ST. MARGARET MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

February 25, 2018 - Second Sunday of Lent

25511 Eshelman Ave. Lomita, Ca 90717 310.326.3364 www.smmlomita.org

Schedule of Masses Sunday 6:45am, 8am, 9:30am, 11am,

12:30pm (Español), 5pm, 7pm (Español) Saturday 8:15am, 5pm(Vigil Mass)

Weekdays 6:30am, 8:15am First Wednesday and First Friday 7pm

Parish Office Hours

Monday-Thursday 8am - 12pm /1-8pm Friday 8am-12 pm /5-8pm

Saturday 9am-12pm/ 1-5pm Sunday 9am-12:00pm

Rev. Paul O’Donnell, Pastor Rev. John Palmer, Associate Pastor Rev. Marinello Saguin, Associate Pastor Deacon Craig Siegman Deacon Dan Wallace Deacon Cheto Mendoza Bulletin Editor Matt Johnson, smmcbulletin@yahoo.com Christian Service Laura Nieto, ext. 35 Parish Business Manager Deacon Dan Wallace, ext. 42 Parish Office Rosalba Rodriguez, ext. 22 Adriana Salazar, ext. 10 Religious Education Irene Benavidez, ext. 17 smma.faithformation@gmail.com St. Margaret Mary School Elisa Fernandez-Zimmerman, 310.326.9494

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) Friday 5-5:30pm Saturday 3:30-4:30pm and 7:30-8:30pm Also available by appointment Infant Baptism Baptisms are celebrated in English and Spanish on a regular basis. Please visit or call the Parish Office to register or for more information. Adult and Children's Initiation The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and Children (RCIC) is ongoing so please call the Parish Office for more information. Sacrament of Marriage We welcome engaged couples to contact the Parish Office early to discuss celebrating your wedding. The process takes at least six months. Anointing of the Sick Please call the Parish Office in case of serious ill-ness or before surgery to arrange for a priest to celebrate the Sacrament. Vocations Those who may be considering a vocation to the priesthood, please contact Fr. Marinello in the Parish Office.

Fr. Paul’s Message

Dear Families and Friends of St. Margaret Mary, Immediately after His Baptism in the Jor-

dan, Jesus was “pushed” by the Holy Spirit out into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He overcame the temptations to sensual pleas-ure, to honors and to power, thus winning for us the grace to resist them as well. Traditional-ly, the three sources of temptation are the world, the flesh and the devil. In this meditation I would like to concentrate on the first. Now, the world is indeed a beautiful place, created by God out of love for us. Our problem with the world is precisely the fact that it is so beau-tiful and attractive to us, so much so that we risk loving the gifts of the Creator more than the Creator Himself. Under the influence of our disordered passions, our tendency to sin (concupiscience) tempts us to treat mere creatures as if they were God. How can we resist this temptation? By remembering who we are. Or as St. Gregory of Nazianzen writes: “Recognize to whom you owe the fact that you exist, that you breathe, that you under-stand, that you are wise, and, above all, that you know God and hope for the kingdom of heaven and the vision of glory, now darkly as in a mirror but then with greater fullness and purity. You have been made a son (or daugh-ter) of God, co-heir with Christ. Where did you get all this, and from whom?” In other words, all good things come from God and are meant for our good, to make us good, that is, to lead us to the love of God and of our neigh-bor.

Jesus said, “No one can serve two mas-ters.” This means that wherever the world comes into competition with the Spirit it must be firmly “pushed” back into its place or our soul risks being dominated by our sinful pas-sions. The world and God cannot be bal-anced—one or the other must rule. The effort to reconcile two conflicting desires—the one wanting to serve God and the other wanting to find happiness in material things—is futile and even harmful, because even if we do not yield outright to the world, we may yield to the

occasion of its sins, all the while hypocritically keeping up the appearance of being faithful to God. “Their heart is divided,” says the prophet Hosea. Jesus in the Gospel of St. John states the case it even more clearly: “Love not the world, nor the things of this world… If the world hates you, know that it has hated me first.” St. James, whose letter never beats around the bush, says: “Do you not know that… Whoever… becomes a friend of this world makes himself the enemy of God.”

But how are these admonitions to be put into practice by Christians living in a busy, very alluring world? Jesus again gives us the answer—to be “in the world but not of the world.” Although our work and family involve us heavily in the things of the world, we cannot allow the world to dominate our lives. So the crux of the matter becomes—not how much we are in the world but how much the world has entered into us. Jesus called us “friends,” “no longer slaves,” —so during Lent it is a spir-itual necessity to ask ourselves if we have, even without realizing it, become friends of the world, and thus inadvertently its slaves. Do we accept the world on its own terms and adapt ourselves to its standards or have we kept our souls for Christ? More specifically, has the great big spider of the world caught us in its worldwide web through our inordinate attach-ment to modern technology?

If we abhor the spirit of the world and live by the Spirit of God, if we are distressed by the way the world is nowadays, we shall not be blamed at the judgment-seat of God for being worldly. Show me, during these forty days of Lent, O Lord, how I may reproduce in my soul the attitude which was Yours while liv-ing in this world!

With prayers and friendship, Fr. Paul

THIS MONTH IN SMM HISTORY February 23, 1973 The Altar Society hosted a dance. Cal Worthington was guest MC. (Note: this was the fourth social event in four weeks at the parish: also held was the Parish Luau, Polka Night and Valentine’s Dinner). February 25, 1989 260 parishioners partici-pated in an inventory of Sears Department Store at the Del Amo Mall as a fundraiser for the parish’s Christian Service program. February 28, 2015 One of our High School Confirmation groups performed random acts of kindness at the parish. They offered a free car wash (no donations accepted) and a kindness fare that included food, and an option to write a love letter.

Women's Retreat

Withdraw a while to a remote and quiet place. Seek God through quiet prayer, re-flection on scripture and surrendering en-

tirely in trust to God’s care and mercy.

When: April 6-8

Where: Mater Dolorosa Passionist Center—Sierra Madre

Cost: $50 reservation deposit

Contact: Nancy 310.325.7625 or Lisa 10.941.6803

The Holy Name andWomen’s Societies

WEEKLY READINGS Please pray for:

The Sick:

Vicente Montesclaros, Tina Montanez, Larry Gentile, Maria Guzman, Estelita Legaspi, Berenice Ibarra, Julia Davis

Recently deceased:

Otalis Martinez, Juan Muñoz, Maria Rubio Sandoval, Noel Corral, Juan Rivas, Salvador Mayoral, Paul Scocttini, Maria Martinez

We would like to thank all of you who have filled out pledge cards for our Together in Mission. Our parish goal this year is $130,000, so far we have received pledges of $39,000 of our goal (about 30%). For those who have not yet made a pledge, we invite you to prayerfully consider it. Pledges can be made via the pledge cards in the pews, or via our website at www.smmlomita.org . Re-member all of the funds raised go directly towards the parishes and schools in the Archdiocese that are in desperate need of money to stay operational. Thank you in ad-vance for your generosity.

February 26th Monthly Membership Meeting

630pm - Dinner 7:00pm - Rosary

7:30pm - Membership Meeting

Tickets are now available for our 14th Annual anni-versary dinner dance It will be held at the Torrance

Marriott Hotel on March 10, 2018. Please contact Roly Morales for more information at 310.528.2211

Thursday, March 1: General Business Meeting at

7pm in Fr. Hegarty Hall

Friday March 2nd: First Friday Mass at 7pm followed by All Night Adoration

Membership: Mel Lagunzad: 310.425.4042 Insurance: Daniel Robles 805.304.8325

From the womb God had a plan for you. He equipped you with specific gifts and strengths to impart upon his Church. He endowed you with a vocation and a mission from your earliest moments, and is only waiting for you to start the daring adven-ture of finding your call. We invite you to dare to ask the question, “What was I made for?” And we’re here to help you perse-vere through the trials of discerning your future. We invite men discerning the priesthood to join our monthly discernment group for prayer, guidance, reflection and fellowship.

"empujado"

mundo carne demonio

¿Cómo podemos resistir esta tentación?

: "Reconoce a quién le debes el hecho de que existes, que respiras, que entiendes, que eres sabio, y, sobre todo, que conoces a Dios y la esperan-za del reino de los cielos y la visión de la gloria, aho-ra oscura como en un espejo pero luego con mayor plenitud y pureza. Has sido hecho un hijo (o hija) de Dios, co-heredero con Cristo. ¿De dónde sacaste todo esto y de quién?

"Nadie puede servir a dos amos"

"empujado"

"Su corazón está dividido"

: "No améis al mundo, ni a las cosas de este mundo... Si el mundo os odia, sabed que primero me ha odiado".

"¿No sabes que... quienquiera que... se convierta en amigo de este mundo se convierte en enemigo de Dios"?

"en el mundo pero no en el mundo".

"amigos", "ya no esclavos,"—

¿Aceptamos el mundo en sus propios términos y nos adaptamos a sus estándares o hemos guardado nuestras almas pa-ra Cristo? Más específicamente, ¿la gran araña gran-de del mundo nos atrapó en su red mundial a través de nuestro apego desmedido a la tecnología moder-na?

¡Muéstrame, oh Señor, durante estos cuarenta días de Cuaresma, cómo puedo reproducir en mi alma la acti-tud que era la tuya mientras vivías en este mundo!

Mensaje del Padre Paul

Estimadas Familias y Amigos de Santa Margarita María

Los textos del evangelio que nos cuentan la transfigu-ración de Jesús, la relacionan con la confesión de la fe de San Pedro y el primer anuncio de pasión de Jesús. En esta relación hay una importante lección para no-sotros. San Pedro, por revelación del Padre, había confesado a Jesús como el Mesías e Hijo del Dios vi-vo. Pero cuando a continuación, Jesús predijo su pa-sión, fue San Pedro quien protestó, porque no veía la razón ni la finalidad del sufrimiento de Jesús. San Pe-dro no podía aceptar el sufrimiento ni para Jesús ni para sí mismo. Pedro además de querer evitar lo que podía ser sacrificio y sufrimiento, buscaba otra cosa, como aparece en el relato de la transfiguración. En la cima del monte, Pedro es testigo de la gloria de Jesús, la compañía de Moisés y Elías lo llenan de ad-miración y alegría. Pedro deseaba que aquella situa-ción se prolongara lo más posible, quería hacer tres chozas para quedarse allí indefinidamente. Pedro que había rehuido el sacrificio cuando Jesús habló de su pasión, ahora en la montaña quiere aferrarse a un bienestar pasajero. En este tiempo de Cuaresma, se nos recuerda que tenemos que cambiar para no ser como San Pedro en aquella etapa de su vida. Tenemos que abrazar el sacrificio y el sufrimiento, especial-mente cuando no lo podemos evitar y tenemos que renunciar a muchas comodidades del presente para ganar una felicidad eterna. En el milagro y misterio de la transfiguración, vemos la luz de la gloria que ilumina el Calvario. La transfi-guración revela también que Jesús es un super- Moi-sés, mientras que sólo el rostro de Moisés había res-plandecido al bajar del monte Sinaí, aquí toda la per-sona de Jesús, hasta sus vestiduras, resplandece. La transfiguración es literalmente un cambio de figura, del modo de ser y de comportarse, que rompe aquello del refrán de genio y figura hasta la sepultura. Noso-tros estamos llamados a transfigurarnos o transfor-marnos, porque todos llevamos caretas o máscaras que pueden encubrir nuestro verdadero ser interior

que debe ser el de Cristo q1ue está en nosotros desde el bautismo. No podemos hacernos cirugía plástica de modo que repentinamente nuestro rostro sea el de Cristo; nuestra transformación en Cristo es un proceso de fe que abarca toda la vida y que comienza desde adentro. Debemos transfigurarnos totalmente: cambiamos de niños a adultos, de comodones a serviciales; vemos un nuevo sentido en la vida’ pasamos de valorar lo material a valorar lo espiritual; los principios morales y las personas son para nosotros cada vez más impor-tantes. Dios va ocupando un lugar central en nuestra vida. Tenemos que purificar y eliminar todo lo que desfigu-ra a las personas; pecados, vicios, pasiones, pobreza, prejuicios y marginaciones. Este trabajo de purifica-ción nos ayuda a transfigurarnos a nosotros mismos. Tenemos que transfigurar nuestro mundo y nuestra sociedad: trabajando para crear un cielo nuevo y una tierra nueva, donde la hermandad, la justicia y el res-peto sean la base de toda relación y de todos los valo-res.

Reflexión

Jesús se transfigura en el Monte Tabor y hoy, en nuestra liturgia se nos transfigura en la eucaristía. Lo reconocemos con fe en la comunión para poder reco-nocerlo transfigurado y glorioso en la Pascua, y tam-bién en los que tienen hambre y sed, los que sufren persecución, los prisioneros, los discriminados, des-preciados y los abandonados. Mientras no reconozcas a Jesús transfigurado en los pobres no puedes ser tu transfigurado

Lecturas de la Semana

¿TE GUSTARIA SABER MAS DEL

NUEVO TESTAMENTO?

CON PADRE PAUL

TODOS LOS VIERNES

HORARIO: 7:00 pm a 8:30pm

LUGAR: SALON SAN JOSE

You are invited to participate in solemn ex-position of the Blessed Sacrament, Friday, March 2nd following the 815am Mass con-tinuing throughout the day. At 645pm we will have Benediction followed by First Fri-day Mass at 7pm.

All Night Adoration will continue in the Blessed Sacrament chapel following First Fri-day Mass and continue until 8am Saturday.

Wednesday, February 14th

The Hispanic community will be selling TAMALES

TODAY PROCEEDS BENEFIT

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

Holy Name Fish Fry!

Friday, 5-7pm

Your choice of: Deep fried beer battered or baked Alaskan cod fillets (Cheese pizza

available for kids) French fries, cole slaw, corn on the cob and

ice cream. Beer wine, and soft drinks are available for

purchase.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Join us for Stations of the Cross on Friday’s during Lent

2pm (English)

7pm (English)

7:45pm (Spanish)

It is that time of year again where we are seeking volunteers to help us stuff grooming bags for our homeless brothers and sisters.

When: Saturday, March 10th

Time: at 6pm

Where: Fr. Hegarty Hall

Dinner will be provided by the Holy Name Scoiety

We are in need of the following items: white socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste (travel size), shampoo (travel size), razors, and combs. Monetary dona-tions can be dropped off to the parish office.

PUBLIC SQUARE ROSARY CRUSADE

Saturday, March 3rd

Noon to 1pm

(every 1st Saturday)

Pray the Rosary with us for our

country to give witness to our faith.

Torrance Crossroads

Shopping Center

Crenshaw and Lomita Blvds.

Bring a chair and American flag if you wish.

Betty Gifford 310.539.7606

Linda Neal 310.539.2211