The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
December 26, 2021
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What Truly a Family is About!
Dear Friends,
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. Family is not about “what” we have in our life, but “who” we have in our life. The transition from “what we have” to “who we have” makes great families.
There is a story about two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles). They were invited to teach at prisons and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a governmentrun program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:
“We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children sat in amazement as they listened trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel were used for the baby's blanket.” read more
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MASS SCHEDULE
WEEKDAYS
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM
INDOOR & Live-Streamed
WEEKENDS
Sunday Vigil - Saturday 5:00 PM
INDOOR & Live-Streamed
Sunday 8:30 AM
OUTDOORS & IN-CAR
Sunday 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM
INDOOR
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LIVE-STREAM LINKS
(Click Buttons Below)
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Anyone that feels sick, has tested COVID positive, or has been exposed to a person who is COVID positive should stay home and attend the live-stream Mass.
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Mass Intentions
December 25 - December 31
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Saturday 8:30am - St. Martin of Tours Parishioners
Saturday 10:00am - St. Martin of Tours Parishioners
Sunday 8:30am - James and Vincee Viso †
and Peter Gaffney †
Sunday 10:00am - Cindy Wieske Bean †
Sunday 11:30am - John Rossi †
Monday 8:00am - Emeteria Garcia †
Tuesday 8:00am - Robert Lawrence †
Wednesday 8:00am - Souls in Purgatory
Thursday 8:00am - Right to Life
Friday 8:00am - Justin Semana †
and Bernard Cabading †
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PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE DECEASED:
Molly (Mary) Clark, Anna Mary Delaney, Larry Elis, Marie Catherine Lindsay, Clarence Santana, and Patricia Friederich
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PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE SICK:
Laura Dominguez, Tony Jones, Nadja Haddad, Jo Baroni, Jose Mendoza, Sr. Rose Mary Maguire, Michael Joseph, Dee Jackson, Sofia Rita Vernacchia, Helena Knapen, Msgr. John Sandersfeld, Hilaria Amezquita, Joe Arant, Kyle Anderson
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Please pray with us for our parishioners, family and friends. |
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Prayer Angels Ministry
Prayer is one of the greatest gifts you can give another. If you or someone you know is in need of prayers (sick, deceased, birthday, anniversary...), please email Therese Lehane at tlehane@stmartin.org and let our Prayer Angels pray for you or someone you know. |
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Upcoming Parish Events... |
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Saturday, January 1
New Year's Day Mass
(Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God)
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in the Church
Thursday, January 6
CCM sessions resume
4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Thursday, January 6
Holy Hour Adoration and Benediction
7:00 p.m. in the Church
Sunday, January 9th
RCIA sessions resume
11:30 a.m. in the Parish Office
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Sunday, January 9th
Confirmation sessions resume
4:00 - 5:15 p.m. in the Community Building
Tuesday, January 13th
Speaker Series
4:00 - 5:15 p.m. in the Church
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For a complete list of Parish events:
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Speaker Series
For over 2000 years, Christians have felt the sacredness of God through stories, stained glass, music, sculpture, drama, poetry, and painting. These arts speak to different age groups, learning styles and educational levels, offering a way to engage respectfully with a multicultural world. We are made in the image of a creative God; we are God’s artwork, and appreciating human creativity draws us closer to the Creator. We’ll explore visual arts, literature, and music in a context of beauty, where no interpretation is wrong. Then we’ll ask how our lives can be works of art.
Please join us Thursday, January 13, 2022 from 4:00pm-5:15pm in the church as we listen to Kathy Coffey talk about “The Art of Faith”, inviting us to see with the eyes of faith and to see our own lives as unique and priceless works of art. Kathy Coffey is the author of many books such as Hidden Women of the Gospels, More Hidden Women of the Gospels (Orbis) ,and When the Saints Came Marching In (Liturgical Press). She taught for fifteen years at the University of Colorado, Denver, and Regis Jesuit University. She has won sixteen awards from the Catholic Press Association, the Foley Poetry Award from America magazine, and several others. She has spoken at national conventions such as the Los Angeles and East Coast Congresses, NCCL, NCEA and many diocesan gatherings. Her own spirituality has been shaped by 49 years of parenting and 10 years of grandparenting. A widow, the mother of four and grandmother of six, she lives in the Bay area, CA. For more information, see her website: kathyjcoffey.com.
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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
The Parish Community needs to pat themselves on the back big time. The Christmas giving tree was a huge success this year. This was our first year to change things up. You donated more than $3,500 in gift cards. The farm worker families received gifts, gift cards, food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies on Sunday, December 19th. The food pantry participants received toys and gift cards for each family. The Nursing Homes in our community received non slip socks, playing cards, word puzzle books, coloring books, markers, pencils, rosary beads, place mats, scarfs (all donated by the children of our schools). We sorted, wrapped, and delivered with the help of our Parishioners. What an amazing Christmas gesture. So THANK YOU again and again for your generosity.
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Thank you to our
Wrapping & Delivery Angels!
Our wrapping angels quickly went into action on a moments noticed when St. Martin of Tours was asked to wrap the farmworkers' children's gifts that were donated. They were packed up and handed off to our delivery angels who drove to Watsonville and distributed all the gifts, food and gift cards to the multiple families. Thank you so much to our wrapping and delivery angels for your time and support! God Bless!!
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Thank you for the Poinsettia Donations for the Church
We are grateful to all those that donated the beautiful poinsettias to adorn the St. Martin of Tours church altar. These beautiful flowers brought beauty and life to our Christmas celebration. Thank you for your continued kindness and support in helping making this a joyous Christmas Season!!!
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Thank you to Daisies Troop 60561!
Thank you for making the beautiful Christmas cards for our Food Box clients!! Your beautiful art and kind words brought so much joy to others this Christmas season.
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Thank you from the
Food Box Program!
The Food Box program extends our thanks to the hundreds of supporters who helped make the Food Box successful in 2021. This includes volunteers and donors alike.
We served many individuals and families in 2021, providing healthier foods and lots of fresh produce. St. Martin of Tours truly appreciates your dedication to helping others, especially as we journey through the Covid-19 pandemic together.
We hope to help even more of our food-insecure neighbors in 2022. If you haven't yet visited our Food Box program, we encourage you to add it to your calendar for 2022-
We distribute food every 3rd Friday under the tents from 4pm-5pm, and we welcome volunteers of all
ages. What a wonderful New Years resolution, to give back and volunteer in our community! We hope to see you soon-- and thanks again to everyone who supported the Food Box this year.
Please contact Therese at 408-294-8953 or tlehane@stmartin.org
Thank you for your continued support!
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STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT |
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Consider Year-End Giving
As the year 2021 is coming to an end, I request you to consider making an year-end donation to St. Martin of Tours according to your ability. You could make your donations by check, online giving or by stock options. All the checks received by December 31 will be included in the charitable gift receipt that will be mailed out in January. If your company gives matching fund, please utilize that option as well. If you need assistance, please contact Lori Krouse, our Finance Manger. |
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Parish Support
We thank you for your continued support during these challenging times! Please be as generous as you can as our collections have fallen short of our budget. If you would like to make a secure one-time donation and/or setup regular online donations, please use the GIVE NOW button. Thank you again!!
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Parish Office Hours
Monday -Thursday 10 AM to 5 PM
If you or a loved one is in need of Sacramental care, such as anointing of the sick, last rites or confession, Fr. Gener & Fr. Saju are available. Please contact them directly using the staff directory below.
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Liturgical Ministries
Volunteer Signups
If you are interested in being a lector, usher, eucharistic minister or altar server, use the button below to signup. If you have any questions, please contact the parish office at 408-294-8953. Thank you!!
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FAITH FORMATION & SPIRITUALITY |
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Dates to Remember
RCIA:
December 26 and January 2 – Holiday Break
January 9 – 11:30 AM session in the parish office
January 16 – 11:30 AM session in the parish office
CCM (Children's Catechetical Ministry)/First Eucharist Preparation:
December 30 - Christmas Break
January 6 – 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM CCM sessions for children
January 13 – 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Parent session (Speaker Series) in the church
January 27 – 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM Virtual Family Faith Night
Confirmation:
December 26 and January 2 – Holiday Break
January 9 – 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Candidate session in the Community Building
January 13 – 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Parent session (Speaker Series) in the church
January 23 – 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Candidate session in the Community Building
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A Closer Look at the Nativity of Jesus….. |
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Light and Star
God created a good, beautiful world, and he began by creating light (Genesis 1:1).
But sin has darkened the world. Our own sin darkens our understanding and our ability to love. God wants us to live in the light, so he gave us his Son, Jesus, to be the world’s Savior. The Prophet Isaiah said of this Messiah, “Arise! Shine, for your light has come” (Isaiah 60:1).
John’s Gospel does not include stories of Jesus’ birth. Instead, at the beginning, John tells us other important things about Jesus. He is the Word of God made flesh, and he is the light that darkness cannot overcome (John 1:5). Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus describes himself as the “light of the world” (John 8:12).
That’s why lights are such an important part of Christmas. It begins with the star that led the Magi to Jesus, a star that’s often represented symbolically with four points so that it looks like a cross. We celebrate this star and the light of Jesus by decorating our homes with all kinds of lights, inside and out. The light of Jesus conquers darkness everywhere in the world and in our own hearts, too.
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December 26,2021 Feast of the Holy Family
1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 • 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24 • Luke 2:41-52
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. —Luke 2:52
The Christmas season is a time for us to grow in holiness, and family life is a prime place for doing so. On the first Sunday of Christmas, we celebrate the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Because family life is so important in God’s plan for holiness, even God’s son had to learn to live in a human family! When he was 12, Jesus did something that scared and worried his parents - he stayed behind in Jerusalem when they left to go home but without telling them. How many scared and worried parents have asked their children like Mary and Joseph did, “Why have you done this to us?” (Lk 2:48) Family members must forgive each other constantly. A family that can forgive can go on trusting that they still love each other, even when they make mistakes and do something that hurts the others.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please show us ways we can grow in holiness as a family. If there is a need for forgiveness, please give us the courage and strength to ask for it.
Family Reflection: What actions can our family do to grow in holiness together?
May God bless your family in the New Year!
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Children's Sunday Bulletin & Activities
Web Link for this week - Children's Sunday Bulletin & Activities:
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AROUND THE DIOCESE & COMMUNITY |
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Stay up to date with Diocesan wide news, events, and stories as well as news from the USCCB and the Vatican. Read the Bishop’s messages, see what our children are doing in school, and learn about upcoming community events. Follow the Diocese of San Jose on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vimeo. Social Media Posts: Facebook | Instagram
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