.
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . .
.
|
|
|
|
|
Fr.
Charles
Puthota
|
|
|
|
From
the Pastor's
Desktop
|
|
|
|
|
|
A
Message from
Father Charles
Puthota
|
|
|
|
|
|
July
28,
2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear
Parishioners of
St.
Elizabeth,
|
|
|
In view of the
Feast of St. Ignatius of
Loyola on July 31, here
are my reflections:
Uniqueness:
When the Jesuit Order
was founded and called
the Society of Jesus,
some other religious
orders had concerns
about the name. But St.
Ignatius prayed
copiously for the grace
of calling it the
Society of Jesus and
nothing else. Also, St.
Ignatius wanted the
Order to be apostolic
rather than monastic. He
wanted the Jesuits to go
all over the world with
a great flexibility and
dynamism to work for God
and people. Another
interesting
characteristic of the
Jesuits is that St.
Ignatius did not want a
particular religious
garb for his men. They
would adapt to the
local, national customs
and wear the priests'
garb of the particular
area where they
minister. Last but not
least, as far as I know,
the Jesuits are the only
Order that does not
require their men to do
the Divine Office in
common. It is left to
the individuals to pray
it at their convenient
time. They had to be
engaged in their
apostolate with all
their commitment and
dedication and
accommodate the praying
of the Divine Office
individually at their
own time.
Let me list some
of the insights of St.
Ignatius:
Conversion: This
is at the heart of the
spirit of St. Ignatius.
He himself was
converted. A wayward
worldly soldier he was
before, but after he was
injured in war in
Pamplona, he began to
ask the question: "If
the saints could do so
much for God, why can't
I?" While convalescing
in the family castle of
Loyola in the Basque
countryside (where I had
the privilege of
celebrating Mass in the
very room where St.
Ignatius spent his
convalescence months),
there was a deep
conversion that God
brought about in his
life. His attention now
turned to Christ. He
transferred his chivalry
and passion in service
of Christ our Lord.
Later in the cave of
Manresa, he spent months
praying, undergoing the
process of conversion,
and jotting down his
insights which would
later become the
spiritual classic called
the Spiritual Exercises.
In the retreats based on
the Ignatian
spirituality, especially
in the beginning,
conversion would be the
focus of attention. The
retreatant is asked to
meditate on God's
amazing love, one's
sinfulness, and
conversion, and
rededication to God's
love and service.
The First
Principle and
Foundation: In
the Spiritual Exercises,
St. Ignatius says that
we must be clear about
the purpose of our life,
not just in the
immediate sense, but in
the long range. We are
created to love, serve,
and reverence God and by
means of that to attain
our final fulfillment
and destiny, which is
union with God in
eternity. Everything in
the world is given to us
as a means --- as a help
--- for us to reach our
ultimate destiny.
Therefore, we are to
choose only those that
will help us toward
achieving the purpose of
our lives and avoid
those that do not help
us toward our ultimate
goal.
Discernment of
Spirits: St.
Ignatius observed early
on that there were
positive and negative
movements and forces
acting on his soul. Some
thoughts lead us to
peace and consolation;
some others lead us to
emptiness, turmoil and
desolation. In order for
us to make choices in
life, if we pay close
attention to the
movement of the spirits
in our souls, we will be
able to discern what God
wants us to do. God's
Spirit will guide us by
providing the climate in
our soul which would be
an indication for us to
choose a particular
option, way of life,
etc. In other words, by
becoming aware of the
spirits acting on our
soul like the wind on
the water, we will
become experts in
listening to God's voice
at a deeper level and
respond to it with
openness and
courage.
For the Greater
Glory of God:
This is AMDG! Which is
short for Ad Majorem Dei
Gloriam --- For the
Greater Glory of God.
Please note that it is
not the great glory, nor
the greatest glory. It
is the "greater" glory.
The adjective "greater"
indicates that it's a
constant striving for
the greater glory. We
keep growing always in
this area. We cannot
possibly give the
greatest glory, which is
reserved for the time
when we will join the
angels and saints. But
here on earth, we are
running the race, always
stretching out spirits
and hearts for God and
people, never resting on
our laurels.
Finding God in all
things and All things in
God: There is a
dynamic dialog, the
constant relationship
between the divine and
the human. The world is
charged with the
grandeur of God, as the
Jesuit poet Gerald
Manley Hopkins says. We
are called to grow in
the divine milieu, the
sense of God's presence
in everyone and
everything. Our daily
lives are suffused with
the sense of
transcendence. God
works, directs, guides,
graces, and empowers
throughout our lives. To
the extent that we can
see that "the earth is
crammed with heaven," we
can find ourselves
standing on the holy
ground. We can then take
all our endeavors and
quests and struggles to
the heart of God.
The Ignatian
Indifference:
This means that when we
have several options to
choose from, we need to
be indifferent, in the
sense that we do not
cling to any one option,
until the process of
discernment is
undertaken. It's the
healthy sense of being
open to that particular
option which God is
leading us to make. This
spirit of non-clinging,
this indifference in the
Ignatian sense, is
necessary for us to be
able to make any good
choice.
Magis: The
word "Magis" in the
Ignatian vision
expresses the desire to
keep doing always "more"
for God. We can never be
content with what we are
and what we do. There is
always room for
improvement; there is
greater glory to be
given in and through our
endeavors; there is
always more that we can
do as human beings and
Christians. There is the
healthy sense of
restlessness within us,
which St. Augustine
speaks of, which will
keep stirring within us
the never-ending desire
to live and work for the
greater glory of
God.
Contemplation in
Action: St.
Ignatius felt that we
need to bring prayer
into life and our life
into prayer. We are
called to be
contemplatives in
action. Our actions
would be a continuation
of our union with God
experienced in
contemplation and
meditation. Then we can
take life into prayer,
asking God to sanctify
our deeds. While we are
in contemplation, we
shall in an authentic
way bring ourselves
without any falsehood,
and stand before God.
There is a perpetual
flow and play between
our prayer and life,
faith and service; they
are not disconnected
areas, but the two sides
of the same coin.
St. Ignatius'
Prayer for
Generosity:
Dearest Lord, teach me
to be generous; teach me
to serve you as you
deserve; to give and not
to count the cost; to
fight and not to heed
the wounds; to toil and
not to seek for rest; to
labor and not to ask for
any reward, save that of
knowing that I do your
most holy will.
Amen.
|
Your
Friend and
Pastor,
Father
Charles
Puthota.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Further
Listening
Sessions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Toward
the Synodal Meetings in October
2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
In
preparation for the second
session of the Synod in October
2024, the Vatican has asked all
dioceses all over the world,
including in the United States,
to hold listening sessions on the
following two questions:
- "Where
have I seen or experienced
successes -- and distresses --
within the Church's
structure(s)/organization/leadership/life
that encourage or hinder the
mission?"
- "How
can the structures and
organization of the Church
help all the baptized to
respond to the call to
proclaim the Gospel and to
live as a community of love
and mercy in Christ?
Deadline
to submit the answers to the
U.S. Bishops' Conference is
April 8. These reports will be
synthesized regionally and
nationally--- and the final
report will be sent to the
Vatican Synodal Office by May
15, 2024.
The
Vatican's guidance that shaped
the above questions incorporates
four questions:
- "How
can we enhance the
differentiated
co-responsibility in the
mission of all the members of
the People of God?";
- "What
ways of relating, structures,
processes of discernment and
decision-making with regard to
mission make it possible to
recognize, shape, and promote
co-responsibility?";
- "What
ministries and participatory
bodies can be renewed or
introduced to better express
this co-responsibility?" and,
- "How
can these relations be
creatively articulated in
order to find 'a dynamic
balance between the dimension
of the Church as a whole and
its local roots?'
"
.............................................(Source:
America Magazine and
NCR)
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Synod on Synodality
October 2021 to October
2024
Theme:
Communion, Participation,
Mission: The Synod on Synodality
is a three-year process of
listening and dialogue that began
with a solemn opening in Rome on
October 9 and 10, 2021. The
synodal process will conclude in
2024. Each individual diocese in
the whole world has gone through
a process of preparation for the
Synod. The Synod is both an event
and a process in which the whole
People of God are called to walk
to gather together toward what
the Holy Spirit helps it to
discern as being the Lord's will
for his Church. Pope Francis has
invited the entire Church to
reflect on a theme that is
decisive for its life and
mission: "It is precisely this
path of synodality which God
expects of the Church of the
third millennium. This journey,
which follows in the wake of the
Church's "renewal" proposed by
the Second Vatican Council, is
both a gift and a task: by
journeying together and
reflecting together on the path
that has been made, the Church
will be able to learn through Her
experience which processes can
help Her to live communion, to
achieve participation, and to
open Herself to mission." The
16th Ordinary General Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops will be held
in two sessions. The first one
from October 4 to 29, 2023. The
second session will be in October
2024.
|
|
What
is a synod? A synod in the
Catholic Church is both an event
and a process where clergy,
religious, and laity gather to
discern important matters of the
faith. It is a journey of search
rooted in the Holy Spirit. Synods
are transformative events that
lead to renewal in the life of
the Church. The current synod is
called Synod on
Synodality. Its a
synod that would explore the very
processes of synod and examine
how as the People of God we are
journeying together. Pope Francis
says: Synodality is the way
of being the Church today
according to the will of God, in
a dynamic of discerning and
listening together to the voice
of the Holy Spirit. You
might want to be informed more
about this Synod by going online
and doing your own research.
Do check out the Synod
website
https://www.synod.va/en.html
|
|
MASS
SCHEDULE
as of
November 23,
2023
|
|
|
|
Saturday:
|
|
..
4:30
p.m.
|
...
Sunday:
|
|
..
8:30
a.m. & 10:30
a.m.
|
Monday
thru Saturday:
|
|
..
8:30
a.m.
|
Holy
Days:
|
|
..
8:30
a.m. & 6:00
p.m.
|
|
|
|
Confessions:
|
|
..4:00
p.m. on Saturdays before the 4:30
Vigil Mass
|
|
|
10:00
a.m. on Sundays before the 10:30
a.m. Mass
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PARISH SACRAMENTAL
CELEBRATIONS
|
SACRAMENT
OF
BAPTISM
|
|
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
|
High
School Students
should call the
Religious
Education
Office for more
information.
Adult
confirmation is
available on an
individual
basis.
-.Details
|
SACRAMENT
OF THE
ANOINTING OF
THE
SICK
|
Call
the Parish
Office in case
of serious
illness and
before surgery
and hospital
care. -
Details
|
|
|
SACRAMENT
OF
EUCHARIST
|
Our
Eucharistic
Ministers are
available to
bring the
Eucharist to
the sick or
homebound.
Contact the
Parish Office.
-
Details
|
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
|
Saturday
3:30pm to
4:15pm or by
appointment. -
Details
|
SACRAMENT
OF
MARRIAGE
|
There
is a six month
period of
preparation for
the celebration
of this
Sacrament.
Contact the
Parish Office
to make
arrangements. -
Details
|
Faith
Formation
- Cantwell
Hall
|
Saturday
9:00am to
11:00am. -
Details
|
|
|
|
|
Parish
Office:
(415)
468-0820
|
Benediction
and Our Lady of
Perpetual Help
Novena:
Wednesdays
after the 8:30am
Mass.
|
|
Legion
of Mary
Meeting
5:00pm Monday in the
Church.
|
|
1000
Hail Mary's
Third
Saturday after the
8:30am Mass until
3:30pm.
|
|
Over
50
Group
Thursdays at 12:00pm in
Cantwell Hall.
|
|
|
Rev.
Charles Puthota, Ph. D.,
Pastor
|
|
Sandy
Mehrwein,
Parish
Secretary
|
|
Patricia
Spiteri,
Pastoral
Coordinator
|
|
Laurrie
Digneo,
Coordinator
of Faith
Formation
|
|
|