If you have a student in grades PK-4 and older who you would like to enroll in San Pablo Religious Education Program please visit our Faith Formation page, fill out an application and turn it into the office.

Classes are held September through May in the Church Hall after the 10am Mass.

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Si tienes un estudiante en los grados PK-4 y mayores a quien le gustaría inscríbir en el Programa de Educación Religiosa de San Pablo, visite nuestra página de Formación de Fe, complete una solicitud y entréguela en la Oficina.

Las clases se llevan a cabo de septiembre a mayo en el salón de la Iglesia después de la misa de las 10 am.

The Weekend of May 11th and 12th the second collection at all Masses will got to: Catholic Communication Campaign As requested by Archbishop Wenski More information is located in the back of the church.

Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament from Thursday.

““Could you not keep one hour with me?” Please sign-up for an hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.”

First Fridays 8:45 am - 10 am It’s quiet, peaceful and renewing.

Watch bulletin announcements for Summer Adoration opportunities.

More Adorers Needed: Call Sharon Starling at (517) 474-4155 to sign up for a Holy hour.

Archbishop’s Charities And Development Drive

Dear Parishioners and Visitors, Thank you for helping our Parish exceed the 2024 ABCD Goal.

As of April 26, 2024 the Archdiocese reports the following:

• Total Gift Projection: $66,595.
• Unpaid Pledge Balance: $ 9,345.
• Total Cash Collected: $57,250.
• Anticipated Gift Over: $14,953

May God Greatly Bless you all for your generosity

Watch the ABCD Videos

ABCD 2024 (English)

ABCD 2024 (Spanish)

The first act of the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus was to find a replacement for Judas. With all the questions, doubts, and dangers facing them, they chose to focus their attention on finding a twelfth apostle. Why was this important? Twelve was a very important number to the Chosen People: twelve was the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. If the new Israel was to come from the disciples of Jesus, a twelfth apostle was needed. But Jesus had chosen the original twelve. How could they know whom he would choose?

One hundred and twenty people were gathered for prayer and reflection in the upper room, when Peter stood up to propose the way to make the choice. Peter had one criterion, that, like Andrew, James, John, and himself, the new apostle be someone who had been a disciple from the very beginning, from his baptism by John until the Ascension. The reason for this was simple, the new apostle would must become a witness to Jesus' resurrection. He must have followed Jesus before anyone knew him, stayed with him when he made enemies, and believed in him when he spoke of the cross and of eating his body teachings that had made others melt away.

Two men fit this description Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas. They knew that both these men had been with them and with Jesus through his whole ministry. But which one had the heart to become a witness to his resurrection. The apostles knew that only the Lord could know what was in the heart of each. They cast lots in order to discover God's will and Matthias was chosen. He was the twelfth apostle and the group was whole again as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. That's the first we hear of Matthias in Scripture, and the last. Legends like the Acts of Andrew and Matthias testify to Matthias' enthusiastic embrace of all that being an apostle meant including evangelization, persecution, and death in the service of the Lord.

How does one qualify to be an apostle? Clement of Alexandria says that Matthias, like all the other apostles, was not chosen by Jesus for what he already was, but for what Jesus foresaw he would become. He was elected not because he was worthy but because he would become worthy. Jesus chooses all of us in the same way.

Prayer:
Saint Matthias, pray that we may become worthy witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus in the way we live the eternal life we have right now.

Now, more than ever, the Church is in need of young men and women eager to commit their lives to serving in a sacrificial way through the priesthood and consecrated life. As you know, this cannot be accomplished without prayer. In 2001, the Office of Vocations developed the Vocation Prayer Chalice Program designed to encourage families to pray together for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

With the help of the Serra Club of Miami, we invite you to participate in this program and help cultivate a positive environment dedicated to fostering future vocations within the Archdiocese of Miami. The Vocation Prayer Chalice Program, through a series of reflections, encourages families to participate in regular prayerful discussions about the priesthood and consecrated life.

Each Saturday/Sunday at Mass, volunteer parishioners will accept the responsibility of praying for vocations at home with their family. Father will call the family to the altar after communion to receive the Chalice and prayers. The family takes the Chalice home and displays it in a prominent place of honor for all members to see during the week. At a special time each day, perhaps after dinner or before bed, the family will come together to pray for and concentrate on vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life and at the same time, explain and prompt young children and teenagers to consider how God is calling them into a deeper relationship with Him. Then the chalice will need to be returned to the church office on Friday.

If interested in participating in this program please email the office at info@sanpablomarathon.org to be put on the list.

Scripture Insights

Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. While no longer physically here on earth, Christ is with us through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

The familiar reading from the opening verses of the Acts of the Apostles speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ ascent into heaven. Jesus promises that when the Spirit comes, the disciples will be his “witness in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Once again, our responsorial psalm proclaims God’s kingship over all the earth. On a solemnity such as this, the proclamation that “God reigns” seems most fitting.

In today’s second reading, from the Letter to the Ephesians, we hear exhortations on how to live as faithful followers of Jesus. If we are true to our call, we will be humble, gentle, patient, and loving, and we will pursue unity within the community. While the words of this letter are lovely, they are not all that easy to live.

From the Gospel of Mark, we hear a commission not unlike what we heard in our first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ must be shared with all peoples! While this portion of Mark is believed to have been a late addition to the earlier text, it is recognized as the canonical ending of this Gospel.

Witnesses are key to the ministry of Jesus: both what they have seen, and how they tell about it. Storytelling is not only a way to recount historical events, but a way for us to make sense of what is happening in the midst of them. It’s a way we find ourselves wading through the feelings and circumstances to make meaning of them, and to tell the Gospel message in a way that others may understand. Remember the invitation of St. Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body but yours. . . Yours are the hands. . . , the feet. . . , the eyes. You are his body.” As we retell the story of Christ’s ascension into heaven, we are made acutely aware of our charge: to be Christ in the world.

As we proclaim the Good News: are we disparaging other ways of life? Are we limiting who or what God loves, and how? Are we failing to leave room for diversity of perspective, practice, or pace? Evangelization and ecumenism need not be enemies.

San Pablo is looking for a few hardy souls that would like to help groom & care for our beautiful gardens!

Meet Tuesday mornings at 9:00am in the gazebo.

No skills required. We’ll show you and educate you in what needs to be done. Learn about gardening in the keys!

Norman & Betsy Philipps (305) 394-0893.