Praying through the Sacraments, Learning through Religious Education, Caring through Pastoral Care.

Transcription

1 December 17, Third Sunday of Advent CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY MISSION STATEMENT We are a praying, learning and caring community fulfilling the mission God gives us in baptism by our worship in faith, by our witness in hope and by our service in love. Praying through the Sacraments, Learning through Religious Education, Caring through Pastoral Care. Very Reverend Monsignor Richard F. Duncanson, Pastor (rfduncanson@nativitycatholic.org) , ext. 4 Parish Office Mailing Address Post Office Box 8770 Rancho Santa Fe, CA Deacon Jim Walsh (jwalsh@nativitycatholic.org) Church & School Location 6309 El Apajo Road Rancho Santa Fe, CA Mr. Paul Parker Principal, The Nativity School (pparker@nativitymail.org) The Nativity School Mailing Address Post Office Box 9180 Rancho Santa Fe, CA

2 Page Two Church of the Nativity December 17, 2017 MASS INTENTIONS DEC 16TH DEC 22ND SATURDAY 5 pm Liam Hearne, RIP SUNDAY 7:30 am For All Parishioners 9 am Alison Pivonka, Special Intention 10:30 am Jack D. Kelley, RIP MONDAY 8 am Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Pauline Gronstad, Special Intention TUESDAY 8 am Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Michael Mathews, RIP WEDNESDAY 8 am Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Irene P. Zelt, RIP THURSDAY 8 am Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Anthony Westphal, RIP FRIDAY 8 am 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Stephanie Kourie, Special Intention Clergy Schedule Saturday, 5:00 pm Fr. Duncanson Sunday, 7:30 am Fr. Duncanson Sunday, 9:00 am Fr. Duncanson / Deacon Walsh Preaching Sunday, 10:30 am Fr. Duncanson T R T S A First Reading As a garden makes its growth spring up, so will G make justice spring up before all the nations (Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11). Psalm My soul rejoices in my God (Luke 1:46-50, 53-54). Second Reading Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24). Gospel I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:6-8, 19-28). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. The Call to Worship is Rejoice in the Lord Alway, taken from the longer eponymous anthem by Henry Purcell ( ), considered the finest and most original composer of his day, who despite his very short life was able to enjoy and make full use of the renewed flowering of music after the restoration of Charles II to the throne. As the son of a musician at Court, a chorister at the Chapel Royal, and the holder of continuing royal appointments until his death, Purcell worked in Westminster for three different kings over twenty-five years. In addition to his royal duties, he also devoted much of his talent to writing operas, or rather musical dramas, and incidental stage music. His best loved piece is the opera Dido and Aeneas, written for a girls' school in Chelsea. The writing of theatrical music seems not to have been regarded by Purcell as embarrassing or beneath his dignity as organist of Westminster Abbey, being in the very midst of a tradition that not only permitted but actually encouraged well-known church musicians to provide lighter music for the theatre and opera, an accepted practice in the Continental cities as well as in London. The Offertory is by Christopher Tye (c with text by the French academic Charles Coffin ( ): O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace, eternal source of love. Inflame, we pray, our inmost hearts with fire from heaven above. The Communion begins with Ipse est qui post me by the Portugese composer Manuel Cardoso ( ), who for most of his career was the resident composer and organist at the Convento da Ordem do Carmo in Lisbon (the Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) founded in The text is from today s Gospel: He it is who is to come after me, who has been set above me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose. The second piece is the Canticle of John Racine, one of the best-loved shorter works by the French composer Gabriel Fauré ( ) who was a professor at the Paris Conservatory and organist at the Church of the Madeleine. This piece took first prize in 1865 for a competition at the École Niedermeyer in Paris, where the 20-year-old composer was studying. The text is taken from Racine's Traditional Hymns of the Roman Breviary: O divine word above, our hope and consolation, Eternal light of the heavens and the earth; our voices greet the morning. Look down, O Lord and hear your people s prayer. Inspire us, Lord, we pray, with the power of your Spirit, that hell may flee before your mighty word. From slumber waken us, our weary souls reviving, that we may never forget your laws. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on your congregation now gathered here in the sight of your throne. Receive the hymns they offer to your endless glory; renewed by your gifts may they go forth in peace. The third piece is an ancient Irish Blessing: May the road, may it rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the rain, may it softly fall upon your fields. And may God hold you in the palm of his hand. If your talented child in grade 2 or above would like to sing at the 4:00 pm Mass on Christmas Eve, there is still time to prepare by picking up a disc and the lyrics from either the church or school offices. If you would like to know more, please contact Paul Batchelor, Parish Music Director after any weekend Mass, by at pbatchelor@nativitycatholic.org or through the Parish office.

3 Page Three Church of the Nativity December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent: Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday This Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally referred to as Gaudete Sunday, because Gaudete is the Latin word for Rejoice! That one word Rejoice sets the theme of today s Liturgy, as this celebration marks the half-way point in our observance of Advent. The Gospel reading today presents St. John the Baptist, who had evidently won quite a reputation for himself as a prophet, preaching out in the desert and baptizing in the Jordan River. When the priests and Levites went to see for themselves just what was going on there, they asked John who he was and why he was carrying on like he was. In reply to their questions, after denying that he was the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet, John the Baptist quoted Isaiah s prophecy: I am the voice of one crying out in the desert: Make straight the way of the Lord. Here, John s message is not so much a prediction, not a promise of what God will do for his people. It is more a challenge for people to open their eyes and see the light. Listen again to what John told them: There is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. I don t think that we need this Liturgy and the words of the prophets to tell us to rejoice during this holiday season. Rejoicing seems to come quite quickly and easily. But I do think we might need this Liturgy and the words of the prophets to remind us about what it is that truly gives us cause for rejoicing. We need the prophetic message of Isaiah, and of St. John the Baptist, and of St. Paul to remind us of the presence among us of the one who is the true source of all of our joy: Jesus Christ! In fact, we might find it difficult sometimes to recognize the presence of Jesus in the midst of all of our Christmas preparations and celebrations. So we have this Third Sunday of Advent to invite us:. to rejoice always. to pray without ceasing. And in all circumstances to give thanks. Why? Because we have seen the light Because we can truly recognize Christ s presence among us: Not just as the Baby Jesus born of Mary in Bethlehem; Not just as the Crucified Christ nailed to the cross at Calvary and dying there for our sins; Not just the Risen Christ outside the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning, or with the apostles in the Upper Room on Easter Sunday night; But the Risen Lord Jesus, really and truly present among us right here and now, speaking to us through the Scriptures, and giving himself to us in the Eucharist that we share in Holy Communion. As we do, let us truly Rejoice! And may St. Paul s words of blessing (in today s second reading) be a blessing for each and every one of us, as we continue our Advent preparations for Christmas: May the God of peace make us perfectly holy; and may we entirely spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you! Fr. Richard Duncanson, Pastor (rfduncanson@nativitycatholic.org)

4 Page Four Church of the Nativity December 17, 2017 RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS Religious give thanks. A religious sister writes, When we see the generous response of so many thousands of persons in order to help us, religious men and women, we are left speechless. Senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests across the country send heartfelt thanks and prayers for your donation to last week s Retirement Fund for Religious collection. From the Diocese... NATIVITY PARISH CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE The Fourth Sunday of Advent Vigil Mass on Saturday, December 23 rd at 5:00 pm Sunday Mass at 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 am Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24 th Mass at 4:00, 6:00 and 9:00 pm Christmas Day Monday, December 25 th Mass at 9:00 and 10:30 am (NO 7:30 am Mass) Please plan to attend two Masses during the long Christmas weekend: One Mass in observance of the Fourth Sunday of Advent and One Mass in observance of Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. (If you attend Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday morning, December 24 th, you may also receive Holy Communion when you attend a Christmas Eve Mass later that day.) The Lutheran /Anglican /Roman Catholic Day of Dialogue will take place on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at The Roman Catholic Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, This year s topic is God Forms a People: A New Mosaic which will focus on how the various cultures, past and present, compose and affect the body of the Church, particularly in our area. The day begins with Morning Prayer at 9:30 a.m., and concludes with lunch at 12:00 noon. The cost is $25.00 (nonrefundable) per person. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m., may be taken at the door or sent with name, address, phone number, and $25.00 check to: Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis, Bernardo Center Drive, San Diego, CA, Holidays getting you down? Feeling Sad and Depressed- Feeling Isolated and Alone? If you are struggling with sadness or depression this Christmas season or feeling isolated and alone, caring members of our parish are here for you. Please call to speak to a member of our Mental Health Ministry. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom 15:13 SAMARITANS CORNER The Samaritans are collecting unwrapped Christmas toys and Target or Walmart gift cards. Please place donations in the black trash bins in the narthex. We will be delivering these to CATHOLIC CHARITIES on Dec 18th at 3:30 pm, and helping to wrap these gifts for homeless children living on the streets of San Diego. Please call Steph at to sign up for these Advent Service opportunities. PARISH OUTREACH AND HOLIDAY PARTY Thank you to all the parishioners who participated in our Parish Giving Tree Program this year! We collected and distributed about 375 gifts due to your generosity. Thanks to the High School Youth Group for making the Giving Tree Ornaments and sorting and preparing the gifts for delivery. One of our beneficiaries was the East County Transitional Living Center, which provides emergency housing, transitional living, job skills development, case management, opportunities to earn a GED, linkage to important resources, and biblical training to enable the residents to become self-sustaining. Another beneficiary was Never Leave One Behind, which encourages the successful reintegration of military veterans into the community by providing them with knowledge and access to available benefits and services and promotes emotional and physical health to veterans and their immediate family members. The Parish Giving Trees also benefitted individuals and families on the Parish Outreach List. Thank you to everyone who attended our 30 th Annual Parish Christmas Party on Friday December 8 and made it a success. Special thanks goes out to all the volunteers who made the party run smoothly. Thanks also to the French Gourmet for catering.

5 Page Five Church of the Nativity December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Please join us in singing the Psalm Response: : Ü 3 4 H H H G H H H My soul re - joi - ces in H G my God. REJOICE Isaiah proclaims truly good news to us! God s coming brings not sadness, guilt, fear, wrath, or condemnation. No, God s coming is a source of comfort and joy. Saying it once is not enough, for today s readings are full of joy. Mary s Magnificat substitutes for our psalm today, and our second reading encourages us to rejoice, to give thanks and praise. This is the root meaning of the Greek word for eucharist. We are urged to rejoice and give thanks, because the coming of the Lord brings joy, healing, liberty, release, vindication. It makes the very earth spring up with new life! Good tidings! Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. XAVIER SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND With an existing catalog of over braille and audio titles, Xavier Society for the Blind provides inspirational, spiritual and religious materials in braille, audio and/or large print to the blind and visually impaired community of faithful free of charge, including: Monthly readings, prayers and responses for the Sunday Mass and selected Feast Days and Solemnities Faith formation textbooks for children and adults Many popular titles related to the Catholic Church, religion and spiritual themes If you know a family member, friend or fellow parishioner who could benefit from our services please: Visit our website: xaviersocietyfortheblind.org, us at info@xaviersociety.org or call (800) Time, Talent and Treasure Registered Households: 1,295 Contributing Parishioners YTD: 741 Our Parishioners contributed $20, in the weekly collection to further the Mission & Ministry provided by the Church of the Nativity. Thank you for giving what is meaningful to you, to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you often find yourself without your checkbook or envelope on Sunday morning? Faith Direct is secure and convenient, and will even provide you with an optional offertory card to place in the basket during weekly collection. There is no cost to you, and the program provides a great benefit to our parish. Please consider using Faith Direct today! Sign up by visiting ( Our parish code is CA288. Call for more information. WOMEN OF NATIVITY To get all future correspondence and to become involved please visit the Ministries page at to be included in our ing list! MEN OF NATIVITY The next Nativity Men s Group meeting is Thursday January 4th, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Dr. George Delgado, from Culture of Life Family Services, will share the latest news about Abortion Pill Reversal.

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8 Page Eight Church of the Nativity December 17, 2017 LORD'S DAY MASS SCHEDULE Weekday Mass: Monday Friday 8 am (Chapel) Saturday Vigil: 5 pm; Sunday: 7:30 am, 9 am, 10:30 am RCIA and Youth Minister: Mike James, mjames@nativitycatholic.org, , ext. 5 Family Faith Formation Coordinators: Wendy Campbell & Sandra Escalante-Smith, faithformation@nativitymail.org Music Director: Paul Batchelor, pbatchelor@nativitycatholic.org, , ext. 102 The Nativity School: Paul Parker, Principal pparker@nativitymail.org, Bookkeeper: Jackie Marin, jmarin@nativitymail.org, Administrative Assistant: Jodee Moore, jmoore@nativitycatholic.org, Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00pm to 3:30 pm Pastoral Council: Carl Bobkoski, Jane Boler, Cindy Hesse, Mimi Johnson, Jodee Moore, Craig Ryall Finance Council: Jeff Brandon, Chair Michael Conway, Jim LaGrossa, Byrnes Lambert, Mark Legg, Catherine Mowbray-Lorenz, Earl Parker, Carolyn Wilkinson, Joe Wilkinson Safe Environment Coordinator: John Marin Call the Parish Office PASTORAL CARE Nativity Samaritans: Stephanie Kourie at stephaniekourie@cox.net Childcare: Attended care is provided in the play room off the Commons during 9 am and 10:30 am Sunday Masses. Holy Communion for the sick: For the homebound upon request, Widows and Widowers: Pat Smart, thesmarts@aol.com Monthly Luncheons - September through June Small Christian Communities - Faith Sharing Groups See Deacon Jim Walsh or contact Kathy Alameda at or kathyalameda1@gmail.com Altar Servers: Bill Hearne at bhearne@weoneil.com Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Mimi Johnson at mimijohns78@gmail.com Mental Health Ministry: Lisa James at Ushers & Hospitality: Corbitt Kerr at ckerr@davlyninvestments.com SACRAMENTS Baptism: Celebrated on the 4th Sunday, after 10:30 am Mass Please contact the Parish Office or jmoore@nativitycatholic.org. Anointing of the Sick: Encouraged for anyone critically ill, for the elderly, or prior to major surgery Reconciliation: Saturday, 4:15 pm in the Chapel Eucharist: Weekday Mass: Monday - Friday, 8 am in the Chapel Eucharistic Adoration: Every Friday after 8 am Mass Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesdays, after 8 am Mass Rosary: Weekdays, after 8 am Mass in the Chapel FAMILY FAITH FORMATION Classes meet September through June PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE Preschool - 6th Grade: Sundays, 8:50 am - 10:05 am at The Nativity School Junior High 7th /8th: Sundays, 5pm - 6:15 pm in the Parish Commons TODAY, 12/17, AFTER 9 AND 1030 AM MASSES All proceeds from Bake Sale to benefit Catholic Charities. HIGH SCHOOL: 9TH - 12TH GRADE Contact: Mike James, , ext. 5 Youth Group: Sundays, 5pm to 6:15pm Topic Night is Sunday December 17 for all freshmen -seniors in the Commons. We will have small groups and go over the readings from Mass. Refreshments are by the Acierno family. There will be no class on December 24 or December 31. We resume on January 7. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION Contact: Mike James, , ext. 5 R.C.I.A. Class meets on Sunday from 11:30-12:30 in the Parish Office Classroom. There will be no class on December 24 or December 31. We resume on January 7. The Rite of Election is February 18 in the afternoon. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Please note: The parish office will be closed from Saturday, December 23 rd through Monday, January 1 st. The Nativity Children s Choir will reconvene for its annual appearance at the 4:00 pm Mass on Christmas Eve. Your talented child in grade 2 or above who loves to sing is invited to join in, and mindful of the busy season, in lieu of rehearsals a disc containing the music along with the lyrics for the children to learn will be available in the Parish Office and the School Office. For more information, please contact Paul Batchelor, music director after any weekend Mass, through the parish office at , or pbatchelor@nativitycatholic.org.