3/1/2024 Is the Lord in our midst, or not?Dear Friends, On any given Sunday there will usually be a connection, a “bridge,” between the first reading (from the Old Testament except during the Easter Season) and the gospel. That bridge is sometimes easy to see, and sometimes a deeper reading is needed. The second reading (from the New Testament other than the gospels) is often on its own “track” but there are times like this week where there is a clear connection between it and the gospel. Paul writes to the church at Corinth: “Jews demand signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” The story from the gospel of John this week is a familiar one. Jesus “cleanses” the temple in Jerusalem, driving the moneychangers out, overturning their tables and spilling their coins. This story has meant different things to me at different times in my life. At one point, I thought its purpose was to help me feel at peace with “righteous” anger. At another, I took it as a cautionary tale about the importance of proper behavior at Mass. Later, I learned that Jesus’ ire was at the moneychangers themselves who were gouging the pious Jews of humble means who came to worship at the temple and needed to buy animals to sacrifice. But it’s what comes next that is most interesting to me: “At this, the Jews answered and said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’” There’s the “bridge” to St. Paul’s letter. “Jews demand signs ...” Jesus answers “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Even for those of us who have heard this reading many times and know that Jesus is referring to his resurrection, it is astounding. The gospel reading ends with a verse that seems foreboding but is actually cause for hope: “Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.” As we all know, human nature is weak and corrupt. Jesus knows that better than anyone. And yet, he chooses to sacrifice “the temple of his body” by suffering and dying for us, sharing in our suffering so that we can share in his glory in the resurrection. If that’s not good news, I don’t know what is! At the 11:00 am liturgy this week, we will hear a different set of readings as our catechumens – those seeking baptism, confirmation and eucharist at the Easter Vigil – undergo the first of three scrutinies. In the first reading, we will hear the story of the chosen people grumbling against Moses because of their thirst as they wander in the wilderness in search of the promised land. At the Lord’s direction, Moses strikes the rock with his staff, and water flows from it. The “bridge” to the gospel is this: We hear the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, where first he asks her for a drink, but then reveals himself to her as the living water that will quench her (and our) thirst forever. In this way Jesus answers the question posed at the end of the first reading, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” with a deeply satisfying affirmative. Siempre Adelante, Dominic MacAller Liturgy and Music Minister 2/21/2024 Transformation to TransfigurationLast Sunday was the First Sunday of Lent which begins in the Lectionary Cycle each year with Jesus in the desert. St. Mark’s Gospel last week spoke about Satan tempting Jesus in the desert. It was not about Satan’s three temptations that we know from Luke and Matthew’s gospels but about God’s power to overcome Satanic forces. Temptation calls to all of our lives. During the Forty Days of Lent we are to examine ourselves in our “desert time” to overcome our temptations leading us to wrongful paths, thoughts and behaviors. Lent is a time marked for our transformation, that is, to whom we are now to whom we are to be. God’s power is also with us. In today’s First Reading from Genesis Abraham offers an awakening moment for us when God calls to him. Abraham replies, “Here I am.” I smile at Abraham’s response. Of course, God knows where Abraham is. To me Abraham is also answering….... “I am listening. I am attentive. I am ready to act.” We too are to say “Here I am” but do we? Are we listening to know and see God in our lives every day? It is not only “Here I am.” It is also “Where am I?” Lent is the time for us to pray, fast and give alms wrapped in our interior reflections of where we are in life’s journey. All this opens us to a transformative question: “Who am I” living in God’s love with Jesus in my life. Mark’s Gospel this second Sunday of Lent follows after Jesus’ forty days in the desert. Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain where he was “transfigured” into a different glorified substance and exalted outward appearance witnessed with his clothes becoming “dazzling white.” Like Abraham we are to answer not only “Here I am” but also ask ourselves during Lent are we on the path to be transformed to see the face of God in our glorified, exalted and transfigured heavenly body? Deacon Jack and Sharon Redmond 2/17/2024 Walk this WayRecently, a friend and I hiked a trail along the Pacific Coast Highway. Said friend — younger, fitter, and spryer — led the way to a beautiful crest overlooking the ocean. Completing the hike felt like a tremendous accomplishment for me, but it was not without a few breathless pauses and a gulp of fresh water. My mental roadblocks and physical weaknesses almost kept me from that beautiful view. On this first Sunday of Lent, Mark’s gospel tells of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.” Newly baptized, Jesus took 40 days in a harsh and barren environment to grapple with, not only Satan, but the enormity of the mission before him. He spent time with his Father to pray and ask for help. What temptations and struggles do we need to take to God? What obstacles are keeping us from a close relationship with Jesus? Despite Satan’s attempts to lead him away from God, Jesus remained steadfast. Without sinning, Jesus was tested in the same ways we are: basic and vainglorious desires. How do we turn away from sin — those troublesome behaviors, attitudes, and mistakes we inevitably repeat or succumb to? Jesus was “among wild beasts,” vulnerable and probably weak from hunger, but the angels ministered to him. He was never alone, but empowered by the Spirit and comforted with the presence of his God-family. Jesus emerged from the desert ready for his public ministry, and he proclaimed with certainty: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.” Now is the time, he said. Now is still the time. Jesus was establishing his new Church then and we are that Church today. During Lent, we are tasked to enter our own wilderness and prepare for an encounter with the person of Christ. We are brought into relationship with him, into the kingdom of God. We get to be a part of his family! What can we do to prepare for this encounter? We can scour our hearts asking the Lord to empty them of all that is weak, and leave space for Jesus to enter. We can sacrifice some of our favorite things, and admit to our wrongdoings. We can access our gifts to be strong for ourselves and those in our community. Sometimes, we have to go through what is difficult to take on something else. Our Christian hearts are made for greater ways and better things. Our shortcomings and challenges are no match for God’s loving presence abiding within us. “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Jesus’ mission statement propels us to ask for mercy and move outward from ourselves for others. Whatever path we walk in life, we never have to go it alone. With the friendship and encouragement of Jesus, experienced in community, we overcome the roadblocks and look forward to a new horizon and a steady direction. Imagine the view of Heaven ... Peace and joy, Mary Huebner Liturgy Assistant 2/10/2024 Separated From You, Let Me Never BeHello Friends, In today’s Gospel, Jesus is moved to compassion by the suffering of a leper. To prepare us for the scene from the Gospel of Mark, the Church gives us an essential complimentary first reading from the Old Testament. In the first reading from Leviticus, we are told what it meant to be a leper for a first-century Jew. We are reminded that a person with leprosy was considered ritually unclean and was forced to live in perpetual isolation outside of the community. For the Jews of this time, ritually clean and unclean was a serious matter. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is going to shock the Jewish witnesses to this event when he touches the unclean but remains untainted. Jesus, moved by pity and compassion for an isolated soul, will heal so that the healing can be certified as prescribed by Jewish law, and this former outcast will be allowed to rejoin the community. We learn that the leper approaches Jesus, kneeling humbly, and does not ask to be healed but to “make me clean.” The weight of isolation that the leper was experiencing must have been more painful than the physical effects of the leprosy. To remove the stain of unclean is what the leper desired most. Sin can affect us in a similar way and cause us to become distant from God. In the Sacrament of Confession, we too, through the infinite mercy of God, can receive that relief that the leper felt when Jesus said, “I do will it. Be made clean”. This scene occurs early in the Gospel of Mark, but we can see the symbolism of the beginning of Jesus’s redemptive mission in this miracle of curing the leper. In the Sacrament of Confession, we also come humbly and contrite of heart to ask our Lord to reconcile us to God and keep us in communion with his Church. Jesus never fails to renew us and feed our ongoing conversion. When we strive to change our minds and to live how Jesus is calling us, we move along on our path of conversion. Conversion is our lifelong endeavor, and the Church that Jesus founded gives us the path to be continually renewed. We will enter Lent next Wednesday, and as we prepare to renew our baptismal commitment, let us seek that inner conversion of the heart to follow Christ more faithfully. The season of Lent is the perfect time to embrace the gift of the Sacrament of Confession so that we are never distant from God. “The whole power of Penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in intimate friendship” (CC1468). Manuel Leon Business Manager Dear friends on the journey, As I was preparing for this weekend’s message, today’s Psalm really spoke to me because, as I write this, I am feeling brokenhearted for so many reasons. The new year began with so much illness. Covid, the flu, and all the normal seasonal sickness has been compounded by the news from people I care about who received cancer and other diagnoses. Friends are facing surgeries and long recoveries. Children around our county have lost a parent in traumatic deaths. Parishioners are grieving the loss of spouses. My beloved high school, La Reina, is closing its doors after 60+ years of educating and forming young Catholic women in Ventura County. Broken relationships, poverty, isolation, mental health issues, chronic pain, and spiritual desolation abound. It’s only the fourth week of January and heartbreak and sadness surround me. But then God, per usual, taps my shoulder and offers me light in the darkness. Psalm 147: 1-6 reminds us to praise and worship our good and gracious God who will always rebuild what is broken, heal the heartbroken, bind our wounds, sustain us, and cast out the wicked. As people of faith, we are by no means exempt from suffering and heartbreak but we have these words as God’s promise to always be with us in that suffering. The Israelites received these promises through the prophets. Jesus lived these promises while on earth. And they are God’s promises to us now. They bring me comfort and hope that the sadness will not persist, that light and peace will return, that pain will lessen, and good will triumph. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection that we celebrate at every Mass is a reminder of God’s promises. I’ve shared here before the story of the little girl who tells her mom that she wants “Jesus with skin” meaning she needs her mom to be Jesus and hold her tight. Don’t we all want to feel Jesus’ embrace? If you need a Jesus hug today, don’t be afraid to ask for one. Padre Serra’s a very “huggy” place! If you know some in need, reach out to offer a hug, a shoulder, a hand for holding. Loving human touch may not subside the pain completely but it can be just the right balm in a moment between friends. This week I invite you to pray with Psalm 147. Call to mind your own heartbreak, current or in the past. Offer gratitude for the wounds that have healed or are still in process. Ask God not to let your suffering be wasted but rather be put to good use, to help others. Consider that neighbors, coworkers and friends may be living with heartbreak right now and simply pray for them. Then give praise to God who continually heals the brokenhearted and offers hope. Siempre Adelante, Teresa Runyon Pastoral Associate |
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