Historic St. Mary s Church, Lancaster, PA December 18, 2011

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2 Historic St. Mary s Church, Lancaster, PA December 18, 2011 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We prepare for Christmas by being reconciled to God so that we may worthily receive God s gi of God s Self, Jesus Christ, in the Eucharist. The reality is that sin blinds us to the truth as well as to the experience of the GIFT! The remedy is simple, the Sacrament of Reconcilia on. Our parish s Reconcilia on Service will take place this Sunday night at 6:30 pm. Six priests will be available to hear confessions. If you re not available for ours, please see this bulle n for the remaining opportuni es in the Deanery. It s too important a sacramental opportunity to miss. Just as God had overshadowed the temple of old filling it with His presence, so the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that the Lord will overshadow her, so that the Child to be born to her will be called Holy, the Son of God. So too God wants to fill us with His presence. There is no doubt about it. Our bodies have been created to be temples of the Holy Spirit. God waits as a bridegroom waits in longing hope for his bride s consent. With this same longing Christ seeks our Amen as we approach Him at the altar. It is at that decisive moment that our Amen echoes the beau ful words of Mary, May it be done to me according to your word. Christmas, Christ s Mass, both hold the promise of Christ s abiding presence. With only a week of Advent le, let us foster within us a spirit of longing, hope and gra tude. It should be easy for us, a er all Christ has come, is present and will come again. Please also see this bulle n for the Novena to Mary, the Mother of God. We embrace this ancient and biblical prac ce of praying for nine days as we pe on God on behalf of all those who have dri ed away from the prac ce of their Catholic Faith. We miss them, are concerned about them and want them to come home. This Wednesday, December 21, join me for an ecumenical prayer service and vigil on the occasion of Na onal Homeless Memorial Day. The 6:30 pm service will take place at Congrega on Shaarai Shamayim, 75 E. James Street. We will proceed from there for a short vigil on the LGH grounds. Please bring a flashlight. Some of you will be away visi ng rela ves on Christmas Eve and Day. So allow me now to wish you all a most blessed and joyful Christmas. May God draw you and your loved ones ever deeper into the mystery of His life and love. Catechism Ques on of the Week: Through the Holy Spirit, Mary became the Woman, the new Eve, which means: A) Mother of Jesus, B) Mother of the Living, C) Mother of Cain and Abel, or D) Mother of the Promise (see CCC 726) With family, friends and those you meet, please discuss the following Ques on of the Week: How do I thank God for the gi of Jesus, the Word made Flesh? In Christ s Peace, Mass Inten ons for the Week Saturday, December 17: 5:30 Parishioners & Friends (Fr. Leo) Sunday, December 18: 8:30 Edna Mar n - First anniversary of her death (Bereavement) 11:00 Ralph Conroy - First anniversary of his death (Bereavement) Monday, December 19: 12:05 Leo Walle (Jerry & Sara Ann Mi erer) Tuesday, December 20: 12:05 Hermine Pila (Joe & Amy Clupp) Wednesday, December 21: 12:05 William J. Brady (Virginia Brady) Thursday, December 22: 12:05 Angeline Talarico (Joanne, Gina & Ellis) Friday, December 23: 12:05 Deceased Members of the Salvatore Madonna Family (Angie Pritz) Saturday, December 24 (Christmas Eve): 5:00 Virginia Lorenz (Mike & Megan Lorenz) 7:00 Chris & Bob Hong Family (Living) in loving memory of Baby John Paul (Mom & Dad) 12:00 Deceased Members of the Salvatore Madonna Family (Angie Pritz) Sunday, December 25 (Christmas Day): 8:30 Parishioners & Friends (Fr. Leo) 11:00 Be e Pavlick - First anniversary of her death (Bereavement) Important Dates December 18 Religious Educa on (school) - 9:40 am 18 Revela on Bible Study (convent) - 9:40 am 18 Choir Rehearsal (music room) - 10:00 am 18 Giving Tree Gi s Distributed - 12:00 pm 18 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 1:00 pm 18 Penance Service (church) - 6:30 pm 19 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 7:00 pm 20 Zumba Gold (gym) - 8:30 am 20 Zumba (gym) - 6:00 pm 20 RCIA (library) - 6:45 pm 20 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 7:00 pm 20 Juggling Club (gym) - 7:00 pm 21 Children s Liturgy Rehearsal (church) - 6:30 pm 22 Zumba Gold (gym) - 8:30 am 22 Short Staff Mee ng (kitchen/church) - 9:30 am 22 Zumba (gym) - 6:00 pm 22 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 7:00 pm 22 Choir Rehearsal (music room) - 7:00 pm 23 Community Meal (cafeteria) - 5:30 pm 23 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 7:00 pm 24 Decora ng Commi ee (church) - 9:00 am

3 Fourth Sunday of Advent Stewardship Tithing: God s Plan for Giving Tithing weekend of December 11, 2011: $18, Online Giving for November 2011: $2, From Fr. Leo. In the first reading, God promises King David that His house and His kingdom will endure forever. It is through Mary s yes I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say that the promise finds fulfillment. Comment from the Pews. Among the many, many benefits of embracing stewardship is that it has enhanced my rela onships with God and all the people in my life. My child s good deed for the week: Several of our children offered these as their the in addi on to their financial gi : I helped serve Thanksgiving dinner. I gave a present to my Mimi. Note from organiza on who received money from St. Mary s Tithe the Tithe: Thank you! Your financial support helps the Council of Churches remain a strong and vital ministry as we Do God s Work Daily. Over 21,000 people in Lancaster are served each year in our food bank, clothing bank, winter shelter, community meals, etc. Bethany Woodcock, Assistant Execu ve Director, Lancaster County Council of Churches To read the complete le ers from individuals and organiza ons who have been helped by Tithe the Tithe, please see the bulle n board in the church ves bule. 7th Annual Stewardship Recogni on Party Sunday, January 29, 2012 Dinner: 3:00 pm at St. Mary s Cafeteria Entertainment in the gym provided by: Jonathan Burns This event is hosted by the staff of St. Mary s and is for all of St. Mary s volunteers who have given of their me, talent or treasure! If you have volunteered at St. Mary s for even just an hour, you are invited to a end! From the Parish Office Wedding Banns. Laura Conklin & Hjalmar Benson, January 14, 2012 Thank You! Once again we thank Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home who has provided St. Mary s with the beau ful 2012 calendars. If your family has not yet received one, you can pick one up in the ves bule of the church. One per family, please! Adver ser of the Week J & G Hea ng & Air Condi oning, Inc. Our thanks to J & G Hea ng & Air Condi oning, Inc. and all our sponsors for adver sing in our bulle n. Please patronize them and thank them for adver sing. It is because of them that our bulle n is possible. Rectory Office Closed. The rectory office will be closed on Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Ques on of the Week. How do I thank God for the gi of Jesus, the Word made Flesh? John 1:1-18 Catechism Ques on of the Week. Through the Holy Spirit, Mary became the Woman, the new Eve, which means: 1) Mother of Jesus 2) Mother of the Living 3) Mother of Cain and Abel 4) Mother of the Promise CCC 726 Bulle n Deadline. The next bulle n being prepared is the January 1 bulle n. The deadline for informa on to be received for this bulle n is 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 20. A Moment with Mary Our Lady s Son was born in a stable. Courage, then: Let us prepare a place for this holy infant. Our Lady loves only places that are made low by humility, common by simplicity, but large by charity. St. Francis De Sales

4 Historic St. Mary s Church, Lancaster, PA December 18, 2011 Advent is a me for new beginnings through the Sacrament of Reconcilia on. Deanery Penance Services. Sunday, December 18 St. Mary s 6:30 pm Monday, December 19 St. Anthony of Padua 7:00 pm Monday, December 19 St. John Neumann 7:00 pm Tuesday, December 20 St. Leo the Great 7:00 pm No one knows the hour. Stay awake! Giving Tree. Please return your wrapped gi with the tag a ached by 11:00 am today (December 18). Gi s will be delivered today. Thanks for making Christmas brighter for someone in need. Christmas & New Year s Mass Schedule. A Family Prayer Before the Manger. Loving God, as we stand before this manger, help us to make a place for your Son in our home and in our hearts. Help us to welcome Him by being kind to one another and reaching out to those who need us. We thank you for the great gi of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. The Word was made flesh because a maiden of our race knelt down at the angel s message and in the freedom of her heart and with the total uncondi onal gi of herself said: Be it done to me according to thy word. God willed this freely given love of his creature as the means by which the eternal Word of the Father should enter the world to take this world up into his own life. Karl Rahner Bring in the New Year with Holy Mass at 10:30 pm... followed by a social in the rectory. Saturday, December 31 Bring an appe zer or dessert to share with others! Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24 5:00 pm Vigil Mass (Children s Liturgy) 7:00 pm Vigil Mass 11:30 pm Carols 12:00 Midnight Mass Christmas Day Sunday, December 25 8:30 am Mass 11:00 am Mass Saturday, December 31 Vigil of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 5:30 pm Mass 10:30 pm Mass (Social in the rectory a er the 10:30 pm Mass) Sunday, January 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 8:30 am Mass 11:00 am Mass

5 Fourth Sunday of Advent Family Life Contact Joe Clupp or A Marriage Made for Heaven. Do you want a Marriage Made for Heaven? Sign up for St. Mary s date nights. We will meet the fourth Saturday of each month beginning in January a er the 5:30 pm Mass. This will be a great opportunity to grow in faith and strengthen your rela onship with your spouse. There will be an informa on session in early January for anyone interested in more details or go to onalmarriages.com/index.htm or contact Joe Clupp at jclupp@msn.com. Natural Family Planning. For more informa on on the Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP, call Mary Theresa Squierdo, For more informa on on the Creighton Model Fer lity Care System, contact Laurie Weitzel, A Blessing for My Spouse. Make the sign of the cross on your spouse as you say each line. Then, when the blessing is finished, let your spouse do the same to you. Bless (Name) s mind to understand You, Lord. Bless (Name) s eyes to see You, Lord. Bless (Name) s ears to hear You, Lord. Bless (Name) s lips to speak for You, Lord. Bless (Name) s arms to work for You, Lord. Bless (Name) s hands to comfort You, Lord. Bless (Name) s feet to follow You, Lord. Julie L. Ra ey Religious Educa on Contact Anne Barnes or reled@stmaryslancaster.org Classes begin promptly at 9:40 am in the school building. December 18 Class / Breakfast in Bethlehem 24 Children s Liturgy at 5:00 Mass on Christmas Eve 25 No Class MERRY CHRISTMAS! January 1 No Class Happy New Year! 8 Class Children s Liturgy. A new coordinator is needed to help plan the children s contribu on to the homily and plan other roles that they can help with at Mass. A different Religious Educa on grade is assigned for each month, and there is one Children s Liturgy each month of the school year. This year s program starts in January. This is a five to ten hour a month commitment. If you would be interested in working with Fr. Leo in this ministry, please call the Religious Educa on Office. RCIA Contact Tim or Michele Quigley or tsquigley@gmail.com Tuesday, December 20, 6:45 pm in the Marian Library Adult Educa on St. Mary s Book Club. Join parishioners as we read and discuss wonderful, faithenhancing books! Read the book on your own and we ll meet one me to discuss it. Current Book: The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. We will meet to discuss the book on Saturday, January 7, a er the 5:30 pm Mass. Contact Joe Clupp at jclupp@msn.com for more informa on about this book. For more informa on on the Book Club itself or to offer a sugges on for a future book, contact Andrew Odell at odellcajr@gmail.com. Catholic School News Resurrec on Catholic School. Merry Christmas from the staff and students at Resurrec on Catholic School! We thank you for your support and con nue to remember you in our daily prayers. Interested in Resurrec on Catholic School? Make plans now to a end Resurrec on s Open House and Registra on on January 31, 2012 from 9:00-11:00 am or 6:30-7:30 pm. If you have any ques ons, please call the school at We invite your family to be a part of the Resurrec on family!

6 Historic St. Mary s Church, Lancaster, PA December 18, 2011 Liturgy Contact Don Peris or DPeris@verizon.net Scripture Readings. December 25 Solemnity of the Na vity of the Lord (Christmas) Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 St. Mary s Mass on Comcast TV. St. Mary s 11:00 am Mass on Sunday is broadcast on Comcast Channel 95 later the same day (Sunday) at 6:00 pm and then again on Monday at 3:00 pm. Follow each week s homily on our YouTube Channel and our Facebook page. Visit and follow the links. Fourth Sunday of Advent. The feast day of our salva on draws ever nearer! And so, with the whole Church we press forward all the more eagerly to the worthy celebra on of [the Lord s] Na vity. These are our final days of prepara on. Throughout the weeks of Advent, the Lord has been with us, pouring forth [His] grace into our hearts. This grace is exemplified in the One who is full of grace, our Blessed Mother. In a unique way, the Blessed Virgin Mary has accompanied us throughout the days of Advent, showing us how to prepare for the coming of Her Son. With Her, we are filled with an cipa on and joy as we set our eyes toward that li le town of Bethlehem. The coming of the Lord Jesus, celebrated at Christmas, is just a further reminder to each of us of the depth of God s love. This love is poured forth into our hearts every me we enter worthily into these holy ac ons of faith. This same love is echoed back to our Father in heaven, with every movement of our hearts and every holy word upon our lips. Whenever we speak the prayers of the Church together, we sing and pray with Blessed Mary, who never ceased to magnify the Lord for the great things He does. Novena to Mary, the Mother of God (Pray each day: December 24 January 1). I greet you, ever blessed Virgin, Mother of God, throne of grace, miracle of almighty power! I greet you, sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and Queen of the Universe, Mother of mercy and refuge of sinners! Most loving Mother, a racted by your beauty and sweetness, and by your tender compassion, I confidently turn to you, and beg of you obtain for me of your dear Son the favor I request in this novena: (State your specific request or inten on here or state our parish inten on: For the return of those who have stopped prac cing their Catholic faith.) Obtain for me also, Queen of Heaven, the most lively contri on for my many sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you prac ced so faithfully, especially humility, purity and obedience. Above all, I beg you to be my mother and protectress, to receive me into the number of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory. Do not reject my pe ons, Mother of mercy! Have pity on me, and do not abandon me during life or at the moment of my death. Daughter of the Eternal Father, Mother of the Eternal Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Temple of the Adorable Trinity, pray for me. Immaculate and tender Heart of Mary, refuge of the needy and hope of sinners, filled with the most lively respect, love, and gra tude, I devote myself forever to your service, and I offer you my heart with all that I am and all that is mine. Accept this offering, sweet Queen of Heaven and Earth, and obtain for me of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, the favors I ask through your intercession in this novena. Obtain for me also a generous, constant love of God, perfect submission to His holy Will, the true spirit of a Chris an, and the grace of final perseverance. Amen. Voca ons Contact Fr. Raymond LaVoie x 282 or frlavoie@hbgdiocese.org Be it done unto me according to your word. Docile obedience to the Lord s will is the fruit of humble prayer. If God is invi ng you to a deeper consecra on as a priest, deacon, brother or sister, contact Fr. Leo in the rectory or Fr. Lavoie at the number listed above. Pray for Our Diocesan Seminarians. Seminarians at Pon fical North American College (2011/ 2012 academic year): Anthony Dill (Theology IV) Kyle Sahd (Theology II) Ma hew Marcus (Theology II)

7 Fourth Sunday of Advent Youth Ministry Contact Silvia Doe or December 18 (Sunday) Giving Tree delivery (middle/high school) 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS! No mee ng. January 1 Happy New Year! No mee ng. Teens in grades 8-12 don t miss out! Join us for a Steubenville Youth Conference in Ohio, June 15-17, 2012! Specializing in addressing the resources and needs of today s Catholic teens, there will be an exci ng lineup of speakers, musicians, and presenters. The High School Youth Conference will challenge Catholic youth to stand firm in their faith, rely upon the awesome power of Jesus Christ who is their guide, friend, and Savior, and to show that faith to the world. Space is very limited (we are only taking two vehicles), so sign up today! Registra on deadline is December 30. Contact Silvia, 872,8985 or stmarysyouth@hotmail.com, for more informa on. In & Around the Diocese Baseball & SoEball Sign-ups: St. Joe Catholic Club will hold baseball and so'ball sign-ups on Saturdays, January 7 & 14, from 12:00-4:30 pm at St. Joe gym, 410 St. Joseph Street. Boys ages 7-14 and girls ages 7-18 are needed to fill rosters for this coming spring season, which runs from April to June. Girls so'ball is slow pitch. There is a $60 registra on fee due at sign-up. Please contact Bill Souders, , for more informa on. Na onal Educa on Contest. The Lancaster Court Queen of Peace #1023 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas invites all youth in grades 4-12 in parishes, schools and CCD programs to par cipate in the 2012 Na onal Educa on Contest. Select from two themes: Plan ng Seeds of Faith or Inspiring Others to Grow. Enter in as many as six categories: art, computer art, essay, music, photography and poetry. For contest rules and entry forms, go to All first place winners will be entered at the state level, and all first place state winners will be sent to na onals. All local entries must be postmarked by February 15 and mailed or delivered to Educa on Contest Chairperson Margaret T. Giordano, 1132 Jamaica Road, Lancaster, PA

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