St Francis Xavier Chapel "Maryknoll" Japanese Catholic Center, 222 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Formerly known as "Maryknoll"
Mission Statement
We of Saint Francis Xavier Chapel, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to announce in word and in deed the Good News of the Lord Jesus, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
We recognize our community's call to holiness based on mutuality, reciprocity, and interdependence and its ministry focusing on Japanese Catholics while also welcoming all in our greater community.
Fr. Doan Hoang's Message for the August 17, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,
As you have heard, Jesus mentioned in today’s gospel, “Do you think that I am come to bring peace on earth?” Quite honestly, we would hope so. We’ve come to equate Jesus with peace; is he not the Prince of Peace? The Communion Rite links him with peace. However, when he answers his own question, he confuses us. “No. I tell you, but rather division.”
We look at the life of Jesus for clues as to how “peace” and “division” can be reconciled. One approach is to find Jesus exercising options in his life; facing moments when he has a choice of two roads. The easy pliant one of the prevailing culture or the lonely reforming one. His decisions cause divisions. Some of the division and turmoil is within himself (the garden scene.) some between himself and others?” his mother and relatives. Peter on the road to Jerusalem, the final divisiveness of the cross of scandal.
Each time Jesus decides to follow the Father’s will, that has two effects. It divides him off from those who won’t take the step with him, and it moves him deeper into the peace that comes from being true to who you are. When he mentions “division” in the same breath, we begin to see division as almost the price of authentic peace. We could spend time going through the decisions of Jesus. He reached out; he had compassion; he suffered along with people; he understood their pain; he broke bread with the hungry; he befriended the poor and sinners; he was at ease with the little, working poor people who lived in the shadow of the powerful elite.
The problem is that while we’ve read and heard these scenes a thousand times, we’ve lost sight of how disruptive and unconventional Jesus was. He talked of Samaritans saving Jewish lives! He praised the father who embraced the son who shamed him! You were to share your cloak and tunic, all you wore, literally! The soldier in the occupying army was to be accompanied not just the one mile but another mile, unbidden.
Jesus parted company the self-centred behind, not because he wished to but because they did. They would have to be rid of this challenging presence. The crucifixion was meant to silence him for good, instead it gave him the final, supreme option. It not only capped his life of sacrifice but raised up a symbol to disturb us over the centuries. The sacrificed life of Jesus indicates the price to be paid if we are to reach the peace he calls us to.
Fr. Doan
親愛なる兄弟姉妹の皆様、
イエスが今日の福音書で「私が地上に平和をもたらすために来たと思いますか？」と言ったのを聞いたように、正直に言って、そう願っています。私たちはイエスを平和と同一視するようになりました。彼は平和の王子ではないのですか？聖体拝領は彼を平和と結びつけます。しかし、彼が自分の質問に答えるとき、彼は私たちを混乱させます。「いいえ。私はあなたに言いますが、むしろ分裂。」
私たちは、イエスの生涯を見て、「平和」と「分裂」がどのように調和するかについての手がかりを探します。一つのアプローチは、イエスが自分自身の生涯で選択肢を行使しているのを見つけることです。彼が二つの道を選択する瞬間に直面している。一般的な文化の簡単なしなやかなもの、または独特的な改革のもの。彼の決定は分裂を引き起こします。一部の分裂と混乱は彼自分自身の中にあります（苦悩の庭で）。彼と他人の間のいくつかもある、例えば、彼の母親と親。またエルサレムへの道のペトロ、スキャンダルの十字架の最後の分裂。
イエスが御父のみ旨に従うことを決心するたびに、それは二つの効果をもたらします。それは彼を一歩踏み出さない人々から彼を引き離し、あなたが誰であるかから来る平和から彼をより深く動かします。イエスが語る平和はそれに形を持っています。彼が同じように「分裂」に言及するとき、分裂はほとんど本物の平和の代価であると見始めます。私たちはイエスの決定に時間を費やすことができました。彼は手を差し伸べて、思いやりを持っていました。彼は人々とともに苦しみました。彼は彼らの痛みを理解しました。彼は空腹の人々とパンを割った。彼は貧しい人や罪人と仲良くなりました。彼は、強力なエリートの影に住んでいた小さな働く貧しい人々と安心していました。
問題は、これらのシーンを何千回も読んだり聞いたりしながら、イエスがどれほど破壊的で型にはまらないものであるかを見失っていることです。彼は、ユダヤ人の命を救うサマリア人について話しました！彼は父親を恥じた息子を抱きしめた父親を称賛しました！あなたはマントとチュニックを共有しなければなりませんでした。占領軍の兵士は、１マイルだけでなく、さらに２マイルも連れて行かれなければなりませんでした。
イエスは、彼が望んだからではなく、彼らがやったからという理由で、自己中心の会社を置き忘れるようになった。人々はこの挑戦的な存在を取り除く必要があります。十字架は彼を永久に黙らせることを意図していたが、その代わりに、彼に最終的な最高の選択肢を与えました。それは彼の命の犠牲に終止符を打っただけでなく、何世紀にもわたって私たちを挑戦させるシンボルを育てました。犠牲されたイエスの生涯は、私たちが彼に呼びかける平和に達するために支払われるべき代価を示しています。
ドアン神父
in-church masses Schedule
Sunday, August 31st
Join us at Bishop Matthew Elshoff will be celebrating the 10 a.m. bilinugual Mass on August 31st. Afterward, he will bless the new mural
Come meet your fellow parishioners at our quarterly bilingual Mass at 10 a.m. (Japanese and English) Sorry, we will not have 8:30 am Mass. The Japanese and English bilingual Mass is held on the 5th Sunday of the month.
Sunday: 8:30 am. Japanese Mass
10:00 am. English Mass
Saturday: 5:00 pm English Vigil Mass
Sorry, we will not have weekday Masses from Monday, July 28th to Friday, August 1st, and from Monday, August 4th to Friday, August 8th
Weekday Masses are on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:05 pm.
Weekday Masses are subject to change due to funerals or illness.
First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m., Mass followed by Rosary and Divine Mercy. Confessions are available after the Mass. Sorry, we will not have Mass on for the First Saturday Devotion on August 2nd at 9am but will meet for Rosary and Divine Mercy.
COVID, Cold and Allergies:
- If you are not feeling well, please stay home and get well; you are in our prayers.
- Hand Sanitizers are available for you to use.
- Masks are optional.
Donations
Thank you for your continued support! We are grateful to all who donate to SFXCJCC. We are open for weekend and weekday Masses. And are slowly opening our facility to our ministries and groups.
We are still in need of your financial help! Would you please continue making your Sunday Collection contributions or donating to St Francis Xavier Chapel?
You can mail checks to the office:
SFXCJCC
222 S Hewitt Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
To donate by credit card, click the button below.
Get Involved
Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!
Thank you!
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you. .