PASTOR's NOTES What I Cannot Change
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stop drinking. Therefore, I need serenity to accept PASTOR'S NOTES what I cannot change. So often in life we are angry Serenity……………..! Over the last couple of and frustrated about things we have no ability to months I have finally begun to see the light at the end change. Sometimes we lack the courage to change of the tunnel on the remodeling project in the Casita in the things we can change. The Serenity Prayer helps Mexico. For this reason, I have been going to Mexico one to seek wisdom from Above, to make the important almost every Monday and returning on Tuesday early distinction between what can and cannot be changed. afternoon. Because it is spring and it is warming up, I Once we have established this we then need to ask for have simultaneously had to keep my eye on the house either courage (to change things) or serenity (to accept in Hemet. I have to make sure that the pool does not things). For me, filling up at the gas station is a re- get algae, the lawn is mowed, and the weeds are kept minder to prayer earnestly this simple prayer on a daily at bay. So on some of my days off, I have left after basis. I’m pretty sure that God isn’t terribly worried finishing my last Mass on Sunday afternoon and about the price of gas in Southern California; however, headed to Mexico. Then on Monday in the late after- I suspect God wants to help us make the distinction in noon I have returned to the U.S. side and driven to our daily lives about what can and cannot be changed. Hemet. I spend Tuesday morning doing whatever God wants to empower us with courage to change needs to be done and then return to Vista. Since I en- those things we can change, and to grant us serenity joy working with my hands and doing yard work, this is (another word for peace) in the midst of living with not punishment. Actually, I find it clears my mind and things we cannot change. More and more, my prayer heart. The working and driving time (when Fr. Bernie is for serenity. My prayer for you is that you will find is not with me) provide alone-time to let my soul rest the Serenity Prayer meaningful and find His peace in with the Lord. Over the years, I have gotten in the your life! habit of rising early, so I am not one to sleep in. I enjoy getting at the day early and trying to accomplish some- Rev. Edward “Bud” Kaicher thing that I can see by the end of the day. However, Pastor there has been one down side to this process. I have been driving a lot of miles. This would not be a prob- lem, as I love to drive, were it not for the spike in the Question of the week: price of gas. As prices at the pump have quickly risen How has God given you hope? How has your to over $4.00 a gallon, it has become more and more faith sustained your hope in the past? painful each time I have to fill up. And with the in- creased miles I am driving, I am feeling the pain more often. I have been thinking and praying about the in- Cultivating Our Faith crease in gas prices for some time. At first I felt a 3rd Sunday of Easter sense of frustration and anger as I saw the prices in- First Reading — Acts 2:14, 22-33 creasing almost every time I drove in to fill up my car. I Psalm — Psalm 16 felt a sense of anger not just because it was causing Second Reading — 1 Peter 1:17-21 me difficulty, but because I sensed that many people Gospel — Luke 24:13-35 would be feeling helpless and would be significantly affected. It doesn’t seem that there is any political will READINGS FOR THE WEEK to respond to the “free market” upward trend of gas Monday: Acts 6:8-15; Jn 6:22-29 prices. So little by little I have begun to adopt a differ- Tuesday: Acts 7:51 — 8:1a; Jn 6:30-35 ent perspective. I have begun to see the issue of gas Wednesday: Acts 8:1b-8; Jn 6:35-40 prices like many (not all) issues in my life. I cannot Thursday: Acts 8:26-40; Jn 6:44-51 control the price of gas. I can control my response to Friday: Acts 9:1-20; Jn 6:52-59 Saturday: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Jn 15:9-17 the rising prices at the pump, however. So I have adopted the Serenity Prayer for dealing with gas May 15, 2011 prices. The prayer saying, “Lord grant me the serenity NEXT SUNDAY’S READINGS to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to 4th Sunday of Easter change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the Acts 2:14a 36-41; Ps 23; difference.” Wisdom tells me that I cannot change gas 1 Pt 2:20b-25 Jn 10:1-10 prices, no more than a spouse can make her husband 3rd Sunday of Easter May 7-8, 2011 Mother’s Day Novena of Masses WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE To include your loved ones in the novena May 2011 of Mother’s Day Masses, please return Mon. 9 Soup Kitchen - 5:30 pm your envelope, along with your offering, Marian Mass - 7:00 pm no later than Sunday, May 8th. You may place your envelope in the collection bas- Tue. 10 Confessions - 6:00 pm ket, or return it to the Parish Office. Wed. 11 1st Communion Practice 4:30 pm RCIA 7:00pm EVANGELIZATION PARISH RETREAT Thur. 12 Family Faith Formation 6:00 pm May 20 ,21, 22 & May. 28, 2011 Sat. 14 Confessions - 3:00 pm Sun. 15 Sr. Madeline Jubilee Celebration after these “Open the Door to Your Redeemer” Masses: 7:30 am, 9:30 am & 11:30 am Sr. Madeline’s Jubilee Mass - 5:00 pm $30.00 per person or $50.00 per couple (Includes food and material) Upcoming Events Child care is offered for an extra fee May 20……………………....Parish Evangelization Retreat To register or for more information May 25……………………………….....Fr. Donald Calloway visit or contact the parish office at 945-8000. May 26…………………………….Vocations Support Group June 17……………………………………....Judy McDonald FEED YOUR FAITH: Intergenerational Learning/Family Faith Formation All Education Gatherings will be cancelled on the week of Sr. Madeline’s Golden Jubilee May 7th – May 14th so as to attend the “FEED YOUR th th th Sr. Madeline Fitzgerald, O.S.C., will celebrate the 50 anni- FAITH” gathering on May 12 in English and May 14 in th Spanish. We begin with Prayer, Sign-in and Dinner fol- versary of her profession of vows on Sunday, May 15 , at lowed by a Community Building Activity, Prayer and Wor- the 5:00 p.m. Mass. If you are unable to attend this Mass, ship, a Speaker/ Catechist for In Depth Learning for appro- we invite you to join Sr. Madeline at the 7:30, 9:30, or 11:30 priate age level, regroup for Sharing Learning Reflection, a.m. Mass on Sunday morning. There will be a breakfast Evaluation and Take Home Application Packets. Sug- reception following these Masses. Please join us to thank gested donation for dinner is 2 dollars to defray the cost. Sr. Madeline for 50 years of joyful service! The entire com- Everybody in the Parish is invited. All are welcome! munity is welcome. Living Water with Dr. Terry McGoldrick is back! A Collection for week of April 17, 2011 three week series with three topics (see flier) is offered on Offertory $20,968.00 May 19, 26 and June 2nd from 7:00pm to 8:30 pm in the Offertory Loose $ 8,463.00 Conference Room in the Parish Center. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity for growth & renewal. Dr. $29,431.13 McGoldrick is returning to the East Coast soon. We were Parish Registration/Registro Parroquial very blessed to a avail of his gift while here in California. Welcome to The Church of St. Francis of Assisi! We have initiated a One-2-One Ministry Please take a moment to complete the following form, if appli- in the parish in order to strengthen our faith com- cable, and return by mail or drop it in the Sunday collection munity, identify future directions for the parish, basket. identify community concerns, and to identify po- tential new leaders for our various ministries. ¡Bienvenidos a la Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis! Trained volunteers will begin doing one-2-one visits with Para inscribirse como miembro de esta iglesia llene esta forma parishioners in the parish in the coming weeks. The purpose y devuélvala por correo o depositela en la canasta de la colecta of each one to one visit is twofold: to help build community dominical. by sitting down and listening to families in our church com- munity; and to identify fundamental problems in the church ___I am new to the Parish/Soy nuevo a la parroquia and community that we need to address. ___Change of Address or Phone Number Fr. Bud has asked the One-2-One Ministry team to begin Cambio de Domicilo/Numero de teléfono listening to parishioners as soon as possible. A volunteer ___I would like to volunteer as: from the parish may call to set up a half hour appointment to Me gustaria ser voluntario de:_______________________ visit and listen to your concerns for your neighborhood, city and church.