We, the parish of St. Patrick Church, being one community growing in faith
and proclaiming our belief in the message and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ,
invite all to open their hearts, hear His call, and become one with the Body of Christ.
W e l c o m e t o
S t . P a t r i c k C h u r c h
2 3 5 C h a p e l S t r e e t , G r a s s V a l l e y , C a l i f o r n i a 95945
January 31, 2021
Rev. Alexander Estrella, Parochial Administrator Rev. German Ramos, Parochial Vicar Richard Soria, Deacon Brian Moore, Deacon (retired) James Chatigny, Deacon (retired) Temporary Outdoor Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil—4pm Sunday— 9 am, 11am Dist. of Holy Communion Sundays: 2:30—3:30 Outdoors Monday- Saturday—12:10pm *Please note: No Daily Mass on Wed. Outdoor Spanish Mass Sunday—1 pm Holy Days As Announced Reconciliation Tuesday—7:30 to 8:15 am Friday—5:00 to 6:00 pm Saturday—3 to 3:45 pm or by appointment Rosary Monday through Saturday—7:45 am Eucharistic Adoration See overleaf
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Patrick Church 235 Chapel Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 phone 530-273-2347 fax 530-272-9681
email info@stpatr ickgr assvalley.or g web www.stpatr ickgr assvalley.or g Fr. Alexander Estrella, Parochial Adm. 273-2347 frestrella@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Fr. German Ramos, Parochial Vicar 273-2347 frramos@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Richard Soria, Deacon and Director of Faith Formation
273-2336 x 3201
faithformation@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Michelle McDaniel, Admin. Assistant 273-2347 admin@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Kathleen Hardin, Bookkeeper
273-2347 bookkeeper@stpatrickgrassvalley.org John Evans, Facilities Manager
277-2934 facilities@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Fr. German Ramos RCIA
273-2347 frramos@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Fr. Alexander Estrella, Hispanic Ministry 273-2347 frestrella@stpatrickgrassvalley.org Colleen Deneen, Music Director
559-5507 colleen_deneen@hotmail.com Edee Wood, Principal
Mt. St. Mary’s Academy 273-4694 info@mtstmarys.org
For anointing of the sick, hospital visits or communion visits at home, please notify the parish office.
Eucharistic Adoration Schedule Friday—9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
First Sunday of the month—2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Third Sunday of the month—2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Paul Sartori—p24sartori@comcast.net
PASTOR'S PONDERINGS
Dear Family,
The Holy Father and I will be doing the same thing come
Wednesday, we will both be taking down our Christmas decorations!
While it was intentional at the Vatican, the Grass Valley rectory was
a bit behind schedule this year. The devotional aspect of Christmas
was once upon a time celebrated until the Feast of the Presentation of
the Lord on February 2
nd. In part this was because the structure of the
liturgical calendar, the time in between Christmas and the Pre-Lent
Season was called the “time after Epiphany.”
It is still common in many countries to leave manger scenes up until
this date, but not your Christmas tree…despite its’ presence in our
rectory. The reason for this continued devotion is that the Feast of
the Presentation or Purification of the Blessed Mother (as it was
previously called) marks the occasion of the Lord’s entrance into His
temple. The Jewish people believed that God dwelt in their temple,
in some mystical way and on this day, 40 days after His birth, God
the Son physically entered his temple with His presence and flooded
it with the radiant splendor of His glory.
At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Christ the Light into the
world, Tuesday we celebrate that light entering His temple. This is
the inspiration for the tradition of blessing candles on this feast day.
The use and, therefore, importance of candles has declined
significantly in our modern age, we see them as decorations or
something for ambience, not a source of light.
The candle reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice, as the candle gives off
light in such a way that the candle is consumed. It is through
Christ’s death that His glory can be revealed through the
Resurrection. It is the Resurrection that drowns out the darkness of
sin and death, of vice and despair. Blessed candles are then a
sacramental to help us recall this. This meaning is why candles
accompany the celebration of Holy Mass and the Divine Office and
play a role in so many other Sacraments.
The beauty of this Mass strikes me every time I celebrate it in its
fullness. The candles are blessed and then the Canticle of Simeon is
sung during the procession to start Mass. The candles are lit once
more before the Gospel is read and then again before the Preface and
Consecration. This is all to bear witness to how Christ the Light
comes to us in the Sacred Liturgy.
I encourage you all to make the effort to join us this coming Tuesday
and encourage you to bring candles to be blessed for your use at
home. As we prepare to take leave of this brief span of Ordinary
Time and enter the sacred season of Lent, may this feast remind us of
Christ’s abiding presence in this world and our call to be light and
salt to a world which needs Him so dearly.
With all my love,
Your Father in Christ,
Monday 2/1 12:10 Jana Menges (D) Tuesday 2/2 12:10 Maria Ceneeno (D)
Wednesday 2/3 No Daily Mass @ St. Patrick Thursday 2/4 12:10 CLRS Living and Deceased Friday 2/5 12:10 Meryle & Dan Sullivan (D) Saturday 2/6 12:10
4:00 Souls in Purgatory (D) Zachary Hutchinson (D) Sunday 2/7 9:00
11:00 4:00
For the People
Henry Joseph Zeiter (D) Simona Kurta (SI)
READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF
February 1 – February 7
Monday: Hebrews 11:32-40 Mark 5:1-20 Tuesday: Mal 3:1-4
Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Wednesday: Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15 Mark 6:1-6 Thursday: Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24 Mark 6:7-13 Friday: Hebrews 13:1-8 Mark 6:14-29 Saturday: Hebrews 13:15-17,20-21 Mark 6:30-34 Sunday: Job 7:1-4,6-7
1Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39
SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES
Monday, February 1– St. Ansgar
Tuesday, February 2– Presentation of the Lord Wednesday, February 3–St. Blaise
Thursday, February 4– St. Joseph of Leonissa Friday, February 5– St. Agatha
Saturday, February 6– St. Paul Miki and Companions Sunday, February 7– St. Colette
Please pray for our sick parishioners, family and
friends, and all in need of healing of the body & soul.
Please Pray For: Laura Bayard, Barb Carr, Dina Lima, Vince & Annette Krulisky, Diane Sanguinetti, Duke Holdcroft, Frank Cividino, Chris Hutchison, Cyrus Zamani, Suzanne Freschi, Karen Garcia, Trudy Babiarz, Doug Theriault, Denise Kleinn,
Barbara Alonzo, Bob Personeni, Donna Richmond, Bonnie Burke, Jim Nieman, John & Linda Malaspina, Betty Levine, Geri Lampman, Anne Moore, Ron Fischer, Delia Chatigny,
Jack & Kathie Valentine, and all of their families.
WITH OUR CONDOLENCES
The St. Patrick Parish community extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Michael Mackenzie who passed away on January 23 . Please remember him and all the Faithful Departed in your prayers.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
For anyone experiencing chronic illness or preparing for medical treatment, surgery, or long-term care, please call the
office, 273-2347, to arrange an appointment with a priest. Your generosity to St. Patrick Church is
great-ly appreciated. The parish relies on your con-tinued financial support. Donations can be turned in to the black offertory boxes placed in the church during Masses, mailed in to the office or online through Faith Direct.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
1/24/2021: $2364
1/17/2021: $7475
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of
these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
Have you ever thought of being a caregiver? There is a great need for this in our community.
If you are interested in learning more please contact Bonnie Burke at 530-272-4113.
Distribution of Holy Communion
If you are unable to join us for Mass in person due to health concerns or other personal reasons and instead participate in Mass via live-stream or on television, Holy Communion is still available to you. The distribution of Holy Communion takes place outdoors at St. Patrick’s on Sundays from 2:30 P.M. until 3:30 P.M. in the Mt. St. Mary Academy back parking lot, the location of the St. Patrick Outdoor Sunday Masses. Please park in the back lot of the school. Father will remove the Blessed Sacrament and guide you in the rite for the reception of Holy Communion, after consuming the Sacred Host you may return to your car. Pyxes will not be filled during the out-door distribution of Holy Communion. Additionally, if you are unable to join in person and need a Communion Call to your home please contact the rectory.
Please also know that during this time of Outdoor Masses, you are able to join in person but remain in your car. If you tune your radio to 95.5 FM while in the parking lot where Mass is occurring you will be able to receive the audio feed. At the time of Communion, Father will come to your vehicle and dis-tribute Communion.
Join us this Tuesday, February 2nd! Our celebration of this feast will begin at
4:00 pm at St. Patrick's Hall.
We will gather for the blessing of the candles and then pro-cess over to the church or Outdoor Mass setting in the MSM
School Yard for the celebration of Mass. If you would like to bring a candle(s) from home to be blessed by Father at this time, you are encouraged to do so. For a more detailed explanation of this beautiful feast please
be sure to read Father Estrella's Pastor's Ponderings in this bulletin.
BREAKING OPEN THE WORD
Introduction to This Weekend’s Readings
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Deut 18:15-20
The people of Israel gather at the foot of Mount Sinai on the day Moses is given the Ten Commandments. While they watch and wait, Moses goes to the mountaintop to converse with God, and though God’s face is obscured in a “dense cloud” (Exod 19:9; NABRE), the people witness “thunder and lightning, the blast of the shofar and the mountain smoking” (Exod 20:18; NABRE). It’s no surprise that after seeing such a spectacle the people implore, “Let us not again hear the voice of the Lord, our God / nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.” Thousands of years later, the people again experience a direct revelation of God when Jesus of Nazareth enters into the synagogue in Capernaum to preach. Both Jesus’s words and actions cause amazement and the people gathered recognize he possesses “a new teaching with authority.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 7:32-35
In the Second Reading St. Paul urges the Corinthians to be free of anxieties and distractions. What spiritual practices help you to be firmly centered in God's peace? Additionally it is important to remember the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states: "Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity to his
will." (1620)
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:21-28
People were astonished at his teaching.
Unlike in Luke’s gospel when Jesus attends the synagogue in Nazareth, reads from the scroll of Isaiah, and tells the people, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (4:21; NABRE), we don’t know exactly what Jesus preached in Capernaum. The only detail we are given is the people’s reaction to his words: astonishment. In particular, they compare his teaching to that of the scribes and remark on the “authority” Jesus displays. As the complete revelation of God, Jesus is named at the beginning of John’s gospel as the “Word,” and we continue to draw close to him whenever the Scriptures are proclaimed. May we also open ourselves to the shocking and challenging nature of Jesus’s preaching.
DEACON'S CORNER
Jesus turned and saw them and said: What are you looking for?
I realize this verse from John’s Gospel is not in today’s gospel, but this verse from our gospel two weeks ago does set the foundation for Jesus’ actions in today’s gospel. This verse is one I will return to many times this year. I think this is a question Jesus wants us to continually ponder throughout this year. I know it is a verse that I have sat in prayer with a great deal the last two weeks. W hat are you looking for?
E. Stanley Jones tells of the missionary in the jungle who got lost with nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He finally found a small village and asked one of the natives if he could lead him out of the jungle. The native said he could. "All right," the missionary said, "Show me the way." They walked for hours through dense brush hacking their way through unmarked jungle. The missionary began to worry and said, "Are you sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native said. "Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path."
Jesus is in the synagogue in a small village, He sees this young man unable to be himself because he is possessed by a demon. The young man is unable to ask for help because he is controlled by the demon. Yet Jesus sees him and sees what he is looking for; He heals him by casting out the demon that is within. All who see this happen are grasping at how Jesus did it. They don’t understand His “authority”, because they don’t recognize that Jesus is the Word made Flesh. They have yet to grasp that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. The demons of Jesus’ times are the addictions and compulsions of our modern psychology: Fear, Deceit and the 7 Deadly Sins of Anger, Pride, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth and Lust. One of them is the basis for our compulsions and addictions. One of them is the “demon” that often “speaks” for us, distorts our relationships, isolates us and keeps us from seeking help. Please realize the young man in this gospel is each of us. But unlike this young man, we need to face the truth of our demon so that we can see that Jesus is Truth. Like the native in our story, He is the path that can lead us out of our “jungles”. If we recognize the authority of Jesus, we will begin to experience life, we will become that child, that beam of goodness, that reflection (icon) of truth and love we were created to be. To recognize His authority, we must trust in Christ through the pain of changing, of letting go, of becoming vulnerable. We must trust like the child in the following story by Laverne Hall.
“The fields were parched brown from lack of rain. The crops lay wilting from thirst. People were anxious and irritable as they searched the sky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came. The ministers of the local churches called for an hour of prayer on the town square the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object of faith for inspiration. At noon on Saturday the townspeople turned out en masse, filling the square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands--holy books, crosses, rosaries. When the hour ended, as if on magi-cal command, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others: A small nine-year-old child had brought an umbrel-la.” The trust of this child is the trust we need in Jesus to feel His healing grace.
When we receive the Eucharist in the celebration of the Mass, Jesus enters the synagogue of our hearts. In the Sacrament of Recon-ciliation, Jesus offers to cast out our demons. So, “What are you looking for?”
If today you hear His voice harden not your heart.
The people who sit in darkness have seen a great
light, on those dwelling in a land
overshadowed by death, light has risen.
God Is In Control
As we reflect on our Gospel, we recognize that God possesses all authority and that we want to give Him all authority. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath. All were fixed on His words and astonished at what He had to say. Suddenly everyone’s attention shifted to a man with an unclean spirit who began to question Jesus and His authority. Jesus responded, “Quiet, come out of him!” and removed the evil spirit from the man. All were amazed at the healing of this man.
Life can sometimes look like the synagogue in Capernaum. We are living as disciples of Christ when we suddenly recognize evil around us — through events in our lives, temptations we are enduring, or by falling into sin. It can distract us, consume our attention, or even cause us to despair. In these moments of trial, we must remember the Healer in our Gospel today. Recall His words, “Quiet, come out of Him!” Jesus has the power and authority over evil, for He has conquered sin and death. He also has the power and authority over us. And when we invite Him to have that authority, He will heal us and help us persevere.
Today, we are reminded that God is in control and that we want Him to be in control. He is the loving Healer that will work miracles in our lives if we give Him the authority to do so.
Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Consultants
Culture of Life
The French geneticist, Jerome Lejeune was re-cently recognized by Pope Francis for his heroic virtues, an early step in the process of beatifica-tion. As a scientist his research revealed that an extra chromosome was the cause of Down syn-drome and as a champion of life, he led the fight for the respect of the embryo, the protection of the unborn and was an opponent of the Veil Law which legalized abortion in France in 1975. He dedicated his life to researching treatments to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome and firmly opposed the use of prenatal testing to identify unborn children with chromosomal abnormalities as a tool to promote their abortion. After receiving a prestigious award for his work in genetics in 1969 he gave an impassioned speech opposing abortion. It received a cool reception and he is said to have commented, “Today, I lost my Nobel Prize in medi-cine.” However, Lejeune was highly respected by Pope John Paul II and made a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Acade-my of Sciences in 1974. Since Lejeune’s death, screening tests for Down syndrome and other genetic diseases are a regular part of prenatal care throughout the world. In more developed countries these screenings are leading to a rising number of abortions linked to the positive test with the goal of a signifi-cant decline in births of babies with Down syndrome, in lesser developed nations the concern is not as much about terminat-ing births as it is abandonment accordterminat-ing to worldforgot-tenchildren.org. Thankfully, in the spirit of Jerome Lejeune, his foundation and numerous organizations around the world educate and advocate for the protection of human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from conception throughout life.
Mt. St. Mary Academy
Thank you for your continued support and participation in our MSM fundraising events including our See's Candy Sales and
our upcoming SOLD OUT Crab Feed.
We are excited to be celebrating Catholic Schools Week Janu-ary 31 to FebruJanu-ary 6, 2021. We hope you will join us as we give thanks for the gift of Catholic Education this week. We invite you to discover the difference that a Catholic education
can make in the life of a child, and share this gift with your friends and neighbors, particularly those who may be
consider-ing Catholic education.
LivingWell Medical Clinic
Virtual Baby Bottle Campaign
Visit:
www.livingwellmedicalclinic.com/cfh Baby Bottles are also available in the vestibule of the churchand in the church office.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN The local council of the Knight of
Colum-bus invites practicing Catholic men 18 and older to join. KofC is an international fraternity of Catholic gentlemen devoted to serving brother members and their fam-ilies, their parishes and communi-ties. While KofC is an active group, the real emphasis is on becoming rather than
doing, that is, becoming better Catholics through continuing growth in one’s faith. For more information, contact Bob Riopel at (530) 432-9274.
PARISH BOOK CLUB GATHERING
All Parishioners are invited to a meeting of the St. Patrick and St. Canice Book Club on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 6:30 P. M. in the Small Hall, next to the gym. We will be discussing our last book, Road to Valor, by Aili and Andres McConnon; and a new book, A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken. The discussion, which will last about an hour and a half, will be led by Michael Mo-reland. Both books are available at your favorite book store or online. In addition to stimulating conversation, coffee, tea, and cookies will be served. Please feel comfortable in wearing your mask.
SOCKS FOR THE HOMELESS
The Sierra Roots sock cupboard is bare. You have been so very generous in past years and we are asking for your support once again. Please place socks in the box provided in the vestibule of the church and accept our deepest gratitude for your kindness. Any questions, please call Sisters of Mercy Associates, Carlie Foote at 530-305-3150. Thank you!
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