December 20, 2015 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Transcripción

FOURTH SUNDAY
OF ADVENT
December 20, 2015
Year
C
Hope is incredibly powerful. Sometimes it comes in political turmoil
or to people held hostage. But more often it’s very simple and
bubbles up in the reality of daily life. Today it is written small in the
visit of a young pregnant Mary to her older cousin, Elizabeth. Mary
brings Christ to another person in that simple gesture, and it’s more
than enough. How can we bring hope to others? It doesn’t take much.
SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY:
2316 180th Street SE
Bothell, Washington 98012
www.easbothell.org
425-481-0303
425-485-8510 fax
Micah 5:1-4a A future king is promised to those in exile.
Psalm 80 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face.
Hebrews 10:5-10 Christ offered the perfect sacrifice of
himself.
Luke 1:39-45 Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth
“Blessed are you who
believed that what was
spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.” Luke 1:45
Our Star of Faith
Giving Light to All
The
SETON Sunday News
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church - A Missionaries of the Holy Spirit Community
HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT CHURCH:
 Reconciliation Service 12/21 7pm
 Christmas Eve Children Mass 12/24 5pm
 Christmas Midnight Mass 12/24 10pm
 Christmas Mass English 12/25 11am
 Christmas Mass Spanish
Misa de Navidad Español 12/25 1:30pm
 Faith Formation Office Family Mass
“To Walk in His Ways” 12/27 11am
“Elizabeth felt honored to receive Mary because
something different occurred; she felt the presence of
God. How? The gospel says that she was filled with the
Holy Spirit.”
Pastor’s Message, page 3
Help decorate the Church for
Christmas! Bring White
poinsettias before 5pm on
Tuesday 22nd.
If you want to remember a loved one,
stick a card with the name written on it
in the planter.
2 | The SETON Sunday News | Fourth Sunday of Advent
CHURCH Report
Fighting injustice 'is going to
hurt' – the legacy of Rosa Parks
The legacy of Rosa Parks, 60 years after her arrest for civil
disobedience, is that Catholics must fight injustice even when
it hurts, said a member of the National Black Catholic
Congress.
“I think that it is a powerful image for us as individuals, to
know that justice hurts,” said Michael Howard of the National
Black Catholic Congress in an interview with EWTN News
about Parks’ arrest.
“To stand up for justice, it’s going to hurt. But yet in the end,
the reward is that the Lord will bless us, and so we stand up
for people who are ridiculed and mistreated.”
Dec. 1 marked the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ arrest in
Montgomery, Ala. for refusing to give up her seat on a
segregated bus. Parks, a 42 year old black woman traveling
home from work, was ordered by the bus driver to move to the
back of the bus and stand in the section reserved for AfricanAmericans so that a white passenger could take her seat in the
middle seating area. The whites-only section in the front of the
bus was full.
God is mercy: Holy Year affirms belief
Christians, Muslims, Jews share
VATICAN— Opening the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica and the Year
of Mercy, Pope Francis also hopes to open a year of "fervent dialogue"
among Christians, Muslims and Jews, so that all who profess faith in a
merciful God may be stronger in showing mercy toward one another.
The opening of the special jubilee year just a month after the terrorist
attacks in Paris and at a time of continuing strife in the Holy Land and
around the Middle East shows the size of the challenge facing those
committed to interreligious dialogue, but it equally shows the need.
In his official proclamation of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis noted that
the Christian profession of faith in God's mercy "relates us to Judaism and
Islam, both of which consider mercy to be one of God's most important
attributes."
He prayed that the jubilee would "open us to even more fervent dialogue
so that we might know and understand one another better; may it eliminate
every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form
of violence and discrimination."
(Continued on page 10)
(Continued on page 10)
Administration
Our Mission and Vision Statements
FAITH FORMATION OFFICE
Roberto Saldivar, M.Sp.S., Pastor
Mario Rodriguez, M.Sp.S., Vicar
Jorge Gomez del Valle, M.Sp.S., Vicar
Santos Mendoza, M.Sp.S., Brother
Craig Lundberg, Deacon
Shannon Everist,
Pastoral Asst. for Administration
Lori Lowery, Secretary
Mission: We are St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish,
a diverse Roman Catholic community guided by
the Holy Spirit. We are transformed by grace
through sacraments, prayer, compassion, and
evangelization.
We are disciples of Jesus Christ.
Phone: 425-481-9358
Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 4:30 pm
(Closed 12:30-1:30pm)
Mass Times:
Mon.-Sat. 9 am / Saturday vigil - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 9 am, 11 am,
1 pm (Spanish) & 5 pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturday - 3:30 - 4:45 pm
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament:
Mon — Fri, 10 am — 9 pm
How to reach us:
Phone: (425) 481-0303
Fax: (425) 485-8510
2316 180th St S.E., Bothell, WA 98012
P.O.Box 12429, Mill Creek, WA 98082
Web Site: www.easbothell.org
Facebook web link:
http://www.facebook.com/eas.bothell
Email: [email protected]
myParish app, St Elizabeth Ann Seton
Vision: We will be a parish unified by our
baptismal call, appreciative of our diversity and
enriched by our ethnicities and cultures. We will
be renewed by sacred liturgy, enlightened by
faith formation, and compelled to serve with the
compassion of Jesus.
We will be the body of Christ.
Monday & Friday: 10am - 5pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Wednesday: 11:30am-8:30pm
TEAM
Stephanie Matheny,
Administrative Assistant
Rosamaría García, Bilingual Assistant
Stephanie Moran, Early Childhood/
Elementary
Stephen Kramp, Life Teen
Susie King, The Edge
Index
Officers and Councils
The Pastoral Council
Gerry Apin, Jenifer Arulnathan,
Eduardo Cardona, Jean Dellino,
Paul Gallagher, Bob Kennedy,
Alice Paine, Karyn Sullivan
The Leadership Team
Jonald Alejandro, Ana May Apin, Rolfson
Augustine, Shannon Everist, Marcia Gimenez,
Heidi Gogal, Dc. Craig Lundberg,
Steve Robinson
The Finance Council
Richard Carlson,
Bill Dunnigan, Shannon Everist
The Seton Sunday News Bulletin
Fr. Roberto Saldivar, MSpS, publisher
Marcia Gimenez, associate publisher
Deacon Craig Lundberg, executive vice president
Calendar of Events
Church Report
Directory
Faith Formation
From Fr. Mario
Missionaries of the Holy Spirit
Pastor’s Corner
Spanish / Sección en Español
St Elizabeth Ann Seton
Vocational Awareness
Year of Mercy
Youth, Typology
SCAN ME FOR
MORE
INFORMATION
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Fourth Sunday of Advent | The SETON Sunday News | 3
P A S T O R ’ S Corner
O
n my homily for the feast
of the Immaculate Conception I
quoted Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI: “Mary Immaculate helps
us rediscover and defend what
is inside people, because in her
there is perfect transparency of
soul and body. She is purity in
person in the sense that the
spirit, soul and body are fully
coherent in her and with God’s
will. Our Lady teaches us to
open up to God’s action and to
look at others as he does,
starting with the heart, to look
upon them with mercy, love,
infinite tenderness, especially
those who are lonely, scorned or
exploited.” (Address 12/08/09)
In today’s Gospel we hear the
passage when Mary visited her
cousin Elizabeth and upon
entering her house Elizabeth
exclaimed: “And how does this
happen to me, that the mother of
my Lord should come to me?” I
personally find the Bible of
LIFE AT...
Tomorrow we will be having our
Advent Reconciliation Service.
A great opportunity to confess
our sins, but I must first share
that besides confessing our sins
it is an opportunity to hear Jesus
reconciling us to him. You see,
the most important thing about
going to confession is that it is
Jesus who takes the initiative…
it is his gift, he is the only one
who can remove the barriers that
separate us. In my years of
priesthood there have been many
times I have perceived fear and
nervousness in many people
when coming to confession. This
is especially true if they are
coming back after being away
from the church for many years.
My invitation is usually this:
“God is very glad that you are
here, let’s take advantage of the
Jerusalem translation better:
“Why should I be honored with
a visit from the mother of my
Lord?”
If we truly listen to Elizabeth’s
words there is an inner message
that many may not notice.
Elizabeth felt honored to receive
Mary
because
something
different occurred; she felt the
presence of God. How? The
gospel says that she was filled
with the Holy Spirit. It is here
that she cried out in a loud
voice: The mother of my Lord!
How is it possible that she visit
me? Elizabeth felt small, simple,
humble and unimportant besides
Mary (remember that Mary is
her younger cousin). Through
Mary’s visit Elizabeth felt that
God himself visited her.
Elizabeth does not feel entitled
to anything. She feels surprised,
grateful, and graceful. She
acknowledges Mary: “Blessed
are you who believed that what
was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled…”
Grace that he will
bestow on you
because he is so
happy to see you
and he has a great
gift for you.”
Let me share something briefly,
I really don’t like hearing
confessions but at the same time
I love hearing confessions. I
know you are thinking that this
is a contradiction, either I do or I
don’t. To clarify my feeling I
would put it this way. In the
sacrament of reconciliation I am
the keeper of this wonderful gift
and I love to see the faces of
those who know the value of the
gift and are overjoyed to know
that the Lord is giving it freely
to them through me. This I love.
But other times. I give this same
gift and it is not valued for its
worth, those receiving it simply
leave. This I don’t like.
Tomorrow several priests and I
will be giving this free gift to
each of you. Please come to
On this last Sunday of Advent,
Elizabeth is our model. We too
must feel honored to have Mary,
the Mother of our Lord, with us.
It is sad to learn that people
don’t care about Mary when in
fact it was Elizabeth the first
person who prayed the “Hail
Mary”… “Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is
the fruit of your womb.”
Mary is very close to us… as
the Incarnation of the Son of
God approaches - (Christmas)God once again will visit his
people. Let our feelings be
those of Elizabeth, let our hearts
rejoice in welcoming God and
cry out in a loud voice like
Elizabeth: But who am I that
God will remember me?
The answer to this question is
simple: because God loves us.
There is no other explanation!
Do not ask for explanations to
love. Love loves! Rather, be like
Elizabeth (see cover picture):
rejoice in your faith and look up
to heaven and admire and feel
receive it.
Now that I am writing about
gifts, I would like to THANK
YOU for a blessed turnout of our
“Giving Tree”. More then 900
gifts were donated to bring joy
to the many children and adults
in need this Christmas time. As I
mentioned in my homily last
week, God wants us to grow in
joy and might at the coming of
His Son. Sharing what we have
is the best way of preparing our
souls for his coming as
proclaimed by John the Baptist.
Christmas is five days from now,
this week stop to consider with
amazement the mystery of God
becoming man in Jesus. Take
time to slow down tomorrow
and the next days of this week
and contemplate His great love
and mercy towards us in the
Incarnation. Turn off the car
radio during your commute to
work
and
ponder
the
superabundance of God's love
for you in sending His Son. And
God next to you. If you find this
difficult then pray the psalm for
this Sunday: “Lord, make us
turn to you; let us see your face
and we shall be saved.”
With regards to the quote from
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI…
with Mary, rest assured you'll be
in good company in preparing
for the coming of the Lord.
Mary will help us rediscover
and defend what is inside of us
and she will teach us to open up
our hearts to God’s action.
“God is free to do new things
and the biggest surprise of all is
that God consults us and invites
us to create the future together.
This
is
the
biggest
miracle.” (Homily from the
feast of the Immaculate
Conception).
Would you open your doors so
that he can visit you this
Christmas? If Mary comes,
wow, you will be honored.
now that we are in the year of
mercy, draw close to this God of
mercy who has such compassion
on our misery. Come and spend
time before the Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament. He will be
there waiting for you.
If I don’t see you on Christmas
day or during the Octave. HAVE
A BLESSED AND JOYOUS
CHRISTMAS.
Sincerely,
Fr. Roberto Saldivar, M.Sp.S.
ITISTIMETOGOOUT!
Scripture tells us in the letter of James: “Be
doers of the word and not hearers only,
deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a
hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like
a man who looks at his own face in a
mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and
promptly forgets what he looked like. But
the one who peers into the perfect law of
freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer
who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one
shall be blessed in what he does.” (Jas, 1:22
-25)
Offer some personal time to serve
somebody where you can… So many
things you could do for others.
It is high time to put our faith into action
and move out of our comfort zone. It is
time to dare make a difference in this
world. And the change may begin from the
smallest detail, in small actions that can
nonetheless fill others with love. Be like
Jesus, who went out to the poorest, and he
exercised an astounding freedom. This will
fill your heart with joy, and will give more
meaning to your life. Be like Mary, who
promptly went to serve her cousin
Elizabeth after the Angel appeared to her.
We need to put into practice our faith, and
faith will take us to reach out to the poor
and the needy. I think we need to keep our
eyes open so we can see the most needy
around us, the ones in our own back yard. I
would like that you give yourself the
opportunity during this time to dare to look
around and see who is in most need. Arm
yourself with courage and give them help,
put a “pantry” together and take it to a
needy family. Give away some sweatshirts
Sincerely,
or coats to somebody you notice is cold. Fr. Mario Rodriguez, MSpS
Go and help a neighbor with a home repair.
F A I T H Formation
December
21st
Edge; Join
other
Middle
School youth
for our Youth
Reconciliation
Service/ Adoration.
No
open youth room. Let us
prepare our hearts to
receive
our
Lord
at
Christmas.
• There will be no LifeTeen meetings on 12/20 or
12/27. Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
• Parish high school teens who have already
received Confirmation are cordially invited to
join us on 1/3 for our On-the-10th-Day-ofChristmas party. We’ll begin with dinner at 6:15
p.m. in the fellowship hall, kick off the party at
6:30 or 6:45 p.m., and later in the evening we’ll
discuss a few ideas we have for some alreadyconfirmed-teens social events. Please drop by—
we miss seeing you people every Sunday!
• When we resume on Sun., 1/3 with our On-the10th-Day-of-Christmas party, we’re going to
have a gift exchange. This is entirely optional.
We invite teens to bring either the worst gift they
received for Christmas, or a gift that’s utterly
celebrate
the glorious
christmas
season
Christmas Mass with Children
Dec 24 / 5pm
Christmas Midnight Mass
Dec 24 / 10pm
Christmas Day Masses
Dec 25
English 11am mass / Spanish 1:30pm mass
Mass in Thanksgiving for the Year
Dec 31 / 5pm
Does not fulfill obligation for Holy Day / Spanish
Vigil Mass for Solemnity of Mary
Dec 31 / 7pm
Mass for Solemnity of Mary
Jan 1
English 11am mass / Spanish 1pm mass
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast Day Mass
Jan 4 / 7pm
ridiculous, for
a gift exchange. Please, teens, do not bring gifts
worth more than $20.
• Thanks to all who have supported our recent Gift
and Craft Fair, our La Palmera dine-ins, and our
pizza sales. Our World Youth Day pilgrims have
been successful in meeting their fundraising
goals precisely because of your kindness and
your generosity! God bless you!
• Our two-night Confirmation retreat is coming up
on Feb.2-5 for teens who will be confirmed on
May 4, 2016.
Rachel’s Corner
Hope and Healing After Abortion
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for
behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people . . . in the city of
David a Savior has been born for you, who is
Messiah and Lord.”
- Luke 2:10-11
May the unending love of Our Savior fill your
heart with hope, grace and peace this Christmas.
Do not be afraid .
We can help you on a Rachel’s Vineyard™ retreat.
March 4-6, 2016 Seabeck WA
April 15-17, 2016 Stanwood WA
Call Valerie: 1-800-822-HOPE (4673)
Project Rachel is a program of Catholic Community
Services.
A WAITING HARVEST
A VOCATION ...
Vocation Awareness
Do you lead a
Christian life?
must be nurtured for a lifetime,
not just until ordination or the
taking of vows. You can help
nurture the vocations of priests,
sisters and brothers by praying,
listening,
and
expressing
appreciation. A life of service
needs support from those
served.
faith,
hope,
love,
obedience,
fortitude, trust, and generosity before
discerning a vocation that requires
these
virtues.
Without
this
groundwork, one cannot understand
what a vocation is, much less freely
choose it and live it out.
I was once regularly talking to a man
about entering seminary. He was
quite certain that God was calling
him to the priesthood, but could not
make the decision to even fill out the
application. After a couple of months
driving an hour each way to a new
job, he came to tell me he was ready
to make the move. What changed?
He had started praying the Rosary
each way of his commute, asking for
the wisdom to know his vocation.
Trying to discern your secondary
vocation (how you are to live your
Christian life fully) before practicing
your first, can be useless and
frustrating. You must learn to
practice the basic Christian virtues of
The concept is simple but that does
not mean it is easy to implement.
Knowledge of yhour secondary
vocation always comes with living
your first. As a young man said to me
once, “Father, I don’t practice
Christianity seriously enough to
discern priesthood.” I replied, “Well
said!” And now you know exactly
where God is calling you to start!”
WHEN PEOPLE wish to
destroy religion, they begin by
attacking the priest, because
when there is no longer any
priest there is no sacrifice, and
where there is no longer any
sacrifice, there is no religion.
St. John Vianney
For information on becoming a Religious Priest
Missionary of the Holy Spirit or a Diocesan
Priest contact one of the following people:
From the Book
“To Save a Thousand Souls”
Fr. Brett Brannen
Serra Club: Arthur Adams
Youth Minister: Stephen Kramp
Priest: Fr. Roberto Saldivar, M.Sp.S.
SNAPSHOTS FOR THE WEEK
Daily Spiritual Nourishment
Monday December 21
Edge, Reconciliation Svce 7pm
Hall
Reconciliation Service
7pm
Church
Praise and Worship
7pm
Chapel
Liturgical Bible Study
8pm
St. 3
Tuesday December 22
Thursday December 24—Christmas Eve
Daily Mass
9am
Children Mass
5pm
Midnight Mass
10 pm
Friday December 25
Mass in English
11am
Mass in Spanish
1:30pm
Sunday December 27
Faith Formation Family Mass
“To Walk in His Ways” 11am
Monday December 28
Office closed—No Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Mon., Dec. 21: Song 2:8-14 or Zeph 3:14-18a; Luke 1:39-45
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! We’re privileged to bear witness to
hope. A mighty savior comes to us. Promises are fulfilled. A
message of joy abounds in stunning beauty.
Tues., Dec. 22: 1 Sam 1:24-28; Luke 1:46-56
My spirit rejoices in God my savior. As we prepare for the Lord’s
coming, it makes sense to assess what that beauty looks like in our
daily living. Does the joy of the Lord shine forth from us? Are we
always gloomy, grumbling or downcast?
Wed., Dec. 23: Mal 3:1-4; 23-24; Luke 1:57-66
Elizabeth and Zechariah are devout, but suffer because they long for
a child. Even if we have great faith, we may at times struggle with a
deeper longing that distracts or consumes us.
Thurs., Dec. 24: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-16; Luke 1:67-79
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. John
truly is great in the sight of the Lord, as indicated by his name,
which means “Yahweh has shown favor.”
Fri., Dec. 25: Isa 52:7-10; Heb 1:1-6; John 1:1-18
NATIVITY OF THE LORD
And the Word became flesh. Jesus not only dwells within us; he
truly becomes one of us. Have a Blessed Christmas. Welcome, Lord.
Octave of Christmas
Sat., Dec. 26: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Matt 10:17-22
Feast of Stephen, first martyr
You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures
to the end will be saved. We’re challenged just one day after
Christmas to witness to the entirety of Jesus’ life and message.
E L I Z A B E T H Ann Seton
From her own writings...
A week of Christmas
meditations
Monday: Day of Confidence
We hasten to the crib the moment we
awake to make our act of confidence to our
Infant Savior, often in the day we will say,
Lord in thee I have trusted let me never be
confounded.
You are my Savior I will trust you
in life and in Death.
Tuesday: Day of Vigilance
We must this day resolve to watch
faithfully over every thought word and
action, and carefully guard our precious
Soul which we know the Enemy is always
trying to surprise, and often say to our Lord
Keep me O Lord or I shall
indeed betray thee.
Wednesday: Day of Fidelity
We will go to Mount Calvary and see our
Faithful God stretched for us on the cross,
Faithful even unto Death-and begging his
pardon for our Infidelities we will resolve
to be more Faithful to all our duties in
future, to his divine presence and prayer
and good inspirations.
Lord, make me faithful
in life and in death
Friday: Day of Light
When you leave the darkness of night to
enjoy the light of day, beg of God as you
offer him your heart when you awake, that
he will dissipate your darkness, and
enlighten you with his divine light. Often
say to him in the course of the day with the
Psalmist "Lord enlighten my darkness,
open my heart to love you, and walk in
Thursday: Day of Fervor
We begin the day by an offering of our your Commandments."
whole heart to our dear Infant Savior,
“My soul do so prepare-even so”
which we will renew often during the day,
and implore his grace that every thought,
From the book
word, and action may partake of this
“Collective Writings, Vol. 3a”
fervor.
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Lord my Soul thirsts for Thee,
my heart longs for Thee
M I S S I O N A R I E S
of The Holy Spirit
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is staffed by the Religious
Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit
In this Section you will find interesting articles about the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, the Spirituality
of the Cross and the life of their founding parents: Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (Conchita)
and Fr. Felix de Jesus Rougier.
Third Meditation for
Christmas
a complete Bethlehem, with a manger, a St. and self-denial will form the womb of a
Joseph and a Blessed Virgin Mary. If Jesus mother and transform our soul into a
does not find the tenderness of the Blessed mother ready to receive Jesus.
From the book
Virgin Mary in our hearts, He will not be
“Meditations
for
Christmas”
Our Divine Father chose a manger for His happy.
M.R. Luis Ma. Martinez, MSpS
Son and chose a faithful and prudent
We’d best prepare for Jesus’ coming by
servant to watch over Him, but that was not
making sure that the love within our hearts
the only or most important preparation.
is also a maternal love. This kind of love is
Jesus needed the womb of a mother, the
the strongest, the most faithful, a love that
very tender heart of a mother, and the
overflows. Maternal love is a selfless love,
Father prepared this for Him. Jesus needed
a love of total self-denial.
a womb in this world so He did not miss
We can love Jesus like this, and when we
the bosom of the Father.
do, our heart may become the image of the
Jesus, who bore in His Heart such great
heart of Mary most holy, and Jesus will be
mysteries, such deep secrets, needed a
happy to come into our hearts.
heart that was made to beat with His
Humility must make the manger of our
Divine Heart exactly in unison.
soul ready; fidelity will put St. Joseph into
To receive Jesus in our heart we need to be
our hearts; and love, tenderness, sweetness
JUBILEE OF MERCY
MERCIFUL LIKE THE FATHER
“Only
when
I
discover that God
loves me in spite of
all my infidelities,
when
I
really
discover the mercy
of God to me, only
then shall I discover the true,
compassionate face of Jesus: only then shall
I discover that I was a captive, I was the
oppressed. He comes to break the yoke. I
am the one who had the yoke on my
shoulders and yet did not know it: I was
blind.
Now you have liberated me…; you have
made me free… Jesus comes to make us
free, to give us the freedom of the Spirit.
He takes away the yoke which crushed our
shoulders. This doesn’t mean that he
liberates us from worries or administration,
these are our problems. But he renders
these problems very light if we let the Spirit
come into us. “Come to me, all you who
labor, and rest”. All you who labor in
administration, put your worries in the
hands of Jesus.
Y o u t h Section Typology
We are firmly convinced how weak and
incapable we are, how our decisions are
frequently
tainted
by
egocentric
motivations how unfaithful we are to the
Spirit, how sinful and unloving we really
are, he will transform our hearts and give us
new strength. Conscious, of our weakness,
we must at the same time maintain a living
and burning hope, and a confidence that he
is with us; that he helps us, that he loves us
and guides us. Then we can begin to live
without too much worry.”
Jean Vanier
The year of Mercy Companion
(Fr. Mike Schmitz, in case
you don’t come to
LifeTeen or forgot what he
looks like)
prayer seriously and not just kind of “going
through the motions.” If prayer is going to
At our LifeTeen meetings this fall, we have
“mean something,” then it should “do
been talking about the power of prayer,
something.”
and the importance of making prayer a
part of every day. This reflection on prayer In the Christian perspective, God is allfrom Fr. Michael Schmitz—who many of powerful, but God is also Reason. Reason
our parish teens will remember from his is part of the very nature of who God is.
appearances
in
our
Confirmation Therefore, when God willed to create the
preparation videos—addresses some of the universe, He was free to create it to operate
questions and doubts we naturally have as somewhat “independently” of Himself.
we begin to pray.
God is certainly still the Primary Cause, but
He has created a universe that has both
Why Pray?: The Truth about Prayer
“laws of nature” and is also filled with free
by Fr. Mike Schmitz
beings.
an end to a bad thing
(like war or cancer)
… sometimes we do
not “get what we ask
for.” Remember that
this is a world where
things go wrong and where people are free
to choose violence rather than peace.
• Does prayer really do anything?
• Why do we need to ask for anything
before God gives it to us?
• The only thing prayer does is make you
feel good about yourself.
This reveals a great deal about the nature
and identity of God. It reveals that God is
the opposite of a tyrant. In Christianity,
God is not a dictator, but a father who
wants to work with us.
Do you ever find yourself thinking this way
about prayer? Or have your heard others
question prayer in this way? That’s totally
normal—you are not a freak or a “terrible
Christian.” It shows that you are taking
This is why we have thieves, liars, and
kidnappers. But it is also why we can have
doctors, nurses, judges, and teachers.
Human beings are free to choose to act or
not to act. And in choosing, we become
causes ourselves.
When it comes to prayer (and how prayer
works), it might be helpful to consider this
reality. Christians believe that God exists
and that God cares and acts in this world.
But we also know that there are an
abundance of secondary causes at work.
When you pray for another person, are you
changing God’s mind? No. But your
prayers make a difference because they are
fulfilling what is needed for God’s will to
be done. When you pray, you have become
a “cause.”
God shares his strength with us. God shares
his power with us. When he calls us to pray
(and that prayer actually makes a
difference), God makes us into something
even more than children, he allows us to be
co-workers with him.
And when we pray, when we work with
Now, this doesn’t mean that everything you God, we are drawn into even more intimate
pray for is a part of God’s will. Sometimes relationship with Him.
what we want (even if it is a good thing) is
And that kind of prayer and relationship
not simply “given” because we asked for it.
definitely changes something else… it
Sometimes God’s answer is “no”…
changes us.
sometimes God’s answer is “wait.” And
even if we are asking for a good thing… or
Sección en Español
Mensaje del Párroco
En mi homilía de la Fiesta de la Inmaculada
Concepción cité al Papa Emérito Benedicto
XVI: “María Inmaculada nos ayuda a
redescubrir y defender la profundidad de las
personas, porque en ella la transparencia del
alma en el cuerpo es perfecta. Es la pureza
en persona, en el sentido de que en ella
espíritu, alma y cuerpo son plenamente
coherentes entre sí y con la voluntad de Dios.
La Virgen nos enseña a abrirnos a la acción
de Dios, para mirar a los demás como él los
mira: partiendo del corazón. A mirarlos con
misericordia, con amor, con ternura infinita,
especialmente a los más solos, despreciados
y explotados”. (Discurso 12/8/2009)
¿Cómo? El evangelio dice que se llenó del
Espíritu Santo. Y allí exclama a viva voz: La
madre de mi Señor! ¿Cómo es posible que
me visite a mí? Isabel se siente pequeña,
sencilla, humilde, de poca importancia al
lado de María (recuerda que María es su
prima menor). Por medio de la visita de
María, Isabel siente que Dios mismo la visita.
quién soy yo para que
Dios se acuerde de mí?
La respuesta a esta pregunta es sencilla:
porque Dios nos ama. ¡No hay otra
explicación! No busques explicar el amor.
¡El amor ama! En cambio, sé como Isabel
(mira la foto en la primera página): alégrate
en tu fe y mira hacia el cielo con admiración,
y siente a Dios junto a ti. Si esto te resulta
difícil de hacer, reza con el salmo de este
domingo: “Señor, muéstranos tu favor y
sálvanos”.
Isabel siente que no se merece nada. Se
siente sorprendida, agradecida y agraciada.
Reconoce en María: “Dichosa tú, que has
creído, porque se cumplirá cuanto te fue
anunciado de parte del Señor”.
En cuanto a la cita del Papa Emérito
Isabel es nuestro modelo en este último Benedicto XVI… con María, está tranquilo
domingo de Adviento. Nosotros también porque estarás en buena compañía
debemos sentirnos honrados de tener a preparándote para la llegada del Señor. María
María, la madre de nuestro Señor, con nos ayudará a encontrar nuevamente y
nosotros. Es triste escuchar que hay personas defender lo que llevamos dentro, y nos
a quienes no les importa María, cuando fue enseñará a abrir nuestro corazón a la acción
Isabel la primera persona que rezó el “Ave de Dios.
María”… “¡Bendita tú entre las mujeres y “Dios tiene la libertad de hacer cosas nuevas,
bendito el fruto de tu vientre!”
y la mayor sorpresa es que Dios nos consulta,
En el evangelio de hoy escuchamos el pasaje
que narra la visita de María a su prima Isabel,
y al entrar en su casa, Isabel exclamó:
“¿Quién soy yo, para que la madre de mi
Señor venga a verme?”. Personalmente, me
gusta más la traducción de la Biblia de
Jerusalén: “¿Cómo así viene a visitarme la
María está muy cerca de nosotros… mientras
madre de mi Señor?”
se acerca la Encarnación del Hijo de Dios –
Si verdaderamente escuchamos las palabras (Navidad)- Dios nuevamente visitará a su
de Isabel, escucharemos el mensaje interno gente. Que nuestros sentimientos sean los
que a lo mejor varios no notan. Isabel se mismos de Isabel, que nuestro corazón se
sentía honrada de recibir a María porque algo regocije al dar la bienvenida a Dios y que
diferente ocurría; sintió la presencia de Dios. clamemos en alta voz como Isabel: Pero
y nos invita a crear el futuro juntos. Este es el
milagro más grande”. (Homilía de la Fiesta
de la Inmaculada Concepción).
¿Serías capaz de abrir las puertas de tu
corazón para que Él te pueda visitar esta
Navidad? Si viene María, verdaderamente
debes sentirte honrado.
LO QUE OCURRE EN... viniste, aprovechemos la Gracia Hablando de regalos, quiero darte ya que estamos en el año de la
Mañana
tendremos
nuestro
Servicio de Reconciliación de
Adviento.
Una
oportunidad
maravillosa de confesar nuestros
pecados, pero déjenme decirles
que además de confesar nuestros
pecados, es una oportunidad de
escuchar a Jesús que nos
reconcilia con Él. Lo más
importante de acercarse al
sacramento de la reconciliación
es que es Jesús quien toma la
iniciativa… es Su don, Él es el
único que puede remover las
barreras que nos separan. En mis
años de sacerdocio muchas veces
he percibido temor y nerviosismo
en mucha gente cuando vienen a
confesarse. Especialmente si
apenas están regresando después
de haber estado alejados de la
Iglesia por muchos años. Mi
invitación por lo general es:
“Dios está muy contento que
que derramará sobre ti porque las GRACIAS por un bendecido
está muy feliz de verte, y tiene un éxito de nuestro “Arbol de la
Generosidad”. Más de 900
hermoso regalo para darte”.
regalos fueron donados para
Permíteme compartirte que no me
llevar alegría los muchos niños y
gusta oír confesiones, pero al
adultos necesitados este tiempo
mismo tiempo me encanta oír
de Navidad. Como dije en la
confesiones. Me imagino que te
homilía de la semana pasada,
parece contradictorio, o me gusta
Dios quiere que crezcamos en
o no. Para aclarar mis
alegría y poder con la llegada de
sentimientos diría lo siguiente. En
Su Hijo. Compartir lo que
el sacramento de la reconciliación
tenemos es la mejor manera de
soy guardián de un regalo
prepararnos para su llegada,
maravilloso, y me encanta ver el
como lo predicó Juan el Bautista.
rostro de las personas que valoran
este regalo y se sienten Faltan cinco días para la Navidad,
extremadamente felices de saber detente esta semana a considerar
que el Señor les da este regalo maravillado el misterio de que
gratuitamente a través mío. Esto Dios se hizo hombre en Jesús.
me encanta. Pero otras veces, Tómate
el
tiempo
para
entrego este mismo regalo de desacelerar mañana y los
Dios y no es valorado, quienes lo próximos días y contemplar el
reciben simplemente se van. Esto gran amor y misericordia de Dios
no me gusta. Mañana varios con nosotros en la Encarnación.
sacerdotes y yo estaremos Apaga el radio del coche mientras
entregando este regalo gratuito. manejas al trabajo y medita en la
sobreabundancia del amor de
Por favor ven a recibirlo.
Dios por ti al enviarte Su Hijo. Y
Misericordia, acércate más a este
Dios de la misericordia que se
compadece de nuestra miseria.
Ven a pasar tiempo delante del
Señor
en
el
Santísimo
Sacramento. Allí estará Él
esperándote.
Si no te veo el día de Navidad o
durante la Octava, TE DESEO
UNA NAVIDAD BENDECIDA
Y LLENA DE GOZO.
Tu hermano en Cristo,
P. Roberto Saldívar, M.Sp.S.
de la libertad, y permanece firme poco de tu tiempo para servir a alguien que
cumpliendo lo que ella manda, será feliz en puedas… Tantas cosas que puedes hacer
lo que hace” (St 1, 22-25).
por los otros.
¡YAESTIEMPODESALIR!
La Biblia nos dice en la Carta de Santiago:
“Pero no basta con oír el mensaje; hay que
ponerlo en práctica, pues de lo contrario se
estarían engañando ustedes mismos. El
que solamente oye el mensaje, y no lo
practica, es como el hombre que se mira la
cara en un espejo: se ve a sí mismo, pero
en cuanto da la vuelta se olvida de cómo
es. Pero el que no olvida lo que oye, sino
que se fija atentamente en la ley perfecta
Hay que poner en práctica nuestra fe, y la
fe nos llevará a salir a los más pobres y los
más necesitados. Creo que tenemos que
seguir abriendo los ojos para ver a los
necesitados que viven cerca de nosotros,
aquellos que están en el vecindario. Me
gustaría que en este tiempo te dieras la
oportunidad de atreverte a mirar a tu
alrededor y ver quien está necesitado. Que
te llenes de valor y le des una ayuda; haz
una pequeña despensa y llévala a una
familia
necesitada.
Regala
algunas
sudaderas o chamarras a alguien que veas
con frio. Ve y ayuda a reparar algo de la
casa de uno de tus vecinos. Ofrece un
Ya es tiempo de poner por obra nuestra fe
y de salir de nuestras áreas de confort. Es
tiempo de atreverse a hacer una diferencia
en este mundo. Y el cambio se va a
empezar desde lo pequeño, en acciones
sencillas, pero que llenan de amor a otras
personas. Sé cómo Jesús que se acercó a
los más necesitados y con una libertad
increíble. Eso te llenará de alegría y dará
más sentido a tu vida. Sé cómo María que
salió a servir a su prima Isabel, después
del anuncio del ángel.
En Cristo,
P. Mario Rodriguez, MSpS
38th Annual Washington State March for Life, January 19, 2016, at
the state capital in Olympia
The holiday season is here, a time to celebrate Life, Joy, and Hope. You
can continue that celebration into the new year by honoring Life at
the 38th annual Washington State March for Life. We march at
Noon on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at the state capitol in
Olympia.
Every elected state official is invited to attend, and we encourage
legislators who stand with us for Life to speak to the crowd. Will you,
your friends (or busload of friends) be there for the noon hour to
hear their hopeful messages for Life?
As you know, the fight for a voice for the vulnerable and the unborn is
hard but important work. This year the national March for Life theme is
“Pro-Life and Pro-Woman Go Hand in Hand.” We are a people of hope.
We want to bring about a world where all people are seen for their
infinite value and endless possibilities.
NEW PROCEDURES FOR DISTRIBUTION/RECEPTION OF COMMUNION—EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 8TH
Host Position
Chalice Position

Starting December 8th we approach the
Altar for Communion differently than we
used to do.

Center Pew sections didn’t change.

Side Pew sections now approach on the
outside of the Church, going forward
through the wall aisle, and returning to the
pew via the inside aisle. (Look at arrows in
the diagram)

Small pie shaped section go across pews to
the outermost line.
God is mercy, shared beliefs...
particularly in the pursuit of justice and the al rahman al rahim," usually translated as,
"In the name of God, the most gracious,
demonstration of mercy.
most merciful." Muslims begin their formal
Making the world a better place, he said, "is prayers with the phrase, they say it before
all about individuals, it is about bottom up, it meals, begin formal speeches with it and
is about little acts of mercy. ... It's not going recite it at the beginning of wedding and
to happen through conferences of interfaith funeral rites.
leaders making more proclamations about
the meaning of mercy or theologians delving Muslims, she said, believe that at different
deeply into what mercy means, but it's about times of the year -- such as the last days of
people of different faiths living together and the fasting month of Ramadan -- the gates of
trying to see the other for who the other heaven open wider and God's mercy flows
more abundantly. "I see the jubilee as having
really is and responding accordingly."
this purpose, too, of healing deep wounds.
"It happens on the ground," the rabbi said. We must welcome this call to mercy and
"It happens in a million different little acts remember than no one is perfect, no one is
without need of mercy. Like Jesus said, 'Let
For Rabbi Naftali Brawer, CEO of the every day."
Spiritual Capital Foundation in London, Houshmand said 113 of the 114 chapters of whoever is without sin throw the first
being religious means imitating God, the Quran open with the phrase, "Bismillah stone.'"
(Continued from page 2)
"This jubilee of mercy is an inspiration," said
Shahrzad Houshmand, a Muslim scholar
who teaches at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian
University. "At this difficult moment in
history, it is time to return to the original
name of God who, for all three of us, is
mercy. We have lost so much on the way
because of pride, because we have not
recognized each other as brothers and sisters
and some have even gone so far astray that
they see each other as enemies. This jubilee
can help us return to the roots of our
religious existence which is based on the
name of God, the merciful."
Fighting injustice...
The Best Gift for Your
Spouse this Christmas
Season: A Loving Marriage
(Continued from page 2)
By the city’s law in 1955, she had to obey the bus driver. Parks calmly
refused and the bus driver had her arrested. Following her arrest, Martin
Luther King, Jr., then a 26 year-old pastor, earned fame as he led a peaceful
381-day boycott of the city’s segregated bus system. Parks appealed her
case against the system in court and the Supreme Court, ruling on another
challenge, struck down laws segregating public transit systems in 1956 in
Browder v. Gayle.
Today’s Catholics should learn from Parks’ “tenacity” in fighting injustice,
Howard explained. Problems of poverty, homelessness, and neglect of the
elderly all plague society today under a general disrespect for life, he added.
People should uphold the dignity of life “from the womb to the tomb.” Most
importantly, Catholics should seek to receive mercy first in the sacrament of
Confession before giving it to others, he insisted. “Go to Reconciliation,” he
said, in light of the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy which began Dec. 8,
“so that we can give mercy to others who are in such dire need of mercy
right now.” Catholics must stop heeding calls to be silent in the face of
injustice, he said.
Parks’ legacy is that she “was willing to take that risk and speak about
justice.”
“As Martin Luther King Jr. always said, we will stand up for justice or we’ll
fall for anything.”
Connect to St Elizabeth
Ann Seton Church
through myParish App
(for I-Phone and
Android)
Volunteer Babysitter Needed
Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
ministry needs an on-site babysitter
from 10am-12pm on Fridays for the
catechist's child (5 mos).
The
volunteer must have completed the
Safe Environments training. CGS
starts up again January 8th and runs
until the end of April. If you or
someone you know may be interested,
please contact Elisabeth Kramp
at
[email protected]
(425) 482-5993.
or
Have you and your spouse
drifted apart over the years? Are
you simply going through the
motions, but wish your marriage
was much more than that? Do
you think it’s impossible to have
a warm and loving marriage?
Think again. Retrouvaille can
help.
For
confidential
information about, or to register for our upcoming
program beginning Jan 22-24, 2016 call 360-671-6479
or visit our website at www.HelpOurMarriage.com.
Year of Mercy App
Our
Sunday
Visitor's
FREE 365 Days to Mercy
app,
is
designed
to
accompany
you
on
a
spiritual journey during the
Jubilee Year of Mercy
proclaimed
by
Pope
Francis. The official Year of
Mercy is December 8, 2015
to November 20, 2016, but
daily inspiration, stories, and
news started November 20,
2015, giving you a full 365
Days to Mercy.
Women’s Fellowship:
From Dec. 15th thru Dec
29 Women’s Fellowship will be on Christmas break
and the “Rosary for Life” will NOT be prayed at this
time. We will resume on January 5th 2016! Merry
Christmas!
th
PHONE/EMAIL DIRECTORY
Staff and Clergy
Adult Faith Formation
We are on Christmas break.
Sessions will resume January 5th.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES
Counseling 425-257-2111 or 888-240-8572
MINISTRIES & GROUPS
Altar Servers, Jane Baer and Veronica Cardona
Apostleship of the Cross, Vicki Leone
Coffee & Donuts, Kelly Cooley
EMEs Ana May Apin and Amelia Carver
Environment Team, Claudia Galindo
Funeral Committee, Pat Maurer
Guadalupe Committee, Eduardo Cardona
Homebound Ministers, Marianne Iwamoto
Home Visitation/Peer Counseling, Joan Kluck
Lectors, Nicolette Gagner and Elvira Hernandez
Linens, Linda Brownfield
Min. of Hospitality, Doug Portello and Graciela Chagoya
Music Coordinator, Kathy Egashira
Pastoral Council, Paul Gallagher/Gerry Apin
Pro-Life Ministry, Karen Salvati
Sacramentors, Scott Occhiuto
Simbang Gabi, Gerry Apin
Vine Moms group, Erin Robinson
Women’s Fellowship, Mary Christie
Young Adult Group, Roberto Martinez
COLLABORATORS IN MINISTRY
Cascade Serra Club, Pat Sweeney
Catholic Daughters, Kathy Taylor
Knights of Columbus, Chris Harvill
St. Vincent de Paul
425-355-3504
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Total Offering
$30,571.00
Thank you...
Everist, Shannon
Garcia, Rosamaria
Gomez, Fr. Jorge
King, Susie
Kramp, Stephen
Lowery, Lori
Lundberg, Dn. Craig
Matheny, Stephanie
Mendoza, Br. Santos
Moran, Stephanie
Rodriguez, Fr. Mario
Saldivar, Fr. Roberto
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Adams, Arthur
Apin, Ana May
Apin, Gerry
Arulnathan, Jenifer
Auroux, Jacqueline
Baer, Jane
Brownfield, Linda
Cardona, Eduardo
Cardona, Veronica
Carver, Amelia
Chagoya, Graciela
Christie, Mary
Cooley, Kelly
Dellino, Jean
Egashira, Kathy
Galindo, Claudia
Gagner, Nicolette
Gallagher, Paul
Gimenez, Marcia
Harvill, Chris
Hernandez, Elvira
Iwamoto, Marianne
Kennedy, Robert
Kluck, Joan
Leone, Vicki
Martinez, Roberto
Maurer, Pat
Occhiuto, Scott
Paine, Alice
Portello, Doug
Robinson, Erin
Salvati, Karen
Sweeney, Pat
Sullivan, Karyn
Taylor, Kathy
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Ministries and groups
Please keep the sick among us in your prayers, especially:
Mina Amlag
Roberta Autron
Shawna Boger
Eulalia Castillo
Ruth Carpizo
Edward Cifra
Billie Dougherty
Anna Epps
Marjorie Frye
Vanessa Griffith
Fred Hundertmark
Helen Johnston
Karen Jolokai
Patricia Kramer
Patti Means
Yolanda Noblezada
Carmen Ordoñez
Teresa Paris
Ritzy Rafer
Floyd Roderick
Lily Ann Roderick
Florentine Ruhland
Benita Schumacher
Jim Schumacher
Fran Sphung
Francis Sullivan
Remy Tolentino
Richard Totorica
Tami Wyatt
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you and
God the Holy Spirit enlighten you. Amen.

December 20, 2015 - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Transcripción

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