SUNDAY, SEPT 29: TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Today’s Gospel story is not really about two sons. It is about two kinds of people—those who appear faithless, but in the end follow the law written upon their hearts by God, and those who claim to be faithful, but do not actually live according to their beliefs. For Matthew, faith is never enough, in and of itself. It must be lived. It must result in the establishment of God’s reign within and among us. Matthew shocks his audience of religious insiders. He tells them that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the reign of God before them. For us, the message is the same: those outside our sphere who seem least likely may well be hearing God’s word in their hearts. They may be living lives of love and gentleness, generosity, forgiveness, prayer and desire for God. They may enter the reign of God before we do. Over and over in Matthew’s Gospel we learn that the reign of God is not what we expect it to be. How blind we are! How difficult for us to see!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR ST. FRANCIS DAYS OCTOBER 3-6
Before you know it, October will be here and we will again celebrate the life and legacy of our most beloved Franciscan saint and saint for all the world, Francis of Assisi. Plan to celebrate with us!

REGISTRATION FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS: ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH,
CONFIRMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRY
We will have a registration table for all religious education programs after the 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Masses today, and again on Sunday, October 6th. If you have not already registered, please plan to do so that morning. Open House for the elementary grades will be on October 6th, from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM. The teachers welcome you to come and get acquainted that morning.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY
We need a few special people to help form our young people in the faith by co-teaching in the elementary religious education program. No experience is necessary. All materials and techniques will be provided. We promise to hold your hand every step of the way!

SEND A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
Dear President Bush,
As a member of NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, I urge you to abandon your plans for war on Iraq. No matter how much we may abhor the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, there is no evidence that Iraq poses an immediate threat to the United States. This war would not be an act of self defense and could be seen as a criminal act of aggression. Your plans for war face strong opposition. You have no international support. Congress is deeply divided, as is your own Administration. Your administration has not even begun to exhaust the diplomatic and political paths to peace in the region. Our faith compels us to use every possible non-violent means to resolve conflicts. Our membership in the global community mandates that we work in cooperation with other nations seeking lasting peace. Mr. President, war is the gravest of undertakings. Please rethink your position. Thank you

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR THE HEART AND SOLE AIDS WALK AND RUN
ON OCTOBER 5TH
We are including the annual Heart and Sole AIDS Walk and Run at Leadbetter Beach as a part of our St. Francis Days celebration. As you know, St. Francis was the friend of the lepers in his day. In imitation, we are called to be the friend of the outcasts and marginalized in our time. We invite each of you to consider joining TEAM ST. BARBARA as a walker, runner, or as a financial supporter. Contact Anna and John Stump at 560-7614. Let’s recapture our title as the best fundraiser in the churches category!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The Institute for Adult Spirituality meets from 7-9 PM in the Friars Lounge. The series continues on Monday, September 23rd, Monday, September 30, and Monday, October 7th. Call 687-0357.
Parents and families of gay and lesbian Catholics are invited to a support group meeting on Tuesday, September 24th at 7:30 PM. Call 687-4338.
Word and Life Study Fellowship begins its weekly sessions on September 26th from 10:00 AM to Noon, at Holy Cross Church. Please call 967-4013.
The annual Valyermo Fall Festival, an arts and crafts show, takes place on September 28th and 29th. Proceeds benefit the St. Andrew’s Abbey. Please call 661-944-2178 for information and directions.
School of the Americas Watch: Fr. Roy Bourgeois will speak on October 2nd, at 7:00 PM, at the Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Main Library.

OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH
OCTOBER 6TH IS RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY
“A generous society values all human life”
Next weekend, members of the Justice and Peace Committee will provide you with information about a broad range of issues and topics that come under the “Respect Life” banner. Please plan to stop by the display area in front of the church. You will be glad you did!

A MESSAGE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
The Middle East Council of Churches, an umbrella organization of Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches in the region, has issued a moving call to churches in the West to speak out against a U.S. war on Iraq. In their words, a military initiative “lacks justification and has no discernable or constructive goal. It has no support in the region. All that a military offensive will leave behind is ruin and a shattered country. Chaos will ensue. In the meantime, nothing will be done to ameliorate the human suffering that has already scarred and ruined a whole generation of Iraq’s youth, caused the death of thousands of infants, destroyed one of the region’s most productive and creative middle classes, left a wasteland, and a swirling pool of despair and rage.” Network, a Catholic social justice lobby which the parish Justice and Peace Committee has recently joined, urges us to contact our Senators Boxer and Feinstein and Representative Capps through the Capitol switchboard, (202) 225-3121, and give them a simple message: “No war in Iraq. Increase diplomatic and political efforts to build peace.”

THANK YOU ST. BARBARA PARISH
Dear Fr. Vince,
Please thank the people of your parish for their great generosity. “We give by going, they go by giving.”... The Lord will bless them many times over and they will hold a special place in our prayers. Let us pray for each other! Fr. Richard Reese, Missionary Appeal

Dear Friends,
Thank you for your recent gift. Your generosity will help the Franciscan mission in Mozambique...I pray that the Spirit may sustain and guide you creatively in times of change. And, again, I thank you for your generous gift to the Franciscans. Br. John Summers, O.F.M.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The Institute for Adult Spirituality will meet on September 30th. Fr. Dave Heney will speak on sustaining an adult spirituality in the midst of crisis. Please call Kathy at 687-0357 or Chuck at 967-7506.
Marriage Encounter Weekend at the Santa Barbara Mission, Nov. 1-3. Call Felix at (805) 581-1670.

THE JUST-WAR TRADITION
The just-war tradition consists of a body of ethical reflection on the justifiable use of force. In a disordered world, where peaceful resolution sometimes fails, the just-war tradition provides an important moral framework for restraining and regulating the limited use of force by governments. Since the just-war tradition is often misunderstood or selectively applied, the U.S. Bishops have summarized its major components. First and foremost, the just-war tradition begins with a strong presumption against the use of force, and then establishes the conditions when this presumption may be overridden. Whether force may be used is governed by the following criteria: Just Cause: Force may be used only to correct a grave public evil, i.e., aggression or massive violation of the basic rights of whole populations. Comparative Justice: While there may be rights and wrongs on all sides of a conflict, to override the presumption against the use of force, the injustice suffered by one party must significantly outweigh that suffered by another. Legitimate Authority: Only duly constituted public authorities may use deadly force or wage war. Right Intention: Force may be used only in a truly just cause and solely for that purpose. Probability of Success: Arms may not be used in a futile cause or in a case where disproportionate measures are required to achieve success. Proportionality: Overall destruction expected from the use of force must be outweighed by the good to be achieved. Last Resort: Force may be used only after all peaceful alternatives have been seriously tried and exhausted. These criteria, taken as a whole, must be satisfied in order to override the strong presumption against the use of force. The just-war tradition seeks also to curb the violence of war by imposing the following moral standards: Noncombatant Immunity: Civilians may not be the object of direct attack, and due care must be taken to avoid and minimize indirect harm to civilians. Proportionality: Efforts must be made to attain objectives with no more force than is necessary, and to avoid disproportionate collateral damage to civilian life and property. Right Intention: Even in the midst of conflict the aim of political leaders and military leaders must be peace, with justice. Acts of vengeance and indiscriminate violence are forbidden. Moral reflection on the use of force calls for a spirit of moderation rare in contemporary political culture. The increasing violence of our society, its growing insensitivity to the sacredness of all life, and the glorification of the technology of destruction in popular culture could inevitably impair our society’s ability to apply just-war criteria honestly and effectively in times of crisis. Important work needs to be done in order to apply the just-war tradition to the choices facing our decision makers.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY
We need a few special people to help form our young people in the faith by co-teaching in the elementary religious education program. No experience is necessary. All materials and techniques will be provided. We promise to hold your hand every step of the way!

REGISTRATION FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS: ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH, CONFIRMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRY
Mark your calendars! We will have a registration table for all religious education programs after the 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Masses next Sunday, September 29th, and Sunday, October 6th. If you have not already registered, please plan to do so that morning. Open House for the elementary grades will be on October 6th, from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM. The teachers welcome you to come and get acquainted that morning.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR ST. FRANCIS DAYS OCTOBER 3-6
Before you know it, October will be here and we will again celebrate the life and legacy of our most beloved Franciscan saint and saint for all the world, Francis of Assisi. Plan to celebrate with us!