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"DO YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND?"
By JEAN VANIER
Somewhere this cry of, "Do you want to be my friend?" touched me. I began visiting asylums,
hospitals, different institutions, families, and I discovered an immense world of pain which I never,
never could have imagined.
What I discover today is every time I see a man or a woman with a severe mental handicap — the
incredible cry that is coming from them — what I would call the primal cry — which is, "Do you love me?"
— a very deep cry. And you find with people with mental handicaps that this is their — "Do you love
me?", "Why have I been abandoned?" or "Has my life any value?"
Somewhere this cry of, "Do you want to be my friend?" touched me. I began visiting asylums, hospitals,
different institutions, families, and I discovered an immense world of pain which I never, never could have
imagined. I had been schooled in the Navy and in a world of efficiency. I'd then been schooled in the
world of philosophy and theology. Suddenly to discover these big hospitals with hundreds — sometimes
thousands — of mentally handicapped people living in obvious pain. And from their being came immense
cries of violence, of auto-mutilation — hitting their heads. So I discovered all this world which I hadn't
even imagined existed. I met parents — the pain of parents.
And it seemed very clear to me that Jesus was asking me just to take one or two men and to start living
together. So I was able to buy a small, broken-down house and I welcomed two men, Raphael and
Philippe, from an institution. Raphael had had meningitis. He couldn't walk very well, he couldn't speak
very well. Philippe had had encephalitis — one arm paralyzed, one leg paralyzed — living in a world of
dream, but also with quite a severe mental handicap.
We began to live together. I did the cooking, so we didn't eat very well! We did everything together. We
cooked, we worked in the garden together, we fought together, we prayed together, we forgave each
other. And so, a whole sort of journey began. I began by thinking that I could do good for them, but then
as the days and then the months moved on I began to discover, little by little, what they were doing for
me — transforming me, changing me. I thought I was going to teach them something and suddenly I was
discovering that they were teaching me quite a bit.
When Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes one of these little ones in my name welcomes me, and whoever
welcomes me welcomes the Father," or "the one who sent me" — when Jesus says, "I was in prison and
you visited me, I was sick and you visited me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger, I was strange, I was different,
and you welcomed me" — it's really true. I never knew this. I mean, I'd read it in the gospels but I didn't
know what it meant and I'm not sure that I really believed it. I'm beginning to realize that if Christians
believed in Jesus hidden in the poor the world would change.
Of course, the great pain of the world — people sometimes talk about "the pain of handicapped people"
and "the pain of the poor" and it's true there is an immense, immense, immense world of suffering
everywhere — immense world of suffering. But what I am discovering is that the greatest suffering is not
that man with the handicap, not that boy who is blind, who is deaf and severely brain damaged, but the
greatest pain is in those who reject them. The greatest pain, without any doubt, is in the rich. There I'm
seeing how people can lock themselves up behind prisons. We can call these prisons the prisons of
comfort, the prison of security, but it's a terrible prison, because we lock ourselves away from humanity.
You see, the whole mystery of Jesus is that he came to bring peace and our world is a world of immense
conflict.
And I am beginning to see how fundamentally so many people are ridden with guilt — ridden with quilt.
And the great mystery that Jesus came to announce, and there I see that with clear evidence every day,
is that Jesus came to take away from our shoulders the yoke of guilt. People are ridden with guilt. People
have the sort of feeling that "nobody can love me." I see this with our handicapped people, but I see it
also with everybody — the feeling that "nobody can love me, I'm no good and I've hurt people." I see
parents ridden with guilt because they feel they've hurt their child. I see husbands ridden with guilt
because they haven't been able to correspond to the cry of their wives. I see women ridden with guilt
because they cannot, they don't know how to correspond to their husbands. Covenants have been broken.
I see Christians ridden with guilt because when they read the gospels it doesn't correspond to what
they're living.
Jesus says, "Leave everything you have and follow me and give it to the poor." But they know they can't
do it, they don't do it, and when they see the poor they see the poor as a nuisance and they see the poor
as people who disturb them. They don't see the face of Christ in the poor because somewhere they are
ridden with guilt.
BAPTISM
PASTORAL STAFF
PASTOR: Rev. Augustine Uthuppu, MS
DEACON: Deacon Thomas P. Contrades
PARISH SECRETARY: Millie C. Curtis
PARISH BOOKKEEPER: Marina Pascua
PARISH ACCOUNTANT: Mercedes Casticimo
PASTORAL COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON: Noli
Melchor
RESPECT LIFE COORDINATOR: Janis Benn
FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON: Jerry Vigil
DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION: Allison Carveiro
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
Weekday masses at the Old Historic Church.
Monday - Friday: 7 AM
Wednesday- Novena to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help after the morning mass.
Saturday: 5 PM Sunday Vigil
Sunday: 7 AM (Old Historic Church)
930 AM (New Church)
(Rosary is prayed 30 mins before every mass)
(Rosary is prayed 30 mins before
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
every mass)
Pre-School through Grade 8: Sunday, 8:30 - 9:20 AM
Confirmation: 1st & 3rd Sundays, 10:45 AM -12:30
FOOD PANTRY: Tina Brun 742-6788
CHOIR PRACTICE: Wednesday, 6:30 PM
ST. RAPHAEL CEMETERY- Open Sat & Sun 8AM- 6PM
CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS
BAPTISM - Submission of application form and required papers; baptism class: 2nd Tuesday of the month,
6 pm. Baptisms held the 3rd Sunday of the month, following the 9:30 am Mass.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION - a two year program of preparation.
CONFIRMATION - a two year program of preparation.
OF
MARRIAGE - Contact the priest at least 6 months before wedding; Engaged Encounter required.
RECONCILIATION - Confession on Saturdays, 4:15 -4:45, or call the office to schedule on a weekday.
R.C.I.A. (RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS) - Process to initiate adults into our
Catholic Christian Community and to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
FUNERALS -Arrangements are first to be confirmed with the parish office to schedule date and priest.
NOVEMBER 09,2014
Thirty-second Sunday
in Ordinary Time
VOL 2 ISSUE 50
Oldest Catholic Church on Kauai - 1841
3011 Hapa Road, Koloa, Hawaii 96756
Phone: (808)742-1955 Fax:(808)742-1845 Rectory(808)742-1958
Email: [email protected] ~ ~ Web: St-Raphael-Kauai.org
November 09, 2014
Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor
the hour.
— Matthew 25:13
Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
November Birthdays!
EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED
If it ever crossed your mind that Jesus was somewhat lacking in a sense of humor, today’s Gospel should belie
any such notion. Jesus’ story of the five wise and five foolish bridesmaids is downright hilarious. The circumstances of
the story were surely familiar to Jesus’ listeners, just as they are—if we think about it—to us. Weddings never, never start
on time. There’s always a delay. Buttons pop off at the last minute. Flowers wilt. Cars full of wedding guests get caught
in traffic. Soloists contract laryngitis. Brides or grooms or priests show up late! So the only reasonable way to approach a
wedding is with a sense of humor, to realize that something probably will go awry, and, when that happens, to smile
about it.
Jesus tells this funny story to encourage us to be watchful, yes; to be ready, yes. But he doesn’t tell it to make us
dour and somber. The heavy-hearted tremble, waver, lose sight of their place and purpose, and fall asleep. The
lighthearted know that the unexpected will happen—is bound to happen—so they are awake in their place and ready in
their purpose when it comes.
Janis Benn 11
David Carveiro 09
Romeo Galam 14
Crystal Kanoho 13
Loren Rendon 10
Tyler Valencia 13
Ron Botier 13
Ben Clark 14
Hali Gardner 11
Shanyn Nakaahiki 10
Chanin Rivera 14
Thomas Veatch 14
Taylynn Carvalho 11
Alanna Decosta 13
Lorraine Kaneko 09
Soli Negrillo 11
Taylynn Taniguchi 11
November Anniversary!
St. Theresa School extends a big Mahalo to the parishioners
of St. Raphael Parish for their generous second collection for
our school on Sunday 11/2/14. Your generosity helps the
school to continue to minister to all God's children who want
to attend our school and receive an excellent education
rooted in Catholic/Christian values.
God Bless,
Mrs. Mary Jean Buza-Sims,
Principal
Bob& Angelina Vegas 11
May God continue to fill your life with love!
© Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.
TODAY’S READINGS
First Reading — Wisdom is easily discerned
by those who love her (Wisdom 6:12-16).
Psalm — My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord
my God (Psalm 63).
Second Reading — Since we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, through Jesus, God
will bring with him those who have died (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18 [13-14]).
Gospel — Stay awake! You know neither the
day nor the hour (Matthew 25:1-13).
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday:
Wis 1:1-7; Lk 17:1-6
Tuesday:
Wis 2:23 — 3:9; Lk 17:7-10
Wednesday:
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Ps 46;
1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17; Jn 2:13-22
Thursday:
Wis 7:22b — 8:1; Lk 17:20-25
Friday:
Wis 13:1-9; Lk 17:26-37
Saturday:
Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Lk 18:1-8
Sunday:
Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Ps 128;
1 Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30
[14-15, 19-21]
. Living Stewardship Now
BE PREPARED
We ought not to be sanguine about
anything; the right rule is to hope nothing, to
fear nothing, to expect nothing, to be prepared
for everything.
—John Henry Cardinal Newman
GOVERNMENT
Government is a trust, and the officers of
the government are trustees; and both the trust
and the trustees are created for the benefit of the
people.
—Henry Clay
VISITORS - ALOHA AND
WELCOME
Have you committed your
abilities, your time, and your
financial resources to your parish
for God and the Church? Is your
involvement a true reflection of
your gratitude to God? Do you
need to give more, or give
differently?
Please remember St. Raphael
Church in your last will and
testament. Mahalo
We pray that you enjoy
celebrating with us this weekend.
Whether you are new to the
community or have been living
here, know that you are invited to
join our parish family. If you are
visiting for the weekend, we hope
you enjoy your time with us and
consider us your "home away
from home!
Copyright © 2010, World Library
Publications. All rights reserved.
.
Mahalo to
Father Mark Gantley
for helping our parish
…what's happening in our parish…
*Please visit the St Raphael Church website to
learn about our Parish and for more information, at
St-Raphael-Kauai.org
*We welcome sponsors for our bulletin
production, please contact the parish office.
*We are looking for more Parish Ministry
volunteers. Please contact the office for more
information.
*Meeting for all the members of Parish Pastoral
Council and Finance Council on Nov. 11. (Tuesday)
7.P.M. Members please be there..
WELCOME TO ST. RAPHAEL CHURCH COMMUNITY !
last weekend.
Thank you for celebrating with us. Please complete the form to register as a
new parishioner or to update your information. You may drop it in the
collection basket or at the church office. Thank you!
Name__________________________________________
Mailing Address__________________________________
Email address____________________________________
Telephone number/s (with area code)
Home_____________ Cell/Mobile______________
New
Update
Stewardship of Treasure
November 02, 2013
Collection
Gift Shop
Votive Candles
Mass Intentions
All Souls Donations
2nd Coll St. Theresa Sch
Book Sale
Food Pantry
Faith Formation
Fr Kaliath School
FCC
$2710.00
$138.00
$160.00
$60.00
$1686.00
$880.00
$165.00
$661.00
$20.00
$200.00
$418.00
Total
$7098.00
Thank you for your generous support!