Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 6th, 2008 - Bulletin
	I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
	— Psalm 145

	THEME OF OUR LITURGY - Like a tonal center in music, the note to which we keep returning in today’s readings is humility. First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10 Rejoice heartily, O Jerusalem! For see, your savior comes. Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11-13 The one who raised Christ from death will give life to your mortal bodies. Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 Come, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. “Let all Your works give You thanks, Oh Lord, and let Your faithful ones bless You,” says the psalmist. Stewardship is this “attitude of gratitude” for the many gifts God has given us. “Stewardship by the Book” by Sharon Huekel MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Sunday, July 6 8:00 AM Lupe Mendoza (D) 10:00 AM Agle Ham-Ruiz (L) Noon People of the Parish Monday, July 7 8:00 AM Apolonia Manzano (D) Tuesday, July 8 8:00 AM Julieta Cunanan (L) Wednesday, July 9 8:00 AM Christopher Myhra (D) Thursday, July 10 8:00 AM Christina Carnero (L) Friday, July 11 8:00 AM Priest’s Intention Saturday, July 12 8:00 AM Increased Vocations 5:00 PM People of the Parish Our Second Collection this Sunday is for our Special Projects Fund. Our Second Collection next week is for our Parish Improvement Fund. Thank you for your generous support! Please keep all those who are sick in our parish family in your prayers, especially: Matilde Agasid, Kayla Arangcon, Wallace Cain, Jack Devine , Dawn Hassinger, Fran Hinklin, Steve Medina, and Rita Williams. Our prayers are with them, and those who care for them. Statement on Marriage and the Decision of the California State Supreme Court In a recent decision the Supreme Court of the State of California ruled unconstitutional an initiative passed by California voters eight years ago, defining marriage as “between one man and one woman.” In its opinion, the Court majority declared same-sex marriage legal in this state. I wish to state the belief and practice of the Catholic Church about marriage, to support the nature of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and to guide Catholics in their response to this present issue and the media coverage given to it. The Catholic Church teaches that God created the world and that marriage has a unique place in God’s creation and his gift of human life. Our Savior Jesus Christ expresses this belief in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (19:5-6) The purposes of marriage, then, are the mutual loving support of husband and wife, and their service of human life by bringing children into the world and raising them with cherishing love and true wisdom. This meaning of marriage is rooted in history and culture, and it has preceded the existence of any nation or state. Marriage is not a design of two persons, with no relationship to family and society. Society and civil authority are obliged to protect and support marriage and family life, not to revise, redesign, or alter them. Furthermore, it is not necessary to reinvent the institution of marriage in order to enable citizens to own property jointly, to designate a beneficiary, or to choose someone to make health decisions when one cannot do so oneself. Nothing in the teaching of the Church about marriage is meant to be discriminatory toward any person or persons. The Church teaches that every person is a child of God and must be treated with respect and dignity. Again and again the Catholic Church has stated that persons with a homosexual orientation must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity, and that all forms of violence, scorn, and hatred against women and men who are homosexual must be condemned. We believe that every person, regardless of sexual inclination, is called to holiness and should be encouraged to take an active role in the faith community and live according to its teachings. In conclusion, I respectfully point out to those who govern us that the overwhelming majority of our sisters and brothers in the human family around the world define marriage as a union between one man and one woman and they value this meaning of marriage as part of the common moral heritage of humanity. More profoundly, for us as Catholic Christians, marriage between one man and one woman is the gift of a wise and loving Creator. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverent George Niederauer Archbishop of San Francisco June 27, 2008 A NOTE FROM OUR SEMINIARIAN Dear Friends, I wish to extend my appreciation to Father Brian and Father Padazinski for the opportunity to spend time this summer at Mater Dolorosa, and to thank all who are so welcoming as I begin my stay. I look forward to making many new friends in the parish community and sharing worship together. Menlo Park is my long-time home; I have just completed four years at the seminary and will begin my pastoral year in the fall at St. Cecilia Church in San Francisco. Seminary studies comprise seven years of pre-theology, theology and pastoral work, and I am one among 17 seminarians working towards ordination for San Francisco. Each of us is given a different summer assignment, with some as far away as Omaha at present. This past summer, I studied language in Puebla, Mexico, with a group of seminarians from around the nation. I attended St. Francis in Mountain View, and later completed degrees at SJSU and USF, and have a varied background, including insurance, teaching, criminal justice and department supervision in a hospital. Jerry Murphy