Now the people were fi lled with expectation, and all were asking THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT GAUDETE SUNDAY DECEMBER 16, 2018

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1 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT GAUDETE SUNDAY DECEMBER 16, 2018 Now the people were fi lled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fi re. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing fl oor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fi re. Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people. Luke 3:10-18 "Preaching of St John the Bap st" by Domenico Grillandajo

2 Advent Penance Service Make the Sacrament of Reconciliation part of your preparation for Christmas! Wednesday, December 19th, at 6:30 PM in the church Several priests will be available to hear confessions during our Advent Penance Service. Our Lady of Perpetual Help PARISH & SCHOOL 124 Columbus Street Bakersfield, CA olphbakersfield.org Rev. Hector Lopez, Pastor Mass Schedule Christmas Mass Schedule December 24, Monday Vigil Masses: 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM (Spanish) Night Mass: 10:00 PM December 25, Tuesday Christmas Day Masses: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 NOON Mass Intentions Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4:00PM English, 5:30PM Spanish Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30AM, 12:00 noon, 5:00 PM Daily Masses: Monday: No services Tuesday: 6:00 PM (Spanish) Wednesday Thursday: 7:00 AM Friday: 8:15 AM during the school year Sacraments Confessions: Thursday 5 PM (until all are heard), or by appointment Infant Baptism: Celebrated in English at 9:30AM on the 1 st Saturday of the month, and in Spanish at 9:30 AM on the 2 nd Saturday of the month. Baptism preparation classes are offered on the 2 nd Tuesday of each month. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School Preschool, Transitional Our Lady Kindergarten of Perpetual (TK), Help Kindergarten, Parish School 1st-8th Grades Preschool, Principal: Transitional Kelli Michaud Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten, 1st-8th Grades kmichaudolph@gmail.com 15 4:00 Joseph Ducato (Sonja Ducato & Family) 5:30 Don Robinson (Lucy Banducci & Family) 16 7:30 Denvir & Varga Families 9:00 Pete Ansolabehere (Alice Ansolabehere & Family) 10:30 Missa Pro Populo 12:00 Max Miro (Zaben Family) 5:30 Frank, Marie, and Frankie Amestoy (Bill & Avon Wonderly) 17 No services. 18 6:00 Barbara Bergin (LaNita Northway) 19 7:00 Thanksgiving (Rose Mary Dacanay) 8:15 Maria Johnson (Veronica Johnson) 20 7:00 Jesus & Salomina Perez (Jay & Myrna Buenviaje) 21 7:00 Ronnie Mireles (Sara & Frances Adams)

3 A CTS The Spread off the Kingdom A Twenty-Part Bible Bibl Study S d FFeaturing Jeff Cavins Bring yourdates, BibleTimes, and join us in the hall for Location a 20-week Catholic Bible Study on the Book of Acts! TWENTY MONDAYS AT 6:30 PM Cost/Registration BEGINNING JANUARY 21ST Registration fee (includes workbook andfor online $29.00 Moreaccess): Information To register, call ext 2 or visit Acts is a story of hope. It s the story of how a few Christians empowered by the Holy Spirit were chosen to bring Christ and the Good News to the ends of the earth. They taught as Christ did. They performed miracles as he did. Some even gave their lives for him. They faced secular forces, internal strife, hostile crowds,and despite all of this, they brought the kingdom of God to a broken world and the love of God to the hearts of men. Acts will enrich your faith and rekindle your love for Christ as you live the lives of his first disciples. Once you start learning he makes you hunger for more. Jeff pulls everything you need to know out of the Bible and it all starts to make sense like it never did before. Margaret A. Tirpak, NY Visit BibleStudyForCatholics.com to learn more! Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Bakersfield, California NEW MINISTRY Prayerful Recitation of the Holy Rosary before each weekend Mass Volunteers are needed! This new ministry in our parish needs volunteers to help lead a prayerful recita on of the rosary before the weekend Masses. Volunteers are s ll needed for the Sunday Masses at 7:30, 9:00, and 5:00, and at the Saturday Vigil Mass in Spanish at 5:30. To learn more, please contact the parish office. Prayers for the Sick in Our Parish Jim French Doreen Brigan Glen Van Schaack Michael Nail Dean Lara Linda Guerra Larkie Barne Felicia Soto Michael Mike Kelley Angelito Guzman Rudy Plaza Lupe Plaza Maria Lascano John Siercks Rose Rangel Conrad Chavez Prayers for Our Deceased Loved Ones Marie De Lucia Cruz Mendoza Rebecca Cole Rolande Abercrombie Bobby Zuspan Don Robinson If someone you love is ill, you are welcome to add their name to the prayer list. Visit our website at and click the link on the homepage for prayer requests. You may also submit their names by ing office@olphbakersfield.org.

4 God s Gift of Forgiveness A Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Peace be with you! With these words, the Risen Lord greeted his frightened Apostles in the Upper Room on the day of his Resurrection. They were troubled, anxious, and fearful much like each one of us at some point in our lives. Christ repeated the words, Peace be with you. But then he added, Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them (Jn 20:19-23). What an extraordinary gift! The Risen Lord was proclaiming that all the suffering he had just endured was in order to make available the gifts of salvation and forgiveness. He wanted the Apostles to receive these gifts. He wanted them to become apostles of this forgiveness to others. In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also called confession, we meet the Lord, who wants to grant forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life in him. In this sacrament, he prepares us to receive him free from serious sin, with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial love in the Eucharist. The Church sees confession as so important that she requires that every Catholic go at least once a year.1 The Church also encourages frequent confession in order to grow closer to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seek forgiveness and repentance, let go of patterns of sin, grow in the life of virtue, and witness to a joyful conversion. Since the graces of the sacrament are so similar to the purpose of the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI has said, The New Evangelization... begins in the confessional! 2 We bishops and priests are eager to help you if you experience difficulty, hesitation, or uncertainty about approaching the Lord in this sacrament. If you have not received this healing sacrament in a long time, we are ready to He said to him, My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found. (Lk 15: 31-32) welcome you. We, whom Christ has ordained to minister this forgiveness in his name, are also approaching this sacrament, as both penitents and ministers, throughout our lives and at this special moment of grace during Lent. We want to offer ourselves to you as forgiven sinners seeking to serve in the Lord s name. During Lent in addition to the various penitential services during which individual confession takes place we bishops and priests will be making ourselves available often for the individual celebration of this sacrament. We pray that through the work of the Holy Spirit, all Catholics clergy and laity will respond to the call of the New Evangelization to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Come to the Lord and experience the extraordinary grace of his forgiveness! 1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Annual Course on the Internal Forum Organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary, penitenzieria-apostolica_en.html.

5 How to Go to Confession... May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, whatever good you do and suffering you endure, heal your sins, help you grow in holiness, and reward you with eternal life. Go in peace. Rite of Penance, no PREPARATION: Before going to confession, take some time to prepare. Begin with prayer, and reflect on your life since your last confession. How have you in your thoughts, words, and actions neglected to live Christ s commands to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Mt 22:37, 39)? As a help with this examination of conscience, you might review the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes (Ex 20:2-17; Dt 5:6-21; Mt 5:3-10; or Lk 6:20-26). 2 GREETING: The priest will welcome you; he may say a short blessing or read a Scripture passage. 3 THE SIGN OF THE CROSS: Together, you and the priest will make the Sign of the Cross. You may then begin your confession with these or similar words: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [give days, months, or years] since my last confession. 4 CONFESSION: Confess all your sins to the priest. If you are unsure what to say, ask the priest for help. When you are finished, conclude with these or similar words: I am sorry for these and all my sins. 5 PENANCE: The priest will propose an act of penance. The penance might be prayer, a work of mercy, or an act of charity. He might also counsel you on how to better live a Christian life. 6 ACT OF CONTRITION: After the priest has conferred your penance, pray an Act of Contrition, expressing sorrow for your sins and resolving to sin no more. A suggested Act of Contrition is: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. (Rite of Penance, no. 45) 7 ABSOLUTION: The priest will extend his hands over your head and pronounce the words of absolution. You respond, Amen. 8 PRAISE: The priest will usually praise the mercy of God and will invite you to do the same. For example, the priest may say, Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. And your response would be, His mercy endures for ever (Rite of Penance, no. 47). 9 DISMISSAL: The priest will conclude the sacrament, often saying, Go in peace. If it has been a while since your last confession, remember, Do not fear (Is 41:10). The priest will help guide you. And feel free to take this howto guide with you! (For more information, visit Copyright 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. Scripture excerpts taken from the New American Bible, rev. ed. 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Penance 1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. This text may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration for nonprofit educational use, provided such reprints are not sold and include this notice. Image front: Design Pics Inc. To order, visit our website at or call us at Para ordenar recursos en español, llame al y presione 4 para hablar con un representante del servicio al cliente en español. Publication No Washington, DC ISBN

6 Our Lady of Perpetual Help CATHOLIC SCHOOL What is Catholic education? Excerpts from The Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Schools: The Church sees education as a process that, in light of man's transcendent destiny, forms the whole child and seeks to fix his or her eyes on heaven.1 Education is not a commodity, even if Catholic schools equip their graduates with enviable skills. Rather, "the Catholic school sets out to be a school for the human person and of human persons."² In a Catholic school, everyone should be aware of the living presence of Jesus the "Master" who, today as always, is with us in our journey through life as the one genuine "Teacher," the perfect Man in whom all human values find their fullest perfection.³ Mission Statement of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School: To build the Mystical Body of Jesus by preparing students and families spiritually, morally, and academically to love, serve, and grow as members of God s family 1) The Catholic School, 29 2) The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, 9; cf. Lay Catholics in Schools, 18 3) The Catholic School, 35 Stone Soup Day with Kindergarten and 8th Grade