FEBRUARY 13, 2022 TWENTY-ONE COUPLES CELEBRATE THE CONVALIDATION OF THEIR MARRIAGES IN A CEREMONY AT GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ALEXANDRIA, VA., JUNE 24, 2017. PHOTO: TYLER ORSBURN / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE FAITH AND MARRIAGE VALENTINE’S DAY COINCIDES WITH WORLD MARRIAGE DAY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT SACRAMENT PAGE 6 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM OURAROUNDDIOCESE PAGE 10
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In celebrating marriage, we look at some of the couples exemplifying wedded love. POPE: WITH GOD, NAVIGATE LIFE WITH TRUST, OPTIMISM Pope Francis addressed his audience and exhorted them to allow God in their lives. PLUS Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey
In today’s world, most couples begin a re lationship and see where it will go. Once they reach a certain milestone, they will consider marriage. When we, as Catholics, commit to marriage, our love and commitment rise to a new level. When we agree to marry our future husband or wife, we also agree to bring GOD into our lifelong commitment to each other, because we enter into a covenant with GOD. A covenant is a relationship of commitment with GOD and HIS people.
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4 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 13, 2022 CONTINUES ON PAGE 12 GUEST COLUMN
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The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints. We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have con structive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.
CELEBRATING WORLD MARRIAGE DAY
DEACON TONY MERCADO, ST. MARY’S CHURCH, FULLERTON. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE ceremony. Most couples will choose scripture from 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8a, be cause of the beautiful words, “Love is patient, love is kind… It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” These are beautiful words. They are powerful words. They really help us to understand that love as a universal under standing does not describe an emotion. Love is an action. Love, as an emotional descrip tion is simple, too simple. We can love people, pets, food, etc., if we talk about how those things make us feel. But if we truly want to discuss love, especially for a husband or wife, we must talk about action as in the scripture I just mentioned. Bearing, believing, hoping and enduring are ways that we act or react to our husband or wife.
BY DEACON TONY MERCADO ST. MARY’S CHURCH, FULLERTON
As couples prepare for marriage, they choose scripture that will be used during their
Most young couples thinking about
ORLD MARRIAGE DAY is cel ebrated every second Sunday in February, coinciding with Valentine’s Day.
WEDNESDAY
SUNDAY
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
THIRDVALENTINECENTURY
OW FEB. 14 CAME TO BE celebrated as the feast for lovers is somewhat a mystery. What little is known of the feast’s namesake can be attributed to the lives of two martyrs: one a priest, the other a bishop. Their lives have no connection to the contemporary holiday. The priest Valentine reportedly was be headed in 269 by Emperor Claudius II. The bishop, known for healing, was martyred earlier. It’s prob able that a medieval custom of sending messages of love on this day somehow merged later with the feast. C
SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 5 DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
JAS 2:14-24, 26; PS MK112:1-6;8:34— 9:1
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PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
JAS 1:19-27; PS 15:2-4AB, 5; MK 8:22-26
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JAS 1:1-11; 75-76;119:67-68,PS71-72,MK8:11-13
JAS 1:12-18; PS 94:12-13A; 14-15, 18-19; MK 8:14-21
MONDAY
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— Pope Francis
ONGRATULATIONS! WELCOME to the King dom! Rejoice and leap for joy! Sounds a little like Easter, doesn’t it? Well, in a very real way, it is. This Sunday, the scriptures remind us that we are blessed and beloved, especially when we have difficulties and don’t feel especially blessed. Jesus reminds us that God blesses us in our trials, so we should trust in the saving power of God. We are “raised from the dead,” as it were, each time we arise from our hardships. The ultimate proof of all of this is our new life in Christ, who died so that we could be free of sin, and was raised from the dead so that we might all have new life. Wouldn’t that be something? A new life, in which poverty is riches and sadness is trans formed into lightness of spirit? It’s a topsy-turvy world, isn’t it? Do you feel blessed today?
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
JAS 2:1-9; PS MK34:2-7;8:27-33
JAS 3:1-10; PS 12:2-3, 4-5, 7-8; MK 9:2-13
1 SM 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; PS 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 COR 15:45-49; LK 6:27-38
FEELING BLESSED
SAINT PROFILE diseasegreatestTheinlifeisthelackoflove…”
FRIDAY
NE MIGHT THINK that something as consequential to humankind as the inception for the Creator’s earthly em bodiment and mission of salvation, might take place in a more auspicious place than at a common wedding in a backwa ter hamlet on the outskirts of Galilee. Far from the magnificent temple in Jeru salem, and the corresponding crowds, wouldn’t it have been more effective to pick a grand stage to get the word out that something big was starting?
FAITH AND MARRIAGE
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According to Armando Cervantes, Director of Youth, Young Adult, and Hispanic Ministries for the Diocese of Orange, many parishes also have special blessings for married couples or a spe cial Mass. The week is also an excellent time to learn about the many support ministries for married and engaged cou ples provided by the Diocese.
The Diocese of Orange has celebrated
But our God is full of surprises. The wedding feast at Cana has more layers of meaning than Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but essentially, it exalted marriage as the second of what would become seven sacraments. Marriage is the foundation of the Christian family, and good marriages are the bedrock of a moralJesus’society.ministry used the optics of a marriage to begin his work. Like a mar ried couple, Jesus gave His whole self to establishing the New Covenant and His Church, the bride of Christ.
February 7-14 as National Marriage Week. The theme is: “Called to the Joy of Love.” Each Diocese has its schedule of events. There is even a Facebook
Worldwide Marriage week for 16 years. The celebration’s highlight is a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Vann. It is al ways well attended. This year the tri-lin gual Mass was held at Christ Cathedral at on Feb.7. Engaged and newly married couples were particularly encouraged to participate as Bishop Vann used the occasion to highlight long-married cou ples who share their joys and struggles. Prayers were also offered for both mar ried and recently engaged couples.
The first step for couples seeking to marry in the Church is attending a mar riage preparation course at the parish level. The system not only addresses the significance of the marriage commit ment, but it also helps couples make decisions about important topics such as finances and domestic expectations.
Worldwidehome.Marriage Encounter is a weekend for married couples who value their relationship and desire a richer, fuller life together. Couples from all over the world have experienced the beauty and the gift of the weekend. The
This year the U.S. Catholic Confer ence of Bishops (USCCB) has dedicated
page called For Your Marriage, a sep arate Catholic nonprofit dedicated to strengthening marriages.
BY MEG WATERS
SAINT VALENTINE BAPTIZING SAINT LUCILLA OF ROME BY JACOPO BASSANO, C. 1575 PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA
Several years ago, the Vatican initi ated World Marriage Day to call special attention to the importance of marriage. It is like the wedding anniversary for the sacrament of marriage – a time when we celebrate and look for ways to strength en the bonds of married Catholics around the world.
VALENTINE’S DAY COINCIDES WITH WORLD MARRIAGE DAY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT SACRAMENT
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The Marriage Course by ALPHA is for couples seeking practical support to strengthen their relationship, keep the spark alive and stay connected. The next 7-part series started on Feb. 10, 2022, and meets weekly on Thursday evenings from 7–9 p.m. (ends March 24). It will be conducted online via Zoom so participants can join from the comfort of
They write that every long-married couple is a revolutionary like St. Valen tine:“A
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
S
las note, St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata used to urge her listeners that “Love, to be real, it must cost – it must hurt – it must empty us of self.”
its for a Healthy Marriage: A Handbook for Catholic Couples,” [Ignatius Press, 2019], said there are two distinct views about marriage – the traditional Catho lic belief and the non-religious model.
Visit https: sourcessource/marriage-enrichment-re//www.rcbo.org/re
living witness to a beautiful truth. We don’t get to be longtime married without standing, again and again, against the cultural pressure to be unfaithful, to pursue our own self-interests and gratify our every Indeed,desire.”thePiro
In a recent pastoral letter, Pope Francis spoke directly to married couples and families. “…all hus bands and wives “set out” from their own land at the moment when, in response to the vocation to conjugal love, they decide to give themselves to each other without reserve. Becoming engaged already means setting out from your land, since it calls you to walk together along the road that leads to marriage. Differ ent situations in life, the passage of time, the arrival of children, work and illness, all challenge couples to embrace anew their commitment to one another, to leave behind settled habits, certainties and security, and to set out towards the land that God promises: to be two in Christ, two in one. Your lives become a single life; you become a “we” in loving communion with Jesus, alive and present at every moment of your existence. God is always at your side; he loves you unconditionally. You are not alone!”
Thus, the path to love as Christ loves, said Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, is for spouses to work every day to acknowledge one’s faults, receive and extend forgiveness, and cultivate virtue – consistently doing good, not only for oneself, but also for one’s spouse.
“The Catholic belief is that mar riage is a sacred and lifelong union of husband and wife with the common mission of deepening their own mutual love, growing in self-knowledge and in virtues to become more Christlike, raising children, and helping each other to attain eternal life,” wrote Dr. enjoyawhoance,WednesdayDayFitzgibbons.“Thenon-religiousmodelfocusesprimarilyonseekingone’sownhappinessthroughasatisfyingemotionalrelationship,whichisthefragilefoundationformarriageduetoanexcessiverelianceonone’sfeelings.”ThisyearValentine’sfallstwoweeksbeforeAsh–atraditionaldayofpenfastingandabstinence.Couplescelebratewithafancydinnerandrichdessert,amongotherthings,canabitofa“fling”beforeLent.PerhapsthisValentine’sDayisthe
/ to learn more about the Diocese of Orange’s marriage resources.
Anyone who has been married knows that it can be the couple’s greatest joy and deepest hurt. The Church and the Diocese want to create a culture where marriages can thrive. C
BY CATHI DOUGLAS
EVERY MARRIEDLONG-COUPLE IS A LIKEREVOLUTIONARYST.VALENTINE
perfect time to implement an idea from Marian Christiana, writing in 2019 on the Diocese of Knoxville’s website.
VALENTINES AND MARRIAGE
The letter is a gift that helps build intimacy based on shared memories and the feelings they create.
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 7 FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING
“Think of a particular instance in your marriage that causes you to feel grateful for your spouse whenever you think about it,” she recommended. “Share that memory with your spouse in a letter of gratitude. You can still have the romantic dinner or sneak away for a romantic getaway, but I guarantee you that the letter about that particular memory will enhance your intimacy even more.” C
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The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.
weekend dates for 2022 are Feb. 1820, May 20-22, June 24-26, Sept. 23-25, Nov. 11-13. Applications and additional information are available on the Diocese website or your local parish.Retrouvaille is designed for mar riages going through pain or stress. It is intended to be an opportunity for healing and growth in the mar riage. For more information, visit www.retrouvaille.org.
Fitzgibbons, director of the Institute for Marital Healing and author of “Hab
In “Marriage Enrichment: A Val entine’s Day Gift That Will Help Build Intimacy,” Christiana writes that her gift to her husband was to write him a love letter expressing gratitude for a past action.“Itmay seem like such a simple thing,” she said, “but his selfless act of love has stayed with me all these years. Memories like this one help to bring me back to the true joy in our marriage, es pecially on days that I need reminding.”
Thus, the patron saint of lovers with a holiday named for him was a martyr for marriage, as described by Francine and Byron Pirola in “St. Valentine and Revolutionary Marriage,” a 2018 story on their website, smartloving.org.
T. VALENTINE, REPUTEDLY a bishop under the Roman Em peror Claudius II, was a Chris tian revolutionary who died because he defied an unjust law that made weddings illegal.
WHAT IS A FAVORITE MOMENT OF YOURS FROM YOUR WEDDING DAY?
a long time of planning and preparing. Knowing that it was finally happening, and we were becoming one in the eyes of God.
— Ashley
ASHLEY AND DYLAN ISAACSEN ARE PICTURED ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, OCT. 23, 2001. COURTESY OF SHAY RYAN
OC
—Dylan
—Dylan
8 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 13, 2022 FEATURE
HIS SUNDAY FEB. 13, 2022, marks World Marriage Day. Traditionally observed on the second Sunday of February, the day honors a husband and wife as the core unit of the Christian family and their faithful commitment to the Sacrament of HolyThisMatrimony.year’sWorld Marriage Day theme is entitled, “Called to the Joy of Love.”
According to the United Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website, “The obser vances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 13) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family.”
Aside from the exchange of coins, rings and vows, my favorite part was be ing able to incorporate Filipino wedding traditions such as the veil which symbol izes us being clothed in love as one and the cord which symbolizes being bound together in unity.
The best marriage advice I received was to remember that our marriage will never be perfect. We are going to have challeng es thrown our way and the most import ant part will be how we approach and get through those challenges together.
A favorite moment of mine on our wedding day was seeing our family and friends come together to make our day extra special. The exchanging of our vows to make us husband and wife after
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n Ashley & Dylan Isaacsen | October 23, 2021 | San Francisco Solano, RSM, CA | Married 3 months
To honor the blessed union of hus bands and wives, the OC Catholic has invited three married couples within the Diocese of Orange to reflect on their wed ding day and the role their Catholic faith continues to play within their marriage.
My faith has always been very im portant to me. It meant so much to me when Dylan decided to become Catho lic because it meant that we could grow deeper in our faith and love together with the Lord as our guide. Him being a Catholic made our wedding feel like a true Holy Matrimony rather than just a simple wedding ceremony.
The best marriage advice I can give someone would have to be to follow your heart and follow God and learn to lean on those around you for help. With God and your heart leading your way, and the support of your loved ones around you. You will notice how different and easier life can be if you allow yourself to be guided instead of fighting everything around you.
DIOCESEMARRIAGESSOMEHIGHLIGHTSCATHOLICMILESTONEINTHEOFORANGE
— Ashley
—Dylan
WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH PLAY IN YOUR MARRIAGE?
COUPLES IN OUR COMMUNITY
T
BY PATRICIA MAHONEY
The Catholic faith plays a big role in our marriage and life. We are constant ly wanting to do better for ourselves and those around us. We have our ups and downs each and every day like any couple does but we both know that God and faith will get us where we need to be. He has a plan for us, and we look forward to his plan.
WHAT IS THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE YOU RECEIVED OR CAN GIVE?
— Ashley
The best marriage advice I would give anyone is to center your marriage around the Lord. Make Jesus the center of your marriage. It makes all the differ ence. Learn to forgive and never forget how much we are forgiven by God. C
WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH PLAY IN YOUR MARRIAGE?
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Everything. There is no way we would have made 50 plus years without putting Jesus at the center of our mar riage. There were storms that came in almost every way. We found that Jesus, the Church and sacraments carried us through. Despite the challenges, our love and faith grow stronger. We currently have a Bible study online, “The Bible and You” that enhances our faith and love for one another.
When conflict arises – and it must –don’t generalize, hold grudges or punish each other. Never say “you never” or “you always” and don’t accumulate grievances and unload on the other.
Our marriage has always been centered around our Catholic faith. We really became involved in volunteering at the parish level after we had children. We always felt it was important to share our faith with others and help others draw closer to Jesus Christ. We taught Religion classes, attended Bible studies and later started teaching Bible stud ies. Our circle of friends was centered around the Catholic Church. We attend ed conventions, read books and spent many hours discussing our faith with each other and sharing it with others.
We were delighted by some friends who recreated the bottle dance from Fid dler on the Roof – four men dancing with bottles on their head! And none of them fell. So fun!
WHAT IS A FAVORITE MOMENT OF YOURS FROM YOUR WEDDING DAY?
— Katie
Tim and I were fortunate to meet at Loyola Marymount University and both of us were very involved in campus min istry and prayer meetings. We received some excellent support as we got ready for marriage and understood our decision as part of God’s invitation and call in our lives. We also understood that remain ing in love for a lifetime would require the support of a faithful community and some supernatural grace. There are not just two of us in this project of marriage Christ is the center, the foundation of it.
— Mary Anne
| December 18, 1971 | Holy Family Church, Glendale, CA | Married 50 years
My favorite moment was seeing Steve standing at the altar waiting for me to enter. I was surprised that at the end of the day, the most precious moments were during the Mass. After all the wedding planning for the reception, it was the Mass that was the most meaningful.
Compromise and communication are essential – and of course, prayer together always helps.
DEACON STEVE AND MARY ANNE GRECO WALK DOWN THE AISLE FOLLOWING THEIR WEDDING CEREMONY ON DEC. 18, 1971. COURTESY OF DEACON STEVE GRECO
pear in her dress and walking down the aisle with her father. I felt tremendous amount of love for her and for the Lord Jesus for sending her to me.
WHAT IS THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED/OR CAN GIVE TO OTHERS?
WHAT ROLE DOES YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH PLAY IN YOUR MARRIAGE?
— Mary Anne
— Mary Anne
KATIE AND TIM DAWSON ON THEIR WEDDING DAY, APRIL 12, 1980. COURTESY OF KATIE AND TIM DAWSON
Deacon Steve Greco is a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Orange. He serves at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Irvine, is the founder of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry with his wife Mary Anne and hosts a weekly Catholic radio show.
n Deacon Steve & Mary Anne Greco
— Katie
WHAT IS A FAVORITE MOMENT FROM YOUR WEDDING DAY?
We have taught a course called “Mar riage in the Lord.” That says it all. To the extent that Jesus is the center and glue of the marriage is the extent that the mar riage will continue to grow in love and strength. Also, it is critical to learn how to forgive and to forget. Don’t hold on to the things that pull you apart.
n Katie & Tim Dawson | April 12, 1980 | St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Encino, CA | Married 41 years
— Katie
Most definitely having Mary Anne ap
— Steve
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 9 FEATURE
— Steve
Katie Dawson is the Director of Parish Evangelization and Faith Formation for the Diocese of Orange
WHAT IS THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE YOU RECEIVED OR CAN GIVE?
— Steve
THE TET CELEBRATION HELD ON FEB. 1 AT THE VIETNAMESE CATHOLIC CENTER INCLUDED A DRAGON DANCE PERFORMANCE. THE DRAGON SYMBOLIZES GOOD LUCK FOR THE NEW YEAR. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
BY STAFF
DIOCESAN NEWS
DIOCESE OF ORANGE CELEBRATES TET
The Most Rev. Thanh Thai Nguyen, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange, presided over two Masses and celebra tions marking the Lunar New Year and the traditional Vietnamese Tet holiday in February.Bishop Nguyen was at the Vietnam ese Catholic Center (1538 Century Blvd., Santa Ana) for the Mass at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 1. On Feb. 5 at 8:30 a.m., Bishop also presided over the Mass and provided a special New Year’s blessing at the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine on the Christ Cathedral campus.
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN PRESIDES OVER A SPECIAL MASS TO CELEBRATE TET ON FEB. 1 AT THE VIETNAMESE CATHOLIC CENTER IN SANTA ANA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
OURAROUNDDIOCESECONTINUESONPAGE11
10 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 13, 2022
A MASS AND CELEBRATION TO MARK LUNAR NEW YEAR WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, FEB. 5 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE.
Tet is an abbreviation for Tết Nguyên Đán, which means the first morning of the first day of the first period. The Or ange County celebrations are among the largest of their kind in the United States. Many varieties of flowers were displayed throughout the week. Firecrackers were also lit, an act that is believed to weigh off evilOnspirits.the first morning of Tet, adults
included: whole chickens, yogurt, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, frozen foods, milk, juices, meats, cheeses, diapers, hand sanitizers, PPE COVID supplies, masks and COVID
On Jan. 22, Fr. Al Baca, director for evangelization and faith formation for the Diocese of Orange, joined over 350 Catholics on the Walk for Life. Many came in groups from their parishes. St. Thomas More was present in big numbers with their pastor, Fr. Eugene Lee.The day begin with the celebration of Mass at St. Norbert in Orange. After Mass, a long procession of joyful Cath olics walked almost 3 miles to Holy
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“Next year, we will double the num bers,” said Fr. Baca. “We gave witness to Life and to Jesus with prayer and joy!”C
This was the second year that the Walk for Life, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, has marched in the Dio cese.“Last year, 25 people marched in the first Walk for Life, so this year’s number was amazing,” said Fr. Baca.
Various Right to Life/Family Ser vices were on hand to support the event, including Obria Medical Clinics, Mary’s Path, Horizon Pregnancy Clinic and Forty Days For Life. Special thanks to Jeff Rice of the Knights of Columbus for spearheading the event.
celebrate the New Year by presenting children with red envelopes that contain “lucky money,” or lì xì.
ST. POLYCARP HOSTS DRIVETHRU DISTRIBUTION EVENT
tests.The event was sponsored by St. Polycarp Catholic Church FSC, Friends of Families, United Across Borders Foundation and the Community Action Partnership-Orange County Food Bank.
The Tet festival is not only a New Year’s celebration; it is a celebration of the symbiotic relationship between all things and honors the peaceful relation ship between the Creator and humans. Families often display yellow Mai flower trees (mai vàng) and/or cherry blossoms (hoa đào). They will also showcase other flowers, such as yellow chrysanthemums or orchids, which signal spring and a new beginning.Atrayof fruits is also displayed as a symbol of prosperity. Plenty of foods were prepared on the Lunar New Year’s Eve for family and friends to enjoy for three days of the New Year.
FR. AL BACA JOINS FELLOW PARTICIPANTS FOR THE WALK FOR LIFE IN ORANGE. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE RIN
ST. POLYCARP CHURCH, STANTON. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
St. Polycarp Catholic Church hosted a drive-thru food distribution event in its parking lot on Saturday, Jan. 29 for families in Distributedneed.items
Family in Orange.
WALK FOR LIFE, ORANGE
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 11 DIOCESAN NEWS
marriage are blinded by their emotions as they prepare for the sacrament of marriage. They think that their love is the greatest, by comparison to any other couple they can think of. Those of us who have been married for some time, can think back to those days of simplicity. As I reflect on the last almost 20 years of my marriage, I can think of several instances in where I fell deeper and deeper in love with my wife. I ask you to reflect on your marriage and do the same. Look back to the times that there were new developments in your marriage or new challenges – a medi cal issue, a financial issue, an addition
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
to the family (childbirth), the loss of a loved one. These are all everyday occur rences, yet they are all opportunities to rely on GOD and our husband or wife to help us through these events.
OC CATHOLIC SEEKS FREELANCE WRITERS
Marriage is such a beautiful experi ence. Whether we experience the joys of marriage or the challenges of marriage, the beauty of our married lives is that ev ery day, we have the opportunity to love one another more than we did yesterday. Why? Because “Love never fails”.
Each and every act of love that we ex perience gives us the opportunity to fall deeper in love as a married couple. What better example do we have of love than GOD? Afterall, GOD is LOVE… C
12 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 13, 2022 GUEST COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 LOSE 15-30 LBS IN 30 DAYS! I work with Clergy and Huntingtonsuccessfully!ParishionersEasy&Safe.GilYurly714-206-0443BeachDownstairs1250sf3BR/2BA,Lrgbkyrdgar,Beach/Warner,714-317-8492 Merchandise Fitness-WeightLoss Rentals FurnishedApts LOSE 15-30 LBS IN 30 DAYS! I work with Clergy and Huntingtonsuccessfully!ParishionersEasy&Safe.GilYurly714-206-0443BeachDownstairs1250sf3BR/2BA,Lrgbkyrdgar,Beach/Warner,$1,950.CallDiane714-317-8492 Merchandise Fitness-WeightLoss Rentals FurnishedApts
and family ministry is an appropriate undertaking during this “Amoris Laeti tia Family DeclaredYear.”byPope
woman via three websites: ForYour Marriage.org, PorTuMatrimonio.org and fellowJ.LifeFramework“Calledcelebrate-national-marriage-week.andmediaescludeResourcesMarriageUniqueForAReason.org.availabletodiocesesinaflyerthatmaybeusedbyparishasabulletininsert,aswellassocialgraphicsfordownloadinEnglishSpanishatForYourMarriage.org/LastNovemberinapresentationontotheJoyofLove:APastoralforMarriageandFamilyMinistry,”ArchbishopSalvatoreCordileoneofSanFranciscotoldhisbishopsthatbolsteringmarriage
Launched in 2010, National Mar riage Week USA is part of an interna tional event aimed at mobilizing indi viduals, organizations and businesses in “a common purpose to strengthen mar riage in communities and influence the culture,” said the USCCB release. World Marriage Day was started in 1983 by Worldwide Marriage Encounter.
Addressing marriage and family life is vital in a time when families are un der increasing threats from “sweeping ideological currents that destroy and undermine our sexual identity as man and woman and God-given vocations as father and mother, son or daughter,” said the archbishop, chairman of the
‘CALLED TO JOY OF LOVE’ IS THEME OF NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK USA FEB. 7-14
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 13 CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD To report sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel please call: 1 (800) 364–3064 Healing and Hope After Abortion: 1 (800) 722–4356 New Hope Crisis Counseling Hot Line (24/7): 1 (714) NEW–HOPE or 1 (714) 639–4673
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Each day of National Marriage Week, digital content will be made available through USCCB’s social media chan nels: Twitter (@USCCB), asfaithfulcareandrosarychannelsavailablestressorsgriefmidstarevideosgram(www.facebook.com/usccb)FacebookandInsta(https://instagram.com/usccb).Dailycontentwillincludeaseriesoffeaturinghowvariousministriesfortifyingmarriedcouplesintheofchallengessuchasinfertility,forthelossofachild,andtheofdailylife.LivestreamedeventsalsowillbethroughUSCCBsocialmediaincludingtherecitationoftheformarriedandengagedcouplesaconversationonwhatitmeanstoforasickspouse.TheUSCCBoffersresourcestotheforthepromotionofmarriagealifelongunionofonemanandone
WASHINGTON (CNS) — “Called to the Joy of Love” is the theme of this year’s National Marriage Week USA Feb. 7-14. The week includes World Marriage Day, which this year is Feb. 13.
The annual observances “are an op portunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with sup porting and promoting marriage and the family,” said a Feb. 3 news release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.Thetheme for this year’s celebration of National Marriage Week mirrors the title of a national pastoral framework for marriage and family life ministry ap proved by the U.S. bishops in June 2021.
JULIO PRENDERGAST AND CHRISTINA MACDOUGALL ARE ALL SMILES AS THEY EXIT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN WADING RIVER, N.Y., FOLLOWING THEIR WEDDING MASS AUG. 20, 2021. THE THEME IN 2022 FOR NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK, CELEBRATED ANNUALLY FEB. 7-14, IS “CALLED TO THE JOY OF LOVE.” WORLD MARRIAGE DAY, OBSERVED ON THE SECOND SUNDAY OF FEBRUARY, IS FEB. 13 THIS YEAR. PHOTO: GREGORY A. SHEMITZ / CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
Francis in March 2021, the year concludes June 26 during the 10th Meeting of Families in Rome with the pope.
USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
The resources.thewebsiteNationalMarriageWeekUSA.orghasmoreinformationaboutweeklongobservanceandvarious
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POPE FRANCIS LEADS THE ANGELUS FROM THE WINDOW OF HIS STUDIO OVERLOOKING ST. PETER’S SQUARE AT THE VATICAN FEB. 7, 2022. IN HIS REMARKS, THE POPE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE NOT TO DESPAIR, BUT TO INVITE JESUS INTO THEIR LIVES. PHOTO: VATICAN MEDIA /CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
BY CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
14 OC CATHOLIC n FEBRUARY 13, 2022 CATHOLIC NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus wants people to invite him into their lives, no matter how poor, inadequate or shameful their lives are, Pope Francis said.
is enough for him, as long as we wel comeWithhim.”the Lord, people can “navigate the sea of life without fear, without giving in to disappointment when we catch nothing and without giving up,” he said.
Pope Francis said daily life can be compared to the daily work of fisherfolk in which, “every day the boat of our life leaves the shores of our home to sail out into the sea of daily activities; every day we try to ‘fish from the sea,’ to cultivate dreams, to pursue projects, to experience love in our relationships.”
Let us chase away pessimism and mistrust and put out to sea with Jesus! Our little empty boat, too, will witness a miraculous catch,” he added. C
WITH GOD, PEOPLE CAN NAVIGATE LIFE WITH TRUST, OPTIMISM, POPE SAYS
“Sometimes we feel unworthy of him because we are sinners. But this is an excuse that the Lord does not like, be cause it distances him from us!” the pope said Feb. 6 during his Sunday Angelus address.“Heis the God of closeness, compas sion, tenderness and he does not seek perfectionism: he seeks our welcome,” he said.
Whether in one’s own personal life, in the life of the church or society, there is al ways “something beautiful and courageous that can be done, always,” the pope said. “We can always start again -- the Lord always invites us to get back on our feet because he opens up new possibilities.”
The pope addressed the crowd gath ered in St. Peter’s Square for the midday Angelus prayer and reflected on the Sun day Gospel reading from St. Luke in which Jesus invites Simon Peter to try fishing again after catching nothing all night.
“But often, like Peter, we experience the ‘night of empty nets’” and the “dis appointment of trying so hard and not
“God does not want a cruise ship,” the pope said. “A poor ‘ramshackle’ boat
“This is what the Lord loves to do,” he said: “to make use of our poverty to proclaim his wealth, our miseries to pro claim his mercy.”
“How often we too are left with a sense of defeat,” which can breed “disappoint ment and bitterness” that can dangerous ly eat away at one’s heart like “termites,” he said.Itisprecisely when one’s “boat” is empty, “when we have nothing to offer him,” that there is room for Jesus “to enter our voids and fill them with his presence,” the pope said.
seeing the desired results,” he said.
Moments in our Journey
Guests of Christ Cathedral campus visit Our Lady of La Vang Shrine in observance of Lunar New Year on Feb. 1.
—Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Orange
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 15 Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: webeditor@occatholic.com
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