Saint Dunstan Catholic Church First Sunday of Advent November 30th, 2008 - Bulletin
		Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
		— Mark 13:33

	The gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent is a very short passage from Mark. Jesus gave a warning about the end times when He would return to judge the world. He said, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come….What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Advent is a time of watching and waiting. It is a four-week period of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Nowadays it takes an especially keen eye to see the Lord anywhere among the avalanche of secular Christmas tinsel. We can easily find ourselves overwhelmed by trees and lights and holly and mistletoe and parties and presents and Santa and reindeers and shopping and over-eating and on and on and on. We can hop onboard the non-stop, commercial roller coaster and never once give a fleeting thought to the One for whom the Christmas season was originally intended. Let’s be honest. Jesus Christ is persona non grata in our present culture. Despite the fact that the majority of people describe themselves as Christian, there is a small but powerful segment of society passionately working overtime to rid the public square of any religious influence. Being politically correct is not synonymous with being Christian. The four weeks of Advent will race by so fast that Christmas will be upon us before we know it. May I propose that you take our Advent Supplement Bulletin home and you work on the suggested activities during Advent? We are being encouraged, beginning with this Gospel to come to our senses, to stay awake, to remember who we are. Our saving God is making approaches and offers us gifts to be unwrapped. We are called to be aware of who is doing the offering and the gifts He offers.
	Friday, December 5 is the First Friday of the month. There will be a Holy Hour in the church from 4-5 PM followed by Mass at 5:10 PM. Saturday, December 6 is the First Saturday of the month. There will be a Holy Hour of Reparation from 7 to 8 AM in the church followed by Mass at 8 AM. Italian Catholic Federation Membership 2009 All parishioners are invited to join Italian Catholic Federation St. Dunstan's Branch 403. Membership dues are now being accepted for Calendar year 2009--Join now and you will automatically be a member for the remainder of 2008, including invitation to the Branch's holiday party on December 2nd limited to members. Members need not be Italian. Come share the culture, good company and good food! Our dues are $30 per year. To join or for more information, please call Nadia Holober, Membership Chair, at (650) 872-3150. WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT ST. DUNSTAN PARISH Tuesday, December 2nd Novena in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament after the 8am Mass CCD classes at 3:45 pm Thursday, December 4th Bible Study in the convent at 10 am. Friday, December 5th First Friday holy hour at 4 pm in the church Saturday, December 6th First Saturday holy hour at 7 am in the church Retrouvaille meets in the convent RCIA at 9 am in the rectory Baptism Preparation Class in the convent at 10:30 am Knights of Columbus Crab Cioppino at 6 pm in the Parish Center Monday thru Saturday Morning Prayer in the church at 7:15 am Monday thru Friday Rosary recited in the church at 7:40 am On Nov 29, 30, Dec 6 & 7, 13 & 14, our 2 Christmas Giving Trees will be set up in the church. One tree will have labeled ornaments for gift card donations, and the other tree will have labeled ornaments for gifts. Take as many ornaments as you wish from the trees. Purchase the “wish” gifts indicated on the ornament. Please do not wrap them. ring the gifts with the ornaments attached to any of the weekend masses on Nov 30, Dec 6, 7, 13 or 14. Committee members will be at each mass by the trees to collect your gifts. If you prefer to make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to St. Dunstan TERESA Giving Tree. For more information contact Michelle Jackson @ 303-4874 or DeDee Sammut @ 589-2436. First Week of Advent Leader: The Lord is our faith and our life All: May the Lord's peace be with us all. Leader: And may his love shine in our hearts. All: Our hope is in the coming of the Lord. One purple candle is lit. During the rest of the week, this candle is relit at the evening meal or whenever the family gathers together. Leader: Let us pray that our faith may be strengthened for the coming of the Lord. (pause for silent prayer) Leader: Father in haven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love, and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in our faith so that the day of his coming may find us prepared and filled with joy. All: Amen. Suggested scripture readings: Isaiah 11: 1-10, Luke 1: 26 - 38, Isaiah 7: 10-14, Matthew 1: 18-24 IMMACULATE HEART RADIO’S December On-Air Pledge will be held Tuesday, December2 through Thursday, December 4 from 6 am to 6 pm each day at Mater Dolorosa School in South San Francisco. We need your help to answer phone calls, run errands, or help with hospitality. If you can help for an hour or a couple of hours any day, please call Deborah Heinrichs at 916-535-0500 ext 221 or email her at dheinrich@ihradio.org. Knights of Columbus St. Dunstan Council #11041 Larry Bianchi Memorial Crab Cioppino Dinner Saturday, December 6, 2008 St. Dunstan Parish Center No Host Cocktails 6:00 PM Dinner 7:30 PM, Dancing following dinner Featuring Johnny Midnight $40 per person (Chicken dinner available instead of crab) For tickets and info call Sam: 650/692-0471 Al: 650/697-0855 Last weekend’s Regular Collection: $6,137.00 Last weekend’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development Collection: $3,374.00 Next Weekend’s Second Collection will be for Christmas flowers for our church. Thank you for all your support! This weekend members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be stationed at the doors of the church after each Mass, taking up their 5th Sunday Collection. Please give generously. Your donations will help those in need in our parish area. SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: First Sunday of Advent Wednesday: St. Francis Xavier Thursday: St. John of Damascus Friday: First Friday Saturday: St. Nicholas First Saturday to those who served as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Altar Servers this weekend: Saturday, November 29th 5 PM Lector: J. Ryan Eucharistic Ministers: R&C Fry, J&L Clothakis, C Orfino, F Axiaq Altar Servers: Celio, Chavez, Chavez, Ching Sunday, November 30th 7 AM Lector: R. Flahavan Eucharistic Ministers: B Penner, B Albright, M Hutchings Altar Servers: Cabarse, DeGuzman, Chan, Doyle 8:30 AM Lector: E. Antonio Eucharistic Ministers: P Lucero, M Leland, M Anderegg, L Bates, R Pezo, D Lawson Altar Servers: Fernando, Gracia, Fusaro, Ghanaim 10 AM Lector: G. Yip Eucharistic Ministers: P Maloney, K Whitfield, N Reyes, J&F Sigona, L Raquel, T Herbeck Altar Servers: Yip, Lim, Whitfield, Whitfield 11:30 AM Lector: T. Dizon Eucharistic Ministers: B&C Martin, Y Kaialoa, J Roensch, C Cannizzaro, B Santos Altar Servers: Jackson, Jones, Jones, Jose 5 PM Lector: J Costa Eucharistic Ministers: S Pallari, H Santana, K Phelps, B Cappel Altar Servers: McLaughlin, Mendoza, Peralta, Peralta Special thanks to all of our ushers for their dedicated service at our weekend Masses. Mass Intentions for the Week November 30 thru December 6, 2008 Sunday 7:00 am For Parish 8:30 am Tito Caputo 10:00 am Monica Agius 11:30 am The Gulli Family (liv/dec) 5:00 pm SVdP Benefactors Monday 6:30 am Tom Treganza 8:00 am Pellegrini Family (liv/dec) 5:10 pm Deceased Brothers & Sisters of Jean Uhalde Tuesday 6:30 am Kathleen Castro 8:00 am Vincenzo Marinaro 5:10 pm David Joseph Pape Wednesday 6:30 am Martin Teehan 8:00 am John H. Ryan, Sr 5:10 pm Mary Brighi Thursday 6:30 am Mr & Mrs Sam Trimbur 8:00 am Vicente Salgado 5:10 pm Bernardine Norton Friday 6:30 am Diego L. Ricardo 8:00 am Rene & Vittsi Tanjuakio (living) 5:10 pm Rosellini Opalenik Family Saturday 8:00 am Joseph Caimotto 5:00 pm The John & Lena Mezzetta Family We pray for the sick members of our parish family and for those who care for them: Madison Kitz, William Dill, Ted & Eileen Damian, Pat Saracini, Bill Barca, Helen & Vicky Noceti, Irene Thommen, Kyong Cruz, Ciera Whipple, Dorothy Rives, Elsie Noceti, Steve Bacho, Eva Caprini, Mary Farr, Barbara Modica, Karen Shirley, Jose Conrado Vasquez, Henry & Lucy Garcia, Frances Snyder, Jack & Rene Sagrafena, Mrs. Larry Duggins, Antoinette Ramos, Joe Hamilton, Pauline & Joseph Burgio, Noralee Gelhaar, Geraldine Feehan, Martin Hidalgo, Norman Roos, Lyle Dibbs, Gloria Giannini, Maxine Coutts, Anna Mae Stewart, Jonathan Cerezo, Nick Cannuli, Kathy Montiel, The Yakaitis Family, Susan Silvera-Dunn, George Rodriguez Jr, Nafal Jweinat, Michael Coffaro, Diedra Bradshaw, Irma Sweeny, Charlene Spediacci, Esther Litton, Jan Diamond, Viola Burdick, Ronald Reyes, Josephine Muscat, Patricia O’Neill, Virginia Ryan Rogers, Martha Costa, Michael Wisherop, Helen Maternia, Elsie Clark, Bernice Malloy, Wayne Devora, Beverly Buhs, Rita Gilmore, Marisa Hosea, Marcella Mahoney, Judy Marks, Rita Bartolo, Michael Hovan, Gerda Altherr, Stephen Petinak, Richard Castro, Donald Clancy, Dan Bray, Rene Tiamson, Dondon Pasco, Dotty Mardiloff, Robert Weldon, Doug Baldwin, Joseph Conrad Rodriguez, Raymond Reudy, Mona Pasco, Rick Trecartin & Doris Spiteri We pray for the deceased members of our parish family.