ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AP R I L 12, 2020 | EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

1940 South Prospect Avenue • Redondo Beach • California 90277 • (310)540-0329 • www.stlm.org

Rev. Msgr. Paul T. Dotson, Pastor Rev. Msgr. Peter O’Reilly, In Residence Rev. Mark Warnstedt, Associate Pastor

Deacon Don Burt Deacon Jim Egnatuk Deacon Dale Sheckler

LIVESTREAM AND VIDEO OF OUR DAILY MASS at ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR

Given the need to fight the coronavirus by sheltering in place and while our church is closed, all Catholics are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. During this time, we invite you to participate in the Mass online with our livestream of daily Mass from St. Lawrence Martyr Church at 9:00 am on our website (stlm.org) or on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFQ_etJ88elV7DLa2E4l7Q/featured

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, Alleluia! Yes, despite these challenging times, we are an Easter people and Alleluia is still our song. The Risen Lord still lives among us. During the coming days of this Easter season, may you continue to remember this and renew the alleluia that is within your heart. Easter blessings and prayers of thanks for all of our staff who work, pray and minister in the name of the Risen Lord! I give thanks to Eve Moir, Rene Ayala, Pat Lenehan, Peter Jacobson and our other parishioners who were willing to come out during this quarantine to bring our Holy Week liturgies to you. I continue to hold all of you in my prayers and ask you to unite yourself in prayer with our St. Lawrence community. Let us light a candle as a symbol of Christ’s light and join together in a moment of prayer with this prayer below that was written by Reverend Eric Hollas, OSB, Conventual Chaplain ad honorem of the Order, for the Order of Malta. I wish you, your family and friends health, safety, and a joyous Easter.

He is risen! Msgr. Paul

FROM OUR PASTOR

PLEASE CONSIDER ONLINE GIVING Our parish is grateful for your con nued support.

During this uncertain me, our parish priests and staff are con nuing to work to meet the needs of our parish community and transforming the way we do things to meet fast-paced changes and evolving new needs. At this me, we turn our lives over to our loving God, and with trust in Him, we embrace the challenges we will face, knowing that God will be with us every step of the way. Let us pray for a grace-filled response to this pandemic, one in which we spread the light and love of Jesus Christ. If you would like to support our parish during this me and con nue to make your weekly offering, you may mail in your dona on envelope to the parish office or make your weekly offering online. If you are not already giving online, we ask you to prayerfully consider shi ing to making your regular offertory giving as an online dona on. Your support now is more vital than ever before. Ge ng started with online giving is easy. Visit faith.direct/CA707, or text the word ENROLL to (310) 879-5335 We thank you for your support of our St. Lawrence community.

OUR CHURCH REMAINS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

In compliance with the Liturgical Guidelines from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that all parish churches are to be closed to the public, the church doors will remain locked un l further no ce. Please join us for the livestream of our daily Mass at 9:00am on our website: stlm.org

STEWARDSHIP

Loving Father,

We gather around this candle whose flame pierces the darkness and proclaims by our faith that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. We thank you for your Son, our Savior, and ask You to bless us and grant these petitions:

May this candle be our Easter candle in troubled times.

May Christ’s light warm the poor and heal the sick.

May Christ’s light caress the lonely and embrace the lost.

May Christ’s light reach into the corners of our hearts and dispel our darkest fears.

May we, by our charitable words and deeds, be Christ’s light to others and so light up the world.

And may we draw ever more closely to Jesus Christ, our light and our risen Lord.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

While we cannot be together physically, stay connected to our St. Lawrence Community.

Join St. Lawrence’s flocknote today… Flocknote is a communication tool that allows St. Lawrence to more effectively communicate with you and your family through text or email. With flocknote, you will receive news & information on events happening at SLM, reflections and complete access Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire ENGAGE video library.

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First Reading — Peter is an eyewitness: The Lord is risen (Acts 10:34a, 37-43). Psalm — This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad (Psalm 118). (1) Second Reading — All who are baptized, set your hearts in heaven (Colossians 3:1-4) or (2) Second Reading — Christ our Passover is sacrificed; therefore let us celebrate (1 Corinthians 5:6b-8). Gospel — Three witnesses, Mary, Peter, and John; each responds to the empty tomb (John 20:1-9) or Matthew 28:1-10 (or, at an afternoon or evening Mass, Luke 24:13-35)

The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

TODAY’S READINGS

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Ps 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11; Mt 28:8-15 Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41; Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Jn 20:11-18 Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Lk 24:13-35 Thursday: Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8:2ab, 5-9; Lk 24:35-48 Friday: Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27a; Jn 21:1-14 Saturday: Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1, 14-21; Mk 16:9-15 Sunday: Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31

With the suspension of all Masses in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, all Mass intentions at St. Lawrence Martyr during this time have been sent to Fr. Paul Keeya in Uganda. He and his brother priests will say the Mass for these and all our intentions. During this week, Masses will be offered for:

PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY

All prayer requests for the sick and recently deceased received during this time have written in our Book of Intentions and placed in the church.

Pray for the Sick Please pray for all the sick of our community

members in need of healing and comfort.

Pray for the Recently Deceased For the souls of all the recently departed,

that through the mercy of Christ, they may rest in peace.

Mary Monteville † Hubert Winiger †

Susan Thomas Stephen Keller † Bryn Morimoto † Liam Killpack † Myrna Shiras †

William Pistey † Maxine Dineen

Jeanette Schroder Voltz † Juan & Sofia Garcia †

John Ang † († Deceased)

LIVESTREAM of DAILY MASS at ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR

To continue serving the spiritual needs of our parishioners during these uncertain times, we will be livestreaming and recording daily Mass in our St. Lawrence Martyr church. Although we cannot be together physically, we invite you to join us in community for Mass at 9:00 am daily. The livestreams may be accessed on our parish website: stlm.org or directly on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFQ_etJ88elV7DLa2E4l7Q/featured

You remain in the daily prayers of the priests, clergy and staff during this time of physical separation from you.

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GOSPEL MEDITATION ENCOURAGING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURE

When we awoke this morning, we found ourselves blessed with another day. It is Easter Sunday. As that thought crossed our minds, did we find ourselves saying “so what” or “alleluia”? For many, today is truly a day of alleluia. For others, it is just another day of “so what.” Faith makes a huge difference. It not only makes a difference in how we understand today and the significance of what we celebrate, it also makes a huge difference in terms of how we understand ourselves. Succeed, live well, be produc ve, find your niche, follow your dreams, make money, protect your social status, be poli cally correct, and keep your preferences to yourself are pre y good examples of the messages our secular life wants us to hear. In and of themselves, they don’t sound all that harmful. But when really examined, they are. The life of resurrec on embodied in the Gospel tells us a much different story. Life keeps us busy. We are always connected, distracted, occupied, and working. For many of us, an agenda awaits us before we even start our day, and unfinished stuff is brought with us when we re re at night. Make the best of life and “find your own road to happiness are messages we all too easily believe. The “so what” response to the new life of resurrec on is o en the result of believing that life is only what I make it. What God has to say isn’t important to me securing my next raise. Sadly, we live as if the grave is the end. While we may give the wonder of heaven a blink now and then, its glory really doesn’t impress us or ma er all that much. It’s all about the here and now and what I need to do today to get where I want to be tomorrow. We tend to put off considering the one significant “tomorrow” that will come the millisecond a er we take our last breath. When that happens, will we want to be thinking “so what?” or “alleluia”? There is only one Jesus, one mission, and one resurrec on. There is also only one of us. Have you ever pondered what one solitary, humble human life can do? Faith, not our world, tells us how special we are. We are not robots. We are not replaceable. We have one shot. There are no do-overs. Love is at our core and unites us together as one with the God of love who so desperately wants us to be with Him forever. This may not match our secular agenda, but it ought to make our true inner agenda leap for joy. There doesn’t need to be an end. I can live forever. Alleluia! ©LPi

SEEDS OF FAITH There is a brevity, a certain terseness, in the scripture readings for Easter Sunday. Peter’s speech in Acts is built of direct, pointed sentences. Paul’s le ers are based on straigh orward creed-like statements. Even the Gospel story only briefly recounts what will turn out to be one of the most remarkable events in human history—the resurrec on of Jesus from the dead. Adver sing agents call these encapsulated points of informa on “bullet points.” Scripture scholars call them kerygmata, or “kernels” of our faith. Actually, “kernels” or “seeds” are good terms for these statements, since throughout the Easter season, we will hear in the Acts of the Apostles, the Le ers of Paul, and the Gospel accounts of the days following the Resurrec on exactly how these kerygmata began to flower, how they con nued to grow through the life of the early church. May these Easter “seeds” of faith serve a similar purpose for us, too, so that the life of the Risen Christ will flourish in us and through our witness in the coming days. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2020 Eastertime lasts fifty days: seven weeks of seven days (seven equals Biblical perfection) plus one day: perfection plus! Like an eight-day Jewish wedding, or a child who can’t bear to let go of Christmas, birthdays, and school vacation, the Church celebrates the Easter Octave: “the marriage of heaven and earth,” as the Vigil calls Jesus’ resurrection; our renewal of baptismal vows; our hearts’ “divine vacation” (Latin vacare , “to be empty”), newfound time and space for love of God and neighbor. Make home an Easter garden! Adorn the dining table with a pillar candle (your “paschal candle”), a bowl full of water (ideally, from the parish’s baptismal font), a vase of flowers or bowl of sprouting grain with Easter eggs. Even non-singers can handle the three-fold Gospel Alleluia! Let that be your grace before meals, perhaps with a prayer recalling Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35): “Be known to us, Risen Lord Jesus, as you were to the first disciples, in your word, in the breaking of bread, and in everyone we meet.”

—Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

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EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS

Come to Christ Life is perhaps God’s greatest gi to each of us. Without life, we would be unable to experience all the wonder of this world, the love of family and friends, and the joy that comes from using our talents and skills. Life itself is more profound a gi than we can even truly contemplate. On Easter, we celebrate life. For on this day, Jesus Christ conquered death and gave to us the chance for a life eternal. The wonder, love, and joy of this world does not have to end. Through a life in Jesus Christ, these emo ons are heightened, and we find even greater fulfillment in this world. Maybe this Easter you are finding yourself open to taking a next step in your rela onship with Jesus. This could be the moment you decide to follow Him more closely and take seriously all that he has given you. If so, welcome to the journey, where there are many other disciples on that same path who can help show you the way and share their stories. If not, hopefully it doesn’t take a whole year for this possibility to be considered again. Jesus is alive and wai ng to get closer to you. May this Easter season find you and Our Lord ge ng to know one another in a whole new way. Happy Easter!

- Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi

Confession During Quarantine

During this time of quarantine while our church is closed and the sacrament of Reconciliation suspended, we are encouraged to make a heartfelt Act of Contrition whenever we find ourselves struggling with our sins. A recent document from Rome (Note from the Apostolic Penitentiary on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic, 20.03.2020) reminds us of this important prayer:

Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones. (cf. CCC, no. 1452).

There are a variety of Acts of Contrition in addition to the traditional Act of Contrition prayer many of us know. Here are a few:

An Act of Contrition to Our Lord Jesus Lord Jesus, you chose to be called the friend of sinners. By your saving death and resurrection free me from my sins. May your peace take root in my heart and bring forth a harvest of love, holiness, and truth.

An Act of Contrition to Jesus, the Lamb of God Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Lamb of God; you take away the sins of the world. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit restore me to friendship with your Father, cleanse me from every stain of sin in the blood you shed for me, and raise me to new life for the glory of your name.

An Act of Contrition inspired by Psalm 51 Lord God, in your goodness have mercy on me: do not look on my sins, but take away all my guilt. Create in me a clean heart and renew within me an upright spirit.

Other Acts of Contrition may be found at: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/prayers/act-of-contrition.html

LIVE THE LITURGY INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK

Our world wants us to believe that life is only what we make of it. Today, we realize how untrue that is. Life is ul mately about what God makes of it, and the resurrec on of Jesus reveals this. Alleluia, Christ is risen! Who do you understand yourself to be? What we did yesterday, are doing today, and may do tomorrow pre y much determine how we perceive ourselves. We even perceive Jesus this way in limi ng our vision of him to his earthly accomplishments. But, we know through

today’s triumphant celebra on that Christ is much more than his earthly legacy. The transfigured and resurrected Christ is the beginning, the end, and the fulfillment of all things and every person. All that Jesus did stands in second place to who we now know him to be. Do we realize that this will be our journey too? Christ is risen. Alleluia, alleluia! ©LPi

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“God does not abandon us, he goes with us even now in this time of trial and testing. In this moment, it is important for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Now is the time to intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the love of God and the love of our neighbor. Let us draw closer to one another in our love for him, and rediscover the things that truly matter in our lives.” - ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ

Covid-19: A Prayer of Solidarity For all who have contracted coronavirus, We pray for care and healing. For those who are particularly vulnerable, We pray for safety and protection. For all who experience fear or anxiety, We pray for peace of mind and spirit. For affected families who are facing difficult decisions between food on the table or public safety, We pray for policies that recognize their plight. For those who do not have adequate health insurance, We pray that no family will face financial burden alone. For those who are afraid to access care due to immigration status, We pray for recognition of the God-given dignity of all. For our brothers and sisters around the world, We pray for shared solidarity. For public officials and decision makers, We pray for wisdom and guidance. Father, during this time may your Church be a sign of hope, comfort and love to all. Grant peace. Grant comfort. Grant healing. Be with us, Lord. Amen.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

is next Sunday | April 19th Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter)and celebrates the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ. This devotion to Jesus as The Divine

Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about Godʹs mercy. Jesus promised St. Faustina that on Divine Mercy Sunday ʺThe soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” Honor Divine Mercy Sunday with the recitation of The Chaplet of Mercy, and celebrate Godʹs Mercy and forgiveness. Consider venerating the Divine Mercy image and trust in Godʹs Mercy by repeating the words, ʺJesus, I trust in you.ʺ Please remember that you can still obtain the graces available on this day by receiving Jesus in your heart with great longing and love — also known as making an act of Spiritual Communion and by making a Perfect Act of Contrition.

Act of Spiritual Communion My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You were already there, I embrace You and unite myself to You; permit not that I should ever be separated from You. Amen.

Perfect Act of Contrition O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. Important: The act of perfect contrition includes the desire for the sacrament of Penance and the intention to receive sacramental confession at the very first opportunity. God will give you all the graces you need because of your great trust in Him.

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“UNITED TOGETHER IN PRAYER” CAMPAIGN In honor of Na onal Child Abuse Preven on Month this April, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Safeguard the Children has created the 2020 Child Abuse Preven on Resource Packet. Our theme this year is “United Together in Prayer.” We invite you to join us in transforming awareness into ac on by par cipa ng in a special nine-day Novena for Protec ng and Healing from Abuse. For more informa on about the Novena and resources, including about prayer candle s ckers, prayer cards, parent and children’s ac vi es email: h ps://lacatholics.org/child-abuse-preven on-month/

DID YOU KNOW?

Open Arms Ministry

Help us reach sick or lonely persons in our parish to let them know they are loved, wanted, and worthy. Together, we can help them and their loved ones with friendly visits, light chores, or errands, and connect them with community resources. The Open Arms Ministry is here to help an individual or a family experiencing a challenging life event. Someone who might benefit from our support could be:

♦ Just diagnosed with a serious illness ♦ Getting treatment for a serious illness ♦ Frail because of old age ♦ Very ill with limited or no support ♦ Lonely and isolated ♦ Families needing help with a life-changing event

If you or someone you know would like a visit from the Open Arms Ministry, contact Didi Egnatuk at openarms@stlm.org or (310) 540-0329, extension 540.

Ministry to the Homebound Due to the present “Safer at Home” restrictions, we are suspending all pastoral visits to the sick, elderly and homebound unless there is dire necessity. We will reach out by phone so that we can keep in contact with them as much as possible. We are very concerned about the effects of social isolation on many of our parishioners and will be exploring innovative ways to create a sense of community without physically being present to one another. If you are aware of a sick, elderly and homebound parishioner who is in need, please contact our Parish Office by email at info@stlm.org.

FOOD PANTRY MINISTRY We are continuing our ministry to our Food Pantry clients and homeless or struggling sisters and brothers. Stringent hygiene and food handling

practices will be put in place. The Food Pantry will be open every Saturday morning 7:00am. At this time, for the health and safety of our volunteers and those we serve, we will NOT be accepting clothing and non-food donations. Please do not leave these items at the Food Pantry garage door.

We ask our St. Lawrence Community to please hold our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) Elect and Candidates in prayer as they continue to prepare for full initiation into the Church and await to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation during this time of postponement

Elect for the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation

Mary Herati and Sabrina Dumlao

Candidates for Sacraments of Eucharist & Confirmation

Jessyca Blunt, Brad McDermott, Jade Carillo,

Jacob Carillo, Kody Gordon, Ashley Hoang,

Kaylee Hoang, Lexis Hoang, Paige Hoang,

Preston Hoang, Juliette Iniguez,

Jose Pepe Iniguez, Grace Tayag

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WHAT DOES A SACRED SPACE LOOK LIKE? A Sacred space is a designated space in your home where it is easy to sit in the presence of God. It is a very simple, quiet place with either a few or many religious items. It should be dis nctly different from the rest of the house so that it is "set apart". However, different does not mean expensive. The sacred space is typically a table-top, like a small table set against a wall, possibly in a corner. You could include a few religious items like:

POSSIBLE ITEMS TO INCLUDE: Catholic Bible (picture Bible or board book li le kids) Crucifix (small one to pass around for very li le kids) Prayer Cards Sacred art (cutouts from previous year’s calendar or

Christmas Cards) Rosaries Candles Statue of Mary or other saints Holy Water Intercessory Prayer Basket Pillows for si ng on the floor Prayer journals for each family member (remember these

are private)

WHERE IS A GOOD PLACE FOR THE SACRED SPACE? Ideally, a sacred space is in a common area but with less foot-traffic so that everyone feels welcome and can pray without a lot of distrac on. A corner in the dining room or a secondary living room would be ideal. If li le children will be using the space, then it should be closer to the ground. They can par cipate in the crea on of the space by cu ng out sacred art from the previous year’s calendar or Christmas cards. They can also make homemade rosaries. Small children enjoy hanging the art on the wall, placing the Bible, crucifix and candle on a small table and placing pillows on the floor. Once the sacred space is set up, the family can bless it with Holy water with the following prayer:

“Heavenly Father, we ask you to Bless our sacred space. We ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this space and on our family. Help us to grow closer to you and to each other. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

WHAT IF OUR SPACE IS SMALL? If you do not have a large area for your sacred space that’s OK. It is not essen al to have a table in your sacred space. A small placemat that can be rolled up and stored away when not in use will work for holding the Bible, crucifix and candle. A basket or plas c bin can be used to hold your sacred items. The important thing is that your family has a designated area where these items can be placed when in use.

Read the Bible. Light the candle when reading the Bible and explain that the Bible is the Word of God and it is so sacred that we light a candle while reading it.

If your family isn’t used to praying an en re Rosary, then start with one Our Father and One Hail Mary. Work your way up to an en re Rosary. Be pa ent with very small children and let them wander around, look through a board book or color. For children 4 and older, let them lead the Hail Mary by star ng the prayer while the rest of the family joins in.

Use a small crucifix and let each family member hold the crucifix and say a prayer. Silent prayers held in your heart is fine. When the family member is finished praying, pass the crucifix.

Use a declara on when ligh ng and ex nguishing the candle. Examples:

♦ Jesus is the light of the world which no darkness will ever over come

♦ Jesus is our Savior and he loves us. ♦ Our prayers go up to Heaven (when ex nguishing the

candle) ♦ Let li le children snuff the candle if you have a candle

snuffer Have family members put prayer inten ons in a basket.

Include personal prayers, prayers for other members of the family, extended family, the Church community, our country, etc.... Every day each family member pulls a prayer from the basket and keeps that inten on in their prayers.

Let each family member Bless themselves with Holy Water.

Choose a prayer card and use that as a closing prayer. Keep prayer journals in the sacred space for family

members to use privately. Li le children should be encouraged to draw pictures in their journal.

MAKE ONLINE MASS TIME SACRED

Don't just watch the Mass on your computer, phone or TV. Don't just let it play on your device. Turn it on so that the sacrifice of the Mass may be present in your home. Let it shape your home into a sacred space so that you can commune with Jesus even though you can't be present at Mass like you desire.

CREATING A SACRED SPACE IN YOUR HOME

TIPS FOR USING

SACRED ITEMS