St. Cornelius Church 5500 Wardlow Rd., Long Beach, CA 90808

(562) 421-8966 www.stcorneliuslb.org

PASTOR’S CORNER 1 1 PASTOR’S CORNER 1

And Peter says—”How often should I forgive?” Jesus responds “not just seven / but seventy-seven / and over and over again.

The parable of the, never forgiv-ing debtor asks the disciples what kind of world they want to create. In the first reading Sirach told his readers that remembering that we are all going to die can shed im-portant light on the choices we make today. In his novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude. The Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez told the story of Amaranta, a woman whose name is a combination of the words amor and amargo, love and bitterness. Amaranta had received a vision in which she learned that she was to weave her own shroud, and when she had finished she would die. She did her work faithfully, sometimes weaving, sometimes tearing it apart, consistently reworking it until the day it was done, and she was ready to die. Her artisan task was sym-bolic of the undertaking of every human life. We each weave our own stories, mending, tearing, mak-ing mistakes and introducing new textures and themes; undoing and reworking until one day the work comes to completion. As individuals the life that we weave is in our hands. We cannot determine what will come our way but we can decide how we will weave it into our story, how we will interpret it, whether we will allow it to lead us to love or bitterness. Peter asked “How often must I forgive?” Sirach asks us: “Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself?” So being forgiving is es-sential for all who call themselves Christian. One of the most chal-

lenging parts of the Our Father is when we pray—”Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who for-give us.” If we refuse to forgive we are saying to God: don’t forgive me. WHAT FORGIVENESS ISN’T It isn’t denying what has been done to us. It isn’t condoning what another has done to us. Not forgiving is like a spiritual cancer that destroys us. To resent others is to become their slave. It is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die. We forgive for our own good. Love and hate are like oil and wa-ter. They don’t mix. Not forgiving prevents us from loving the people we love. From time to time the cellar of the mind and heart has to be cleaned out. The cobwebs of self pity have to be swept away. The cancerous growth of bitter-ness has to be cut out. Hurt feelings have to be dug up, owned and let go. Here is where forgiveness comes in. Though never easy, even from a human point of view it makes great sense. We rid ourselves of the bur-den of bitterness, resentment and anger. As a result we experience a sense of freedom, from bitterness and liberation. Once again we are able to devote ourselves to loving as befits a Christian. Forgiveness is first and foremost a healing of our hearts. Many years ago I had an experi-ence of forgiveness that changed my life. During a training for Par-

ish Renewal we were asked to be in groups to share the three major hurts of our lives. Three of us who had never spoken before or since gravitated towards each other, One of the priest was from Seattle, the other from Utah. We took the time to listen, to pray so that we could forgive. When I returned to the par-ish I didn’t share the experience with anyone but people would say to me: “What happened? You are different!” They observed not just a spiritual change but a complemen-tary physical change. For me it was a liberating expe-rience. All the negativity had de-parted from me. The great Chinese philosopher Confucius wisely said, “To be wronged is nothing, unless we continue to remember it.” When it comes to forgiveness we need to focus on our all merciful God. Through Isaiah he tells us: “Though your sins be like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. I will separate you from your sins as far as the east is from the west.” The prodigal son is one of my favorite parables. For me it is a model of how I should be as a priest hearing confessions. One of my favorite parts is: “While he was still a long way off his Father caught sight of him!” So we see a Father who awaits and yearns for the re-turn of his son. At the rear of the church we have copy of Rem-brandt’s “The Prodigal Son.” Hen-ry Nouwern spent time meditating on it in the Heritage Museum in St. Petersburg and wrote what I consid-er his best book, “The Return of The Prodigal.” It shows how we can see ourselves in the Father, the Prodigal Son, and the older brother. Today’s Psalm talks about the

HOMILY FOR THE 24TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

NOT JUST SEVEN

By: Fr. Mike Gleeson, Pastor

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MASS INTENTIONS † = Indicates Deceased Sunday, September 17 8:00 a.m. †Stella Guinan †Oscar Lipana Ron & Laverne Haller Family 10:00 a.m. †Brian K. Tempel Chris ne & Parfait Voundi & Family 12:00 noon Joe Patolo †Lio Katopau †Rosanne Poyer 5:00 p.m. †Joseph Aoga †Siota Tauanu’u Terrio Family Monday, September 18 8:00 a.m. †Brian K. Tempel †Nieves Achiles †Ranjith Wijetunga 5:00 p.m. †Tomas Pineda †Rosa Querido †Esau Iakopo Tuesday, September 19 8:00 a.m. Joe Patolo & Family living and deceased Margaret Phillips (Birthday) 5:00 p.m. †Brian K. Tempel Fr. James Zakowicz Wednesday, September 20 8:00 a.m. †Brian K. Tempel David Burgess (Birthday) †Noe Lao 5:00 p.m. Fr. James Zakowicz Joe, Eva, & Pat Collins Sgt. Richard Thomas Thursday, September 21 8:00 a.m. Carmen Bernales Ronald Collins Kenny Collins 5:00 p.m. †Brian K. Tempel Fr. James Zakowicz Joe Patolo Friday, September 22 8:00 a.m. †De Castro Family †Ibanez De Castro 5:00 p.m. †Brian K. Tempel †Sonia De Castro Saturday, September 23 8:00 a.m. †Brian K. Tempel †Anthony Iucevic 5:00 p.m. †Marge Hengehold †Allen Ronk Lafoe Sunday, September 24 8:00 a.m. †Oscar Lipana †Allen Ronk Lafoe 10:00 a.m. †Bill Vendl †Brian K. Tempel †Alexander Kulik 12:00 noon Ron & Laverne Haller Family Robert C. Roa 5:00 p.m. †Vojo & Eleonara Sekulovich †Ricardo & Leonidas Bernales

greatness of God’s mercy:

Psalm 42 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion. He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

REFLECTION When we forgive, we free ourselves of the

burden of bitterness, And we free the other person of the burden of guilt.

But our forgiveness must come from the heart, which means it must be true, sincere and warm.

A cold forgiveness is not much use. Forgiveness should start now.

Putting it off only deepens the wound, prolongs bitterness and postpones happiness.

Life is short. Time is fleeting. Today is the day to forgive.

Lord delivers us from the poison of bitterness and give us the grace to forgive from the heart, those who have offended us. Then we will know the warmth of

your forgiveness. Siempre Adelante,

Fr. Mike

PASTOR’S CORNER CONT.

WEEKEND MASSES Saturday, September 23 5:00 p.m. Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector Valerie MacRae Sunday, September 24 8:00 a.m. Fr. Bill McLean Lector: Terri Roach / Ted Brodeur 10:00 a.m. Fr. George Reynolds Lector: Charles Trucios 12:00 Noon Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector Darlene Boucher 5:00 p.m. Fr. George Reynolds Lector: George Mora

LITURGY

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CONNECTING THE DOTS Spirituality book club Our spirituality book group will be reading a new book, Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty: An In mate Portrait of My Grandmother, by Kate Hennessy. We meet the 3rd Thursday, September 21st, at 7:00 p.m. at Duffy's. We will discuss the first few chapters. Call Norma for more infor-ma on, 562:429-1094.

FAITH AND FICTION St. Cornelius Book Discussion Group The next mee ng of the book club will be held on Monday, September 18 in the school li-brary. The book we will be discussing is “A Man Called Ove” by Ivan Doig. We meet on the third Monday of every month, except December. In December we will be mee ng on the 2nd Mon-day at 7:30pm. You are welcome to join us. For more info, call Katy Ellis at 607-1100.

ADULT FAITH & SPIRITUALITY

Adam & Carla Mars Sandee Bradley DJ Barwick Peggy Hasse Dolores Lounsbury Peggy Pen s Walter Bordeaux Erin & Brian Longhofer Ghusn Mhawji Martha Burris Frances Boudreau Lee Hicks Sio Patolo Kasiano Alai Julienne Aoga Patricia Wolfe Samuel McCarthy Sherill S llwell Judy Klenk Jonathan Kolp Frank Novak Richard LaPorte Jean Wells Karen Gingras Alvin York Jack Alva Cooper Chris Leon Greg & Laurie Kelly Diane Reed Patrick Connolly Christopher Cathcart Larry Gaudy Debbie DeSan s Travis Melnick Joseph Lesko Helen Orton Dave Wills Henry Sarnecki Bob Early Jenni Rojas Rochelle Lewis Lavin Alma Gomez Percival Francisco Paxton Thompson Maria Valadez Rina Tuiteleleapaga Rosa C. Lopez Diaz

Salvador Diaz Rosa M. Vivar Anna Salinas Bella Moody William Steele Dennis Meza Javier Roberts Jessica Ortega Erin Miskelly Renee Ganske Roman Romo Rebecca Upton Jesus Palacios Pat Kitching Jim Kline Mulitalo Mikaele Marjorie J. Lehman Alma Gomez Carna Ahmadzai Marta R. De Quiros Fernando J. Rodriguez Ana Maria Menendez Anna Coles Ruben Diaz Hazel Foley Kathy Statlander Sharon Barre Olivia Howard Jan Wynn Carlos Jaramillo Jessica Rigsby Cliff Richard John Cutler Alberto J. Smith AnneMarie Robinson Fiu Iosefo Aoga Anita Digregorio Anthony Bonvino Joyce Kelly Nadine Roberts Deb Sanders Sherry Waide Carmen Bernales Ronald Collins Kenny Collins Ron Scully William Priest

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK For The Sick Who Have Asked To Be Remembered In Prayer:

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ADULT CHOIR The 10:00 o'clock Adult Choir is seeking new mem-bers. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the Rectory, or show up to Choir practice every Wednesday at 7pm in the church.

ST. CORNELIUS WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY We will be resuming our Wednesday night gather-ing on Sep 13, 2017 with a potluck and the le ers of John (1,2, and 3 John). We will also be discuss-ing and selec ng our next study. You are invited to join us on Wednesdays, from 7-8:45 pm in the Holy Family Room for the St. Cornelius Wednesday night Bible Study. For more informa on, course materi-als or to sign up please contact Erick or Barbara Fischer at (562) 425-5542 or e-mail, ebefisch-er@earthlink.net

Please Pray for the Soul of Lt. Col BRUCE MAGRUDER, Jr. USMC

Father of Bruce Magruder III, a long me parishioner of St. Cornelius.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE

4 YOUTH MINISTRY

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS Registra on con nues through October 1st! Con nuing and new students pick up 2017/2018 informa on in the Religious Educa on office. Registra on packets for new students may be picked up or printed from the

parish website: www.stcorneliuslb.org.

Important dates On-Site Registra on—Sunday October 1, 2017, 9:00 – 12:00 noon Meet and Greet: Sunday, October 8, 2017, 11:00AM (a er the 10AM mass) meet with the teachers at coffee and donuts in the Pavilion. Middle School Classes—Tuesday, October 10, 2017 through May 15, 2018 Elementary Classes—Thursday, October 12, 2017 through May 17, 2018 Early Childhood Classes—Sunday, October 15, 2017 through May 20, 2018, during 10:00AM mass

Cateche cal Sunday—The role of a Catholic catechist is to catechize (teach) the Faith of the Catholic Church by both word and example. We are truly blessed with wonderful Catechists in our school and religious educa on programs. Join us in praying for our catechists as they begin their new school year. Teachers, Catechists and classroom volunteers will receive a blessing during the 10:00 AM Mass. Catechists are invited to V.I.P. sea ng in the Paye e Pavilion as they join us for coffee, donuts and fellowship, immediately following mass.

Rejoice and Give Praise! The San Pedro Regional Congress will be held on the campus of St. Joseph High School, Lakewood, October 7st, 8:00am – 4:30pm. Bishop Alexander Salazar will celebrate Mass to begin the day which offers prac cal, hands on and spiritual enrichment workshops. Registra on guidebooks are available in the Religious Educa on Office and online h p://archla.org/sp2014 .

This is our 2017-18 Confirma on Leadership team. Please keep them in your prayers as they answer the call to serve their peers and bring them closer to God.

5 COMMUNITY NEWS

SAFEGUARD THE CHILDREN Did you know? Talk to kids about loca on sharing dangers Many popular social media sites offer users the abil-ity to tag or share their loca ons whenever they post. Depending on the site, this informa on can be shared with friends, followers, and other people who use the site, regardless of whether they are friends with the user or not. Loca on sharing is a tool that can be used by predators searching for poten al vic-

ms. Parents and children need to have open discus-sions about providing informa on online, high-ligh ng what is safe to share and when it is safe to do so. As a general rule, widespread loca on-sharing should be discouraged. For more informa on about how to help your children understand who can see what they post and share, request a copy of the VIR-TUS© online ar cle “Technology Safety,” by emailing jvienna@la-archdiocese.org or calling (213) 637-7227.

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RESPECT LIFE NEWS & NOTES A Note From Sylvia Aimerito

A er 8 1/2 years as your fearless leader of the St. Cornelius Respect Life Team I am handing over the baton. It’s a decision I’ve spent the past 6 months discerning and it comes at the gentle (and not so

gentle!) nudging of the Holy Spirit.

So, who is taking my place? Beginning immediately Bridge e Flores will be stepping into the lead posi-

on. She is excited about taking over the role! The Respect Life Team will con nue with pro-life events, dona ons, diaper drives, etc. AudioGirl

Ministries will focus on reaching the larger commu-nity by promo ng a message of life thru media, mu-sic, video, and presenta ons. In fact, our ad for The Power of 7 app is now airing on the radio show Life Ma ers (californiaprolife.org/life-ma ers) hosted

by Brian Johnston of the California ProLife Council. The show is heard on Chris an radio sta ons across

the state of California. Here’s the ad: h ps://soundcloud.com/audiogirl-ministries/power-of-7-

app-radio-ad_2017-m And here’s a smaller version of the banner ad that appears on the Council

website Home page:

Please keep Bridge e in your prayers as she takes

over this important role at our parish. She can be contacted at scrlteam17@gmail.com

or 714-984-3427.

It has been an honor and a blessing to lead the team these past 8.5 years! I thank God for the friendships

made and victories won. Thank you for all you’ve done, and will con nue to do, for our unborn

brothers and sisters. Stay encouraged - together we have helped to save the lives of over 1,070

babies and their moms from a life me of regret.

His for Life, Sylvia Aimerito

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY The challenge in today’s Gospel, it to forget how others have behaved towards us and to look to God’s way of loving and forgiving. Our focus must be on God. Share God’s love by dona ng furni-ture, clothing and household items. Call 1-800-974-3571 for free pick up.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP The journey a er the loss of a loved one can be difficult. If you need help with your grief, our six-week psycho-educa onal series examines many of the difficult emo ons that accompany the loss of a loved one and provides suppor ve techniques that can help you. Our next session will begin Septem-ber 18th, at 7 PM, in the Convent Chapel. If you are interested in a ending, please call Nancy Himes (562) 928-2474.

7 FIESTA NEWS