Church of the Transfiguration 4000 E. Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, CA 94552-4908

(510) 538-7941 Fax (510) 538-7983 E-mail: transfig_office@sbcglobal.net Website: www.transfigchurch.com December 17, 2017

Rev. Mario L. Borges, Pastor ● Rev. Terence O’Malley, Parochial Administrator Deacon John A. Mignano ● Deacon Timothy L. Moore ● Deacon Burton J. Rigley

LITURGICAL MINISTRY: Eucharistic Ministers, Stephen and Carina Kowalewski Lectors, Barbara Mehan Altar Servers, Clarence Decano

FINANCE COUNCIL: Chairman, Mark Zaleski

PARISH ORGANIZATIONS: Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), 60 Plus or Minus Club, Cursillo Group

SAINT VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY: (510) 274-0830 Serving our community.

SICK & HOMEBOUND MINISTRY: Claudia Paquette, (510) 537-8986

STEWARDSHIP: Chairperson, Ed Coelho, (510) 881-5705 WINGS “Women in God’s Spirit”: Trish Ferrari, (510) 329-9407 HALL MANAGER: Pat Ballinger, (510) 537-1502

HALL RENTAL MANAGER: Monica Corona, 510-239-7941

YOUTH MINISTRY: Alfonso Corona III transfig.oasis@gmail.com PARISH OFFICE: Phone: (510) 538-7941 Fax: (510) 538-7983 Hours: 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday (Closed between 12:00 & 1:00 p.m.) Friday, 9:00a.m. — 12:00 Noon - Saturday & Sunday—Closed Secretary, Gloria Meeker Secretary/Bookkeeper, Phyllis Moore

SCHEDULE OF MASSES Saturdays 4:00 p.m. Sundays 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. (Except First Fridays - 9:30 a.m.) Communion Service - Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. CONFESSIONS Saturdays 3:00-3:45 p.m. BAPTISMS: Pre-baptismal class is required. Class is held the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Rectory. Please call the Parish Office, (510) 538-7941, to register. MATRIMONY: Six months advance notice required. Please call the parish office. WEDDING COORDINATOR: Mel Speed (510) 909-9334 or melspeed@live.com FUNERALS: Please contact the funeral home of your choice and then the parish office. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Director, Patrice Ballinger (510) 537-1502 or TransfigCCD@aol.com RCIA: Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults Please call the parish office. MUSIC MINISTRY: Director, Alexander Katsman (510) 538-7941, Ext. 302 or Transfig_Music@sbcglobal.net

Mission Statement: “Transfiguring Our Community Through Faith”

Third Sunday of Advent December 17, 2017

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Mass Intentions (December 16-23, 2017) Sat. 4:00 p.m. Ann Gregory Sun. 7:30 a.m. John Leli 9:00 a.m. For the People 11:00 a.m. John Ferreira Mon. 8:00 a.m. In Thanksgiving Tues. 8:00 a.m. Special Intention for Manuel & Maria Costa & Family Wed. 8:00 a.m. Marie Graf Thurs. 8:00 a.m. Vincent Rodrigues Fri. 8:00 a.m. Special Intention for Manuel & Maria Costa and Family Sat. 4:00 p.m. Alice Sullivan

Stewardship Corner The collection total for the weekend of: December 9th & 10th—$9,150.00 (compared to $12,000 average weekly stewardship goal) Religious Retirement Fund—$2,078.00 Thank you for continuing in your stewardship role of providing for the upkeep of our parish community.

We extend a warm welcome to new parishioners. Please pick up a registration form in the vestibule of the church and return it to the Parish Office. This helps us to serve you better. Remember Transfiguration in your Will and Living Trust

Credit, Debit, and Electronic Check Offerings If you would like to make your Sunday offering by credit or debit card, or electronic check, please go to our website: transfigchurch.com, and click on the “Donate” tab. From there, click on the “Donate Now” button to be taken to a secure website to complete the setup of your offering.

Transfiguration Catholic Church

Coffee and Donuts Isaac Nodal & Jocelyn Nodal will be hosting coffee and donuts this Sunday after the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Stop by and enjoy the fellowship. Deadline Today!

Did you forget your “Giving Tree” gift? The gift is due today, December 17th. We really need those gifts so we can deliver them to our families. Questions: please call (510) 393-4448. Thank you!

Christmas Schedule Dec. 23rd—4:00 p.m.—Regular Mass Dec. 24th—7:30, 9:00, 11:00 a.m.—Regular Mass 4:00 p.m.—Children’s Mass 12 Midnight Mass (Christmas Carols, 11:30p.m.) Dec. 25th—7:30, 9:00, 11:00 a.m. January 1, 2018, New Year’s Day, Mass at 10:00 a.m.

St. Vincent de Paul The meeting for December 17th has been cancelled.

Adult Bible Study Please Note:

There will be no Bible Study on Monday, December 18th and during the holiday season.

We will resume on January 8, 2018.

Christmas Flower Collection This weekend, we will have a collection for flowers to decorate our church for Christmas. Envelopes are available in the pews.

Church Decorating Party for Christmas You are invited to join us for a decorating party on Friday, December 22nd at 7:00 p.m. There will be Christmas music, Christmas treats and plenty of Christmas Joy! Help us get our church ready to cele-brate our Savior’s birth! Please RSVP to the Parish Office, (510) 538-7941. (Do you have a ladder you can bring? Please let us know when you RSVP). Thank you!

REJOICE Isaiah proclaims truly good news to us! God’s com-ing brings not sadness, guilt, fear, wrath, or condem-nation. 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

Special Collection Envelopes When using the “Special Collection” envelopes, please write the name of the collection on the envelope. You may also write the name of the collection in the memo line of your check. This will help the office to give you proper credit. Thank you.

We invite all women to join us for: WINGS (“Women in God’s Spirit”)

Wings is a faith enhancement group that encourages Spiritual growth through prayer, scripture study,

Catechesis, life sharing and community. Transfiguration Church, Marian Rm. Parish Hall

Thursday, January 4, 2018, 9:15-11:15 a.m. Speaker: Dr. Marty Leach

Topic: Spirituality Through Bible Stories

Baptism Class The next Baptism class will be

Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Please call the Parish Office to register.

Tiny Tickets = Tremendous Treasure What is a Tiny Ticket??? And why would anyone

want them??? MANY of you have been so faithful to our project —- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Many of you may not know anything about TINY TICKETS…Well……Tiny Tickets are those BART tickets, often discarded or left in pockets or drawers, which have tiny bits of value left on them that could be turned into cash. The Tiny Tickets Program allows these resources to provide needed sup-port to nonprofit groups like FESCO. Our Confirmation Program is committed to help. There is a Treasure Chest in the vestibule of the church, please drop your Tiny Tick-ets in the chest and we will transport them to the FESCO Offices. Thank you in advance for your kind generosity to our brothers and sisters in need.

TODAY’S READINGS First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Psalm: Luke 1:46-50, 53-54—Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, Inter-national Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Tuesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Wednesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26-38 Thursday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Friday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Saturday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 Sunday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29;

Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent Thursday: St. Peter Canisius; Winter begins Saturday: St. John of Kanty

Buon Tempo Upcoming Dinner Transfiguration Parish Hall

All parishioners are invited to the following dinner: January 2, 2018—Polenta/Chicken February 6, 2018—Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes If you are interested in attending, please call the Dinner Line, 510-483-6929. Information: Call Len Tallo, President at 510-912-5730.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church 3433 Somerset Avenue, Castro Valley, CA 94546

Saint Vincent de Paul Mission Helping the Homeless—Those in Need.

FREE Soup, Sandwiches (Other Food Items)

When: Every Wednesday—4:00 p.m. Where: 3433 Somerset Ave., Castro Valley

Follow Anita Ave.—Couple of blocks up from Castro Valley Boulevard

C I : We are OFF for Three Long, Restful Weeks …. ENJOY! L S : We recognize and Thank our “Generosity” class for serving today’s 9:00 Mass as our Greeters, Ushers, Gift Bearers and Lectors. We also rec-ognize and Thank our parishioners for your support of our Youth.

~~Religious Education~~ C.C.D.

C . C . D .

Confirmation

Your Prayers Are Requested for the Repose of the Soul of: Fr. Paul Quante

LETTER FROM POPE FRANCIS THE “JOY OF THE GOSPEL” CONTINUED...

The Proclamation of the Gospel—#215

Concern for the vulnerable

There are other weak and defenceless beings who are fre-quently at the mercy of economic interests or indiscrimi-nate exploitation. I am speaking of creation as a whole. We human beings are not only the beneficiaries but also the stewards of other creatures. Thanks to our bodies, God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we can feel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, and the extinction of a species as a pain-ful disfigurement. Let us not leave in our wake a swath of destruction and death which will affect our own lives and those of future generations. Here I would make my own the touching and prophetic lament voiced some years ago by the bishops of the Philippines: “An incredible variety of insects lived in the forest and were busy with all kinds of tasks… Birds flew through the air, their bright plumes and varying calls adding color and song to the green of the forests… God intended this land for us, his special creatures, but not so that we might destroy it and turn it into a wasteland… After a single night’s rain, look at the chocolate brown rivers in your locality and remember that they are carrying the life blood of the land into the sea… How can fish swim in sewers like the Pasig and so many more rivers which we have polluted? Who has turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries be-reft of color and life?”

Fr. Terry’s Remarks— Francis reminds us this week forcibly and eloquently how the whole of creation is beautifully integrated. Didn't the story of creation teach us that truth in our very childhood? Yet, we go blithely on-wards destroying creation as if one day we can live on bitcoins sprinkled with dollars. When are we going to wake up? When are we going to start using the intelli-gence God has given us? When are we going to believe the evidence of our own eyes and stop listening to the selfish and crazy? As the bishops of the Philippines puts it: “How can fish swim in sewers like the Pasig and so many more rivers which we have polluted? Who has turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cem-eteries bereft of color and Life?” Who indeed!!!