TODAY’S READINGS
First Reading — The LORD said to Elijah: “Stand on the mountain; the LORD will be passing by.”
(1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a)
Psalm — Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
(Psalm 85)
Second Reading — To the Israelites belong the covenants, the law, and the patriarchs; and from them comes the Christ.
(Romans 9:1-5)
Gospel — As Jesus walked on the sea, the disciples were terrified. (Matthew 14:22-33)
SUNDAY MASS: Weekend Masses ARE NOW OUTDOORS. The 5:00 pm will be in the Our Lady of Lourdes Patio. The 9:00, 10:30, and 12:00 pm will be in the school parking lot. We will be following strict protocol mandated by the State and the Archdiocese.
Please see the details in the News and Updates section of this note. You may register to attend the Mass of your choice by going online to www.sttims.us; by going to Flocknote or by calling the parish office at 650-342-2468 x11
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DAILY MASS: Daily Mass has resumed. Mass will be held in the Our Lady of Lourdes Patio (the patio next to the Grotto and the parish office) at 8:00 a.m.
We will continue to LIVESTREAM all Masses via Facebook.
CONFESSIONS: Are available on Saturdays 3:30 to 4:30 in the Our Lady of Lourdes Patio for English and the Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spanish.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK: The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone in danger of death. Please call the parish office at 650-342-2468 x12 for English and x23 for Spanish
BAPTISM: The Sacrament of Baptism is limited to those with an urgent pastoral need.
Please pray for our sick - especially Mary Viri, Audrey Giffin, Mary Sickle and Hansel Tomaneng
Pray for all those who have died.
DAILY MASS - 15 Seats Available Each Day
Mass will be held outdoors (when weather permits) in the "Our Lady of Lourdes Patio" which is the yard by the Grotto and the Parish Office.
The Safety Protocols that are currently in place for Mass in the Church will apply to our outdoor services as well. The Daily Mass can be live-streamed via Facebook
Sign Ups
Sign-Ups for the Daily Mass are slightly different than for the Weekend Mass. We will be sending out an email the Monday PRIOR to the week that you will sign up for.
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MASS INTENTIONS
Looking to have a Mass Intention for someone special? You can now email the office your requests at massintentions@sttims.us
Please allow two week notice for mass requests.
Please be specific with your requests.
Full Name
Intention or Deceased
Anniversary/Birthday Healing
Specific Date and Time of Mass or First available
The usual donation is $10 per Mass. The volunteer who contacts you regarding your request will arrange a time for you to bring your stipend and pick up your Mass Card.
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IT'S A SCAM!!
If you receive an email or text claiming to be from Father Al asking for a favor or money, it is a SCAM. Please do not respond. Simply delete.
THIS WEEKEND'S REFLECTION
By: Deacon Fred Totah
During the 1990’s, few people were more popular on British television than a small nun, Sister Wendy Beckett. Every week, she hosted a program in which she toured museums and spoke about art. Eventually, her program spread to other English speaking countries around the world. Her lively descriptions of artists and their masterpieces delighted audiences and made her a sensation.
Her great gift for interpreting art no doubt came from many years of silent prayer. The first convent she entered as a young woman was one that observed a vow of silence. Later on, because of her fragile health, she became a hermit, pursuing a spiritual life in almost complete solitude and silence.
Prayer and silence were things that Sister Wendy Beckett sought from a young age.
In a program about her life, she tells a beautiful story about her first communion. As a child, she looked forward to receiving Jesus in Holy Communion with enthusiasm and excitement. She had a strong feeling within her that God would speak to her when she received the Eucharist.
And so, on that day, she knelt to receive communion from the priest and then returned to her pew. She sat quietly and attentively, certain that God would speak to her. However, she heard nothing. She waited a little while more and still she heard nothing. Then a thought struck her that would stick with her for the rest of her life. GOD SPEAKS IN SILENCE.
God had indeed spoken to Sister Wendy on the day of her first Holy Communion but not in the way she expected. It was an insight that was beyond what most adults would be capable of understanding, so it had to have come from God Himself. From that moment on, she dedicated her life to pursuing God in silence.
Sister Wendy learned what is one of the most basic truths about the spiritual life. God speaks in silence. In a very real way, God’s language is silence.
We see this truth play out in today’s first reading. The prophet Elijah was told that God was about to reveal Himself to him. Now, during his lifetime, Elijah had witnessed God perform many miracles. He saw God’s power on display in powerful ways. So, it was natural that when God said He would be passing by, that it would be in a dramatic way. However, God does something different. He reveals Himself not in the rushing wind, not in the earthquake, and not in the fire, but in “a tiny whispering sound.” Other translations of this passage call it “the sound of sheer silence.” God was teaching Elijah the lesson He taught Sister Wendy and the lesson that He wants to teach us. Not just that God’s voice is heard in silence but that God’s voice is silence.
So, if we are going to find God - or rather, if He is going to find us - it must be in silence.
Thousands of books have been written about prayer. Saints and mystics down through the ages have passed on their wisdom to us about how to cultivate a spiritual life. All of them would agree that a life of prayer begins with times of silence.
So, I would like to throw out a challenge. If prayer is not a part of your daily life already, I want you to consider trying something new. In the morning, before you start your day, find a quiet spot and spend just ten minutes in silence. During this time, let your only thought be that you are in the presence of God and that He loves you. Don’t think about what you should say to God. Rather, don’t say anything. Simply trust that God is present to you, that He loves you, and that He is pleased to spend time alone with you. Have no expectation except that you will be sitting quietly for ten minutes.
If you do that every day for just ten minutes, I promise that things will change for you. The rest of your day will be more peaceful. You will begin to notice the delightful and joyful things in your life - whether it be the simple beauty of a flower or the laughter of a child. Your heart will well up with gratitude for blessings that you may have been taking for granted. And you will have a sense of God’s presence with you throughout the whole day. If you do begin each day with ten minutes of silence in God’s presence, I promise you something else. Those ten minutes will soon become fifteen minutes, and then twenty minutes, and then thirty minutes. You will soon wonder how you were able to live so many years without quiet time in prayer.
That growing sense of God’s presence and love in your life will then carry you through your day. Like the disciples in today’s gospel, you will still find yourself in the middle of terrifying storms. Jesus will seem to be sleeping silently while you are in distress. But you will have confidence that He will bring quiet to the storm and restore quiet to your spirit. That time in quiet prayer every day will give you a center of calm and peace that no storm can disturb. You will rest assured that Jesus is with you, even when He’s silent. You will have an abiding sense that He is in control.
Make silence more a part of your life. Carve out time every day to seek God in quiet. Know that He is present to you and that He looks forward to spending that time with you. Then see all the blessings that flow into your life because of something that is so simple and yet so beautiful - silence.
Greetings!
I hope this letter finds you healthy and safe. Together with the rest of the world during this pandemic, we find ourselves reeling with the fast-paced turn of events as we are managing our health, well being and financial obligations. During these unprecedented times, our St. Timothy Church is challenged and is hit with a financial uncertainty. I implore you, my dear family, to help us weather this hardship so we can keep our church in serving and nourishing our faith.
As it has been communicated, we are in a financial crisis. In the past few months, especially from February through June, our average monthly collection was $13,979.00. So, with our estimated monthly budget at 49,197.00, our average monthly loss is $35,218.
In an effort to raise funds in full support of our Church, we agreed to proceed with our much loved and highest fundraising event, our Sixth Annual St. Timothy Walk-a-Thon, on September 19, 2020. Your participation will surely help our parish. Our goal is to keep everyone safe during this walk and every effort will be made to adhere to our local and state guidelines. As we plan, we will keep you updated with the details and logistics of the event. Please stay tuned.
In the meantime, you may now-
- Sign up and register for the St. Timothy Walk-a-Thon. Registration fee is $25 per person. While we understand that you may not be able to walk due to some circumstances or restrictions, still your registration fee will be much appreciated.
- Send your donation or sponsor somebody. Any amount is welcomed and appreciated. You may go to our St. Timothy webpage (https://sttims.us/) under donations- Parish Walk-a-Thon, or mail your check to our office.
Thank you for your continued support to the Church. We look forward to a successful St. Timothy 2020 Walk-a-Thon.
Sincerely yours, Fr. Al
Join us LIVE for Mass!
5:00; 9:00; 10:30 am English
12:00 pm Spanish
*You do NOT need a Facebook account or need to create one to access LIVE videos*
Step 1: Click on the Weekend Mass Livestream link above
Step 2: Click PLAY on the video where you see the red LIVE button.
KEEP OUR PARISH STRONG
St. Timothy's needs to continue to pay salaries and bills, even when the church is empty.
□ Click the GREEN button below. Once you are in our website, click on the DONATE button near the top of the home page. You can set up one-time donations or choose the frequency that works for you.
□ Send check donations to: St. Timothy Church 1515 Dolan Avenue
□ Send check donations to: St. Timothy Church 1515 Dolan Avenue
San Mateo CA 94401
Your generosity makes a difference!
Week of August 2nd Sunday Collection: $ 6,503.00
Archdiocesan Annual Appeal: $17,556.00 (goal: $63,671)
July Electronic Sunday Donations $ 3,940.00