“Como un joven se desposa con una doncella, se desposará contigo tu hacedor; como el esposo se alegra con la esposa, así se alegrará tu Dios contigo.” (Isaías 62:5). El tema principal de este segundo domingo del tiempo ordinario se centra en uno de los sacramentos del servicio, que es el sacramento del santo matrimonio, al comenzar nuestros ministerios diarios en el tiempo ordinario. Por incomprensión e ignorancia, el matrimonio ha pasado de ser un sacramento bendecido y querido por Dios a un mero contrato civil, a una convención social, a una conveniencia personal. Como resultado, la tasa de divorcio es alta en la sociedad actual. Muchas personas no logran comprender la esencia y la razón del matrimonio. La Iglesia enseña que la esencia de un verdadero matrimonio se basa en el amor, un amor verdadero que refleja el amor derramado de Dios, pero nunca en nuestra lujuria egoísta. La Biblia nos dice que Dios es amor. Todos estamos hechos “a imagen y semejanza” de Dios, y de ese amor divino. Una de las expresiones de nuestro amor es el matrimonio. En Génesis, Adán le dice a Eva: “Ésta, al fin, es hueso de mis huesos y carne de mi carne; ésta será llamada 'mujer', porque del hombre ésta ha sido tomada.” Jesús también lo repite y dice: “Por tanto, dejará el hombre a su padre y a su madre, y se unirá a su mujer, y los dos serán una sola carne. Ya no son dos, sino una sola carne. Por tanto, lo que Dios ha unido, ningún ser humano debe separarlo”. Por lo tanto, el matrimonio es una institución divina y antigua, santificada por Cristo y es uno de los 7 sacramentos de la Iglesia. La Biblia comienza con una boda, la de Adán y Eva en el Jardín, y termina con otra boda, las bodas del Cordero. Y a lo largo de la Biblia, el matrimonio es el símbolo de la relación de alianza entre Dios y Su pueblo escogido. La Biblia describe a Dios como el novio fiel y al pueblo escogido de Dios, la Iglesia, como Su novia amada. Su verdadero amor .... [haga clic para continuar]

“For as a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” (Isaiah 62:5). The major theme for this 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time focuses on one of the sacraments of service, which is the sacrament of the holy matrimony, as we start our daily ministries in ordinary time. Because of misunderstanding and ignorance, marriage has devolved from being a sacrament, which is blessed and willed by God, to a mere civil contract, to a social convention, to a personal convenience. As a result, the divorce rate is high in today’s society. Many people fail to understand the essence and reason of marriage. The Church teaches that the essence of a true marriage is based on love, a true love that images God’s outpouring love, but never on our selfish lust. The Bible tells us that God is love. We all are made “in the image and likeness” of God, and of that divine love. One of the expressions of our love is marriage. In Genesis, Adam says to Eve: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.” Jesus also repeats it and says: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” Therefore, marriage is a divine and ancient institution, sanctified by Christ and is one of the 7 sacraments of the Church. The Bible starts with one wedding, that of Adam and Eve in the Garden, and ends with another wedding, the marriage of the Lamb. And throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenantal relationship between God and His chosen people. The Bible depicts God as the faithful groom and God’s chosen people, the Church, as His beloved bride. Their true love should .... [click to continue]

“Sucedió que entre la gente que se bautizaba, también Jesús fue bautizado. Mientras éste oraba, se abrió el cielo y el Espíritu Santo bajó sobre él en forma sensible, como de una paloma, y del cielo llegó una voz que decía: “Tú eres mi Hijo, el predilecto; en ti me complazco” (Lucas 3:21-22). El tema principal de este bautismo del Señor se centra en la aceptación de Cristo de su verdadera vocación y destino que comienza su ministerio y servicio público para cumplir con la voluntad de Dios para la salvación del mundo. Esta celebración para conmemorar el "bautismo del Señor" comenzó en la Iglesia Oriental (ortodoxa) cuando las personas celebraron la fiesta de la "Epifanía del Señor", que surgió en el siglo II. Como hemos mencionado en el último domingo, la palabra "Epifanía" proviene del griego, lo que significa "apariencia" o "manifestación" del Señor. Las personas en el este conmemoran la "epifanía del Señor" con el "bautismo del Señor" en el que el Padre y el Espíritu Santo testifican, identifican y revelan la verdadera identidad de Jesús como el Hijo unigénito de Dios. En la iglesia occidental (católicos romanos), las personas celebran ambas fiestas por separado, primero la "epifanía del Señor", luego el "bautismo del Señor", porque las personas reconocen que ambos eventos contienen diferentes enfoque e importancia en la Iglesia. Hoy, celebramos el "bautismo del Señor", que es el último día de la temporada navideña con color litúrgico blanco. Mañana comenzamos el tiempo ordinario con color litúrgico verde hasta que llegamos a la ceniza el miércoles con color litúrgico púrpura. Acompañemos a nuestro Señor, ya que acepta su vocación vocacional y comienza a su ministerio público para cumplir con la voluntad del Padre celestial y facultado por el Espíritu Santo, y que debemos hacer lo mismo, aceptar nuestras vocaciones para cumplir con la voluntad de Dios en nuestras vidas. Dios no nos quiere que tengamos una relación de transacción sino de transformación. Por lo tanto, los discípulos cristianos dinámicos son aquellos que (1) creen, (2) crecen, (3) sirven, (4) aman y (5) dirijan a otros a Jesús. Los temas de hoy invitan a recordar nuestro bautismo, aceptar .... [haga clic para continuar]

“After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened, and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22). The major theme for this Baptism of the Lord focuses on Christ’s acceptance of his true vocation and destiny that He begins his public ministry and service to fulfill God’s will for the salvation of the world. This celebration to commemorate the “Baptism of the Lord” started in the Eastern Church (Orthodox) when people celebrated the Feast of the “Epiphany of the Lord,” which emerged in the 2nd Century. As we have mentioned last Sunday, the word “Epiphany” comes from Greek, which means “appearance” or “manifestation” of the Lord. People in the East commemorate the “Epiphany of the Lord” with the “Baptism of the Lord” in which the Father and the Holy Spirit testify, identify, and reveal Jesus’ true identity as the only begotten Son of God. In the Western Church (Roman Catholics), people celebrate both feasts separately, first the “Epiphany of the Lord,” then the “Baptism of the Lord,” because people recognize both events contain different focus and importance in the Church. Today, we celebrate the “Baptism of the Lord,” which is the last day of the Christmas season with white liturgical colour. Tomorrow (Jan. 13) we start the ordinary time with green liturgical colour, until we arrive to Ash Wednesday with purple liturgical colour. Let us accompany our Lord as He accepts his vocational calling and starts his public ministry to fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and that we should do the same, accepting our vocations to fulfill God’s will in our lives. God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topics invite us to remember .... [click to continue]

The Archdiocese has established a Wildfire Victims Emergency Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to help victims with food, clothing, and other needs related to the fires. With so much devastation and suffering there is tremendous need for aid, not only for immediate needs but also to rebuild our communities. (See Wildfire Victims Emergency Relief form on this homepage.) A church in Pacific Palisades appeared to be totally destroyed (photo above) and Catholic schools were closed as several major fires in the Los Angeles area burned into Thursday. A deacon and several volunteers helped save Sacred Heart Church in Altadena from major damage. "My heart goes out to our neighbors who have lost their homes and livelihoods," said Archbishop Gomez. "Let’s pray for them and let’s pray for our firefighters and first responders. May God keep all of our brothers and sisters safe and bring end to these fires." .... Parishes have been asked to hold a second collection in the month of January for the fund, which would be directly used for one-time assistance grants for victims of the fires. .... "Be Prepared Yourself" - One of the most important reminders during this challenging time is to be prepared. Before actively volunteering, make sure you have an evacuation plan and emergency kit. .... You can get helpful information here: Make a Plan Form | Ready.gov. .... Video and File - Video or take multiple pictures of your site, home, and contents in case you lose or have damage to your home and/or parish. This will help in recovery efforts and for insurance claims. Be sure to include art. Store videos and pictures in the CLOUD. .... LA Hotels Association List of Discounted Hotels for Victims; Statement on Los Angeles Fires California Apartment Association - Resources for Southern California Wildfire Victims • California Apartment Association City of Los Angeles Temporary Housing Assistance - Need Temporary Housing Due to the Los Angeles Wildfires? | City of Los Angeles Airbnb – Emergency Housing Portal: Airbnb.org offers temporary housing to people impacted by Los Angeles wildfires City of Torrance Outreach- Emergency Housing Other Services- Lyft has launched its Lyft Up Disaster Response program to provide access to free and discounted rides to help those in the affected areas. Riders can use the code CAFIRERELIEF25, valid for two rides up to $25 each ($50 total) for 15,000 riders from now until Jan. 15. Storage - U-Haul has made company facilities in Southern California available to offer its 30-day free self-storage and U-Box container disaster relief program to help evacuees and affected families. The following regions can be contacted to check for participating locations: U-Haul Co. of Los Angeles West (13 stores), 310-532-9503 U-Haul Co. of North Orange County (12 stores), 714-525-4717 U-Haul Co of Riverside (7 stores), 951-485-2007 U-Haul Co. of San Bernardino (12 stores), 909-885-4378 U-Haul Co. of San Fernando Valley (11 stores), 661-298-8222 U-Haul Co. of Van Nuys/San Luis Obispo (14 stores), 818-988-7008 .... To donate to those impacted by the fires, or for information on closures, special Masses, etc., click the link. .... The following LA Archdiocese link includes other fire-related resources: https://lacatholics.org/california-fires/

“Unos magos de oriente llegaron entonces a Jerusalén y preguntaron: “¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos que acaba de nacer? Porque vimos surgir su estrella y hemos venido a adorarlo.” (Mateo 2:1-2). El tema principal para esta Solemnidad de la Epifanía del Señor se enfoca en el Padre Celestial da el mejor don de Dios, su único Hijo unigénito, Jesucristo, al mundo pecaminoso, por nuestra salvación. Por este regalo, Dios ha revelado (Epifanía) y demostró concretamente su misericordia y compasión a toda la humanidad y su creación de que pretende rescatarnos del pecado y la muerte, para restaurar todo de regreso a la belleza, la bondad y la paz original. La epifanía del Señor es una antigua fiesta emergió en el siglo II en el este. La palabra "Epifanía" proviene del griego, lo que significa "apariencia" o "manifestación" del Señor. En la iglesia occidental (católicos romanos), las personas celebran la primera aparición de Jesús a los gentiles representados por los magos. En la Iglesia Oriental (ortodoxa), la gente conmemora el bautismo del Señor, en el que el Padre y el Espíritu Santo testifican, identifican y revelan la verdadera identidad de Jesús como el Hijo unigénito de Dios. Aunque ambos lados celebran de manera diferente a esta fiesta, todos reconocen la importancia de esta fiesta como la atención constante de Dios hacia su pueblo. De hecho, a través de muchas maneras, Dios continúa "revelando", "manifiesto", "aparece", "muestra" y "demuestra" su amor divino, misericordia, compasión y presencia entre nosotros en la Biblia y en nuestras vidas. Por ejemplo: en la Biblia, los ángeles revelan a Jesús a los pastores; San Juan Bautista revela a Jesús en su bautismo; La Virgen María revela a Jesús en la boda en la cana ... etc. Dios en nuestras vidas revela a Jesús en la proclamación de su Palabra, en el sacrificio de la Santa Misa, en la comunidad oral de fe reunida en el nombre de Jesucristo, en el persona del ministro, en todos los sacramentos de la Iglesia, en los pobres, los enfermos y los encarcelados, pero más especialmente en las especies consagradas de la Eucaristía (CCC # 1373). Dios no quiere tenernos en una relación de transacción sino transformación. Por lo tanto, los discípulos cristianos dinámicos son aquellos que (1) creen, (2) crecen, (3) sirven, (4) aman y (5) llevan a otros a Jesús. Los temas de hoy invitan a apreciar el mejor regalo de .... [haga clic para continuar]

“…behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” (Matthew 2:1-2). The major theme for this feast of the Epiphany of the Lord focuses on the Heavenly Father giving the best gift of God, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to the sinful world for our salvation. By this gift, God has revealed (Epiphany) and demonstrated concretely His mercy and compassion to all humanity and His creation that He intends to rescue us from sin and death, to restore all back to the original beauty, goodness and peace. The Epiphany of the Lord is an ancient feast emerged in the 2nd century in the East. The word “Epiphany” comes from Greek, which means “appearance” or “manifestation” of the Lord. In the Western Church (Roman Catholics) people celebrate the first appearance of Jesus to the Gentiles represented by the Magi. In the Eastern Church (Orthodox) people commemorate the Baptism of the Lord, at which the Father and the Holy Spirit testify, identify, and reveal Jesus’ true identity as the only begotten Son of God. Although both sides celebrate differently this feast, they all recognize the importance, the significance of this feast as God’s constant care toward His people. Indeed, through many ways God continues to “reveal,” “manifest,” “appear,” “show,” and “demonstrate” His divine love, mercy, compassion and presence among us in the Bible and in our lives. For example: in the Bible, angels reveal Jesus to the shepherds; St. John the Baptist reveals Jesus at his baptism; the Virgin Mary reveals Jesus in the wedding at Cana, etc. God in our lives reveals Jesus in the proclamation of His Word, in the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in the praying community of faith gathered in the name of Jesus Christ, in the person of the minister, in all the sacraments of the Church, in the poor, the sick and the imprisoned, but most especially in the consecrated Eucharist Species (CCC #1373). God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topics invite us to appreciate God’s best gift,