Page 2 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

Join us for Christmas!

Christmas Mass Schedule: Saturday, December 24th

4:00pm Family Mass No Confessions or 5pm Mass this day.

Sunday, December 25th 8:30am Mass

Choir Concert between these Masses!

10:00am Mass 11:30am Mass in Spanish

Pastorela Sunday, December 18th

1pm in the Parish Hall

Oscar and the Spanish Choir have been practicing this Spanish

Christmas play since September!

Join us for this fun melodramatic play and watch as good and evil battle for victory!

Even if you don’t understand Spanish, you will enjoy this fun event. You can also buy tamales for lunch!

Imperfect Circumstances “This is how the birth of Jesus

Christ came about.” —Matthew 1:18

This introduction leaves us waiting in expectation of a story that will leave us mesmerized. We anticipate some logical explanation about the Incarna-tion. But this does not happen! Instead, we learn how our God came into the world under less than perfect circumstances: a virgin with child, a couple betrothed but not yet living together, a righteous man named Joseph, an angel with a message. At the end of all of this we have the unthinkable: it all works out! Too often we waste energy concentrating on how our own circumstances are not as we would have them be, instead of focusing our faith on how God chooses them to be. If the miracle of Jesus’ birth came about in less than perfect circumstances and still resulted in mankind’s salvation, why should we doubt that good can come from our own imperfect circumstances? —Sunday Missal

Many thanks from the Altar Society to everyone who shopped at their Christmas Sale last weekend. They raised $2,800 that will go toward the needs of the parish. The Altar Society has been active in our parish since its beginning—90 years! The many members over the years have volunteered their time, talent and treasure to our parish. Through their fundraising, the Altar Society pays for the Church candles, altar linens, missals, flowers, vestments and many other needs as they arise. We are grateful for their perseverance and the many decades of care they have given to our parish.

Thank you, Altar Society!

Page 3 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

Sunday, December 18, 2016 Location Pastorela 1:00pm Hall Monday, December 19, 2016 Location Tuesday, December 20, 2016 Location Wednesday, December 21, 2016 Location Eucharistic Adoration 7:30am-8:30am Church Men’s Prayer Group 7:00pm Hall Choir 7:00pm Church Thursday, December 22, 2016 Location Friday, December 23, 2016 Location Saturday, December 24, 2016 Location Decorate Church for Christmas 8:00am Church

Saturday………….........December 17 5:00PM………...…...…..Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Sunday………….....…...December 18 8:30AM...…...……….….Diane Yanke, Spec. Int. 10:00AM………....……..People of St. Didacus 11:30AM.….…………....Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Monday………………...December 19 7:30AM………...…...….Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Tuesday………..…..…..December 20 6:00PM…….….…….….Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Wednesday…….......….December 21 8:30AM……...……....….Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Thursday………...…….December 22 7:30AM……..….…..…...Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Friday…………...……...December 23 7:30AM...…………. …...Those enrolled in Christmas Novena Saturday………….........December 24 4:00PM………...…...…..Those enrolled in Christmas Novena

Thank you for using your envelopes! Our GOAL this year:

ALL parishioners tithing each week using their envelopes!

Rosalba Alarcon Maria Luz Arrellano Diann Bauer Dan Bauer Herbert Baxter Robert Bayles Martha Becerra Bob Bellesi Norm Boyer Herminia Brignoni Ibeth Brignoni Ruben Campos Gail Cedercrans Joana Cisneros Cecil Crews Aaron Damishia Irene Davis MaryLou De Luca Pauline Dease Bob Demers Cecelia Dueber Mary Farrell Santiago Fontes Jerry Goodwin

Susan Guenzel Dolores Hansel Caleb Jerome Carol Keppel Marilyn Kober Elizabeth La Costa Virginia Lantry Juanita Lopez Maria Lopez David Lujan Marlene S. Magers Anthony Martinez Rosalie Martinez Claire Meighan Terrence McCabe Trish McCutcheon Emma McPherson Dolores Mediano Vernon Meyers Peter Napolitano Dominick Palestini Gladys Palestini Lupita Plascencia Diane Porter

Matthew Rau Antonia Raya Dolores Robertson Atina Rodriguez Aaron Rodriguez Alette Rodriguez Jeff Salazar Christine Segura Mark Silke Michael Smith Gerri Strachan Angel Tapia Pedro Tapia Merida Tirado Therese Tucker Carol Verdon The Webb Family Jason Williamson Joan Williamson Adalina Zarate Josephine

P R A Y E R

L I S T

And the special intentions in our Book of Needs

Welcome to St. Didacus Parish! Sunday Masses Saturday 5:00pm, Sunday 8:30am & 10:00am 11:30am in Spanish Daily Mass Mon., Thurs., Fri. 7:30am /Tues. 6:00pm/ Wed. 8:30am

Eucharistic Adoration Wed. 7:30am—8:30am / Saturday 3:30pm—5:00pm First Fridays 8:00am—9:00am Confessions—Saturdays 3:30pm or by appt. Baptisms: 1st Saturday of each month. Arrangements must be made 3 months in advance. Contact the Parish Office for information. Weddings: Arrangements must be made at least 9 months in advance. Please contact the Parish Office. Mental Health Ministry Direct Line: For emergencies call 911. For non-emergencies please call 619-940-6193.

Pastor, Rev. Michael J. Sinor The Parish Office is open 8am-noon, 1-5pm M-F

619-284-3472

Mass Intentions Weekly Events at St. Didacus

Putting our complete trust in the Lord without expecting anything in return. Striving to put God first in all things and follow Him wherever He may led us. As we prepare for the birth of our Lord, pray for the strength and

courage to be a model of discipleship, just as Joseph was.

Amount we need each week to cover parish operating costs: $7,155.00 General Collection, December 11, 2016: $5,886.00 Deficit for the week of December 11, 2016: — $1,269.00

Building Fund—December 11, 2016: $ 519.00

The Joy of Giving

Stewardship—Building up the Community of God

Sometimes the signs God gives are unmistakable. Sometimes the signs are not so obvious. What signs do we see when we look around us? Sometimes it is hard to see God's signs because the signs of our world are so ever present and large. How many times this month have you seen this sign: "ONLY 20 (or 18, or 10, or 6 or…) MORE SHOPPING DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS." Do we ever stop to think, "How many praying days left until Christmas?"

4630 34th Street, San Diego CA 92116 284-8730

Page 4 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

Readings for the Week of December 18, 2016 Sunday: Is 7:10-14/Rom 1:1-7/Mt 118-24 Monday: Jgs 13:2-7,24-25a/Lk 1:15-2 Tuesday: Is 7:10-14/Lk 1:26-38 Wednesday: Zep 3:14-18a/Lk1:39-45 Thursday: 1 Sm 1:24-28/Lk 1:4-56 Friday: Mal 3:1-4,23-24/Lk 1:57-66 Saturday: 2 Sm 7:105,8b-12,14a,16/Lk1:67-69 Next Sunday: Is 52:7-10/Heb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18

Year-End Charitable Gifts As the year is wind-ing down, it is a good time to think about charitable giving. Monetary gifts or gifts of your securi-ties, including stocks or bonds, is an easy

way to make a tax-deductible gift to St. Didacus Parish. Contributions made by December 31st may be deducted on this year’s taxes. For more information on giving a gift through securities or to make a monetary gift to the parish, please call or drop by the Parish Office.

Help us decorate the Church for Christmas!

Saturday, December 24th 8am

Spend an hour helping us get the tree decorated, the Nativity set-up and do all the other little details that make the Church look so beautiful for Christmas. Bring your family!

There will be no Religious Education classes on the following Wednesdays: December 21st or 28th. Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 4th.

Religious Education News

Help Wanted We need help hosting Coffee and Donuts on the 1st and 2nd Sundays of the month for the 8:30am Mass. It is a once a month commitment and every-thing is provided —we just need YOU! If you would like more information, please contact the Parish Office.

It’s not too late to turn in

envelopes for the Collection

for the Retirement Fund

for Religious. Your donation helps provide prescription medications, nursing care and more. Return your envelope in the collection or to the Parish Office.

Thanks to all the children and teachers for making our annual Christmas program so special!

Page 5 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2016

Entering into the Mystery

Finally, on this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gos-pel Reading permits us to begin our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarna-tion we celebrate at Christ-mas: “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about” (Matthew 1:18).

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus from Joseph's perspective. Today's Gospel passage is the second movement in this story. In the preceding verses of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, the Evangelist has listed the genealogy of Jesus, tracing his lineage through King David to Abraham. In the chapter to follow, Matthew tells of the visit from the Magi, the Holy Family's flight into Egypt, and Herod's massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. (The other stories which we associate with Christmas, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the angel and the shepherds, are found in the Gospel of Luke).

We must not gloss over too quickly the difficult circumstances described in today's Gospel. The way that Joseph and Mary face these circumstances tells us much about these holy people and their faith in God. Joseph and Mary are betrothed to be married. This is sometimes described as an engagement period, but it is more than that. Betrothal in first century Jewish culture was in fact the first part of the marriage contract. A breach of this contract was considered adultery. Mary is found to be with child. If adultery is proven, the punishment might be death. Joseph has rights under Mosaic law, but chooses to act discreetly in his plans to break the marriage contract, so as to protect Mary. Then God intervenes.

The message of the angel of the Lord given to Joseph in his dream tells us much about the child that Mary bears and his role in God's plan. He is conceived by the Holy Spirit. His name will be Jesus, which in the Hebrew means “Yahweh saves.” He will be the fulfillment of the prophecy heard in today's First Reading from Isaiah: “. . . The virgin shall be with child . . . and shall name him Emmanuel [God with us].”

Joseph does as the angel of the Lord directs. He takes Mary to be his wife and accepts the child in her womb as his own. Joseph and Mary are both cooperative with God's plan. They are both models for us of what it means to be faithful servants of God.

We recently received a thank you letter from Sr. Margaret Rogers of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, thanking our parish for the $2,613.60 they received from St. Didacus parishioners during the visit of Sr. Patricia Phillips in June for the summer Mission Appeal. Here is part of what she had to say in her letter: Dear Fr. Sinor, Please let the people of St. Didacus know that we appreciate their attention and generosity. We know that every donation represents a sacrifice on the part of the giver. Assure them that what they have given will be used solely to keep our Sisters on missions and enable them to help the people to whom they have been sent. It was a privilege and a blessing for Sr. Phillips to be in your parish and to meet such gracious people. You and your parishioners are in our grateful prayers. We have Mass said every month for the intentions of our benefactors. We ask that you keep us and our work in your prayers. Sincerely in Christ, Sr. Margaret Rogers, SHCJ

“Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.”

O ANTIPHONS

Beginning on December 17th, as the final phase of preparation for Christ-mas, the Church recites or chants the O Antiphons preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the

Hours.

The O Antiphons express the Church's longing and expectation for the Messiah, her startled wonderment at the fullness of grace which the Christ-Child is about to bestow on the world. Their theme is the majesty of the Savior, His wisdom, His faithfulness and sanctity, His justice and mercy, His covenant with His chosen people, who in their ingratitude broke faith with Him. They are concerned with His power and love as King and Redeemer

of the world, His relation to every soul as Emmanuel, God-with-us.

According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia — the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity

to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

Pagina 6 IV Domingo de Adviento 18 de diciembre, 2016

APARICIONES DE LA VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE 2016

EL REGALO MAS MARAVILLOSO

Hoy después de misa

habrá comida para ayudar a los jóvenes de confirmación

Ayúdanos a decorar la iglesia para Navidad

Sábado 24 de diciembre

8 AM

Venga con toda la familia,

los esperamos.

CATECISMO Y CONFIRMACION

No habrá clases del catecismo y confirmación las siguientes dos semanas. Las clases se reanu-darán el miércoles, 4 de enero Y el martes 3 de enero para la confirmación.

Horario de Misas de Navidad

Sábado, 24 de Diciembre 4:00pm Misa de familia en ingles No habrá misa de 5 PM este día.

Domingo, 25 de diciembre

Misa de 8:30 AM Misa de 10:00 AM

Misa de 11:30 en español