S STephen t.
CATHOLIC PARISH
2747 Pali Highway Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 (808) 595-3105
ssccpali@rcchawaii.org facebook.com/st.stephenpali OFFICE HOURS: Tues—Thurs: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm* Mon, Fri & Sat: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm *Closed for lunch from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
PASTOR
Fr. Mario Raquepo STAFF
Deacon Ronald Choo Sister Marykutty Kottuppallil, MSMHC Rosemary Hashimoto, Secretary FAITH FORMATION
CCD-Children Velma Guieb-Mamuad Youth & Confirmation Rosemary Hashimoto (interim) R. C. I. A. Debbie Fujiyama Parish Scripture Groups Francis Jordan PARISH MINISTRIES
Homebound & Bereavement Virginia Jordan & Helen Luke Hospitality David Tom Altar Server Zachary Choo Liturgical Music Leka Leaeno (Saturday Vigil) Stanley Wong (Sunday) Lector Beverly Perry Holy Communion at Mass Jennifer Tamayo Sacristy Celine Asato & David Tom Justice & Peace TBA ——— (Respect Life) TBA ——— (Aloysius Food Pantry) TBA ——— (Family Promise Hawaii) PARISH ORGANIZATIONS
Pastoral Council Patricia Silva Stewardship/Discipleship Council Bernard Ho (interim) Finance Council James Solidum (interim) Liturgy Commission TBA Building/Planning Committee Loretta Chee & Richard Leong Social Fellowship Sui Kozuma & Kitchen Crew
weekend MASS
CONFESSION
SATURDAY (Main Church ) ………... 4:00 pm SUNDAY (Chapel) ………...………… 7:15 am
SATURDAY …..…… 3:00 — 3:30 pm or by appointment
(Main Church) .……...….… 9:30 am
WEEKDAY mass Chapel of St. Catherine
MONDAY— SATURDAY ............ 8:00 am
Devotion & ADORATION Eucharistic Adoration ...… WED Mass Holy Rosary ……………….. before Mass
VISITATION OF THE SICK: Priest and Homebound Ministers are available to visit
the infirm or hospitalized. Please contact the Parish. For sacramental emergency, call 595-3105 and press #2 BAPTISM: Sacramental preparation is required. If you are expecting or have a
child to be baptized, please call the Parish office for more information MARRIAGE: The Diocese of Honolulu requires couples to marry in the Church
to participate in the preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony. Couples should contact the office for Marriage Preparation at least 6 months before the wedding FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS: Kokua! Please contact your Church prior to making
arrangements with a funeral home PARISHIONERS: When changing address/telephone, or moving out of the
Parish, please kindly notify the office NEW PARISHIONERS: If you would like to become a parishioner of St. Stephen,
please use forms available at the entrance of the Church or contact the office
E KOMO MAI
Second Sunday of Advent GOOD NEWS
Mass Intentions Saturday, December 6:
Isaiah 40:1–5, 9–11 / 2 Peter 3:8–14 / Mark 1:1–8
In the weeks before Christmas, preparations for the holiday seem allconsuming. We cook, we shop, we clean; we buy or make presents for our families and friends. Sometimes we break into song, and often we give more generously than at other times. We’ll probably have guests, and we’ll want to do a little extra to make ready for them. Today’s readings turn our gaze to a more significant kind of preparation for Christmas and remind us that Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, waits to come again in the fullness of time. More to the point, he waits for us to open our hearts and our lives to him. What does that take exactly? Think about the way we clean house for special guests. Not content with simple wiping and dusting, we get out the polish, clean the top of the refrigerator, and even double check for dust bunnies that have wandered to the corner under the bed. That’s a fine metaphor for what we need to do with our souls. Advent is the time to check the dark recesses for thoughts and actions that indicate we’re less than ready to meet Christ face to face. Advent is the time to sweep away the cobwebs and put our inner house in order, knowing that Christ is on his way. Maybe in the midst of cooking and cleaning the house we live in, we can find the time for prayer and reconciliation so that when he comes, we can stand before him with doors open wide in welcome. Mary Katharine Deeley sundaybulletin@liguori.org
Mahalo for your generous donations. We will be taking your gifts and offerings to St. John the Baptist soon. Please continue to remember them in your prayers.
STEWARDSHIP OF OUR LORD QUOTE OF THE WEEK
.“Prepare the way of the Lord.
“ ...Mark 1:3
Donations/Collections
(November 22 & 23, 2014)
1,060.00
Votive Offering
64.50
7:15 am Mass
274.00
Facilities Repair
1,195.00
9:30 am Mass
1,111.00
Monstrance donation
1,250.00
Saturday 4:00 pm Mass
Total Offering
Sunday, December 7:
7:15 a.m. Mass: All families 9:30 am Mass: Adrian Abcede Monday, December 8:
8 am Mass: † Patricia Trask Tuesday, December 9:
8 am Mass: † Martin Luke requested Lake Furukawa
Wednesday, December 10:
8 am Mass: Arlene Spinola healing
Thursday, December 11:
9 am Mass: † Sonny Quon Friday, December 12:
8 am Mass: Shalimar & Bryant Saturday, December 13:
8 am Mass: Shalimar & Bryant
PLEASE PRAY For the sick & homebound: ROLAND ALBARADO, MARGARET ROBELLO, JOE CHANG, DON YEE, CARRIE TALWAR
For the recently deceased:
ALOYSIUS TOM FOOD PANTRY
Weekly Offerings
4:00 p.m. Mass: † Michael Morrow
2,445.00
Mahalo for your faithful service and continued generosity!
MARTIN LUKE, DAVID LIU, BOBBY LOWE, ETHEL LEE, ELLEN SHAM, PATSY TAM, GWENDOLYN JOSEPH, HAZEL ANDRADE, MARIA GUIEB , MERRY CRIS HO, YVONNE PACARRO, LESTER MABERY, FLORENCE HO, ETHEL AU, GINNY STAHL, PAUL WONG, TONY BARON, MABEL LUKE, ELLEN KALAHELE, JOHN COSTA, MARTHA OYADAMORI, CAROLYN AKI, HARRY BENDER
12/7
Rupert Hashimoto
12/8
Mary Carvalho Sarah Louis
12/10 Eugene Cacho Dickson Young 12/11 Lawrence Perry Cho Yul Kim 12/12 Merlin White Dilinda Julian 12/13 Eloise Dang
December 7, 2014 Faith Formation CCD
December 7 Class YOUTH
Class Parish Scripture Groups
Wed. December 10 9:15 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. R.C.I.A.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION—Monday, DECEMBER 8TH We only have two Holy Days of Obligation that we observe in our Diocese. Christmas and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of our nation. Masses will be at 8:00 a.m. in the chapel and 6:00 p.m. in the church. Following our 6:00 p.m. Mass we will bless the Marian Grotto. Everyone is invited to join in the reception after in the Hall. ADVENT PENANCE—Thursday December 11th at 7:00 p.m. There will be four priests available on December 11th for our Advent Penance Service. Everyone is reminded to take time to prepare our hearts and souls for Christ coming. LOVING TREE
Monday, December 8:
Our Parish seeks to reach out to our parishioners who are homebound or without family and friends. We want to remind them of our prayers and good wishes. Please take a name from the tree and have your gift ready by December 21st. Our Outreach volunteers will see that they are delivered by Christmas. Keep them in your prayers this season when it is most difficult to be alone and away from loved ones.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Blessing of Grotto
DAWN MASS
December 14 Immaculate Conception
This week
Wednesday, December 10: 8:30 a.m.—6:45 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday, December 11: 7:00 ADVENT PENANCE
Liturgical Ministries Next Week: December 13 & 14
Altar server: [Sat] — [Sun] — Jasmine Labrador, Eiliana Abcede, Mackenzie Martines
Lector: [Sat] - Richard Leong/Duchess Leaeno [Sun] -Monica Hahn/Bev Perry
EMHC: [Sat] — Valerie Low, Olive Houle [Sun] — Toni Farm, Frank Jordan, Arlette Aki
Collection Counting: Team 2 Church Cleaners: Ginny Jordan, Celine Asato, Barbara Guieb, Anne Yee, Arlette Aki
To help us focus on the real meaning of Christmas, this year we are celebrating a Mass at Dawn (5:30 a.m.) from December 16th to 24th. Please sign up if you are interested in attending so we can accommodate everyone. RETIRED RELIGIOUS FUND Give thanks for religious. A parishioner writes, “We thank God today and every day for every religious sister who taught us in school, not only our ABCs, but also to love God.” Share your gratitude for the senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who made a positive difference in so many lives. Please give generously to next week’s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Bread Sale for PIANO FUND—December 13 & 14 We already have $100.00 for seed money toward the new piano. Sign up for bread is at the front door. There will be pick after each Mass.
ADVENT WREATH LIGHTING Mahalo to our families who helped us in the Liturgy this Advent Nov. 29 - Deacon Ron Choo
Nov 30 - Debbie Fujiyama & Donna Louis
Dec 6—Lorrie Chee
Dec 7—Tim & Marissa Abcede & family
Dec 13—Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Ho & Family
Dec 14 — Daren, Denise & Paige Lin-DeShetler
dear PADRE WEEKLY SCRIPTURAL READINGS Monday, December 8
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Genesis 3:9—15, 20 Ephesians 1:3—6, 11—12 Luke 1:26—38
Tuesday, December 9 St. Juan Diego
Isaiah 40:1—11 Matthew 18:12—14
Wednesday, December 10 Isaiah 40:25—31 Matthew 11:28—30
Thursday, December 11 St. John Damascene
Isaiah 41:13—20 Matthew 11:11—15
Friday, December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
Q A
Why isn’t Jesus’ conception called “immaculate”? I know the term “Immaculate Conception” refers to Mary’s conception because she was born without original sin. But since Jesus was also born without original sin, wouldn’t that term refer to his conception as well? The dogma of the Immaculate Conception asserts that Mary was free of the stain of original sin from the time she was conceived. Jesus was also free of the stain of original sin, but his conception by Mary is referred to as the incarnation of Christ. In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, Mary’s conception is celebrated December 8, and her birthday is celebrated exactly nine months later on September 8. Likewise, Christ’s conception is celebrated on March 25, and his birthday is celebrated exactly nine months later on December 25. Mary’s immaculate conception was celebrated many centuries before Pope Pius IX defined it as dogma on December 8, 1854, in his apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus: “That the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God…has been revealed by God and must, therefore, firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful.” FR. BYRON MILLER, CSsR sundaybulletin@liguori.org
Zechariah 2:14—17 or
Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10
Luke 1:26—38
Saturday, December 13 St. Lucy, Virgin & Martyr
Sirach 48:1—4, 9—11 Matthew 17:9a, 10—13
SUNDAY, December 14 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 61:1—2a, 10—11 1 Thessalonians 5:16—24 John 1:6—8, 19—28
WHY GO TO CONFESSION? http://www.ncregister.com/images/ documents/Advent-Confession.pdf
1. The presence of sin can easily lead to depression and anxiety. 2. You shower to show respect for those around you. Cleansing your soul makes you better to be around, too! 3. Mortal sin, unconfessed, “causes exclusion from Christ’s Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices forever, with no turning back” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1861). 4. As they leave the confessional, people smile a smile of freedom. 5. Because love means having to say you are sorry to the one you love. 6. You will grow in humility, sincerity and selfknowledge. 7. Blessed Mother Teresa went. Frequently. 8. Hoping to convert on your deathbed? That’s not very likely. Most likely, you will die as you lived. 9. It is itself a serious sin to go to Communion if you have serious sin on your soul and have not asked for forgiveness in confession. 10. Don’t be scared to death of confession. Be scared of death without confession.