Church guide

Advent Begins December 3rd.

Opening our eyes to look at the miseries of the world….provoked to listen to the scream of help… ((MV) How? Reflecting over the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. “To awaken our conscience….before the drama of poverty and to enter into the heart of the gospel…” (MV15) Corporal works of mercy (Mt 25:31-45) Feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, take in the stranger, help the sick, visit prisoners, bury the dead. And the spirituals Give counsel to those that need help, teach those that lack knowledge, correct the wayward, console the sorrowful, pardon those who offend, support with patience persons that disturb, pray to God for the living and the dead. This is the way we can live this year a “year of grace” (LK 61:12) and “the preaching’s of Jesus become new and visible in the response of faith that is the testimony that Christians are called to offer. The word of the apostles accompany us: “the one who practices mercy, should do it with joy (Rm 12:8)” (MV16) The work in our community And from here, there arises some question that will take us to act in St. Patrick’s Church. I propose to you that we start this reflection to which Pope Francis invites us. Sometimes only pious acts are proposed, but….How are we going to do it as a community, to live the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy? How are we going to support the ministry of St. Vincent de Paul? Do I have anything to do with the problem of immigration? How are we going to improve our attention to the sick in our community? Or accompanying them with our prayers and support those persons who bury their dead. All these pastoral necessities need to be revised and supported in our parish: Have we decided and are we ready to support and dedicate our time to these efforts? How? As we reflect on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, you may come up with an initiative of a pastoral action where the creative Spirit manifests itself in our community. I invite all of you to place yourselves on this road to create space for concrete proposals. I await your suggestions and replies to this invitation. Next week we will be addressing the biblical text that in the first place will help us discover the “face of the merciful Father”, we will start with Micah 7:18-19 that, is repeated in our interior, can be creating a Spiritual environment appropriate for this year. (MV 17) We will continue presenting the Papal announcements “Misericodiae Vultus” (cited as MV) that gives us spirit of the jubilee year of mercy. Fr. Nicolás Sánchez

12/12/2015 Sábado/ Saturday– Our Lady Guadalupe 4:00 am - Mañanitas 5:00 am - Misa en Español con mariachi 5:30 pm –English Vigil 7:00 pm - Misa en Español

“Reflections of our Pastor” Jerusalem is called upon to dress for a feast, with a cloak of justice and a crown of Eternal glory, sealing her identity with peace; the hope is expressed as a forward looking vision and will nourish herself with memories of the past; but it will only become a reality in the obedience of God in the present (first reading); that is why the love between human beings has to grow constantly for the fruits of justice. (Second reading); the only way to prepare the way of the Lord and express the authentic conversion (Gospel). Called to hope, in this time of Advent, creating an interior atmosphere to prepare ourselves for Christmas. We are launched into an abundant future. Only God enters in the last horizon of a human being, but that is impossible without learning to embrace all of humanity. That is why hope on this occasion is clothed in the name of “mutual love” and is realized “fruit of justice”; but this is only accomplished when “all will see the salvation of God”. As we can see, hope is a reality that surges in our hearts when God “fills” in such a manner (grace) to enlarge it as big as his own heart. A gift of God that expresses and welcomes “others”, and for itself, hope surpasses all barriers of the “I” and the “mine” so it is “ours”. That is why the universal church of Jesus is capable of embracing all of us “with a mercy and justice that comes from it” (Baruch 5:9) Who does my heart embrace? Our friends, that think as we do, with the ones we feel comfortable and at ease with, and speak well of us? How do we feel about the immigration of millions of people, especially when they knock on our doors and even when they want to sell them as a threat? The periphery, to whom Pope Francis refers to, has to do with the understanding of our hope; the rejection cannot enter to form part of Advent that prepares us for Christmas. We await you to continue preparing for Christmas together. Fr. Nicolás Sánchez Toledano