Dear Parish Family,

This week we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Dec 20-21) as well as Christmas. Remember that Christmas is not just a day, but a whole liturgical season. Maybe you didn't get all your gifts purchased or cards written in time for Christmas Day. No worries! We still have about two and a half weeks to celebrate Christmas with many great feasts in the season, including Feast of the Holy Family (Dec 28), the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God (Jan 1), Epiphany (Jan 4), and the Baptism of the Lord (Jan 11). Keep up your Christmas decorations for the season and continue to listen to Christmas tunes to really enjoy the grace of this holy season!

 

The word Christmas comes from "Christ" and "Mass". Just as you can't have Christmas without Christ, neither can you have Christmas without Mass! We celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord at every Mass in the gift of the Holy Eucharist. Christ becomes present in His Eucharistic Body and Blood under the humble appearance of bread and wine, just as He takes on the flesh of our humanity at His conception and birth at Christmas. God is with us. He was born into our world and comes to dwell with us at every Mass.

 

I hope that you find inspiration in this holy season to recommit yourself to the obligation and privilege of celebrating Mass each Sunday and holy day. At Sunday Mass, we gather as the whole people of God to receive His Word in the Scriptures and His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Being together at Mass gives us the joy of worshipping the Lord as one community of faith rooted in the Body of Christ, the Church.

 

Many people seek God without the guidance of the Church or faithful friends, and it becomes nearly impossible to sift through the noise of the world and of our own hearts to stay on the path of truth and light God gives us. Remember that Mass is an obligation because God first obligates Himself to be present there. He invites us to present ourselves so we can receive the life He wills to give us through His Word and Eucharist. May we not walk the journey of faith alone this year, but respond generously to God's invitation to celebrate Mass with our parish community every Sunday and holy day!

 

We have times for individual confessions this week at St. Mary's on Monday December 22 from 4-5 pm and on Tuesday December 23 from 10-11 am.

 

We will celebrate Christmas Eve Masses at St. Mary's at 4 pm, 6:30 pm, and 10 pm and at St. Patrick's at 4 pm. Christmas Day Masses at St. Mary's are at 8 am and 10 am, and at 9:30 am at St. Patrick's. Keep in mind there is no 12 pm Mass at St. Mary's on Christmas Day and no morning Mass on the day after Christmas.

 

The closing of the Jubilee Year of Hope is next Sunday, December 28. As a Jubilee Parish, St. Mary's in Chardon will have a special Jubilee blessing at the end of the 12 pm Mass along with a recessional with the Jubilee Cross to carry it out of the church. Later that day, all are also welcome to attend the closing Jubilee Mass at 5:30 pm at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland where there will be a procession with all the Jubilee crosses. We had over 400 pilgrims visit St. Mary's in Chardon during the Jubilee Year with many indulgences received. We are so grateful for the outpouring of God's mercy upon us and our deceased loved ones during the Jubilee Year of Hope this past year!

 

I also want to thank everyone for helping families in need with our Sharing Tree this year, and for the Birthright gifts and donations received at St. Patrick's this Christmas. Your generosity to families in our community most in need brings the warmth and light of God's love to so many. Thank you!

 

Remember that the parish office will be closed Wednesday through Friday this week for Christmas, and there will not be a 7:30 am Mass at St. Mary's on Friday.

 

Blessings to you and your families as you prepare for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Merry Christmas!

Fr. Scott Goodfellow