The Church of the Nativity. 210 Oak Grove Avenue Menlo Park, CA tel: (650) fax: (650)

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1 Photographs by Charlene Dorman 210 Oak Grove Avenue Menlo Park, CA tel: (650) fax: (650) The Church of the Nativity MASSES Sundays 08:00, 09:30, 11:30 AM and 05:00 PM Saturdays 08:00 AM and 05:00 PM (Vigil) Weekdays and Holy Days, 05:30 and 07:30 PM SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Opus Dei priest) 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM (parish priest) (also by appointment) BAPTISMS 1 st, 3 rd and 5 th Sundays of the month (contact rectory 2 months in advance) WEDDINGS Saturdays 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM (contact rectory at least 6 months in advance) PASTOR Rev. Msgr. Steven D. Otellini PAROCHIAL VICAR Rev. Mark G. Mazza PERMANENT DEACONS Rev. Mr. Dominick Peloso Rev. Mr. Thomas Kelly WEEKEND ASSISTANTS Rev. Paul Maillet, P.S.S. Rev. Gladstone Stevens, P.S.S. SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Mrs. Monica Hickam (650) HOUR EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Mrs. Mary Ellen Peloso (650) HEARING LOOP ENABLED HEARING LOOP ENABLED

2 FIRST READING So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them. Numbers 6: RESPONSORIAL PSALM May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him. Psalms 67 SECOND READING IGod sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. Galatians 4: 4-7 GOSPEL All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. Luke 2: SCHEDULE OF MASSES AND INTENTIONS WEEK OF DEC 05:00 PM Priest s intentions SUN Masses Priest s intentions MON 09:00 AM Bill Zappettini; Special intention; Lygia Lucas; Adolph and Marie Firenzi TUE WED THU FRI Dorothy Claude Eve Bielecki John and Virginia Conway Nora Lyons John and Peg McGregor ICF #351 living and deceased members Gerald Dillon Willi Helbig 08:00 AM Daniel Tilbury; Adrian Kwock; Eleanor Gorospe; Terry Fitzsimmons Please pray for those in need of physical or spiritual healing The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God SUN MON-FRI MON-FRI TUE THU 07:00 PM 07:10 AM 05:10 PM 06:00 PM 06:00 PM 06:15 AM 07:40 AM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM Holy Hour for Priests Morning Prayer Evening Prayer Cenacles of Life Rosary Perpetual Help Novena Men s Prayer Group Morning Prayer Confessions (Opus Dei priest) Confessions (parish priest) 01 JAN (Sunday) 02 JAN (Monday) 07:30 PM Legion of Mary 03 JAN (Tuesday) 08:00 PM H 4 04 JAN (Wednesday) 05 JAN (Thursday) 12:00 PM 06:00 PM 06 JAN (Friday) First Friday 01 January JAN (Saturday) First Saturday Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Luke 2: 19 Calendar The Thursday Group ICF #351 Dinner and Meeting 1 st 1 st Bulletin News REMINDER: SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Items for the bulletin should be ed to the bulletin editors at nativity.bulletin@gmail.com. Deadline: 12:00 PM (noon) Friday by , for inclusion in the Sunday bulletin 9 days later. EXAMPLE: For inclusion in the 15 JAN 2017 bulletin, submit by Friday, 06 JAN 2017 at noon. Annual Diocesan Appeal Progress: 2016 ADA Goal: Parish OfferINGS WEEK OF DEC TOTAL: $12,646 $130,929 $148,082

3 02 JAN (Monday): SAINTS BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN, Bishops and Doctors of the Church Students together, they fought against the Arian heresy. Basil founded monasteries and drew up a rule for monks; he is considered as key in the founding of eastern monastacism as Saint Benedict is to western monasticism. Gregory became Bishop of Constantinople, and Basil was Archbishop of Caesarea. Both were proclaimed Doctors of the Church. 04 JAN (Wednesday): SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ( ) First native-born American to be canonized. She formed a religious community while still raising her children, and founded two orphanages and another school. Today, six communities of sisters trace their origins to Mother Seton. Saints and Observances SOLEMNITY, FEAST, MEMORIAL OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OTHER 05 JAN (Thursday): SAINT JOHN NEUMANN, Bishop ( ) Renowned as a founder of the American Catholic school system. Born in Bohemia, he became a Redemptorist priest (the first in the United States) in a struggling parish in New York, and later became Bishop of Philadelphia. He organized the first diocesan Catholic school system, and increased the number of schools from two to 100. He also built 50 churches and began construction of a cathedral. He was the first American man and bishop to be canonized. 06 JAN (Friday): BLESSED ANDRE BESSETTE ( ) Holy Cross Brother who almost didn t make his vows because of poor health. He built a shrine to St. Joseph, almost brick by brick, that became a spiritual center. Ministry and Group News ROSARY OUTSIDE ABORTION CLINIC Every First Saturday of the month a group of parishioners meets to pray in front of the Planned Parenthood in Redwood City on El Camino Real. We drive down after the 08:00 AM Mass and pray until about 10:00 AM. People are also scheduled to pray during the week. Please contact Eileen at nativitymenlorespectlife@yahoo.com or 650/ for more information. CENACLES OF LIFE PRAYER GROUP Our Nativity rosary prayer group continues to pray to end the culture of death. All are invited to come! We pray two rosaries together and offer up a fast each week. We meet at 06:00 PM in the church each Tuesday evening. NATIVITY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE Nativity School invites you to our Open House on Sunday, 29 JAN 2017, from 11:00 AM-01:00 PM. This is especially for parents and their children who are interested in attending Nativity School in grades PreK-7. The school is located at 1250 Laurel Street, Menlo Park. Come to see the magnificent displays and exhibits and meet our faculty and staff. Tours by appointment are available. Visit our website: NATIVITY BOOKS AVAILABLE We have several books which are still available in the parish office. If you are interested in purchasing one or all of these books they are available between 09:00 AM-04:00 PM Monday through Friday. 650/ Nativity Illuminated: A Celebration of Our Church and the Symbols Within ($10.00) Father Lucky: Trust in Jesus, A collection of the stories of the late Fr. Clement A. Davenport ($10.00) The Spirit of Nativity: Celebrating Christ on the Peninsula for 140 Years ($6.00 paperback in black and white; $ for 12 x 12 beautiful hardback in full color) You have never strayed too far for the Father s forgiveness and grace. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Nativity Church is open 24x7. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration and there is always someone present in prayer. Won t you join us by signing up for a weekly Holy Hour? When you sign up, you and your intentions share in the grace of everyone who comes to visit. Come and experience the dramatic presence of God in our lives. Please consider the following hours as there is no one currently assigned to them (or pick an hour that works for you): Sunday: 10:00 PM Monday: Friday: Saturday: 12:00 PM (noon) 08:00 AM, 09:00 AM 09:00 AM, 09:00 PM Thank you in advance for your generosity. The God who is not outdone in generosity will certainly bless you and your intentions. Call Mary Ellen Peloso (650/ ) to sign up. Pregnant? Need Help? Please contact the Juan Diego Society (408/ ), the Gabriel Project (800/ ), or San Juan Diego Centro por la Vida at St. Francis (650/ ).

4 Announcements OUR PARISH FAMILY Please keep all of our newest members in your prayers, as well as those who have preceded us to the Father. BAPTISMS MARRIAGES PARISHIONERS DEATHS Dahlia, daughter of Angel and Daisy Arroyo Eastwick and Keira, children of John Eames and Heather Whitlock King Samuel, son of Karlo and Hannah Gonzales Victor Sygengco Theresa Silva Ambrose Mainini The parish office will be closed on Jan Regular office hours (09:00 AM - 04:00 PM) will resume on 03 Jan REGISTER WITH THE PARISH We welcome all visitors and invite those who are considering coming home to the Catholic Church to register. Church attendance alone does not make you or your family registered members. To register online, please go to and fill out the Parish Registration Form. To obtain one in the mail, please call the rectory office 650/ during regular business hours. HOLY COMMUNION FOR THE GLUTEN-INTOLERANT We now have available low-gluten altar bread for those who are gluten-intolerant. These hosts contain less than 0.01% gluten and are approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. If you wish to receive Holy Communion with this special host please get at the end of the Communion line and let the priest know that you would like to receive the low-gluten host. If you have any questions please call the parish office, 650/ If you would like to learn more about this altar bread visit In The Community DISCERNMENT RETREAT: ST. PATRICK S SEMINARY On the weekend of JAN 2017, St. Patrick s Seminary will hold their annual discernment retreat for men considering the priesthood. The weekend is open to men 18 years and older and is free. To register for this retreat contact Fr. David Schunk at vocations@sfarch.org or 415/ For more information contact discernment.retreat@stpsu.edu. St. Patrick s Seminary is located at 320 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park. CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR MARRIAGE? Do you feel lost and alone? Are you hurt, frustrated or angry with each other? Have you thought about separation or divorce? Are you arguing or do you simply shut down? Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille (Reh-trō-vī) is a lifeline for marriages in trouble. If you are serious about making your marriage work, this program will be worthwhile for you. For more information contact: San Francisco: Harvey Duong and Connie Bui 415/ , sf@retroca.com; San Jose: Antonio and Claudia Flores 408/ , sanjose@retroca.com or visit YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BIBLE STUDY Please join our weekly Young Professionals Bible Study on Sunday afternoons. We began our study with the Epistle to the Romans. Join us at 01:30 PM for lunch, followed by discussion at 02:30 PM. We meet at Hirav and Jordan Gandhi s place at 1466 San Antonio Ave #8, Menlo Park. Please bring $5 to chip in for lunch! You can RSVP by calling or texting Jordan at 949/ DISCERNMENT DAYS: CORPUS CHRISTI MONASTERY Come and See Called by God, like Mary, to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his word, to ponder and call upon him is solitude. Corpus Christi Monastery will be holding another discernment day for single Catholic women (ages 18-38) on 21 JAN To register or for more information contact Sr. Joseph Marie, O.P. at vocations@nunsmenlo.org or 650/ x19. The nuns at Corpus Christi Monastery are Dominican Contemplative Nuns, whose whole life is harmoniously ordered to the continual remembrance of God. Corpus Christi Monastery, 215 Oak Grove Avenue, Menlo Park, California. DONATIONS FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF ST. PAUL Please consider a tax-deductible donation to help the Daughters of St. Paul fund the renovation of their new permanent convent and bookstore on Middlefield Ave in Redwood City. Please call to make a donation at their current location 650/ or stop by 935 Brewster Ave, Redwood City. NATIVITY LIBRARY Nativity has an excellent library in the O Hare Center. It is chock full of books on Lives of the Saints, Spirituality, Bible Studies, Theology, Teens, Family, Catholic Fiction, and lots of Children s books. It is open on Sunday morning from -12:30 PM. For other times, you may get a key from the office. Take advantage of the great books that will supplement and increase your spiritual growth. All books (400+) and DVDs (100+) have been donated by parishioners, and the borrowing is on the honor system. For questions, call Deacon Dominick Peloso at 650/

5 THE HOLY FATHER S PRAYER INTENTIONS From the Holy See Each month His Holiness asks for prayer intentions. For January 2017, the Holy Father s prayer intentions are: Intention: Christian Unity That all Christians may be faithful to the Lord s teaching by striving with prayer and fraternal charity to restore ecclesial communion and by collaborating to meet the challenges facing humanity. A NOTE FROM THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER Starting in 2017 the Pope will present only one prepared prayer intention per month, rather than the two presented before this year. He plans, however, to add a second prayer intention each month related to current events or urgent needs, like disaster relief. The urgent prayer request will help mobilize prayer and action related to the urgent situation. The Apostleship of Prayer will publish these urgent prayer intentions on this website as soon as we receive them from the Vatican. 01 JAN (Sunday): WORLD DAY OF PEACE The World Day of Peace was established by Pope Paul VI, and is celebrated annually on 01 JAN. This year marks the 50th World Day of Peace. For 2017, Pope Francis theme is Non-Violence: a Style of Politics for Peace. Read the full text of the Pope s Message at w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace.index.html The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Calendar of Novenae 01 JAN (SUN) THIRD DAY: Epiphany Novena 02 JAN (MON) FOURTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 03 JAN (TUE) FIFTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 04 JAN (WED) SIXTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 05 JAN (THU) SEVENTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 06 JAN (FRI) EIGHTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 07 JAN () NINTH DAY: Epiphany Novena 08 JAN (SUN) The Epiphany of Our Lord 09 JAN (MON) 10 JAN (TUE) 11 JAN (WED) 12 JAN (THU) 13 JAN (FRI) 14 JAN () FIND THE NOVENA PRAYERS Epiphany Novena: OTHER NOVENA PRAYERS Infant Jesus of Prague (nine-hour): St. Therese 24 Glory Be s Novena: Novena for Priests: Effecacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: BOOKLET: PRAYING THE ROSARY FOR THE WORLD The Praying the Rosary for the World: God s Power is in our Hands When We Pray the Rosary booklet was compiled by the Cloistered Dominican Nuns of Corpus Christi Monastery in Menlo Park. It includes a prayer for each mystery of the Rosary, and a special intention for each Hail Mary related to the mystery being said. Using this booklet while saying the Rosary will not only be helpful to you, but also for the world. You may purchase these booklets in the parish office during regular office hours, Monday-Friday, 09:00 AM-04:00 PM. The booklets are $2.00 apiece. All money will go directly to Corpus Christi Monastery. VISIT BETHLEHEM AT OUR LADY OF PEACE CHURCH Schedule of New Year Services 02 JAN (Monday) 09:00 AM Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 03 JAN (Tuesday) Regular Mass Schedule

6 YOUR FAMILY IS A GREAT TREASURE A family is one of God s greatest gifts. Sometimes we are all so busy that we forget to be thankful for our families, and to take the time to tell each other how much they are loved and appreciated. 1. Try to find out one new special thing about your mother and father, that you didn t know before. Did your mom once win the state Science Fair? Is your dad an expert with a yo-yo? Parents are amazing people that have amazing things to share with you: give them a chance to do that. 2. Find out more about your ancestors. Start with both sets of your grandparents. Ask your parents to tell you one special thing about each grandparent that you didn t know before. Maybe your grandfather was the mayor of the town in which he was born. Maybe your grandmother was the first woman in your family to graduate from college. Your family is a unique treasure, and a big part of that treasure is YOU. Young Believers The 12 Days of Christmas Although there is no historical evidence to support the claim, there are widely-circulated stories and speculation that during the 16th century, when English Catholics were being persecuted by the Church of England, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was created with religious symbolism to allow the study of many tenets of the faith without fear. According to the stories, the hidden references are: 1. My True Love (God, Our Father) gave to me... a partridge in a pear tree (Our Lord Jesus upon the Cross). 2. Two turtle doves: the Old and New Testaments. 3. Three French hens: Faith, Hope, and Charity. 4. Four colly birds: the Four Gospels (or the Four Evangelists). 5. Five golden rings: the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch). 6. Six geese a laying: the six days of the Creation. 7. Seven swans a swimming: the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (or the seven Sacraments). 8. Eight maids a milking: the eight Beatitudes. 9. Nine ladies dancing: the nine Fruits of the Holay Spirit. 10. Ten lords a leaping: the Ten Commandments. 11. Eleven pipers piping: the eleven faithful Apostles. 12. Twelve drummers drumming: the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed. The Twelve Days of Christmas are December 26th to January 6th (the Feast of the Epiphany). For the last 30 years, PNC Wealth Management has calculated the cost of purchasing all the gifts named in The 12 Days of Christmas. In 2016, to purchase 12 drummers drumming, 22 pipers piping, 30 lords-a-leaping, 36 ladies dancing, 40 maids-a-milking, 42 swans-a-swimming, 42 geese-alaying, 40 gold rings, 36 calling birds, 30 French hens, 22 turtle doves, and 12 partridges in pear trees (364 gifts) would cost $156,508. The cost is slightly higher than last year, due to the increased cost of turtle doves and higher wages paid to both pipers and drummers). The most unpredictable component in the calculation every year is... the swans. DID YOU KNOW?