The Law of Love
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!” — Psalm 119
Readings for the Week
Monday: Gn 4:1-15, 25; Ps 50:1, 8, 16bc-17, 20-21; Mk 8:11-13
Tuesday: Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10; Ps 29:1a, 2, 3ac-4, 3b, 9c-10; Mk 8:14-21
Wednesday: Gn 8:6-13, 20-22; Ps 116:12-15, 18-19; Mk 8:22-26
Thursday: Gn 9:1-13; Ps 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; Mk 8:27-33
Friday: Gn 11:1-9; Ps 33:10-15; Mk 8:34 — 9:1
Saturday: Heb 11:1-7; Ps 145:2-5, 10-11; Mk 9:2-13
Sunday: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18; Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13;1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48
Together in Mission
As you may know, before coming to Mary Immaculate I worked in two small parishes in South Los Angeles. Both of these parishes are subsidized by this wonderful program of Together in Mission. Last year I had the opportunity to preach in all masses at Holy Family Church in South Pasadena on behalf of Together in Mission and how this program has helped both of the parishes and schools where I was working to continue the pastoral ministry and in the education of boys and girls in those communities. I told them how these two parishes and schools were among the 81 parishes and 63 schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that are supported by this unique program in which every dollar goes to assist in the essential resources and ministries that enrich our parish life and strengthen the education of our youth and children in a Christian environment.
This Sunday is commitment Sunday for the Together in Mission appeal. We are very blessed by your generosity and I am aware of your sacrificial giving to our parish; but I really want you to be part of this mission. Together we can reach our goal of $70,800.00 for this year. God always pays back a hundred times more of what we give. Every dollar counts and you can give as much as you can, even a few dollars help. Again, thank you so much for your generosity to our parish and to our program of Together in Mission.
Rev. Fr. Abel Loera, Pastor
Be the Light of Christ Appeal Prayer
Heavenly king, we thank you for the blessings you bestow upon us. We pray that stewardship may become a way of life for us so that we can share the many gifts you have bestowed upon. Guide us to be generous in our thoughts and actions. We offer you today the fruits of our labor that they may become beacons of hope for others. Let us be reminded of the gift of light we received at the baptismal font and help us to reflect that light on to others in need. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrate National Marriage Week 2017 with Amoris Laetitia
“The upcoming observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 12) provide an opportunity to celebrate the gift and blessing of marriage and to affirm and support engaged and married couples.”
— Archbishop Charles Chaput
National Marriage Week: Every February 7-14, it is an opportunity to promote, celebrate and strengthen marriage.
Amoris Laetitia: Pope Francis’s exhortation “The Joy of Love,” (April 2016) about marriage and family life.
- “The word of God tells us that the family is entrusted to a man, a woman and their children, so that they may become a communion of persons in the image of the union of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (no. 29).
- “Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth” (no. 30).
- “No one can think that the weakening of the family as that natural society founded on marriage will prove bene cial to society as a whole” (no. 52).
- “The sacrament [of marriage] is a gift given for the sancti cation and salvation of the spouses” (no. 72).
- “The Church is a family of families, constantly enriched by the lives of all those domestic churches” (no. 87).
- “In our families, we must learn to imitate Jesus’ own gentleness in our way of speaking to one another” (no. 100).
- “Love opens our eyes and enables us to see, beyond all else, the great worth of a human being” (no. 128).
For more resources on Amoris Laetitia, visit
www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/amoris-laetitia.cfm
For resources to prepare for marriage or strengthen your marriage and family, visit www.foryourmarriage.org