OUR MISSION: Sharing Faith, Celebrating Traditions, and Serving Each Other to the Praise and Glory of God.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "OUR MISSION: Sharing Faith, Celebrating Traditions, and Serving Each Other to the Praise and Glory of God."

Godfrey Anderson
5 years ago
Views:

1 December 3, 2017 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

2 December 3, 2017 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT OUR MISSION: Sharing Faith, Celebrating Traditions, and Serving Each Other to the Praise and Glory of God. MASS TIMES Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 8:00 Holy Redeemer Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - 8:00 St. James Saturday Vigil Mass - 4:00 Holy Redeemer Sunday Masses - 8:30 St. James - 10:00 Holy Redeemer - 11:30 St. James - 5:30 Holy Redeemer ADORATION & SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Wednesdays at St. James the Less Church from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. Sacrament of Reconciliation also by appointment. SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK Call the Parish Office at Advent Penance Service Monday, December 11 7:00 pm at Holy Redeemer Church Prepare for the Christmas Season by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent! TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Advent calendars appear now in many homes, and newfangled formats are even available on line. Children have fun opening the doors and windows keyed to the days counting down to Christmas. Behind each door is a picture related to the Christmas mystery, perhaps a scripture verse or saying, but more and more these days something totally unconnected to religious life, like a small toy or a chocolate treat, appears instead. The Advent calendar is not very old as traditions go. We can trace it back to German-speaking Christians, both Protestant and Catholic. Lutherans might have originated the custom by placing chalk marks on doors starting December 1, lighting candles every day, or placing a new religious picture on the wall each day during Advent. The oldest known hand-made calendar goes back to 1851, and the first printed ones appeared in 1908 in Germany with Bible verses behind the doors. By far the most interesting calendar is a building, the town hall (Rathaus) of Gengenbach in Germany s Black Forest. Every year the townspeople invite an illustrator of children s books to create twentyfour paintings or motifs for each of the twenty-four main windows of the building. Every night the people gather to see a new window opened and illuminated. Very few commercial Advent calendars pay much attention to the core values of our liturgical calendar: the pivotal place of Sunday, the importance of Advent feasts like Saint Lucy and Saint Nicholas, and the clear shift in tone on December 17 from Advent longing and preparation toward imminent hope in Christ s coming. That kind of creativity is left up to you! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Fr. Edward Dover, Pastor (fred@hr-sj.org) Holy Redeemer Church: 2411 Montrose Ave., Montrose, CA St James the Less Church: 4625 Dunsmore Ave., La Crescenta, CA Parish Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am -12noon, 1:00pm 5:00pm (818)

SACRAMENTS & WORSHIP SACRAMENTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Sacrament of Baptism Baptisms are held on the First Sunday during the 10am Mass at HR Third Sunday during the11:30am Mass at SJ Please call the

3 SACRAMENTS & WORSHIP SACRAMENTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Sacrament of Baptism Baptisms are held on the First Sunday during the 10am Mass at HR Third Sunday during the11:30am Mass at SJ Please call the parish office for further information. Sacrament of First Communion Preparation for children who have attained the age of reason (usually during 2nd grade) is arranged either through the Office of Religious Education or the parish school. This is a two-year program. Sacrament of Confirmation A two-year program for high school teens. Apply through the Life Teen office: hrsjlifeteen@gmail.com Sacrament of Matrimony Please contact the Parish Office upon engagement; at least six months is needed for preparation of this joyous sacrament! Holy Orders/Religious Orders Anyone interested in a religious life as a priest, deacon, or sister please contact Father Ed: fred@hr-sjcatholic.org. Anointing of the Sick Please notify the parish office as early as possible for the Anointing of the Sick, the sacrament intended for the seriously ill or dying. It is Our Lord s special presence and companionship in serious time of need. Anointing may take place in the home, at the hospital or elsewhere, and as often as once a month. PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS Jim Flaherty, Gene Blackmun, Barbara Diekmann, Madeleine Doctors, Bill Ferguson, Kay LaMantia, Alex & Teresa Kirkaldy, Larry Legind, Catherine Wilson, Ron McLoud, Dolores Maggipinto, Clara Santillo, Vito Maggipinto, Omar Mullen, Andres Ramirez, Richy Reivydas, Gloria Rodriguez, Michele Ruegg, Tony Samaan, Mary Schneider, Beri Trestrail, Anthony Trujillo, Brent Canvano, Maria Hattick, Tom Yamarone, Vivianne Young, Gay Goehrish, Margaret Gibbons, Norman Peters Jr., Ray Lucero, Larry Weisner, Patricia Rios, Thomas Gilliland, James Foos, Danguole Varnas, Ofelia Lopez, and Tommie Stopper Celebrating Masses Vigil December 7 7pm at Holy Redeemer December 8 8:00 am at Holy Redeemer 12 noon at St James 7:00 pm at St James Let us pray for all who have died, that they may rejoice with the Risen Lord, especially: Patrick Cheeseman, Molly Powers, and Ron Rohrer May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. This past week, our parish family was privileged to pray for Carl Schwartz, Agnes Ho, Raymundo Tualla, Dan & Helen Pierre, Hwang Won Cecilia Lee, Marcia Ibsen, Sister Stella Maria Enright, Brenda Currer, Matsen-Wing Intentions, Cora & Alan Alandy, Holy Souls, and For the People Please continue to lift each other up in prayer.

BIBLE STUDY & PRAYER GROUPS Adult Bible Study Monday s at 9am meeting in Holy Redeemer Healy Hall Adult Bible Study Tuesday s at 9am meeting in St James Parish Center Centering Prayer Tuesday s at

4 BIBLE STUDY & PRAYER GROUPS Adult Bible Study Monday s at 9am meeting in Holy Redeemer Healy Hall Adult Bible Study Tuesday s at 9am meeting in St James Parish Center Centering Prayer Tuesday s at 7:15pm meeting at the BVM Convent Teen Bible Study Tuesday s at 6:30pm meeting in St James Parish Center The Divine Mercy Prayer Group Wednesday s at 9:30 am meeting in St James Church OUR COMMUNITY St James Holy Redeemer School Date: Wednesday, December 13 Time: 5pm to 9pm Where: 2637 Foothill Blvd, La Crescenta Help care for elders. Thanks to support from the Retirement Fund for Religious, we are now in a much better position to care for our elders, writes a religious sister. Your donation helps her religious community and hundreds of others provide for aging members and plan for long-term needs. Please give to next week s Retirement Fund for Religious collection. Servants of Holy Redeemer-St James Unified Catholic Community Ordained Servants Rev. Edward Dover, Pastor Rev. Msgr. Marc Trudeau, Weekend Support Rev. George Brincat, Pastor Emeritus-Our Lady of Lourdes Deacon Joseph Hegenbart Servant of Prayer & Worship Claire McLiam Servants of Music Ministry Amelia Acosta Andrea Anderson Michael Paul Leon Servants of Chris an Forma on Michael Paul Leon Susan Romero Trish Swords Servants of Administra on Deirdre Cascelli Christine Corrigan Kathy McCauley Doug Sinning

GETTING READY: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR THE BEST ADVENT EVER Advent is just around the corner, and if you are like many people, you probably feel like it snuck up, perhaps catching you by surprise.

5 GETTING READY: A SIMPLE PLAN FOR THE BEST ADVENT EVER Advent is just around the corner, and if you are like many people, you probably feel like it snuck up, perhaps catching you by surprise. In the busyness of this life, what can you do to prepare well without overwhelming? It s not too late! Here are some ideas to get you started to have the best Advent ever: Kick off Advent with Confession. Start with a good examina on of conscience. You can find this on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website. It s gold. Once you ve pondered your faults and made the effort to receive this sacrament (yes, this week), the channel of graces can pour in, and you re ready for the next Advent step. Make a trip to the Catholic bookstore, either in person or online. Get yourself a good Bible that you won t be afraid to mark up. Then read. Underline, circle, asterisk. Use tabs. Mark in some way what passages are most meaningful to you. Maybe you want to start with the New Testament and commit to reading one of the Gospels. Or pick one of Paul s Le ers, or hit the Old Testament by going to Proverbs, Sirach, or the Psalms. Set aside ten minutes a day to privately immerse yourself in God s word. He will speak to you through this if you set aside me for Him. While you re at the bookstore, pick up some Advent candles and a wreath. Maybe you will find an Advent devo on book as well. If not, no worries. You can dedicate each of the four weeks of Advent to a different cardinal virtue. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Four virtues play a pivotal role and accordingly are called cardinal ; all the others are grouped around them. They are: prudence, jus ce, for tude, and temperance... (CCC 1805). Pondering the virtues as a family group is a great way to prepare for Jesus birth and grow in holiness (and build bonds) within your own home. Here s how to do this: A er your family gathers for dinner each night, the father of the family lights the candle and reads one of the passages suggested below. Family discussion can follow. Week One: Prudence Prudence is the virtue that disposes prac cal reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; the prudent man looks where he is going. (CCC 1806). Where we are going in Advent is toward Christmas and preparing our hearts for Christ. The best gi we can give Christ is the cul va on of goodness and the purity of our souls. Some short readings related to prudence include the following: Proverbs 10:19, Amos 5:13, Proverbs 12: 16, Proverbs 15:5, Proverbs 22:3, Luke 14: 28-32, James 3:5-8. Week Two: Jus ce Jus ce is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Jus ce toward God is called the virtue of religion. Jus ce toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human rela onships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. The just man, o en men- oned in the Sacred Scriptures, is dis nguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor. (CCC 1807) Bible quotes related to jus ce to be read and discussed each night include: Proverbs 21:15, Psalm 37:27-29, Isaiah 61:8-9, Luke 18:1-8, Isaiah 1: 17, Isiah 51:4-5, Deuteronomy 16:20. Things to discuss: What is the connec on between jus ce and charity? What is meant by this: Character is demonstrated by how a person acts when no one is looking? Week Three: For tude For tude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficul es and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist tempta ons and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of for tude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecu ons. (CCC 1808) This week, the Advent readings each night are not from the Bible, but about the saints. Each night a different short saint story will be read. You can Google summaries of these stories, or refer to a saint book you may have at home. Choose saints in whom you are interested, perhaps le ng each member of the family select. Saints that demonstrated par cular for tude include: St. Paul, St. Sebas an, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, St. George, St. Thomas A Becket, St. Thomas More, St. Joan of Arc, St. Clare, St. Monica Discussion each night this week during the ligh ng of the Advent candle are how each of these saints demonstrated the virtue of for tude and how the family can too in daily life. Week Four: Temperance Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the a rac on of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will s mastery over ins ncts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. (CCC 1809) Bible quotes related to temperance to read each night this week and briefly talk about include: Proverbs 23:20, Proverbs 25:28, Proverbs 25:16, Titus 2:3, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 6:12. What we don t do is as important as what we do this Advent. We should not select ac vi es that stress us out. We should not over plan beyond our realis c schedules and abili es. We should aim for quality of prepara on, not accomplishing every sugges on we ve read. We should focus on becoming rather than doing. We train ourselves in virtue and model that to those around us. Following this simple plan, families can realis cally grow in holiness in prepara on for Christmas Day. They will then be ready on December 25 to celebrate our Savior s birth with the best gi that any of us can give- our sincere and best selves to God and others. -Theresa Thomas is a Catholic mother of nine children. She lives in Indiana.

OUR COMMUNITY THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL KNITTING GROUP CABRINI LITERARY GUILD.

Some of our Knitting Group is pictured below, along with their handicrafts.

Oakmont Country Club, Glendale 11:00 a.m. (general meeting) 12:00-2:00 p.m. (luncheon & program) Reservations: Helen Misik at amisik@pacbell.net SENIOR SOCIAL CLUBS Everyone is Welcome!

6 OUR COMMUNITY THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL KNITTING GROUP CABRINI LITERARY GUILD...and all other parishioners who helped knit for the Christmas Party for the Exceptionally Disabled Adults from Tierra del Sol we gave them a tall order of 100 items and they knit 119 and counting! Some of our Knitting Group is pictured below, along with their handicrafts. The Cabrini Literary Guild will be delighted to have all members and their guests join us at the December Luncheon and Christmas Program with pianist Ernie Draffen on Thursday, December 14th at the Oakmont Country Club, Glendale 11:00 a.m. (general meeting) 12:00-2:00 p.m. (luncheon & program) Reservations: Helen Misik at amisik@pacbell.net SENIOR SOCIAL CLUBS Everyone is Welcome! Holy Redeemer Pioneer Club meetings are on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 11 am in HR Healy Hall. St James New Beginnings meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 11am in SJ Msgr. Barry Hall. A Community Christmas Concert and Creche Display Hosted by Holy Redeemer-St James Catholic Community, the Lutheran Church in the Foothills, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/La Crescenta Stake Sunday, December 10th The Creche display begins at 6:00 pm; Concert begins at 7:00 pm LDS Church 4550 Raymond Ave, La Crescenta The evening will also include a string quartet by members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performances by awardwinning Mark Anzelon, Broadway singer Michael Thatcher, nationally-renowned organist Andrea Anderson, and the Crescenta Valley High School Charismatics. All are welcome and admission is free!

SERVICE & OUTREACH COFFEE AND DONUTS AFTER MASS Everyone is welcome in the gathering area where our parish family enjoys an atmosphere of friendship, community and belonging!

Scout Troop 317 scouting events) BROTHER S HELPERS FEEDING THOSE IN NEED.

Guided by the principles and values of the Missionaries of Charity, Brothers' Helpers is on a mission to prepare nutritious meals and deliver them to the poorest of the poor in downtown Los Angeles.

7 SERVICE & OUTREACH COFFEE AND DONUTS AFTER MASS Everyone is welcome in the gathering area where our parish family enjoys an atmosphere of friendship, community and belonging! Join us for Coffee and Doughnuts following the: 8:30am Sunday Mass (proceeds going to the Archdiocese Adopt-a-Family program) 10:00am Sunday Mass First and Third Sunday of the month (Proceeds to Boy Scout Troop 317 scouting events) BROTHER S HELPERS FEEDING THOSE IN NEED... Los Angeles leads the nation with over 80,000 homeless trying to survive here on the streets of one of the largest cities in the country. Of these 80,000 over 40% are women and children. Guided by the principles and values of the Missionaries of Charity, Brothers' Helpers is on a mission to prepare nutritious meals and deliver them to the poorest of the poor in downtown Los Angeles. We are a 100% volunteer organization. Join us today! Tuesday s at Holy Redeemer Healy Hall at 3pm Thursday s at St James Msgr Barry Hall at 3pm LOAVES & FISHES FOOD BANK Non-perishable food collection for the hungry Holy Redeemer 2nd Sunday of each month in bins near restrooms. St. James last Sunday of each month in bins in vestibule ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY Our parish St. Vincent de Paul Society will be selling handmade pens at the Saturday 4pm mass and the Sunday masses at 8:30, 10 and 11:30am. This fundraiser helps us to support those who call the church needing emergency help with food, rental assistance, etc. St James Holy Redeemer School December Service Project The students are sharing the Spirit of Christmas through their annual Adopt-A-Family program. Gifts will be collected to assist families who are in crisis and provide a wonderful holiday experience for families at a critical time in their lives. Clipping Box Tops is an easy way to help earn cash for our school. Each one is worth 10 for our school! Just look for the pink Box Tops on hundreds of products. All you have to do is clip them and drop them off in the school office. Thank you for your support! SAFEGUARD THE CHILDREN Did You Know?...Child Advocacy Centers can be a great resource Child Advocacy Centers are a resource for parents and children who have come into contact with sexual abuse. These centers work with children who have been victims of sexual abuse or violence, or who have witnessed traumatic events. Parents and others may need guidance as to how best to support children who have been victimized advocacy centers provide guidance, interviewing and counseling services to help victims of abuse heal and find justice. For a list of centers in California, visit

OUR MISSION: Sharing Faith, Celebrating Traditions, and Serving Each Other to the Praise and Glory of God.

MAY 7, 2017 FOURTH SUNDAY IN EASTER Welcome into full ini a on and to our parish family! OUR MISSION: Sharing Faith, Celebrating Traditions, and Serving Each Other to the Praise and Glory of God. Fr. Edward