Meconi, S.J. In rejoicing over Christ’s wounds, the Church invites us to see that there is no place that God’s love refuses to penetrate and redeem.
The Son of God took on human flesh and embraced mortality. At her “yes,” Our Lady could give the Infinite only finitude, grant the Immortal only mortality, offer Life himself only
death, and in this convergence of contraries, the Lord of All shows us his power through weakness, his judgment through mercy, and his presence as only love. This is an embrace of competing opposites that no other religion knows. It is therefore not insignificant that the first piece of material anti-Christian propaganda we know about is the famous “Alexamenos Worships His God” graffito from Rome’s Palatine Hill, dating most likely to the second century. Here we see a simpleton named Alexamenos praying before a crucified donkey. This is a telling representation of how the ancients thought of this newly found creed following Christ: unsophisticated, unadorned, gullible, and – quite honestly – asinine. Neither Greek nor Roman could imagine how a God would draw so near to his people that he would literally take on the human condition, be reliant upon the permission of a young virgin to carry out his plan of redemption, to become so one with mortals that he could actually die an ignominious death, even death on a cross. Divine Mercy Sunday gathers these themes together in order to remind us how there is nothing in our life our God won’t touch and redeem if we simply surrender those moments and places to him. Celebrated since 2001 on the first Sunday of the Easter Octave, Divine Mercy Sunday was robustly promulgated by Saint Pope John Paul II, no doubt inspired by his love of Saint Faustina Kowalska and her encounters with the divinely merciful Heart of Jesus in the 1930s. As such, on May 5, 2000, Saint John Paul II asked the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to proclaim this relatively new feast as such:
Merciful and gracious is the Lord (Ps. 111:4), who, out of great love with which He loved us (Eph. 2:4) and [out of] unspeakable goodness, gave us his Only-begotten Son
as our Redeemer, so that through the Death and Resurrection of this Son He might open the way to eternal life for the human race, and that the adopted children who received his mercy within his temple might lift up his praise to the ends of the earth. In our times, the Christian faithful in many parts of the world wish to praise the divine mercy in divine worship, particularly in- the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, in which God’s loving kindness especially, shines forth. Acceding to these wishes, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II has graciously determined that in the Roman Missal, after the title “Second Sunday of Easter,” there shall henceforth be added the appellation “(or Divine Mercy Sunday),” and has prescribed that the texts assigned for that day in the same Missal and the Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Rite are always to be used for the liturgical celebration of this Sunday. Saint John Paul II’s promulgation of Divine Mercy was first expressed in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in misericordia, while closer to our day, Pope Francis announced a Year of Mercy with his 2015 Misericordiae vultus. As different as these two papal documents are, in both depth as well as in discussion, both emphasize the same theme of mercy as coming from Christ’s pitying or lamenting (miserere in Latin) heart (cor in Latin). The paradox of the cross emerges on this Sunday in particular: we rejoice not despite our wounds but because of them. “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9.13). It is paradoxically freeing to be able to admit need for a Savior. But only then do we give Christ the needed permission to enter into our lives.“The truth, revealed in Christ, about God the ‘Father of mercies,’ enables us to ‘see’ Him as particularly close to man especially when man is suffering, when he is under threat at the very heart of his existence and dignity” The appeal to a faithful observance of the law must not prevent attention from being given to matters that touch upon the dignity of the person.”
Finance / Stewardship Collection : The plate last weekend was $7,888. Readings This Sunday Reading I Act of the Apostles 5:12-16 Reading II Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13,17-19 Gospel: John 20:19-31
Readings For Next Sunday Reading I Act of the Apostles 5:27-32, 40bReading II Revelation 5: 11-14 Gospel: John 21:1-19 Holy Mass Intentions Saturday 27 4:00 pm SJ Mike Francesconi �
Sunday 28 7:30 am SJ Nancy Jones � 9:00 am SH Douglas Williams �
10:30 am SB Mary Walsh � 12:15 pm SH For the healing and support of victims of clergy sexual abuse (Sp) 4:30 pm SH For the People � Monday 29 12:15 pm SB Evan Beck Int. Tuesday 30 7:30 am SJ Helen Gierek Scuri11:30 am SJH Frank Aguilar � Wednesday 01 12:15 pm SB Fr. Bernard D’Sa Int.6:00 pm SH Adoration & Confession7:00 pm SH Sheila & David BlissThursday 02 7:30 am SJ Arcelia Martinez � 11:30 am SJH Norbert & Azalea DoyleFriday 03 12:15 pm SB Fr. Eric Freed � 5:30 pm SB First Friday Devotion MassSaturday 04 8:30 am SH Joseph George Maschetto 4:00 pm SJ Mary Gierek HoffmanSunday 05 7:30 am SJ Nancy Jones � 9:00 am SH Martha Button � 10:30 am SB Douglas Williams �
12:15 pm SH For the People (Sp)4:30 pm SH For the conversion & just punishment for the perpetrators & concealers of clergy sexual abuse.
April 5th, is First Friday Reparations , 5:30 pm, 1) Rosary) 2) Confession, 3) Mass, and 4) Holy Hour - All welcome! Please pray for : Mary Lou Rogers, John
Denise Sledge, Frank Aguiler, James Iron Shell,
& Jerry Zwiefelhofer,Maria Victoria Aguilar,
Lemon, Wm. Hahn Family, Armado De Los Santos,
Melissa Brandes, Jim Barry, Cathy Finney Anderson,
Cheyanne, Kaci Taylor, Kristin, Filipina Aguilar
Cecilia Simi, Phil Buihner, Judy Mill, Julia Walters,
Susan B., Connie Mather, Martina Traylor, Yvette
Logan, Chet Williams, Gary Cormier, Mervyn Dody, Bill
Bergesen, Steve Mill, Ryan Pepper, Fred Pepper
Shabata & Family.
Sunday 32, 40b-41
� Sunday 28
�
For the healing and support of
Helen Gierek Scuri �
Int. Adoration & Confession Sheila & David Bliss � (Sp)
Logan, Chet Williams, Gary Cormier, Mervyn Dody, Bill
Fred Pepper, Paul
Women's Day of ReflectionDiocesan Council of CatholicReflection presented by the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa atSebastian's Church in Sebastopol.attend! Early registration at 8:30at 2:00 pm. Continental breakfast and beverages provided. Bring a bag lunch. Our theme is "Our Ladies Guide to True Femininity" based on the virtues of Our Lady.charge, although a freewill offering is requested.please contact Cindy at 707 5923354. You can also email: Hope to see you then!
St. Bernard’s High School Alumni Association
Dinner Honoring Alumni:
1965, Friends of St. Bernard’s:
Auditorium, Saturday, May 4, 2019. No Host Social
tip Dinner 7:00. Adults $35, Children under 17
Julie Green-Winburn 707-725
Alumni, PO Box 8181, Eureka, CA 95502. All proceeds fund
scholarships for students attending St. Bernard’s High School.
Act of the Apostles Scripture Study
A recorded lecture series on the Gospel of Luke will
begin on May 12th. We will meet on the second, third
and fourth Sundays of May and June, from 11:45 to
12:45. Lecture at St. Bernard.
Deacon Frank Weber St Bernard Pancake BreakfastPrepared by the Knights of May 5th in St Bernard Parish12. Menu is pancakes, ham, sausage, scrambled eggs and all the usual wonderful trimmings! $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12. The proceeds go to the St. Bernard’s Building Maintenance Fund. Holy Land Pilgrimage 2020:Fifth Gospel, the Holy Land.former pastor is leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from San April 30th in 2020. Flyers should be available in the church this weekend. The costand if you want a singlemore. Reservations are now being taken. If you have questions call Fr Tom at his pariElizabeth Ann Seton 707 585and dinners are provided in the cost.Fr. Tom
Rest in Peace—Please pray for the
recently deceased and her family
members: Judy Giacomini
Women's Day of Reflection: On May 4th, the Santa Rosa Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will host a Day of Reflection presented by the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa at St.
Sebastopol. All women are invited to Early registration at 8:30 am. Mass at 9:00 am. Ends
Continental breakfast and beverages provided. Our theme is "Our Ladies Guide to
" based on the virtues of Our Lady. No charge, although a freewill offering is requested. To rsvp, please contact Cindy at 707 592-9833 or Gloria at 707 763-
St. Bernard’s High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame
Alumni: Maria Matteoli – 1994, Tim Allen -
of St. Bernard’s: Alice Thrap. SBHS
, May 4, 2019. No Host Social 6:00, Tri-
tip Dinner 7:00. Adults $35, Children under 17, $20. RSVP to
725-3254. Mail checks to SB
Alumni, PO Box 8181, Eureka, CA 95502. All proceeds fund
scholarships for students attending St. Bernard’s High School.
the Apostles Scripture Study
A recorded lecture series on the Gospel of Luke will
We will meet on the second, third
and fourth Sundays of May and June, from 11:45 to
Lecture at St. Bernard. All are welcome. ~
St Bernard Pancake Breakfast Prepared by the Knights of Columbus will be held
Parish Hall. Time 8:30 am till Menu is pancakes, ham,
scrambled eggs and all the usual wonderful trimmings! Cost
for children under 12. The proceeds go to the St. Bernard’s Building Maintenance Fund.
Holy Land Pilgrimage 2020: Come and see the Fifth Gospel, the Holy Land. Fr Tom, your former pastor is leading a pilgrimage to the
Francisco: April 14th to April 30th in 2020. Flyers should be available in the church this weekend. The cost is $4,495.00 and if you want a single room add $998 dollars
Reservations are now being taken. If you have questions call Fr Tom at his pari sh of St Elizabeth Ann Seton 707 585 -3708. Breakfasts and dinners are provided in the cost.
