What have been the strengths of your

prayer life? What habit of prayer could you strengthen

during this Advent season?

2655 HOMESTEAD ROAD | SANTA CLARA, CA 95051

St. Justin Parish

Page 2 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

PASTORAL STAFF Rev. Christopher Bransfield, Pastor 408-296-1193, x 107, cbransfield@dsj.org

Rev. Gerald Nwafor, Parochial Vicar 408-296-1193, x 113, gnwafor@dsj.org

Ms. Karen Suty, Principal 408-248-1094, x 232, ksuty@dsj.org

Ms. Tracy Sevigny, Interim Director of Faith Formation 408-296-1193 x 104, tracy.hoglund@dsj.org

Mr. Joe Bauer, Facilities Coordinator 408-296-1193 x 109, jbauer@dsj.org

Mr. Clement Cano, Music Director 408-296-1193 x 112, clement.cano@dsj.org

Ms. Laura Ortiz, Office Manager 408-296-1193 x 102, laura.ortiz@dsj.org

Ms. Diane Serrianne, Receptionist 408-296-1193 x 100, dserrianne@dsj.org

Mrs. Nancy Uyeda, Community Ministry Assistant 408-296-1193 x 105, nancy.uyeda@dsj.org

Rev. James Okafor, In Residence

PHONE NUMBERS

Parish Office 408-296-1193 ext. 100 Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00 p.m.

closed 12:00-1:15 p.m.

Fax: 408-244-9437

Website: www.st-justin.org

Catechetical Ministry Ext. 102

Ministry to the Sick Ext. 113

Youth Ministry Ext. 104

Liturgical Ministry Ext. 107

Community Ministry 408-243-1462

School Office 408- 248-1094

WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP REPORT DECEMBER 15, 2019

Goal $12,500.00

1st Collection NOT IN TIME FOR

PUBLICATION

Fourth Sunday of Advent By this time our Christmas cards should have been sent and most of the gifts purchased and wrapped. Otherwise you might be in a bit of trouble! By this time many of us have celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some of us have made an effort to attend daily Mass during Advent. Most of us have included the poor in our Advent preparations as well. Perhaps we are ready. However, some of us may have had good intentions and never got around to doing them. It’s easy for them to slip by the wayside as shopping, cookies, cards and parties occupy our time and attention. We can take heart though. There is still time! The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective. We must not gloss over too quickly the difficult circumstances described in today’s Gospel. The way that Joseph and Mary face these circumstances tells us much about these holy people and their faith in God. The

message of the angel of the Lord given to Joseph in his dream tells us much about the child that Mary bears and his role in God’s plan. Joseph does as the angel of the Lord directs. He takes Mary to be his wife and accepts the child in her womb as his own. Joseph and Mary both cooperate with God’s plan. They are both models for us of what it means to be faithful servants of God. Joseph and Mary could have easily followed their own way in life. They could have ignored the Lord’s call or even have said “no” to God. We can use these last few days to prepare a place in ourselves for the Lord to be born. We can admit our shortcomings to God. We can pray for an openness to be more respectful toward ourselves and others, to communicate more effectively, to listen, to forgive, respect nature, and be courageous in our stand against violence. We can welcome the Prince of Peace into our midst. Have a good week and Merry Christmas! Peace,

Fr. Chris

Go to our website at www.st-justin.org to make safe and secure donations by credit card, checking or savings.

We have 180 regular users!

Upcoming Second Offerings Your generosity is appreciated. *Denotes Parish Second Collection.

1/5 Ethnic Minorities &

Latin America

1/12 Msgr. Mentasti

Scholarship Fund

Page 3 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

Mass Dedications for the Week of December 23 – December 29, 2019 + notes deceased

We pray for those who are ill or suffering from loneliness, sadness, or depression. We pray for those who care for them. We pray for our deceased family and friends. We pray for our men and women who are serving in the military.

This week we pray especially for those who are ill or preparing for surgery: Michael Alvarado, Robert Benno, Bleslyn Bosa, Carol Catambay, Calvin Nicholas Choe, Barbara DeGroot, David DeGroot, Maura Flosi, Gil Gonzales, Gino Hernandez, Mary Kane, Gus Martinez, Larry Mora, Gloria Rohrig, Arthur Santoso, Pam Seghieri, Jack Varty, Vincent Vergano, Olga Voith, Mark Walsh

And for those who have died: Giacobe Khanh Huynh, David Rissio

ST. JUSTIN THRIFT STORE NEWS Weekend Masses

Saturday Vigil 5:00 p.m. Sunday

7:30, 9:00, 10:30 a.m., 12:15 and 7:00 p.m.

Weekday Masses

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m.

Holy Days of Obligation 8:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m.

and 7:00 p.m.

Reconciliation Saturdays 3:30 p.m.– 4:15 p.m.

Or by appointment

Adoration Chapel Monday-Friday

2:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Monday 8:30 a.m.

Monica Funn + Saturday 5:00 p.m.

Pastora Valencia Flores +

Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

FOR ALL PARISHIONERS

Helen Silveira +

Carmen Herrera

Sunday 7:30 a.m.

Precioso T. Orencia +

Christmas Day

7:30 a.m.

9:00a.m.

10:30 a.m.

12:15 p.m.

Herlinda T. Ortiz

Mary Kane

No Intention

Hector Rene Lopez + Louis Silveria Gomes +

Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Connie Zornes Olga Voith

John G. Figueira, Jr. +

Thursday 8:30 a.m.

No Intention Sunday 10:30 a.m.

FOR ALL PARISHIONERS

Friday 8:30 a.m.

Reinaldo DaSilva + Peter Neilson +

Sunday 12:15 p.m.

Vincent, Francisca, Belen Binarao+ Heidi Dandridge +

Saturday 8:00 a.m.

Filoteo D. Agbay + Audrey Zampedri

Sunday 7:00 p.m.

Caroline Mathews +

Although the St. Justin Thrift Store has closed, a dedicated group of parishioners along with Community Ministry staff members are working hard to reopen it as Community Ministry Thrift Shop. The tentative date for the opening is the first weekend in February 2020.

The store has been remodeled and now shares the building with the St. Justin Teen Center. Proposed hours for the CM Thrift Shop will be 9– 3 p.m. on Saturdays, 10-3 p.m. on Sundays and we are still trying to determine weekday hours.

Although plans are in the works to open the CM Thrift Shop, it will only happen if members of our Parish Community step up to volunteer for this important ministry that serves so many people who are in need.

Volunteers need to friendly, helpful, nonjudgmental, physically able to stand for a length of time and willing to commit to whatever hours they choose to help. Diocesan requirements for volunteers are: completing an online Safe Environment Training that takes approximately one hour and proof of fingerprinting, which will be facilitated by St. Justin CM.

In January, we will have volunteer applications available in the church lobbies and the Parish Ministry Center. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please fill out an application and you will be provided with training at the end of January.

There are various volunteer opportunities: Sorting clothes and arranging on racks; cashier; working in store helping customers; washing clothes at home before they are sold; accepting donations. As a volunteer you can choose your own hours and/or shift length and whether you want to help weekly, monthly, or be a substitute occasionally.

Please look for further information in January and after prayerful consideration, we hope you will volunteer for this worthwhile ministry to help open our new Community Ministry Thrift Shop. Committee members: Fr. Chris Bransfield, Karen Suty, Joe Bauer, Nancy Uyeda, Chris Stringari, John Blaco, Kathy Almazol, Emily Adorable, Terry Council, Bob Owens, Lorrie McPheeters, Gary Christensen, Margaret Demorest, Teresa O’Neill, and Mary Hyginus-Joseph.

Page 4 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

CATECHETICAL MINISTRY NEWS Call or email Laura Ortiz, (408)296-1193 ext. 100, lortiz@dsj.org for registration information.

Please keep Mary Kane in your prayers. Tracy Sevigny will be our Interim Part-Time Director Office Hours: Sundays & Tuesday/Thursday afternoons and evenings.

GENERAL INFORMATION

(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)

The RCIA process is for adults seeking baptism and adults

baptized in another Christian tradition seeking to celebrate their faith in the Catholic Community.

You are welcome to drop in Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. in the Parish

Ministry Center with your questions.

Catechesis is a life long journey towards a deeper relationship with Christ.

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! Sessions Resume January 5th

It’s not too late to sign up for Ongoing Faith Formation Classes! 3’s, 4’s, K, and 1st Grade: Sunday, 9-10: a.m.

Our Early Childhood curriculum is child friendly and offers a faith-centered developmentally appropriate alternative for our little ones.

2nd– Jr. High: Sunday, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Our Elementary and Middle School Program keeps your child growing in faith and understanding.

Please drop off completed registration forms to the Parish Ministry Center.

First Reconciliation and First Eucharist Preparation

Your child must be 2nd grade or older and baptized.

You child must have already completed one full year of Ongoing Faith Formation or Catholic School prior to registering. It is not too late to register your first grader to be eligible for next year.

The next Infant Baptism Preparation class is

Wednesday, January 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish

Ministry Center.

Please call the Parish Office to register.

408-296-1193 ext. 100

High School Confirmation December 22, 2019 Youth Ministry Event

Next Session: January 5th Please keep our Confirmation candidates in your prayers.

Got Sacramentals?

Are you receiving more rosaries, chaplets, etc. than you can use from your favorite charities? If so, our catechetical program can make good use of them! Simply drop them off at the Parish Ministry Center. Thanks!

Children’s Liturgy of the Word –Seeking Volunteers! During the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses, dedicated catechists lead the children to the Parish Ministry Center Chapel, share the readings, discuss, sing songs, pray, and return in time for the Preparation of the Gifts. Training will be provided. Please contact the Parish Office.

ADULT CONFIRMATION Are you a baptized Catholic who

has never gotten around to celebrating the Sacrament of

Confirmation? If so, join us on Tuesday, January

7th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Ministry Center. Registration will

be taken care of at that time.

Page 5 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

MINISTRY NEWS

Outreach Dinner Our next Outreach Dinner will be taking place, Sunday, January 5. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. in our Parish Small Hall. All Senior Citizen members of our Parish are invited, along with a guest, to this meal followed by BINGO. Christmas Food and Gift Project Last weekend we distributed Christmas food and gifts to all families requesting our assistance. While I do not have the final total of the number of people we served, I can guarantee you that all those who came to us appreciated what we were able to provide for the,. Thank you for your continued support and Merry Christmas. Financial Assistance for Parishioners St. Justin Community Ministry has set aside some funds to provide Parishioners with limited Financial Assistance when facing unexpected issues. If you find yourself in need, contact Joe Bauer via email at joseph.bauer@dsj.org or at 408-296-1193 extension 109.

Food & Diaper Collection Most of you are aware of the Community Ministry Collection Barrels that are located in our Church. During the month of December, we will continue to request canned Soup, Ravioli, Chili, Macaroni & Cheese and Tomato Sauce. We are also in need of size 5 and size 6 diapers. These are items that we do not receive often from the Second Harvest Food Bank. Please feel free to drop donations in the barrels in the Church, the barrel in the Foyer of the School or bring items to the Parish Office. Fresh Fruit and Vegetables needed For those of you who have back yard fruit trees with an over abundance of fruit and/or gardens with vegetables please consider donating what you can to Community Ministry. The fruit and vegetables are a welcome addition to the food that we distribute to those seeking assistance.

COMMUNITY MINISTRY

If you suspect abuse in your parish, school or in the Diocese of San Jose, please contact: Child Protective Services 408-299-2071; Call 911; or The Diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults, 408-983-0113 or email protection@dsj.org. If you suspect financial mismanagement in your parish, school or in the Diocese of San Jose, please contact: EthicsPoint: dsj.ethicspoint.com.

SAINT STEPHEN (first century) December 26 “A man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5): thus Luke introduces Stephen, first of seven deacons chosen by the community for its ministry of charity, first to lay down his life in witness to Christ. As the church’s first martyr, Stephen’s life and death mirror the preaching and passion of Jesus, “the faithful witness” (Greek, martyr) (Revelation 1:5). Like Jesus, Stephen works “great signs and wonders among the people” (Acts 6:8). Like Jesus, when falsely accused, Stephen’s face radiates angelic serenity (Acts 6:15), though his tongue, like Jesus’, is a two-edged sword. As the dying Jesus forgave his executioners, even making excuses for them, then commended his spirit into his Father’s hands (Luke 23:34, 46), so Stephen intercedes for his murderers and begs Jesus to receive his spirit (Acts 7:60, 59). How fruitful both passions! The penitent thief inherits Paradise; Saul, who consented to Stephen’s killing, is transformed into the fearless preacher Paul. Thus Stephen challenges us to bear witness not in words only, but by Christ-like forgiveness toward all. —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Page 6 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019

STAND AND BE COUNTED

Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to be

part of a Catholic community and a commitment in all its dimensions brings you

advantages, recognition, and responsibilities of many kinds. Being a registered parishioner

makes things much easier when it is time for infant Baptism,

weddings, when asked to be a Baptismal or Confirmation Sponsor and even funerals.

We are often asked to provide affidavits for Baptismal and

Confirmation Sponsors. We can only do this if a person is a

registered, active and contributing member.

So, are you a registered parishioner?

If not, please consider registering. Registration forms are available in the Parish Ministry Center or

online at www.st-justin.org

I once heard a priest who I deeply respected say something about Christmas that troubled me. He said that Christmas was really more for children, while Easter was truly for adults. This statement trouble me because while the Christmas mystery is mores easily accessible to children than might be the Easter mystery, Christmas is neither superficial nor superfluous. On the contrary, the Christmas mystery is profoundly penetrating as it provides the foundation for understanding the key significance of the Easter mystery. The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes St. Athanasius’ poignant expression: ‘the Son of God became man so that we might become God’ (CCC 460) . This is sometimes referred to as the ‘great exchange:’ God enters the human condition to transform it, heal it, and elevate it, so that humanity might enjoy communion with God. Indeed, there is nothing superficial or superfluous about that aspect of the Christian mystery. This is the deep significance of the Christmas celebration: God enters our world, our humanity, so that we might enter his world, his divinity.

We might ask one more question in all this: why does Go do this? He doesn’t have to. He humbles himself to enter our humanity freely, out of love– love for you and me. I invite us all to ponder that mystery of God’s boundless love during this Christmas Season. Let us take time to ponder the quiet serenity of the Manager scene– Joseph and Mary in adoration of the new born Jesus. This scene speaks to us deeply of God’s quiet, but profound presence in the world, and if we allow him to enter, in our lives. In this Christmas Season, I pray that the sacred mystery of Jesus’ birth penetrate our lives, our families, our relationships, our work and activity, that we might acknowledge the power of the Incarnation ever at work within us-transforming us, healing us, elevating us to communion with God who loves us beyond our imagination. Be assured of my daily prayers for you, especially in this Christmas Season!

Bishop Oscar Cantú

Bishop Cantú’s Christmas Message 2019 The Christmas Mystery:

“The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us” (Jn 1:14)

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JANUARY 26TH 10-12

CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS St. Justin Church #488800 2655 Homestead Road Santa Clara, CA 95051 TELEPHONE 408 296-1193 CONTACT PERSON Laura Ortiz EMAIL: laura.ortiz@dsj.org SOFTWARE MSPublisher 2007 Adobe Acrobat X Windows 10 TRANSMISSION TIME Tuesday 11:00 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION December 22, 2019 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS