This Saturday, November 21st is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It reminds us of our beloved Presentation Sisters who were with us for years and to thank them for those fruitful years of service to our church. Like Jesus, our Presentation Sisters left us with few disciples, the Presentation Associates, 12 of them in our parish. The Presentation Associates are non-vowed persons who continue the work of the Gospel in the light of the charism of the Presentation Sisters and in the spirit of Nano Nagle, the foundress of the Presentation Sisters. Our St. Robert Presentation Associates renewed their Commitment last weekend led by Mary Nunnery.

Hail to the King of Kings! We celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King this Sunday. It is the climax and conclusion of the church liturgical journey through the life of Christ and the Gospel message and provides a bridge to another new Liturgical year of the Church. We end Year A this Sunday and begin Year B next Sunday which is the First Sunday of Advent. We hope that when we end our life’s journey here on earth, Christ will reign in us so we can truly begin a new life in Him, the gift of everlasting life.

Our school will celebrate Grandparent’s and Special Persons’ Day Liturgy this Monday at the 8:30AM mass. We do have special people in our lives who are great models of our faith. Our Grandparents are definitely one of those. As Joyce Allston quipped: “Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.”

Due to your generous food donation during October and this month, our Saint Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Conference was able to deliver for Thanksgiving, two bags of groceries to each of the 25 families. To repeat their deliveries for Christmas, the good basket will be on the altar at the 9:30AM Thanksgiving Mass. They are in need of pasta, pasta sauce, rice, canned carrots, low-sugar cereals, peanut butter, cake mixes, pancake mixes, olives and $25 Lucky Scrip Cards.

The weather is getting colder and so is our church. But we have not forgotten our heating project. Two heating companies came to our church this week and did their own evaluation aside from what we have had in the past. We are looking at the best option that would effectively and efficiently work for our church. Let’s hang on and pray!

Starting this weekend the small Christmas tree for our annual “Adopt-A-Family” program will be up until the weekend of December 12-13. This will be the 28th year of this program and so as most of us know, the “Ornaments” on the tree are profiles of families that parishioners can “Adopt” and get Christmas gifts. For those who could not come to mass and pick up the ornaments you can email Rob Aveson at robaveson@gmail.com or call him at 650-207-1994. You can write a check to St. Roberts and put “Adopt-A-Family” on the memo then drop it at the rectory or give it to Rob Aveson and we will take care of your gift to be given to the family.

Fr. Arnold