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You Are A New Creation

Easter Sunday

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”Ps. 118

Teilhard de Chardin used to say: we are not earthly/carnal beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having an earthly/carnal experience. We have certain characteristics of our human, carnal condition—this fallen nature as a consequence of sin—that are inevitable and should not take away our peace or our knowledge of our primary spiritual identity and in our eternal soul.

Even though here on earth we have “the madwoman of the house” (the locomotive of our mind) with all its foolishness—such as childishness, distractions, stupidity, ignorance, clumsiness, short-sighted human perspectives, absurd and ridiculous worries, desires and deceptions, carelessness, accidents, mistaken and clumsy thoughts and decisions, etc.—do not worry, this is your carnality; it is not you. Your main identity is spiritual.

You are a new being and a new creation in Christ, who makes you a child of God with divine life, even though you are still in the flesh with its ailments and limitations; none of this should hinder the life of your soul, for it is only the temporary shell—it does not contaminate your soul. Of course, it might grow faster without this; you might wish to live without this earthly nature that causes attachment, suffering, and so many missteps like those mentioned before, but it is inevitable to pass through this condition, which is a consequence of rebellion against God.

The soul continues to grow without you knowing how; the action of the Spirit continues to work in your soul, despite all the silliness and superficiality that also exist in your temporary condition. Do not be disturbed by all this, nor identify yourself with this passing part, for your identity is Christ: the new man, anointed by His Spirit and made a child of God.

“But to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”John 1:12-13

You are not primarily what is carnal and passing, but what is spiritual. Tell me, how are holiness and carpentry united, glory and toil, having God’s favor and yet lacking bread? This verse dedicated to Saint Joseph expresses eloquently this mystery of the Incarnation: in Christ there is manifested this incredible and inexplicable union—the holy with the limited and fallible, the divine with the human and carnal, the eternal within the temporal, the heavenly within the earthly. We have been raised with Christ, new creations; though I now live in the flesh, it is Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:19-20).

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, all has become new.”2 Corinthians 5:17

“But our citizenship is in heaven…”Philippians 3:20

“So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”Ephesians 2:19

“Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above… Set your hearts on the things of heaven, not on the things of earth.”Colossians 3:1-2

Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, Explained!

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is an intercessory prayer invoking God’s mercy on the world, utilizing words drawn from the text of The Diary of St. Faustina Maria Kowalska. St. Faustina was a Polish nun who received visions of Christ imploring her to spread the message of his Divine Mercy, specifically through the recitation of this chaplet.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed using an ordinary five-decade Rosary. To begin, make the Sign of the Cross, then pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed. On each of the large beads (where the Our Father is said, pray: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” On each of the 10 smaller beads (used for the Hail Mary), pray: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” This pattern is repeated for all five decades of the Rosary. To conclude the chaplet, pray three times: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Mt 28:1-10 Or Lk 24:13-35
Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11/Mt 28:8-15
Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41/Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22/Jn 20:11-18
Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9/Lk 24:13-35
Thursday: Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9/Lk 24:35-48
Friday: Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a/Jn 21:1-14
Saturday: Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21/Mk 16:9-15
Next Sunday: Acts 2:42-47/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24/1 Pt 1:3-9/Jn 20:19-31

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord
Monday: Monday in the Octave of Easter
Tuesday: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Wednesday: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
Thursday: Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Friday: Friday in the Octave of Easter
Saturday: Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Next Sunday: Second Sunday of Easter

News for April

Did You Know?

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Happy Easter! Along with the celebration of Easter, April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month. Saint Augustine said that we are “Easter People whose song is Alleluia” – living in the fullness of the resurrection drawing all around them to a place of light, wholeness, and the richness of the graces made available to them by the power of the passion and redemption of Jesus. In this spirit, there is no better time to celebrate the protection of children, our most precious gift from God. The Office of Safeguard the Children has created a Resource Booklet to help individuals, parishes and schools plan for Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is available online at lacatholics.org/child-abuse-prevention-month.

Accept Your Daily Loss



Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”Ps. 22

Much suffering comes from not wanting to listen to Jesus and the wise counsel He gives us, such as accepting our daily cross. More than suffering because of what happens to us, we suffer because of the way we face what happens to us. For this reason, each person experiences or suffers things very differently, according to their level of acceptance and the way they interpret them. For example, let us think about the death of a loved one, such as a mother. Some of her children may cry inconsolably while others experience it in peace.

Why? It depends on their level of faith and trust in God. The one who does not have God will obviously suffer this much more, because he has no hope of seeing her again. He has nothing to hold on to; he finds no meaning in the death of a loved one whom he believes he will never see again. The disciple of Christ, IS HUMBLE OF HEART, is accustomed to accepting the cross of each day, and God makes it gentler and lighter for him. The Word of God gives meaning to death and offers the hope of salvation.

The one who does not take up his cross as Jesus asks in order to be His disciple constantly struggles against reality, because in this world no one is free from adversity, setbacks, difficulties, physical and moral suffering, frustrations, and so on. If a person does not learn to accept all this, his frustration will be doubled. As the saying goes: He who gets angry has two jobs—first getting angry, and then having to let go of his anger and frustration.

The same happens with the one who does not accept whatever cross may come: rebellious children, difficult spouses, hard work, heavy and uncomfortable coworkers, material poverty, illnesses, and so on. Jesus teaches us to accept the cross of each day in order to be His disciples (Mt 10:38; Mt 16:24), which is the same as living as children of God and citizens of heaven. The one who rejects and refuses it deprives himself of the help of Jesus, who would make that burden gentler and lighter and turn it into a means of sanctification, which is a highway to Heaven.

The disciple of Christ accepts the human condition, with all its consequences, as Christ accepted it and taught us to do. For this reason he does not complain, but lives responding to evil only with good, sowing good seed through the works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual.

Let us contemplate Christ this HOLY WEEK, who gives us the example of how a child of God is capable of loving. We are called to live that same maturity and holiness as children of God, following the examples and teachings that Jesus gives us through His life and His word.

Prudence, Explained!

Those who have the vision condition of nearsightedness need glasses in order to discern objects which are far away. Without the aid of glasses, a nearsighted person’s world is small; anything which lies beyond their strength of vision is hidden to them.

The virtue of prudence is like glasses for a soul made nearsighted by original sin. “A prudent man is one who sees as it were from afar, for his sight is keen, and he foresees the event of uncertainties, said St. Isidore of Seville.”

The Catechism teaches that prudence disposes our practical reason to not only discern what is good, but to choose the right way of achieving that good. Prudence is “the charioteer of the virtues,” guiding the judgment of our conscience and directing our actions in accordance with that judgment (CCC 1806). Without prudence, not only can we not clearly see what is good, but we have no hope of realizing that good.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Mt 21:1-11 (37)/Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24/Is 50:4-7/Phil 2:6-11/Mt 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54
Monday: Is 42:1-7/Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14/Jn 12:1-11
Tuesday: Is 49:1-6/Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17/Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a/Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34/Mt 26:14-25
Thursday: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18/1 Cor 11:23-26/Jn 13:1-15
Friday: Is 52:13-53:12/Ps 31:2 and 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17 and 25/Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/Jn 18:1-19:42
Saturday: Easter Vigil: Gn 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a/Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35 (30) or Ps 33:4-5, 6-7, 12-13, 20-22 (5b)/ Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11 (1)/Ex 14, 15-15:1/ Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18 (1b)/Is 54:5-14/Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 (2a)/Is 55:1-11/Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 (3)/Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (Jn 6:68c)/Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4 (42:2)/Rom 6:3-11/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/Mt 28:1-10
Next Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)/Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Mt 28:1-10 or Lk 24:13-35

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Monday: Monday of Holy Week
Tuesday: Tuesday of Holy Week
Wednesday: Wednesday of Holy Week
Thursday: Thursday of Holy Week
Friday: Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Next Sunday: Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Kerygma – Fundamental Rights

5th Sunday of Lent

“With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”Ps. 130

• The human situation in which we find ourselves is a consequence of sin: all the precariousness and limitations, suffering, clumsiness, ignorance, illnesses, and death, even natural catastrophes.
• We could say that this is not only a consequence of the sin of our first parents, but also of our present sin—personal and social—since if we truly kept the commandments we would already be living in paradise. And even if others do not keep them, if you did keep them, you would also live paradise in your own heart.
• Sin is disobedience to God. This rupture with God unleashes all the other ruptures that follow: with creation, with others, and even within oneself.
• Only in obedience do I benefit from everything God offers us through His Son Jesus Christ: blessings, the Holy Spirit with all His fruits and gifts, salvation, and eternal life. Without obedience—which is trust in Him—I despise His gifts and become a stray sheep like the devil, who neither trusts nor follows Him.
• To reach this trust-obedience only the will is required; it is enough to want to trust just as it is enough to want to distrust. Many make excuses to disobey and not believe, but deep down it is only the selfish desire to make themselves their own god and do their own will that leads them to this, without realizing how much they lose. Each person decides what he believes and what he does not believe.
• Christ came to spare us much suffering. As the Good Shepherd, through His coming and His revelation, He wants to lead us through green pastures, along the path of love, joy, and peace, toward His kingdom of eternal happiness. But if we do not want to believe and trust in Him, we suffer much more in this world and also afterward. We should not trust our human ignorance and clumsiness more than we trust God.
• There is never a valid motive or true reason not to believe in God. Yet many choose that mistaken path not because of reasons but because of their will. Not even miracles and the most convincing proofs lead them to accept God. Like the devil, who knowing God still rejects and despises Him because he trusts himself more and wants everything his own way; and many follow that route toward hell.

There is no greater goal to attain in this world than eternal salvation, by following the only path that leads to it: Christ. Without this, life is a failure; therefore there is no other purpose or meaning more important for this brief passage.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Ez 37:12-14/Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8/Rom 8:8-11/Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
Monday: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62/Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6/Jn 8:1-11
Tuesday: Nm 21:4-9/Ps 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21/Jn 8:21-30
Wednesday: Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38
Thursday: Gn 17:3-9/Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9/Jn 8:51-59
Friday: Jer 20:10-13/Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7/Jn 10:31-42
Saturday: Ez 37:21-28/Jr 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13Jn 11:45-56
Next Sunday: Mt 21:1-11 (37)/Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24/Is 50:4-7/Phil 2:6-11/Mt 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 5th Sunday of Lent
Monday: Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop
Wednesday: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Next Sunday: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

How to Awaken Faith

4th Sunday of Lent

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”Ps. 23

One problem in healing blindness or transmitting faith is that we cannot really transmit it—we can only awaken it. We cannot produce growth in anyone but ourselves; we can only stir it up or try to provoke it. But each person must undertake their own study and learning, and each one has their own pace of maturation.

Apparently, we may be on the same page and at the same level because we pray the same rosary, attend the same Eucharist, belong to the same group, or are part of the same seminary or novitiate, where we follow the same teachings and schedule. Yet we may be at very different levels of spiritual growth. In any of these groups, what is done is correct, in order to awaken faith: witness, preaching, teaching, encouragement—through word and example. But the fruit will depend on each receiver, for they are different kinds of soil. Some are in spiritual kindergarten and others in a doctorate program, with all the intermediate levels in between.

That is why the Gospel says:

“There will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left”Luke 17:34-37

Outwardly they appear to be doing the same thing, yet one may be saved and the other condemned, because this is decided in the heart of each person—by the intention, by the degree of adhesion to those truths and prayers. We see appearances; only God sees the heart.

The problem is that great saints have written beautiful prayers that we love, and we recite or sing them because we admire them and because they express depth of maturity, love, consecration, and holiness. But expressing or singing those words does not mean we have already achieved that level. It is easy to speak with our lips while keeping our hearts far from God, attached to idols. One can remain spiritually immature while repeating prayers, singing, praying rosaries, and appearing holy.

Does that mean we should avoid prayers said only with the lips? Should we refrain from praying the Our Father until we can say it fully from the heart? I do not think that is the point. Rather, we must become aware that saying, singing, or even preaching something does not mean we already live it or have reached that level of holiness. We must strive to help our spirit grow in love for God, seeking that the words we speak flow from the sincerity of the heart.

We will awaken in others the level of faith that we ourselves live. And in order to live it, we must truly desire and seek to live it deeply—so as to be children of the light and to heal all blindness and darkness.

Triduum

Question: I haven’t attended Triduum services before. What happens that’s different from a normal Sunday Mass?

Answer:
The liturgies during Holy Week are unique and rich in symbolism. The Mass for Palm Sunday follows the pattern of the day 2,000 years ago when Jesus entered Jerusalem. It includes a Gospel reading outside the church building and the entrance of the priest into the sanctuary while the congregation waves palms.

The Holy Thursday Mass also follows the rhythm of the ancient Last Supper. The presider washes the feet of members of the congregation, like Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. After Mass, all remaining hosts are taken to an altar of repose, where adoration of the Blessed Sacrament occurs late into the night. Parishioners can remain like the disciples in Gethsemane, asked to “watch and pray.”

On Good Friday, we celebrate another special liturgical service. Following the Liturgy of the Word, there is a communal reverencing of the cross. The intercessions are solemn and include prayers for many different groups of people, reminding us that Jesus’ passion is for the whole world. There is no Liturgy of the Eucharist. Hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday are distributed, after which the tabernacle is empty. The tabernacle remains empty through Holy Saturday—just as Jesus departed from this earthly world in death—and we wait in hope for Easter Sunday!

About Sacramental Confession

3rd Sunday of Lent

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”Ps. 95

Our parish communities are made up of people who come from different places and backgrounds, and therefore we have received different formation and catechesis. Let us review what is essential to consider regarding this sacrament, since it can be lived out in incorrect ways. Let us look at some frequent mistakes:

• The one who goes to confession out of obligation. Perhaps to feel better, or to please his mother, but he comes without any repentance to recite his list of sins, which he does not see as wrong and therefore will most likely continue committing.
• The one with a lax conscience. He sees no sin in himself, only in others. He tends to justify his actions in a thousand ways, and therefore does not feel like a sinner and has difficulty finding faults to confess.
• The one with a scrupulous conscience. This is the opposite extreme. He believes he is always sinning and would need a priest just for himself, since he wants to confess daily for the smallest thing that makes him feel bad or for human mistakes that are not even sins. He keeps account of everything and does not know how to receive Communion without going to confession, even when he has no mortal sins.
• Very sinful and very religious. It seems like a strange and paradoxical combination, but there are cases of people who would live in the Church if they could. They constantly want prayer, sacramentals, and sacraments, even though they live in mortal sin. This inconsistency must be healed, because it is pathological and leads to perdition.
• Those who see God as a machine, as if, if you do not insert the missing coin, the prize will not come out. A cold and inflexible God who lets nothing pass. They scrupulously search to see whether any sin was left unmentioned, as if salvation depended on oneself, on one’s memory, and on fulfilling the arbitrary wishes of a demanding God. They do not know the love of God and turn their religion into a cold and scrupulous observance.

In reality, it is very simple. This sacrament is meant to reconcile us with God. This presupposes that there is a good relationship of love and friendship with Him, and reconciliation is needed only when there has been a serious rupture due to disobedience or failure in something serious. We call it mortal because it is conscious, free, and voluntary disobedience in grave matter—not trivial or insignificant things.

Therefore, it makes no sense for someone who lives far from God and has no relationship with Him to go to confession, since he lives in a permanent state of sin and will continue in it unless there is an encounter with Christ and sincere repentance. Nor should confession be approached from the mistaken attitudes mentioned above. We confess always the sin of disobedience to God—against one of His commandments and teachings—not human mistakes, faults, oversights, or accidents that we all have and that are natural. These are not sins, since they are involuntary or due to our human weakness.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Exodus 17:3-7/Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9/Romans 5:1-2, 5-8/John 4:5-42 or John 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
Monday: 2 Kings 5:1-15ab/Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4/Luke 4:24-30
Tuesday: Daniel 3:25, 34-43/Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9/Matthew 18:21-35
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9/Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20/Matthew 5:17-19
Thursday: Jeremiah 7:23-28/Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9/Luke 11:14-23
Friday: Hosea 14:2-10/Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17/Mark 12:28-34
Saturday: Hosea 6:1-6/Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab/Luke 18:9-14
Next Sunday: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6/Ephesians 5:8-14/John 9:1-41 or John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 3rd Sunday of Lent
Monday: Saint Frances of Rome, religious
Next Sunday: 4th Sunday of Lent

Focus on your Spiritual Life

2nd Sunday of Lent

“Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”Ps. 33

Nowadays it is very common for us to live very focused on other people’s lives, wanting to fix everyone’s problems. We believe we have the perfect formulas and advice to solve everyone’s difficulties; however, it is striking that we often have our own life in pieces, needing to apply some of the advice and light that we are ready to offer to our neighbor.

Several sayings reflect this reality: “I sell advice that I do not have for myself.” Or the one that says, “Light in the street and darkness at home.” In other words, we can be very good with others, but not as kind with our own family, who are the ones we should prioritize. This should lead us to a good examination of conscience, to see how we ourselves are doing spiritually.

In reality, only our own life is in our hands, and it is the only one for which God will ask us to give an account. It is true that perhaps He has placed other people in your life, especially your spouse and children, but the time in which you can truly decide for them is very brief. They grow up quickly, and there is little you can do for them afterward, since they already have their own mind and will to govern their life, and they will only be able to draw from the education and values you were able to instill when they depended on you.

We must focus on working on our own sanctification, for our life is the only one we can change directly. But for this, we must truly want it and be willing to make efforts and sacrifices—greater even than those we make to earn degrees or money. It is far more important to perfect your soul, which accompanies you throughout your life, and if you care for it well, it will lead you to eternal happiness in Heaven.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God,” Jesus asks of us, which means love God above all and above everyone; give Him first place in your life, so that you may walk on the path of blessing and of Life. The work of our sanctification is the most worthwhile and the best rewarded, for it brings us true happiness and peace already in this world and forever. In this we count on God’s blessing, for He is the One who encourages and makes this sanctification possible through the grace and powerful action of His Holy Spirit.

How do we work on this spiritual growth? Do not miss opportunities to participate in retreats, to set aside time to pray, to listen to the preaching of the Church by every possible means… make an examination of conscience frequently, go to confession when necessary, and receive the Eucharist as often as possible. This is the principal mission of our life: to live the Kingdom of God—and it is through effort that it is attained. Before us stands Jesus, with Moses and Elijah (the Word of God) to guide and help us.

St. Katharine Drexel | Biography

Born in Philadelphia, St. Katharine Drexel (November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955), grew up to become one of the first American-born saints. Her mother passed away when she was only five weeks old. Her father, a renowned banker, remarried a wonderful woman, and together they raised St. Katherine Drexel and her two sisters in a life of privilege. Both financially and spiritually well-endowed, the Drexels were devout Catholics and set an excellent example of true Christian servitude with prayer and care for the poor.

After her father’s death, St. Katharine considered joining a contemplative order. However, during an audience with the Pope while on a trip to Rome with her sister, when she asked for more missionaries to be sent to the American West, the Pope asked her to become a missionary herself! Now known as the Apostle for Social Justice, St. Katharine gave up her inheritance and instead devoted her life to the material and spiritual well-being of Black and Native Americans. She established the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored, and together they opened a boarding school in Santa Fe, the first of 50 missions for Native Americans in 16 states. At the time of her death, she had also established a system of 63 schools, including Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic university in the United States for African Americans. Believing that education was the key to opportunity, her love of the Blessed Sacrament sustained her mission.

At 77, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire from active ministry. She spent the next 20 years of her life in quiet yet intense prayer. She died at the age of 96 and was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. St. Katharine Drexel, pray for us!

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Genesis 12:1-4a/Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22/2 Timothy 1:8b-10/Matthew 17:1-9
Monday: Daniel 9:4b-10/Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13/Luke 6:36-38
Tuesday: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20/Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23/Matthew 23:1-12
Wednesday: Jeremiah 18:18-20/Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16/Matthew 20:17-28
Thursday: Jeremiah 17:5-10/Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6/Luke 16:19-31
Friday: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a/Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21/Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Saturday: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20/Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12/Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Next Sunday: Exodus 17:3-7/Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9/Romans 5:1-2, 5-8/John 4:5-42 or John 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 2nd Sunday of Lent
Tuesday: Saint Katharine Drexel, virgin
Wednesday: Saint Casimir
Saturday: Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs
Next Sunday: 3rd Sunday of Lent

News for March

Mary Immaculate Spring Raffle 2026

Join now for a chance to win exciting prizes!

Sunday | March 29 | 8:00 PM
10390 Remick Ave. Pacoima, CA 91331
818) 834-8551

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3rd Place: $500
4th Place: $250

Seller of the winning Grand Prize Ticket will receive $150

Winners need not be present to win. Prizes must be claimed within 30 days following the drawing.

Donation: $10

Lenten Penace Service

Monday, March 9 at 6:30PM instead of the Mass

Did You Know?

Encourage children to practice personal boundary safety rules

All children should know their personal boundaries and know that they have a right to be safe in their own bodies. Encourage children to speak up and say “no” when they feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. They should know to get away from an unsafe situation as quickly as possible, and to tell a safe adult what happened. When a child says they don’t want to show affection, an adult should prioritize that child’s boundary. For more information, read the VIRTUS® article “How to Advocate Directly with Youth for their Safety and Wellbeing” at lacatholics.org/did-you-know.

Returning to the Heart of God



1st Sunday of Lent

“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”Ps. 51

Lent is a sacred time that the Church gives us each year to return to what is essential in our faith. These are forty days that remind us of the forty years of the people of Israel in the desert and the forty days that Jesus spent in prayer and fasting before beginning His mission. It is not a sad time, but a path of grace, conversion, and hope.

In these days, God does not ask complicated things of us, but something very profound: a heart that allows itself to be transformed. Lent does not consist only in fulfilling external practices, but in changing the direction of our life, turning away from sin and sincerely turning back to the Lord. As Scripture tells us: “Return to me with all your heart.”

The Church proposes three simple and powerful paths: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer helps us to listen to the voice of God and to strengthen our relationship with Him. Fasting teaches us to master our desires and to discover that man does not live by bread alone. Almsgiving opens us to concrete love for our neighbor, especially those who suffer, and frees us from selfishness.

During Lent, God wants to heal what is wounded, forgive what weighs on our conscience, and renew our hope. It is a favorable time to draw near to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to be reconciled with others, and to leave behind resentments, divisions, and attitudes that distance us from love.

It is also a time to listen more attentively to the Word of God, to review our priorities, and to ask ourselves sincerely: What place does God occupy in my life? What do I need to change? To what is the Lord calling me today? Lent invites us to walk with Jesus toward Easter, passing through the cross, but with the certainty of the Resurrection.

May these forty days be for each one of us an opportunity of grace, a time to grow in faith, charity, and hope. If we walk with a humble and trusting heart, God will make all things new.

May this Lent help us to return to God, and to discover the joy of living as true children of God and true disciples of Jesus.

Virtues, Explained!

Understanding, “I believe, in order to understand,” said St. Augustine. “And I understand, the better to believe.”

The virtue of understanding, which is a gift conferred by the Holy Spirit, shows us that there is no such thing as “blind faith.” Faith, by its very nature, seeks to better understand the object of that faith.

It is important to know that understanding is a process — the Holy Spirit is always willing to give a gift over and over again! “The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood,” we read in Dei verbum, the dogmatic constitution on divine revelation.

Understanding is the “food” of faith. We must constantly ask the Holy Spirit for greater and more profound understanding, for though understanding proceeds from faith, it in turn nourishes that faith. “A more penetrating knowledge will in turn call forth a greater faith, increasingly set afire by love,” says the Catechism (CCC 158).

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7/Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17/Romans 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19/Matthew 4:1-11
Monday: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18/Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15/Matthew 25:31-46
Tuesday: Isaiah 55:10-11/Psalm 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19/Matthew 6:7-15
Wednesday: Jonah 3:1-10/Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19/Luke 11:29-32
Thursday: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25/Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8/Matthew 7:7-12
Friday: Ezekiel 18:21-28/Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8/Matthew 5:20-26
Saturday: Deuteronomy 26:16-19/Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8/Matthew 5:43-48
Next Sunday: Genesis 12:1-4a/Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22/2 Timothy 1:8b-10/Matthew 17:1-9

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 1st Sunday of Lent
Monday: Saint Polycarp, bishop and martyr
Friday: Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Next Sunday: 2nd Sunday of Lent

His Word Is the Truth that Sets Us Free

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”Ps. 119

Jesus says clearly: “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them.” God does not change His mind or lower His demands; rather, He reveals to us the deepest meaning of His will. The Law is not a burden, but a path to life; and Jesus wants us to live it freely, not as a merely external observance, but moved by love and trust in Him.

For Jesus, it is not enough to fulfill the commandments outwardly. True Christian righteousness goes beyond appearances. “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The Lord calls us to a living, coherent, sincere faith that transforms the mind and the heart, not just outward behavior.

When Jesus speaks of the commandment “you shall not kill,” He reveals something very deep: hatred, resentment, and contempt also destroy life. A hurtful word, a harsh judgment, an offense kept in the heart can kill communion between brothers and sisters. That is why Jesus insists: before presenting yourself before God, be reconciled with your brother. There can be no true prayer without love for one’s neighbor.

Then Jesus refers to adultery and teaches us that sin does not begin only in the act, but in the heart that consents to evil. The impure look, disordered desire, and interior infidelity also break the covenant of love. Jesus does not condemn, but calls us to a deep conversion, to guard our senses and our heart so as to love with purity and fidelity.

When speaking about divorce, Jesus defends the dignity of marriage. He reminds us that true love is not something temporary or disposable, but a faithful and responsible self-giving. God wants marriage to be a sign of His faithful and enduring love for His people.

Finally, Jesus invites us to a life of truth and simplicity: “Let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no.” The Christian must be a trustworthy person, whose word has value, without deceit or double intentions. Truth is lived out daily through coherence.

Throughout this passage, Jesus teaches us that holiness does not consist only in avoiding sin, but in allowing the love of God to transform our attitudes, words, and decisions. The Law is fully fulfilled when the heart is guided by love.

To follow Jesus is to allow Him to purify our inner life, heal our relationships, and make us live as children of God. This is the liberating path of the Gospel.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Sir 15:15-20/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33 -34/1 Cor 2:6-10/Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20- 22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37
Monday: Jas 1:1-11/Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76/Mk 8:11-13
Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18/Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19/Mk 8:14-21
Wednesday: J1 2:12-18/Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17/2 Cor 5:20-6:2/Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Thursday: Dt 30:15-20/Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6/Lk 9:22-25
Friday: Is 58:1-9a/Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19/Mt 9:14-15
Saturday: Is 58:9b-14/Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6/Lk 5:27-32
Next Sunday: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7/Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17/Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19/Mt 4:1-11

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Presidents’ Day
Tuesday: The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
Wednesday: Ash Wednesday
Saturday: St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Next Sunday: 1st Sunday of Lent

Many Prefer Darkness

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”Ps. 112

This is what Jesus Himself told us:

“And this is the judgment: that the light came into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.”In 3:19ff

And today it is very evident that truth is trampled upon, that many people are not interested in what the truth is; they are only interested in feeling good, even if that means going against evident truth. Intelligence is defined as the ability to know and discern the truth and to adapt oneself to it, in order to draw the greatest benefit from everything; this is how the sciences advance and how all progress has come about-through the investigation and knowledge of the truth. Let us look at some examples of those who deny the truth and trample upon it:

• Those who claim to be of a sex different from their own.
• Those who say “my body, my choice” when referring to the body of their unborn child, with another heart beating, and who prefer to deny that child’s existence for convenience, in order to eliminate him or her and impose their will against the truth.
• Racist mentalities, which believe that skin color has anything to do with being superior or inferior.
• Those who believe they are of another species and identify as cats or dogs.
• Those who believe anything that comes into their head, without any proof, to their own harm and sometimes to the harm of those around them.
• Every lie is a way of trampling on the truth, with all the negative consequences that this entails.
• Rejecting Christ is rejecting the truth, because He personifies the truth by being God; therefore, rejecting His words and teachings is also rejecting the irrefutable truth that He came to bring us as the path to eternal Life.
• In fact, even rejecting God or denying Him is trampling on an evident truth that requires a Creator behind all creation. No one would believe that even a simple glass or pencil made itself by chance—much less a watch or a house. Why, then, do many choose to think that our eye, brain, plant species, birds, animals, the universe… came into being by themselves, out of nothing, without the deliberate action of anyone? THIS IS IRRATIONAL THINKING, found in nihilism (from nihil = nothing).

And as always, in sin they carry their own punishment, because from that denial of the truth they also deny the very meaning of the search; they lose hope of ever finding something true, even the meaning of life itself. By setting themselves up as god, they have decided to deny evident truths to their own harm. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND THE SALT OF THE EARTH. We must be willing to spread the light of truth and to defend it with our whole being.

Prayer to St. Joseph, Explained!

For centuries, Christians have relied on the intercessory prayers of Joseph, earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Christ, who was obedient to the will of God in all things.

One particular novena prayer to St. Joseph is often called “the unfailing prayer to St. Joseph.” It is thought to have originated in the first century A.D. and was sent by the pope to Emperor Charles as he went into battle. It is said that those who recite this prayer will not suffer a sudden death and will likewise be protected from drowning, the effects of poison and fire, falling into the hands of the enemy or being overpowered in battle.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Is 58:7-10/Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9/1 Cor 2:1-5/Mt 5:13-16
Monday: 1 Kgs 8:1-7,9-13/Ps 132:6-7, 8-10/Mk 6:53-56
Tuesday: 1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30/Ps 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11/Mk 7:1-13
Wednesday: 1 Kgs 10:1-10/Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40/ Mk 7:14-23
Thursday: 1 Kgs 11:4-13/Ps 106:3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40/Mk 7:24-30
Friday: 1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19/Ps 81:10-11ab, 12 -13, 14-15/Mk 7:31-37
Saturday: 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34/Ps 106:6-7ab, 19-20, 21-22/Mk 8:1-10
Next Sunday: Sir 15:15-20/Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34/1 Cor 2:6-10/ Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday: Saint Scholastica, Virgin
Saturday: Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop
Next Sunday: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

News for February

Office Closed

Office will be closed on February 16, 2026 for President’s Day.

February 18, 2026 | Ash Wednesday

Church
6:30AM LITURGY (SP)
7:00AM MASS/MISA (SP)
8:00PM LITURGY (SP)
9:00AM MASS/MISA (BILINGUAL)
10:00AM LITURGIA (SP)
11:00AM LITURGY (SP)
12:00PM LITURGY (SP)
1:00PM LITURGY (SP)
2:00PM LITURGY (SP)
3:00PM LITURGY (SP)
4:00PM LITURGY (SP)
4:30PM LITURGY (SP)
5:00PM LITURGY (BILINGUAL)
5:30PM LITURGY(SP)
6:00PM LITURGY (SP)
6:30PM LITURGY (SP)
7:00PM LITURGY (SP)
7:30PM LITURGY (SP)
8:00PM LITURGY (SP)
8:30PM LITURGY (SP)

Fr. Luciano Hall
6:00PM LITURGY (SP)
6:45PM LITURGY (SP)
7:15PM LITURGY (SP)
8:00PM LITURGY (SP)

Did You Know?

Domestic violence and children

Domestic violence has many forms, including emotional, financial, physical, and sexual abuse. Research on children who live in homes with domestic violence shows that there can be long-standing consequences to a child’s health. Twenty-six states have passed laws protecting children who witness domestic violence. Children who grow up seeing violence between parents often struggle in their own relationships later in life. The single greatest predictor of whether children will grow up to be perpetrators of domestic violence is whether they witness it themselves as children. For more information, read the VIRTUS® article “Domestic Violence, Part 1” at lacatholics.org/did-you-know.

Blessed are Those Who Have a Heart Open to God

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!”Ps. 146

Jesus speaks with divine authority, yet with a language that is close, full of mercy and hope. In the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12), Jesus reveals to us the heart of God and shows us the path to true happiness, which is not the one proposed by the world, but that of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The world says: happy are the rich, the strong, those who command, those who impose themselves. Jesus says the opposite: happy are the poor, the meek, those who mourn, those who are persecuted for doing good. Here lies the great Christian paradox: happiness doesn’t come from having or pretending, but from trusting in God.

• To be poor in spirit means recognizing that we need God. It is the humble heart that does not rely on its own strength, but on the Lord. The poor in spirit know how to say: “Lord, without You I can do nothing.” To such a heart, God grants the Kingdom. God resists the proud and gives His grace to the humble. This is the gateway to all the other virtues and gifts of God.
• Meekness is not weakness; it is strength controlled by love. The meek person does not respond with violence and does not seek revenge. Jesus Himself describes His heart as “meek and humble.” The meek trust that God will bring about justice.”
• Jesus consoles those who suffer with hope. Those who mourn are those who carry a cross: illness, loss, loneliness, injustice. God is not indifferent to these tears; He gathers them and transforms them into consolation.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is not only about laws, but about living according to the will of God. It is the deep desire that good may overcome evil, to live uprightly, to love as Jesus loves.
• The merciful are those who know how to forgive, understand, and help. They do not judge harshly, because they know they too need forgiveness. Jesus teaches us that the measure we use will be the measure God uses with us.
• To have a clean heart is to love without duplicity, without hypocrisy, without evil intentions. It is a heart sincere before God and others; purified by grace, it is able to see God.
• Peace is not the absence of problems, but the presence of God in the midst of them.

Jesus does not promise a life without the cross, but He does promise a life full of meaning, hope, and love. Whoever lives the Beatitudes begins to experience, even now, the Kingdom of God in their heart. Jesus assures us that no suffering endured out of love for Him is useless.

St. Blaise | February 3

You may be familiar with the annual “blessing of throats” that many parishes in the United States use to commemorate the beloved bishop and martyr. St. Blaise lived in the fourth century in Turkey and Armenia. Due to religious persecution, he was forced to flee and hide in a cave in the back country in order to save his life.

History has it that one day a group of hunters stumbled upon where St. Blaise was living. They found the bishop kneeling in prayer, surrounded by wolves, lions, and bears that he had tamed. The legend has it that as the hunters dragged Blaise off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command, the child was able to cough up the bone and thus lived. Today we remember the saint on his feast day by taking two candles, crossing them against the throat, and saying the following prayer:

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13/Ps 146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9b- 10/1 Cor 1:26-31/Mt 5:1- 12a
Monday: Mal 3:1-4/Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10/Heb 2:14-18/ Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32
Tuesday: 2 Sm 18:9-10, 146, 24-25a, 30-19:3/Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6/Mk 5:21-43
Wednesday: 2 Sm 24:2, 9-17/Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7/Mk 6:1-6
Thursday: 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12/1 Chr 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd/Mk 6:7-13
Friday: Sir 47:2-11/Ps 18:31,47 and 50, 51/Mk 6:14-29
Saturday: 1 Kgs 3:4-13/Ps 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14/Mk 6:30-34
Next Sunday: Is 58:7-10/Ps 112:4-5, 6-7, 8- 9/1 Cor 2:1-5/Mt 5:13-16

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Thursday: Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Friday: Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Next Sunday: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to Be a Disciple of Christ



3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”Ps. 27

To be a disciple is to be a student-one who listens to the teacher, learns from Him, and follows Him. This is what Jesus wants from us, and for this He sets very clear conditions:

• My sheep hear my voice and follow me.
• Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.
• You are my friends if you do what I command you.

For this reason, we can say that being a disciple is not the same as being merely religious. There are many religious people who do not follow Jesus but rather follow themselves. They live centered on themselves and want a God who fulfills their desires and grants favors, and that is all they seek in the image of a saint or of God whom they venerate and to whom they turn.

The disciple does not live centered on himself; he does not want a God at his service. He does not pray in order to bend God’s arm, but rather to bend himself so as to listen to God. He does not want a God who carries out his own will, because the disciple does not trust himself as much as he trusts his Master (who s God). Therefore, he prays in order to know now to fulfill God’s will.

Not all religious people are disciples of Christ, but it is also true that all disciples of Jesus are religious, for they cannot follow Jesus without going to the Church, where the flock of the Good Shepherd walks, where they receive His teaching and the food of life, which is His Body, as well as forgiveness and the other sacraments.

One cannot follow Jesus without the Church that Christ left us, founded upon the rock of Peter, for Christ made Himself one with His Church, so that they are inseparable. We need the Church in order to be disciples of Christ, even though not all who go to church and are religious are disciples of Christ, for only those who keep His word truly are. Only they build their lives upon the rock that is Christ. Many who say “Lord, Lord,” and hear His word but do not put it into practice are built upon sand and destined for ruin; therefore, they are neither disciples nor friends of Christ (cf. Mt 7:21ff).

Jesus calls us today; every day He renews His call to you, personally, by name, with immense love, just as He called each one of His disciples. He desires that we trust in Him and listen to Him, for this will be the true blessing of our life, incomparably greater than anything we could possess in this world. Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Is 8:23-9:3/Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14/1 Cor 1:10-13, 17/Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
Monday: 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5/Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10, 21-22, 25-26/Mk 3:22-30
Tuesday: 2 Sm 6:12b-15, 17-19/Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10/ Mk 3:31-35
Wednesday: 2 Sm 7:4-17/Ps 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30/Mk 4:1-20
Thursday: 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29/Ps 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14/Mk 4:21-25
Friday: 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17/Ps 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11/Mk 4:26-34
Saturday: 2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17/Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17/Mk 4:35-41
Next Sunday: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13/Ps 146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9b-10/1 Cor 1:26-31/Mt 5:1-12a

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Wednesday: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Saturday: Saint John Bosco, Priest
Next Sunday: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Find the Truth

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”Ps. 40

This is what should distinguish the disciples of Christ: TO BE IN LOVE WITH THE TRUTH and its passionate, permanent seekers — because falsehood is always lurking, wanting to enter and divert our lives, to pull us off the path of life, like the devil himself who prowls about seeking someone to devour.

God asks us in his Word not to give the devil, the father of lies, any foothold to slip into us permanently. WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT; we are called to live in the truth in the midst of a world where many have preferred darkness to light, falsehood to truth, rejecting Christ and faith in God, rejecting his Word which is the truth that frees and sanctifies us.

“Sanctify them in your truth; your word is truth.”Jn 17:17

Many do not know God nor find him because they do not want to find him; therefore they do not seek him—they prefer to remain idol-worshiping, with no other god than themselves. Many insist only on reaffirming their own prejudices and ideas; they do not want anyone, not even God, to take them out of their own notions, because they are not seeking the truth since they do not want to change their lives.

JESUS ASSURES US THAT WE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, even though we are in it; for in calling us he has given us a new divine nature.

“To those who received him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in Him.”Jn 1:12ff

Therefore, we are no longer like the others—WE ARE NOW NEW CREATIONS, citizens of heaven, temporarily ambassadors on earth, and called to be light and salt, carrying the good news, the light of truth and divine wisdom to this world that prefers the transient to the eternal, the earthly to the heavenly, the carnal to the spiritual, and the deceptions of the devil to the truth of God.

Many do not see beyond this world; they live locked into their space and time as if nothing else existed; therefore they ignore all of God’s teachings and the longings of the soul. Jesus wants to open our eyes and set them on eternity, urging us to care for the soul even more than the body. What profit is it to a man to gain the whole world if he loses his soul? If he does not attain eternal life?

“Think well of the Lord and with simplicity of heart seek him. He lets himself be found by those who do not doubt him and he reveals himself to those who trust in him. Wisdom does not enter an evil soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sin. The Holy Spirit, who educates us and flees hypocrisy, withdraws from foolishness.”Wisdom 1:1ff

Those who search for the truth wanted to listen to Jhon the Baptist and to Jesus. He is the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. We also are called to be light of the world, witnessing the truth of Christ.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6/Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10/1 Corinthians 1:1-3/John 1:29-34
Monday: 1 Samuel 15:16-23/Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23/Mark 2:18-22
Tuesday: 1 Samuel 16:1-13/Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 27-28/Mark 2:23-28
Wednesday: 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51/Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10/Mark 3:1-6
Thursday: 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7/Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13/Mark 3:7-12
Friday: 1 Samuel 24:3-21/Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11/Mark 3:13-19
Saturday: 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27/Psalm 80:2-3, 5-7/Mark 3:20-21
Next Sunday: Isaiah 8:23—9:3/Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14/1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17/Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday: Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr/Saint Sebastian, Martyr
Wednesday: Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
Thursday: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Friday: Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin/Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr
Saturday: Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Next Sunday: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Baptized Atheists

The Baptism of the Lord

“The Lord will bless his people with peace.”Ps. 29

Many baptized people live in total ignorance of God and therefore in atheism, which can be conceived as an ideology as absurd and irrational as gender ideology, since it consists in believing that all the wonders of creation came about by themselves, out of nothing, without a Creator. It is even more absurd than seeing a watch and thinking it made itself, for the greatness and complexity of what has been created is far superior to that of a watch. They prefer to believe in nothingness or in chance rather than in God, out of selfish interest, because they do not want a God who asks them to change.

Vatican II speaks of several possible causes of atheism, such as insufficient or deficient teaching of the faith, the bad example of those who claim to believe. We could add the selfish interests that lead them to prefer darkness over the light of Christ, the fashions of this world.. many feel more comfortable going along with the current of the majority; it is easier than going against the current or being politically incorrect or uncomfortable, as every Christian is.

Baptism makes us children of God if we receive it in faith; otherwise, it remains unreceived. Therefore, we hear in John 1:

“To those who received him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.”John 1

“How are they to call upon one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to preach? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?…”Romans 10:14ff

Therefore, faith comes from preaching, and preaching through the word of Christ.

There are, then, various possible causes that lead to the rejection of God, but more than honest causes we could say they are pretexts people find in order not to believe in God, always with some underlying selfish interest, since they necessarily end up believing in things even more absurd, because by not believing in God they open themselves to believing in anything. As Jesus said, if the devil returns to a soul and finds it unoccupied, he returns with other demons worse than himself, and the final state is worse than the first.

“For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not judged; but whoever does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed and condemned.”John 3:17ff

That is to say, the rejection of God can never be justified, for his existence is evident and is manifested in creation itself, which proclaims the glory and greatness of God (Ps 19:1; cf. Rom 1:19ff).

St. Blaise Blessing of the Throat, Explained!

Perhaps it’s an example of divine providence that the feast of St. Blaise falls on Feb. 3 — right in the middle of cold and flu season! This fourth-century Armenian saint was a bishop and martyr and is venerated as the patron of those who suffer from illnesses of the throat.

On his feast day, Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat. This blessing is administered by a priest, deacon or a lay minister who follows the rites and prayers designated for a layperson. During the blessing, the minister takes two candles that were blessed on the feast of the Presentation and makes a cross in front of the throat, saying “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness.” A priest or deacon will then make the sign of the cross.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Isaiah 42, 1-4. 6-7/Psalm 28, 1-2. 3-4. 3. 9-10/Acts 10, 34-38/Matthew 3, 13-17
Monday: 1 Samuel 1:1-8/Psalm 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19/Mark 1:14-20
Tuesday: 1 Samuel 1:9-20/1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd/Mark 1:21-28
Wednesday: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20/Psalm 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10/Mark 1:29-39
Thursday: 1 Samuel 4:1-11/Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25/Mark 1:40-45
Friday: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a/Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19/Mark 2:1-12
Saturday: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1/Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7/Mark 2:13-17
Next Sunday: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6/Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10/1 Corinthians 1:1-3/John 1:29-34

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: The Baptism of the Lord
Tuesday: Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Saturday: Saint Anthony, abbot
Next Sunday: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

News for January

Mary Immaculate School – Open House

You’re invited!
Date: Jan. 25, 2026
Time: 11am-12:30pm

Join us for our Open House and learn more about our school community! This is a great opportunity to meet teachers and staff, explore classrooms, and discover our academic programs.

What to Expect:

• Meet teachers and staff.
• Learn about our electives program: Coding, Music, and Spanish for TK-2nd grade.
• Learn about our after school clubs: Bible club, sports, choir, cheer, drama, & music technology.
• Receive information about financial assistance.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU!

www.maryimmaculateschool.org
Call for more information: 818-834-8551

Mary Immaculate School – Admissions 2026/2027

TK – 8th Grade

• Offering a strong curriculum that integrates faith and technology with the academics
• Highly qualified teachers
• Faith formation and Catholic values
• Weekly Mass attendance
• Family oriented community and beautiful campus
• Advanced technology program: 1:1 iPads for all grades
• Elective classes: Coding, music, and PE
• Extracurricular activities
• Up to 60% in financial aid for families that qualify

Bringing the light of Catholic education to the communities in the San Fernando Valley
Contact us at (818) 834-8551

Did You Know?

What does grooming look like?

In practice, grooming relies on secrecy. Groomers use secrets to bind their child victims to them, starting with small secrets and working up to harmful ones, like abusive behaviors. Predators often use bribery (“I’ll let you stay up late and watch TV if you let me do this.”), threats (“I’ll hurt you if you tell.”), and withdrawal of affection (“I won’t like you if you tell anyone the truth.”) to keep children from disclosing abuse. Families should establish a “no secrets” rule, and never ask children to keep secrets from their parents or trusted adults. For more information, read the VIRTUS® article “The Grooming Process” at lacatholics.org/did-you-know/.

God Comes to Meet Us

The Epiphany of the Lord

“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”Ps. 72

Epiphany reminds us that God does not hide; rather, He goes out to meet every heart that seeks Him sincerely. The Magi—foreigners and pagans—allow themselves to be guided by a star and set out on a long and uncertain journey, driven by a single question: “Where is the newborn King?”

They did not belong to the chosen people, yet they were able to recognize the signs of God, while others, who had the Scriptures, remained closed to the mystery. The light shone for everyone, but only some set out on the journey.

God wants us to know Him.

“Eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”Jn 17:3

That is why He became man: He manifested Himself to reveal to us the way of truth that leads to life what we come to know if we open ourselves to His revelation. He loved us first; He came out to meet us, seeking each one of us, to give us His Kingdom of love, joy, and peace.

Upon arriving at the stable, they find neither power nor wealth, but a poor Child. And there, in simplicity, they discover the glory of God. They fall down, adore Him, and offer the best they have. Thus, Epiphany teaches us that God reveals Himself to the humble, to those who seek, to those who do not settle or remain still.

“Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you… for the one who seeks finds.”Mt 7:7

“You will find me if you seek me with all your heart.”Jer 29:13

God wants us to find Him. He allows Himself to be found; He stands at the door, knocking and waiting for us to open our hearts—to seek Him and to take the time to know Him. Only then can we love and follow Him; only then can we benefit from His coming and receive the divine life He came to offer us.

The Magi offered Him gifts with profound meaning: GOLD, as King; MYRRH, as Man; INCENSE, as God. From this it is made clear that this Child is the true King foretold by the prophets, whose kingdom would have no end-true God and true Man, as the Holy Spirit made clear to the Church through several councils in which the Creed was defined with these very words.

As the prophet Isaiah announces:

“Nations shall walk by your light.”Is 60:3

Today Christ continues to be that light. The question is: are we willing to let ourselves be guided by Him, to change our path as the Magi did? May this Epiphany help us to recognize Christ present, to set out on the journey, and to offer Him not only gifts, but our whole heart. May we be docile to the signs of the present times as they were, so as to find Him and not fall into the snares of the enemy (Herod or the devil).

Love, Explained!

If you’ve ever been a guest at a Christian wedding, chances are you have heard 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind … love never fails.”

But what and who we love is just as important as how we love. Loving God, we know, is the greatest commandment of Jesus Christ, followed by loving others (Matthew 22:37-40). We are called to exhibit this love even — and, perhaps, especially — when it is difficult, when it demands we sacrifice our own preferences, our own desires and our own prejudices (Matthew 5:46).

In doing this, we “no longer stand before God as a slave, in servile fear, or as a mercenary looking for wages, but as a son responding to the love of him who ‘first loved us.'”(CCC 1828)

So yes, love is patient, and love is kind — and, when practiced correctly, love is also freedom.

St. John Neumann | January 5

Biography
St. John Neumann is the patron saint of educators, immigrants, and, due to the miracles that secured his canonization, sick children. This is a fitting patronage as he was a lover of education and learning from a very young age. In fact, when he was a child, his mother called him “my little bibliomaniac” due to his preoccupation with reading. Born in 1811 Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic, he attended the university in Prague preparing for ordination. However, his local bishops were not ordaining new priests at the time because Bohemia was overstocked with priests. He inquired about ordination all over Europe but received the same answer everywhere. Not one to be deterred, John then applied to several United States dioceses. Receiving no immediate responses, the saint took a leap of faith and decided to just immigrate to the United States in 1836, during his 25th year, with only $40 in his pocket. This risk paid off when he was ordained in New York a month later.

Early in his priesthood he worked primarily as a missionary to German immigrants in Buffalo. His missionary work also created an opportunity for him to spend time in Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, and Ohio. When he was 29, he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), a congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to helping the poor and most abandoned. He was their first member to profess vows in the United States.

In 1852, at the age of 41, Neumann became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. During this time, he organized the individual parochial schools in his region into a diocesan system. This change allowed Catholic schools to quickly increase the number of pupils enrolled by almost twentyfold. Over the course of his ministry, St. John expanded the number of Catholic schools in his diocese from 2 to 100! His passion for education extended to immigrants, like himself, and his love for learning languages made it possible for him to hear confessions in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, and Gaelic!

A man of the people, he could often be found outside the church walls visiting people who were sick, staying in taverns and public houses to teach, and celebrating Mass in people’s homes at their kitchen tables. He was canonized on June 19, 1977, following three miracles, two of which regarded the healing of youth from grave illnesses. St. John Neumann was the first American man to be canonized a saint.

Prayer
Prayer for St. John Neumann’s intercession
O St. John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers of Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted, and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and at times painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother. May death still find us on the sure road to our Father’s house, with the light of living faith in our hearts.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Isaiah 60, 1-6/Psalm 71, 1-2. 7-8. 10-11. 12-13/Ephesians 3, 2-3. 5-6/Matthew 2, 1-12
Monday: 1 John 3, 22–4, 6/Psalm 2, 7-8. 10-12/Matthew 4, 12-17. 23-25
Tuesday: 1 John 4, 7-10/Psalm 71, 1-2. 3-4. 7-8/Mark 6, 34-44
Wednesday: 1 John 4, 11-18/Psalm 71, 1-2. 10. 12-13/Mark 6, 45-52
Thursday: 1 John 4, 19–5, 4/Psalm 71, 1-2. 14 and 15. 17/Luke 4, 14-22
Friday: 1 John 5, 5-13/Psalm 147, 12-13. 14-15. 19-20/Luke 5, 12-16
Saturday: 1 John 5, 14-21/Psalm 149, 1-2. 3-4. 5 and 6 and 9/John 3, 22-30
Next Sunday: Isaiah 42, 1-4. 6-7/Psalm 28, 1-2. 3-4. 3. 9-10/Acts 10, 34-38/Matthew 3, 13-17

Celebrations of the Week

Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord
Monday: Saint John Neumann, bishop
Tuesday: Saint André Bessette, religious
Wednesday: Saint Raymond of Peñafort, priest
Next Sunday: The Baptism of the Lord

Family: Light for the Crisis of Today’s World

The Holy Family

“Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”Ps. 128

The Holy Family is not a distant ideal or a romantic image; it is God’s answer to the confusion of our time. In a world where the family is relativized, redefined, or devalued, God shows us that His own Son wished to enter history through a real, concrete, and simple family. Nothing was accidental: Jesus was born into a home to teach us that the path toward Him passes through the family.

1. A home where God is at the center. The first thing that shines in the Holy Family is that God holds first place. Mary lives in attentive listening, Joseph in obedience, and Jesus in self-giving.
   Today, many family crises arise when God ceases to be the center and is replaced by ego, comfort, haste, or whims.
   The Holy Family reminds us that there is no domestic peace without God; there is no stable future without the One who sustains everything.
2. Faithful love, not passing feelings. Mary and Joseph did not build their home on emotions, but on firm decisions.
   They accepted difficult, incomprehensible, and even painful missions, and they remained faithful.
   In a time when relationships become fragile and many abandon them at the first conflict, the Holy Family shows that authentic love knows how to persevere, dialogue, forgive, and rebuild.
3. Unity in the midst of trials. The Holy Family experienced: the poverty of the manger, Herod’s persecution, exile in Egypt, and the hidden and silent life of Nazareth. They were not a family “without problems,” but a family that, in the midst of problems, remained united in God.
   Today most families suffer tensions, economic pressures, migration, insecurity. The teaching is clear: trials do not destroy the home when they are lived while holding on to God and staying united.
4. Authority as service. In Joseph we see the figure of the father who protects, provides, and guides—not with authoritarianism, but with a humble authority born of love.
   In Mary shines the tenderness that educates, the patience that accompanies, the strength that sustains. In Jesus shines forth filial obedience. In a time of ideologies, moral confusion, and attacks against the family, the Holy Family appears as the torch that does not go out. We do not need to invent new models; we need to return to God’s plan.

Saint John the Apostle | December 27

Saint John was one of the Twelve, part of Jesus’ inner circle, among the few that witnessed the Transfiguration, the raising of Jarius’ Daughter, and the Agony in the garden at Gethsemane. He and his brother James were the sons of Zebedee and Salome. When Jesus called them, they left their father mending nets and followed him. Jesus called the brothers “Boanerges,” meaning “sons of thunder”—they were passionate in their faith and Jesus had to rebuke them for their fiery zeal on more than one occasion. John, the younger brother, possibly the youngest disciple, was the only one present at Jesus’ death.

Saint John the Apostle is traditionally thought to be the author of the fourth Gospel, the three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation. However, there has been some debate among scholars from antiquity to the present. Tradition also gives him the title Beloved Disciple and John’s Gospel sees him seated next to Jesus at the last supper and the one to whom Jesus gives the care of Mary at the crucifixion.

Although Church tradition says that John survived the other disciples, living a long life, much of it is steeped in myth and legend. Some say he retired to Ephesus after the crucifixion with Mary and remained there until he died. But in other traditions he is more active. For a time he remained in Jerusalem with the other disciples, then founded churches in Asia Minor. In a legend of his persecution, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, John is taken to Rome and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil but preserved from death. He is then exiled to the island of Patmos where the Book of Revelation was written.

Most accounts agree that after his exile and the Assumption of Mary he returned to Ephesus where he died sometime after 98, during the reign of the emperor Trajan.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14/Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5/Colossians 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Mt 2:13-15, 19-23
Monday: 1 John 2:3-11/Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 5b-6/Luke 2:22-35
Tuesday: 1 John 2:12-17/Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10/Luke 2:36-40
Wednesday: 1 John 2:18-21/Psalm 96:1-2, 11-12, 13/John 1:1-18
Thursday: Numbers 6:22-27/Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8/Galatians 4:4-7/Luke 2:16-21
Friday: 1 John 2:22-28/Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4/John 1:19-28
Saturday: 1 John 2:29–3:6/Psalm 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6/John 1:29-34
Next Sunday: Isaiah 60:1-6/Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13/Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6/Matthew 2:1-12

Observances of the Week

Sunday: The Holy Family
Monday: Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr
Wednesday: New Year’s Eve, Saint Sylvester I, Pope
Thursday: Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Friday: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church
Saturday: The Most Holy Name of Jesus
Next Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord

Our Faith Is Not Theory

4th Sunday in Advent

“Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.”Ps. 24

Many people see religion as a set of nice theoretical ideas that give them a certain sense of well-being—perhaps like any other hobby, whether it’s playing golf or enjoying a walk. They do not know faith as the treasure for which it is worth sacrificing time and money, and even giving one’s very life. They treat it as an ideology or pleasant theory, but then they go back to what they consider the real world—everyday life, earning money, having fun, enjoying themselves… In short, they live like those who have no faith, because their faith makes no real difference in their lives.

The human being, besides being somewhat rational—not very much, since we still have a lot of irrational—is also naturally a religious being. Evidence of this is that those who do not attend church end up believing in anything: amulets, horoscopes, superstitions, fortunetellers, cards, etc. as Chesterton said; when one does not have true faith, one becomes open to any false faith.

Many who go to church may also be in a false faith, because they only seek to fill that space of religiosity present in every human being. And if they do not use it to discover the treasure of the living God, they may end up with an idolatrous or false, hypocritical faith—a cover for a life that is just as pagan and enslaved by sin, by the ego that enthrones itself and refuses to be freed by Jesus.

True faith is lived as the most important thing of all, placing God and His message as the absolute priority, in first place, and putting everything else as secondary and passing. This is what Jesus Himself asks of us when He asks for first love: “If you love your mother more than Me…” “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

Anyone who does not give God that first place is someone who has neither found Him nor known Him. For the one who finds Him will be willing to leave everything else behind rather than lose that treasure (Mt 13:44). THIS IS THE EXAMPLE GIVEN TO US BY MARY AND JO- SEPH. At the voice of God, they do not hesitate for a moment to give an unconditional, immediate YES. Before God’s will, their own disappears; they leave themselves behind and respond.

That is faith—not an ideology but a life. Faith works through charity (Gal 5:6), for without works it is dead (James 2:17). That is why it is important to live it; if you do not live it, you lose it. If you do not live what you believe, you end up believing what you live.

Mary answered the angel: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” When Joseph awoke, he did what the Angel had told him… (Mt 1:24). GIVE SHELTER TO CHRIST IN YOUR HEART AS MARY AND JOSEPH DID.

Readings of the Week

Sunday: Is 7:10–14/Ps 23:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 (7, 10)/Rom 1:1–7/Mt 1:18–24
Monday: 1 Sm 1:24–28/1 Sm 2:1, 4–5, 6–7, 8/Lk 1:46–56
Tuesday: Mal 3:1–4, 23–24/Ps 24:4–5, 8–9, 10 and 14/Lk 1:57–66
Wednesday:
Morning: 2 Sm 7:1–5, 8–12, 14, 16/Ps 88:2–3, 4–5, 27 and 29/Lk 1:67–79
Thursday:
Vigil: Is 62:1–5/Ps 88:4–5, 16–17, 27, 29 (2)/Acts 13:16–17, 22–25/Mt 1:1–25 or 1:18–25
Midnight Mass: Is 9:1–6/Ps 95:1–2, 2–3, 11–12, 13 (Lk 2:11)/Tit 2:11–14/Lk 2:1–14
Dawn: Is 62:11–12/Ps 96:1, 6, 11–12/Tit 3:4–7/Lk 2:15–20
Day: Is 52:7–10/Ps 97:1, 2–3, 3–4, 5–6 (3)/Heb 1:1–6/Jn 1:1–18 or 1:1–5, 9–14
Friday: Acts 6:8–10; 7:54–59/Ps 30:3–4, 6 and 8, 16 and 17/Mt 10:17–22
Saturday: 1 Jn 1:1–4/Ps 96:1–2, 5–6, 11–12/Jn 20:1, 2–8
Next Sunday: Sir 3:2–6, 12–14/Ps 127:1–2, 3, 4–5 (v. 1)/Col 3:12–21 or 3:12–17/Mt 2:13–15, 19–23

Observances of the Week

Sunday: 4th Sunday of Advent
Tuesday: Saint John Cantius, Priest
Wednesday: Christmas Eve
Thursday: The Nativity of the Lord
Friday: Saint Stephen, the First Martyr
Saturday: Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Next Sunday: The Holy Family