MASSES: Saturday: 8:00AM; 5:00 PM (Vigil) Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 6:00 PM Weekdays: Tuesday-Friday 8:00 AM (Mondays: 8:00 AM Communion Service) Holy Days & Special Services: see bulletin RECONCILIATION: Saturdays, 4:00 PM PERPETUAL HELP NOVENA: Tuesdays 8:30 AM MARRIAGES: Those wishing to be married must contact the priest at least 9 months before date of marriage. 4540 El Cerrito Dr. San Diego, CA 92115 Parish Office: 619-582-5722 Parish Website: www.blessedsacrament-sandiego.org Parish E-Mail: [email protected]Fr. Jon P. Kirby, SVD: Pastor Tony Albers: Deacon Herb Kelsey: Deacon Parish ID # for United Way Contributions………..…..9753 BAPTISM INFORMATION…………………………619-582-5722 RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) ……….619-582-5722 FAITH FORMATION, grade 1-8.….........619-582-5722, ext. 124 Kerwin Molina, Coordinator CONFIRMATION, Teens…………………………...619-582-5722 Justine Coliflores BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH SCHOOL……619-582-3862 Anne Egan, Principal School Website: www.bsps-sd.org Third Sunday of Advent — December 17, 2017 BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH
Weekdays: Tuesday-Friday 8:00 AM (Mondays: 8:00 AM Communion Service) Holy Days & Special Services: see bulletin RECONCILIATION: Saturdays, 4:00 PM PERPETUAL HELP NOVENA: Tuesdays 8:30 AM MARRIAGES: Those wishing to be married must contact the priest at least 9 months before date of marriage.
BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH SCHOOL……619-582-3862 Anne Egan, Principal School Website: www.bsps-sd.org
Third Sunday of Advent — December 17, 2017
BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH
Third Sunday of Advent Blessed Sacrament December 17,2017
What have we learned from War? (This article is adapted from “Repeating history: We have not learned from war,” in NCR, Oct 16, 2017, by Colman McCarthy Justice)
The recently aired PBS 10-part documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on the Vietnam War, must have seemed “ancient history” to some of us but to many it is new—especially the statistics. The first American deaths were in 1959, the last in 1974: 58,220 in all. Total military and civilian deaths were 3.4 million. A heavy toll—yet the policies and deci-sions fueling the American invasion of Vietnam are not at all distant from those that led to the massive killing in the 2003 Iraq War, which still rages on with no end in sight. Five similarities stand out.
1) Both wars were supported by Congress. Only two senators voted against invading Vietnam. Three days after 9/11, the Senate vote to support the war was 98-0. In the House: 420-1. In 1967, Senator Morse cor-rectly predicted: "We're going to become guilty … of being the greatest threat to the peace of the world. It's an ugly reality and we Americans don't like to face up to it." The lone objector, Barbara Lee, forecasted on the House floor: "If we rush to launch a counter at-tack, we run too great a risk that women, children and other non-combatants will be caught in the crossfire." Since 2003, an estimated 500,000 Iraqi civilians died in war-related causes (200,888 are documented).
2) In both theaters the American invaders showed lit-tle awareness or respect for the culture, literature, reli-gion and history of those countries. Those with whom we quarrel are always 'evil,' or ridiculous while Amer-ica is always righteous. Yet most of those shouting “war” don’t show up at the recruiting stations. It’s an old story. They shout “war” but they let someone else do the dying.
3) Returning veterans opposed the wars they had been waging. Here is what former Marine recruit William (W.D.) Ehrhart had to say years later in 1989: "During the long and painful passage of the 13 months I fought in Vietnam, I found myself less and less confident that neither I nor my government knew what we were do-ing… I paid a terrible price for the bargain I struck
with the people who sent me to wage war on Vietnam: more than a decade of nightmares and alcohol and self-loathing." On Nov. 26 2004, Marine Brandon Fra-zier's duty was to break into houses in Fallujah and kill people. Six years later as a student at American University, he wrote in a class paper: "What I realize now, astonishingly for the first time, is that I should have questioned my orders at every instance when I was told to go somewhere to take another's life. … There is no contract with any government in any country that can justify murder of any kind."
4) Those who make the wars don’t do the fighting. George McGovern spoke out about this on the Senate floor in Sept. 2000: "Every senator in this chamber is partly responsible for sending 50,000 young Ameri-cans to an early grave… It does not take any courage at all for a congressman, or a senator, or a president, to warp himself in the flag and say we are staying in Vietnam, because it is not our blood that is being shed.”
5) Some profit from wars. The corporate media sup-ported Lyndon Johnson's 1964 call to attack North Vietnam as it did 38 years later when Bush and Con-gress said it was time to bring down Saddam Hussein. Television networks hired retired generals to hype the war. On the eve of the obliteration of Baghdad, Phil Donahue was fired by MSNBC for hosting anti-war guests on his prime time interview show.
Besides these, there are a half-dozen other similarities. • The invasions of Vietnam and Iraq were both justi-fied by lies. • In both cases, against militarily weak adversaries, the U.S. suffered defeat. • Veterans from both have suffered extremely high suicide rates and those who came back whole have endured severe mistreatment by the Veteran's Admin-istration. • In both, the U.S. supported corrupt regimes. • The hawkish supporters (e.g. McNamara and Wol-fowitz) went from strategizing killing their enemies to later giving World Bank loans and grants to help them. • In both, torture was common. And last, but not least—the money! Trillions of dol-lars were squandered on each. We have been thriving on a “war economy” since Vietnam.
From The Pastor
Third Sunday of Advent Blessed Sacrament December 17,2017
BSPS Parent-Teacher Group (PTG): Kristen Crisostomo (President)…….………………[email protected]
Traditional Choir: Patti Burch (8 am Mass)………………………………………….735-6330
Tuesday Fun Club: Peggy Raynoha……………………………………………………582-3657
Ushers: Church Office…………………………………………….………...582-5722
Vocations Committee: Dick Reid…………………………………………………………...583-1081
Women’s Club: Pat Luebbers…………………………………………………….…262-8522
Youth Ministry (High School Students): Parish Office…………………………………………………..…...582-5722
PARISH MINISTRIES & GROUPS
Your Contribution to the Landscaping Project
Our landscaping looks great but we still need your help to pay for it. Thus far we have received donations of $15,369.30 Still $7,700 to go.
God Bless You! - Fr Jon
Proposed Bible Garden
The Committee is considering a selection of plants, which could include the following: crown of thorns, broom, passion vine, rose, pygmy palm, aloe, Madonna lily, poppy anemone, cyclamen, wormwood, Star of Bethlehem, sage, hyssop and papyrus. The Committee has also posted on the Church Bulletin Board some photos of an example of a six-sided Peace Sign Pole with a scriptural message in six different languages. Among the messages under consideration is one which reads: “Grace and Peace To You.”
Dec. 17 - 3rd Sunday of Advent
A Vocation View: God gives you a mission. Respond! Rejoice in the Spirit who is at
work in you.
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES and SISTER SERVANTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
800-553-3321
On Christmas Break RCIA, Faith Formation & Confirmation
December 24 - January 14. All classes will resume January 21.
We hope you have a joyous & safe holiday break!
Date Mass Time Obligation Fulfillment 12/23 8am Mass No Obligation Fulfilled
12/23 5pm Mass Sunday Obligation Fulfilled
12/24 8am &10am Mass Sunday Obligation Fulfilled
12/24 6pm Vigil Mass Christmas Obligation Fulfilled
12/25 8am &10am Mass Christmas Obligation Fulfilled
Third Sunday of Advent Blessed Sacrament December 17,2017
Monday ~ December 18 Rev. Joseph Masar Tuesday ~ December 19 Rev. Devadhasan Masillamony Wednesday ~ December 20 Rev. Basil Mattingly,OSB Thursday ~ December 21 Rev. Anthony May Friday ~ December 22 Rev. Stephen McCall Saturday ~ December 23 Rev. Michael McFadden, OSA Sunday ~ December 24 Very Rev. Peter McGuine
Jan 12-14, Retrouvaille Marriage Retreat Program. For more information about an upcom-ing Retrouvaille Weekend program for couples, call 951-259-9474. or visit our website: HelpOurMar-riage.com
Jan. 12, St. Therese Parish Fish Fry, 5:30-6:30pm Social Center; Cod, Calamari & Shrimp $9; Pre-order Baked Salmon $10 - Call Mo (619) 994-9818
Jan. 20, 2018 – “Day of Dialogue” The Lutheran/Anglican/Roman Catholic Dialogue Committee is planning a “Day of Dialogue.” It will be held at The Roman Catholic Diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego, 92117.
AROUND TOWN
Daily Prayer for Our Priests O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful & tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for your lonely & desolate priests; for your young priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in Purgatory. But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me, the priests who absolved me from my sins, the priests at whose Masses I assisted & who gave me Your body & blood in Communion, the priests to whom I am indebted any other way especially (name….) O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time & in eternity. Amen. --St. Therese of Lisieux
You Can Still Register for 2017-2018 School Year
Blessed Sacrament Parish School (Transitional Kindergarten - Grade 8)
