Come, Be My Light
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world. In one of her letters, Mother Teresa said that Jesus Christ had come to her in her prayer and asked her, “Come, be My light”. She gave up her privileged position and all her possessions to live with the poor and forgotten and to be one of them bringing the light of Christ to them. I thought of her as I was reflecting on the theme for the Together in Mission campaign for this year “Be the Light of Christ”. When we contribute to this campaign we are truly the Light of Christ in our parishes and schools. It is through your generosity that you bring Christ’s light into the lives of thousands of children and parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who are in need.
Last Sunday we had our “Commitment Sunday”; however, the pledges made were less than half of our goal for this year. For this reason, I am writing to you to commit yourself to this campaign if have not done it yet. Together we can make the difference; together we can bring light and joy to our schools and parishes supported by this wonderful program. So, again, I encourage you to prayerfully consider be part of this year’s Together In Mission appeal. On behalf of all the parishes and schools supported by Together in Mission, I want to thank you for your support and generosity and for being the Light of Christ to others. You will find an envelope in this bulleting to make your commitment. After you have filled out the form, you can simply return the envelope to one of our ushers or to our parish office. Thanks again and may God bless you.
Readings for the Week
Monday: Sir 1:1-10; Ps 93 (92):1-2, 5; Mk 9:14- 29
Tuesday: Sir 2:1-11; Ps 37 (36):3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40; Mk 9:30-37
Wednesday: 1 Pe 5:1-4; Ps 23 (22):1-3a, 4-6; Mt 16:13-19
Thursday: Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Mk 9:41-50
Friday: Sir 6:5-17; Ps 119 (118):12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35; Mk 10:1-12
Saturday: Sir 17:1-15; Ps 103 (102):13-18; Mk 10:13-16
Sunday: Is 49:14-15; Ps 62 (61):2-3, 6-9; 1 Cor 4:1-5; Mt 6:24-34
Saints & Special Observances
Sunday: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Presidents’ Day
Tuesday: St. Peter Damian
Wednesday: The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle; Washington’s Birthday
Thursday: St. Polycarp
Divine Systems
The Lord’s message, through Moses, was to “take no revenge and cherish no grudge . . . love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). We might think, “Great in theory, but not always realistic!” Then Jesus in today’s Gospel goes even further. Take a slap in the face and then turn the other cheek? Treat enemies the same as friends? Again, we’re tempted to think that those are nice ideals, but not very practical in the “real world.”
Paul echoes Jesus when he tells the Corinthians that what passes for human wisdom is absurdity to God. Divine wisdom casts sunshine on the good and the bad, showers rain on the honest and the dishonest—without distinction. We must examine our wisdom and common sense to see how they compare to the wisdom of God, and make adjustments accordingly.
Answer the call to shine brightly for others
Today God calls upon each one of us to share our gifts with our brothers and sisters in Christ that are in need. Through Together in Mission we can share our mighty deeds and give healing and faith to the communities that simply would not be here without your support. Though our Church is large, our strength lies not in our numbers but in our compassion and ability to respond to the call for help. Every gift, regardless of the size, matters so long as we give what we can and answer the calling of our faith. For those of you that have already committed to a gift, I heart fully thank you. For those of you that have yet to make a gift this year, there is still time to participate in this vital appeal. Together we can make sure God’s love and presence is felt by all – especially those in need. God bless you for your generosity.