Daily Reflection



Daily Reflection:
Sunday, July 12

 
Friends, here is my homily for the
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time…
 
--Fr.Mike
 
 
In today’s Gospel, we not only hear the Parable that Jesus tells, but he also goes on to explain the Parable he tells…
 
What’s a preacher like me to do? He has taken my job away!
 
What’s left for me to do? So I have worked hard to make sure that Jesus doesn’t get the last word…at least in regard to today’s Gospel.
 
So here is the explanation of the parable of the sower:
 
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.
 
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.
 
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.
 
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
 
 
SO WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU TODAY?
 
 
IN LIGHT OF THE ONGOING PANDEMIC THAT, AT THIS POINT, SEEMS TO HAVE NO END IN SIGHT…
SO WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU TODAY?
 
IN LIGHT OF ALL THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS, AND RACIAL ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSING A GREAT DIVIDE, A GREAT CHASM, IN OUR SOCIETY THAT WILL DESTROY US IF WE FAIL TO BUILD BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS…
 
 
SO WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU TODAY?
 
ARE YOU THE GROUND ON WHICH HAS BECOME THE PATH? ARE YOU HARDENED AND BEATEN DOWN AND INCAPABLE AND UNWILLING TO RECEIVE GOD’S WORD?
 
ARE YOU ROCKY GROUND? IS THE WORD OF GOD JUST A PASSING FANCY? IS GOD’S WORD THERE FOR YOU ONLY WHEN YOU FEEL YOU NEED IT?
 
ARE YOU GROUND COVERED WITH THORN BUSHES? DO THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD TAKE PRIORITY OVER GOD’S WORD?
 
OR ARE YOU RICH GROUND? ARE YOU READY AND OPEN TO RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD AND ALLOW IT TO TAKE ROOT IN YOUR LIFE AND TRANSFORM YOU AND THROUGH YOU TRANSFORM OUR SOCIETY?
 
THE SOWER IS SOWING GOD’S SEED.
 
WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU TODAY? WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE YOU TODAY?




Welcome Back to Mass in Person!

Mass Times:
Saturday, 5:00pm (English)
Sunday, 8:30am (English)
Sunday, 10:30am (English)
Sunday, 1:00pm (Vietnamese)
Tuesday, 8:15am (English)
Thursday, 8:15am (English)

If you made a reservation for one of the in-person Masses, we'll see you there!
Reservations are still required for weekend Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
Weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:15am are now open for up to 100 people at each Mass, first come first served.

If you plan to attend Mass in person and wish to access the worship aid, it will be available the day before on the Reflections & Resources page of our website.

Please click HERE or call 760-758-4100 x100 to reserve a seat for Mass in person. Reservations must be made at least 12 hours in advance.

If reserving online seems a little intimidating, check these tips first HERE , then give it a try online HERE .

ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES are back! If you were accustomed to using one before, please bring your earpiece or headphones. The transmitter devices will be sanitized after each use. Any questions, contact Lorraine Doering .

Remember that you can watch Mass Online any time after 6:00am on Sunday or Wednesday. Bishop McElroy continues to dispense everyone from the obligation to attend Mass in person.

Congratulations to the children who
celebrated their First Holy Communion
on Saturday, July 11!

The Mass was recorded in case you would like to watch. Click on the image or check the Parish website and select Online Mass.

Please keep these children and the others who will be celebrating their First Holy Communion in the next few weeks in prayers.




Attention STM Women!

Watch your mail for an invitation to join the STM Women's Guild for the 2020-2021 year or download the membership info HERE.

Click on the photo to peruse the types of activities and fundraisers we host, understanding that we will make adjustments as needed.

Questions? Email Trish Feeley.

Hello Faith Formation Families!

We would like to share some information about our Religious Education Program (REACH) for the Fall. Please click on the images above for more details and to request your enrollment packet. Thank you!

Many of us make our contributions when we attend Mass each week. Our Parish still needs our weekly contributions even though we cannot attend Mass, so that we can continue providing services and ministering to you. Please consider giving online, using text-to-give, or mailing in your contributions to STM at 1450 S. Melrose Dr., Oceanside, CA 92056. Thank you!

If you know Parishioners or have family/friends who do not have access to email, please share this information with them. Thank you!

If you or anyone you know needs anything, please contact the Parish Office. We are closed but checking voice mail regularly and will do our best to help. You may also call
2-1-1 for assistance with resources of various types.

The bulletin link is available in every email we send (see golden orange button below. People without email or internet access will be able call the Parish Office and leave a message requesting a bulletin via snail mail each week during this time. Thank you!


The Larger Church
Fr. Bejarano to Be Consecrated as
Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego

Father Ramón Bejarano arrives in the San Diego Diocese in July from the Central Valley, where he served as a priest of the Diocese of Stockton for 21 years.

He will be consecrated as auxiliary bishop of San Diego on Tuesday, July 14, in a ceremony that will be livestreamed starting at 2 p.m. through the diocesan website,  sdcatholic.org .

He sent the following message ahead of his arrival:
Dear faithful of the local Church of San Diego and the Imperial Valley:
Greetings from the northern Central Valley. I write this note as I prepare for my episcopal ordination.

I am very happy to be able to carry out the mission that our Lord has called me to do, even though I’m a little fearful. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to help me to be faithful and to be truly of service to the community of the Diocese of San Diego ...

His statement is continued here: https://tinyurl.com/bejarano-sd
(The Southern Cross, July 2, 2020)

 
Solutions for Change FarmBox

We hope you are doing well during this turbulent time. Many of us have been "thrown for a loop" the past couple of months from COVID-19, but the good news is, we are learning to find a way forward, and slowly but surely, able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We want you to know that we have a special place in our heart for your church and the people you serve, and we hope everyone is safe, happy, and healthy. 
 
As you may or may not know, our Solutions for Change has a farm! Solutions Farms provides work development training for the formerly homeless families in our program and funds the transformation of these families. 
 
Pre-Covid, we sold our lettuce to local restaurants. Unfortunately, with business shut downs, we lost these accounts, and a valuable source of funding for our program. We needed to get creative, so we quickly pivoted, partnering with local fruit and vegetable farmers to come out with our own CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Box - Solutions FarmBox!
 
Solutions FarmBox delivers organic fruits and vegetables straight to your front door. The box includes our 100% organic spring mix with local farm fresh veggies and fruit such as avocados, apples, oranges, tomatoes, zucchinis, spinach, strawberries etc.
 
To continue to serve those in need, we offer this CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box for purchase on our website, and 100% of the proceeds go towards solving family homeless at Solutions for Change. 
 
If you would like to purchase a box click here .
If you do not want a box but would like to support Solutions for Change, click here .


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