INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND
With the celebration of the Fourth of July this year, all sorts of memories, thoughts, and prayers come to mind. The memories I have of neighborhood barbeque and fireworks that I enjoyed as a kid in Tustin will be different this year for families who continue that tradition due to the constraints brought about by the COVID pandemic. Thinking about the opening line of the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” has given new impetus for me to confront pride and prejudice in my own heart and to see where and how I have any sort of racism in me, how to deal with it, and how to eradicate it. The opening prayer for the Mass on Independence Day causes me to pause and reflect upon the powerful message:
“Father of all nations and ages,
we recall the day when our country
claimed its place among the family of nations;
for what has been achieved we give you thanks,
for the work that still remains we ask your help,
and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation,
grant that, under your providence,
our country may share your blessings
with all the peoples of the earth.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
This Independence Day is really one of seeking a new “interdependence” in the midst of so much divisiveness, polarization, fear, anger, and suspicion. I suggest each of us reflect on how we need each other, depend on each other, and count on each other for our society and Church to function and thrive. Coming together to celebrate what unites will bring about healing, new paths of understanding, and respect for one another. Perhaps you and I might experience this Independence Day as a clarion call to remember that all of us are created equal and have the inherent God-given “certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. May God bless America, and may God bless all of us who live here in the land of free and the home of the brave with a profound and active respect for all human life.
It is so good that we are able to get back together for Mass and the Sacraments. So many of you have expressed your joy at being able to receive the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance after a long period of waiting. God’s blessings through the Sacraments are flowing again. A few notes as we move into July:
- As of now, we can only allow 100 people in the Church for Mass
- You don’t need a reservation to come to Mass and sit in the courtyard or the hall; all you need is to bring a chair!
- If you have a reservation for Mass, please be sure you are in the church 5 minutes before Mass begins or you might have your seat given away.
- We have had a number of ‘no-shows’ each week for those who do make reservations; at the sound of the church bells about 3 minutes before Mass starts, those seats are offered to those in the courtyard and hall.
Holy Communion is being distributed in the parking lot on Friday mornings from 9-10am, and on Sunday afternoons beginning at 12:15pm.
Confession is available on Tuesday evenings from 5-6pm, and Saturday afternoons from 3:30-4:30pm in the courtyard. If you’d like, you may make an appointment for another time.
Our 40
th
Anniversary Weekend is Postponed Until Next Year
The parish 40
th anniversary weekend events, originally set for July 11-12, 2020, have been postponed until the weekend of July 10-11, 2021.
However, I am so pleased that Bishop Vann
will still be here on Sunday, July 12 to celebrate the 11am Mass for us. He has also promised to come back next year for our 41
st birthday! Thank you Bishop Vann.
