SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL
“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful! God does what is still more wonderful—God makes saints out of sinners!” could there be a more appropriate quote to go with today’s feast of Peter and Paul? First, we have Peter, the one chosen by Jesus to head the Church, in spite of his blindness, his stubbornness, and his sinfulness. Then, we have Paul, a persecutor of believers in Jesus. Yet, each of these disciples was radically converted to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, bringing about the Church we know today. That Church has endured more than two thousand years of misconceptions, corruption, saintliness, paradigm shifts, scandals, schisms, and powerful and prophetic words about humanity and social justice—all rising from the witness of two very flawed and wounded healers. Today, we marvel at their transformation and celebrate their commitment to Christ and Christ’s Church. Their victory is evidence that the gates of hell shall not prevail.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CATHOLIC?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a community-based process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church that is guided by the Gospel and the lived example of the community. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office, 682-4151.
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Thank you to all who have contributed so generously to this year’s annual appeal. As you know, all funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help. Please consider making a pledge or donation if you have yet to do so.
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering: June 15, 2003 $11,747.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD THEMES
Building a world of communion and justice is a foreshadowing of , and participation in, the Reign of God. “Communion” describes our relationship with God, others, ourselves, and all of creation; a relationship rooted in the equality, mutuality, and interdependence at the heart of the divine life. “Social Justice: Living at the service of God’s Reign” is another theme that Archdiocesan Synod delegates continue to consider at their final work session this weekend. Please pray that they are rooted in Synod principles: prayer, dialogue, discernment, and decision in the service of the Church in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
ST. CHARLES SINGLES DANCE
An Independence Day Dance for Catholic Singles is being held on Saturday, July 5th from 8:00 pm-1:00 am at St. Charles Social Center, 18030 Moorpark St., North Hollywood. Call Barbara, (818) 994-8907, or Alicia, (818) 892-4460, for more information.
TRAVELING THIS SUMMER?
For nationwide Mass times and locations, call Mass Times (410) 676-6000 or visit www.MassTimes.org
46th ANNUAL ST. JOSEPH’S FESTIVAL
The people of St. Joseph’s Parish warmly invite you to their 46th Annual Church Festival from Friday, July 11th through Sunday, July 13th on the church grounds at Linden Avenue and El Carro Lane in Carpinteria for 3 Big Days of Family Fun...Rides...Games...Tri-Tip...BBQ Chicken...Strawberry Shortcake...Cash Prizes...Raffles...Celebrities...Bingo. It’s a tradition! It’s terrific. It’s a summertime party! Come one, come all!
TRANSITION HOUSE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS
SHELTER ASSISTANT / MANAGER
Time Commitment: Minimum of one evening per month for six months. Opportunities available seven nights a week from 5:30-8:00 PM (especially on weekends)
Responsibilities: Monitor and assist nightly operations of the shelter. Help with various tasks such as making lunches, assisting clients, working with children. Flexibility required.
EVENING CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY LEADER
Time Commitment: Minimum of one evening per week for 3 months. Opportunities available Monday-Friday from 5:30-7:00 PM or 6:15-8:30 PM
Responsibilities: Help plan and implement arts and crafts activities for Transition House children (ages range from toddlers to teens). A great excuse to be a kid again.
PETER’S PENCE COLLECTION TODAY
Today our parish participates in the Peter’s Pence 2003 Collection for the Works of the Holy Father. Each year the Holy Father asks us to help him provide for our neediest brothers and sisters throughout the world—those who suffer due to war, oppression, and natural disasters. Join the Holy Father in this act of justice and kindness. Please pray for the Holly Father and give generously to this special appeal.
13TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CATHOLIC FAMILY CONFERENCE
Come join thousands of fellow faithful Catholics at the Catholic Resource Center’s 13th annual National Catholic Family Conference. For one low price, you and your family will experience reverent liturgy, an outstanding selection of vendors, and an impressive line-up of today’s most inspiring Catholic speakers! This year’s conference promises to be better than ever with more presentations, more choices, and more extras than ever before. Please call (626) 856-0747 or (877) 526-2151 for more information. Registration is available online until July 8th at www.CatholiCRC.org
LA CASA DE MARIA FAMILY RETREATS
From July 6-11, and July 20-25 (4:00 PM Sunday - 1:00 PM Friday) La Casa de Maria presents: Building for Life, Christian Family Retreats. A special kind of family vacation, these five day retreats offer time to come together and build our skills of communication, deepen our appreciation of one another, share with other families, and have tons of fun! Please call (805) 969-5031 for more information, or register online at www.lacasademaria.org
14TH ANNUAL POW WOW AND NATIVE AMERICAN MASS
The Catholic Native American community invites you to attend the 14th annual Pow Wow and Mass at St. Joseph High School in Lakewood (5825 North Woodruff Avenue, south of the 91 Freeway, west of the 605) on Saturday, July 12th (10:00 AM to 10:00 PM) and Sunday, July 13th (10:00 AM to 6:00 PM). Mass will be celebrated in Native American tradition on Sunday at 10:00 AM. Events include Native American dance exhibition and contest, arts and crafts exhibit and booths, Native American food, and health fair. Please join us in experiencing the color and excitement of the Catholic Native American culture and tradition. For Pow Wow information and directions, please call (323) 583-1766.

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
The Feast of the Holy Trinity is a celebration of a great mystery—three persons in one God. Even though it is ultimately beyond our comprehension, we can draw rich insights from our contemplation of the triune God. The mystery of the Trinity indicates that, above all, God is a relationship. While this may seem rather obvious, after all, love is very important to us, we may not truly appreciate our essential connectedness with everyone and everything else that exists. This appreciation, or lack of it, has very serious consequences. It shapes the way we interact with all other people—rich, poor, easy to get along with, not so easy to get along with, known to us personally, or only known of. It also determines our interaction with nature and the environment. The Message of Trinity Sunday is very much about the nature of God, but even more so, it is about all of creation being linked and interdependent. It calls us to focus on the common good rather than competition, and on unity rather than divisiveness. Our glory as human beings is not found in our independence, rather, it is found in our relationships with God, with all of God’s people, and with all of God’s creation.
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Thank you to all who have contributed so generously to this year’s annual appeal. As you know, all funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help. If you have not yet made a pledge or donation, please consider it.
37th ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL
It may sound like a long way off, but it’s right around the corner. We are especially in need of a big crew to set up the food tent on Thursday and take it down after the show on Friday. Please call John Greening, 687-2109, if you can help. Thanks!
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering: June 8, 2003 $10,124.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
NETWORK
St. Barbara Parish is a member of NETWORK, a national Catholic Social Lobby, dedicated to securing local and global economic justice. See our website: click on the Justice and Peace Committee.
ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD THEMES
Baptism and Confirmation give each one a share in the Church’s witness, worship, and service for the good of its mission—the mission of the Word and of the Spirit—for the transformation of the world. Another theme under discussion in the Archdiocesan Synod is “Ministry and Leadership: Lay, Consecrated Life, Ordained.” Please pray for all the delegates as they continue to collaborate with one another, in this privileged moment in the life of the Church in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, to help guide how we as a Church move forward into the future.
SIMON SCANLON WRITING AWARDS
Sponsored by The Way of St. Francis, this writing contest is open to everyone. Submissions should be original essays or feature length articles about Franciscan life, spirituality, history, etc. in our world today ($1000 First Prize, $500 Second Prize, $250, Third Prize). If interested, please call (916)-443-5717, or email ofmcaway@att.net for more information.
JOIN THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE
Enjoy parties? Enjoy meeting people?
If you would like to help at parish social events, come learn about your Hospitality Committee on Saturday, June 21st at 2:00 pm, meeting in the Social Rooms.
ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN!
Parents and families of gay and lesbian Catholics are invited to a support group meeting on Thursday, June 26 at 7:30 pm in Santa Barbara. These meetings are informal and confidential. For more information or directions, please call Kathie and Joe at (805) 687-4338.
SENIOR HIGH YOUTH MINISTRY CONTINUES
We have chosen to keep meeting over the summer and hope that all of you Senior Highers will turn out and maybe even bring some friends. If you’re now finished with eighth grade, you’re welcome too!
Here’s what’s coming up:
-Monday, June 16 - Core Team meets in the youth room from 7:00-8:00 pm to plan upcoming gatherings. All are welcome, please join in!
·Thursday, June 19 - Join us in the Social Rooms for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship!
·Monday, June 23 - Core Team meets in the Youth Room from 7:00-8:00 pm
·Thursday, June 26 - Movie Night in the Youth Room from 7:00-9:30 pm. Call in your suggestions to the Mission Youth Line 682-4713 x118.
ST. VINCENT’S FOOD DRIVE AFTER MASSES JUNE 21-22
Please consider donating non-perishable food items, diapers (sizes 3,4, & 5) and baby wipes for the mothers and their children in our Program of Affordable Transitional Housing and Services (PATHS). Representatives of the St. Vincent Foundation Board will be outside the Mission after Masses next weekend to collect donations and provide additional information regarding the program. We thank you in advance for your contributions to this outstanding service in your community.
22nd ANNUAL PEACE RETREAT
La Casa de Maria and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation invite you to “The Spirituality and Practice of Non-Violence and Peacemaking in a Broken World.” This year’s Peace Retreat will be held at La Casa de Maria, June 29– July 2. Registration is $375 and includes a shared room, board, and tuition (partial scholarships are available, please inquire). Call (805) 969-5031, or register online at www.lacasademaria.org. Register today!
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
Reading I: Ex. 24:3-8; Reading II:
Hebrews 9:11-15; Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
For Mark, the Last Supper consciously recalls the Passover meal that celebrated God’s leading the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt to their own country. In Jesus, a new covenant is formed between God and the people. Jesus uses the Passover symbols of blessing the bread and wine and passing them around. But he goes beyond this to claim the bread as his body and the wine as his blood. As the Letter to the Hebrews explains, Jesus shed his own blood to cleanse us from our sins. We come to worship the living God by heeding and doing everything God has called us to do. In the “blood of the covenant,” a new community is formed. The early Christians celebrated the Eucharist with joy. They anticipated the heavenly banquet they would share with Christ and each other.
Speak of an experience from your life when you were willing to sacrifice for others as Jesus did for us. Identify something that you are not able to sacrifice willingly. Recall a time when you prepared a special meal. What was the occasion? What were your feelings? Imagine not being able to receive the Eucharist. How would this affect you? After celebrating the first Eucharist, Jesus and his friends went our singing songs of praise. In what ways do you like to praise God?

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST
Consider the deep peace of Christ. The shalom of God in Hebrew means more than freedom from anxiety. Shalom is the fullness of God’s blessings, joy, and satisfaction, a life without need. To have the peace of Christ is to have it all. Nothing can interrupt this abundance.
You know you live in the peace of Christ when nothing can harm you. The loss of a job means God has something new to offer you. Loneliness becomes the soil of contemplation, from which new life will come. Illness becomes a means of polishing your soul to brilliant witness. The death of a loved one is a sorrow mixed with the hope of reunion in God’s reign. Compassion becomes natural, forgiveness the first response to injury. You face life in perfect freedom, others with love, and death with confidence.
The peace of Christ comes to us in words that contain a richness of meaning. We can hear these words, “Peace be with you.” like we do most greetings, as a salutation of little impact. Or we can receive these words in real understanding, in full knowledge that Christ is not saying hello, but giving us a gift. The peace of Christ is our environment as Christians, as native to us as the sea is to fish. We live in this peace. We breathe it in and let it out.
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Reading I: Deut. 4:32-34, 39-40; Reading II:
Romans 8:14-17; Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Matthew tells us that the apostles now recognized Jesus in his risen life and they worship him. Jesus drew near to them as he always draws near to humankind. Having formed them as his disciples, he now sends them forth in turn to make disciples of all nations. They are to baptize people in such a way that they will be seen as sons and daughters of God. The trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—describes an experience of the one, true God who creates, liberates, and makes holy. Into this God, a community of persons, we are plunged by our Baptism. How are you answering Jesus’ call to be a disciple? Christ sends us to all peoples. Where do you find yourself too narrow in your approach to people, too limited by your upbringing? Tell of an experience when you felt your life was put together well. Relate an experience of struggling with something you felt was too much for you. How did you resolve it? How has your view about God changed during your lifetime? What caused the change?
PROJECT RACHEL
Have you or someone close to you been wounded by abortion, either recently or in the past? PROJECT RACHEL offers reconciliation with God, yourself and the lost baby. For confidential help, you are invited to call 684-4670.
THANK YOU ST. BARBARA PARISH
Dear parishioners,
Thank you for gracing Notre Dame School with your presence at our Annual Auction. This was the most successful year ever for Notre Dame with this event. We at Notre Dame school are so happy to serve the children of St. Barbara Parish. It bonds you to us and makes our participation in the wider community ever so meaningful. Those of you who attended our Auction brought a vitality and mirth that matched the special occasion. Our Magical Dream was truly realized through the generosity of you, the members of St. Barbara Parish. Not only did you share yourselves, but you were also willing bidders for the wonderful items in the Silent and Live Auctions. I hope that you will continue to think about Notre Dame and its importance in Catholic education in this community. Thank you again for coming to our Auction and for your thoughts, prayers, and support.
Louise T. MacKenzie, Principal
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Thank you to all who have contributed so generously to this year’s annual appeal. As you know, all funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help. If you have not yet made a pledge or donation, please consider it.
37th ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL
It may sound like a long way off, but it’s right around the corner. We are especially in need of a big crew to set up the food tent on Thursday and take it down after the show on Friday. Please call John Greening, 687-2109, if you can help. Thanks!
JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMITTEE NEWS
Our parish Justice and Peace Committee will be sponsoring an informative lecture regarding gay and lesbian issues in the Catholic Church on Sunday, June 8th, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Be sure to save the date! Visit our page on the parish website (www.sbmission.org), we’re under Parish Community-Committees.
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering: June 1, 2003 $10,975.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
ARCHDIOCESAN SYNOD THEMES
In order to be more effective in the Church’s mission, both now and in the decades ahead, clearer focus and more concerted effort must be given to ongoing education and formation throughout every stage of life. On this Pentecost weekend, please pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Archdiocesan Synod process; especially for delegates who continue to reflect, dialogue, and discern another of the themes being considered, “Ongoing Education and Formation: Adults, Young Adults, and Youth,” that will lead to enthusiastic leaders who can motivate the whole Church.
TRANSITION HOUSE VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PICNIC
All cooks, proctors, and parishioners who volunteer at Transition House in any capacity, and their families, are invited to a picnic featuring food, fun, magic, and music at Tucker’s Grove Park on Sunday, June 8, from Noon until 3:00 pm.
THE FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY
On June 13th, we will honor one of our most beloved Franciscan saints, Anthony of Padua. Like all saints, Anthony, the great scholar, preacher, and man of prayer, is a perfect example of faith, hope, and trust in God. He, whom popular devotion has nominated as the finder of lost objects, truly found himself by losing himself totally to the providence of God. Please join us in the church this Friday at 5:30 pm for a festive Mass with blessing and distribution of lilies. A reception will follow. Please Note: 7:30 am Mass will not be held this day.
CENTERING PRAYER WORKSHOP
On Monday, June 16th, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, St. Mary’s Seminary and Fr. Roy Persich, C.M. present an introduction to the Contemplative model of prayer including presentations, opportunities for prayer and sharing of experiences. The day will conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist. Reservations are required, cost is $15 including lunch, a group rate is available. Call (805) 966-4829.
ST. CHARLES SINGLES DANCE
An Independence Day Dance for Catholic Singles is being held on Saturday, July 5th from 8:00 pm-1:00 am at St. Charles Social Center, 18030 Moorpark St., North Hollywood (Corner of Moorpark and Lankershim) Call Barbara, (818) 994-8907, or Alicia, (818) 892-4460, for more information.