You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? You are the light of the world......Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." [Matthew] We know that the evangelist Matthew put many of Jesus' teachings together in creating the Sermon on the Mount, but the overall intent of Jesus becomes clear as we read through the Sermon. To be salt of the earth and light of the world requires a great deal of wisdom and courage to accompany our faith.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven......" [Matthew] What might the final exam consist of when we meet the Teacher
The central character in the Gospel is the poor widow who comes to pay her temple tax reminding us perhaps of Mother Teresa, a great servant of the poor, of the Church and of the whole world. Her life is a testimony to the dignity and the privilege of humble service. She had chosen to be not just the least but to be the servant of the least. As a real mother to the poor, she bent down to those suffering various forms of poverty. Her greatness lies in her ability to give without counting the cost, to give "until it hurts". Her life was a radical living and a bold proclamation of the Gospel.
One of the greatest achievements of the Second Vatican Council was its document on divine revelation, DEI VERBUM (The Word of God). This document began the gradual reversal of centuries of ignorance of the Bible among Catholics. The Word of God is "living and effective" [Heb. 4:12] and we remember St. Jerome’s favorite quote ‘Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. The Second Vatican Council took place 1962-65 and the People of God were just then being encouraged to read the scriptures on their own instead of hearing them only in the gospel at Mass. Now there are literally thousands of "aids" for every age of Catholic to understand the Word of God and have it "living and effective" in their lives.
The scribe in this Gospel scene is not looking at Jesus with the same eyes of faith that we do. Jesus was, to him, one among many other "teachers." His dialogue with Jesus would have been a common interaction. Scribes were considered the experts in the Law of Moses. What sets this scribe apart is the priority he gives to this commandment of love among the 613 precepts in the law. Jesus' response is basically, "You're headed in the right direction...." Jesus creates with his encounter with the scribe ‘a teachable moment’.
I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. [2 Timothy] The Holy Spirit empowers, enlightens, and encourages all of us who are baptized to be strong, loving, and wise in serving the Lord Jesus.
Having celebrated the Solemnity of Pentecost this past Sunday, the Easter season concludes and the Church returns to the liturgical season of "ordinary time" although it is hardly ordinary but very much extraordinary time considering the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic and these past days of peace protests scared by violence, looting, arson, and destruction that is visible across the face of our nation.
The 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play will be postponed due to the current situation caused by the corona pandemic. The basis for this is a decision of the district administration of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which prohibits the performance of the event planned from 16.05.2020 to 04.10.2020. The health of our guests and participants is our highest priority, therefore the responsible persons have decided to postpone the premiere of the Passion Play, which was planned for 16 May 2020, until 2022. The premiere is now scheduled for May 21, 2022.
[Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 and John 19:25-34] The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. [Genesis] When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. [John] MONDAY AFTER PENTECOST: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
No Masses at St. Denis Catholic Church On March 19th, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order that everyone in California (with a few exceptions) should stay home to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. In order to comply with this Executive Order, and for the safety of everyone, the church and the Pastoral Office are closed.
Bishop David O’Connell, the auxiliary bishop for our pastoral region, will celebrate Mass with the St. Denis community at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 10. As part of the homily, he will offer a special guided meditation for healing for mothers and all people who are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Please join us for this special Mass, which will be livestreamed via St. Denis’s Facebook page on Sunday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m., and will be uploaded to St. Denis’s YouTube channel shortly thereafter.
Please join us for our annual May Crowning, which is a traditional way to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is Queen of Heaven and Earth. Our May Crowing will be livestreamed on St. Denis’s Facebook page from inside the church, which is still closed because of COVID-19. We will sing Marian hymns, pray the Rosary, recite a Marian litany, and crown with a wreath of flowers our beautiful statue of Mary, Queen of the Angels. Shortly afterward, we will upload the video to St. Denis’s YouTube channel.
Archbishop José Gomez invites every Catholic to make his or her commitment for 2020 to Together in Mission, which provides financial assistance to 67 poor parishes and 74 poor Catholic schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. This year, our parish has been asked to raise $129,494. Last year, 488 parish donors helped us to raise $142,003; and we exceeded our goal for the first time in several years. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed last year and who will contribute this year to Together in Mission.
To get free access (beginning on Saturday, May 9) to this virtual Easter retreat, please sign up at: parishevangelizationleaders.org/events/. An E-mail with a link to access the retreat will be E-mailed to you before May 9.
Risks to children’s safety come in many shapes and sizes. As parents and caring adults, inappropriate adult conduct is not the only risk to watch for; we must also create safe environments to protect children from other risks. One possible threat comes from the small soft plastic pods that hold laundry detergent. The pods are brightly colored, and often attract young children who may mistake them for candy or other foods and according to studies, children who ingest these pods or been exposed to them could become ill and need to be hospitalized. For more information, request a copy of the VIRTUS® article “Detergent Pods” from jvienna@la-archdiocese.org or (213) 637-7227.
