24252 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA 92637 (949) 837-1090; FAX (949) 837-9510; www.st-nicholaschurch.org

School of Religious Education: (949) 837-7676

Our Parish Mission Statement St. Nicholas Parish is a Catholic community, celebrating our faith

through the Sacraments, Liturgy, Prayer and Service. We strive to nurture family life and to create one body out of many in the Lord.

We share the Good News with people of all ages, cultures and faith backgrounds.

BAPTISM Fourth Sunday of the month at 2:00PM. Arrangements must be made a month in advance. Parents must attend two preparation sessions.

MARRIAGE Arrangements must begin at least six months in advance with a priest of the parish.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK Call Parish Office in an emergency. Special Service celebrated in fall/spring as announced.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS At the death of a family member, please call the Parish Office at your earliest convenience to plan for the Mass of Christian Burial.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION DAY 24-hour adoration begins the second Wednesday of the month at the 9:00AM Mass.

DEVOTIONS & BENEDICTION Wednesday evenings at 7:00PM; Vietnamese—2nd Wednesday of the month at 8PM. Recitation of the Holy Rosary and Benediction.

CLERGY

Pastor Rev. George P. Blais Parochial Vicar Rev. Quyen Truong Visiting Priest Rev. Msgr. John Campbell Visiting Priest Rev. Gerald Walker Visiting Priest Rev. Brendan Hankins Visiting Priest Rev. Jack Sewell Visiting Priest Rev. Chin Dang Deacon Wayne Thompson Deacon Chau Tran Deacon Gerardo De Santos

MASS SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM, 7:00PM in Spanish Sunday: 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:45AM, 12:30PM, and 5:00PM in Vietnamese. Monday through Friday: 7:00AM and 9:00AM Saturday: 9AM

Filipino Mass: 5:30PM, First Saturdays, October-June. Holy Days: 4PM Vigil, 7AM, 9AM, 12PM, 6PM and 7:30PM in Vietnamese

RECONCILIATION (Confession) Saturday: 9:45AM to 10:15AM and 3:00PM to 3:45PM or by appointment.

Parish Office Hours: Sunday: 8:30 AM—1:30 PM Monday through Friday: 9 AM—12 Noon; 1 PM — 7:00 PM;

Saturday: 9 AM—12 Noon

St. Nicholas Parish

December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent

Stewardship of Treasure 2017 2016 52-Weekly Required Budget Immaculate Conception & December 10 $35,387.00 $30,509.37 $25,856.00 Retired Religious Collection $11,001.03 $ 8,875.72

Dear St. Nicholas Parishioners,

This Third Sunday of Advent, we continue to hear about John the Baptist in our preparation to remember that first Christmas. John is the one sent from God to testify and prepare people to receive the child Jesus, the Light of the World. John is not the Messiah and he knows that. Like him, we are called to go into the world and point the way to the Lord. We are not the light; however, because of our baptism, the light shines in and through us, so others will recognize the Lord. John preached the need for repentance, and one of the best ways to prepare ourselves for Christmas is by receiving the sacrament of penance. We will have our Advent Penance Service this Wednesday evening, December 20th at 7pm. We will begin with a brief prayer service followed by the opportunity for individual confession. This year, we will be coming to confession with lines as we do for Communion. The priests will be in the transepts of the Church and around the altar, and when one is ready the next person in line will go to him. Please follow the instructions of the ushers and be patient as you wait and prepare to go to confession. This is a blessed time for us to prepare to meet the Lord at Christmas and every day of our lives.

Fr. George

All Parishioners are invited to this Hispanic Group event: Thursday, December 21 — Las Posadas at 6:00pm in the Parish Center.

Las Posadas commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge for the birth of the baby, Jesus.

SIMBANG GABI

St. Nicholas Parishioners are invited to come TODAY, Sunday, December 17th, at 6:30pm in the Church.

Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Catholic tradition celebrated as an Advent Novena Mass to prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone is invited. A reception will follow in the Parish Center.

Advent Penance Service—Wednesday, December 20

Our Parish Penance Service is Wednesday evening, December 20th at 7:00pm. We will have about 15 priests present to hear confessions. I ask that everyone be seated in the main body of the Church because we will be using the large and small parking lot sides of the Church for our Confession stations. As you arrive for the service, please come and fill the seats in the front of the Church because we will be approaching the priest only from the center aisle of the Church, beginning with the front and moving to the back as we do with our Communion procession. Ushers will be present to direct you. Please be patient and understanding as you follow their guidance and instruction. Remember that this is a time to receive God’s blessing and mercy as we prepare to meet the child, Jesus, in our hearts and lives. Fr. George

Christmas Flower Donations

We will be accepting donations of Poinsettias (preferably red) in memory of your loved ones to help decorate the Church and Parish Center for Christmas. Please bring the flowers to the Parish Office by Thursday, December 21st.

Windows in our Confessional Doors I have wanted to put windows in our confessional doors since I arrived at the parish, and kept putting it off; however, the time is right to complete this task. The purpose of this is twofold: it will help to let those coming to confession, where there is a line, see if someone is in with the priest, and it will be a sign of transparency and security for the penitent and the priest. In this season of giving, a very generous offer from one of our parishioners to assist in paying for a specific project was brought to my attention and so we will be completing this task in the next couple of weeks. We will also be getting new round tables for the downstairs large hall so that we do not need to keep moving them from the upstairs hall. Thank you to this parishioner for this special gift and to all who help to support our parish. Fr. George

December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent

Monday: 7AM Yu-Ching Wen (d) 9AM James Kemp (d) Tuesday: 7AM Maria Conrada Abesamis (d) 9AM Sr. Mildred Wednesday: 7AM Frank Hernandez (d) 9AM Frank McQuirk (d) Thursday: 7AM Thomas Schuld (d) 9AM Elisa Reyes Friday: 7AM Stewart Greene (d) 9AM Catherine Healey (d) Saturday: 9AM David T. Tuccio (d) 4PM Alice Waclowski (d) 7PM Simon Arzaga & Senora Guadalupe Hernandez Sunday: 7:30AM Dan Watkins (d) 9:00AM For the Parish 10:45AM Mary Ann Kotz (d) 12:30PM Doris Borg 4:00PM Ruben Camarena (d) 6:00PM Steven Triolo (d) 8:00PM Spanish Mass 8:00PM Vietnamese Mass 10:30PM For the Parish

Parish Calendar This Week

MONDAY Sewing Group, Small Hall, 8AM Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Spanish Rosary, Church, 6:30PM Hispanic Encuentro Matrimonial Mundial, Room B, 7PM TUESDAY Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Spanish RCIA, Room A, 6PM SRE Confirmation II, Parish Center-upstairs, 7PM 7 & 8 Grade SRE, Parish Center-downstairs, 7PM St. Nicholas Chorale, Small Hall, 7:15PM WEDNESDAY Religious Education for Elementary, Parish Center, 4:15PM Knights of Columbus, Parish Center, 6PM St. Vincent de Paul Committee, Room A, 6PM Advent Penance Service, Church, 7PM Hispanic Choir, Room C, 7PM Hispanic Group, Room B, 7PM Filipino Choir, Small Hall, 8PM THURSDAY Faith Alive-Faith Sharing, Room A, 10AM Hispanic Council, Room C, 6:30PM RCIA, Parish Center-Room 201, 7PM St. Nicholas Choir, Small Hall, 7:15PM Teen/Family Choir, Church Choir Loft, 7:30PM FRIDAY Divine Mercy-St. Faustina Study, Room C, 9:45AM Little Company of Mary Associates, Small Hall, 10AM Hispanic Bible Study, Small Hall, 7PM SATURDAY Hispanic Choir, Room C, 4PM SUNDAY Library is Closed.

TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 As a garden makes its growth spring up, so will GOD make justice spring up before all the nations.

Psalm: Luke 1:46-50, 53-54 My soul rejoices in my God.

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good.

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28 I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.

We Remember

Most Rev. Dominic M. Luong, D.D. and Karin Mueller

who entered their new and eternal lives in Christ.

Grant to all our dearly departed, eternal rest, O Lord, and may your light shine on them forever.

Homeless Person’s Interreligious Memorial Service at Christ Cathedral.

On Thursday, December 21st at 7pm, the Diocese of Orange, along with Our Father’s Table and HomeAid

Orange County, will be hosting the “Homeless Person’s Interreligious Memorial Service.” This memorial serves to

remember those who have died as a result of being homeless. Join us at the Arboretum at Christ Cathedral

as we honor and acknowledge their lives. To provide the name of someone you know who has lost

their life on the streets of Orange County this past year, or to RSVP, contact Esther Ramirez at 714-282-6001 or by

email at eramirez@rcbo.org.

PLEASE NOTE: The SRE Office will be closed December 26—29. The Parish Office will have limited office hours on

Tuesday, December 26th through Friday, December 29th, and are open from 9am to 12 Noon only.

The Parish Offices will be closed in the evenings. The Parish Office will have regular office hours on

Saturday, December 30th (9am—12pm) and Sunday, December 31st (8:30am-1:30pm.)

December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent

School of Religious Education

Check us out on Facebook!

Teen/Family Choir will be “Christmas Caroling” at local retirement homes TODAY, Sunday, Dec. 17. We’ll meet at St. Nicholas at 1:00pm and carpool to the location. For more information, call Gwen at 837-7676.

Teen/Family Choir Rehearsal: Choir Rehearsal on Thursday, Dec. 21st at 7:30pm in the Choir Loft. We will be singing at the 3:30pm Christmas Pageant and at the 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve. We will also sing at the Saturday, Dec. 30th, 4pm Parish Mass.

Join us and discuss how the Bible can help us in our everyday lives. Bible Study on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 6pm –7pm in the Youth Ministry room. If you’ve missed a Confirmation I or II class, you may attend a Bible Study to make up for your absence.

SRE Elementary: Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 18—20, in the Parish Center from 4:15pm to 5:30pm.

7th & 8th Grades: Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 7pm to 8:30pm, downstairs in the Parish Center.

Confirmation II: Tuesday, Dec. 19, upstairs in the Parish Center, from 7pm to 8:30pm.

On Christmas Eve, December 24th, our SRE Students and Youth Ministry will be presenting a Christmas Pageant at

3:30pm in the Church followed by Mass at 4pm.

The School of Religion will not have classes during the weeks of 12/24 and 12/31.

Please note the startup of classes for January 2018: Elementary Classes will resume on Monday, January 8. Confirmation I Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 9. Confirmation II Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 16.

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN SCHEDULE FOR 7/8 GRADE CLASSES:

Junior High (7 & 8 Grade classes) will resume on Tuesday, January 23.

Youth ministry leaders enjoying an Advent/Christmas celebration.

The School of Religion Staff, Catechists and volunteers wish all our families and their loved ones a

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may you be adorned with His love, graced with His peace and filled with His presence.

Many families visited with Santa Claus at Coffee and Donuts!

Knights of Columbus members and even

Fr. Quyen met with Santa Claus (aka Wes Robideau)

to assure him that they were very good this year!!

December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent

Come to the Parish Library! The Library is open on Sundays, 8:45am to 12:45pm. We are closed on these Sundays: December 24 & 31.

Starting January 7th, 2018, the Library will only be open the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month, 8:45am—12:45pm, and we will no longer be open on Wednesday afternoons.

We are located in Room C, behind the Parish Office. We have a cart of free items: rosaries, prayer cards, etc.

Bulletin Date Articles Due By

December 24th December 13th—Past Due

December 31st December 15th—Past Due

January 7th, 2018 December 20th

Please note early Bulletin deadlines! With holidays and Publisher requirements, articles

for our bulletin have EARLY DEADLINES! Articles submitted after the required “Due Date”

will not be published in the bulletin.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

In recent weeks, the Gospel has featured John the Baptist and the need for repentance. Repentance is defined as “the contrition for sins and the resulting embrace of Christ in conformity to Him.” The Sacrament of Reconciliation provides the opportunity for us to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before a priest, repent, and reconcile with God.

If it has been a significant time since you have been to confession, don’t be afraid to ask the priest to help you walk through the process to make a good confession.

Save the Date!

The Knights of Columbus will again be sponsoring a FREE bus ride to the 2018 March for Life in LA on Saturday, January 20th, 2018.

All those interested in attending should contact Bill White, KOC, at 949-859-6203, to reserve a seat. The bus will leave the Church parking lot at approximately 9:45am, the morning of January 20th. For more information, see posters available in the Church and Parish Center, or contact Bill White.

Third Sunday of Advent December 17, 2017 Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Last week, we looked at a form of nativity scene called a presipio, characterized by framing the crèche of Jesus with a vast array of personalities and a rich geographical context. The tradition was carried to the New World, and finds very rich expression in Latin America today. While in Europe the presepio was reserved mostly to the homes of wealthy nobles and great churches, in Latin America it was claimed by the poor and expressed the skills of native artisans. In Mexico, you can still find clay figures in every village market. In a way, the native people took the religion of Spanish rule and baptized it with their Indian culture by surrounding the crib of Jesus with local geography and people. In Brazil, where Christmas falls in summer, the figure of the baby Jesus is wrapped in gold and gems, and set on a hillside surrounded by flowers and animals of all kinds. Sometimes there is a double presepio, presenting both Nativity and Crucifixion. In some places in Latin America, even non-religious people take care to have a presepio in the home, sometimes dedicating one whole room in the house or apartment to the scene. Some cities have markets where people from the countryside sell plants and figurines. In Cuzco, churches and families provide hot chocolate for the children of the poor who come down to help create the nativity scenes. In Paraguay, the baby Jesus grows—the small infant who arrives on Christmas Eve is replaced at New Year with a toddler Jesus who holds in one hand the globe and in the other a cross. Few Christmas traditions have the vitality and variety of presepios and crèches honoring the Nativity. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

The Knights of Columbus & The American Red Cross

invite you to a Community Blood Drive on Thursday, January 18—7:45am to 7:45pm

at St. Nicholas Church in the Parish Center. To schedule appointments call: Rod: 949-831-0208,

Paul: 949-581-5503, Peggy: 949-500-0826 or Omar: 949-616-8514

Walk-ins are welcome or make an appointment for faster service!

For Parishioner and visitor convenience, extra Christmas Offering envelopes will be available in the pews for Christmas donations.

Calendars for 2018 are now available around the Church. Supplies are limited, so please be mindful that others would also like a calendar and take just one per household. We thank O’Connor Mortuary for their generous gift of calendars to the Parishioners of St. Nicholas Church!

TV Mass for the Homebound

Christmas Day and Sunday TV Mass KDOC Channel 56 at 9am

Christmas and Sunday Mass Online Video — www.HeartoftheNation.org

For those who can get to Church, the TV or online liturgy does not fulfill the Sunday or Christmas Mass Obligation.

St. Nicholas Advent Penance Service—15 Priests Wednesday, December 20th at 7:00PM in the Church

Sacrament of Reconciliation: SATURDAY, December 23: at 9:45am and 3:00pm

Sunday, December 24, 2017 – Fourth Sunday of Advent Mass Schedule

4pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, December 23rd. Sunday Masses at 7:30am, 9am, 10:45am, 12:30pm

Note: We will not have a 5pm Vietnamese Mass.

Christmas/New Year’s Mass Schedule, 2017 Solemnity of the Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord

4:00pm, (English) SRE Family Mass with Teen Choir [3:30pm Christmas Pageant and Christmas Carols.]

6pm, (English), with St. Nicholas (9am) Choir with String Quartet [Prelude at 5:30pm]

8pm, Vietnamese Mass in the Church 8pm, Spanish Mass in the Parish Center

10:30pm with St. Nicholas (10:45am) Chorale with oboe & flute [Prelude at 10:00pm]

Monday, December 25, 2017 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord:

8:00am, with Cantor and Piano 10:00am, with St. Nicholas Chorale 12:00 Noon, with Cantor and Organ

Sunday, December 31, 2017 — Feast of the Holy Family: Masses at: 7:30am, 9am, 10:45am, 12:30pm, 5pm Vietnamese

Monday, January 1, 2018 Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God:

9:00 A.M., and 11:00 A.M. (Not a Holy Day of Obligation in Diocese of Orange.)

If possible, please carpool to alleviate parking/traffic problems at Masses. Please do not park at the Lutheran Church across the street, as they have services as well!