The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52. In the first reading, Hannah bears a son and offers him to the Lord. John writes that the Father’s love bestowed on us has allowed us to be called the children of God, and we should … love one another just as he commanded us. In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph search for Jesus with great anxiety. After they find him in the temple, Jesus explains that he had to be in his Father’s house


 
聖家節 

在聖誕期間，教會禮儀年制定今天是聖家節，指出天主聖子降生為人，願意和人一樣，有一個家庭。耶穌在納匝肋的生活可以用「服從」兩個字總括起來。祂服從天主聖父的旨意，服從聖若瑟和聖母教導。 

天主聖子來到人間服屬於祂的受造物之下，這是多麼大的謙遜！祂服從聖若瑟、聖母，服從統治者、執法者。耶穌在納匝肋就如一般人一樣 , 守法、工作、社團生活、與親戚、朋友交往、善盡本份。祂也和許多人一樣，以父親教的手藝維生。聖母和聖若瑟像一般明智的父母一樣，教導孩子種種生活上的知識：祈禱 ､ 禮貎、認字等等。他們的生活是平凡、隱蔽而不大為人所知的，就像大多數人的生活一樣。足見天主願意給我們一個生活的模範。 

聖若瑟和聖母之間有着守誡、聖潔、和諧、仁愛的氣氛，他們相親相愛，希望盡力使對方快樂｡ 他們給耶穌營造一個快樂和諧的家庭。也給世人一個幸福家庭的模範。家庭是學習社會道德的溫床；是學習愛、服從、負責、關懷、互助、合作和認識天主的最佳學校。天主願意我們從聖家學習怎樣做天主的好兒女。 

一月一日是天主之母節，讓我們誠心地把我們的國家和家庭奉獻給聖母，她一定會保護、教導我們。

 

Today, we celebrate the beautiful Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus. This day is significant not only because it honors the perfect model of a family on earth but also because it highlights the sacred vocation of family life. While we often pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life—urgent and vital needs—we must not overlook the vocation to family life, which most of us are called to embrace. From the very beginning of creation, God intended for humanity to live in a family. He proclaimed, “It is not good for man to be alone,” (Gen 2:18) and established the union of Adam and Eve. Throughout salvation history, from the families of Abraham and Isaac to that of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, the family remains central to God’s plan. 

In today’s world, contemporary culture often promotes values that stand in opposition to the Gospel’s vision of family. This feast day serves as a timely reminder, a much-needed reflection, and a powerful renewal of our commitment to family life. Through the Word of God, proclaimed in today’s readings from the Book of Sirach, Saint Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, and the Gospel of Luke, we are invited to be inspired and taught anew. 

The readings offer profound insights into family relationships. Prophet Sirach emphasizes the responsibilities of children toward their parents, highlighting care and honor as sacred duties. And “kindness to a father will not be forgotten.” In the second reading, Paul’s Letter to the Colossians calls for mutual love and respect within families, particularly between spouses and between parents and children. Paul reminds us that love is the foundation of perfection, binding everything together. His words center on glorifying God: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In any relationship, and in particular a family relationship, God is the one who will hold everyone together. 

The Gospel of Luke presents us with the Holy Family as an example of unity, faith, and growth. Mary and Joseph’s search for Jesus after losing him in the crowd offers a poignant reflection on the challenges of family life. Their anxiety and Jesus’ response, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” reveal the unique roles each member of a family plays. While Mary and Joseph sought to fulfill their responsibilities as earthly parents, they also acknowledged Jesus’ divine mission. By nurturing him within the traditions of faith, they supported his growth in wisdom, age, and favor before God and humanity. 

Today’s celebration reminds us of the enduring importance of the family as vocation. Every member has a role in building a strong, loving family, marked by mutual respect, understanding, and the centrality of God. When we place God at the heart of our families, He binds us together and strengthens us in love. As we reflect on the Holy Family, let us renew our commitment to our own families, trusting that God will guide and bless us in all that we do. 

Fr. Vien Nguyen, SDB
Parochial Vicar
 
Mass Intentions for The Week 

Sunday              December 29, 2024
 8:45     In Honor of Madonna della Guardia
 10:15  For the People of Saints Peter and Paul
 12:00  Edward Sabini + – Queena Maggiora +
 5:00     The Birthday of Louis DeNicolai + 

Monday             December 30, 2024
 7:00     Joseph Leo Torre & Family +
 9:00     Br. Roy Vetari SDB + & Fr. Attilio Giovannini, SDB + 

Tuesday            December 31, 2024
 7:00     The Sanguinetti Family +
 9:00     Thanksgiving from the Te Family + – Lucille Morabito +
 6:00     Joseph Gatto + 

Wednesday      January 1, 2025
 7:00     Thanksgiving from Stephanie Cincotta
 9:00     For Guidance from the Holy Spirit throughout the Year 
 10:15  For the People of Saints Peter and Paul
 6:00     Bob Drucker + 

Thursday          January 2, 2025
 7:00     Anniversary of the Death of Ernesto Marenzi +
 9:00     Louis Baccetti + 

Friday                January 3, 2025
 7:00     Frances DeMartini + Intention of Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone
 9:00     Peter Domenici & Peter Domenici, III + 

Saturday          January 4, 2025
 7:30     Amelia DeNicolai +
 9:00     Nicola Sanguinetti +
 5:00     The Louis Greco Family +– Dolores Brockenshire & Michael Czuprynski + 


 Particular Items 

Mary the Mother of God: January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have Masses at 7:00 & 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM (in English) and at 10:15 AM in Cantonese/English. We will also have a Vigil Mass on December 31 at 6:00 PM (in English). Mary, Mother of God, pray for us! 

Eucharistic Adoration & Confession/ Anointing of the Sick: We have Adoration & Confession every Friday, following the 7:00 AM Mass. And on the first Friday of the month (this Friday!) we have the Anointing following the 7:00 AM Mass. 

Laura Vicuña Pre-Kindergarten Open House: Since 1987 the Laura Vicuña Pre-K has been providing early education to the children of North Beach and beyond. Curiosity, creativity, and exploration through play are encouraged in an environment that fosters a love for learning at an early age.  Parents are invited to come and tour both classroom spaces on Sunday, January 12 from 10:00 AM to 12 noon. Visit prek.sspeterpaulsf.org or call 415-296-8549 or email [email protected] to learn more. (Left: Pre-K Alum and Blue Angel team member Michael Cheng!) 

Saints Peter and Paul Salesian School & Pre-K Accepting Applications: Our K-8 Salesian school is accepting applications for this year and next. Please email Dr. Lisa Harris at the school at [email protected], or Barbara Simons at the Pre-K at [email protected] to learn more! 

Sponsor a Student! We are receiving more request for financial aid than ever before. The Salesians started by educating the children of the poor and we are not about to stop now—but like Don Bosco before us we need your help! We invite financially able parishioners to help with this ministry. Please call Fr. Tho or Dr. Harris for more information. 

玫瑰經 Chinese Apostolate First Sunday Rosary: The Apostolate meets every first Sunday of the month, following the 10:15 AM Mass, to pray the Rosary in the Don Bosco Room.
 
Archdiocesan Annual Appeal: The 2024 AAA is almost done and we still have a way to go. Our assessment for this year is $68,867. So far 76 families/parishioners have given $61,391 leaving us with a balance of $7,476. If you have not contributed, please help us to meet this shared obligation. 


Choose Life! Walk for Life West Coast 2025: Join fellow Catholics and Pro‐Lifers of every and no faith from all over California and beyond as we stand up for the littlest among us at the 21st Annual Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco on January 25, 2025. There will be Mass at 9:30AM at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The rally begins at 12:30PM in San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza, and the Walk, down Market Street, begins at 1:30PM. Last year’s Walk drew tens of thousands of people. For complete information about the Walk, visit walkforlifewc.com or call 415‐658‐1793. 

Jubilee Year of Hope! On December 24, Pope Francis opened the Holy Year of Hope with the rite of the Opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter. Here are so,e thoughts from his Papal Bull SPES NON CONFUNDIT.
 
“Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). In the spirit of hope, the Apostle Paul addressed these words of encouragement to the Christian community of Rome. Hope is also the central message of the coming Jubilee that, in accordance with an ancient tradition, the Pope proclaims every twenty-five years. My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches. For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (cf. Jn 10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1)….
 
Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt…. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope. Taking it as our guide, let us return to the message that the Apostle Paul wished to communicate to the Christians of Rome.
 
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Rom 8:35.37-39). Here we see the reason why this hope perseveres in the midst of trials: founded on faith and nurtured by charity, it enables us to press forward in life. As Saint Augustine observes: “Whatever our state of life, we cannot live without these three dispositions of the soul, namely, to believe, to hope and to love.”
 


January, The month of Salesian Saints! January is a month loaded with our Salesian Saints. On January 22, Holy Mother Church celebrated the Blessed Laura Vicuña, patroness of our Pre-K. On January 24, we celebrate St. Francis de Sales, Patron of the Salesians. And on January 31, we celebrate the Feast of Don Bosco himself. Salesian Saints, pray for us!



Our Centennial Celebration and Jubilee Year has begun! On November 9-10, 2024 we began the 100 Year Anniversary of Saints Peter and Paul Church.   What a great weekend! The Masses and the Renewal of Wedding Vows were holy and beautiful; both the Saturday and Sunday receptions were packed; the food was great, and the grace of God touched all! Go here for links to photos and videos. 
 
Remember, though, the Jubilee Celebration is for the whole year—see the indulgence granted to us by the Vatican at left! Let us take this year to gratefully reflect on the gifts given to us by God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; to honor those who have come before us, and to preserve our faith and our Church for our posterity!   
 
 

Guess Who?

Who are they?
 
Can you recognize this week’s lovely mystery married couple? 

Last week’s couple were John and Antonina Balestrieri, married here back in 1987.  Want to see more SSPP married couples? Go here, and you can find our full slideshow.  

 



JUBILEE PLENARY INDULGENCE
On the Occasion of the Jubilee Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Church.
The Apostolic Penitentiary in Rome, charged with the granting of indulgences, has designated Saints Peter and Paul Church in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, California as a Vatican recognized site for Plenary Indulgence and has granted a Plenary Indulgence to the faithful who truly repent and are driven by charity under these certain conditions from November 1, 2024 until November 1, 2025. A Plenary Indulgence may also apply, through the faithful’s own sufferings, to the Souls in Purgatory. 
    
 WHAT IS A PLENARY INDULGENCE? 
 An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain conditions with the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasure of the satisfaction of Christ and the saints. Code of canon Law (can. 992). A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in a state of grace, have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.  You can download a flyer here on how to obtain this wonderful spiritual gift!    
 
Care for Body & SoulCatholic Medical Care right in our Parish! Bella Primary Care offers primary & pediatric healthcare in accordance with Catholic principles. They are located at 2000 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 304, in San Francisco. Now scheduling appointments for: 
PEDIATRICS: Wellness visits for ages 6 months to 18 years with our pro-life pediatrician Dr. Virginia Schneider.
WOMEN and MEN: Comprehensive annual exam.
EXPECTANT MOMS: Pregnancy verification, initial ultrasound and blood work.
FERTILITY: Initial and follow-up appointments using natural fertility assessment methods. 
For appointments, call 415-775-1500 or email our office at [email protected].  We look forward to caring for your families in a Christ-centered way! 

Liturgical Calendar
Sunday               29          The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Monday              30          Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
Tuesday             31          Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas
Wednesday        01          The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord;Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Thursday           02          Basil the Great & Gregory Nanzianzen Bishops, Doctors
Friday                03          Christmas Weekday, The Holy Name of Jesus
Saturday            04          Elizabeth Ann Seton; Religious
Sunday              05          The Epiphany of the Lord 

Your gifts of December 22 & Christmas will be published in the January 12 bulletin.
Weekly Goal:  $8,670. 
We are always in shortfall. Fr. Tho asks for your help Please consider donating an amount equal to a breakfast or lunch or movie ticket.  Thank you! Your parish appreciates your continued support!