St. Stephen Parish SaintStephenSF.org | 451 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco CA 94132 | Church 415 681-2444 StStephenSchoolSF.org | 401 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco 94132 | School 415 664-8331 Weekday Mass: 8:00 a.m. Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 p.m. or by appt. Vigil Mass Saturday 4:30 p.m., Sunday Mass 8:00, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. & 6:45 p.m. The Eighteen Sunday in Ordinary Time How wonderfully God provides for the needs of his people. In today’s first reading, God generously responds to the complaints of the people he has mi- raculously freed from slavery, by providing daily rations of quail and manna – in a desert! He gives them just as much as they need, when they need it, in- viting them to trust in him to fulfill every necessity, every day. More than one thousand years later, Jesus explains to the crowd that he is the bread of life – the answer to every need. He is the one who fulfills every ne- cessity, every day, for he is food that endures for eternal life. We have much in common with both the Israelites who wandered in the de- sert, and with the crowds who were fed by Jesus and later sought him out, looking for more. Whether we live in a bustling city, in a suburb or in the re- motest rural area, we face deserts in our own lives – difficult times when we seem to be lost or facing impossible challenges. Jesus reminds us, as he reminded the people of his time, that we need to rely for strength and nourishment on food that is “imperishable” – food that will feed our souls and bring us eternal life. This is not unlike Saint Paul’s message to the Ephesians, that they must no longer live as the Gen- tiles do, in the futility of their minds … you should put away the old self … and be renewed in the spirit of your minds. Paul, of course, is speaking not just of how we think, but how we live. And liv- ing in the Christian community means celebrating and partaking of the Eucharist, the sacrament which forms and transforms us to live in this world and the next. As the crowds did, and the Ephesians did, let us seek Jesus and rely on him when we need any- thing. He is the one sent by God to bring life to the world – and to help us through the desert jour- ney of this life. Blessings! Fr. Tony Additional Reflections from our Scripture We need spiritual nourishment from the word of God and from the Holy Eucharist: In the Holy Mass, the Church offers us two types of bread: a) the Bread of Life, contained in God’s Word and b) the Bread of Life, contained in the Holy Eucharist. Unfortunately, many of us come to Mass every week only to present on the altar our earthly needs without accepting spiritual nourishment by properly receiving God’s Word and the Holy Eucharist. Let us nourish our souls with this Heav- enly manna and carry Jesus to our homes and workplaces, radiating his love, mercy and compas- sion all around us. It is perhaps the plainness and ordinariness of the consecrated Bread and Wine and their easy availability in our Churches that sometimes prevent some of us from appreciating the great gift of God in the Holy Eucharist. But we should not take for granted the Divine gener- osity that provides these gifts so readily and gratuitously by sharing in the Bread of Life simply as a matter of habit and without showing due attention and proper respect. LITURGY AND LIFE • When has God given you something that you have later grumbled about? • Which things that will perish divert your attention from what brings eternal life? Monday, Aug.6 8:00 a.m. † Vera Brennan Greely Monday, Aug. 6 (By: Joan & Dan Leehane) 5:45 p.m. SF Juniors Volleyball/Gym Tuesday, Aug. 7 7:00 p.m. Liturgy Committee Mtg./Rectory 8:00 a.m. † Lena Fambrini Tuesday, Aug.7 (By: Claudio & Giovanna Hrvatin) 1:00 p.m. School Uniform Sale/Hall Wednesday, Aug. 8 5:45 p.m. SF Juniors Volleyball/Gym 8:00 a.m. † Peter Ganduglia Wednesday, Aug. 8 (By: Betty Ganduglia) 5:45 p.m. SF Juniors Volleyball/Gym Thursday, Aug. 9 7:00 p.m. St. Vincent De Paul Conf./Conf. Rm. 8:0 a.m. † Marcelina Salvador Thursday, Aug. 9 (By: Maria Barzoloski) 5:45 p.m. SF Juniors Volleyball/Gym Friday, Aug. 10 Friday, Aug. 10 8:00 a.m. † Dan Linehan (By: Rose Linehan) 5:45 p.m. SF Juniors Volleyball/Gym 7:00 p.m. GA Meeting/EC Saturday, Aug. 11 Saturday, Aug. 11 8:00 a.m. St. Stephen Parishioners Sp. Int. 8:00 a.m. “A Grand Day”/EC (By: Fr. Tony) 4:30 p.m. † Dermot O’Neil 9:00 a.m. Book Club (By: Michael Graham) Sunday, Aug. 12 7:00 p.m. Adult Volleyball/Gym Sunday, Aug. 12 8:00 a.m † Alfred Barzoloski Our online website includes a community events calendar. (By: Maria Barzoloski) 9:30 a.m. † James Jim Hennessy (By: Tom&Nancy McGarvey & Family) Stewardship: A Way of Life 11:30 a.m. † Virgina Davey Sunday Collection: 07/29/18 $ 5,745 (By: Mary Kozuch) nd 2 Collection (SVDP): $ 1,864 6:45 p.m. † Brandon Borbeck (By: Hank & Vicki Hansel) HOSPITALITY MINISTERS Bold Indicates Mass Intentions for our 9:30 a.m. Mass Today, Aug. 05 - Carol & Parish Staff Sunday, Aug. 12 - Francie Pasquini TODAY’S READINGS Sunday, Aug. 19 - Cecelia Prete First Reading — I will rain down bread from heaven for you (Exodus 16:2-4,12-15). lease pray for the sick and home- P bound of our community and for all Psalm — The Lord gave them bread from those written in our book of the sick. heaven (Psalm 78). May they know the healing touch of Jesus. Second Reading — Put on the new self Jean Alga, Elena Amaya, Edileide Jose Barbosa, that has been created in God’s way (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24). Larry Barbiere, Ed Cummings, Emma Lew, Lawrence Lee, Carol Dominguez, Kenneth Fambrini, Gospel — Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and Eden Finn, Al Gragnani, Marc Gutierres, whoever believes in me will never thirst (John 6:24-35). Juan Pablo Grover-Paez, Maria Matthews, Nenita Sangalang, Anna Macalino Thompson, The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, Betty Rodriguez, Joel Rivera, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Jovita & Richard Thompson. Our Mission Statement We are a Catholic Community that is called by God to follow Jesus Christ. We believe that we are called to worship God together, to lead God's people along the path of hope laid down by Jesus, to share his message through preaching, through the education and formation of our people, young and old, and through caring service and sensitive outreach to those in need Rev. Tony P. LaTorre, Pastor Gratitude . STRENGTHENED BY THE BREAD OF LIFE The story is told of two old friends who bumped Today we resume the “Bread of Life” discourse into one another on the street one day. One of them from John’s Gospel that began two weeks ago. He looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His makes reference to the Jews’ ancestors who ate man- friend asked, "What has the world done to you, my na in the desert. These days we would think primarily old friend?" The sad fellow said, "Let me tell you. of Israel wandering in the desert, but faithful Jews Three weeks ago, an uncle died and left me would also have known the story of Elijah that we $40,000." "That's a lot of money." "But, two hear today. Strengthened by food and drink in the weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew, died, and desert, the angel of the Lord sends him on his forty- left me $85,000 free and clear." "Sounds like you've day and forty-night journey (the biblical number for a been blessed...." "You don't understand!" he inter- preparation time). Like the food given to Elijah in the rupted. "Last week my great aunt passed away. I desert, Jesus tells his listeners that he is bread for the inherited almost a quarter of a million." Now he was life of the world. It is very important that we not stop really confused. "Then, why do you look so glum?" listening to Jesus after his promise of eternal life—a "This week ... nothing!" Gratitude is something that marvelous promise, but this “reward” is not the only you only feel when a gift is truly appreciated. To- reason we feast on the Bread of Life. We also come day’s Gospel describes Jesus correcting the wrong to the table to be made strong for the journey of mis- attitude of his listeners who had gathered around sion, that the whole world might have life in the full- him with wrong motive of getting another free ness of Christ. We are compelled, if we have eaten of the bread of life, to go forth in service to all. lunch. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. “A Grand Day” A special “day camp” for St. Stephen Grandparents and their Grandchildren to come together and have fun. DATE: Saturday, August 11, 2018 TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: St. Stephen Parish O’Reilly Center 451 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco Must register in advance.