The Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity MASSES Sundays 08:00, 09:30, 11:30 AM and 05:00 PM Saturdays 08:00 AM and 05:00 PM (Vigil) Weekdays and Holy Days, 05:30 and 07:30 PM SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Opus Dei priest) 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM (parish priest) (also by appointment) BAPTISMS 1 st, 3 rd and 5 th Sundays of the month (contact rectory 2 months in advance) WEDDINGS Saturdays 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM (contact rectory at least 6 months in advance) PASTOR Rev. Msgr. Steven D. Otellini PAROCHIAL VICAR Rev. John Mary Chung PASTOR EMERITUS Rev. Clement Davenport PERMANENT DEACONS Rev. Mr. Dominick Peloso Rev. Mr. Thomas Kelly WEEKEND ASSISTANTS Rev. Kevin Gaffey Rev. Paul Maillet, S.S. Rev. Gladstone Stevens, S.S. IN RESIDENCE Rev. Gregory Haake, C.S.C. SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Mrs. Monica Hickam (650) 804-2390 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration HEARING LOOP ENABLED 210 Oak Grove Avenue v Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel: (650) 323-7914 v fax: (650) 323-3231 www.nativitymenlo.org

FIRST READING The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 8: 23-9: 3 PSALM The Lord is my life s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? Psalms 27 SECOND READING Be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17 GOSPEL Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4: 12-23 The Calling of Peter and Andrew -- Harold Copping The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 26 January 2014 Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4: 19 Calendar SCHEDULE OF MASSES AND INTENTIONS WEEK OF 26 JAN - 01 FEB 05:00 PM Priest s intentions SUN Masses Priest s intentions MON TUE WED THU FRI Mike Bregante The Heller and Niesen families The Neylan and Cardine families Miriam and Rolly Somer; Tom Del Sarto Sean Masuhara William H. McInerney Tim Landy William Walsh Olga Martin Maria Masuda 08:00 AM Fernando Campos; John Long; Marie Firenzi Please pray for those in need of physical or spiritual healing SPIRITUAL WARFARE CONFERENCE Nativity will again be the setting for the third annual Spiritual Warfare Conference. This year s conference will again feature Father Gary Thomas as the principal speaker. He is the Exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose and his training was featured in the movie The Rite. Joining him will be Patrick Madrid and Jim Burnham, both very well-known personalities on Catholic Radio. As usual, we remind everyone that life is a spiritual battle for souls. Through the grace from Jesus through His Catholic Church, we have all that is necessary to win this war. Your attendance at this conference will better empower you to overcome evil that knocks at our hearts, and lead your family to Jesus. Don t miss this great opportunity. The conference is on Saturday, 22 February 2014 at the Sobrato Pavilion, Nativity School. It begins with 08:00 AM Mass and concludes at 04:15 PM. For more information, and to signup, go to heartsoflove.biz or see the brochures at Nativity Church. For questions, call Deacon Dominick Peloso: 650/269-6279. SUN MON-FRI MON-FRI TUE THU 07:00 PM 07:10 AM 05:10 PM 06:00 PM 06:00 PM 06:15 AM 07:40 AM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM Holy Hour for Priests Morning Prayer Evening Prayer Cenacles of Life Rosary Perpetual Help Novena Men s Prayer Group Morning Prayer Confessions (Opus Dei priest) Confessions (parish priest) 26 JAN (Sunday) 11:00 AM Nativity School Open House 27 JAN (Monday) 09:00 AM 07:30 PM 07:30 PM 07:30 PM 28 JAN (Tuesday) 09:30 AM 07:00 PM Bible Group Legion of Mary RCIA St. Vincent de Paul Society Faith Formation Class Faith Formation Class 29 JAN (Wednesday) 07:00 PM Confirmation Class 30 JAN (Thursday) 11:00 AM The Thursday Group 31 JAN (Friday) 01 FEB (Saturday) Parish Office Hours 09:00 AM-04:00 PM Monday-Friday Annual Appeal Progress: 2013 Appeal Goal: Parish OfferINGS WEEK OF 04-05 JAN TOTAL: $9,416 GOAL MET! $127,900

28 JAN (Tuesday): SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, Doctor of the Church (1225-1274) Educated by Benedictine monks at Monte Cassino, and at the University of Naples, his works (e.g., Summa Theologica) are seminal to the thinking of the Church. Pope Leo VIII commanded that his teachings be studied by all theology students. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1567. Saints and Observances SOLEMNITY, FEAST, MEMORIAL OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OTHER 31 JAN (Friday): SAINT JOHN BOSCO, Priest (1815-1888) Born in Becchi, Italy, John devoted his priestly life to children. He was ordained in 1841, and by 1846 he had befriended 800 difficult boys. He founded a religious society, now known as the Society of St. Francis de Sales (Salesians), which spread worldwide. He also helped found the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians who work with poor girls. Ministry & Group News THEOLOGY OF THE BODY STUDY GROUP Are you looking to deepen your understanding of Catholic teaching on love and marriage, sexual ethics and Christian virtue, and share that knowledge with others? Joan Frawley Desmond will lead a six-session study group on Blessed John Paul II s revolutionary teaching at Church of the Nativity beginning Thursday, 13 February 2014 from 07:00-08:30 PM in the O Hare Center. The Nativity group will use the study guide, A New Language: John Paul II s Theology of the Body, which has been used in over 20 U.S. dioceses, and in Europe and Latin America. There will be an informational meeting on Thursday, 23 January 2014 at 07:00 PM in the O Hare Center. If you are interested in joining the group or have questions, please call Joan at 301/509-6084 or 650/494-4971. PURITY AND CHASTITY GROUP: REDISCOVERING MASCULINITY, REDISCOVERING FEMININITY Want to live out and/or learn about purity and chastity? Come check out the Goretti Group on the first Friday of every month. We have Mass, eat dinner, and look at a topic. February s topic is Rediscovering Masculinity. Rediscovering Femininity. Deacon Dominick and his wife, Mary Ellen Peloso will be our guest speakers. The Goretti Group is a nationwide chastity group started in San Diego that helps people experience the joy of purity. Contact: Michael Scott at v3mike@gmail.com. Next Meeting: 07 February 2014 at 06:30 PM. Address: 751 Waverly St., Palo Alto. Website: thegorettigroup.com. St. Maria Goretti, pray for us! God bless. SPECIAL COLLECTION CHANGE IN DATE: Please note that the second collection for St. Patrick s Seminary and University has been moved to the weekend of 08-09 February 2014. For over a century, St. Patrick s Seminary has been dedicated to the ministry of priestly formation and supporting the continued growth of priests already ordained. This year the Seminary is blessed with an enrollment of 90 men preparing for the priesthood. To sustain our vitally important work, we rely on the generosity of our benefactors and of the parishioners whom our seminarians will one day serve as priests. Thank you for your generous support. God bless you! You have never strayed too far for the Father s forgiveness and grace. FAITH FORMATION CLASSES Our study of faith matters begin again on Tuesday, 28 January 2014. We will have five classes on The Apostle Peter and the Papacy. After those classes and during lent, we will have individual classes on The Fourth Cup and the New Passover, The Last Supper and the Lost Tribes of Israel, The Crucifixion: a Priestly and Marital Act, The Jewish Roots of Jesus Death and Resurrection, and The Road to Emmaus. The last class is on Tuesday, 08 April 2014, just in time for Holy Week. Please join us as we learn more about our faith, and especially the great love that God has for each of us as expressed by the gift of the Church and its liturgy. All classes are on Tuesdays in the O Hare Center (in back of church). The morning class is at 09:30 AM. This is repeated in the evening at 07:00 PM. Classes are 90 minutes long including the DVD lecture and discussion. For questions, contact Deacon Dominick Peloso, 650/269-6279. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING OVERVIEW CLASS Beginning on 15 February 2014 Nativity will be offering monthly classes on Natural Family Planning (NFP). This class will give an overview of the benefits of NFP, which is based on up-to-date science and is individualized for every couple. It works with the body s natural rhythm and increases respect for the couple s fertility as God designed it. NFP is an investment in your marriage which you don t want to be without. The divorce rate for couples who use NFP is lower than the average. All engaged and married couples are welcome. Couples who are to be married at Nativity are required to take this class. The class is conducted by Finola Glassmoyer, a registered nurse, who has been teaching NFP for many years. The hour-long class is held in the O Hare Center and begins at 09:00 AM. For more information and to register for this class, contact Finola, 650/868-3090 or love2pray@gmail. com. Pregnant? Need Help? Please contact the Juan Diego Society (408/258-2008), the Gabriel Project (800/910-0191) or Community Pregnancy Center (650/964-8093).

Announcements OUR PARISH FAMILY Please keep all of our newest members in your prayers, as well as those who have preceded us to the Father. BAPTISMS MARRIAGES NEW PARISHIONERS Regina Du Candace Grazioli DEATHS Wade Hyman Helen Imperiale Gary Gaddini Mary Sterlinski Charles Engler THE THURSDAY GROUP The Nativity Thursday Group provides an opportunity for seniors and others to get together every Thursday in the O Hare Center. There is a Scripture Group at 11:00 AM. We have the Rosary at noon every week and often have Mass as well. After these we then get together to socialize. Coffee, tea, and dessert are always provided and members usually bring their own lunch. Once a month students from Nativity School join us for lunch prepared by their parents. We are now back from our Christmas break and invite you to join us this coming Thursday. GOOD FOOD, GOOD MUSIC AND GREAT TIMES! Join us for the Nativity Men s Club 2014 Crab Cioppino Dinner. Tickets are on sale for the Men s Club Crab Cioppino Dinner on Saturday, 08 February 2014 at Nativity School in the Sobrato Pavilion. The dinner will include Dungeness Crab Cioppino, pasta, salad, sourdough bread and dessert. The tickets are $45.00 per person. In addition to the best Crab Cioppino dinner anywhere, there will be live music. All reservations must be purchased in advance; seating is limited. Seating will be assigned so we must have the names and payment of everyone in your party at the same time. Reservations are being taken until 02 February 2014, or until the seating capacity is reached, whichever comes first. Drop off your form and payment at the school or parish office. If you have any questions, please contact Erik Kingham at 415/305-5866 or nativitymc@gmail.com. SEEKING ROSARY GROUP VOLUNTEERS Catholic Charities CYO San Carlos Adult Day Services is seeking volunteers to help lead a rosary group for seniors on Fridays from 10:00-10:30 AM. Our seniors have greatly appreciated our Rosary Group on Friday mornings, and we need more volunteers to help lead this group. If you are interested please contact Jane Ferguson Flout at 415/972-1227 or jfergusonflout@ cccyo.org. San Carlos ADS has been providing a home away from home for older and dependent adults since 1975. NATIVITY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: TODAY! Nativity School invites you to a special Open House for parents of prospective students and their children (grades Jr.K- 7) on Sunday, 26 January 2014, from 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM at the school, 1250 Laurel Street, Menlo Park. Come to see the magnificent displays and exhibits and meet our faculty and staff. Tours by appointment are also available. Visit our website: www. nativityschool.com. APPLICATION TO NATIVITY SCHOOL Nativity School is currently accepting applications for grades Jr.K-7. Please call the school office, 650/325-7304, to request an application or visit our website at www.nativityschool.com > Admissions. Nativity School, mindful of its mission to be witness to the love of Christ for all, admits students of any race, ethnicity, and national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at this school. Nativity School does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, and national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex or disability in administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. In The Community WORLD DAY OF THE SICK The Archdiocese of San Francisco invites you to our Celebration of the World Day of the Sick at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, 1111 Gough Street at Geary, San Francisco, on Saturday, 08 February 2014 at 11:00 AM. Please come and bring a friend who is sick for a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one s suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of Christ who by suffering, dying and rising, achieved the salvation of mankind. (John Paul II). Hosted by the Order of Malta, Western Association USA, San Francisco in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. Contact Kenneth Ryan, kenmryan@aol. com, 415/613-0395 for more information. WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS There will be an anniversary Mass this year honoring all those couples who are celebrating an anniversary of marriage during 2013 that is a multiple of five years (5, 10, 15, etc.), particularly those of 25 years or more. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Cordileone at 10:00 AM on Saturday, 22 February 2014, at Saint Mary s Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco. It will be followed by a reception. All are welcome. For more information contact murphyj@sfarchdiocese. org or call 415/614-(5586 or 5505). There is a $20.00 suggested donation. Registration is required. To register go to www. sfanniversary.info or call 415/614-5680. Please register by 13 February 2014. For more information or questions call 415/614-5680.

From the Holy See THE HOLY FATHER S PRAYER INTENTIONS Each month His Holiness asks for general and missionary prayer intentions. For February 2014, the Holy Father s prayer intentions are: General: Respect for Elders That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people. Missionary: Unity in Evangelization That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity for evangelization. www.youtube.com/user/vatican www.facebook.com/vaticancom @news_va_en In The Community (cont d.) PILGRIMAGE FOR CANONIZATIONS Franciscan University of Steubenville s President, Rev. Sean Sheridan TOR, will be leading a pilgrimage to the canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, 25 April 25 to 01 May 2014. The pilgrimage will include visits to many basilicas and shrines in Rome and talks by George Weigel and Fr. Jonathan Morris. For more details contact Kelly Beatty, Franciscan University 740/284-5812 or kbeatty@franciscan.edu. TELEVISED SUNDAY MASS A televised Sunday Mass is now airing on ABC Family from 06:30-07:00 AM each Sunday morning. THE SUNDAY MASS is produced by the Passionist Fathers and Brothers out of New York City and is available nationally on local affiliates. Too early for you? Tape it, Tivo it, or watch it on-line. For more information consult the website at www.thesundaymass.org or call us at 1-800-THE-MASS. NATIVITY HOLY HOUR FOR PRIESTS Everyone is invited to attend our weekly holy hour for priests each Sunday evening at 07:00 PM. It includes a rosary, chaplet of Divine Mercy, a mediation, brief talk on the spiritual life, and Benediction. Especially at this time, we need to lift up our priests both here in the parish and throughout the world with our prayer. Please join us. FATHERLUCKY.COM Fr. Derek has set up a website where you can purchase the book Father Lucky: Trust in Jesus, the Remarkable Stories of a Priest, His Passions and the People Who Moved Him. This is a little book of wonderful stories told by our own Fr. Clement Davenport, which were collected and compiled by Fr. Derek Iwanski. Fr. Derek has also added audio files of recordings of Fr. Davenport telling some of these stories. Visit www.fatherlucky.com to hear these stories. Keeping checking this website because Fr. Derek is adding more content, including a special video to celebrate Fr. Davenport s 65th Anniversary of his Ordination. CHANGE LIVES THIS SUMMER: YOUTH MISSION TRIP 2014 Spend one week of your summer, 20-26 July 2014, in South Texas changing lives. All high school students (or all students ages 14 to 19) are welcome. We ll be rebuilding homes and communities with the physical work we do, but more importantly, we ll also be touching hearts, offering hope, and sharing God s love as we serve impoverished communities. Mornings and evenings will include Mass, prayer, Reconciliation, and activities. For more information or to register, contact St. Denis DRE & Youth Minister, Lindsey West at lwest@stdenisparish.org or 650/854-1081. Space is limited so sign up today! Lindsey will be speaking at all Masses the weekend of 22-23 February 2014 about this mission trip. www.fatherlucky.com

PRAYERS AFTER COMMUNION What do you do when you return to the pew after receiving Holy Communion? If you re reading the back of the bulletin anyway, read these! These prayers come from the 1962 edition of My Sunday Missal: Prayer Before a Crucifix (also imparts a Plenary Indulgence if recited after Communion) O good and dearest Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true sorrow for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment, whilst with deep affection and grief of soul I reflect upon and ponder over Thy five most Precious Wounds, having before my eyes the words of David the prophet concerning Thee, my Jesus: They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all my bones. Our Father,... Hail, Mary,... Glory Be... (for the Holy Father s intentions). What Shall I Give Thee? I have received into my heart Jesus Christ, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. I begin this day, as a day in Heaven. He is in my soul the Divine Infant in the crib, the growing Boy at Nazareth, the Apostle acclaimed by the crowds on the roads of Galilee, the Miracle-Worker Who performed such prodigies, the Martyr Who completed His Sacrifice on Calvary. And now, O good Master, what shall I give Thee in exchange for Thy visit...? I would like to pray to Thee with the burning words of Thy Mother and her court of Heaven, but I feel riveted to earthly things... I would like to offer Thee courageous loyalty to my Baptismal Vows and Confirmation Graces but alas, I have so often been disloyal... I would like, at least, to have a desire for the Christian life, but I allow myself to be discouraged by my failures... O good Jesus, I have nothing to give Thee, and Thou hast given Everything; Thous hast given Thyself to me. I can only join my poor voice in the chorus of praise to Thee, rising out of all the works of Thy Creation here on earth... With fifteen hundred millions now living on earth, I shall praise Thy Mercy! May our voices unite with the billions of those who inhabited the earth before us, and out of whose dust the beauty of Nature perpetually rises to praise Thy Glory! May an infinite concert of voices from cottages and palaces, from fields and forests, from towns and deserts, from workshops and cathedrals, from earth and from heaven, from time and from eternity, arise to give my thanks unto Thee. Amen. PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT Our Lord revealed to St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from Purgatory each time it was said. Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen. Young Believers MONTHLY MEDITATION This meditation is from the Institute of Christ the King (infantkingoffering.org) Dependence on God: Cornerstone of Virtue In the Footsteps of Our Infant King We human beings like to be independent. Indeed, there is a legitimate independence which can motivate us to accomplish important duties for the good by industrious work and diligence. However, it is in our fallen human nature to want to push our independence to the extreme. For example, how easy it is for that self-reliant work ethic to become stubborn self-will, despite even our best intentions. Dependency from the Human Perspective Somehow not having to ask anyone for anything, doing it all by ourselves, has become a great virtue. The more we can do for ourselves without assistance, the more successful we feel, the more confident we are in our abilities and the more valuable we become to others. Consequently, we see dependence is a sign of inadequacy. Dependence seems to imply neediness, lack of resources or ability, poverty, fragility, even failure. Thus, our human nature does not like to be dependent. Dependency from God s Perspective However, dependence, when seen from God s perspective, relates more to virtue than to vice. Having created us from nothing and having given us every good thing we have, God continues to hold us in existence at every moment. It is God who is in charge of us. His Divine Providence is always at work in our lives. Thus it is God who has actually enabled whatever achievements we so eagerly claim as our own. Truly, we are not independent and selfsufficient as we often think. Rather, we depend totally on God. Dependency of our Infant King: Salutary Lesson for us So that we would better understand this simple but profound truth, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity became a little Child in the stable of Bethlehem. Just like our Infant King was dependent on Mary and Joseph for everything necessary in his human life as a child, so also are we children of God to be dependent on our heavenly Father for everything we are and have, as well as for everything we want to be. Jesus spoke of this spiritual dependence on God again and again in the Gospels: Unless you become as little children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mt 18:3) Like Jesus our Infant King, we must become spiritually child-like, relying upon God and His Providence in our lives more than upon ourselves and our own strength.