December 2021

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

TAB LE OF CONTE NTS

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Christmas: Jesus comes to us in simplicity and humility

The Mystery of the Star of Bethlehem

Advent: Wonder-ful waiting

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The Epiphany Center: Fortifying family life through recovery

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Fall on your knees: Where words fail, ‘O Holy Night’ prevails

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Foodie Fathers: Cooking and the power of shared meals

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Stained Glass: Rose window illustrates Nativity

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Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone

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Know the Mass: The Gloria & Collect

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O Come Emmanuel: The Four Masses of Christmas

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Finding hope in stressful times

“Dune,” Dreams and the Messianic Parable

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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ARCH B I S HOP ARCH B I S HOP

Jesus comes to us in simplicity at the first Christmas and toda BY ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE JOSEPH CORDILEONE

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glance back at Christmas one year ago, and a careful scrutiny of where we are now in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic – this is the atmosphere in which we find ourselves this month. Things continue to “open up” and life is more normal than one year ago, but we are cautioned to be prudent and maintain our vigilance. We are all like people walking on a frozen lake, gingerly touching the surface at each step before putting our full weight down. We long for less “virtual” encounters, more human, threedimensional interactions. And yet we must keep our guard up.

And suddenly, penetrating our defenses, Someone appears in our fractious, worried human scene to bring us peace and hope: “Emmanuel, God with us.” Not virtually, not

metaphorically, no projection in a “metaverse”: the Eternal Son of God is born in time, completely sharing our human condition in all things but sin. Flesh and blood. How did He slip through? The Son of God came, not in power and pomp, but in simplicity and humility. Yes, there were angels on the first Christmas, but their glory was seen only by a few poor shepherds. The great “sign” was not a choir of the heavenly host, but a newborn baby wrapped in cheap shreds of cloth and shivering in a manger, a trough for feeding animals.

This understated, hidden approach marked the whole career of Jesus. His life was short, just over 30 years, almost all of them spent in a backwater village. What drew Him to us was His desire just to be with us, to let us grow

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WALK for LIFE St. Pius Church in Redwood City decorated for Christmas Mass.

and humility – ay accustomed to Him. We want to accomplish something, make a splash, make a difference; He was content for most of His life just to be the neighbor down the street. He performed miracles, but these were not so much displays of power as acts of mercy drawn from His compassionate Heart. And, as stunning as they were, they were relatively few: if Christ’s purpose was simply to make this world a better place, He devoted very little of His precious time and energy to healing the sick.

This hidden, subtle manner was most evident in His death. Challenged to show His power and come down from the Cross, Jesus chose instead to hang there impotent, powerless to heal, hardly able to speak. He was driven out of the holy city, socially distanced to the limit, figuratively and literally “cancelled.” His ignominious death should give us all pause: wherever we draw a line, Christ takes His place on the other side › CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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of it. Even His resurrection was experienced by a small group. Having – as they thought – settled the matter of Jesus, important people continued to go about important business, unaware that through the divine power of the Holy Spirit the risen Lord was quietly knitting back together the torn and shredded fabric of the human family.

“The way that God sneaked into the world on the first Christmas set the pattern for His whole life: simplicity, humility, without fanfare.”

The way that God sneaked into the world on the first Christmas set the pattern for His whole life: simplicity, humility, without fanfare. The message of Christmas is God’s ardent desire just to be with us, to be present to us in our joys and sorrows in the most ordinary ways, giving infinite meaning to our lives which might seem so insignificant to others and so fruitless to ourselves.

Each year we tell our children the Christmas story, set out the figures of our family creche, “virtually” make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem.

But perhaps we envy those shepherds who could actually walk to the stable and see the newborn Child Himself with their own eyes.

We should not envy them, for our privilege is greater than theirs. True, they could see and

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touch the Word made flesh, hold in their arms that weak Infant who was the fulfillment of all God’s promises, and indeed of blessings that the human mind had not imagined until that night. But when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we do not only behold Christ, we receive His very Body and Blood, which transforms our flesh into His. Christ comes today as He did 2,000 years ago, in humility and hiddenness. The sign is now not an Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, but the bread and wine that God’s power transforms into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. His birthplace is now not a cave in one small town a few miles from Jerusalem, but the altar of our parish church. Overhead we do not behold a star, but the Cross that proclaims His self-giving love unto death, and the power of His Resurrection to overcome the worst we human beings can do. In the Blessed Sacrament we adore Christ as the shepherds did that first Christmas; but we also can receive Him in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

What did we do to deserve this? St. Bernard gives an answer, profound in its simplicity: “My merit is His mercy.” Our Lord gives us so much, yet He asks so little: simply that we make room for Him, welcome Him, be with Him, and strive to be like Him. Not virtually, but really. As this great feast of salvation approaches, let us ask for the faith that helps us see that every altar is Bethlehem, and every Mass is Christmas. ■

St. Pius Church in Redwood City.

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Mission Dolores Basilica Rev. Francis Mark P. Garbo, pastor

Christmas Schedule – 2021 Horario de la Temporada de Navideña

All services in-person and livestreamed www.facebook.com/missiondoloressf www.missiondolores.org 3321 Sixteenth St. SF 94114 415-621-8203 Sunday/Domingo Basilica Choir 30th Annual 19 Dec 2021 Candlelight Christmas Concert Concierto Navideño del Coro de la Basilica 5:00 p.m.

Friday/Viernes Christmas Eve / Víspera de Navidad 24 Dec 2021 5:00 p.m. Family Christmas Mass 9:30 p.m. Christmas Carol Sing 10:00 p.m. Solemn Mass for Christmas (bilingual) Saturday/Sabado Christmas Day / Día de Navidad 25 Dec 2021 10:00 a.m. Mass in English 12:00 noon Misa en Español Saturday/Sabado New Year’s Day / Día del Año Nuevo 1 Jan 2022 Feast of Mary, the Mother of God 9:00 a.m. Mass (bilingual) Sunday / Domingo Epiphany / Día de los Reyes 2 Jan 2022 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Mass in English 12:00 Misa en Español

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Christmas Eve Friday, December 24, 2021 Christmas Eve Cathedral Closed during the day Friday, December 24, 2021

5:00 PM Caroling by St. Brigid School Honor Choir

Cathedral Closed during the day 5:30 PM - Christmas Vigil Mass 5:00 PM Caroling by St. Brigid School Honor Choir 11:30 PM Caroling by the Cathedral Choir 5:30 PM - Christmas Vigil Mass 12:00 AM - Midnight Mass 11:30 PM Caroling by the Cathedral Choir 12:00 AM - Midnight Mass

Christmas Day Saturday, December 25, 2021 Christmas Day

9:00 AM - Gregorian Chant Mass with Cathedral Saturday, December 25, 2021 Schola Cantorum

9:00 AM Gregorian Mass with Cathedral 11:00 AM Solemn Chant Mass with Cathedral Choir Schola Cantorum 1:00 PM - Misa en Españ ol 11:00 AM - Solemn Mass with Cathedral Choir

1:00 PM - Misa en Españ ol

New Year’s Eve Friday, December 31, 2021

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE CHRISTMAS EVE

Mass Schedule: 8:00 AM New Year’s Eve

The Cathedral will close after the2021 8:00 AM Mass Friday, December 31,

Mass Schedule: 8:00 AM The Cathedral will close after the 8:00 AM Mass

New Year’s Day Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Saturday, January 1, 2022

4:00 PM: Mass, Pageant & Carols* 6:00 PM: Christmas Eve Mass

MIDNIGHT MASS 12:00 AM: Christmas Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY 8:00 AM: Christmas Mass 10:00 AM: Christmas Mass* *LIVESTREAM @ WWW.STIGNATIUSSF.ORG 650 Parker Ave, San Francisco || Covid-19 Protocols CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO DECEMBER 2021in Place

New Year’s Day

NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Mass Schedule: 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM Saturday, January 1, 2022 Vigil Mass

NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

Mass Schedule: 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM - Vigil Mass

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday, January 2, 2022

Mass Schedule: 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

and 1:00 PM (Españ ol) Sunday, January 2, 2022 featuring the 4:00 PM - Epiphany Lessons and Carols St. Brigid 7:30 AM, School Honor Choir11:00 AM and Mass Schedule: 9:00 AM, Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers and 1:00 PM (Españ ol)

4:00 PM - Epiphany Lessons and Carols featuring the St. Brigid School Honor Choir and Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers

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CHRISTMAS

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THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

or more than two millennia, the star of Bethlehem, which guided the Magi to the city where Jesus was born, has been arousing the curiosity of researchers worldwide.

The star of Bethlehem, mentioned in St. Matthew’s Gospel, is one of the main symbols associated with Jesus’ birth, embodying the light of the hope of salvation in the midst of darkness. But beyond its symbolism, this star is also an inexhaustible subject of debate as a scientific phenomenon.

Was it a historical event or only a pious fiction invented

by St. Matthew? And if it was a historical event, how can we scientifically explain the occurrence of this exceptional astronomical event? Such questions have given rise to many different interpretations over the centuries.

Moreover, as it is difficult to determine with certainty the exact year of the Nativity, a scientific explanation of the phenomenon would also be a potential time marker to help pinpoint the date of Christ’s birth.

According to a calculation by German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the 16th century, an extremely rare conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn occurred three times in the constellation Pisces in 7 B.C., appearing to observers as a single luminous star. This would coincide with St. Matthew’s description of the celestial body appearing, disappearing and then reappearing to the Magi. A century earlier, Portuguese Rabbi Isaac Abravanel had already claimed that this specific kind of conjunction triggered the birth of the Messiah.

This theory gained more credibility in 1925, when German orientalist Paul Schnabel deciphered ancient cuneiform tablets from the astronomical school of the Babylonian city of Sippar, which described the exact same astronomical conjunction in 7 B.C. “This is a good theory,” Father Giulio Maspero, a physicist and theologian at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, told EWTN, mentioning other plausible scientific explanations, including the possibility of a comet.

“Another theory, which may be shocking for us, is that the

BY SOLÈNE TADIÉ Europe Correspondent for the National Catholic Register

We have to read the symbols, we need to look at the narrative, otherwise we cannot catch the true meaning of what God is saying to us.”

FATHER MASPERO

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

star was an angel. So, no astronomy here, but just a spiritual light that accompanies the three Wise Men along their path,” he said. Father Maspero says this explanation is “coherent with the whole narrative,” as Bethlehem was filled with angels who were “proclaiming the glory of Jesus and announcing to the shepherds what was happening there”.

There is also the possibility of the appearance of a nova or the explosion of a supernova around 5 B.C., as suggested by several Chinese and Korean astronomers’ chronicles, but this has never been definitively determined.

THE SPIRITUAL STRENGTH OF MYSTERY For Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory, the importance of the shining star of the holy night lies above all in the fact that it shows that the physical universe can be used to get closer to God. “We don’t know whether Matthew was intending this to be a pious story to show that Christ was even more significant than Augustus, who had used astrology to say that he had to be an emperor, or if he was describing a real star or a real astronomical event,” he said.

But if there is no definitive scientific conclusion regarding the nature of the star, the mystery surrounding this story makes it even more powerful for Christians. “We have to read the symbols, we need to look at the narrative; otherwise we cannot catch the true meaning of what God is saying to us,” Father Maspero said.

Most clear of all though is the central meaning of the Christmas star: the universality of redemption and assurance that God always answers those who seek him.

– Reprinted courtesy of the Denver Catholic ■

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Advent: Wond

“The world w wonders; b

BY RYAN MAYER Director of Office of Catholic Identity Formation & Assessment, Archdiocese of San Francisco

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

der-ful waiting

will never starve for want of but only for want of wonder.”

– G.K. Chesterton

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THE SHRINE OF ST. JUDE THADDEUS

The Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus is an apostolate of the dvent is my favorite liturgical season. Everything Dominican Friars of the Province of the Holy Name hinges on Easter, I know, for as St. Paul says, “if (Western Dominican Province). It is located in St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco.

Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain” The Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus was begun in October 1935 (1 Cor 5:17) – but I do love Advent. The season of Advent, as a devotion in honor of St. Jude Thaddeus, Patron of Hope, to bring hope to a constituency in considerable distress. which begins the church’s liturgical year (not Jan. 1), THE SHRINE OF ST. JUDE THADDEUS and correspondents seek prayers, perpetual sometimes get lost in the sprint between holidays. It THE SHRINE Pilgrims OF ST. JUDE THADDEUS enrollment as members of the St. Jude Apostolate, candles, Masses, holy oil, and religious items from the Shrine. seems like the Halloween and All Saints’ costumes have The Shrine St. We Jude an apostolate of the offerThaddeus various is novenas throughout theof year.

The Shrine of St.ofJude Thaddeus anisapostolate the just gone away when Mariah Carey emerges from her Dominican Friars of Province the Province of Holy the Holy Name Dominican Friars of the of the Name (Western summertime slumber and Christmas music, shopping SEND PETITIONS TO: St. Jude Masses (Western Dominican Province).

It is located in St. Dominic’s Dominican Province). It is located in St. Dominic’s Church Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus and bright decorations dominate our senses until October 28, 2021 Church in San Francisco.

Attn: Director, Fr. Emmerich Vogt, O.P. in San Francisco.

The Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus was Christmas Day. One sympathizes with the Grinch – “oh PO Box 15368, Francisco CA 94115-0368 The San Shrine of , St. Jude Thaddeus was begunThursday in October 1935 begunasin October 1935 as aofdevotion in honor ofPatron St. Jude the noise, noise, noise, noise!” It’s exhausting. a devotion in honor St. Jude Thaddeus, of Hope, CONTACT: 08:00 AM ENGLISH Thaddeus, Patron of Hope, to bring hope to a constituency C.S. Lewis reflects on this reality in his very funny to bring hope to a constituency in considerable distress.

(415) 931-5919 ꚛ info@stjude-shrine.org 11:30 AM SPANISH (if not equally cynical) essay, “What Christmas Means in considerable distress.

Pilgrimsseek and prayers, correspondents seek Pilgrims and correspondents perpetual 01:30 PM SPANISH to Me.” He writes, “Long before Dec. 25th everyone Please visit ourperpetual website foras online requests for prayers, enrollment members of the St. Jude enrollment members of as the St. Jude Apostolate, candles, 05:30 PM ENGLISH prayers, Mass intentions, Perpetual is worn out – physically worn out by weeks of daily Masses, holy oil, and religious items from the Shrine.

Apostolate, candles, Masses, holy oil, and religious items from Enrollments, candles, religious articles, and struggle in overcrowded shops, mentally worn out by We offer novenasnovenas throughout the year. the year. holy theoil.Shrine.

Wevarious offer various throughout the effort to remember all the right recipients and to think out suitable gifts for them. TheySEND are in no trimTO: PETITIONS St. Jude Masses for merry making; much less (if they should want to) Thaddeus Shrine of St. Jude October 28, 2021 to take part in a religious act. They look farDirector, more asFr.ifEmmerich Vogt, O.P. Attn: Christmas Novena Mother’s Day Novena there had been a long illness in the house.”

Thursday PO Box 15368, San Francisco, CA 94115-0368 December 25, 2021 April 30-May 8, 2022 But this is entirely the point of Advent: Slow down, January 2, 2022 wait and prepare. The church, in her wisdom, CONTACT:offers St. 08:00 Peregrine Novena AM ENGLISH us an entire season of waiting, wonder, anticipation (415) 931-5919 ꚛ info@stjude-shrine.org Lourdes Novena June 1-9, 2022 11:30 AM SPANISH and preparation for the hoped-for but unexpected and February 3-11, 2022 surprising coming of Our Lord at Christmas.

01:30 PM SPANISH Father’s Day Novena visit our website for online requests for Having four children has given me aPlease new appreciation Easter Novena June 11-19, 2022 05:30 PM ENGLISH prayers, Mass intentions, Perpetual for two things in particular that children do well and Enrollments, candles, religious articles,April and 17-25, 2022 St. Monica Triduum that mark the season of Advent – waiting and wonder. holy oil.

August 25-27, 2022 Now most people would say that kids do not do well with waiting and, fair enough. If you’ve ever taken a road trip with a car full of children, you’re familiar with SEND PETITIONS TO: the phrase, “Are we there yet?” Or maybe you’ve had a Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus hungry child burst into the kitchen and ask for a snack, Attn: Director, Fr. Emmerich Vogt, O.P. only to be told, “No, we’re eating dinner in a bit.” An PO Box 15368, San Francisco, CA 94115-0368 existential crisis ensues and their hunger is now the exact center of the known universe.

CONTACT: But maybe, just maybe – and hear me out on this – (415) 931-5919 | info@stjude-shrine.org it’s not that children are not good at waiting, it’s that ›

Calendar of Events 2021-2022

www.stjude-shrine.org

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

Please visit our website for online requests for prayers, Mass 9 intentions, Perpetual Enrollments, candles, religious articles, and holy oil.

they are, in fact, excellent at waiting. Maybe it is we grownups, always distracted and in a hurry, who do not know how to properly watch and wait and wonder. Much of what passes for patient waiting among adults is actually indifference and forgetfulness. Often, it’s not that we have actually practiced patient waiting for an upcoming event or encounter, it’s that we have intentionally put it out of our minds to avoid waiting altogether. We write things down in our calendars and tell Siri and Alexa to remind us of things precisely so that we do not have to watch and wait. We would much rather forget for a time and have a device do the watching and waiting and remembering for us.

The Italian equivalent of “I can’t wait” is “non vedo l’ora,” literally, “I can’t see the hour.” This strikes me as a more accurate description of what goes on when adults are forced to wait for something – out of sight, preferably out of mind. It is, however, because children can see the hour and that they are in fact fixated on it, that their waiting takes on an active quality.

Far from being bad at it, children are intentional about their waiting. They seem impatient in their waiting because they lean into it. Tell a child her birthday is approaching and you won’t hear the end of it until the day arrives. No child ever responded, upon being told their birthday is next week, “put it on the calendar, I’ve got schoolwork to focus on.” No, when children know that a thing is worth looking forward to, it’s not only worth waiting for, it’s worth preparing for. Everything becomes a preparation for the thing awaited; everything builds toward and points to it. It’s not that children don’t wait well. No, it’s that their waiting is accompanied by something else that children are also very good at – wonder.

G. K. Chesterton once remarked, “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” Everything is amazing to a child.

This is why children do not get bored. Buy a child an expensive toy and in a matter of minutes he’ll be playing with the box it came in. Boredom is an existential crisis, not the absence of interesting or wonder-ful things. Boredom is the result of failing to see things as full of wonder. It is a failure to see everything as a gift. It is a failure to allow ourselves to be surprised. The world is wonder-ful and even more wonderful and surprising indeed is the reality that God became one of us as a baby, born to a woman when no one was watching.

Advent is full of ways to tap into a child’s sense of wonder and anticipation. Sure, my kids are all waiting for Christmas, but celebrating Advent with them has helped our whole family to focus

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Children wait with wonder-ful anticipation and hope. Advent is the perfect season for a child. It gives them (and therefore the adults in their lives) the kind of active waiting and sense of wonder called for by the birth of the Messiah.”

our attention on the great gift of God’s presence at Christmas rather than as something that we sprint mindlessly toward. I will share just a few of the traditions that have inspired wonder-ful waiting in our house.

The tradition of the Jesse Tree is one way to incorporate Scripture and the history of what God has done to prepare us for his coming. As much as we have prepared for Christmas, God has been waiting even longer than we have, like a child, you might say. The creche or Nativity scene is another way to direct a child’s wonder-ful waiting toward the coming of Christ and to work with their imagination (and even their love of animals!). We typically have four or five arranged at any given time around the house during Advent. Occasionally non-biblical characters and action figures make an appearance. After all, why shouldn’t Buzz Lightyear come and adore the Christ Child? How much does God love us? To infinity, and ... well, you know the rest.

The “O Antiphons” are an ancient and powerful way to “prepare the way of the Lord” as we hear proclaimed in the liturgy at the beginning of Advent.

They are also a great way for kids to learn the many titles of the Messiah and even learn a little Latin DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

along the way as a mnemonic device. The first letter of each of the Latin titles forms the phrase “ero cras,” which is Latin for “tomorrow, I will be (there)” Pretty wonderful, right?

Children wait with wonder-ful anticipation and hope. Advent is the perfect season for a child. It gives them (and therefore the adults in their lives) the kind of active waiting and sense of wonder called for by the birth of the Messiah. Advent comes on quietly, almost sneakily – not unlike when Our Lord came among us quietly, sneakily, like one “slipping behind enemy lines,” again, to borrow a phrase from Lewis.

It is easy to miss – again, like the presence of Our Lord who so often comes to us in ways that are easy to miss – a child, the poor, the ordinary veil of bread and wine. If there is anything at all that we ought to prepare well for, it is less so the hustle and bustle and more so the encounter with Emmanuel, God with us.

Ironically, this is one of the messages of Christmas, as if God says to us, “while you were all busy about your business, I did the unexpected!” During this Advent season, may we watch and wait with the wonder of a child, for the ways in which God will be born into our lives. May we see wonder in the waiting at what God is doing and in what he is about to do. Prepare the way!

Are we there yet? Are we there yet…? ■ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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The Epiphany Center Fortifying family life through recovery

BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

K

ayla Crenshaw gained entrance to a tightly secured, city-run tent encampment in San Francisco’s Civic Center in early October not because she looks like she could be one of its homeless residents — she doesn’t —but in part, because she used to sleep on the surrounding streets herself.

Crenshaw, 31, went from being a healthy young woman from an upper middle-class family in Sacramento with an exciting new job in San Francisco, to a homeless and hopeless drug addict.

Love was her gateway drug, she said. She fell hard for a man addicted to OxyContin, a prescription pain killer. It led to a years-long “toxic cycle” of drug and domestic abuse, poverty, overdoses, jail time, failed rehab stints and isolation.

“Your body, your brain, everything in you is telling you this is the only thing that is going to make you better, make you happy,” said Crenshaw, who eventually got hooked on OxyContin herself, then methamphetamines, crack cocaine and heroin. “There is nothing fun about being a slave to something.”

She was ill when she walked into a women’s resource center looking for help. She woke up to a kind old lady offering her a sandwich.

“I did not believe in God back then, but I prayed for the first time,” Crenshaw said.

The very next day she got a call from the

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Epiphany Center, an addiction treatment center for women in San Francisco operated by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She entered their one-year program.

Today, four years after graduating from Epiphany in 2017 she was hired as lead “navigator” in its new Road to Resilience project.

Navigators find pregnant women or mothers of young children known to have a history of substance abuse through word of mouth, referral and even their own instincts as recovering addicts. Many are homeless, or if not, in abusive relationships.

The long-range goal of the project is the prevention of child abuse. By surrounding women with community-based resources, recovery, reunification and independence are more possible.

Crenshaw had come to the Civic Center encampment to see a young, recently pregnant woman who lost her unborn child in a drunk driving accident. She squatted outside the flapping tarps that formed a door, and asked the young woman what she needed.

She gently tells the woman that she can have a better life for herself, if she wants one. She offers herself as evidence. “I have a nice boyfriend now, I live in a nice apartment, I have a cat.”

We are giving women and babies new beginnings.”

SISTER BETTY MARIE DUNKEL, DC executive director “We don’t force ourselves on anyone,” said Crenshaw, who ferries women to prenatal appointments, helps them fill out applications for public assistance, offers resources for domestic abuse, connects them to appropriate housing, even brings them food or new underwear.

“In this job I think it’s about just showing up and being consistent with people. Because that’s what they are lacking.”

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Epiphany Center graduate Kayla Crenshaw outside a tent encampment in San Francisco Oct. 12. She helps shepherd vulnerable women and families into support services as a “navigator” for Epiphany’s Road to Resilience project.

Photo by Christina Gray

HISTORY OF RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE TIMES The Epiphany Center has a long history of Catholic response to the needs of vulnerable women and children in San Francisco — first orphans, then unwed mothers, and now, drug and alcohol-addicted women and their children.

Its mission is fundamentally the same today as it was when seven sisters with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul sailed into San Francisco in 1852. They opened an orphanage after a cholera outbreak swept through the Gold Rush boomtown. The larger Mount St. Joseph Orphan Asylum opened in 1862.

In 1921, the order opened St. Elizabeth Infant Hospital for unwed mothers at 100 Masonic Ave. In 1976 Mount St. Joseph merged with St. Elizabeth Infant Hospital into one agency. In 1986, at the request of San Francisco’s Department of Public Health, a residential program for infants ›

The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul opened St. Elizabeth Infant Hospital for unwed mothers in 1921.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021 Courtesy of Epiphany Center

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exposed prenatally to drugs was added to support the possibility of reunification with their mothers.

In 1993, Mount St. Joseph-St. Elizabeth began providing outpatient addiction recovery services to women with young children under the name Epiphany Center for Families in Recovery.

In 1995, Epiphany began providing bilingual, inhome parenting support and education to at-risk families with young children. SafeCare teaches parents the skills required to raise children in safe, healthy and loving environments.

In 1999, the Epiphany Center became a federally funded, residential treatment center for women. A Victorian house on Broderick Street was remodeled to accommodate 12 women and their children.

Today the home serves as a transitional “step down” residence for Epiphany graduates and their children as they move out on their own.

AMONG “AMERICA’S BEST ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTERS” “A core part of our business here is changing the lives of children by changing their mothers’ lives,” said Daughter of Charity Sister Betty Marie Dunkel, executive director of Epiphany Center for the last four years.

“Graduates” often thank Epiphany staff, she said, for “helping me be the mother my child needs me to be.”

In August, Newsweek magazine named Epiphany Center in their ranking of “America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers.”

Sister Dunkel, a Daughter of Charity for 58 years, has a master’s degree in both social work and public administration.

“We are giving women and babies new beginnings,” said Sister Dunkel of the family-focused services helping women heal from the traumas of addiction, homelessness and domestic violence. “Our goal is to help families build healthier futures for themselves and their children.”

Between residential treatment and transitional treatment, Epiphany Center’s staff of 53 is currently serving about 30 women with children and without, she said.

Women in residential treatment programs receive individualized counseling, participate in recovery groups, cultivate communication and independent living skills and develop a relapse-prevention plan.

Mothers receive therapeutic childcare for their

children under the age of 3 in the Parent-Child Center, which focuses on strengthening the parental bond.

Epiphany’s Mental Health Clinic treats children experiencing stress due to the disruption of family unity or other traumas, and works with families to achieve the goal of reunification.

A satellite pediatric clinic of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center provides medical services.

“We are here to take care of a population that has lost their homes in so many ways,” said Sister Dunkel.

“We are a place that gives hope, that gives healing for those who seek it and work for it.”

“Susie,” a 2016 Epiphany Center graduate found both.

“At Epiphany, I felt, for the first time in my life, the feeling of being home, the feeling of safety and stability,” she said.

Denise, also a 2016 graduate, said she was a “suicidal, mean drug addict,” when she arrived. She experienced “pure, unadulterated love” for the first time at Epiphany Center.

“Epiphany took care of me until I was ready and able to take care of myself, which saved my life,” she said.

Epiphany took care of me until I was ready and able to take care of myself, which saved my life.” – DENISE, 2016 Epiphany Center graduate 14

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Courtesy of Epiphany Center

OPIOID CRISIS, NEW INTERVENTIONS The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that drug overdose deaths in the U.S rose almost 30 percent between 2010 and 2020.

San Francisco, like other parts of the country, has seen a rapid recent increase in drug overdoses due to the proliferation of the synthetic opioid fentanyl which is 50 times stronger than heroin, according to a report on Substance Abuse Trends through 2019 published by the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 2020.

ROAD TO RESILIENCE: A NEW INVITATION TO RECOVERY Thanks to a state grant awarded to only 10 addiction centers in California, the Epiphany Center was able to introduce the community-based Road to Resilience project in 2019.

Crenshaw and Jamie Lang, another Epiphany graduate, are the face of the program. They work long days and nights to help move pregnant and/or addicted women and children off the streets or out of abusive homes.

As a recovering drug addict, Crenshaw said she knows where to look for women in hiding and how to gain their trust.

“Hey, I’ve been there,” she said. “I am able to encourage them in a different way that feels less like they are being attacked or judged and more like they are being seen and heard.” › CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

15

Epiphany taught me how to be a person again.”

SARAH MACDEVITT

Epiphany Center gradute Sarah MacDevitt, left, with her husband Julian and baby girl Avery.

Photo by Christina Gray

Megan Geary, program director for Compass Family Services called the women referred to her through Road to Resilience, “some of the most fragile clients we see, mostly street-based and/or chronically homeless and often on the verge of giving birth without a safe place to go.”

Navigators traveling to encampments and other unhoused community settings in the city meet the needs of service providers “often desperate to help households get connected to services.”

Claudia Mendez with San Francisco Child Protective Services said navigation of mothers into support services has helped her “advocate for families that qualify to stay together.”

Sister Dunkel is full of resolve to find continued funding for the project once the grant ends in 2023.

Epiphany Center is supported by federal, state and city funding, foundation grants, individual and corporate donors, volunteers such as the Epiphany League and local faith communities.

“We are going to have to find other sources of funding for it because it’s too valuable of a service for women to do without and I think we do it well,” said Sister Dunkel.

A FOUNDATION FOR LIFE “I came to Epiphany Center with literally the clothes on my back,” said Sarah MacDevitt, a statement hard to reconcile with the sight of her in her comfortable Pittsburg home, her husband Julian at her side and their 3-month-old baby Avery between them.

The 34-year-old New York native started doing drugs at 15, starting with marijuana and cocaine.

At 17 she was a “full-blown heroin addict.”

MacDevitt said she can’t blame her drug and alcohol use on family trauma.

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“I’m an addict to the core,” she said. “I tried it and I liked it and I never wanted it to stop.”

Her father with whom she lived sent her to live with her mother in Pacifica at 19 after she stole money from her stepmother to buy drugs.

She became homeless soon after moving into her own apartment in San Francisco. She invited a stranger in to do drugs with her and he stole her every cent.

“I couldn’t pay for my rent and maintain my drug habit,” she said.

Days before her 22nd birthday MacDevitt fell out of a third-story window, breaking both legs.

She was trying to sneak into her roommate’s room to steal her pills.

“The kicker is, I still had pills,” she said. “I just didn’t want to run out.”

By the time she entered Epiphany Center’s addiction treatment program in 2014, MacDevitt had been homeless for three years.

“They taught me how to be a person again,” MacDevitt said of Epiphany. After living on the streets she had lost track of the most basic selfcare needs, like brushing her teeth. The Epiphany Center’s dental program replaced her broken and decayed teeth and with them, gave her more reasons to smile.

In treatment groups she learned to identify triggers to her drug use, and to develop a relapseprevention plan.

“It gave me a foundation for life after program,” she said.

Before leaving the program, MacDevitt’s vocational counselor suggested she consider court reporting.

She surprised herself by graduating faster than any other student in the school’s history, passed her state exams on the first try, and has been employed in her profession for four years now.

She married Julian MacDevitt, another recovering addict, and welcomed Avery this past summer.

“I don’t have words to express the gifts that Epiphany Center has given me,” she said.

Visit theepiphanycenter.org ■ DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

SIMBANG GABI AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 2021 Our Lady of Mercy Parish

5 Elmwood Drive, Daly City, CA Between South Mayfair & Southgate Avenues with plenty of free parking!

Wednesday, December 15, to Thursday December 23, 2021: 6:00pm Rosary and Confession (except Saturday @ 2:30pm) 6:30pm Simbang Gabi Masses. There will be no fellowship after mass.

Friday, December 24: 7:00am, 9:00am, 4:00pm, Christmas Eve Vigil Mass 6:00pm, Christmas Eve Vigil Mass Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the midnight mass is cancelled

Saturday, December 25: Christmas Day Masses @ 8:00am, 10:00am & 12:00pm ( There will be no 4pm Vigil Mass for Sunday, Dec. 26)

Friday, December 31: 7:00am, 9:00am 6:00pm , Vigil Mass for New Year's Day

Saturday, January 1, 2022 - New Year's Day Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 8:00am & 10:00am, 4:00p.m. vigil Mass

Sunday, January 2, 2022 , 8:00a.m., 10:00a.m. 12:00p.m.

Saints Peter and Paul Church

St. Brendan Catholic Church 2021 Christmas Mass Schedule Christmas Eve, Friday, December 2 4th, 2021 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 10:00 pm (our Midnight Mass)

Nativity of the Lord Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25th, 2021 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph Sunday, December 26th, 2021 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Friday, December 31st, 2021, 6 pm Saturday, January 1st, 2022 (not a Holy Day of Obligation – this year)

9:00 am (no 8:15 am Mass)

Solemnity of The Lord Saturday, January 1, 2021 5 pm Vigil Mass Sunday, January 2nd, 2022 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

St. Brendan Parish Church 29 Rockaway Avenue, SF, CA 94127 415-681-4225 17 www.stbrendanparish.org

CHRISTMAS

FALL ON YOUR KNEE Where words fail, ‘O Holy Night’ prevails

BY AARON LAMBERT Writer from Denver

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C

eline Dion. Josh Groban. Mariah Carey. The list of musicians who have performed the classic and perhaps most powerful of the Christmas hymns, “O Holy Night,” is extensive. Go down the YouTube rabbit hole, and you’ll find there’s even a heavy metal version, not to mention countless other artists who have dared to take it on, to varying results.

The Christmas season cannot truly begin until the local radio station begins playing Christmas music across the airwaves (or, for you millennials and Generation Zers, until Spotify magically curates a Christmas playlist for you). More than any other holiday, the music is inextricably linked to the season when it comes to Christmas. Vast coves of memories are tied to those tunes that we can’t get enough of come Black Friday (and are utterly sick of come Dec. 26).

And yet, certain songs transcend the inevitable “Christmas music burnout,” and “O Holy Night” is one of them.

It’s the kind of song that makes one stop dead in their tracks, especially when being performed by an exceptional vocalist. But what is it about “O Holy Night” that stirs our hearts so? A look back at the history of the composition and its musical and lyrical characteristics can provide a glimpse into the power of this timeless piece and hopefully, a newfound appreciation for it.

Much like the Nativity itself, the genesis of “O Holy Night” centers around a rather ordinary occasion in a rather ordinary French town. In 1843, the organ at the local parish in the quaint town of Roquemaure had been recently renovated, and a local poet by the name of Placide Cappeau was asked by the parish’s priest to write a poem to celebrate the occasion.

Originally called “Cantique de Noël,” the text in the original French was quite different than the familiar lyrics that are widely known today; it was also simply a poem. The opening lines, translated to literal English, read: Midnight, Christians, is the solemn hour when God as man descended unto us / To erase the stain of original sin / And to end the wrath of his Father. / The entire world thrills with hope / On this night that gives it a Savior.

This rather didactic recitation of the poem changed in 1847 when the popular secular composer Adolphe Adam wrote the delicate yet incredibly moving melody that is now synonymous with “O Holy Night” and put it to the canticle. The newly minted composition premiered that same year in Roquemaure when Adam’s friend and local soprano, Émily Laurey, sang it at the midnight Mass in the church of St. Jean-Baptiste et Jean l’Évangeliste.

Ironically, though intended as a very spiritual and pious piece at heart, the original text of the song drew a fair amount of influence from the secular culture of the time, which is understandable when one considers the political backdrop of France during that era of history.

“This was all happening and all being done within the shadow of the second French Revolution in 1848,” said Charles Nolen, director of sacred music and instructor at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.

“Viewing the text in that light, there are some interesting things that relate into that, particularly (when) looking at a translation of the French, it reflects very much on people’s pride.

There’s definitely some interesting juxtapositions with the idea that the second French Revolution is brewing right around this time.”

In the original French, one line of the canticle reads: “It is to your pride that God preaches / Bow your heads before the Redeemer.” Indeed, given the social tensions in years before the French Revolution, the song faced a colorful array of criticisms from across the ideological spectrum. Even so, the song continued to grow in popularity across France and Europe, which was not surprising, given Adam’s adept ear for writing popular music. ›

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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“Adolphe Adam was not a church musician, and in fact, his father was a composer as well and didn’t necessarily want his son to follow in his footsteps,” Nolen said. “But then he became a composer and music critic and he was mostly known for his ballets, and it may be one of the keys to its popularity, is the fact that Adam was writing popular music at the time. He was writing for public consumption of ballets. He was very intimately acquainted with what the public liked and wanted from music.”

What Jesus brought on Christmas transcends words, but “O HOLY NIGHT,” in its beauty, puts to music what words cannot do justice.”

As the song continued to grow in popularity around the world, it eventually caught the attention of a Unitarian minister by the name of John Sullivan Dwight in 1855. Dwight translated the poem into English using the lyrics we all now know and love, and the rest, as they say, is history. Thus, “Cantique de Noël” became more widely known as “O Holy Night.”

To this day, “O Holy Night” is sung at Christian churches of all denominations around the world and it remains a much-anticipated high point of the Christmas celebration. Its power lies not only within its elegant lyricism but also within the music of the piece itself. Nolen describes the main melody as one that continually rises and falls, imitating Christ’s descent to earth in the form of an innocent child, a simple act of divine power. These ideas are reflected in Adam’s composition.

“The apex of the piece is when we hear ‘O night,’ and it’s not just some other night, it’s the ‘night

divine’ and through the repetition as it’s moving down, (Adam) is painting that idea of the ‘night divine’ when Christ was born,” Nolen explained.

“And again, that idea, the melody starts high on ‘night’ and then as we get to the birth of Christ, the melody comes down. It’s this continual motion of reminding ourselves, if you will, of God’s condescension to us in human form.”

Christmas presents an opportunity each year to truly reflect upon what is most important in people’s lives. Family, friends, food and gifts are all joyful and important parts of the season, but it bespeaks something deeper that an explicitly Christian holiday is such a stronghold of the world’s cultural celebrations. What Jesus brought on Christmas transcends words, but “O Holy Night,” in its beauty, puts to music what words cannot do justice.

“Looking at the text, I think about how much we want as human beings what’s in this text. We want his love. We want his gospel of peace. We want all oppression to cease,” Nolen said.

The words and music of “O Holy Night” serve as a poignant reminder not only of the ultimate source of true, unbridled love, joy, hope and peace, but also of humanity’s universal longing for it. This is where the power and significance of “O Holy Night” ultimately lies.

“In a certain sense, in the humanity of the people who composed the poem, composed the music, composed the English translation, there is a longing that we as human beings have that is being expressed in this text,” Nolen said. “Think about when our churches are most filled. It really speaks in a universal sense to what we’re all longing for, whether we know it or not, I think that’s part of what the popularity of it is, that in 1847, in 1947, and I’ll say in 2047, the words are still going to have a personal meaning to people.”

– Reprinted courtesy of the Denver Catholic ■

THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE MELODY

When he wrote the timeless melody that would become synonymous with “O Holy Night” in 1847, French composer Adolphe Adam was best known for his ballets. With a deep understanding of popular music and what moved people at the time, Adam wrote the music with the intent to have it performed by a capable opera singer. And indeed, it was premiered by a soprano vocalist, thus cementing its place in the upper echelon of Christmas music.

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Celebrating 90 Years 1931 - 2021 Serving over 600 students K through 8.

Nurturing students into leaders who are inspired to serve.

910 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA 94402 • 650-343-1373 • www.stmatthewcath.org

� Knights � Saint Francis Our Annual Event

Saturday, December 23rd • 6pm-8pm Piazza Saint Francis • The Poets Plaza Vallejo Street (Between Grant & Columbus • San Francisco

Knights’ Event Schedule

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CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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Christmas Party ......................................... December 18, ‘21 Live Nativity ......................................... December 23, ‘21 Ash Wednesday ............................................. March 2, ‘22 Easter Pasquetta ............................. Monday, April 18, ‘22 Italian Pilgrimage ................................................. June ‘22 Blessing of St. Francis’ Prison Cell (Perugia) ... June ‘22 Day of Pardon ............................................ August 2, ‘22 info@knightsofsaintfrancis.org

Join Us! www.knightsofsaintfrancis.com

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FOOD

Father Angel Quitalig, pastor of St. Mark Parish in Belmont, and Father Dominic Lee prepare a Cantonese dinner in the rectory kitchen. The dinner was a prize in a fundraiser for the parish Ladies Guild.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

Local priests and a brother describe their avocation for cooking and the power of shared meals

BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

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Y

ou don’t have to be especially fare-minded to notice that the story of human salvation more or less begins and ends with a meal.

From the forbidden bite of an apple in the Garden of Eden, to the central role of bread and wine at the Last Supper, Christianity and food have an intrinsic link.

No one seemed to appreciate the power of a shared meal more than Jesus. In the Gospels, it’s where he often revealed his divinity. He filled empty wine jugs at the wedding at Cana and turned a paltry supply of loaves and fishes at the Sermon on the Mount into a bounty. It was at a meal that he brought his followers together on the night before his death and invoked them to continue to share the same meal after he was gone.

Here, three local priests and a brother known for their cooking describe their avocation and its pastoral parallels.

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

FATHER ANGEL QUITALIG

Father Angel Quitalig had little interest in cooking until he became parochial vicar of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in San Francisco after his ordination in 1998.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t cook for myself, and when I was at the seminary, someone cooked for me then too,” said Father Quitalig, pastor of St. Mark Parish in Belmont.

The now-retired pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Father Donald D’Angelo, encouraged the young priest to learn to cook after noticing his interest in the goings-on of the rectory kitchen.

Father D’Angelo taught Father Quitalig to make pastas and other simple meals, with an important maxim: always use the best ingredients you can.

“One reason I love cooking is because I love eating,” Father Quitalig admitted. He is “not shy,” he said, about asking a chef or home cook to reveal ingredients or steps in a standout dish.

As a busy pastor also on the staff of the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal, being able to cook helps satisfy his yearnings for Filipino dishes, such as “adobo” (which is different than the Mexican version).

Father Quitalig puts his own twist on the traditional dish, blending the distinctive spices and flavorings into a smooth sauce to be added at serving.

CALDERETA This stew was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards.

Ingredients: 2 lbs. cubed beef (or any preferred protein) 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

2 c. beef or chicken broth

1 green bell pepper, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 c. tomato sauce /2 c. liver spread

1

/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1

2 c. potatoes and carrots, sliced /4 c. cooking oil

1

/3 c. green olives (optional)

2

The very intent of cooking is to share with people, first and foremost, the blessings and the gifts that God gave us.”

FATHER ANGEL QUITALIG, Pastor of St. Mark Parish “I enjoy the whole thing, every bit of the cooking process,” he said. Despite a robust appreciation for the pleasures of food, he believes, however, that the “perfect meal” is less about flavors or techniques and more about what happens when food is shared.

“The very intent of cooking is to share with people, first and foremost, the blessings and the gifts that God gave us,” he said.

Pre-pandemic, he prepared breakfast for the pastoral staff each Sunday after the 8 a.m. Mass.

Father Quitalig’s culinary compadre in the St. Mark rectory kitchen is often Father Dominic Lee, who ministers to the Chinese Catholic community in San Mateo and lives at St. Mark. On Oct. 20, Father Lee and Father Quitalig teamed up to prepare a multi-course Cantonese dinner for six parishioners who bid on it in a recent fundraising event for the parish.

Father Quitalig said that though he doesn’t pray the Hail Mary or rosary when he cooks, his intention is always prayerful, especially when cooking for others.

“I want to deliver the joy I feel so that others feel blessed and will say ‘thank you’ to our Lord,” he said.

When it comes to food that makes him happy, Father Quitalig said he is not hard to please.

“Give me an egg with a hot dog or a sausage in any form, and I’m happy,” he said with a smile. › CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Heat the cooking oil in the cooking pot and sauté the onion and garlic.

1 2 3

Add meat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the color turns light brown.

Add the liver spread and stir. Mix in tomato sauce and broth. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, 1-2 hours.

4

Add grated cheddar cheese and stir.

Add green olives and bell peppers, stir, and cook for 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with rice or bread.

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DOMINICAN BROTHER MICHAEL JAMES RIVERA

Until just recently when he was moved to St. Theresa Center in Las Vegas, which serves those living with HIV or AIDS, Dominican Brother Michael James Rivera was for a short time an internet cooking star.

This past Lent, the former director of community outreach for St. Dominic Parish’s Lima Center teamed with Kathy Folan, director of family and youth ministries, for a series of nine food and craft videos.

“Heaven’s Kitchen” was produced each week as a fun, family-oriented religious education teaching tool during the Lenten season.

In Episode 1, viewers saw Folan and Brother Michael James mixing flour and water to create a dough they would roll out, then braid into a bready crown of thorns topped with toothpicks.

Subsequent episodes included a spinach and palm dip (for Palm Sunday), puff pastry purses, Irish soda bread and hot cross buns.

In the “Heaven’s Kitchen” finale, guest chef and pastor Dominican Father Michael Hurley joined the pair in the kitchen to caramelize the top of a lemon meringue pie – a not-for-children step in the recipe.

Baking teaches patience.”

St. Anne of the Sunset Church

DOMINICAN BROTHER MICHAEL JAMES RIVERA

Christmas Mass Schedule 2021

“You have to know your lane when it comes to cooking, and mine is either barbecue or blow torches,” said Father Hurley in the video, pulling a 2-foot culinary torch out from under his robes.

“Easter is full of fire,” he explains.

Brother Michael James grew up dusted in flour as part of a family who liked to bake together. He remembers his grandfather cracking walnuts for the candy his grandmother would make for the holidays.

That memory, together with “all the people who took up baking during the pandemic,” helped inspire “Heaven’s Kitchen,” he said.

“Baking teaches patience,” said Brother Michael James, whether that’s rolling out flaky crusts for the pies his family makes to celebrate birthdays or making brownies.

He recalled his first batch of brownies with an embarrassed laugh. He figured he could use Dutch drinking cocoa as a substitute for baking cocoa.

“The brownies came out completely flat.” ›

Christmas Novena Masses (Simbang Gabi) Dec 15-23 @ 8:45am Mon-Sat, 8:00am Sunday

Christmas Eve Masses, December 24 Vigil 5pm - Family Mass* 8pm - Mass in Chinese, Livestream**

Christmas Day Masses, December 25 8am & 10am - Mass* 12pm - Mass in Chinese**

New Year’s Day Mass, January 1 9am - Mass* 5pm - Vigil for Sunday Mass

Advent Reconciliation before mass * Livestream at www.facebook.com/StAnneSF ** Livestream at www.facebook.com/CCinSF

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

GINGERBREAD COOKIES Ingredients: 1 c. butter, softened

1 c. dark brown sugar /2 c. molasses

1

2 tbsp. ground cinnamon 2 tbsp. ground ginger 2 tsp. ground cloves 2 tsp. baking soda

3 1/2 c. flour (plus some for dusting)

Royal icing and candy decorations Dominican Brother Michael James Rivera, left, is seen in a screenshot of a video series called “Heaven’s Kitchen” produced

by St. Dominic Parish earlier this year.

Yes, Virginia, Catholic cookbooks are a thing!

“Cooking with the Saints” Authors Alexandra Greeley and Fernando Flores present saint biographies and dishes tied to the liturgical feasts of the church.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking soda together until smooth. Blend in flour to make a stiff dough.

1

2

Split dough into two disks, cover in cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Dust a silicone mat or parchment paper with a little bit of flour and roll out one disk of dough at a time to 1/4” thickness.

Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and gently place on another silicon mat or piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet.

3

Chill baking sheet and cookies in the fridge for 5 minutes, then bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from the baking sheet and allow to cool completely before decorating with royal icing and candy.

“Spicing Up Married Life” Father Leo Patalinghug, winner of celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s “Throwdown” cooking competition, is author of this cookbook for couples.

“Gather Together” Catherine Sample Fowler, producer of the film, “The Dating Project,” offers 40 recipes in a cookbook geared to young adult Catholics.

“The Vatican Cookbook” The Pontifical Swiss Guard presents Vatican classics including favorites of Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul ll.

Visit catholiccompany.com CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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FATHER PAT MICHAELS

Spend a few hours in the kitchen with Father Pat Michaels and you will learn about fennel pollen, collected from local plants to flavor savory dishes.

You will have your first taste of Italian chestnut honey, a delicate finish for an angel hair pasta fritter appetizer. You will sample his Sicilian grandmother’s hazelnut and chocolate “butter finger” cookies hot out of the oven. You will leave satisfied in every way.

It speaks to Father Michaels’ capabilities and confidence in the kitchen that the longtime pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish agreed to field questions from a writer hours before he was to put a four-course, nine-dish Italian dinner on the table for 12 guests.

The dinner was a prize to the highest bidder in a fundraising auction for Tribe Rising, a nonprofit started by two parishioners to benefit children of the disadvantaged Santal tribe in India.

Father Michaels’ culinary gifts and knowledge are such that they have been a fundraising source for the parish for almost 10 years. One such fundraiser helped defray the cost of “deferred maintenance” for the large church.

“Last year we auctioned off four dinners for 12 people each,” he said. “Then, with COVID, no one could cash them in. This dinner is the final one in that series.”

The menu pinned to the refrigerator as he worked read like that of a Michelin-star restaurant. Courses include gamberi al Don Patrizio (prawns dusted in herbs and flour and sauteed in butter and olive oil), pasta al forno (a baked pasta dish), costolette di manzo brasate (braised beef ribs in a special tomato sauce) and Father Michaels’ own recipe for finocchio al forno (fennel baked with bread crumbs, parmesan and spices).

If you are going to cook something and you want people to enjoy it, you have to care about them first.”

Mass Schedule For Christmas and New Year Confessions Friday, December 24, 2021 10:30 am to12:00 pm and 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Christmas’ Eve & Day Masses Friday, December 24, 2021 6:00 pm Bi-lingual Children’s Mass Midnight 26 Bi-lingual Mass

Saturday, December 25, 2021 7:30 am English 9:30 am Spanish 11:30 am English 1:30 pm Spanish

New Year’s Eve and Day Masses 6;00 pm Spanish Mass Midnight Bi-lingual Mass Saturday, January 1, 2022 7:30 am English 9:30 am Spanish 11:30 am English 1:30 pm Spanish

FATHER PAT MICHAELS, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Mill Valley Semifreddo gianduia, a laborious, partially frozen Italian dessert made with hazelnut paste, chocolate, hot milk, whipping cream, eggs and sugar, would conclude the meal. And of course: dita al burro della nonna, his grandmother’s cookies.

When asked if it was difficult to put together such a menu, he smiled. “I think food,” he said.

Father Michaels said he started cooking when he left the seminary.

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

FINOCCHIO AL FORNO Father Michaels’ own recipe for fennel with parmesan and bread crumbs, an aromatic side dish that serves 8-10 people.

Photo by Christina Gray

Father Pat Michaels, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Mill Valley, seen in the rectory kitchen, prepared a four-course dinner Oct. 22 for winners of a parish fundraising auction.

“There were certain dishes that if I didn’t make myself, I couldn’t have them,” he said. Namely, his mother’s Sicilian spaghetti sauce, simmered for eight hours to intensify the tomato and meld the clove, allspice, salt and pepper that characterize it.

Foods connected to good memories are often considered “comfort food,” said Father Michaels.

Such is the case with his mother’s stuffed artichoke, a rare and highly anticipated treat she served as dessert to her children.

“Artichokes were hard to come by where I grew up,” he said. “This was a way Mom got us to eat our dinner.”

When it comes to his own daily meals, a Costco salmon fillet prepared on the weekend can last Father Michaels all week.

“I’m not going to spend a lot of time cooking for myself,” he said. “But if it’s for other people, well, that’s part of the fun.”

Meals can be purely functional given the schedules people have to keep, but he believes that “mealtime is still a time to be shared.”

It can be transformative for couples, families, friends and communities, said Father Michaels.

“It renews their connection to each other and unites them,” he said.

Father Michaels sees a natural parallel between cooking and being a pastor.

“They are both about service,” he said. “If you are going to cook something and you want people to enjoy it, you have to care about them first. It has to be intentional.” ■ CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

Ingredients: 4 anise bulbs, cut into 10 wedges each 3 /4 c. tangerine juice 1 stick of butter 3 large cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp dried basil Pinch of red pepper flakes 1 c. toasted bread crumbs 1 c. grated parmesan cheese Salt and pepper Instructions: Lay the wedges out in overlapping rows in a glass Pyrex pan (9x13) to create a single layer, more or less. Pour the tangerine juice over the wedges.

Mix the parmesan and bread crumbs together and set aside for later.

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Put butter in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup with the minced garlic and spices. Microwave for no more than 1 minute or heat the ingredients in a small saucepan until the butter is melted.

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CHRISTMAS

O Come Emmanuel

The Four Masses of Christmas

BY HUNG PHAM Director of Liturgy for the Archdiocese of Denver

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W

hile most liturgical celebrations have one Mass, certain solemnities may have two different Masses: a vigil Mass and a “Mass for the day.” However, the celebration of Christmas is unique. For the Nativity of the Lord, the church gives us four different Masses to celebrate: the vigil Mass and the three traditional Masses of Christmas Day – “Mass during the night,” “Mass at dawn” and “Mass during the day.”

While each of the Masses celebrate the birth of Christ, they have different readings and prayers assigned to them which emphasize a different aspect of the Nativity and lead us on a journey from the waiting of Advent to the joy of Christmas.

THE VIGIL MASS: JOYFUL ANTICIPATION We are still in a time of waiting and anticipation, which is clear in the entrance antiphon: “Today you will know that the Lord will come, and he will save us, and in the morning you will see his glory.” We are moving out of Advent into the joy of Christmas, still somewhat waiting in joyful anticipation.

This is also reflected at the beginning of Mass in the collect as we pray: “O God, who gladden us year by year as we wait in hope for our redemption, grant that, just as we joyfully welcome your only begotten Son as our Redeemer, we may also merit to face him confidently when he comes again as our judge.”

In the Gospel for this Mass, we

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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CHRISTMAS MASSES

hear not about the actual event of the birth of Christ, but the same Gospel readings that we read a week prior in Advent. They recall the genealogy of Jesus and one of the events that led up to his birth. One last time, the Gospel reading is preparing us for the impending birth of the Lord.

MASS DURING THE NIGHT: HEARING THE GOOD NEWS While the Roman Missal titles this as simply “Mass during the night,” most Catholics will know this as the midnight Mass. Here we go from the anticipation of the birth of the Lord found in the vigil Mass to celebrating the actual birth of Christ. We begin with the entrance antiphon telling us: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Savior has been born in the world. Today true peace has come down to us from heaven.” Celebrated at night, the time at which Jesus was born, the collect contrasts the darkness of the night to the light of Christ: “O God, who have made this most sacred night radiant with the splendor of true light, grant we pray, that we, who have known the mysteries of his light on earth, may also delight in his gladness in heaven.” ›

Holy Day of Obligation December 24th 5:00 p.m.

10:00 p.m. (Christmas Midnight Mass) December 25th - Christmas Day Mass 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., & 12:00 p.m.

The Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God January 1, 2022 (Not a Holy Day of Obligation) 10:00 a.m. Mass Epiphany of our Lord January 1, 2022 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass January 2, 2022 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.

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It is also during this Mass that we hear the wellknown story of Christmas in the Gospel of Luke, with the angels making known the birth of the Lord to the shepherds announcing, “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.” For this reason, this Mass is also known as the “angels’ Mass.”

MASS AT DAWN: BASKING IN THE LIGHT OF THE SON At dawn, we begin with acknowledging the light of Christ in the entrance antiphon proclaiming, “Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us.” At this Mass, we pray in the collect: “Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, as we are bathed in the new radiance of your incarnate Word, the light of faith, which illuminates our minds, may also shine through our deeds.”

We highlight the parallel between Jesus and the dawning sun. As the sun rises and illuminates the world, Jesus’ birth brings illumination to our thoughts and actions.

The Gospel reading for this Mass continues the story from the previous Mass. After having listened to the announcement from the angel, the shepherds hasten to find Mary and Joseph and to worship the Christ Child. In turn, just as the angel made known the birth of Christ to them, the shepherds make him known to others. The focus here is on the role of the shepherds in proclaiming the good news of Christ’s birth, which is why this Mass is sometimes known as the “shepherds’ Mass.”

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MASS DURING THE DAY: CONTEMPLATING THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION The last Mass of Christmas occurs during the full light of day. With our minds now illuminated by the light of Christ, our focus now shifts to the mystery of the Incarnation and to divine generation. The entrance antiphon proclaims, “A child is born for us, and a Son is given to us; his scepter of power rests upon his shoulder, and his name will be called messenger of great counsel.”

At the collect we pray: “O God, who wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and still more wonderfully restored it, grant, we pray, that we may share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”

Christ was born for us, so that we may share in his divine majesty. This theme is emphasized in the Gospel of this Mass, where we shift from the narrative of the birth of Jesus found in Luke to the prologue of the Gospel of John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory.”

This child that we have waited in anticipation for, that the angels announced, and that the shepherds made known to others, is the Word, who is God made flesh.

To we who accept him, he gives power to “become the children of God.” This child born for us has made us children of the Father. As we enter into the Christmas season let us contemplate the Incarnation through the lens of the Christmas Masses and come to recognize the wonder of being a child of God. – Reprinted courtesy of the Denver Catholic ■ DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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KNOW TH E MASS

The Gloria & Collect

BY FATHER KEVIN KENNEDY This article is part of the Know the Mass series.

Father Kevin Kennedy is pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Russian Byzantine Catholic Church, administrator at St. MonicaSt. Thomas the Apostle Parish in San Francisco and formation adviser and spiritual director at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University.

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G

lory to God in the highest.

Throughout our lives we sometimes need a reminder to get to the point or, in other words, to focus on what really matters. After the preparatory penitential act of the Mass, described in our last two articles, the gathered assembly gets “to the point” of the liturgy by offering praise and thanksgiving to God. We do this especially in the Gloria, a beautiful hymn which begins by repeating the song of the angels as they announced the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:14). This ancient doxology, which was gradually developed and enriched by various authors in the East, was originally sung at different times of the day, including liturgical celebrations (Byzantine matins). According to tradition, it was first inserted into the Mass for the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, and later expanded throughout the Roman rite where it is now said (or preferably sung) on Sundays (except

Advent and Lent), feasts and other solemn celebrations.

While singing the Gloria, the assembly addresses and exalts the Lord our God who is proclaimed as the heavenly King and almighty Father. We praise, bless, adore, glorify and give thanks to him. We worship the Father in and through Jesus Christ, who is himself also proclaimed as Lord and God, the only begotten Son of the Father and the Lamb of God. The Gloria thus bears witness to the apostolic faith of the universal church (both East and West) regarding the mystery of Christ and the Trinity, and also of God’s creative, saving and sanctifying plan for all of humanity.

We offer prayers and supplications to the Lord, repeatedly imploring his mercy and asking that he hear our prayer. Finally, we crown our joyful praise with the triple proclamation that Jesus Christ is the holy one, the Lord, the Most High.

The Gloria concludes with a reference to

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

the third person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. We thus praise God the Son made man, with God the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. In this exultant doxology we are reminded that the mystery of Christ; crucified, risen and glorified, is always made present to us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is necessarily both a vertical and a horizontal dimension to our liturgical and sacramental celebrations. However, in the past 50 years many have observed that the vertical dimension of the Mass seems, at times, to have been significantly damaged if not altogether lost.

In some circumstances, there has been a sense that the assembly has gathered in order to celebrate itself (a merely social event) as if it did not really matter whether God was mentioned or not. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) warned against this self-destructive phenomenon, teaching that whoever elevates the community to the level of an end in itself is precisely the one who dissolves its foundations. “Worship then becomes a feast that the community gives itself, a festival of selfaffirmation” (“Spirit of the Liturgy,” 22-23).

One of the great gifts of the ancient – and ever new – Gloria is that it provides a life-restoring antidote to the poisonous aberration in the liturgy

described by Pope Benedict. The entire hymn is focused on God rather than the assembled congregation. Therefore, it lifts us up beyond ourselves, to the heights of self-transcendence and self-surrender that make true worship – and therefore entrance into the kingdom of God – possible.

The introductory rites of the Mass are brought to their conclusion by the collect, or opening prayer, which is the first of the presidential prayers of the Mass in which the priest, who presides over the assembly in the person of Christ, addresses God on behalf of all those present. The priest invites the congregation to pray. After pausing in order to allow this to happen, he then collects (or gathers together) the individual prayers of those present through the official oration of the church for that day. The collect is typically simple and brief. It is normally addressed to God with a particular intention and usually concludes through the mediation of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit: “Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.” The collect leads us into the Liturgy of the Word, which we will examine next as we continue our series on the Mass. ■

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CHRISTMAS

Cultural Traditions

Photo by Dennis Callahan

T

he Archdiocese of San Francisco is home to a large population of Catholics from cultures with their own unique Advent and Christmas faith traditions. Here are some of the largest and most visible: PHILIPPINES: Simbang Gabi Simbang Gabi is a nine-day, traditional Philippine novena to the Blessed Mother. If celebrated in the evening, it spans Dec. 15-23; if the traditional morning Mass, it begins Dec. 16 and ends with the “Misa de gallo” (“rooster’s Mass”) in the early morning hours of Dec. 24.

Until 2008, Simbang Gabi was mostly a nostalgic religious event held in a handful of local parishes with a large population of Filipino parishioners. It became an official archdiocesan event thanks to the determination of the late San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer and local Filipino church leader Nellie Hizon.

An annual “commissioning Mass” heralding the start of the novena was scheduled for Dec. 10 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Parishes throughout the archdiocese make colorful “parol” or lanterns for the ceremony, a symbol of their mission to “go forth” as an evangelical light in their respective communities.

Feast of Santo Nino The image of Santo Niño (“Holy Child”) is the

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first Christian image that was brought to the Philippines. The feast day is the commemoration of the acceptance of Christianity by the Filipino people. In the Philippines, the feast of the Santo Niño is celebrated on the third Sunday in January. The feast of Santo Niño will be celebrated Jan. 15, 2022, at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

LATIN AMERICA: Las Posadas Las Posadas (“The Inns”) is a novena celebrated in Mexico and some parts of the U.S. Dec. 1624 or Dec. 15-23. Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe place to have the baby Jesus.

A small child dressed as an angel typically leads a procession enacting the Nativity story.

Sometimes members of the procession carry candles or lanterns and images of Mary and Joseph. Other celebrations include actors, often children, dressed as Mary and Joseph, riding through local streets on a real donkey asking for shelter along the way.

A Mass is held after the processions. At the conclusion of the service, children break open piñatas in the shape of stars. The stars represent those that guided the three Wise Men to the newborn Jesus. ■ – Christina Gray DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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Rose window illustrates Nativity at Menlo Park church

BY MARY POWERS Assistant Director of Communications and Media Relations.

Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

E

ach year, parishioners at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park arrive to midnight Mass in the dark of night to see a great light. The church is unlit, illumined solely by the stained-glass rose window of the Nativity – a reminder of the joy of that first Christmas when Christ, the light of the world, was born in a humble stable.

Given to the parish in 1900 by the parish altar society, not much more is known of its origins or the artist who designed it, but it is presumed to have been made in the United States.

What we do know is that the window is full of the symbolism of the season and also a reminder of Christ’s crucifixion, the reason for his coming into the world.

The window itself is a rose window – a circular stained-glass window with a center image and radiating tracery resembling a flower with petals.

Rose windows reached their height in high Gothic architecture in the 13th century and can be found in churches across the world, most famously in Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral in France.

“It’s a representation of the Nativity,” explained Msgr. Steven Otellini, pastor of the Church of the Nativity, but the window’s illustration conflates several Gospel accounts. “In Luke’s account, we have the details of the birth in Bethlehem in a stable, and in Matthew’s account we have the visit of the Magi with the star. So it has both of those combined together. It is Matthew’s star with Luke’s stable.”

The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph kneel in prayer before the Christ Child, traditionally rendered as a young Mary and an older St. Joseph. The

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red and blue of Our Lady’s tunic and veil represent the red of her martyrdom at the foot of the cross and the blue identifies her as a daughter of Israel. Not much is known of the colors chosen for St. Joseph, but the purple may signify the royalty of his family as descendants of King David. St. Joseph’s hat can also be seen at the bottom of the inner circle.

Next to Our Lady is placed a pouch of salt. It was a custom for the Jewish people at the time to rub salt on newborns for hygienic purposes as well as to keep away and drive out demons, a precursor to the blessed salt of today, Msgr.

Otellini explained.

It’s a representation of the Nativity.”

MSGR. STEVEN OTELLINI, pastor of the Church of the Nativity The animals, too, play a part in the iconography of the window. The use of an ox and an ass, or donkey, in Christmas scenes can be found in the oldest medieval renderings. The scriptural references to animals and the Nativity can be found in the first chapter of Isaiah, which states, “An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master’s manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood” (Is 1: 3). The reference to biblical animals is also found in the third chapter of the relatively unknown book of the prophet Habakkuk, which prophesies that the Messiah will be manifest between two animals, Msgr.

Otellini said.

The ox represents the Jewish people: just as an DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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December 25 – Christmas Day Thursday December 24 –Saturday Christmas Eve 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 a.m. (English) | 1:00 p.m. (Spanish) 5:30 p.m.: Children’s Mass | 11:00 – 11:45 p.m.: Christmas Carols 12:00 a.m.: Midnight Mass ox is yoked in its work, so, too, the people of Israel carry the law given to them by God. The donkey is a representation of the gentile people, and together, both illustrate Christ’s mission to free all from the slavery of sin, the pastor of the Menlo Park parish explained.

The pastoral scene also has imagery foretelling the death Christ would endure, reminding the faithful of the reason for his birth. Behind the stable lies the city of Jerusalem, and there is a hidden cross built into the structure of the manger.

The tracery around the center window includes 12 windows with rich symbolism: the Greek letters of alpha and omega, representing Christ as beginning and end; a cross with an anchor symbolizing the hope of the cross; and the letters AM for Ave Maria.

Twelve is a biblical number associated with the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles.

As the Church of the Nativity begins its 150th anniversary year, the centerpiece stained-glass window holds the heart of the Gospel – that Christ was born on earth to save us from our sins, freeing us from death.

Come, let us adore him! ■

Thursday December 25 – Christmas Day 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 a.m. (English) | 1:00 p.m. (Spanish)

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021 CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

37

CHRISTMAS

Finding hope in stressful tim

BY RICHARD COLLYER Project Manager | Mental Health Ministry Department of Pastoral Ministry in the Archdiocese of San Francisco

38

DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

T

es

he Christmas season can intensify the lows of our emotional and spiritual struggles.

So, how do we navigate if we are experiencing anxiety and despair in our lives? How can we move from feeling helpless to hopeful?

These are important questions that need to be addressed. Like most of you, I have suffered many ups and downs in life and struggled at times with the feeling of complete helplessness. The only thing, I believe, that got me through those times is the grace of God. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic has added significantly to our mental health challenges in simply dealing with everyday life.

Our faith is surely being tested; however, faith untested is unreliable. We don’t really know how strong we are until we face those challenges in our lives that push us to the limit.

So, let me ask you – Are you stuck in despair?

Are you falling into addictions? Do you feel helpless? Are you overwhelmed by the impact of COVID? Don’t know where to turn for help?

As we fast approach the end of 2021, you may be stuck in the mud. You just can’t make any progress and are feeling completely overwhelmed. Let’s explore some ways of getting us to a better place.

Remember a new beginning is coming soon – the birth of Jesus.

HOLY TOOLBOX We as Catholics have many tools available to us, tools other Christian denominations don’t have. In addition to the healing power of the Mass, I would like to focus on three others that you might think of as a “holy toolbox.”

The first is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

When is the last time you just sat in front of Jesus with an open heart to listen and hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to you? During the Christmas season we are surrounded with so much activity and distractions. Try just being quiet with the Lord. There are no formulas; just bring a loving heart. You will not be disappointed.

The second tool is the sacrament of reconciliation. We are all sinners and need to cleanse the messiness and sin out of our lives.

Wouldn’t it be great if we prepare for the birth of Christ by allowing God to heal our wounds and cleanse our hearts? Get a new start on life by taking advantage of this wonderful sacrament.

There is no better time than right now.

The third tool is a most powerful weapon we have as Catholics, the rosary. As we face the “battles” in our daily lives, why not call on the Blessed Mother to pray for and with us.

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

Remember, she saw her son die on the cross for us.

She understands our anxiety, grief, struggles and despair better than anyone. Give yourself the gift of spending time with Our Lady, as she is waiting for us.

CHRIST IN ALL SEASONS In addition to these tools, we have a patron saint for those suffering with anxiety and depression – St. Dymphna. You might be interested in checking out her story and spending time in prayer with her. Her feast day is May 15. (www. ourcatholicprayers.com/prayer-to-st-dymphna. html) I don’t know about your current situation, but I hope this helps you prepare for the coming of Jesus. Remember, the birth of Jesus is just around the corner; hope is near. We can always count on the Christ Child to lead us to a better place.

I would like to end with a reflection on a homily that my wife and I heard from a priest many years ago. I reflect back on it from time to time to help me see the bigger picture in my own life.

He described life as a puzzle full of many pieces and when we look at some they don’t seem to fit.

Some pieces have ragged edges while others have smooth edges and fit easily into the picture. But there are some that just seem completely out of place.

‘‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

MT 14:31 If you have ever put a jigsaw puzzle together, you know what I mean. There are always a couple of pieces that you just want to throw away because you can’t see where they will ever fit. Don’t throw them away because you are going to need them someday. That one piece that makes no sense today will eventually complete the whole picture.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” ■

39

FI LM

“Dune,” Dreams and the Messianic Parable Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny in the sci-fi classic “Dune.”

Photo courtesy Dune: Part One

“Dreams are messages from the deep.”

BY AARON LAMBERT Writer from Denver

40

T

hese words are bellowed (albeit not in the English tongue) and thus open the new, highly anticipated film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel, “Dune.”

Considered one of the greatest science fiction stories of all time, “Dune” was a precursor to many of the popular science fiction films that have captured the hearts and minds of many today, including the beloved “Star Wars,” and it has been long overdue for an adaptation that does the story’s power and lasting effect justice. (Most have forgotten that David Lynch’s infamous 1984 version ever happened, and rightly so; while it has some redeeming qualities, it’s become more of a cult film than anything else.)

Thankfully, Denis Villeneuve, known for his work directing the more contemplative science fiction films “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049,” was up to the task, and it’s safe to say he has delivered what will come to be known as the definitive film adaptation of “Dune.” Directing

this film was a personal endeavor for him; a devotee of “Dune” since the age of 14, he’s stated in many interviews that “Dune” has been a dream project for him for as long as he can remember. As such, there is passion and purpose in every shot, deep meaning in every performance, and though the film only covers roughly the first half of the original novel, it feels like a complete masterpiece of filmmaking – the kind of masterpiece that comes along rarely anymore.

The film features an all-star cast comprised of Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgard and many more, along with a stunning and ethereal score by renowned composer Hans Zimmer. “Dune” has been often described as unfilmable (the aforementioned David Lynch version was disavowed by the director himself), but Villeneuve has struck cinematic gold in his adaptation. By leaning into the more philosophical and spiritual aspects of the story and shooting the film on a scale befitting a big Hollywood production, “Dune” truly is an epic science fiction film of massive – and at times, even biblical –proportions.

At its core, “Dune” is a story about destiny, namely the destiny of Paul Atreides, sole heir DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Saint Emydius Church to Duke Leto Atreides and son of Lady Jessica.

The world of “Dune” is quite complex, host to many different factions and royal families that exist in a universe set 10,000 years into the future.

Although it’s science fiction, the world of “Dune” more closely resembles medieval or even biblical times than the high-tech future that so much of science fiction is known for. Frank Herbert was deeply influenced by the intersection between religion and politics, and these elements are very much at the heart of “Dune.”

In the future depicted by “Dune,” the universe is governed by an intergalactic feudal system in which royal families are declared rulers and stewards of planets as their fiefs. The film begins as Paul and House Atreides are given the desert planet Arrakis by the emperor, forcing them to leave their water-rich home-world of Caladan.

Arrakis is the most important planet in the known universe because it is home to the spice melange, a psychoactive chemical that grants enormous health benefits and allows humans to chart safe star paths for space travel. It is also one of the most dangerous planets on account of the sandworms: giant, hulking, slithering creatures that live deep in the desert and are seen as gods by the natives.

In being given Arrakis to rule over, House Atreides is taking the planet from the control of House Harkonnen, their sworn enemies and a starkly brutal counterpart to the noble and loyal House Atreides. For 70 years, the Harkonnens have ruled Arrakis with an iron fist, oppressing the planet’s native people and generating immense wealth from the harvesting of the spice melange.

It is in the relationship between Paul and the native people of Arrakis, known as the Fremen, that the crux of the “Dune” narrative lies. In the film, Paul has a series of dreams and visions that hint at his future on the planet Arrakis and his greater purpose among the Fremen. Lady Jessica, Paul’s loving mother, plays a dual purpose in his destiny, as she also belongs to a religious order known as the Bene Gesserit – far future nuns, ›

286 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 587-7066 www.stemydiussf.org stemydius@stemydius.church.com

Advent / Christmas / Epiphany Celebrations “FROM TIME ETERNAL WE REJOICE IN JOURNEYING TO THE WORD-MADE-FLESH.” ADVENT Sunday, December 19

Fourth Sunday of Advent * Regular Schedule

CHRISTMAS

Friday, December 24

Christmas Vigil Mass 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 25

Christmas Masses 12 Midnight; 10:00 am

Sunday, December 26

Feast of the Holy Family * Regular Schedule Saturday, January 01 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 10:00 a.m.

EPIPHANY

Sunday, January 02

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord * Regular Schedule

Saturday, January 08

Anointing of the Sick Mass 10:00 a.m. Vigil Mass 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 09

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord * Regular Schedule

Monday, January 10

Ordinary Time begins. Regular Schedule: 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses on Sunday

Regular Schedule means: 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses on Sunday

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Attendant CNA Respite Care In “Dune,” Rebecca Ferguson plays Lady Jessica, doting mother of the sci-fi film’s star Timothée Chalamet.

CATHOLIC SANIsaac FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021 ruler.

Oscar portrays the world Photo courtesy Dune: Part One

415-759-0520 | www.irishhelpathome.com HCO License #384700001 IrishHelpAtHome

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… underneath the exciting spectacle of “Dune,” there is a deeper message about dreams and prophecy that remains present and mimics the underlying narrative of Christianity.”

The actor Zendaya portrays desert native Chani, shown here with Timothée Chalamet, and will continue with a key role in the film sequel.

which Herbert based on the Jesuit order, as it were – who have been preparing the way for Paul as a prophesied messiah for the Fremen who will transform Arrakis from a harsh desert planet into a lush paradise.

Although Herbert was raised Catholic, he converted to Buddhism later in life and was taken by the Islamic religion and the Bedouin tribes in the Middle East. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that allusions to all three of these religions are very much present in the story of “Dune,” whether it be in some of the terminology used (“Lisan Al Gaib” or “Mahdi” as Fremen terms for “messiah”) or how when watching the film through a Catholic lens, the relationship between Paul and Lady Jessica bears striking similarities to Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

The Gom Jabbar scene in particular evokes the scene from “The Passion of the Christ” when Mary watches helplessly as her son is viciously scourged; it is also when we first hear the famous “litany against fear” spoken by Jessica as her son suffers in the next room.

And then of course, there’s the more direct allusion to Christ in Paul and the Fremen, a people who could conceivably represent the Israelites in this story. Again, watching the film through a Catholic lens, the emphasis on dreams throughout the film – not only Paul’s dreams, but also the dreams of what a messiah arriving on Arrakis might look like – closely mirrors those of the Old Testament prophets whom God often spoke to in dreams, or even that of St. Joseph, whose dream from God compelled him to take Mary as his wife and flee with her and Jesus into the desert to protect the newborn child from King Herod. When Jessica and Paul flee into the desert in the latter half of the film, there are indeed echoes of St. Joseph and the Holy Family.

Ultimately, underneath the exciting spectacle of “Dune,” there is a deeper message about dreams and prophecy that remains present and mimics the underlying narrative of Christianity. Like the Fremen of Arrakis, Christians eagerly await the

42

Photos courtesy Dune: Part One

Josh Brolin (left) plays Gurney Halleck, trusted advisor to world ruler Duke Leto Atreides, actor Oscar Isaac (right).

coming of the Messiah to transform this harsh world into a paradise. While we don’t require “stillsuits” to repurpose our body’s moisture to survive in the blazing heat of the desert, nor must we “walk without rhythm” to avoid attracting the Old Man of the Desert, the sandworm Shai Hulud, Christians face a spiritual desert not unlike the harsh terrain of Arrakis, filled with trials of their own that aren’t easily overcome. And indeed, like the Fremen, humanity desires a messiah to come and make a paradise out of this spiritual desert; the difference is that the true Messiah has already come. We only but need shake the sand from our feet and follow him.

Part of the reason that “Dune” has endured in popular culture since it was first published in 1965 is not simply because the story is so compelling.

One could argue that the narrative’s close parallels with the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity and its use of the messianic parable as a key storytelling device tap into something innate in the human experience. The biblical narrative is often and rightly called “the greatest story ever told,” and indeed, the fact that “Dune” is so heavily influenced by this narrative speaks to both its timelessness and perpetual relevance to all different genres of film and literature, from fantasy to science fiction. In “Dune,” the loose utilization of this narrative, combined with masterful filmmaking, makes for a modern-day marvel of a film that shouldn’t be missed. ■ DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

1040 Alameda De Las Pulgas Belmont, CA 94002 (650) 593-6157 | www.ihmbelmont.org

PENANCE SERVICES

Wednesday, December 15th 7 pm Wednesday, December 22nd 7 pm

Graduate Programs tha

CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES

Friday, December 24th 5 pm and 8 pm Vigil

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

Saturday, December 25th 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

Mass Schedules December 24th (Friday) Christmas Eve Mass 10:00pm

Sunday, December 26th 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am Traditional Latin Mass 4 pm

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

December 25th (Saturday) For 170 years, NDNU has helped students Christmas Day Mass THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD their dream of quality education. We 8:00am | 10:00am Sunday,pursue January 2 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am Traditional Latin Mass 4 pm are committed, above all else, 100 to Diamond individual St. @ 18th, San Francisco, CA 94114 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Saturday, January 8 5 pm Vigil 415.863.6259 Sunday, January 9 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am learning – giving each of our students www.mhr.org Traditional Latin Mass 4 pm the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to successfully engage and grow their talents.

Our programs build influential valuesFor 170 years, NDNU has helped students centered leaders who can address pursue today’s their dream of quality education. We For years, NDNU has helped students For170 170 years, NDNU has helped students are committed, above all else, to individual complex NDNU graduates are pursue their dream ofchallenges. quality education.

We pursue their dream of quality education.

We learning – giving each of our students are above allall else, to to individual arecommitted, committed, above else, individual grounded in the Catholic traditions social and inspiration to the tools,ofknowledge, learning – giving each of of ourour students learning – giving each students successfully engage and grow their talents. thethetools, knowledge, and inspiration to to tools, knowledge, and inspiration justice, inclusion, and diversity. successfully engage and grow their talents.

Our programs build influential valuessuccessfully engage and grow their talents.

Friday, December 31st 5 pm Vigil Saturday, January 1st 9 am nd

th

th

Graduate Program

GraduatePrograms Programsthat thatEducate EducateforforLife Life Graduate

Our build influential valuesOurprograms programs build influential valuescentered leaders who can address today’s centered leaders who can address today’s complex challenges.

NDNU graduates areare complex challenges.

NDNU graduates grounded in the Catholic traditions of social grounded in the Catholic traditions of social justice, inclusion, and diversity. justice, inclusion, and diversity.

centered leaders who can address today’s complex challenges. NDNU graduates are grounded in the Catholic traditions of social justice, inclusion, and diversity.

Programs begin year-round.

Join us for an upcoming information session.

Programs begin year-round.

Programs begin year-round.

Join us for an upcoming information session.

Join us for an upcoming information session.

Programs begin year-round.

Join us for an upcoming information session.

www.ndnu.edu/events

www.ndnu.edu/events www.ndnu.edu/events CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

43 www.ndnu.edu/events

PR AYE R

I Call You A reflection on prayer from the Dominican Nuns of Corpus Christi Monastery

BY A DOMINICAN NUN

I

s it possible to see God as our friend?

Jesus says, I call you friends. If God calls us friends, then we ought to call God our friend.

Berta Tovar Broker Associate Listing and Sales Specialist

In real estate since 1977, Berta is a peninsula native and has lived in the Bay Area all her life. She has served on numerous real estate and community boards and has repeatedly received awards from the San Mateo County Association of Realtors for being a top achiever in sales and listings. Having over DRE# 00614088 44 years of experience and knowledge has helped make the process of buying and selling a fulfilling and stress-free experience for her clients.

Si habla espanol (650) 873-6844 Cell (650) 867-3192 44 bertajtovar@gmail.com

I have called you friends, because have Berta is celebratingIher 33 year told you everything I have with Marshall Realty. She is a former heard president of the San Bruno Parkfrom my Father.” (Jn 15:15) rd

School District and served as trustee from 1995 to 1999; past member of the San Bruno Youth committee and Childcare Committee for the City of San Bruno. Member of NAHREP National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. Specializes in Property Management and is top achiever in sales and listings.

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC FRANCISCO DECEMBER 2021 |SAN CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Friends…

Dennis J. Murphy

Your Peninsula Realtor 415.310.7956 | dennis@dennisjmurphy.com dennisjmurphy.com

Certainly, God is not a “friend” like our virtual friends on social media. He is a real friend who loves and wills the best for us. But how do we communicate with the divine? It is done through prayer.

Prayer is a heart-to-heart conversation with God that is honest, sincere, humble and loving.

It is not simply words uttered with specific intentions, requests or rehearsed speech meant to convince God, but is spoken from the depths of one’s desire for a close and personal relationship with him. Just as friendship thrives on conversation, so our relationship with God will deepen if we are faithful in our prayer life. During our pilgrimage in life toward God, prayer carries and sustains us. It keeps us from straying into the wilderness of sin and the valleys of darkness. ›

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(415) 269-4997 mobile45

Lack of love causes loneliness, a disease that kills the spirit and soul. God, who is love, the author of life, invites us to become his intimate friends.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, ADVENT “O” ANTIPHON MEDITATIONS

7:30 pm

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, CHRISTMAS EVE 4:00 & 6:00 pm Masses 11:15 pm Carol Service followed by Mass at Midnight SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, CHRISTMAS DAY 12:00* am Solemn Christmas Midnight Mass 8:30 & 11:00* am Masses (no afternoon or evening Masses) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY 8:30 & 11:00* am, and 1:30 (in Spanish), 5:30 pm FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, NEW YEAR’S EVE PRAYER SERVICE & MASS

10:30 pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2022, NEW YEAR’S DAY MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

9:00* am (One Parish Mass)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 2022, THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 5:30 pm Vigil (Saturday, January 1) 7:30, 9:30*, 11:30 am, and 1:30 (in Spanish), 5:30 pm All liturgies and events are subject to change. *livestream 2390 B46 USH STREET AT STEINER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115, 415.567.7824

Christmas Eve Masses 5:00 PM • 8:00 PM

Christmas Day Masses 7:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM

LIVE BROADCAST: DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO WWW.STCECILIA.COM

We see the importance of prayer in the Scriptures, from Adam to Jesus. God walked with Adam as a friend in the Garden of Eden.

Then, as the new Adam, Jesus walked with his disciples as intimate friends, and we can see their conversations as prayer of petition, adoration, intercession and thanksgiving. We recall the conversation between Jesus and Peter, when Peter asked his reward for leaving behind everything to follow Jesus; how Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, adoring him in silence; how Philip and Andrew interceded for some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus; how the leper healed

by Jesus returned to thank him.

In our times, God continues to converse with us through the Scriptures, preaching, doctrine, law and the precepts of our faith.

OK, God is our friend. So how do we remain in his friendship?

Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. … The command I give you is this, that you love one another” (Jn 15:14, 17). We know that loving one another is a challenging and lifelong work; therefore,

we need to ask for God’s divine assistance.

The more time we spend with God in prayer, the deeper our love, awe and reverence for God will be. Over time our prayer becomes contemplative and affectionate. Our loving gaze toward God also overflows toward our neighbors.

In this rapid and advanced technological age, human interaction is often reduced to digital and virtual visits. Consequently, many suffer from loneliness due to the lack of genuine human interaction, which results in the loss of personal and real friendships. Lack of love causes loneliness, a disease that kills the spirit and soul. God, who is love, the author of life, invites us to become his intimate friends.

Let us turn to him and share the goodness of God’s unconditional love with all those with whom we come in contact.

Let us rekindle our friendship with God through unceasing prayer with humility and sincerity. May we be faithful apostles of our Divine Friend in this life so we can be united forever with him in eternal life. ■

Saint Robert’s Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road, San Bruno, CA 94066 • 650.589.2800

MERRY CHRISTMAS Confessions Saturday, December 18th 3:00 - 4:15 pm

Christmas Masses Christmas Eve Friday, December 24th 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm & 9:00 pm

Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25th 9:30 am & 11:30 am No Evening Mass Feast of the Epiphany • Saturday, January 1, 2022 9:30 am • No Evening Mass

Sunday, January 2, 2022 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am & 5:00 pm

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

St. Patrick Church, San Francisco Christmas Schedule 2021

Confession 9:00 a.m.to 1:00 pm and 2:00 to 4:00 pm Monday,Thursday & Friday in the Rectory.

By appointment or walk in.

December 16-24, 2021

6:00 a.m. Misa de Gallo Friday, December 24, 2021

6:00 a.m. Misa de Gallo

8:00 a.m. Mass

12:00 p.m. Mass

8:00 p.m. Tradional “Mass at Midnight “

“Jesus…

“Jesus…

He He will will be be great, and great, and will will be be called called the the Son Son ofof the the Most Most High” High” Luke Luke 1:32 1:32

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Christmas Day - Holy Day of Obligation

8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Friday, December 31. 2021

8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 1, 2022

New Year’s Day

12:00 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.

47

LOCAL N EWS

Archdiocese joins Holy Father in seven-year action plan for Laudato si’

T

he Vatican launched a seven-year action plan on Nov. 14 to bring the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato si” into our communities and our own lives.

The Laudato Si Action Platform is a list of seven goals that the Holy Father has outlined to help spur a worldwide grassroots effort to mobilize Catholics to take action on the environment over a period of seven years.

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone invites us to join in this worldwide effort. In a statement, he said, “The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is a global initiative launched by Pope Francis to develop ‘a new ecological approach that can transform our way of inhabiting the world, our lifestyles, our relationship with the Earth’s resources and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life.’ We will journey together as individuals and communities to ensure our lifestyles reflect our love of the Creator and our thankfulness for His gift of creation. I invite you all to participate within the context of your own lives.”

The rest of Archbishop Cordileone’s statement and more information can be found at www.laudatosiactionplatform.org and www.sfarch.org/laudato-si-actionplatform. ■

SAINT MONICA - SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE PARISH

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 2021

SAINT MONICA

SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE

ADVENT: 4TH WEEK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18TH Confessions: 4:00 pm, Mass 5:00 pm

ADVENT: 4th WEEK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18TH Confessions: 3:00 pm, Mass 4:00 pm

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19TH Mass: 11:00 am

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19TH Mass: 9:30 am English, 6:00 pm Vietnamese

Geary Boulevard at 23rd Ave., San Francisco

3835 Balboa Street, San Francisco

CHRISTMAS EVE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24TH 5:00 pm Family Mass 10:45 pm Christmas Choir Music & 11:00 pm Solemn Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS EVE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24TH 4:00 pm Children’s Mass, 8:00 pm Vietnamese Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25TH 11:00 am Solemn sung Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25TH Mass: 9:30 am

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26TH Mass: 11:00 am

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26TH Mass 9:30 am

NEW YEAR’S DAY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1ST, 2022 11:00 am

48

NEW YEAR’S DAY, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1ST, 2022 Mass: 8:00 am Vietnamese; 9:30 am English DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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49

LOCAL N EWS

Father Moises Agudo speaks while San Francisco Mayor London Breed looks on.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

Mission parishes pastor recognized

by S.F. mayor for COVID-19 response

F

ather Moises Agudo was recognized by San Francisco Mayor London Breed as one of nine “unsung heroes,” all serving populations in underserved areas of the city.

“These people represent the heartbeat of the city,” Breed said at the Nov. 15 ceremony on the steps of City Hall. “I could not have done it without them,” she said, adding that with their help, San Francisco has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates per capita in the country.

Father Agudo is pastor of the archdiocese’s Mission parishes of St. Peter, St. Anthony and St. Charles Borromeo, and vicar for the Spanish-speaking community.

Father Agudo was praised by city officials for his leadership in organizing weekend vaccine clinics at his churches, participating in a social media campaign and educational video for the Hispanic community supporting the vaccine, his advocacy for adherence to public health orders, and for making online Masses available when public gatherings were restricted.

The past 18 months have proven that religious leaders and the city “can work together for the benefit of the people,” Father Agudo said.

Father Agudo and his pastoral staff and volunteers helped control the rate of COVID-19 infections in the Mission District, said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Not mentioned at the ceremony was Father Agudo’s partnership last year with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone in the Free the Mass campaign to open

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churches that the city and state ordered closed for months. Father Agudo offered in-person Masses outdoors and led hundreds of the Mission parishioners across the city in a procession with Archbishop Cordileone to St. Mary’s Cathedral for an outdoor Rosary Rally in October 2020.

Father Agudo told Catholic San Francisco that he and the city are on “the same page but with a different approach.”

A turning point in his relations with the city came when it agreed to let the pastor work “in our own way” with the parish communities, who were fearful and suspicious of the vaccine and any governmental push for it, Father Agudo said.

“Let me do it,” he told them. “They will not believe you, but they will believe the priests.”

Father Agudo said he feels that both the church and the city shared a different but common misunderstanding; the city assumed the church was opposed to the government, and the church assumed the city was opposed to the church.

“You can see that we are responsible,” he said of his parish communities. “What we cannot do is close the church.” ■ – Christina Gray Note: The Church’s teaching regarding COVID-19 vaccines can be found https://sfarch.org/vaccine-mandate-faq/ DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

LOCAL N EWS

Requiem Mass for the Homeless: ‘Beauty is called for’

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rchbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone brought San Francisco’s faith, civic and social service communities together to pray for the homeless dead in a Requiem Mass for the Homeless at St. Mary’s Cathedral Nov. 6. The Mass was written at the request of the archbishop by Frank La Rocca, composer-in-residence of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship.

“Beauty is called for, for beauty has the power to heal, unite and manifest the presence of God,” Archbishop Cordileone said. “Those that are suffering the consequence

of homelessness, poverty and marginalization deserve nothing less.”

A commissioned painting by Bernadette Cartensen, titled “Patron Saints of the Homeless,” was also on display in the sanctuary, acknowledging the special ministry to the poor and marginalized of St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Benedict Labre and St. Francis of Assisi.

The archbishop followed the Mass with a visit to St. Anthony’s Dining Room in the Tenderloin. ■ – Christina Gray

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LOCAL N EWS

Bishops pass teaching document on the Eucharist Archbishop Cordileone: ‘The real work of the bishops begins now.’

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted Nov. 17 to adopt a teaching document on the Eucharist. Despite months-long media and public debate on the issue, the text does not contain reference to pro-abortion Catholic politicians or the possibility of prohibiting Catholics from holy Communion.

The vote was 222-8 in favor of the document titled, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.”

In comments after the vote, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said: “For the first time in the history of our bishops’ conference in the United States, we

began our general assembly with a morning of prayer and reflection. This made all the difference: the sense of prayerful unity which pervaded the whole meeting marks the beginning of a new and successful effort to evangelize Catholics and others with the Good News.

Every Mass is a miracle; Christ is here among us and wants us to join with Him, to be the Body of Christ together. The real work of the bishops begins now.”

Also in conjunction with the fall assembly of the bishops, the Catholic Marriage Initiatives Fund announced a $1 million matching grant program for diocesan marriage ministries to implement the recommendations of a new USCCB framework for marriage ministries. The guidelines were approved by the bishops in June in a document titled “Called  to the Joy of Love: National Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life Ministry.”

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Gerrit Veneman April Atkins Otto Gaytan Juan Roman Jr.

Conductor Warden Trustee Trustee Trustee

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 FRANCISCO WDECEMBER W W. L2021 O C| CATHOLIC A L 2 2 .SAN OR G

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26 Crib for the Baby Jesus

16 One of the gifts of the Magi

27 “The Little ___ Boy”

17 “A ___ for revelation to the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32)

15 “O Come All Ye ___”

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8 “God is with us”

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11 “…heavenly ___ sing alleluia…”

3 Husband of Mary

19 Joseph was told in one to flee to Egypt 24 “ ___ Fideles” 25 There was no room here

4 “…and on earth ___ to those on whom his favor rests” (Lk 2:14)

28 ’Twas the night before Christmas

5 One of the gifts of the Magi 6 One of the stories of Jesus’

CHRISTMAS

CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO | DECEMBER 2021

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PRESENTATION SHEPHERD STAR V I S I T 53 ORS WISE MEN

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS |

NOVENAS

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assist me in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother.

Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth.

I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need.

Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X).

Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X).

Say prayers 3 days. FM PRAYER TO THE BLESSED MOTHER Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.

O Star of the Sea, help me and show me, here.

SERVICE DIRECTORY |

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You are my Mother, Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. (Make request.)

There are none that can withstand your power. O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 x). Holy Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3 x). Say this prayer 3 consecutive days and publish it. FM ST. JUDE NOVENA May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever.

Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless pray for us.

Say prayer 9 times a day for 9 days.

Thank You St. Jude. Never known to fail. You may publish. FM

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The requested material plus a letter of interest should be submitted before Feb. 15 to: Christine Escobar, Human Resources Manager Department of Catholic Schools One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 Salary will be determined according to archdiocesan guidelines based upon experience as a teacher or administrator and graduate education. Medical, dental, and retirement benefits are included.

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CALE N DAR

UPCOMING EVENTS Dec. 15: Simbang Gabi begins, check parishes for services Dec. 24: 11:30 p.m., Midnight Mass celebrated by Archbishop Cordileone, St. Mary’s Cathedral Dec. 25: 11 a.m., Christmas Day Mass celebrated by Archbishop Cordileone, St. Mary’s Cathedral Jan. 8, 2022: Mental Health Conference, Our Lady of Angels Parish. More info collyerr@sfarch. org

Jan. 31: Archdiocesan Respect Life Essay Contest entries due. https://sfarch.org/essay-contest/ Feb 5: Wedding Anniversary Mass – St. Mary’s Cathedral with Archbishop, 10 a.m. More info hopfnere@sfarch.org Feb. 12: Converging Roads—Health Care at the Service of Patient and Professional, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. https://forlifeandfamily. org/events/cr22-sfca/

Jan 14-16: Retrouvaille weekend (Spanish-language), call 408 417-4953.

Mar 4-6 : Life-Giving Wounds retreat weekend (adult children of divorce); more info HopfnerE@ SFArch.org

Jan. 22: 9:30 a.m., Walk for Life Mass, St. Mary’s Cathedral. 12:30 p.m., Walk for Life Rally and Walk, Civic Center, SF. walkforlifewc.com

Mar 12: Catholic Men’s Conference, St Pius parish, Mass w/ Archbishop, more info HopfnerE@SFArch.org

WE WELCOME AND ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR ADVERTISERS!

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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS (415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez.

We hope our readers are enjoying this edition of Catholic San Francisco Magazine.

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(800) 276-1562 Report sexual abuse by a bishop or a bishop’s interference in a sexual abuse investigation to a confidential third party. www.reportbishopabuse.org DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

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From the cover...

St. John begins his Gospel with the same words as the Book of Genesis (“In the beginning…”) and uses the imagery of light and darkness to convey that just as Genesis describes the creation of the world, his Gospel speaks of the new creation brought about by Jesus. In this new creation, he will depict Jesus as the New Adam and Mary as the New Eve. In Hebrew, the promise given by God through the prophet Isaiah says that a young woman (almah) would bear a son (Is 7:14). The Hebrew term “almah” referred to a young woman who had not yet borne a child. However, the Greek translation of the Septuagint rendered it as “parthenos,” which means “virgin.” Mathew used the Greek translation of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 and saw its fulfillment in Jesus’ Incarnation (Mt 1:22-23).

The language that Mathew uses to describe the Incarnation (“come upon,” “overshadow”) is a direct reference to the Old Testament’s description of how the glory of God and his presence would come down like a cloud upon the tabernacle, which contained the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 40:3,34-35). Thus, Matthew depicts Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant.

The Wise Men from the east who traveled to Bethlehem to worship Jesus were the fulfillment of a series of Old Testament prophecies. For example, the Book of Psalms says, “All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name” (Ps 86:9). The Book of Isaiah also says, “Nations shall come to your light…

They shall bring gold and frankincense” (Is 60:1-6).

Simeon identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of a series of Old Testament promises God made regarding the salvation of the whole world. God promised Abraham, “in your offspring shall all the nations of the world be blessed” (Gn 22:18). Also, speaking about the suffering servant, God says in the Book of Isaiah, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is 49:6). The fulfillment of these promises is also mentioned in the Book of Revelation, as it talks about a multitude “from every nation” and “tongue” standing before the throne of God (Rev 7:9-16).

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DECEMBER 2021 | CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO