St. Cornelius Church December 21, 2014

We wish everyone at St. Cornelius

a blessed and peace-filled Christmas.

PASTOR’S CORNER 1

It’s Shocking, Really

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator! —Alma Redemptoris Mate Recently I went to see Shakespeare’s “Measure for Meas-ure.” A guy in my writers’ group, Dan, was one of the actors. Records show that the first known performance of “Measure for Measure” was on Dec. 26, 1604 — St. Stephen’s Day in the court of King James I, during some sort of post-Christmas revelry. The play does revolve around issues of Chris an for-giveness, but it’s not about Christmas. It includes plenty of bawdy comedic characters and a Duke of Vienna ho is sup-posed to be just, but for some reason has allowed his city to become a pit of corrup on. (The strange Duke,among other things, has led “Measure” to be classified as one of Shake-speare’s “problem plays.”) Dan told us the director had set this “Measure” in the 1970s. When I got inside the theater, funkadelic music was playing over the sound system; and on the empty stage, a number of cheeky hand-painted signs indicated that this was a city filled with vice: brothels and smoking and drinking and the like. At the me, I did not remember anything about the plot, though I vaguely recalled reading “Measure” 20 years ago as a college assignment. Finally, the music stopped and the lights went down. Just as people began to hush, a girl’s voice announced, loudly, from somewhere in the audience: “It’s star ng.” Thank you, Ms. Obvious, I thought.

I did not get into the play at first. Its costuming and stage design, afros and bellbo oms were familiar enough, but the original 17th-century English was s ll intact. It was hard to follow. Then came a moment in the play when Angelo — a supposedly upstanding, religious lawgiver — makes a morally shocking proposal to Isabel, a novice at a convent, who is pleading for the life of her condemned brother. The audience gasped.

Despite the chasm of language and me, thanks to the skill of the actors and directors, we were riveted. From that moment forth I was drawn emo onally, completely, into the play.

Our Advent liturgies announce to us, quietly, that something is star ng: We light the Advent candles. We sing special hymns. Yet what, exactly, is it that is star ng? Mary is preg-nant with the Son of God, yes. We’re wai ng for him to be born, yes, and that will begin his journey toward the cross. On Sundays, and feasts like Immaculate Concep on and Gua-dalupe, we hear the stories of Mary and Joseph and John the Bap st in the months before Jesus’ arrival.

But we do not see that neat chronology when we look at the Gospels for daily Mass throughout the month of December. Je-sus is all over the place. In the first half of the month, the Gos-pels show us Jesus as an adult healing, performing miracles, teaching his disciples. From about the 17th un l Christmas, the daily Gospels tell infancy narra ves. Post-Christmas, we hear both. A er all, Jesus was, is, and always will be. As we profess in the creed, he is eternally bego en. He can be anywhere, any-

me. So if Jesus is not ... well ... star ng, what, exactly, is?

One: I have a li le reproduc on icon, “Christ at the Crea on of Plants.” It is a photo, mounted on wood, of a detail from a fres-co on the side of a Romanian monastery. In the image, Jesus stands among the red and green and yellow vegeta on in the Garden that is just being born.

Two: During Compline, or night prayer, it is tradi onal to sing one of four ancient Marian an phons, depending on the liturgi-cal season. I learned the Marian an phons while I was in gradu-ate school, praying the Hours each day with the Benedic ne monks of St. John’s Abbey. We sang them each day during the seven years I was a Benedic ne sister.

The an phon sung from the beginning of Advent through Feb. 2, the Presenta on, is “Alma Redemptoris Mater.” This an phon is thought to have been composed during the Carolingian period, around the ninth century. One English transla on of the Alma goes: Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator!

The Romanian ar st shows us a moment when the eternal Jesus enters crea on. And the an phon writer tells us there came a moment when Mary, a human being, bore this Creator — a mo-ment that makes nature “wonder” and gasp.

Three: When I was growing up, my family always a ended Mid-night Mass on Christmas, and heard the Gospel from Luke about the shepherds and the angels. I am sorry to say that I usually went through Advent and Christmas distracted by exams, or jaded to this celebra on we went over year a er year, and thought, “How nice. Angels.”

That is, un l I first a ended Christmas Day Mass, and heard a different Gospel, the reading from the Prologue to John: “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That was when I realized what Christmas meant.

The scriptures hit each of us differently. Christ is born in us when something the story of his Incarna on finally makes us gasp, and from that moment forward, we are riveted.

Siempre Adelante

Fr. Mike

The Incarna on comes to us when we are open to its awesome mystery By Erin Ryan

2

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE

December 24th - Christmas Eve 3:30 p.m. Samoan Choir - Church 3:30 p.m. Children's Choir - Msgr. Folliard Hall 5:30 p.m. Organist & Cantor 10:00 p.m. Adult Choir - Music program begins at 9:30 p.m.

December 25th - Christmas Day 9:00 a.m., 11:00a.m. & 12noon (No evening Mass)

SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

Saturday, December 20th : a er 8:00 a.m. Mass & 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Monday, December 22nd: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. & a er 5:00 p.m. Mass Tuesday, December 23rd: a er 8:00 a.m. Mass & a er 5:00 p.m. Mass

NEW YEARS MASS SCHEDULE (Not a Holy Day of Obliga on)

December 31, 2014 New Years Eve Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m. January 1, 2015 New Years Day : 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon (No 5:00 p.m. Mass)

ADVENT SCHEDULE

3 LITURGY

MASS INTENTIONS

Sunday, December 21 8:00 a.m. Teresita Robledo (RIP) People of St. Cornelius 10:00 a.m. Irene Snyder Nick Rivado (RIP) Ana Torres (RIP) 12:00 p.m. Robert Gordon (RIP) Angelo Maglione (RIP) 5:00 p.m. For All Souls

Monday, December 22 8:00 a.m. Mary & Carley Foley (RIP) Josephine McGahern Altar Society 5:00 p.m. Jan Wilbur (RIP) Rosie J. Davis (RIP)

Tuesday, December 23 8:00 a.m. Virginia Butler Jim Mancini (RIP) 5:00 p.m. German & Adoracion Gonzales (RIP) Rosie J. Davis (RIP)

Wednesday, December 24 3:30 p.m. Myles Nolan (RIP) Tom Burke (RIP) The Guinan Family 3:30 p.m. James Aus n (RIP) 5:30 p.m. Engel-Gengler Families Allison Family 10:00 p.m. Fred & Mildred Be s (RIP) James & Edna Ciriacks (RIP)

Thursday, December 25 9:00 a.m. Lui Or z Lore a Silvestre (RIP) 11:00 a.m. Ruben Lopes Diaz (RIP) Mia Lipski 12:00 p.m. Nick Holgado Emy Recana

Friday, December 26 8:15 a.m. Frances Hartman (RIP) Max Vivar Diaz (RIP) 5:00 p.m. Brad Davis

Saturday, December 27 8:00 a.m. Evaristo Asumbrado (RIP) 5:00 p.m. Ri y Trauy

Sunday, December 28 8:00 a.m. St. Vincent De Paul Friends 10:00 a.m. Aurele & Luciene Goye e (RIP) 12:00 p.m. People of St. Cornelius 5:00 p.m. Audrey & Joe Hamamoto

WEEKEND MASSES Saturday, December 27 5:00 p.m. Fr. Pat Sheary, S.J. Lector: Fritzi Osenbrunner Sunday, December 28 8:00 a.m. Fr. Pat Sheary, S.J. Lector: Ted Brodeur 10:00 a.m. Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector Katy Ellis 12 noon Fr. Pat Sheary, S.J. Lector: Audrey Hamamoto 5:00 p.m Fr. Mike Gleeson Lector: Martha Haber

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

Please pray for:

Helen Whitwell, Wayne Hawkins, Emilie & Fiona Vic-tor, Victoria Falealili, Ellen Bollinger, John Cunneen, Mar n Metz, Alexis Teodosio, Jason Taylor, Michael Perez, Andrea Boyles, Donna Williams, Marilyn North, Sarah Irvine, Maureen Walsh, Michelle Stevens, James & Alma Woods, Lori Garcia, David Wheeler, Karen Rigney, Adam & Carla Mars, Mary Larkin, Alan Wells, Harper Deaton, Niko Greco, Antoine e Uthoff, Michelle Carranza, Jake Kasten, Fran Kelly, Brenda Erickson, Tim Ginne , Skylar McFadyen, Olivia Alvillar, Sandy Bradley, Marge Hengehold, Jim & Ursu-la Hall, Pete Tisei, Mercedes Gonzalez, Rivaldo Family, D.J. Barwick, Clara I. Jimenez, Ricardo Fernandez, Francis Fernandez, Tom Hogan, Denise Easley Pear-son, Sherri S llwell, Albert & Olivia Howard, Bob Ear-ly, Peggy Hasse , Luis Barreto, Dolores Lounsbury, Peggy Boylan, Connie Gu errez, Randy Kunkel, Roger LaPorte, Sam McCarthy, Karen Keb Will, Patricia McMonegal, Judith Gerphiede, Mary Maguire, Jen-nifer Perez Carey, Marta L. Rodriguez, Julienne Aoga, Danny Castaneda, Jeff Newon, Eric Fairchild, Barbara Bain, Marty Jadus, Gabriela Paradiso, Monica Frank, Juan Carlos Andrade, Patrice McAlpine, Arlene DeWalt, Gloria Mar nez, Jack Deaton, Martha Burris, George Roxburgh, Jenni Rojas, Beth Dempsey, Brian McCall, Frances Bourdreau, Raymond Tanguay, Sergio Tamayo, Hugo Pennock, Fernanda Otero, Richard Zavala, Niko Greco, Lee Hicks, Thomas Alexander Ho-gan, Denise Rivera, Allan Corwin, Jack McAllney, Irene Brauer, Ana Maria Menendez.

Christmas Holiday Closure

There will be no Early Childhood sessions Sunday, December 21. The Office of Religious Educa on will be closed December 22 through January 3. Sessions will resume Sunday, January 4.

The staff and volunteers wish you many blessings on your Christmas and New Year. Upcoming Dates to remember Dismissal and parent/child mee ng for Children’s cat-echumenate candidates (grades 4 – 8) on Sunday, January 4. Consult your schedule for me and theme.

Ice cream Social for level 2 (Religious Educa on)/grade 2 (school) First Communion candidates. Tues-day, January 13, 6:00- 7:30pm in the Monsignor Fol-liard Hall. The evening is filled with fun ac vi es, First Communion cra s, prayer and, of course, there’s the ice cream!

AOH - Daniel McGowan 826-6140 Altar Servers - Mike & Irene More ne 420-4565 Altar Society - Vicky Hudson & Nellie Cabulaje 421-8966 Bereavement - Nancy Himes 928-2474 Boy Scouts - Stephanie Prien 867-1202 Cub Scouts - Shawn P. Kelly (714) 713-2015 Choir Director - Joe Patolo 421-8966 Cursillo - Joe & Audrey Hamamoto 596-4663 Deten on Ministry - Sr. Teresa Dougherty 429-0033 EM & Lector Coordinator - Tricia Mora 434-5085 Hospitality - Rectory Office 421-8966 Hospital Ministry - Frank Schmidt 225-7571 Italian Catholic Federa on - Stephanie Hardy 544-2222 Steve Dipietro 225-9447 Knights of Columbus - Victor Magana 420-3214 LB Young Adult Ministry - Sr. Val Roxburgh 496-3224 Marriage Encounter - Elva & Lorenzo Cavazos 424-9076 Music Coordinator - Kathy Clay 420-3894 Parent Board - John Mar nez 938-8039 Parish Sister - Sr. Kathleen Burns, S.N.D 496-3224 People for Others - Jenny Davidoff 420-3425 Project Achieve - Kathy Cabral 429-3835 RCIA - Sr. Kathleen Burns, S.N.D 496-3224 Religious Educa on - Caren Rios 420-7613 Respect Life - Sylvia Aimerito 429-1965 Sacred Heart Retreats - Pam Branch 421-9087 St. Vincent de Paul - Claudia Meza 421-8011 Safeguard the Children - Pat Reyes 431-1142 School - Nancy Hayes, Principal 425-7813 Seniors Group - Rectory Office 421-8966 Serra Club - Richard MacDonald 425-1863 Sick & Elderly - Sr. Claire 496-3339 Ushers - Sam McCarthy 594-8212 Wedding Coordinator - Silvia Cerna 421-8966 Wedding Rehearsals - Chris ne Cramer 421-8966 Youth Ministry - Kim Amaral 760-3066

YOUTH FAITH FORMATION 4

YOUTH MINISTRY

Merry Christmas from Youth Ministry!!

PARISH MINISTRIES

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

There will be NO Bingo on Friday, December 26th.

ST. CORNELIUS BIBLE STUDIES The Prophets and the Book of Revela on Facilitated by Sr. Kathleen

The classes will be offered 3 mes a week on the follow-ing days beginning the week of September 8th through May.

Monday Evenings -7:15-8:45 p.m. (Grade 8) Thursday Mornings - 6:30 - 7:45 a.m. (Holy Family Rm) Thursday Mornings - 8:45 - 10:15 a.m. (Holy Family Rm)

Contact Sr. Kathleen at 562-496-3224 or email at st.c.aff@gmail.com A $15 dona on is appreciated for course materials.

Please feel free to join at any me!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY The Book of James

You are invited to join us on Wednesdays, from 7-8:45 pm in the Holy Family Room for the St. Cornelius Wednesday night Bible Study. We began our next study, the Infancy Narra ves of Jesus, on Dec. 3rd and will finish it on Dec 17th. (We are revisi ng this study from December 2010.) You can order the study set (study guide and a commentary – Advent of the Savior) from Li le Rock Scripture Study at 1-800-858-5434. The order number for the set is ISBN 978-0-8146-2652-8 ($13.00). You are welcome to join at any me. We will be taking our Christmas break beginning 12/24 and returning on Jan 7th. For more informa on, course materials or to sign up please contact Erick or Barbara Fischer at (562) 425-5542 or e-mail, ebefischer@earthlink.net

Study Ques on for the week: What is at stake when we shown par ality to some-

one or some group?

Last week’s answer: In James 2:1-4, He says to show no par ality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does he

mean?)

As Paul told the Gala ans, to hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ‘are all sons of God’ and have ‘put on Christ’. This iden ty erases all differences that might give rise to reasons for par ality. ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28) Showing par ality is to act as though we are not all one body in Christ. In our faith we are all equal.

5 ADULT FAITH & SPIRITUALITY

CONNECTING THE DOTS Spirituality Book Club

We will meet January 15 at 7pm.

Please read chapters 7 & 8 of “Sha ered Lantern”. Books are available at Paulist Bookstore in Costa Mesa or Amazon. We will meet at Norma Duffy’s home:

5408 E. Pavo St. Long Beach, CA 90808

Please call: Deacon Rich Boucher at 420-9520 or Norma Duffy at 429-1094 for more info.

WOMENS WEEKEND RETREAT

Don’t miss this personal, unique, spiritual experience at the Sacred Heart Retreat House Alhambra February 13 (5pm) - 15 (12:30pm), 2015. This year’s theme will be “Lord, I Was Born For you” ~ St. Teresa of Avila, facilitat-ed by Father Phillip W. De Vous, of Covington, KY. Room availability is limited. Saturday only commuter rates are also available. Contact Pam Branch, 562-421-9087 for registra on or more informa on.

A DAY OF SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

What is contempla ve prayer? Where is the “inner room” Mt 6:6? How do I open my mind and heart?

Begin the New Year by coming to a Day of Spiritual En-richment with Fr. Bill Sheehan OMI. Fr. Sheehan is an engaging speaker with profound insight unto the heart of silence, God’s first language. Saturday, Jan 3 from 9:30am—3pm. St. Barthalomew Catholic Church, Long Beach. $25 suggested dona on includes light lunch. RSVP stbartcenteringprayer@gmail.com or (562) 243-8460.

“Jesus is the light who brightens the darkness. He is our peace "

-Pope Francis

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RESPECT LIFE NEWS AND NOTES December 21, 2014 Join us as we pray for an end to abor on! Our next Rosary and Mass for Life is Sunday, Jan 4, 4:30pm

Babies Saved 132 - the number of babies saved from being abort-ed (so far this year that we know of!) at the Family Planning Associates abor on mill in Long Beach. Thank you for your con nued prayers for our un-born brothers and sisters, and moms in crisis preg-nancies. Swingin’ Santa! When you buy THIS Christmas song you’re sup-por ng our pro life ministry! Swingin' Santa!, a fun homage to the Big Band era, is a joyful celebra on of Christmas and the simple gi of life! Wri en by Lori Rae Mar n, song by Sylvia Aimerito, with back up vocals by Lori, Sr. Kathleen, Bridge e and Paul Flores, and Guadalupe and Juan Benitez. Visit Audio GirlMinistries.com for links to buy Swingin’ Santa! Fa, la, la, la, la! Only 99 cents - what a steal of a deal!

Merry Christmas from all of us at AudioGirl Ministries!

AudioGirlMinistries.com / 562-429-1965 Like us on Facebook. Twi er @AudioGirlM. Stay bold. Stay fierce. Stay strong.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

COMMUNITY NEWS 7

Imagine how Mary felt at the birth of Jesus: excited, awed and frightened. Deep faith was her light in the dark-ness, for Jesus was born during the night of the year when darkness is the longest. In faith is found the real, las ng, and deep joy of Christmas. This month, through your gi s, the Socie-ty of St. Vincent de Paul was able to bring Christmas to the hearts of the poor by assis ng 20 families with 44 children, providing food and gi s. Bless you!

RELIGIOUS GIVE THANKS! Women and men religious throughout the country offer hear elt thanks for your dona on to the Re-

rement fund for Religious. Your gi makes a tangible difference in the lives of thousands of senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests.

Food Collec on for the Poor

The food collec on for the St. Francis Center will take place next weekend a er all Masses. The col-lec on bins will be at the doors of the Church. This collec on is sponsored by the Scouts of the Parish.

ADORATION Come join us for medita ve prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on

Tuesday, December 23 from 8:30 am to 5pm

This will be a me of quiet, reflec ve prayer in an at-mosphere of peace and calm.

SAVE THE DATE

The American Red Cross will be at St. Cornelius small hall on Sunday, January 18th to conduct a Blood Drive. The hours are 8am un l 2pm. You may sign up at coffee and donuts a er the 8am, 10am and 12 noon mass. Please call Manny Viyeyra at (562) 425-8811 to make an appointment. Leave a message if not home. The Knighs of Columbus are sponsoring the event.

YOUR DONATION CAN SAVE LIVES.

MEN OF ST. CORNELIUS Guest Speaker Series

Fr. Jim Clarke

Men’s Spirituality on 2015

Thursday, January 29, 2015 6-9PM