First Sunday of Advent November 29, Mission Statement

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1 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church 300 Fulton Street Redwood City, CA Tel. (650) Fax: (650) Parish Center Hours Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. First Sunday of Advent November 29, 2015 Parish Staff Pastor: Rev. Ulysses D Aquila Deacon: Rev. Mr. Thomas J. Boyle Principal: Teresa Anthony School Development: Nori Jabba Kid s Place: Maureen Arnott CCD: Magdalena Hernández Youth Ministry: Kendra & Jason Rickwald Youth Confirmation: Paula Martinez Director of Music: Bianca Remlinger Spanish Music Ministry: Andres Garcia Administrative Assistant: Alba Canelo Mass Schedule Sunday: 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm (español), and 5pm Saturday: 8: 15 am and 5:00 pm Vigil Mass Monday to Friday 8:15 am Reconciliation/Confession Saturday 3:30 4:30 p.m. Baptisms / Bautismos Call parish at least two months in advance. Llame a la parroquia a lo menos dos meses antes. Weddings / Bodas Call parish at least six months in advance Llame a la parroquia a lo menos seis meses antes. Mission Statement Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a Christ-centered community in the Roman Catholic tradition. We try to share the Good News of salvation with others. As a diverse community, we value and respect individual differences. As God s people, we gather in the Spirit to pray, to celebrate the sacraments, to teach, to learn, to console, to rejoice, to minister and to renew our faith with one another.

2 Notes from the Pastor There are many ways of starting a New Year and our so-called Gregorian calendar is not the only method by which the passage of time is measured. For convenience, most of the world has chosen to count its days and years according to this Western system, but other systems, such as the older Julian calendar, the Jewish calendar, and the Mayan calendar also exist. Some of these yearly cycles operate simultaneously. For example, businesses run on a Fiscal Year; astrologers mark the beginning of a new cycle at the Vernal Equinox sometime in late March, and the Roman Catholic Church has its unique Liturgical Year. This Sunday, November 29, we enter a new cycle of the Church Calendar which always begins with the First Sunday of Advent, approximately four weeks before Christmas. I believe most practicing Catholics understand that this is the season in which we anticipate the coming of the Infant Jesus on December 25, but it is easy for the more profound meanings of the Advent season to become obscured by the prevailing commercial culture which insists on putting up Christmas trees and lights the moment that Halloween s plastic pumpkins and fake spider webs go back into storage. Within the spiritual culture of the Church, we prefer to begin the season in a more solemn way, recognizing the need to prepare ourselves inwardly for the advent of the Christ Child. Expectation, waiting and a cautious hope were characteristic of the Jewish world into which Jesus was born. The Israelites of the Old Testament never ceased yearning for a Messiah or Deliverer and the salvation that he would bring. And while for Christian believers Jesus Christ is certainly that promised Savior, the Holy Redeemer, we yet retain the same yearning that Jesus ancestors had. After all, the reign of goodness and mercy and justice and universal love that Jesus ushered into the world is both, and at the same time, here and yet to come. So as we wait in joyful hope during the next four weeks to celebrate once again the birth of Jesus, as we light one by one the candles of our Advent wreath, and as we put up our manger scene and move the Wise Men slowly toward Bethlehem, we also prepare ourselves through penance and prayer to receive Christ into our hearts. Jesus birth into the world, into human history, is nothing if he is not born anew within each one of us. Lodged in our hearts, Jesus can carry on the sacred mission he began so long ago, bringing his message of hope and love and redemption to new generations. And when we carry Christ within us, we will most assuredly be ready for that final phase of salvation history when Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Fr. Ulysses Notas del Párroco Hay muchas maneras de comenzar un nuevo año, y nuestro calendario gregoriano no es el único método por el cual se mide el paso del tiempo. Hoy en día, la mayor parte del mundo ha escogido contar sus días y años con este sistema, pero también existen otros sistemas, como el calendario más viejo Julián, el calendario judío y el calendario maya. Algunos de estos ciclos anuales operan simultáneamente. Por ejemplo, las empresas usan un año fiscal; astrólogos marcan el comienzo de un nuevo ciclo en el Equinoccio de Primavera a los finales de marzo, y la Iglesia Católica tiene su "Año Litúrgico." Este domingo, el 29 de noviembre, entramos en un nuevo ciclo del calendario de la Iglesia que siempre comienza con el Primer Domingo de Adviento aproximadamente cuatro semanas antes de la Navidad. Creo que la mayoría de cristianos católicos entienden que esta es la temporada en la que anticipamos la venida del Niño Jesús el 25 de diciembre, pero el significado más profundo de Adviento usualmente está oculta por nuestra cultura comercial que insiste en poner los árboles y luces de navidad en el momento que quitamos las calabazas de plástico y las telarañas falsas de Halloween. En la cultura espiritual de la Iglesia, preferimos comenzar la temporada de Adviento de una manera más solemne, reconociendo la necesidad de prepararnos interiormente para la llegada del Niño Jesús. Tal esperanza era típico del mundo judío en el que nació Jesús. Los israelitas del Antiguo Testamento siempre anhelaban el prometido Mesías o Libertador y la salvación que él traería. Y mientras que para los creyentes cristianos Jesucristo es ciertamente el prometido Salvador, el Santo Redentor, sin embargo mantenemos el mismo anhelo que los antepasados de Jesús tenían. Después de todo, el reinado de la bondad y la misericordia, la justicia y el amor universal que Jesús trajo al mundo es a la vez, y al mismo tiempo, aquí y todavía por venir. Así que mientras esperamos el nacimiento de Jesús durante las próximas cuatro semanas para, mientras encendemos una por una las velas de nuestra corona de Adviento, y mientras ponemos nuestro Pesebre y movemos los Reyes Magos lentamente hacia Belén, también preparamos nosotros mismos a través de la penitencia y la oración para recibir a Cristo en nuestros corazones. El nacimiento de Jesús en el mundo, en la historia humana, no es nada si él no nace de nuevo dentro de cada uno de nosotros. Alojado en nuestros corazones, Jesús puede continuar su sagrada misión que comenzó hace dos mil años, para que su mensaje de esperanza, amor, y redención pueda llegar a nuevas generaciones. Y cuando llevamos a Cristo dentro de nosotros, seriamos listos para el período final nuestra salvación cuando Cristo vendrá de nuevo con gloria para juzgar a los vivos y a los muertos. Padre Ulises

3 help St. Vincent De Paul help the homeless Jackets are needed for homeless men and women. Homeless men and women come for food and other necessities at the RWC SVdP Conference help table at the Fair Oaks Community Center, RWC. For the months of Nov./Dec. we are requesting donations of adult men/women jackets only; especially needed, are men's sizes XL, XXL, XXXL. Please place your donated jackets in the "marked barrel" at the entrance of the Church. Please DO NOT take your donations to the Parish Center. We appreciate your kindness and generosity and the homeless men and women we serve are especially grateful. Thank you and God bless you. Message from S.V.D.P Mt. Carmel Conference We thank you for your non perishable food donations brought to Masson Sundays throughout the year. The food is distributed to the needy families in our community. Next Sunday, the 5th Sunday of the month, the 2nd collection will be held for the support of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This collection helps to provide vouchers for dairy, meat, produce, utilities and rent assistance. All donations are returned 100% in our community. Thank you for remembering and supporting the needy in our community with your generosity next Sunday. God Bless you and your family. THANKSGIVING DAY THURS DAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 Mass on Thanksgiving will be at 10:00 am (Instead of 8:15 am). There will be NO Mass on Friday, November 27. DIA DE GRACIAS JUEVES 26 DE NOVIEMBRE, 2015 La Misa del Dia de Gracias será a las 10:00 am (en vez de las 8:15 am. NO habrá Misa el Viernes 27 de noviembre. PARISH COLLECTION ENVELOPES 2016 For those of you who are regular users of the Parish Collection Envelopes, please note that they are now available in the vestibule of the church. Some of the numbers have changed, so please locate your envelope packet by last name. They are in alphabetical order. Exciting YM Events! Mark your calendars for our Service and Shopping trip Saturday December 5th 7am to 6pm. We will be doing our service project around the parish then going up to SF to shop. YM Christmas Party Sunday December 13th after mass 6pm 8pm. If you haven't already turned in your enrollment, please bring it with you to the next YM event." ARCHBISHOP ANNUAL APPEAL 2015 Thank all of you who have contributed to the Archbishop Annual Appeal. Our assessment for 2015 is $64,500. To date we have received 51,070. Our balance $13,790. Please consider how you can help us meet our goal.

4 Intenciones de Misas de la semana Saturday, November 28, 5:00 PM Hilbert Carlson Sunday, November 29: 8:00 AM August Saguin 10:00 AM 12:00 PM(Español) Familia Arias Mendoza (int.) 5:00 PM Monday, November 30, 8:15 AM Zaira Contreras (int.) Tuesday, December 1, 8:15 AM Ngoc Phan (int.) Wednesday, December 2, 8:15 AM Thursday, December 3, 10:00 AM Friday, December 4, 8:15 AM Roy & Nettie Feldbusch Saturday, December 5, 8:15 AM This week at Mt. Carmel Sunday, November 29: R.C.I.A. Session 9:00 am Chapel Children s Liturgy 10:00 am Chapel Monday, November 30: Carismáticos (Directiva) 7:00 pm O. Chapel Tuesday, December 1: Guadalupanos 7:00 pm O. Chapel Men s Sports 8:30 pm L. Hall Wednesday, December 2: Grupo de Oración (Carismáticos) 7:00 pm L. Hal l Women s Club 6:30 pm S. Hall Thursday, December 3: Good Grief 6:00 pm Old Chapel CCD Parents Mtg. 6:30 PM S. Hall Friday, December 4: Ensayo Coro (Español) 7:00 pm P. Center Saturday, December 5: CCD Advent Retreat 7:00 am - 2:00 pm L. Hall

5 SAINTS AN SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Monday: St. Andrew Tuesday: World AIDS Day Thursday: St. Francis Xavier Friday: St. John of Damascus; First Friday Saturday: First Saturday HOMEBOUND MINISTRY If someone in your family is homebound, lives nearby and is unable to attend Mass, but would like to received the Eucharist, please contact Julie O Leary at (650) Communion ministers are needed to bring the Eucharist to homebound parishioners. Please call Julie O Leary if you would like to participate in this worthy ministry. GOOD GRIEF MINISTRY The loss of every loved one creates many changes, challenges and pain. Good Grief, an ongoing support group, meets every Thursday at the Parish Center, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. We care. We share. Do come. Welcome Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Registration Form The following confidential information will be entered in our parish data system. It is only for the purpose of knowing and serving you better. Name (s): Address: city zip Telephone: Others in your household: Number of adults over 18 years of age: Number of children under 18 years of age: