Feast of the Epiphany. January 6, 2019

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1 Feast of the Epiphany January 6, 2019 Parish Staff Rev. Thomas K. Diaz, Pastor Joe Olsen, Deacon (retired) Liz Black, Office Manager Jennifer Bedoka, Children s Faith Formation Paul Casey, Adult Faith Formation Robert Ito, Youth Ministry Stephanie Bodi, Parish Council President Andy Darrow, Music Director Cynthia Lusk, Bookkeeper Office hours: Tuesday-Friday 9-1:30 p.m. Website: Baptism: Preparation class for parents and godparents is held on the last Sunday of every other month at noon. The next class is on January 27 th. Please contact the parish office to register for the class. Scheduling is done for the Baptism after the class is taken. Reconciliation: Sat. & Sun. 9:45-10:15 a.m. Marriage: 6-month notice. Please contact Fr. Tom. Anointing of the Sick: During the Saturday 9 a.m. Mass or please contact Fr. Tom. Retrouvaille: Hope for Struggling Marriages, HelpOurMarriage.com Mass intentions: Please phone the office to schedule a Mass intention a few weeks in advance. St. Vincent De Paul Society: (707) St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church 4595 Snyder Lane Rohnert Park, CA (707) , FAX: (707) Mass Schedule and Intentions Saturday, Jan. 5 5:00 p.m. (Vigil) +Lawrence Wong Sunday, Jan. 6 8:30 a.m. Int. Nora Olsen 10:30 a.m. For the People Tuesday, Jan. 8, 8:15 a.m. Int. Vanessa Lemrond Wednesday, Jan. 9 8:15 a.m. Int. Christina Matzen, Thursday, Jan. 10 8:15 a.m. No Intention Friday, Jan. 11 8:15 a.m. Int. Don Johnson Saturday, Jan. 12 9:00 a.m. Int. Kathryn Stoddard 5:00 p.m. (Vigil) +Nancy Natividad Sunday, Jan. 13 8:30 a.m. For the People 10:30 a.m. +Beverly D Amore Cheerfulness prepares a glorious mind for all the noblest acts. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR PARISH FAMILY? Name Phone Number Address Number of Catholic members at this address Do you want envelopes Please tear this out and drop it in the collection basket or the mail. Welcome to our parish.

2 Today s Readings Reading I: Isaiah 60:1-6 Reading II: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 Who knew the Messiah was born as the baby Jesus in Bethlehem in that wintertime? In this Gospel Reading, a lot of people came to figure it out. The chief priests and scribes knew where the Messiah would be born because they could interpret the parts in the Old Testament that predicted the Messiah s birth. The magi from the East knew that the Messiah had been born because they could interpret the presence of the star in the sky. When the magi followed the star to Bethlehem to see for themselves, Herod the King ordered them to come back and tell him too. For all these people, there was a way to know the birth of the Messiah. The priests could interpret Scripture, and the magi could read the stars. King Herod had the political power to command their knowledge and wisdom for his own purposes. But what about people who lack the advantages of the priests and magi and who have no power to command others? How are they to know? Does God make provision only for the fortunate? Consider the shepherds. They lacked the money needed for education, and so they lacked the ability to use Scripture or stars to know the birth of the Messiah. They had no power to command others to share the fruits of their education with them either. But it isn t powerlessness or poverty that keeps a person from knowing the birth of the Messiah. In the end, it was not the shepherds but the powerful and wealthy King Herod, with his evil-hearted intentions, who didn t know the baby Jesus was the Messiah. The magi didn t tell him, because God warned them in a dream not to. And so, Herod the King didn t know. In spite of their lack of all worldly advantages, the shepherds in fact outranked the king and all the others. They were by the side of the Messiah first and they didn t have to figure it out for themselves either. The shepherds may have been poor and simple, but they were trusting and open-hearted, too. And so, they knew Christ Jesus was born in a manager in Bethlehem that cold winter night because they heard the angels sing. Eleonore Stump Question: Though darkness covered the earth, light and glory came to Jerusalem, says the First Reading. Are you aware of God s light and glory in your life? Readings for next week, the Baptism of the Lord Reading I: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. Reading II: ACTS 10:34-38 Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." Gospel: LK 3:15-16, The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. Stewardship for December 2018 Plate: 12/2: $3,826, Immaculate Conception- $1,072 12/9: $3,234,12/16: $2,854, 12/23: $3,372, Christmas-$9,049, 12/30: $3,213 2 nd Collections: Building Maintenance-$1,494, Retirement for Religious-$1,556, St. Vincent de Paul-$1,831. Please pray for our sick and weak: Christina Matzen, Don Johnson, Vanessa Lemrond. Please let the office know if you would like your name on this list.

3 Events this week in our Parish Sun. Jan. 6, 10:30 am Anniversary Blessing Mon. Jan. 7, 6 pm Parish Council Tues. Jan. 8, 3:30 pm Children s Faith Formation Wed. Jan. 9, 7:00 pm Adult Faith Formation, Topic: Baptism & Confirmation. Fri. Jan. 11, 6:30 pm Movie Night in the Large Mtg. Rm. The movie, Wonder Sun. Jan. 13, 12:30 pm Dedication of the Holy Family statue and Parish Potluck. 7:00 pm Confirmation Formation. Children s Faith Formation We are still in need of Prayer Partners. A prayer partner is someone in our parish that takes time to say a prayer and can send a message (note or card) to one of our children preparing for their First Communion. The cards can be signed with just prayer partner. Notes and cards can be dropped off at the parish office or after mass in the box located in the vestibule of the church. Classes resume next week on January 8, 2019 from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm. Please continue to attend church and I look forward to seeing all of you at Sunday mass. God Bless! Jennifer Bedoka, (707) Mark your Calendars: Movie Night Jan. 11, 2019, at 6:30 pm in the Large classroom. We will be showing WONDER, which is inspiring & uplifting for the whole family. This is a story of a young boy born into a family with facial differences. Popcorn provided. Feature Run Time: 113 minutes. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton s Winter Wonderland Potluck Next Sunday, January 13 th 12:30 pm: Dedication of the Holy Family statue. The Potluck follows the dedication. Sign-up in the church vestibule to bring one thing by today. Obligations to go to mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation Having just had a Holy Day of Obligation on January 1 st, the Church teaches us that on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass. Since a "grave cause" is needed to excuse one from this obligation it would be a serious or mortal sin to willfully skip Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation, as the Church has always taught. Reasons such as the necessity to work to support one's family, child care, personal sickness or the care of the sick, necessary travel etc. could excuse a person on a particular occasion. The question is are the reasons good enough excuses to willfully not go to church? I just forgot. I was visiting someone but did not want to bother them to take me to church. I did not know where the church was in my travels. I did not feel good but did other things that day. I couldn t make the mass time. We can rationalize almost anything today. The focus for us is from the fact that in the Mass it is Christ Himself who worships the Father, joining our worship to His. In no other way is it possible to adequately give thanks (eucharistia) to God for the blessings of creation, redemption and our sanctification than by uniting our offerings to that of Jesus Christ Himself. Those who have continuing reason to be excused should consult their pastor. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul gives heartfelt thanks to the Youth Group for setting up the Giving Tree. They collected and wrapped gifts for 139 children making it possible for the Society to deliver gifts for all the children along with Christmas food to 72 of our families in need through our "Christmas Basket Program". Our sincere thanks to all parishioners who donated to the Giving Tree with overwhelming generosity, bringing so many beautiful toys, clothes and gift cards for the children and for your ongoing support of our work through the 5th Sunday collections. Together we bring God's love to the poor! Events Outside the Parish Wednesdays at Hospice at St. Joseph s Health Dying Well with Hospice A compassionate guide to End-of-Life Care. Hospice of Petaluma, 416 Payran St., Petaluma. Jan. 9, 2019, 5:50-7:30 pm. Memorial Hospice, 439 College Ave., Santa Rosa. Jan. 16, 2019, 5:30-7:30 pm. For more information call or Discernment Day for Young Women, Come and See Day is January 19, For more information and to register visit or contact Sister Joseph Marie O.P. at vocations@opnunsmenlo.org.

4 This day is for single, Catholic women ages The day begins with Mass at 8 am, followed by Divine Office, Rosary, Conferences on Discernment, Recreation with the nuns, Adoration and more: the event is free, and will take place at Corpus Christi Monastery in Menlo Park, CA. Catholic Cursillo Fellowship. The Catholic Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Santa Rosa invites all Catholic Cursillistas to an Ultreya, Jan. 19, from 2-4 at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 4594 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. If you are interested in learning about the Catholic Cursillo Movement, you are also welcomed to attend the Ultreya. Refreshments will be served. For more information call Molly Touchette, , or Olga Dorado Humor The Pastor s Corner As the Christmas season ends on Friday we go to Ordinary Time in the Church until Lent in March. Life in the parish should never be ordinary. I want to thank all those who showed leadership this past year in the parish and those who wish to come forth this year in leadership. During this year we will have elections for a new Parish Council with guidelines on what expectations will be. I thank those members who are still on the council for what they have done this past year, my first year here. They have given me good advice, a history of the parish through thick and thin and more. They also have organized socials in the parish, the BBQ and the potluck next week. Thank you to: Liz Black, Tony Piazza, Tony Turegano, Bill Yates, Joyce Varak, Nora John, Jennifer Bedoka, John Buhagiar, Giovanna DeSimone, Stephanie Bodi and Andy Darrow. My Other Hat, The Parish Administrator s Corner. Letters are going out next week to those who did not register when asked to in the Spring or afterwards. It is very difficult to keep information updated, especially when people have their phones (landlines) discontinued, to go to cell phones or move without telling us or do not correspond with us. Envelopes cost the parish $1, a year. I reviewed what people put in the envelopes last year but not looking at names. Last year we had quite a few people who wanted envelopes but gave less than $40 dollars via the envelopes for the year. Please remember that the envelopes have a price for the use of them and for the mailing. If you do not want them, please contact the office. When using the crying room please return the room to a respectable condition afterwards. The room should be used for parents with small children if they wish, but not for late comers. Pope Francis: When praying, remember the words of Jesus when he taught the Our Father, Pope Francis said Wednesday, meeting God as his beloved child and speaking from the heart. Some think that to pray is to use many words. I too think of many Christians who believe that praying is to talk to God like a parrot, no! Praying is done from the heart, from inside, the pope said Jan. 2. He does not need anything, our God: in prayer he asks only that we keep open a channel of communication with him to always discover ourselves [to be] his beloved children and [that] he loves us. In his first general audience of 2019, Pope Francis continued his teaching on the Our Father by reflecting on the context in which Jesus taught the prayer to his followers. When Jesus introduces the Our Father as a way to pray, he, at the same time, distances himself from two types of people and two other ways of praying, the pope said. The first way is the mode of the hypocrite, who when he prays wants to be seen and admired, he said, noting that this is like the scandal of people who go often to Church, but then turn around and spread hate, speaking badly about people. This is a scandal! Better not to go to church: live like that, as an atheist, he said. Christians, he added, should strive to give witness, not a counter-witness. He pointed out that Jesus also distances himself from the babble of pagans, who think they will be heard because of their many words. The pope explained that in this passage, Jesus might be alluding to a type of captatio benevolentiae the idea in ancient pagan worship that the gods had to be first placated by a long list of praises. Christian prayer, on the other hand, has no other credible testimony than its own conscience, he said, where a continuous dialogue with the Father intertwines intensely: When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret. Jesus, Pope Francis said, teaches his disciples to turn to God in prayer, as a child turns to his or her father, who already knows what things he needs before he asks them.

5 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR BULLETIN SPONSORS Crestview RCFE A HOME FOR THE ELDERLY HELEN S. ALMONTE RN, MSN, RCFE, ADMINISTRATOR 1328 Crestview Court, Santa Rosa, CA PHONE/FAX helen_almonte19@yahoo.com LICENSE NO The Clean Team House Cleaning Services Free Estimates Cell ( Silvia Cell (707) Francisca EGGEN & LANCE CHAPEL Rohnert Park We are offering a discount to all veterans. Please give us a call for details Hablamos Español Direct Cremation Services Funerals * Memorials * Cremations 310 Raley s Towne Center, Rohnert Park, CA Tutoring Reading Language Arts Basic Math Is your child having a difficult time in any of these areas. Linda Mish =4 Hour or Half Hour Sessions $12 per half hour Linda s House Preschool We Speak English U.S. Citizenship References Quality Preschool Kindergarten September-June Rohnert Preparation M-W-F-8:30-12:30 pm. Park Tu-Thur-12:30 pm. D Summer School Ages 3-5 yrs. Old Section Program Snack and Lunch served #70676