August 14            Fr. Gabriel Ferrer

August 21             Fr. Gabriel Ferrer

August 28            Fr. William Ledbetter

September 04    Mo. Mary Haddad

September 11      Bishop Shannon Mallory (ret.)

September 18     Fr. Gabriel Ferrer

September 24     Fr. Gabriel Ferrer

Mary, commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee. She is identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus through divine intervention.

 

The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honor as Mother of God. From the Council of Ephesus in 431, which dogmatized this belief, to Vatican II and Pope John Paul II's Redemptoris Mater encyclical the Virgin Mary has come to be seen, not only as the Mother of God but also as the Mother of the Church.

 

As the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary has a central role in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic veneration of her as the Blessed Virgin Mary has grown over time both in importance and manifestation, not only in prayer but in art, poetry and music.Popes have encouraged this veneration but from time to time have also taken steps to reform it.

 

From the middle of the 11th century onwards, more and more churches, including many of Europe's greatest cathedrals (e.g. Notre Dame de Paris and Notre-Dame de Bayeux among others), were dedicated to Mary. Marian pilgrimage developed large popular followings and prayers such as the Regina Coeli were composed.

 

By the 14th century, Mary had become greatly popular as a compassionate intercessor and protector of humanity and during the great plagues such as the Black Death, her help was sought against the just judgment of God. The Renaissance witnessed a dramatic growth in venerative Marian art.

 

By the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation had introduced a tide against Marian venerations in Europe. However, at the same time new Marian devotions were starting in South America based on Saint Juan Diego's 1531 reported vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe which added almost 8 million people to the ranks of Catholics. In the 17th and 18th centuries writings by the saints, coupled with papal encouragements, increased the growth of Marian devotions, and gave rise to the definition and declaration of new Marian doctrines.

 

Mary's special position within God's purpose of salvation as "God-bearer" (Theotokos) is recognised in a number of ways by some Anglican Christians.  All the member churches of the Anglican Communion affirm in the historic creeds that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and celebrates the feast days of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This feast is called in older prayer books the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 2 February. The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin on March 25 was from before the time of Bede until the 18th century New Year's Day in England. The Annunciation is called the "Annunciation of our Lady" in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Anglicans also celebrate in the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin on May 31, though in some provinces the traditional date of July 2 is kept. The feast of the St. Mary the Virgin is observed on the traditional day of the Assumption, August 15.

 

Adapted from www.wikipedia.org

Pastoral Letter from the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Sixth Bishop of Los Angeles

August 14, 2011

To the People of God in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles 

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Grace and peace to you in the name of God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

As I write this, the world continues to grieve with Norway over the devastating and needless loss of life perpetrated out of fear and ignorance against people who serve God faithfully in one of the world's most prayerful and historic spiritual traditions. Such baseless violence has no place in modern life, and it is especially painful to witness in a nation known as one of the most progressively peace-loving in the world.

This heinous act suggests that there is still much work yet to be done in raising awareness, understanding, and moral behavior in keeping with the Golden Rule embraced across faith traditions: to love God and one's neighbor as oneself. This awareness is important not only globally, but also locally as we work to expand harmony and common ground among people here in Southern California and its increasing cultural diversity.

Therefore, I am compelled to call us, as Episcopalians in this Diocese, to do all we can to build interfaith relationships, and especially among the Abrahamic community of Jews, Muslims and Christians, whose traditions share common origins. Indeed, if we do not work in a interfaith way, and if we do not educate our children in these principles for living effectively in a multi-pluralistic society, we will miss significant opportunities to live out our Baptismal Covenant by respecting the dignity of every person.

The importance of such interfaith cooperation is also underscored for me on this day as I return from Jerusalem and  a pilgrimage shared with 17 young people of our Diocese who witnessed firsthand the value and necessity of understanding among people of the Abrahamic faiths in the Holy Land and beyond.

Working together with sisters and brothers of other faiths does not mean that you or I believe any less in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. In fact, by embracing those of other faiths with hospitality and respect, we honor Christ and live out his observation among the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

One practical way of recommitting ourselves to working for interfaith and ecumenical understanding is by attending the upcoming OneLight vigil planned for Saturday, evening, September 10, 2011, at LosAngeles City Hall to honor the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, and to increase the harmony among diverse faith groups.

At least 500 houses of worship -- mosques, temples, churches and other assemblies -- will be represented there and receive commemorative lanterns to bring back for local services the following day and week. I encourage as many as possible to attend this important gathering, and I ask that Episcopalians who live farthest from central Los Angeles view OneLight as a form of pilgrimage, coming in to join the larger regional community in important solidarity.

When you bring the lantern back to your congregation for services on Sunday, September 11, please consider relighting the candle and placing the globe on or near the altar as a symbol of the common prayer and common cause that unites us.

As we move forward, I also invite you to think of interfaith experience as a wheel in which God is found at the central hub, linking us together as fellow spokes -- my Jewish brother or sister next to my Islamic brother or sister, next to my Hindu brother or sister -- and the like. Holding the spokes together are wheels of the world's great spiritual traditions, including the Abrahamic faiths. Only if we remain united and linked together will we progress forward effectively.

May God be our constant help in these efforts with Jesus our Lord and Savior as our constant example as the Holy Spirit moves among us. Amen.

Faithfully yours,

The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno

Sixth Bishop of Los Angeles

PRELUDE 

"Priere a Notre-Dame"

Leon Boellmann

 
POSTLUDE

"Magnificat 6: Gloria"

Marcel Dupre 

Please join us for many Parish activities.  Here's a sampling of upcoming events - a full list is available online