Mass Intentions To request a Mass, please call the Parish

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2 JANUARY 7, 2018 The Gifts of the Magi Wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, the face of the invisible God becomes visible to the sight of the Magi and the remnant of humanity. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are, therefore, offered to our Lord, Jesus Christ, as an acknowledgement of his high dignity. Through the offering of gold, Jesus royalty is accordingly recognized. It is by the offering of frankincense that the Magi, the wise, pay homage to Christ as true God. Likewise, by means of the offering of myrrh, Jesus s humanity becomes an evidently perceptible reality. Like the Magi, we are called to believe that Jesus is both true God and true man. Born in Bethlehem of Judea, our savior s presence shows us that He is neither indifferent to our human needs nor aloof from the context of our day to day routines, wherein we are involved in the drama of our salvation. Mass Intentions To request a Mass, please call the Parish SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 St. André Bessette 8:00am Bob Robinson Albers Family 5:00pm Maria Auxilio Navarrete Kathy Ellis Merlos SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 8:00am Bob Robinson Albers Family 9:30am Doug Johnson Mugnaini Family 11:00am John McDaniel Ned & Beverly Margo Whitcomb 7:30pm Kenneth Johnson Ricci Family MONDAY, JANUARY 8 8:00am Souls in Purgatory Anonymous TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 8:00am Julia Cardoza Ricci Family WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10 8:00am Jack Oliver Ricci Family THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 8:00am Noelle Malone Parulan Family FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 8:00am Dale & Arlene Fuller Portillo Family SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 St. Hilary, Bishop & Doctor of the Church 5:00pm Gino Bertolucci Bertolucci Family Hearing Assist Devices Available Please ask an Usher for assistance. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday, Jan 8 The Baptism of the Lord Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 55:1-11or Acts 10:34-38 or 1 Jn 5:1-9; Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6; Mk 1:7-11 Tuesday, Jan 9 1 Sm 1:9-20; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd; Mk 1:21-28 Wednesday, Jan 10 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-8A, 8b-9, 10; Mk 1:29-39 Thursday, Jan 11 1 Sm 4:1-11; Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25; Mk 1:40-45 Friday, Jan 12 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a; Ps 89:16-17, 18-19; Mk 2:1-12 Saturday, Jan 13 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1; Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Mk 2:13-17 Sunday, Jan 14 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42 EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Facility Reservations Calendar Please confirm events at SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 Baptism Ortiz 10:30am, Church Eleanor Yapundich Reception 11:00 am, St. John's Hall Eleanor Yapundich Funeral 12:00 pm, Church SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 Open Gym OLA Basketball 7:30am, Parish Hall Flame Meeting 10:30am, St. Paul s Room Group Baptism 12:00pm, Church MONDAY, JANUARY 8 Girl Scout Troop 3097 Meeting 3:00pm, St. John s OLA Basketball Practice 3:00pm, Parish Hall Christian Meditation 4:00 pm, Church Girl Scout Leaders Meeting 5:30pm, St. John s Hall Women s Book Club Meeting 6:30pm, St. Paul s Neocathecumenal Group 7:30pm, School Meeting Rm. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 OLA PTG Meeting 2:00pm, St. John s Hall OLA Basketball Practice 3:00pm, Parish Hall Young Rembrandts Art Prgm. 3:05pm, Schl. Mtg. Rm. K of C Business Meeting 6:00pm, St. John s Hall B & G 6:30pm, St. Paul s Room Baptismal Preparation 7:00pm, St. Anne s Room WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10 Legion of Mary Meeting 8:45am, St. Paul s Room OLA Basketball Practice 3:00pm, Parish Hall OLA Information Night 7:00pm, St. John s Hall Neocathecumenal Group 7:30pm, School Meeting Rm. THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 OLA Basketball Practice 3:00pm, Parish Hall Girl Scout Troop 103 Meeting 6:30pm, Youth Room FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 OLA Basketball Practice 8:00am, Parish Hall Funeral Reception - Keenan 3:00 pm, St. John's Hall SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 Little Dribblers Basketball 8:30am, Parish Hall Curia meeting 9:30 am, St. Paul's

3 OUR PARISH For more information about Youth Groups, please contact Johann Rubia-Miller at or OLA Youth Groups Wednesdays (Grades 7-8) 7:00pm - 8:30pm Tuesdays (Grades 9-12) 7:00pm - 8:30pm Meetings are held in Seton Hall. Dinner and Mass Fellowship Night Every 3 rd Sunday of the month come and break bread in the youth room, attend Mass together, and experience our faith through prayers and worship. There will be a light dinner in the youth room from 6:30pm to 7:15pm followed by attendance at the 7:30pm Mass. Help to participate in the Mass by greeting, ushering, bringing up the gifts, and reading. This evening is for youth in grades RSVP is not required. Information and/or questions, contact: OLA Youth Minister, Johann Miller at (916) youth@olaparish.net A special thank you to the children (and parents) of our OLA Advent and Christmas Youth Choir and Ensemble! Our OLA Youth Choir and Ensemble is part of our parish effort to offer musical and liturgical education for our young people. This group is open to students grades Participants learn about the various liturgical seasons, the structure and sequence of the Mass, liturgical participation and leadership, and basic vocal technique and musicianship. This group has three sessions: Fall Ordinary Time, Advent and Christmas, and Lent and Easter. If students participate in all three sessions, they will sing/play for at least six Masses throughout the year and experience participating in Masses during all of the liturgical seasons. We also have special events that children can sing for, such as First Eucharist and Confirmation. For more information about participation in the OLA Lent and Easter Youth Choir and Ensemble, please contact our Music Director, Casey Oliver, via at worship@olaparish.net. We are in need of volunteers to help us take down the Christmas decorations next Monday, January 8, Please call Joan Cotton for more information at or the Parish office at Thank you! MEDICINE BOTTLE PROJECT OLA Parishioners are invited to help support global health through participation in the medicine bottle project for developing countries administered through Matthew25: Ministries ( You are encouraged to participate by saving empty medicine bottles and depositing them in collection boxes at the back of church. This will be an ongoing project. U.S. Landfills Do Not Need Medicine Bottles! Anyone on prescription medicines finds themselves a bit uncomfortable when throwing away so many empty medicine bottles. It is obvious our landfills do not need these plastic containers! Pharmacies cannot take back and recycle. Pope Francis encourages us to act in ways to help the environment as well. What Do You Need to Do? Ask family and friends to save their bottles for you. Please Remove the Labels if You Can. Place them in boiling water until you are able to easily remove the labels, and the glue. The labels do not have to be removed. If one is concerned about the information on the label, simply black out with a sharpie. You may donate the orange bottles and also the opaque white bottles such as Advil and Tylenol come in. Containers go to 67 different countries. Containers considered not of use for shipping are put through a recycling chipper at their office, chips sold to a RECYLCLING company and the money gained is used for shipping the ones that can be used. They welcome our participation!! Matthew 25: Whatsoever you do the least of my people, that you do until me. SAVE THE DATE OLA S SPAGHETTI DINNER January 20 th, :00 pm Dinner, Dessert, Music

4 AN EPIPHANY HOUSE BLESSING What happened on Epiphany? More to the point, what is an epiphany? An epiphany is an appearance or a manifestation especially of a deity. On Epiphany we celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the Magi who were gentiles, or non-jews. This feast originated from the Eastern Church. The symbols for Epiphany are three crowns, three gifts, Wise Men, and a fivepointed star. There are many things we could do to help our families understand that Christmas is not merely one day. The Wise Men can travel around the room until Epiphany. During those twelve days of Christmas they were en route. An Epiphany Door Blessing is also a tradition in many places. This door blessing was done to bless the home for the year. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. This type of blessing is part of our baptismal priesthood and helps to build the ecclesial life of the Church. Below you will find the blessing. Leader: Peace be to this house. All: And to all who live here. Leader: Bless, O Lord, this household and family, and allow all of us who live in this home to find in it a shelter of peace and health. Inspire each of us to develop our individual talents and to contribute wisdom and good works for the benefit of the whole family. Make our house a haven for us all, and a place of warmth and caring for all our friends who come to visit us. Enlighten us with the brilliance of your Epiphany star, so that, as we go into the world, we might clearly see our way to You and discover You in our work and play. This we ask to your glory and in the power of your kingship. All: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory now and forever. Amen. After the prayers of the blessing are recited, write with chalk on the outside of your house or inside above the front main entrance, the following inscription: 20 +C + M + B + 18 The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar who followed the star of Jesus, God s Son who became human, visiting Him in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat which means, Christ bless this house. The + signs represent the cross, and the 20 at the beginning and the 18 at the end mark the year. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request that Christ to bless those homes so marked, that he stays with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year. Amen. OLA SCHOOL NEWS IMPORTANT DATES OLA Information Night January 10, 2018 Please attend to learn more about our school program from our Principal, Ms. Nicole Grant, and members of our faculty at 7:00 p.m. in St. John s Hall located off Walnut Avenue parking lot between the school and church buildings. Open House January 28, 2018 Mass begins at 9:30 a.m. Classrooms are open from 10:30 a.m. to noon. MARIAN REFLECTION Listen: O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all your necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine will that she should help in every kind of necessity. ~St. Basil the Great Ponder: Do I call on Mary for assistance? Respond: Lord, be with me in my distress.

5 SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD ANGELUS Wednesday, 6 January 2016 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! In today s Gospel, the narrative of the Magi coming from the East to Bethlehem to adore the Messiah, conveys a breath of universality to the Feast of the Epiphany. This is the breath of the Church which wants all peoples of the earth to be able to encounter Jesus, to experience his merciful love. This is the desire of the Church: that peoples may find Jesus mercy, his love. Christ is newly born, he does not yet know how to speak, and already people represented by the Magi can meet him, recognize him, worship him. The Wise Men stated: we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him (Mt 2:2). Herod heard this as soon as the Magi arrived in Jerusalem. These Wise Men were prestigious men, of a distant religion and different culture, and they were on their way to the land of Israel to worship the newborn king. The Church has always seen in them the image of humanity as a whole, and with today s celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany, the Church almost tries to direct, respectfully, each man and each woman of this world to the Child who is born for the salvation of all. On Christmas Eve Jesus manifested himself to shepherds, humble and scorned men some say brigands. They were the first to bring a little warmth to that gelid cave in Bethlehem. Then the Magi arrived from faraway lands. They too were mysteriously drawn by that Child. The shepherds and the Wise Men were very different from each other; however, they had one thing in common: heaven. The shepherds of Bethlehem immediately hastened to see Jesus, not because they were particularly good, but because they kept watch in the night and, raising their eyes to heaven, they saw a sign, they heard its message and followed it. It was the same for the Magi: they observed the heavens, saw a new star, interpreted the sign and set out on their journey, from afar. The shepherds and the Wise Men teach us that in order to encounter Jesus it is necessary to be able to lift our gaze to heaven, not to withdraw into ourselves, into our own selfishness, but to have our heart and mind open to the horizons of God, who always surprises us, to be able to welcome his messages and respond with readiness and generosity. When the Magi, the Gospel says, saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly (Mt 2:10). For us too, there is great comfort in seeing the star, in other words in feeling guided and not abandoned to our fate. The star is the Gospel, the Word of the Lord, as the Psalm states: Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (119 [118]:105). This light guides us to Christ. Without listening to the Gospel, it is impossible to encounter him! The Wise Men, indeed, by following the star arrived at the place where they found Jesus. Here they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him (Mt 2:11). The experience of the Magi exhorts us not to be satisfied with mediocrity, not to cut corners, but to seek the meaning of things, to fervently explore the great mystery of life. It teaches us not to be scandalized by smallness and poverty but to recognize majesty in in humility, and to be able to kneel before it. May the Virgin Mary, who welcomed the Wise Men in Bethlehem, help us to lift our gaze from ourselves, to allow ourselves to be guided by the star of the Gospel in order to encounter Jesus, and to be able to humble ourselves to adore him. In this way we will be able to bring to others a ray of his light, and to share with them the joy of the journey. FAMILY CONNECTION Epiphany of the Lord Theme: The mystery of the incarnation - Jesus is a gift to all humanity. Breaking Open the Word Suggested text for faith sharing: Today s Gospel Step One: Listen to the Word As you listen to this familiar story again today, what one word or thought really struck you? What image do you take away from this reading? Step Two: Look into Your Life Question for Children: In your life, who helps you to see Jesus in other people such as a classmate or a friend? Question for Youth: The star guided the Magi to Jesus. What are the people or events who have guided you in your relationship with Jesus? Question for Adults: How this past week did you demonstrate God s love at home and at work? WISDOM OF THE DAY Last year s words belong to last year s language And next year s words await another voice. ~T.S. Eliot

6 LIVE, LEARN &ENJOY YOUR FAITH The annual WALK FOR LIFE will take place in San Francisco on Saturday, January 27. As Catholics, we are all called to protect the dignity of all human life, conception to natural death. A bus will be leaving St. John the Evangelist parking lot at 9:00 AM and will return at 6:00PM. The cost is $20 per person. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent. To reserve a seat, please call Peter and JoAnn Mendenhall, SFD INSTITUTE Fourth Pastoral Initiative for the New Year All are invited to Life as first envisioned presented by Dr. Hai Tran, DMin on Thursday, February 8th, 2018, 8:30am 3:00pm, at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center. Cost: $30 (registered by January 25 th). The brochure is available at the Church entrance or DIOCESAN EVENTS Help stop chemical abortion pill distribution. California Senate Bill 320 will require all UC and CSU student health centers to distribute the chemical abortion pill, intended to end life up to ten weeks of pregnancy. This bill will be voted on in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday, January 10th at the California State Capitol. Please meet in the Capitol Rotunda, th St, Sacramento, on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 8:30 am, to be a voice for life. Sacramento Senator Richard Pan serves on the Senate Education Committee, so please call him at , urging him to vote NO on SB 320. For more information contact Steve Patton, spatton@scd.org, Job Announcements at Pastoral Center. Director of Family & Faith Formation Sacramento Coordinator for Pastoral Juvenile Sacramento Regional Coordinator for Youth & Young Adults. To apply for a position, please a short cover letter, resume, and application to personnel@scd.org. Positions are open until filled. For more information and complete job descriptions, visit the diocesan website and look under employment. Lord, as I offer you all that is ordinary and every day in my life, I ask you to give me the power of your Spirit that I may transform each day by living with a positive attitude, looking for the best in people and situations. Inspire me to live in your presence every day so that I may share your outlook and do the ordinary things of life in an extraordinary way. May this, Lord, my prayer today, rise before you like the burning of incense. Amen.

7 STEWARDSHIP OFFERING Week of December 31 January 6 Weekend Offertory: Christmas Offertory: $ 7, $ 43, Total: $ 51, Average Weekly Budget Amount: $ 12, A request from our counters: they are asking that you please, please write the amount of your donation on your envelope. This would not only save them a great deal of time, but it will help us record your contribution correctly too. Thank you! IS 60: 1-6; PS 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13; EPH 3: 2-3A, 5-6; MT 2: 1-12 Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. For centuries we as Catholics celebrated this Feast on Jan. 6, but the decision was made a number of years ago (at least in the United States) to celebrate the Epiphany on the Sunday which falls between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8. Epiphany means manifestation. It is on this day that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is revealed as the light of all nations. Officially Christmas is not over. In fact, the recommendation of the Church is that on this day those who display a crèche, a nativity or manger scene, should replace the shepherd and sheep with the Magi and their likely animals on which they traveled as well as their gifts. However, that is all secondary to the real meaning of this day. At Christmas the Messiah Jesus was revealed to the shepherds, who were Jewish. But on this day the Lord is revealed to all nations and to the Gentiles (represented by the Magi). We are all familiar with the star the Magi followed, but we need to understand all that is happening and what it means. This all represents the Light of Christ, a Light which today we honor and commemorate. We are called to be the Light of Christ right now to those around us and those with whom we come in contact. That way we can be the disciples Christ wants us to be. The poet William Cullen Bryant captures the significance of the star the Magi followed very well when he wrote, O Father, may that Holy Star, Grow every year more bright, And send its glorious beams afar, To fill the world with light. WE SHARE Late last year Liturgical Publications (LPi) bought Parish- Pay and began to transition ParishPay into their We Share Service. If you use electronic giving, we ask that you validate your account. You can go to the link below. If you don't, check it out with this link: If you are a current user, go to ParishPay and complete the transition process to WeShare. Support OLA Via Amazon Smile The Amazon Foundation contributes half a percent of your total purchases to our Parish. Just shop via OLA Parish s Amazon Smile portal: smile.amazon.com/ch/ Remember this doesn t cost you anything! We appreciate your support! ESTATE PLANNING A legacy gift to Our Lady of the Assumption is one of the most rewarding and far-reaching investments you can make. Our Lady of the Assumption takes the trust you place in us seriously. We are grateful to those who have included us in their plan for the distribution of their assets after death. We pray that you will keep Our Lady of the Assumption Parish and/or School in mind. We invite you to contact the Parish Office if you wish to learn more about how you can include us in your estate planning. AN EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO OUR OLA PARISHIONERS As final payment was submitted for our recently installed walk-in refrigerator and freezer at the food locker, over fifty St. Vincent de Paul volunteers, came to a realization. We are reminded, through the generosity of time, talent and treasure, a lasting, and successful conference has been established through a combined effort of donors and volunteers. All of us can be justifiably proud of so many accomplishments! OLA Parishioners funding of essential resources for over twenty years, continues today, and insures that together, we are responding to charges given to each of us by our Lord; feeding, clothing, sheltering and providing additional charities to those in need. Your selfless gifts have made the difference for those of our parish. May God bless you in every possible way for your thoughtfulness, concern and support. We consider our parishioners to be very special and we thank you.

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