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320 W. Garvey Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7:59
Saint Stephen Martyr
Twenty-first Week in
Ordinary Time
August 23, 2015
Catholic Church
THE WORD OF ETERNAL LIFE
“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” (v.68). The response
of St. Peter to the question of Jesus cuts through the depth of our being. Of course, the
„word‟ St. Peter had spoken is the Word of God in the Bible that instructs us on what to
do in order to attain eternal life. This Word of God is sweet and life giving. But ironically
not many are acquainted with the Word of God as revealed in the bible. The challenge to
us today is two-fold. First, we must know the Word of God, so that we will “always be
prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you account for the hope that is in you…
with gentleness and reverence,” (1Peter 3:15). Second, we must live the word of God by
putting it into practice. Our salvation depends on being “doers of the word and not hearers
only, deceiving (ourselves),” (Jas 1:22). These two challenges, of course, are related because we cannot live God‟s word unless we understand it and know what it really means.
The Vatican II Council of the Church invites us to put the Word of God into practice that
is why one of the four primary documents of Vatican II that we called constitutions is was
titled Verbum Dei or simply, The Word of God. Through this word of God, we can have a
personal relationship with God and fellowship with Him. We can come to know God with
grace and confidence. In God‟s word, we find truth, freedom and life. So how important is
God‟s Word in your life?
GREED CORRUPTS AND IS AT THE ROOT OF MANY WARS
Greed and the accumulation of wealth are at the root of
wars and family divisions. These vices end up corrupting
and enslaving our hearts. Rather than accumulating wealth
for ourselves we should be using it for the common
good. In the end this wealth doesn’t give us lasting security. Instead, it tends to reduce our dignity. And this happens in families – so many divided families. And this ambition that destroys and corrupts is also at the root of wars.
There are so many wars in our world nowadays because of
greed for power and wealth. We can think of the war in our
own hearts. As the Lord said, ‘Be on your guard against avarice of any kind.’ Because greed moves forward, moves forward, moves forward… it’s like a flight of
steps, the door opens and then vanity comes in --- believing ourselves to be important, believing ourselves to be powerful… and then in the end pride (comes).
And all the vices come from that, all of them. They are steps but the first step is
avarice, that desire to accumulate wealth. There’s one thing that is true, when the
Lord blesses a person who has wealth, he makes him an administrator of those
riches for the common good and for the benefit of everybody, not just for that
person. We must think about others and realise that what I own is for the benefit
of others and nothing that I have now can be taken with me. If I, as an administrator, use what the Lord gives me for the common good, this sanctifies me, it will
make me a saint. Those who love accumulating wealth sometimes calm their consciences by giving alms and they give what they have left over. This is not an administrator: the administrator's job is to take (what is needed) for himself or herself and whatever is left over is given to others, all of it. Administering wealth
means a continual stripping away of our own interests and not believing that these riches will save us.
Fr. Leo Ortega, Pastor
Tel. (626) 573-0427
E-mail:
[email protected]
website: ststephenmpk.org
Christina Arellano, Principal
Tel. (626) 573-1716
119 S. Ramona Avenue,
Monterey Park, CA 91754
MASSES
Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM (English)
Sunday 7:00 AM (English)
9:00 AM (Spanish)
11:00 AM (English)
2:00 PM (Indonesian)
Mon-Sat Daily Mass: 8:30 AM
Perpetual Help Mass & Novena
Wednesday 6:30 PM
Friday 7:00 PM (Spanish)
PARISH OFFICE HOURS
Monday thru Friday
9 am - 1 pm & 4 pm - 8 pm
Closed
1 pm - 4 pm
Saturday
1 pm - 5 pm
Sunday
Closed
“We are a diverse faith-community that strives to conform ourselves into the image of Christ in and through the power of the
Holy Spirit, and nourished by The Word, Sacraments and Tradition to give glory to God and to be a light unto the nations.”
YOUR PRAYERS AND GENEROUS SUPPORT
FOR THE MISSIONARY WORK OF THE CHURCH
August 15th & 16th $5,704.27
Assumption $ 367.00
benefit the poor of the world – and help deepen
your relationship with Jesus. On the weekend of
August 22-23, we welcome Fr. Jack Brennan of the
Society of African Missions as he preaches about his
community’s missionary work and how we can help.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR GENEROSITY
YOU ARE INVITED
To a screening of
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION . . . IT'S That Time Again
Registration for elementary and intermediate classes will
take place in the Religious Education office on Sundays,
August 23rd, & 30th after the 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. masses.
The registration fees are as follows and are due at time of
registration.
(No child will be turned away due to financial reasons.
Please speak with me first.)
Saturday, August 29
6:00 PM
The Parish Hall
$10 pre-sale entrance tickets include dinner & dessert.
Ticket purchased at the door is $12. All sales will
benefit our parish 2015 Fiesta Fund.
Bring your friends and the entire family and get to
know Our Mother!
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (Hammel) Bereavement Ministry
will host a screening and guided discussion of Dr. Atul Gawande’s
documentary "Being Mortal". Dr. Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, reveals the struggles of his profession and examines medicine’s
ultimate limitations and failures during the inescapable realities of
aging and death. All interested adults are invited to attend. The
event will take place on Sunday August 30, 2015 from 3-7pm in the
Parish Hall. Seating is limited. It is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pre-registration for the event is strongly recommended. Please
register online at www.olgbeingmortal.eventbrite.com or contact
Edward Escamilla at (323) 481-1831 or Rosana Leos at (213) 2161222. Upon registering you will be asked to provide your name,
phone number and home parish.
WE ARE IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS TO
HELP IN THE KITCHEN ON MONDAY
NIGHTS.
PLEASE CONTACT THE PARISH OFFICE IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP.
Every Monday in the Parish Hall
Doors open at 4:30pm
First regular game starts at 7pm
every regular game has a $150 pay out, last game pays $200
Registered
Non-registered
parishioner
parishioner
One child in a family -------------$75.00 - - - - - - $85.00
Two children in a family --------$100.00 - - - - - - $110.00
Three children in a family ------$125.00 - - - - - - $135.00
Four or more children in family----$150.00 - - - -$160.00
There is an additional 1st Communion fee of $25.00 per
child, in the third year of preparation, to cover those special
expenses.
* A registered parishioner is one who has filled out a parish
registration form in the rectory and who uses the donation
envelopes every Sunday. You can register in the rectory
anytime during regular business hours.
For more information call Flor Montero at 626-986-4393
(home) or at 626-905-8377(cell) or send an e-mail to
[email protected]
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a Program specifically designed to prepare adults (anyone 18 yrs or older) to
receive the "Sacraments of Initiation" which makes a person a
full member of the Catholic Church. If you, or someone you
know, have not made one or more of these Sacraments
(Baptism, Eucharist, or Confirmation) or if you know of someone who is not Catholic and would like to become Catholic, we
invite you to consider joining the R.C.I.A. program. We meet
every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. Please email Irene Tjakrawinata at [email protected] or call the Parish Office at 626573-0427
2015-2016 Teen Confirmation Registration
Registration will be held during Parish Fiesta hours. Registration will be held in the Religious Education (RE) office behind
the church.
Friday, 9/11 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 9/12 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9/13 10:00 to 2:00 p.m.
A copy of the confirmation candidate‟s baptismal certificate
and 1st communion certificate are required. Candidate must
be present at registration.
The registration fees are as follows and are due at time of
registration:
1st year $125; 2nd year $250.
LA PALABRA DE VIDA ETERNA
"Señor, ¿a quién vamos a acudir? Tú tienes palabras de vida eterna "(V.68). La respuesta de San Pedro a la pregunta de Jesús corta a través de la profundidad de nuestro ser. Por supuesto, la "palabra" San Pedro había hablado es la Palabra de Dios en la Biblia
que nos instruye sobre lo que debe hacer para alcanzar la vida eterna. Esta Palabra de Dios es dulce y da la vida. Pero, irónicamente, no muchos están familiarizados con la Palabra de Dios tal como se revela en la Biblia. El desafío para nosotros hoy es doble. En primer lugar, debemos conocer la Palabra de Dios, para que estemos "siempre preparados para presentar defensa ante todo
el que os llama, dar cuenta de la esperanza que hay en vosotros ... con mansedumbre y reverencia" (1 Pedro 3:15). En segundo
lugar, debemos vivir la palabra de Dios, poniendolo en práctica. Nuestra salvación depende de ser "hacedores de la palabra y no
tan solamente oidores, engañándos (nosotros mismos)," (Santiago 1:22). Estos dos retos, por supuesto, están relacionados, porque
no podemos vivir la Palabra de Dios a menos que entendamos y saber lo que realmente significa. El Concilio Vaticano II de la
Iglesia nos invita a poner la Palabra de Dios en la práctica es por eso que uno de los cuatro documentos primarios del Concilio
Vaticano II que llamamos constituciones se fue titulado Verbum Dei o simplemente, La Palabra de Dios. A través de esta Palabra
de Dios, podemos tener una relación personal con Dios y comunión con Él. Podemos llegar a conocer a Dios con la gracia y la
confianza. En la palabra de Dios, encontramos la verdad, la libertad y la vida. Así que cuál importante es la Palabra de Dios en tu
vida?
El grupo de Oracion Luz del Espirtu Santo
INSTITUTO BIBLICO CATOLICO
Curso nivel basico
Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento
Fecha de Incico: 1 de Sep. 2015
Horario:7:00 - 9:30 pm
Los invita a orar, alabar, glorificar al Señor y darle gracias por todos Los beneficios recibidos cada dia de nuestra vida. Nos reunimos los Miercoles de 7pm a 9pm en el
salon parroquial de nuestra Iglesia San Esteban Martir.
FIESTA
DE LA PARROQUIA DE
SAN ESTEBAN
Objetivo - Iniciar a personas al conciemtno de las Escrituras.
INCRIBETE!!!
Oficina de Educacion Religiosa
Coordinador del Instituto
Maria Rivera (213)637-705
Corrdinador del Curso
Hector Medrano (323)683-2639
ESTAMOS EN NECESIDAD DE VOLUNTARIOS PARA
AYUDAR EN LA COCINA LOS LUNES POR LA NOCHE.
POR FAVOR COMUNIQUESE CON LA OFICINA
PARROQUIAL SI DESEA AYUDAR.
Cada Lunes en el Salon Parroquial
Las puertas abren a las 4:30pm
Primer juego regular comienza a las 7pm
Cada juego regular paga $150, Ultimo juego paga $200
11-13 de septiembre del 2015
Excelente comida y entretenimiento!
Vendedores, zona de diversion, juegos
mecánicos, y música en vivo!
Las facturas mensuales para Unidos en Misión
2015 ha sido enviada. Es muy importante que
estas promesas sean pagadas de modo que nuestra parroquia pueda alcanzar y, con su apoyo,
exceder nuestro objetivo.
Una vez que los pagos de la promesa han excedido nuestro objetivo, nuesta parroquia recibira
todos los fondos adicionales para el uso de nuestra communidad.
META PARROQUIAL: $35,100.00
TOTAL PAGADO: $26,118.77
SALDO PENDIENTE: $8,981.23
Gracias por su apoyo continuado a
Unidos en Misión 2015
WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
5:00 pm Edita Bona (D)
Corazon R. Yacat (D)
John D. Kreslake (D)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
7:00 am Abraham Medina (D)
9:00 am
St. Stephen Parishioners
11:00 am Susana Valdez (D)
Edgar Battad (D)
Jack Sheely (L)
MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015
8:30 am Marilou Zeger—In Thanksgiving
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015
8:30 am Victor Lopez (L)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015
8:30 am Stephanie-Elyse Han—Happy Birthday!
6:30 pm St. Stephen Parishioners
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015
8:30 am Betty Matias (D)
Juan & Raquel Ruiz (D)
Alyssa Estrada—Happy Birthday!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015
8:30 am John Lepurin (D)
7:00 pm St. Stephen Parishioners
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015
8:30 am Stephanie Uyeda (D)
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
AUGUST 23RD—AUGUST 30TH
Sunday:
Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ps 34:2-3, 16-21;
Eph 5:21-32 [2a, 25-32]; Jn 6:60-69
Monday:
Rv 21:9b-14; Ps 145:10-13, 17-18; Jn 1:45-51
Tuesday:
1 Thes 2:1-8; Ps 139:1-6; Mt 23:23-26
Wednesday:
1 Thes 2:9-13; Ps 139:7-12ab; Mt 23:27-32
Thursday:
1 Thes 3:7-13; Ps 90:3-5a, 12-14, 17; Mt 24:42-51
Friday:
1 Thes 4:1-8; Ps 97:1, 2b, 5-6, 10-12; Mt 25:1-13
Saturday:
1 Thes 4:9-11; Ps 98:1, 7-9; Mk 6:17-29
Sunday:
Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Ps 15:2-5; Jas 1:17-18,
21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Frances Salaises, Kitty Carlucci, Rosie
Grego, Liza Anne Sesti, Nicholas Velarde,
Ana Nunez, Elaine Denery, Jose Galicia
Sr., Connie Gonzales, Norma Salazar,
Michlina Kubek, Maria Cervantes, Maria Gonzalez, Jeanine Gregory,
Peggy Jasso, Elena Dulay, Alex Vasquez, Armando Loo, Annamae
Koch, Rita Thoms, Elizabeth Dodge, Virginia Medina, Rita A. Durazo, Ernest Durazo, Rudy Barraza, Sally Sandoval, Emilia Rodriguez,
Dominic, Jason, Rose Valdez, Antonia Castaneda, Natalia Castaneda, Kathy Garcia, Helen Lawrence, Sandy Aguiar, Maria Castillo,
Frances Montez, Ramiro Sanchez, Judy Backer, Josefina Peralta, Tom
Lujan, Maria Ngan Fong Lung, Erin Gaffrey, Virginia Miranda,
Frances Mosqueda, John Jaurequi, Jeanine Lugo, Michael Alden
Townsend, Mary Hernandez, Augie Koch, Natalia Orozco, Tisha
Platt, Teresa Ycedo, Ruth Hernandez, Larry Hernandez, Marge
LaVenture
Prayer list will be updated on a monthly bases. If you would
like to add a name or make changes to the above list. Please contact the parish office.
Did You Know?
Pool safety is about more than swimming
Swimming is a fun way to have some fun and beat
the heat during the summer. Parents should teach
their children about swimming safety, including how
to identify and handle uncomfortable situations.
Although you may be watching closely to make sure your kids
are safe in the water, don’t forget about when they’re walking
around, sitting out by the pool, using the restrooms or out of
sight. Teach your children what to do when they feel uncomfortable at the pool, and let them know it is okay to walk away
and find a parent or trusted adult at any time. For more information and a copy of the article called “Know the Rules…
Summer Safety Tips to Teach Children” from the National
Center for Missing and Exploited, email: [email protected]
SAINT STEPHEN PARISH FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2015
GREAT FOOD &
EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT!
VENDORS, FUN ZONE, CARNIVAL
RIDES, LIVE MUSIC! RAFFLE PRIZES OF UP TO $3,000!
BE PART OF THE
EXCITEMENT!
Contact Gina or Omar Delgado
at 323-594-2406 or email
[email protected]
for volunteer opportunities,
sponsorships and advertisements or for any
other questions.