CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY

April 12, 2015 – Second Sunday of Easter
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
lmpurcell@nativitycatholic.org; 858-756-1911, ext. 4
Deacon Jim Walsh
jwalsh@nativitycatholic.org; 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
April 12, 2015
Second Sunday of Easter
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?
-- 1 John 5:5
ÚÚ 4
: 4 H
r r
H H H
Please join us in singing the Psalm Response:
Give
H
thanks
to
the Lord
H
for
H
he
REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD
Can one “fathom” a mystery? “Fathom” derives from an Old
English word meaning “outstretched arms;” eventually it referred
to the length from fingertip to fingertip of arms opened wide. As
a verb, it means to probe or penetrate in order to understand.
Granting the impossibility of ever coming to fathom the
Resurrection fully, I like the image of trying to reach out and put
my arms around this great mystery—or, better yet, to have the
risen Christ put his outstretched arms around me, drawing me
into it more fully.
Which brings us to Thomas. He is the original person who tried
to fathom the risen Christ, insisting that if his friends in the
upper room wanted him to believe what he could only think of
as nonsense, he needed to touch the wounds of the risen Lord.
Jesus didn’t seem to have much of a problem letting him.
We never learn whether Thomas did touch Jesus or not, but
every second Sunday of Easter we are told this story about
Thomas and the risen Lord. It encourages us to fathom the
mystery that is our faith, to learn to penetrate it by confessing
Jesus as Lord and God, then allow this belief to flow out into our
daily activities, reaching out to embrace others.
Don’t you think when Thomas left the upper room that day he
knew that the Resurrection was not something to keep to
himself? That his whole being was filled with the warmth and
light absorbed from being in the presence of the risen Lord? Is it
possible that this can happen to us?
—James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.
Copyright © 2014, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.
H
is
H‹
good,
r
H H
his
love
H
is
H
H
H H G
ev - er - last - ing.
REFLEXIONEMOS SOBRE
LA PALABRA DE DIOS
¿Podemos “entender” un misterio? Dada la imposibilidad de
llegar jamás a entender del todo la Resurrección, lo más
acertado es imaginarnos que extendemos nuestros brazos y
abrazamos este gran misterio, o mejor aún, imaginarnos a
Cristo resucitado abrazándonos y así acercarnos más a este
misterio.
Esto nos lleva a Tomás, que fue la primera persona que trató de
entender a Cristo resucitado, insistiendo que si sus amigos que
estaban reunidos en esa casa querían que creyera en lo que él
sólo podía concebir como una sandez, tenía que tocar las
heridas del Señor resucitado. Tal parece que a Jesús eso no le
pareció un problema.
Nunca hemos sabido si Tomás llegó a tocar las heridas de
Jesús, pero en cada Segundo Domingo de Pascua se nos
relata esta historia acerca de Tomás y el Señor resucitado, que
nos da ánimo para valorar más el misterio de nuestra fe y
aprender a profundizarlo al confesar que Jesús es Señor y Dios,
y que esto que creemos se refleje en todas nuestras actividades
diarias sobre todo en nuestro trato con los demás.
¿No crees que cuando Tomás salió de esa casa aquel día
sabía que la Resurrección era algo que él no podía callar, y
también que todo su ser se llenó de ardor y luz absorto por
haber estado en la presencia del Señor resucitado? ¿Será
posible que esto mismo nos suceda a nosotros?
—James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.
Derechos de autor © 2014, World Library Publications.
LIVING GOD’S WORD
Father of the only-begotten Son, send your Spirit upon us that we
might know more deeply the truth of your Son’s resurrection and
allow it to penetrate our lives. Deepen our faith, hope, and love so
the world will know us even now as children of the Resurrection.
Copyright © 2014, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.
Page Three
Church of the Nativity
April 12, 2015
Smiling With You After Surgery
Early last Monday morning, the day after Easter Sunday, I had surgery to remove my prostate that was diagnosed to have cancer cells. This column was prepared ahead of time and is through the courtesy of Nativity men’s club member Bart P. Billings, PhD.
God bless you – Fr. Lawrence Purcell, Pastor
“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight “ (Phyllis Diller)
Smiling plays a very important role in maintaining and improving physical and emotional health.
Smile to relieve stress. Stress is easily shown in our faces. Smiling prevents people from looking too tired or overwhelmed. When you're stressed, try to put on a smile, as it will make you feel happy, and you will appear happy.
Your feelings on stress will be reduced as the endorphins associated with the smile are released, [2] and the infectiousness of your smile will help to make others happy.
Smile to help your immune system work better. Smiling brings about a sense of relaxation that helps your immune system to work more efficiently. You can reduce the risk of sicknesses such as the cold and the flu by smiling,
in addition to getting a seasonal flu vaccine, exercising, eating right, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Smile to stay positive. A simple test to show you how smiling keeps you positive is to smile. Then you need to try
to think of something negative, but keep the smile, otherwise the test won't work. You will soon see that it is hard to
combine the negative thought with the smile! When we smile, our body and mind are sending us a message that
everything is okay, and that life is great. Smiling will help to lift depression and sadness, and with frequent use,
works better than any type of medication to relieve you of stress.
Smile to look younger. The muscles used to smile lift your face up, which makes people appear much younger.
Don't go for an unnatural and dramatic smile, just try to smile throughout the day naturally.
Smile to live longer. Those who smile are thought to live an average of 79.9 years, while partial smilers live an average of 75 years, and non-smilers live an average of 72.9 years. The only conclusion to be reached from this is to
smile every day. Even if it doesn't guarantee that you'll live longer, you'll feel a whole lot better for it throughout your
life!
Smile to relieve pain. When you're in pain, physically or mentally, smile. Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin
– endorphins are natural painkillers. Together, these two chemicals make people feel more able to cope when
they're in pain.
Smile to help reduce your blood pressure. If you're a person suffering from high blood pressure (hypertension),
then it's recommended that you smile a lot more. When you smile, you should see a marked reduction in your blood
pressure.
Page Four
Church of the Nativity
April 12, 2015
MASS INTENTIONS
APRIL 11 — APRIL 17
SATURDAY
5:00 pm
Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1, 14-15ab, 16-21;
Mk 16:9-15
Ralph Carlson, RIP
SUNDAY
7:30 am
Ann Allred, RIP
9:00 am
For All Parishioners
10:30 am
Stephen Davis, RIP
MONDAY
8:00 am
Acts 4:23-31; Ps 2:1-3, 4-9; Jn 3:1-8
Rebecca Nicholas, RIP
TUESDAY
8:00 am
Acts 4:32-37; Ps 93:1-2, 5; Jn 3:7b-15
Dr. Phillip Young, RIP
WEDNESDAY
8:00 am
Acts 5:17-26; Ps 34:2-9; Jn 3:16-21
Mary Dohn, RIP
THURSDAY
8:00 am
Acts 5:27-33; Ps 34:2, 9, 17-20; Jn 3:31-36
Morgan Conger, Special Intention
FRIDAY
8:00 am
Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Jn 6:1-15
Donna Murray, RIP
CHRIST IS HERE
Christ departed from our sight
that we might return to our heart,
and there find him.
For he departed, and behold, he is here.
—St. Augustine
TODAY’S READINGS
First Reading — With great power the apostles bore
witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:32-35).
Psalm — Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love
is everlasting (Psalm 118).
Second Reading — The victory that conquers the world
is our faith (1 John 5:1-6).
Gospel — Blessed are those who have not seen and
have believed (John 20:19-31).
The Call to Worship is by Philip Riley: Peace be to
this house, and all who dwell in it; Peace be to those who
enter and those who go out: Peace be to all who in every
place, call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The text
is from the prayer book of diocese of South India.
The Offertory is O Holy Spirit, Lord of Grace by
Christopher Tye, born probably in 1497 and died in 1572
or 1573. Once, when playing the organ at Queen
Elizabeth I's chapel royal, he is said to have replied, when
informed by her majesty that he was playing "Little to
delight the ear", that it was her ears that were out of tune.
No record exists of a return engagement. The text is by
the French academic Charles Coffin (1676-1713) and
reflects today’s Gospel: O Holy Spirit, Lord of grace,
eternal source of love. Inflame, we pray, our inmost
hearts with fire from heaven above.
The Communion begins with La Cantique de Jean
Racine (The Canticle of John Racine), one of the bestloved shorter works by the French composer Gabriel
Fauré (1845-1924) who was a professor at the Paris
Conservatory and organist at the Church of the
Madeleine. This piece took first prize in 1865 for a
competition at the École Niedermeyer in Paris, where the
20-year-old composer was studying. The text is taken
from Racine's Traditional Hymns of the Roman Breviary:
O divine word above, our hope and consolation, Eternal
light of the heavens and the earth; our voices greet the
morning. Look down, O Lord and hear your people’s
prayer. Inspire us, Lord, we pray, with the power of your
Spirit, that hell may flee before your mighty word. From
slumber waken us, our weary souls reviving, that we may
never forget your laws. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on
your congregation now gathered here in the sight of your
throne. Receive the hymns they offer to your endless
glory; renewed by your gifts may they go forth in peace.
The second piece is Regina Caeli by Franz Xaver Witt
(1834-1888), a priest and musician 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 plainsong chant Regina Caeli chant is
believed to have been written sometime between the
ninth and the twelfth centuries. It draws attention to
Mary’s joy in the resurrection of her Son: O Queen of
Heaven, be joyful, Alleluia. For he whom you have
humbly borne for us, alleluia, Has risen as he promised,
alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia. St. Gregory the
Great heard its first three lines chanted by angels on a
certain Easter morning in Rome while walking barefoot in
a procession. He was so inspired, the story goes, that he
was moved to add the last line.
The third piece is Lord, Make Us Instruments of Thy
Peace by Martin Shaw, the text by St. Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226) an Italian mystic and preacher, who founded
the Order of the Franciscans. Notably, around 1220
Francis celebrated Christmas by setting up the first
Nativity scene using real animals.
Page Five
Church of the Nativity
April 12, 2015
Join Us …
Adult Bible Study:
Gospel of Mark
It’s not too late to join us for week 2
of 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 through June 15, 2015
Registration means “signing up”
to have your current name(s),
addresses, telephone number and
email on file in the church office.
If you would like to become a registered parishioner at
Church of the Nativity, please contact Nicole Steele at
858-756-1911 or nsteele@nativitycatholic.org
SUPPORT GROUP
FOR
SEPARATED
OR
DIVORCED
We meet Sundays at 10:15 am at St. James Church
For more information contact Frank Grant at 760-533-1520
(fwgrant@gmail.com) or Jan Nadler, PhD at 760-814-8604
Questions? Please call Kathy Klink 858-756-1328
Courtesy Announcement:
Magnificat Prayer Breakfast: Marie Finn, well known
prayer warrior & co-founder of the St. Dismas Guild, will share
powerful witness and speak on the Counsel of the Holy Spirit.
SAVE
the DATE!
Sat. April 18th - 9:30 am-12:30 pm - $30
Mission Valley Sheraton
Please contact (619) 701-2718 or SDMagnificat@gmail.com
to make reservation by April 13th .
Average Expenses Per Week:
$ 22,166
Last Weekend’s Offering:
$ 51,108*
Active Parishioners
Inactive Parishioners
Envelope Usage
For this
exciting
night out
Details
to follow
1186
53
801
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: info@faithdirect.net.
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,
mjames@nativitycatholic.org, 858-756-1911, ext. 5
Religious Education: Patti Smiley,
psmiley@nativitycatholic.org, 858-756-1911, ext. 6
Music Director: Paul Batchelor,
pbatchelor@nativitycatholic.org, 858-756-1911, ext. 102
The Nativity School: Margaret Heveron, Principal
mheveron@thenativityschool.org, 858-756-6763
Bookkeeper: Jackie Marin,
jmarin@thenativityschool.org, 858-756-6763
Administrative Assistant: Nicole Carlin Steele,
nsteele@nativitycatholic.org, 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
Tim Van Damm, 617-501-3950
Small Christian Communities - Faith Sharing Groups
See Deacon Jim Walsh or contact Kathy Alameda at
858-756-9755 or kathyalameda1@gmail.com
SACRAMENTS
Baptism: After last Sunday Mass
Darlene & Ross Larson, 858-780-8837 (scdarls@gmail.com)
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
April 12, 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
All classes resume April 12th.
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
Class resumes on Sunday April 12. All freshmenseniors meet from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.
Friends are always welcome.
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
Congratulations to the R.C.I.A. class members who
received their sacraments of initiation at the
Easter Vigil on Saturday April 4, 2015.
Paul Chunyk, Herb Holmquist, Linda Niggli,
Cherisse Alford, Monetta Ennis, Laura Sturr,
Kendall Marrone and Eve Maldonado
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