SS. Edward & Lucy Parish Clustered with St. Helen Church Rev. John T. Burkley, Pastor Websites: * Pro-Life:

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1 SS. Edward & Lucy Parish Clustered with St. Helen Church Rev. John T. Burkley, Pastor Websites: * Pro-Life: REGISTRATION: Call the office or download a form at P.O. Box 709, Center St. Parkman, Ohio ** P.O. Box 98, East High St. Middlefield, Ohio Karen Thrasher, Business Manager * Sister Rosemary Janezic, Director of Religious Education Office: (440) kt@simcon.net Sister Rosemary sisterrose@simcon.net Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5:00pm-St. Edward 6:30pm-St. Lucy and Sunday: 8:30am-St. Edward 10:30am-St. Lucy Confessions: Saturday at 4:15-5:00pm-St. Edward 7:15pm-St. Lucy Weekday Mass: Monday, 6:00pm and Tuesday through Friday, 8:00am-St. Edward Chapel Holydays: Vigil Mass 6:30pm-St. Edward Holyday: 9:00am-St. Edward 6:30pm-St. Lucy OUR MISSION The vibrant Catholic community of SS. Edward and Lucy teaches, proclaims and lives the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do so through the celebration of the Eucharist, the administration of the sacraments and in loving and merciful service to all.

2 As a parish we again mourn the deaths of two of our own; of Myra Musick and Charlie Wanyek. As we have enjoyed their spirit and example over many years, so now we remember them in prayers and thank God for the example their presence has been for our parish. May they rest in the peace of the Lord...We have been saddened by the cancellation of the Catholic Youth Conference at John Carroll University. Marcia Mikolaj and a few interested parents are exploring other options for our youth. Some parishes want to sponsor an alternative for the CYC so our young people can get together for prayer and community. Just as we had to decline hiring a youth minister for our parish at this time, we are more aware than ever that we absolutely have a need to make these Catholic youth events available for our youth. There is an extremely worthwhile program at Steubenville University and another local program for youth called EXALT. We are looking at these possibilities and more. You know, we say we are interested in spiritual development in our Parish Pastoral Council. Well, the same is true for our young parishioners. Where will they have an experience that being Catholic is not odd or unacceptable in their minds because so many of their peers don t see the beauty or value of our Catholic faith. We plan for them to have the experience of praying and enjoying the presence of other Catholic youth from whom they can catch a deep Catholic attitude toward life. We are grateful for the way our planning group is moved by the Holy Spirit to build it so they will come...i received a very unusual Christmas card from Matthew Kelly s Dynamic Catholic. It reads: This Christmas, let s be honest...things are a mess! What makes Christmas brilliant and humbling, comforting and hopeful, is that JESUS, the Son of God, the Lord of Lords, The King of Kings, the God-Man of endless love and infinite grace chose to put himself in the middle of our mess. He didn t have to. It is the most magnanimous and the most majestic act in history...life is messy. Every day, in large ways and small, we have to decide if we are going to avoid the mess or immerse ourselves in the mess and do something about it. MERRY CHRISTMAS! May these words touch and inspire us at Christmas and in the new year..i read an account of parents who asked their college student if they were participating in Mass now that they are on their own. She said: I would miss the connection; I need Communion and communion... What Would You Ask Our Bishop? What would you ask Bishop Perez if he was sitting at your kitchen table? To be part of Table Talk with Bishop Nelson Perez, submit your questions to tabletalk@am1260therock.com by January 1st. The next episode of Table Talk on AM 1260 The Rock will air January 17th at 5pm and will be re-broadcast January 19th at 1pm and January 20th at noon. For audio archive of previous episodes, visit What should we do? Christmas is getting pretty close, and we re all making lists and checking them twice and figuring out: What do I still have to do? In today s gospel, John the Baptist has told the people that Christ is coming, and they ask: What should we do? He offers them some suggestions: Those of you who have more than you need give to someone who doesn t have enough. Tax collectors don t overcharge your clients. Soldiers don t push people around or take advantage of them. How about us? What should we do to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas? Advertisers have all kinds of suggestions to help us decide what to buy for presents. Her are a few suggestions for the next two weeks: Reach out to someone in need, and make their life a little better. Patch up a quarrel you ve had with someone. If there s something in your life that doesn t belong either, put it at the top of your New Year s resolutions; or, better yet, try to go cold turkey. If there s something that isn t in your life and should be, try to make room for it. Apologize to someone you ve hurt. Let someone who has hurt you know that they are forgiven. Cheer up someone who is grieving or lonely. Last Sunday, we heard John the Baptist tell us, Prepare the way of the Lord?/.Every valley shall be filled/ and every mountain and hill shall be made low. / The winding roads shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth. In these days leading up to Christmas, fill up a valley in your life. Level a mountain in your path. Make a crooked way straight. Make a rough way smooth. That s the way to put Christ back in Christmas. James DiGiacomo, SJ

3 Saturday, December 15 Sunday Vigil 5:00pm Esther Faulk / husband, Jim 6:30pm Dr. Al Evans / James & Eva Burgett Sunday, December 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 8:30am Margaret Gery / husband, Rich 10:30am Joseph Dora / Family Monday, December 17 Late Advent Weekday 6:00pm Holy Souls 7:00pm Confessions in the Chapel Tuesday, December 18 Late Advent Weekday 8:00am Betty Eshelman Wednesday, December 19 Late Advent Weekday 8:00am Russell Ward / M/M Nick Frank 7:00pm St. Lucy Thursday, December 20 Late Advent Weekday 8:00am Joan Komar / Rosary Group Friday, December 21 Late Advent Weekday 8:00am Ed Bugajski / wife, JoAnne Saturday, December 22 Sunday Vigil 5:00pm Bonnie Soltis / M/M Nick Frank 6:30pm Deceased Members of Koynock Family Sunday, December 23 4th Sunday of Advent 8:30am Sharon Amentini / Mom & Dad 10:30am Dr. Al Evans / D/M Henry Trybus St. Edward St. Lucy Regular: $ (98) $ (92) Regular 2017: $ (86) $ (72) Immaculate Con Restricted: St. Vincent: Religious Retire.: Heat: Religious Educ.: Flowers: Christmas: Children: 2.00 (1).00 Sunday: Bambinelli Sunday Reservations Due for Christmas Dinner Weekend: St. Vincent Food Collection Monday: 10am-6pm Adoration in the Chapel 6:00pm Mass & Rosary in the Chapel 7:00pm Confessions in the Chapel Tuesday: 9:45am Briar Hill Bingo 10:00am Rosary Group at The Pines Wednesday: 3:00pm Briar Hill Mass NO Bible Study E 7:00pm St. Lucy Thursday: 10:00am Bible Study E Noon-6pm Adoration L 1:00pm Rosary Making E 7:00pm Geauga Co. Jail Ministry Saturday: St. Vincent Food Kitchen in Warren 10am Shut In Holiday Baskets E CONFESSION SCHEDULE Monday, December 17, 7pm in the Chapel Wednesday, December 19, St. Lucy Saturday, December 22, St. Edward Saturday, December 22, St. Lucy Christmas Schedule Christmas Eve 4pm Children s Mass E 6pm Mass E Midnight Mass L Christmas Day 8:30am Mass E 10:30am Mass L FEAST OF ST. LUCY On December 13 we celebrated the feast of our St. Lucy. St. Lucy was born of a rich Roman family. At a young age Lucy lost her Christian father. Her mother wanted her to marry a rich pagan man. Lucy did mot want to marry a pagan. She consecrated herself to God and zealously worked help the poor. Her hands were full of food and drink for Christians hiding in the catacombs so Lucy wore a wreath of candles to light her way. Lucy was known for her beautiful eyes. Later, Lucy s mother became ill and Lucy convinced her to go to the tomb of St. Agatha where her mother was healed. St. Agatha revealed to Lucy that she would become the glory of Syracuse, Sicily. Lucy and her mother distributed their wealth to the poor. The pagan man wanted Lucy s dowry and became enraged. He denounced Lucy as a Christian. The governor sent guards to take Lucy and torture her. As part of her torture they gouged out her beautiful eyes, but God miraculously restored them. She was tortured by fire and other means. She is the patron saint for those with eye afflictions. GENERATIONS OF FAITH FAMILY FOLDERS If you were unable to attend the December session of GOF, you can pick up your family folder in the entrance of the church. KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS PREGNANT? SCARED? NEEDS HELP? CALL HOURS SS. EDWARD & LUCY PRAYER LINE: Call Rebecca or prayer request to Rebbanne@gmail.com.

4 TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Years ago, the trick question on religion quizzes would be to name all the liturgical colors, or the colors of the vestments worn at Mass. Rose is a color seldom seen, used at most two days a year. Today, Gaudete Sunday, is one of those days. The name of the day is drawn from an opening verse in the old Latin Mass texts: Gaudete is Latin for Rejoice! This year s Gospel certainly reflects that mood as Elizabeth feels her infant within her leaping for joy at the presence of Mary. Mary s visit to her aged cousin is an act of compassion between women, as two kinswomen who are bearing children into the world share their joy. Some churches retain the custom of having the priest wear rose vestments today, and many will use a rose candle in the Advent wreath. Violet is the official color for Advent and Lent, but many parishes employ different hues for each season, trying to keep them distinct. In medieval times, dye was costly, and poor parishes used unornamented plain cloth for vestments. Dyes were expensive and some colors, particularly purple, difficult to achieve. In England, purple dye was made from mollusks, yielding at best a deep indigo or blue and not the desired violet. Thus, the color of Advent in the British Isles has long been a deep blue, reminding many people of Mary s presence at the heart of the Advent mystery. That theology is largely unplanned: it s all because of the clams! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. It s A Matter of Life... Whenever ProLife legislation is proposed, it is a certainty that pro-death opponents will raise the issue of pregnancy in the case of rape and use rape as a Red Herring reason justifying abortion. Faced with this ploy, advocates for life should pose this question: If a woman who is raped cannot kill her rapist who is guilty, why should she be allowed to kill her child who is innocent? Protecting God s Children The Diocese of Cleveland s Protecting God s Children program is a continuing effort to instruct and inform everyone about the protection of children from sexual abuse. To report any past or present suspected inappropriate behavior toward children by priests, deacons, religious, lay ecclesial ministers or personnel associated with the Church, please contact the Diocesan Response Service Office at or via at response_services@dioceseofcleveland.org. You are also asked to immediately inform local authorities about inappropriate behavior. REJOICE! Today has traditionally been called Gaudete Sunday. The Latin tag is derived from Paul s appeal in the second reading to rejoice always in the Lord, and the Latin Mass text based on that reading. The irony and paradox of this Christian joy is underlined by the fact that Paul wrote those words in prison. But from there he could see the progress of God s work. Is it obvious to us? We feel that this is not the time for joy when there is so much suffering and moral evil. It is interesting, then, that the first reading is from the prophet Zephaniah, who is almost exclusively concerned with gloomy visions of Judgment Day. Today the Church selects the only optimistic text in Zephaniah, in which the prophet has been touched by the spirit of joy. This, we are assured on all sides, is the season of joy. Let us recapture that feeling of joy in our lives and reflect it to those who are joyless. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. ROSE HALL AND WINCA HALL RENTALS: CALL THE OFFICE

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