As an American I am always proud to exercise that great privilege as the citizen who treasures that right in a free and democratic nation. As a Catholic, I recognize voting as a moral obligation under the Church’s teaching on the virtue of justice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that is “morally obligatory” for Catholics in democratized countries “to exercise their right to vote.” (cf. CCC 2240) I hope that you feel the same way and will also vote. It is not too early. Avoid the last-minute rush.
I must confess that I was a bit overwhelmed by my first experience of voting on the California propositions. We don’t have that in New York. I was more confused by the television ads encouraging us to vote one way or the other on these propositions. I became leery of the amount of money special interest groups were putting behind one position or another. I began to look for some clarity on the issues at stake.
Personally, I found a lot of good explanation of these propositions on the website of the California Conference of Catholic Bishops. The explanations were clearer than I had seen elsewhere and it offered guidance concerning how some of these issues connect with Catholic social teaching. They specifically oppose two of the propositions. The link is: https://cacatholic.org/2020_propositions
Once you have formed your conscience and made your decision on elected official and propositions, get out there and vote. (I went to the library. It was easy.)
Our annual All Souls Day Mass for all those who have died in the past year will be celebrated on November 2 at 7:00 pm on the outdoor covered court where we have Mass on weekends. The Mass will be bilingual.
A Techie Teenage Saint
Carlo Acutis was born May 3, 1991, in London, where his parents were working. Just a few months later, his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, moved to Milan.
As a teenager, Carlo was diagnosed with leukemia. He offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the Church, saying “"I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and the Church.”
He died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was buried in Assisi, at his request, because of his love for St. Francis of Assisi.
Already in 2013, the process for having him canonized as a saint recognized by the Catholic Church had begun. Last week on October 10, 2020 he was designated “Blessed,” the last step before canonization.
From a young age, Carlo seemed to have a special love for God, even though his parents weren’t especially devout. His mom said that before Carlo, she went to Mass only for her First Communion, her confirmation, and her wedding.
But as a young child, Carlo loved to pray the rosary. After he made his First Communion, he went to Mass as often as he could, and he made Holy Hours before or after Mass. He was a very pious young man.
One of the people who testified to his holiness said that Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.”
He was known for defending kids at school who got picked on, especially disabled kids. He stood up to the bullies. When a friend's parents were getting a divorce, Carlo made a special effort to include his friend in the Acutis family life.
But Carlo was also a typical teenager. He loved playing video games. His console of choice was a PlayStation, or possibly a PS2, which was released in 2000, when Carlo was nine. We know he only allowed himself to play video games for an hour a week, as a penance and a spiritual discipline, but he wanted to play much more. Carlo also liked sports and the outdoors. His favorite sport was soccer. He enjoyed his life despite his illness.
This young man shows us that ordinary people can be saints. This young man discovered a love for God and his Church that he was eager to share with others. We can follow his example and encourage our children to know more about him. He may very well be the first Millennial to be declared a saint in the Catholic Church. Let us pray for his canonization and ask for his intercession for our own needs and the needs of our loved ones.
Salve Regina
In this month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, this simple hymn can inspire us to reflect on the important place Mary can have in our lives. Many Catholics know the prayer that begins “Hail, Holy Queen…” That is the hymn this mixed choir of 450 people sings from across the word. It is the traditional Latin words and melody.
Use it for your own meditation or as a part of your family praying of the rosary.
The Our Father - Six Week Fall Bible Study
The Our Father might be the most used and cherished Christian prayer. Many of us cannot remember when we learned it. We seem to always have known it. The prayer is a part of us. Thus, you might wonder what is to gain from studying such a familiar prayer.
The Our Father is not only a prayer. It is a model prayer; it holds a pattern, presents a lesson. Introducing it, Jesus does not say, “Pray this prayer,” but “Pray this way.”
Some have spoken of the Our Father as a whole school of prayer. No matter how familiar we are with it, the Lord’s Prayer leads us to depths in our heart we have not yet plumbed, lessons we have not yet mastered.
We will study The Our Father along with a few other texts in Scripture that will shed light on questions like: What are we asking God for? What are we committing ourselves to?
Join us Monday evenings in October Dates: 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, and 23
Our Fall Bible Study will be on the Our Father. (See the description of this Bible Study and information on registration in this newsletter or the bulletin.) Take a moment to listen to part of the reflection of Pope Francis on this very familiar prayer.
"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.
Who was the first Catholic President of the United States?
When (the dates) did the Second Vatican Council take place?
How many Catholics are there in the world?
How many Cardinals are there in the world?
How many non-Italian popes have there been in the last 100 years?
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.comWe will be pleased to add them.
We have opened a YouTube channel where we have daily and Sunday Masses as well as Fr. Ron's new Bible Study posted for the parish called St Patrick Church Carlsbad that you can subscribe to.
The Lord chooses Cyrus to subdue the nations for the sake of Israel.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 96:1,3-10
Sing praise to the Lord.
Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Paul greets the Thessalonians, recalling the Gospel they received.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 22:15-21
The Pharisees send their disciples to test Jesus with a question about taxes.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In today’s Gospel Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem continue their tense exchange of questions and challenges. At this point the disciples of the Pharisees, together with the Herodians, try to entrap Jesus by their question about the payment of taxes.
Matthew sets up an unusual partnership between the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Herodians were supporters of Herod Antipas, a Jewish political leader who collaborated with the Romans. Such collaboration would have required a compromised observance of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees, on the other hand, taught scrupulous observance of the Mosaic Law and opposed Roman occupation. Herodians favored the payment of taxes; the Pharisees opposed it. The Herodians and the Pharisees approach Jesus, asking that he take sides in their dispute. If Jesus answers with the Pharisees, he shows himself to be an enemy of Rome. If he answers with the Herodians, he offends popular Jewish religious sensibilities.
Jesus’ response to this attempt to trap him exposes the guile of his questioners. From his first words to them, Jesus shows that he is very much aware of what they are trying to do. He asks to see a Roman coin, which is readily provided to him. It may have come from the hand of a Herodian, but the Pharisees show themselves to be quite willing to accept this compromise. Jesus has already exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites.
Jesus takes his response one step further. He asks that his questioners examine the coin. Agreeing that it is Caesar’s image on the coin, Jesus tells them that it must belong to Caesar. Avoiding the question of lawfulness altogether, Jesus answers their question with simple logic. Then, going further still, Jesus tells them that their obligation is to pay to God that which belongs to God.
Jesus’ response to the Herodians and Pharisees suggests the ethic that Christians ought to adopt. It reminds us of the importance of keeping things in their proper perspective. Do we attach ourselves to worldly things at the expense of the love and honor that we owe to God?
Ha sido un placer y una bendición de poder regresar a trabajar con ustedes de nuevo. Próximamente, las elecciones para este país se llevarán a cabo. Y todos tenemos responsabilidad de infórmanos para votar y/o para ayudar a otros en su discernimiento de como votar por los diferentes candidatos y proposiciones. Favor de oprimir el botón de abajo para leer el mensaje de nuestro Obispo.
“Debemos participar en el bien común. A veces hemos oído decir: un buen católico no se interesa en la política. Pero no es verdad: un buen católico toma parte en política ofreciendo lo mejor de sí para que el gobernante pueda gobernar”.
Once again Pope Francis recently had the opportunity to give a Ted Talk as part of that popular internet series. The topic is on our moral imperative to act on climate change. He proposes three courses of action to address the world's growing environmental problems and economic inequalities, illustrating how all of us can work together, across faiths and societies, to protect the Earth and promote the dignity of everyone. "The future is built today," he says. "And it is not built in isolation, but rather in community and in harmony." The entire talk lasts just 13 minutes and has English subtitles.
Our parish is blessed by so many kind and generous people. Even in the midst of the ever-changing circumstances of parish life during a pandemic, many of our parishioners have continued to send or bring their contributions to the parish. Many have begun using Online Giving. I am so grateful that so many people have continued to contribute. It has been very helpful to the financial situation of the parish. While our income is down significantly, the generosity shown by so many has enabled us to maintain the parish complex, keep current with our bills, and pay our dedicated staff. Thank you all, very much!
Even as Masses are being celebrated outside on the school grounds, there will be specially marked baskets on the tables near the entrance to the field into which you can place your offerings. Of course, you can continue to mail us your contribution or drop it off at the office (8:30 am – 12:30 pm). Online giving remains a good option as well. Thank you for supporting your parish.
This is an oldie but it is a message we need to hear again and again – especially in these times. (Look at how young these famous singers are! You may need to explain who they are to the younger members of your family.)
Our parish offices are open, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 12:30pm.
During this time of inactivity, we will use our parish email system to communicate with parishioners to offer spiritual reflections and make announcements.
In case of an emergency, you can always reach us by phone. We will be checking regularly for messages and respond as soon as possible. If need be, the answering service can get in touch with one of our priests quickly.
If you know someone who does not receive our emails, please forward this to them, or have them reply to this message.
To email a priest at St. Patrick Church click the link below:
