We are very fortunate that our parish school has a covered court and that we are able to continue the celebration of the Eucharist in that location. All of our regular weekend and weekday Masses can be celebrated on the covered court on the school grounds. We will even continue with our plans for First Communion Masses, Confirmation Masses and even funerals and weddings, if desired.
To access the school’s covered court, you will enter by the gate to the schoolyard closest to the soccer field, adjacent to NewSong Community Church. This is the only gate that will be open. From the gate to the covered court is only a short walk, but you will be walking across the grass. There is a slight incline after the gate. Maintaining social distancing and wearing masks will continue to be necessary.
Hand sanitizers and masks will be on the tables as you enter. There will also be a basket in which to place your regular donation to the parish. It will be more convenient for you to park in our north parking lot. Do not park at New Song church because you will not be able to access the field from there. Besides, they need the parking for their own congregation.
We have 150 chairs available which should more than accommodate those who have been attending parish Masses in the last 6 weeks. We have the flexibility to keep everybody out of the sun. Until the situation changes, the church building will remain closed except for the recording of Masses.
We will continue to keep attendance records for all the Masses and make changes as warranted by any new guidelines from the county or Diocese of San Diego. We are pleased that we are able to offer Masses at the times we have used in the past. Thank you for your understanding.
When we stop to think about it, we all realize that the Church (big “C”) is not a building. It is a People. In the last 50 years, thanks to Vatican II, we have become more accustomed to refer to the Church as the Body of Christ, the People of God, the Bride of Christ, and many other biblical descriptions that emphasize our relationship to Christ and to one another.
Not only do we speak about belonging to the universal Church, but also to the local Church, be that the diocese, the parish, or other gatherings of the disciples of Jesus. The Church is wherever the People of God gather.
While we will miss the comfortable surroundings of our beautiful parish church building, the Church will gather on the covered court of our school. Those who say that the church is closed are only referring to the building. The St. Patrick Catholic Community is still very much alive.
While we have to accommodate various restrictions, we know that we do so in order to protect the health and safety of our parishioners and our priests. We should gladly do that as an act of kindness and concern. We wear masks because we are concerned about one another. (See the youth video in this newsletter.) We remain socially distant by at least six feet, but we do so with the knowledge that we are still united as the People of God. No new guidelines can take that away.
We are especially mindful of those who cannot gather with us for the Eucharist. Even those who are more vulnerable to the virus or need to stay away for their safety and ours – they still very much remain a part of our community. They are spiritually united to us, especially as we offer the Eucharist.
The closing of our church building gives us reason to pause and reflect on what it really means to be Church. In addition to our common Baptism, we are a Eucharistic People. Our oneness with Christ and one another is most beautifully expressed as we gather to hear the Word of God, celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord, and receive the Body of Christ.
We are a Eucharistic People. As St. Augustine said so simply and eloquently: Become what you receive.
Please Note:
No 7:00 pm Mass on Friday night, July 17
Sing praise to our God
No matter how difficult life may seem; no matter how many things may cause us to fear; no matter how many problems may come our way; we can always find a reason to praise God. That alone can transform our whole day. Don’t just listen to this music video. Pray it!
"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.
Which two of the original Twelve Apostles had the same name?
What was the occupation of Matthew the Apostle?
Besides Catholics, which Christian denomination celebrates seven sacraments?
Which month is traditionally dedicated to prayers for the dead?
Join the US Bishops in asking for a share of financial help for Catholic schools that are struggling during this health emergency. Click on the link below.
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.
God has shown himself to be a God of justice and mercy.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 86:5-6,9-10,15-16
A prayer to God for mercy.
Second Reading
Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit intercedes for us with God.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 13:24-43 (shorter form: Matthew 13:24-30)
Jesus offers parables about the Kingdom of Heaven and explains them to his disciples.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers three parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. He also explains why he speaks to the crowds in parables and interprets the parable of the sower for the disciples. This reading is a continuation of Jesus’ discourse that we began reading last Sunday.
All three parables use commonplace experiences to describe aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. The first parable is longer and more detailed than the next two, and it alerts us to the two-fold reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. The beginnings of the Kingdom of Heaven can be found in this world. The fruition of the Kingdom of Heaven, however, will not be realized until the final judgment. In the meantime, as Jesus’ explanation to the disciples cautions, any effort to judge the progress of the Kingdom of Heaven is premature. Only God, in the final judgment, will distinguish the fruit of the Kingdom of Heaven and offer its reward.
The second and third parables call to our attention the abundance that will result from the small beginnings of the Kingdom of Heaven. Just as a mustard seed—the smallest of all seeds—will become a large bush, so too God will bring his Kingdom to full bloom. As a small amount of yeast will leaven the entire batch of bread, so too God will bring about the expansion of his Kingdom. In each case the image is of the superabundance that God brings out of even the smallest of signs of the Kingdom.
Contained within these parables are words of caution as well as words of consolation. In the parable of the sower we are warned against judging others. To judge and uproot the “weeds” prematurely will harm the wheat; final judgment rests with God. In the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, we are consoled by the message that God can work wonders and produce abundance from even the smallest beginnings of the Kingdom of Heaven.
¿Qué tiene de especial esta mostaza? Es la semilla más pequeña de todas, pero cuando crece, se convierte en un arbusto más grande que las otras verduras. El proyecto del Padre tiene algunos comienzos muy humildes, pero su fuerza transformadora no se puede imaginar ni siquiera ahora. La actividad de Jesús en Galilea de sembrar obras de bondad y justicia no es nada grandioso y espectacular: ni en Roma ni en el Templo de Jerusalén son conscientes de lo que está sucediendo. El trabajo que sus seguidores están haciendo hoy es insignificante: los centros de poder lo ignoran. Incluso nosotros, los cristianos, podemos pensar que es inútil trabajar por un mundo mejor. Los seres humanos siguen cometiendo los mismos horrores una y otra vez, aparentemente para siempre, y somos incapaces de captar el lento crecimiento del Reino de Dios.
Si sólo confiamos en la palabra de Jesús, el Espíritu de Dios todavía está trabajando entre nosotros, promoviendo la solidaridad, el amor por la verdad y la justicia, anhelando un mundo más feliz. Necesitamos colaborar con el proyecto de Dios siguiendo a Jesús. Una Iglesia menos poderosa, que carece de privilegios, más pobre y más cercana a los pobres, tendrá más libertad para sembrar semillas del Evangelio, más humilde en su vida en medio de la gente como la levadura de una vida más digna y fraterna.
Padre Carlos
Summer Blessing for Families
May we make our homes places of relaxation, joy, love, peace and safety.
May we be generous and considerate,
not thinking only about ourselves,
but helping others enjoy the blessings of the summertime.
Lord God, Creator of all things,guide our steps and strengthen our hearts
during these months of summer and vacation days.
Grant us refreshment of mind and body.
May we constantly strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our loved ones and in the world around us as we enjoy the warm days of summertime.
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.
While this has not been a normal summer, it has allowed our high school core leadership team to explore several topics around Catholic Social Teaching (CST). Two of the key themes of CST are “The Care of God’s Creation” and “Solidarity.” In both themes, the stress is on the fact that we Catholics need to be aware of both how we impact others and our world around us, as well as how we to be in solidarity with those that are suffering around the world. To be in solidarity is to try to do something that shows we are aware of the plight of others. It is with this mindset that the youth from our P.R. and Media Task Group have created this video. We hope you enjoy and appreciate the video. Thanks for your time.
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. 760.729.2866
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:
