Bulletin
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FACE MASKS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED BUT ENCOURAGED
Immaculate Conception
3263 1st Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95817
OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Friday, 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm Telephone (916) 452-6866 Fax (916) 452-3879
Email info@immaculateconceptionsacramento.org
PARISH STAFF
Fr. Luis Urrego-ch Pastor Jerry Pauly Deacon
Elia Maciel Bi-lingual Secretary Carmen Ruiz Bookkeeper
Celia Munoz Maintenance Raul Munoz Volunteer Maintenance
Josefina Gonzalez Dir. of Religious Education
MASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday to Friday: 9:00am – Bilingual
1ST Friday: 7:00pm – Spanish
Saturday: 5:00pm – English
Sunday: 7:00am – Spanish
9:00am – English
10:30am – Spanish
3rd Sunday: 12 noon – Spanish Charismatic mass
NIGERIAN MASS
2nd Sunday 2:00pm – Nigerian Mass
Fr. Aban Uba Chaplain
Sylvester Okonkwo President (916) 213-3021
Copy or follow the Link for parishes throughout the Diocese that are live streaming Masses.
https://www.scd.org/coronavirus/livestream-mass
MONTHLY SECOND COLLECTIONS
Bullding Fund – 1st Sunday of month
Festival Funds or Diocesan Collection – 2 and 4th Sunday of month
Religious Education – 3d Sunday of month
FOR CONFESSIONS
Father Luis attends confessions after the 9:00 am Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please inform Fr. Luis before the Mass that you want to have confession. And Saturdays from 4pm to 4:45pm
TODAY’S READINGS
First Reading — Paul and Barnabas continue their travels, spreading the faith and unifying the churches
(Acts 14:21-27).
Psalm — I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God (Psalm 145).
Second Reading — John’s vision of God dwelling with the human race (Revelation 21:1-5a).
Gospel — As Jesus has loved us, so we must love one another (John 13:31-33a, 34-35).
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.
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 15:7-21; Ps 96:1-3, 10; Jn 15:9-11
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 15:1-2, 22-29; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Rv 21:10-14, 22-23; Jn 14:23-29First Reading
Reflection on the Readings
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Loyola Press - Sunday Connection
Acts of the Apostles 14:21-27
Paul and Barnabas proclaim the good news in many places.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145:8-9,10-11,12-13
A song of praise to God.
Second Reading
Revelation 21:1-5a
John describes his vision of a new heaven and a new earth.
Gospel Reading
John 13:31-33a,34-35
Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: love one another.
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today's Gospel again comes from the Gospel of John. Like last week, today we hear words spoken by Jesus before his death and Resurrection. Jesus is teaching at the Last Supper.
John's Gospel does not include an institution of the Eucharist narrative; instead, Jesus washes his disciples' feet. Immediately after, Jesus predicts his betrayal by Judas. Today's Gospel follows that prediction. It can be read as a continuing explanation of Jesus' act of washing his disciples' feet. It begins with the announcement that this is the moment when the Son of Man will be glorified. This theme continues throughout John's Passion. Jesus will be glorified in his death on the cross and in his Resurrection, and the disciples will glorify Jesus in the love they show.
John's Gospel does not present a sentimental view of love. This is a type of love that is shown in service and sacrifice. It is difficult to choose to love when faced with hatred and anger. Jesus tells the disciples that all will know that they are his disciples because of the love they show for one another. This description of the early Christian community will be repeated in the Acts of the Apostles: “See how they love one another.” Christian love is the hallmark of Christianity. We see it lived in the witness of the martyrs. We see it in the example of the lives of the saints. We see it in the holy women and men who live and love daily, making small and large sacrifices for others.
Fifth Sunday of Easter – NO STUNT MAN FOR JESUS
Today’s first and second readings seem to contradict each other. In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas remind the other disciples that they would “undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). But in the second reading from Revelation, John says there will be “no more . . . mourning, wailing or pain” (Revelation 21:4). These two sides of the Kingdom show how real our faith is. Life is frequently contradictory. A woman in labor moves from pain to joy in seconds after her child is born. She doesn’t forget the pain, but knows it is necessary for the joy of new birth. Only the artist knows how much effort and pain went into the creation of a painting, sculpture, or symphony. Married couples know that their love is measured as much by the sacrifices they make as by the joy they receive.
This also explains how difficult it is for the wealthy to get into the kingdom of God. If everything comes easily to you, if you never have to work for anything, you may not be capable of the sacrifices that true love entails. Some may have had life so easy, they don’t know how to make the effort it takes to love God or people. And some who worked hard to acquire wealth don’t understand the deeper joy that comes from sharing with others.
That’s why Jesus in the Gospel talks of his coming death on the cross as the way that God will glorify him. Even God does not do things the easy way. Jesus didn’t send a stunt man to take his place on the cross. The cushy jobs went to the angels who announced the birth of the Savior (Luke 1:26–32), or told the women at the tomb that he was risen (Luke 24:4–7). It was God who was born in poverty, in a time of high infant mortality (even higher when Herod tried to kill the Child). It was God who suffered, from the Agony in the Garden through the Crucifixion.
So when Jesus tells us to love one another as he has loved us, he knows what it cost. And he also knew that his death on the cross would be the beginning of a way of love that will eventually lead to “no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.” We’re not there yet, but we know we are not alone in our suffering for “God himself will always be with them” (Revelation 21:3).
Tom Schmidt, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.