His Presence-Matthew

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1 St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Parish Welcomes And Invites You To Celebrate The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24, 2017 The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Luke 1:35 The beauty of Christmas is not in the presents but in His Presence-Matthew PARISH STAFF Parochial Administrator, Ext. 4 Rev. Fr. Restituto Galang, MSP Parochial Vicar, Ext. 5 Rev. Fr. Percy Singco, MSP Permanent Deacons Rudy David, Pete Lobo, Juan Moreno, Jose Revelo, Bobby Peregrino, Dennis Purificacion HOLY MASSES, PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS, EXT. 1 SATURDAYS: 8:00AM, 5:00PM [VIGIL] SUNDAYS: 8:00AM; 10:00AM; 12:00PM; 5:00PM ~ Spanish: 7:00PM 4th SUNDAY: 2:00PM Cancer Support DAILY: 7:45AM and 6:00PM FRIDAYS: 8:30AM, School Mass Parish Office, Ext. 3 Deny Natividad, Parish Business Manager Mike Reay, Parish Bookkeeper Lynne Magat, Parish Secretary Sarah Macaraeg, Parish Secretary Office Hours, Monday-Friday 8:30AM to 5:00PM Lunch: 12:15 1:15PM PARISH SCHOOL Christine Walsh, Principal 3460 Tennessee Street School Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:15AM-3:00PM office@scstars.net RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Janet Brandon, Religious Education Coordinator Deacon Bobby Peregrino, Confirmation Coordinator Monday-Friday 9:00AM-4:00PM Evening Hours By Appointment Only Grades 1-5 Mondays, 4:00-5:15PM Grades 6-8 Mondays, 7:00-8:15PM Confirmation Grades 9-12 Mondays, 7:00-8:30PM Sacramental Inquiries Sacrament of Reconciliation, Ext. 2 Wednesdays: 5:00-5:45PM Saturdays: 4:00 4:45PM and by appointment Infant Baptismal Preparation First Saturday of the month Matrimony Preparation usually begins Six (6) months prior to wedding 1st MONDAYS, Devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, 5TH MONDAYS 1st TUESDAYS, Holy Rosary, Devotion to St. Anthony 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, 5TH TUESDAYS, Devotion to Saint Joseph ALL WEDNESDAYS Eucharistic Adoration after 7:45AM mass to 6:00PM 3RD WEDNESDAYS 5:00PM Holy Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help 6:00PM Tri-Parish Charismatic Healing Holy Mass 1ST, 2ND, 4TH, 5TH WEDNESDAYS 5:00PM Holy Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help ALL THURSDAYS, Devotion to St. Jude Thaddeus 1st FRIDAYS followed by First Friday Devotions Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary for Priests and Holy Hour of Reparation 2ND, 4TH, 5TH FRIDAYS, Holy Rosary, and Devotion to the Precious Blood 3RD FRIDAYS 5:00PM Prayers for Vocations FIRST SATURDAYS Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 7:00AM Holy Rosary [20] 8:00AM Holy Mass followed by final decades of the Holy Rosary 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, 5TH SATURDAYS [For the Unborn and the Elderly] 8:00AM Holy Mass, Rosary for Life St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Parish 3450 Tennessee Street, Vallejo, California Telephone: [707] stcatherine@stcsv.org Website: facebook.com/stcatherinevallejo

2 READINGS OF THE WEEK Monday: The Nativity of the Lord Vigil: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27-29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 [18-25] During the Night: Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-3, 11-13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 Dawn: Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20 Day: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1-6; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14] Tuesday: St. Stephen Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Psalm 31:3cd-4, 6, 8ab, 16bc, 17; Matthew 10:17-22 Wednesday: St. John 1 John 1:1-4; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; John 20:1a, 2-8 Thursday: The Holy Innocents St. Thomas Becket 1 John 1:5 2:2; Psalm 124:2-5, 7cd-8; Matthew 2:13-18 Friday: 1 John 2:3-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 5b-6; Luke 2:22-35 Saturday: 1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-10; Luke 2:36-40 Sunday: The Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph Sirach 3:2-6, or Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Psalm 128: 1-5 or Psalm 105:1-6, 8-9; Colossians 3:12-21 [12-17] or Habbakkuk 11:8, 11-12, 17-19; Luke 2:22-40 [22, 39-40] GOD S PROMISE The lengthy passage from Samuel is a wonderful exposition of God s promise to the house of David: that his throne would forever be gloriously occupied by his descendants. Hidden in the mystery of the prophecy is the promise of the Savior, the Messiah, Son of God and Son of David. The prophet Nathan, speaking in God s name, poetically turns around David s plan to build a house for God, and announces God s plan to build a house, that is, a dynasty for David. From this house of David will come the Messiah, the Christ, not in kingly splendor as David ruled, but as a humble man, destined to rule forever and over all. When God gives a gift, it s amazing what we are given so different from what we ever could have imagined. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. LA PROMESA DE DIOS El largo pasaje de Samuel expone de manera maravillosa la promesa de Dios a la dinastía de David: que su trono siempre estaría ocupado gloriosamente por sus descendientes. Oculta en el misterio de la profecía está la promesa del Salvador, el Mesías, Hijo de Dios e Hijo de David. El profeta Natán, quien habla en nombre de Dios, desbarata poéticamente el plan de David de construir una casa para Dios y anuncia que el plan de Dios es construir una casa, una dinastía, para David. De esta dinastía de David provendrá el Mesías, el Cristo, quien no llegará con el esplendor majestuoso con el que reinó David, sino que vendrá como un hombre humilde, que gobernará por los siglos de los siglos. Cuando Dios hace un regalo; lo que recibimos es asombroso: es muy distinto a lo que podríamos haber imaginado. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc TODAY S READINGS First Reading I will fix a place for my people. I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance (2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16). Psalm For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 89). Second Reading To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever and ever (Romans 16:25-27). Gospel Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:26-38). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. St. Catherine of Siena, Vallejo Page 2 PLEASE turn cell phone OFF when entering the Church

3 Total Weekend Mass Collections: Weekend of December 16-17, 2017 $ 10, Weekly Mass Collection Goal $12, May the good Lord who cannot be outdone in generosity reward you and your loved ones a thousand fold of His choicest blessings. Let Us Pray For Each Other Our blessings are not the fruit of our prayers alone, but those of others praying for us. Most, if not all, of our blessings are fruits of community prayers. We pray for healing in our daily prayers for: Adoracion Centeno, Al and Marie Berenguer, Jose Apilado, Rory David, Aida Salumbides, Precy Datu, Lilia Maypa, Mahalia White, Ochie Diamzon, Bart & Eching Didasa, Elaine Rairden, Ted and Meng Caponpon, Darrell Nystrom, Jayr Salgado, Grace Salgado Please call the rectory at to make or renew a prayer request. Anointing of the Sick If there is an urgent need for a Priest to Visit a Sick Family Member OPEN POSITION: CUSTODIAN/MAINTENANCE WORKER Apply for Custodian/Maintenance Workers position in St. Catherine of Siena Parish Office. Please visit to download or go to the Parish Office to get a copy of the Job Description. Song of Farewell May the choir of angels come to greet you May they speed you to paradise May the Lord enfold you in his mercy. May you find eternal life. -Ernest Sands Nicanor Talosig Eternal rest grant unto the souls of our parishioners, family members, friends and all poor souls. Let the perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. We Are Keeping Our Capital Campaign Promise If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. C. S. Lewis Our parish is truly blessed to have many generous families who are keeping their promise to support the parish s Capital Campaign. We are well on our way to keeping our promise to support the $2,244,385 Capital Campaign pledge we ve made. Thank You! Muchas Gracias! Salamat! As of December 11, 2017, we have received $380,894 with $262,416 toward our PLC debt and Diocesan Programs. We highly encourage those who have yet to start their pledge to keep their campaign pledge. Most importantly, we appreciate your stewardship to our parish and we hope you remain supportive of our Capital Campaign The pledges donated to the Capital Campaign is a tax write-off, a nice tax deduction for April 15, A payment to the Diocese is anticipated to be made late December If you are new to our parish or have not yet made a pledge we ask you to prayerfully consider pledging to the Capital Campaign. Anyone who would like to make a pledge should visit the information display in the narthex, or call the rectory at for pledge or online payment information at All payments received at the rectory or postmarked by December 31, 2017 will be included on 2017 Campaign Statements, which will be available by mid-january, Our goal is to have 100% participation in our parish! TEACH OUR CHILDREN WELL AT THE SCHOOL Friday, Dec. 29 No School AT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Monday, Dec. 25 Christmas Vacation - No Class St. Catherine of Siena, Vallejo Page 3 PLEASE turn cell phone OFF when entering the Church

4 A Christmas Contemplation on the Nativity of the Lord Christmas Eve and Christmas day are moments of contemplation. We consider, in many dimensions, the mystery of love that was incarnated for us. We contemplate the light and joy, without forgetting Jesus and Mary s sorrows and sufferings, and the many difficulties that had surrounded them: the cold, the uncomfortable place, the dangers. Accompany these thoughts by reciting and meditating slowly on the Holy Rosary, preferably in front of a crib, the blessed grotto of Bethlehem, that testified to the wonders! This Holy Christmas contemplate Mother Mary and Blessed Joseph as they gazed on their Son. If our faith must be fully evangelical, it cannot neglect a sane and profound devotion to the Mother of God, as she shows us the easiest way to reach Jesus. In the silence of this Holy Night, may your heart be illuminated with love, joy and peace. The hope of the world begins in God s heart. It becomes complete when it reaches the heart of man with love and understanding. HOLY INNOCENTS THIS Thursday, December 28 The Holy Innocents are the children mentioned in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2: Herod, perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent his soldiers to kill thousands of male children ages two and under that were in Bethlehem and on the borders, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled the prophesy of Jeremiah: A voice in Rama was heard, of lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailed her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not. It is impossible to determine the day or the year of the death of the Holy Innocents; but we know is that the infants were slaughtered within two years following the apparition of the star to the Wise Men. CHRISTMAS SEASON AT ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA Sun, 12/24 Mon, 12/25 The Nativity of the Lord [Vigil] The Nativity of the Lord 5:00pm [Children, 7:00pm, 9:00pm [Spanish], 11:00pm [High Mass] 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm [Spanish] Fulfills Holy Day Of Obligation Sat., 12/30 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph [Vigil] The Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph 5:00pm, 7:00pm [Spanish] 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00pm Fulfills Sunday Obligation Sun., 12/31 Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God [Vigil] 7:00pm, 9:00pm(followed by Overnight Vigil] Because the solemnity falls on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated Mon., 1/1/2018 Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God 10:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00pm St. Catherine of Siena, Vallejo Page 4 PLEASE turn cell phone OFF when entering the Church

5 Volunteer Income Tax Assistant [VITA] Project at St. Catherine s The United Way of the Bay Area in partnership with the IRS would like to invite volunteers to assist in the income tax preparation for low income earners. Volunteers need to be certified to prepare income taxes. Spanish speaking volunteers are welcome to join. Training to be certified tax preparers will be held for 3 Saturdays beginning January 6, Please The volunteer site will be open at the PLC building every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. beginning February 3, 2018 to April 14, For further details please contact May Calubaquib (ronmay12512@comcast.net) or through the Parish Office ( ) by leaving your name and phone number. TREASURES OF OUR TRADITION Children of the parish are somewhat focused on Santa Claus these days, who is keeping an eye on who s naughty and who s nice. Santa Claus, with his heavenly patron Saint Nicholas, has been more or less in charge of gift-giving to American children for a hundred years or so. In other places, perhaps more attentive to our Christian tradition, there are different gift-bearers. In Greece, Saint Basil delivers the presents on his feast day, December 31, and makes sure everyone is sprinkled with holy water. The Baby Jesus is in charge elsewhere, called the Christkind in Austria and Belgium, El Niño Jesús in Columbia, and Le Petit Jesus in France, where he shares his duties with Père Noël. In the Czech Republic almost everyone is atheist, but Ježíšek, the infant Jesus, brings gifts to one and all. In Poland the Star Man is said to bring the gifts, although often he turns out to be the village priest in disguise. Saint Nicholas, not his Americanized cousin, is the giver in Holland, where he wears a bishop s miter, and in Russia, where he wears a bishop s crown. Soviet Russia tried to dethrone Saint Nicholas and promote Grandfather Frost, but no one was much fooled by this attempt to squeeze religion out of Christ s birth. One country has a saintly woman in charge of the gifts, Saint Lucy, honored in Sweden on December 13, when children serve their parents breakfast in bed, and others awake to news that they have been nominated for a Nobel Prize. Some children have a second round of gifts on Epiphany, when the magi assume the gift-giving duties. In general, the gifts of Christmas are simple pleasures, not great heaps of treasures. Once upon a time, a new pair of socks or an orange was enough for us. No matter what gifts we receive, all of them are to point us to the true gift, and the true giver. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. LAY MINISTERS SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEKEND version available at SCS website: Day & Time Word: 1st & 2nd EM Altar Servers Hosp. DEC SAT 5:00 PM Arnie Cabiles Nena Velasquez C F1 B The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary SAT 7:00 PM S P A N I S H and Joseph SUN 8:00 AM Liz Leon Guerrerro Doris Manuzon D G1 B SUN 10:00 AM Maureen DeVigal Dan Alves E H1 B Journey #895 SUN 12:00 PM Lina Dacio Lolit Antolin F I1 B White SUN 5:00 PM Edmund Reduta Ian Arguelles G/CYM J1 CYM Mary, Mother of God SUN 7:00 PM Tom Rodgers Grace Salgado H F2 Vigil SUN 9:00PM Helen Dris Ross Galay I G2 St. Catherine of Siena, Vallejo Page 6 PLEASE turn cell phone OFF when entering the Church