CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
March 22, 2015 – Fifth Sunday of Lent CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY A praying, learning and caring Catholic community MISSION STATEMENT We are a praying, learning and caring community fulfilling the mission God gives us in baptism by our worship in faith, by our witness in hope and by our service in love. Praying through the Sacraments, Learning through Religious Education, Caring through Pastoral Care. Father Lawrence M. Purcell, Pastor [email protected]; 858-756-1911, ext. 4 Deacon Jim Walsh [email protected]; 858-367-0114 Parish Office Mailing Address: Post Office Box 8770 Nativity School Mailing Address: Post Office Box 9180 6309 El Apajo Road Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067 (858) 756-1911; FAX: (858) 756-9562; www.nativitycatholic.org Page Two Church of the Nativity March 22, 2015 Fifth Sunday of Lent I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. -- Jeremiah 31:33 Ú3 : 4 H Please join us in singing the Psalm Response: Cre - G ate H a H clean heart REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD One of the earliest pictures of Jesus I can remember portrayed him at prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. I still see his hands, clasped tight. They spoke to me of an inner struggle long before I knew about his words, “Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mark 14:36). More than any other scene in the Gospels, this one brought home what it meant to say Jesus was truly man. Today’s Gospel has been called John’s version of the agony in the garden. The word agony (agonia in Greek) means struggle, and we can hear the struggle in Jesus’ awareness that “the hour” he has spoken of before in John’s Gospel, beginning at Cana, has finally arrived. It is the hour of his being lifted up—the hour of both his glory and his crucifixion. It is why he came into the world, and yet we hear him say, “I am troubled.” We hear him wrestling with himself, asking for release from the hour, but then recognizing that it holds “the purpose for which I came.” Hebrews affirms this when it says “he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence” (5:7). He was able to bear the suffering and become the source of eternal salvation for all who listen to him and follow in his steps. —James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. Copyright © 2014, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. H H G in me, ÚH O G God. REFLEXIONEMOS SOBRE LA PALABRA DE DIOS Una de las imágenes más antiguas de Jesús que recuerdo es donde está orando en el huerto de Getsemaní. Aún veo sus manos juntas y apretadas, que me expresaron una lucha interior mucho antes de que yo conociera sus palabras: “Padre, todo te es posible. Aparta de mí este cáliz de amargura. Pero no se haga como yo quiero, sino como quieres tú” (Marcos 14:36). Más que ninguna otra escena de los evangelios, ésta fue la que mejor me dejó claro lo que significa decir que Jesús fue verdaderamente hombre. Al Evangelio de hoy se le ha llamado la versión de Juan de la agonía en el huerto. La palabra agonía en griego significa lucha, y bien claro podemos escuchar la lucha de Jesús al estar consciente de que “la hora” de la cual él había hablado antes en el Evangelio de Juan, comenzando en Caná, había llegado por fin. Es la hora en la que él sería elevado —la hora de su gloria y también de su crucifixión. Para eso vino a este mundo y sin embargo lo oímos decir: “Me muero de tristeza”. Lo escuchamos luchar consigo mismo pidiendo que pase esa hora, pero en seguida reconoció: “He venido precisamente para aceptar esta hora”. La carta a los hebreos afirma esto cuando dice que “Cristo presentó oraciones y súplicas con grandes gritos y lágrimas al que podía salvarlo de la muerte, fue escuchado en atención a su actitud reverente” (5:7). Le fue posible sobrellevar los sufrimientos y convertirse en la fuente de la salvación eterna para todos los que le escuchan y siguen sus pasos. —James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. LIVING GOD’S WORD Loving God, give us a new heart in these final days of Lent, a heart that carries within it your loving imprint, that we may always know your will and yield to it, even when it calls for a dying of some kind. In such dying, may we trust that you will bring forth new life. Copyright © 2014, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. Page Three Church of the Nativity March 22, 2015 Lenten Penance Service Monday, March 23rd at 7 pm Do you get the feeling while reading about or watching world events that the media both the left/liberal and the right/conservative play on people’s instinctive attraction to bad news? That can lead to despair and fear. Many people – maybe even most - feel the same about sin. But God’s grace, by contrast, nourishes hope. Faith in Christ trumps compulsions. Think, for example, of the triumph of hope over despair in the sacrament of reconciliation. As we prepare for the simple and peaceful penance liturgy this Monday, I suggest that we reflect on the what and the why of the sacrament. WHAT “Confession” Is # 1 = Admitting sin. This is the toughest part. The first step toward a life change always is. We come before the priest and say something like “bless me, father, for I have sinned.” # 2 = Sorrow. The priest may ask you: “Are you sorry?” You respond: “Yes.” Sorrow for sin is not an emotional feeling. Contrition is not feeling regret. We actually might not feel bad at all about what we’ve done! Contrition or sorrow for sin follows from admitting wrong doing. It is the determination to change. # 3 = Naming the sin. All successful steps of recovery from addictive behavior call for “telling it like it is.” The very act of our coming to the penance service is telling the whole world that I need and want to change something in my life. We all know from experience that getting the wrongdoing out of our system by actually telling someone – in the sacrament, the priest, who represents Christ and the Church – works! # 4 = Accepting forgiveness. You often hear me say “God forgives us just for the asking. That’s the easy part. The hard part is our accepting God’s forgiveness.” In this sacrament, we hear the words of absolution. # 5 = Doing the penance. We complete the sacrament by following through with our good intentions. The priest may suggest prayers to say or acts of charity to do. In this way, we add action to our words of sorrow. WHY Go To Confession? Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. God bless you – Fr. Lawrence Purcell, Pastor Page Four Church of the Nativity March 22, 2015 MASS INTENTIONS MARCH 21 — MARCH 27 SATURDAY 5:00 pm Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33 For All Parishioners SUNDAY 7:30 am Lois Peterson, RIP 9:00 am Uruburu Family, Special Intention 10:30 am Nancy Colosi, RIP MONDAY 8:00 am Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 [41c-62]; Ps 23:1-6; Jn 8:1-11 Anthony J. Rippo, M.D., RIP TUESDAY 8:00 am Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102:2-3, 16-21; Jn 8:21-30 Josh Broyles, Special Intention WEDNESDAY 8:00 am Is 7:10-14; 8:10; Ps 40:7-11; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38 Sheila Schooler, RIP THURSDAY 8:00 am Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9: Jn 8:51-59 Helen “Heidi” Forchette, RIP FRIDAY 8:00 am Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18:2-7; Jn 10:31-42 Robert Trzos, RIP LOVE AND DEATH Unhappy is death without the love of the Savior; unhappy is love without the death of the Savior. —St. Francis de Sales TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — I will make a new covenant; I will write my law upon their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34) or Ezekiel 37:12-14. Psalm — Create a clean heart in me, O God (Psalm 51) or Psalm 130. Second Reading — Christ learned obedience and became the source of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:7-9) or Romans 8:8-11. Gospel — If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces much fruit (John 12:20-33) or John 11:1-45 [3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45]. During Lent, the church is prayerfully silent before Mass, after which we begin with a Lenten Procession, in which the response Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned is repeated between verses of Psalm 51. The Offertory is by Malcolm Archer: God be in my head, and in my understanding. God be in my eyes, and in my looking. God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and at my departing. The text is from a Medieval Book of Hours, an illuminated manuscript of prayers and psalms for Catholic worship and devotion. The Communion at 7:30 and 9 begins with a motet by the Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, born at Avila, in old Castile in 1549. In 1564 he went to Rome to join the monastery founded by St. Ignatius Loyola as part of the struggle against Lutheranism. In 1575 he was ordained and returned to Spain in 1586 in the service of Empress Maria, who was entering the convent of Descalzas Reales (Convent of the Royal Barefoot Nuns) in Madrid. Victoria remained there until the end of his life, performing several roles - priest, composer, director of the choir, and organist. He is considered the most significant composer of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and one of the most well-regarded composers of sacred music in the late Renaissance, a genre he devoted himself to exclusively before his death in Madrid in 1611. The text is: Truly, our failings he has taken upon himself and our sorrows he has borne. By his wounds we have been saved. O sweet wood, O sweet nails that bore this sweet burden which alone were worthy to support the King of Heaven and Lord. The second piece at 9 is by the priest and musician Franz Xaver Witt (1834-1888) who founded the Cecilia Society to revive the use of Gregorian chant and promote the composition of new liturgical music in an older style. The text is: I will meditate on your commandments, which I have loved exceedingly: and I will lift up my hands to your commandments which I have loved. The third piece is A New Blessing by Mark T. Deen. The Communion at 10:30 begins with the Witt Meditabor (above) and continues with a setting of Vexilla regis by Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). The original text was written by the poet and hymnodist of the Merovingian Court, Bishop Venantius Fortunatus (530-609) for a procession in honor of the arrival of a large relic of the True Cross which had been sent to the Thuringian princess and Frankish queen Radegunda by the Emperor Justin II. Queen Radegunda had retired to a convent she had built near Poitiers and was seeking out relics for the church there. To help celebrate the arrival of the relic, the Queen asked Fortunatus to write a hymn for its procession to the church. The verse is usually translated as ‘The Royal Banners forward go’ but the meaning is closer to ‘The banners of the King advance, the cross glimmers mysteriously; life endured death upon it that life might be found." Page Five Church of the Nativity 21 Meal Emergency Box Program “Senior Food-for-a-Week” Saturday & Sunday Mass Collections March 14 & 15 and March 21 & 22 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Food Drive Items Needed: 13 oz. can Chicken Breast packed in Water 15 oz. can Chili with Meat or Beef Stew 6 oz. can Light Chunk Tuna packed in Water 18 oz. Creamy Peanut Butter Jars in Plastic Jar 24 oz. can Spaghetti Sauce with Meat Please …. No expired food, no glass containers, no sizes larger than listed above, no perishable food items, no opened, dented or unlabeled items. All food must be in sealed cans, boxes or plastic packages and brought to the Parish Commons. Thank You! For more information: www.theangelsdepot.org (Food Page) The Angel’s Depot: 760-599-7093 Sadly, 50,000 seniors live in poverty in San Diego County. Average Expenses Per Week: $ 22,166 Last Weekend’s Offering: $20,548* March 22, 2015 Save the Date! A Gathering in Appreciation of Father Purcell Friday, June 26th Reception 5 — 8 pm To be held at the Holy Family Activity Center Church of the Nativity Details to Follow For more information, please contact Nicole Steele 858-756-1911 [email protected] Adult Bible Study Gospel of Mark Join us for a 10 week Study on the Gospel of Mark which leads us from Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan to the climatic announcement of his resurrection to the women at the tomb. Mark asks everyone to answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Bring your bible and a friend and join us on: Monday Mornings 9:15- 11:00 a.m. in the Commons Active Parishioners Inactive Parishioners Envelope Usage 1186 53 801 March 30 to June 15, 2015 (No Study on Monday, April 6th) Questions? Please call Kathy Klink 858-756-1328 Please pray for our benefactors who include Nativity in their wills and remainder trusts. * This amount includes those contributing through the Faith Direct program. You may now make a contribution to Nativity Parish online at www.faithdirect.net. Those who enroll can log on to the secure website of Faith Direct at any time to view their account, make changes and make special gifts. For assistance or information email: [email protected]. FAITH DIRECT - A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR THE NATIVITY SCHOOL Do you often find yourself without your checkbook or envelope on Sunday morning? Join the many parishioners who have already enrolled in Faith Direct for automated giving to Church of the Nativity. Faith Direct is secure and convenient, and will provide you with an offertory card to place in the basket during the collections. There is no cost to you, and the program provides a great benefit to our parish. A Catholic education makes a difference in Faith traditions and values practiced. Sign up today by visiting www.faithdirect.net Our parish code is CA288 Please consider using Faith Direct today Come see how The Nativity School embraces the Catholic tradition for excellence. Applications for Preschool – 3rd grade welcomed! For a private tour with principal, Mrs. Heveron, please call (858) 756-6763 Page Eight Church of the Nativity LORD'S DAY MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 & 10:30 am RCIA and Youth Minister: Mike James, [email protected], 858-756-1911, ext. 5 Religious Education: Patti Smiley, [email protected], 858-756-1911, ext. 6 Music Director: Paul Batchelor, [email protected], 858-756-1911, ext. 102 The Nativity School: Margaret Heveron, Principal [email protected], 858-756-6763 Bookkeeper: Jackie Marin, [email protected], 858-756-6763 Administrative Assistant: Nicole Carlin Steele, [email protected], 858-756-1911 Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 2:30 pm Pastoral Council: Carl Bobkoski, Jane Boler, Kevin Flanagan, Cindy Hesse, Mimi Johnson, Kathy Klink. Finance Council: Jeff Brandon, Chair Michael Conway, Chic Dohoney, Jim LaGrossa, Catherine Lorenz, Earl Parker, Carolyn Wilkinson, Joe Wilkinson Safe Environment Coordinator: John Marin Call the Parish Office - 858-756-1911 PASTORAL CARE Nativity Samaritans: Patti Smiley, 858-756-1911 Childcare: Attended care is provided in the play room off the Commons during 9:00 and 10:30 am Sunday Masses. Holy Communion for the sick: For the homebound upon request, 858-756-1911 Widows and Widowers: Mary Lou Matthews, 858-481-6255 Monthly Luncheons - September through June Men of Nativity: Meet First Thursday of the month 6 - 8 pm in the Parish Commons Craig Ryall, 760-445-3368 Small Christian Communities - Faith Sharing Groups See Deacon Jim Walsh or contact Kathy Alameda at 858-756-9755 or ([email protected]) SACRAMENTS Baptism: After last Sunday Mass Darlene & Ross Larson, 858-780-8837 ([email protected]) Marriage: Saturdays, 10 am or 2 pm Wedding Coordinator: Georgiana Strate, 858-755-7459 Anointing of the Sick: Encouraged for anyone critically ill, for the elderly, or prior to major surgery March 22, 2015 FAMILY FAITH FORMATION Classes meet September through June PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE Contact: Patti Smiley, 858-756-1911, ext. 6 Preschool - 6th Grade: Sundays, 8:50 - 10:05 am at The Nativity School Junior High: Sundays, 5:00 - 6:15 pm in the Commons Today after attending class, all 2nd graders will join their families at the 10:30 mass all to be presented at the Mass for Candidacy. HIGH SCHOOL Contact: Mike James, 858-756-1911, ext 5 High School Youth Group (9th - 12th Grade) Meet Sundays from 5:00 to 6:15 pm Sunday’s topic will be “Holy Week”. We will talk about all the different rituals and symbols in the Holy Week Services. All freshmen-seniors meet from 5-6:15pm in the Commons. Friends are always welcome. There will be no class on Sunday, March 29 or April 5 due to the Easter break. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIRMATION Contact: Mike James, 858-756-1911, ext 5 Final Interviews are by appointment in the next few weeks. The Confirmation Mass has been set for Noon on Sunday, May 3. Candidates and their sponsors should be here by 11am for a final rehearsal. We will have a short reception after the mass and conclude by 2pm. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RCIA) Contact: Mike James, 858-756-1911, ext 5 Sunday March 22 we will attend the 10:30am mass as a group and then have class from 10:50-11:50am. We will also do a rehearsal for the Easter Vigil from 11:20am noon. The Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 4, 2015 will begin at 8pm. Candidates and Catechumens should arrive by 7:30pm to be seated in the front pews. ADULT FAITH FORMATION & BIBLE STUDY Reconciliation: Saturday, 4:15 pm in the Chapel Eucharist: Weekday Mass: Monday - Friday, 8 am in the Chapel Centering Prayer Group: Saturdays, 9 am in the Chapel Contact: Dixie Welsh, 858-756-1911 Eucharistic Adoration: Every Friday after 8 am Mass Perpetual Help Novena: Tuesdays, after 8 am Mass Rosary: Weekdays, after 8 am Mass in the Chapel Little Rock Scripture Study for Adults Let the Word of God influence your Busy Life. Monday Mornings 9:15-11:00 am Develop a fuller experience of Christian community, Contact: Kathy Klink 858-756-1328
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