Solitary Palm for Sunday

Throughout our history, every year on Palm Sunday we gathered in mass in the piazza outside the church. We all held palms and listened to the Gospel announcing that Christ our King was at the city gates, ready to enter. I went among you showering down holy water, blessing the palms you held, so that they would become a visible reminder of the Christian joy of following in behind Christ the Shepherd who leads His flock to victory. Accompanied by our deacon and ministers around the altar, we would then enter the historical drama of the Gospel as it recounted the events about to unfold leading up to Good Friday and the sacrificial death of Christ. This year, our song of “Hosanna, Hosanna” seems like a distant echo from years past. 

Whether you stop by the church on Sunday to pick up a fresh and blessed palm, make some time within the church in adoration of the Eucharistic Presence of Christ at His altar, or find yourself at home in prayer making Sunday sacred, know that I will have offered Mass for you and your intentions. I only ask that you make your own little sacrifices to God in thanksgiving for the graces He still continues to shower on us and also in petition that He will protect, heal and guide our community during these uncertain and tense days and weeks ahead. 

It is worth recalling from Scripture, from St. Luke’s gospel account, that as our Blessed Lord approached the city amid the joyful excitement of the people gathered to welcome Him, before going forward, Christ stood back. From a distance as He looked over the city before Him, Christ wept. God weeps for our city, for our nation.

St. Matthew’s gospel account reminds us that the first thing that Our Lord did when He entered the city was to heal the blind and the crippled. As soon as He did so, the religious leaders forced Him to leave. We also must allow Christ to work through us to bring healing and hope to those who are blinded by fear or isolated in loneliness. 

But Christ does not give up on us. The following morning, this time without the fanfare of the crowds or festivities, Our Lord pushes His way into the temple grounds and with all His bodily strength and emotion causes havoc to the money changers and marketeers who had dared to make financial capital out of spiritual hunger. Surely this is a stark reminder to us, that even though our economy at this time is taking a hit, we can never allow it to be a false god to replace our dependence on the true God who does not rise and fall continuously, but through Christ has risen from the dead, never to die again. He alone is the cause of our hope. 

As we enter into Palm Sunday, the gateway to the holiest week in our Christian calendar and a crucial one in our nation’s history, join me and support each other in prayer for those who are hidden away in illness or in fear. Pray for the souls of those who have died, and for their families and loved ones. Pray for those in the medical field who put themselves in harm’s way to bring healing. Pray for those who serve us in the stores and delivery services. Pray for those in uniform who protect and serve us. Pray for those in leadership, our public servants, that they will always foresee the common good. Pray for your pastor and deacon that we may become more perfectly attuned to Christ the Priest, Christ the Servant. Pray for the salvation of your soul and that God will renew the face of the earth to reflect His glory and His love which endures forever. 

Father Cávana Wallace

Pastor

The Day of the Lord Approaches

In preparation for Sunday, know that I continually offer the sacrifice of the Mass for you. In doing so during these strange days of Lent, I find myself like Moses who has climbed the mountain of the Lord alone, having left the people I have shepherded on the plains below. Even though there is a physical distance between you and the Holy Mass, be assured that at the Lord’s altar I intercede for you continually.

I am aware that, at ground zero, many are afraid or anxious, even uncertain as to what the future may hold. God only grants us one day to rise from sleep, one day to rest from our day’s labor. But the day at hand is a gift. So always be grateful in the morning and give thanks at its close. Make every hour of the day count towards offering it back to the Giver of every gift. Avoid being enslaved into the passing things of this world that count for little on the Day of Salvation. Therefore, be generous to everyone who asks, comfort and assure those who are afraid and know that, even in solitude and in the quiet, God’s voice is clearly heard. Do not be afraid of silence. 

I recently called the sick and the homebound within the parish that our deacon would regularly visit to bring the sacrament of Holy Communion. Amazingly, each one of them were in good form, happy and appreciative for what little we can do. They have become our inspiration and intercession. They already know and live what we now call confinement and isolation. They live each day as a gift, never taking for granted the time allotted to each one of us. Their prayers for us, who dare to call ourselves strong, are powerful and authentic. And they know that even to receive Holy Communion once in a short lifespan is worth all the sufferings and trials of this present life. And when they partake of the divine medicine of immortality, it is never taken for granted. 

To that end, I want to assure you yet again, that “behind the veil”, I offer the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist for you. I do not take a camera with me, nor livestream my secret whisperings to God on your behalf before my little altar. I can offer you no comfort food to hold you over for better days, but only a true sacrifice pleasing to the Lord that speaks of eternity instead. 

On your part, always look towards Sunday as the victory celebration that we believe, despite the struggles, the fears and the rumors to the contrary, that Christ has already won any and every war and at every level, be it visible or invisible. We should never mistake the shouldering aftermath of the battlefield as defeat. He has risen from the dead and has already won. In His victory He is always humble, merciful and kind, tending the wounds of those who are injured, sick or afraid. Let us never be afraid of Him as He passes us by, but confess our sins and be assured of His mercy and His love that endures forever. This is the day that the Lord has made. With Mary our mother, let us rejoice and be glad. 

Announcement

This is the feast day of God’s announcement. Traditionally we call it The Annunciation when God’s Word became flesh and blood in the womb of the Virgin Mary. God’s announcement is this - I Am With You! 

He announces this, not in a text message or a verse from Scripture. He announces it in human flesh, as the Virgin Mary is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and in that divine intimacy, she conceives. In nine months time the world will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. 

This moment is relevant for us now, as it was just over two thousand years ago. Many saints have reflected, not just on the incredible fact that God has entered into our human history and story. Some have also raised their eyebrows and scratched their heads thinking about what the Virgin Mary did next. 

She left her home and went on a journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Her route took her up and down and through the hills “in her condition”! Was that wise? A pregnant girl whose divine child would be born to be the savior of the whole human race had broken her confinement and was now risking her health, and ours too, by venturing out into the open, traveling on foot through streets and trails. What was she thinking? But of course, it was only she, not us, who could risk venturing out. Why, because, despite the odds, Mary carried within her the divine person of the hidden Christ, God’s Word made flesh. 

We, on the other hand, are best represented by her cousin Elizabeth who has for months been in human isolation, homebound and confined because of her own “condition”. When the Virgin Mary arrives at her home announcing “Shalom”, even from a social distance, her greeting resonates deep within her cousin. Elizabeth’s child within her womb stirs and leaps with joy in the presence of Mary and Jesus. 

What does this tell us today? Even though we may find ourselves confined, homebound or isolated, Christ our savior still comes to us and visits us through our common mother, Mary. God alone has the power to reach across any human distance to enter into our own quarantined lives. 

Pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Each “mystery”, (the annunciation, the visitation, the birth, presentation of the child and His disappearance for three days, presumed lost when He was a boy) do not seem at first glance “joyful”. Each episode has a backdrop of hardship and suffering. But in these moments, there must be joy knowing that our God not only understands but also experiences, feels and lives the dangers and trails we all face, particularly now. 

Share this special announcement!

Father Cávana Wallace

Pastor

Encouragement

Yesterday, Sunday, I witnessed at first hand, many parishioners and families who were able to stop by the church to pray or simply spend some time in the Presence of the Eucharistic Lord who abides with us locally through the Blessed Sacrament within the church’s tabernacle. The church will remain open 7 days a week 7am to 4:30pm

I was also grateful for the opportunity to meet and talk with many of you as you passed by throughout the day and to, for those in need, offer assurance and comfort. You also returned that grace to me. 

And for those who were not able to leave your homes or travel far, know of my prayers and the prayers of all our brothers and sisters for you and your families. Last night, when I returned home, I offered a Sunday evening Mass on your behalf. In short, know that I have you covered!

For now, while in the trenches, we continue to make petition to God on behalf of those who are sick, the vulnerable and those afraid. We give thanks to God for the heroic sacrifices made by those in the medical field, our men and women in uniform, and those working behind the scenes keeping our essential needs available. To the generosity of friends and neighbors, we give thanks. We also give praise to God for the gift of a new day, allowing us to refine our faith, our hope and purify our love.

Finally, I include the portion of Scripture assigned to today’s weekday Mass. It should offer us all a vision of hope for the future. The creative power of God’s grace is always at work in this world which He created and continues to love. 

Father Cávana Wallace

Pastor 

Isaiah 65:17-21

No longer shall the sound of weeping or the sound of crying be heard.

Thus says the Lord:

Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people.

No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.

They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

The Word of the Lord

Pray Always

Although watching Mass on TV or through the Internet may provide comfort and assurance, know that you can, wherever you are, fully participate in the official Prayer of the Church through the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Although we have a great treasury of private and devotional prayers such as the Rosary, this Liturgy is the heartbeat of the Church throughout the world fulfilling the Lord’s command to “Pray Aways”. All the world’s priests, deacons, religious and monastics pray this liturgy whether they gather in churches, chapels, homes or at work. It can be prayed in a community, with friends, together as a family or even alone. Doing so, we form not only a network of prayer throughout the world but we all pray together as a Church. 

The Morning Prayer liturgy gives praise to God for His gift of a Day, always anticipating the Resurrection of the dead and all creation renewed. 

The Daytime Prayer liturgy have us quickly reflect the challenges and hardships that we often must endure during the day when we often find ourselves “in the trenches”. 

The Evening Prayer liturgy and vigils, have us look back at our day, remembering with thanksgiving that God was, whether we sensed His presence or not, been with us through every step. 

The Night Prayer liturgy is a sort examination of our souls in preparation for sleep and anticipating our own resurrection into a new and eternal day with all the saint.  

(The Office of Readings liturgy provides an extended invitation for supplemental spiritual reading and mediation to be used at any time.) 

You can follow the Church’s official Liturgy of the Hours for Sunday’s and feast days using the following free resources. 

View, download or print any Sunday or Feast day Liturgy you plan to participate in by clicking on its date. 

Date		Day
04/04/2020	--	Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
04/05/2020	--	Palm Sunday
04/06/2020	--	Monday of Holy Week
04/07/2020	--	Tuesday of Holy Week
04/08/2020	--	Wednesday of Holy Week
04/09/2020	--	Holy Thursday
04/10/2020	--	Good Friday
04/11/2020	--	Holy Saturday
04/12/2020	--	Easter Sunday
04/13/2020	--	Monday within the Octave of Easter
04/14/2020	--	Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
04/15/2020	--	Wednesday within the Octave of Easter
04/16/2020	--	Thursday within the Octave of Easter
04/17/2020	--	Friday within the Octave of Easter
04/18/2020	--	Saturday within the Octave of Easter
04/19/2020	--	Second Sunday of Easter

Patrick’s Confinement

An Unusual Saint Patrick’s Day

Dear Friends, Saint Patrick’s Day has come. The saint’s day is traditionally celebrated socially and with good cheer with friends and strangers alike in church and tavern. But not this year.  With public Masses during the day restricted and evening venues cancelled, Saint Patrick’s Day has lost it “punch”, and maybe also it’s “pinch” as well.  However, the saint in question experienced, not only what we are undergoing right now, but did so much, much more.  As a teenager, he spent six years of forced isolation from family, friends and neighbor, alone in a makeshift shelter in a damp and rainy land with little contact with anyone. Sound familiar? God used Patrick’s sense of confinement and isolation to purify his senses, to fire his imagination and to speak to his soul. He was being prepared to, one day, respond with generosity to what God would eventually ask of him - to be a missionary disciple to the very people and nation who had captured and imprisoned him.  This unique Saint Patrick’s Day providentially allows us to reflect on an often overlooked reality of the saint’s formative early years. Maybe we have more in common with him this year in particular than we thought we every had.  From his own hand Patrick penned this prayer, no doubt evoked from his deep sense of being isolated from everyone. But he came to know in his heart and soul that we was never really alone.  Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.  The Blessings of St. Patrick Father Cávana Wallace Pastor St. Margaret’s, Oceanside

The Pastor recalls the local St. Patrick

Time of Testing

Until further notice the clergy of the parish will be overseeing the spiritual needs of St. Margaret’s within the following constraints. 

1. Although unprecedented, all public Sunday and weekday Masses here and in all San Diego county Catholic churches will be suspended until further notice by direction of the Bishop of San Diego. Please follow prudently all health a safety guidelines issues by public health officials when you visit public or common areas.

2. Please be assured that I will be offering a private Mass every day for all our parishioners and in particular to fulfill the intentions of the faithful entrusted to my care.

3. Although some may prefer to watch a Sunday Mass on TV or through the internet as do many of the sick and housebound, If you are able bodied, I would encourage you to switch off your TV, computer or phone and, if heathy enough and taking prudent precautions, to visit the church when it is open. 

4. Until public Mass is restored, if able and prudent to do so, consider coming to the church and spending some quiet time in this sacred place away from the anxiety of the marketplace and media.

Subject to change: On Sundays the church will be open and the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for Adoration from 8:00am to 3pm. 

Subject to change: The Sacrament of Confession will be available on Sundays beginning at 9am until 11am. 

5. During the weekdays, the church will be open as usual from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

6. Although the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is dispensed during these uncertain times by our Bishop, the obligation to support the upkeep of our church and contribute to its ministries and physical maintenance still remains for us all. 

To that end, please use the online offering link on the parish website to make your usual offering. You can also mail in your envelope. Or when you visit the church please make use of the secure offering boxes at the pamphlet stands in the narthex or at the shrines to the saints around the church who continually support us in our daily works and trails.

7. Check the parish website regularly for updates. Better still, sign up, through the website for regular updates and also as a way we can keep in contact with you by way of encouragement and spiritual support.

8. Reflect on how Christians before us attempted to live and pray during times of persecutions, the days of the catacombs, the penal days, and even during occupations. 

9. Wherever you are, continue to keep the whole day of Sunday always sacred. Pray together as a family, pray the rosary and/or the Stations of the Cross at home. Desire spiritual communion with Christ, and tell Him so and He will be with you. 

10. This is a time of grace. Use the gift of every day to give witness that you have faith in the purifying love of Christ. Let us give personal witness that we are not simply Sunday Christians or “one hour a week Catholics”. Allow this time of testing to be a true Lent and penance and Easter will come in due time in triumph and victory.