(upbeat music) >> hello and on behalf of the afternoon diocese of san francisco, welcome to mosaic. this is the last show of 2018 and we want to thank kpix channel 5 for another year of the wonderful public service. this show is about christmas. it doesn't air until december 23rd. you may say isn't that late? christmas is almost over then. you have christmas eve then christmas day and that is about it. you recycle the gift wrap, take down the tree and plan a new year's party. no. christmas day is just the beginning of christmas. you know the song about the 12 days?

there are 12 days and more than 12. and they are populated not so much by fringe hen error error -- french hens and maids a milking and lords a leaping, but for jesus birth of jesus and baptism, we wonder into a wonderful cavalcade of stories, divine, things heavenly and earthy. we mot unique events and characters. a time full of love, awe danger, excitement, revelation, poetry and holiness. the guest is laura betone of the archdiocese of san francisco. after the brief break, please rejohn us. we'll learn from laura about the riches of christmas.

. good morning. welcome to mosaic. i want to introduce our guest today. this is laura bertone. welcome. >> good morning. >> we know everyone each other. you work for the arch didos so of san francisco. >> i do. i'm the director of worship. >> and there is an office of worship. >> there is. >> i think you would be called a liturgist? >> yes. >> and an amia tour theologer yacaman issue, sort of a historian? you're very well-versed in things cat lick and the archdiocese depends on you to make sure our liturgies and ceremonies are proper, correct

and right. >> hopefully. yes. >> we're talking about christmas. you created i slide show for us. >> right. >> the point is that christmas is full of riches. >> right. >> and if you're willing to slow down and sea see the season for what it is, you enter into a wonderful set of stories thathat have no end. there is depth to then. how should we start this? what should we do? >> i think you talked about it earlier that christmas is not just one day. it's not just the 12 annoying sounds from the song. >> i love the song, by the way. >> okay, good. i get tired of it by the end of it. it doesn't start 12 days before christmas of christmas is the first day. >> yes. >> and the 26th is the first day. we go 12 days. i told you earlier that nothing makes me sadder than when i am driving on the 26th of september and i see dead christmas trees on the curb. i think oh, they're done, finished. toys are unwrapped and broken by now. we're finished. no, christmas keeps going.

we have an entire christmas season. in the catholic church, other than easter, christmas is where we have an octave. the christmas day is important. we don't celebrate it for one day but eight days. >> okay. >> and that is the first thing. we have the great feast and we're going to celebrate it, mike a part out of it. >> okay. >> and within that type, we have feasts. we celebrate the holy family and mary as mother of god. we have further feasts until we have the baptism of the lord. that is christmas. >> okay. >> the entire season. >> and should we put up our slides? >> yeah. judge take us through the detail. we have slides, which take us from, i think, stomach 25th and through the 13th. >> right j. and quickly through those things. >> right. the first act a as we call it -- octive, the berth of christ. immediately following is the feast of santa steven, our first martyr j. okay. >> and the feast of saint john, john the evangelist who we believe wrote the book of john

and several other books of the bible. the feast of the holy innocence. an important one for us. we have a day without a special moniker and call it the fifth day after christmas j. okay. >> and that sunday, we will celebrate the holly family of jesus. put together. monday is a down day within the octave of christmas. we start the second week, and we have the feast, judge know 1st. everyone else is celoperating new year's. we have marry, the hole mother of god. >> i like that. >> it's a lovely feast. it is. >> and following that is a few memorials. we have basel and gregory the great, a few wonderful doctors of the church. we have the memorial of two american saints, two important ones. on the 4th and 5th. and then we have epiphany, january 6th , which falls on a sunday this year. many times it doesn't. >> okay j. wonderful it falls on a sunday and normally we

have to move it. >> the epiphany means a showing forth. >> the arrival of the spirit is what we would say. >> okay. >> and that in many places in the east is their christmas. that is a much more important activity on for them j. the feast of three kings? >> the feast of the three kings. the feast of the arrival. all of that. yeah. >> do we have a further slide taking us into january? >> we do. the next week, we insert when christmas is early. we have a week of christmas weekday masses. it cull men its january 13th this year when we end our christmas season with the baptism of the lord. >> the baptism of the lord. >> and interesting, howe die put it, like the first chapter of any good catholic's life? you're born and a few weeks later, you're pantized. >> right j. and you tech yet in order. i am curious new, who did baptize jesus. did we know? >> john the baptist. >> the natelevisiont stories, there are only two stories in the gospels of method use and luke. the baptism story of jesusboy john is in all four of the

gospels. >> that is right. >> one of the reasons the east find ita very important feast and more authentic. >> yeah. >> that is where he begins his ministry. >> right. judge where we see the revelation of god. this is my son whom i love. >> right. >> that is an important activity on for us. to say, christmas is over, yeah, and the other stuff. baptism is a very important occasion. you mark your life as a christian. >> something. you have a viewed to show that is -- you tell me. call them out. >> january 24th, we have the activity of christ. the next day is the feast of santa steven and [ inaudible ] down on the feast of steven. >> that is right j. he was' deacon and the first merittenir. he died in 35. >> okay. >> and we know he lived in the time of christ. >> and died in use ridge -- jerusalem? >> because he approached the goes pull of christ. they said you have to back off. he said i am not going to.

>> the story is told in the acts of the apostles. >> uh. >> and it's interesting that the first day after jesus berth is the first death on his behalf. >> right. >> a grim start to a religion, huh? >> and it doesn't get noser. >> okay. >> the following day is the feast of the holy innocence. >> and information is there, to. >> sorry. >> feast of santa john. skipped. >> that is phone. feast of saint john. john the evangelist. shone as an eagle in many did picks of him. >> uh-huh. >> and manly because he's the most spiritual of the gospels. very 50,000-foot level of goes pull. >> okay. >> very 52 theec. why and he was one of jesus' disciples. we credit the gospel. >> yeah. >> and there is a lot of debate about that. >> sure. >> in scripture scholars. >> sure. >> and some say he's the gospel jesus loved and is referred to as that. >> yeah. >> and he would then -- . >> contemporary with jesus.

>> right why. and writing after that. >> let's take a little break. the next one we look at when we come back is going be to be what and. >> the feast of the holy innocence. >> and a dramatic and tragic moment. >> yeah. >> and i hope you can fill us in on that. >> okay j. we'll take a brief break and come back and talk more about the riches of christmas.

. >> hello and welcome back to mosaic. we're here with laura bertone the director of the office of worship for the arch duos so of san francisco. how many years have you been doing this job? >> this will be my seventh year j. and what is the train something. >> i have a degree in liturgy from the university of noter dane. >> uh-huh. >> and most of the people in -- of notre dame. most of the people have a masters or leturgy and have several priests with this role.

someone who has a passion for liturgy and how the church prays. you have to have a little bit of knowledge of, you know, how ceremonies work and how to put things together like a produce or a show. >> that's right. yeah. i have seen -- if some of the viewers have been to the cathedral of san francisco and see the wavellite urgeys taking place there -- the beautiful liturgies taking place there, you're the manager. the stage manager j. it's like being a wedding coordinator. you do everything from the flowers and catering and, of course, choosing the readings, the music and making sure all of the people are in the right place at the right time. >> a beautiful and were onate and complex and -- ornaty, and complex let earlies. >> if i have done it right. yes. >> we're talking about christmas and moving slowly through the feast days that come after it. and on to the feast of the holy innocence. tell us about that in. >> we said, it's not the most upbeat feast in the world.

it's the story from luke where the herod who heard there was a new king had been born and tried to get the wise men to tell him where it was. when he realized he was not going to find out from them, he decided, all right, the best way to get rid of the king is to kill any male child under the age of 2. she sent out his armies to slay the innocent children. any boy child under the age of two. if this minds people of the story of moses, it is very similar. luke was echoing that story. >> okay. >> and those were our very, very first martyrs, the first people to die unwillingly. not like steven, they were saying this is my faith. they're going to die for it but they were innocent in the whole scheme of things and suffered because of one man's jealousy and anger. it's a downer a few days after christmas. in our world, we have a lot ofupoent iss slaying. we have a lot of children who don't have what they need. it's a time for the church to reflect on that and pray on

that. >> and there is something about it. i think in the palestinian context, i mean, the canon outs had their gods bow and others. child sacrifice was a part of the pagan religions that proceeded the jews and the children seem to get it in the neck and it's unfortunate. >> this is a tyrant seeking to eliminate a rival as he saw it. >> any competition. >> and the three things, they -- they give their feast later, right in. >> john, you keep sighing three kings. i have to do those things. we say three kings. >> we do. >> and there is no evidence of how many there were. >> uh-huh. >> they had three gifts. so people say three. >> okay. >> i like to say, the wise men. >> if they were wise men from the east. >> that is all we know about them. >> astrologers. >> that's right. that's right. >> men of gentiles. >> right. >> of great learning. >> right. >> and they were the first

gentiles w in matthew's goes pull, we have the ship herds and those people coming to see them as the first to acknowledge the christ. these are the gentiles who come forward and seek the son of god. >> and we'll get to their feast in the first week of january, right? we will. >> what help ends here? after the 28t? the feast of innocence? >> we enter into a lull o. january 1st -- a lull. on john 1st, we celebrate the feast of the mother of god. it used to be the feast of sersumsition and we focus more -- is companysition and now we focus on mary. she was the many nurturer of his growing up years. we don't know much of his early life. >> right. >> and acknowledging that. in the catholic church, we use it as the day of prayer for peace and world peace. judge this feast of mary, this is a global feast?

>> yes. holy day of obligation. >> a holy day of obligation means what, precisely? >> that catholics are required to tanned mass on that day. ndhe tholics are required to go to mass. this is a special day, important and you should spend an hour in prayer remembering the feast. the readings are the people on that day. there are only seven or eight thought the year. they highlight extra special days. >> and thaclustered here, i think. christmas, the 25th is a holy day of obligation. >> yes. >> and northbound sunday is a holy day of obligation. and january 1st. >> a week later. yup. >> thisp riches your life as a worshiper. >> hopefully. >> and to learn these stories. so, mary the mother of god known as our mother. >> uh-huh. >> i take it. yeah. wonderful. >> and what happens next?

>> january 2nd is the feast of saint becauseel the great. >> can we see the slide? >> yeah. the doctors of the church. nice i dons there. they were from the -- icons there. the doctors of the church are those who have a special handle and have contributed to the formation of the church. there are not many of them. the two of them, they have to share their feast together. the two of them together had such wonderful influences, especially in the east. this is a big feast for our orthodox brothers and sisters. >> how far east were they talking? in glock speaking, lands? >> nowhere africa and antioch. yeah. >> and they were both men. >> yes. >> and there were doctors of the church who were females, right? of course. >> scholars and wholly people. >> right. >> and contributed to the let urgey of the church and theology. >> a special ranking for them. those are who? gregory of? >> nunzianzan. >> okay. >> and bazel the great. >> was he a pope?

>> no. >> no. >> great men who were bishops in their own right. >> right. >> hot take a pause there. >> okay. we'll take i break and come back and learn more about the riches of christmas.

. >> welcome back to mosaic. reve also t bethlehem. >> a little bit. >> our opening shot shows? >> this is a, what we would call an italy precepo. i i was raised in italy the first few years. each of my brother and sisters and i have a full set. a nativity scene. >> okay. >> you see them in churches. it was made popular by st. francis of azizy. >> is he the one? >> he saw it in jerusalem and brought it to europe. and it became popular. initially, they were popular to be live. now we have the figurines which are more rationale. i have an entire set with sheep and goats and the weiz men. >> yes. >> and this little one is made out of corp husks. given to me by a friend. a trailing set and thatted if.

you see the three kings there. with mary, jesus and joseph. this is just a commemoration of what we're celebrating. o cageally,y put up a christmas tree. sometimes i do and don't. i always put up my precepio. >> this is an italian one? >> yes, from northern italy. a gift from my grandmother. >> the christmas tree is a dramatic tradition, right? >> is it more pagan or not? a lovely idea and having the star on top reminds us of the star of bethlehem. >> yeah. >> it's more commercial than religious and this is religious. almost every church will have a scene somewhere. >> of course. very, very nice and spiritual. >> take you us through the trip through the christmas octave? >> this year, we're celebrating between sunday, which is the feast of the holy family. and the following sunday. excuse me, the epiphany and the feast of the holy family. we have two septembers that are american.

judge that is interesting. okay. >> and we would -- the reason of saint's day is the day they tied. >> okay. their is no coincidence here. the first is september elizabeth ann iston. >> i think woke. >> a slide with information j. she was a fascinating woman of the early 1800s, had five children, raised e pisco pailian, quite wealthy, the husband was illinois and went bankrupt. she had to raise five children alone and lost several of them. during that time when they were in italy, she find cathol sump and was helped -- catholicism. helped by sisters and came back to the united states and founded an order. >> yeah. >> and thirmainly a teaching and hospital order. people in the bay area know seton hospital and daily city. >> okay. >> named after her. >> that was her married name? >> yeah. >> and died, it says on judge in 1821.

>> and died on january 4th and canonized at some point? >> 1975 goodbye. >> wow. >> and this caponnization process is lengthy, you know. >> it can be and can is be short. john paul and mother teresa were short. >> true. >> and especially in our modern age. >> what happens on the next day? >> the fifth is another american. he was not american born, but he was pohomian, john newman. the bishop of philadelphia. he's not, some people think of cardinal newman in santa rosa. >> sure. >> and spelled differently. >> noymon. >> and he was good at cath companyems. wrote them in -- catechisms. and died in the late 1800s and a holy man who was -- . >> was he a missionary who came here as a missionary? >> he was a man called to the priesthood and went to his own bishop in europe and said i

want to be a priest. they said we have too many priests. he kept writing people and saying can i be a priest? everyone turned him down. they had too many priests. with he had to come to america before someone would accept him to go into seminary and be a priest. he was a holy man. >> ortapeed here? >> ordained here. >> in mission territory? >> considered the 1800s. >> where i prei'm our problem was not -- resume our problem was not many priests in. >> no. >> and had to have circuit- writing priests. >> and nate of speaking priests. he would have served a great deal of the germ antic community,ful if being on the east coast and would make sense. >> a holy man. >> can we read his writings? >> yes. his home allies. >> this is january 5th, the last viewed and january 6th is the feast of the epiphany. >> i learned somewhere a tradition, i tonight know where i learned it is you take down your christmas tree that day and you have a party and have a

fire. you burn your christmas tree. >> that is a nice one. a lot of traditions. >> we had a lot of that. cut up the tree and burned it outside and had a marshmallow roast. >> signs great. >> i don't know if the three kings will appreciate that or not. >> the idea of gift giving is from the three kings. >> right. >> and it's a celebration of the awakening of realizing who croft is. >> yeah. >> and some people you the put the emphasis on the three kings. that is in woke of the scriptures and gospels. others on the idea of christ with us and christ present. there are so many traditions, especially in europe and the east. they have more traditions. we have the tradition of the good witch. >> yeah. >> and who on january 6th, leaves hopefully, candy in your shoes. >> yeah. >> and kind of like stockings. i think is an overlap there. and this is also, like i said, in the east, many peoplive if

gifts 12th night. >> that's right. >> and you would have a 12th night part. this is the end of the revels of the christmas season. >> we have about a minute left. i would look you to sum for us what you would like people to take away about christmas from this discussion? >> i would say enjoy december 25th. if you want to sing happy birthday, that is fop. >> okay. >> it's the nativity with the lord. first of all, the season goes longer. >> okay. >> and we love celebrating it. the most important thing is that as scriptures said, god so loved the world that he sent his only son. god incarnate. we celebrate the nativity and the incarnation of drift. we want to have that for several days, a celebration throughs this family and mother, -- through the family, mother and innocent people shape. i say, say merry christmas to everyone of day of the 12 days, ven if you want to keep going until the ninth, where we have the ninth day when we have the baptism, lord. trult st about e toys.

>> thank you for being here with us. thank you for watching mosaic and enjoy your christmas and all of your christmases. if you smell gas, you're too close. leave the structure, call 911, keep people away, and call pg&e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe.

if you see wires down, treat them all as if they're hot and energized. stay away from any downed wire, call 911,

and call pg&e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. . live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix5 news. right now on kpix parks, and streaming on cbsn bay area, the joint effort of the east bay aiming at fighting the cruise in retail crime. two san francisco police officers asked to leave a restaurant. how the police chief is responding. a push here in the bay area to get more people the booster shots as a dangerous new strain of the virus continues to spread. good morning, it's sunday, december 5th, i am devin fehely. let's start with a check of our weather with darron peck. it's foggier this morning than yesterday. if you have been an early reiser and about to hit the road. plan on hitting more fog especially in the north bay. you can see the view