The Journey of a Lifetime

This weekend we are blessing three containers of religious medals contributed by you for burial under the three main entrances to our new Pastoral Center and Knight Hall. These medals are being planted at those spots to sanctify all of our comings and goings at this fabulous new home for our parish activities.

Along with the medals are a number of rosaries; think of the countless prayers that have been said on those beads! We ask Christ Crucified, whose image is part of each rosary, to direct all of our steps toward him. There are medals of Saint Michael and Saint Benedict; we ask them to keep away anything that could impede our journey toward Christ. There are numerous medals of the Blessed Virgin Mary; we ask her to watch over us with a mother’s love and care. There are medals of other saints, each of whom has special meaning in the Christian life; we ask their intercession, that we may one day join their company as saints in heaven.

When we enter our new Pastoral Center and Knight Hall—whether we are coming to arrange a Mass, a Funeral, a Marriage, or some other event; whether we are coming to a Bible Study, a ministry meeting, or a support group; whether we are coming to speak to one of the priests or deacons, or another member of the Parish staff, or a volunteer who is there to help us—in all these cases, our hope is that our step across the threshold of the Pastoral Center and Knight Hall will be a step towards heaven. And when we exit after any of the activities I’ve mentioned, we pray that this step will also lead us towards our heavenly goal. It’s all part of that great Journey we call life. How wonderful it will be when the new building is finished and is part of our daily journey towards God!

Gratefully yours,

Our New Youth Minister

Recently I sat down with Mason Fredenberg, our new Youth Minister, to get to know him a little better.

Fr. P: You’re from Mission Viejo, right? Where did you go to high school?

Mason: Yes, I’m from Mission Viejo, and I went to Santa Margarita Catholic High School.

Fr. P: Did you participate in youth ministry during your high school years?

Mason: Yes, I enjoyed the youth ministry at Solano parish, and got involved with things like the youth band, core team, and other programs. I also got involved with the great campus ministry at Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Fr. P: Is it fair to say that your interest in theology, religion, and ministry was nurtured by your participation in youth ministry activities?

Mason: Yes, my involvement in youth ministry planted the seed of interest, which then grew through life experience.

Fr. P: Well, you certainly pursued that interest in a big way by getting a B.A. and M.A. in theology, and going through a great ministry program through Notre Dame Unversity. Now that you are here, what are your hopes for the young people of St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús?

Mason: My hope is that all youth will find themselves welcomed here, and that they will find here the space to grow in understanding the God who loves them.

Please join me in welcoming Mason to our parish.Let’s pray for him and for all the youth of our parish.

Gratefully yours,

Martha and Mary

The gospels tell us several times that Martha and her sister Mary, along with their brother Lazarus, were good friends of Jesus.On one occasion, Jesus was visiting them and Martha was busy with the details of hospitality, while Mary sat at the feet of the Lord and listened to him speak. When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping with the work, Jesus responded by defending Mary, who (in his words) had “chosen the better part.”

Jesus did not tell Martha to stop working, but he did say something about the degree of priority work should have in comparison to prayer (which is how we sit at the Lord’s feet). Their relative priority is implied in a statement of St. John Paul II: “A constant danger for apostolic workers is to become so much involved in their work for the Lord, as to forget the Lord of all work.” In prayer, we are mindful of the Lord of all work. We receive from him the strength and enlightenment we need in order for our work to be fruitful.

Whether we tend to be more like Martha or more like Mary, we are called to look at the proper relationship between these two tendencies in our lives. Let’s continue to work for the Lord, while never forgetting the Lord of all work.

Gratefully yours,