California Archbishop Gomez at Mass for Peace says "Jesus loves us...Not just - some of us...No matter what countries we come from" FULL TEXT Homily + Video
.png)
Los Angeles(LA), California, Archbishop José H. Gomez led a Holy Mass and prayers for peace and unity. This is in the midst of those “hurting” from ongoing federal immigration sweeps and confrontations between protestors and law enforcement in Los Angeles and other cities. The special Mass was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Tuesday.
The noon Mass was part of a designated “Day of Prayer for Peace and Unity” on June 11, in which parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were asked to offer daily Mass “to pray for our nation, and especially for our immigrant and local community during this tumultuous time.”
About 150 people attended the Mass, despite longer travel times due to ramp closures along freeways around downtown LA, where a nightly curfew had been established the night before by LA Mayor Karen Bass.The next morning, the increased presence of police around government buildings was noticeable.
Joining Archbishop Gomez at the altar were some LA priests and Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, whose diocese has also seen both immigration raids and anti-enforcement protests in cities, especially Santa Ana.
On Tuesday, Bishop Vann and the diocese’s two auxiliary bishops had issued a statement calling for enforcement that “does not invoke our worst instincts, that does not spread crippling fear and anxieties upon the hard-working, everyday faithful among us.”
At the Wednesday Mass, in his homily, Archbishop Gomez acknowledged “we are facing a challenging moment in our city and many of our neighbors are frightened.”
FULL TEXT Homily of Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
June 11, 2025
My brothers and sisters in Christ,[1]
Today we are united with parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in praying for peace in our streets and in our city.
We are facing a challenging moment in our city and many of our neighbors are frightened. There is too much tension, too much uncertainty and violence.
So, we bring our cares and anxieties to Jesus today, and to his Mother, Our Lady of the Angels.
We pray for our neighbors who are hurting, good-hardworking men and women, people of faith. We pray for the police and for all those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. And we pray for our civic leaders.
In the Word of God today, the Church remembers St. Barnabas, who was an important missionary in the early Church, working alongside the apostles and St. Paul.
The name Barnabas, you may know, means “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation.”[2] That’s a beautiful way to understand our mission as Catholics, as followers of Jesus. Especially in this challenging moment.
We heard in that first reading how St. Barnabas and St. Paul helped many people to turn to the Lord and follow him.
We heard that beautiful line about St. Barnabas: “He rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.”
My dear brothers and sisters, this is who we want to be, as Catholics, especially in this moment. We want to be good people; loving and understanding; men and women of faith and virtue.
Like St. Barnabas, we want to go out and console our neighbors and strengthen their hearts and encourage them to keep the faith. Through our love and compassion, we want to let them know: Jesus is with them. Always.
Then Jesus tells us today in the Gospel that God is in charge of this world.
Jesus says today: “Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.”
God, again as we know, has a plan for his creation, a dream of love for the whole human race. And that plan will be fulfilled. That plan is being fulfilled, even in this moment.
Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life for us. Not just for some of us. But every man and woman who was ever born or ever will be born. No matter what countries we come from, or the language that we speak.
And Jesus gave his Church the work of continuing his mission: of proclaiming God’s love and gathering all the world’s peoples into one family.
That’s what “Catholic” means. It means universal, international, worldwide. It means no one is left behind or left out. It means all of us are children of God, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of our Father in heaven.
This is the beautiful vision of the Gospel!
Today we ask St. Barnabas and all those first disciples and missionaries to pray for us and help us to renew our faith in this beautiful vision.
Those first generations of disciples were willing to sacrifice everything for that vision. We pray for that strength, too.
So, let’s keep living the Gospel and proclaiming it with confidence and joy, and with love and peace in our hearts.
Jesus tells us today: keep the faith, keep obeying and teaching his commandments. Do this and you “will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
That’s a promise that Jesus will keep.
So today we especially ask Mother Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, to pray for all of her children in this city that was named for her glory. Amen.
[1] Readings (Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle): Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Matt. 5:17–19.
[2] Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience (January 31, 2007).
------------------Sources
On Tuesday, Bishop Vann and the diocese’s two auxiliary bishops had issued a statement calling for enforcement that “does not invoke our worst instincts, that does not spread crippling fear and anxieties upon the hard-working, everyday faithful among us.”
At the Wednesday Mass, in his homily, Archbishop Gomez acknowledged “we are facing a challenging moment in our city and many of our neighbors are frightened.”
FULL TEXT Homily of Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
June 11, 2025
My brothers and sisters in Christ,[1]
Today we are united with parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in praying for peace in our streets and in our city.
We are facing a challenging moment in our city and many of our neighbors are frightened. There is too much tension, too much uncertainty and violence.
So, we bring our cares and anxieties to Jesus today, and to his Mother, Our Lady of the Angels.
We pray for our neighbors who are hurting, good-hardworking men and women, people of faith. We pray for the police and for all those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. And we pray for our civic leaders.
In the Word of God today, the Church remembers St. Barnabas, who was an important missionary in the early Church, working alongside the apostles and St. Paul.
The name Barnabas, you may know, means “son of encouragement” or “son of consolation.”[2] That’s a beautiful way to understand our mission as Catholics, as followers of Jesus. Especially in this challenging moment.
We heard in that first reading how St. Barnabas and St. Paul helped many people to turn to the Lord and follow him.
We heard that beautiful line about St. Barnabas: “He rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.”
My dear brothers and sisters, this is who we want to be, as Catholics, especially in this moment. We want to be good people; loving and understanding; men and women of faith and virtue.
Like St. Barnabas, we want to go out and console our neighbors and strengthen their hearts and encourage them to keep the faith. Through our love and compassion, we want to let them know: Jesus is with them. Always.
Then Jesus tells us today in the Gospel that God is in charge of this world.
Jesus says today: “Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.”
God, again as we know, has a plan for his creation, a dream of love for the whole human race. And that plan will be fulfilled. That plan is being fulfilled, even in this moment.
Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life for us. Not just for some of us. But every man and woman who was ever born or ever will be born. No matter what countries we come from, or the language that we speak.
And Jesus gave his Church the work of continuing his mission: of proclaiming God’s love and gathering all the world’s peoples into one family.
That’s what “Catholic” means. It means universal, international, worldwide. It means no one is left behind or left out. It means all of us are children of God, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of our Father in heaven.
This is the beautiful vision of the Gospel!
Today we ask St. Barnabas and all those first disciples and missionaries to pray for us and help us to renew our faith in this beautiful vision.
Those first generations of disciples were willing to sacrifice everything for that vision. We pray for that strength, too.
So, let’s keep living the Gospel and proclaiming it with confidence and joy, and with love and peace in our hearts.
Jesus tells us today: keep the faith, keep obeying and teaching his commandments. Do this and you “will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
That’s a promise that Jesus will keep.
So today we especially ask Mother Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, to pray for all of her children in this city that was named for her glory. Amen.
[1] Readings (Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle): Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Matt. 5:17–19.
[2] Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience (January 31, 2007).
------------------Sources
https://archbishopgomez.org/blog/mass-for-peace-and-unity
https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/gomez-mass-june-raids/
Comments