성 마태오 한인 천주교회

   Parishioners at St. Matthew Korean Catholic Center have embraced Called to Renew, which will not only provide for crucial repairs but improve the Catholicity of their church. “This building was used as a Protestant church,” said Father Jiwan Kim, pastor. “It was built in 1955 and the building condition is not good.” But planned changes — including a bell tower and new stainedglass windows — will ensure the Sunland-Tujunga and La Cañada communities see St. Matthew as the Catholic church it now is.

     Although explaining the need for the campaign was challenging at first, inclement weather helped Father Kim drive home how vital Called to Renew was for St. Matthew. “There was heavy rain, and our roof was leaking, so people understood we need to fix the building,” he said. To date, St. Matthew has raised more than $1 million on its $180,000 goal. That is 577% of their goal, the highest percentage achieved to date across the Archdiocese.

     Once all the pledges are fulfilled, the parish will have enough funds to address its many needs. Besides replacing the church’s plain windows with stained glass and the leaky steeple with a bell tower, the interior and exterior of the church will be painted and a new storage area built. The current storage area, which is adjacent to the parking lot and education building, has become infested with termites.

     Father Kim is grateful for the help he has received during the campaign from both the Archdiocese and parishioners. With the assistance of five ambassadors who helped him meet with their fellow parishioners and ask for gifts, three committees have been formed to bring the projects to reality. “It’s a holy space, and it’s important to have a beautiful home,” Father Kim told his parishioners. “You should make it a precious place.” 


                        한 끼 나눔 3주년을 향하여

    우리 한 끼 나눔이 오는 2월 2일에 2주년을 맞이합니다. 지금도 그 때가 생생합니다. 준비할 겨를도 없이 다급하게 서둘러서 벌였던 운동인데도, 시작한지 불과 단 한 주 만에 24명의 후원자가 5,579불을 만들어 주셨습니다. 그리고 오늘까지 2년에 걸쳐 여러 단체 및 350명의 개별 후원자께서 총 138,353불을 맡겨 주셨습니다.

    103명의 봉사자가 각자 작게는 한 두시간에서 많게는 400시간까지 수고해 주셔서, 그렇게 합친 시간이 3천시간도 훨씬 넘습니다. 이 운동을 기도하면서 돕는 분들도 많은 데, 다른 기도를 제외하고도, 묵주기도만 총 724,518 단이었습니다. 이런 노력과 정성이 모여서 모두 26.000 끼를 나눠 드릴 수가 있었습니다.

    저는 하느님이 너무 고맙습니다. 그리고 저는 여러분이 너무 고맙습니다. 오늘 2 독서 말씀의 한 구절이 제 마음속에 계속 머물고 있습니다. “하느님께서는 여러분을 그리스도 예수님 안에 살게 해 주셨습니다.” 가난한 사람을 위해 지속적으로 기도하고, 지속적으로 자선하고, 지속적으로 봉사한다는 것은 여러분이 예수님 안에 살고 있다는 증거입니다.

    여러분이 예수님 안에 잘 살아 주셔서, 그런 여러분이 저는 너무나 고맙습니다. 그리고 여러분을 예수님 안에 살도록 해 주신, 그렇게 만들어 주신 하느님이 저는 너무나 고맙습니다.

    오늘 복음은 예수님의 행복 선언입니다. 모두 8가지가 나옵니다. 줄줄 외울 수 있다면 더 좋겠지만, 그냥 한 가지로 요약 한다면, 행복하여라, 예수님 안에 사는 사람들! 제 생각에는 뭐 이렇게 요약해도 별문제 없을 것 같습니다.
예수님을 믿는 사람들, 예수님께 의지하는 사람들, 예수님을 따르는 사람들, 예수님을 사랑하는 사람들, 예수님을 본받고자 하는 사람들, 다시 말해 예수님 안에 사는 사람은 행복합니다.

    예수님은 우리를 사랑하셔서, 스스로 가난을 택하신 분입니다. 예수님은 가진 것도 별로 없이 가난했습니다. 집도 땅도 돈도 없었습니다. 부모도 가난했고, 어울리던 친구들도 비슷하게 가난했습니다. 그 뿐 아니라 예수님의 내면까지도 가난하셨습니다. 하느님으로서의 권능도 영광도 다 비우셨습니다.

    예수님은 부유하셨지만 스스로 가난하게 되셨습니다. 죄도 많은 우리를 너무나 사랑하셨기 때문입니다. 우리가 예수님의 그 사랑에 감사드리고, 그 은혜를 갚아 드리는 최고의 방법은, 지금 헐벗고 굶주린 이웃을 돌보는 일입니다. “행복하여라, 자비를 베푸는 사람들, 그들은 자비를 입을 것이다” 우리가 하느님께 자비를 베풀어 줄 수는 없습니다. 우리가 자비를 베풀어야 할 사람은 가난 속에서 고통받는 우리 형제 자매입니다.

    진복팔단, 예수님의 행복선언은 우리가 예수님 안에서 예수님처럼 살아가는 방법입니다.

    "행복하여라 마음이 가난한 사람들 하늘 나라가 그들의 것이다. 마음이 가난한 사람은 나의 재능, 나의 시간, 나의 생명이 오롯이 전부 다 내 것이라는 착각을 하지 않습니다. 마음이 가난한 사람은, 하느님만 저 멀리 제쳐 둔 체, 그저 하느님으로부터 받은 선물에만 기대고 만족하며 살 지를 않습니다.

    마음이 가난한 사람은 겸손한 사람이고 거룩한 사람입니다. 마음이 가난한 사람은 하느님 앞에서 아무것도 드릴 것이 없는 사람입니다. 하지만 마음의 가난은 그를 구해 줄 것이고, 마침내 하느님의 가장 큰 선물, 하느님의 나라를 받게 해 줄 것입니다.
예수님 안에서 살아가는 것이 참된 행복입니다. 어려움이 닥쳐도 박해를 당해도 하느님의 사랑이 우리를 감싸주고 계심을 그는 압니다. 십자가에 달리신 예수님을 성부께서 당신 품으로 안아 주셨듯이, 그렇게 그를 안아 주실 것입니다.

    예수님 안에서, 예수님 처럼, 그렇게 마음이 가난한 사람, 그렇게 온유한 사람, 그렇게 의로움에 주리고 목마른 사람이 되게 해 달라고 기도드립시다.

    예수님 안에서 예수님 처럼,  마음이 깨끗한 사람, 평화를 이루는 사람이 되게 해 달라고 기도 드립시다. 예수님 안에서 예수님 처럼 고통 받는 이웃에 더욱 가까이 가게 해 달라고 기도 드립시다.

2023년 1월 28일


김지완 신부
   


                                        CATECHETICAL SUNDAY


        Good morning, I want to thank Fr. Kim for this opportunity to deliver a homily today about my experience as a catechist in celebration of Catechetical Sunday. Today, all Catholics across the country celebrate Catechetical Sunday.
       It’s a wonderful time to thank catechists for their work and reflect on their call to share and live out their faith. Each year, Catechetical Sunday is celebrated with a different theme. Last year we celebrated with the theme, "Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed.” This year, “This is my body given for you.” And I want to emphasize the word “Given.”
       How many of you here like to receive or prefer to receive than give? How many of you like to give or prefer to give than receive? I think it’s human nature and desire to have a longing to receive rather than give. Jesus gave everything, even his life, for us. And we received our life in exchange and everything else we have. I want to share with you how I was inspired to become a catechist.
       When I first came to St. Matthew, I was on hiatus from all voluntary church work I had done for years to focus on raising my three children. In the beginning, I liked it. I had more time to spend with my kids because I only needed to come to mass. All was well, except that my faith life was stagnating. Still, water or stagnant water boils or rots. The children were growing healthy, my job was great, and we were doing well. However, I was not happy, and I always felt an emptiness in my heart. I realized I had become irate, impatient, and hostile at home.
       I also realized that I had stopped smiling at my children. Instead, I was venting out on them, who were more vulnerable and weaker than me. I felt depressed, worthless, useless, needless, and miserable. What hit me was a complete lack of belongingness and needlessness. I thought I could not live another day feeling this way and desperately needed to find a way to get myself out of this misery.
       Then one Sunday, I was in mass with my youngest, who was about 3-4 years old, and other parents with many non-school-aged children in the baby room. It was like a zoo, chaos. Kids were whining and crying, and none of the parents in the room could be entirely devoted to mass.
       Then a little thought crossed my mind. What if one person can volunteer to take all these children to a separate room and care for them? Then the rest of the people could participate in mass without any commotion. So I suggested to Mrs. Yim, then the director of REP at the time, to open a Sunday School class for preschoolers and Kinders, and I heard a faint whispering in my ears saying, “how about you.” I volunteered myself, and that’s how I got to where I am today. I only made a spark, and God turned it into a blaze. Through this experience as a catechist, I realized how bad of a parent I was (selfrealization).
       I repented for how I had hurt God by having negative thoughts and mistreating my children, who were gifts from God, and not being proactive and misusing the time God gave to me. I became more understanding, generous, kind, and caring for my children. I want to say that my relationship with my children got better, stronger, and closer.
       God showed me, and I realized how my life should be lived. God showed me my life’s true meaning and purpose. I needed to feel that I was wanted and needed. Being needed was what drove and inspired me to live. I realized that I was created to give just like Jesus gave. Jesus came to the world to give his life for our salvation.
       If God gave his only son, Jesus, and Jesus gave his life for us, we, too, must give. For God gave us life and everything we have, my purpose in life is gratefully enjoying and paying forward what God gave. There are many ways to give. Some people give in the form of money, but others give in the form of time and service.
       Being a catechist is my way of paying forward, giving a bit of my time back to God. It is my way of atoning for my sins against God and my children and living my life to the fullest. Just as children mirror their parents, I think we, the parents, also see ourselves through the eyes of children. Interacting with them as a catechist helped me see more clearly where I have been, where I stand, and where I am going.
       It may appear very challenging and intimidating, but nothing is impossible if you have God on your back. You just need to be willing to give and serve and just put one foot in; then, God will do the rest. I often talked about rewards for being a catechist or serving the Church.
       I think I have already been rewarded. The fact that God created me in his own image and likeness and was chosen by Him to become his daughter is my reward. Our reward is Jesus, his son, who gave up everything for us and gave us life. Thus, we should liver gratefully give thanks to Jesus for our actions.
       As a director of Religious Education and parent, I want to take this moment to thank our catechists for stepping up to take on this mission year after year, even in times of uncertainty.
       Their tireless effort and devotion made it possible to keep our children connected to God and each other. Our Sunday school programs would not be possible without their continuous service and sacrifice.
       Sunday School is an opportunity for you, students, to build your relationship with Jesus and learn how to be like him. Sunday school is a grace and blessing from God poured out onto you. It’s your privilege and duty to learn and know about God. And you are blessed to carry out this privilege well.
       Sunday School is not an option. It is a vocation, a Call from God. It’s a call from God for the children to come, learn, and build a relationship with God. And it is a call from God forvolunteers to their mission. Are you really going to say ‘No’ to his call?

                                   09-18- 2022

                                   Lydia Park, D.R.E of San Matthew Korean Catholic Church