Dear Friends, Happy Father’s Day! When I remember my dad, two wonderful things he taught me come to mind. 1. Always be the first to ask forgiveness — the relationship is more important than who is right. 2. When a family is a loving community, it attracts others naturally. I remember a lot of Sunday evenings in the house I grew up in crowded with family and friends that really wanted to be there. I hope it has been clear to you that one of our chief values as a parish community is just that — community. We are a large parish with nearly 3,000 families. In these post-pandemic times, almost 2,000 people are coming to Mass on most weekends, sometimes more. Hospitality is key to creating a sense of community and it's an attitude and a way of being to which we are all called. If we recognize one another only by appearance, or by where we usually sit, but not by name, we are missing an opportunity to build a welcoming experience of hospitality for all who come here, whether it's for worship, or other activities, be they educational or social. Our recent reminders to wear name tags are part of our effort to address this reality, but more is needed. The prophet Isaiah writes that the LORD says, “I have called you by name, and you are mine.” God does not need name tags or pictorial directories ... but we do! Please, go to www.padreserra.org/parishioners-form.html and share the picture of your choice. It should only take a couple of minutes of your time to enter your name and household name, check boxes for ministries/activities you are involved in, and upload your picture. The beauty of an online parish pictorial directory is that it can be accessed from anywhere, and you can update your information or image at any time, so it need not ever become obsolete. ![]() Fr. Patrick asks, please take the time to do this. Do your part to help us recognize one another, sisters and brothers on pilgrimage together to the Kingdom. For safety reasons, we will not be publishing the pictures nor the names of minors. If you need technical assistance, we have people in the office who can help you. Siempre Adelante, Dominic MacAller Director of Liturgy and Music 6/9/2023 Raising DisciplesHello Friends, In a world of confusion, frustration, and souls that are lost, raising a family in faith has never been more important. The values of the world are often contrary to what Jesus is teaching us. A strong faith in Jesus is the foundation we need to withstand whatever the world throws at us. Reflecting on what it takes to raise a child, the story of Jesus staying behind in the Jerusalem temple and getting separated from his mother and father comes to mind (Luke 2:41-52). Two aspects of this story give us insights into two important aspects of Christian parenting. The first is that Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was part of the larger caravan and went a day before realizing he was not with them. They entrusted Jesus’ care to their community of family and friends. This tells us that raising a child will necessarily require the help of others who are on the parenting journey with us. The second is that Jesus tells his parents that he was in his father’s house. Here Jesus is showing us that God needs to be central and important in our lives. For those of us who are graced with children to raise, parenting is the single most sacred and important task we will ever do. Bringing a child into the world comes with the responsibility of providing for their physical and emotional needs. However, the most important thing is to tend to their spiritual needs by leading them to encounter Jesus and to be his disciples. In the spirit of building a faith community of parents who desire to pass on their faith through their ministry of parenting, we would like to invite you to consider signing up for our next Christian Parenting series, which begins Wednesday, June 14 and runs for eight weeks. In these sessions, you will learn with other parents how to incorporate your faith into the raising of your children to also become disciples of Jesus. We leave you with the following from a parish parent who participated in our first session: Participating in the Christian parenting ministry was a blessing for me! I really enjoyed getting to know the other parents, learning about my faith, and helping my family grow closer to one another. The videos and small group discussions helped me to understand what I can do to be a better parent and to live my life more intentionally with my family. One of the best gifts this program gave to me was to realize how important presence is to my son. In this age of being constantly distracted and busy, I have learned to slow down and appreciate the time I have with him. I have also learned how important it is to pray with my son and teach him the importance of faith in his young life. Overall, I highly recommend this ministry if you want to help your children grow in their faith, meet other parents, and build your domestic church! - John A. ![]() Raising our children with eternity in mind, Deacon Joe and Kim Torti Sign-up at www.padreserra.org/christian-parenting 6/2/2023 Coffee, Donuts and the TrinityDear friends on the journey, Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the celebration of God as one community of three persons: God the Lover, Jesus the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit, the Love that flows between them and extends to us. This triune community of Love lives, moves, and works among us today, breathing life into our parish community. No other place is this Love palpable and visible than on Sundays, at liturgy inside the church but also in the courtyard after Mass. Enveloped in the arms of the church and office buildings, the courtyard is the gathering space for connection and fellowship. At the center is coffee and donuts, a longtime tradition in our Catholic faith and in our parish and one that brings the youngest and oldest among us to the bell tower with delight. Our longtime Coffee and Donut Ministry leaders, Richard and Delia Anguiano, share these words with you today: You see us every Sunday under the bell tower after all morning Masses, surrounded by boxes of donuts and pots of coffees. Driven by our awesome team of volunteers to serve our Padre Serra community who gather to praise our Lord every Sunday. A cup of coffee and a donut are not a “reward” for attending Mass, rather a lure for people to gather as a community. A community where we see the Lord in each other as a common connection. As scripture says, “The Holy Spirit is present wherever believers gather.” In order to sustain this tradition, we need to pay as we go. A circulating myth is that the donuts are donated. Truth is each week our parish purchases 35 dozen donuts from Sun Donuts (Oxnard), who also very kindly deliver the donuts every Sunday morning. To ensure we cover the cost of the donuts and coffee, we want to remind everyone of the suggested donation of $2 per donut and $1 for coffee (regular or decaf and free refills). We thank those who give beyond the suggested donation. Coffee and Donuts Ministry is a fun way to meet people and serve your fellow parishioners. Volunteers – individuals and families - are assigned 1-2 Sundays a month, usually at your preferred Mass. If you are interested in joining the team, contact Rich & Delia Anguiano [email protected]. Thank you and God bless! ![]() In the words of St. Paul in today’s second reading, may “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” Siempre Adelante, Teresa Runyon Pastoral Associate I am unaware of anything in which we believe that is more ambiguous than the Holy Spirit of God. “Spirit” is the quintessentially elusive, vague and immeasurable presence of God. We receive similes, windows through which we get a glimmering of understanding of the Holy Spirit. At times the Spirit is “like tongues of flame,” ever-changing and malleable, fitting into our lives and firing us up at our weakest, or “like a dove,” as mobile as a bird in flight and coming upon us unexpectedly, perhaps a “breath,” so essential that the Spirit’s absence is asphyxiating, or even a “mighty wind,” toppling human folly.
Have you experienced the work of the Spirit on the edges of your own life? Perhaps you have and haven’t recognized it for what it was. Have you ever surprised yourself with your own goodness? Have you ever had just the perfect response to someone else’s struggles? Have you been able to comfort profound suffering? Have you daringly and yet persuasively spoken an unpopular but necessary truth in the face of opposition? How else do we explain our own best, most selfless moments? Scientists, quite rightly, look for a gene, or some biologically adaptive process to explain the good we do. I cherish scientists’ every insight into our goodness. Why wouldn’t the Holy Spirit work in and through everything that makes us most deeply, truly human? So, I recognize that in my best moments, when I’ve been able to do the unexpected, to accomplish the beautiful, and to recognize a profound truth, I’ve been both most truly human and Spirit driven at the same time. Haven’t you’ve gone through the same? That’s the moment we feel the Holy Spirit. The harsh word that goes unspoken, or the brutally honest email that gets deleted, are both signs of the Holy Spirit. And it’s not only the good that we do. The Spirit’s work manifests in the broken acts we repent of, and the temptations we avoid. The urge to regret unkindness and to turn away from our bad habits clarify that the Holy Spirit is at work. The impulse to generosity in the face of earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis, the sense of belonging to all the world, is the unifying effort of the Holy Spirit. The instinctual love of parents for their children is the Holy Spirit’s action, helping us to express what is best in our human nature. 5/19/2023 Welcome to the Table of the LordDear Parish Family, The joy and excitement of First Communion Day in the parish is palpable. Beautifully dressed boys and girls in their First Communion outfits. Parents and grandparents are beaming with pride. Children eager to come and receive Jesus for the first time in the Eucharist. This weekend we welcome 96 children to the Lord’s table for the first time. What a special day! I love to see their eyes lock and light up as the Eucharist is presented to them — “The Body of Christ.” Their hands raised in anticipation, making an altar for Jesus in the Eucharist to be placed, excitedly responding “Amen.” Ever so carefully, they pick up the Eucharist and consume it. Some return to their seats almost bouncing with joy, while others, so reverently and slowly, knowing they have the most precious gift possible within them. If you are like me, this day always brings to mind memories of my own First Communion. One of the best days of my life! Every time we receive the Eucharist, we can do so with the eyes of a child receiving for the first time. It is a time for us to pause and think about how we receive the presence of Jesus under the form of consecrated bread and wine, as well as the witness we give to those around us. This sacrament not only unites us intimately with Jesus but solidifies our unity as the Body of Christ. We are now the Body of Christ! As St. Teresa of Avila reminds us, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless his people.” Join me in praying for all the children and their families; may this day be an initial step to a life- long love of the Eucharist. ![]() Join me in praying for all the children and their families; may this day be an initial step to a life- long love of the Eucharist. This is my body, given for you ... how will I be his body in the world today? Siempre Adelante, Tere Delgado Faith Formation Minister |
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