Thoughts From Fr. Mark

“Now this is faith: you must believe in God the Lord of all who made the heavens and the earth and the seas and all that is in them; and he made Adam in his image; and he gave the law to Moses; he sent his Spirit on the prophets; moreover, he sent his Christ into the world…This is the faith of the church of God.” (Araphat from “Demonstrations on Faith”)

This early description of faith helps us to understand the blessing St. Joseph shared and how this faith helped him to say yes to God’s will and divine providence in this life as husband of Mary and father of Jesus our Lord. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” gives us this insight, “In every situation, Joseph declared his own “fiat”, like those of Mary at the Annunciation and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.” (#3 Patris Corde) Pope Francis has been reflecting on the dreams of Joseph and the willingness to St. Joseph accepting and acting on God’s call to serve, first in fulfilling his call to be husband and second to the caring for and becoming the Holy Family in the flight to Egypt and the subsequent time in Nazareth.

This focusses us on St. Joseph’s willingness to listen and act. He was called and responded with a generosity of love. Venerable Fulton Sheen remarked, “No husband and wife ever loved one another so much as Joseph and Mary.”
Focusing on the mission of loving and caring for another is a grace filled calling in life. I always imagine the laughter and joy that must have filled the house even during the trials and tribulations that surround them in their life as husband and wife. Did they suffer as husband and wife, mother and father? We can answer yes. But their response would have been peace and the continued reaching out to others. This is the grace filled mission.
We are also invited, by God, to follow the example of Joseph in this mission of love, caring and peace. Our world which is so often filled the strangling fear of sin the reality of this mission of love, caring and peace seems only to be a dream. But God calls us to enact the dream in the example of St. Joseph in moving out of the doubts and fears and enter into the grace filled peace of serving and participating in the life of Jesus Christ.
What does this look like? For me it begins with an act of service. When was the last time we chose to serve another? And did we choose to make it an act of love? It may be a simple as a check in phone call with an elderly friend or family member. It may be the bringing dinner over for someone who just needs a home cooked meal. It may be a thank-you and have a nice day comment to someone you meet in the grocery store or on you walk about the neighborhood. Or it could be within you family to choose to love, simply because we are called to love.

“All this makes it clear that “Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood” and that in this way, ‘he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.’” )#3 Patris Corde)
To become like St. Joseph, “a minster of salvation” we must choose to serve daily those around us. Whether it is with a family member, a friend, neighbor or the stranger we meet, choosing to share in serving “the person and mission of Jesus” participate in our invitation to be brothers and sisters in Christ.
God bless,
Fr. Mark,

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
To you God entrusted his only Son; 
in you Mary placed her trust; 
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father 
and guide us in the path of life. 
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, 
and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Most of the time my writings are not very topical and don’t follow the current event timeline too closely, especially with the news. But I am making one of my exceptions today as I share with you my thoughts, prayers and hopes for the future in this land we call home. This has been a hard 10 months with the pandemic, the lock downs, the fear and anxiety, the protests, riots and destruction during the summer culminating with what occurred at the Capital Building in Washington D.C. on January 6th.
All of this has brought great sadness to my heart but has not diminished my hope. As Catholics we must be anchored in the peace of God that is founded on the knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t understand what is occurring but I also do understand my ultimate goal, in life and in death, as well as my mission that God calls me to share with each and every breath I take. I and we as Christians, must be firmly placed on the rock of Jesus Christ.

I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan River looking out towards a destination he knew God desired for His people. Joshua didn’t know what was going to happen. He didn’t know what obstacles he would face. He was unsure of almost everything that the future held for him and God’s people. He knew one thing: God was with him no matter what. In the sorrow and fears…God was with him. In joy and celebration…God was with him. Joshua could look into the darkness and find light because of his trust in God’s providence and will for Israel. In the darkness of today we are reminded the light of Jesus Christ burns to lead us forward in faith, hope and trust.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

During this time humility is difficult. We hear a lot of “what about your side” comments when reading social media and listening to the news. Blaming others while engaging in the same behavior seems the norm rather than the exception. St. Peter reminds us of something very simple, we live in God’s time and for God’s time…”that he may exalt you in due time.” This simple phrase can be frustrating and hard to phantom in the midst of turmoil. Humbling my heart in God’s presence calls me to listen and to be with not only those I may agree with but also those who I may disagree with. Jesus’ command to love your enemies (Mt 5:44) isn’t easy but it is life giving.
We are called to be a people of unity, each with different gifts and challenges who speak the truth of virtue in the face of sin and evil. In due time is God’s victory, is our salvation.
This poor one cried out and the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (Psalm 34:7)
I love the prayer of St. Theresa of Avila where she invites us into total trust in God’s divine plan. The last line: “God alone suffices” is something I pray several times a day especially in my morning prayer and at night before I go to bed. St. Theresa also lived in times of great upheaval, both politically and religiously. (Sound familiar) Yet, her faith shown forth in total trust in how God called her to conversion and how her life still brings people to Jesus Christ.
It may not be tomorrow, or next year, or even in my life time…but God’s plan will come to fulfillment in and through his holy Church. The evil one wishes to divide us through accusations and hatred. God wishes to unite us in the tender mercy of healing love. “Let nothing frighten you.”

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Jesus reminded his disciples over and over again…do not be afraid. Pope St. John Paul II often repeated these words. He, who grew up under the evil of the Nazi occupation of Poland and then the subjugation of his country under the communist Soviet Union, knew the daily fear that can grip the hearts of people causing them to turn against those in the community and family. But, he also knew a single drop of hope, a small pinhole of faith, the glowing warmth of love destroyed the mountain of fear and oppression and allowed the dignity of the human person to grow and flourish in the most oppressive situations.
We must be diligent in guarding our liberties and freedoms but we also must be filled with peace and hope. We are called to sheath our swords and to put on the spiritual armor that brings us into eternity. We must fight our battles with the weapons of God and not of man.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
Jesus’ command and gift are for each of us. I know where my goal lies…in heaven. I know my mission…to proclaim Jesus. Each and everything I do should be towards this goal and this mission. I know I fail too often but I also know my goal is not my own, my mission is not my own and I am called to place them in the hands of the one true living God. We are all invited to do the same.

God Bless
Fr. Mark

Pope Francis gave the Church a Christmas present this year in a very special way. As he marked the 5th anniversary of his Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love” he declared the next year to be devoted to the family…this on top of his earlier gift of the year devoted to St. Joseph.

In Pope Francis’ own words, “As of now, I invite everyone to take part in the initiatives that will be promoted during the Year and that will be coordinated by the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. Let us entrust this journey, with families all over the world, to the Holy Family of Nazareth, in particular to St. Joseph, the devoted spouse and father.” (taken from the CNA article dated 12/27)
Pope Francis reminds us of how St. Joseph within the blessing of the Holy Family offers us a vision of a man of faith and the call to journey together united in the obedience of love. The Year “Amoris Laetitia Family”, which will begin on March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Joseph Husband of Mary, is a year dedicated to remind us of the need and foundational blessing the family is to society as God has called us to be in unity with Him as the family of the Church.

I’m a big fan of both families and St. Jospeh. I fell in love with St. Joseph fairly early in my life. We of course celebrate the March 19 Solemnity with great joy but my birthday, May 1, is the smaller feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the more I read about him I also discovered the other names and patronages he has, such as of a “Happy Death” and then there are other titles like “Terror of Demons”.
Pope Francis points out in the below quote the reality of the battle of good and evil and how the evil one seeks to exploit our weaknesses and drive us away from God. “The evil one makes us see and condemn our frailty, whereas the Spirit brings it to light with tender love. Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses, our own frailty. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser (cf. Rev 12:10). That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. Paradoxically, the evil one can also speak the truth to us, yet he does so only to condemn us. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. That truth always presents itself to us like the merciful father in Jesus’ parable (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us, for, as the father says: “This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v. 24).” (#2 Patris Corde)

One of the unique ways we see Joseph is in his silence. We never hear or read a word spoken by him in the Gospels, he simply listens and then leads by following the will of God in his life and the life of the Holy Family. This is not a passivity but rather the courageous desire of doing God’s will. In the face of evil, Joseph stands as the silent sentinel protecting and guarding our Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. His holiness, his virtue and his courage enable him to tune out the cacophony of lies, hatred and slander thrown at him by the evil one and to be able to simply hear the love and joy of God’s tender whisper drawing him closer and closer in love.
I can only imagine the fury of the devil at this quiet and peaceful rebuke with the confidence of God’s abiding presence with him. I believe this is one of the great lessons I continue to learn from St. Joseph…words are important but living the virtue of holiness shows greater strength and trust in God’s will and plan for our lives against the snares and temptations of sin. It is in tenderness, the care for the frailty of the other, where we live the true gift of our Christian vocation in the call to holiness. We embrace the cry of the poor, the wounds of the afflicted and the pain of the brokenhearted no matter the origin or those who are carrying this cross. It is in the silent witness to faith where we discover the vocation of service and care for the other.
During this year of St. Joseph and the overlapping Year “Amoris Laetitia Family” we are all called to witness and join in the virtue St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Protector of the Catholic Church, Patron of a Happy Death, Patron of Workers, Terror of Demons and the many other titles he holds, shares with us daily and through his prayers and intercessions we may grow in the sacred virtues.
St. Joseph…pray for us.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Text to Patris Corde

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20201208_patris-corde.html

The twelve days of Christmas are upon us and we celebrate the brith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My normal Friday letter is a Monday addition because of the work and time needed to set up the outdoor celebration I did not adequately allot my time to be able to write and reflect on the joy of Christmas. The good thing about this on my part is the ability to now look back and share some of the joys and blessings this odd and strange Christmas gave to me as a gift.

God does not abandon us…Christmas still occurred amidst the dire warning and the stern gazes…Christmas still occurred. In speaking with many people who came to Christmas Mass and then the Masses of the following weekend a trend appeared very quickly. Christmas was with family. Christmas didn’t involve traveling or much visiting of other members of the family. There was lot of “zooming” and video chatting. And in the end there was Christmas with the reading of the Christmas story, the sharing of memories, the exchange of a gift and the family not bustling about but enjoying the day.
The waves from the sunroofs…this happened at almost every Mass…one of our younger parishioners would appear, head and shoulders sticking out of the roof of the car waving, wishing others a Merry Christmas, the peace of Jesus Christ and a smile of joy and blessing to everyone who could see them. From my vantage point at the altar it was the reminder of who we are as a community. Young and old, families and singles, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ gathered together in joy and blessing.

Help from friends…we are not in this alone…no matter how much social distancing, isolation and keeping apart we are asked to do…we are not in this alone. From Wednesday afternoon until Christmas day on Friday, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow parishioners and priests stepped forward to set-up the worship spaces and prepare the environment for the coming holy days of celebration. I slept fitfully on the night of the 23rd wondering and worrying about how we would get all the things that needed to be done finished by the time people began showing up for our 2:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Walking into the church that morning I was shocked and overjoyed to see a Christmas elf had been in the church that night and had completed most of the work in the building. Next was the joy and innovative creativity from those who set up the outside worship space. Taking what we had (normally only used for inside) and finding ways to make it work so that we could honor our God with a beautiful and holy prayer space. And finally a brother priest, knowing my stress stepping in to celebrate with our community. Thanks Fr. Randy!

St. Joseph…”The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, “at the service of the entire plan of salvation”.” (#1 Patris Corde) I used this short sentence from our Holy Father Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter as the foundation for my homilies on Christmas day. It was the refocusing of my heart not on simply getting through the day, but to be more like St. Joseph in being of service to God’s plan of salvation. Looking at the day not as an endurance test but as a blessing of life to be given and shared with others our out of love.
Thank you for all your prayers and blessings over the past year. Just a reminder…God does not abandon us…because we are a community of love…full of friendship were we journey together…at the service of God’s salvation.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

As some of you may know, I like sports. I follow my baseball team, the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers with great joy, but I also enjoy the other beautiful game; soccer. Whether it is our own San Jose Earthquakes or the teams I follow in Europe or Mexico, watching a good soccer match is food for the soul.

The last few years in the English Premier League, I am a short suffering Everton fan, two teams, Liverpool and Manchester City, have dominated with winning point totals (over 100 in some years) that have reached historic levels. This year seems to be different, not just because of the pandemic or the empty stadia but there seems to be a more level playing field. We hear the pundits and the coaches and managers of the teams complain about the number of games, the tiredness of the teams that are playing multiple competitions and the growing number of injuries as the reason for the much tighter race for the league, the number of teams that are near the top and the surprising results of teams beating and holding at bay the mighty Man City and Liverpool teams of the past few years.

What they and many of us seem to forget that this is not and oddity but rather it is the normal. Every once in a while you have a great and dominant team, like the 2020 World Champion Dodgers, (I get to say that for a whole year) but in most years there is a hard fought battle with the perceived best team in the league and those who are chasing them. It is often a reality in our minds that we forget the long history as our memories hold on to the glories or the sufferings but forget the import middle, the long road that ultimately gets you to where you want to be.
Which is a very long way to getting us to God, faith and the long and winding road of conversion and hope. If where we want to be is Heaven, then there is only one road and that is the road of life. We can’t avoid it and there are no short cuts. This year has certainly shone a light on the need to be steady and secure in what we believe and how we act towards one another and even how we treat our self in these times of stress. There are some years when it seems easy but clearly this isn’t one of those years.
We might listen to the wisdom of Dorothy Day, “Most cradle Catholics have gone through, or need to go through, a second conversion which binds them with a more mature love and obedience to the Church.” I think she would also add: a third, a fourth, a fifth etc… As we know and understand God more and more we find ourselves in the winding road of conversion and hopefulness. We seek a deeper and truer meaning to life found only in the acceptance of a greater will and a more beautiful grace than our poor human endeavors can ever create.

What does this look like? I was talking with a parish family a few weeks ago about what has changed. They described what sounded like a six month fast and decluttering of their life. The sense was that in all the frustrations, the angers, the loneliness they had been shaken off their comfortable stool and allowed to roam about in a room they could discover anew. They didn’t deny they tragedy of loosing work, having a close friend die of the virus and the economic pain their family is going through but they also saw a greater reliance on the providence of God’s powerful grace leading them through the healing and growth in faith they began to understand is necessary. It is what a very wise priest once told me long ago when I was struggling, “Relax, slow down and let God catch up.” We can’t run ahead in life, we must walk with Jesus.
God Bless
Fr. Mark

“Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for one more.”—St. Joseph Cafasso

It looks like rain! In dry and drought stricken California those words often bring joy, hope and thanksgiving. For us who are outside, worshiping under tents, with the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe this weekend those words, “It looks like rain” bring about other emotions mixed-in with the joy, the hope and the thanksgiving.

It has been one of the great blessings of this time of pandemic to see so many members of the parish community stepping and joining together, at a social distance😁, to help us continue to be able to celebrate the Eucharist in dignity and reverence even with the many restrictions placed upon us. I am in the midsts of reading a book of reflections by Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida, during my Holy Hour. One of the first lessons she has taught me is the need to continue to seek hope and joy in the darkness of the problems of the world. Like many Mexican Catholics who lived during the horrendous persecutions of the late 19th and early 20th century Blessed Concepción endured and grew more confident in her faith as she shared it with her husband, children and many others in her circle of life.
“I have offered myself for the hundredth time to my beloved Father, I have deeply abased myself in the ashes, while admitting his infinite gentleness for me. I never want to have my own will any more and every day, at each moment, I will lose myself in his adorable will. I love it.”(p 20 from “Under the Gaze of the Father”)

The gift of continually offering ourselves to God to do His will is one of the great challenges of our call to discipleship. This Third Sunday of Advent is an invitation to joy in the midst of suffering and an invitation to joy in the preparing for seeing the gift of hope filled love in the coming Nativity that is close and yet not here. The endurance in our faith is the central blessing we are called to share.

Endurance is founded on a hope of something greater and better, something that is known and deeply cherished, where it is near at hand. This is the love we have for our family, friends and world, it is the hope the Church is called to proclaim. And while the suffering we are enduring during this pandemic is real, we also must put in a perspective of what we hope for as sons and daughters of the living God. St. Paul reminds us, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 20:20) In other words…it is that famous phrase…“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” (C.S. Lewis) or the reminder Pope Benedict XVI shared, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness”

It is even true in reality I have not had to endure great suffering and yet I know the call to greatness lives within each person I meet. We hear so many stories of people struggling to overcome obstacles both large and small and enduring to greatness. I remember working with a student in New Mexico where each turn it seemed like another door closed, another boulder would block his path or the winds would be always against his hopes and dreams but with each turn his determination would be great and stronger and you saw this in his prayers and his trust in God knowing tomorrow would be another day and he would wake up and move forward again.
It is not a comfortable world for many of us right now…but we know we were made for so much more. Let us pray for all who suffer that the hope and faith of Jesus Christ may fill them in love.
God Bless
Fr. Mark .

As we enter into our Advent Season we are reminded of the joy and generosity of God as we celebrate the many days and blessings the season brings. It is hard not to begin celebrating Christmas early and with the Feast of St. Nicholas happening on the 6th of December we truly begin the joy and celebration of gift giving.
We know with the commercial intrusion on these holy days, the Black Friday which is the tradition touching off of the gorging of holiday spending, the new and improved Cyber Monday offering us another chance to spend, spend and spend. Even small things like the Hallmark Channel with the inundation of movies themed around Christmas beginning sometime in October. Then finally, during this year of pandemic, we have some people calling for the cancelling of Christmas. I even read where one public official pondered if it would be wise to move Christmas into February.

What each of these have in common is the use of the word Christmas without the actual understanding and sharing of the meaning of Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the giving and sharing of gifts, but I also understand: this is not Christmas. Christmas is the moment when God breaks into the world in the person of the second person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God, Jesus born of the Virgin Mary that night in Bethlehem.
“Open wide your door to the one who comes. Open your soul, throw open the depths of your heart to see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the sweetness of grace. Open your heart and run to meet the Sun of eternal light that illuminates all men.” (St. Ambrose of Milan) Once more, it is a time of celebration and of generosity towards others, but more importantly it is a time of deep and profound thanksgiving, prayer and the embracing of the other in the person of the child Jesus.
This returns us to St. Nicholas. He is the inspiration for the image of Santa Claus is some small way. He was also a bishop of the early Church in Myra, modern day Turkey, in the 4th century. St. Nicholas was a stout defender of the orthodoxy of the Catholic faith and was imprisoned and exiled for his belief in Jesus. The hagiography of his life tells of him helping three young women with their dowry allowing them to marry…thus the legend of St. Nick/Santa Claus.
The St. Nicholas day tradition of putting your shoes outside the door and during the night the holy Saint will come by and put a small gift, candy, fruit or even a little money, in them is a small precursor to the gifts under the Christmas tree delivered on the night of our Lord and Savior’s birth.

It is a powerful reminder of how Jesus comes to us. We may not be able to travel and visit as we would wish, but the child Jesus comes to us. We may have economic and physical challenges that limit us, but the child Jesus comes to us. God comes to us and invites us into a relationship of love. Let us prepare the our hearts, our homes and our families for the child Jesus and welcome him with open arms knowing that God is with us, our Emmanuel.
“Christ is born, glorify Him! Christ from heaven, go out to meet Him! Christ on earth, be exalted! Sing to the Lord all the whole earth; and that I may join both in one word, let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, for Him who is of heaven and then of earth. Christ in the flesh, rejoice with trembling and with joy; with trembling because of your sins, with joy because of your hope.” (St. Gregory Nazianzen)

God Bless
Fr. Mark

This is the week where we give thanks and look forward as Catholics. We celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving that always pushes towards the New Year of our Advent season of preparation. We are called to remember and lift up in prayer the blessings of our lives in thanksgiving to God’s gracious blessings knowing that very near is the greatest of all blessings the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This past year has been a jumble of experiences and emotions many of which were very difficult to discover blessings and hope. But within each moment were blessings to be discovered both in the personal and in the ministry. Here are three blessings from this odd and strange year.

A little blue envelope: As many of you know we began renovations of our church on the 2nd of January, then COVID struck then all the delays began to happen. As pastor one of the worries that was foremost in my mind was how to keep the church going without Mass and without a Sunday collection. Within a few weeks little blue envelopes began to arrive. For our capital campaign the donation envelopes were the color blue. This gift of generosity, and as many other envelopes began to appear, was one of the truly great blessings. It reminded me of our love for Jesus and our Church is not something that is solely based on the physical but also our desire to bring the kingdom of God to others. I give thanks for a little blue envelope.

The second is “the caring of:” once more this is a gift of generosity by so many people. Early on our Bishop asked us to team with Catholic Chariities and Second Harvest Food bank to have food distribution to those in need. My immediate response was yes, then began the immediate response of so many parish volunteers who have offered their time and talent in serving over 550 households every week with food and prayer. Our St. Vincent de Paul society sought new ways of reaching out and receiving those in need to serve them with the immediate concerns of so many of our brothers and sisters. Our Social Justice Committee chose to pivot and focus on the mental health care needs as people began to suffer from the isolation and worry of what would be next. The gift of generosity is a blessing of how Jesus invites us to extend our arms to embrace the other in hope and joy. It is the thanksgiving of caring of one another.

The third is, “We are not alone:” In my life and certainly in my seminarian training what I, as a priest, have been asked to do over the past nine months was never talked about or covered. The generosity of those who have shared their talents in technology, building so many other things, pivoting on worships space and stewardship of the gifts we share. With each new change and challenge the gift of time and talent from so many people, even with the limitations surround our ministry showed for the hope of God’s blessings within the community. We are not alone is the gift of generosity uniting us as the Body of Christ.

For this I give thanks……Thank you! You each are in my prayers daily.

God bless
Fr. Mark

Normally at this time of year the color purple would be something I would be looking forward too and happy to talk about, but in this year of pandemic the color purple this week meant that our parishes throughout the Diocese and state were asked once more to close there doors to indoor worship and to move out into the relative (in a California sense) cold and wind of our late fall and early winter season.
As the news began to filter and leak out that the state would jump from the orange tier into the purple tier there was truly a sense of dread that filled my heart. Although we had been restricted to celebrating indoors with only 100 people allowed, an almost sense of normalcy had begun to fill the practice of Mass. Even with the masks, the people scattered at safe social distances from each other and the lack of joyous songs being sung was a reality, being in the building, celebrating on a consecrated altar and not hearing the noise of the street allowed, for me, the prayerful celebration of the Mass in a way that was different from our outdoor space.

It is true and I believe, where two or three are gathered, Jesus is there and I have been blessed greatly by the celebrations in the courtyard in seeing families come to hear God’s Word and receive Him, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist and yet, it felt like a gut punch. I spent most of my fitful sleep on Monday night thinking, planning, doubting and fearing what would happen next. Maybe we would be experiencing the movie “Groundhog Day” where tomorrow doesn’t come until we figure out God’s wonderful gifts that surround us and learn to celebrate them in the midst of everything. So when I woke up Tuesday morning and it wasn’t Monday morning, I was a little grumpy…even though I really look forward too Tuesdays because they are my day off…I went to celebrate Mass and get our outdoor worship space ready once more.
What makes the Eucharist so wonderful? Why is it so beautiful to be at the Eucharist? “To be spotted at a Eucharistic meal should make people talk about us because it indicates that we are in a relationship that is scandalous in many ways. Through the act of celebration the Eucharist, we are first and foremost proclaiming an intimacy with the creator of the universe.” (p. 56, from “Living the Sacraments” by Joe Paprocki) This is ultimately what gets me out of my mopey-ness and allows me to see, even in the midst of this time, the gift of God present in the Eucharist. Jesus is with me and celebrates with me and desires to draw me into this “scandalous” relationship of knowing Him as my brother and Savior.

He is Christ the King! It is what we will celebrate this Sunday as we move into the purple of love that opens wide the doors of Advent in preparing our hearts and the world to receive the King of the Universe as the baby Jesus. This isn’t sentimental schlock but rather it is a gift of love. And this is how we are called to live our lives…encountering Jesus in the daily bread of life, just as we receive him in the Daily Bread of the Eucharist. The “Amen” of I believe is a grace of seeing the world not in the “what we don’t have” attitude of wanting but in the “blessings of presence” we do have in the gift of loving stewardship. “In each encounter we have, we can ask ourselves, “Am I offering a real presence to this person?” (p 63) This is what Jesus offers me and you. It is why nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Rm 8:35) It is why, indoors or outdoors, we come to celebrate and say AMEN.

God Bless
Fr. Mark

Three things: Something good, something sad and something tragic. It has been a hard week and a wonderful week. There is much joy and anticipation around our parish campus as we continue to work of evangelization, serving the poor and vulnerable and celebrating the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Old friends: We will start with the good. This weekend our parish welcomes Unbound Ministry. The guest priest this weekend is Msgr. Aldolfo Valdivia. I have known Msgr. Valdivia for over 15 years. He was my supervisor at St. Maria Goretti Parish during my deacon year. When I was able to be at the parish during my final year at St. Patrick Seminary, I followed Msgr. Valdivia around seeing what a priest did and learning the routines so when I was ordained a deacon I at least had some vague idea of how to celebrate the great number of baptisms the parish had each weekend. This weekend as he visits us will give me one more chance to thank him for his kindness and example of priesthood. To remember his graciousness in sharing his wisdom and answering the questions posed by a newly ordained deacon.

Home: This past week my mother left the house she helped build almost 50 years ago. The house where she raised the gaggle of nine children. The house of my childhood and the place where our family has celebrated the joys and sorrows of life. At 84 years old she decided to move to an assisted living facility. In various ways I am happy and sad. Happy in the security and safety she will have living in community and not isolated not the farm. Sad, in the reality that the place of refuge we called home is no longer there. The physical building, the memories and soil remains but it is no longer our home. I know that my brothers and sisters who worked so hard with her this past month to pack up and clean out our family home and to sort out what she wished to take with her, what they wished to take to their homes has been a struggle of emotions…in all that the sadness of leaving something behind is a reality we are all asked to embrace. The quiet mornings of vacation with my breviary and a cup of coffee looking out onto the pasture and fields of the farm are no more. The going home is now gone. But, a new day has begun, with sadness and a tear…a new day has begun.

The Cross and McCarrick: Lastly the tragic…I was in seminary in 2002 when the full force of the sexual abuse crisis hit the Catholic Church. There was shock, anger, dismay, frustration and every other emotion felt as many of us watched and read about priests we loved and respected being listed as men who had abused the children and young people of our Church. It was a reality we were all faced with in our formation to the priesthood and many people question if we would leave. Over the last 18 years we have had the slow dripping of more information as we continue to seek the best ways to protect the vulnerable of the Church and share the joy of the Gospel.

This week as the report of the crimes and abuse of then “Cardinal McCarrick” became public the questions were asked how could he rise to such prominence in the Church when the open secret of his abuse of children, seminarians and young priests was known by so many? I don’t have an answer for this, although I wish I did, but God gave me three things this week that has helped me to digest and live with the reality of the sin of abuse. First was the celebration of two of the great bishops of the Church: St. Martin of Tours and St. Josaphat. I was reminded of the role the bishop has in our faith. On the day of my ordination, as it is with all priests, we place our hands in the hands of the bishop and vow obedience. It is a vow not to some middle manager in a large organization but a vow to a spiritual father in the example of the two great saints who battled for healing, unity and peace within the faith. I believe most bishops seek to live this holy example and with each of the two great saints, they seek to embrace the cross given to them and work diligently and faithfully for the holiness within the people of God.
It is the Cross of Jesus Christ we are called to embrace. St. Paul in his Letter to Philemon in the reading from Thursday (the memorial of St. Josaphat) wrote these words, “And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me.” (Philemon 1:18) St. Paul asks us to be more like Jesus, to embrace the cross as the only way to bring about healing and peace.

It may not be a cross we desire but we embrace it because Jesus is with us and is already embracing the cross as a healing gift of love. We must join together in praying and working for the healing of God’s holy catholic Church.
God Bless
Fr. Mark