REGULAR MASS SCHEDULE Tuesday - Saturday: 8:30 a.m. Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. Sunday Vigil: Saturday 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:15 a.m..*; 11:00 a.m.*, and

5:30 p.m. *The nursery is available RECONCILIATION Saturday 3-4 p.m. or by appointment

BAPTISM To begin the process of having your child baptized, please call the office.

FUNERALS Please contact the parish office if there is a death in the family. The parish will cooperate with funeral arrangements. A priest will assist the family with funeral preparations.

COMMUNION FOR THE SICK & SHUT-INS: To make arrangements for home or hospital visits, contact the Parish Office.

MARRIAGE It is necessary for couples to contact the parish when the engagement is made. You should be a registered active member of the parish. Allow six to nine months for preparation for the sacrament. Extra time must be allotted if either of the parties has been married before.

CLERGY Robert Barras

NORMAL PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.—5 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m.—4 p.m. Sunday Receptionist: 9:20—10:50

a.m.

15500 EL CAMINO REAL | HOUSTON , TEXAS 77062 | 281-486-0337 | WWW .STBCHURCH .ORG

DECEMBER 29, 2019

Sunday Dec. 15, 2019 $ 19,182.62 Children’s 104.82 Faith Direct* 10,391.58 Total Collection $ 29,679.02 Budget 29,314.00 Over (under) budget $ 365.02 Thank you for your continued commitment to St. Bernadette Parish. We pray for your continued generous support of God’s work here at St. Bernadette. *Faith Direct is a weekly average based on a monthly total

DSF 2019 Summary as of Dec. 16, 2019 Goal $ 184,800.00 Pledged by Parishioners $ 140,127.62 Paid to date $ 131,321.76 Over (under) goal $ (53,478.24)

Faith Commitment of Treasure

St. Bernadette Catholic Church

Calling All Men! Come enjoy an amazing faith filled weekend with wonderful men of God! It's a gift to yourself and a gift that helps build our spiritual community here at St. Bernadette.

Growing in Discipleship Retreat January 24-26, 2020

Christian Renewal Center Reserve a spot today by completing the online registration form at the St. Bernadette website, www.stbchurch.org. Click on the link at the bottom of the homepage, or contact Phil Prasek for more information, paprasek@comcast.net.

Save the Date! The Holy Spirit Fellowship is hosting a

Faith Into Fire Workshop here at St. Bernadette

on Saturday, February 15, 2020.

Welcome to

St. Bernadette Church Welcome, on this final Sunday of 2019, as we continue to celebrate

the Christmas season during worship.

Readings for the Week

Sunday: The Holy Family Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/ Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 [cf. 1]/Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 Monday: 1 Jn 2:12-17/Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10 [11a]/Lk 2:36-40 Tuesday: 1 Jn 2:18-21/Ps 96:1-2, 11-12, 13 [11a]/Jn 1:1-18 Wednesday: Mary, the Holy Mother of God (holy day of obligation); New Year’s Day; World Day of Peace Nm 6:22-27/Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 [2a]/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 Thursday: 1 Jn 2:22-28/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [3cd]/Jn 1:19-28 Friday: The Most Holy Name of Jesus 1 Jn 2:29—3:6/Ps 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6 [3cd]/Jn 1:29-34 Saturday: 1 Jn 3:7-10/Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9 [3cd]/Jn 1:35-42 Next Sunday: The Epiphany of the Lord Is 60:1-6/Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 [cf. 11]/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12

Adult Spiritual Life

New Years The vigil mass for Mary, the Holy Mother of God

will be Tuesday, December 31, at 7 p.m. No masses on Wednesday, January 1.

The parish offices will be closed

until 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2020

DECEMBER 29, 2019

Elementary Faith Formation

The whole Faith Formation Team would like to thank everyone that has worked hard to make Whole Family Catechesis a success this past semester. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. As we end this Advent season and continue to welcome Christ during this Christmas season, we pray that anyone who is traveling will be safe. Whole Family Catechesis will begin again at 4:00 p.m. in the Church on January 12, 2020. Have a Happy New Year!

General News

Pre-K thru HS Faith Formation

See “General News” for general Faith Formation information. SAVE THE DATE

• No EDGE until January 12 – Have a Joyous New Year!!

• Gala – JrHigh Auction Basket – “Let’s Eat Out” – donations of restaurant gift cards are needed (or a check) to create the basket. In the past, the JrHigh basket has been a top seller! Gala grants received from the auctions have gone toward bus transportation for JrHigh events. Drop your donation off with the receptionist and label it “JrHigh Gala.” Thanks!!

• Fun, Games, Music, Prayer, Food - “Finding Jesus, Finding Truth” - JrHigh Youth Rally – will be at St. Bernadette this year on February 22, 2020. This is the biggest JrHigh event of the year! Plan to join us all day. Register online* – early bird price thru January 20, late registration due February 2.

• Expedition 2020 – “Rest for the Weary” - Summer Camp for Jr High (current 6th-8th graders), June 29 – July 3, 2020 at Forest Glen. Games, zip-line, prayer experiences, fireworks, food and friendship! We have limited spots available for St. B’s JrHighers, so register now! Registration online*

If you are not getting the parent news (usually sent out on Wednesday), first check your junk/ spam mail. If it is not there, email me at bartosm@stbchurch.org If your JrHigher has a sport, music, theater or other event, please contact me – I’d like to go if I am able. Marianne bartosm@stbchurch.org *Go to www.stbchurch.org => Education => Jr. High 6th-8th for the complete calendar and details for registering for events.

Jr. High Faith Formation

Classes resume on January 12. First Eucharist Parent Meeting will be Tuesday, January 28 in the Parish Life Center from 7-8 p.m. Please contact me if you have any questions! Courtney Fossati Fossatic@stbchurch.org 281 486-0337 ext. 112

VOICE OF THE ASSEMBLY The primary instrument for the liturgy is not the organ or the piano or the guitar but the voice of the assembly. In fact, the singing assembly is the most beautiful sound that the liturgy can make. Usually it is not a polished sound, and can even be an out-of-tune sound. But when

it is authentic and resounding, it is the only measure of whether our music is prayer or not. Nothing ever quite matches the full, alive sound of the whole congregation joining

together in the praise of God. The word that best describes that event is "Alleluia." Alleluia is a Hebrew word that translates "God's people praise God." This special song of praise is used at many different times and in many different ways, but it is especially at the time immediately before the proclamation of the Gospel that it becomes an acclamation, a kind of shout for joy—always joyful, always sung.

Spring Semester Adult Faith Newest Installment of

“Pivotal Players” By Bishop Barron

This installment will look at Bishop Fulton Sheen and author Flannery O’Connor. Sessions begin Tuesday, January 7. Offered at both 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Life Center’s Marius Room. No registration or materials are needed. Any inquiries, please contact Jason Honeycutt in the Parish Office.

Adult Faith Formation

St. Bernadette Catholic Church

Join us at the Gala

Date: Saturday, February 1, 2020 Time: 6 p.m. to Midnight (childcare ends at 11) Place: Parish Life Center Attire: Semi-Formal; optional 1980’s Inspired Purchase your tickets by December 31 before the price increase on Jan 1. Just go to www.stbchurch.org => news & events => Gala 2020 for options to buy. ($2.50 processing fee applied to each ticket purchased via credit card)

First Sunday Breakfast: Join us the First Sunday of each month for a delicious breakfast cooked and served by the Knights of Columbus. This is a tasty and fun monthly social event for individuals and families. Coffee and Donut Socials: Take time to visit with other members after 8:15 a.m. Mass on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month in the Parish Life Center. Each item is 60 cents. Everyone is welcome! We could use a few more people to help with coffee and donuts one time a month. Please email Suzanne at starons@stbchurch.org if you may be able to help.

Time and Talent

There is still time to donate to our DSF campaign before year-end! We are falling short by over $50,000. The shortage will have to be taken out of our operating budget, which could affect our programs.

Please prayerfully consider a tax-deductible donation to St. Bernadette’s DSF by going online to archgh.org/dsf or placing your donation in the offertory basket. Your generosity and support this entire year is greatly appreciated!

Christian Action Volunteer Needed: Do you enjoy directly helping people? We are looking for bilingual (English and Spanish) volunteers to help in Christian Action one weekday morning a week from 9-12 noon. Volunteers will talk directly with those in need to identify needs and help find appropriate resources. Plenty of training on resources and direct assistance will be provided. Please email Suzanne for more information at starons@stbchurch.org.

Join us for gentle DVD facilitated work-outs held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. in the

Parish Life Center. These chair and standing routines will teach you skills for breathing exercise, relaxation and meditation. The exercise routines will be presented with warmth, respect and an appreciation for each person’s physical uniqueness and ability. Men and women are welcome. No fee or registration needed.

Classes resume January 7.

Get Fit While You Sit

Walking Group Please join us in walking around the gym with fellow parishioners. Enjoy walking in a safe and comfortable environment. Join us on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8-8:30 a.m. in the Brandsma Building gym (2 story building). We will resume our normal schedule on January 6. New members are welcome!

DECEMBER 29, 2019

Around the Archdiocese

Has any of your contact information changed in the past year? If you have changed your name, have a new email address, phone number or home address, please let us know by going to our website (www.stbchurch.org => About Us => Address Change Form) to update your information.

kNOw Poverty Summit, January 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the University of St. Thomas (3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston). Catholic Charities presents innovative ways that faith communities assist individuals and families in moving from poverty to greater economic stability. Hear local experts and keynote speaker Dr. Donna M. Beegle, president and founder of Communication Across Barriers. knowpoverty@catholiccharities.org; 713-874-6631.

Memorial Mass for Infant Loss, on January 22, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at Prince of Peace Mary Chapel (19222 Tomball Pkwy., Houston). All are welcome to join in prayer with families who have lost infant children or miscarried. Bring a new teddy bear donation to honor a child’s life and support a parish ministry. Reception follows Mass. Sponsored by Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court of the Holy Family #2597. maryjalbert@sbcglobal.net; 281-381-0309.

Mary at Mass Devotion to Mary remains a hallmark of the Catholic faith. Some people unfamiliar with our religion assume that prayer to Mary forms the backbone of the Mass. Wrong! Prayer to Mary is certainly the backbone of the rosary, but there isn’t a single prayer addressed to Mary in the entire Mass, front to back, on any day of the liturgical year. When it comes to prayer, we acknowledge Hebrews 7:25, which says Christ lives for ever to make intercession for us, so we direct our prayers to God through Christ. However, because of Mary’s central role in salvation history, she makes several appearances in the texts at every Mass, every day of the liturgical year. Most importantly, Mary’s name is pronounced right in the heart of Mass in the eucharistic prayer. She is called by two titles made mystic by their juxtaposition: virgin and mother. In the second eucharistic prayer for children, she is also called “Mother of God and our mother.” Mary also appears in the Creed, as the virgin who conceived the Word made flesh. At times we celebrate a Mass in her honor, under a title like Mary, Mother of the Church, or to commemorate an event in her life, like the Visitation. A preface often prayed on these days echoes her song of praise, the Magnificat, but most frequently she is remembered as the Virgin Mother. By connecting these two titles of Mary, the church invites us to reflect on her son. Mary’s special role as the Virgin Mother reminds us that the miraculous birth of Jesus introduced the world to an extraordinary child whose miracles would never cease. At first, the title “Mother of God” sounds wrong. God is the uncreated creator of all. How could God have a mother? That puzzling question draws us into a deeper meditation on the identity of Jesus. Because Jesus is both fully God and fully human, Mary must be called Mother of God. In the liturgy Mary’s role always bows to her son. She gives birth to him not only in time but in the liturgy and in our hearts. During the month of May, many will address devotions to Mary, and rightly so. But she will direct them to Christ. Paul Turner

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Masses for the Week

DECEMBER 29, 2019 THRU JANUARY 04, 2020

Sat. 5pm: Godofredo Tabada Mendoza + Sun. 8:15am: Don Luis Morales + Sun. 11am: Hubert Brasseaux + Sun. 5:30pm: All Parishioners Mon. No Mass Tues. 8:30am: Helen Bare 7:00pm: All Parishioners Wed. No Mass Thurs. 8:30am: John I. Brown, III + Fri. 8:30am: Gloria Patricia Rico + Sat. 8:30am: The Vu - Ho Family

PLEASE REMEMBER OUR PARISHIONERS: Herman Mendoza, 12/29/2007; Lillian Jenkins, 12/30/1991; William Young, 12/30/2013; Mildred Kilpatrick, 12/31/1999; Santos Vasquez, 12/31/2003; Theresa Gellatly, 01/01/1991; Robert Wegman, 01/02/1991; Richard Bergeron, 01/04/1988; Theresa Wagner, 01/04/1994; Allen Kaczmarek, 01/04/2016; Maydel Hypolite, 01/05/2012; Dolores Wilkie, 01/06/1999 on the anniversaries of their entrance into Heaven.

God’s GPS Never Fails I use GPS wherever I go and it serves me well most of the time; however, sometimes it leads me to a place that does not exist. Then there are those times when I am about to turn, and the man inside my phone shouts out, “GPS signal lost!” or “Rerouting!” The problem is, when the area is unfamiliar to me, I have no choice but to listen. I could try to get where I am going by simple intuition or by

pulling over to look at a paper map, but I don’t trust my sense of direction, and I haven’t bought a paper map in close to a decade! Many of us move through life without any direction. We find ourselves constantly rerouting and wondering when we will ever get to a satisfying final destination. What we need is a compass and a companion for the journey. Yet some of us have no idea how to get either. Prayer can serve as a compass, and it connects us to a companion for the journey. Stewardship living is impossible without prayer. If we

count on our own will and believe we can become fruitful without daily contact with the Divine, we can find ourselves looking for directions more than moving toward a destination.

God, through prayer, will help us see all we have as a gift. God, through prayer, will lead us away from materialism and selfishness and toward freedom

and generosity. Even when we fall to sin, the path back is clearer. God’s GPS signal is never really lost. –TEW, MTS

Question: I’d like to make some new resolutions about practicing the faith in our family during the new year. Do you have any suggestions? Answer:

The family is the most essential space for the formation of values and character. Practicing your faith as a family can happen both internally and externally. Consistent prayer together builds habits that can last a lifetime. With younger children, praying together as a family in the evening or at dinnertime could be fairly doable most nights. In the evening, select a few common prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, or Guardian Angel prayer. Ask each of your children to thank God for three things that day and include a time for children and adults alike to pray out loud for special needs in your family. This practice could be done with older children, committed to intentional efforts in the midst of increasingly busy schedules. Look for other opportunities to practice the faith outside the home as well. Sunday Mass should already be part of your family’s weekly routine. Consider setting other monthly goals as well. This could be a family service project in your city, attending the sacrament of Confession together, or hosting a hospitality night in your home. Get your children involved in the planning process. Ask them where they’d like to volunteer or who they think is having a hard time and might need a special night just for them. Rather than simply imposing new practices, your whole family can have a dynamic role in understanding and integrating faith and life.

Why Do We Do That?

St. Bernadette Catholic Church

EVERYDAY

Faith gives us the ability to look with hope at the events of life, and helps us to accept even defeats and sufferings, in the

knowledge that evil never has the last word.

Pope Francis, Verified Account @Pontifex

DECEMBER 29, 2019

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