July 12th - Monday
“Lord, let us see your kindness”
psalm 85
By: Tree Gorman
In our first reading today, Amos is not seeing or feeling God’s kindness. Instead, he is feeling put upon and driven from a place in society he loved. Amos was a shepherd, the equivalent of a blue-collar worker and a dresser of the sycamores- some of the first religious arts and environment volunteers. And from these positions of service, he was called to start speaking to some hard truths. He was called to speak truth into places of corruption and perhaps more obviously a distraction. Other gods were in the way of the God of Israel showing his mercy.
What gods do you have in the way of allowing God to work in your life? Are you ‘too busy to pray? Are you too embarrassed to address things that are wrong that you see in the world? Are you in God’s way? Let us move the gods of distraction out of our way so we can SEE God’s kindness.
In our second reading, we hear that God chose us for adoption. He wanted us for holiness and to live unblemished lives of love and glory. Your inner teenager would probably love to capitalize on an unblemished visage, but are we as careful purging the acne of our souls, or are we too busy with how things look on the outside? Do we allow God to heal the parts of us that are hidden under the surface? Do we trust God when he says he can ‘wash us clean’? Or do we hold on to our sin, sure even God doesn’t want to grant mercy for ‘that’?
Our Gospel tells us that Jesus sent them out two by two. We aren’t meant to proclaim, build, or maintain the kingdom of God alone. This is why a physical church is so important. It is a rallying place to pick up co-workers along the way. It is a spot to receive correction when we need it and support to carry on. It’s a rest stop and refueling station when we feel empty.
Jesus admonishes us to go where we are welcome and tended to, but to stay put when we find it. Don’t try to look for someplace ‘better’. Focus on the mission you came to do. He tells us to leave when we are not welcome and not carry the baggage and the ‘dust’ of rejection when we go. Rather look to the future and begin doing new things. Evangelize in a different way, to different people, and let God guide you to where he has prepared your way.
Whether we are tending to our own work, minding our own business, covered in dirt, or traveling unknown roads, we are called to see God’s kindness and truth, His justice and peace. We find God’s mercy when we sit in a relationship with His will.
Tree Gorman, Director of Liturgy
Reconciliation Appointments
on Saturday, July 17th
between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm
Due to Fr. Kwame's Schedule
for the Next Three Weeks, Many Weekdays
will Feature 9:00 AM Communion Services
Instead of Masses.
for the Next Three Weeks, Many Weekdays
will Feature 9:00 AM Communion Services
Instead of Masses.
Monday, July 12th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Tuesday, July 13th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Wednesday, July 14th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Thursday, July 15th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Friday, July 16th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Monday, July 19th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Tuesday, July 20th: Communion Service (Not Livestreamed)
Wednesday, July 21st: Weekday Mass (Livestreamed)
Thursday, July 22nd: Weekday Mass (Livestreamed)
Friday, July 23rd: Weekday Mass (Livestreamed)
Friday, July 23rd: Weekday Mass (Livestreamed)
Our Regular Schedule Resumes
at This Point
Please contact Tree Gorman if you have any questions.
Dinner will be provided at no cost. Join us in the Keeley Center Hall or on Zoom.
A free-will offering may be made at the event.
Zoom starts at 7:00 p.m. Click HERE to join.
Meeting ID: 88431249124
Passcode: 659894
Roy Cavellini
(925) 200-4127
Jul
12
Monday, July 12th, 6:30 pm
Topic: Sacrament of Reconciliation
Are you going?
Yes
No
Maybe
going.
not going.
might be going.
Men of Faith will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, July 12th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. confirm your seat HERE.
Fr. Mark Wiesner, who we all remember as our former Pastor, will be speaking on the subject of Reconciliation. The title of his presentation is “You did WHAT?”
Please join us for his talk and share dinner with your fellow Men of Faith.
Jul
13
Green Faith Circle
Meeting 5:00 PM July, 13th
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Yes
No
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going.
not going.
might be going.
JOIN A GREEN FAITH CIRCLE!
Our Catholic faith calls us to practice protection and care of the Earth.
Are you moved to join others from a variety of faiths in faith-based advocacy for preserving the climate and promoting environmental justice?
History teaches us that change rooted in faith-based action is lasting and effective!
Aug
6
Adoration: 3:00PM - 6:00PM Benediction: 6:00PM-6:30PM
Are you going?
Yes
No
Maybe
going.
not going.
might be going.
Aug
9
Join us in the Keeley Center Monday, 6:30-8:30 PM
Are you going?
Yes
No
Maybe
going.
not going.
might be going.
Men of Faith will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, August 9th from 6:30-8:30 PM.
Father Leo Edgerly, Pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Piedmont, CA since 1999, has served the Diocese of Oakland in several important roles since he was ordained in 1984.
Please join us for his talk "God Writes Straight with Crooked Lines."
July Religion Chat is Postponed!
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 7:00–8:15 p.m.
Topic:
How does your community provide for those in need of forgiveness?
Speakers:
Rabbi Laurence Milder, Congregation Beth Emek;
and Dr. Abdul-Mun'im Sombat Jitmoud, Muslim.
Afterward, there will be time for questions and optional participation in break-out groups. All are welcome!
Click HERE to view the June 9th episode with St. Charles' member Maria Owen as the speaker.
Interfaith Interconnect comprises over twenty Tri-Valley congregations, including St. Charles. Its mission is, “To enrich, inform and educate ourselves and others about the great diversity of faiths and cultures in our valley.”
Contact Marcia at 925-321-0730 or Interfaith.interconnect@gmail.com.
2021 Community Interfaith Student Support Program
(CISSP) Backpack Project
We are grateful to share the news that the CISSP backpack project is a “go” for the 2021-2022 school year!
Representatives of the 10 faith congregations participating in the CISSP backpack project met on April 28th and started planning the 29th year of the project. Since it was still unclear what Covid safety restrictions would look like in August, it was the consensus of the committee to again have our supplier and distributor fill the backpacks.
During May we met with the four LVJUSD Child Welfare and Attendance Specialists to get the projected number of students who would benefit from receiving a backpack this year. They reported a need for 805 filled packs and supplemental supplies for backpacks donated by another source and not yet distributed. We have received donation commitments from all 10 congregations to cover the projected costs of the 2021 project. Uniforms Direct will be delivering the backpacks and supplies to Livermore on August 18th.
Regarding St. Charles’ contribution to the project: Since all costs last year were covered by the general CISSP account, we did not have to spend money from the St. Charles account.
Thanks to the previous generosity of our parishioners, fewer backpacks distributed last year, and unused reserves for shoe gift cards because of the closure of Payless Shoes, we have enough money to support our current commitment and do not have to request donations from our parishioners for this year’s project!
How To Help: In addition to the backpacks and supplies that will be delivered by Uniforms Direct to Marylin, Jackson, and Junction schools on August Eighteenth, approximately 330 filled packs will be delivered to St. Charles to be distributed by volunteers to the remaining LVJUSD schools.
If you can help with this distribution on either Wednesday, August 18th or Thursday, August 19th, or have questions regarding the project, please email Sue Putnam.
I pray that next year, we will be back to filling backpacks with our parishioners and able to gather and distribute to students’ homes as we have done in the past.
Thank you for your very generous past support!
We ask for your continued prayers for the success of the 29th year helping Livermore students in need!
Blessings,
Sue Putnam
St. Charles Backpack project coordinator
Social Concern’s Committee
Protecting Yourself from the Sun While Getting Enough Vitamin D
By: Tony Barton
Summer is here, and that means an increased focus on avoiding the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays by covering our skin, seeking shade, and using sunscreen. Still, the sun does bring some positive health benefits, namely vitamin D, which allows our body to absorb nutrients like calcium and supports healthy immune function. But how can we balance the body’s need for vitamin D with the very real risks of skin cancer from overexposure to the sun?
Sources of Vitamin D and Risks from Deficiency
Our bodies create vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Some foods naturally contain vitamin D (e.g., wild salmon, tuna, eggs) and other foods are often fortified with it (e.g., milk, breakfast cereals, orange juice). The third way to get vitamin D is by taking it as a supplement. Even with all this vitamin D available, around 40 percent of U.S. adults are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis, cancer, depression, and other serious health effects.
Vitamin D deficiency is even more prevalent among Hispanic adults (63 percent) and African American adults (82 percent). This is likely caused by several factors, including a lack of quality health care, a lack of health education, and that darker-skinned people naturally have more melanin in their skin. Melanin acts as a natural sunscreen and means that people with darker skin tones need more sun exposure to make the same amount of vitamin D as lighter-skinned people.
How Much Sun Is Enough to Make Vitamin D?
If you’re curious how much sun exposure you need each day to get enough vitamin D, the answer is “probably less than you think.” Factors like location, time of day, skin color, and amount of bare skin exposed mean there’s no magic number of minutes, but we do have some rough estimates. A UK study found that nine minutes of the midday summer sun was enough for Caucasian adults to maintain healthy vitamin D levels. Another study found that 30 minutes of the midday sun in Norway was equivalent to about 15,000 IU of vitamin D. For comparison, the daily recommended amount for adults age 18-70 is 600 IU. It’s worth noting that the body breaks down excess vitamin D past a certain level, so getting a little sun exposure every day is much better than trying to soak up a week’s worth of sun all at once.
Consequences of Overexposure to the Sun
Based on the estimates above, if you spend lots of time outdoors, it’s likely you already get enough vitamin D from the sun. Most of us aren’t perfect at covering up every time we go outdoors or reapplying sunscreen every two hours. However, if you follow sun-protective behaviors regularly, especially if you have darker skin, you may not be getting enough vitamin D. If that’s the case for you, consider adding foods rich in vitamin D to your diet or taking a vitamin D supplement instead of opting for additional sun exposure.
Remember that overexposure to the sun’s rays can lead to painful sunburns, eye damage, premature skin aging, and skin cancer. Just being outdoors, you get a fair amount of sun exposure and some sun-related generation of vitamin D. However, because skin cancer, particularly melanoma, can be such a devastating disease, it’s best to use sunblock when outdoors in strong sunlight for any prolonged length of time. Since this may limit the amount of vitamin D you get from sun exposure, make sure your diet includes sources of vitamin D from foods or supplements.
Calling all Parishioners!
As we always say: The Mass is missing something when you are not here. We are missing something when YOU do not serve with the gifts you have been given to share.
Please contact the heads of your former ministries to discuss coming home. You can also contact Tree Gorman, Director of Liturgy, to inquire about whether your ministry is back yet. We welcome you to look into joining one of a number of ministries for the first time.
We are here to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to contact Holly O'Hagan for further information. We are here for you!
Jul
24
God, Gospel & Gather Fest
MORE DETAILS TO COME...
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going.
not going.
might be going.
~ Job Opportunities Available ~
We are searching for talented & creative individuals who have a passion
We are searching for talented & creative individuals who have a passion
for knowledge and teaching.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Community
1315 Lomitas Ave.
Livermore, CA 94550
"Not a Place Where...But a People Who"
