Christmas Mass Schedule, and more from Fr. Ron - Week 50

St. Patrick Parish News & Updates

December 13, 2024 | Issue 50

A Word from the Pastor

December 13, 2024

The second half of Advent is a profound period within the liturgical calendar, characterized by a deepening anticipation of the celebration of Christmas and a heightened focus on the themes of hope, preparation, and the coming of Christ. This phase of Advent, which begins on the Third Sunday of Advent, is marked by a shift in the liturgical readings and prayers that emphasize the nearness of the Lord's coming.

The liturgy increasingly reflects the joyful expectation of the Messiah's birth. The readings often highlight the prophetic announcements of the coming Savior, inviting us to prepare our hearts for his arrival. This period is not merely about historical remembrance; it is an invitation to recognize Christ's presence in the present and to anticipate his final coming at the end of time.

Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that Advent is "par excellence, the season of hope," where Christians are called to revive their expectation of Christ's glorious second coming while preparing to celebrate his birth. This dual focus on the past and future encourages us to live in a state of readiness and vigilance, embodying the spirit of Advent in our daily lives.

The second half of Advent also serves as a time for conversion and reflection. The liturgy often includes calls to repentance, echoing the message of John the Baptist, who urged people to prepare the way for the Lord. This call to conversion is essential, as it prepares us to receive the grace of Christ more fully. The Church encourages us to engage in acts of charity, prayer, and reflection, fostering a spirit of openness to God's transformative love.

Mary, the Mother of God, plays a significant role in the second half of Advent. Her example of faith and obedience is highlighted. We are invited to contemplate her "yes" to God, which made the Incarnation possible. This reflection on Mary's role serves to deepen our understanding of the mystery of Christmas and the significance of Christ's coming into the world.

In summary, the second half of Advent is a time of joyful anticipation, conversion, and reflection on the mystery of Christ's coming. It invites us to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christmas while remaining vigilant for the Lord's final return.

Let us hold on to the Advent focus for the entire season. It is easy to get swept away by the appeal to start Christmas early. For us as Catholics, Advent invites us to deepen our anticipation and increase our sense of expectation. Try not to jump ahead!

In one Heart,

Fr. Ron

rmbagley@yahoo.com

Rejoice!

Gaudete Sunday stands as a reminder of the importance of Christian joy. Three times Paul explicitly exhorts believers to rejoice (one in this Sunday’s 2nd reading).

Philippians 3:1a – Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. …
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In all three verses above, the main verb (“rejoice”) is in the present, active, imperative. An imperative is a command – so we are commanded to “rejoice always.” The active voice tells us that we are responsible for the action – we are commanded to choose joy and rejoice always. And the present tense in Greek is the idea of the “ever-present tense” – in other words, whenever you live in the present this action should happen (and though many of us dwell upon the past or future, we live in the present).

So Paul commands us to choose joy every moment of our lives. We are to rejoice regardless of circumstance, situation, or emotion.

Do we really believe that we can choose joy? By the grace of God, we can.

Christmas Mass Schedule – Horario de Misas de Navidad

Christmas Eve:

December 24, 4:00 pm, Family Mass in Parish Center

December 24, 4:00 pm, Mass in the Church (English)

December 24, 6:00 pm, Mass in the Church (English)

24 de diciembre, 8:00 pm, Misa en español en iglesia

December 24, 10:00 pm, Mass in the Church (English)

Christmas Day:

December 25, 7:30 am, Mass in Church (English)

December 25, 9:00 am, Mass in the Church (English)

December 25, 11:00 am, Mass in the Church (English)

25 de diciembre, 1:00 pm, Misa en español en iglesia

No evening Mass on

Christmas Day

Remaining Advent Penance Services:

Friday, December 13, at 7:00 pm at St Mary Star of the Sea (Oceanside)

Wednesday, December 18 at 12:30 pm, at St. Francis (Vista)

Wednesday, December 18, at 6:30 pm, at St. Francis (Vista)

Friday, December 20, at 6:30 pm, at St. Mark (San Marcos)

Monday, December 23, at 6:30 pm, at St. Mark (San Marcos)

St. Patrick’s has confessions on Wednesday December 18 at 8:30 am in the church and at 6:00 pm in the parish offices. Take note that parking will be difficult in the evening due to the school Christmas program in the church.

Preparing for Christmas

Here are some ways to prepare spiritually for Christmas:

Read the Christmas story: Read Luke chapter 2 to follow Mary and Joseph's journey.
Read the Daily Scriptures: Use an Advent lectionary, or read a Bible verse each day of an Advent calendar.
Mass: Attend Mass on some weekdays as well as Sundays.
Pray: Schedule a regular time to pray each day, or pray the rosary with your family.
Listen to Christmas music: Choose music that focuses on Christ.
Spend time with others: Spend time with people who uplift you.
Practice kindness: Be kind and practice goodwill with others.
Embrace silence: Find peace in silence and appreciate nature.
Confess: Make time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent.
Offer praise: Praise and thank God for the plan of salvation through Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection.
Reflect: Reflect on your own personal moments of encounter with God.
Love your community: Decide on a community service project to do with family or friends each week of Advent.

For the Kids!

Children will enjoy this kid’s video of Rejoice in the Lord always and other music videos.

Church History Course

After last year’s popular course on Church History, Fr. Ron will repeat it again. There will be a limited number of students (12-15 max) and it will meet in the library of the parish offices. The participants will need to purchase the book The History of the Catholic Church from the Encountering Jesus Series which is published by Ave Maria Press and available on Amazon for $31.00. The book has 10 chapters and we will use a chapter as the basis for discussion each week (for 10 weeks).

Participants will need to read the chapter in preparation. We will sit around the table and discuss what we have read. Classes are 90 minutes long. Classes meet on Tuesday evenings and the first class will be January 14, 2025.

See attachment for more information.

To sign up for the course, email Fr. Ron at rmbagley@yahoo.com

Learn more here...

The deadline for filing claims of sexual abuse is February 3, 2025. Click here for full information

Aviso de plazo para presentar reclamaciones: 3 de febrero del 2025 Haga clic aquí para obtener información completa

Watch Daily and Sunday Masses Livestreamed from St. Patrick Church here:

Online Giving Reminder

If you currently use Online Giving for your electronic giving, please make sure you login to the application frequently to make sure your payment method is current and your donations are being processed.

Click on the Online Giving icon below to create or access your account.

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 does gaudete mean?
In how many of the gospels does John the Baptist appear?
Where did John the Baptist live and what was his food?
What was the message preached by John the Baptist
How did John the Baptist die?

Feel free to email Fr. Ron with ideas for future Catholic Trivia questions rmbagley@yahoo.com

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.

Masses are available on our website www.stpatrickcarlsbad.com

We have a YouTube channel where we have daily and Sunday Masses.

YouTube channel here...

Answers to Catholic Trivia here!

Online Giving

Read all of Fr. Ron's newsletters here

Third Sunday of Advent –

Year C

First Reading

Zephaniah 3:14-18a

A savior is promised to Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

Isaiah 12:2-3,4,5-6

A song of praise to God our savior

Second Reading

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice always because the Lord is near.

Gospel Reading

Luke 3:10-18

John the Baptist teaches the path of repentance and announces Christ.

Background on the Gospel Reading

This Sunday's Gospel continues last week's focus on John the Baptist and his role in preparing the way for Christ. Recall that last week's reading described John's appearance in the desert and established his connection with the prophetic tradition of Israel. If we were to read Luke's Gospel continuously, we would learn about John the Baptist challenging the crowds who came to him and calling upon them to show evidence of their repentance. John tells his listeners that they cannot rely on their lineage as Israelites because children of Abraham can be raised up from stones. Repentance, rather, must be observable in one's actions. Here, Luke is continuing to set up two important themes of his Gospel message: the Christian faith is expressed in one's actions, and the call to salvation is extended to everyone, Jews and Gentiles.

In today's Gospel reading, the crowds ask John the Baptist for specifics. What evidence of repentance is required? John replies by naming concrete actions: crowds should share their food and cloaks; tax collectors should be just; soldiers should act fairly. The concern for justice is a hallmark of Luke's Gospel.

When the crowd begins to wonder if John the Baptist might be the Messiah, John interprets his baptism and makes it clear that his ministry is in preparation for the Messiah. John the Baptist knows his place and role in God's plan of salvation. By encouraging the crowd to act similarly in accordance with their stations in life, John's teaching suggests that each person has a role to play in God's salvation. It is the great mystery of our salvation that God permits and even asks for human cooperation in his divine plans.

The third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means “rejoice.” This name is taken from the entrance antiphon for Sunday's Mass, which is also echoed in today's second reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians. Some people mark this Sunday by lighting a pink candle instead of a purple one on their Advent wreath. It is a reminder that the Advent season is a season of joy because our salvation is already at hand.

Rejoice in the Lord Always

On this Gaudete Sunday Kampen Boys Choir sing Henry Purcells 'Rejoice in the Lord alway' in de Festival of Lessons and Carols op 24 december 2022 in de Bovenkerk te Kampen. Dirigent; Rintje te Wies.

Seniors Appreciation Luncheon

Over 250 people enjoyed our 2nd annual Seniors Appreciation Luncheon. Our school’s kindergarten class entertained the attendees.

Christmas Flowers Offering

Before long we will be celebrating the birth of our Savior. We want to make our church festive for our celebration of Christmas. In your packet of envelopes that we mail to you, there is an envelope marked Christmas Flower Offering.

If you would like to make a contribution to assist in paying for our Christmas flowers, please place your donation in that envelope (or a plain envelope) and write on the envelope the names of anyone you would like remembered at our Christmas Masses. Indicate if they are deceased (“In memory of…”) or living (“In honor of…”) Place your envelope in the collection basket, mail it to the parish office or drop it off. If you use Online Giving, write the names on a paper and put it in the collection. All the names will be listed in our parish bulletin and newsletter shortly after Christmas.

Christian’s Closet was a great success. Thanks to the many people who donated slightly used items which were shared with families in need.

Un Saludo de

parte del Diacono Miguel,

“Como el pueblo estaba en expectación y todos pensaban que quizá Juan era el Mesías, Juan los sacó de dudas, diciéndoles, ‘Es cierto que yo bautizo con agua, pero ya viene otro más poderoso que yo, a quien no merezco desatarle las correas de sus sandalias. Él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego’”. (Evangelio San Lucas 3: 10-18). Caminamos hacia la Navidad, y en el Evangelio de este Tercer Domingo de Adviento escuchamos a Juan el Bautista decirle a la gente, “yo bautizo con agua, pero Él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego”. Imagínense de estar allí y escuchar a Juan el Bautista hablar del Jesús y del tipo de bautismo que Jesús dará a sus seguidores, “un bautizo con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego”. Todos hemos sido bautizados, y hemos sigo ungidos con el Espíritu y con fuego. ¿Creemos esto? Es difícil creerlo por nuestras faltas y pecados que están muy claras en nuestra mente, y eso nos hace sentir culpables y no merecidos de nada de esas cosas de Dios. Pero Dios no es como nosotros. Dios es amor y fiel. Él nos conoce bien y nos espera a que le digamos “sí” a Él. Al inicio del Evangelio de este domingo, todos los que escuchan a Juan el Bautista hablar, incluyendo los publicanos y los soldados, le preguntan, “¿Qué debemos hacer?” Esa es la pregunta personal para cada uno de nosotros, “¿qué debemos hacer para estar más cerca a Jesús? O, ¿para recibirlo en mi corazón de nuevo? O, ¿para ser un discípulo de Jesús y que otros puedan verlo? Nadie puede responder a estas preguntas por nosotros. Solo tú y yo debemos hacerlo. “Señor, ¿Qué debo hacer para que entres en mi corazón? Feliz Adviento…

“CONFESIONES ANTE EL PESEBRE” HAGA CLIC AQUÍ:

VIVIENDO NUESTRA FE - “A LA ESPERA DE LA LUZ”. Haga clic aquí:

OTRA REFLEXIÓN – “EL LOS BAUTIZAR CON EL ESPÍRITU SANTO Y CON FUEGO!”. Haga clic aquí:

Estudios Bíblicos en Español del Padre Ricardo Chinchilla, cjm... clic aquí

3821 Adams Street

Carlsbad, California 92008

760.729.2866

Our parish offices are open, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 4:30pm

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rmbagley@yahoo.com

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