The Good Shepherd, and more, from Fr. Ron, week 16

St. Patrick Parish News & Updates

April 19, 2024 | Issue 16

A Word from the Pastor

April 19, 2024

The Fourth Sunday of Easter traditionally remembers Jesus, the Good Shepherd. In today’s gospel passage, Jesus speaks about himself as our shepherd. His words speak about us who belong to him and about his enduring promise to us: My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Each one of us can say that we have heard the voice of Jesus speak to us. That voice of the Good Shepherd with its message and promise of forgiveness and new life came to us in different ways. Perhaps the voice of Jesus came to us through our mother or our father, or perhaps a teacher. In a special way, many of us can recall hearing the voice of Jesus speak to us through a priest in our parish or through a religious sister who served in the parish or a school or hospital or a deacon who served as deacons do in so many ways in the Church.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, never leaves his Church unattended. He uses the voices of people in the family of faith to be his voice today, to share the great promise that makes all the difference in our lives: “I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” In a particular way, he uses the voices of priests, religious women and men, and deacons to care for those who belong to his flock.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis has declared this Good Shepherd Sunday to be a World Day of Prayer for Vocations – for all vocations in the Church but in a particular way for vocations to the ordained ministry of priesthood and diaconate and to the consecrated life of religious women and men. What does this mean for us?

Obviously, if it is a World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we are called to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send laborers into the fields to bring to him a holy and dedicated people. We include this intention in our celebration of the Eucharist but also in our personal daily prayers.

We also reflect on our responsibility – a responsibility that belongs to each and every member of the Church – to foster vocations. We allow ourselves to be the voice of Jesus calling men and women to a dedicated life of service, to be the presence of the Good Shepherd in our world that is so much in need of him. Do you know someone you could encourage to respond to God’s call to serve in the Church?

Finally, we thank God for calling each one of us. We thank him, because, indeed, we have heard the voice of Jesus who summons every one of us to follow him and to serve our brothers and sisters. I thank God each day for calling me to serve Christ and His Church as a priest. We should each appreciate our own vocation to serve God in whatever way we can. And so, as we rededicate ourselves to our particular vocations, we rely on God’s grace to respond to that call each day.

In one Heart,

Fr. Ron

rmbagley@yahoo.com

Lead On Good Shepherd

While thinking of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, this contemporary praise and worship song challenges us to follow Jesus always.

Top Ten Things to Do to Promote Vocations

The attached list comes from the website of the US Catholic Bishops Conference. It suggests ways that we can all promote vocations.

Read the list here...

A Prayer for Vocations

O Gentle Shepherd, you desire all of us to be happy.

Stir up the grace of a religious vocation in the hearts of many men and women.

Grant to them the willingness and generosity to give of themselves, their lives, their time and their talents to the service of the Church, imitating you as good shepherds.

May more men and women go forth as priests, deacons, brothers and sisters to bring the message of our faith to all others so that soon they, too, may know You better and love You more...and serving You, be truly happy. Amen.

Prayer Card for Vocations...here

St. John Eudes in the

Easter Season

Our series of spirituality of St. Eudes continues on Thursday at 7:00pm and Fridays at 9:00am.

These are the upcoming topics:

May 9 & 10 - The Holy Heart of Mary in the Spirituality of St. Eudes - Fr. Azam Mansha CJM.

May 16 & 17 - St. John Eudes and Lay People in His Ministry - Fr. Ron Bagley, CJM.

May 23 & 24 - Living the Mysteries and States of Jesus; The Consecration of Time - Fr. Ben Drapeau CJM.

Annual Catholic Appeal

So far this year, our parish has contributed $64,079.07 to the Annual Catholic Appeal. That is quite short of our parish goal of $101,250.00. The amount donated comes from 143 of our parishioners. That is a participation of only 3.34% of registered parishioners.

Please consider making your ACA pledge or donation today. This money funds so many important services of the Church in San Diego. If we do not reach our goal through contributing parishioners, the parish has to come up with the balance.

St. Paul Street Evangelization Training

Want to share your faith, but don’t know where to begin? St. Paul Street Evangelization will equip you with the skills to confidently share the treasures of your Catholic faith. Following the principles of Listen, Befriend, Proclaim and Invite, you will open the hearts of others to hear the message of God’s love for them.

St. Paul’s Basic Evangelization Training will take place at Our Mother of Confidence parish hall, Saturday, May 4, from 9:00am to 3:30 pm (3131 Governor Drive, San Diego 92122). The cost for the training is $30.00 and you can register online at stpaulse.com/san-diego. For more information, contact: Paul DeMartini at 619 804-6542 or pauldemartini@sbcglobal.net

Catholic Trivia Night

Get your team together!

Sign up for the first St. Patrick’s Catholic Trivia Night to be held on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 pm in our parish hall. You need a team of three to compete. It could be from the same organization (Altar Society, School Board, Knights of Columbus, etc.), or the same ministry (Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Catechists, Youth Core Team, etc.), or any group of neighbors or people you socialize with.

How will it work? Teams will answer multiple choice questions about the Bible, Catholic customs and traditions, and Catholic teaching. Reviewing the Catholic Trivia from the last few years of newsletters would be a good place to go to prepare. The teams that choose the most correct answers and do so the fastest will be the prize winners.

Sign up by sending an email to Fr. Ron (rmbagley@yahoo.com) with the names of your team members, their email addresses, and the name you have chosen for your team (e.g., The Adams Street Trio). There will be a limited number of teams and first come first served. No entry fee.

Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend to cheer on your favorite team.

Watch Daily and Sunday Masses Livestreamed from St. Patrick Church here:

Online Giving Reminder

If you currently use Online Giving for your electronic giving, please make sure you login to the application frequently to make sure your payment method is current and your donations are being processed.

Click on the Online Giving icon below to create or access your account.

Catholic Trivia

"Catholic Trivia”... not because they are trivial but because these might be things that not everyone knows. Test your knowledge by reading the five questions, remember your answers (or jot them down), then click the link below to find the answers.

What are the “four pillars” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? (the names of the four parts of the Catechism)
According to the Catechism, respecting and caring for animals is taught as part of which commandment?
According to the Catechism, believing in superstitions like horoscopes, tarot cards and clairvoyants goes against which commandment.
In what language was the Catechism of the Catholic Church written?
To what does the term “Decalogue” refer?

Feel free to email Fr. Ron with ideas for future Catholic Trivia questions rbagley@stpatrickcarlsbad.com

If you have other members of your family or your friends who would like to be on our email list, just let me know or write to Mary McLain at mmclain@stpatrickcarlsbad.com We will be pleased to add them.

Masses are available on our website www.stpatrickcarlsbad.com

We have a YouTube channel where we have daily and Sunday Masses.

YouTube channel here...

Answers to Catholic Trivia here!

Online Giving

Read all of Fr. Ron's newsletters here

Fourth Sunday of Easter –

Year B

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12

Peter announces an act of healing in the name of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28,29

A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his kindness

Second Reading

1 John 3:1-2

God revealed his love for us by calling us children of God.

Gospel Reading

John 10:11-18

Jesus says that he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep.

Background on the Gospel Reading

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In each of the three lectionary cycles, our Gospel is taken from the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John. In Cycle B, we hear the middle verses of this chapter. Unless we consider this chapter in the greater context of John’s Gospel, we will miss the radical nature of the statement Jesus makes when he declares himself to be the Good Shepherd.

This chapter of John’s Gospel follows Jesus’ healing of the man born blind and the rejection of this miracle by the Jewish leaders who question Jesus’ authority to heal. Jesus responds to this challenge by calling himself the Good Shepherd. He is criticizing the leadership of the Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders. The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders are so angry that they attempt to stone and arrest Jesus (see John 10:31,39). This controversy with the religious leaders continues until Jesus’ death.

In the portion of the chapter that we hear proclaimed today, Jesus describes his relationship with his followers as similar to the relationship between a good shepherd and his sheep. As a good shepherd will risk and lay down his life in order to protect his sheep, Jesus willingly sacrifices himself for the sake of his sheep. Jesus contrasts the actions of the good shepherd with the actions of the hired shepherd who abandons the sheep in the face of danger. In the verses following Jesus' teaching, we learn that the Pharisees and the other religious leaders understand that Jesus is referring to them when he describes the hired shepherds.

The concern of a good shepherd for his sheep is part of the shepherd’s job. Jesus says, however, that the actions of the good shepherd are based upon the relationship that develops between the shepherd and the sheep. This is at the heart of the difference between the good shepherd and the hired shepherd. The good shepherd knows the sheep and therefore acts out of love. For the Good Shepherd, this is never simply part of a job; this love-in-action is integral to his identity.

As with so much of John’s Gospel, one hears in this passage John’s particular focus on Christology. As the sheep are known by the Good Shepherd, the Father knows Jesus and Jesus knows the Father. There is an essential unity between the Father and the Son. The freedom with which Jesus acts when he lays down his life is rooted in the unity that he shares with his Father.

In this context, Jesus also refers to others with whom he shares a relationship. By this reference, John probably understands the eventual inclusion of the Gentiles in the Christian community. Our modern ears hear this as a reference to Christian unity. The work of ecumenism is to restore unity among all Christians so that we form one flock under one shepherd, as God desire

Shepherd Me O God

Many settings have been written for Psalm 23. This is a favorite by one of the most popular liturgical composers: Marty Haugen.

Showers of Blessings

Showers of Blessings is in need of your help once again. We are currently low on jeans and underwear. We will be having a jean and underwear drive on the weekend of April 20 and 21 at all Masses.

We need -

Gently used, or new men’s jeans - Sizes 30, 32, 34 especially but all sizes will be accepted
Men’s (new) boxer briefs - all sizes
Women's (new) underwear - sizes small, medium, large

Thank you all for your continuing support of our ministry. Our guests are very appreciative of all we can provide to help make their lives a bit easier.

Million Meals Event

June 8 and 9

The deacons of the Diocese of San Diego have come together to live out their mission to serve the needy by coordinating an event to provide nutritious meals to children and families living in extreme poverty. The meals will be sent to charities serving the poor in Tijuana, Mexico, the Zambia Africa.

To do this, the deacons need to:

- raise $375,000 dollars to purchase food ingredients and for shipping.

- recruit 4,000 volunteers to pack the 1.5 million meals during an inspiring and enjoyable i weekend community experience.

St. Patrick's deacons are inviting all members of our parish community to participate the weekend of June 8 & 9 at Cathedral Catholic High School.

Our parish deacons or their representative will be on the patio the weekend of Apr 20/21 and Apr 27/28 to:

- answer questions,

- accept donations,

- help register volunteers for the weekend of June 8-9 at Cathedral High School

For more information / to donate, view shift times, and register to help pack meals:

a) Please visit: sdcatholic.org/millionmeals

b) Or scan the attached QR code:

More than 4,000 faithful of all ages packed 1.5 million meals in our 2023 event.

Un Saludo de

parte del Diacono Miguel,

“Yo soy el buen pastor, porque conozco a mis ovejas y ellas me conocen a mí, así como el Padre me conoce a mí y yo conozco al Padre. Yo doy la vida por mis ovejas…El Padre me ama porque doy mi vida para volverla a tomar.” (Evangelio según San Juan 10: 11-18). ¿Cuántos de nosotros deseamos de todo corazón de tener esa persona que me ama incondicionalmente? Que a esa persona le podemos contar todos mis sueños, pesadillas y temores. Que podemos ser completamente honestos y honestas, contarle nuestras luchas con el pecado y las tentaciones que nos distraen. De sentirnos completamente protegidos cuando nos encontramos en su presencia y en sus brazos. Esa persona que tanto necesitamos en nuestra vida es Jesús. ¡Jesús es fiel y lleno de amor! En este IV Domingo del Tiempo de Pascua, leemos esta preciosa historia de Jesús el Buen Pastor. Nos dice Jesús que él conoce a sus ovejas y que sus ovejas conocen su voz, y que, por ellas, “Yo doy la vida por mis ovejas”. Hermanas y hermanos, no dejemos pasar más tiempo a abrir nuestro corazón, nuestra mente, nuestros oídos a la voz de Jesús. A veces nos juzgamos fuerte, conocemos nuestras debilidades que nos hacen sentir mal y sin dignidad. Y pensamos que Jesús no puede y ni quiere acercarse a uno, pero Jesús no es así. Jesús siempre esta a tú lado, llamando tú nombre en voz fuerte o en voz suave, pero te llama esperando que lo veas. ¿Qué te detiene? ¿Qué te impide de hacerlo? Hoy, es tú día de detenerte y dejarte ver por Jesús. Tú eres su oveja, hoy es tu día de recibir su amor. Acércate a Él.

“Preparación del Sacerdote”. Haga clic aquí:

EXPLICACIÓN: “UN SIGNO DE NUESTRA PERTENENCIA”. Haga clic aquí:

OTRA REFLEXIÓN: “YO SOY EL BUEN PASTOR” Haga clic aquí:

Estudios Bíblicos en Español del Padre Ricardo Chinchilla, cjm... clic aquí

Detente

Hablemos del Buen Pastor

3821 Adams Street

Carlsbad, California 92008

760.729.2866

Our parish offices are open, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 4:30pm

In case of emergency, you can always reach a priest. Call the parish number 760-729-2866 and press number 6 which will connect you directly to one of our priests.

If you know someone who does not receive our emails, please forward this to them, or have them reply to this message.

To email a priest at St. Patrick Church click the address below:

rmbagley@yahoo.com

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