St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community

Transcription

1 St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community Ohio Ave (at Selby) Los Angeles, California (310) Wherever you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here Fourth Sunday of Lent April 3, 2011 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. -- Psalm 23:1 LIGHT Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light (Ephesians 5:14). We are at the midpoint of our Lenten journey of conversion. As always, God never gives up on us, especially those who have fallen asleep along the road to conversion. The most powerful stories of conversion are proclaimed during these final weeks of Lent. They have the power to shake us out of our sleep. Today s Gospel story of the healing of the man born blind exposes the real blindness in the time of Christ the blindness of the self-righteous religious leaders. In a few weeks, at the Easter Vigil, the Church will proclaim Christ our Light as the paschal candle is carried into darkened churches throughout the world. May the darkness of sin that still pervades our lives, communities, and world, be dispelled by the Christ who comes to bring sight to the blind and light to the world. Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co. LIGHT AND SHADOW In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don t. Blaise Pascal Mass Schedule Sunday Masses 7:30 am 9:30 am 11:30 am 5:00 pm Saturday (one mass only) 5:00 pm Vigil Weekdays (Monday- Friday) Daily Masses are: 6:30 AM and 5:30 PM Reconciliation Thursday & Saturday 4:00-4:45 pm First Friday Exposition Oct May Only

2 Page 2 April 3, 2011 THE MAN BORN BLIND The late Scripture scholar Fr. Raymond Brown once described attending Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Lent when the gospel reading was John s story of the man born blind. In place of the usual homily a member of the community who had lost his vision at a very young age spoke about what it was like to be blind. Unlike the man in the gospel story, he remembered once having sight. He knew what he had lost. He spoke very movingly of living each day in a world of darkness with its many challenges and obstacles. He conveyed very powerfully what a gift it is to see the light. Most of us are blessed beyond measure with the gift of sight, although we may suffer from other kinds of blindness. When I entered the Paulist seminary in 1964 I found myself working in a parish in the inner city of Baltimore. The archdiocese had only recently integrated its churches and schools. There were still signs in the church marking off the main body of the church for white and a rickety balcony reached by a narrow staircase for colored. I wondered at the many years Catholics worshipped there and at so many other churches being able to see the difference between shades of skin yet not able to see that God created all people equal. I certainly inherited many prejudices from the urban neighborhood into which I was born that continue to influence the way I see things. Those of us doubly blessed with the gift of physical sight and the even deeper sight that the gospel calls faith are also doubly challenged. It is the nature of faith to invite us to deeper and deeper levels of seeing, Many of us may remember seeing the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz for the very first time as children and being enthralled when Dorothy made the journey from black-and-white Kansas to technicolor Oz. A similarly dramatic transformation can happen inside of us when we begin to see life through the eyes of faith. Imagine, for example, viewing the world without eyes of fear. The world is continually presented to us in images that warn: Be afraid. Fear traps us into a narrow way of seeing things. If we see the world as God s creation, however, we realize that as the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins instructs us, there lives the dearest freshness deep down things. The Trappist monks in the current movie Of Gods and Men face very real enemies. They struggle with very human fears. Yet their vision of a fundamentally graced world symbolized in the crèche they venerate on Christmas Eve leads them to keep placing one foot in front of the other even when evil comes knocking at their door. The many ordinary folk who hid Jewish neighbors during the Nazi occupation of Europe answered the call to this deeper way of seeing. Jesus wants for us what he made possible for the man born blind an ability to see the world and its people as if through his own eyes. Joe Scott, CSP TODAY S READINGS First Reading As the prophet Samuel anointed David with oil, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David and remained with him from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a). Psalm The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (Psalm 23). Second Reading You who were once darkness are now light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-14). Gospel The man who was blind from birth proclaimed: The one called Jesus made clay with his saliva, anointed my eyes with it, and told me to wash. When I washed, I was able to see! (John 9:1-41 [1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38]) A Celebration 75 Years in the Making! St. Paul the Apostle School s 75 th Diamond Anniversary Jubilee & Reunion Friday, May 13 Sunday, May 15, 2011 This May is the 75th anniversary of St. Paul the Apostle School and we are marking this landmark occasion with a three-day celebration and reunion for all Alumni, Students, Faculty and Parishioners! For more information or to make reservations for our 75 th Anniversary Gala, please click here: or contact Alice Palermo, Event Chair, palermoalice@yahoo.com.

3 PAGE 3 April 3, 2011 Rev John Ardis, C.S.P Pastor jardis@sp-apostle.org Celeste Anlauf Director of Development canlauf@sp-apostle.org Mary Ann Bertolucci Ministry/Facilities mbertolucci@sp-apostle.org Sr. Stella Maria Enright, DMJ School Principal srstella@sp-apostle.org Claire Henning Pastoral Associate chenning@sp-apostle.org Irene Holly Director Children s Religious Ed iholly@sp-apostle.org Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Closed from 12:00 to 12:30 PM PARISH STAFF The Paulist Fathers Bridget Lander Teen Confirmation Coordinator blander@sp-apostle.org Lois Massey Business Operations lmassey@sp-apostle.org Barbara Murphy RCIA Director bmurphy@sp-apostle.org Rev Joseph Scott, C.S.P Associate Pastor jscott@sp-apostle.org Christopher Walker Director of Music cwlaudate@hotmail.com All Other Ministries SPA Church Office parishoffice@sp-apostle.org Priests in Residence Peter Abdella, C.S.P Ed Donovan, C.S.P Ivan Tou, C.S.P Ted Vierra, C.S.P Patrick Hensy, C.S.P Ed Wrobleski, C.S.P UCLA Catholic Center (310) Fr. Peter Abdella, C.S.P., Director Fr. Ivan Tou, C.S.P., Asst. Dir. UCLA Medical Center (310) Rev. Tom Clerkin, C.S.P., Chaplain Paulist Productions (310) Fr. Eric Andrews, C.S.P. President Community Gift Whatever you did for one of these least of these, you did for me. Mt 6:40 b Times are difficult for so many. The finance council and the parish staff have discussed how best the parish can respond to the increased need that we are experiencing through phone inquiries, walk-ins and the increased requests from various charitable agencies. Since September 2009, the parish has been giving 5% of the weekly collection to a charity. Parish Support Monthly Credit Cards: $49,915 Weekly Collection : 12,825 If you would like to assist St. Paul the Apostle Church in continuing its mission and receive a charitable income tax donation? Please consider making a difference at St. Paul's by donating a gift of securities or contact Celeste Anlauf, our parish Development Director at: Partners in Prayer Partners in Prayer, sponsored by St. Paul the Apostle Senior Ministry, seek to be of service by praying for others. Please call us with your prayer request and we will notify our circle of Prayer Partners. Calls may be made to: Maureen Morrissey (310) TOGETHER IN MISSION 2011 From God Comes My Hope. Psalm Goal is $128, The Together in Mission 2011 Campaign has begun, please take time to reflect on the materials you have received at home or the information in the pews. YOU ARE INVITED St. Paul s Donate Wine a Month Club We consume approximately two cases of dry red wine during our liturgies each month. In an effort to allow more parishioners to feel they are personally contributing to our liturgical celebrations, you are invited to donate wine. All donations will be most appreciated and a gift receipt can be provided upon request. Please drop an to DocHillary@aol.com or call me at (310) and I will schedule your donation month. Thanks You Tony Haworth Liturgy Council

4 Page 4 April 3, 2011 Mass Intentions Saturday, April 2, :00 PM Peter Lightborne Sunday, April 3, :30 AM Florence Garcia, Sr. 9:30 AM Catherine Garcia-Prats 11:30 AM Alicia Torres 5:00 PM Mary Shea Osborne Birthday Monday, April 4, :30 AM Teresa Mariano (Intentions) 5:30 PM Marie De Casanello Tuesday, April 5, :30 AM Tony DeFranco 5:30 PM Angela Jean S. Lee Wednesday, April 6, :30 AM Mass 5:30 PM Mass Rose Noll Thursday, April 7, :30 AM Lucille Portzen 5:30 PM Genevieve Hogan Friday, April 8, :30 AM Anita Melton 5:30 PM Rose Noll Saturday, April 9, :00 PM Genevieve Hogan Sunday, April 10, :30 AM Frank Innocenti 9:30 AM Mark Marks 11:30 AM Emily Logan (Intentions) 5:00 PM Teen Confirmation Candidates Dr. Bolm Akin-Olugrade We Pray for * Teddi Schumann, Ella Alexander, Stella Dunbar, Louise Taylor, Carole Paulson, Lucy Gervasio, Gerald Guess, Rick Bierbele, Nancy Vondrasek, Elizabeth McDonald, Phillip McDonald, Irene Rancin-Rey, Sally Burge Newman, Hector Amado, Erin MacKey, Henry Cortez, Beth Moreno, Dan Turner, Rita Cruz-Emeteriom Armand Garkania, Iradj Rafani In His Father s Secret Service: Reflections on the Gospels of Lent Is a series of online video reflections by students at St. Paul s College, the Paulist Seminary in Washington, DC. Starting on Ash Wednesday, March 9, subscribers will receive a weekly with a link to a Youtube video. For each of the 007 weeks the video will have a five-minute reflection on the following Sunday s Gospel. This series is free. To subscribe, send an with your name and address to iwitness@paulist.org. Include the words Lenten Reflections in the subject line. Partners in Prayer is sponsored by St. Paul the Apostle Senior Ministry, seek to be of service by praying for others. Please call us with your prayer request and we will notify our circle of Prayer Partners. Calls may be made to: Maureen Morrissey (310) Lenten Way of the Cross April 8, 15. Each Friday during Lent after the 5:30pm Mass various ministries of St. Paul s will lead the Stations of the Cross and host a Soup and Sandwich Supper. For more information please call Barbara at The April 8th Stations will be lead by the Hospital Ministry with supper provided by the Liturgy Council and Faith Justice Committee. Deceased Thomas Lynch, Sr. Rosalee Grasser Sr. Margaret Rose Welch, IHM Michael J. Cartusciello,Sr. Edmon Redhead Hector C. Amado Dana Bilboa How can I have a name added to the prayers of the faithful? You can call the parish office anytime (310) If you do not reach anyone, you can press 8 and leave a message in the general mailbox. You can also parishoffice@sp-apostle.org We also continue to pray for those men and women serving in the US Military: Jeffrey Wolf Justin Aragones Alex Newsom Matt Devlin Mike Devlin Corey Mazza

5 Page 5 April 3, 2011 How Does a Person Become Catholic? (RCIA) RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Please join us on Wednesday evenings in the Multi-purpose room at 7:30 pm as we journey through the faith together. Contact Barbara Murphy, RCIA Director at or bmurphy@sp-apostle.org RCIA for Children The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children. beginning at age 8yrs, who have not been baptized or made their First Communion, meet on Sunday mornings after the 9:30AM mass with their parents. Contact Irene Holly at or iholly@sp-apostle.org for more information." Children s Religious Education (CCD) Please call Irene Holly, Director, for more information at: or iholly@sp-apostle.org Classes are held Wednesday afternoon from 3:45 to 5:15PM. Teen Confirmation For information on Confirmation please contact, Bridget Lander, Confirmation Coordinator. blander@spapostle.org Sandwich Builders 7:00 8:00 PM in the JCPC spasandwichbuilders@gmail.com Baptism Prep Class The baptism preparation class is offer the first Weds of each month at 7:30 pm in the church class. Preregistration is not necessary. Toddler Group SPA Toddler Group meets on 10:00 am in the Multipurpose. Please Addy addy_cab@yahoo.com for information. The group meets on the same schedule as school. Coffee and Donuts - Coffee and Donuts are offered after the 9:30 am mass. Contact erind9@gmail.com Bible Study - Winter Session Monday Mornings 7:00 to 8:00 AM Multi-Purpose Room Repeated Friday Mornings 11:00 AM to 12:00 N Multi-Purpose Room. UnUrban Theology has CHANGED LOCATION UnUrban Theology is a forum for Catholics and Non-Catholics to discuss Catholic theology and morality. April 4, 2011, 7:30pm. Fr. Eric Andrews, C.S.P. We Worship As We Live: Liturgy is Life at the Coffee Connection, 3838 S. Centinela Blvd (at Venice SE), Los Angeles, CA 90066; Free Parking! Corner of Centinela & Venice; Overflow 1/2 block south at corner of Centinela & Pacific. No fee but donations are gratefully For more info contact Barbara Murphy at or bmurphy@sp-apostle.org. Business Development Network Are you a business professional who can give, and wants to receive, business referrals? For questions, contact Jay Spillane, (310) , jspillane@spillaneweingarten.com. Family Grade Liturgies The remaining family liturgy is the 2nd grade Sunday June 12th at the 9:30 Faith Sharing Men s and Women s ** Men s Faith Sharing Weds at 8:00 a.m. in the MPR room. ** Women s Faith Sharing Tuesday at 8:15 am in the MPR Young Adults Ministry SPAYAM meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul s. All are welcome! Bring your faith, your friends, and questions! YoungAdultsMinistrySPA@gmail.com SPAYAM will lead the Stations of the Cross at St. Paul's at 7PM. Join us for the service and for a soup and sandwich dinner immediately following. SENIORS MINISTRY Weds, April 13th 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Independence Hall at Knott s Berry Farm Welcome to Independence Hall and the exciting days of the American Resolution! In 1966 the Knott family re-created brick-by-brick the famous Independence Hall in Philadelphia. We will also see many other treasures of this crucial period in American History. Cost for the bus trip, docent tour, and chicken dinner is $ RSVP to Agnes by April 7th at Payment in advance is required to secure your seat on the bus. For complete details, see Seniors Newsletter at the church entrances. Book Club... The next meeting will be on Friday, May 6th, 2011 in the Multipurpose Room from 9 to 10:30 AM. Join us for stimulating and thoughtful discussion of current bestsellers and classics. New members are welcome. For information, call Mary at SPA s Social Group meets in the Multipurpose Room, from 12:00-2:30 PM, on the 1 st and 3 rd Mondays of each month. Come join us Monday, April 4th, 2011, for lively conversation, friendship, refreshments, and more as we play Bingo. New Members are welcome. For information, call Eva MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Is your marriage built on rock or on sand? Learn how to strengthen your marriage so when hardships come, your marriage will stay strong. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is April 29 - May 1, Early registration is highly recommended. For more information, visit our website at: ilovemyspouse.org or call Jacob & Sarah Flores at (562) or Brian & Denise Keckeisen at (562)

6 Page 6 April 3, 2011 Readings for the weekend of April 10, 2011 Reading 1 Ez 37:12-14 Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD. Readings 2 Rom 8:8-11 Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you. Gospel Jn 11:1-45 Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him saying, Master, the one you love is ill. hen Jesus heard this he said, This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, Let us go back to Judea. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. He said this, and then told them, Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him. So the disciples said to him, Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved. But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him. So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go to die with him. When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise. Martha said to him, I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world. When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, The teacher is here and is asking for you. As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Sir, come and see. And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, See how he loved him. But some of them said, Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died? So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the dead man s sister, said to him, Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me. And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, Untie him and let him go. Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. SPA SCHOOL BOARD NOMINATIONS The School Board accepts nominations for the interested individuals to join the board each spring. The SPA School Board is the official advisory group of the school. For more information Laura Saade, Nominating Chair lsaade@gmail.com Nominations must be received no later than Friday, April 29, 2011 to be considered for the School Board.

7 Theology Connection Connecting Faith & life Formerly UnUrban Theology April 4, 2011, 7:30pm Fr. Eric Andrews, CSP President, Paulist Productions We Worship As We Live: Liturgy is Life at The Coffee Connection A Ministry of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship- Westside 3838 S. Centinela Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066; Free Parking! Corner of Centinela & Venice and 1/2 block south at corner of Centinela & Pacific No Reservations Necessary There is no fee; Donations Gratefully Accepted For more information or to get on our list contact Barbara Murphy at bmurphy@sp- apostle.org Sponsored by St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community, Ohio Ave., LA, CA A Ministry of the Paulist Fathers (paulist.org)