July 8, 2012

Announcements

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES The movie this week is Being There. Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaire's estate, Chance (Peter Sellers) knows of the real world only from what he has seen on TV. When his benefactor dies, Chance walks aimlessly into the streets of Washington D.C., where he is struck by a car owned by wealthy Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). Identifying himself, the confused man mutters "Chance...gardener," which Eve takes to be "Chauncey Gardiner." Eve takes him to her home to convalesce, and because Chance is so well dressed and well groomed—and because he speaks in such a cultured tone—everyone in her orbit assumes that "Chauncey Gardiner" must be a man of profound intelligence. No matter what he says, it is interpreted as a pearl of wisdom and insight. Join us this Monday, July 9th at 7:30 p.m. here at Newman.

FORNIGHT FOR FREEDOM As mentioned two Sundays ago the Bishops' materials on Religious Freedom and Commonweal's six responders are available on our web page. Lots of reading to contemplate! After the 9:30 a.m. Mass and 5 p.m. Mass this Sunday, July 8th, any who would like to gather for conversation are most welcome. For both conversations we will meet in the Hecker Room on the first floor. –BJCampbell

NEW FACES AT NEWMAN Some months ago someone noted, at an informal gathering of Newman, that there seemed to be a good number who have recently joined the church as adults. Might be fun to gather to hear how things went and are going for you whether the time frame is but a year or two or somewhat longer. I welcome those who would like to meet on Saturday, July 21 at 9:30 a.m. with light refreshments provided. We will finish no later than 11:30 a.m. Do let me know if you can make it or would like to but the date doesn't work for you. Many thanks! –BJCampbell

DVD BORROWING LIBRARY In the display case of the first floor hallway there are a number of DVD's and CD's available for community borrowing. Each person can borrow 2 individual discs at a time with a three-week maximum before returning. Borrowing can be done at the front desk. There is no charge as discs were purchased through the community "matching collection" last October. Please enjoy!

WHY GO TO MASS? This week will continue with the third discussion of our four part conversation on Timothy Radcliffe’s Why be a Christian? We will meet this Tuesday, July 10th at 7:30 p.m. here at Newman. If you would like to join us please purchase or borrow a copy and read Act 2. Next week we will finish the fourth week with Act 3. –BJCampbell.

YAGGIES SUMMER EVENTS Hello Yaggies! We have a few events scheduled this summer and we hope that all of you who are in Berkeley for the summer can join us! Thursday, July 12: Dinner & Eucharistic adoration. Yaggies will be traveling to the Divine Mercy Chapel at St. John the Baptist Parish (11152 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito) for an evening Eucharistic Adoration. We'll meet outside the Newman center at 7:30 p.m., have dinner together at a restaurant in Berkeley (suggestions are welcome!), and then carpool to the chapel for the 9 p.m. Rosary. We will return to Berkeley by 10 p.m.

GROW & STRENGTH in all of your relationships! The Diocese of Oakland is offering a FREE Communication Skills Seminar. This seminar is offered to married, couples, singles, and solos and focuses on teaching effective listening, speaking, and dialogue skills. Courses take place at the Cathedral of Christ the Light from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Preregistration is required and classes take place July 21st (with a July 16th registration deadline) and August 18th (with an August 13 registration deadline). To register or for more information please email Ed Hopfner, ehopfner@oakdiocese.org.

COMPANIONS IN IGNATIAN SERVICE AND SPIRITUALITY is a unique program, affiliated with Santa Clara University and the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley. We respond to the thirst of many Catholics to deepen their spiritual life while giving of their time and talent in service to those in need. Our mission is to enrich the experience of people over 50, through a 10-month program of prayer, service to the poor, and Ignatian spiritual reflection. We are currently recruiting for new participants for our 2012-2013 Program beginning in September. For more information, visit www.ignatiancompanions.org or contact Jenny Girard Malley, Program Director at 415-503-1310 or ignatiancompanions@gmail.com

THE DIOCESE OF OAKLAND’S OFFICE FOR LIFE AND JUSTICE are planning three workshops dealing with social and restorative justice:
Restorative Justice Symposium: The Diocese has received a small grant to send lay leaders to the California Bishops’ Restorative Justice Symposium. Contact John Watkins at 510-267-8379 or jwatkins@oakdiocese.org for more information.
Social Ministry Certificate Program Here is yet another opportunity for anyone interested in social justice! This certificate program, will run for five months, one Saturday per month, beginning in August. Price is $20 per class or $85 for all five classes. Classes take place at St Joseph the Worker parish, 1640 Addison St., Berkeley. For more information or to register, call Sandra at 510 267 8371 or visit www.oak4life.org.

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS NOT IN THIS WEEK'S PRINT EDITION:
ELECTRONIC GIVING There are three options for contributing electronically:
1. Contributions can be made directly from a checking account by adding Newman Hall – Holy Spirit Parish as a payee (online bill paying).
2. One-time and recurring (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.) donations from checking accounts can be made from the calnewman.org website or by contacting Peg McGowan in the Finance Office.
3. One-time credit card donations can be made from the calnewman.org website or by contacting Peg McGowan in the Finance Office. Recurring (monthly) credit card donations can be made ONLY by contacting Peg McGowan in the Finance Office.
Additional information and donation forms are available on the Welcome Table in the lobby. Questions? Please contact Peg McGowan in the Finance Office.

ONLINE SURVEY PARTICIPATION NEEDED One of our student parishioners, Josephine Juanamarga, needs your help. She is participating in a research project and needs help from non-student participants (i.e. non college students, non high-school students) of any age (expected above 30 years old) who are currently working full time. The online survey takes about 40-45 minutes and can be done from anywhere. Although there is no benefit for participating in our survey, your participation would be very helpful toward helping one of our students here at Newman and is greatly appreciated. Your participation will definitely contribute to greater psychological research. The survey can be found at: http://ucbpsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8ocnAlQFIXufSqU. If you would like to know more about the study, please do not hesitate to email us, arounducberkeley.psych.culture@gmail.com, for more information. Thank you for your participation and please spread the word!

WIDOWS/WIDOWERS GRIEF RECOVERY GROUPS Have you or someone you know experienced the death of a spouse recently or within the last few years? Sharing our experiences during this 10-week class is extremely helpful to our healing process. Find hope, support and successful ways to process this significant life event. Course is open to all Widows and Widowers and takes place Weds., 7 – 9 p.m. from June 27th to Sept. 5th. Enrollments are now being accepted – can start up to 3rd week. Pre-Registration required. The workbook is $15. Please contact Linda Husted at Valley Community Church in Pleasanton, 925-833-9013 or lilhusted@sbcglobal.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Standing Together in the Community of God by Father Paul Janowiak, Associate Professor of Liturgy at The Jesuit School of Theology. Father Janowiak worships with us on Sunday mornings.

Every morning, on my way to my office, I stop by our Jesuit University chapel to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, a devotional act close to the Roman Catholic sacramental heart. It is also a personal ritual unfolding over many years...

There are many layers of spirituality at work in this simple practice. Remembering God’s saving acts in Jesus, who we are and what we do in this house of prayer. I dip my hand in the water and sign myself in the name of the triune God. I pause at the center aisle and bow before the ambo and the Eucharistic table in reverence and gratitude for the presence of Christ celebrated here as God’s Word and Answer to us in Jesus Christ. It is in this place that the assembly hears the saving Word and is invited to enter into Christ’s own self-offering at the table of praise and thanksgiving. As sacramental signs, font and ambo and altar are bearers of this sacred event we celebrate. The importance of what we do as a sacramental community remains within these walls and deepens the anamnesis.

The visit concludes at the Blessed Sacrament chapel, where the fragmenti, the sacred elements of the week’s Eucharistic celebrations, are reverently kept in order to be available to the sick and those who cannot join the Sunday assembly and in a particular nuance that has been retained most faithfully in the Roman tradition, for the community’s ongoing prayer and adoration outside the normal liturgy. The sanctuary lamp announces that living presence and flickers with life as a beacon and a sign that here we can rest in the mystery that announces Christ’s promise to us of abiding communion, with us and for us. I kneel or stand in prayer for a few moments, calling to mind that God’s passion is at the heart of this moment, that these fragments are a response to that desire spoken as a word of faith to this local church that has gathered, and that we have heard the summons and processed to the altar to offer ourselves in praise and thanks to God in union with Christ. This place for prayer resonates with that grace and the mystery of a God in communion with us and all creation.

Thank you, Father Paul, for such a beautiful and personal theological understanding of the “Real Presence.”

Al Moser, CS.P.