St. Mary Catholic Church www.stmary-wc.org 925-891-8900

Dear Friends, As we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, we hear the Scriptures speaking of the promises of God: that the desert and wasteland will bloom, that life will be given, that we should live in hope because our Sav-ior has been promised to us. But Saint James reminds us that we need to be patient. We need to pre-pare ourselves for the coming of Christ in glory, when the fullness of God’s promise of salvation is given to us. We need to be ready when He ap-pears, and we cannot lose heart if He doesn’t come in our timeframe. So may these busy days also be a time to stop, rest, and reflect in our prayer on the goodness and love of our God for us. May we always cele-brate God’s love by the way we live and by the way we treat all our brothers and sisters. Have a blessed week. Father Fred

P.S.: Next weekend we will be having the going-away reception for Father Dante. He will preside at the 11:00 a.m. Mass and a reception will be held in the Gym afterward. He will be with us through Christmas Day and will spend the next couple days packing up and getting ready to begin as Administrator at St. Callistus Church in El Sobrante. Please continue to pray for him and for his ministry.

Prayers said by Bishop Barber in the Dedication of the Chapel

Sanctify with your blessing this water you have created, that, sprinkled on us and on the walls of this chapel, it may be a sign of the cleansing wa-ters of salvation, in which we have been washed in Christ and made a temple of your Spirit. Grant that, with all our brothers and sisters who will celebrate your presence in this chapel, we may come to the heavenly Jerusalem. Send your blessing, we pray, O Lord, on this chapel, which you have per-mitted us to build, and grant that all the faithful who assemble here, in holding fast to your word and your holy mystery, may know the presence of Jesus Christ, who promised to be in the midst of all who are gathered in his name. Mercifully accept our petitions, we pray, O Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints, so that this chapel to be ded-icated to your name may be a house of salvation and grace where the Christian people, gathered as one, will worship you in spirit and in truth and be built up in charity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ORGANIZATIONS CYO, Jerry Florence stmarycyo.wc@gmail.com 510-504-5954 Charismatic Prayer Group, Jim Crowley 944-0359 Eucharistic Adoration, Mary Johnstone 954-7205 Finance Council, Brian Mulligan 210-1031 Homebound Ministry, Helene Vizcarra 891-8936 Hospital Ministry, Angeles Ron 856-8780 Knights of Columbus, John Cuddihy 286-4515 Respect Life Ministry, Jim Crowley 944-0359 Rosary Makers, Ana Lau 256-4428 St. Vincent de Paul, Barb Erickson 937-2817 Walking with Purpose, Laura Lencioni 997-4379

MASS TIMES Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. & 12:05 p.m.

Saturday 8:30 a.m.

Saturday Vigil Mass 4:30 p.m.

Sundays 6:30 a.m. * 8:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m. * 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Spanish

6:00 p.m.

Sacrament of Penance Saturdays 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.

DEVOTIONS

Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fridays 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (First Fridays all night)

Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturdays 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Fatima Devotion: First Saturday Hispanic Holy Hour: Other Saturdays

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Saturdays 9:00 a.m.

(at the end of 8:30 Mass)

PARISH OFFICE

2051 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA 94596

OFFICE HOURS

8:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday

Next week’s Second Collection is for Christmas flowers. Thank you for helping us create a beautiful environment for our Christmas liturgies.

The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night He went into agony. Not for activity did He plead but for an hour of companionship. —Archbishop Fulton Sheen

DATE TIME MASS INTENTION

12/14 4:30 pm Jeriah Cephas Basbas (L)

12/15 6:30 am Haydee Velarde

8:00 am Edward McGrath

9:30 am Bart Fitzgerald

11:00 am Tom McDonough

1:00 pm The People of St. Mary Parish

6:00 pm Allison Flamez (L)

12/16 6:30 am Ed Sullivan

12:05 pm Fr. Mathew Vellankal

12/17 6:30 am Allison Flamez (L)

12:05 pm Manuel Grego, Sr.

12/18 6:30 am Bob, Helene & Greg (L)

12:05 pm Archbishop Dominic Jala

12/19 6:30 am Tony & A.J. Cook (L)

12:05 pm Robert Alexander Castillo, Jr.

12/20 6:30 am Samya Stumo

12:05 pm John Finbarr Hayes

12/21 8:30 am Rory Narboneta (L)

MASS SCHEDULE

PRAY FOR THE SICK

Staff and Administration

Parish Office 891-8900 Fax 934-1358 Fr. Fred Riccio, friccio@stmary-wc.org Pastor 891-8900 Fr. Dante Tamayo , frdante@stmary-wc.org Parochial Vicar 891-8900 Fr. John Blaker, 891-8900 In residence Ana Lau, alau@stmary-wc.org Office Manager 891-8908 Aileen Baker, abaker@stmary-wc.org Bookkeeper 891-8911

Faith Formation

Mary Kerfs, lifeteen@stmary-wc.org Administrative Assistant 891-8939 Tim Mannix, RCIA & tmannix@stmary-wc.org Liturgy Coordinator 891-8921 Austin Pisciotto apisciotto@stmary-wc.org Grades 4-8 891-8944 Maureen Tiffany mtiffany@stmary-wc.org Grades K-3 891-8942 Heather Abraham, habraham@stmary-wc.org Confirmation 891-8934

School

Office 935-5054 stmary@st-mary.net Website: www.st-mary.net Alumni: stmaryalumni@st-mary.net Garrett Padia, Principal 935-5054 Advisory Council Joel Williams, President 768-6711 Parents Club Shannon Crvarich, Co-President 949-973-8046 Lisa Kavanagh, Co-President 768-9890

Allison Flamez Margarita Caracas Elsa de Rossi Monica Jara Ana Alvarez Isabel Castillo Susana Jaime Maria Vargas Anthony De Cristoforo Rosalinda Reyes Annabelle Semira Joseph Suta Jeanine Gordon Christine Pollnow Wayne Alba Mary Alba Jake Johnston Bill Clark Art Coombes Diane Hewson Tyler Coolie

Clarissa Gutierrez Julia Rodriguez

Fred & Emilia Sohn Raul Gonzalez

Helen Budde Raquel Zittel

Dominador Hontucan Quinn Gurnett

Oralee Floria Henry Escano

Mary McLoughlin Angela Regan

Beverly Regan Josefina Zabat

Audry Robinson Loretta Holmes

Nancie Campi Bob Bussani Betty Baker

Fifteen years ago I migrat-ed to this country and to the community of St. Mary. Af-ter joining the Knights of Columbus, I began my rela-tionship with the Blessed Sacrament. I committed to spending an hour—just as Jesus had asked his disci-ples— at midnight on every first Friday of the month . Ever since, I have come to realize that spending an

hour once a week in front of the Blessed Sacra-ment in Eucharistic adoration has helped me to be a better husband, a loving father to my two daughters and a person who is very much commit-ted to serving God. The Blessed Sacrament gives me the courage, determination and resolve to do God's will.

Cecil D’Souza

To sign up for an hour of adoration weekly, please go to https://adorationpro.org/maryca

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR December 16-22

FF = Faith Formation Center SA = St. Anthony Rm. (near parish hall) SE = St. Elizabeth Hall (Conf. Rm.) SJ = St. Joseph Room SM= St. Michael Room SP = St. Peter Room

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17 7:00 AM Men of St. Joseph/SA 7:00 PM Hispanic Prayer Group/SA 7:00 PM Faith Form. 6th-7th-8th Gr/FF 7:30 PM Choir Practice/Church WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 6:45 PM Encounter Youth Group/SE 7:00 PM Charismatic Prayer/FF-SM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19 7:00 AM Eucharistic Adoration/Chapel 4:00 PM Faith Formation 4th-5th Gr/SE 7:00 PM Hispanic Prayer Group/Church 7:00 PM Young Adults/SA FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20 7:00 AM Eucharistic Adoration/Chapel 7:00 PM Hisp. Choir Practice/SA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21 8:00 AM Men’s Prayer Group/FF-SM 9:00 AM Eucharistic Adoration/Chapel SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 10:30 AM RCIA/FF-SJ 4:00 PM Band Practice/Church

"Those who sing pray twice"

The Sunday 9:30 Adult Choir is wel-coming new members. The choir has been ongoing for some 40+ years! A long tradition of praising the Lord through music! We meet on Tuesday nights at 7.30 pm in the church for a practice session, then on Sundays, at 9 am to go through the hymns again before Mass. If you like to sing, come join our voices in joyful song unto the Lord! Please email Pawel Walerowski at pawelcello@yahoo.com if interested.

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.—Luke 1:41-44

Jesus, open my eyes to your presence in the life of every child. Open my heart to joy in the birth of every child, a birth that reflects the joy of your own birth in Bethlehem. As you shared life in the womb of Mary, so now send your protection upon every child still in the womb, and grant to their mothers the strength and joy that comes from welcoming the gift of life.

This Monday, December 16, is the last day to drop off your unwrapped gift for the Giving Tree. Please at-

tach gift tag to the gift and place under the tree in the church, or drop off at the office during office hours

(8:30 am to 4:30 pm). Thank you for helping St. Vin-cent de Paul bring some Christmas cheer to children who otherwise would not receive any Christmas gifts.

Who did you come to see? A version of this question is posed by Jesus many times in the Gospels. He asks it of Andrew and John when they begin to follow him. He asks it of Mary Magdalene in the garden of the resurrection. He asks it in today’s Gospel. “What did you go out to the desert to see?” There is something innately human about “seeing.” Animals have eyes — some with much more powerful vision than our own — but that’s not the kind of seeing Jesus is talking about. We could phrase the question several other ways. “What are you looking for?” “What are you longing for?” “Whom do you seek?” It is in seeing for ourselves that our suspicions or hypotheses are con-firmed, that our desires discover their fulfillment, and that we can rest for a moment in certainty. John the Baptist sought certainty of Jesus’ identity. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus sends word to him based on the testimony of sight, observations of the mighty deeds Jesus has begun to work. “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” God recognizes our desire to see. In the Incarnation, the Word is made flesh. The invisible is made visible. The supernatural is made manifest in an infant who can do little more than the most natural of movements as he feeds, cries, sleeps. We don’t need to wait for Christmas to see God. The work of God is all around us. Those blinded by sin “regain their sight.” People overcome backgrounds of poverty and violence to make world-changing contributions. Addicts grow and heal. Truth is spoken, and people listen. Let’s pray for the grace to see God’s movement in our lives this week. How have you seen the work of God? ©LP

Father Dante’s Farewell Reception is next Sunday, December 22, after the 11:00 Mass. The Filipino-American Ministry is coordinating this event and is requesting donations of finger foods. Kindly contact the Fil-Am Ministry coordinators at stmarysfilamministry@gmail.com if you can help. Thank you.

Advent & Christmas 2019

♦ Sat., Dec. 21: 1:00 - 4:15 pm, Sacrament of Reconciliation

♦ Tues., Dec. 24: Christmas Eve No 6:30 or Noon Masses Today

♦ 3:00 pm - Mass in the church ♦ 5:00 pm - Mass in the church ♦ 9:00 pm - Carols in the church ♦ 10:00 pm - Mass of Christmas

♦ Wed., Dec. 25: Christmas Day NO 6:30 am or 6:00 pm Masses today

♦ 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am - Masses in English ♦ 1:00 pm - Mass in Spanish

♦ Tues., Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve ♦ Masses: 6:30 am & 12:05 pm ♦ Vigil Mass: 7:00 pm (bilingual)

♦ Wed., Jan. 1: Feast of Mary, Mother of God (A holy day) ♦ Masses: 10:00 am & 12:05 pm

Are you down-sizing?

Cleaning your closets for the

holidays? The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores would be grateful for your items! SVDP supports safety-net programs such as Free Dining Room, Free Food Pantries, Free Medical Clinic, Free Dental Pro-gram, Daytime Homeless Shelter, Auto Assistance Program and more! Drop-off locations: • Pleasant Hill Thrift Store,

2815 Contra Costa Blvd., 7 days a week, 9 am - 5 pm

• Pittsburg Thrift Store, 2210 Gladstone Dr., Mon-Sat 9 am - 5 pm

• Brentwood Help & Hope Thrift Center, 8890 Brentwood Blvd.

To arrange for furniture pickup, please call 925-439-5060.

Your Christmas CD is waiting for you! Don’t miss the beautiful mu-sic performed by our own St. Mary musicians. These CDs make great Christmas gifts! To purchase, stop by the parish office or talk to any of our musicians after Mass. Pro-ceeds will be donated to St. Mary Church.

THE VINEYARD St. Mary Church

YOUTH MINISTRY (K-12) Sunday, December 15, 2019

Jesus, You will come among us once again to give us Your very life. May your life’s gift inspire us to make our lives a gift to You, over and over again.

Amen.

SMC Youth Group and friends had a great time last Wednesday at Open Skate Night at Walnut Creek On Ice! Stay tuned for more Youth Group Events!

ALL ARE INVITED! SMC Youth Band Holiday Concert

Sunday, December 15 After 6pm Mass

**Refreshments to follow in Faith Formation Building

LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA

Lunes: Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a; Sal 25 (24):4-5ab, 6, 7bc-9; Mt 21:23-27 Martes: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Sal 72 (71):1-4ab, 7-8, 17; Mt 1:1-17 Miércoles: Jer 23:5-8; Sal 72 (71):1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Jueves: Jue 13:2-7, 24-25a; Sal 71 (70):3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lc 1:5-25 Viernes: Is 7:10-14; Sal 24 (23):1-4ab, 5-6; Lc 1:26-38 Sábado: Cant 2:8-14 o Sof 3:14-18a; Sal 33 (32):2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lc 1:39-45 Domingo: Is 7:10-14; Sal 24 (23):1-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24

FECHAS IMPORTANTES Diciembre 15, POSADA NAVIDEÑA

10:30am Diciembre 22, NO HAY CLASE Diciembre 29, NO HAY CLASE

925)357-3048 jcain@stmary-wc.org

El tercer Domingo de Adviento recibe el nombre de Gaudete, que significa alegría. “Estén siempre alegres en el Señor; se lo repito, estén alegres y tengan buen trato con todos” (Filipenses 4:4), dice la antífona de entra-da. La oración colectiva también nos lleva a reflexionar en el significado permanente de esta alegría: “Mira, Señor, a tu pueblo que espera con fe la fiesta del nacimiento de tu Hijo, y concédele celebrar el gran misterio de nuestra salvación con un corazón nuevo y una inmensa alegría.” El Profeta Isaías lo afirma con sus palabras de esperanza a su pueblo: “¡Animo! no teman. He aquí que su Dios, vengador y justiciero, viene ya para salvar-los.” La Navidad se acerca y su luz nos envuelve y llena de esplendor. Todo el ambiente es de fiesta y prepara-ción. Las celebraciones Marianas nos han dejado ese gozo de albergue y acogida al que lo necesita. Ha, si comprendiéramos el motivo de alegría que decimos celebrar, entenderíamos perfectamente que se debe a que Dios y su salvación están cerca. La alegría y la salvación van juntas, no se pueden separar, nos dice la Liturgia. Por este motivo, Juan se alegra desde la cárcel al escuchar la respuesta que Jesús le envía: “Los ciegos ven, los cojos andan, los leprosos quedan limpios de la lepra, los sordos oyen, los muertos resucitan y a los pobres se les anuncia el evangelio. Dichoso aquel que no se siente defraudado por mí.” Que la participación en la Eucaristía fomente actitudes que preparen a celebrar la Navidad en familia recordando y viviendo que Jesús nunca nos defraudará. ©LPi

SAN JUAN DE LA CRUZ (c. 1542-1591) Fiesta: 14 de diciembre

Juan Yepes nació en España siendo hijo de un noble y de “una mujer de pueblo”. In-gresó a los 21 años a la orden religiosa de los Carmelitas Descalzos, donde asumiría el nombre de Juan de la Cruz. En 1567 conoció a Teresa de Ávila, quien influenciaría su corazón y espiritualidad y posteriormente, junto a ella, renovarían su comunidad religi-osa. No obstante, los talentos y vida espiritual de Juan de la Cruz generaron muchos celos en sus hermanos religiosos a tal grado de que en 1577 lo encerraron ellos mismos durante nueve meses, expuesto a abusos y humillaciones. Gracias a una “noche oscura” logra escapar y vuelve a su monasterio, en el que se le siguió maltratando e ignorando. Durante su cautiverio y años posteriores, escribió los más bellos tratados de espiritualidad y mística, entre ellos La noche oscura del alma. No obstante, su obra no fue valorada sino hasta después de su muerte. Debido a la profundidad de su pensamiento fue declarado Doctor de la Iglesia por el Papa Pío XI en 1926. —Miguel Arias, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.