February 14, 2021 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
94 years of Faith, Education & Service to community.
CHURCH ADDRESS: 923 S. LA BREA AVE. LOS ANGELES, CA 90036
OUTDOOR MASS SCHEDULES Masses are held in our parish patio. Sunday: 8am, *10am & 12pm Weekday: *9am (Wed/Temporary) * Live streaming Holy Days: *9am (No Vigil Mass) Wednesday: 6:30pm First Friday Mass/Adoration: 9am
ADMINISTRATION Fr. Truc Q. Nguyen, Pastor (ext. 223) Nancy G. Sheehan, Parish Business Manager (ext. 224) Sr. Anna Tom, RE Director (ext. 234) Mayela Albarran, Of ice Asst. (ext. 235) Maria Lim, Secretary (ext. 221) Most Rev. Bishop Ed Clark, In Residence
CATHEDRAL CHAPEL SCHOOL Grades K-8, cathedralchapelschool.org freepik.com/created by pikisuperstar
SACRAMENTS “Create in me a clean heart, O God; Confession: By appointment on Sundays immediately following the and renew in me a steadfast spirit.” ~ Psalm 51:12 masses. Tue & Thu immediately ASH WEDNESDAY following the mass. Baptisms, Matrimony (6 months’ notice required in advanced for marriage prep), Funerals are A BLESSED & FebruaryHAPPY 21ST 17, PRIESTHOOD 2021 by appointment only. ANNIVERSARY,Schedule ofFR. Services TRUC! PARISH OFFICE is currently closed to the public. For 9:00 AM Mass & Distribution of Ashes inquiries, you may call or send 6:30January PM 15, Mass 2000 ~& JanuaryDistribution 15, 2021 of Ashes an email Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm Mailing Address: 926 S. Detroit St. L.A., CA 90036 Tel: (323) 930-5976 Fax: (323) 297-7677 [email protected] Let’s build a new parish hall! Connect with us! www.cathedralchapel.org Join our Matching Gi Program. Facebook.com/CathedralChapelParish Your gi today will be matched up to $15,000! Tweeter: catchapel In this year of St. Joseph we are featuring reflections from the best elementary Catholic schools, we found Cathedral members of our parish councils and parishioners. This week, Chapel School in Miracle Mile, which coincidentally was we reflect on St. Joseph’s role as a father to Jesus and what conveniently within our local home distance. Vanessa this role signifies to the fathers in our parish. “What does attended this highly acclaimed elementary school since being a Father mean to you? kindergarten, which have won various academic decathlons, including two (2) state championships! Our due diligence in picking this school has paid off. And how time flies, she graduated Valedictorian in 2011! Our “A man does not become a father simply by bringing a Dichoso family attributes and thanks their teachers and child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility staff for their past commitment in helping shape a to care for that child.” [Pope Francis] responsible and success-oriented grade schooler Vanessa. She closes this chapter in her life with academic success, and a major part of my father responsibility fulfilled. INTRODUCTION The second phase of shared parental responsibility came into Pope Francis has proclaimed December 8, 2020 through December searching for acclaimed high schools, again far and wide. We chose 8, 2021 as the “Year of St. Joseph”. Our Pope has described the Notre Dame Academy – an all-girls Catholic School in West Los father of Jesus as a beloved, tender, loving, obedient, courageous, Angeles. Our parental due diligence paid off the second time. accepting, and hard-working “father in the shadows”. Academic competition was fierce at this Blue Ribbon school where many of her fellow classmates were grade school valedictorians As a loving father, I feel some sense of delight of knowing that I themselves. She graduated in 2016 with over 4.5 GPA. Her Class of may also have acquired some of the above- described attributes of 2015 were accepted to the best universities and colleges, including St. Joseph while rearing up my own daughter, Vanessa Anne MIT, Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, University of Chicago, Berkeley, Dichoso. LMU and USC. At this time, she had already made her independent decision as to her future career as well as the university of her choice. She accepted the offer from the #1 public university and the #1 most-applied for university year after year: UCLA. MY STORY – AS FATHER
My wife Marilou and I brought Vanessa into this world on Valentine’s Day, February 1997. I contributed my own share of our FATHER’S RESPONSIBILITY – TOWARDS AN joint husband-wife responsibilities of rearing up Vanessa by INDEPENDENT, SUCCESS-ORIENTED CHILD exemplifying a hard-working father of success in my career, being courageous by taking reasonable business risks for financial Vanessa’s consistent success as a top student formulated her life rewards for the family’s future, while promoting a loving character morally and into a success-oriented mindset. The long history with empathy towards charity by helping the less fortunate. As under excellent Catholic educational guidance established her Pope Francis further elaborates: Children need fathers who will not moral character. For example, whenever the family travels, one of try to dominate them, but instead raise them to be “capable of our first priorities is to find the nearest Catholic Church so not to deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and exploring new miss the Sunday mass in another town or country. This strong possibilities.” moral character to her faith has been instilled in Vanessa, as she spent one (1) month in South Korea alone with her best friend last September 2019 exploring the countryside, while she sent us pictures of her attending various Sunday masses in different South FATHER’S RESPONBILITY – SAVINGS FOR CHILD Korean towns. Just like St. Joseph, I was a hard-working father. With a thriving The South Korean trip was her college graduation reward from CPA practice in two (2) locations, I immediately and instinctively UCLA, which included more academic and leadership recognitions focused on securing her future college education as soon as she was in various organizations. Her success as a UCLA college-student born due to the nature of my accounting and business career. earned her an internship with BDO Seidman – a prestigious global Because I also understood the rising college costs each year, my first CPA firm during her junior year. Ultimately, she received an even responsibility as a father was just that: immediately begin a bigger, advanced job offer during her senior year to work for one monthly college tuition fund in 1997 – the year of Vanessa’s birth, the world’s biggest CPA firms with over $30 billion of revenues – including budgeting and planning for Vanessa’s future registration KPMG - after graduation. She chose the much respected CPA into the best elementary and secondary schools. With patience, the career on her own without parental influence since high school, funds created and accumulated through those years instead of hasty following the footsteps of her dad. At a young age of still 23 years spending on vices or less important matters paved the way through old, Vanessa will continue to succeed professionally, financially, her college education and dormitories with ease. Worrying less and morally. She aspires that mansion, that expensive sportscar, about educational costs during her teens provided Vanessa with the that Bugatti as has described in her own words, all financially main focus to enjoy the exploratory benefits of education and reachable as she succeeds as a CPA. There is nothing wrong with financial freedom. these dreams. She deserves it. But I know she will not forget the charity and love that she is required of her faith. Vanessa can be reached at the KPMG Building in downtown: FATHER’S RESPONSIBILITY – FORMULATING MORAL [email protected]. CHARACTER/FREEDOM FOR CHILD As a father, I now enjoy the fruits of my labor after all these years. I Despite living in the Westside, Marilou and I searched far and feel that I have accomplished the responsibilities as promulgated by beyond our Westside-based home for academically-acclaimed our Holy Father Pope Francis. Catholic elementary schools, primarily because of its excellent teaching reputation, in addition to exposing Vanessa to develop her faith and moral character. Even our personal Jewish friends hailed Van Gerard Dichoso, CPA the Catholic educational system! Parish Finance Council Member Searching with due diligence as far as the San Fernando Valley for HAPPY WORLD MARRIAGE DAY! Sunday, February 14 World Marriage Day honors husband and wife as head of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacri ice and joy in daily married life.
Give the Gift of Prayer to your one and only love! Meaning and Purpose Enroll in our 9-Day Marriage Novena, from Feb. 14th through Feb. 22nd. Marriage is the intimate union and equal partnership of a man and a woman. It comes to us from the hand of God, who created male and Envelopes are out this weekend. female in his image, so that they might become one body and might be fertile and multiply (See Genesis chapters 1 and 2). Though man and woman are equal as God’s children, they are created with important differences that allow them to give themselves and to receive the other as a gift. Marriage is both a natural institution and a sacred union because it is rooted in the divine plan of creation. In addition, the Catholic Church teaches that the valid marriage between two baptized Christians is also a sacrament – a saving reality and a symbol of Christ’s love for his church (See Ephesians 5:25-33). In every marriage the spouses make a contract with each other. In a sacramental marriage the couple also enters into a covenant in which their love is sealed and strengthened by God’s love. The free consent of the spouses makes a marriage. From this consent and from the sexual consummation of marriage a special bond arises between husband and wife. This bond is lifelong and exclusive. The marriage bond has been established by God and so it cannot be dissolved. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, the priest or deacon, the two officialwitnesses, and the congregation all witness the exchange of consent by the couple who themselves are considered to be the ministers of the sacrament. In the Eastern Churches the sacrament is conferred by the priest’s blessing after receiving the couple’s consent. Permanency, exclusivity, and World Marriage 9-Day Novena: faithfulness are essential to marriage because they foster and protect Gina & Gig Ibarrola, Gabrielle & Tyler Cra , the two equal purposes of marriage. These two purposes are growth in mutual love between the spouses (unitive) and the generation and Pete & Lourdes Perez, Keith & Elsie Coom, education of children (procreative). The mutual love of a married Maria & Hugo Baquiax, Michael & Be y Luongo, couple should always be open to new life. This openness is expressed powerfully in the sexual union of husband and wife. The power to Gary & Beverly Herman, Norman & Lucre a Janke, create a child with God is at the heart of what spouses share with each Rigo & Harlethe Mora, Warren & Jade Cruz, Rita & other in sexual intercourse. Mutual love includes the mutual gift of fertility. Couples who are not able to conceive or who are beyond their Morris Gardner, Joe & Fareeda Sias, Nancy & Michael child-bearing years can still express openness to life. They can share Sheehan, Dory Ann & Edmund Lagman, Jimmy & their generative love with grandchildren, other children and families, and the wider community. As a result of their baptism, all Christians Beth Navarro, Gines & Marites Uy, Cristy & Gerald are called to a life of holiness. This divine calling, or vocation, can be Wilkins, Loreto & Julie Soriano, Ed & Sally Rubrico, lived in marriage, or in the single life, or in the priesthood or consecrated (religious) life. No one vocation is superior to or inferior Carms & Sco Feinerman, Gregg & Carmen Rue, to another. Each one involves a specific kind of commitment that Victor & Marie Benedicto, Carol & Charlie Day, Javier flows from one’s gifts and is furtherstrengthened by God’s grace. All vocations make a unique contribution to the life and mission of the & Andrea Miranda, Andy & Sandra Soemardi, Karla & Church. The family arises from marriage. Parents, children, and family Javier H. Ruiz, Paul & Rhina Schembri, Kathryn & members form what is called a domestic church or church of the home. This is the primary unit of the Church – the place where the Church Wilson Winnek, Chris & Tom Carson lives in the daily love, care, hospitality, sacrifice, forgiveness, prayer and faith of ordinary families. Distribu on of Ashes During the Coronavirus Pandemic As we enter the holy season of Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, the question of how ashes will be distributed to the faithful is being addressed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. In a Note (Prot. N. 17/21) issued on January 12, 2021, the Congregation writes: The Priest says the prayer for blessing the ashes. He sprinkles the ashes with holy water, without saying anything. Then he addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: In Our Prayers this Week… “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”, or
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you We pray this week for the good shall return”. things God wants to give us; for The Priest then cleanses his hands, puts on a healing; for peace and forgiveness facemask, and distributes the ashes to those who in every human heart, including come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those our own; for deliverance from all evils and absolute who are standing in their places. trust in the God who guides us; for a spirit of family among nations; for the grace to give praise to God The Priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on in every circumstance. [top of] the head of each one without saying anything. Please pray for the eternal repose of the souls of: Mrs. Billie Jenkins, Ralph Jenkins (Rudy Jenkins wife and brother), Michael 2021 MATCHING GIFT Manion, Trung Nguyen, and all those who RIGHT NOW WE ARE MATCHING DONATIONS are healing, who have died from COVID-19. WITH A $15,000 GRANT FROM OUR GENEROUS PARISH DONORS! Support Cathedral PROJECT: CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PARISH HALL Chapel with prayers or You gift today can help our parish with the construction financial gift. of a new parish hall. Many of our milestone events have Your support is taken place in our parish hall and patio. We have shared many meals, enjoyed music, danced, laughed and Jesus’ great mission. celebrated momentous events together in this humble The Catholic church is a gathering place...a second home to many of us. Please Body Of Christ and join us in this effort. Your gift today will be remembered A Network of Love. for many generations to come! Your donations will be Your contribution allows us to share the Word of God matched up to $15,000! Thank you for your generosity and continued support. God bless you always. and the Pope’s message to every home. YOU are part of this mission! Join us with Christ. W C I D B L B ?
Anything worth doing is worth preparing for. get to church and get ashes on my forehead. Is there anything else I can do on Ash Wednesday? How will fasting and Just imagine that this Lent is going to be different from every abstaining happen for me, for my family on that special day? other Lent we've experienced. Imagine that there will be many graces offered me this year. Let's even imagine that God is going Lent is not something I need to do alone. to help transform our lives, with greater freedom, greater joy, deeper desires for love and service. If I have a spouse, or children, or some close friends, or distant e-mail companions, I can begin now to talk about how we will If we want it, we will choose it. support each other in this Lenten journey. The anticipation and the preparation is transformed with the companionship of family Lent will be this wonderful season of grace for us if we give and close friends. We shouldn't be deterred by the fear that our ourselves to it. And, we will give ourselves to it to the degree we spouse or children or friends "won't be into it." Jesus said, "Fear really want it badly. So, in these days before Lent, we need to is useless; what's needed is trust." Let's begin now to tell others prepare our hearts. We need to prepare by realizing how much about our desires. Let's help support others' expectations. Let's we want to grow in freedom, how much we need to lighten our help others see that Lent doesn't have to be something I avoid, spirits and experience some real joy, and how much some parts and certainly can't be reduced to "giving up candy." We can help of our lives really need changing. our loved ones to begin to imagine what they could receive from God in these days. So, preparing our hearts is a process of preparing our desires. This means practicing our sense ofanticipation. If I imagine Lent Ash Wednesday is a great place to start with our planning. as an "ordeal" or a time I dread in some way, then I've already "What are we going to eat?" We shouldn't be embarrassed if we pre-disposed myself to not get very much out of it. These days really haven't fasted in a long time, or perhaps ever before. We before Lent are a time to start anticipating something wonderful can plan to intentionally have only one full meal on Ash that is about to happen. Wednesday. We can make that meal very meaningful and symbolic. Getting ready, means getting my house ready, too. Our Focus: On what God wants to give us. And, it can mean lots of choices.
Our sense of excitement and anticipation will grow more easily if In the days before Lent, we can read some of the resources here we begin to imagine what God wants to give us. There is really that give concrete ideas of ways to get ready to begin. Choosing something coming that we can truly look forward to. If we get Lent, Acting Lent gives a number of ways we can enter Lent with too focused on ourselves, and what we are going to do or not do, our whole selves, - as body-persons, who use our senses to help we could risk missing the gift God wants to give us. We have to us experience things deeply. The symbols in our home, and the keep aware of the fact that grace comes from God. This is about concrete choices we make can shape the way we will begin Lent, God's great desire to bless us. Then, it is easier for us to imagine as individuals and as a family. that what we really want to do is place ourselves in a space to receive what God wants to give us. And, it doesn't take much time.
Not starting from a dead stop. It doesn't take a lot of time to prepare for the beginning of Lent. It just takes desire and focus. God can do so much with that. We Taking some time to get ready for Lent will ensure that we aren't can give God more of a space to touch our hearts if we begin to going to miss the first week or two of Lent, because we are just establish some simple patterns. We could wake up each getting started. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, but we want to morning, and for something like a half a minute to a minute, be ready to really take off on that day, rather than just beginning stand by the edge of our beds, and just ask the Lord for the grace to think about Lent on that day. Part of what makes a vacation or to let this day be one in which I long for the beginning of Lent. a special anniversary so special is the build-up to it. Perhaps we need to ask for specifichelps or graces to get ready to begin Lent. Whatever we try to say, our Lord can understand the Before we get to Ash Wednesday, we should start asking Spirit trying to speak through our simple words. And all it takes ourselves some questions and we should start with some is the time to find and put on ourslippers. And each night, in the preparations. "What does God want to give me this year?" This days ahead, we can practice giving thanks to God before I go to question may require that I slow down a bit and listen to my bed. This simple pattern, in the morning and evening can stir our inner spirit. For example, even if I'm very busy, I realize I'm spirits to look forward to and prepare for Lent, as a season of hungry when I hear my stomach start "growling." " grace.
What am I going to be doing on Ash Wednesday?" Too often, May our Lord bless us all on this journey ahead. Ash Wednesday is like every other day, except that I manage to