I hope you are all doing well. Our present situation in a covid-19 world calls for great patience, understanding and special care for one another. It is not a time to take on an every-man-for-himself perspective. We are all in this together.
One word that keeps popping up in the reading that I have been doing is prudence. The great need for this virtue was mentioned by Pope Francis in the words I quoted last week. Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues. (See last week’s Catholic Trivia that I put in the newsletter for the other three cardinal virtues.) The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prudence as “the virtue that disposespracticalreason to discern our truegood in every circumstance and to choose the rightmeans of achieving it…” (CCC 1806)
In other words, this virtue is about making the morally correct decisions in particular circumstances. It involves the use of reason (not kneejerk or impulsive decisions) to inform our choices. It leads individuals and society at large to choose the right means of achieving the desired end.
The Catechism goes on to say that prudence guides the judgment of conscience. In that sense, prudence has everything to do with discernment and moral decision making. In the present circumstances of a deadly virus that is here to stay, the exercise of prudence is necessary on the individual as well as societal level.
I came across an editorial in a recent issue of The Tablet, an international Catholic journal (founded in 1840), based in the UK. Some of the things described apply more specifically to the UK, but I think the message is clear. Prudence is key.
Among Catholics, May is most well-known as “Mary’s Month,” a specific month of the year when special devotions are performed in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
There are many different factors that contributed to this association. First of all, in ancient Greece and Rome the month of May was dedicated to pagan goddesses connected to fertility and springtime (Artemis and Flora, respectively). This, combined with other European rituals commemorating the new season of spring, led many Western cultures to view May as a month of life and motherhood. This was long before “Mother’s Day” was ever conceived, though the modern celebration is closely related to this innate desire to honor maternity during the spring months.
In the early Church there is evidence of a major feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on the 15th of May each year, but it wasn’t until the 18th century that May received a particular association with the Virgin Mary. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia,“ The May devotion in its present form originated at Rome where Father Latomia of the Roman College of the Society of Jesus, to counteract infidelity and immorality among the students, made a vow at the end of the eighteenth century to devote the month of May to Mary. From Rome the practice spread to the other Jesuit colleges and thence to nearly every Catholic church of the Latin rite.”
Dedicating an entire month to Mary wasn’t a new tradition, as there existed a prior tradition of devoting 30 days to Mary called Tricesimum, which was also known as “Lady Month.”
Various private devotions to Mary quickly became widespread during the month of May, as it is recorded in the Raccolta, a publication of prayers published in the mid-19th century.
In 1945, Pope Pius XII solidified May as a Marian month after establishing the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31. After the Second Vatican Council, this feast was moved to August 22, while May 31 became the feast of the Visitation of Mary.
The month of May is one rich in tradition and a beautiful time of the year to honor our heavenly mother.
Mothers Mass Intentions
During the month of May, we will be remembering the intentions of mothers, living and deceased, in our recorded Masses. Usually we have envelopes available in the church on which the names of any mothers are written. Unfortunately, we cannot make envelopes available this year.
However, if you would like to have a special remembrance in our Masses for any mothers, please send us an ordinary envelope with a piece of paper with the names of the mothers as well as an offering of any amount. Mail this to the church address. These papers will be placed on the altar for the remainder of the month of May.
Al identificarse a sí mismo como "el buen pastor", Jesús aludió a lo que el Antiguo Testamento entendía de Dios como el pastor de su pueblo, Israel. Dios algunas veces nombró líderes para pastorear a su pueblo en su nombre como Josué o David. Sin embargo, la intención siempre fue que Dios mismo pastoreara a su pueblo. Aquí Jesús, como Dios encarnado, revela cómo sucederá esto. Jesús es el "único pastor" que cuida al "único rebaño", que es la Iglesia. Él conoce a sus ovejas íntimamente y ellas lo conocen a él. Como buen pastor, no abandonará a su rebaño. Más bien, Jesús está dispuesto a morir para proteger a sus ovejas. De hecho, Jesús murió en la cruz por su rebaño. Él dio su vida para que nosotros, sus ovejas, podamos vivir. Pero incluso en la muerte, Jesús no nos abandonó. Él todavía está con nosotros (sus ovejas) como nuestro buen pastor, llevándonos a donde necesitamos estar. Por lo tanto, sigamos a nuestro buen pastor donde sea que nos lleve.
¿Reconoces la voz de Jesús? ¿Lo sigues como el buen pastor de tu vida? ‘¿Qué prioridades necesitas cambiar para buscar más fielmente a Jesús?
Padre Carlos
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.
How many Catholics are there in the world? (a rough guess!)
What three sacraments do Catholics want on their deathbed?
What does the “N” in INRI stand for? (Hint: INRI is the inscription Pontius Pilate put on the cross of Jesus)
Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament?
How did shamrocks get associated with St. Patrick’s Day?
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.
I realize that some of you are experiencing budget problems of your own at this time and I am not asking to cut yourself short. But please keep in mind the needs of our parish during these uncertain times.
Those of you who use weekly offertory envelopes, please enclose your giving into the special mailing envelope that comes in your packet
Many of you pay your bills using online banking bill pay, you can choose St. Patrick Church to receive donations to Sunday Collection this way
This may also be a time to consider using Online Giving as a way of contributing to the parish during this time. https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/58
The early Christian community chooses seven people to serve at table so that the Twelve can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,18-19
The Lord is merciful toward those who trust in him.
Second Reading
1 Peter 2:4-9
Those who have faith are chosen in Christ to be a holy priesthood.
Gospel Reading
John 14:1–12
Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Background on the Gospel Reading
The readings for the last few Sundays have been about the Resurrection, but today’s Gospel takes us back in time to an event in Jesus’ life before his Passion. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. He promises that where he is going, his disciples will be able to follow. Thomas, who will later doubt the disciples’ reports that they have seen the Risen Lord, contradicts Jesus by saying that the disciples don’t know where Jesus is going or how to get there. Jesus explains that he himself is the way, the truth, and the life. In knowing and loving Jesus, the disciples now love God the Father.
Philip then makes a request that challenges Jesus’ words. Philip wants Jesus to show the Father to the disciples. Recall that Jesus has just told his disciples, “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” As a good teacher, Jesus responds to Philip by repeating and elaborating on what he has just told the disciples: they have seen and known Jesus, so they have seen and known the Father. Then Jesus offers another reassurance about his departure: because of faith in God and in Jesus, the disciples will do the work that Jesus has done and more.
The connection between Jesus and his Father, between Jesus’ work and the work of the Father, is made clear in today’s Gospel. Jesus is in the Father, and God the Father is in Jesus. As God spoke his name to Moses, “I am,” so too Jesus speaks his name to his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
The revelation of the Trinity is completed in the passage that follows today’s reading, and it is the Gospel for next Sunday. Because Jesus goes away, the Father will send in Jesus’ name the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will continue the work of the Father and of Jesus.
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Comunión Espiritual
Creo, Jesús mío,
que estás real
y verdaderamente
en el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar.
Te amo sobre todas las cosas
y deseo vivamente recibirte
dentro de mi alma,
pero no pudiendo hacerlo
ahora sacramentalmente,
ven al menos
espiritualmente a mi corazón.
Y como si ya te hubiese recibido,
te abrazo y me uno del todo a Ti.
Señor, no permitas que jamás me aparte de Ti. Amen
As Time Passes…
Several important days in the life of our parish passed unnoticed. I feel sad that we were not able to celebrate these milestones of life with great celebration as scheduled.
On April 11, during the celebration of the Easter Vigil, we should have welcomed new membersinto the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. I recently met with our RCIA catechumen and candidates (Zoom, of course) and assured them that I look forward to the full initiation into the Church as soon as it is prudently possible.
Our children from the parish school and the English religious education were to have received the First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 2. The Spanish-speaking program has their celebration scheduled for May 23 but it is highly unlikely that it will take place.
We were to have celebrated Confirmation for our young people on Wednesday, May 6. The day that Bishop Dolan was to be with us to celebrate this sacrament is upon us.
As time passes by, while I note that we have had to postpone some important celebrations, they are not cancelled. All of these events will be rescheduled. All of them will be celebrated.
But I don’t want the original dates to pass by without saying a few words of encouragement to our young people. You have prepared well and I look forward to the celebration of these sacraments. I want to thank all the parents of these children and young people for encouraging them and guiding them in their preparation. Thank you to the RCIA team and sponsors for continuing to help our catechumen and candidates to grow in their faith. Thank you to the teachers and catechists for your dedicated ministry to our children and young people. Thank you for a job well done.
Thank all of you for your patience and understanding. Thank you for your many sacrifices. Believe me, no one is more eager to celebrate these special occasions than I. In the meantime, we wait with hope and expectation.
In one Heart,
Fr. Ron
Did You Hear Them?
At our English Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, two of the members of our Youth Ministry Core Team shared their reflections as a part of Fr. Ron’s homily. Stephanie San Pedro and Jack Curly offered a beautiful faith sharing. If you did not see/hear it yet, it is still online through our website or YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqQbbTs-Gsv11yfjytIJIw/videos
Another Video from Our Youth Ministry
Our youth ministry office continues to pray for all of the families of our St. Pat’s community. In addition, we’ve been busy over the last month plus, as we have interviewed all of our Year Two Confirmation youth and have been trying to plan for alternate ways to provide for Confirmation/youth ministry when next year gets rolling.
We have also continued meeting (via Zoom) with our core team youth leaders who have helped us accomplish so much this past year.
Last week you saw a short video of our year in pictures. This week, we all wanted to take a moment and say thanks to those who have continued to perform their jobs admirably during Covid-19. I’m not sure we got all of the professions out there so if we missed you, I do apologize. What’s important here is that all of us on the youth ministry team are so very grateful for anyone putting their lives on the line right now so that each of us can continue to live ours. Maybe some of you reading this are those people who are out there on the front lines for the rest of us. THANK YOU! Not all of us are in those roles so if this isn’t you, please help those that are in those roles by practicing the CDC guidelines. That’s the best thing the rest of us can do. I hope all of you will take a moment and watch this video. I think you’ll be moved. I know I was.
In the meantime, we pray God’s blessings on all who are trying their best to keep our world as safe as possible.
Many Blessings,
Pat Clasby
Director of Youth Ministry
3821 Adams Street
Carlsbad, California 92008
760.729.2866
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The church is open for private prayer every day from 7:00am - 11:00am, however the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe is closed
The Parish Office will be closed until further notice, but you can call to leave a message: 760.729.2866
During this time of inactivity, we will use our parish email system to communicate with parishioners to offer spiritual reflections and make announcements.
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