9/15/2018 Enlisting Witnesses for Christ![]() Happy Catechetical Sunday to you all. On this day we celebrate the importance of passing on the faith and being witnesses to the Gospel. Parents are truly the primary catechists of their children. They prepare the soil and plant the first seeds of faith. On Catechetical Sunday, we not only highlight the work of catechists in parishes and schools, but we also commend parents and guardians and encourage them to take seriously their role of making their Catholic households a place where faith is passed on to the next generation. This is why the rite of blessing of catechists used on Catechetical Sunday includes a blessing of parents and guardians. The root of the word Catechesis comes from a Greek word meaning “to echo, or resound.” Catechism is the act of resounding or bringing the Church’s teachings to the world. A catechist is one who teaches in the name of the Church. This ministry of teaching in the name of the Church has a profound dignity, which is why catechists are formally commissioned by the Church. It is only fitting that we set aside a day to highlight this ministry and invite the entire church community to think about our responsibility to share our faith with others. Today I would like to invite you all to consider answering the Call to become a Catechist. This call may come in the voice of our pastor or deacons, perhaps from one of our catechetical leaders, or even in this bulletin letter. But know that this calling ultimately comes from God whose Holy Spirit inspires and guides you. If this is something you have been thinking about or know someone who has the potential to serve in this role, I offer the following reasons to help you say, Yes! Top reasons to become a catechist
Please reach out to me or any of our catechetical leaders, to help you get started in this beautiful ministry. May the Joy of Jesus in our lives shine through and make us true Witnesses of Christ at all times. Siempre adelante, Tere Delgado Faith Formation Minister 9/7/2018 Be Open![]() Dear Friends on the Journey, What relief we feel when our ears “pop” after descending from high altitude or after being sick! We can hear again. We can speak at a normal volume again. In today’s gospel one word spoken by Jesus provides even greater relief for a deaf man: “Ephphatha” “Be opened.” In that miraculous moment, the man could actually hear and communicate with the world clearly! I can only imagine his joy and relief. I admit though that I crave the silence the deaf man lived with. Granted his was likely not by choice but nonetheless there are moments and days when I long for just quiet and space void of pinging devices, voices (including my own), media, deadlines, rushing, juggling. Oh the joy to just be in peaceful silence! A few weeks back I reflected on a retreat experience that taught me how silence can heighten senses and increase awareness of God’s presence. Silence can do even more. Silence is God’s language. When we stop talking at God, he can speak to us. When we close our mouths and open our ears, hearts and minds, we create a space to encounter Jesus, to have our own “ephphatha” moment, to be open to God. In this space, we can then listen to what and where God is calling or inviting us. Over the next few weeks, we have the opportunity to consider the possibilities. Our parish covenant invites us as individuals and households to examine and reflect our discipleship – how we are living our faith in our homes, church family and neighborhood. The covenant can also help us discern what we need next on our journey. I invite you these next days and weeks to take the covenant to prayer. Sit in silence and allow God to speak. Be open. God may just be calling you to something more. Then, visit the ministry fair. There might just be a ministry to help you take the next step in healing, learning, growing, prayer, service, action. If not, come see me. Ephphatha and siempre adelante, Teresa Runyon Faith Life Minister Dear Friends, Our second reading two weeks ago from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians said: Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Over the years, often in the courtyard, I’ve heard a number of reasons given for why not singing at mass would be all right:
![]() As we have heard before, we are not the audience at Mass; God is. We are the performers. Not just the priest, or the choir… but all of us. Our contribution matters to God, as we see from the Scripture above. We music ministers are not here to entertain you. We are here to support your efforts to pray in song. Even when the choirs occasionally sing choral music on their own, the aim is not entertainment, but to lift your minds and hearts – along with our own – to God, often by emphasizing a particular idea or image from the day’s readings, or from the season we are celebrating. But those moments are rare and occasional, and will happen mostly at offertory or after communion. Everything else from the entrance song through the sending forth song, is meant to be sung by all present. God doesn’t need our worship but we do. And it does delight him ... and he’s asked for it! Siempre Adelante, Dominic MacAller Liturgy and Music Minister 8/24/2018 Struggle, Learn and Grow Closer to God![]() Dear Faith Family, I really love our Church. Not just our wonderful church community at Padre Serra, but the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. The rich history, the emphasis on philosophy and the promotion of a relationship with Jesus Christ through the Sacraments are so compelling to me and I’m so grateful every day that our Lord established this Church. Within the rich history of our Church, we have had great minds invest their very being to the development of doctrine. Church councils have been formed throughout her history to simply pursue the truth so we can grow closer to God through it. These councils involved a lot of scrutiny and discussion and these have been happening all throughout our 2,000ish year history. I find it very comforting knowing that there have been greater minds than mine to pursue our dogmas and doctrines. I’m very glad that these truths don’t rely on my own personal research. With that said, there are plenty of things that the Church teaches that I struggle with. Again, this is where the beauty of the Church’s pursuit of truth really helps me. Even though I may not understand something that the Church teaches (and maybe even struggle with it), there is something very humbling knowing that there have been so many brilliant minds who are not pursuing an agenda (like certain politicians), but rather, there are brilliant minds who just want to reveal who Jesus Christ is to the world. This Sunday’s gospel really speaks to me because of my struggles to understand. Are we called to be like the Apostles, who know that Jesus “has the words of eternal life”? Or are we called to be the ones who see the Church and her teachings as something hard, and not worth pursuing? Let me clarify, struggle is fine. In fact, if you read stories of the saints, I would say that struggle is a requisite of eternal life. It is through struggle that we understand our humanity, but we can also relate to Jesus. It is especially ok to struggle with things that may be happening or taught in the Church, as long as it compels an honest pursuit of the truth and Jesus Christ. I’m praying for all of you and I appreciate that you are doing the same for me and Youth/Young Adult ministry. If you have any questions of struggle, I just want to let you all know that I am available to talk about things. I may not have all the answers, but at the very least, we can pursue the truth and Jesus together. God Bless, Brett Becker Youth and Young Adult Minister 8/17/2018 The Power of Presence![]() Dear friends on the journey, I wonder if the people around Jesus thought he was a lunatic, especially in today’s gospel story. How scandalous, ridiculous and confusing Jesus’ command to eat his flesh and drink his blood must have been to his fellow Jewish people. Of course, we know he doesn’t mean literally. So what does he mean exactly? There’s nothing better than being in the presence of a loved one or friend. But sometimes their physical presence is not enough when they’re on the phone or watching TV and you’re trying to talk or connect. They are right next to you, yet their mind is elsewhere. Think about the opposite. That special person could be a thousand miles away yet so attentive and present to you when you talk on the phone or FaceTime. The absence makes you appreciate the time you have even more. In either situation we just want to be present to one another, sharing and connecting. While Jesus is not physically present to us today, he is so very present to us in all we do. If we choose to recognize him, we can find Jesus in people, events, and little moments of our lives. The liturgy is a special place of encounter with Jesus. He is all over our banquet hall: in the congregation, the presider, the Word and most especially the Eucharist. This is what Jesus means in the gospel today. When Jesus said to eat his body and drink his flesh, he meant that through the bread and wine we would encounter his presence, not his physical presence but his true Presence. When we receive the bread and wine, we are in communion with Jesus, the most fulfilling complete communion we can experience. We are taking on his very being, his spirit. We are taking on Christ. What a joyous miracle this is! This miracle comes with responsibility though. If we are in total communion with Jesus, we are taking him with us when we leave. We are now his presence in the world. That reality should give us pause. It should influence our actions, our words, our way of thinking, our decision making, and the way we view and treat certain groups of people. Imagine if we were more present to those around us. I really think our families, communities, schools, work places, country and world would experience more understanding, acceptance, love and peace. Will Jesus’ presence in you change the way you are present to your parents, spouse, kids, friends and neighbors? Siempre Adelante, Teresa Runyon Faith Life Minister |
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