4th Sunday of Easter – C

I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE

Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd who guides and protects his Father's sheep. Jesus loves his sheep by giving them eternal life, and no one is able to steal even one precious lamb from his Father's flock (John 10:27-30).

This Gospel passage seems particularly appropriate when considering the question of what happens to infants who die without being baptized – a topic addressed in a recent Vatican document approved by Pope Benedict XVI entitled "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die without Being Baptized." The traditional concept of "limbo" (while never defined dogmatically by the Church) held that unbaptized infants spend eternity separated from communion with God in heaven, but do not suffer because they do not know that they are deprived of the beatific vision. They remain in state of innocent blissfulness. The concept of "limbo" originated in the thirteenth century as an attempt to reconcile fundamental teachings about original sin and the necessity of the sacrament of baptism for salvation. However, the concept fails as it emphasizes the weakness of Adam's sin rather than the all-powerful grace of Christ's redemption. How can a just and merciful God exclude infants, who have no personal sins, from eternal happiness?" The document concludes that the concept of limbo is inadequate as it represents a much too restrictive view of salvation.

Thankfully, the Church now recognizes that parents' grief at the death of an infant has at times been unnecessarily compounded with guilt due to doubt about whether or not their child is with God in heaven. God's mercy always takes precedence. The document illustrates several ways in which unbaptized babies might be united with Christ: a saving conformity to Christ in his own death by infants who themselves suffer and die; a solidarity with Christ among infant victims of violence (born and unborn, including victims of abortion); or God may simply grant salvation as a gift. While the Church continues to teach that the sacrament of baptism is the ordinary way of salvation for all people, based on our hope in God's mercy, the saving grace of that baptism can indeed be conferred by God apart from the sacrament itself.

                                                                                    Rev. John A. Szukalski, SVD

向中華之母祈禱文

 萬福﹐瑪利亞﹐您是我們主耶穌基督之母﹐普世萬民之母﹐也為在天中華之母。
請教導我們效法您全心全靈承行天主的旨意﹐以愛火充滿我們的心﹐去愛主愛人恆心持守信仰。
我們懇求您特別為所有中華基督徒的修好﹐共融與合一轉禱﹐引領尚未歸依的中華兒女早日認識天主的慈愛﹐也教導青年們能大方無條件地將自己奉獻給天主。
我們在天的慈母﹐聖言曾因您成了血肉﹐居住在我們中間﹐因著祂的臨在﹐和您的轉求﹐願我們的禱聲能上達天父﹐得蒙祂的憐憫和俯聽。阿們。
 

華埠&洛城共同消息

1. 家庭生活營 : 2007中華聖母堂家庭生活營,將於六月二十九日至七月一日在The Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD舉行。主題為「在信仰和共融中向前邁進Looking Forward in Faith and Unity」，請大家預留時間，屆時邀請您的親友一起來參與，詳情請容後公佈。

2. 五月五日,下午1:00-3:00 美國天主教主教團移民難民牧靈部在聖母大殿舉辦第五屆亞太裔朝聖活動.今年的主題是「歡迎基督在移民中」, 將有十幾個民族以聖詠、舞蹈和不同的語言去讚美天主。本團體需要教友參與, 尤其是孩子領唸玫瑰經、信友禱詞 、和聖像/旗幟遊行等。詳情請聯絡王秩秋(301)984-1985 和鄧志好 (301)251-7831.

3. 五月十二日是中華聖母主保瞻禮暨二十五週年堂慶，當日下午1:30 pm 在洛城 St. Mary’s Church大堂將由教區主教舉行彌撒聖祭，將有四位兒童初領聖體，他們分別是：Rockville: Dennis McSweeney, William Brennan, Christina Liu；Chinatown: Lucas Soohoo。願天主祝福他們和家人在基督的愛內成長。當天晚上6:00-9:00於馬州Wheaton的新世界酒樓Good Fortune Restaurant將舉行二十五週年晚宴, 晚餐費用：
            幼童Children (5歲或以下) 免費
           學生Student/Youth (6-20歲) $20.00
           成人Adult (21-64歲) $25.00
           耆老Seniors (65歲或以上) $20.00
   報名與繳費：請聯絡張卡洛301-897-8103，鄧杜淑妍301-340-7335，盧瑞平 703-803-6094，黃國威 301-816-9755。請大家一同前來，並歡迎邀請您的親友一起來參與。

4. 五月是聖母月﹐特別恭敬聖母。請大家每天誦唸玫瑰經。另外也請各位教友﹐在五月三日至十一日做九日敬禮﹐每日誦唸向中華之母祈禱文。特別為我們的二十五週年堂慶祈禱。
    

華埠消息

1. 團體每月需超過＄4000才可維持正常的開支。上週04/22主日奉獻﹕$874.00