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Last Week's Sermon
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| | The First Sunday of Advent |
To see more sermons and services, go to our YouTube page! |
Sunday's Music
MASTER OF THE MUSIC
Mr. Jeffrey Parola
PRELUDE
Intermezzo
by G.W. Gluck
(1714-1787)
OFFERTORY
Conditor alme siderum traditional, Gregorian chant
POSTLUDE
Mit ganzem Willen
by Conrad Paumann
(1410-1473)
HYMNS "Lo, from the desert homes"
"Comfort, comfort ye my people"
"O come, O come, Emmanuel"
"On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry" |
Today in
Christian History
On this day in 749 Greek Orthodox theologian and poet John of Damascus died near Jerusalem. The last great doctor of the Greek church, he wrote comprehensively on the theology of Eastern Christianity and fought against those who wanted to rid the church of icons. |
Ongoing Ministries Calendar
4-5 December
Annual Diocesan Convention
(No Masses)
12 December - 7:30am
Homeless Breakfast & Outreach
13 December 12:00pm
Annual Christmas Sing-a-long & Choir Boutique
19 December - 5:00pm
Advent Lessons & Carols Accompanied by LASchola
25 December - 4 January
Parish Office Closed
26 December - 7:30am
Homeless Breakfast & Outreach
28 December - 10:00am
County-USC AIDS Clinic Lunch Program
16 January - 10:30am
Newcomer Orientation
20 January - 7:30pm
Vestry Meeting
25 January - 12:00pm
Annual Parish Meeting |
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"Advent is the time of promise; it is not yet the time of fulfillment. We are still in the midst of everything and in the logical inexorability and relentlessness of destiny... Space is still filled with the noise of destruction and annihilation, the shouts of self-assurance and arrogance, the weeping of despair and helplessness. But round about the horizon the eternal realities stand silent in their age-old longing. There shines on them already the first notes as of pipes and voices, not yet discernible as a song or melody. It is all far off still, and only just announced and foretold. But it is happening, today."
Alfred Delp, Priest and Philosopher
Advent of the Heart:
Seasonal Sermons and Prison Writings, 1941-1944
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Welcome to The Thomist, St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood's new version of our award-winning eNewsletter.
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| Mass Cancellations
All Masses on 4 & 5 December have been cancelled due to the Annual Diocesan Convention.
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| Mo. Gwynne Guibord
Beloved friend and sometime priest of St. Thomas the Apostle Hollywood Mother Gwynne Guibord has recently been diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer. After more than six years, it has returned and spread to her bones, which is apparently the best place for the cancer to go because it is the most easily treated.
Mo. Guibord immediately began a brief course of radiation that has already successfully eliminated the terrible bone pain that she has been experiencing. Currently she is undergoing chemotherapy to control and eliminate the cancer itself. These cycles of chemotherapy and recovery will continue over the next several months.
Mo. Guibord will still participate in the upcoming conversation with Diana Butler Bass tomorrow (see below).
We send our prayers and well-wishes for a speedy recovery.
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| Advent Series
On Wednesday evenings following the 7pm Mass on 2, 9, and 16 December the Advent Series, which follows the Advent book I Pray in Poems by Dave Worster. will take place in the Rectory.
Copies of the book are available in the Parish Office for $10, or you may purchase it elsewhere. If you are unable to afford the $10, please see Canon Davies or Deacon Johnson privately.
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Annual Christmas Sing-a-long  and Choir Boutique
The annual Christmas sing-a-long and Choir Boutique will take place in the Large Parish Hall on Gaudete Sunday, 13 December, following the High Mass. |
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Saturday, 19 December at 5pm
Our festive annual tradition continues with An Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, featuring the peerless voices of the LASchola and Clarion Singers. This special Advent service features festive music by Tavener, Ledger, Howells, Willcocks, Poulenc, Warlock, and Miskinis. Please mark your calendars, and be sure to invite family and friends to introduce them to our beautiful parish and ancient traditions, and to kick off the Christmas season with prayer and beautiful music. A reception with plenty of delicious treats will follow in the Large Parish Hall. Free admission, donations gratefully accepted.
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Semi-Annual Cleaning of the Parish Church
On Saturday, 19 December following the 10am Low Mass, Parishioners are encouraged to participate in the Semi-Annual Cleaning of the Parish Church. Supplies and lunch will be provided. While this is an all-day affair, any amount of time contributed will be appreciated.
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We have partnered with GoodShop.com so that you can feel great about your online shopping! GoodShop gives you the best coupons for thousands of stores like Target, Apple, Amazon, Petco, and more AND a percentage of what you spend on virtually every purchase is donated to our Parish! Plus, with the GoodShop app for iPhone and iPad, you can shop, save, and give on the go!
We thank the Parishioners who registered at GoodShop.com for St. Thomas and went to GoodShop.com before shopping at online retailers. Thanks to your efforts, St. Thomas received $1,109.32 this year! In total since 2009, this program has generated $4,972.71!
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The Reason for the Season
Literally Healing at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is an innovative reading program dedicated to advocating literacy and its importance to children's success. There are two arms of the program: Therapeutic Library, which tackles sensitive issues in a non-threatening manner to ease the medical and emotional anguish, and the Giving Library, which offers patients staying at the hospital (and their visiting siblings) a choice of one free, brand new book daily to keep. This year, the Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle is once again helping with Literally Healing's Book Drive! You may send books of your own choosing or send books on the hospital's wish list. The hospital's wish list is available by CLICKING HERE. Books donated MUST be brand new and shipped directly to the hospital to control infection (Literally Healing Program 4650 Sunset Blvd. #16; Los Angeles, CA 90027).
 Once again St. Thomas will have an angel tree to benefit Hillsides, a premier provider dedicated to improving the overall well-being and functioning of vulnerable children, youth, and their families. Their vision is to create lasting change in the lives of all at-risk children and youth that they serve by providing high quality care, advocacy, and innovative services that promote safe, permanent environments where young people can thrive.
We continue our food drive to benefit SOVA food pantries this Advent and Christmas season. We collect food throughout the year to benefit SOVA, one of our partners in the Homeless Coalition. This year, our goal is to fill the SOVA bin (located in the foyer near the Parish Office) at least twice between now and Christmas!
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Christmas Flowers & Decorations
If you would like to contribute toward the cost of Christmas flowers and decorations, please click on the "Donate" button below. Then EMAIL the Parish Office your dedication ("in memory of..." or "in thanksgiving for...")
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| Christmas & Epiphany Schedule
THURSDAY, 24 DECEMBER 2015
CHRISTMAS EVE
5:00pm - Family Mass with Sermon & Hymns
11:00pm - Midnight Mass with Sermon, Hymns & Choir
FRIDAY, 25 DECEMBER 2015
CHRISTMAS DAY
10:30am - High Mass with Sermon, Hymns & Choir
SATURDAY, 26 DECEMBER 2015
THE FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN, DEACON, PROTO-MARTYR
5:00pm - Latin Vigil Mass with Gregorian Chant
6:00pm - Boxing Day Party in the Rectory
SUNDAY, 27 DECEMBER 2015
THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN, APOSTLE & EVANGELIST
8:00am - Low Mass with Sermon
10:30am - High Mass with Sermon & Hymns
THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2015
THE FEAST OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
10:30pm - Low Mass
11:00pm - Alcohol-free New Year's Eve Potluck Party
SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 2015
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
8:00am - Low Mass with Sermon
10:30am - High Mass with Sermon, Hymns & Choir
WEDNESDAY, 6 JANUARY 2016
THE EPIPHANY
7:30pm - High Mass with Sermon, Hymns & Choir
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| Annual Parish Meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting will take place in the Large Parish Hall following the High Mass on Sunday, 24 January 2016. At this meeting, present, eligible Communicants in Good Standing will elect four new Vestry persons to serve a three-year term, and four delegates & two alternate delegates to represent St. Thomas at the Annual Diocesan Convention. Those interested in standing for the Vestry or representing the Parish at the Diocesan Convention must request a nomination form from and submit paperwork to the Parish Office on or before Thursday, 14 January in order to be nominated.
Those seeking the Vestry must meet with Canon Davies prior to the Annual meeting in order to understand the specifics of the ministry.
In accordance with the canons, which were modified for 2016, a list of Communicants in Good Standing eligible to vote will be published prior to the Annual Meeting.
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2016 Sign-Up Sheets
Sign-up sheets for 2016 Coffee Hours, Altar Flowers, St. Damien Chapel Orchids, and Lamps are now available in the Large Parish Hall.
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| Stewardship
We are most grateful to the following 128 Parishioners (as of 3 December) who have prayerfully considered the role of St. Thomas Parish in their life and made a financial pledge commitment for 2016:
AnonymousAnonymousAnonymousJose AbdoCaroline AdanKellie AdanRobert Amore David AndersonLela AndersonDeshan AtapattuMichael J. AustinDavid BartlettRay Beaty & Len LeatherwoodAlexander BernalRobert Beukema & Ken MosesianBrit BjurstromEd Blancarte & Nicolas Sean CarreraJohn BollardRodney BorrAlex BrammJohn E. Buckingham, Jr.John L. BuckleyMalcolm CallisonThe Challoner FamilyBrad & Wendy Chambers
Efrain Cisneros & Clark Dilley
Fr. John & Dea. Charlene Crean
Jolin Crofts
Donald Cummings
Bradford Daley
Fr. Ian Elliott Davies
Jan & John Davies
Lloyd Davis
Gregory Dilger & Jeffrey Lawson
Debby Driscoll
Ruth Dunham
Michael Ensign Evans
Christopher Fernicola
David Firman
James Fossett
Brian & Tannis Frankish
Jeff & Chanel Friesen
Howard J. Gaass
Christopher Gable & Gerardo Vergara
Clint Gray
Heather & Myles Griffith
Artur Grigorian
Bob Halvorson
John Harper
Ron Hartwig & Robert Pierce
Peter & Julie Heimark
Joan Henehan & Jenny Williams
Bob Henry & Linda Wendell
Sarah Hensley
Salvador Hernandez
Helen Slayton Hughes
James Hughes
Jeffrey Hyatt
Luis Javier & Laurence Jackson
Patricia Neal Jensen
Dea. Walter S. Johnson
D. Jones
Robert J. Jones
Leslie Kaplan
Margaret Kemp
Stephen Kemp
Dawna Kemper
Taffia Kennedy
Maurice King
Thomas Kingsley
Ken Koonce
Pete Lisowski & Shannon Stacy, MD
Ted Marbury
Doris Martin
Vincent G. Mazzucchelli
Robert D. Miller
Joseph & Anita Muro
Paul Norwood
Randy & Ruth Oglesby
Carolyn Olman
Erin & Windy O'Malley
Michael Owen
Anthony Palacios & John Garces
Jeffrey Parola
Doris Parr
Robert, Barbara, Austin & Sam Patrick
Alison Platt
Ben Pratt & Bob Brkich
Janice Quanbeck
Eddie Quintana
John Ramos-Hazlet
Judith Resell
Michel Rhola, PhD
Jo Ann Ridenour
Ronald Rosato
Charles L. Rumsey
Julian Sands
John Schleif
Daniel & Sarah Schulz
Garland & Kathy Schweickhardt
John Scoles, MD
Ryan Scott
Stan Shipley
David A. Silvas
Bill Stark
Steven Strom
Fr. Mark D. Stuart
Suzanne Tenner
Reece P. Thomson
John E. Thornbury
Ed Tosca
Paul Tournay & Lee Cox
Ayako Travis
Bradley Upham
James Vandernaald
Christopher Wagner & Gary Collis
Lynn Walker
Gary Warning
Joseph Warren
Michelle Waterloo
Robert Weihing
Christopher White
Randy Williams
Michael & Shelley Williamson
Marty Wolfe
Addison Wright & Laurene Landon
Rex Yancey
Stephen Yoder
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| The Guibord Center
The Guibord Center is excited to announce their next wonderful event on Saturday, 5 December at 6:30pm at St. John's Cathedral (514 West Adams Blvd): Diana Butler Bass in conversation about her newest book, Grounded: Finding God in the World - A Spiritual Revolution with the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord
Bass brings her understanding of the latest research and studies and her deep knowledge of history and theology to Grounded. She cites news, trends, data, and pop culture, weaves in spiritual texts and ancient traditions, and pulls it all together through stories of her own and others' spiritual journeys. Grounded observes and reports a radical change in the way many people understand God and how they practice faith. In doing so, Bass invites readers to join this emerging spiritual revolution, find a revitalized expression of faith, and change the world.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. As is their custom, this event is offered at no charge and all are invited to attend. Donations are gratefully accepted. CLICK HERE to register.
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| The Episcopal News Weekly
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St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood is an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.
Come to St. Thomas just as you are: A child of God and an inheritor of God's grace!
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