December 1, 2019: First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44. In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established and raised, and that instruction shall come out of Zion. Then God will judge between nations. Saint Paul warns the Romans that salvation is imminent, and that they should cast off sin and darkness and choose to live in the light of Jesus Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples about the people of Noah’s time who were living carelessly when the flood came, and warns that as it was then, so it is for them. They must be watchful and ready, for God will come at an hour they do not expect.

Domenica 1A Di Avvento

All’inizio del nuovo Anno Liturgico ogni cristiano aspetti il Signore con viva e consapevole partecipazione. Dobbiamo vivere l’Avvento nel segno della pace, dell’impegno cristiano, della vigilanza, della solerzia e creatività. Comportamenti che renderanno possibile le nostra salvezza.

 

From Fr. Gael: You know, the Apple IWatch is a magnificent little invention. It is a watch that tells time, but so much more than just time. It is a calendar, a calculator, an exercise tracker, an address book. It plays music. It can answer your phone (“Dick Tracy style”). And there’s so much more it does. It’s a computer on your wrist. It can completely direct your life. However, it can’t live your life. As we start Advent today, and we’re directed to be aware of the time, not just wrist watch time, the scripture is giving us direction to live our lives in constant awareness of the presence of God within our lives.The wrist watch can’t do that. We must choose to do that. That is why Holy Mother the Church gives us Advent each year. It is an annual call to be aware of God time in our lives. It is an opportunity to realize that God comes again. That makes it a time of anticipation for the great moment of Emmanuel, of “God-with-us”.  It is our once again time to live the anticipation of this transcendental moment of the birth of Jesus Christ. May we pay attention to this time, not on our wrists, but deeply within our hearts.  –Fr. Gael Sullivan, SDB

Rest in Peace
Alexis Malone Waugh – Emanuela Palazzo – Roger Moskaira
Hazel Loomis Friedman

Sunday  December 1, 2019 
7:30 For the People of Saints Peter and Paul
8:45 Luigi Marciano +
10:15 Chan Mei Kwei +
11:45 Carla Ferrando +
1:00 Sheila B. Thomeczek +
5:00 The Pierini & Spes Families +

Monday  December 2, 2019 
7:00 Thanksgiving from Emmanuel Te
9:00 Marie Hong Tran + – Roger Micheli + (Conc.)

Tuesday   December 3, 2019 
7:00 Nicola Sanguinetti +
9:00 Louis Ferralis +

Wednesday December 4, 2019 
7:00 Marie Hong Tran +
9:00 Fred Scolari + – Anna Bylery + (Conc.)

Thursday   December 5, 2019
7:00 Anniversary of the Death of Rosa Marenzi +
9:00 Antonio Corona + – Biagio Dito + (Conc.)

Friday  December 6, 2019 
7:00 John, Francesca, Vincent, Frances and   Nathan Mazzaferri +
9:00 Maria & Ambrogio Calcagno + –    Joan Gelvin + (Conc.)

Saturday  December 7, 2019 
7:30 Birthday of Ernesto Marenzi  +
9:00 Marie Hong Tran +
5:00 Ruth & Guido Ghiglieri +

 

Particular Items

Happy Advent, Happy New Year! Today is the First Sunday in Advent, the beginning of the New Liturgical Year.

Daily Advent Reflections: Help deepen your Advent experience! Every day during Advent we will be emailing the Gospel of the day, plus a reflection from Fr. Gael. If you’d like to be added to the distribution for this, call the parish office or email Gibbons at gibbons@salesiansspp.org.

Eucharistic Adoration/Scripture Study: Every Wednesday, we have Eucharistic Adoration from 7:00-8:00 PM in the Church. Scripture Study is at 7PM, but in the rectory.

Alcoholics Anonymous: The AA Meets every Thursday at 6:00 PM, in the parish center. “The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.”-Third Tradition.

Guadalupana Pilgrimage: Come honor Mary our Mother, under the title of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on Saturday, December 7 at the annual Guadalupana Crusade Pilgrimage! Last year 30,000 people attended! The pilgrimage starts at All Souls Church in South San Francisco at 5AM, and after  various stops, ends at St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Archbishop Cordileone will celebrate Mass at 2PM. Please visit cruzadaguadalupana.org for more information.

First Saturday Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary: On Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 PM, the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration invite you to attend the First Saturday Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary at their monastery chapel, 771 Ashbury St . The Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Vito Perrone from the Contemplatives of St. Joseph. The Sisters will be supporting Fr. Vito by elevating the Sacred with Gregorian chanting during the Sacrificial Liturgy in the Extraordinary Form. Your favorite Marian hymns, including the beautiful Maria Mater Gratiae, Inviolata and Alma Redemptoris Mater will be sung. For more information, contact Mother Rosalba at 415-566-2743 or mpador@aol.com

Second Collection: Next week we will have a second collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Please be generous.

Welcome, Bishop Savio! Next Sunday, we are blessed and honored to welcome Bishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, SDB (韓大輝) from Hong Kong. His Excellency will celebrate the 10:15 AM Chinese Mass, and a reception will follow in the Parish Center.

Chinese Apostolate Christmas Show: The Chinese Apostolate will host their annual Christmas show at 11:30 on Sunday, December 15.

Christmas Novena: The Chanted Christmas Novena Service will be held in the Church at 5:00PM on December 16, 17, 18, 20 and 23. This is your chance to join the Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in their evening prayer!

Advent Penance Service: This year’s Advent Penance Service will be on Monday, December 16, at 7:00PM. ALL parishioners are invited and urged to attend!

School Christmas Pageant: The school Christmas Pageant will be on Thursday, December 19, at 7PM.

Christmas Legends: St. Nicholas: December 6 is the Feast of St. Nicholas. How did St. Nicholas become “Santa Claus”? Nicholas was a priest, born in Patara, in 280 AD, in what is now Turkey. He became Bishop of the city of Myra. He was well known for his generosity to the poor. Once, a merchant in Myra had a business disaster, leaving his three daughters without dowries. This meant they couldn’t get married, and might be sold into slavery by creditors. Nicholas, the good bishop, heard about this and decided to take action. He sneaked onto the roof of the merchant’s house on three successive nights, dropping a bag of gold down the chimney each night. The astonished father, wondering where the gold was coming from, lay in wait on the third night. He caught St. Nicholas in the act, and embraced him in gratitude. In due course, all three daughters got married. Ever since, children have hung their stockings by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, to make things as easy as possible for St. Nick!

Saints Peter and Paul School Scholarship Fund: With San Francisco’s cost of living, lack of funds may prevent children from receiving a Catholic Education. The Salesians began by educating the children of the poor, and we are not about to exclude those who cannot make the total fee. But, like Don Bosco before us, we need help. Are there parishioners and/or friends who might consider contributing to the sponsorship of a student who might be otherwise forced to leave? All recipient family qualifications will be verified by Saints Peter and Paul School. For more information, feel free to call Fr. Gael at 421-0809 or Dr. Harris at 415-421-5219.

Pre-K Open House: The Laura Vicuña Pre-K (ages 3-5 years) and the kindergarten of Saints Peter and Paul School will host their annual open house on January 12, 2020 from 10AM-12PM. Applications for the fall of 2020 will be available at that time. An open house for all of SSPP School will be on January 29th at 6PM.

Saints Peter and Paul Salesian School Accepting Applications: Our K-8 Salesian school is accepting applications for this year and next. Call the school at 415-421-5219 for more information, and visit sspeterpaulsf.org/ to learn more about the school.

Choose Life! “The beginning of the Liturgical Year helps us live anew the expectation of God who took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, God who makes himself little, who becomes a child; it speaks to us of the coming of a God who is close, who chose to experience human life from the very beginning in order to save it totally, in its fullness. And so the mystery of Lord’s Incarnation and the beginning of human life are closely and harmoniously connected and in tune with each other in the one saving plan of God, the Lord of the life of each and everyone.” –Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at Celebration of First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, 2010.

More Choose Life! Walk for Life West Coast 2020: Join fellow Catholics and Pro‐Lifers of every and no faith from all over California and beyond as we stand up for the littlest among us at the 16th Annual Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco on January 25, 2020. There will be Mass at 9:30AM at St. Mary’s Cathedral celebrated by visiting bishop Archbishop Alexander Sample from Portland, OR. The rally begins at 12:30PM in San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza, and the Walk, down Market Street, begins at 1:30PM. Last year’s Walk drew 50,000+ people. For complete information about the Walk, visit walkforlifewc.com or call 415‐658‐1793.

Liturgical Calendar
Sunday 01 First Sunday of Advent
Monday 02 Advent Weekday
Tuesday 03 Francis Xavier; Priest
Wednesday 04 John Damascene; Priest Doctor
Thursday 05 Advent Weekday
Friday 06  Advent Weekday, Nicolas; Bishop
Saturday 07 Ambrose; Bishop, Doctor
Sunday 08 Second Sunday of Advent

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