Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

My brothers and sisters, beginning in Advent 2011, Catholics across the United States will hear the new translation of the Roman Missal at Mass. Think of the last time you tried to select a greeting card for a special occasion. No doubt, you pored over the words of numerous cards, looking for just the right words to express your sentiments. Words can have a profound impact –for better or for worse– on our significant relationships. In the same way, words play a very important part in our relationship with God. Catholics worship using both words and sacrament (signs, symbols, rituals). The words we use in worship—which will be affected by the new Missal changes—are chosen carefully so as to best express our understanding of and relationship with God. Some of these words we Catholics use in worship date all the way back to the time of the Apostles. For example, the words of Jesus, at the Last Supper, have been part of our Eucharistic celebrations for 2000 years. Most of the other words that make up the prayers and texts of the Mass have been culled together over a period of as many years, including texts that are relatively new –formulated in the 20th century. In all of this, one thing remains clear –these words have power! They have the power to form us and to shape us as Catholics. These prayers tell us what we believe –about God, about Jesus Christ and about our relationship with God. These words tell us what we believe about ourselves, about what God wants for us and from us, and about how we are to live in the world. The words with which we pray have the power to change us and to transform us. Think about it –we hear these words week after week, season after season, year after year. When you look at it, it is easy to see that these words are efficacious– that is, they have an effect on us! They have an effect on our faith! They have an effect on our lives! It is the old adage of the Church, as it is expressed in Latin: Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi. That is, our prayer shapes our belief! Thus, the words with which we pray are no small matter! In upcoming editions of The Pastor’s bench, we will continue to explore how the new Missal changes will impact our life of worship, inviting us to delve deeper into the Mystery of the Eucharist that is at the center of our lives ■ Fr. Agustin, Pastor. 

II Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

Mis queridos hermanos en el Señor, la liturgia nos habla de gratuidad: Dios nos ha salvado y nos salva gratuitamente y nosotros se lo queremos agradecer en una celebración también gratuita. Todos los pueblos y todas las religiones tienen celebraciones cultuales en las que ofrecen a Dios su tiempo y su vida por medio de símbolos: flores y perfumes, sacrificios, banquetes, bailes, momentos de silencio... Pensemos en nuestras propias «liturgias» de cada día: un mantel en la mesa, una flor en el jarrón, una alfombra en el recibidor, un apretón de manos... gestos inútiles que hacen nuestra vida más «humana», no sólo instintiva. La liturgia de la Iglesia cuenta con estos elementos y, al mismo tiempo, es mucho más, ya que en ella Cristo se nos ofrece y se une a nuestra ofrenda al Padre. A primera vista, la Liturgia sería la parte externa, visible, del culto cristiano, regulada por medio de unas normas o rúbricas. Dejemos claro desde el principio que la Liturgia cristiana NO ES coreografía (las posturas y movimientos de los ministros sobre el altar, el ceremonial o ritualismo, mera cuestión estética), ni rubricismo (colección de leyes –rúbricas- que regulan las celebraciones). La es mucho más que el conjunto de dichos actos humanos y su efectividad no le viene de lo que hacen los hombres, ni de si lo hacen bien o mal, sino de la presencia del Señor Jesús y de su Espíritu Santo en la Iglesia.  Los sacramentos, liturgia de las horas, sacramentales y ejercicios piadosos que realiza la comunidad cristiana «en Espíritu y verdad» son acción de Cristo y del pueblo de Dios, por eso son medios con los que Dios santifica a los hombres y los hombres ofrecen un culto agradable a Dios. Es cierto que la Liturgia es celebración de la Iglesia y que, como tal, necesita de unas normas referenciales, pero no olvidemos que es el Espíritu de Dios el que da valor a la Liturgia (a toda liturgia realizada con autenticidad, con sencillez de espíritu).

Toda oración auténtica es oración de la Iglesia, y es la Iglesia misma la que ahí ora, porque es el Espíritu Santo que vive en ella, el que en cada alma intercede por nosotros con gemidos inefables[1]. Precisamente esto es la oración "auténtica", real, viva, pues nadie puede decir Señor Jesús, sino en el Espíritu Santo[2].  

Hoy, durante la misa, demos gracias a Dios porque a través de la Liturgia podemos encontrarnos con Él y adorarle en espíritu y en verdad ■ P. Agustín, Párroco.

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[1] Rom 8, 26

[2] 1Cor, 12, 3

My Dear Parishioners:

The liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs; in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree (Cf Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 7)

I take this opportunity to introduce Mr. Adrian Charles to you and to all of the members of our St. Vincent de Paul Parish Community.

Adrian is from San Antonio and presently an Upper Level student in Theology and in Music at the University of the Incarnate Word. He is a layman who began his career in the Church as an Altar Server and, as his command of all ceremonial aspects of the liturgy grew he was given more and more responsibility and eventually was appointed Master of Ceremonies at San Fernando Cathedral. His life is an example of the expanded role of the Laity in every aspect of the life of our Mother, the Church.

As Master of Ceremony at the Cathedral Adrian did many things including being the Master of Ceremony at the consecration of Father Oscar Cantu as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. I was always impressed by Adrian’s love of the liturgy and the quiet dignity with which he directed all of the celebrations.

Recently I was able to offer Adrian the opportunity to come to our Parish and teach all of us, priest, ministers and congregation, to celebrate all our liturgies with the same love and dignity, and he accepted.

Please help me thank Adrian and welcome him to our Parish.

In Domino

Your Pastor,

Father Agustin Estrada

The Liturgical Year

While a day like Christmas is fixed in our minds and on the calendars on December 25th, many of the important feasts of the Church year move, based upon the date that Easter is set. Easter changes each year moving to the Sunday after the "Paschal Full Moon," and can fall between March 22 and April 25. In ancient times before calendars were common, most people did not know the dates for the upcoming Liturgical year. On Epiphany the upcoming dates were "proclaimed" in this way:

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ear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us, and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of his return.

Through the rhythms of times and seasons let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.

Let us recall the year's culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord: his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial, and his rising celebrated between the evening of the twenty-first day of April and the evening of the twenty-third day of April, Easter Sunday being on the twenty-fourth day of April.

Each Easter -as on each Sunday - the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death. From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the ninth day of March.

The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the second day of June. Pentecost, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the twelfth day of June. And, this year the First Sunday of Advent will be on the twenty-seventh day of November. Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the Passover of Christ in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints, and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.

To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come, Lord of time and history, be endless praise, for ever and ever. Amen.  

Ciclo litúrgico 2011

Los católicos determinamos año con año la fecha de Pascua por observar los movimientos de la luna y el cambio de las estaciones. Nuestro calendario moderno se llama Calendario Gregoriano en honor al Papa Gregorio VIII quien lo introdujo en 1562. Al principio pocas naciones lo adoptaron, pero hoy es la norma para el mundo entero. Para desarrollar el calendario, el Papa Gregorio empleo los mejores científicos y astrónomos de su día. (El Vaticano mismo tiene uno de los observatorios astronómicos mas antiguos y más prestigiosos del mundo, por cierto). En todo esto la Iglesia tiene una preocupación practica y sencilla de entender: fijar la fecha correcta para las fiestas mayores. En éstos primeros días del año la Iglesia quiere proclamar las fechas importantes para el año, especialmente Semana Santa, Cuaresma, Miércoles de Ceniza y Pentecostés. Este Domingo, juntos demos gracias por la alegría con la que recientemente hemos encontrado al Niño con María, su Madre, y por la alegría que se nos regala en  la celebración de la Eucaristía ■ Fr. Agustín.

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ueridos hermanos: La gloria del Señor ha brillado sobre nosotros, y estará entre nosotros, hasta el día de su retorno. Por los ritmos de tiempos y estaciones, celebremos los misterios de salvación. La culminación del año litúrgico, el Triduo Pascual del Señor: su última cena, su crucifixión, su sepultura y su resurrección, se celebrará entre la noche del veintiuno de abril hasta la noche del día veinticuatro de abril, Domingo de Pascua de Resurrección. Desde Pascua de Resurrección, calculamos los días santos que observamos. El miércoles de ceniza, comienzo de la Cuaresma, caerá el nueve de marzo. La Ascensión del Señor se conmemora el cinco de junio. Pentecostés, la conclusión alegre del tiempo pascual, se celebrará el doce de junio. Y este año el Primer Domingo de Adviento será el veintisiete de noviembre. De igual forma, la Iglesia peregrina proclama la Pascua de Cristo en las festividades de la Santísima Virgen María, en las fiestas de los Apóstoles y Santos, y en la conmemoración de los fieles difuntos. A Jesucristo, que era, que es y que vendrá, Señor de tiempo e historia, sea alabanza eterna por los siglos de los siglos. Amen!