Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church Third Sunday of Advent December 14th, 2008 - Bulletin
	My soul rejoices in my God.
	— Luke 1:46-50, 53-54

	THEME OF OUR LITURGY - God’s coming is a source of joy! First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 As a garden makes its growth spring up, so will God make justice spring up before all the nations. Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28 I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Priest Sunday, December 14th 8:00 AM People of the Parish BC 10:00 AM Pietro Malatesta (D) MP Noon Lorenzo Bernardini JR Monday, December 15th 8:00 AM Loreto Senoran (D) BC Tuesday, December 16th 8:00 AM Jose Rivera (L) MP Wednesday, December 17th 8:00 AM Bill Kovacich (L) BC Thursday, December 18th 8:00 AM 8Augie Martinez (D) BC Friday, December 19th 8:00 AM Ernie Jeglum (D) BC Saturday, December 20th 8:00 AM Priest’s Intention BC 5:00 PM Rosa Cernichiaro (D) BC COLLECTION TOTALS - December 7, 2008 First Collection Total - $5,197.50 Second Collection Total - $1,516.00 (Religious Education) Our Second Collection this Sunday is for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Our Second Collection next Sunday is for our Parish Improvement Fund. Thank you for supporting your parish and your Catholic Church! Please keep all those who are sick in our parish family in your prayers, especially: Bill Kovacich, Gen Lee & Donna Sartori. Our prayers are with them, and those who care for them. Calling All Children to . . . . . . participate in the Christmas Eve Pageant during the Christmas Eve Mass at 5:00 p.m.. We need Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, Wise Men and manager animals (sheep, cows & mules). We also need assistance with costumes. Please call Teresa at 650-589-4408 or Trish at 650-583-7531. Thank-you! The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary: My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don’t feel threatened. I don’t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from the America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her “How could God let something like this happen?” (regarding Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?” In light of recent events. . . terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc., I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. We said an expert should know what he’s talking about. And we said OK> Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with “We reap what we sow!” Funny, how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the worlds going to hell. Funny, how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny, how you can send jokes through email and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny, how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny, how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. My best regards, honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein Simbang Gabi (Novena of Masses for Christmas) “The weekdays from December 17 to 24 serve to prepare more directly for the Lord’s birth.” (General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 46.) “Simbang Gabi” is a Filipino term for Dawn Mass or Misa de Gallo. Such Masses are held for nine (9) days between 4:00 to 6:00 in the morning. Since Masses are held very early in the morning, normally in the Philippines, “Simbang Gabi” starts on the 16th of December and ends on the morning of the 24th, which at midnight, is celebrated as the Christmas Vigil. To accommodate those who cannot attend early morning Masses due to personal or job-related concerns, the “Simbang Gabi” is also held in the evening one day ahead of the 16th, on the 15th. Therefore, “Simbang Gabi when held in the evening, starts on the 15th of December and ends on the 23rd. “Simbang Gabi” is one of the many endearing traditions of the Filipino faith. It is a special way for all to prepare for a very meaningful, joyful and colorful celebration of the birth of Jesus, who is the greatest gift from the Father to humanity and the whole world. The special early morning hours and evenings for Masses signify sacrifice. People will sacrifice their normal sleeping time in the morning; so, too, with those who work will sacrifice their rest in the evening to participate in the Holy Eucharist, the living sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation. Therefore, “Simbang Gabi” devotion deepens and strengthens one’s faith, paving the way to repentance, almsgiving and gift-giving, sharing, sacrifice, and family and community fellowship all for Jesus, the King of Peace and the Reason for the season! So come, celebrate and be blessed! Simbang Gabi Masses will be celebrated here at Mater Dolorosa on Sunday, December 21st, Monday, December 22nd, & Tuesday, December 23rd at 7:30 p.m.