5pm, and
Sunday 8am-2pm. There's also a talk about the Eucharist as the
Church's treasure at 2pm there.

If anyone is interested in going, just email henry
(don't just hit reply please!!) and we can go together and carpool!
Henry's planning to go see the exhibition at St. John Vianney and also hear
the talk at 2pm on Saturday.

Hope to hear from some of you!
henry