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Holy Spirit Catholic Church
4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Weekend
December 24th & 25th, 2017
Ministering to the people in Rincon Valley and beyond 1244 St Francis Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Parish Office & Rectory: (707) 539-4495 FAX (707) 539-3343 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.holyspirit-sr.org
Pastoral Staff:
Fr Ron Serban, Pastor, Ext. 21
Deacon John Storm, 479-5424,
Tara Kowalski, Office Manager, Ext. 10
Megan O’ Neill, Director of Faith Formation
(Grades 1-12)
Ext. 12, [email protected]
Natalie DiLillo Miller-Coordinator of Confirmation and High School
Youth Ministry [email protected]
Andrew Darrow, Liturgical Music, 539-4495
St Vincent de Paul Society, 537-7835
Joe Piasta, Men’s Club, 576-7850 Ext. 102
Cheryl Dudley, Women’s Club, 539-5313
4th Sunday of Advent/Christmas Weekend December 24th & 25th
… from the Pastor’s Desk :
In a conversation last week at dinner, one man
said that with all the commercialization of the day, we are losing the real meaning of Christmas. He asked me if I agreed. I responded by asking the table guests to each say what their particular version of the ‘Real’ meaning of Christmas was. As you might guess the answers were as varied as the number of people. Gift giving, family, making peace, expressing love.
There are many levels of meaning to Christmas, for Christmas can mean many different things to people. I do believe that a word we have been singing for four weeks now, a name actually, really expresses the deepest meaning of Christmas. In a profound, yet simple way. Emmanuel, which means: God is with us, “The Word became flesh” – that is, God became human, flesh – and – blood, like us, ‘To dwell among us”.
The words are so simple, and so easy to say,
we have heard them so many times. And yet, these few words express the deepest meaning of Christmas, the deepest meaning of our whole Christian faith. They are telling us that the infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful, all- perfect God came into changing human history, came into the flesh and blood condition of a human being. That means that God took on all the limitations, imperfections and deficiencies of being human. God did not stay being God and just play of being human. But rather, God actually became that baby in a manger, completely dependent on his mother for everything; and then that child, as well as the youth of Nazareth, had to struggle as we all did with the uncertainties and hesitancies of growing up. Then, as a mature adult, who even though had a specific mission, like each of us do, He had free will and had to choose among many possibilities and on His own individual life, according to His own circumstances.
That is, God, Jesus, was born, grew up, and
lived life just exactly as we all do - not as an infinite, almighty God, but as a flesh and blood human being, really and truly like us all - yet still really and truly God. How can this be? That is the mystery of the Trinity.
Do you see what these words - God became
flesh: God is with us - really mean? They mean that our religion must not lead us to seek God someplace outside of this world, like only in heaven, someplace outside of our human history. They mean that the Christian religion, right from the very beginning with the birth of Jesus and Christmas, specifically teaches the direct opposite – that God came into the world, God is right here, with us, STILL in the world, in daily human life, with all of its good and bad, with all of its ambiguity; that for us this is the place where we can find God. Emanuel – God IS with us!
To me, this is the special, particular message
of Christmas; that, like Jesus we must make our way by whom we are, and where we are, and when we are. That is it; that is all; that is the whole story. And that is the kind of understanding to which Christmas calls us in these simple Scripture words; “God became flesh; God is with us”.
God is here. God knows what it is to be like
you. God knows you. God loves you. God will never hurt or abandon you.
I wish you all the best, most blessed Christmas
and a peaceful new year!
Father Ron
The Mass Schedule– December 23rd-Jan. 1st 12/23 Sat 5:00pm †Nancy Sweitz
12/24 Sun 7:30am †Judy Fromm
12/24 Sun 10:15am Mass for the People
12/24 Sun 5:00pm †Richard Fors Jr.
12/24 Sun Midnight Int. of Paula Picek
12/25 Mon 7:30am Int. of Nolund Kowalski
12/25 Mon 10:15am †Judy Fromm
12/26 Tues 9:00am Int. of Sienna Davis
12/27 Wed 9:00am Int of Cliff Radcliff
12/28 Thurs 9:00am †Rose Lenehan
12/29 Fri 9:00am †Bob & Betsy Darrow
12/30 Sat 5:00pm †Dr. William
& Leocadia Serban
12/31 Sun 7:30am Mass for the People
12/31 Sun 10:15am †Jack Macy
12/31 Sun Midnight Int. Shane & Noelle Gomez
01/01 Mon 10:00am Int. of the Dillaway Family
LAST WEEK’S PLATE COLLECTION: 7,613.33
NEXT WEEK’S SECOND COLLECTION:
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
ALTAR FLOWERS Our altar flowers are in celebration
of the 27th wedding anniversary of
Ken & Susan DiLillo!
PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK AND THOSE
WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS: The intentions of
the Holy Spirit Prayer Chain, Steve Straessler,
Tristan Humble, Mauro DeTrizio,
Helen Hubbard, Joey Benjamin, Karen
D’Ambrogi, Bonnie Clark, Louis Alan Hodson,
Joan Ryan, Renee Dierckx, Jackson Langdon,
Nina Cantacessi, Debbie Sickma ,Lisa Adams,
Maria Prentiss, Margaret Potchatek, Charlotte
Facchini and Anne Benjamin
FOR THE SOULS OF: Linda Capuano,
Kitty Dobbert, Nathan Krempely, Jack Macy,
Fr. Tom Devereaux, Charlie Rogers, Paul Davis
Jeanne Vandeberghe, Bruce Campbell,
Dennis DeCota, Richard Fors and Fr. Phil Ryan
December 30th & 31st
Readers Eucharistic Ministers Greeters Servers
Sat, Dec. 30th
5 pm
#1-J. Albers
#2-C. Charbonnier
John McHugh, Ed Mattingly, Joe Piasta, Kathy Snodgrass, Judith Mattingly
Phillip Carlsen
Suzanne Ayers
Sun., Dec. 31st
7:30 am
#1-S. Pola
#2-K. Leroy
Kathleen Castro, Patty Edson, Arlene Storm, Deacon John
As Available As Available
Sun, Dec. 31st
10:15 am
#1-M. Cusack
#2-S. Simpson
Roger Cooney, Pat Dilloway, Mary Ellen Friesen, Diane Lisciandro, Jacky Macy, Tony Pimentel, Robert Vidalin, Patty Zack
Mary & Hector Hernandez
Jerome & Beatrice Salvador
Children’s Liturgy of the Word – No Dismissal
Homebound Week of Jan. 3rd M. Hoeft, F. Walsh, M. Davis
Our parish continues to grow. Opportunities for service to our Parish are many. If you are interested in serving as a Greeter or Altar Server, please contact Sharron at [email protected] If you have interest in becoming a Eucharistic Minister, please contact Fr. Ron at the parish office. Training Workshops for EM ministry will be announced
FAITH FORMATION INFORMATION
Faith Formation Grades 1-6
Adult Faith Formation Series
Fr. Ron will teach... Heaven, Hell and Purgatory
Thursday, January 4th 6:30PM in the church No class on December 28th. We will resume on January 4th
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Our next meeting will be Jan 10, 2018 7-8:30pm
Confirmation: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Class will resume on Jan 8, 2018.
Thank you for the overwhelming response to our St Vincent de Paul Giving Tree! Your gifts brought many smiles and heartfelt thanks.
ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS BREAK! Christmas celebrates God becoming one of us and one with us. Jesus comes as an infant, placed in the care of a struggling but loving family. Celebrate your loving family and the love you share with others. http://www.pflaumweeklies.com Christmas Break began December 22nd May your time be blessed with the love and peace of Jesus. Sunday classes will resume on January 7th at 9AM & Wednesday classes on January 10th at 3:30PM
The creed says, “I BELIEVE IN LIFE EVERLASTING”
Do you? Here is what people want to believe… 1. There is no hell 2. Everyone will go to heaven 3. We can experience hell on earth 4. Purgatory doesn’t really exist 5. Or it does so everyone will be given a second chance 6. There is no heaven or hell 7. We create our own eternity 8. We are re-absorbed back into the ‘force’ - energy 9. We are re-incarnated-better luck next time 10. This is all there is and I can do whatever I want to
whomever I want and will suffer no consequences… Which of the above does the Catholic Church teach? None. Come to class this Thursday here from 6:30 to 7:30 and find out
what we DO believe-and why...