1100 Santa Cruz Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 Tel: 650-323-1755 Fax: 650-561-3755 Email: office@straymondmp.org Website: www.straymondmp.org

MISSION STATEMENT

St. Raymond Parish is a community united by our Catholic Faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. We seek communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through ongoing personal and communal conversion to Christ and a deeper commitment to the mission Jesus gives each of us to preach the Gospel. The Sacred Scriptures and sacraments of the Church sustain us. We dedicate ourselves to Truth and strive to grow in love of God and neighbor through community, prayer, study, and service, as we work by grace to build up in one another and share freely with others the abundance of magnificent gifts God has given us.

December 25, 2016 The Nativity of the

Lord

Grounded in Faith, Growing to Serve

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Weekend Mass Saturday Vigil: 5:15 pm

Sundays: 8:00 am, 10:00 am, & 6:00 pm Weekday Mass

Monday thru Saturday: 8:15 am Holy Days: 6:00 pm Vigil, 8:15 am,

12:10 pm, & 6:00 pm Confession

Saturday: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Sunday: 30 minutes before Mass

or by appointment Anointing of the Sick

First Thursday of every month following the 8:15 am Mass

or by appointment Eucharistic Adoration

Saturday: following the 8:15 am Mass Office of Readings

Monday thru Saturday: 7:25 am Morning Prayer

Monday thru Saturday: 7:40 am Rosary

Monday thru Saturday: Before the 8:15 Mass

Bible Study Tuesday: 11:00 am in the Parish Center

Legion of Mary Tuesday: 9:15 am in the Parish Center

Choir Practice Wednesday: 7 pm in the Church

Spirituality for Busy Families Sunday: 9 am in the Parish Hall

Pastor: Fr. Christopher Fadok, O.P.: cfadok@straymondmp.org Parochial Vicar: Fr. Reginald Martin, O.P. Permanent Deacons: Deacon Tom Kelly: tfk@sbcglobal.net Deacon Charles Seagren, O.C.D.S.: cseagren@straymondmp.org

New Year’s Mass Schedule New Year’s Eve

5:15 pm Vigil Mass New Year’s Day

8:00 am, 10:00 am, and 6:00 pm Masses

THE PASTOR’S CORNER

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace to you and peace. Merry Christmas! Or do you perhaps prefer “Happy Holidays”? No matter. The former might seem the more Christian thing to say, but the latter has a profound meaning for us Christians too. I hope the following reflection based on an article by Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver is helpful in appreciating the profound meaning of “holiday” as we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Lord—Christmas!

The word “holiday” comes from the Old English expression hālig doeg, which means “holy day.” Yet over the years it has come to mean anything from taking a vacation to having a day off work. That’s fine. However, the Christian and Jewish understanding of holidays has a deeper meaning and history. It comes from the very first holiday, which God established when he rested on the seventh day of creation and “hallowed” it, meaning, he set it aside for spiritual purposes.

In the life of the Church, there are important spiritual dimensions to our celebrations. An appreciation of them can deepen our experience of holidays like Christmas.

The first dimension has to do with the message of a feast. We might think of feasts as events that punctuate the calendar year and are filled with food and friends, and so they are. But faith sees them as even more. Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote about this in his book Seeking the Face of God. Feasts, he said, are an “expression of God’s inexhaustible love, of which we are made aware by an act of memory.” In other words, when we celebrate a feast, we recall the event that tells us of God’s love and immerse ourselves in it as a family, sisters and brothers in Christ. We remember God’s miraculous work, connect ourselves to it, and experience the effects of that grace together.

A second quality of feasts is that they recalibrate our perception of what matters by drawing us out of our everyday existence. When we celebrate holy days, we recall the past events, words and miracles of God, but we also turn our hearts and minds to our future. Doing this reminds us that God loves us, and points us to our ultimate goal in life—living in intimate communion with him forever in heaven. In his book Dogma and Preaching, Cardinal Ratzinger expressed this dimension of feasts beautifully. He wrote, “It means that for the moment [a person] is freed from the stern logic of the struggle for existence and looks beyond his own narrow world to the totality of things. It means that he allows himself to be comforted, allows his conscience to be moved by the love he finds in the God who has become a child, and that in doing so he becomes freer, richer, purer. If we were to try celebrating in this fashion, would not a sigh of relief pass across the world?”

Finally, feast days should be moments of genuine joy. When we celebrate the birth of Jesus, his death and Resurrection, or

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the life of a saint, we are filled with joy because we know through faith that we have been freed from sin and death. All of these moments that we observe throughout the year point to the same fundamental truth: God has freed us from sin and death through his Son, Jesus. He has liberated Mary and St. Joseph, St. Raymond, countless unnamed saints, and you and me. Holidays are meant to be celebrated!

Did you know the root of the English word “celebrate” was first used to describe the Mass? The Latin word “celebratus” was used to describe the Mass as “well-attended; famous; often-repeated.” In other words, when people thought about celebrating, it was the Mass they had in mind as a model. I hope you enjoy our holiday celebrations. Merry Christmas!

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord!

Fr. Christopher, O.P.

New Holy Cards are available on the tables at the entrances of the church.

Save the date for the 13th Annual Walk for Life on January 21, 2017

The walk will start at Civic Center Plaza and end at Justin Herman Plaza. It’s only a month away, so start planning now!

Raised: $314,096.00

as of Dec. 20, 2016

Mass Intentions Saturday, December 24, 2016

5:15 p.m. The Ruocco & Papa Families, Both Living & Deceased

7:30 p.m. Christmas Intentions Midnight - St. Raymond Parish

Sunday, December 25, 2016 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) 8:00 a.m. Neneve Polido (Birthday) 10:00 a.m. Harold Curtis † Monday, December 26, 2016 Saint Stephen, The First Martyr

8:15 a.m. Sarah Koss † Tuesday, December 27, 2016 Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

8:15 a.m. Jesse Sanchez (Birthday) Wednesday, December 28, 2016 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

8:15 a.m. Irene Onyeneho & Family, Both Living & Deceased

Thursday, December 29 2016 8:15 a.m. Faye Villaroman & Eric Johnston

Friday, December 30, 2016 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph 8:15 a.m. Justin Brown † Saturday, December 31, 2016 8:15 a.m. Mary Yandow † & Eleanor Jekot †

Next Week’s Readings Numbers 6:22-27 Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21

STAFF Religious Ed. Coordinator Stephanie Virag Confirmation Coordinator, Youth Minister and Pastoral Assistant for Development Christine Augulis Director of Music John Iosefa Office Manager Ronnica Hagy Facilities Supervisor Pedro Hernandez Groundskeeper Javier Hernandez Sacristan John Sanchez Principal Kellie Mullin

MINISTRY COORDINATORS Liturgical Altar Servers Bonnie Morey Altar Society Elizabeth Haynes Extraordinary Ministers Charles Seagren Lectors Charles Seagren Prayer & Faith Formation Bible Study Charles Seagren Children's Liturgy Debbie Pinkston Confirmation/Youth Ministry Christine Augulis Couples Bible Study Camilo Colorado Legion of Mary Bobbie Seagren RCIA Fr. Christopher Fadok, O.P. Religious Ed Stephanie Virag Social Outreach Homebound & Sick Bobbie Seagren Homeless Family Fund Sally Cesario St. Vincent de Paul Bob Caletti Parish Community Seniors Together Karyn Leahy, Jill Latham, & Ginny Terndrup Mother’s Ministry Sarah Gonzalez & Jill Koziol Finance Council Mike Latham, Cat Westover,

Maureen Hamer, David Mount, Amy Staas, and Hallie Colorado

Pastoral Council Lori Mirek lmirek@hotmail.com Barbara Murphy murphystroth@yahoo.com Mike Brown brownm@sfarch.org Chris Terndrup chris.terndrup@ravenswoodsolutions.com Christine Augulis caugulis@straymondmp.org Karyn Leahy leahyfamily@msn.com Tim Connors tim@connors.org

HOMELESS FAMILY FUND

We were asked by a new Case Manager at First Step for Families to assist her client, a 33-year old single mother with three daughters, aged 15, 12 and 9. She had been working two part-time jobs doing housecleaning, but had to have surgery last July. She was scheduled to go back to work in September, but there were complications arising from the operation and the doctor extended her recovery time to January. She exhausted her savings and was short on her rent payment for November and had no money for December. We were happy to provide the $1,475 she needed in order to avoid eviction. Her landlord has agreed to wait for the January rent payment until she receives her first paycheck. When she does return to her jobs, she will earn $2,760 per month. Currently she receives $200 a month disability and $340 a month in food stamps. Her rent is $1,875 per month, but she has a subsidy from RRH for $700 per month which reduces her share to $1,175 for her one bedroom apartment. She doesn't have much income, but has always been so careful that she was able to save money in the past. Her Case Manager was impressed by her positive attitude and is confident this young mother will be successful going forward. Thank you so much for all your donations which have enabled our Homeless Fund to share with the Lord's people in need. May you and your families enjoy every blessing of this Christmas season. "Share with the Lord's people who are in need."

-Romans 12:13

Please make your donations payable to St. Raymond Homeless Family Fund. They may be placed in the collection basket, sent to the parish office or through the St. Raymond website (e-contributions).

This Week’s Readings Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98:1-6 Hebrews 1:1-6 John 1:1-18

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Announcements/Coming Events

Academic Decathlon Coach needed—see Page 5 for detailed information.

Religious Ed Schedule for December /January — Page 4.

Volunteer Opportunities — Page 4.

St. Patrick Seminary Annual Discernment Retreat—Page 4 or check the bulletin boards.

New Location for the Pauline Bookstore—Page 5.

Donate by December 31 to include in your 2016 tax return.

As a parish community we pray for the sick among us: Lynn Bacon, Roger Barth, Kayte Roach, James Roach, Bernice D’Arcy, Joan Briggson, Margaret McSweeney, Javier Ramos, Juan Esteban Gonzalez Marin, Karen Lundberg, Catherine Matsakis, Rufina Villalobos, and Diane Mojtehedi.

(+) Christmas

Meditation on Today’s Readings

How beautiful is this Child, this King, who announces Peace. He brings the Peace we long for; he is Peace himself. Let us shout for joy, let us break into song, for the Word of God is born among us and within us this very day. We see the glory of this little One, who is the light of all the world, who sustains us by the fullness of his grace.

May we recognize him in our hearts, in our neighbor, in the sacraments, in the poor and forgotten. In the midst of darkness he is the light that cannot be overcome. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of the Lord.

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Help to End Homelessness In a shared vision for a prosperous community, San Mateo County aims to end homelessness in our community by 2020. Every two years, the Department of Housing

and Urban Development requires Continuums of Care to count all unsheltered homeless people in their areas of responsibility. To better understand the needs of homeless people and provide compassionate services, San Mateo County will conduct this One Day Count on January 26th, 2017. We will go street by street to count and survey unsheltered homeless people. For this huge effort, we hope to recruit 400 to 450 volunteers. Volunteers play a critical role in the census as enumerators and surveyors. We believe it will be a meaningful experience for civic-minded community members, to see the scope of human services in our county, and engage and empathize with homeless people. To register as a volunteer in a specific area, and sign up for a training session: http://hsavolunteers.ivolunteer.com/smconedaycount2017

For more information and a downloadable flyer: http://hsa.smcgov.org/2017-one-day-homeless-count

Class Schedule for December/January - Merry

Christmas! Religious Education will be having a 4 week break for the Christmas and Martin Luther King Holidays. We will not have class on December 25th, January 1st, 8th and 15th. We will resume class on January 22nd.

Happy Advent and hope that all families of Religious Education and the parishioners of St. Raymond church have a wonderful, safe, fun and Merry Christmas!

Thank you for signing your child(ren) up for Religious Education at St. Raymond!

Volunteers needed to help stuff bulletins on occasional Friday mornings. If you are available, please contact Ronnica at the parish office at 650-323-1755 or office@straymondmp.org.

St. Patrick Seminary Annual Discernment Retreat January 27-29, 2017

St. Patrick Seminary will hold their annual discernment retreat for men considering the priesthood on the weekend of January 27th. The retreat is open to men 18 years and older, and is free. Father David Schunk may be reached at the following email address and phone number to register men:

vocations@sfarch.org or (415) 614-5683. For more information, contact:

Discernment.retreat@STPSV.Edu or (650) 325-5621.

Fun Fact We collected 8 cars full of toys for

St. Francis Center!

You are invited to deepen your devotion to the rosary. The Rosary Confraternity is a group of women and men dedicated to praying the rosary three times a week. By joining, you receive a plethora of spiritual benefits and indulgences. http://www.rosary-center.org/nroscon.htm

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St. Raymond's Academic Decathlon team is looking for a religion coach. The coach meets for about 1 hour per week with 1 student to help them learn the assigned material. All materials are provided. This role does not require outside research, but coaches should be prepared to familiarize themselves with the material before meeting with students. This preparation for study sessions may take between 1 to 2 hours depending on familiarity with the material. If you are interested in helping the school as the religion Academic Decathlon coach contact Ms. Valerie Mattei at St. Raymond School directly by calling 650-322-2312 or emailing vmattei@straymond.org.

TRY…...E-Contributions Sign up online via our website not only for your Sunday offerings, but also St. Vincent de Paul, the Homeless Family Fund, and the Fall Drive. Go to www.straymondmp.org click on the “Quicklinks” at the top right of the website, and then click “Donate” to be taken to our E-contribution website. There, you’ll see very easy sign up instructions for this free service.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Sunday Collections $2,679.00

E-contributions $2,990.00

TOTAL $5,669.00

Contributions for December 18, 2016

VISION STATEMENT St. Raymond Parish is a family. As disciples of Jesus, we are “children of God” and “brothers and sisters in Christ.” Jesus himself says, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). We welcome all to belong to our Catholic family and to inherit with us in Christ the mission to preach the Gospel!

Looking for the Couple Married the Longest!

Why? Because Worldwide Marriage Encounter, for the seventh year in a row, is conducting the Longest Married Couple Project. What an opportunity to honor couples married 50, 60 or 70+ years! And

just maybe a couple you know could be either the state or national winner. Winners will be honored during Valentine’s Day Week, 2017. Nominations are open now through January 10, 2017. The nomination process is simple - just email the couple’s names, wedding date and city they live in along with your contact information to wwmelmc2017@gmail.com. It's that easy. Or, you can go to the wwmelmc.com website for more information.

God Bless, Paul & Stephanie Francois communications@sanjosewwme.org

Pauline Bookstore

Help the Daughters of St. Paul to build a permanent convent and bookstore on Middlefield in Redwood City, replacing

the Pauline bookstore's current location. The new building needs to be gutted and renovated. Please consider a tax deductible donation. You can donate by calling the sisters at the Pauline bookstore at (650) 369-4230 or by stopping by the current location at 935 Brewster Ave., Redwood City.