From the Social Concerns Group, best wishes for a Merry and Meaningful Christmas and a New Year filled with love, peace and justice.

And many thanks for your generosity this year from our group and the people you helped this past year. Because of the parishioners of St. Lawrence, the poor were fed, the naked were clothed, the sick and the imprisoned were comforted, and refugees were supported - - - and there will be more happy young faces on Christmas morning when they see what is under the tree

As we enter the final day of Advent the build up of excitement in anticipation of Christmas is tangible everywhere in our community. Our excitement pales in comparison with that of Mary and Elizabeth in today's Gospel. On a human level Elizabeth was thought to be past her childbearing years is pregnant and will give birth to John the Baptist. For Mary the birth of Jesus is very near. At this time she is just a young girl in awe of the mystery that continues to unfold in and through her life. Her yes to God was a point of no return because her readiness to do God’s will would change her life and the world forever.

The story of The Visitation presents two very strong women. They are ready for the major challenges that lie ahead of them in the world in which the find themselves. Their pregnancies will change their lives forever. As we reflect on what thoughts may have crossed their minds and what concerns may have filled them we are left to our own devices to fill in the blanks here. Surely they must have been concerned for the future of their children but at this moment in time they are filled with joy and anticipation.

As these two God-filled women meet and greet each other, the presence of God in their midst is palpable. Elizabeth shares her experience with Mary; "The child in my womb leaped for joy." As this Gospel story continues it culminates in the Mary's Magnificat. Mary filled with the Holy Spirit sings her song of praise to God who "has blessed her in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens."

This week, we are asked to pray about stewardship. Perhaps this passage from Sirach 35:7-10 will guide your prayers, "In generous spirit pay homage to the Lord, be not sparing of freewill gifts. With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the Lord is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold."

Together as a Church, we are called to be good stewards. Responsible stewardship requires us to reduce a significant portion of the collective debt of our Diocese and this campaign will help us in this endeavor.

While our success is most encouraging, there still remains much to do. Other pilot parishes throughout the Diocese have reported positive results and the overall reaction to the campaign has been excellent. As we strive to achieve these extraordinary goals through our campaign, our parish volunteer team has been hard at work. A big "thank you" to all our parishioners who this week have made their sacrificial gifts and pledges to the Campaign. Due to timing issues, the update isn't available this week. I hope to have the amounts to you next week!

This week, our volunteers will continue their good work and call upon you to arrange a visit. Again, I ask that you welcome them warmly into your homes, listen to what they have to say, and prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift in support of the "Rooted in Faith ~ Embracing our Future"Campaign.

5:00pm                           -                $2,026.12
8:00am                           -                $1,284.88
10:00am                         -                 $3,120.50
12:00noon                     -                $1,842.75
6:00pm                           -                $2,070.60
Collected:                      -                $10,344.85
Auto Debit:                   -                $0
Mailed:                           -                $10.00
Total Collected:            -                $10,354.85
Needed to meet budget: -             $8,942.00
Variance:                        -                $1,412.85
2nd Collection offerings (including Simbang Gabi): $3,269.12

As you begin to assess your taxes for this tax year, you can reduce the amount you pay on your taxes when you donate to charities.  Please do not forget St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in the list of your tax-deductible charities. Consult with your tax preparer as to how you can maximize your charitable contributions and minimize the amount you pay on your taxes. Your generosity will greatly help our Parish.

With the coming of Christ comes hope. While injustice is often highlighted in the stories that make our newspapers ("if it bleeds, it leads"), we also see hope. The hope reflected in the Nobel Peace prize recipient who developed and implemented microfinance tools to even the playing field and provide loans and other financial services to those in poverty - - with great success. The article I read noted that "Poverty is a threat to peace" and "if poverty was a disease, then microcredit would be the best vaccine". Apparently the Nobel Prize Committee agreed.

We see the presence of Christ in these stories - - but not the physical presence. In these stories, Christ is with us, in us, and His work is accomplished through us. Perhaps that is the hope we celebrate in this season.

Environmental note: Do you really need to box all of the presents, only to destroy the boxes, wrappers, ribbons, etc. and stress out our landfill systems? Many presents look great with just wrapping (no box) - - many would look even better with just a bow (and a recyclable bow at that). The styrofoam peanuts can be recycled as can some of the wrapping. And the old clothes - displaced by our new clothes (presents), can be donated and used by those less fortunate rather than being discarded as "waste".

To respect God is to respect God's creation; may this Christmas be stress-free for the environment with which we have been blessed.

As we enter the third week of Advent the questions that come to mind are "Are we ready to meet the Lord? How have we prepared for his coming?" We began the season of Advent not knowing when or how the Savior would appear in our world. Where and how we will encounter Jesus in our human experiences is dependent on how we treat others. Do we welcome the stranger in our midst? Do we share our gifts with those in need? Do we focus on the reality of Christmas?

"If we are going to enter into the beauty of Christ's coming, we will have to pause and reflect on how His coming affects us personally. We will need to listen to the voice within that tells how to let our presence resonate with love. When we take time for this kind of recollection, we will more readily recognize the light of Christ shining forth from others." (Welcome the Light: Joyce Rupp.)

For several weeks now, we have been hearing about the historic "Rooted in Faith~ Embracing our Future" campaign that Bishop Patrick McGrath has been leading. We have great aspirations for our Diocese and have learned about plans to provide direct parish support for our parish's needs and ministries. We have learned about the Pastoral Plan Initiatives that will strengthen and grow our ministries that support the youth, young adults and the formation and training of lay leaders in our own parish communities. We learned about the support that will go to Catholic Charities that serves and advocates for the poor and vulnerable residents of Santa Clara County. And most recently, in the bulletin article last week, the "Rooted in Faith ~ Embracing our Future" Capital and Endowment Campaign will establish a Seminarian Endowment that ensures the continued recruitment and education of new priests. A Diaconate Training Endowment to supplement the ministry of priests with a vibrant diaconate program and Clergy Retirement Endowment to provide care for a growing number of priests in their retirement years.

This week, we focus on Catholic Education. Through this Campaign, the Diocese hopes to create an endowment to Catholic Education in the Diocese. Currently, the Catholic schools in our Diocese educate 17,000 students in 30 elementary and 6 secondary schools. The mission of these schools is "To teach as Jesus did," preparing those students to take the word of God and the values of the Gospel to a world hungry for justice, respect, prayer and spirituality. In the 2005/2006 school year 1,441 Catholic school students applied for tuition assistance and only 609 requests were granted, 42% of those seeking aid. The endowment supported by the campaign seeks to increase the percentage of granted requests by approximately 80%.

While our success is most encouraging, there still remains much to do. Other pilot parishes throughout the Diocese have reported positive results and the overall reaction to the campaign has been excellent. As we strive to achieve these extraordinary goals through our campaign, our parish volunteer team has been hard at work. I am very happy to report that as of December 12, 2006, our volunteers and I have received pledges from 103 households and these pledges total $689,435.00 representing 75.76% of our $910,000.00 Parish goal! A big "thank you" to all our parishioners who this week have made their sacrificial gifts and pledges to the Campaign: Mary Ahlborn; Martin & Carole Domingo; Marie Souza; Dean & May Armann; Gilbert & Patricia Naki; Paul & Angelita Telles; Rico & Lillian David; John & Gloria Sanchez; Albert & Anita Tiendas.

This week, our volunteers will continue their good work and call upon you to arrange a visit. Again, I ask that you welcome them warmly into your homes, listen to what they have to say, and prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift in support of the "Rooted in Faith~ Embracing our Future" Campaign.

5:00pm                           -                $2,021.00
8:00am                           -                $1,912.42
10:00am                         -                $2,623.50
12:00noon                     -                $1,051.10
6:00pm                           -                $878.00
Collected:                      -                $8,485.27
Auto Debit:                   -                $0
Mailed:                           -                $552.00
Total Collected:             -               $9,038.27
Needed to meet budget: -             $8,942.00
Variance:                        -                $96.27

Immaculate Conception Donations: $2,776.00
2nd Collection Donations: $1,854.26

Just a few days left until Christmas and I was wondering just how the many customs associated with Christmas evolved. Why do we get all the presents when it's not our birthday?

Let's look around and see if He has given us any hints. First of all, His Father gave Moses the ten commandments and then Jesus reduced these to an essential two. He gave us the Beatitudes and later discussed the criteria for judgment - noting that whomever does something for the least of our brothers and sisters does it for Him ... and to Him. Later in the New Testament, it is noted that faith alone is not enough; faith without works is shallow and incomplete ... works are essential to truly be a Disciple of Christ.

Perhaps we are getting somewhere with this line of thought. Perhaps He has always been telling us what presents He would like from us, but we may have been too busy shopping for someone else or buying a tree to listen. Let us take the few days left to listen and reflect on the hints we hear ... and give Him a present this year to make it a birthday really worth remembering.

You may be wondering why this is even a question. This year, Christmas Eve (December 24) also falls on the same day as the Fourth Sunday of Advent. They are two separate celebrations in the church calendar. But is it really necessary to go to Mass on Sunday morning, December 24, in addition to a Christmas Mass?

Certainly, it will be difficult for some to come to Church twice between December 24 and 25. Just getting the whole family ready for Church once each weekend is often a challenge. With the added busyness of Christmas, coming to Mass twice in one weekend might even be an impossible task. But striving to make the commitment will teach more about the meaning of Christmas than we might first imagine. Keeping a commitment, especially when it's difficult, is about making a sacrifice.

When we do all we can to gather with the Church on the morning of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and when we come back that evening or the next day to celebrate Christ's birth, we will be teaching our children - and everyone in the community - that we make sacrifices for our faith because we love God and God's church. We will be encouraging each other to keep Christ always before us even in our busyness.

The story of Christmas is deeply about making sacrifices out of love for another person. Mary so loved God that she said yes to becoming an unwed mother. Joseph so loved Mary that he said yes to being a parent to a child that was not his own. God so loved the world, a world that no longer recognized him in the prophets and all his wondrous works, that he gave his only Son that the world might see in another human being that God was with them. And finally, Jesus so loved us that he said yes to dying on the cross that we might know we have nothing to fear, not even death itself, for nothing will separate us from the love of God through Christ.

St. Paul urges us to be ready for the coming of Christ by practicing true discernment and leading lives worthy of our call as Christians. This means that we are challenged to recognize the presence of Christ in the everyday events of our lives. It is in and through these events that we encounter Christ who calls all of us to live in a close loving relationship with him. So often we seem to think that Christ is only present in the religious experiences we celebrate forgetting that we encounter Christ in all the people and events of our lives. In order to have the experience of the holy we must take time to reflect on and pray about the people and events who form the fabric of our lives.

This Christmas season remember your loved ones, living or dead, by donating Poinsettias or financing the purchase of them in their names. The Names will be recorded in the Remembrance Book. This book will be placed in the Church during the Christmas Season as a reminder to the community to remember them in our prayer. Donations of Poinsettias may be dropped off at the Parish Office Saturday during the week of December 18th - 22nd. Your gifts will be greatly appreciated and they will be used to enhance the environment of our Church during the Christmas Season.

This year we will continue our tradition of celebrating a special Children's Christmas Liturgy on Christmas Eve. We invite the children in our parish and education center to participate in this liturgy. I will make every effort to schedule the practices for this Liturgy at a time that is convenient for the parents. For those who are interested please ask for a form and return it by Wednesday, December 13th.

We are sponsoring our annual Giving Tree Project. Our Giving Tree has been placed at the entrance to the Church and we encourage all of our community to participate in this outreach project. Please select a gift tag from the tree and when you purchase a new gift be sure to put the gift tag on it and return it unwrapped and place it under the Giving Tree. Please return your gifts by Dec 17th, so that they can be distributed in a timely manner.

Many thanks to all who donated food, scrip, and money to the Thanksgiving Baskets. St. Justin Community Outreach prepared and distributed hundreds of food baskets. You can be assured that a number of families had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner because of your generosity. These people may never have the opportunity to thank you in person but be assured that they are very grateful to all of you.

The campaign will help establish an endowment for Catholic Charities, create a fund for Neighborhood Centers and raise monies for program development. These funds will go to support the following programs: the Caregiver Respite Center, Kinship Resource Center, New Community Service Hub, Older Adult Support Programs, Youth Literacy Programs, and Behavioral Health Programs.

As we strive to achieve these extraordinary goals through our campaign, our parish volunteer team has been hard at work. They have met earlier this week and are happy to report that as of December 4, 2006, our volunteers and I have received pledges from 95 households and these pledges total $671,235 representing 73% of our $910,000.00 Parish goal! A big "Thank You" to the following parishioners who have made their sacrificial gifts and pledges to the Campaign. This week, we received gifts from the following Parishioners: Jess & Rommy Avila, Chuck & Sheila Dahlberg, Mimi Eilrich, Bernhard & Gina Haller, Grace Pedrozo, Saji Joseph & Preethy Thomas, Angelo & Geraldine Margozzi, Moses & Lina Pirotta, Mark & Shari Plummer, Josefa Reyes, Mary Rinki, Robert & Susan Salutric, Beverly Smith.

This week, our very dedicated volunteers will continue their good work and will call upon you to arrange a visit. Please welcome them warmly into your homes, listen to what they have to say, and prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift in support of the "Rooted in Faith, Embracing our Future" campaign.

5:00pm                           -                $2,287.00
8:00am                           -                $2,871.00
10:00am                         -                $2,198.48
12:00noon                      -                $939.00
6:00pm                           -                $1,420.00
Collected:                       -                $9,715.48
Auto Debit:                     -                $400.00
Mailed:                           -                $175.00
Total Collected:               -               $10,290.48
Needed to meet budget:  -                $8,942.00
Variance:                        -                $1,348.48

Next Wednesday, we will be starting our Novena of Masses to prepare us for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. Every year, the Saint Lawrence Filipino-American Community hosts this event in our Parish. This Novena of Masses, more popularly known as the "Simbang Gabi", literally means "Night Mass". It is a unique Filipino custom dating back nearly 500 years. It is celebrated not just in the Philippines but also in many parts of the world.

In the Philippines, families usually make their way to church in the dark to attend dawn Mass. Hence the term "Simbang Gabi". Here in the United States, Masses are often held in the evening. Simbang-Gabi, which brings out the best of Filipino values and customs through this nine-day novena, prepares us for the real meaning of Christmas.

Everyone is invited to be part of this wonderful community celebration of our Faith. It is a unique gift we need to share not just with the Filipino-Americans but also with everyone in the Parish. The Novena of Masses will start on December 15 to December 23. Masses are celebrated at 7pm except on December 16 (at 5pm) and December 17 (at 6pm) and December 23 (at 5pm). After each Mass you are invited to a reception and fellowship at the Community Center.

The members of the Filipino Association are looking for SPONSORS whose generous offerings will help in defraying the cost of holding this Novena. The rest of all offerings will support in the upkeep and maintenance of our Parish facilities. If you wish to be a Sponsor, please contact Norma Antonio (408-219-2399) or Marilyn Pestano (408-734-8806) for further details. Thank you for your very kind attention and favorable response.

Catholic Charities is the social ministry arm of our Diocese. The primary mission of Catholic Charities is to serve and advocate for poor and vulnerable residents of Santa Clara County. Four major groups of clients include older adults, at risk youth and their families, people struggling with mental illnesses and/or substance abuse, and newly arrived refugees and immigrants. Catholic Charities strives to strengthen families, to create opportunities for greater economic self-sufficiency and to advocate for social justice.

The campaign will help establish an endowment for Catholic Charities, create a fund for Neighborhood Centers and raise monies for program development. These funds will go to support the following programs: the Caregiver Respite Center, Kinship Resource Center, New Community Service Hub, Older Adult Support Programs, Youth Literacy Programs, and Behavioral Health Programs.

As we strive to achieve these extraordinary goals through our campaign, our parish volunteer team has been hard at work. They have met earlier this week and are happy to report that as of November 27, 2006, our volunteers and I have received pledges from 82 households and these pledges total $643,000.00 representing 70% of our $910,000.00 Parish goal! A big "Thank You" to the following parishioners who have made their sacrificial gifts and pledges to the Campaign. This week, we received gifts from the following Parishioners: Evelyn Arruda; Deodato & Maria Bettencourt ; Tina Bobias; Jean Chappelle; Jackson & Sara Chun; John & Rosemarie Heitzinger; Emily Ho; Claire Jason; Mario & Irene Lee; Kenneth & Anny Morris; Marlene O'Donnell Mary Stringari; Eva Turenchalk; Harry Turenchalk.

Calling ALL members of the Capital Campaign Executive Committee (CEC) and all Volunteers (both past & present) of the Rooted In Faith Capital Campaign. You are invited to a 7pm Reception on December 11 at the Parish Rectory in appreciation for your time and dedication to the Campaign. Please RSVP to the Rectory Front Office if you are coming before Friday, December the 8th.

As we begin the holy season of Advent we are reminded that Yahweh was always true to his promise to the Israelites. Despite their ongoing infidelity Yahweh continues to be faithful to them. When the prophets failed to bring the people back to Yahweh and the Covenant appeared to very one-sided Yahweh did not withdraw his promise to the house of Israel and Judah. Yahweh's promise of a savior was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus whose life would culminate in the Paschal Mystery.

"Be watchful! Be alert! Pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man." St. Luke challenges us to be ready to meet the Lord when he comes even though we do not know when that will happen. Advent is a time when we prepare our hearts and homes for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. One of the best gifts you can give your family and yourself is to pray each day as a family during the season of Advent. There are many wonderful prayer traditions and customs associated with the Advent season, such as The Advent Wreath, The Jesse Tree, The Advent Calendar. Why not choose one of them as a prayer form for Advent.

We are constantly reminded that we need to prepare for Christmas in our secular culture. We can so easily get caught up in the frenzy of the mall, the parties we must attend, the cards we need to send and the gifts we must buy that we tend to loose sight of the reality of Advent. These reminders are loud and clear to the point that they often drown out the whispering of the Spirit who calls us to prepare for the coming of Jesus by sharing our time, talent, treasure, and faith with those in need in our community.

Once again I am asking you to share your treasure with those less fortunate in our community. I am offering you the opportunity to bring joy to the life of a child or adult during the Christmas season. We are sponsoring our annual Giving Tree Project. Our Giving Tree has been placed at the entrance to the Church and we encourage all of our community to participate in this outreach project. Please select a gift tag from the tree and when you purchase a gift be sure to put the gift tag on it and return it unwrapped and place it under the Giving Tree.

The St. Lawrence Social Concerns committee would like to thank all parishioners who generously donated Items to help our Somalian refugee family this fall. We received an abundance of school supplies and household goods ranging from backpacks to kitchen ware and even a brand new vacuum cleaner. Both the family and Catholic Charities are grateful for all donations. The family we are assisting are refugees from war-torn Somalia. They spent the past two years living in camps in Kenya where the father is still residing. The mother, Hindiyo, arrived in the U.S. last summer with her brother (a junior in high school) and four young children (grades 2, 3, 5, & 6). In addition Hindiyo is pregnant and the baby is due in February. Normally refugees only stay in the transition house provided by Catholic Charities for a month or two until they can find jobs and housing. Because of the unique situation with this family (a pregnant mother with four young children who won’t be able to work in the near future), they have been allowed to stay in the Sunnyvale house for an extended period of time. We would also like to thank Mary Ann Miller and the Friendship Club for inviting Hindiyo along with an interpreter to their recent luncheon. The club has offered to host a baby shower for her after the first of the year. With the holidays fast approaching, we are working with students from Kevin Carroll’s class at St. Lawrence Academy to provide bicycles and helmets for the children. Please let us know if you would like to donate new or used bikes in good condition, or money toward the purchase of these items. Again, your generosity is most appreciated.

Thanksgiving                   -                $1,040.00
5:00pm                           -                $1,900.50
8:00am                           -                $5,643.10
10:00am                         -                $1,762.26
12:00noon                      -                $1,881.00
6:00pm                           -                $1,432.04
Collected:                       -                $13,658.90
Auto Debit:                     -               0
Mailed:                           -                $205.00
Total Collected:               -               $13,863.90
Needed to meet budget:  -                $8,942.00
Variance:                        -                $4,921.90