Text Box: Penance" (Poenitemini). The 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law incorporated the changes made by Pope Paul VI. Not long after that, the U.S. bishops applied the canonical requirements to the practice of public penance in our country. To sum up those requirements, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting, as explained by the U.S. bishops, means partaking of only one full meal. Some food (not equaling another full meal) is permitted at breakfast and around midday or in the evening, depending on when a person chooses to eat the main or full meal. Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat. LENT Lent is a time of prayer, fasting & almsgiving. In addition to this traditional trio, we give you some other (10) suggestions: 1. Stations of the Cross (every Friday after the 8:00 AM & 6:00 PM Masses). 2. Rosary (pray for peace around the world and in our families; vocations, etc.) 3. Extra daily Holy Mass. 4. Lenten Lamentations (all Sundays of Lent at 5:00pm; except on Sunday, Feb. 24 & March 9 at 4:30pm) 5. Sacred Scripture reading. 6 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Fridays from 2:00 to 3:15 PM & Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:45 PM) 7. Self-denial of special foods, drinks, tobacco or TV programs. 8. Visit the sick or the homebound. 9. Almsgiving to the poor. 10. Come always on time and stay till the end of the Holy Mass. Wait till the Last Blessing. Give to the Almighty God the whole Mass. Do you have additional ideas? Try to do something extra for God, neighbor and for yourself. Put these ideas into action!!!!!!! HOLY MASS INTENTIONS: We still have empty spots for Holy Mass intentions in the last week of March. If you would like to have Holy Mass celebrated for your intention or your loved ones, living or dead, please contact the parish office. PRAY FOR THE DEAD: For deceased members of our families, friends, parishioners & benefactors of our parish: Bill Leitao; Harry Winkler; Inetta Calori; those who died recently: Maynard Omernik; Curt Wada; Jack Russel; Fr. Pat Keane; Roy Zahn; Simon Tang; Clement Mansfield; Maria de Andrade; Ron Durling (Senior); .................... ........ and for all the faithful departed, especially for all the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Text Box: PRAY FOR OUR SERVICEMEN & SOLDIERS: Robert Hoops, Thomas Campana, Connor O’Keefe, Matthew Valenzuela, Steven Mayer & other American soldiers and servicemen. OUR PARISH BULLETIN Additional advertising support is needed to cover the expenses of printing our parish bulletin. Now we have 8 pages every week. If you are a business owner, or know of someone who might wish to place an ad, please e-mail our BULLETIN PUBLISHER: mpublications@sbcglobal.net; or call them at 888-253-4358. Please patronize our advertisers. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS Next weekend, March 7/8; please turn your clock 1 hour forward to wake up one hour earlier. LECTORS NEEDED Do you like to read aloud, and would you like to proclaim the readings, psalm and Prayer of the Faithful at Mass to the congregation? If so, please give Father Zak (stanzak7@yahoo.com) or the Lectors Coordinator, Lynn Suer (lynnsuer@aol.com), your contact information, and let us know which Mass you usually attend so we can make up a schedule. Also tell us when you are not available to read. God bless you! ST. MARGARET MARY JOBS NETWORK Have you lost your job? Do you know someone who is hiring?  Are you an employer with job opportunities?  Because many people have lost their jobs recently in our declining economy, a number of parishes are trying to help parishioners who may be having difficulty finding employment in this tight job market. St. Margaret Mary parish would like to use its resources to help unemployed parishioners find another job. The parish will not function as an employment agency but as an informal network to help our unemployed parishioners in their job hunt. We ask parishioners who know of any employment opportunities, great or small, full or part-time, permanent or temporary, to send that information to our parish office to be passed on to our parishioners who are looking for work. Please notify the parish office by email at stmargaretm@yahoo.com or Lynn Suer, jobs coordinator, at lynnsuer@aol.com if you know of any available jobs or if you are in need of a job. You may also phone the parish office at 510 482-0596 or send a letter to St. Margaret Mary Church, 1219 Excelsior Ave., Oakland, CA 94610. SVDPS The St. Vincent de Paul conference continues to provide financial support to needy parishioners and other Oakland residents, depending on the availability of funds. Thank you for placing non-perishable food