Angelus News | June 4, 2021 | Vol. 6 No. 11

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LETTER AND SPIRIT SCOTT HAHN Scott Hahn is founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology; stpaulcenter.com. Converted and still converting St. Paul is a special patron to me. He isn’t any ordinary saint. He’s unique. And the Church calendar reflects the extraordinary role he played in God’s revelation. The Apostle to the Gentiles gets not one but two feasts. At the end of this month, on June 29, he shares a feast with St. Peter, with whom he died as a martyr as they consecrated Rome with their blood. On Jan. 25 the Church also celebrates the Conversion of St. Paul, for St. Paul’s conversion marks a milestone not only in his own life, but in the life of God’s people. Once a persecutor of Christ, he became the Lord’s preacher. Once an impediment to the Gospel, he became its great champion. Once a guardian of Israel as an ethnic preserve of holiness, St. Paul came to serve as a father in the worldwide (literally, Catholic) Church that included both Jews and Gentiles. The story of St. Paul’s conversion is told repeatedly in the New Testament, three times in the Acts of the Apostles and then, briefly, in St. Paul’s own correspondence with the Galatians and Corinthians. In all of history, no other conversion gets that kind of special coverage, with God himself as primary author of the narrative! It’s possible, though, to overemphasize the uniqueness of his conversion. When we consider the lives of the saints, we can be tempted to miss the lessons that apply especially to us. We’re all called to conversion — and we’re always called to conversion, even if we’ve been Catholics since the cradle and attending Mass daily for decades. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). The word he used for “turn” is at the root of all our Christian terms and notions about conversion. Conversion is a turning toward God. It is a turning away from sin and from attachment to worldly things and worldly cares. This is the work of a lifetime. It’s not the matter of a moment. It’s not just “once and done.” Unless we turn — unless we become “converts” — we’re not Christian. Unless we make a habit of repentance, we’re not disciples of Jesus Christ. We must convert again and again. We celebrate our conversions whenever we go to confession. We celebrate our conversions, in fact, whenever we resist distraction and turn to our Father God in prayer. In his Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis makes this matter abundantly clear. He is worried less about the enemies “out there” in the world than the enemies within — the vices and the unconverted habits that tempt us away from Christ and threaten our perseverance in the faith. He calls baptized Christians to “experience a conversion which will restore the joy of faith to their hearts and inspire a commitment to the Gospel.” He defines conversion as “openness to a constant self-renewal born of fidelity to Jesus Christ.” He emphasizes that even the “Conversion of St. Paul,” by Nicolas Bernard Lépicié, 1735- 1784. | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS pope must undergo such a conversion. If we work on this, he says, all else will fall into place, in society and in the Church. St. Paul should be our model for conversion. His conversion was ongoing, lifelong, never easy, but always joyful. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” he said in his Letter to the Philippians (4:4). “Again I will say, Rejoice.” St. Paul is joyful not because of how good things are getting, but how good God is. That’s the fruit of true conversion. 36 • ANGELUS • June 4, 2021
■ AVAILABLE ONLINE 24/7 “Walking with Jesus in Difficult Times” SCRC virtual event. Available to view online 24/7 for free. Event includes teachings by Father Bill Delaney, SJ, Sister Regina Marie Gorman, OCD, and Patti Mansfield, with a special video tribute to the late Father John H. Hampsch, CMF. Register for free at events.scrc.org. ■ SATURDAY, MAY 29 Transitional Diaconate Ordination. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 9 a.m. Mass will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/ordination2021. ■ MONDAY, MAY 31 Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries Memorial Day Mass. Chapel of the Risen Christ at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mortuary, 10 a.m. Celebrant: Archbishop José H. Gomez. Mass will be livestreamed and will not be open to the public. ■ TUESDAY, JUNE 1 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263-0435. ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 3 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263-0435. ■ FRIDAY, JUNE 4 Jesus Our Life: Virtual Retreat. Father Jeremiah Shryock, CFR, will offer live Zoom sessions on how to follow Jesus in practical, real, and concrete ways June 4-6. Register with a friend and get 2-for-1 deal with the code TOGETHER. Register at https://sacredheartretreathouse.com/ events/060421/?source=500arch. ■ SATURDAY, JUNE 5 Priesthood Ordination. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 9 a.m. Mass will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/ ordination. ■ TUESDAY, JUNE 8 Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries Memorial Mass. San Fernando Mission Rey de España, 11 a.m. Mass will be livestreamed on LA Catholics social media channels and will not be open to the public. LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263-0435. ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 10 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263-0435. ■ SUNDAY, JUNE 13 Five-Day Silent, Directed Retreat. Mary & Joseph Retreat Center, 5300 Crest Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes, June 13, 6 p.m.-June 18, 1:30 p.m. Retreat led by spiritual directors Sister Pascazia Kinkuhaire, DMJ, Father Joseph Miller, SVD, and Sue Ballotti offers a unique, contemplative opportunity to commune with God in the solitude of our hearts. Cost: Single room: $600/person, commuter: $425/person. Call Jose Salas at 310-377-4867, ext. 250, for reservations or information. ■ TUESDAY, JUNE 15 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263- 0435. ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 17 Rosary for LA Priests with LA Council of Catholic Women. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263-0435. ■ SUNDAY, JUNE 20 Father’s Day Virtual Rosary. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Catholic Cemeteries and Mortuaries will host a special prayer of thanksgiving for Father’s Day weekend at 2 p.m. Rosary will be livestreamed at facebook.com/ lacatholics and catholiccm.org. “Pueblo Amante de Maria” Virtual Procession, Rosary, and Tagalog Mass. Incarnation Church of Glendale will host a virtual procession and rosary at 1:15 p.m. to celebrate 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. Tagalog Mass to follow. To join on livestream, visit the Incarnation Church Facebook page. For details, call 818-242-2579. ■ TUESDAY, JUNE 22 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263- 0435. ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 24 LA Council of Catholic Women Rosary Conference Call. 8 p.m. Call 1-424-436-6200, code 410510#. Prayer requests open. For more information, call Carol Westlake at 661-263- 0435. ■ SATURDAY, JUNE 26 Drive-Thru Food Distribution Event. St. Barnabas Church, 3955 Orange Ave., Long Beach, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sponsored by the LA County Sheriff’s Community Advisory Council. For more information, call Peter Ramirez at 213-440-2707. Items for the calendar of events are due four weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be emailed to calendar@angelusnews.com. All calendar items must include the name, date, time, address of the event, and a phone number for additional information. June 4, 2021 • ANGELUS • 37
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Page 4 and 5: POPE WATCH Children come first The
Page 6 and 7: WORLD ■ Belgium: Monks keep their
Page 8 and 9: LOCAL ■ Is California getting mor
Page 10 and 11: IN EXILE FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER,
Page 12 and 13: GIVEN THE GRACE TO SERVE What does
Page 14 and 15: Cesar Guardado Age: 28 Hometown: Om
Page 16 and 17: Sergio Hidalgo Age: 46 Hometown: Pu
Page 18 and 19: Jihoon Kim Age: 33 Hometown: Seoul,
Page 20: Matthew Miguel Age: 33 Hometown: Mo
Page 23 and 24: Officials in April tour the Long Be
Page 25 and 26: Unfortunately, it probably can’t
Page 27 and 28: Bishops celebrate Mass at the 2019
Page 29 and 30: have diminished among Catholics gen
Page 31 and 32: Robert Brennan writes from Los Ange
Page 33 and 34: Kris McGregor is the founder of Dis
Page 36 and 37: DESIRE LINES HEATHER KING Catholic

Angelus News | June 4, 2021 | Vol. 6 No. 11

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