THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...

This is similar to the line that is used earlier in Luke’s Gospel to describe what happened to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. What does “opened their minds” mean? Surely, more than an intellectual exercise in understanding. The end of this Sunday’s gospel makes clear what this line means and, indeed, what even the resurrection means: we are to be witnesses of all these things. In the first reading Peter continues to do what Jesus had done in the gospel—he explains the saving death and resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture. Peter thus carries out the mission that Jesus has given to all of us and models for us the witness of true discipleship.

There is a very practical, concrete reality to the resurrection that involves us in those very events. The resurrection is about much more than Jesus’ being raised from the dead. The new order that it establishes means that each of us is to witness to the resurrection by preaching repentance and forgiving sins. To “preach” means, first, that we witness by our very living. This means that if we are to witness to Christ’s resurrection by preaching forgiveness, we ourselves must be forgiving people. If we are to witness to repentance, we must be repenting people. The resurrection, then, makes a difference in our lives. It challenges us to do what is utterly basic to the gospels: repent and forgive.

May we witness by our Christian living that Christ is risen and offers us new life.

May we further God’s saving work by living joyfully our new life.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU!

Are you thinking about returning to actively practicing your faith? If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church, know you are in our prayers. We invite you to explore your faith and your future with the Catholic Church.


CHRISTIAN INITIATION

Eric Friedman and Sascha Fahrbach, our Candidates for reception in the Catholic Church, are in their final phase of preparing to receive their initiation sacraments, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist, on May 21st at our 10:30 AM Mass. We pray for them through this Easter season, that they deepen their understanding of Jesus and incorporate his life and teachings into their own. We eagerly anticipate their reception into full communion with the Catholic Church and invite all to attend a Sacred Garden reception for them and their family and friends immediately following the 10:30 AM Mass.


TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading—Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
The God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 4
Lord, let your face shine on us.

Second Reading—1 John 2:1-5a
The way we may be sure that we know Jesus is to keep his commandments.

Gospel—Luke 24:35-48
Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”



DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

Today, Sunday, is the 160th anniversary of the death of Bishop Diego. The monument over the place where he is buried in the wall of our sanctuary reads, “Here lies the most illustrious and Most Reverend Diego Garcia y Moreno, first bishop of the Diocese of California, who migrated on the day before the first of May, 1846. It is an interesting use of words.

Friar Diego may have thought of himself as a migrant coming from Mexico City to California. He may have even carried some form of identification, but I would guess that he probably considered himself a missionary, coming from a center of culture to the “outback” of California. Is there some way that the folks commonly labeled “migrants” might be seen as missionaries?

On his monument, the friars wrote “migrated” or rather the Latin, migravit instead of the usual word for “died.” It seems they had a vision of our home—the home of all of us, no matter how long our families have lived on this earth—to be elsewhere, and that we were all busy making the best of Ellis Island while we waited for our papers to come through or for our home to accept us. So, is there a point of view from which we can be seen as migrants together?

Following an operation, a patient coming out of the anesthesia heard loud music. When he asked the nurse about the source of the sound, she told him, “Don’t get excited. That’s just St. Peter’s band.” The man replied, “So this is heaven! I made it!” But then the nurse explained that the band from St. Peter High School was playing directly across the street!

In our tradition, prayer, repentance, and almsgiving are the works that lead to “making it.” How might prayer, repentance and alms continue to have a role in all of us, “making it?”

Peace,
Fr. Richard Juzix, O.F.M., Pastor


PARISH CALENDAR

May 6 Sacrament of Confirmation, 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM (at St. Raphael’s Parish)
May 6-7 Cardinal McIntyre Fund Collection
May 7 First Communion at the 10:30 AM Mass


DO YOU KNOW…
Morning Star
(part 2 of 2)

At the very end of the Exsultet, that long and lovely prayer with which we blessed the Easter candle on Easter eve, we heard the priest sing:

May the morning star which never sets find this flame still burning;
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all humanity...

Have you ever been awake early enough to see the morning star? It’s the brightest star of the moment just before dawn. It’s not the sun, but it brightens the sky and brings the dawn, in which the sun rises and sheds light everywhere freely.

The Exsultet here compares Christ, the Son of God, to the morning star, and God the Father to the sun itself. Christ, now risen from the dead, will never die again. Remember how, in the account of The Passion, we heard on Good Friday that the sun was blotted out when Jesus died. Old works of art show the sun covering its face in sorrow and in pain. But God’s love is stronger than death, and so the morning star returns to the night sky, and day begins to dawn.

As we gave thanks and praise to God—the Exsultet is addressed to the first person of the Trinity—we asked to be faithful. We asked that this great candle may keep burning and we kept our all-night vigil on Easter eve. It’s a very poetic way of asking God to help us stay awake and do the Church’s work of baptizing, anointing, breaking, pouring and sharing. And we did it. What a night it was. Light of Christ! Thanks be to God!


SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

On Saturday, May 6th, the following youth from our parish will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Thomas Curry at St. Raphael’s Parish:

Siana Belfiore
Sara Cassano
Anthony Mocny
Nick Venturino

Please pray for our Confirmandi that they may always remain in Christ and be guided by the Holy Spirit.


MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

If someone you know is not able to come to Mass, or would like a minister to take Communion to their home, please call the Parish Office to make arrangements. Also, with the permission of the person who is ill, we are happy to include their name in the Prayer of the Faithful and list it in the bulletin.


LET US PRAY FOR THE SICK

William Beasley
Joan Biasetti
Rose Margaret Braiden
Mary Ann Jenquin
Anne Lano
Diane Parsons
Joyce Patterson

May they find strength and comfort in our prayers.


VILLA MAJELLA OF SANTA BARBARA“Tea by the Sea”

Tea and goodies, Hawaiian vacation raffle & silent auction
Saturday, May 6th, 1:00 PM—4:00 PM
Beautiful beachside garden on Padaro Lane
Adults: $25 / Children: $12
Please call 563-0003 for tickets. Seating is limited.

This is a benefit for the mothers and babies of Villa Majella Maternity Home and Outreach Program


SAY “HELLO” TO OUR NEWEST PARISHIONERS

Ed, Laura, Mary & Jason Kramer
Michael Flores
Kathleen Puskor

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will help you enjoy life with a new closeness to each other and God. The next weekends are May 19-21 and July 21-23. For more information, please call Russ & Jeanine at 648-4244, mail info@wwme-la-north.org or visit their website at www.wwme-la-north.org.

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE

Divorced? Separated? Widowed? The Beginning Experience is a weekend program for those suffering the loss of a loved one. The program is designed to be a time of closure on the past and a new beginning in the present. This bilingual Beginning Experience Weekend will be held from May 19-21 here at the Old Mission. For more information, please call Virginia (967-6550), Shirley (482-2614) or Tim (402-4943).


“GET ON THE BUS”

Get On The Bus 2006 will take more than 500 children from cities throughout the state to visit their mothers in the women’s prisons in Chowchilla, Ventura, Norco and Corona. Please give some prayerful thought as to how you can support Get On The Bus through donations or volunteer service. Please feel free to call Sr. Suzanne Jabro at (213) 637-7456 with any questions you may have.



STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Sunday, April 23rd $9,330.00

Thank you for your continuing generosity. Don’t forget to use your envelopes!



CARDINAL McINTYRE FUND FOR CHARITY

Next weekend we will take up a special collection for the Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity. Each day of the year, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the intentions of those who contribute and participate in the Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity. 100% of your contributions offer emergency assistance to mothers, children and individuals. Your gifts help provide basic necessities such as food and milk for three days, lodging for the night, emergency medical care, rent to tide over a financial crisis, and burial assistance. Envelopes will be provided in the pews. Thank you.

Jesus’ message to us is really very simple. He wants us to…
Love one another…
to help feed those who are hungry…
to give drink to those who are thirsty…
to welcome the stranger…
to comfort the ill… Matthew 25:35-40



DAY OF THE WORKER - MARCH & RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Cardinal Roger Mahony reminds us that it is imperative as a Church to have a presence in solidarity with our migrant brothers and sisters. We are encouraged to attend our work and school, and then join in the following scheduled events:

Sunday, April 30
7:30 PM Prayer Vigil at De La Guerra Plaza
Organized by CLUE
(Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice)

Monday, May 1
10:00 AM Gathering at La Casa de la Raza
Followed by procession down Milpas St. to Cabrillo Blvd. and over to the rally @ Chase Palm Park. Speakers will give testimony about the human experience of refugee status, of being deported, Japanese internment camps, etc.

Monday, May 1
3:00 PM March for Immigrant Rights
March from Ortega Park to Sunken Gardens (at the Courthouse)
Sponsored by The May 1 Coalition

Everyone is encouraged to participate in a peaceful manner.


PREPARE FOR NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Gospel: John 10:11-18

REFLECTION ON NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
Fourth Sunday of Easter

During the Easter season, we look at how Jesus’ Resurrection continues to affect people’s lives. In the first reading from Acts, Peter heals a cripple in the manner and power of Jesus. In John’s Gospel Jesus describes himself as a good shepherd. He knows his sheep by name; he knows their habits and traits. His sheep know him. His love for them is so great that he freely lays down his life for them. People who know each other in the deep way described in this passage share their thoughts, feelings and will. They become one heart and one mind. Each has no life without the other. Jesus and his Father know each other in that way. Now Jesus tells his followers that they, too, have a share in this depth and intimacy.

Life Focus

- Describe a fearful or hurting situation when someone was there for you.

- Have you allowed the people in your life to come to know you, as Jesus knows his sheep? What gets in the way?

- Reflect on a life situation in which God may have been trying to get a message through to you.

TRAVELING? DON’T FORGET TO GO TO MASS!

For nationwide Mass times and locations, please visit www.MassTimes.org.

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday living we can lose sight of where we are in the liturgical year. Even this wonderful Easter festival can grow dim after we’ve eaten the last of the Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies. The challenge of the Easter season is to proclaim that Jesus is alive even long after Easter Sunday, because the resurrection really has ushered in a whole new order of living. The new way of living to which the resurrection calls us is radically relational and communal.

The fifty-day celebration of resurrection calls forth from us great joy and jubilation. It also challenges us to become aware of God’s living presence in our lives in new ways. It challenges our faith to move beyond belief in a long-ago historical event to a faith enlivened by an experience of that living presence today. It challenges us to hope in our own resurrection such that God’s living presence in us becomes a source of consolation and hope and forgiveness and peace and love for all those we meet in our everyday living. It challenges us to increase our charity so that others may be less burdened and more able to experience for themselves God’s living presence. Most of all, Easter challenges us to live as Jesus did—surrender ourselves to God’s will and by so doing we ourselves are surprised by the new life to which God raises us even now. Alleluia!

May we faithfully witness to the resurrection through living in joy and faith.

May we be of one heart and one mind, with charity toward all.


THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU!

Are you thinking about returning to actively practicing your faith? If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church, know you are in our prayers. We invite you to explore your faith and your future with the Catholic Church.


CHRISTIAN INITIATION

Eric Friedman and Sascha Fahrbach, our Candidates for reception in the Catholic Church, are in their final phase of preparing to receive their initiation sacraments, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist, on May 21st at our 10:30 AM Mass. We pray for them through this Easter season, that they deepen their understanding of Jesus and incorporate his life and teachings into their own. We eagerly anticipate their reception into full communion with the Catholic Church and invite all to attend a Sacred Garden reception for them and their family and friends immediately following the 10:30 AM Mass.


TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading—Acts 4:32-35
The community of believers was of one heart and one mind.

Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 118
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Second Reading—1 John 5:1-6
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God.

Gospel—John 20:19-31
The risen Christ comes to his disciples with peace and the Spirit.



DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

Monday, May 1st is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. The Church, including our archdiocese has given much energy to help enact immigration reform that is just and humane. St. Joseph worked as a carpenter to support Mary and Jesus, and most likely taught Jesus the same trade. Both of them helped sanctify and dignify human labor. Immigrant peoples living in the United States come from every continent on the earth. The majority are hard-working, conscientious and dedicated workers and students. Many are undocumented, and are anxious to regularize their status in order to contribute to building up our communities for the good of all our citizens.

I’d suggest that on Monday, May 1st we all do some praying and some story-telling—at work during breaks and at home, too. Share family histories, how and when our own parents, grandparents, etc., came to this country (Henri Juzix came to San Francisco before 1800 as a wine importer…no comment!) Personal stories are very powerful. There has to be a way to provide secure borders, methods to achieve permanent residency, labor protections for wages and benefits for everyone, and to allow mobility between the U.S. and homelands and within the U.S.

Here is a prayer for the workplace:

Blessed be God, who has begun a good work in us.
Blessed be the name of the Lord. Now and for ever!
Jesus showed us the dignity of labor.
He was known as the carpenter’s son,
and he willingly worked with the tools of his trade.
Through the labor of our hands, we bring God’s
blessing upon ourselves and others. Let us pray
for all who will work here and for those who will
share the fruit of their labor. Amen.

In addition, there is more than you could imagine on the Church’s website at www.justiceforimmigrants.com including information and suggestions for thought and conversation with friends and children.

This weekend I’m off playing hooky in our friary in Sacramento. My prayers are with you. Again, our thanks to all who helped to make Holy Week and Easter such a wonderful celebration of our life together in the risen Christ.

Peace and all Good,
Fr. Richard Juzix, O.F.M, Pastor


PARISH CALENDAR

April 25 Baptism Class at 6:30 PM
April 25 Pastoral Council Meeting at 7:00 PM
April 30 Baptisms at the 10:30 AM Mass


DO YOU KNOW…Divided but Undimmed

On Easter eve, when we gave thanks and praise to God for the large Easter candle that continues to shine in this most happy season of Easter, we heard the minister sing in that long and beautiful prayer called the Exsultet:

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows
to the honor of God.

Just before the prayer began, we shared the light of the candle, each to each, among all who are baptized. Whenever we share the flame of a candle, one to another, the flame is divided among us. Now usually when we divide something up, it means that what was once a large portion is now several smaller individual portions. But notice what happens with the flame. It does get divided into many individual flames, but the overall effect, the light, actually grows and is brighter. The whole church was lit up on Easter eve just by the light of candles! (And so was the room!)

This is how it is with Christ. This is how it is with the Eucharist. We break the bread that is Christ’s body. We pour out into cups the wine that is Christ’s blood. What was one loaf becomes many pieces. What was one cup becomes many sips. But the overall effect, the mystical body of Christ, this assembly, this church, actually grows stronger, bigger, more loving. Light of Christ! Thanks be to God!


MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

If someone you know is not able to come to Mass, or would like a minister to take Communion to their home, please call the Parish Office to make arrangements. Also, with the permission of the person who is ill, we are happy to include their name in the Prayer of the Faithful and list it in the bulletin.


LET US PRAY FOR THE SICK

William Beasley
Joan Biasetti
Rose Margaret Braiden
Mary Ann Jenquin
Anne Lano
Diane Parsons
Joyce Patterson

May they find strength and comfort in our prayers


TRANSITION HOUSE FAMILY PICNIC

Everyone who helps prepare dinner, fixes brown bag lunches or volunteers in any other at Transition House is invited, along with their families, to enjoy food, fun and music at the Transition House annual picnic on Sunday, May 7th, from 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM at Oak Park, Area 1. Please RSVP to Xochitl (Sochee) Ortiz at 966-9668, x115, by April 30th. Please try to make the picnic. Transition House staff really wants to express their appreciation to you for all your help.


TENOR AND BASS CHORAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The Music Ministry of St. Barbara Parish is currently seeking experienced singers for paid choral positions. Auditions are being held for Tenor and Bass Choral Scholars. Qualified applicants should possess strong musical skills, vocal training, and be available for weekly rehearsals, Sunday Masses and major feast and holy days. For more information and to schedule an audition, please contact Roy Spicer, Director of Music, 682-4713 ext 144.

VILLA MAJELLA OF SANTA BARBARA
“Tea by the Sea”

Tea and goodies, Hawaiian vacation raffle & silent auction
Saturday, May 6th, 1:00 PM—4:00 PM
Beautiful beachside garden on Padaro Lane
Adults: $25 / Children: $12
Please call 563-0003 for tickets. Seating is limited.

This is a benefit for the mothers and babies of Villa Majella Maternity Home and Outreach Program

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will help you enjoy life with a new closeness to each other and God. The next weekends are May 19-21 and July 21-23. For more information, please call Russ & Jeanine at 648-4244, mail info@wwme-la-north.org or visit their website at www.wwme-la-north.org.



BEGINNING EXPERIENCE

Divorced? Separated? Widowed? The Beginning Experience is a weekend program for those suffering the loss of a loved one. The program is designed to be a time of closure on the past and a new beginning in the present. This bilingual Beginning Experience Weekend will be held from May 19-21 here at the Old Mission. For more information, please call Virginia (967-6550), Shirley (482-2614) or Tim (402-4943).


MISSION WINE FOR SALE

Santa Barbara Mission private label wine (syrah and chardonnay) is now available for purchase in the Serra Gift Shop. Also for sale are Mission wine glasses and wine bottle covers.


”GET ON THE BUS”

Get On The Bus 2006 will take more than 500 children from cities throughout the state to visit their mothers in the women’s prisons in Chowchilla, Ventura, Norco and Corona. Please give some prayerful thought as to how you can support Get On The Bus through donations or volunteer service. Please feel free to call Sr. Suzanne Jabro at (213) 637-7456 with any questions you may have.


STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Easter Sunday $20,466.00

Thank you for your continuing generosity.
Don’t forget to use your envelopes!



TOGETHER IN MISSION ANNUAL APPEAL

“Together in Mission” will provide financial support to the 32 parishes and 46 schools most in need within the Archdiocese this year. Many thanks to those who have already responded with donations or pledges. Our parish goal for this this year’s appeal is $56,042 of which $31,377 has been collected—$24,665 more to go! If you have not yet made a donation or pledge, please prayerfully consider doing so. For your convenience, pledge cards are available on the table in the back of the church. Thank you for your generosity.


PREPARE FOR NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY

First Reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4
Second Reading: 1 John 2:1-5
Gospel: Luke 24:35-48



REFLECTION ON NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY OF THE WORD THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

In today’s gospel, Jesus appears among the disciples. Even though they have heard that he appeared to Simon and to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they think he is a ghost. At Jesus’ invitation to touch him, to look at his wounds, they are filled with joy, but they do not completely believe. Only his eating in their presence convinces them that he is indeed the risen Lord. As he had done on the road, he opens their minds to the Scriptures. After he has done this, he sends them to share the Good News with others.

Life Focus

- Speak of your life as a mixture of belief and lack of faith at the same time.

- Relate an experience that brought peace to your life in the middle of difficulties.

- Who do you know who lives and acts as if Christ is truly alive? How does this person affect you?


TRAVELING? DON’T FORGET TO GO TO MASS!

For nationwide Mass times and locations, please visit www.MassTimes.org

EASTER SUNDAY THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

The various characters in today’s gospel are models for us and for anyone searching in faith, trying to make sense and understand what they see or do not see. Faith is, like Mary Magdalene, seeking contact with God even though a situation might appear hopeless. When Mary gets to the tomb, she is surprised by what she does not see. She expected one thing and saw and experienced another. She did not understand and went back to the community of disciples to help her understand. This is an important step for Mary and for any who attempt to make sense of where God is present and how we can be in touch with God.

Seeing is a constant metaphor in the gospels for coming to faith. But mere seeing with one’s eyes is not enough. One has to be open to the possibility of seeing things that are utterly unexpected and that make very little or no sense, especially when seen with the same old lenses. The seeing has to be open to the presence of God in new and totally unexpected ways. People have found God in the birth of a child, in a letter received from a prisoner on death row, in soup kitchens and while waiting on bus lines, in the beauty of a sunset, or in a flowering meadow.

How open are we to trying on new lenses, to seeing in ways we have not experienced before? This is the demand of faith, the stance that will open us to possibilities not even yet imagined. This is what will open us to experiencing Jesus resurrected, Jesus intimately with us, Jesus present in ways we never expected.

May we enjoy salvation and newness of life through receiving God’s abundant grace.

May we celebrate Easter joy with the freshness of new life, knowing full well that we must die to self.


TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading—Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Peter is an eyewitness: The Lord is risen.

Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 118
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

Second Reading—Colossians 3:1-4
Christ our Passover is sacrificed; therefore let us celebrate.

Gospel—John 20:1-9
Three witnesses, Mary, Peter and John; each responds to the empty tomb.



DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

A blessed Easter to you all. Our thanks to all who helped prepare the liturgies of this week, to all who decorated the Mission Church, to all who shared in ministering during the week, and to all who came together as the Church at prayer.

There is a story about a fifth-grade class planning to perform an Easter pageant for the parish. Each boy and girl had an assigned part. Students took the roles of Salome, Mary Magdalene and the other women at the cross, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, the sons of Zebedee, Peter and the beloved disciple and the Roman guards. Johnny, who was a highly-energized kid to say the least, wanted the part of the stone that rolls in front of the tomb. Johnny would roll himself up into a ball and become the stone. At the final performance, the teacher, feeling sorry for Johnny, asked if maybe he wanted to play the role of Nicodemus and get to wear a costume. The boy playing Nicodemus could be the stone that night. But Johnny would have none of it. “Besides Jesus, the stone is the most important part,” Johnny said. “If the stone doesn’t roll away, then nobody can get into the tomb and see that it’s empty!”

What wisdom comes out of the mouths of our children. Johnny understood that the stone wasn’t rolled away for the person inside the tomb (Jesus), but for the benefit of those outside the tomb (us). The stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out, but to let us all in.

This Easter, I pray that God roll away the stones that keep us from entering more fully into Christ and the mystery of God’s loving.

Peace and all Good,
Fr. Richard Juzix, O.F.M., Pastor


PARISH CALENDAR

April 25 Baptism Class at 6:30 PM
April 25 Pastoral Council Meeting at 7:00 PM
April 30 Baptisms at the 10:30 AM Mass


DO YOU KNOW…The Pillar of Fire

What is this great paschal candle that stands in our midst, that during the Fifty Days of Easter seems always to be burning, never to go out?

It is the pillar of fire by which God led the children of Israel from slavery to freedom, through the dusty desert to the land flowing with milk and honey. Behind it, we marched freed from sin from the gloom of exile back into our church’s house on Easter’s eve. With it, we led those chosen for the sacraments of new life to the font of baptism that is both tomb and womb.

It is the holy sign of Christ our Light. (Thanks be to God!) On it, we traced the sign of Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega. Into it, we pressed five jewels that are the wounds of divine hands and feet and side. For it, we sang our song of consecration and praise: “Accept, O God, this Easter candle. Let it shine with the lights of heaven and bravely burn forever!” From it, we take our own light, a flame divided but undimmed. All who are baptized walk in its glow.

For fifty days it shines gloriously in the assembly of the church. Then, held in a place of honor near the font, it is brought out and lit for every evening sacrifice of praise, for every baptism and every funeral, every birth and every birth unto eternal life. And as the days and seasons turn, slowly this pillar of finest wax and strongest wick is consumed, burned down, eaten up by fire, sacrificed—like Christ himself—and never truly extinguished. And so it measures our days and seasons until it is Easter again, until once more we sing in the light of a new paschal candle: “May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning: Christ the Morning Star, who came back from the dead and shed his peaceful light on all people.” Thanks be to God!


THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU!

Are you thinking about returning to actively practicing your faith? If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church, know you are in our prayers. We invite you to explore your faith and your future with the Catholic Church.

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. Adults learn about the Catholic tradition and prepare for the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the Parish Office.


MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

If someone you know is not able to come to Mass, or would like a minister to take Communion to their home, please call the Parish Office to make arrangements. Also, with the permission of the person who is ill, we are happy to include their name in the Prayer of the Faithful and list it in the bulletin.


LET US PRAY FOR THE SICK

William Beasley
Joan Biasetti
Rose Margaret Braiden
Mary Ann Jenquin
Anne Lano
Diane Parsons
Joyce Patterson

May they find strength and comfort in our prayers



VILLA MAJELLA OF SANTA BARBARA“Tea by the Sea”

Tea and goodies, Hawaiian vacation raffle & silent auction
Saturday, May 6th, 1:00 PM—4:00 PM
Beautiful beachside garden on Padaro Lane
Adults: $25 / Children: $12
Please call 563-0003 for tickets. Seating is limited.

This is a benefit for the mothers and babies of Villa Majella Maternity Home and Outreach Program.


MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER

Celebrate Easter in a special way this year. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will help you enjoy life with a new closeness to each other and God. You DESERVE a Marriage Encounter Weekend! The next weekends are May 19-21 and July 21-23. For more information, please call Russ & Jeanine at 648-4244, mail info@wwme-la-north.org or visit their website at www.wwme-la-north.org.



TRANSITION HOUSE FAMILY PICNIC

Everyone who helps prepare dinner, fixes brown bag lunches or volunteers in any other at Transition House is invited, along with their families, to enjoy food, fun and music at the Transition House annual picnic on Sunday, May 7th, from 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM at Oak Park, Area 1. Please RSVP to Xochitl (Sochee) Ortiz at 966-9668, x115, by April 30th. Please try to make the picnic.Transition House staff really wants to express their appreciation to you for all your help.


BEGINNING EXPERIENCE

Divorced? Separated? Widowed? The Beginning Experience is a weekend program for those suffering the loss of a loved one. The program is designed to be a time of closure on the past and a new beginning in the present. This bilingual Beginning Experience Weekend will be held from May 19-21 here at the Old Mission. For more information, please call Virginia (967-6550), Shirley (482-2614) or Tim (402-4943).


STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Sunday, April 9th $12,151.00

Thank you for your continuing generosity.
Don’t forget to use your envelopes!


PREPARE FOR NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second Reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel: John 20:19-31



REFLECTION ON NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY OF THE WORD SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Thomas, who was absent when Jesus first appeared to the apostles in the locked upper room, refused to believe that the Lord had risen. Now, Jesus speaks to Thomas and tells him, “Examine my hands, put your finger into the wound in my side, do not persist in your unbelief but believe.” Thomas moves from unbelief to belief. Thomas saw and believed and new life was given to him. We who have not seen and have believed have also been given new life by God. The Spirit’s presence within those who believe testifies that Jesus is the Son of God.

LIFE FOCUS

- Relate an experience when you requested proof of something that you should not have doubted.

- When has Jesus come to you “through locked doors” and you tried not to let him in?

- Describe an unexpected experience in your life that made you more aware of God’s presence.


GETTING IN THE PARISH BULLETIN

For Parish announcements, call Laura in the Parish Office (682-4151). Please contact Mission Publishing at (888) 253-4358 for business ads.

TRAVELING? DON’F FORGET TO GO TO MASS!

For nationwide Mass times and locations, please visit www.MassTimes.org.

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

The incredible contrast in moods between the two gospels proclaimed in this Sunday’s liturgy capture well the broad dynamic of the paschal mystery. The triumph with which we begin this Sunday is the triumph we celebrate next Sunday: the glory of the Lord shining forth for all to see and share. Sandwiched in between is the scandal and ignominy of the cross. What seemed to end in utter failure rises in complete glory. We all want a glorious share in Christ’s triumphant victory over sin and death. But we don’t want the cross. We want resurrection. But not the dying.

It can’t be. Christ showed us by his own way of living and by his ministry that the only way to share in his glory is to die to self by becoming servants and disciples following him to the cross. The only way to enjoy the passionate glory of risen life is to suffer the risk of dying. All of this is something that takes place more than just this once a year. It is the everyday of our ordinary human living, when we choose to respond to another instead of ignoring him or her, having patience rather than snapping, talking things through rather than staying angry. The paschal mystery unfolds in the little things in life that we turn into big ways to say yes to the Christ in others. This is how we get to know Jesus—by living as he did, by embracing the dying so we rise with him to new life.

May we celebrate this Holy Week with a passion for love and mercy.

May we greet the Lord this week with joyful hearts and grateful spirits, always willing to die to self for the good of others.


TODAY’S READINGS

Gospel at the Procession with Palms
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

First Reading—Isaiah 50:4-7
In spite of my sufferings I am not disgraced. I am not put to shame.

Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Second Reading—Philippians 2:6-11
Christ emptied himself, and God filled this emptiness with exaltation.

Gospel—Mark 14:1-15:47
The account of Christ’s passion according to Mark.


DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

Scripture scholars tell us that accounts of Jesus’ suffering and death were written and circulated very early, before the gospels were written. Mark’s gospel prepares for the passion narrative with three passion predictions. There Jesus focuses on teaching his disciples that true discipleship is not defined by power, glory and prestige. To the contrary, real discipleship is following in the steps of the Master who walks the way of service, no matter the cost. The disciples do not fully understand the meaning of Jesus’ teaching which is unfolded in the passion in words and images. For Mark, the only way that leads to the fullness of life is the way of the cross.

Mark’s gospel insists on the radical dimension of the incarnation. Jesus is fully human to the extent that his divinity does not interfere with his engaging fully in the confusion, pain and brutality of these final days and the deeply painful rejection he will experience. Fear, agitation and grief will be the emotions he carries into the garden of olives as he prays. His words on the cross express his feeling of being totally abandoned by God in this final moment of need. Yet, even though Jesus feels that God has abandoned him at this crucial moment, still he does not abandon God. Jesus’ final words are a prayer, a psalm addressed to God. Jesus remains faithful to the very end. Irony of ironies, the only one to recognize and confess at the moment of Jesus’ death that he truly was God’s Son is Longinus, an outsider, a gentile Roman centurion who was paid to be at the cross.

We know that God did not abandon Jesus on the cross and that death was not the final event. Mark knows all this very well. The point, however, seems to be that Jesus did not short-circuit the process through his divinity, making him a model we can, and indeed, must follow, trusting that God will turn the mud of our lives into something precious.

Peace and all Good,
Fr. Richard Juzix, O.F.M., Pastor


PARISH CALENDAR

April 11 Communal Reconciliation, 7:00 PM in the Church
April 25 Baptism Class at 6:30 PM
April 30 Baptisms at the 10:30 AM Mass


THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU!

Are you thinking about returning to actively practicing your faith? If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church, know you are in our prayers. We invite you to explore your faith and your future with the Catholic Church.

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. Adults learn about the Catholic tradition and prepare for the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the Parish Office.


DO YOU KNOW…
Palm Sunday

Because there are four gospels, there are four accounts of the passion of the Lord. John’s account is proclaimed every year on Good Friday. Today, the final Sunday of Lent, we hear one of the other three accounts. The vestments this day are red, just as they are on Good Friday.

Most people call today Palm Sunday. It is a day of marching in procession. The gospels tell us that the people waved branches to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem. So today we too wave branches. The forty days of Lent have been a time to travel in spirit to the holy city of Jerusalem. Today we enter the city.

Any kind of branch can be used in the processions today. Olive branches are traditional because, every since Noah’s flood, they have been symbols of peace and forgiveness. In cooler climates, forsythia bushes (which are related to olives) come into bloom during this season. In most churches, palm branches are blessed and waved today. The Gospel of John mentions them specifically.

In the Middle East, date palm trees grow in the incredible heat. In fact, they need several months of very high temperatures (100 degrees or more) to produce their sweet fruit. In warm climates people plant palms in cemeteries as a sign that life is stronger than death. For the same reason, people in northern countries plant pussy willows and evergreens. Then they cut branches from these plants for the Palm Sunday procession.

In our country, most churches buy palms from florists. But there are places where people gather their own home-grown branches to bring to church. No matter where the palms and branches come from, they are all signs of life and resurrection. This Sunday is the last Sunday before the Paschal Triduum, our Passover festival. The branches help us to welcome the Passover.


LENT – THE HOLY SEASON OF RENEWAL

“Each year, you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed. You give us a spirit of loving reverence for you, our God, and of willing service to our neighbor.”


LENTEN OBSERVANCES

Good Friday is a day of Fast and Abstinence. All Catholics 14 years of age and older abstain from meat, and all Catholics 18 to 59 years of age eat sacrificially on these days.


EASTER PURIFICATION and ENLIGHTENMENT
Communal Reconciliation

Tuesday, April 11
7:00 PM in the Church


THE SACRED THREE DAYS - THE TRIDUUM

HOLY THURSDAY—APRIL 13

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
7:00 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper

GOOD FRIDAY—APRIL 14

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
12:00 Noon Outdoor Stations of the Cross
3:00 PM Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion

HOLY SATURDAY—APRIL 15

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
(No 4:00 PM Mass)
8:00 PM Glorious Easter Vigil

EASTER SUNDAY—APRIL 16

Masses of the Lord’s Resurrection
7:30 AM · 9:00 AM · 10:30 AM · 12:00 Noon


PRAYING THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

The Stations of the Cross are prayed each Friday during Lent at 12:00 Noon. Join us as we recall and meditate on Jesus’ journey from his condemnation to his burial in the tomb. On Good Friday, we will walk the Stations of the Cross outside, in front of the church (weather permitting).


CATHOLIC CHARITIES LENTEN FOOD DRIVE

As we continue the season of Lent—a time of fasting, almsgiving and praying—we ask everyone to join in our Catholic Charities Lenten food drive. Especially needed during this time are canned meats that give families needed nutrients. Each parish family is encouraged to bring canned food on Sundays during Lent. We remember our call to provide for those who are lacking the basics, acknowledging our relationship as sisters and brothers in Christ and the image of Christ found among all.


MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

If someone you know is not able to come to Mass, or would like a minister to take Communion to their home, please call the Parish Office to make arrangements. Also, with the permission of the person who is ill, we are happy to include their name in the Prayer of the Faithful and list it in the bulletin.


LET US PRAY FOR THE SICK

Joan Biasetti
Rose Margaret Braiden
Mary Ann Jenquin
Zoe Kazali
Anne Lano
Diane Parsons
Joyce Patterson

May they find strength and comfort in our prayers.


SAY “HELLO” TO OUR NEWEST PARISHIONERS

Jules, Marion & Natalia Kaupas
Edward Keller & Valery Rivera-Keller
Michael, Teresa & Maria Schneider


STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Sunday, April 2nd $7,756.00

Thank you for your continuing generosity.
Don’t forget to use your envelopes!


GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION FOR THE HOLY PLACES

Your help is needed now, as in the days of Saint Francis, to protect the Holy Places of the Holy Land. Even more important, your help is needed to protect the Holy Name of Our Lord in this troubled land which He chose for His birth, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

That is why Franciscan Missioners in the Holy Land minister—in Christ’s name—to the people there. The Holy Land Franciscans protect more than the stones of ancient shrines from the ravages of time or armies or tourists. They express the very idea of what it means to follow Christ, just as we do.

Your donation will give life to some and hope to others, lighting candles of faith in darkened shrines and lives. At this sacred time of year, please give generously to the annual Collection for the Shrines (and people) of the Holy Land. A special collection will take place on Good Friday.



TOGETHER IN MISSION ANNUAL APPEAL

“Together in Mission” will provide financial support to the 32 parishes and 46 schools most in need within the Archdiocese this year. Many thanks to those who have already responded with donations or pledges. Our parish goal for this this year’s appeal is $56,042 of which $30,847 has been collected—we’re more than half way there! If you have not yet made a donation or pledge, please prayerfully consider doing so. For your convenience, pledge cards are available on the table in the back of the church. Thank you for your generosity.


ATTENTION EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS & LECTORS

A new Ministry Schedule for April 1—May 31 is now available. Please pick up your copy in the Sacristy, the Parish Office or the Porter’s Office. Also in the Sacristy are schedules for Eucharistic Ministers sign up to serve on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday (the Easter Vigil) and Easter Sunday. Thank you!



TENOR AND BASS CHORAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The Music Ministry of St. Barbara Parish is currently seeking experienced singers
for paid choral positions. Auditions are being held for Tenor and Bass Choral Scholars. Qualified applicants should possess strong musical skills, vocal training, and be available for weekly rehearsals, Sunday Masses and major feast and holy days. For more information and to schedule an audition, please contact Roy Spicer, Director of Music, 682-4713 ext 144.




USHERS…PLEASE TAKE NOTE

We need your help at the Easter Masses, the most-attended Masses of the year! Sign-up sheets can be found by the ushers’ closet. Please sign up today.



PREPARE FOR NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY


First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel: John 20:1-9



REFLECTION ON NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY OF THE WORD
EASTER SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S RESURRECTION
All the gospels agree that women were the first to come to the tomb. Mary Magdalene is always mentioned among them. The scene symbolizes a new creation brought about by the Resurrection of the Light of the world. The darkness suggests the darkness that covered the abyss before light first appeared. When Mary Magdalene sees the stone removed from the entrance, she runs to the disciples with the news that “the Lord has been taken from the tomb!” She saw him die a few days ago, and that prevents her from drawing any other conclusion. The two disciples run side by side to the tomb. Peter sees the burial cloth and the cloth that covered Jesus’ head, but he doesn’t know how to interpret what he sees. The other disciple, the one Jesus loved, is the first to understand the significance of the empty tomb: “The Lord has risen.” For John, all those who came to believe would be loved by Jesus and would love in return.

LIFE FOCUS

- When has the funeral or wake of a friend or relative had an impact on your life?

- When have you blamed someone and found you had wrongly accused that person?

- Have you seen a sign-a hint of the Resurrection-in your life? In your family? In the world?

- Relate a time when you had a barrier in your faith life removed.


GETTING IN THE PARISH BULLETIN

For Parish announcements, call Laura in the Parish Office (682-4151). Please contact Mission Publishing at (888) 253-4358 for business ads.


TRAVELING? DON’T FORGET TO GO TO MISS!

For nationwide Mass times and locations, please visit www.MassTimes.org.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Jesus reminds us of the coming events of a Last Supper with his disciples, the trial, passion, death, and resurrection. “The hour has come.” Was the prospect of suffering and dying easy for Jesus? Apparently not: “I am troubled now.” He is not swerved from the purpose for which he came (to reconcile us to his Father). As the second reading tells us, “he learned obedience from what he suffered. The key image in John’s gospel is that of Jesus being “lifted up from the earth.” On the one hand, this means his being physically lifted up on the cross. It also means lifted up in exaltation because, in John, the cross is exaltation; cross and exaltation can never be separated.

By our baptism we have the new covenantal relationship with God written upon our hearts. Baptism is the sign of our being drawn to Jesus so that we, too, might be lifted up and glorified with him. Like Jesus, we must learn obedience through suffering, that is, by dying to self which often takes the form of following Jesus in service of others. These are no mere words. They demand of us a life very much different from that which the media teaches us about happiness. Dying to self means that we live counter-culturally—not for ourselves and our own gain, but for the happiness and salvation of others.

If we take living the paschal mystery seriously, we must die to ourselves. The door opening onto life is death to self. Our own glorification is the fruit of obedience learned through service. We must follow Jesus to the cross. And Glory.


TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading—Jeremiah 31:31-34
I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.

Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 51
Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Second Reading—Hebrews 5:7-9
Christ became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Gospel—John 12:20-33
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.


DEAR PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS,

Today is the last Sunday of Lent. Next Sunday we once again enter into the holiest week of the liturgical year beginning on Sunday—Passion (Palm) Sunday. The blessing of the palms and the solemn procession will take place at the 4:00 PM Mass. Blessed palms will be distributed at all of the Masses.

On Tuesday of Holy Week our communal Lenten Reconciliation liturgy will be held in the church at 7:00 PM. We are truly blessed to have this opportunity to come together as a community of faith to be reconciled with God and one another as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s victorious death and glorious resurrection. Please plan to join us.

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the very heart of the liturgical year—the Sacred Three Days—during which the Church celebrates the great mysteries of human redemption. This period (Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday Evening Prayer) is rightly named the “Triduum of Christ crucified, buried and risen.”

Elsewhere in the bulletin you will find the schedule for Holy Week. We invite you to celebrate these liturgies of Christ’s Passover with us. For what we celebrate are not the historical moments of Christ’s life but rather, we celebrate Christ’s saving mystery in which each one of us, the baptized, participates.

Finally, please note that we will not have separate Masses in the Serra Chapel on Easter Sunday. Plan to arrive at church early so that you will get a seat. For those people we are not able to accommodate, we will have a listing of the Mass times at the other Catholic churches.

May your Lenten practices continue to bear fruit.

Love,
Pat


PARISH CALENDAR

April 4 Pastoral Council Meeting at 7:00 PM
April 4 Taizé Prayer Around the Cross, 6:30 PM
April 7 Stations of the Cross at 12:00 Noon
April 9 Palm Sunday
April 11 Communal Reconciliation, 7:00 PM
April 25 Baptism Class at 6:30 PM
April 30 Baptisms at the 10:30 AM Mass


DO YOU KNOW…Q&A about Confession

Why is it also called the Sacrament or Rite of Reconciliation?
The word reconciliation emphasizes that this sacrament seeks to heal relationships with God, others, ourselves and the world around us that have been bruised or broken by sinfulness.

Isn’t sin a matter between God and me? Why all this talk about relationships?
The effect of sinfulness extends beyond our relationship with God. It weakens or severs our relationships with others as well. The story of Adam, Eve and their fall in Genesis dramatizes these many dimensions or effects of sinfulness. Before the fall, they were friends with God, comfortable in the Lord’s presence; they enjoyed an inner wholeness and peace. After the fall they hid from God’s presence, blamed each other, found the garden and the world no longer so blissful and felt shame within their hearts. Our sinfulness has the same negative effects. The Sacrament of Reconciliation counters those and enables us to regain our friendship with the Lord, to restore relationships with others, to renew the world around us and to recapture an inner serenity free of guilt.

What are these “communal” penance services announced every now and then in our parish?
Since our sinfulness affects our sisters and brothers, diminishing or destroying relationships with them, the Church wishes to underscore the truth that the Sacrament of Reconciliation presupposes and brings about a reconciliation of people who are alienated. Celebrations of penance which draw a group of people together for common song, prayer, readings, examination of conscience, expressions of sorrow, gestures of peace and blessing help us grasp those points. Such communal penance services are normally scheduled during Advent and Lent, but also may be arranged at other times.

What should be my overall attitude before, during and after receiving this sacrament?
A mix of humility and trust with gratitude and joy. The liberating experience of forgiveness should prompt sentiments of deep gratitude and joy within us.


LENT – THE HOLY SEASON OF RENEWAL

“Each year, you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed. You give us a spirit of loving reverence for you, our God, and of willing service to our neighbor.”


LENTEN OBSERVANCES

All Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Good Friday is a day of Fast and Abstinence. All Catholics 14 years of age and older abstain from meat, and all Catholics 18 to 59 years of age eat sacrificially on these days.


EASTER PURIFICATION and ENLIGHTENMENT
Communal Reconciliation

Tuesday, April 11
7:00 PM in the Church


THE SACRED THREE DAYS - THE TRIDUUM

HOLY THURSDAY—APRIL 13

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
7:00 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper

GOOD FRIDAY—APRIL 14

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
12:00 Noon Outdoor Stations of the Cross
3:00 PM Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion

HOLY SATURDAY—APRIL 15

7:30 AM Morning Prayer (no Mass)
(No 4:00 PM Mass)
8:00 PM Glorious Easter Vigil

EASTER SUNDAY—APRIL 16

Masses of the Lord’s Resurrection
7:30 AM • 9:00 AM • 10:30 AM • 12:00 Noon


TAIZE PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS

Taizé prayer around the cross takes place each Tuesday during Lent at 6:30 PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This type of contemplative prayer and song leads us to God in and through the image of Christ crucified.

PRAYING THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

The Stations of the Cross are prayed each Friday during Lent at 12:00 Noon. Join us as we recall and meditate on Jesus’ journey from his condemnation to his burial in the tomb.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES LENTEN FOOD DRIVE

As we continue the season of Lent—a time of fasting, almsgiving and praying—we ask everyone to join in our Catholic Charities Lenten food drive. Especially needed during this time are canned meats that give families needed nutrients. Each parish family is encouraged to bring canned food on Sundays during Lent. We remember our call to provide for those who are lacking the basics, acknowledging our relationship as sisters and brothers in Christ and the image of Christ found among all.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND

If someone you know is not able to come to Mass, or would like a minister to take Communion to their home, please call the Parish Office to make arrangements. Also, with the permission of the person who is ill, we are happy to include their name in the Prayer of the Faithful and list it in the bulletin.


LET US PRAY FOR THE SICK

Joan Biasetti
Rose Margaret Braiden
Mary Ann Jenquin
Zoe Kazali
Anne Lano
Diane Parsons
Joyce Patterson

May they find strength and comfort in our prayers


DEAR SAINT BARBARA PARISH…

“The family of Anna ‘Steenie’ Medina would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the Saint Barbara Parish community for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support after the loss of our beloved wife, mother and grandmother. Words cannot express how much it has meant to us during this difficult time.”
- David A. Medina, MD & Family


SAY “HELLO” TO OUR NEWEST PARISHIONER

Don Dodge

USHERS… PLEASE TAKE NOTE

We need your help at the Easter Masses, the most-attended Masses of the year! Sign-up sheets can be found by the ushers’ closet. Please sign up today.


TENOR AND BASS CHORAL POSITIONS OPEN

The Music Ministry of St. Barbara Parish is currently seeking experienced singers for paid choral positions. Auditions are being held for Tenor and Bass Choral Scholars. Qualified applicants should possess strong musical skills, vocal training, and be available for weekly rehearsals, Sunday Masses and major feast and holy days. For more information and to schedule an audition, please contact Roy Spicer, Director of Music, 682-4713 ext 144.


ATTENTION EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS & LECTORS

A new Ministry Schedule for April 1—May 31 is now available. Please pick up your copy in the Sacristy, the Parish Office or the Porter’s Office. Also in the Sacristy are schedules for Eucharistic Ministers sign up to serve on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday (the Easter Vigil) and Easter Sunday. Thank you!


REFLECTION ON NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY OF THE WORD PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

Mark’s gospel, more than other gospels, shows the human struggle and suffering of Jesus. Jesus seems to feel abandoned at the worst point. Mark’s community, undergoing persecution, needed to make sense of the suffering in their lives. They needed to discover who Jesus was as Messiah. Throughout the gospel, we get hints and glimpses of who Jesus is. In next week’s gospel we come to the story of the Passion itself. Mark finally answers the question of who Jesus is only at the end, when the centurion proclaims: “Clearly this man was the Son of God.” Jesus’ identity as Messiah is only fully revealed when he dies on the cross.

LIFE FOCUS

- Recall a time when life didn’t make sense at all. What, if anything, kept you trusting?

- Remember a time in your life when you helped someone who was carrying a heavy burden.

- Peter denied Jesus threefold. Recall a time when you found it hard to take a stand for the values of Christ.

PREPARE FOR NEXT SUNDAY’S LITURGY

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22
Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel Reading: Mark 14:1-15:47

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

Sunday, March 26th $9,821.00

Thank you for your continuing generosity. Don’t forget to use your envelopes!

GETTING IN THE PARISH BULLETIN

For Parish announcements, call Laura in the Parish Office (682-4151). Please contact Mission Publishing at (888) 253-4358 for business ads.

TRAVELING? DON’T FORGET TO GO TO MASS!

For nationwide Mass times and locations, please visit www.MassTimes.org.