Rev. Msgr. Conor J. McGrath Pastor Fr. Roberto V. Rosales Parochial Vicar Lee Jan Deacon deaconlee@seaschurch.com Ed Gordon Liturgical Ministry Coordinator ed@seaschurch.com Sarah Rehkopf Pastoral Coordinator sarah@seaschurch.com Susan Ramsower Music Director susan@seaschurch.com Michelle Marroquin Communications michelle@seaschurch.com Deana Giuliani Parish Accountant deana@seaschurch.com Anna Cantu Administrative Assistant anna@seaschurch.com A J Rabel Plant Manager ajrabel@seaschurch.com Dr. Maria Leavy Hoelscher Counseling 210-364-2215

Staff Hours M-Th 8:30 am –2:30 pm Valerie Trevino Faith Formation Administrator valerie@seaschurch.com Ana Holbrook Administrative Assistant ana@seaschurch.com Elena Menchero Good Shepherd Coordinator elena@seaschurch.com Heidi Neuenfeldt Elementary Coordinator heidi@seaschurch.com Luis Ramirez Middle School Coordinator luis@seaschurch.com Lisa Casas High School Coordinator lisa@seaschurch.com Dina Selva Confirmation Coordinator

Baptism: Our next Baptism Class is January 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Day Chapel. Please call the office to register. For the sacraments of marriage and anointing of the sick please call the parish office to make an appointment. RCIA: Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith or considering becoming a Catholic? Please call the parish office for more information. Funerals: If you have a loved one who has passed away, please call the parish office to let us know so that we can pray for that loved one or to arrange a funeral. Prayers for the Sick : We ask God to bless all those who are ill and have asked us to pray for them. To have the Ministers of Care pray for your loved one by name, please email an-na@seaschurch.com or call the parish office.

Welcome to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm (closed for lunch 12-1pm) (210) 698-1941 | Fax: (210) 698-1983 |

8500 Cross Mountain Trail | San Antonio TX 78255 | seaschurch.com.

MASS TIMES

Saturday Vigil 5 pm Sunday 8 :00 am, 9:30 am ,11:30 am 1:00 pm (SPANISH), 7 pm Daily Mass 8 am Reconciliation Saturday, 4 pm Adoration Wednesday, 8:30 am - 8 pm

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

We are so happy that you have joined us, and we hope that you will find our church to be the spiritual home you desire. We are blessed with a community of sincere and caring people who want to make you feel at home. To register as a parishioner go to www.seaschurch.com.

Sacraments Pastoral Office

Faith Formation Office

Offertory Dec. 8/9 $24,444.04

(this does not include online giving which was unavailable publication time)

Monday, December 17 8:00 am Fr. Robert Dolan S.J. † Jane Flood † Tuesday, December 18 8:00 am Oswald Kisgen † Nativida Moreno † Wednesday, December 19 8:00 am Jose Olivo † Antonio & Fidela Castillo † Thursday, December 20 8:00 am Tensly Ainsworth † Christopher Jason Vazquez † Friday, December 21 8:00 am In Thanksgiving Luis Torres † Saturday, December 22 5:00 pm Martha Lazzari James Skaines † Sunday, December 23 8:00 am Zachary Little V. G. Garza † 9:30 am Hector Garza † M. L & J. G. Garza † 11:30 am Erik Ross Salinas † Manuela Gomez † 1:00 pm Eloy Alvarado † Elizabeth Osorio Lopera 7:00 pm Elizabeth Ann Jimenez † Judy Diaz †

Monday & Thursday: Fr. Robert Tuesday: Fr. George Wednesday & Friday Fr. Conor

December 22& 23 Weekend Mass Presiders

Saturday Sunday 5:00 pm Fr. Conor 8:00 am Fr. Robert 9:30 am Fr. Conor 11:30 am Fr. Conor 1:00 pm Fr. Raul 7:00 pm Fr. Conor

Please Note : subject to change

Monday December 17 7:00 pm Apostleship of the Cross Seton H. 7:00 pm Life Teen Choir Practice Church Tuesday, December 18 6:00 pm Men;s ACTS Seton H. Wednesday, December 19 8:30 am -8:00 pm Adoration Church 9:00 am / 7:00 pm Psalms Bible Study Seton H. 6:30 pm Confessions Church Thursday, December 20 5:30 am Men’s Fellowship Seton H. 6:30 pm Confessions Church Friday, December 21 6:00 pm Elementary Christmas Play Prac. Church 8:30 am Confessions Church Saturday, December 22 8:00 am SVDP Distribution Activity C. 10:00 am Confessions Church 4:00 pm Confessions Church Sunday, December 23 2:00 pm Spanish ACTS Seton H. 3:30 pm Youth Christmas Play Practice Church Sunday: Good Shepherd (Level 1) 4:00-6:00 pm Good Shepherd (Level 2) 4:00-5:30 pm Elementary 4:30-5:30 pm Life Teen (Mass and Class) 5:00-8:15 pm Monday Elementary 6:30-7:30 pm Tuesday Good Shepherd (1 & 2) 6:00-7:30 pm EDGE 6:00-7:30 pm Elementary 6:30-7:30 pm Wednesday Good Shepherd (1 & 2 espanol) 5:00-6:30 pm Confirmation Class 6:30-8:15 pm Thursday Good Shepherd (1) 4:00-5:30 pm

Mass Intentions

Faith Formation Schedule

This Week at SEAS

Mass Presiders

News from the Nursery The nursery will be open Christ-mas Eve for the 2 pm Mass and the 5 pm Mass only. The nursery will be closed on Christmas Day.

Extra Parish Directories We have extra parish directories! If you would like one, please stop by the parish office during the week-day or you can pick one up at the nursery on Sunday mornings. If neither of those times work out, just give us a call and we’ll send one out to you.

Congratulations Dr. Villarreal! Dr. Bebe Villarreal, a parishioner at SEAS has published her first children’s book entitled, A Christ-mas Miracle for Grace. This book is about a little blind girl named Grace who loves the Baby Jesus with all of her heart. If you wish to order a copy of this book you may do so at www.xlibris.com

There will be no Sunday, 5pm Mass on December 23 and December 30. The Sunday 5 pm Mass will resume on January 6.

THE ANGEL TREE Thank you so much for bringing your Angel Tree gifts this weekend. A highlight of our year is distributing these gifts to families served by St. Vincent de Paul. If you forgot to bring your gifts, let us know and bring it to the par-ish office on Monday morning. If you were una-ble to purchase your gift, please call the parish office and let us know.

Winter 2019 Bible Study Classes Bishop Barron’s The Pivotal Players January 9—February 27 Wednesdays 9-11 am or 7-9pm Seton Hall Register at seaschurch.com/bible-studies or call the parish office 210.698.1941 Catolicismo: Programa de Formacion en la Fe 10 de Enero El jueves a las 7 pm en el centro Marron Usted puede registrarse ya sea en lnea al través de seaschurch.com o también llamando la oficina par-roquial al número 210-698-1941

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Years ago, the trick question on religion quizzes would be to name all the liturgical colors, or the colors of the vestments worn at Mass. Rose is a color seldom seen, used at most two days a year. To-day, Gaudete Sunday, is one of those days. The name of the day is drawn from an opening verse in the old Latin Mass texts: Gau-dete is Latin for Rejoice! This year ’s Gospel certainly reflects that mood as Elizabeth feels her infant within her leaping for joy at the pres-ence of Mary. Mary ’s visit to her aged cousin is an act of com-passion between women, as two kinswomen who are bearing children into the world share their joy. Some churches retain the custom of having the priest wear rose vestments today, and many will use a rose candle in the Advent wreath. Violet is the official color for Advent and Lent, but many parishes employ different hues for each season, trying to keep them distinct. In medieval times, dye was costly, and poor parishes used unornamented plain cloth for vestments. Dyes were expensive and some colors, particularly purple, difficult to achieve. In England, purple dye was made from mollusks, yielding at best a deep indigo or blue and not the desired violet. Thus, the color of Advent in the British Isles has long been a deep blue, reminding many people of Mary ’s presence at the heart of the Advent mystery. That theology is largely un-planned: it s all because of the clams! --James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.

Generous Things Happening in Our Parish! This past Tuesday volunteers from Young at Heart gathered in the Activity Center and assembled 200 giving boxes for the Senior Christmas Party sponsored by the Daughters of Charity. Each box contained a prayer, rosary, socks and personal care items. This was the 15th year the Young at Heart folks have participated in the making of the blessing boxes.

EDGE and Life Teen collected over 214 pounds of coats in their Advent Coat Drive! Thank you to all the families who donated coats and thank you to Comet Cleaners who is cleaning the coats for FREE. All coats will be donated to our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry.

Three large garbage bags of jackets were collected!

Some of the volun-teers pose with the Blessing Boxes.

Our actions are the best witnesses of our thoughts. --Anonymous Caroling Cantors are at all of the Masses next weekend!

Third Sunday of Advent The prophetic writings we hear in today’s scriptures call us to rejoice and celebrate the goodness of God. Zephaniah, Isaiah, Saint Paul, and John the Baptist in Luke’s Gospel all follow the rich tradition of the Biblical prophets, a tradi-tion that reaches full expression in Jesus. The prophets warn that human failings have truly dis-astrous consequences. All are summoned to re-pent, and to change their lives. Today we hear the Good News that God’s gracious love exceeds and overcomes all human corruption. God has not given up on us. Indeed, God keeps pursuing us, and eagerly seeks to reconcile with us. God’s initiative to set the world aright culminates with Jesus, whose coming John the Baptist announc-es. John’s prophetic message summons us to join in God’s reconciling work, by living generously and justly in our daily lives. As we rejoice in God’s grace, we then extend this grace to all. GOD’S JOY, OUR JOY Zephaniah’s description of God in to-day’s first reading is quite striking. It is remarka-ble that after most of the book of Zephaniah paints a dark picture of God’s judgment on the “Day of the Lord,” we see God singing with joy, partying and celebrating, bursting with love for the Chosen People. Such is God’s delight in us human beings. In the scriptures, there seem to be two kinds of moments when God is especially de-lighted. First, during creation, when God creates something beautiful: not only the whole uni-verse, but also individual human persons, made in God’s image. Second, after times of separa-tion, when God celebrates the restoration of inti-macy with God’s beloved. As Paul writes to the Church in Philippi, those on the path of faith might somehow get swept up in God’s joy. Because in Christ and through the Holy Spirit, God continually speaks

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Ps 72:1-4ab, 7-8, 17; Mt 1:1-17 Tuesday: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Wednesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Thursday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 1:26-38 Friday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Saturday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Lk 1:46-56 Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45

REMEMBER OUR HEROES Afghanistan: Linda Benavides,Thomas Sweet Iraq: Robert Castillo, Peter Greenburg, Roy Vaughn, Matt Pryor, Miguel T. Sotello, Ron Wyble Germany: Bruce Bal-vin, Luis A. Ramos, Zac Gerner, Jordan Bittner, Jerome Benavudes and Anthony Delgado, Jr., Christopher Le Comte Columbia: Mack Peter Ethiopia: Zachary Williams S. Korea: Austin Reyes Okinawa Japan: Dylan Johnson

SUPPORT OUR DEPLOYED TROOPS: Wear a red shirt on Fridays. RED represents Remember Everyone Deployed.

and listens to those in united in faith. We participate in God’s delight in creation when we are creative our-selves, when we add to the world’s beauty. We also par-ticipate when we join in the work of reconciliation and act to heal human divisions and restore relationships. BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE In today’s Gospel, those who listened to John the Baptist’s prophetic preaching were quite troubled, and moved to ask “What should we do?” Although John had given dire warnings about what might happen if they did not sincerely repent, he did not suggest drastic actions. He recommended that people begin where they are, and work within their daily circumstances. Share generously. Treat people fairly. Be content with what you have. These were perhaps small steps turning them, in God’s time, toward deeper change. A first step for us might be to learn, however slowly, to listen to God speaking within the context of our lives. We can respond with small concrete actions and perhaps learn what God wishes to say through them. We can then listen anew for the next step. Today’s Readings: Zep 3:14–18a; Is 12:2–3, 4, 5–6; Phil 4:4–7; Lk 3:10–18 Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

Tercer Domingo de Adviento LA ALEGRÍA DE DIOS, NUESTRA ALEGRÍA En la primera lectura, la descripción que Sofonías hace de Dios es bastante sorprendente. Es no-table que después de que la mayor parte del libro de Sofonías describa una imagen oscura del juicio de Dios en el “Día del Señor”, vemos a Dios cantando ale-gremente, festejando y celebrando, lleno de amor por el Pueblo Elegido. Tal es el deleite de Dios en nosotros los seres humanos. En las Escrituras, parece que hay dos tipos de momentos cuando Dios está especialmente feliz. Pri-mero, durante la creación, cuando Dios crea algo her-moso: no solo el universo entero, sino también a cada uno de los seres humanos, hechos a imagen y semejan-za de Dios. Segundo, después de los tiempos de separa-ción, cuando Dios celebra la restauración con la intim-idad del amado de Dios. Así como Pablo escribe a la iglesia de Filipo, aquellas personas en el camino de la fe podrían de al-guna manera ser arrasadas por el gozo de Dios. Porque en Cristo y por medio del Espíritu Santo, Dios contin-uamente habla y escucha a quienes están unidos en la fe. Participamos de la alegría de Dios en la creación cuando somos creativos nosotros mismos, cuando apor-tamos a la belleza del mundo. También participamos cuando nos alegramos en el trabajo de la reconciliación y obramos para sanar las divisiones entre personas y restauramos las relaciones humanas. EMPIEZA DONDE ESTÁS En el Evangelio de hoy, aquellas personas que escuchan la predicación profética de Juan el Bautista estaban bastante preocupados y preguntaron “¿Qué debemos hacer?” Aunque Juan ya había advertido acer-ca de lo que podría pasar si no se arrepentían sincera-mente, él no sugirió acciones drásticas. Él recomendó que las personas empezaran donde estaban, y trabaja-ran dentro de sus circunstancias diarias. Compartir gen-erosamente. Tratar a las personas justamente. Conten-tarse con lo que se tiene. Estos fueron quizá pequeños

pasos que los convirtieron, en el tiempo de Dios, hacia un cambio más profundo. Un primer paso para nosotros podría ser aprender, aunque sea lentamente, a escuchar que Dios nos habla en aquello que ocurre en nuestras vidas. Podemos responder con pequeñas acciones concretas y quizá aprender lo que Dios desea decir por medio de ellas. Entonces podemos escuchar el siguiente paso. Lecturas de hoy: Sof 3:14–18a; Is 12:2–3, 4, 5–6; Flp 4:4–7; Lc 3:10–18 Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

TESTIMONIOS Nuestras acciones son el mejor testimonio de nuestros pensamientos. —Anónimo ____________________________________________ IMPRESIONABLE La vida de un niño es como un pedazo de papel en el que cada transúnte deja una marca. —Proverbio antiguo chino

CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church #515402 8500 Cross Mountain Trail San Antonio, TX 78255 TELEPHONE 210 698-1941 CONTACT PERSON Michelle Marroquin EMAIL: michelle@seaschurch.com SOFTWARE MSPublisher 2010 Adobe Acrobat XI Windows 10 TRANSMISSION TIME Wednesday 1:45 SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION December 16, 2018 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS