Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
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Parish Newsletter
December 15, 2021
Staying Connected
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Dear Friends,
We are celebrating the fourth week of Advent – Christmas is so near. Today, Wednesday December 15th, we commence a nine-day novena in preparation for Christmas- Simbang Gabi. The mass schedule for this novena is given in this newsletter. Please come over to the church daily in the evening from your busy lives and find an oasis of peace and joy.
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Novenas are powerful. Novenas are not about praying for magic or about controlling outcomes. Novenas are about opening us up to listen to God through prayer. Novenas are about silencing the noise of life and focusing on what matters most in this life and the next: our relationship with Christ. When you participate in a novena (nine consecutive Masses), you share in a Christian tradition that is centuries old. Given the busy and stressful circumstances of our lives leading up to Christmas, Simbang Gabi will enable us to focus on what truly matters during this season.
Pope Francis noted that this year, too, the lights of Christmas seem dimmed by the consequences of the pandemic, which, "still weighs heavily on our time." All the more reason why we are called to question ourselves and not to lose hope, said the Pope, describing the feast of the Birth of Christ as not being "out of tune" with the trial that we are going through, "because it is par excellence the feast of compassion, of tenderness. Its beauty is humble and full of human warmth."
Pope Francis went on to stress that the beauty of Christmas shines through in the sharing of small gestures of concrete love. "It is not alienating; it is not superficial or escapist. On the contrary, it broadens the heart, opens it to gratuitousness, to the gift of self, and can also generate cultural, social and educational dynamics." Pope St. Paul VI said, “This world in which we live needs beauty so as not to fall into despair.” What beauty? Pope Francis continued, "Not a false one, made up of appearances and earthly wealth, which is empty and generates emptiness. No, rather, the beauty of a God who became flesh, the beauty of faces, of stories; the beauty of the creatures who make up our common home and who - as St. Francis teaches us - share in the praise of the Most High."
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On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we light four candles on our Advent wreath. We light this candle in the name of love, as an invitation for the Holy to dwell within us, deepening our capacity to love. Lighting candles during this season of darkness (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) reminds us of our call to be light in the world and is a symbol of hope and promise of abundant life that comes from Jesus. If you have an Advent wreath, make sure to light the candles this week in the evening and spend a few moments of silence and prayer.
Let me recommend something that we all can do during Advent. Before you go to bed, turn off your devices for the night. Turn off the lights. Light a candle or two or three or four and just sit and stare at the flame, which, by drawing oxygen, reminds you that you need to breathe, too. Sit and pray until you feel an uncoupling from the chaos. At night, by candlelight, the world feels enduring, ancient and slow. To sit and stare at a candle is to contemplate how Jesus comes to banish the darkness of our lives.
On this fourth week of Advent or starting today, pray that we might open our minds to see beyond our own dreams and schemes so that Emmanuel may be ever more present in us and through us.
Fr. Paulson
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Poinsettias for Christmas |
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If you would like to donate some larger poinsettia plants for our church decorations we would be very grateful! Please drop them off during the week of December 19 and bring them to the church. |
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Friday, December 24
Christmas Eve Masses
3pm - Outdoors
4:30pm - Outdoors
8pm - Indoors & Livestream
12 Midnight - Indoors & Livestream
(Christmas Carols begin at 11:30pm)
St. Stephen Church - 5:30pm
Saturday, December 25
Christmas Day Masses
7:30am - Indoors
9am - Indoors
10:30am - Indoors & Livestream
St. Stephen Church - 9:30am
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Outdoor Masses on Christmas Eve will take place on the lawn.
Please dress warm and bring your own chairs.
If it rains we will bring mass inside the church and gym.
Face masks are required.
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An opportunity for Private Confessions
will be available on Thursday, December 23rd
after the 9am, mass in the church.
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Drive Through Communion
Christmas Day - 11:30am to 12:00pm
(in front of the church)
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Reminder
There will be no 9am morning Mass on Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve).
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New Year’s Eve, Friday December 31
4pm Mass
Vigil for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
New Year’s Day, Saturday January 1
9am Mass
The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
St. Stephen Church - 9:30am
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Ushers for Christmas Needed! |
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If you are able to help out with ushering at our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, please contact Sr. Dominic Marie at sisterdominic.marie@gmail.com
(See Christmas Mass schedule above)
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Celebrate St. Stephen Day |
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St. Stephen's invites all CTK parishioners to join us on Sunday, December 26 as we celebrate St. Stephen Day.
The celebration starts with Mass at 9:30am at St. Stephen, then continues in our parish center for a celebration including Christmas Carols and brunch. To attend the celebration you must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within the prior 72-hours. More information can be found on our St. Stephen website by clicking here.
We are also looking for an approximate head count to help with food arrangements. A message letting us know that you are interested in attending can be left through our website link, or by phone 925-274-1341 or email saintstephenwc@gmail.com.
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Holiday Food Drive - Ends Friday |
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St. Vincent De Paul
Annual Holiday Food Collection
To support St. Vincent de Paul,
please bring bags of groceries!
Please only bring groceries from the list.
See more information here
Drop off bags in front of the church through
Friday, December 17.
Thank you for your generosity!
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Simbang Gabi 2021 Begins Tonight! |
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Join us for the Filipino tradition of nine Masses leading up to Christmas.
December 15-23
6pm Mass
in the church
Face Masks
are required
Dec. 23rd
(after the last mass)
light refreshments will be served.
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CTK's Faith in Action Ministry is sponsoring a virtual Concern America Craft Sale this year
through December 24th.
For more information see flyer here
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Thank you to all who attended our celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe mass on Sunday. It was an amazing evening! If you would like to watch the mass you can watch it by clicking here
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Congratulations Ramon who was
baptized over the weekend.
Welcome to Christ the King and St. Stephen Family!
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Parents: Bailey & Raymon
Baby: Ramon
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Weekly Reflections on Sunday Readings |
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Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Sunday Scriptures.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
It is the season of humility, silence, and growth. For nine months Christ grew in his mother’s body. By his own will she formed Him from herself, from the simplicity of her daily life. She had nothing to give him but herself. Read More
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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).
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Worship Aide for Mass - Dec. 18/19 Here
Readings for Sunday Mass Here
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Links to our services (live or archived) can be found at ctkph.org
or clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.
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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
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St. Stephen Church - Masses |
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St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek 94597
Saturday - Mass 5pm
Sunday - Mass at 9:30am
Worship Aide Dec.18/19 Here
St. Stephen Daily Mass: Monday - Friday at 8am
Confessions will be available on Thursday, Dec. 23 after the 8am mass.
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Thank You for Your Continued Financial Support to CTK and St. Stephen Church |
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On-Line Giving: (click button below)
We depend upon your contributions!
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Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
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Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
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Upcoming Second Collections
December 19 - Christmas Flowers
This weekend’s second collection is for Christmas flowers, Christmas lights and Christmas trees to decorate our outside and inside space. As always, thank you for your generosity!
December 25 - Christmas
Thank you for your generous support!
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Closing Prayer
Prayer for the 4th Sunday of Advent
O God of Elizabeth and Mary,
you visited your servants with news
of the world's redemption
in the coming of the Savior.
Make our hearts leap with joy,
and fill our mouths with songs of praise,
that we may announce glad tidings of peace,
and welcome the Christ in our midst. Amen
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"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference" |
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