San Pablo children invite you to help them.

May 5th is the first Sunday in May, the children will be honoring Mary, Our Blessed Mother! They will be bringing flowers to her, in procession in church, before 10:00 Mass begins. During this time, we will all be singing songs that honor Mary!

All parishioners are welcome to join in honoring our Mother with flowers!

Finally, one of our students will be crowning a statue of the Blessed Mother with a beautiful crown of flowers.

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.

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)

St. Athanasius

St. Athanasius, also known as Athanasius the Great and Athanasius the Confessor, was a bishop and doctor of the church. He is called the "Father of Orthodoxy," the "Pillar of the Church" and "Champion of Christ's Divinity." Athanasius became one of the most dedicated opponents of the heresy of Arianism. Much of his life was a testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Born in either 296 or 298 in Alexandria, Egypt to a prominent Christian family, Athanasius received a wonderful education in Christian doctrine, Greek literature, philosophy, rhetoric and jurisprudence.

Athanasius became Alexander's secretary in 318 after being ordained a deacon. Around this time, Athanasius wrote his first work, a theological treatise on the Incarnation which is still quoted extensively in Christian theological studies and spiritual literature. Around 323, Arius, an ambitious priest of the Alexandrian Church, denied the Divinity of Christ, and began spreading word that Jesus Christ was not truly divine, but merely created in time by the Eternal Father. Alexander demanded Arius produce a written statement on the false doctrine. It was condemned as heresy after two dissenting Bishops came forward. Arius and 11 other priests and deacons were deposed, or removed from their office, for teaching false doctrine.

Arius left for Caesarea, but continued to teach his false doctrine and enlisted support from the Bishop of Nicomedia, Eusebius and other Syrian prelates. Athanasius, as Alexander's secretary, was present during the great Church debate. He may have even composed the letter that announced Arius' condemnation. Athanasius stood alongside Alexander during the famous Council of Nicaea to determine the matters of dogma. It was during this meeting, summoned by Emperor Constantine, that Arius' sentencing was officially confirmed and the Nicene Creed was adopted as the Creed of the Church and a worthy symbol of the orthodox Christian faith.

In 335, Emperor Constantine commanded Athanasius to go to the Council of Tyre, Lebanon. The council was full of Athanasius' opponents and was led by an Arian. Athanasius realized his condemnation was already pre-decided. Athanasius was exiled for the first time to Trier, Germany. While there, he kept in touch with his flock by letter. Athanasius' exile lasted for two and a half years. He returned to Alexandria in 338 to find both Emperor Constantine and Arius had died. After he returned to Alexandria, his enemies continued to try to bring him to exile. They accused him of raising sedition, of promoting bloodshed, and detaining his own use of corn.

Over the course of his life, Athanasius was banished five times and spent 17 years of his life in exile for the defense of the doctrine of Christ's divinity. However, the last years of his life were peaceful and he died on May 2, 373 in Alexandria. His body was transferred, first to Constantinople, then to Venice. St. Athanasius is often shown as a bishop arguing with a pagan, a bishop holding an open book or a bishop standing over a defeated heretic. He is a patron saint of theologians, and faithful Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians and hailed to this day as a great Defender of the Faith. His feast day is celebrated on May 2.

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

We are introduced to the Gentile Cornelius. In the verses immediately preceding today’s selection, Cornelius has a vision in which he is instructed to meet Peter. Meanwhile, Peter has a vision that confounds him and that he will later understand as a sign that Gentiles who proclaimed Jesus as Lord should be welcomed into this new community. Upon his first meeting with Peter, Cornelius falls before Peter’s feet. While a conversation between the two ensues, a large crowd gathers. For the first time, Peter begins to teach “that God shows no partiality” between Jew and Gentile. The Holy Spirit descended upon the believers, and the baptism of Cornelius and his household followed.

The Gospel emphasizes that the love exists between the Father and the Son is the same love that must characterize the relationships of Jesus’ followers. This love is so foundational for Christians that we are commanded to love one another. The noun friend, which Jesus uses to describe his relationship with the disciples, is derived from the verb to love. Thus, the friendship identified in this Gospel emphasizes mutual self-giving. Such friendship is far more than a casual relationship with another person.

Notably, these passages where Jesus pours out his repeated messages of love for one another does not mention how we earn this love, or what we did to deserve it. There is nothing we could do to deserve this kind of love that has prompted our God to lay down his life for us. We did not even choose him: he chose us. We did nothing to earn this, and yet God has found us worthy. This kind of bond should in turn prompt us t change our lives to strive to be worthy recipients, to learn to lay down our agendas for one another.

Jesus says the greatest love someone can have for another person is to give up their life for them. Jesus did that for us. Jesus doesn't expect all of us to give up our lives for others, although some people do that (missionaries, people who work for justice, doctors without borders, etc…). Instead, we can give up parts of our lives: our time, our friendship, our help, our care, even our money so that others will have a better life.

Jesus loved us with a perfect love. Can we love perfectly? Probably not, but if we try to follow Jesus’ example and do our best to love our neighbor and God, we will come close to perfect love.

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.