Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
www.ctkph.org
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Parish Newsletter
June 10, 2020
Keeping Us Connected
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There are two Christian responses
to escape the spiral of violence:
prayer and the gift of self.
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Dear Friends,
Our Holy Father, Pope Francis has been following closely the social unrest and peaceful demonstrations on our streets
in the United States as well as around the world. He said, “We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism or exclusion in our society and claim to defend the sacredness of life.”
Until June 1, no Catholic bishop had publicly participated in the gesture but that day, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, became the first. Surrounded by priests from his diocese who also knelt with him and held a "Black Lives Matter" sign
, he put both knees on the grass at El Paso's Memorial Park, where a protest had taken place a day earlier and closed his eyes. Was he nervous?
"Oh, yeah," he said in a June 3 interview with Catholic News Service. "It's difficult to know what a bishop should do. But I've had some excellent advisers, people and priests. I tried to listen to them, listened to my heart. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap into the unknown." The photo of him kneeling went around the world via Twitter and ended up on an Italian website for the Diocese of Rome. Perhaps it was there that his boss, Pope Francis, saw it. The Pope called him and congratulated him for his courage and leadership.
CTK and St. Stephen communities joined together with 4 other Christian denominations and led a peaceful march towards the City Hall,
where we prayed for our nation and our city. This Tuesday, at the 9.00am Mass which was held outdoors, Fr. Brian and I took a knee together with many of you for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, lifting our nation in prayer to God, our Father. The document
Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism
was developed by the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and approved in November 2018. I have just ordered a book
“White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism”
by Robin DiAngelo, PhD. I would like to invite you to read both the document and the book, and we can arrange conversations around this topic in the days to come.
We have started letting people into the grass area in front of the altar.
Our county has allowed 100 people socially distanced to attend services outdoors
. If you plan to join us on the grass, bring your own chairs, shades and dress yourself for the outdoors as necessary. We will follow “First come, First served” rule. Park your cars away from the area, leaving nearby spots to others. Communion stations will be from now on the parking lots, and during communion time we invite you to come to the stations. If you have someone in your car who needs communion served due to handicaps, just let the ushers know and they will arrange ministers to come to you. If you are on the grass, follow directions by the priest.
As always, wear
masks and sanitize your hands before leaving the car for communion. Collection will be taken as you leave the premises. Have your donations ready as you leave. I would encourage you to sign up for online giving as over 50% of you have done. Our staff will assist you to sign up.
On June 21, Father’s Day, we shall celebrate Fr. Mike Dibble’s 60 years of priesthood at the 9.00am mass.
You can send cards and wishes to the church and we will hand them over to him. He was ordained on May 28th 1960. Congratulations and felicitations Mike. You are a wonderful priest.
In the beatitudes, Jesus articulated a radical vision of a kingdom of God in which the poor were blessed and those who exploited them were called to repentance and change of life. I cannot but see the beatitudes today in the context of what is going on in our society as well as my own heart. For those of us who are hiding behind the adage, “All Lives Matter,” let me tell you that it completely collapses in the beatitudes. Listen to Jesus as he addresses particular lives: “Blessed are the poor, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who are persecuted….” Jesus is very pointed and focused.
“Blessed are the poor, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek,” and I would add, “Blessed are the Black Lives.”
Mother Teresa who lived the beatitudes fully said, “At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in."
May God bless our communities!
Fr. Paulson
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Highlight Video of our Peaceful
Prayer Walk to City Hall Last Week
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New! CTK/St. Stephen Outdoor Masses Will Be Both in our Parking Lot
And on the Grass Area!
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No Reservations or Sign Ups Required
You can get out of your car and onto the grass
(bring your own chairs/blanket)
Please wear face masks
Or continue to stay in the comfort of your car
All masses will be live streamed on Facebook
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Weekday Mass: CTK
Thursdays 6pm only
(Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Devotion)
Weekend Masses: CTK:
6/13 (Saturday) 5pm
6/14 (Sunday) 9am,10:30am & 6pm
Sunday Mass: St. Stephen:
6/14 (Sunday)
9:30am
CTK Song Sheet for Mass
Here
CTK Readings for Mass
Here
St. Stephen Worship Aide
Here
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Drive Through Communion - Sunday
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If you prefer not to attend an outdoor mass, you can watch mass on Facebook, then drive through to receive holy communion.
CTK: 11:30am - 12 noon on Sunday
, 6/14
St. Stephen: 10:30am -11:00am on Sunday, 6/14.
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Speaker Series Every Thursday
at 5:00pm (Note new Time)
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Join us every Thursday at 5:00pm in our continuing speaker series on Facebook Live.
This Thursday, June 11, at 5:00pm we welcome
Dr. Francine Jolton Stone. Head of Pediatrics, Contra Costa Medical Center. She will speak on Children and Covid 19.
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Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion
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Mass every Thursday at our CTK Parking Lot, Grass Area or watch on Facebook Live at 6pm.
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This weekly devotion of Our Mother of Perpetual Help will be interwoven into the mass with appropriate Marian hymns and prayers of intercession and gratitude.
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New - Ministry for Caregivers
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Are you a caregiver for a family member?
Are you dedicated to caring for others?
NOURISH provides caregivers a faithful perspective, as well as practical
and emotional support, useful tools, and shared experience. Discover the blessings that come from caring for another.
Our first meeting will be Wednesday, June 17th at 7pm, via Zoom. Meetings will be the 3rd Wednesday of every month
.
Please Call Monica (925) 872-9051 to RSVP.
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Would you like to make a difference at CTK?
Do you have ideas for the future of our parish?
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Now is an exciting time to be a part of the Pastoral Council.
We are looking for three new members.
Please go to our website at
ctkph.org. On the homepage you will find more information and an application form.
Please enjoy this video from two of our current pastoral council members.
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Sign up for our first FORMED Study Course! Starting on June 16,
over ZOOM
, we’ll watch the newest FORMED release, "
The Search
.”
This program dives deeply into the most basic, challenging questions of faith. Why are we here? What are we looking for? What happens to us when we die? Why does a god make sense? With great content and spectacular filming,
The Search
is for you!!
Sign Up for this Summer Study Course
Here
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Join us every day
on Facebook!
Weekdays:
9:00 am -
Mass in Chapel
5:40 pm
- Holy Rosary
6:00 pm
- Outdoor Mass Thursdays Only
Program Notes:
Thursday
- June 11 at 5:00pm - Speaker
Every Thursday:
6pm Mass with Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion
Weekends:
Saturday
9
:00 am
-
Mass in Chapel
5:00 pm
- Outdoor Mass
Sunday
9:00 am
- Outdoor Mass
10:30 am
- Outdoor Mass
6:00 pm
- Outdoor Mass
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This Sunday's Readings
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
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This Sunday's Readings - June 14
First Reading
— Never forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a).
Psalm
— Praise the Lord, Jerusalem (Psalm 147).
Second Reading
— Because the loaf of bread is one, we who partake of it, though we are many, are one body
(1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
Gospel
— Jesus said, “I am the living bread; whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51-58).
Click the link below for the readings:
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Weekly Reflection on Sunday's Readings
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Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Weekend Scriptures.
The liturgical celebration of the Body of Christ (Corpus Christi) originated in the mid-thirteenth century as a local Belgian celebration.
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Thank you for your Continued Support to CTK and St. Stephen During this
Challenging Time
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Keeping Connected
Sunday Offering
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On-Line Giving:
NEW: Online giving now includes St. Stephen Parish.
We depend upon your contributions! Not only do they allow us to pay our staff, but they help keep our facilities running, and support the pastoral ministries we offer. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society, for example, is helping vulnerable people who rely on our help.
The ease of giving online will help you keep up your generosity and ensure that CTK and St. Stephen can continue running its essential ministries.
Offertory Envelopes/Paper Checks:
Can be sent direc
tly to CTK:
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Can be sent directly to St. Stephen:
1101 Keaveny Ct
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Thank you for your support!
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♥
Prayer to the Sacred Heart
O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.
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"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference"
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