Divine Mercy Catholic Church
2231 Club Center Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835
Tel: (916) 256-3134 www.divinemercynatomas.com
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am-4:00 pm
MISSION STATEMENT ~ To establish a faith-filled community bonded by love. To
proclaim the good news, foster personal encounters with the living Christ and strengthen the
family by witnessing the gospel values of love, mercy, justice, forgiveness and service to all.
Mass Schedule
Sacrament of Penance
Please call the Parish Office Anointing of the Sick
Please call the Parish Office. Rosary
English: 30 mins before every Mass Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Immediately after every Mass
Father Eric Flores [email protected]
Deacon Rick Morales [email protected]
Deacon James Ogbonna [email protected]
Sacraments and Rosaries
Saturday Vigil Mass 5:00 PM
Sunday Mass 7:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:30 PM
Youth Mass 5:00 PM
Every 1st Sunday of the Month Spanish Mass 5:00 PM
Every 2nd Sunday of the Month
Filipino Mass 5:00 PM Every 3rd Sunday of the month
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEEKDAY MASSES
Mon - Wed - Fri 6:30 PM
Tue - Thur - Sat 8:30 AM
Every Friday Holy Hour 3 - 6 PM
(Blessed Sacrament Exposed)
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.
Matthew 11:29-30
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 5, 2020
Look inside for a change of
process after the Mass.
Confessions at
Divine Mercy are on
Saturdays From 3:45-4:45 pm
Holy Hour
Fridays
at 3:00 pm
Welcome
Father Eric Flores
Page 2 A Word From...
SAINTS AND READINGS OF THE WEEK
Sunday, July 5 St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
ZEC 9:9-10; PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; ROM 8:9, 11-13; CF. MT 11:25;
MT 11:25-30
Monday, July 6 St. Maria Goretti
HOS 2:16, 17C-18, 21-22; PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 2 TM 1:10; MT 9:18-26
Tuesday, July 7 Bl. Ralph Milner
HOS 8:4-7, 11-13; PS 115:3-4, 5-6, 7AB-8, 9-10; JN 10:14; MT 9:32-38
Wednesday, July 8 St. Grimbald
HOS 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; PS 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; MK 1:15; MT 10:1-7
Thursday, July 9 St. Veronica Giuliani
HOS 11:1-4, 8E-9; PS 80:2AC AND 3B, 15-16; MK 1:15; MT 10:7-15
Friday, July 10 Bl. Emmanuel Ruiz
HOS 14:2-10; PS 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14 AND 17; JN 16:13A; 14:26D;
MT 10:16-23
Saturday, July 11 St. Benedict of Nursia
IS 6:1-8; PS 93:1AB, 1CD-2, 5; 1 PT 4:14; MT 10:24-33
Humility is the foundation of
the spiritual life. In Sunday’s
Gospel Reading Jesus teach-
es us how to lay this founda-
tion. Jesus shows us that
humility is at the heart of of all
progress in the spiritual
life. Note that this is more
than just saying that humility
is the first lesson learned by spiritual beginners. Jesus is going further,
insisting that humility is at the heart of the progress made each day by the
most spiritually advanced saints.
In the portraits of Jesus painted by the four evangelists, Jesus rarely
speaks out loud to God the Father. Yet in today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus
not only speaks to the Father, but exclaims, saying: “I give praise to you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these
things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little
ones.”
No matter how old you are, no matter how far you have already pro-
gressed in the spiritual life, humility is the soil needed for further growth. If
you are a farmer, or even if you garden, you know that when it comes to
growing things from the earth, there’s good soil and there’s bad
soil. There’s soil that’s rich in nutrients and moisture, and then there’s soil
that’s dry and depleted of nutrients.
If we want to say, then, that the soil of humility is meant to be rich in spir-
itual nutrients and moisture, what are we saying? Why does humility
make for rich spiritual soil? Saint Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite reformer
who lived in the sixteenth century, stated:
“While we are on this earth nothing is more important to us than humility.
… In my opinion we shall never completely know ourselves if we don’t
strive to know God. By gazing at His grandeur, we get in touch with our
own lowliness… by pondering His humility, we shall see how far we are
from being humble” [The Interior Castle I,2,9].
St. Teresa makes plain that focusing upon God rather than upon oneself is
key to fostering humility. Yet St. Paul in Sunday’s Second Reading
speaks about another key way of shifting one’s attention in the spiritual life
from what is less important to what is greater. St. Paul explains the im-
portance of focusing upon the human spirit rather than upon human flesh.
What does St. Paul mean in the Second Reading when he states to the
Romans: “You are not in the flesh”? Obviously, no one would deny that
each Christian making his way through life on this earth journeys within a
human body. We all live with flesh and blood. The human body is an
essential part of making one’s pilgrimage through life.
But when St. Paul insists that “You are not in the flesh”, he’s shifting atten-
tion to the principle by which the pilgrim can bring focus to his earthly
life. That is to ask the following: is gratification of the flesh’s five senses
the motivating principle for the pilgrim’s choices? Or does that pilgrim
live “in the spirit”, meaning that his choices seek to allow the Holy Spirit to
rule—to give order and aim—to the pilgrim’s journey?
Throughout the Church’s history, this contrast between the flesh and the
spirit has led to many heresies. St. Augustine of Hippo, a fifth-century
bishop in northern Africa, spent many years before his baptism as a mem-
ber of a sect based upon one such heresy. This group believed that the
difference between flesh and spirit was not only a contrast, but a sharp
division between evil and good. To grow in holiness meant to reject not
only the flesh, but everything material.
“… for although you
have hidden these
things from the wise
and the learned you
have revealed them to
little ones. “
What that heresy ignores is that “in the beginning”, God created the heav-
ens and the earth and everything within them, both visible and invisi-
ble. Within the first chapter of Genesis, we hear that God “looked at every-
thing He had made, and found it very good” [Gn 1:31]. Material things
cannot be made evil. Only persons and their actions can be evil, by putting
last things first. Material things are among the last that matter in life, be-
cause they will not last. Knowing this truth and ordering one’s choices
according to it foster humility, disposing oneself to abiding more fully in
God.+
Fr. Thomas Hoisington
https://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/reflections/2020-07-05/
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:25-30: Jesus prays in thanks to God, who
has revealed himself to the lowly.
Background on the Gospel Reading: Today’s reading from Matthew’s Gos-
pel comes after a discourse in which Jesus reproaches people who have
witnessed his mighty deeds yet still lack belief. In this context, today’s Gospel
explains the reason for this unbelief and reveals what is necessary for faith.
Today’s Gospel also continues to enhance our understanding of discipleship
as last week’s Gospel did. Jesus first prays in thanksgiving to God who has
made himself known to Jesus’ disciples. He praises God who has made him-
self known to the “little ones” and not to the wise and learned. As in other
recent readings from Matthew’s Gospel, a contrast is made here between the
unbelieving Pharisees, who are wise and learned, and the faithful disciples,
tax collectors, and sinners with whom Jesus keeps company.
The second part of this reading calls to our attention the unity between the
Father and the Son. God has made himself known through Jesus, and in
knowing Jesus, we come to know the Father. In Jesus’ life and in his person,
God reveals himself to us.
In the concluding sentences of today’s Gospel, Jesus’ teaching is again con-
trasted to the teaching of the Pharisees. This common theme of Matthew’s
Gospel probably reflects tension that existed between Jesus and the Phari-
sees and between the Pharisees and the community of Christians for whom
Matthew wrote. Pharisaic Judaism became the predominant form of Judaism
after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem about 70 A.D. Here that ten-
sion is expressed as alternative paths of holiness. The careful observance of
the Mosaic law taught by the Pharisees could be experienced by some as
difficult and burdensome. In contrast, Jesus’ way of holiness is presented as
uncomplicated and even restful.
Sunday Connection-Loyola Press-
www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sundayconnection/
Page 3 “Pray without ceasing-”...I Thessalonians 5:17
Prayers of the Faithful, July 5, 2020 Stewardship Bulletin Reflection — July 5, 2020
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
ZEC 9:9-10; PS 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14; ROM 8:9, 11-13; MT 11:25-30
The theme of humility is central to our readings today. God Himself is a humble
God, so if we wish to follow Him as
Christian stewards, we too, must
be humble. In fact, humility is key
to the stewardship way of life, and
to a peaceful and fulfilling life.
In our Gospel passage from Mat-
thew, Jesus Himself speaks to the
Father of the privileged role that
humble souls play in God’s plan of
salvation. “I give praise to you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these
things from the wise and the
learned you have revealed them to
little ones.”
What does it mean to be a “little
one”? It means that we acknowledge we don’t have it all figured out, but that we
are very much in need of a savior. It means we recognize that all we are and all
we have been given is a gift from God. It means we embrace the stewardship way
of life.
It is not easy, but deep peace and consola-
tion come with this way of life. Jesus offers
these warm and encouraging words to
entice us to embrace it. “Come to me, all
you who labor and are burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am meek and humble of
heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Let us resolve to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, embracing the humble path
of stewardship. It is the path that leads to peace here and now, and ultimately
leads us to heaven.— Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Con-
sultants
As we praise the goodness of the Lord, we present our petitions to our
heavenly Father.
For the Holy Father and all Bishops, that they will be strengthened and
guided by the Holy Spirit in their leadership of the Church.
For the priests serving in this Diocese, that the Lord will strengthen,
protect and encourage them in their service.
For all those called to the priesthood or consecrated life in this Diocese,
that they will enthusiastically answer the call.
For unity and healing for our nation on this Independence Day week-
end.
For an end to abortion and respect for life from conception to natural
death.
For all those that have been recently Initiated into the Church, that their
joy will be complete as they live the faith in its fullness.
For a cure for the coronavirus, healing for the sick, strength for their
families and courage and protection for those who care for them.
That God will have mercy on all those that have died and console those
that mourn their passing.
Prayers for the Sick
Samuel Walden
Fr. Cesar Ageas Divine Mercy Catholic Church is not liable to users of
the data or information provided herein, or to any
other party, for any loss or damage, consequential or
otherwise, including but not limited to time, money or
goodwill, arising from the use, operation or modifica-
tion of the data or information
Prayers for the military
Allen Jay Cayabyab, USAF
Chad Cayabyab, US Marines PO2
TSTT Jesse R. Bose, USAF
Jose Robledo, US Army
LCpl Alex Penick, US Marines
Deven Aguiar-Frank, USAF
Jonah Edward Pagala, US Navy
Vincent Santos, US Air Force
Capt Jessica G. Dacpano ,USAF
Christopher Robledo, Navy
Veronica Santos, Air Force
Peter Mibach, Navy
Ricardo Perez Jr. U.S. Army
Page 4 Mark Your Calendars
MASS INTENTIONS
Sunday, July 5
7:30 am Fr. Eric
*10:00 am Bess Dagcasin + Fr. Eric
Cora Belen +
*12:30 pm Oscar Penaloza + Fr. Eric
*5:00 pm Rosalia & Gerardo Rosario + Fr Eric
Monday, July 6
6:30 pm Oscar Penaloza + Fr. Eric
Regina Ruport (Serious Illness)
Alicia De Leon Guerrero +
Cora Belen +
Tuesday, July 7
8:30 am Angel Escarcha + Fr. Eric
Eusebio Naniong, Sr. + (Death Anniversary)
Florentina & Johnny Edwards +
Bertha Ned +
Cora Belen +
Wednesday, July 8
6:30 pm Bertha Ned + Fr Eric
Cora Belen +
Thursday, July 9
8:30 am Bertha Ned + Fr. Eric
Cora Belen +
Friday, July 10
6:30 pm Fr. Eric
Saturday, July 11
8:30 am Fr Eric
5:00 pm Fr Eric
Sunday, July 12
7:30 am Fr. Eric
*10:00 am Bess Dagcasin + Fr. Eric
*12:30 pm Fr. Eric
*5:00 pm SPANISH MASS Fr Eric
Confessions at
Divine Mercy
Catholic Church
Saturdays
at
3:45 pm –4:45 pm
Holy Hour
Fridays
at 3:00 pm
Come and
adore him!
A “practical” change has been made to our pandemic
processes in the church. THIS APPLIES TO MASSES
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ONLY! We will be sanitiz-
ing behind ourselves at the conclusion of the Mass. On-
ly takes a minute. We’ve made it as easy and conven-
ient as possible.
This applies to Mass,
Monday through Friday only!
Sign a declaration form.
Use the hand sanitizer.
Take a spray bottle.
Take a paper towel.
Go into the Church for seating.
At the conclusion of Mass, please spray the area
where you have been seated, wipe it down with the
paper towel.
Please return the bottle to the box at the Font.
Please leave your paper towel in the receptacle
(Masks are always required. Declarations must always be signed.
The cleaning service will continue to disinfect the Church on the
weekends.)
Page 5 Giving is Worship
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR PARISH
SHARING OUR TREASURE Fiscal Year July 2018- June 2019
The Mortgage Reduction Offering is THIS Weekend!
Please prayerfully consider what you can give to help
the Church’s efforts in reducing the balance on the
mortgage.
For Week Ending June 28, 2020
OFFERTORY REQUIREMENTS (July 2019 - June 2020)
Average 4 week Month Requirement $ 60,000
Weekly Average Requirements $ 15,000
Week of: 7-Jun wk 1 $ 6,620
Week of: 14-Jun wk 2 $ 17,191
Week of: 21-Jun wk 3 $ 7,292
Week of: 28-Jun wk 4 $ 9,816
Total Collections This Month $ 40,919
Note: The Above Amounts Do Not Include Fundraising Donations.
CHURCH MORTGAGE Mortgage Loan Balance 6/26/2020 $ 1,947,310
This Week:
Weekend Mass Attendance = 285
Weekend Offertory Collection = $5,099
Offertory Donations From Connect Now Giving = $1,533
Mortgage Reduction Donations From Offertory = $2,184 Mortgage Reduction From Connect Now Giving = $1,000
Peter's Pence Diocesan Collection = $392
Plan ahead, sign up for Connect Now Giving
God Bless You for Your Continuing Generosity
Have your gift recorded by using envelopes. We will provide you with a record of your tax-deductible donations every year. Don’t have enve-
lopes? Call Parish office to request – it’s easy!
Page 6 Divine Mercy Catholic Church Ministries
Pope Francis at Mass: ‘Generosity enlarges the heart’
In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday, Pope Francis says
Christians need to be generous towards the poor, and warns against the
“disease of consumerism”.
Pope Francis invited Christians to be generous towards the poor, saying a chari-
table attitude opens the heart and helps us to be kinder. He also warned that the
enemy of generosity is consumerism, where we buy more than we need.
The Holy Father said there are many places in the Gospels in which Jesus con-
trasts the rich and the poor. He said we can think of Jesus’ comment to the rich
young man: “It will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heav-
en” (Mt 19:23).
Pope Francis said some would call Christ “a communist”. “The Lord, when he
said these things, knew that behind riches there always lurks the evil spirit: the
spirit of the world,” he said. But, the Pope noted, Jesus also said: “No one can
serve two masters” (Mt 6:24).
Generosity comes from faith in God: In the day’s Gospel (Lk 21:1-4), the
wealthy “who were putting their offerings in the treasury” are contrasted with the
poor widow “who put in two small coins”.
Pope Francis said the rich in this episode “are not evil” but “are good people
who go to the Temple and make their offering.”
“Widows, orphans, migrants, and foreigners were the poorest people in Israel,”
he said. The widow “had offered her whole livelihood”, because she trusted in
the Lord. “She gives everything,” the Pope said, “because the Lord is greater
than all else. The message of this Gospel passage is an invitation to generosi-
ty.”
Try to do good: Turning to statistics about the amount of poverty in today’s
world, Pope Francis said the many children who die of hunger or lack medicine
are an invitation to ask ourselves: “But how can I resolve this situation?” This
question, he said, comes from the desire to do good.
“An appeal to generosity. Generosity belongs to everyday life; it’s something we
should think: ‘How can I be more generous, with the poor, the needy… How can
I help more?’ ‘But Father, you know that we can barely get through the month.’
‘But surely you have at least a couple of coins left over? Think about it: you can
be generous with those…’ Consider the little things. For example, look through
your room or your wardrobe. How many pairs of shoes do I have? One, two,
three, four, fifteen, twenty… Each of us knows. Maybe too many… I knew a
monsignor who had 40… But if you have many pairs of shoes, give away half.
How many clothes do I not use or use only once a year? This is one way to be
generous, to give what we have, and to share.”
Disease of consumerism: Pope Francis then told a story about a lady he met
who, when she went grocery shopping, spent 10% on buying food for the poor.
He said she gave her “tithe” to the poor.
“We can do miracles through generosity. Generosity in little things. Maybe we
don’t do it because we just don’t think about it. The Gospel message makes us
reflect: How can I be more generous? Just a little more, not much… ‘It’s true,
Father, you’re right but… I don’t know why, but I’m always afraid…’ But nowa-
days there is another disease, which works against generosity: The disease of
consumerism.”
Pope Francis said consumerism consists in always buying things. He recalled
that, when he lived in Buenos Aires, “every weekend there was a TV show
about retail-tourism”. They would hop on an airplane on Friday evening, fly to a
country about 10 hours away, and then spend all Saturday shopping before
returning home on Sunday.
“It’s a terrible disease nowadays, consumerism. I’m not saying all of us do it, no.
But consumerism – excessive spending to buy more than we need – is a lack of
austerity in life. This is the enemy of generosity. And material generosity
– thinking about the poor: ‘I can give this so that they can eat or have
clothes’ – has an ulterior result: It enlarges the heart and helps us be
magnanimous.”
Generosity makes us magnanimous
Pope Francis said we need to have a magnanimous heart, where all can
enter. “Those wealthy people who gave money were good; that elderly
lady was a saint,” the Pope said.
Finally, the Holy Father invited us to be generous and to start by inspect-
ing our houses to discover “what we don’t need and could be useful for
someone else.” We should ask God, he said, “to free us” from that dan-
gerous disease of consumerism, which makes us slaves and creates
dependence on spending money. “Let us ask the Lord for the grace of
being generous, so that our hearts may be opened and we may become
kinder.” + https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-
marta/2018-11/pope-francis-mass-generosity-enlarges-heart.html
A big THANK YOU to everyone who made
Father Soane’s Video Retirement a success!
IT TEAM:
JOHNELI IGNACIO – LEAD, Zoom Meeting
MALOU SANCHEZ- Backup, Zoom Expert, Video Clips
PHIL SERRANO – Lead, YouTube Live Stream
DENA SERRANO, Back-up, YouTube Live Stream
ARIEL PEREZ, Back-up, Zoom Meeting
ALBERT PLANTILLA – Zoom Expert
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Cynthia Laramie
Ron Wright
ADMINISTRATIVE HELP
Mayet Reina – Mosaic Picture Organizer; Created program handout
Julie Aninzo – helped to locate and reach out to previous parishioners
and speakers to the program
SUM MINISTRY HELP
Cynthia Laramie
NARTHEX DECORATIONS
Alison Leahy
Annie Reyes
SPEAKERS: Thank you all to those who participated and spoke during
the program. joined and viewed the program from their homes.
Bishop Jaime Soto
Antonette Agustin
Father Octavio Ventura
Father Michael Kiernan
Father Nicholas Ho
Sister Dolly Brophy
Sister Luz Manriquez
Deacon James Ogbonna
Deacon Rick Morales
Annie Reyes
Frank Cuzzo
Children’s Choir: Ainah & Levi Suva
Adult Choir: Marcia Pesek, Gwen and Bill Carlos
Youth Choir: Ethan Sanchez, Alaine Blasé, and Arielle Fisher
Tri-Council: Betty Abacan, Jeff Obrecht, Susan Wright
Maria Goretti Church Video Contribution
Malou Sanchez for Parishioners Video Clips showed during the program
Viewers: At the beginning of
the program, the viewers
count was logged at 113
then, it went down to 92 by
closing time.
Organizer: Cora Espanol – organized
Father Soane’s Zoom Retirement Pro-
gram, put together a group of IT Ex-
perts, selected the program participants
and prepared the program sequence
and invited the special guest speaker.
Page 7 Divine Mercy Catholic Church Ministries
Father Soane’s
Retirement Lunch
with the staff.
This is a picture of Father Soane made out of over 600 pictures of Father
Soane and the 10 years that he spent with us. This was his retirement gift
from the parish. Nice job done by everyone who worked to make this happen!
Call the
Church Office
at 916-256-3134
for a quote!