Parish News

Pastor Reflection

AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR ARCHBISHOP

Archbishop George Neiderauer in response to the pandemic H1N1 influenza, has announced the following temporary liturgical modifications to be implemented immediately in our Archdiocese:

The distribution of Holy Communion from the Cup is to be suspended.
All are encouraged to receive Holy Communion in the hand (This is the hygienic manner because there is a risk of infection from contact through saliva).
The Sign of Peace should be offered without shaking hands.
The faithful are to refrain from holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer.
Those who distribute Holy Communion are to cleanse their hands with an alcohol-based, anti-bacterial gel before and after administering the Sacrament.

SPECIAL THANKSGIVING DAY MASS

We hope that you will join us on Thanksgiving Day at our 9:00 a.m. Mass. We will have special hymns, as well as a collection to help St. Peter’s School, which is doing such extraordinary work in the Mission District. We will also bless any food or drink items that you will be bringing to your Thanksgiving table.

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

We enter the Advent Season on the weekend of November 28th and 29th. The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year-old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. Scripture readings for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, and the hope of eternal life.

In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and our parish family, as we affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for what some theologians are calling “Kingdom ethics”, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as the Church celebrates God’s entering into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."

I am painfully aware that “Kingdom ethics” clashes with the secular view of these weeks ahead. A “Shop until you drop” mentality has replaced the quiet spiritual reflection attitude of the Advent season. Christmas “gifts” appeared in early October. Secular society has drowned out Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays. To try to find a box of Christmas cards among scores of holiday season cards in most stores is almost impossible. But as the hymn says, “We shall not be moved”. We will celebrate the four weeks of Advent with a renewed belief in “Kingdom ethics”. We will do everything in our power to make “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”. This Advent season do not hold back. Join your parish family in these spirit-filled opportunities:

1. ADVENT GIVING TREE - November 28th and 29th.
When you enter the church, you will see the paper ornaments on the Jesse tree and in boxes on the altar rail. Each ornament will have a request on it. I ask that you pray for the person each day during Advent, and on the third Sunday of Advent, December 13th, you return the card with your gift. These gifts will be distributed to our sisters and brothers in St. Peter's School, St. Charles School and CFF, St. Boniface Parish, Sacred Heart Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, St. Vincent’s School for Boys in Marin and Mt. St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth’s Home. I wish to express my gratitude to Father Dan Keohane, Mary Ann Naughton and her team of parishioners. Please note that because of the short turn-around time, we will have boxes of paper ornaments available on November 22nd. The Jesse tree will be up the following weekend, which is the first Sunday of Advent. We have received more requests than ever and we need more families and individuals to come forward to assist our sisters and brothers in need.
2. DAILY MORNING PRAYER
Every morning we celebrate Morning Prayer in Our Lady's Chapel at 8:20 a.m. Please join us in the official prayer of the Church.
3. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
On December 4th, 11th and 18th, we will begin our Friday Eucharistic Adoration at 6:30 am and conclude it on Saturday morning at 6:30 am. The 24 hour period is a time for deepening our relationship with Christ and our St. Cecilia Parish Family.
4. SANTO NIÑO NOVENA
The Filipino Community invites everyone to join them in the Novena of Masses in honor of Santo Niño (Infant Jesus of Prague). We begin on Friday, November 27th, with a 7:00 p.m. Mass in Our Lady’s Chapel thru December 5th. On Saturday, December 5th, we will have Mass at 6:30 p.m. in the main church and then process to the Durocher Pavilion where we will have a dinner dance.
5. ANOINTING OF THE SICK - December 6th
At the 11:30 am Mass on Sunday, December 6th, we will celebrate the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. You are welcome to receive this sacrament if you have a serious physical, or mental illness, or if you are anticipating surgery, or if you are elderly. Please join us at the 11:30 am Mass on December 6th.
6. SCHOOL ADVENT PAGEANT - December 13th
The children of our primary grades will celebrate the great season of Advent at the 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, December 9th. They will present songs and skits which convey the saving power of God through the history of our salvation.
7. PANCAKE BREAKFAST - December 13th
Advent is a time of giving. The Men of St. Cecilia is giving the parish a special gift. You are invited to a free pancake breakfast on Sunday, December 13th, after the 9:30 a.m. Family Mass. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate as a parish family. Children are always welcome, as St. Nicholas always visits us.
8. SACRAMENT OF PENANCE - December 22nd
On Saturday, December 19th, at 9:30 a.m., we will celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation Rite II. This is how we celebrate Rite II: There will be a Gathering Hymn, followed by an opening prayer and scripture reading. Then we will have an opportunity to examine our conscience and then pray an Act of Contrition and the Our Father. Following this, you will have an opportunity to confess your sins to a priest. You will not say how long it has been or say an Act of Contrition because this is Rite II. After you have finished with the priest, you will return to the pew and pray your penance.