One of the important Lenten practices is called almsgiving. That’s “a churchy sounding word” for sharing with others. We heard Jesus speak about it in the gospel of Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time for us to renew our commitment to reaching out and giving to others in ways that help are beneficial. One of the ways we have done that locally is through the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).
All registered parishioners should have recently received (or will soon receive) a letter from me requesting your support for the ACA. You know about the great things that this appeal makes possible. It supports our schools by providing a central schools office that assists in staff development, enrollment, and a myriad of support services. Likewise, it resources parishes in the area of faith formation at all levels. ACA enables Catholic Charities to reach out to so many people in need with a great network of programs and services. ACA supports priestly formation. Supporting ACA is investing in future priests, as well as supporting those who now serve and those who are retired.
Last year our parish goal was $92,000.00. Fortunately, we were able to reach our goal. This year, our goal has increased to $96,625.00. Please help us to reach our goal again this year and thus enable more of the vital services of ACA to continue.
The information you received in the mail describes in more detail the good work which ACA funds. There are also directions on how to make your donation online. If you need another copy of this information, contact the parish office. Alternately, you can make a check payable to the Diocese of San Diego and place it in the parish collection or drop it off at our parish office. You can always call us with questions.
In light of recent news stories, I want to emphasize once again that no money donated to ACA can be used to pay legal fees or be subject to bankruptcy payments. It would be a shame if people decided not to give to this important appeal because they did not understand that the money donated through ACA can only be used for the intentions of the giver. If you have questions in this regard, give me a call or just ask when you see me.
Thank you for your generous support of this important work of the Church. Through the generosity of many good people like you, much good can be done.
During the season of Lent, most saints' days are not celebrated. The big exceptions are the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, and the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Usually, the Solemnity of St. Joseph is celebrated on March 19. However, since that falls on a Sunday of Lent, this year St. Joseph gets moved to Monday, March 20. We celebrate this just man who was a faithful husband to Mary and a devoted father of Jesus. He is also the patron saint of the Universal Church.
On March 25 (exactly nine months before we celebrate the Birth of the Lord), we have the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This day recalls when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was called to be the Mother of our Savior. Mary’s “yes” enabled God’s plan to go forward.
St. Patrick Parish is 80 Years Old
March 17 (appropriately) marks the anniversary of St. Patrick Parish which was founded in 1943. It has served the Catholic Community of Carlsbad and North County for those 80 years. We thank God for all those who have gone before us and we pray for them and with them.
One way of marking this special anniversary is a St. Patrick Catholic Community hoodie with the 1943 date on it. The proceeds from the sale of these hoodies will benefit the St. Patrick youth who will be attending World Youth Day.
The annual Lenten Collection supports the works of Catholic Relief Services, the Church in Africa and the Church in Latin America. Your donation is divided among those causes. Special envelopes were sent in your regular packets of envelopes. The date of this year’s collection is this weekend, March 18-19, but you may put your envelope in the collection any weekend during Lent or visit online giving.
Lenten Penance Services
During the season of Lent, there are 16 Penance Services scheduled across North County. The priests of the various parishes of the deanery collaborate to provide many opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. At each of these Penance Services, there will be many priests available for confessions. You may want to print this schedule and put it in a place that you can refer to it.
Our parish priests are also available for confessions in our church every Wednesday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm. Our parish Penance Service will be on Wednesday, April 5.
During Lent communal praying of the Stations of the Cross will be held in the church every Friday at 3:00pm and again at 6:30pm.
The stations of the cross at 3pm will be led by one of the Deacons.
The evening stations will be hosted by parish ministry groups and prayed either in English, Spanish, or with bilingual material.
March 17: Stations of the Cross for Families (bilingual)
March 24: Viacrucis (Inmediamente ai terminar la Misa de 5:30pm)
March 31: Stations of the Cross for Youth (Bilingual)
All parishioners are encouraged to make time on Fridays to pray the Stations in community. The outdoor stations of the cross are also available any time. The church is open during the day for private praying of the Stations.
Taizé Prayer around the Cross
Join us on Tuesday evening, March 28, in the Church. We will begin at 7pm in our quiet candle lit church.
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.
Gather with us for an hour of prayer witnessing the sufferings of Jesus and our world.
We are grateful for the generosity of all of our parishioners and visitors.
Online Giving Reminder
Please remember to log in to your Online Giving account to set up your Easter gift. You can also make sure your payment method is up to date and that your gifts are being processed.
For help with forgotten passwords, please contact Online Giving technical support at 800.348.2886, ext. 2.
Click on the Online Giving icon below to create or access your account.
We appreciate your support!
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 was the name of Peter before Jesus told him he was to be the “rock foundation”?
What was the name of the prisoner released instead of Jesus?
Who was chosen to help Jesus carry his cross?
What is another name for Holy Thursday?
What do we call the mysteries of the rosary that meditate on the events of Jesus’ suffering and death?
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.
The Ephesians are told to live as children of light.
Gospel Reading
John 9:1-41 (shorter form: John 9:1,6-9,13-17,34-38)
Jesus heals the man born blind and reveals himself to him as the Son of Man.
Background on the Gospel Reading
As we did last week, we are reading today from the Gospel of John. In today’s Gospel, the healing of the man born blind invites us to focus on the physical and spiritual aspects of sight and light. In the first part of today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ response to a prevalent belief of his time: that misfortune and disability were the result of sin. That belief is why Jesus is asked the question of whose sin caused the man’s blindness—his own or his parents’. Jesus does not answer directly, but instead gives the question an entirely different dimension—through this man’s disability, God’s power will be made manifest. Jesus then heals the man.
The healing is controversial because Jesus heals on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, the religious authorities of Jesus’ time, understood that the law of Moses forbade work (including healing) on the Sabbath. They also have trouble believing that Jesus performed a miracle. To determine whether the man was really born blind, the Pharisees question him and his parents. The man challenges the leaders of the synagogue about their assessment of the good that Jesus has done. In turn, they expel the man for questioning their judgment.
The final revelation and moment of enlightenment comes when the man born blind encounters Jesus again. Having heard the news of his expulsion, Jesus seeks out the man born blind and reveals himself to him as the Son of Man. In this moment, the man born blind shows himself to be a man of faith and worships Jesus. Jesus replies by identifying the irony of the experience of many who encounter Jesus: Those who are blind will now see, and those who think they now see will be found to be blind.
As in last week’s Gospel about Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, today’s reading has many allusions to Baptism. The washing of the man in the pool of Siloam is a prototype for Christian Baptism. Through the man’s encounter with Jesus, the man born blind is healed, his sight is restored, and his conversion to discipleship begins. The man born blind gradually comes to a greater understanding about who Jesus is and what it means to be his disciple, while the Pharisees (those who should see) are the ones who remain blind.
Organ Symphony No.2, Opus 20
Jonathan Hope, Assistant Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral, performs Louis Vierne’s Organ Symphony No.2, Op.20. This beautiful piece in five movements lasts about 40 minutes. So find some time to relax and enjoy it.
Easter Flowers
It’s hard to believe that Easter will soon be here. Would you like to memorialize a departed loved one or honor a relative or friend by donating money toward the flowers that will adorn our church at Easter?
You will find an Easter Flower Offering envelope in your February-March packet of envelopes. There is space to list the names of those you want to remember and honor. Put your donation inside the envelope and deposit it in any collection basket of send it to the parish office. If you do not have the special envelope, just use an ordinary envelope and write the names on it.
All of these names will be included in a bulletin after Easter.
Lenten Bible Study
Join Fr. Azam for the last week of our Lenten Bible Study. This week’s topic is “Continuous Discernment.” Even if you have not been present for the previous sessions, you are welcome to come to this last one. Either on Monday, March 20 at 7:00 pm or Tuesday March 21 at 10:00 am. Join us in the Parish Center.
I met with Pope Francis and It Changed My Life
Read about the life-changing experience of an abuse survivor who had the opportunity to share his story with Pope Francis.
In just 10 years, Pope Francis has had a world-changing papacy. From viral moments to global travel to groundbreaking papal documents, the pope has made a profound impact on the Catholic Church and the world. To commemorate Francis’ 10th anniversary AmericaMedia’s editors have chosen what we think are the top 10 most memorable moments of Francis’ papacy—so far. They are presented in this short video.
Un Saludo de parte del Diacono Miguel,
Jesús le contestó: “El que bebe de esta agua vuelve a tener sed. Pero el que beba del agua que yo le daré, nunca más tendrá sed; el agua que yo le daré se convertirá dentro de él en un manantial capaz de dar la vida eterna”. (Juan 4:13-14). En este Tercer Domingo de Cuaresma, el evangelista Juan nos habla de la historia de Jesús y la mujer samaritana que conversaban a un lado del pozo de Jacob. Este dialogo de Jesús y la mujer samaritana es algo que no debe suceder por varias razones. 1) Los hombres judíos no les hablaban a las mujeres. 2) La mujer era una samaritana, vista “impura” para los judíos. 3) Una mujer casada 5 veces. Para Jesús, nada esto es importante, lo único que Él puede ver es una mujer con un corazón pesado, una mujer que deseaba sentirse amada, necesitada, y con dignidad. Jesús le ofrece agua viva, el agua que se convertirá dentro de ella en un manantial capaz de dar la vida eterna. ¡Esa agua viva es Jesús! Esta tarde Jesús se encuentracontigo y conmigo, y también nos ofrece de esa agua viva. Nosotros también luchamoscon saciar nuestra sed. También nosotros tenemos grandes deseos de sentirnos amados e importantes. Trabajamos mucho para poder comprar esas cosas que, “creemos que necesitamos” para sentirnos según “bien”. La realidad es que no hay nada que podemos comprar o ponernos, para sentirnos bien. Sólo Jesús puede satisfacer nuestra sed. La mujer samaritana reconoce su sed y quien era Jesús, le responde, “Señor, dame de esa agua para que no vuelva a tener sed ni tenga que venir hasta aquí a sacarla”. No perdamos esta oportunidad de responder como ella.
Our parish offices are open, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 4:30pm
In case of emergency, you can always reach a priest. Call the parish number 760-729-2866 and press number 6 which will connect you directly to one of our priests.
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To email a priest at St. Patrick Church click the address below:
