Dear Fellow Parishioners,

Many of us have favorite Gospel stories. The story of the Prodigal Son is one of mine. It has always challenged me and offered me hope when I most needed.

I suspect that most people ponder which son they identify with when they hear this story proclaimed. Most of my life I saw myself as the son who had gone off to some distant land and who had found himself deeply in need of God's love and forgiveness. And then sometime in my early forties a friend of mine told me he thought I was more like the elder son. That really surprised me. Yet it was true that I also had been dutiful and responsible in my family, school and community. Upon further reflection I admitted that I have also been angry, judgmental and self righteous. So, I’m like both brothers. And I suspect that most of us are, too.

Several years ago, I read Henri Nouwen’s the Return of the Prodigal Son. He, too, could see himself in both the younger and elder brother in the parable. Finally, he realized he was being called to become the forgiving father. He struggled with this at first but eventually accepted that he could welcome and love and cherish and love others as a father, that he could guide without controlling, correct without criticizing and ultimately do as the father had done in the parable: wait to warmly receive the wayward and make them feel at home.

This parable is about our own lifelong spiritual journey and all three people are us. God calls us to love like God and gives us the strength and the courage in the Eucharist to accept and forgive all who come to us in need.

Dear Parishioners

Please notify the priesthouse (589-2800) if a loved one is either sick or in the hospital and would like to be visited.

The Church Is Open

St. Robert's Church is open before the 6:30am Mass until 5pm. As you're going to or from work or school or are on your way to the park, why not come in and thank the Lord for the gift of life and the beauty of these days?

The Adult Choir singing at the 9:30 a.m. Mass is ready to begin a new year raising their voices in praise. Rehearsals are every Wed. from 7-9 p.m. We are going to be rehearsing music for Advent and Christmas soon, and would love to invite new members to help us make these seasons truly joyous! On Sunday, we gather at 9 a.m. to warm up prior to the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

Although we would welcome you to join us throughout the year, if you can not make that commitment, we would be happy for you to sing for Nov. and Dec. in preparation for Christmas. We are going to be planning a midnight mass with much beautiful and festive music.

I would also like to invite any in our congregation who play instruments to come join us. We are always looking for instrumentalists to help accompanying the choir or play for any of the liturgies.

For more information, or to join us contact Kevin Imbimbo at 873-4480, or just come by the organ and see me after Mass.

Saint Robert’s will be offering Computer Classes again this Fall. Classes held on 8 Saturday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m (October 2-November 20). In order to tailor the instructions to the needs of the class we are asking you to register by calling the rectory at 589-2800. You will be asked to fill in a very short questionnaire to help the instructors with the planning. The classes will cover: Computer Basics, Internet, Email, Outlook Express and hopefully other topics you request.

Spiritual Reading is available at St. Robert’s after the Masses on Sundays. Please take a few minutes either before or after Mass and check out a book or two that interest you. You may keep the books until you are finished. We have some books on the Library cart but we have many more in the Library/Reconciliation room.

Bring your friends and family to enjoy festive entertainment all weekend long. Rides and games for the kids, an Ice Cream Social on Friday night, delicious food including a sit down Mexican dinner on Saturday night in Hennessy Hall, raffles and a silent auction, a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning and bingo on Sunday afternoon come join in the fun!

Opening festivities begin Friday at 6pm. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 1p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with a pancake breakfast at 10:30 a.m.

Barbecue and Food Booths are in need of your help. Several people are needed to work in these two very popular booths and everyone from the parish is welcome to help. Most shifts are for 2 hours, but you can work for as many hours as you would like and on all three days if you wish.

The menu will include those all time favorites that include delicious barbecued tri tip steak sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polish sausages, Domino’s Pizza, nachos, soft drinks, candy and much more.

If you can help in any way, please contact Louise and Ray Downs or Raquel and Jeff Downs.

Festival Raffle News!

The “La Fiesta Weekend” festival raffle is coming up! The Grand Prize is $2,000, CASH! A total of $5,000 will be awarded! So buy your tickets right away. If you need tickets call or drop by the rectory.

THANK YOU TO ALL of St. Robert’s Parishioners for the record 2nd Collection at the last 5th Sunday , August 29th. We also received several volunteers to assist us with giving out food, home visits and handing out sandwiches at the SVDP store, commonly called, Café St. Vincent at 344 Grand Ave. in South San Francisco.

If there are any parishioners, who can spend some hours helping SVDP in any way, please call the Rectory at (650) 589-2800 or call me at 740-7505. All volunteer helpers work during the daylight hours only never in the evenings.

Teachers are needed to teach various grades for the Religious Education program.

Please contact Sister Mary at the Religious Ed Office 588-0477.

Mens Club-Join us for our dinner meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 13th at Hennessy Hall 6 p.m.

Having just finished our scripture group reflection, I have more to share about today’s readings. The Exodus reading brought to mind images from Cecil B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments” with Charleton Heston as Moses coming down the mountain and smashing the tablets. God is presented very humanly, as angry as we would be about the Israelites’ infidelity. Then Moses’ almost shames God into changing his mind about punishing them. We talked about the difference between a contract and a covenant and that God’s relationship with the Israelites was a covenant, God promising them unconditional love and forgiveness, no matter what they did.

Paul’s writing to Timothy reminded us that he also felt that amazing forgiveness of God. Paul, after all, had ordered the persecution (murder, in other words) of Christians and now he had experienced the change of heart needed to renounce that way of life and gradually we may assume, turned his passionate energy into preaching the Way he had previously condemned.

The gospel provoked the most lively discussion with one member declaring that she surely would have been as resentful as the older son and another protesting, “It isn’t fair!” And, of course, that’s the point. God isn’t fair according to our understanding of fairness. God goes way beyond that to mercy, to forgiveness beyond what anyone would expect. And that’s the truth. God’s covenant of unconditional love and forgiveness is made with each of us, too, at our baptism.

And what about our extending that forgiveness? Is there someone I need to forgive? Sometimes, a small misunderstanding or slight can exert way too much power over a relationship and we need to admit that to ourselves. However, if there has been a deep hurt, such as in an abusive situation, forgiveness won’t come easily and shouldn’t. (Forgiveness has nothing to do with staying in an abusive situation; by all means, the person needs to get out of that situation before any forgiveness can take place.) Perhaps, the most we can do is to not wish evil for the offending person and to pray for the desire to forgive. Sometimes, professional counseling (also a gift of God) is necessary. And perhaps, the person we most need to forgive is ourselves. How foolish it would be not to accept God’s gift – freely offered – to say we’re sorry [that’s what confession is for] and to start over. May God’s peace be with us this week!

Breast Cancer Walk

As you are aware, many women in our parish are survivors of breast cancer. If anyone is interested in participating in the 3Day Breast Cancer Walk, you can get information at www.The3 Day.org or by calling 800-996-3DAY. Vickie Sciacqua from our parish is walking and would be happy to accept your donations or to have someone walk with her.

Women’s Retreat Day