This week we begin the Season of Lent once again. March 2 is Ash Wednesday. You will find our schedule of Masses and prayer services for Ash Wednesday in this issue. You will also find information on our Bible Study, Penance Services, Stations of the Cross and a Mini Lenten Retreat. We are also adding a 5:30 pm Mass in Spanish on Lenten weekdays.
In addition, this year we are happy to offer a small book called Not by Bread Alone. It is a pocket size book of daily reflections for the season of Lent. Based on the Scripture readings from the Lectionary, the authors provide a reflection, a meditation and a brief prayer in just two pages for each day. The authors are Fr. Thomas Stegman, SJ and Amy Ekeh and they provide much food for thought in a simple way.
Here is a review of the book:
“To open this book is to embark on a quiet and intimate Lenten journey with two friends. The distinct but interwoven voices of the authors--one a priest, the other a married mother of four--invite readers into an ongoing dialogue on the daily readings that is both wise and personal. Through the framework of reflections, meditations, and prayers, Ekeh and Stegman offer their readers a rich tool for prayer that is grounded in their own experiences and the incarnate beauty of daily life. The promise is that readers who choose to embrace this journey with Ekeh and Stegman will be drawn forward gently on the ongoing pilgrimage of faith."
We have purchased a supply of these books and they will be available on the church patio on February 26-27. You are invited to take one and use it throughout Lent. We hope that it enriches your spiritual life this Lent through reflecting and praying on the Word of God. If you wish, you can make a donation of a dollar or two to help defray the cost of the books.
Lent is also a time of sharing what we have with others. It is not just about inner spiritual growth. Lent also moves us to give of ourselves. On each of the weekends of Lent, our Knights of Columbus will be collecting food for the Food Bank of San Diego. The annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) is also a way to share with those in need. Consider being a part of the 40 Days for Life during Lent. Our Showers of Blessings is always looking for more volunteers, as is our Ye Olde Garage. Think about what you can do this Lent to extend yourself to help others.
May this Lent be a time for each of us to grow in our desire to come closer to the Lord, to discover where we need to change, and to extend ourselves in service to God’s people in need.
Pope Francis has given the next Synod of Bishops an interesting and exciting twist. Instead of just bringing the Bishops of the world together to talk, he has proposed “a bottom up” approach. He has asked every parish in the world to hold listening sessions about the present and future of the Church. The reports from each parish will be collated at the diocesan level. Then our Diocese will send a report to the Vatican in which the input from the parishioners is summarized. The reports from the various dioceses become the basis for the discussion by the Synod of Bishops in 2023.
Our parish will hold 8 listening sessions in March. They are scheduled at various times to enable as many people as possible to participate.
In order to make adequate preparations, we request that you sign up in advance.
Not only will the input from those sessions be submitted to the Diocese, which in turn submits it to the Vatican. Our parish will use what we have learned from listening to plan and organize our life as a parish. Likewise, the Diocese of San Diego will take the input from its parishes and discern how to move forward in becoming a Church which listens and responds.
Watch this message from Bishop Robert McElroy in which he invites us to participate.
March 2 is Ash Wednesday. Ashes will be distributed during each of the following Masses and prayer services. Please plan to attend the entire Mass or prayer service.
7:00 am - Mass in English
8:00 am - Mass in English
12:10 pm - Prayer Service in English
3:30 pm - Prayer Service in English
6:00 pm - Prayer Service in English
7:00 pm - Mass in Spanish
Lenten Penance Services
Once again, the parishes of our deanery are cooperating to provide a wide variety of times and places to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent. At each location there will be many priests available to hear confessions. Click below for the full schedule. Print it and save it for reference during Lent.
Pope Francis will join the Ash Wednesday Procession This Year
This brief video clip shows the Ash Wednesday procession that is a tradition for the Holy Father in Rome. Notice the Italian custom of placing ashes on the top of the recipient's head.
A Mini Lenten Retreat
Our parish will hold a mini-Lenten retreat on March 21-23 (Monday-Wednesday) in our parish church beginning at 7:00 pm. Each session will be approximately one hour. On Monday and Tuesday, the program will also be offered at 8:30 am (after the morning Mass).
On Monday March 21, the theme is Living the Mission. Fr. Ron will speak about how Baptism and the other sacraments call us to share in the mission of the Lord. Three parishioners will give brief witness talks about how they try to live the mission of Jesus in their family, workplace and the world.
On Tuesday, March 22, we will have a time of prayer called Taizé Prayer around the Cross. The cross will be our focus as we listen to readings from Scripture, meditate in silence and chant songs in the style of the ecumenical monastic community of Taizé in France.
On Wednesday, March 23, we will have our annual parish Lenten Penance Service. After a brief prayer service and examination of conscience, many priests will be on hand to hear individual confessions and give absolution.
Try to come to all three evenings or one or two if you can make it.
Stations of the Cross and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
During Lent communal praying of the Stations of the Cross will be held every Friday at 3:00 pm and again at 6:30 pm in the church. The church is open during the day for private praying of the Stations. Our outdoor stations of the cross are also available any time.
Every Tuesday, there will be an Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 2:00-5:00 pm. (During Lent, adoration will end at 5:00 pm due to a Mass at 5:30 pm.)
Three Habits to Get the Most Out of Lent
by Bishop Robert Barron
An Invitation to the Men of St. Patrick
Did you know there is a Men's Bible Study that meets here at St. Patrick for one hour on Wednesday nights starting at 6:30pm? For more information contact: Joe Jean at (714)488-8684 or email: j8j8e8a8n@gmail.com
Black History Month
Here is one more look at a Black Catholic who lived his faith: Floyd Patterson.
Prayer of Mutual Presence
Tilden Edwards is a spiritual teacher and co-founder of The Shalem Institute, a contemplative organization. Read his passage below, as he describes the purpose of prayer.
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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.
This week’s trivia is a quiz about Lent:
What three Lenten practices are recommended by the Church and are highlighted in the gospel reading of Ash Wednesday?
When ashes are imposed on Ash Wednesday, the minister may use one of two phrases. Can you name both of them?
Who is required to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent?
What two days are days of fast and abstinence for Catholics?
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.
Create a clean heart in us, O God, and be merciful.
Second Reading
2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2
Be reconciled to God; now is the day of salvation.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Jesus teaches that almsgiving, prayer, and fasting should be done in secret.
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. In this season, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the high point of our Christian life, Easter. Each year, the readings for Ash Wednesday are the same. They call us to a change of heart and teach us about the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines are to be part of the Christian life during every season, but during the season of Lent, we renew our commitment to them.
The meaning behind tracing a cross on our foreheads with ashes (the liturgical sign of Ash Wednesday) is a summary of our Christian life. On one level, the ashes remind us of our origin and our death. (In the words of the prayer said when we receive ashes: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”) The ashes are also the sign of our victory: the cross of Christ. In his death and resurrection, Christ conquered death. Our destiny as Christians is to receive the victory over death that Christ won for us. We acknowledge that victory when we “[t]urn away from sin and [are] faithful to the gospel,” words from the alternative prayer when we are signed with ashes.
Today’s reading is part of the Sermon on the Mount. In the sermon, Jesus warns his followers against acting for the sake of appearance. When Jesus’ disciples give alms, pray, and fast, they are to do so in such a way that only God, who sees the heart and knows what is hidden, will know. Although our Lectionary reading omits the Lord’s Prayer, we can recall that Matthew presents that prayer as a model for the disciples’ prayer (Matthew 6:9-15).
Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
First Reading
Sirach 27:4–7
In his conversation is the test of the man.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 92: 2–3,13–16
The just shall flourish like a palm tree.
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 15: 54–58
Thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reading
Luke 6:39–45
Each tree is known by its yield.
Background on the Gospel Reading
The third and final section of Luke’s Sermon on the Plain begins: And he told them a parable. There are actually four parables, three of which we read today. They are all about how to be a good disciple.
The blind cannot lead the blind. And a disciple cannot be a good disciple unless he or she has learned from the teacher. Everyone who is fully trained is like the teacher who knows how to cure the blind. Before you can be a good disciple and teach others you must take care of yourself. Do not try to take a speck out of your brother’s eye until you have taken the board out of your own. Finally, only when you have purified yourself can you produce the good works that the teacher requires. Discipleship asks us to produce good deeds. But to produce them requires the integrity and purity of heart found in the teacher. When people see your good deeds they will know that this is because you have a good heart.
The final parable, which we do not read today, is about building on the solid foundation of rock and not on sand. This is the only way to face the difficulties a disciple will encounter and survive.
Enjoy this beautiful arrangement of a traditional Lenten hymn.
40 Days for Life
More than 20,000 lives have been saved since 2007! Help save babies by praying and fasting for an end to abortion during the upcoming 40 Days for Life Spring Campaign, Mar 2 – Apr 10, 2022. For more information and to sign up for vigil hours in Vista, please visit https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/vista
40 Días por la Vida
Mas de 20,000 vidas se han salvado desde el 2007! Únase a la campaña de los 40 Dias por la Vida y ayude a salvar vidas ayunando y orando for el fin del aborto durante la campaña de primavera (marzo 2-abril 10, 2022). Para mas información y para inscribirte en la vigilia de oración, visita https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/vista
Food Drive During Lent
The Saint Patrick Parish Knights of Columbus Council 15076 will be hosting their annual Lenten food drive to benefit the San Diego Food Bank North County Branch! The food drive will begin on March 5th & 6th and continue through the weekend of April 2nd & 3rd. There will be Knights there before and after each Mass to collect donations. We are also hoping for help from the Boy Scouts! Non-perishable food items (except for glass containers) will be accepted. Or we will accept cash and/or checks made out to the San Diego Food Bank.
This food drive exemplifies giving to others in need as a way for us to show our gratefulness for our blessings that God has provided us! Just like last year, the donation station will be located at the back door of the Parish Hall. Stop by and donate from your car.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
Please join the Knights of Columbus in Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 12th, at 5:30pm in the Church Hall. Out of an abundance of caution, we have scaled down the event this year in keeping with parish and community health leader’s recommendations for public gatherings. This year the Knights will present a series of Heavy Hors D’oeuvre Stations and a Cash Beer & Wine Bar. Tickets are $10 per person, with children under 12 free. Proceeds go to Life Ministries. Come toast our Parish’s Namesake with some Irish Pub Grub and Pint! Tickets available at all the Masses and at the Parish Office.
It’s OK
Whether or not you are a fan of AGT (the television program America’s Got Talent), you may have heard of the outstanding performance of a young woman who used the stage name Nightbirde. She sang an original song entitled “It’s OK” last June 2021.
After singing the song, the judges asked about her story and she revealed that she had been battling cancer for a long time and she had a 2% chance of beating it. The judges and audiences were stunned by her courage. They commented on her positive spirit, to which she replied:"You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." Shortly after the show aired, she withdrew from the competition due to her weakening physical health.
Nightbirde (Jane Marczewski) died peacefully on Saturday February 19, 2022. She was 31 years old.
The Good News of God’s Mercy –
Lenten Bible Study with the Gospel of Luke
Salvation came through Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. However, what Jesus brought went far beyond what the Jewish people of the time were expecting. The reactions to Jesus were numerous as people came to know the demands of his mission.
In our Lenten study with Luke’s gospel, we will meet people who quickly follow Jesus. Others we see struggle to understand what Jesus is offering them. Some accept, others doubt, others begin to surrender.
Our study promises surprising encounters and challenging messages.
Join us on six Thursday evenings, March 3 – April 7 from 6:45pm – 8:30pm.
We will offer groups in the parish center as well as a zoom option.
Register after mass this weekend; booklets $15.- (cash or checks please).
Or register with Carole King atstpatbiblestudy40@gmail.comor 760-434-5688 and get yourbooklet at the parish office; hours during the week are 8:30am – 12:30pm; 1:30 – 4:30pm.
Join us and bring a friend. No bible study experience needed!
Un Saludo de parte del Diacono Miguel,
Jesús dijo, “No hay árbol bueno que produzca frutos malos, ni árbol malo que produzca frutos buenos. Cada árbol se conoce por sus frutos… El hombre bueno dice cosas buenas, por el bien está en su corazón, y el hombre malo dice cosas malas, porque el mal está en su corazón, pues la boca habla de lo que está en el corazón.” Nos encontramos unos días antes del inicio de la Cuaresma y la Iglesia nos da este Evangelio para meditar. ¿Qué significa para ti, y para mí, que cuando hablamos sale lo que está en nuestro corazón? Pues si es cierto esto, ¿Qué sale de nuestra boca cuando le hablamos a nuestro cónyuge? ¿O cuando le hablamos a nuestros hijos? ¿O cuando hablamos con nuestros compañeros de trabajo o amigos? ¿Salen palabras de amor y paz, de gozo y paciencia? ¿O salen palabras de odio y resentimiento, de invidia y venganza? Cuando uno es bautizado uno es ungido con aceites para proteger y consagrar. Con agua uno es lavado del pecado original en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. El vestido blanco que se nos pone representa que nos hemos vestido de Cristo. Tu y yo, ¡nos hemos puesto a Cristo! Y vivimos en la confianza que Cristo nos abrió el cielo para la vida eterna. Ese cielo se puede vivir ahora en nuestras vidas cotidianos. ¿Qué sale de nuestra boca? ¿Son palabras que unen y edifican a otros? ¿O son palabras que dividen y destruyen a otros?
Por favor escuchen a los enlaces proveídos, espero que les ayude en su meditación.
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