Readings.  Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

    When the prophet Micah was writing (late 8th Century BC), Jerusalem was under siege and David's dynasty was in jeopardy. But salvation would come from a comparatively insignificant place, Bethlehem.  From there a new leader would come to gather the scattered exiles and unite the nation once more.  Eight centuries later, the beginning of the a new leader, the Prince of Peace, who is to be born in Bethlehem descended from the line of David, will gather together the scattered exiles of a nation once again.

    
 Christmas Mass Schedule:
       Sunday, Dec. 24   Christmas Eve Mass: 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary's
       Monday, Dec. 25  Christmas Day Masses: 9:30 a.m. St. Cecilia's
       and 11:15 a.m. at St. Mary's

Mass Intentions:  Week of December 24, 2006

  Sunday         9:30 a.m.  ------    Jerry Drohan
  Sunday       11:15 a.m.  ------    Gerald Saldana
  Monday       9:30 a.m.   ------    Timothy O'Sullivan
  Wednesday    8 a.m.      ------    John Lawson
  Thursday        8 a.m.      ------    Leo Herrick
  Friday            8 a.m.      ------    Paul Bergez

"A girl asks a woman for a Christmas gift.  The woman asks: Are you going to Christmas Mass.  The girl says: I am not. The woman replies: Then Christmas is meaningless to you.  There goes your present." Parish true story 2006.

Christmas Messages

      Pope Benedict XVI: Christmas is the day when God gave a great gift to us, no something material, but his gift was the gift of himself.  He gave us his Son, so Christmas became the feast of gifts. Let us imitate God and not only live for ourselves, not think only of myself, but think of someone else, give a present to another, also to parents, brother and sisters, and so forth. And here too the most beautiful gift is to be kind to others, to show goodness, fairness and love. This is the best gift. The other gifts only express this meaning, this desire to be kind to one another.

      Archbishop Niederauer:  Christmas time, the Catholic Church calls us to celebrate Incarnation:  God becoming human in Jesus Christ, becoming human with us and for us. It's true that God's divine, eternal Son was born in Bethlehem once for all.  But it is just as true that the Incarnation, like the mystery of the Cross, continues throughout all time, generation after generation.  God is still becoming human by sharing his life with us. St. Augustine said that God became human beings could become God, that is, daughters and sons of God, sharing in his divine life through Jesus Christ.

     Fr. O':  We are a small parish, but with an awful lot of heart and belief of the best kind, genuine and rooted in long years of fellowship.  This parish would never have survived, only for this kindred spirit.  Much gratitude from all parishioners that we remain a vital community in the valley as followers of the Savior thriving to live up to His call.

From the Pew

      The Christmas gifts to our CCD children amounted to $162.  Needless to say, the children spent every cent of it. Ho! Ho! Ho!

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