This Sunday’s gospel contains that much-loved story that we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus holds up the example of that unlikely hero (a Samaritan who stopped to help a Jew) as someone we should emulate. The “bad guys” in the parable are those who walk by and do nothing.
Would you stop to assist someone in need? Perhaps at the scene of a car accident? Someone trips and hits his head on the beach or a walking path? A woman passes out in church?
Consider that last example for a moment: suppose someone passes out in church and is not breathing. What would you do? Do you know that our church has an AED (automated external defibrillator)? It is located in the short hallway leading to the rest rooms. We also have AEDs in the parish hall, church offices and school.
Before I say a word about using an AED, the other thing a Good Samaritan should do is call 9-1-1 if there is a medical emergency in church. Getting emergency medical personnel on the scene as quickly as possible is critical.
Some people are afraid of using the AED. They think that only trained people should use it. If there are no trained professionals immediately available, someone needs to begin to get the sick person breathing again. Our entire parish staff recently had first aid training which included CPR and the use of the AED. The AED is very user friendly. It walks you through the proper steps and alerts you to any misstep. I was impressed by how easy to use it is.
Because many people hold the belief that if they use an AED they could get in trouble or hurt the individual further, they often hold back from helping right away. Studies have shown, though, that when you take action, begin compressions and use an AED right away, it can more than double the person’s chance of survival.
California law is clear: you cannot be sued for offering assistance to a person suffering a medical emergency. The law is even called The Good Samaritan Law.
So, be a Good Samaritan. If you are in a position to help someone, do it. If you can go out of your way for someone in distress, accept the challenge.
When Jesus asked which of the three characters in his story was a neighbor to the person in need, he got the answer, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Then Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."
Each month the Pope proposes a prayer intention for that month. In announcing the month of July, he urges everyone to pray for the elderly, so that they may be “teachers of tenderness”. You can hear the actual message of Pope Francis in this video. (It has English subtitles.)
Showers of Blessings is 5
Years Old
Showers of Blessings is a St Patrick Church outreach program to the people in our community who are living on the margins. 5 years ago we started out providing hot showers, clothing and food for our neighbors without homes. Over the past 5 years we have added a shoe program, a prayer team, a medical clinic, a portable laundry program and a remarkable hair stylist. We bring love, compassion and respect to our neighbors in need. And we couldn’t have done this without your financial support and the support of the many volunteers who contribute time and supplies every week.
If you are interested in joining our team please contact Chris Durnan at chrisdurnan4@gmail.com
A Family Speaks of Forgiveness
An Australian couple, Leila and Daniel Abdallah, lost half of their children in the blink of an eye to a drunk driver, yet somehow managed to forgive the driver who killed their children. They shared their story at the recent World Meeting of Families in Rome, sponsored by the Vatican. The title of their talk was “Forgiveness as a path to holiness.” A summary is attached.
Once again, listen to the famous organist Dianne Bish who plays excerpts from a live concert on the Allen Elite Opus 7 Organ at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke, Virginia.
St. Paul Street Evangelization
The St. Paul Street Evangelization team here at St. Patrick is inviting you to join us as we experience the joy in sharing our Catholic Faith with our neighbors in a loving non-confrontational manner. We meet weekly at the Carlsbad oceanfront with Catholic materials and a small team that yearns to share our Catholic faith. For more details call Chris Smoczynski 760-419-7860
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Catholic Trivia
"Catholic Trivia”... not because they are trivial but because these might be things that not everyone knows. Test your knowledge by reading the five questions, remember your answers (or jot them down), then click the link below to find the answers.
What is the name of the white linen cloth used to clean the sacred vessels at Mass?
What is the name of the book from which the Bible readings for Mass are read?
What is the name of the book which contains all the prayers for Mass?
What is the outer vestment worn by the priest for Mass?
How many liturgical colors are there for feasts and seasons?
If you have other members of your family or your friends who would like to be on our email list, just let me know or write to Mary McLain at mmclain@stpatrickcarlsbad.com We will be pleased to add them.
Moses reminds the people that God's commandments are not remote but are already in their hearts.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 69:14,17,30-31,36-37
Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
Second Reading
Colossians 1:15-20
Jesus is the head of the body, the Church.
Gospel Reading
Luke 10:25-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan
Background on the Gospel Reading
As Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem, he is confronted by a scholar of the law who wants to test him. In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment. Here, in Luke's Gospel, the lawyer asks what we must do to inherit eternal life. In the other two Gospels, Jesus answers the question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, on loving God with all your heart, and Leviticus 19:18, on loving your neighbor. Here Jesus asks the expert to answer this question, “What is written in the law?” The man is caught and responds with Deuteronomy 6:5. This verse is one of the most important prayers in Judaism, and it was said twice a day in Jesus' time. Love of God and love of neighbor are what is required for eternal life. Jesus' response is simple, “Do this and you will live.”
Having been shown up by Jesus, the lawyer tries another question: Who is my neighbor whom I must love like myself? In the society of Jesus' time, with its distinctions between Jews and Gentiles, men and women, clean and unclean, this was a trick question. Jesus responds with one of the most beautiful of all the parables, the Good Samaritan. It is found only in Luke's Gospel.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho descends 3,300 feet in just 17 miles. Its narrow passes and rocky terrain made it an easy place for bandits to wait for travelers. The traveler in this parable is identified only as “a certain man.” Luke uses this phrase in many of his parables so that the audience, Jew or Gentile, could identify with the man. After the attack, the man is left for dead, naked and bleeding on the side of the road. A priest comes along, but rather than helping, as one might expect, he moves to the other side of the road. Another religious person comes along, a Levite who assists in the Temple. His reaction is the same as the priest's. Both of them choose to not even find out if the man is alive. A third person comes along. The listeners would probably expect him to be an Israelite. This would make the parable a criticism of the religious leadership. Instead, he is a Samaritan, an Israelite's most hated neighbor. Samaritans were descendants of Jews from the northern part of the country, who had intermarried with Gentiles and did not worship in Jerusalem. The Samaritan not only goes over to the injured man but cleans his wounds, puts him on his own animal, takes him to an inn to recover, and promises to pay all his expenses. The hated enemy is the compassionate neighbor in this parable.
Jesus has demolished all boundary expectations. It is not social definitions such as class, religion, gender, or ethnicity that determines who is our neighbor. A neighbor is a person who acts with compassion toward another. The point becomes not who deserves to be loved as I love myself, but that I become a person who treats everyone with compassion.
When Jesus asks the lawyer who was the neighbor in the story, the lawyer can't bring himself to say it was the Samaritan. All he says is that it was “the one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus' response was similar to that of the first discussion: “Go and do likewise.” The lawyer, and we, know what is right. The key is to do it.
In the summer month we offer Liturgy of the Word for children during the 9am Mass.Children ages 5-9 years old that attend Mass with their family have the opportunity to hear the Word of God in language they can understand and reflect on in their own words.
Following the Opening Prayer, the presider calls forth the children, and we send them along with the adult catechist to the church basement classroom. The catechist will proclaim the readings from the Lectionary for Masses with Children, a translation that is more comprehensible to young children and approved by the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. The children will engage in age-appropriate activities based on the weekend Scriptures. The children then return to their family at the time of the Offertory to continue the celebration of the Eucharist with the entire assembly.
High School Core Team Attends Diocesan Leadership Camp
From June 20 – 24, 2022 St. Patrick’s High School Core Leadership Team attended the Diocesan Leadership Camp entitled Camp Emmaus.
Religious Education for Children and Family Ministry
We offer faith formation for students in Preschool through Jr. High school, including preparation for the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and First Holy Communion. Our class times are Sunday morning and weekday afternoons.
En aquel tiempo, se presentó antes Jesús un doctor de la ley para ponerlo a prueba y le preguntó, “Maestro, ¿qué debo hacer para conseguir la vida eterna?” Jesús le dijo, “¿Qué es lo que está escrito en la ley? ¿Qué lees en ella?” El doctor de la ley contestó, “Amarás al Señor tu Dios, con todo tu corazón, con toda tu alma, con todas tus fuerzas y con todo tu ser, y a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”. Jesús le dijo, “Has contestado bien, si haces eso, vivirás”. El doctor de la ley, para justificarse, le pregunto a Jesús, “¿Y quién es mi prójimo?” Me imagino estar escuchando esta conversación de Jesús y el doctor de la ley, tuvo que ser un momento de tensión para el doctor de la ley. Porque el doctor sabe la respuesta que va a recibir de Jesús. Jesús también conoce la ley que les pide a los judíos, amar a todos, judíos o no judíos. ¡Esa es la ley de Dios! Esa es la ley que está en nuestro corazón, que nos llama ser buenos y cuidar de otros, católicos y no católicos. Vivemos en un tiempo de mucha división, se han formado equipos del grupo rojo y azul; de los religiosos y no tan religiosos. Este domingo, escuchamos la parábola del Buen Samaritano, una persona juzgada como “sucia, antes los ojos de los judíos porque había adaptado otras tradiciones que no eran vistas limpias para ellos”. Pero el Buen Samaritano, ve un hombre medio-muerto y en necesidad, no investiga quién es o cuál es su religión, sólo le interesa cuidarlo. Eso nos toca a nosotros, de ser buenos samaritanos, a todos.
Por favor escuchen a los enlaces proveídos, espero que les ayude en su reflexión.
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