Pastor's letter for this week
November 15, 2024
Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,
I hope you are all doing well and staying strong! Last Friday I hosted a gathering of the St. Joseph the Worker Professional Men’s Fellowship in the piazza. It was a tremendous success with 107 men attending, and it is very encouraging to see so many men who take their faith seriously and want to build good friendships with other good men. I plan on having something similar for the women later in the Spring.
The very next day, however, I woke up with some flu symptoms and those became much worse in the following days. I was basically down for the count for 3 full days. Quite unpleasant. It’s over now, thank God, but it was no fun whatsoever. I hadn’t been that sick in a while. It kept me confined to my room, so I got a lot of desk work done, which is good.
Our restorer, Evan Wilson, is back on campus this week with the beginning of some restoration work on the vestibule ceiling. This is going to be in two parts. He’s doing the sides and capitals now and will come back for the ceiling after New Year’s. I will have a major announcement regarding a big restoration project in our church next week.
This Sunday is the last “green Sunday” as next Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King which brings the season of Ordinary Time to a close. The following week we begin Advent in preparation for Christmas. The time is flying by!
Here is the rest of the news from the parish:
THANKSGIVING DAY- Thanksgiving Day this year falls on Thursday, November 28th. Please join us for our annual Thanksgiving Day Mass that day which will take place at 10:00 a.m. It is our custom at St. Andrew’s to bring the bread and wine which will be shared at your dinner that night and have it blessed at the end of the Mass. We also have a food drive for that day, so please bring canned or boxed food to Mass that morning and simply place the bags in front of the altar of St. Joseph. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society will collect all that food after Mass and take it to the pantry for distribution during the Christmas season. May God bless you for your generosity!
PROMOTE VOCATIONS – On the Friday after Thanksgiving (Friday, Nov. 29th) there will be a special Day of Recollection for young men to consider the vocation to the Priesthood. It will be at the San Fernando Mission in Mission Hills. This is a great opportunity for young men in high school and above, to attend. There is no cost. Lunch and dinner are included.
There are flyers by the entrance of the church with the details. Please see the announcement about this in this bulletin and remember to say a special prayer for the young men who will be attending the conferences that day.
SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING - MOZART'S CORONATION MASS- The beautiful Solemnity of Christ the King, which brings the liturgical year to a close, will be celebrated on Sunday, November 24th. To celebrate this great feast with appropriate solemnity, our Music Director and Choir will be singing Mozart's Coronation Mass at the 5:00 p.m. Mass. This magnificent Mass setting includes violins, cello, oboes, trumpets and horns in addition to the organ. If you're looking for a strictly "1 hour Mass" this would not be the Mass to attend. It won't be forever long, but it won't be 60 minutes either. But it will be glorious!
SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - Our national feast day occurs on December 8th each year. However, because December 8th falls on a Sunday this year, the feast is automatically moved to the following day, Dec. 9th. A recent directive from the Holy See reminds us that it is still a Holy Day of Obligation. However since the Vigil falls on Sunday we cannot begin to celebrate it liturgically until Monday. That day we will have extra Masses as follows: English Masses at 8:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (with the school community), 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass at 7:00 p.m.
PARISH CHOIRS ENRICH OUR WORSHIP- On a regular basis I get compliments regarding the beauty of our liturgies here at St. Andrews. Most of these have to do with the music. Whether the children’s choirs at the 9:30 a.m. Mass or the adult choirs at the 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Masses, the singing greatly enhances our worship.
I would like to make two invitations today:
First, for the children of the parish. We have a wonderful “in house” choir called the Pueri Cantores of San Gabriel Valley under the direction of Mr. Patrick Flahive. Over a span of 30 years, the graduates of this children’s choir have grown to be fine adult singers. And, though some have indeed become professional musicians, most are pursuing careers as broad and diverse as can be imagined. Many have attended the finest colleges and universities in the country and have even written about their choral experiences in the form of essays for admission to those schools. Upon being accepted to the universities they are commonly told by admissions officers that the quality of their essays, and their years long dedication to Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley, have been the determining factor for their acceptance.
If you have children, I strongly encourage you to enroll them in the Pueri Cantores. Please email Mr. Flahive at: pflahive@saspasadena.com
Second, for our adult choirs: Our parish Music Director, Mr. Steven Ottomanyi conducts the adult choirs on Sunday at the 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Masses. Our choirs sing selections from the treasury of the Church’s finest music. The style of the choirs is somewhat different but both very beautiful. There are people who drive long distances just to listen to them singing at our Masses.
So, I also urge our adults to enroll in our choirs. Please email Mr. Ottomanyi at: sottomanyi@standrewpasadena.org
THE MATTER OF OUR GIVING – Continuing last week’s thoughts on Stewardship, here are some considerations regarding our giving practices:
A. Jesus Cares About Our Giving - This is evident from the fact that Jesus was observing the people casting their money into the treasury. He was watching them as they gave. Notice how this verse is worded, "and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury..." How many believe that Jesus was here this morning? How many believe that He is still watching people give? What would He have said about your giving this week?
B. God's Challenge In Our Giving - The yardstick has always been what is called the "tithe." This is a word that simply means "the tenth." God desires that every person be actively involved in giving their tithe to the Lord. There are 3 basic reasons why people do not tithe.
1. Many Have Never Been Taught To Tithe - Perhaps their mothers and fathers did not tithe. Perhaps their priests have been silent about the matter of tithing. But, whatever the reason, some people simply do not understand the place tithing holds in the lives of believers.
2. Many Misunderstand The Place Of Tithing In The Lord's Kingdom - There are those who feel that tithing is not for us to do today. This comes from a lack of understanding about what tithing is and where the concept came from. This will be cleared up in just a few minutes.
3. Many Simply Refuse To Obey The Lord - Many do not tithe even though they know that the Bible tells them to. Many refuse because they are willing to be rebellious to the Word of God instead of obedient. If you know that it is the Lord's will and you don't do it, then don't complain when you begin to pay a financial price for your rebellion - James 4:17.
C. God's Claim To Our Resources - Too often, we get hung up on the tithe and forget that every penny we have to our names is the Lord's. All of our money, not just the tithe, is to be used as He leads and directs us. It isn't 10% that belongs to God, it is 100%! Are you living your life by this principle?
Sincerely in Christ and St. Andrew,
Father Gonzalez
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PROCEDURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION