7/21/2023 There is No Shame in AskingDear Friends, If you had difficulty understanding this Sunday’s Gospel, don’t worry, you are in good company. The parable is a confusing one. Without the proper wisdom, it is hard to decipher just what Jesus is trying to say. Who/What are the weeds? Who is the enemy that plants the bad seed? What is with all this wheat? Like I said though, if you are confused, you are in good company. The good company I mention are the disciples. They were also confused about what Jesus was trying to teach. Within their confusion, though, they did not default to pride and try to decipher the parable on their own. Rather, they humbled themselves and asked Jesus what he meant. This may seem like an easy task, but for some of us, it’s hard for us to ask God the clarifying questions. Do you ever get discouraged about not fully understanding what God is calling you to do? The anxiety of asking a clarifying question can be difficult at times. But like any teacher would, Jesus would not shame you for asking the right questions. There is no shame in trying to ask God what he asks of you. When the disciples asked Jesus to clarify the parable he just preached, he did not shame them one bit, because Jesus is a good teacher. This is why we have so much trust in our pursuit of discipleship; we have so much faith in our teacher, our Lord, Jesus. So when it comes to life’s big questions, or the questions of what God is asking of you, the best way to find the answer is to be a good disciple and ask to Jesus for assistance in your understanding. We aren’t disciples simply because of the past, and the good things that happened in scripture. We are disciples because the living God wants us to learn and to teach in the present. ![]() The best way to get a grasp of this is to ask our God without shame, with full humility. He wants to provide, sometimes we just have to ask. God Bless, Brett Becker Youth and Young Adult Minister 7/14/2023 Quiet HeroesParishes thrive when parishioners step forward and take ownership. When this happens, in beautiful fidelity to Matthew 6:3, where we hear the command to not “let your left hand know what your right is doing,” the good people do is so often quiet and unnoticed. I’d like to point out some people who have made a wonderful difference, even though in a very quiet way. It’s hard to notice an absence, I know, but have you noticed an absence of trash on the parish grounds, which are always so neat? There are no plastic bags blown around by the wind, no donut napkins on the ground, no candy wrappers or cigarette remains. The first person to arrive at the parish, early, early in the morning during the week, is Dane Henriksen. You’ve probably never met him. If our yards are neat, and trash is picked up and all looks orderly, it’s because of Dane. He has adopted the parish grounds as a place of beauty that needs constant attention so that it can be restful for people who bring their complicated lives onto this beautiful campus. His tools are rakes and blowers. He is a very quiet hero. Terry Griffin, also an early riser on Sunday morning, walks from table to table in the courtyard, cleaning the accumulated dust from the decomposed granite. She brings a smile to this grungy work that always lights up my morning when I see her hard at work. Hospitality matters, and she makes it happen. For those who have come later to the parish, you might not know that Terry is an extraordinarily gifted artist. You can see an example of her work under the beautiful tabernacle. She designed the depictions of the California missions found on the marble slab of the tabernacle, to remind us of our founder, Padre Serra, and his many labors to bring the faith to this place. As one of the parish founders, among that generation of giants, she was part of the original environment team making the church beautiful. I have caught her with a can of paint and a brush, unobtrusively repairing the bases of the church columns. Ordinary bumps and bruises leave their marks on the columns, but Terry has taken ownership of our parish church, and the comfort of her fellow parishioners in the courtyard. She is an amazing, quiet, hero. I don’t know if you can remember the two long white cloths that hung over the ambo during the Easter Season. They may have seemed simple in construction, but nothing could be further from the truth. The closer you get to the material, the more textured it looks, with gold flecks, and the more special you realize that they are. They rested this last weekend on the altar, just to bring them closer to our worship. A team of adults with diverse abilities and challenges spent months weaving them, not with an electric machine, but by the hand on a loom. They were an amazing work of art by weavers from Threadbender Textiles (www.threadbendertextiles.org) for the parish from people who are often in the background of society. Their handiwork of love blessed us every day in the Easter Season. They are our quiet heroes. I’d also like to acknowledge the small but growing orchestra of talented musicians who have been making our Sunday mornings so very special. We have Kathleen MacAller on the flute, Lisa Barra on the synthesizer, David Cravens and Mike Garcia on the guitar. Mike Velasquez plays the base, Chris Kneisel and Naomi Bernardino plays the cello, Geri Lisanti-Levy plays the violin, Steve Burch plays the viola, and Karen Gatchel and Tom Romero play the clarinet. We have Butch Alandy and Ian Padolina on percussion, and young Sabas Guevara on the drums. Our amazing Dominic, often enough, writes their parts for them, where needed. All of their musical skills, so generously shared, their times at practice, offered so generously, are a sweet gift to us. We get to live our lives with the soundtrack they provide us of sweet beauty. Dear Parish family, My name is Manuel Leon. I am the new business manager here at Padre Serra. My wife, Patti, and I have been married for 27 years. We live in Moorpark and attend Holy Cross Church. We have two adult daughters. Our daughter Rebekah and her husband Rigo live in Burbank. Our daughter Rachel is a second lieutenant in the Air Force and is currently stationed at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. After 40 years of working in telecommunications, I retired from Charter Communications in April 2022 to help care for my elderly mother. The demands of my regional responsibilities at Charter made it challenging to get away from work to spend time at my mother's house in Santa Ana. As my mother’s health failed, it became evident that I could not reconcile work priorities and spending time with my mother. Retirement was a blessing that allowed me to spend more time with my mother during the final year of her life. My siblings, who lived near my mother, had assembled a talented team of caregivers to provide for her essential needs. My part was easy; conversing with her, praying the rosary, and holding her hand. My mom’s passing was no surprise at 95, but that did not prevent those of us that knew and loved her from experiencing the sadness and grief that come when someone dear passes away. I took comfort in knowing that my mom died with Christ. She led a prayerful life, and we often prayed together. She introduced me to my Catholic faith, and throughout her life, she gently and lovingly encouraged me to grow closer to Christ by practicing our Catholic faith. Today’s gospel is a beautiful invitation from Christ to walk with Him in difficult times. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus promises us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. While this does not mean that He will remove all hardship from our lives, Jesus is inviting us to walk with Him, and by freely accepting this invitation, we can look over our shoulder and know that Jesus is walking along with us and the burden is just a bit lighter. Since becoming the new business manager last month, I have met many dedicated people who work diligently in the background to ensure the church and the campus are ready to serve the needs of the faithful. I feel blessed to be part of this pastoral team. 7/1/2023 You BelongDear friends on the journey, This weekend we celebrate the feast day of our patron, St. Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest from Spain who desired to step foot into a new world, spreading the Good News far and wide. We also celebrate the anniversary of this great parish. In 1988, under the leadership of Fr. Liam Kidney, a small group of believers set foot on a new path to grow the Camarillo faith community in a newly formed parish, Blessed Junipero Serra parish, aka Padre Serra Parish. From 1988 to 1995, the faith community gathered for worship at St. John’s Seminary, had office space on Flynn Road then the old rectory, and met in people’s homes, all the while raising monies for a permanent campus. With only one priest, the parish’s success and growth was dependent on the laity to move it forward, to do the work, form the ministries, plan the worship, and teach the children, teens and adults. The temporary and borrowed spaces were not an impediment for the infant parish; rather it was the impetus to create a community based solely on relationship with one another and the Holy Spirit. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). It did not matter where they gathered, just that they did. No matter when and where they gathered, the Padre Serra spirit of welcome was evident. Over the years, spiritual and social friendships formed. No one was excluded. Everyone was welcome. The spirit of welcome has not only grown the size of the parish since 1988, but more importantly it has created and sustained a physical and spiritual space where people have come to faith for the first time, where people have grown in their personal relationship with God, where people encounter Jesus, and where people are empowered in their discipleship. The welcoming spirit has also created an environment where people who are broken, lost, suffering, or on the peripheries can be cared for, listened to, and loved up. No one is excluded. Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs. You belong. What better time than summer to experience the Padre Serra welcoming spirit and meet new people, reconnect with old friends, relax, and enjoy the fruits of God’s bounty. There is something for everyone this summer. These events are great opportunities to share your parish with a neighbor, a coworker, family members, anyone you feel needs some companionship, fun, and that spirit of welcome. • Summer camps for kids in elementary and middle school • Weekly activities for teens • Friday in the Backyard • Movie nights in July & August and The Chosen season two • Many ministries like Bible study, faith sharing, knitting, writing, and prayer continue ![]() As Fr. Patrick says every Sunday, be at home as long as you are here and extend that welcome to others. Siempre Adelante, Teresa Runyon Pastoral Associate 6/24/2023 Do Not Be Afraid!Dear Parish Family, Did you know that the phrase “Do not be afraid” can be found in the Bible 365 times? Why, perhaps because we need the constant reminder. Fear is an unpleasant emotion triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined. Though fear can be good: It can keep us safe, avoiding putting ourselves in dangerous life-threatening situations. At times the fear can be so powerful that it can stop us from taking action when needed. We all need reassurance and security to overcome the fear and move forward. We hear this message not only in the Bible but in our pop culture. Here are a few of my favorites: • Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. (Yoda, Star Wars) • It’s OK to lose to opponent, it’s never OK to lose to fear. (Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid) • Whenever I’m afraid, I tell myself I’m not afraid. (Piglet, Winnie the Pooh) We can’t forget the wisdom of the saints: • Proclaim the truth, and do not be silent through the fear. (St. Catherine of Siena) • Go forward bravely, fear nothing, trust in God; all will be well. (St. Joan of Arc) • Do not fear. Jesus is more powerful than all hell. (Padre Pio) In our gospel today Jesus reassures, God our Father knows us well. We are valuable to him; he even knows every hair on our head. Jesus speaks to his disciples with clarity, foretelling of the conflicts they will run into as he sends them out on their mission. We are given this same mission. “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” They could be the words by which we are invited to live out each day. Every day we find ourselves confronted by conflicts and opposition, every day we are called to choose what side we want to be on. ![]() May we live our life as witnesses and proclaim the kingdom of God. Be Fearless. Siempre Adelante, Tere Delgado Faith Formation Minister |
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