THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This greatest commandment identifies the three dimensions of the human person—heart, mind, and spirit. The commandment first recognizes that we must set our hearts on what is true and good. We are called to set our hearts on nothing less than God. Secondly, this commandment recognizes that we can think about and act on what is true and good. We are called to set our sights on God—to cry when we fail, to sing and dance when we succeed, to be able to start over and over. Thirdly, the commandment recognizes that we are spiritual beings. We are called to experience ourselves in an everlasting, intimate relationship with God. Jesus goes a step further when he speaks of the second commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. This commandment explicitly states that love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor and love of self. The two great commandments taken together describe both the individual Christian and the whole Christian community. We are people who act with love toward one another and all of creation out of love for God.
OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
You can help end domestic violence in Santa Barbara County. Please contact Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County to hear about the many ways you can help. Their mission is to end the intergenerational cycle of domestic violence by providing prevention and intervention services and by challenging society’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to effect social change.
OFFERTORY PROGRAM BEGINS
Next weekend we will begin our annual offertory program that asks everyone to prayerfully reflect on the amount that they give in the Sunday collection. The following questions are provided for your reflection:
Do I need to give, or do I give only when I perceive that there is a need?
Do I understand that there is an obligation to provide regular financial support to my parish?
Where does the parish fit relative to the other ways that I spend my money? Do I give only from what is left over after other priorities are met?
How much do I give my parish on a weekly basis? Is it too much, too little, or just right?
If I am not at the parish for one or more Sundays, do I make up the amount not given?
How much will I give each week in the coming year?
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
If you look up in the Gospels all the passages in which Jesus encounters sick people, you will see Jesus’ great concern for them. Indeed, in the “great commissioning, when Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to “preach the gospel, he says, “These signs will accompany those who believe...they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” It is not surprising, then, that the Church has always shown a particular concern for the sick. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has attempted to rediscover the ancient tradition of the sacrament as an anointing for anyone whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. In addition, the Church encourages us to celebrate the sacrament communally for the betterment of the whole community. A communal anointing will take place at the three Masses on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
¨ High School Students: No AfterMass today. Do stop by our table at the Ministry Fair today. Also, there will be no PAUSE this week.
¨ Confirmation: If you did not attend the Orientation meeting, call Andrew, 682-4713, 118, ASAP!
¨ Junior High Ministry: No AfterMass today. Do stop by our Ministry Fair table today. Also, join us this Tuesday, 6:30-8:00 PM, to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas. Happy Halloween!
¨ LIFT College Ministry: Join us tonight in the Youth Room from 7:00-8:30 PM for our Living in Fellowship Together gathering. Bring a friend!
¨ Young Adult Ministry: Thanks to all who came to our Beach BBQ last Saturday. It was a blast! Stay tuned for upcoming events.
NEW PARISH CENSUS
We ask all parishioners to fill out a new census card if you did not do so during the picture-taking sessions for the new directory. Please pick up a card at the back of the church. You may drop the completed card in the collection or return it to the parish office. Thanks!
OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH
“Because we have been sent into the world as a ‘people for life,’ our proclamation must also become a genuine celebration of the gospel of life...For this to happen, we need first of all, in ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook. Such an outlook arises from faith in the God of life who has created every individual as a ‘wonder.’ It is the outlook of those who see life in its deeper meaning, who grasp its utter gratuitousness, its beauty and its invitation to freedom and responsibility. It is the outlook of those who do not presume to take possession of reality but instead accept it as a gift, discovering in all things the reflection of the Creator, and seeing in every person God’s living image. This attitude does not give in to discouragement when confronted by those who are sick, suffering, outcast or at death’s door. Instead, in all these situations it feels challenged to find meaning, and precisely in these circumstances, it is open to perceiving in the face of every person a call to encounter, dialogue and solidarity. It is time for all of us to adopt this outlook, and with deep religious awe to rediscover the ability to revere and honor every person
FIRST FRUITS BACK TO GOD
October 6th Sunday Offering--$ 8,978.00
Sunday Offering October 13th--$8,575.00
World Mission Sunday Offering--$1,333.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
TAIZE PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS
We will resume our candlelit Taize Prayer Around the Cross liturgy on Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30 PM in the church. You are invited to take thirty minutes out of your busy week to join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM for prayerful contemplation on the mystery of God’s most gracious gift—Jesus Christ. Come away and rest in God. You will be glad you did!
POOR CLARE SISTERS’ FORTY HOURS DEVOTION
Join the sisters for forty hours devotion beginning today, and ending Tuesday morning before Mass. The Chapel will open each day at 6:40 AM. It will close on Sunday at 8:00 PM and on Monday at 5:20 PM.
FEAST OF ALL SOULS: NOVEMBER 2ND
Masses on the Feast of All Souls will be celebrated at 7:30 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and at 10:00 AM at Calvary Cemetery. All Souls Day remembrance envelopes are in the pews today. You are also invited to list the names of your family members and friends who died during this past year in our Book of the Dead located near the Paschal Candle and baptismal font, the symbols of our hope in Christ.

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Today’s Gospel story reminds us that we live in the world, the realm of Caesar, and we must live fully in the world. Yet, we must also give to God, who creates and empowers us, that which belongs to God—our whole selves! One way that we do so is by giving God our time. A very good barometer of the quality time that we give to God is the measure of our prayer life, for it is in prayer that we hear God call us by name (Isaiah). It is in prayer that we can thank God for our companions and remember them (Paul). Prayer helps us to discern the Spirit of God, and gives us the Wisdom of God. Without reflective prayer, we can easily miss the revelation of God in the material and temporal realm of Caesar.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
If you look up in the Gospels all the passages in which Jesus encounters sick people, you will see Jesus’ great concern for them. Indeed, in the “great commissioning, when Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to “preach the gospel, he says, “These signs will accompany those who believe...they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” It is not surprising, then, that the Church has always shown a particular concern for the sick. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has attempted to rediscover the ancient tradition of the sacrament as an anointing for anyone whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. In addition, the Church encourages us to celebrate the sacrament communally for the betterment of the whole community. We are planning a communal anointing for those who are ill at each of the three Masses on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints.
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTR
¨ High School Students: Join us for the AfterMass today from 12:00-1:00 PM. PAUSE meets Thursday from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room.
¨ Confirmation: Youth and Parent orientation meeting TONIGHT, 7-8:30 PM at San Roque Parish Hall. Registration forms are due now.
¨ Junior High Ministry: Join us in the Youth Room today from 1:30-2:30 PM for our weekly AfterMass. Our next Tuesday night meeting is October 29th from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Youth Room. Also, don’t miss the Junior High Ministry Halloween Party being held on Friday, October 25th, from 6:30-9:30 PM in the San Roque Parish Hall.
¨ College-Age Young Adults: Our new Sunday group, LIFT, (“Living in Fellowship Together”), will meet again on October 27th from, 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room. Join us, and bring a friend!
NEW PARISH CENSUS
We ask all parishioners to please fill out a new census card if you did not do so during the picture-taking sessions for the new directory. Please pick up a card at the back of the church. You may drop the completed card in the collection or return it to the parish office. Thanks!
OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH
“Contempt for human life can take many forms. In our technically advanced society, we are tempted to treat life as dispensable when it seems to stand in the way of individual freedom or technical ‘progress.’ Abortion is advanced in the name of freedom, but it undermines freedom by demeaning life itself. Destructive embryo research and human cloning mark a regress in researchers respect for ethical limits, and divert resources away from morally acceptable research avenues. We must inform ourselves about these issues, understand them in light of the Gospel, and respond to them with firm commitment and healing compassion.”
MINISTRY FAIR
Mark you calendars and plan to participate in our Ministry Fair after the Masses NEXT WEEKEND. There are so many opportunities for you to contribute your time and talents to your parish community by serving in one or more of our internal and external ministries. Look for these ministries to be represented at the fair: EDUCATION AND FORMATION: Elementary Religious Education, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Adult Education. COMMUNITY AND HOSPITALITY: Parish Social Events, Sunday Coffee and Social Hour, Childcare during Mass. SERVICE AND OUTREACH MINISTRIES: Detention (Adult and Juvenile) Ministry, Ministry to the Sick and Homebound, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Transition House Homeless Shelter. SPIRITUALITY, PRAYER AND WORSHIP: Altar Linens, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir, Flower Arranging, Usher/Greeters. COMMITTEES: Justice and Peace, Stewardship.
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY “WITNESS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH”
TODAY is “World Mission Sunday” in every Catholic Church in the world. Your gift supports priests, sisters, brothers and lay people who offer God’s healing compassion to refugees, the sick and orphans, who bring the love of Jesus to the poor, and who proclaim the Gospel message of hope and peace that only Christ can give to the poorest of the human family.
FIRST FRUITS BACK TO GOD
Sunday Offering October 13th $7,899.00
Transition House Collection $1,470.40
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
COMMISSIONING OF MINISTERS
In our parish, there are many people ministering to us and to others in the community in many different ways. It is fitting that we recognize and celebrate them. At each Mass on the weekend of October 26 and 27, we will ask God to bless these people with grace and strength in their ministries.
HANDICAPABLES MASS
Join us on Saturday, October 26th at 12:30 PM for Mass followed by lunch. Call Shirley at 967-9985.

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Over and over again in the Gospel of Matthew we are given a warning—even though the reign of God is meant to include us, if we do not shape up and embrace the message of Jesus, we will be dropped from the guest list! God is not obliged to invite us. The invitation is pure graciousness on God’s part. And, who knows how that invitation will appear? It could be in the form of a person with a terminal illness inviting us to a new level of compassion and acceptance. It could be in the form of a displaced person calling us to open our arms to embrace him or her. It could be in the form of a family lost in the travail of homelessness, joblessness, chemical dependency, abuse, or violence. It could be someone within our own family. Who calls you to come to the feast? Do not make excuses, come! And, do not come without that baptismal garment of Christ—forgiveness, respect for life, tenderness, love, mercy, and kindness. If you only pay lip service to the reign of God, you will be thrown out on your ear!
NEW PARISH CENSUS
We ask all parishioners to please fill out a new census card if you did not do so during the picture-taking sessions for the new directory. Please pick up a card at the back of the church. You may drop the completed card in the collection or return it to the parish office. Thanks
OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
You can help end domestic violence in Santa Barbara County. Please contact Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County to hear about the many ways you can help. Their mission is to end the intergenerational cycle of domestic violence by providing prevention and intervention services and by challenging society’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to effect social change.
OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH
“When we treat human lives as disposable commodities, we inflict harms on our human community that no scientific advances can cure. Only by respecting the inherent value of human life, from conception to natural death, can we build a culture worthy of the supreme dignity of human life.”
EMPTY BOWLS LUNCH
You are invited to the “Empty Bowls Lunch” at the Rockwood Women’s Club, on November 3rd, from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM. For a donation of $20.00 or more, you can choose a beautiful handmade bowl, enjoy a simple meal of gourmet soup and bread, and take home the bowl as a reminder of the meal’s purpose to help feed the hungry. All proceeds go to the Foodbank.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
If you look up in the Gospels all the passages in which Jesus encounters sick people, you will see Jesus’ great concern for them. Indeed, in the “great commissioning, when Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to “preach the gospel, he says, “These signs will accompany those who believe...they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” It is not surprising, then, that the Church has always shown a particular concern for the sick. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has attempted to rediscover the ancient tradition of the sacrament as an anointing for anyone whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. In addition, the Church encourages us to celebrate the sacrament communally for the betterment of the whole community. We are planning a communal anointing for those who are ill at each of the three Masses on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints.
FIRST FRUITS BACK TO GOD
September 22nd Sunday Offering --$9,878.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
High School Students: Weekly youth group, PAUSE, meets every Thursday from 7 -8:30 PM in the Youth Room. Our weekly Sunday gathering, “AfterMass,” begins today after the 10:30 AM Mass. Join us!
Confirmation: Youth and Parent orientation meeting on Sunday, October 20th, 7-8:30 PM at San Roque Parish Hall. Registration forms are due now.
Junior High Ministry: Next meeting is Tuesday, October 15th in the Youth Room, 6:30-8:00 PM. Our weekly Sunday gathering, “AfterMass,” begins today after the 12:00 Noon Mass. Be there!
College-Age Young Adults: Our new Sunday group, LIFT, (“Living in Fellowship Together”), begins tonight, 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room. Also, don’t miss our Young Adult Ministry BBQ social (see below for details).
Young Adults: This month we are holding a BBQ social at Shoreline Park on Saturday, October 19th, from 2:00-6:00 PM. The event is free, but if you can, we would appreciate a side dish from you.
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.”
U.S. BISHOPS OPPOSE “PRE-EMPTIVE, UNILATERAL” FORCE AGAINST IRAQ
In a letter to President Bush, signed by Bishop Gregory, the U.S. Bishops stated that “any pre-emptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq cannot be justified at this time.” The U.S. bishops urged him to “step back from the brink of war and help lead the world to act together to fashion an effective global response to Iraq’s threats...” “Given the precedents and risks involved, we find it difficult to justify extending the war on terrorism to Iraq, absent clear and adequate evidence of Iraqi involvement in the attacks of September 11th, or of an imminent attack of a grave nature.” In the letter, Bishop Gregory further stated that the “Catechism of the Catholic Church limits the just-war criterion of ‘just cause’ to ‘cases in which the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations is lasting, grave, and certain.” In addition he said, “decisions of such gravity require compliance with U.S. Constitutional imperatives, broad consensus within our own nation, and some form of international sanction.” He added that war against Iraq could result in “dangerous and unpredictable effects upon Iraqi civilians and Middle East stability, in violation of the just-war criteria of the probability of success and proportionality.” Bishop Gregory urged President Bush to “pursue actively alternatives to war.”
DONATIONS FOR DIAPERS FOR TRANSITION HOUSE
Today, some of our Transition House volunteers will collect money in front of the church to buy diapers for the babies who are staying at the homeless shelter. Please be as generous as possible!
TAIZE PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS
We will resume Taize Prayer Around the Cross on Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30 PM in the church

OCTOBER 6--TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Today’s Gospel is a story about the leaders of God’s chosen people, and it is also a story about us. Indeed, the time of the harvest is near. The work of the reign of God falls upon us. God has given us all of the tools we need to do what God wants. Now, the question is, will we do it? Will we listen to those who speak for God, our modern prophets? The point of the story is not merely running a good vineyard, the wicked tenants did that much. The central issue here is the matter of producing fruit for God. It is easy for us to confuse the issue. What does God want? We can see what God wants by reading the Scripture as a whole. God wants respect for all life, forgiveness, mercy, for the poor to be fed, the sick to be nursed, the lonely to be visited, the imprisoned set free, for us to be generous, for us to love our enemies, and for us to take care of the poor.
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. If you have not already registered, please do so. The elementary teachers welcome you to come and get acquainted this morning. Elementary religious education classes and the Children’s Liturgy of the Word will begin on Sunday, October 6th at 9:15 AM. Registration forms for the elementary education program are available at the parish office.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
If you look up in the Gospels all the passages in which Jesus encounters sick people, you will see Jesus’ great concern for them. Indeed, in the “great commissioning, when Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to “preach the gospel, he says, “These signs will accompany those who believe...they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” It is not surprising, then, that the Church has always shown a particular concern for the sick. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has attempted to rediscover the ancient tradition of the sacrament as an anointing for anyone whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. In addition, the Church encourages us to celebrate the sacrament communally for the betterment of the whole community. We are planning a communal anointing for those who are ill at each of the three Masses on November 1st,
the Feast of All Saints.
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
¨ High School Students: Weekly youth group, PAUSE, meets every Thursday from 7 PM to 8:30 PM in the Youth Room. Join us!
¨ Junior High Ministry: Next meeting is Tuesday, October 15th in the Youth Room, 6:30 –8:00 PM. Be there!
OCTOBER IS RESPECT LIFE MONTH/OCTOBER 6TH IS RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY
“A generous society values all human life”
Toady, 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!
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.”
MINISTRY FAIR
Mark you calendars and plan to participate in our Ministry Fair after the Masses on October 27th. There are so many opportunities for you to contribute your time and talents to your parish community by serving in one or more of our internal and external ministries. Look for these ministries to be represented at the fair: EDUCATION AND FORMATION: Elementary Religious Education, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Adult Education. COMMUNITY AND HOSPITALITY: Parish Social Events, Sunday Coffee and Social Hour, Childcare during Mass. SERVICE AND OUTREACH MINISTRIES: Detention (Adult and Juvenile) Ministry, Ministry to the Sick and Homebound, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Transition House Homeless Shelter. SPIRITUALITY, PRAYER AND WORSHIP: Altar Linens, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir, Flower Arranging, Usher/Greeters. COMMITTEES: Justice and Peace, Stewardship.
U.S. BISHOPS OPPOSE “PRE-EMPTIVE, UNILATERAL” FORCE AGAINST IRAQ
In a letter to President Bush, signed by Bishop Gregory, the U.S. Bishops stated that “any pre-emptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq cannot be justified at this time.” The U.S. bishops urged him to “step back from the brink of war and help lead the world to act together to fashion an effective global response to Iraq’s threats...” “Given the precedents and risks involved, we find it difficult to justify extending the war on terrorism to Iraq, absent clear and adequate evidence of Iraqi involvement in the attacks of September 11th, or of an imminent attack of a grave nature.” In the letter, Bishop Gregory further stated that the “Catechism of the Catholic Church limits the just-war criterion of ‘just cause’ to ‘cases in which the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations is lasting, grave, and certain.” In addition he said, “decisions of such gravity require compliance with U.S. Constitutional imperatives, broad consensus within our own nation, and some form of international sanction.” He added that war against Iraq could result in “dangerous and unpredictable effects upon Iraqi civilians and Middle East stability, in violation of the just-war criteria of the probability of success and proportionality.” Bishop Gregory urged President Bush to “pursue actively alternatives to war.”
DONATIONS FOR DIAPERS FOR TRANSITION HOUSE
On the weekend of October 12-13, some of our Transition House volunteers will collect money in front of the church to buy diapers for the babies who are staying at the homeless shelter. Please be generous!
MINISTRY FAIR
Mark you calendars and plan to participate in our Ministry Fair after the Masses on OCTOBER 27TH. There are so many opportunities for you to contribute your time and talents to your parish community by serving in one or more of our internal and external ministries. Look for these ministries to be represented at the fair: EDUCATION AND FORMATION: Elementary Religious Education, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Adult Education. COMMUNITY AND HOSPITALITY: Parish Social Events, Sunday Coffee and Social Hour, Childcare during Mass. SERVICE AND OUTREACH MINISTRIES: Detention (Adult and Juvenile) Ministry, Ministry to the Sick and Homebound, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Transition House Homeless Shelter. SPIRITUALITY, PRAYER AND WORSHIP: Altar Linens, Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir, Flower Arranging, Usher/Greeters. COMMITTEES: Justice and Peace, Stewardship.
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY "WITNESS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH”
Next Sunday is “World Mission Sunday” in every Catholic Church in the world. Our support of those who serve in the missions will affect the lives and faith of people in every region of the world. Our donations help to call the world’s poorest people to the riches of Christ’s love, Christ’s peace, and Christ’s very life through the sacraments. Please be generous!