Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Iglesia Católica San Juan el Evangelista December 11, 2016 — Third Sunday of Advent

11 de diciembre de 2016 — Tercer Domingo de adviento

LITURGY SCHEDULE Saturday ................................................... …...5:30 p.m Sunday........................................................... 9:00 a.m. Daily Masses: ..Thursday …….. 8:30 a.m ..Wednesday and Friday …….. 12 noon CONFESSIONS (Saturday)………. 4:30 p.m. or by appointment

HORARIO LITURGICO Domingo…………………………………….12:15 p.m (Español) Misa Diaria: ...Jueves ………. . .….. 8:30 a.m (Ingles) ..Miércoles y Viernes ……… 12:00 del medio día CONFESIONES (Sábado) ............. 4:30 p.m. o por cita

HORARIO DE OFICINAS LUNES—JUEVES: 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. VIERNES: 9:00 a.m. - 12 del medio dia OFFICE HOURS Monday—Thursday: 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. Friday: 9:00 a.m.—12 NOON

St John Parish Calendar SATURDAY December 10, 2016 4:30 PM Reconciliation 5:30 PM Mass for the soul of Frances Leary SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, 2016 9:00 AM Mass soul of Paul Johnson 10:00 AM Rosary 12:15 PM Misa 7:00 PM Misa Señora de Guadalupe WEDNESDAY DECMBER 14, 2016 12:00 Noon Mass for the soul of Melissa Prestosa THURSDAY DECEMBER 15, 2016 8:30 AM Mass soul Nathan David Daniesl FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 12:00 Noon Mass SATURDAY DECEMBER 17, 2016 4:30 PM Reconciliation 5:30 PM Mass souls Zusima & Bienaventurada Flores SUNDAY DECEMBER 18, 2016 9:00 AM Mass soul of Benjamin Young 10:00 AM Rosary 12:15 PM Misa Jose Guadalupe Garcia y Maria del Carmen Guerrero ST PETER’S OFFERS MASS DAILY AT NOON

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS/ RECUERDE EN SUS ORACIONES: Keith Pinney, Doug Stanley, Rudy Calo’oy, John Kolakoski, Ron Price, Jr., Rev. Mr. Bill Blatnik, Carmen Molina, Ginny Ducar, Red and Nancy Goodman, Steve Garrett, Bob & Lucy Strutton, Pat & Jerry Nolte, Sonya Calo’oy, Tom Yates, Richard Painter, Martha Livingston, Hallett Harrison, Deborah Shorter, Elena Chavez, Isaias Fuentes, Virginia Saunders, Maxine DiMarino, Marion Pastore and Isaias Fuentes. Prayers for members of the Armed Forces; Daniel Gau-dette, David Licciardello, Josh Drumheller, Lee Balderson, JD Painter and Daniel Johnson.

813 W Nine Mile Road, Highland Springs VA 23075 *Website—Página electrónica: www.stjohnscatholicchurch.org *Email– Correo Electrónico office@stjohnscatholicchurch.org 804-737-8028 • Fax: 804-328-4683 Pastor - Párroco .. Rev. Gino Rossi., ginopaulrossi@hotmail.com Parochial Vicar—Vicario Parroquial .. Rev. Frank Wiggins, padreop@verizon.net Parochial Vicar—Vicario Parroquial .. Rev. Ernest Livasia Bulinda, livasia@gmail.com Dir. Religious Education - Dir. de Educación Religiosa… Paulita Matheny… pmatheny@stjohnscatholicchurch.org Bookkeeper —Contador… David Stull…. dstull@stjohnscatholicchurch.org Music Coordinator ….. Coordinador del Coro…..Angela Pometto…. apometto@richmonddiocese.org Emergency contact number / Número en caso de emergencia 804-402-1221

DECEMBER 3 & 4, 2016 Weekly Actual $4,591.02 Budgeted $5,170.00 Difference ($578.98) Year to Date Actual $102,344.16 Budgeted $118,910.00 Difference ($16,565.84) Monthly Debt Expense $1,860.00 Monthly Debt Collection $1,702.76 Difference ($157.24) Remaining Balance on Debt $66,757.34 MASS ATTENDANCE 5:30 9:00 12:15 88 185 220

The item being collected for FISH for December Complete meal kit En el mes de diciembre Set completo de alimentos

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will con-ceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus." - Lk 1:30-31 Readings for the Week of December 11, 2016 Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10/Ps 146/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11 Monday: Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab/ Jdt 13/Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47 Tuesday: Zep 3:1-2, 9-13/Ps 34/Mt 21:28-32 Wednesday: Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25/Ps 85/Lk 7:18b-23 Thursday: Is 54:1-10/Ps 30/Lk 7:24-30 Friday: Is 56:1-3a, 6-8/Ps 67/Jn 5:33-36 Saturday: Gn 49:2, 8-10/Ps 72/Mt 1:1-17 Next Sunday: Is 7:10-14/Ps 24/Rom 1:1-7/Mt 1:18-24

The Knights of Columbus will be selling "Keep Christ in Christmas" car magnets throughout the season of Ad-vent. The cost of the magnets is $4.00. The proceeds from the sale benefit vocations in our diocese

Good day to all! Happy Guadete Sunday! If you know latin, you know ‘Gaudete’ means ‘rejoice’. Today is ‘rejoice’ Sunday. Today is ‘joy’ Sunday. The word “guadete” is taken from the first word of the introit of the Mass today. You might be asking, what’s an ‘introit?’ The introit is the introductory phrase of the Mass that you will hear if you go to a Mass without music, in which case the priest will recite the introit before saying ‘in the name of the Father….’ Or some Churches chant the introit before the opening hymn, which is preferable. We are going to work towards doing that. In any respect, it is ‘rejoice’ or ‘joy’ Sunday. I love this Sun-day. Why? Because if we’re going to be joyful at least one day of the year, we’ve got to be joyful this Sunday. We ‘rejoice’ this Sunday because we are sooooooo cloooooooose to the greatest day in the history of humanity. We are sooooo cloooooose to Christmas, so we rejoice and are joyful, as the introit says. Did you know the Christian life is a life of joy? I am a Chris-tian because I want to be happy in life. The Christian life is a life of J – O – Y. Did you know that? J – O – Y stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself. The Christian life is for Jesus first, Others second, and yourself last. But wait a minute. I thought the Christian life was about joy. How can it be about joy if all I am focused on is Jesus and others and I don’t have any time to focus on myself? Exactly!!! The reason the Christian life is a life of joy is precisely be-cause the Christian life is about focusing on Jesus first (God), and others second…before focusing on ourselves. We are happy when we are not focused on ourselves and worrying about ourselves. When we spend ourselves in ser-vice to God and in service to others, we experience joy and happiness. Alternatively, when we focus on ourselves, we are not. Plain and simple. Human experience bears witness to this. I think of children in third world countries, who have nothing but their faith in God and the other children they live with in very close quarters (they don’t have separate homes to keep them apart) and all I see are smiles on their faces. They have nothing but God and each other, and they are happy. Then in think of children with every toy and game system and cell phone known to man, and I see sadness, depres-sion, loneliness, and anxiety. It seems backwards. But it makes perfect sense. The more we have time to focus on ourselves, the more toys we have that cause us to be self-absorbed, the less fulfilled we will be. Alternatively, the less we have to worry about personally, the more we can be consumed with what is going on with oth-ers, with the needs of others, and most importantly, with the will of God. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, he who loses his life will find it, and he who tries to save his life will lose it. Giving our lives away gives us joy. And the order we give them away is J – O – Y. Jesus first. Others second. Yourself last. I’m not crazy. I just want to be happy. And I promise, it works. I hope you are having a wonderful Advent! Fr. Rossi

Tis the Giving Season’ Your generosity has been a blessing to our Saint John’s church throughout this past year. Your continued support allows us to help our church family and spread God's Word throughout the world. At this holy & joyous time of year we thank you and ask that you remember Saint John’s again with special tax-exempt donations via E-Giving or whatever method you wish. Blessings!

A big thank you – Muchisimas Gracias This past week we had another successful Breakfast with St Nicholas. Thank you to all who came and had a great time and also to those who came and helped. A special thank you to St Nicholas in the person of Ed Gillikin. We could have not done it without all of you. We also want to thank those who brought gifts for “Our Blessed Mother Virgin Mary’s Baby shower”. We collected a lot of great items for the women who decided to say YES to life and no to abortion. All the gifts will benefit the East End Pregnancy Center.

The Filipino Commission for the Diocese of Richmond in coordination with the parish' Council of Women and Knights of Columbus cordially invite you to the Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30pm, December 17, at St John's second year Simbang Gabi (Mass at dusk). A reception at the Social Hall will follow for a light fare and featuring Sayaw Diversity Group to perform a collection of Philippine dances.

A little History about Our Lady of Guadalupe Through the centuries, many Popes have recognized the signifi-cance of the story of and image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Among the most important papal recognitions are the following: . Pope Benedict XIV, in the Papal Bull Non Est Equidem, date May 25, 1754, declared Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of “New Spain.” .Pope Leo XIII authorized Canonical Coronation of the image, which occurred on October 12, 1895. G Pope Pius X proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe the patron of Latin America in 1910. G Pope Pius XII entitled Our Lady of Guadalupe as “Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas” in 1945, and “Patroness of the Americas” in 1946. G Pope John XXIII entitled Our Lady of Guadalupe as “Mother of the Americas” in 1961. GPope Paul VI sent a Golden Rose to the shrine on March 20, 1966, as a token of reverence. G Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on January 26, 1979, and beatified Juan Diego there on May 6, 1990. G Pope Francis made an apostolic visit to the shrine on Febru-ary 13, 2016, granting the shrine a gold-plated silver crown with the inscription “Mater Mea, Spes Mea” (“My Mother and My Hope”). Source: Eduardo Chavez, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego: The Historical Evidence (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Pub-lishers, Inc., 2006), xv n.2. “Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Chronology of Events Related to the Miracle,” accessed November 29, 2016, http://www.sancta.org/table.html.