29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017

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ST. BRENDAN CHURCH 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. No. (415) 681-4225 www.stbrendanparish.

priest how to serve the people of God. The pastor, Father Tom Hamilton, often put me to shame, although he did so unintentionally.

1 ST. BRENDAN CHURCH 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017 God Comforts His People: Hygge Your Home When I was a seminarian, I spent nearly a year at Saint Gabriel Church in the Sunset, learning from a seasoned priest how to serve the people of God. The pastor, Father Tom Hamilton, often put me to shame, although he did so unintentionally. On my first day, I arrived in the sacristy to serve at Mass about five minutes before it began. Father Tom was already there. All the candles had been lit, the Missal and the vessels arranged, the doors opened, and the lights and sound system turned on. The next day, I arrived ten minutes before Mass, with the same result. In a vain attempt to beat Father Tom to the sacristy, each day I would try to arrive five minutes earlier than the preceding morning, but to no avail. He was always there, fully vested, sitting calmly on a chair in the sacristy, praying, when I burst through the doors flustered and discombobulated. In the nine months of my stay, I never got to the sacristy first. I asked Father Tom why he always arrived so early to Mass. He told me that it brought him comfort to be there well ahead of time and, as he put it, to putter around. It was a form of prayer for him and a way to center himself before Mass. Indeed, there s a kind of quiet joy to what I now call religious puttering. Perhaps that s at the heart of what the Saint Brendan Church Altar Guild does. As a 30-year parishioner and leader of the organization, Pura Lippi, put it, I just love to be at the altar. I meditate while I work, and it gives me consolation. The first reading this weekend promises that God s people will be comforted when they prepare the way of the Lord. The gospel reading similarly reminds us that, particularly during Advent, we should prepare for the Lord by repenting for our sins and returning to him. The stillness of the Advent season should encourage us to slow down and prepare ourselves in every way, including a bit of religious puttering in our own homes. Last week at Mass, I spoke about a Danish word that has come into vogue recently. It s called hygge (pronounced hue-guh), which roughly translates to coziness, comfort, or snugness. As one description put it, hygge is a sense of togetherness and inner warmth, a world lit by candles and snuggled under blankets ( Winter Joy ). This Scandinavian art of creating intimacy that has led to the highest recorded levels of happiness in the world involves a certain kind of conscious awareness, a slowness, and the ability to recognize and enjoy the present with others. Advent is the perfect time to hygge your home. Instead of rushing around in a dither to make sure that we ve put up the tree, assembled the crèche, hung the mistletoe, strung the lights outside, and baked the gingerbread house, this year perhaps consider these tasks to be an act of prayer. Go slow. Make time for it. Dawdle. Drag it out and see how your attitude changes when your home becomes hyggelig through religious puttering. Father Roger Gustafson, Pastor

Featured News & Events YEAR OF PRAYER CONTINUES December 13 at 7 p.m. St. Brendan s year of prayer continues next month with David Clayton speaking on Prayer in the Home.

RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS December 9-10 Please contribute to the annual collection for the women and men religious of our Archdiocese who are facing retirement with limited resources and

All children are welcome to participate. One rehearsal will be held on Sunday, December 17, after the 9:30 am Mass. Please contact Tara Donohue: tdonohue@zephyrsf.com. EXPERIENCED NAVIGATORS NEW YEAR S EVE PARTY December 31, 6:00 p.

2 Featured News & Events YEAR OF PRAYER CONTINUES December 13 at 7 p.m. St. Brendan s year of prayer continues next month with David Clayton speaking on Prayer in the Home. Learn new ways to pray with your family during the Christmas holidays and throughout the New Year. Praise & Worship Music included and light refreshments following the presentation. RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS December 9-10 Please contribute to the annual collection for the women and men religious of our Archdiocese who are facing retirement with limited resources and please remember them in your prayers. CHRISTMAS PAGEANT REHEARSAL December 17, 9:30 a.m. Mass The annual Christmas Pageant will take place at the December 24 Christmas Eve Liturgy. All children are welcome to participate. One rehearsal will be held on Sunday, December 17, after the 9:30 am Mass. Please contact Tara Donohue: tdonohue@zephyrsf.com. EXPERIENCED NAVIGATORS NEW YEAR S EVE PARTY December 31, 6:00 p.m. Church Hall St. Brendan Experienced Navigators (50+ years) invite you to their annual New Year s Eve Party with music and potluck dinner. Please contact Tony Fernandez (415)

The Good News Advent Is A Time To Remember By Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. Dir. of Evangelization & Faith Formation, St. Brendan Church Christmas in San Francisco is a charming thing to celebrate.

People come from everywhere to sing along with the children standing all around Union Square.

3 The Good News Advent Is A Time To Remember By Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. Dir. of Evangelization & Faith Formation, St. Brendan Church Christmas in San Francisco is a charming thing to celebrate. Russ Lorenson sings of how San Francisco is a lovely place to be, seeing the hills being all lit up like a diamond Christmas tree, hearing children singing carols. People come from everywhere to sing along with the children standing all around Union Square. Indeed, we have the Macy s Christmas Tree, Ice Skating, Handel s Messiah at Davies, and the Nutcracker at the War Memorial, to name a few premiere events of the season. At the heart of it all, however, is the gift of remembrance. Childhood memories often come flooding back at this time of year. We remember fondly our loved ones who have gone before us and special family celebrations. In particular, I remember the Saint Nicholas Day party at the seminary that Father Roger and I always attended and one of the faculty members popular eggnog (with a special kick) that was served during the social. All of these memories come to mind because they are special ways of celebrating the joy we experience when we realize that God s desire is nothing less than to come so near to our humanity that he sent his only Son to be born into the world and enter our human family. The readings this season reflect on this sense of divine nearness in three ways: history; mystery; and majesty. God comes to us in history through the awe-filled act of becoming a finite human being, subject to time and dependent on a human family. Our Lord comes to us each Sunday in mystery, hidden in the humble gifts of bread and wine. This manner of looking into the history of the past in order to celebrate the mystery of the present also points us to the future and how he will return in majesty. Advent seems to be that season that comes and goes in the blink of an eye. If we take a moment to be still, however, we can find hidden gems in our spiritual lives during this time by disconnecting in order to reconnect with the memory of the central event of Christmas and God s closeness to us. A great way to do that is to make your home into a little oratory, a little chapel, where you can be still as a family and remember Christ in Christmas. When you create a space for prayer in your home, you are reminded of God s presence at all times, while also making a connection between church and home. Join us on Wednesday evening, December 13, at 7 p.m., as the internationally-acclaimed author, David Clayton, presents his book, The Little Oratory, and teaches us how to make our homes into truly sacred spaces. Then try it at home, take a picture, and send it to me at manolito@stbrendaparish.org. We will include your special Advent prayer space in our Christmas Eve celebration. As we put up the crèche and tree in our homes once again this holiday season, let s remember that Advent is a time to remember.

4 The Good News Praying with the Gospel of Mark: Doing God s Will By Ben Gerigk, Saint Brendan Catechist & Aspirant to the Priesthood Each week, we summarize a specific style, form, or approach to prayer, using the highly-acclaimed book by Robert J. Wicks, Prayer in the Catholic Tradition: A Handbook of Practical Approaches (Franciscan Media 2006). In this article, you ll learn more about using the Gospel of Mark as a basis for prayer. The Gospel of Mark can be challenging because it presents Jesus as a somewhat mysterious figure. The Jesus in Mark s Gospel is portrayed as a mighty healer and exorcist who warns his disciples not to tell others about his power. Three times he warns them that he must suffer and die and then be raised from the dead, but they never seem to understand. Despite this enigmatic element, the Gospel of Mark effectively presents Jesus both as a prayer and a model of prayer. From his baptism (1:9-13) to his final words on the cross (15:34), we see this suggestion that Jesus fidelity to prayer helps him to discern God s will and strengthens him to act upon it. In this depiction, Mark calls upon us to emulate Jesus and invites us as his disciples to become part of a house of prayer. In one of the stories told about him in the gospel, for instance, Jesus says that his family is whoever does the will of God (3:35). [they] ask for in prayer. Yet, this is easily misunderstood. Most of us, at one time or another, have prayed from our hearts but believed that our prayers were not answered. That s because the essence of prayer is aligning ourselves with the will of God. When what we ask for in prayer is to do the will of God, then our prayers always will be answered. First and foremost, prayer should be about listening to Jesus words and allowing them to penetrate into our very being in order to transform us. When we begin to listen rather than speak, we experience a kind of transformationunto-obedience. It is a slow process and at times difficult, but when we begin to remove the spiritual blindness from our hearts, we will more readily be able to appreciate what we are called to do. Only then will we be able to pray with integrity the petition, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, because we will be able to know and enact God s will in our lives. Practicing prayer is a step in the right direction to deepen our identity as disciples of Christ. It enables us to be with Jesus, listen to him, and through a transformation-unto-obedience be drawn into a new family gathered around him. Through this family of faith that hears and obeys the will of God, a new temple is constructed, a true house of prayer, where faith can be lived out in love and mutual forgiveness. In fact, it is in the act of doing the will of God that our prayers are answered. In Mark 11:24, Jesus assures his disciples that they will receive all that

Stewardship Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God s gifts and shares them generously in love of God and neighbor.

A steward recognizes that God is the source of all life and every blessing and that all gifts of time, talent, and treasure come from God. A steward is grateful for those gifts.

5 Stewardship Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God s gifts and shares them generously in love of God and neighbor. Stewardship is not about money or fundraising. It is a spirituality. It is a way of life. A steward recognizes that God is the source of all life and every blessing and that all gifts of time, talent, and treasure come from God. A steward is grateful for those gifts. A steward takes care of and increases those gifts, and Time is the first in the stewardship triad of Time, Talent and Treasure. The second reading tells us that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years. Essentially God is not timebound. We are timebound, however. For us, time is an asset we are given that must be managed like any other for the glory of God. Since our time on earth is limited, the second reading asks: what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God and instructs us: Since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. The day of judgment could come at any time, so we should always be ready. But the Advent season, in particular, is a time to clean house spiritually. We go to confession to cleanse the stain of sin from our souls and perform acts of charity to make our hearts worthy to receive God. Today s Gospel urges us to Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Those of us old enough cannot read these words without hearing in our heads the song of the same name from the 1970s rock opera, Godspell. Whether it s a song or an Advent calendar that reminds us to prepare, we should use our time to keep the arrival of Jesus at the forefront this Advent. --Lisa Rosenlund, Parish Manager This is the time of year when our mailboxes are flooded with requests from charities for donations. The underlying rationale is that we want to make donations by December 31 to lower our tax bill. Maybe it s more than that though. Christmas is a special time of year that brings out the best in everyone and reminds us to consider the needs of others. Nobody wants to be a Scrooge at Christmas. For one day at least, the world is infused with a spirit of generosity. This holiday season, we invite you to make a planned, proportionate, and sacrificial financial commitment to this parish and to the poor that will continue throughout the year. The biblical standard is a tenth of our income, before taxes or anything else is taken out, half to the Church and half to the poor. It s a huge step and takes trust, but we can never out give God. NO SECOND COLLECTION NEXT WEEK SUNDAY COLLECTION December 3, 2017 GOAL $ 9,500 TOTAL $ 10,302 Over $ 802

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8 SAINT BRENDAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Church School Convent 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Rectory Phone: (415) Mon - Thurs: 8:30 am - Noon, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Sun: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Laguna Honda Blvd. San Francisco CA Tel. (415) Canossian Sisters 234 Ulloa Street San Francisco CA Tel. (415) MASSES Sunday: 7:00, 8:00, 9:30,11:30 AM Mon-Fri: 6:30 & 8:30 AM Saturday: 8:30 AM 5:00 PM Holy Days: 6:30 AM, 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM CONFESSIONS Saturday: 4:15-4:45 PM Wednesday: 7:15-7:45 PM EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Wednesday: 7:00-8:00 PM Saturday: 4:00-4:45 PM BAPTISMS & WEDDINGS For information, please see our website at or call us at (415) Monday Tuesday MASS INTENTIONS (December 11-17, 2017) 6:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. Don Greenslate (D) Magdalena Aguirre (L) Wednesday Rosario Aguirre (L) Raymund Aguirre (L) David L. Alvers (D) Oliva Montoya (D) Thursday Jess Covita (D) James O Haire (D) Friday SAT 8:30 a.m. SAT 5 p.m. SUN 7 a.m. SUN 8 a.m. SUN 9:30 a.m. SUN 11:30 a.m. Weekday Baltazar Aguirre Jr. (D) Weekend Rita O Mahoney (D) Loretta Smith (D) Maureen Mona (D) Paul Herlihy (D) Ricardo S. Morada (D) People of St. Brendan Parish Neal Murphy (D) STAFF Pastor Fr. Roger Gustafson fatherrogergustafson@gmail.com Parochial Vicar Fr. Peterson Tieng frpete@stbrendanparish.org Ext.220 Ext.214 In Residence Fr. Paul Warren Ext. 208 Pastoral Associate Sr. Angela Furia, FdCC Ext. 201 srangela@stbrendanparish.org Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation Manolito Jaldon manolito@stbrendanparish.org Ext. 205 Music Director Mario Balestrieri (415) School Principal Dianne Lakatta (415) dlakatta@stbrendansf.com Parish Manager Lisa Rosenlund (415) lisa@stbrendanparish.org Finance Manager Venetia Hui Gatus Ext. 202 venetia@stbrendanparish.org Administrative Assistant Ext. 101 Maeve O Reilly maeve@stbrendanparish.org Parish Leadership Advisory Board : Mike Modesti Finance Committee : Eoin O Connor Children and Youth Under Five Ministry: Kendra Perlitz Devon Klinefelter Girl Scouts: Lisa Shaskan Kirstin McFarlane Boy Scouts: Boy Scouts: Maureen Hurley Cub Scouts: Robert Rees (rdrees@gmail.com) Youth Ministry: Stacey Simpson Gus Del Puerto Religious Education & Sacramental Preparation Infant Baptism & RCIA for Children Sr. Angela Furia (415) , Ext. 201 Adult Faith Formation/Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA): Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. (415) , Ext. 205 Sunday Children s Liturgy: Marco & Karen Donaldson Preparation for Reconciliation & First Holy Communion Grade 2: Stephanie Stanko Faith Formation: Grade 3: Tara Donohue Grades 4 & 5: Christina Bui Preparation for Confirmation: Grade 6: Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. & Ben Gerigk Grade 7: Liza Bonpin Grade 8: Mary Zell Spellman Youth of St. Brendan: A Life Teen Ministry (Post Confirmation & High School): Manolito S. Jaldon, Jr. & Ben Gericgk Liturgical Ministries Lectors: Richard Pinto Eucharistic Ministers: Charlotte Bautista Ushers: Mike Casazza Sacristan: Jack Mona Liturgy Committee: Anne Kearney Parish Life Welcome Committee Kathleen Bost Jeremy Straus (sbwelcomecommittee@gmail.com) Hospitality Committee Maria Evangelista Mothers Club Lori Doyle Men s Club Joshua Shaskan Respect Life Mary Ann Schwab Knitting Ministry Marie Jean Longa Experienced Navigators: Tony Fernandez Small Groups: Outreach Ministries Consolation Ministry Merry Jean Chan mjchanstb@gmail.com Detention Ministry (San Dimas) Julio Escobar (415) Marian Servers Dr. Lou Scheerer St. Vincent de Paul Society Tad Tassone (415)

29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) August 19, 2018 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

ST. BRENDAN CHURCH Share these articles with your friends online at www.stbrendanparish.org. 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. No. (415) 681-4225 www.stbrendanparish.org August 19, 2018 Twentieth