This coming Saturday and Sunday, there will be a Celebration of the Sacred Arts at the Pasadena Center Conference Building, Green Street in Pasadena between Marengo and Euclid.

This event is being sponsored by St. Andrew's Benedictine Abbey in Valyermo and the Archdiocesan Jubilee Committee.    There will be visual arts displayed, and some even for sale.     There will also be musical presentations by nationally noted organists and choirs.    In addition, there will be religious dramas and liturgical dance.    There will be a rare book display, and a Prize-Winning Children's Art Display.    And, of course, workshop presentations by noted artists from around our nation and also from Canada.

There will be a Teen Activity.    Teens are encouraged to bring their own tape-players, as they will be encouraged to create their own art.

Keynote Speakers will be:  Sister Nancy Fierro, C.S.J., Isabel Piczek, Professor Ronald E. Steen, M.A., M.A., and Christopher Walker.

The Festival will end with a Major Jubilee 2000 Concert Sunday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Time:  Saturday:   10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.;  Sunday:   12:00 noon to 9:30 p.m.
General Admission Ticket: $10.00. Children, Seniors  & Students (CSS): $5.00.
Events: $5.00 each.
Workshops:  $10.00 each.
Special Film and Concerts: $10 or $15.00. CSS:  $10.00 or 8.00.
Special Packages:
One Day includes everything but Roger Wagner  Chorale and Jubilee 2000 Concert:    $25.00         CSS:   $13.00.Two Day includes everything but Roger  Wagner Chorale and Jubilee 2000 Concert:   $40.00           CSS: $20.00
All Tickets and Ticket Packages will cost more at the
door. To order Tickets, please contact St. Andrew's Abbey, 661 944 -2178, or order on website: www.sacredartsfestival.org.

Since the 4^th Lateran Ecumenical Council of 1205 a.d., our Church Canon Law requires that a Catholic Christian receive Holy Communion at least once each year during the Easter Season.     This obligation binds under pain of serious (mortal) sin.    In fact, to fail to receive Jesus in His Most Holy Eucharist, as the 4^th Lateran Council noted, would be to seriously reject to use one of the greatest gifts Jesus gave us for our salvation, namely the Gift of His Body and Blood.

In our country, our Bishops at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1870 made our fulfilling this precept as easy as possible by extending the Easter Season from the First Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday.    This year, Trinity Sunday will be next weekend.

Life-situations which impede a Catholic Christian from receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist include among others:    1) not being married with the assistance blessing of the Catholic priest/deacon in good-standing;     2) living with another person in an intimate manner without the benefit of being married by a Catholic priest/deacon in good-standing;    3) enjoying habits of sin such as drug-use or alcohol-abuse without any desire to refrain from such sinful habits;   4) being intimately involved with another person even though not living with that person;    5) wanting to marry a person who has been married before whether that marriage was in the Catholic Church or not.

If a Catholic Christian is in one of these situations, then that person must first change their ways before he/she can receive the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion.    All other Catholic Christians are obliged to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season.

Pope John Paul II has issued a Call and a Challenge that each individual "Open Wide the Doors to Christ" --- the doors of our hearts and minds and souls.    We can accomplish this by becoming reconciled with ourselves;  by reconciling with family members with whom we live;  by reconciling with those at work or school with whom we spend a lot of time;  by reconciling and forgiving anyone who has offended or hurt us;  and by reconciling with any we have hurt or offended.