Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
204 S. Calle El Segundo
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-325-5809
Our Parish Mission Statement
We, the people of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, are a diverse community devoted to Jesus the Christ. Our mission together is to give thanks and praise to God, spread the Gospel and teach the Bible message of God’s love for all creation.
February 16, 2025
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
16 de febrero de 2025
Sexto Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Alégrense ese día y salten de gozo,
porque su recompensa será grande en el cielo.
Reflection on Sunday Readings by Fr. Luis and Fr. Rajesh
Reflexión sobre las lecturas dominicales del P. Luis y P. Rajesh
SEXTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO 2025
Queridos hermanos y hermanas, las lecturas de este domingo nos presentan cuatro ideas importantes:
1. Confiar más en Dios que en los seres humanos.
2. Reconocer que la recompensa por nuestra fe es la vida eterna que se nos ha dado a través de Jesús.
3. Las bienaventuranzas como bendiciones que nos conducen a heredar el reino de Dios.
4. Los «ayes» como advertencias de extrema precaución para aquellos que están satisfechos en este mundo, pero lejos del reino de Dios.
Permíteme preguntarte tu opinión antes de continuar.
¿Crees que es fácil hablar de las bienaventuranzas cuando el objetivo de mucha gente es ser rico y feliz en una sociedad en la que nunca tenemos suficiente dinero para satisfacer nuestros deseos, porque la gente equipara el valor de la persona con cuánto acumulas? ¿Te resulta fácil confiar siempre en la providencia de Dios? ¿Crees que algún día resucitarás de entre los muertos? ¿Sigues las bienaventuranzas en tu vida? ¿Crees que son fáciles de seguir? ¿Crees que esta sociedad está a favor o en contra de las bienaventuranzas?
Queridos hermanos y hermanas, desde la primera lectura tomada del profeta Jeremías se nos invita a mantener nuestra confianza en Dios, especialmente en aquellos momentos en los que no es fácil confiar. El profeta Jeremías dice que quien confía en Dios siempre es bendecido, pero que quien confía más en los seres humanos que en Dios es maldecido. Sería bueno preguntarnos hoy si confiamos o no en Dios en nuestra vida cotidiana.
El apóstol Pablo quiere dejar claro a los corintios que nuestra fe se basa en la resurrección de Jesucristo. Para Pablo, este es un hecho incuestionable y fundamental en el que se basa nuestra fe. Por lo tanto, puesto que Cristo ha resucitado de entre los muertos, todos los que creemos en Él heredaremos la resurrección y la vida eterna. Con este argumento, Pablo quiere deslegitimar o invalidar a los que predicaban contra la resurrección de Jesús y la de sus seguidores y discípulos.
En el Evangelio según san Lucas, Jesús nos enseñó a ser santos siguiendo las bienaventuranzas. Jesús declare bienaventurados a «los pobres, los hambrientos, los que lloran, los odiados, los excluidos, los insultados y los denunciados por causa del Hijo del Hombre». Según la Palabra de Jesús, estas personas van a heredar el Reino de Dios, por lo que podemos estar seguros de que si pertenecemos a una de estas categorías, estaremos con Cristo en la Vida Eterna.
El papa Francisco nos dijo hace unos años en su tercera exhortación apostólica “Gaudete et exultate”, «Sobre la llamada a la santidad en el mundo actual», que si queremos ser santos lo único que debemos hacer es vivir según las bienaventuranzas. Para el papa Francisco y para nosotros, las bienaventuranzas son los caminos hacia la santidad. Estoy seguro, hermanos y hermanas, de que muchos de ustedes ya están en el camino de la santidad porque tratan de hacer la Voluntad de Dios en sus vidas y viven según las bienaventuranzas.
Permítame hacerle unas preguntas más: ¿Crees que es fácil vivir el espíritu de las bienaventuranzas en esta sociedad en la que el primer deseo de muchas personas no es vivir dentro de sus posibilidades, sino esforzarse por acumular riquezas para comprar felicidad a todas horas y tener las mesas rebosantes de comida y bebida, para no experimentar la posibilidad de pasar hambre? ¿Desear ser aceptado por todos en la sociedad en lugar de arriesgarse a ser odiado por el prójimo o el compañero de trabajo por la causa de la justicia? ¿Clamar venganza en lugar de trabajar por la paz? ¿Ser «tolerantes» en vez de perseguidos por nuestros valores católicos a favor de la vida? ¿Ser falsos profetas acomodados a los valores de este mundo en lugar de verdaderos profetas
que no temen las consecuencias de la Verdad proclamada por Jesús Nuestro Señor?
Por otra parte, hoy Jesús «dice» «ay» a algunas personas. Estas «ayes» son lo contrario a las bienaventuranzas. Son maldiciones para los ricos y bien alimentados, para los que ríen con alegría y satisfacción alabados por la gente porque han recibido su recompensa aquí en la tierra sin preocuparse por hacer el bien a sus hermanos necesitados.
Hermanos y hermanas, creo que nuestra sociedad nos propone no seguir las bienaventuranzas, sino los «ayes» que Jesús quiere que dejemos de lado. Sería muy interesante examinar nuestras vidas para descubrir qué camino estamos siguiendo en nuestro día a día. ¿Confiamos más en Dios y en Su Camino a la Vida Eterna o solo seguimos la propuesta de esta sociedad, que satisface nuestros propios deseos en este mundo, pero no trasciende a la Vida Eterna? Pidamos hoy a Dios que nos conceda la gracia de vivir como un pueblo santo, en nuestro paso temporal por esta vida hacia el cielo. Amén.
P. Luis Segura M.S.C.
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SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 2025
Dear brothers and sisters, this Sunday is about four things:
1) Trusting in God more than in human beings
2 Recognizing that the reward for our faith is Eternal Life given to us through Jesus
3. The beatitudes as a way to be blessed and inherit the kingdom of God
4. Woes or difficulties as warnings of extreme caution to those who are satisfied in this world, and far away from the kingdom of God
Before we continue, let me ask your opinion.
Do you think that it is easy to talk about the beatitudes when the goal of many people is to be rich and happy in a society where we never have enough money to satisfy our desires, because people equate value with how much you accumulate? Is it easy for you to always trust in God’s providence? Do you think that you are going to resurrect from the dead one day? Are you following the beatitudes in your life? Do you think that they are easy to follow? Do you think this society is in favor of, or against, the beatitudes?
Dear brothers and sisters, from the first reading taken from the prophet Jeremiah, we are invited to keep our trust in God, especially in those moments when it is not easy to trust. The Prophet Jeremiah says that the one who trusts in God is always blessed, but the one who trusts more in human beings than in God is cursed. It will be beneficial to ask ourselves today whether or not we trust God in our daily lives.
The Apostle Paul wants to make clear to the Corinthians that our faith is based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Paul this is an unquestionable or non-negotiable fact on which our faith is based. Therefore, since Christ has been raised from the dead, all of us who believe in Him are going to inherit the Resurrection and Eternal Life. With his argument, Paul wants to delegitimize or invalidate those who were preaching against the Resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of His followers and disciples from the dead.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus taught us a way to be holy by following the beatitudes in our lives. Jesus declared blessed: the “poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the excluded, the insulted, the denounced, on account of the Son of Man.” According to the Word of Jesus, these people are going to inherit the Kingdom of God, so we can be sure that if we are in one of these categories, we are going to be with Christ in Eternal Life.
Pope Francis told us a few years ago in his third apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et exultate,” “On the call to holiness in today’s world,” that if we want to be holy the only thing that we must do is live according to the beatitudes. For Pope Francis, and us, the beatitudes are the ways to sanctity. I am sure my brothers and sisters, that many of you are already on the path of sanctity because you are trying to do the Will of God in your life, and you are now living according to the beatitudes.
Let me ask you a long question. Do you think that it is easy to live in that spirit in this society where the first desire of many people is not to live within their means, but to strive to accumulate wealth in order to buy happiness all the time and to have tables overflowing with food and drinks, so as not to experience any possibility of hunger? Desiring to be accepted by all in society, instead of risking hatred by your neighbor or co-worker for the cause of justice? To clamor for vengeance instead of working for peace? To be “tolerant” instead of persecuted because of our Catholic values in favor of life? To be false prophets accommodating to this world’s values instead of true prophets who are not afraid of the consequences of the Truth proclaimed by Jesus Our Lord?
On the other hand, today Jesus says “woe” to some people. These “woes” are the contrary of the beatitudes. They are curses instead of blessings, for those who are rich and well fed, for those who laugh in joy and satisfaction praised by people because they have received their reward here on earth.
Brothers and sisters, I think that our society proposes to us not to follow the beatitudes, but the “woes” that Jesus wants us not to follow. It would be revealing to examine our lives, to discover which way we are following in our daily lives. Are we trusting more in God and in His Way to Eternal Life or are we just following the proposal of this society, which is for satisfaction of our own desires in this world, but doesn’t transcend to Eternal Life? Let us ask today for God to give us the grace to live this life as a holy people, as we pass through this life on earth on our way to heaven. Amen
Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.
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We continue to pray for Fr. Raj, who is in India to celebrate the Mass of Resurrection for his mother who recently died.
Deacon John's Homily: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
My friends, our gospel today is about the Beatitudes by the Evangelist Luke. It is known as the Sermon on the Plain. Our gospel tells is that, “Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground.”
On the other hand, Matthew’s Beatitudes is known as the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew’s account has 8 Beatitudes or blessings. (Blessed are…)
Luke’s account has 4 Beatitudes or blessings. (Blessed are you…) But Luke also has 4 corresponding warnings. (Woe to you…)
One thing for sure is that every Beatitude in both Luke’s and Matthew’s version is a challenge given the mindset or standard of the ‘world.’ Blessed are the Poor ??
It’s important to know who would be reading the Gospel of each Evangelist:
Scripture Scholars believe that Matthew’s gospel was written mostly for Jews who were knowledgeable in Jewish Law. They were exiles living in Antioch, Syria because the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Empire. In Matthew’s gospel, we hear Jesus say, “I did not come to destroy the Law. I came to fulfill the Law.”
On the other hand, Luke’s gospel was primarily written to and for Gentiles. In Luke’s gospel, we see and hear Jesus say that everyone is welcome in the Kingdom of God. This included Gentiles, sinners, lepers, foreigners and those who were considered outcasts.
In our gospel today, Jesus takes the world’s accepted standards and turn them upside down.
The people whom Jesus called happy – the world would call sad and insignificant. And, the people Jesus called sad and insignificant – the world would call happy. Can you imagine anyone saying, "Happy are the poor !" Talk like that is the opposite of the “world's” values altogether.
Success according to the world’s values means money, possessions and power. “Not so” according to Jesus.
Luke explains this in Chapter 6: Verse 24 in today’s gospel: "Woe to you who are rich for you have already received your consolation.”
If you set your heart and spend all your energies to obtain the things which the world considers valuable, you will get them – and that’s all you will ever get."
But, on the other hand if you set your heart and spend all your energies to be utterly loyal to God and true to Christ, you will run into all kinds of trouble, you may by the world's standards look unhappy, but much of your payment is still to come – and it will be eternal joy.
My friends, the Gospels were written over 2,000 years ago but the message of Jesus the Christ has not changed and begs the question: Do I care more about money, possessions and power ? Or do I care more about people, whom Jesus calls my neighbor, my brother, my sister ?
JUBILEE 2025
Pope Francis launches Jubilee 2025 with opening of Holy Door
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En Nochebuena el Papa Francisco abre la Puerta Santa e inicia el Jubileo 2025
Our parish is staffed by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.)