Blog Archives

11/26/2019

Thanksgiving

I am grateful for:

the memory of picnics by the ocean, and Mom’s tuna salad sandwiches with tomatoes,
the way my car starts up so quietly and reliably, day after day,
the trees that turn our parking lot into a forest,
the cinnamon and cardamom and cloves in chai tea, and for tea’s warm comfort,
ministers who show up so faithfully to greet, to read, to share the Lord in the Eucharist,
lectors and Eucharistic ministers,
the path along the Arroyo Calleguas, and for long walks,
the Santa Monica Mountains, and for the wildflowers that grow there,
warm hugs on cold mornings,
visitors who don’t know me but are willing to smile anyway,
the sight of tried and true parishioners making their way into the church,
the sound of the Our Father, chanted with devotion and affection, and the sight of our community with hands joined all-round the altar,
the warmth of flannel, the softness of cotton, and the comfort of denim,
wine with friends, food with friends, and friends,
squint-free sunglasses,
Chopin’s Nocturne B-Moll, op. 9/1,
sushi, Chinese food, Mexican food, in fact, all the foods,
the bright rainbows that form on cut crystal,

the shadows of trees bending in the wind,
the ripple of light on the ocean,
the thought of Christmas trees and ornaments, the lights, and carols,
long conversations into the night over things that matter,
the humility and beauty of what happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
the dark chocolate Dove squares that Pam leaves out, salty snacks, and cheese – oh yes, and cheese!
Sunday comics,
that moment when my work is done for the day,
a good book in a comfy chair,
the many nights I fall asleep quickly,
eyesight,
that shade of green that happens when sunlight passes through leaves,
cooking podcasts and new recipes,
leisurely time with a newspaper,
every parent who tries to share their love and devotion for God with their children,
the sound of rainfall,
most every song by Simon and Garfunkel,
the kindness of strangers,
the surprisingly large number of times when people around me drive respectfully and well,
good walking shoes,
the many, many volunteers that make our parish so special,
and, as always, for rocky road ice cream, and for everything it stands for!

Can we ever be grateful enough? I don’t think so. Please know with certainty that one of my greatest points of gratitude is for you parishioners, for your goodness, for your support. I hope you have a longer list than mine. Consider making your own list. It lifts your heart!

May you have a lovely Thanksgiving, free of political discord, and full of affection, good food, and gratitude to the Lord, who makes all things possible.

Siempre adelante!

Fr. Patrick

11/15/2019

Here and Now

Dear friends on the journey,

As we come to the end of our liturgical year next week and look forward to Christmas, we have gospels like today’s that look to the end of time when Jesus will return again and how we should prepare ourselves.

Today’s gospel sure paints a grim picture but we have to remember the context. Luke, taking inspiration from Mark’s writings, is describing Jesus’ already fulfilled prophesy of Jerusalem’s temple destruction in 70 AD, however the rest is to still to come “at an hour we do not know.” But Jesus tells us not to be terrified, to stand tall and persevere.

When our current view of life and experience of the world looks so much like the gospel’s bleak description of war, earthquakes, fire, famine, and persecution how can we possibly persevere and stand tall. Some days it feels like the end of the world and we wonder where God is in all of this. The big picture can be daunting. Hand in hand with the guarantee of pain, suffering and destruction is Jesus’ promise of God’s mercy, care and love for all of us collectively and individually.

This semester I am taking a class on one of our many Catholic spiritualities, Ignatian Spirituality, based on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. Very simple the focus of his spirituality is finding God in all things and one of his many exercises to do this is the Examen. It narrows the big picture into smaller, less overwhelming picture of our own lives. This simple reflective prayer, done even in 10 minutes at the end of the day, is a look back on your day to see where God was working and moving.

In five prompts you can find God’s presence, recall moments for which to be grateful, discern emotions and actions, review encounters that indicate the need for improvement, and look forward to another day.

I offer the Examen as a way of finding God in all ways of your daily living, whether it be in a season of easy going, a season of strife, and in this imperfect culture and impermanent world that is counter to the eternal life God promises us. This exercise provides a lens through which we see and experience God’s ever active love that helps us to not fear, to stand tall and to persevere in the here and now of life, as we celebrate Jesus’ coming this Christmas, prepare for his coming at the end of time, and most especially experience his presence among us now.

Siempre Adelante,

Teresa Runyon
Faith Life Minister

11/8/2019

God of the Living

Dear Friends,
At this time of year the daylight hours grow shorter as the nights become longer and colder. Leaves drop from the trees which seem to go into a suspended period of dormancy. And here in California, raging winds with their accompanying wildfires have become the “new normal.” These natural forces can turn our thoughts to the death of our loved ones, our own inevitable death and even to wondering about the end of the world. Many cultures, past and present, have customs, observances or rituals in the fall to deal with these realities, to remember departed loved ones and even to laugh at death.

The Church, in her wisdom, gives us HOPE at this time of year by focusing on resurrection and on God’s immeasurable love, mercy and faithfulness. As the liturgical year comes to an end over the next three weeks, the scriptures read at Mass may seem at first to be frightening and ominous, but their message is ultimately about God’s gift of eternal life. As Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, God “is not God of the dead but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

The Resurrection is foundational to our Christian faith. At the end of the Apostle’s Creed, which we recite on Sunday, we say that we “believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” Jesus’ resurrection is a promise of eternal life for all of us.

How do you imagine heaven will be? With our human limitations of understanding we use terms like paradise, banquet, clothed in white robes, shining like stars, being like angels, bathed in pure light. Or we think that heaven will be a better version of this life. But the life that God has in mind for us is beyond anything we can imagine!

For me, the most meaningful expression of heaven is this: God is LOVE and has loved us all into being. Ultimately we will be enfolded by the loving arms of God, Father, Son and Spirit, into their perfect bond of eternal love. What an existence that will be!

Blessings,

Catherine Shadduck
Initiation Coordinator

11/5/2019

Starting Again from Our Why

Fr. Parker Sandoval

WHY is the great question of mission. Sometimes, we can forget the WHY of the Church. A clear sense of WHY, however, changes what we do as Church and how we do it.

The WHY of the Church, in fact, is really a WHO: Jesus! Renewal in the life of the Church means starting again from our WHY. Come renew your sense of missionary discipleship.

Ordained from St. John’s Seminary in 2015, Fr. Parker is the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

No cost.
Sponsored by the Adult Faith Formation Team