ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY MA Y 10, 2020 | FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

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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STEWARDSHIP

PLEASE CONSIDER ONLINE GIVING St. Lawrence Martyr needs your support now more than ever. Join the parishioners who are using Faith Direct for automated giving to St. Lawrence Martyr. Faith Direct offers a safe and secure way to donate to our parish in this

me of uncertainty. There is no cost to you, and the program provides a great benefit to our parish. Sign up today by visi ng faith.direct/CA707 If you wish to con nue your weekly dona on to the parish but do not want to par cipate in online giving, you may mail or drop off your dona on to the parish office. If you drop off your dona on, the parish office is presently closed to the public but there is a secure mail slot available. 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 the changes and evolving new needs.

We are grateful for your continued support of our parish family during this time.

You remain in the daily prayers of the priests, clergy and staff during this time of uncertainty and physical separation from you. We are united with you in prayer wherever you may be.

During the season of Easter, what a great time to remember our mothers and ask for God’s blessing on them. It is God who ultimately gave us life. It is through God’s unselfish love–mirrored in our mothers’ willingness to associate their love with God’s and take the risk to love us into life–that we have the opportunity for life. We remember our mothers this Mother’s Day with much love. Let us pray for each of them…

Happy Mother’s Day

This Sunday, we celebrate all the mothers, grandmothers, and women who like mothers have nurtured and cared for us. We honor those women, both living and deceased, for who they are to us and all they have done and do to impact our lives. At this time, I would like to wish a very special and Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers on our parish staff. Through their maternal gifts they act as mothers to our parish. I thank them for their hard work and motherly devotion. During this time of separation, I pray that you are still able to share moments with the special “mothers” in your life.

Happy Mother’s Day and Blessings, Msgr. Paul

Contact Us OUR CHURCH & PARISH OFFICE MAY BE CLOSED

BUT WE ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU!

Please contact us by email at info@stlm.org or by voicemail message at 310-540-0329

if you need of assistance or would like to add the name of a sick or deceased in our Book of Inten ons.

A Mother’s Beatitudes Blessed is the mother who understands her child, for she shall inherit a kingdom of memories. Blessed is the mother who knows how to comfort, for she shall possess a child’s devotion. Blessed is the mother who guides by the path of righteousness, for she shall be proud of her offspring. Blessed is the mother who is never shocked, for she shall receive confidences. Blessed is the mother who teaches respect, for she shall be respected. Blessed is the mother who emphasizes the good and minimizes the bad, for in like manner the child himself shall make evaluations. Blessed is the mother who treats her child as she would be treated, for her home shall be filled with happiness. Blessed is the mother who answers simply the startling questions, for she shall always be trusted. Blessed is the mother who has character strong enough to withstand the thoughtless remarks and resentments of the growing child, for, in due time, she shall be honored.

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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

and for the souls of all the recently departed, that through the mercy of Christ,

they may rest in peace.

Millie Jacobs † Kathleen Ward † Martin Perez †

Catherine C. Roderick † James Lipinski †

Ryan & Emily Peters and all those remembered in our

Mother’s Day Novena († Deceased)

LIVESTREAM of MASS DAILY from ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR

While nothing can take the place of our physical presence at Mass and the reception of Christ in the Eucharist, we want to continue serving the spiritual needs of our parishioners during these uncertain times. We are livestreaming and recording Mass daily at 9:00 am in our St. Lawrence Martyr church. Although we cannot be together physically, we invite you to join us virtually in community and prayer for Mass. The livestreams may be accessed on our parish website: stlm.org or directly on our YouTube channel:

h ps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFQ_etJ88elV7DLa2E4l7Q/featured

SUNDAY MASS WORSHIP AIDS If you plan to join us, worship aids for our Sunday liturgies are available on our parish website: www.stlm.org

If you are having difficulty accessing our Mass virtually, please call the Parish Office at 310.540.0329. Leave a message and a parish staff member will be happy to call and assist you.

MAKE ONLINE MASS TIME SACRED We invite you to truly be present during the watching a Mass on your computer, phone or television. Turn it on so that the sacrifice of the Mass may be present in your home and for you, truly making your home the “Domes c Church.” 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. Consider preparing your space with a candle, bible and sacred icons.

Kristine Kolodny Charles Ferenchak

Doris Stamm Cindy Smith Mary Eaton

Ken Baker Susan Joyce

Kathryn Easter Anton Neumeister

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GOSPEL MEDITATION ENCOURAGING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURE

When earthly lives end, especially when the person is younger, we tend to focus upon and consider what was lost. We think of lost opportuni es — things they won’t be able to see, babies they won’t be able to cradle, and adventures that now must go undiscovered. Our minds create this chasm between earth and heaven that sees the losses of this life as permanent ones, never possible to achieve again. This percep on causes many folks to remain stuck in their grief as they ponder all of the missed opportuni es and regrets. This is not resurrec on thinking. All of the love that we can give and receive, the joy and ela on that can be experienced, the adventures that can be undertaken, and the possibili es to be discovered are all part of a con nuous journey. They are not ends in and of themselves but are all part of the unfolding of a rela onship we have with God, who not only makes all of these wonderful things possible now but sustains them and fulfills them into eternity. The percep on and experience of loss is really an illusion, because in God’s eternal kingdom and in God’s

me, nothing is ever lost. Even the most in mate and tender of moments we can conceive of sharing with another human being are only part of a journey toward perfect in mate and tender moments to be shared with God in our resurrected life. We become like God and see God as He is in eternity. What greater joy, love, and hope can ever be discovered as we walk down our o en dimly lit paths in this world. This is an awesome wonder and magnificent news to behold. Call to mind someone you have lost in death. How do you see them now? How do you see yourself in heaven? Remind yourself, again, that God is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Our happiness is not going to be fully realized in this world, and there is nothing we can find here that cannot be found one hundred fold in eternity. It’s all about rela onship, and not solely about the rela onships we have with each other, ourselves, and the world in which we live. It’s about our rela onship with God. If we realize how special that one rela onship really is, then there is only one par cular of heaven and life eternal that really ma ers: namely, that we fall into love eternal and discover truth. For when we finally close our eyes in death, then all will be well as long as we are with God. There are no losses, only gains. ©LPi

LIVE THE LITURGY INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK

What do you imagine the resurrected life of heaven to be like? When we try to get our minds around such an enormous concept, we can easily find ourselves at a loss. For some folks, the enormity of the ques on actually causes them to ignore the reality of heaven or even conclude that it does not exist. Jesus knew that the magnitude and grandeur of eternal life are really too much for us to grasp. He kept it simple and described it in terms of rela onship. The disciples treasured their rela onship with Jesus, and he assured them, “Where I am you also may be.” Ul mately, that was enough for them to know. They would be with him. Strengthen your rela onship with God as He is the way, the truth, and the life. Is the assurance that you will be with Him enough for you as well? ©LPi

First Reading — To meet their growing needs, the community chooses seven reputable men to serve the new Greek believers (Acts 6:1-7). Psalm — Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you (Psalm 33). Second Reading — We, like living stones, let ourselves be built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-9). Gospel — “Show us the Father,” Philip asks Jesus. To which Jesus replies: “Whoever sees me, sees the Father” (John 14:1-12).

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 14:5-18; Ps 115:1-4, 15-16; Jn 14:21-26 Tuesday: Acts 14:19-28; Ps 145:10-13ab, 21; Jn 14:27-31a Wednesday: Acts 15:1-6; Ps 122:1-5; Jn 15:1-8 Thursday: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Ps 113:1-8; Jn 15:9-17 Friday: Acts 15:22-31; Ps 57:8-10, 12; Jn 15:12-17 Saturday: Acts 16:1-10; Ps 100:1b-3, 5; Jn 15:18-21 Sunday: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Ps 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 Pt 3:15-18 or 1 Pt 4:13-16; Jn 14:15-21 or Jn 17:1-11a

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QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK: AN INVITATION TO REFLECT AND RESPOND TO SCRIPTURE

F R In today’s reading, Luke offers an example of the cultural tensions that existed in the early Church between the Hellenists (Gen les) and the Hebrews (Jews). The resolu on resided in offering service to the other. Why do you think service can be a key to resolving community conflict? S R Peter emphasizes the importance of faith in Christ for building a strong spiritual house. How has the gi of faith strengthened your home? G R In his farewell discourse, Jesus encourages the disciples, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” What inspires you in mes of spiritual doubt? ©LPi

CATHOLIC LIFE EXPLAINED SAINTS OR SINNERS?

QUESTION: Our prayer group has been reading the lives of some saints, and we were struck by how some of them thought they were such sinners. Why would someone so holy think they had such serious sin?

ANSWER: Professional athletes prac ce the fundamentals of their sport over and over again, reaching for be er form, consistency, and performance. They focus on the basics, review past performances, and visualize greater success. Prac ce makes be er, if not perfect! Spiritual masters such as the saints also looked for perfec on. They prac ced their faith in the search for holiness, grace, and virtue. Through sacraments, prayer, study, good works, and penance, they raised their level of awareness and their sensi vity to the presence of God, the demands of the Gospel, and the workings of the Holy Spirit. They examined their consciences daily, reviewing the day for moments of failure and mes that they could have been more virtuous in one way or another. They resolved to do be er, be more a en ve, and alert! Therefore, anything that would distract them or interfere with their rela onship with God would be like a small black spot on a bright white wall — you can't miss it! The great saints were aware of sin and the presence of evil because they were so tuned into the struggle between good and evil that was fought in their own lives, hearts, and souls.

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS

Witnesses for Jesus This journey of faith is not always easy. Some mes the greatest wounds are those we suffer when family members and friends wander away from God and leave us behind. The faith they had when they were younger is now strained, or they see the daily walking with Jesus to be too difficult. For them, Jesus becomes what Peter wrote about when he described Jesus as the stone that causes people to stumble and the rock that makes them fall. Our journey is hard enough, but watching a loved one stumble and fall is heart-breaking.

What are we to do in such a situa on? Most importantly, we pray. We must realize that God is more powerful than us, and even if we can’t make them see the truth, He can. Then we witness to the transforma ve power of Jesus by our own lives. We need to serve him in word and deed. We should let a joy of being a disciple enlighten our faces. Allow Jesus to work through us so that others may be drawn to him. Lastly, we must never lose hope. Many have walked long journeys alone only to find God far down the road. What will it take to bring someone to Christ? It might be an ac on, a word, or an emo on. We never know how certain people will be touched. That loved one is a gi from God in your life. Place them back in God’s hands, and let Him pick them up if they have stumbled and fallen. —Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS ©LPi

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MOTHER’S DAY NOVENA SPIRITUAL BOUQUET This Mother’s Day offer a Mother’s Day Novena spiritual bouquet in honor of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and all of those women, living and deceased, who have shaped you, formed you, and loved you.

Even though we will not be physically gathering together here at St. Lawrence Martyr for Mass on Mother’s Day, we will s ll be offering our annual Mother’s Day Mass and Novena. If you would like to remember someone at this Mass and during the novena, offering a spiritual bouquet in their name is a wonderful way to do so.

Those honored with a Spiritual Bouquet will be remembered and prayed during our Mother’s Day Novena Masses starting on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10th, for the nine days. Names of those you wish to remember and honor with a spiritual gi may be entered online on our website: www.stlm.org/mothers-day-novena/

HONORING OUR MOTHER, MARY DURING THE MONTH OF MAY

Bring flow’rs of the fairest, bring flow’rs of the rarest, O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May It is customary for our St. Lawrence Martyr Community to honor Mary in the month of May. In addition to our Mary Untier of Knots series, we are creating a sacred space in the parking lot, under the image o f Our Lady starting on Mother’s Day.

Parishioners are welcome to drop off flowers to honor Mary of the Parking Lot throughout the month of May.

We kindly invite you to abide by the following guidelines so that we can ensure the safety of everyone in our parish family:

For Everyone’s Safety:

• Please drop off your flowers in provided bucket of water in the designated area (under the pop-up tent) and return to your vehicle

• Keep in mind the six feet social distancing when others are dropping off their flowers

• Please wear a mask.

• Keep the Space Sacred. Keep the Space Holy.

GENTLE REMINDER: Be respectful of the “No Gatherings” of any kind mandate.

We thank you in advance for being respectful to our desire to being obedient to the mandate of “no gatherings” of any kind.

May our small gesture, done with great love, bring joy to Our Dearest Mother. And, may she bless all of us and fill our hearts with a deep love for her son, Jesus.

Come, and let us make a beautiful garden of flowers for Our Lady.

Blessings and Happy Mother’s Day

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SLM FAITH ENRICHMENT SERIES During times such as this, we need our Spiritual Mother Mary. She is waiting to untie the

many knots in our lives, in our church, in our country and in our world.

Please join us online for our Mary, Untier of Knots Series

A MOTHER’S TOUCH . . . MARY UNTIER OF KNOTS PRAY FOR US

Hosted by Caterina Krai with Music by René Ayala

Fridays during the Month of May May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th

May 1st | Episode 1 - Spiritual Starvation with Gretchen Harris

May 7th | Episode 2 - Fluctuating Family Demands with Jennifer & Marc Song

May 14th | Episode 3 - Busyness: Avoiding the Deeper Call with Vivian Lee

We hope you will join as we ask our Mother to help untie our knots.

We will be recording a new episode each week focusing on a specific knot that we will ask Mary to untie for us. Episodes will be posted every Friday on our parish website: stlm.org

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FOOD PANTRY MINISTRY We are con nuing our ministry to our Food Pantry clients and homeless or struggling sisters and brothers. Stringent hygiene and food handling prac ces will be put in place. The Food Pantry will be

open every Saturday morning 7:00am. Our shelves in the Food Pantry are getting bare. If you can help with a donation during this time of need, here is a list of items needed:

• Canned chili - 15 oz size • Spaghe /Pasta - 1 lb box/package • Pasta Sauce • Peanut Bu er • Tuna • Canned Vegetables - 15 oz size • Canned fruit - 15 oz size • Mac & Cheese • Soup • Bags of rice • Cereal – heathly choices please

We prepare bags of groceries for individual families and do not need the large cans of food – just more of the regular sized (14-19 oz) cans are perfect & needed. At this me, for the health and safety of our volunteers and those we serve, we cannot accept clothing and non-food dona ons. Please do not leave these items at the Food Pantry garage door. Monetary dona ons in support of the Food Pantry Moinistry are always greatly appreciated and may be mailed or dropped in the mail slot of the Pastoral Center. Thank you for your generosity as we serve those in need.

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.

DID YOU KNOW?

STRESS CAN AFFECT THE CHILDREN AROUND YOU Everyone has stress, whether it is a bad day at work, car trouble, or simply too many things to do. It is important to learn how to manage your stress – for your own sake and for the sake of the children around you. Too much stress can make it hard to parent effec vely. A er a while, your children may show signs of stress, too. To learn more about how to iden fy and cope with stress, visit h ps://www.helpguide.org/ar cles/stress/stress-management.htm.

DISCOVERING THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Hosted by Caterina Krai with Special Guests

New session posted online

EVERY WEDNESDAY | APRIL 22 - MAY 20 Posted on our parish website: stlm.org

April 21 – Fear of the Lord (Awe) & Piety (Reverence)

with Msgr. Peter O’Reilly April 28 – Knowledge - Deacon Dale & Kim Sheckler May 6 – Wisdom - Msgr. Paul Dotson May 13 – Understanding with Shelia Claverie May 20 – Counsel with Deacon Jim Egnatuk May 27 – Courage/For tude with Fr. Mark Warnstedt

AND RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH:

It’s s ll on with a new name: Virtual Walk for Life South Bay!

We can’t gather in person on May 16th but we can join together for a virtual event. For details visit supportphctorrance.org

and click the “Details” bu on. • • Walk 500 Crazy Steps (at least) and make a short video

of your best moves. • • Submit the video, and if you've raised at least $50,

your video will be entered in a virtual video contest. • • We'll hold a brief virtual event on May 16 at 8:30 a.m.

to say thanks to all of you, show the videos and announce a winner. (maybe more than one!)

Please contact us with any ques ons: (424) 263-4855 or administra on@phctorrance.org

WHAT WILL YOUR KIDS DO THIS SUMMER? If the Covid 19 restric ons are li ed, we will be having our SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP programs at St. Lawrence Martyr School:

JULY 6TH THROUGH JULY 31ST Summer School: 9:00 to 12:00

(with morning daycare beginning at 7:30 ) Summer Camp: Noon un l 6:00

CHECK OUT WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER: WWW.SLMSUMMERSCHOOL.ORG

(If we are unable to have our programs a full refund will be issued to you.)

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 or voice mail message at 310.540-0329.

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St. Lawrence Martyr Gift Shop

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

Elect for Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation Sabrina Dumlao, Mary Herati & Zachary Nisar

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

CURRENT GIFT SHOP HOURS: We can be reached at (310)540.0329 extension 249

or by email at: giftshop@stlm.org We will reply to messages on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s.