29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) The Nativity of Saint John The Baptist June 24, 2018

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) The Nativity of Saint John The Baptist June 24, 2018"

Marcus Matthews
5 years ago
Views:

ST. BRENDAN CHURCH Share these articles with your friends online at www.stbrendanparish.

org The Nativity of Saint John The Baptist June 24, 2018 God Fills In The Blanks This week in our message series on female heroes of the Bible, we are introduced to the touching story of Ruth and

1 ST. BRENDAN CHURCH Share these articles with your friends online at 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA Tel. No. (415) The Nativity of Saint John The Baptist June 24, 2018 God Fills In The Blanks This week in our message series on female heroes of the Bible, we are introduced to the touching story of Ruth and Naomi. Naomi had lost everything. Several hundred years after the Hebrew people had entered the Promised Land, a famine struck the area. Naomi and her husband had been forced to emigrate as refugees from Bethlehem to the high plains of Moab in what is now modernday Jordan. Going from bad to worse, her husband died after arriving there, leaving her a widow in a strange land. Fortunately, her two grown sons cared for her, but they also died, stripping her even of the promise of grandchildren. It was as if God had cursed her. My lot is bitter, she cried out. I went away with an abundance, but the Lord has brought me back destitute (Ruth 1:13, 21-22). Despite the many voids in Naomi s life, God filled in the blanks. First, he gave her Ruth to accompany her. Naomi faced the difficult choice of remaining in a strange land or making the arduous, ten-day trek back to Bethlehem. It would be a dangerous journey that few women would dare to take without a man. The mountainous terrain was treacherous. There was the very real possibility of bandits lying in wait along the way. And then there was the matter of crossing the Jordan River, which would be raging and overflowing its banks at that time of year. Though Naomi had tried to convince both her foreign daughters-in-law to remain in their own land and remarry, Ruth would not be dissuaded. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay, she insisted (Ruth 1:16). Indeed, Ruth remained her constant companion along the way and supported Naomi by scrounging for food after they returned to Bethlehem. Since it was the harvest, there was no time or manpower to plant and reap their own crops. The best they could do was join the ranks of the poor permitted by the Law of Moses to follow behind the harvesters and pick up what was left behind (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). God also soon gave Naomi a grandchild, who became the grandfather of King David. As Naomi took the child into her arms, the townswomen cried out, Blessed is the Lord, who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you (Ruth 4:14-15). When all seems lost, believe that the Lord will fill in the blanks. Mourning, grief, and pain can devastate us. But we need not live like shells of our former existence. Though we may not be able to glimpse what the future holds, we can believe that God will restore us to wholeness and new life. --Father Roger Gustafson, Pastor

2 Making Church Matter Welcome Aboard! If this is your first time to Saint Brendan or your first time to church in a long time, we re glad you re here! We are a cozy community of believers who seek to find our way in life by following Jesus together, and we want you with us on the journey. Explore some possible next steps for you below. We re here to help. If you have any questions, stop by our welcome desk located at the entrance to the church, check out our website at or just give us a call. Become Part of Our Church Family Come aboard and navigate life with us. As a member, we ask that you take steps to grow in your discipleship. In fact, STEPS is an acronym for how to become a better disciple of Christ. As a member, we'll ask that you consider: S - Serving in a ministry T - Tithing & Giving E - Engaging in a small group P - Practicing prayer, including regular Sunday worship with us S - Sharing your faith by inviting your friends and neighbors to church If you think you're ready to become part of our church family, stop by our welcome desk at the entrance to the church before or after any Weekend Mass. Serve in Ministry & Mission We know many things compete for your attention. But we also know you ll never really be happy until you begin serving others and putting your love to work. There are so many opportunities to make a difference: Help make Sundays an irresistible celebration by joining our Sunday Liturgy Support Ministry. Help children, teens, and adults on their journey of faith by joining our Faith Formation Ministry. Keep parishioners and visitors connected to one another by joining one of our Parish Life Ministries. Take the love of Christ to people who are suffering by joining one of our Outreach Ministries. Whatever God is calling you to do, take that next bold step in faith. Explore our website for more information or just call us. We re happy to get you connected!

SAINT BRENDAN S ONLINE GIVING PROGRAM IS SIMPLE AND SECURE Featured News News &

with family and friends. But please don t forget your parish.

Our online giving program is simple and secure.

It takes less than 5 minutes to enroll on our website s giving page. www.

org/ways-to-give MESSAGE SERIES FAITH SHARING GROUP Summer Series: WONDER WOMEN

your vacation plans permit) Group Leaders: Guy de Primo & Lisa Rosenlund NEW!

We re getting stronger together on July 1, as the 7 a.m.

are merged into a single 7:30 a.m. Mass time.

3 SAINT BRENDAN S ONLINE GIVING PROGRAM IS SIMPLE AND SECURE Featured News News & &Events Wherever you re headed this summer, we hope you have an unforgettable time with family and friends. But please don t forget your parish. We re open every month of the year to serve people and change lives. Our online giving program is simple and secure. You ll never have to worry about checks again. It takes less than 5 minutes to enroll on our website s giving page. MESSAGE SERIES FAITH SHARING GROUP Summer Series: WONDER WOMEN Sundays 10:30-11:30am June 10-August 12 Navigator Room, Rectory (attend as many as your vacation plans permit) Group Leaders: Guy de Primo & Lisa Rosenlund NEW! 7:30 AM SUNDAY MASS TIME Two Great Communities Are Coming Together! We re getting stronger together on July 1, as the 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Sunday Mass times are merged into a single 7:30 a.m. Mass time. Join us for a more meditative and succinct Mass experience with soft music and chant. NARADA S GREAT GOSPEL SHOW Friday, June 29, 7:00 p.m. Join Multi-Platinum Grammy & Emmy winning Producer, Musician & Recording Artist, Narada Michael Walden, as he presents his very special OH HAPPY DAY! edition of Narada s Great Gospel Show hosted at Saint Brendan Church and filmed for national television. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

Featured Article A Saint Like Ruth By Claire Kosewic, Parishioner During our summer message series, Wonder Women: Female Heroes of the Bible, we highlight saints who exemplify the qualities of our

4 Featured Article A Saint Like Ruth By Claire Kosewic, Parishioner During our summer message series, Wonder Women: Female Heroes of the Bible, we highlight saints who exemplify the qualities of our biblical heroine for the week. This week s saint is Rose Philippine Duchesne, a hero like Ruth. The number of saints who have undergone tests of faith, but prevailed nonetheless, is seemingly infinite. Yet few, if any, have survived as many heartbreaks as Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, and remained as devoted to God as she did. Just as Ruth left her homeland to be a faithful servant to Naomi, so too did St. Rose Philippine leave everything she knew in France to expand her religious order to the American frontier. Against her family s every wish, she joined the sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary in Grenoble, France in 1788, dedicating her life to God. But her timing was unfortunate. The infamous, brutal Reign of Terror of the French Revolution was cascading across France, forcing her community to disband. God answered her prayers for guidance in the form of another nun, Madeleine Sophie Barat, who was trying to establish a new order at the same time that Rose Philippine s was floundering. With the shared goal of educating young women, the two nuns quickly combined their two orders and became immediate, lifelong friends. To Madeleine Sophie, Rose Philippine told the deepest desire of her heart, which was to serve as a missionary to Native Americans in the infant nation of the United States of America. But her heart would be broken again, when Madeleine Sophie asked her instead to open a school in Paris and establish a convent alongside it. Despite her disappointment, Rose Philippine threw herself wholeheartedly into the endeavor. But with each passing year, her hopes to be sent to America slipped away, as she became older, and the order in France consumed more and more of her attention. Finally, in 1818, Rose Philippine was allowed to go. Excited as she was, however, she knew that she would never return to France and would very likely never see Madeleine Sophie again. But her devotion to spreading God s word prevailed, and she sailed into the unknown full of prayerful excitement. Arriving in St. Louis, Rose Philippine established another school for young women. But try as she might, she was still not able to minister to the Native Americans. At the age of 71, however, she was finally selected for a special mission to the Potawatomi Tribe in Kansas. There, though, she was dealt a final blow no matter what she did, she could not master their language and could not minister to them. So, she spent her days and nights in prayer, earning the nickname Quahkahkanumad, or Woman Who Prays Always, doing the only thing she could for the Potawatomi people. Both Ruth of the Old Testament and Saint Philippine Duchesne suffered hardships when they emigrated to new lands in obedience to a plan that was not their own. But they remained faithful out of love nonetheless, even when the struggle was not one that they had envisioned for themselves.

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 freely gives back the first and best portion of those gifts to God. Stewardship and Humility Today we celebrate the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. After the angel Gabriel announced that Mary would conceive and bear the Son of God, she set out to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who already was six months pregnant. Upon hearing Mary s greeting, the Bible says that the child in Elizabeth s womb leaped for joy (Luke 1:36-44). But, perhaps he also was bowing down in deference. 97% 2018 Archdiocesan Annual Appeal Goal $128,445 Amount Pledged or Paid $ 127,145 The child born to Elizabeth grew up to become the great firstcentury prophet, John the Baptist, who baptized people in the desert for the repentance of their sins. Though renowned in his own right with disciples following him, John nevertheless recognized his subordinate position in relation to Jesus. Rather than calling attention to himself, John was sent ahead of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord. The one coming after me is mightier than I, he is recorded as saying in all four of the gospels, and I am not fit to remove his sandals (Matthew 3:11). Even the feast day of John s birth falls near the summer solstice when the days begin to grow shorter in anticipation of Christ s birth at Christmas, a seasonal reflection of John s self-effacing remark about Jesus: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). John was a faithful steward of Christ. He made ready the way of the Lord. Through his humility, he recognized the true gift that had come into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. One of the great virtues of a Christian steward is humility, through which we come to realize that all we are and have is given to us by a loving and generous God, who calls us to increase in our generosity towards others. --Father Roger Gustafson, Pastor Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life (1 Timothy 6:18-19). SECOND COLLECTION NEXT WEEK: ST. BRENDAN SCHOOL SUNDAY COLLECTION June 17, 2018 GOAL $ 9,500 TOTAL $ 10,715 Over $ 1,215 (Thank you!)

Grow in your faith, find a Mass, and connect with your Catholic Community

SINCE 1945 Hanna Boys Center: Changing the lives of at-risk, motivated

productive members of society since 1945. 2285 Revere Ave. S.F.

MY.ONEPARISH.COM Grow Your Business, Advertise Here.

707-996-6767 Free professional ad design & my help! www.hannacenter.

Finn Barr/Riordan) 648-6413 Lic. 671116 www.jspaluch.

billed quarterly One Free Month No Long-Term Contract Price Guarantee

8608 Serving families for more than 150 years FUNERAL DIRECTORS 1123

com Come Sail Away on a 7-night Catholic Exotic Cruise.

6 Grow in your faith, find a Mass, and connect with your Catholic Community with OneParish! SINCE 1945 Hanna Boys Center: Changing the lives of at-risk, motivated youth through faith, education and caring, helping them grow into productive members of society since Revere Ave. S.F GARAGE DOOR REPAIRS DOORS & OPENERS Download Our Free App or Visit MY.ONEPARISH.COM Grow Your Business, Advertise Here. 7 Radio Dispatched Trucks Support Your Church & Bulletin Free professional ad design & my help! kwiatkowskim@jspaluch.com Mark Griffin Owner and Graduate (St. Finn Barr/Riordan) Lic Call Marcy Kwiatkowski Medical Alert System $29.95/Mo. billed quarterly One Free Month No Long-Term Contract Price Guarantee Easy Self Installation Call Today! Toll Free Serving families for more than 150 years FUNERAL DIRECTORS 1123 Sutter Street, San Francisco FD Lic # Come Sail Away on a 7-night Catholic Exotic Cruise. Prices begin at $1045 per couple which includes all port fees and taxes. Daily Mass and Rosary offered. Deposit of only $350 per person will reserve your cabin. Space is limited. Thanks and God Bless, Brian or Sally, coordinators an Official Travel Agency of Apostleship of the Sea-USA CST St Brendan Church (B) For Ads: J.S. Paluch Co., Inc

McKEEVER R E A L T Y Chuck Lewkowitz 782A Ulloa Street (415) 664-8810 McAvoy O'Hara Co.

Advertisers 4545 Geary BOULEVARD at TENTH AVENUE Serving SF for Over 25 Yrs 731-4058 (415)

94114 (415) 239-8420 * General Dentistry * Dentistry for Children * Cosmetic Dentistry Realtors

STONESTOWN MICHAEL AND JOY FREETHY Thank you for advertising in our church bulletin.

Top Producers - 28 years Experience Specializing in Residential, Probate & Trust Sales Please

com Complimentary Notary Public for all parishioners. Phone 668-0077 24 hrs.

Ambulance 95 Solutions as Low as Police Fire FREE Shipping Friends/Family FREE Activation $19.

GPS Tracking * Fall Detection Ruth Downs Sullivan The Most Complete Laura Sullivan Van Zandt

WARREN, DDS, MSD Orthodontics for Children and Adults Directory of 15 West Portal Ave., S.F.

com Catholic Parishes Offering the Damon System of braces as well as Invisalign for the entire

Trusts, Wills, Probate, An ideal companion for personal prayer.

7 Michael T. Sweeney SERVING WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE Attorney at Law SINCE 1850 WILLS * TRUSTS * PROBATE McKEEVER R E A L T Y Chuck Lewkowitz 782A Ulloa Street (415) McAvoy O'Hara Co. Please Cut Out This Thank You Ad and Present It The Next Time You Patronize One of Our Advertisers 4545 Geary BOULEVARD at TENTH AVENUE Serving SF for Over 25 Yrs (415) mfreethy@yahoo.com John W. Schulz, D.D.S. 595 Buckingham Wy Your Neighborhood Specialists Compass 2099 Market Street San Francisco, CA (415) * General Dentistry * Dentistry for Children * Cosmetic Dentistry Realtors Evergreen Mortuary of 712 Monterey Blvd., S.F. STONESTOWN MICHAEL AND JOY FREETHY Thank you for advertising in our church bulletin. I am patronizing your business because of it! Top Producers - 28 years Experience Specializing in Residential, Probate & Trust Sales Please visit our websites at or Complimentary Notary Public for all parishioners. Phone hrs. If You Live Alone You Need LIFEWatch! 24 Hour Protection at HOME and AWAY! Ambulance 95 Solutions as Low as Police Fire FREE Shipping Friends/Family FREE Activation $19. a month NO Long Term Contracts CALL NOW! No Problem! * Real TimeNo Landline? GPS Tracking * Fall Detection Ruth Downs Sullivan The Most Complete Laura Sullivan Van Zandt Online National ATTORNEYS AT LAW Specializing in Check It Out Today! FREDRIC R. WARREN, DDS, MSD Orthodontics for Children and Adults Directory of 15 West Portal Ave., S.F. (415) Catholic Parishes Offering the Damon System of braces as well as Invisalign for the entire family Celebration of Life and Receptions Saint Margaret Sunday Missal Estate/Tax Planning, Trusts, Wills, Probate, An ideal companion for personal prayer. Conservatorship and The Bud Duggan Family Since 1924 Jim Sullivan, Parishioner In Stock & Ready to Order Today. Family Law Most Convenient & Reasonable Costs Multilingual Unlimited Parking CALL OR ORDER ONLINE. $ Market Street sullivansfh.com duggansserra.com FD1098 FD Westlake Ave., Daly City 6201 Geary Blvd., San Francisco Traditional and Cremation Services THE LAWSON ROOFING CO., INC. "Since 1907" Contractor Lic. No Tennessee St., S.F St Brendan Church (A) For Ads: J.S. Paluch Co., Inc

SAINT BRENDAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Church School Convent 29 Rockaway Avenue San Francisco CA 94127 Rectory

stbrendanparish.org 940 Laguna Honda Blvd. San Francisco CA 94127 Tel. (415) 731-2665 www.stbrendansf.

(415) 681-3465 MASSES Sunday: 7:30, 9:30,11:30 AM Mon-Fri: 6:30 & 8:15 AM Saturday: 8:15 AM 5:00 PM

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Wednesday: 7:00-8:00 PM Saturday: 4:00-4:45 PM BAPTISMS & WEDDINGS For

STAFF Pastor (415) 969-6788 Fr. Roger Gustafson FatherRogerGustafson@gmail.

org Member & Volunteer Care (415) 969-6813 Sr. Angela Furia, FdCC srangela@stbrendanparish.

Jaldon (415) 969-6814 manolito@stbrendanparish.

O Reilly (D)(Birthday) Pilar Cabrera De Wong (D) School Principal (415) 731-2665 Dianne Lakatta

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: 7:30, 9:30,11:30 AM Mon-Fri: 6:30 & 8:15 AM Saturday: 8:15 AM 5:00 PM Holy Days: 6:30 AM, 8:15 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) STAFF Pastor (415) Fr. Roger Gustafson FatherRogerGustafson@gmail.com Parochial Vicar (415) Fr. Peterson Tieng Ext.214 frpete@stbrendanparish.org Member & Volunteer Care (415) Sr. Angela Furia, FdCC srangela@stbrendanparish.org Monday Tuesday MASS INTENTIONS (June 25-July 1, 2018) Weekday 6:30 a.m. 8:15 a.m. Father s Day Novena Walter Farrell (D) Walter Farrell (D) Evangelization & Faith Formation Manolito Jaldon (415) manolito@stbrendanparish.org Music Ministry (415) Mario Balestrieri Wednesday Thursday Friday Dee DeKroon (L) Marianne O Reilly (D)(Birthday) Pilar Cabrera De Wong (D) School Principal (415) Dianne Lakatta dlakatta@stbrendansf.com SAT 8:15 a.m. SAT 5 p.m. SUN 7:30 a.m. Weekend Ricardo S. Morada (D) David L. Alvers (D) Walter Farrell (D) Parish Manager (415) Lisa Rosenlund lisa@stbrendanparish.org Finance Manager (415) Venetia Hui Gatus venetia@stbrendanparish.org SUN 9:30 a.m. SUN 11:30a.m. People of St. Brendan Parish Administrative Assistant (415) Maeve O Reilly maeve@stbrendanparish.org

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