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​News

Bulletins

Freedom

7/1/2022

 
Dear Faith Family,

“Freedom is love, with no condition.”

This is one of my favorite quotes. I heard it as a teenager and it stuck with me. To me, it is somehow both simple and profound and It has helped me to understand what type of life I want to live. Freedom is vital to the human person and it is through freedom that we are able to be our best selves. 

At first glance, the quote may seem like one developed for the American sentiment. Maybe it was given from one our great forefathers in American history? Maybe it’s from someone who signed the Declaration of Independence? Or since this is a bulletin letter, maybe it is a quote from a saint from our vibrant Church history?

Nah, it is a lyric from a ska band I grew up listening to. The song is called Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy. Yes, a band with a horn section wrote a lyric that shaped the way I view life.

When we hear the concept of freedom, we tend to automatically associate it with American values (which is indeed proper and good). Sometimes though, we fail to realize the necessity of freedom/free will when it comes to our faith. Unconditional love means nothing without the ability to choose to give or receive freely. Our faith is dependent on the concept of freedom. God gave us freewill, because without free will, love does not exist. 

Our God is not tyrannical. He does not force us to love. Our God is not a dictator and He does not force us to receive love. Our God though has given us free will to help us to understand Him fully. If our relationship with Him was forced, it would not be a relationship at all. God used His free will to create all things out of love, and He used his freewill to give himself on the cross to show us what love looks like. We use our free will to worship and to be charitable. Worship is not worship without free will. Charity ceases to be when it is forced. 

This is one of main reasons why our faith holds so much beauty, none of it is forced. Once we do make the decision to love God and love our neighbor, the beauty of our faith becomes vibrant.  We have made the choice to “encounter Jesus and be disciples” with our God given free will. Beauty lies within the choices that we make with our freedom. Hopefully we feel compelled enough to share the beauty of our faith, so others can know. 

So freedom truly is love, and it brings about no condition. You will have free will even if you make the wrong choices in life. God gave free will to all sinners and saints. It is our choice to pick the path.
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Free will is what makes us God’s beloved creatures; he loves that we can creatively love without being forced.

God Bless,
Brett Becker
​
Youth and Young Adult Minister

Siempre Adelante! Always Forward!

6/24/2022

 
Dear friends on the journey,

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” These are Jesus’ final words in today’s gospel and also known as the Great Commission to his apostles. With the Holy Spirit upon them, the apostles traveled beyond Jerusalem to share the good news of salvation. Like a net gathering fish, they and their followers gathered others, baptizing and teaching them the message of God’s love. In the centuries that followed, women and men of faith have continued to answer the call to go out, baptize and teach, including our patron saint Junipero Serra whose motto is Siempre Adelante, Always Forward.

This weekend we honor the feast day of St. Serra, a Spanish Franciscan priest who preached the good news of salvation along the coast of California in the 18th century. The net of his missionary work has gathered thousands more disciples, extending to the little plot of the vineyard that is now Padre Serra. As we also celebrate our parish anniversary this weekend, we recognize the hundreds of disciples who, since 1988, have been baptized, catechized, evangelized, who have prayed, built strong families, fed the hungry, visited the sick and imprisoned, comforted the bereaved, and witnessed God’s love in their homes and communities. Siempre Adelante!

Last weekend, we announced the June 30 retirement of two disciples, our longtime receptionist and liturgy assistant Jane Riggio and RCIA coordinator Catherine Shadduck. Many years ago they answered the call to go, baptize, and teach, and their nets have overflowed! In preparation for their retirement, they have mentored other disciples to take the nets. Siempre Adelante!

I’m happy to announce that Mary Huebner is taking on the role of liturgy assistant and coordinator of adult initiation. Mary is a long time parishioner and staff member, having coordinated the children’s First Communion program and currently supports the administration department. Children’s initiation will now be coordinated by Jennifer and David Gutierrez. Jennifer is currently our first and second grade coordinator and Dave has been a catechist for many years most recently in children’s initiation. Catherine has also mentored Martha Rodriquez to coordinate adult confirmation. Martha will continue supporting the middle school and high school ministries. Siempre Adelante!

Our new parish receptionist is Lana Chang CSJ, a sister of St. Joseph of Corondolet. Sr. Lana emigrated with her mother from Hong Kong to Los Angeles where she grew up attending Catholic school. As a CSJ, she has been a teacher or principal in the Los Angeles area since 1972. 
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Recently retired, she feels blessed to be offered an opportunity to minister as a member of the staff at Padre Serra Parish, which she has experienced to be a vibrant and welcoming community since her move to Camarillo in April. Sr. Lana looks forward to meeting many more parishioners as she joins with them in their mission to Encounter Jesus
and Be Disciples.

God is good ... all the time!
Siempre Adelante,
​


Teresa Runyon
Faith Life Minister 



Carolyn Atkinson

6/24/2022

 

1935 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy - Cremains
Saturday, August 6, 2022
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

6/17/2022

 
I have the suspicion that we aren’t nearly hungry enough to truly appreciate what Jesus is doing for us. Things have changed so very much for us since his day.

In 2020, the USDA calculated that we spent 8.6% of our income, on average, for food. Consider that in 1900, just 120 years earlier, we spent 43% of our income on food. It was harder to produce, even though half of the country worked in agriculture, because mechanization of farms hadn’t happened yet. A horse and a plow to sow, a team of horses and a combine to harvest, home production and yet other horses and wagons to move to market just couldn’t compete for efficiency with our tractors, combines, food factories and trucks. Food preservation also was expensive. Many of our modern methods of lengthening the shelf life, and safeguarding from bacteria and spoilage hadn’t been discovered. Pickling, smoking, drying and salting, all available at the time, were labor intensive and required expensive ingredients.

For most of human history, life was hard and food was expensive. People were shorter, much thin- ner and vulnerable to sickness, and lived shorter lives. We duly credit advances in the medical field for our longer lifespans now. Many medical anthropologists, though, recognize that the greatest positive advance in lifespans was due to readily available and affordable calories.
Yes, the very bane of our modern waistlines, ready access to delectable, sweet or salty, crunchy or creamy calories, relates to our expanded lifespans. For the overwhelming majority of us there simply is no need to be hungry. We are far less likely to starve because of famine, than dieting. I’m not sure we can appreciate how topsy-turvy this is from earlier ages.

What Jesus did for the crowds in today’s Gospel was a stunner for the people involved. It’s amazing enough that a crowd that included 5,000 men all had a bite to eat. It’s something else, altogether, to say that this hungry, emaciated sickly crowd all “ate and were satisfied.”
Our Savior wants to feed us, desires to nourish our spirits with His very Self, given in the form of simple bread, and the celebratory drink of wine. Are we hungry enough to appreciate what He wants to do? And that is before we get to the utter sacredness of God’s outreach to us in this manner. Not only is Holy Communion nourishment. It’s God.

But it all seems too easy, doesn’t it, and perhaps too often? If we spend a great deal in the presence of anything “special,” it can begin to lose its luster. I can remember a scuba trip I went on, where lobster was the main course, I kid you not, every dinner for a week. By day four, I wanted nothing so much as a chicken breast. And here we are, on a daily basis if we want it, able to receive the Creator of the Cosmos.
Frankly, we have to work on keeping the Eucharist in the place it needs to be in our lives. We have the obligation to be alert to the intention and aware of the Eternal Consciousness that accompanies Communion
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We have this day every year precisely to remind us of the infinite
value of what Jesus offers us.

Let’s be attentive!

Siempre adelante,


​Fr. Patrick
​Pastor 



We Are Family

6/11/2022

 
Dear friends on the journey,

Long gone are the days when I get the whole summer off. Adulting has a way of doing that. Yet, I still long for summertime. Weather that calls me to the lake and beach. Longer days for adventuring. The season that opens schedules for more carefree social time, baseball games, fireworks and BBQs, and casual gatherings with friends and family. These days are finally upon us! And don’t we need them more than ever!

No one needs a reminder of the last two years. The pandemic forced us into our homes, physically separating us but we were far from estranged. Our parish never closed. We just gathered in new and creative ways. But we’ve slowly been emerging from a blanket of uncertainty, unknowing, and fear. All Masses are again indoors, kids and teens have been onsite for formation, adult ministries are meeting in person. Future planning finally seems to be possible again so our pastoring team has planned for a normal program year just as it was pre-pandemic. But one area has been amiss and that is our parish family social time.

So, we begin the new program year with Serra Summer, a season of pure fellowship and fun for all ages. After three full years, our parish picnic is back and kicks off the summer activities:
  • Parish Picnic ~ Saturday, June 25 ~ 5:00 pm Mass on the grass followed by the picnic
  • Fellowship Fridays ~ July 8, 15, 22, 29 ~ 6:00 pm food, games and fun in the courtyard
  • Cana in the Courtyard ~ Friday, August 5 ~ 6:00 pm wine sharing social in the courtyard
  • Serra Cinema ~ July 18 and August 18 ~ 6:00 pm movies in the Serra Center
  • CAMP PSP ~ July 12 – 15 ~ Campers in grades 1-5 will explore the beautiful outdoors God created. Registration is open now.
  • 4:12 Youth Ministry summer events begin the week of July 11
​Event details will be found on the website and in the coming weeks’ bulletins.
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: a basket of...summer fruit. Amos 8:1
You are invited to come enjoy this basket of summer fruit, this basket of friendship, food, drink, games, music, adventure, and stories in God’s vineyard that is our parish family home of Padre Serra.

I’ll see you there!

Siempre Adelante,

Teresa Runyon
​Faith Life Minister
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Send down the fire!

6/4/2022

 
Dear Friends,

As I think about this weekend’s Solemnity which closes and culminates the Easter Season, I try to imagine what the outpouring of Holy Spirit must have been like for those who experienced it as it’s described in Scripture – whether it’s the Risen Jesus appearing in the locked Upper Room and breathing the Spirit and peace on his disciples, or the rushing wind and tongues of flame described in the Acts of the Apostles, or the sudden ability of Jesus’ disciples to speak and be understood in a multitude of languages. All of those stories seem both thrilling and remote.

If there was ever a time where we needed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church isn’t now that time? I write this overshadowed by our collective sadness over yet another mass shooting – this time, at an elementary school. How can we joyfully celebrate Pentecost in light of such violence as that, or the war in Ukraine, or any of countless other occasions of violence, hunger, trauma, and grief?

While we may not have experienced it in such a dramatic way as the apostles did, or as the early church did, nevertheless our faith tells us that at our baptism we were given the Holy Spirit – none other than the One who inspired such courage, such wisdom, and such love in the apostles so many years ago. None other than the Spirit that built the church to which we belong today and whose truth we profess.
Often when we celebrate Confirmation, Fr. Patrick tells the newly confirmed (and all of us) that the grace of that sacrament is one that is quietly there for us to draw on when needed – when we need the courage to do the right thing. To stand against bullying and violence. To love the not very lovable, and not very attractive. To care for all of creation. To find the outcasts and bring them back in.
​
We may feel powerless to change our world, our politics, maybe even ourselves. But we can draw upon the Gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us in baptism and confirmation to be God’s love right where we are, to (as a song in the ’70s said, probably meaning something quite different) “love the one we’re with.” It might not change the world, but, then again, it might. St. Teresa of Calcutta said we are called not to success but to faithfulness. Plant the seed, tend the garden, leave the harvest to God. Here is a list of the gifts given to all of us for the good of all:
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Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and piety.

Let’s support one another in drawing upon the inexhaustible supply of grace given to us by the Holy Spirit.


Siempre adelante,


​Dominic MacAller
​Worship Minister 



Rene Marion Cinque

6/3/2022

 

1921 - 2020

Funeral Liturgy
Saturday, July 9
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Burial
Following Mass
San Fernando Mission

Ron Hurd

6/1/2022

 

1942 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy
Saturday, July 16
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Burial
Not at this time​

The Glory of God

5/28/2022

 

Dear Parish Family

On this Ascension Sunday, I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for the apostles to witness Jesus in glory ascend to heaven. What an amazing thing to see with human eyes. As I ponder this, I began to make note of recent moments where I have been blessed to see God’s glory in action. As I look back, I am filled with so much joy and gratitude. We began the month celebrating the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation. The children coming to the table to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time, and the Holy Spirit descending over the youth and adults as they are anointed and sealed in his spirit. I am made aware of the gift our Lord has given me to allow me to witness and celebrate these spiritual milestones with the children, teens, adults and their families.

This particular year, I was brought full circle, in my ministry as a catechist. One of the young men who was confirmed, reminded me at rehearsal that I had been his catechist for First Communion, which was almost 20 years ago! When he told me his name I remembered him immediately; his group was a special one for me because it was the first time I taught middle schoolers. Which was a bit scary for me at the time because I am so short and most of the kids in the group were taller than me. They were all so great and I think in the end I learned much more from them.

As the Children’s Faith Formation Minister, I don’t always get the opportunity to directly interact in the weekly sessions with the children. This past program year, however, I had the opportunity to lead a multi-grade Spark! Zoom session for our distance learners, and when needed, filled in for a catechist who was out sick, and a team member co-leading Three:Sixteen sessions. Many of these days I ended the afternoon physically exhausted but my spirit was on fire! I am reminded why Jesus said to enter the kingdom of God we must be like little children. They are so open to receive his love and to return it. This experience has reignited my love and vocation of catechist. I am grateful to the CFF team, all the catechists, peer leaders and volunteers who tirelessly give their time and talent. Especially during the last two years with all the challenges of the pandemic, this ministry would not be possible without you.
​

The more I think about it, I come to the conclusion that there are moments to stare into the sky and witness the Glory of God, yet we are not meant to stay there. We are to be sent into the world to spread the good news. Even Noah left the arc, Abraham left his tent, Moses left his nation and went into the desert, as did all the prophets. 
Even those healed by Jesus were sent out too. We are not meant to merely dwell in the Glory of God, but instead to bring the Glory of God to others. “Why do you stand here staring at the sky?”
“Go out to the ends of the earth, and preach the good news.”


Siempre Adelante,

​Tere Delgado
Faith Formation Minister 


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Wayne Eusanio

5/27/2022

 

1950 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy
Saturday, June 18
11:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Burial
Following Mass

Mortuary
Conejo Mountain

Eleanor “Patt” Bergman

5/25/2022

 

1940 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy
Friday, June 3
11:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

James Leonard Farrell

5/23/2022

 

1933 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy - Cremains
Wednesday, June 8
11:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Little Tastes of Heaven

5/20/2022

 
My Dear Parish Family,
​
During the Easter Season the Second Reading is taken from the Book of Revelation. In today’s verses we hear John describe his vision of “the holy city of [the new] Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” Many of us have a picture of what heaven might be like. In a commentary I recently read, it was defined this way: “Heaven is being in the presence of God. Nothing else matters.” I began reflecting on moments in my life that approached this definition:
  • Cradling my infant granddaughter asleep in my arms, breathing in her baby scent…at that moment  nothing else mattered.
  • Relaxing on a patio with good friends after a good meal, no need to talk as we watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean…at that moment nothing else mattered.
  • Enjoying the breeze and the babbling fountain in our parish church courtyard on a quiet weekday, then noticing someone in need being kindly and gently interviewed by a member of our St. Vincent de Paul Society in that peaceful place…at that moment nothing else mattered.
  • Watching former RCIA seekers, now fully initiated Catholics, process forward on Sunday to receive Eucharist, one with the Body of Christ…at that moment nothing else mattered.
I believe that these simple moments are gifts from God and little foretastes of heaven. The commonality in all of them is love, peace, and hope. Such moments give us a glimpse of the love and peace that Jesus promises in today’s Gospel. They encourage us to keep our eyes set on the heavenly kingdom…and to strive to build that kingdom on earth. 
Amid the injustices of the world and our own personal difficulties, we can savor our little tastes of heaven, gather strength from them and bring that love, hope and peace to our families, neighbors and those we encounter as we go about our days.
May the peace of Christ be with you always!  


Blessings,
Catherine Shadduck
Initiation Coordinator

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Love is Divine

5/13/2022

 
Dear Faith Family,

Any decent human being knows that it is important to care for others. We have heard it so many times, that if we were to treat others in a different way, we would feel guilty about it. We are indeed called to love our neighbor. We are made in God’s image, therefore, we are made to love.

What does it mean to love, though? While it is in our nature to love, sometimes it is difficult to articulate what it actually means to love. Pope Benedict explained the nature of love when he said, “Love is ‘divine,’ because it comes from God and unites us to God.” To give a further explanation, St. Thomas Aquinas states that love is simply to will the good of another. If we take these two quotes from two brilliant people, we can come to the conclusion that God is love, and we have the ability to love because we are made in God’s image.

With all that said, love shows itself in unique ways. I think it is intended to be that way. The idea of loving someone is not a one­size­fits­all situation, but rather, it is through our creativity and nature that we show ways to love.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives a new commandment, to love one another. He takes it further and explains that this is how people know that you are disciples. Our parish motto is, “Encounter Jesus, Be Disciples.” It’s quite a simple statement, but it is important that this must be driven by love. Without love, discipleship is meaningless and self­-serving.
​
I’m not naïve enough to say that loving others is difficult; our Lord even gives a bigger challenge in scripture when he proclaims that we should love our enemies as well as our neighbor. The Apostles themselves were afraid to go convert the masses before the Holy Spirit descended upon them. It’s difficult, but the endeavor is vastly important.
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If you find yourself in a difficult position where it is difficult to love, remember that through God, our discipleship becomes perfect. When we find ourselves unable to love, let us pray to our God to aid us. It is through Him, and Him alone that we are perfect.

​God Bless,

Brett Becker
​
Youth and Young Adult Minister 



Chase Lichtenstein

5/12/2022

 

1936 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy
Tuesday, May 24
11:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Mortuary
Conejo Mountain

Mother God

5/6/2022

 
Dear friends on the journey,

From a young age, our life’s experiences, circumstances, and relationships with people, culture, community, and church influence our images of God. One place in particular beautifully illustrates images of God. In scripture, we see that God uses created beings and inanimate objects to represent God’s self: as creator, lawgiver, judge, architect, protector, fire, tabernacle, temple, king, healer, potter, vine, lord, king, shelter, light, rock, spirit, love, father, and of course, Jesus, God incarnate. In today’s gospel, Jesus likens himself as God the shepherd, ever the protector to a flock who knows his voice and follows in trust. The attributes of the shepherd are much like that of another image, perhaps a lesser­-known image of God. So on this Mother’s Day, I reflect on God as Mother.

Do you know the story of the young child who cannot fall asleep for fear of the dark and all the bumps in the night? Several times, she calls out to her mother for comfort. Each time mom’s response is, “Don’t be scared; Jesus is always here with you.” Finally, the daughter says, “But mommy, right now I need Jesus with skin on!”

Today, we celebrate mothers as God with skin. As I remember my own grandmother Doris and think about my mom with her kids and grandkids, I can see all the Godly images and attributes in each of them, especially their unconditional love, patience, and forgiveness. Mothers are creators, and life givers, selfless and generous. They listen, guide, protect, and shelter. And a mother’s voice is known to her children, even in the womb.
​

Now, as a Nana, I understand how God must feel about us. I feel so much joy just thinking of my two grandsons and granddaughter and, when I am with them, oh, my heart just sings! I would give my life for each one of them. My patience with them and desire to teach them is immeasurable. There is nothing better than simply being in their presence as they nap, read, eat, and play.
They say, “You either are a mother or you had one.” So, today, I invite you to reflect on your own mom, grandma, or maternal figure.

How have they been your God as mother, God with skin for you? If you are a mother, grandmother or maternal figure, how do you image God for your own flock?

​Siempre Adelante,

Teresa Runyon
Faith Life Minister

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Manuel R. Vega

5/5/2022

 

1927 - ​2022

Funeral Liturgy
Tuesday, May 31
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Burial
Wednesday, June 1
11:00 am
Conejo Mountain
​
Mortuary
Funeraria Del Angel

BBQ on the Beach

4/29/2022

 
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Dear Friends,

This Easter season, I have been thinking about the resurrection of Jesus and what it means for us 2000 years later.  Additionally, I’ve been considering the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection having happened.  We don’t have any eyewitness accounts in the Scriptures of Jesus’ actual rising from the dead.  But we do have the empty tomb, the testimony of the women who encountered the angel there, and the apostle’s accounts of the Risen Jesus appearing to them.  Of all the post-Resurrection stories, I think the one from today’s gospel is the one I love the most: the barbecue on the beach after an eleventh-hour reprieve from a night’s fishing that yielded nothing, and the opportunity for Peter to repent of his threefold denial by declaring his love for the Lord three times.  

The instructions (feed my lambs) that follow Peter’s expressions of love are meant for us, too, and that leads me to what I think may be the most convincing evidence for Jesus’ resurrection: the vibrant, loving Church, of which we are all a part, still ministering today, feeding the Lord’s lambs, with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Still, one cannot deny that there is evil in the world, even within the Church, and that can be discouraging, perhaps obscuring the truth of the Church as the Risen Christ’s Body.  The fourth verse of Bob Hurd’s “Two Were Bound for Emmaus” that we are singing at liturgy today may be helpful:

When the road makes us weary, when our labor seems but loss,
when the fire of faith weakens and too high seems the cost,
let the Church turn to its risen Lord, who for us bore the cross,
and we’ll find our hearts burning at the sound of his voice.

How do we turn to the risen Lord?  In Scripture, in sacrament, and in service: if we feed his lambs, we will find him.

Siempre Adelante!

Dominic MacAller
Director of Liturgy and Music

​​Picture: “Christ Appears on the Shore of Lake Tiberias” by James Tissot
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Peace be with you

4/22/2022

 
Dear Parish Family,

"Peace be with you!” This was the initial greeting of our Lord as he appeared to his disciples after his Resurrection. At this time, the apostles were filled with fear, weak and discouraged. Their Master had been arrested, crucified, and now his body was missing from the tomb. It's easy to imagine how their fear and doubts took over instead of holding on to His promise that he would rise again. Jesus could have questioned their trust and loyalty, yet he did not mention it; instead, he wished them peace. He knew what their hearts were experiencing, and what they needed was peace. Not just any peace but the peace that only He can provide. His peace which calms any storm. It helps us face troubling circumstances without being swallowed by anxiety, anger, or fear. It brings a quiet confidence to our hearts that guides us as we face challenging decisions. It allows us to accept God’s boundless love, which makes us say, “I belong to Christ, and I know he will never abandon me! I am loved, and I am forgiven.”
Jesus said to them once again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” His gift of peace is not just for us alone; it is meant to be spilled over to our relationships with each other. Jesus is sending us out, asking us to treat each other with the same mercy and love that he has shown us. Loving each other and forgiving each other is perhaps the most challenging aspect of our lives as Christians. We know how difficult it can be to forgive someone who has hurt us, to love without conditions. The only way we can overcome this is to “let the peace of Christ” reign in our hearts. Remember, we don’t do this alone; we have also been given his Spirit. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” Filled with God’s Spirit, just like the apostles, we are empowered to go out to the world, sharing God’s love, peace, and forgiveness. 
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This Easter season, let us greet each other with God’s Peace, and may it be a reminder to be instruments of God’s peace as we pray for an end to the war in Ukraine and around the world.


​Siempre Adelante,

Tere Delgado
Faith Formation Minister 



Taka Yamashita

4/21/2022

 

1938 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy - Cremains
Saturday, May 7
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Time to leave the Tomb?

4/15/2022

 
Dear Parish Family,

"Peace be with you!” This was the initial greeting of our Lord as he appeared to his disciples after his Resurrection. At this time, the apostles were filled with fear, weak and discouraged. Their Master had been arrested, crucified, and now his body was missing from the tomb. It's easy to imagine how their fear and doubts took over instead of holding on to His promise that he would rise again. Jesus could have questioned their trust and loyalty, yet he did not mention it; instead, he wished them peace. He knew what their hearts were experiencing, and what they needed was peace. Not just any peace but the peace that only He can provide. His peace which calms any storm. It helps us face troubling circumstances without being swallowed by anxiety, anger, or fear. It brings a quiet confidence to our hearts that guides us as we face challenging decisions. It allows us to accept God’s boundless love, which makes us say, “I belong to Christ, and I know he will never abandon me! I am loved, and I am forgiven.” 

Jesus said to them once again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” His gift of peace is not just for us alone; it is meant to be spilled over to our relationships with each other. Jesus is sending us out, asking us to treat each other with the same mercy and love that he has shown us. Loving each other and forgiving each other is perhaps the most challenging aspect of our lives as Christians. We know how difficult it can be to forgive someone who has hurt us, to love without conditions. The only way we can overcome this is to “let the peace of Christ” reign in our hearts. Remember, we don’t do this alone; we have also been given his Spirit. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” Filled with God’s Spirit, just like the apostles, we are empowered to go out to the world, sharing God’s love, peace, and forgiveness. 

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   I pray that you are free from weakness, falsehood, bitterness, addiction, anger, selfishness and hypocrisy. I pray that your Lenten sacrifices might lead to authentic Easter joy!


Happy and Holy Easter to you all!
Fr. Patrick
Pastor

Palm Sunday and the Procession of the Assembly

4/9/2022

 
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​

As a parish community, we gather in the courtyard on Palm Sunday to hear a short reading about our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem seated upon a colt. Palms are blessed and distributed. We ask God to sanctify the palms with His blessing that we too may follow Christ the King and reach the eternal Jerusalem. We then process into the church holding our palms and singing “Hosanna.”

Passion/Palm Sunday is celebrated with full acknowledgement of the ultimate reality: Jesus died and rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God. We do not process as if we do not know the rest of the story. Jesus is addressed as the “the Son of David … he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

In our procession into the church, we are joyful, yet ever mindful of the price paid by our loving Lord to heal the wounded core of humanity. Our procession is a public proclamation of our faith and trust in God. A procession provides an opportunity for a fuller and richer expression of the prayer of the assembly. The celebration of the procession of Christ is not some historical reenactment.

Palm Sunday reminds us, ever more fully, that the path Jesus chose is also our path of discipleship.  It is the path that leads to salvation.
When the procession is over, the singing of Hosanna continues in the Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts...Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.


​Bob Shadduck
Altar Server Ministry Director 
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Go and Sin No More

4/1/2022

 
Dear Faith Family,

This Sunday’s Gospel is one that we have heard countless times, for good reason. There are so many things to take to heart from this reading. We learn about who perfect judgment comes from, we learn about how we should conduct ourselves and we learn about the immense nature of God’s mercy. 

How many times have we been in situations where we are quick to condemn? I don’t bring this up to make any of us feel bad, but I bring it up to help us to recognize our imperfection. We are truly human and obviously because of our nature, we are imperfect. This is also common when it comes to our own lives and the mistakes that we have made. How many times have we condemned ourselves, thinking that there is no way to turn back to goodness?

Jesus’ mercy in this Gospel really stands out. He doesn’t affirm the adultery that was committed by the woman, nor does he affirm the men who were looking to condemn her. What does he express instead? Mercy. Our Lord understands that none of us are perfect, but instead of simply saying “oh well, nobody is perfect”, He instructs Mary Magdalen to “not sin anymore”.

This hits especially hits me hard. How easy could it have been to ignore her sin and enable her in the face of the men who were committing an evil against her? How easy could it have been to be too firm about her sin, and scare her with the threat of condemnation? These might be the two approaches that I would be tempted with, but our Lord shows both compassion and the pathway to a strong, moral life.

Lent is so interesting because, from the moment that we receive our ashes, we are asked to repent. Repent seems like a heavy word prescribed for heathens, but to repent is an instruction to “turn back”. With this Gospel, it is obvious that it leads to a strong life of discipleship for Mary Magdalene. I have a feeling that she wasn’t perfect, but she really took the instruction to sin no more, seriously.
I pray for all of you during these final stages of lent.
Please do not lose hope, if it has been a difficult one.
I know our God has not lost hope in you. 


God Bless,

​Brett Becker
Youth and Young Adult Minister
Picture

Mary Glass

3/30/2022

 

​1936 -2022

Funeral Liturgy - Cremains
Friday, April 22,
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish

Sally Harrington

3/29/2022

 

1957 - 2022

Funeral Liturgy
Tuesday, April 26
10:00 am
Padre Serra Parish
​​

Mortuary
Joshua Mortuary Palmdale
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