Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Parish Newsletter
November 10, 2021
Staying Connected
A Letter From Our Pastor - Fr. Paulson
Dear Friends,

I would like to recommend a book for all of us to read as we move into the holiday season, a season of grace and joy. From thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond, we reflect on God’s saving grace in our lives. The book is authored by Kirsten Powers, and is titled: “Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts.” I am going to do 2 discussions on this book during the season of Advent, on Thursdays December 2 & 9, after the morning and evening masses. The following are excerpts from the book:

"Grace is what the Franciscan priest and writer Richard Rohr calls "the 'x' factor." It knits families, friendships and countries back together after betrayal, hurt and even violence. It's the father running to embrace the prodigal son when he's starving, penniless and drenched in shame. It's refusing to reduce people to the sum of their worst actions. We see it in the humility of the utterance "There but for the grace of God go I."

“True grace is otherworldly. It goes against every instinct we have to seek revenge for wrongs or to shame and humiliate people who have acted immorally or unethically. It is what the theologian Dorothee Sölle, who grew up in Nazi Germany, called "borrow[ing] the eyes of God." It enables us to see the divinity in every person, no matter what they've done, what they believe or who they voted for. Grace is giving other people space to not be you."
"Grace is the original self-care. It shushes the hectoring inner critic that tells us we are too much, too little, too fat, too thin, too good, and not good enough. Grace invites us off the hedonic treadmill of relentless achievement and success, which never delivers the happiness it promises. Grace doesn't care what size your waist is and celebrates every new wrinkle as evidence of wisdom earned. Grace shrugs at your unachieved New Years' resolutions and teaches you to be kind to yourself, just because. Grace reminds you of the "love yourself" part of Jesus' command "Love others as much as you love yourself."

“Ungrace has become the lingua franca of our discourse. More often than not, it's the lens through which we view people who don't share our religious, political or moral values. Those people may be our leaders, co-workers, neighbors or, increasingly, members of our own families.”

"Our lack and misunderstanding of grace and shrunken capacity to give grace is one of the things that makes the world such a brutal place," Lisa Sharon Harper, the writer and antiracism leader, told me in late 2020. "Discernment is necessary. Judgment is vanity." Details on how to obtain the book can be found below.

We will be celebrating the feast of Christ the King on the weekend of November 20-21. The feast was instituted by Pope Pius X1 in 1925. In 1925, the pope was upset because so many national governments were establishing themselves as explicitly secular. In the official letter that the pope wrote, instituting the feast day, he notes that everyone already thinks that Jesus is metaphorically a king, in our hearts and minds and wills, but that people need to learn that he is also literally the king of life, the universe, and everything. And if we really believe that, then a great deal is going to change.

The timing of this feast is particularly good this year as it falls on the same weekend as Thanksgiving and also comes at a time the pandemic, a time of loss and hardship for so many, and we do not seem to have any control at all. Jesus our King speaks to us in Matthew 25. At the last judgment scene, when Christ comes again as a King, we are judged on something entirely different. To be loyal to Jesus is to feed the hungry, quench the thirst of the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned. There is no flag to wave, no literal battle to fight. It is entirely about meeting the needs of the folks. And that for me is to practice grace 

Fr. Paulson
“Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts.”

Join Fr. Paulson for both discussion sessions:
Thurs. Dec. 2 - 9:30am (In the church)
Thurs. Dec. 9 - 7pm (on Zoom)
 Zoom link can be found here
 
Books can be purchased at the parish office for $20.
They also can be found on Amazon or Kindle.
Thursday, November 11th

We observe Veterans Day and remember all those who have served our country in times of war. Among those veterans are our military chaplains.

Our Parish Offices will be closed on Nov. 11th in observance of Veteran's Day.
The Feast of Christ the King
Next Weekend - November 20-21
All Masses

Join us next weekend as we celebrate our
Parish Feast Day!
CYO Mass
Sunday, November 21
12 noon
 
All CYO Participants and their families are
invited to this mass.
(Parishioners are also invited to attend)
Thanksgiving Day Mass
Thursday, November 25
You are invited to attend our
Thanksgiving Day Mass
9am
 
Bring for a special blessing, the bread and wine you will be serving on Thanksgiving Day.
 
We Remember With Love
Scroll of our Faithful Departed
CTK and St. Stephen Church

The Church holds the month of November in dedication and remembrance of our beloved faithful departed, and honors with great respect the memory of the dead, especially those who have passed during this year. Please see the scroll of names of CTK and St. Stephen loved ones who have passed. Here
Book of Remembrance

In the church, near the baptism font, we have our Book of Remembrance. You may write in the names of your deceased loved ones as we do each year. The Book will be out for the month of November. Kindly bring your own pen.
Have You Completed Our Parish Survey?
We need your help!
            Please help us by participating in a diocesan-wide survey!
 
Christ the King and St. Stephen Parish will be participating in a parish survey.

CTK Parishioners can click here
St. Stephen Parishioners can click here
 
If you prefer a paper copy of the survey, you may pick one up in the back of the church or at the parish office.
 
Thank you for helping with this important project!
Weekly Church Bulletin
Over the Weekend
Congratulations to
Jenna Paynter and Sean Ryan who were married on Saturday at St. Stephen Church
Congratulations to
Kyla Pomer and Christopher Robertson who were married on Saturday at CTK.
Congratulations to the children who was baptized over the weekend!
Welcome to Christ the King and St. Stephen Family!
Parents: Elizabeth & Garrett
Baby: Joseph Damian
Parents: Khoa & AJ
Baby: Maverick Tran
Parents: Brian & Sarah
Baby: Caleb Aquino
Parents: Laura & James
Baby: Connor Francis
Carondelet & De La Salle News

Carondelet and De La Salle High School's 21-22 Admissions Season has officially opened! The application deadline for both schools is December 10, and Financial Aid applications open on December 1.
To learn more about Carondelet, come to our Open House on November 14 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm.

To register for events, find out more about both schools, and apply, visit carondeleths.org and dlshs.org
Weekly Reflections on Sunday Readings
Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Sunday Scriptures.
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

After announcing the end times, Jesus speaks of an even more important event. In mystical, futuristic language, he describes the end of the world or, more precisely, its transformation. The sun will grow dark, the moon will not give its light (“climate change”?) Read More
Mass Schedule
All Masses are Inside the Church.
Face Masks are required.

Weekday Masses
9am Mass - Monday - Friday
(9am Masses will be livestreamed)
6pm - Thursdays (Rosary begins at 5:40pm)
(Rosary and Mass will be livestreamed)

Weekend Masses
Saturday
9am and 4pm Vigil
(Saturday 4pm Mass will be livestreamed)

Sunday
7:30am, 9am, 10:30am and 4pm
(10:30am Mass will be livestreamed).
Worship Aide for Mass - Nov. 13/14 Here
Readings for Sunday Mass Here
Links to our services (live or archived) can be found at ctkph.org
or clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.
Ongoing Services:
Sacrament of Reconciliation - Private Confessions every Saturday from 3pm to 3:30pm, in the church.

Drive-Thru Holy Communion - Every Sunday 11:30am to 12 noon, in front of the church.

Thursday Mass - 6pm - Honoring our Mother of Perpetual Help, Rosary begins at 5:40pm, in the church. Worship Aide Here

Holy Rosary - Livestreamed on Facebook at 5:40pm, Monday - Friday
St. Stephen Church - Masses
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek 94597

Saturday - Mass 5pm
Sunday - Mass at 9:30am
Worship Aide Nov. 13/14 Here

St. Stephen now has mass in the church
Monday - Friday at 8am

Masses at St. Stephen are now being live-streamed on the St. Stephen Facebook page. If you are unable to attend with us in person, please join us through Facebook. A link is on our website: saintstephenparish.org.
Only the 9:30am mass will be live-streamed.
Thank You for Your Continued Financial Support to CTK and St. Stephen Church
On-Line Giving: (click button below)
We depend upon your contributions!
Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Second Collections
Upcoming Second Collections:

Nov. 21 - Hungry and Homeless
Collection for local agencies to help with food and homelessness.
 
Nov. 28 - Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Our special collection will support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. More than thirty-eight million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs that empower people to identify and address the obstacles they face as they work to bring permanent and positive change to their communities. Learn more about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at www.CCHDEastBay.org.
 
 Thank you for your generous support!
Veterans Day Prayer
Loving God, 

Thank You for America's heroes who have served our country so faithfully.
We honor our veterans for their sacrifice to our country and for their courage. 
We praise You for all veterans who have gone before us in eternal rest. 

We especially pray for those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending our country. 
Bless their families and comfort them with the
thankful prayers of a great nation.

Almighty God, You gave us Your only Son, Jesus. 
Allow us to follow His example and work to create a more loving world. 
Let us not perpetuate war but safeguard peace and preserve
Your gifts of equality and freedom.

We thank You for our veterans, past and present,
and for the knowledge that You are with us in all things.

Amen.
"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference"