Teaching the Faith
This weekend we celebrate the feast of our patron saint Aloysius.
Prayer to St. Aloysius
O most innocent and pure St Aloysius Gonzaga, by thy illustrious merits we beseech thy gracious intercession before the throne of Almighty God, that He may grant us:
(Pause and state your intentions)
V. If it be for the greater glory of God and our sanctification.
R. Amen.
V. Let us pray. O God, the Giver of all heavenly gifts, who in the angelic youth, Aloysius, didst join wondrous innocence with equal penance: be entreated by his merits and his prayers and grant unto us who have not followed him in his innocence the grace to imitate him in his penance. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Teaching the Faith
This weekend we celebrate the feast of our patron saint Aloysius.
Prayer to St. Aloysius
O most innocent and pure St Aloysius Gonzaga, by thy illustrious merits we beseech thy gracious intercession before the throne of Almighty God, that He may grant us:
(Pause and state your intentions)
V. If it be for the greater glory of God and our sanctification.
R. Amen.
V. Let us pray. O God, the Giver of all heavenly gifts, who in the angelic youth, Aloysius, didst join wondrous innocence with equal penance: be entreated by his merits and his prayers and grant unto us who have not followed him in his innocence the grace to imitate him in his penance. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Congratulations to all fathers, may God bless you abundantly and help you to be faithful in your vocations to guide your family to the Lord. May God bless you and help you raise up holy families. May He make you holy.

Teaching the Faith

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth. 

Lord, 
by the light of the Holy Spirit 
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit 
help us to relish what is right 
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Pastoral Message

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, on this Sunday that we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, it is an excellent opportunity for us to consecrate ourselves to the Holy Spirit. I invite all of you to consecrate yourself, consecrate your life, your work, your marriage and your family to the Holy Spirit.

Teaching the Faith

Act of Charity

O my God, I love you above all things,

with my whole heart and soul,

because You are all good

and worthy of all love.

I love my neighbor as myself

for the love of You.

I forgive all who have injured me,

and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Amen.

This letter was written during the Covid 19 pandemic by my 14 year old grandson. It was a writing assignment, they were to write to an elderly relative or friend that might be shut in. His Great-grandmother (lovingly called Old Granny by three generations of grandchildren) 92 years old had fallen, broken her hip and was hospitalized with no one able to see her until after surgery and her release for home rehabilitation. 

Dear Old Granny,

Hello, how are you doing, well I guess it’s not so good. I wanted to say Hi and remind you that we all got your back, spiritually, and hey if it is your time at least you’re a good person who lived a good life, who has countless successful descendants and many more to come, so it should be a quick trip through purgatory and you will be welcomed by God and all who miss you, and eventually we will join you, so it’s not all that grim.

John

Pastoral message

My brothers and sisters,

Greetings in the Divine Will. This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus, this feast is a reminder of what awaits us after death.

The Ascension of our Lord Jesus reminds us that if we have been buried with Him, in baptism, we will also participate in his resurrection. Eternal life is the first thing we should be seeking, as we practice our Faith, it nourishes in us the hope of achieving the promise of eternal life that our Lord Jesus gives us. In these moments of global fear, I want to remind you that we do not belong to this world, therefore we must approach God through the sacraments. As a parish we all walk in the Church of Christ, with Christ and towards Christ.

All our Faith revolves around the hope of the resurrection. In these moments more than ever we must draw closer to God, leave behind any conduct contrary to the ten commandments, love God with all our soul and trust in God always.

Again, I remind you that I am here at the parish to provide the sacraments for you.

May God bless you abundantly.

Fr. Barrera

Teaching the Faith

The Memorare is a beautiful prayer to the blessed mother, this prayer is part of the catholic tradition. Saints like mother Theresa of Calcutta used to pray this prayer and repeated nine times as a short novena asking the blessed mother for help and intercession, the blessed mother is always advocating for us during this month of May. Let us ask the blessed mother to help us and keep us safe from every bodily and spiritual sickness.  I invite you to pray and mediate with this prayer to grow closer to the blessed mother.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Pastoral Message

My brothers and sisters,

Greetings to all of you in the Divine Will of God. I hope and pray all of you are healthy and well. I want to remain all of you that we are people of hope and we are called to live in the hope of the resurrection, the hope of eternal life that Jesus offer us, we cannot live in fear. The bible tells us that death is a consequence of sin, (Genesis 2:17)).

Our Lord Jesus is the Divine Physician. We all know that death is part of human life eventually everyone dies. The important thing is to be prepare for that day; to be in the state of grace, to repent, to go to confession, to leave sin behind.

Jesus is the Divine Physician and he alone can heal us from the mortal virus of sin that affects our soul. Please, do not neglect the state of your soul. While it is important to be physically healthy and to enjoy health, it is more important to be spiritually healthy, because our soul is eternal, and if we neglect it, we can end up losing eternal life. Our Lord Jesus tells us in the Gospel, ^“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

As your pastor it is my moral duty to remind you of this spiritual reality. It is also my moral duty to be here in the parish available for all of you to receive the sacraments, and while public services are not allowed, there is always the possibility to receive the sacraments while complying with the heath authorities. Please be assure of my prayers for all of you during this difficult time and please know that I am always available to provide for your spiritual well being.

Until we can meet as a parish in the Holy sacrifice of the Mass. Thank you to all of you who continue supporting the parish during this difficult time.  Thank you for your generosity.

May God Bless you and keep you, may He shine His face upon you, may He look upon you with mercy and may He give you peace.

+Fr. Barrera

Teaching the Faith

May month of the Virgin Mary

May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the Church invites us to pray the Rosary in this prayer we join Mary the Mother of God and Our Mother to contemplate the Life of her Son.

Thus, in the Meditation on the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary we accompany Mary and Saint Joseph in the birth of Jesus, and we see how the Holy Family, obedient to the Old Testament law, observes the law of God. Likewise, in the contemplation of the Luminous mysteries we contemplate the public life of Jesus and his teachings.

In the Sorrowful mysteries we unite ourselves to the Virgin Mary to accompany our Lord Jesus Christ in his passion. Through the meditation of the Sorrowful mysteries we walk with Mary to the foot of the Cross. In the Contemplation of the Glorious Mysteries we unite ourselves to the joy of Mary as we contemplate the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ her Son, and to the joy of the apostles as they experience the coming of the Holy Spirit. At the same time we join the joy of the heavenly court as we contemplate the assumption of our Mother the Virgin Mary into Heaven.

The Rosary is a prayer of great simplicity that leads us into the life of Jesus Christ, although it is distinguished by its Marian character, is a prayer centered in the life of Our Lord Jesus. In the Rosary we unite ourselves to Mary Our Mother who, through the Incarnation, received Jesus in her virgin womb. Every time we pray the Holy Rosary we join in the FIAT (let it be done to me according to your will) of the Virgin Mary, at the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel. (Luke 1:38).

In the Rosary, Mary teaches us to contemplate the face of Christ and invites us to experience the depth of his love for us. Through the recitation of the Holy Rosary we obtain abundant graces from God and receive them through the maternal hands of Mary, mother of Jesus Christ and our mother.

My brothers in Christ, in this month of May I invite all of you to open the doors of your home to the Blessed Virgin Mary, by reciting the Rosary as a family. She is the messenger who wants to make her Son known to us and wants us to receive the graces we need.

I invite you to entrust all your needs of body and soul to our Blessed Mother in the Holy Rosary so that she may instill in you the strength and grace that each of you needs. So, trusting that she is our Mother, let us ask her to teach us to see her son with the eyes of Faith, so that we can say, FIAT (be done to me according to your word).

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers in our parish! May God Bless Your constant love and dedication.

Teaching the Faith
Morning Offering
O Jesus, I come before
You at the beginning of this day. I
surrender my will to yours, and in union

with your Will.
I gaze at your face,
I look upon your side
Pierced by the lance.

Your wounded heart speaks to me of God’s

love poured out for us.
Take Lord, and receive my heart:
The words of faith that I speak,
The works of justice I would do, my joys

and sufferings.

When I come to the Eucharistic altar,
gather my offerings to your own for the life

of the world.

At the end of the day, place me with Mary,
your mother, by your side, forever.

Amen

Pastoral Message

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in response
to the Coronavirus crisis, St. Aloysius Parish is

suspending all activities during the week. All daily
masses will be suspended for the next two weeks,
stations of the Cross will be suspended, bible
classes will be suspended. We will keep only the
weekend masses.
We all need to pray that this situation will not last
long, for us this crisis is an invitation to intensify
our prayer. Let us ask our Lady to assist us in this
difficult time. The Holy Rosary has won on a
thousand occasions, please pray the rosary at
home, the rosary is a powerful weapon, wear the
brown scapular, pray and start fasting.
Please exorcise prudence and caution.
May God Bless You all!
Fr. Barrera

Teaching the Faith

2020 Lenten Regulations for the Diocese of Santa Rosa

“The Lenten Season has a double character, namely to prepare both catechumens and faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The catechumens, both with the Rite of Election and Scrutinies, and by catechesis, are prepared for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation; the faithful, ever more attentive to the Word of God and prayer, prepare themselves by penance for the renewal of their baptismal promises. (From: The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and the Celebration of the Eucharist) 

The current discipline is as follows: 

· Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence, that is, limited to a single, full meal and abstinence from meat. 

· The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat. 

· The law of fasting permits only one full meal a day, but it does allow the taking of some food in the morning and a second light meal at noon or in the evening, as you prefer. Persons who have completed their eighteenth year to the beginning of their sixtieth (60) year are obligated to fast. 

· The law of abstinence from meat applies to all persons who have completed their fourteenth year of age. 

However, it is highly recommended that children from ages seven to fourteen years also follow the law of abstinence. 

· All Catholics are encouraged to receive Holy Eucharist frequently during Lent and to receive the Sacrament of Penance so that all may be prepared to celebrate more fully the paschal mystery. Those who have received their first Holy Communion are to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season.

· The determination of these days of obligatory penance, as listed above, should not be understood as limiting the occasions for Christian penance. This penance is to help us see and shorten the distance between our present lives and the life God wants for each of us. “Penance should not be only internal and individual but external and social.” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy #110)

Teaching the Faith
On the Sacrament of Matrimony
It is, “the matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.”
Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of “the wedding-feast of the Lamb.” Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its “mystery,” its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal “in the Lord” in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.
“The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage.” The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. “The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.” God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator’s eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: “And God blessed them, and God said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.'”
Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: “It is not good that the man should be alone.” The woman, “flesh of his flesh,” his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a “helpmate”; she thus represents God from whom comes our help. “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been “in the beginning”: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”
CCC- 1601-1605
My brothers and sisters, let us pray for a greater respect and dignity of the Sacrament of Marriage in our time, may the Lord bless all married couples with the abundance of His grace that they may be true heralds of the Gospel through their marriage.
Fr. Barrera

Teaching the Faith
The Commandments of the Holy Mother Church
Brothers, and sisters the commandments of the Holy Church are five.
1 To attend Mass on Sundays and holy days while resting from servile labor.
2 To receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year..
3 To receive the Eucharist at least once a year, during the Easter Season.
4 To observe the days of fasting and abstinence.
5 To help to provide for the needs of the Church according to one’s abilities.
I invite you to deepen the faith and teachings of the Church, I invite you to come closer and participate in the activities of the parish, to be generous and help your Church.
May the Lord Bless you!
Fr. Barrera