First Sunday of Advent

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2 First Sunday of Advent Today's Message The Gospel of Mark The second gospel takes our breath away with its rapid telling of the events of Jesus public ministry. A mere sixteen chapters from beginning to end, the Gospel of Mark is both the shortest and earliest of the four gospels in the Bible. Archeologists and textual experts have dated this gospel to about 70 CE, at least a few decades after the death of Jesus. This date, which many Christians find to be quite late, does not mean that the stories were brand-new at the time; it means that earlier Christians so expected the second coming of Christ in their own lifetimes that they did not take the time to sit down and write. The stories were passed along orally until later in the first century. The Gospel of Mark gives us a unique portrait of Jesus, which can be drawn as much from what the gospel does not contain as from what it does. The story begins, for example, not with a story of the birth of Jesus, as do the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. No magi or shepherds for Mark! The end of the Gospel had a unique abbreviation as well. The original version of Mark ended not with 16:20 (as do our Bibles, centuries later), but with verse 16:8. The original text left hearers pondering disciples who had run away and tomb-visiting women who had fled the scene frightened out of their wits. Verses 16:9 20 were added a short time later. Between its abrupt beginning and incomplete ending an empty tomb, but no resurrection the gospel plunges us into the whirlwind of Jesus activity, which is described in a sometimes harsh, spare style. Along the way Jesus preaches and prophesies hollers and heals, teaches and tells tales up to his coming to Jerusalem, where his life as one of us ends, but the story just begins. (Perhaps we are the disciples who must now live in the mystery of the empty tomb.) The portrait of Jesus sketched by Mark is difficult for Christians to hear. Because of its content of suffering and tribulation, some have called it a passion narrative with a long introduction. Throughout the story, Jesus anticipates his death, and he draws the listener in to focus on this aspect of the Christian life. Weekly Stewardship Report Thank you to everyone who continues to support the mission and ministries of our parish. Our average weekly collection for October was $9,836 ($9,529 in 2010). Our goal for Jul Oct was $198,000. Our actual collection for Jul Oct is $175,000. We are running a deficit of nearly $25,000. Remember, we stated that we need to average an extra $1,000 a week in order to support the blessing of a third full-time Our Weekly Offering Goal... $11, November 20th... TBA priest. We encourage everyone to consider using the Sunday Offertory Envelopes or Online Giving as a way of giving to the Lord the first fruits of the "treasure" we have received. THANK YOU FOR SHARING GOD S GIFTS! Z Please Pray z FOR THE SICK AND HOMEBOUND Msgr. William Lenane, Fr. Thierry Geris, Diane Zscheile, Sr. Jeannette Donnelly, Norman Swope, Mary Fong, Devin Wakefield, Des Fitzgerald, Robert Kerrigan Sr., Lorraine Dabney For the recently deceased Rita Botti, George Hoberg, Robert O, Connor, Pat Prausa, Mary Louise Canfield, Nicholas Humy, Rose Siegmund, Paul Vavuris, Donna Rehder, Venerando Baltazar, Maria Marszal, Patricia Tighe Pray For Lists guidelines: Have permission from the person to be listed. Go through the Pastoral Home Ministry to list the names. Names will be on the list for 3 months and then be removed. Can request names to be continued after 3 months. Contact the Pastoral Home Ministry x22 or fongmt@hotmail.com Mass Intentions Sunday, November 27: 8:45 am STA.... Vince Giovannotto 10:30 am OLR.. Brian Franklin Readings: Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; Ps 80; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37 Monday, November 28: 7:15 am STA.... Mary Baracchi 8:30 am OLR... Lawrence Ventresca Readings: Is 2:1-5; Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday, November 29: 12:15 pm STA.. E. O, J. O, and A. Olubusola (sp. int.) Readings: Is 11:1-10; Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday, November 30: St. Andrew 8:30 am OLR... Tony Duffy 12:15 pm STA.. Audrey Custodio (birthday) Readings: Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22 Thursday, December 1: 8:30 am OLR... Nell Fitzgerald (health) Readings: Is 26:1-6; Mt 7:21, Friday, December 2: 12:15 pm STA.. E. O, J. O, and A. Olubusola (sp. int.) Readings: Is 29:17-24; Mt 9:27-31 Saturday, December 3: 12:15 pm STA.. Dolores Winans 5:00 pm SAG... Josephine Palomo (sp. int.) Readings: Is 30:19-21, 23-26; Mt 9:35 10:1, 5a, 6-8 Presiders Schedule Saturday & Sunday Dec 3 & 4, 2011 St. Albert the Great Sat 5:00 pm... Fr. Seimas Sun 9:00 am... Fr. Seimas Sun 11:00 am Fr. Hernandez St. Thomas Aquinas Sun 7:30 am... Fr. Hester Sun 8:45 am... Fr. Sandersfeld Sun 10:30 am.... Fr. Valenton Sun 12 noon... TBA Our Lady of the Rosary Sun 9:00 am... Fr. Gammad Sun 10:30 am.... Fr. Stanley Sun 6:00 pm Youth Fr. Valenton

3 St. Thomas Aquinas Parish This Week s Highlights Sunday, November 27: First Sunday of Advent 11:30 am... Byzantine Liturgy (SAGH) Monday, November 28: 7:00 pm... RCIA (PC) 7:30 pm... Green Comm. (PC) 7:30 pm... TMC (STAH) Tuesday, November 29: 7:00 pm... Spirituality Tues. (SAGH) 7:00 pm... Knights of Columbus (OLRH) Wednesday, November 30: 9:30 am... Bldg. & Main. (PC) 6:00 pm... RCIC (PC) Thursday, December 1: 10:00 am... Faith Sharing (SAGH) 5:30 pm... STAYouth (DC) 7:00 pm... Centering Prayer (DC) 7:00 pm... Taize Prayer (SAGH) Friday, December 2: First Friday 7:00 pm... Sp. Young Adults (OLRH) Saturday, December 3: St. Francis Xavier; First Saturday 8:00 am... Environment Team (OLR) 8:00 am... Liturgy Board (SAGH) Advent Penance Advent Penance Liturgies & Confessions Monday, December 12th at 7:00pm St. Albert the Great Monday, December 19th at 7:00pm Our Lady of the Rosary Welcome We are happy to welcome these newly registered parishioners: Adam Moerschell Aida Sanchez Wesley Lyerly Mirna & Rene Ruiz Jim & Nancy Ewing Carolina & Joseph Keenan Spirituality Tuesday Assembly November 29th Holy Virgin: Mother of God - 7pm to 8:30pm St. Albert the Great Hall, Speaker: Father Anthony Hernandez Holy Mary: Mother of God. She is a model for all Christians and experienced Advent within her literally. This is a perfect beginning to the Advent Season, as we wait with expectation, and joy, the coming of Jesus; as Mother Mary did that first Advent. The Eastern Church has a strong devotion to the Mother of God, but in many ways it is different from popular devotion to her in the Western Church. Father Anthony, pastor of Saint Basils Byzantine Rite Catholic Church, will explore these differences with us. An Investment in Your Parish For many years our Catholic parishes & schools have benefited from the charitable gifts of appreciated property from nay good and generous people. Year-end giving becomes an important consideration for many people in these last weeks of the year The knowledge that your gifts is assisting and advancing the mission of the Catholic Church can bring about tremendous good in our world. If you are able to make a gift of appreciated stock, property, or cash, while reducing your tax liability, please contact Chuck Tully (ctully@dsj.org) or (650) The Book of the Names of the Dead During the month of November, a special book will be placed near the Easter Candle. You are invited to inscribe the names of your departed family members and loved ones in this book. These people will be remembered in the prayers of our parish community throughout the month. Christmas Poinsettias & Flowers We need your help in making our churches look beautiful for the holidays. Won t you consider making a donation toward a poinsettia plant in remembrance of a loved one or just as a gift from you? Special Christmas Flower Envelopes are available in the pews. All of your gifts will be greatly appreciated. Widows & Widowers The Widow and Widowers group's Christmas party dinner is Dec 1... Please respond to Lorraine by Sunday Nov. 27th for dinner verification and also please let Jeanne Ramos (650) know if you are bringing cookies or other goodies for the party at her house. All parish Widow and Widowers are welcomed to join us for this festive time of year..you do not join a group, you just join in the joy of Christmas. The cost is $35 or less. If you need a The Advent Wreath This Sunday, November 27th, the Church enters into a new season. Advent is a winter feast celebrated for the four darkest weeks of the year. The sun rises later and later and sets long before the day is complete. Christmas comes during the darkest of this dark time. It is the Feast of Light, the celebration of Him who is the Light of the World. And so, throughout these four Advent weeks, we light a candle for each of the weeks. As the advent of Christ overcame the darkness of the world, so also, does Christ overcome the darkness within our lives.

4 November 27, 2011 St. Elizabeth Seton School St. Elizabeth Seton School needs after school tutors to help students with math, reading and homework. If you can volunteer 1-2 days a week for one hour between 3-5pm, please contact Patty Kenney at the Seton Development Office by phone or SESSdevelopment@gmail.com. Beginning in January, we need volunteers to coach our 4-8th grade girls & boys basketball teams. The season is from January-March. Teams practice 2 days a week after school, and games are one afternoon a week. Please contact Patty Kenney at the Seton Development Office by phone or SESSdevelopment@gmail.com. Got Coffee? Make St. Elizabeth Seton School your morning java stop on Wednesday, Dec 7. Join us from 8:30-9:30am. and meet new Seton School Principal Evelyn Rosa, learn more about the proposed Pre-K building plans, meet our students and see Seton s educational model in action. Pick up a Got Coffee? postcard in the back of the church. Please RSVP by calling or SESSdevelopment@gmail.com Booklets are in the back of the churches that feature the architectural plans for the proposed preschool and Kindergarten building on the St. Elizabeth Seton School campus. The Seton Development Office has additional booklets. Contact Development Director Marcy Black at Youth Ministry We would like to draw your attention to a few special upcoming service events with STAY COOL. program. For those of you not familiar with STAY COOL. it is our service component of our program. STAY COOL. provides our youth the opportunity to give their time and talent to help others in our community. The upcoming events are: Friday 12/16 6:00pm: Package Christmas dinners at St. Francis Church, 1425 Bay Rd., East Palo Alto. This event is great for the whole family! End time is determined by the amount of people and work, but typically done by 8:30pm. Saturday 12/17 9:00am: Decorate OLR Church for the Christmas Season. For the EPA events there is also help needed for set up on both Friday afternoons (start time 12:00pm) as while as drivers needed to deliver meals on both Saturday mornings (time TBA). At these events there will be no STAY COOL. reps so families should plan to participate. Please feel free to contact Vikki Howard, our STAY COOL. rep, (tvhoward4@gmail.com) or Alley White (awhite@dsj.org) if you have any questions.

5 Welcome new parishioners to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish! We encourage you to register as members of our growing family. Please your name, address, and phone to Current members please contact the Pastoral Center to update your information. KEY REFERENCES DC... Dermody Center OLR.. Our Lady of the Rosary Church OLRH OLR Church Hall KC... OLR Kerry s Corner PC... Pastoral Center SAG.. St. Albert the Great Church Holy SACRAMENTS Please contact the Pastoral Center for more information. Anointing of the Sick: Every first Monday of the month after the 7:15 am Mass. Once a year, the weekend closest to February 11, World Day of the Sick, and by request. Christian Initiation: If interested in exploring the Catholic faith or completing the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation) as an adult, youth or child. Infant Baptism: Preparation may begin before or after the birth of your child. Marriage: Arrangements need to be made at least six months prior to the proposed marriage date. Administration, Office Staff, & committees Main Phone: (650) Business & Operations Manager: Chuck Tully ext. 20 ctully@dsj.org Administrative Assistant: Sandra Pedersen ext. 10 Pastoral Home Ministry: Mary Fong and Pat Dietrich ext. 22 Pastoral Stewardship Council: (every 2nd Wednesday 7:00 pm OLR) Chairperson: Kay Williams (650) ; Vice-Chairperson: Jim McLaughlin (650) ; Secretary: Jerry Lucha (650) SAGH SAG Hall SESS.. St. Elizabeth Seton School SESA. SES Auditorium STA... St. Thomas Aquinas Church STAH. STA Hall (basement rectory) TH.... Thomas House Community Life: Jeanne Ramos (650) & Beverly Wade (650) Human Concerns Committee: Chair: Paul Chestnut (408) St. Vincent de Paul Society: (650) Parish Site Committees: STA: Kay Williams (650) ; OLR: Micky Martin (650) ; SAG: Pat Briggs (650) ; Kathleen Hart (650) ; Roberto Alvelais (650) St. Elizabeth Seton School (Daughters of Charity): 1095 Channing Avenue (650) Principal: Evelyn Rosa Director of Development: Marcy Black (650) STA Photography: (650) , photography@ paloaltocatholic.org PALOALTOPHOTOG/SpecialR1 Stanford Hospital Chaplaincy: Catholic Chaplain: Fr. John Hester (650) Lucile Packard Children s Hospital Chaplaincy: Rev. Carolyn Glauz-Todrank (650) Widows/Widowers Group: Lorraine Dabney (650) Toll Free Movie Reviews for Parents: 1 (800) 311-4CCC