Fourth Sunday of Advent. Blessed are you who believed what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled

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Betty Weaver
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Parish Office (863) 453-4757 Fax (863) 453-2620 4th Sunday of Advent December 23, 2018 Parish Office

Vigil Mass 4 PM English 7 PM Spanish Sunday 8 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Days Vigil Mass 5:30 PM 8 & 10:30

org Fourth Sunday of Advent Blessed are you who believed what was spoken to you by the Lord would be

1 Parish Office (863) Fax (863) th Sunday of Advent December 23, 2018 Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM Pastor Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin Assisting Clergy Fr. Gerald Grogan Pastor Emeritus Fr. Leo Frechette Deacon Dan Hoppe Schedule of Masses Saturday Confession 3:30 PM English 6:30 PM Spanish Vigil Mass 4 PM English 7 PM Spanish Sunday 8 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Days Vigil Mass 5:30 PM 8 & 10:30 AM Daily Mass Monday-Friday 8 AM First Friday Mass and Holy Hour 8 AM Visit us on the web! Fourth Sunday of Advent Blessed are you who believed what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled Christmas Mass schedule Monday, December 24 th Vigil Masses: 4 & 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 25 th : 8 & 10:30 a.m. A joyful, Peaceful & Blessed Christmas.

Page 2 Our Lady of Grace It is interesting and worth noting that the first people to hear the good news of the birth of the Savior of the world was not the religious authorities of the day: it was

2 Page 2 Our Lady of Grace It is interesting and worth noting that the first people to hear the good news of the birth of the Savior of the world was not the religious authorities of the day: it was not the prominent leaders of society; it was not the newsmakers of the day. No, it was a group of shepherds from the region around Bethlehem who were living in the fields and keeping night watch over their flock. Who were these shepherds? The shepherds lived on the margins of the society of the day. They were regarded as crude, rugged individualists; not very sociable; eyed with a certain suspicion and distrust. They very much lived lives of impoverishment. What was God s message to them? Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is the Messiah and Lord. The shepherds represent all of us whose lives have been impoverished in any way. Just as the good news broke through the dark night of the shepherds lives, so too, today, the good news breaks through the dark night that sometimes or oftentimes surrounds our lives put so perceptively by Simon and Garfunkel: Hello darkness my old friend. The dark night may be the gloom of the economy: it may be a failed or broken love relationship or marriage or broken family; it may be a struggle with alcohol or some form of drug addiction or other addiction. For those who lost loved ones or their homes in the recent tragic fires in California, this Christmas will be a dark night. It was to those going through their own dark night that the angels announced the good news of the birth of a Savior first. It is for us to become the messengers of the good news of great joy to those who experience the dark night in their lives this Christmas. A Blessed & joy filled Christmas

4th Sunday of Advent Page 3 Christmas Mass Schedule Monday, December 24th Vigil

parishioners for their generosity in bringing beautifully wrapped gifts for

These gifts will be distributed up to Christmas Eve.

The K of C provide luncheon and gifts for 150 kids from the Boys and Girls Club

3 4th Sunday of Advent Page 3 Christmas Mass Schedule Monday, December 24th Vigil Masses 4 & 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 25th Our Lady of Grace Parish Our Lady of Grace Parish thanks parishioners for their generosity in bringing beautifully wrapped gifts for boys and girls of all ages; for several bicycles; and for many gift cards. These gifts will be distributed up to Christmas Eve. This will make Christmas special for so many kids. The K of C provide luncheon and gifts for 150 kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Avon Park Thank you for making Christmas Special for so many Members of the K of C serve lunch Church Service Center John Jeffo, the Executive Director for the CSC, distributed gifts to the poorest of poor children in Avon Park in the run up to Christmas.

4 Page 4 Our Lady of Grace Did you know that Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer is a Christmas Parable? Did you know that one of the famous Christmas stories, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, was written by Robert L. May in 1939 and, later put to music by his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks? What you may not know, or, maybe you do, is that it is a Christmas parable that gives us a deeper or underlying message into the meaning of the Christmas story Let Johnny Marks tell us the first chapter of the story: Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. Rudolf had a flaw, a fault, a shiny Red Nose. It was so shiny and so red that it used to even glow in the dark. No, he was not a recovering alcoholic. The other reindeer used to laugh and call him names because his shiny red nose glowed in the dark. Rudolf was not unlike us when the baby Jesus was born. The angel explained to Joseph (Mt 1: 23) in a dream that he was to name the child Jesus, a name which means he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus came to save us like Santa came to save Rudolf. Jesus took upon himself our shiny red nose, our flawed and tainted human nature. Time-and-time-again we read references in the scriptures to Jesus eating with publicans and sinners. Jesus, like Santa, chose someone like Rudolf, namely, Peter. He was a fisherman. Peter had a fault similar to Rudolf; he was very impulsive that was Peter s shiny red nose for all to see and laugh at. When Jesus was present at the Last Supper he announced that one of his disciples would betray him. This triggered Peter s response: Though all of the others betray you I will never betray you. In the courtyard, Peter was quick to deny Jesus when accused of being one of his followers by a servant girl. Later, Peter became the laughing stock of the other disciples. What did Jesus do? He made Peter the leader of the pack. Just as Santa made Rudolf the leader in bringing good cheer and Good News to the children around the world, so Jesus chose Peter and, made him the leader in bringing the Good News of salvation to all the people of the world. Johnny Marks continues with the story: Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say: Rudolf with your nose so bright, won t you guide my sleigh tonight. Rudolf s flaw, his fault, his shiny red nose, became his virtue. How? Because it glowed like a light bulb at night guiding the rest of the reindeer in the dark. Peter s weakness became his virtue; it helped him to empathize with and show compassion for people who made mistakes not unlike his. Peter s fault shines like a light in the dark night of many believers lives, giving them hope. Santa did for Rudolf what Jesus did for Peter and for us; He came to save us. Let s listen to the end of the story: Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee; Rudolf the red nose reindeer, you ll go down in history. What a happy ending to the story! Just as Rudolf has gone down in history because of what Santa did for him, so too, Peter and all sinners who have been saved have gone down in history Salvation history. The story about Rudolf the red nose reindeer is just another way of telling the Christmas story the story of salvation history.

5 4th Sunday of Advent Page 5 Festive Activities at Our Lady of Grace Guadalupe Procession Youth Poinsettia Sale Guild Christmas Luncheon Youth Proceeding in with colorful flags Guild Christmas Luncheon Both wings full for Feast of Guadalupe

Page 6 MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY DECEMBER 22 4:00 pm + Fraydelle Parker by Phyllis Breen. Special Intention for Don & Olivia Sliwicki (39 th wedding anniversary.

6 Page 6 MASS INTENTIONS SATURDAY DECEMBER 22 4:00 pm + Fraydelle Parker by Phyllis Breen. Special Intention for Don & Olivia Sliwicki (39 th wedding anniversary.) 7:00 pm + Anastacio Lopez by Familia Secundino. SUNDAY DECEMBER 23 8:00 am + Richard Kuehner by M/M Raymond Munday 10:30 am + Dee Angermeier by Ann Alhand. MONDAY DECEMBER 24 8:00 am Novena for Life. For a greater respect for all human life. 4:00 pm Priests Intentions 5:30 pm Priests Intentions. 7:00 pm Mass in Spanish TUESDAY DECEMBER 25 8:00 am Priests Intentions 10:30 am Priests Intentions WED DECEMBER 26 8:00 am For our Parish Family. THURSDAY DECEMBER 27 8:00 am + Thomas Pratt by Connie Pratt. FRIDAY DECEMBER 28 8:00 am + Virginia Agate by Harold Agate. SATURDAY DECEMBER 29 4:00 pm + J. Dale Pounds by Judy Pounds and Family. 7:00 pm Mass in Spanish SUNDAY DECEMBER 30 8:00 am Special Intention for John & Sarah Wagner by Peter & Carol Landoni. (65 th wedding anniversary). 10:30 am Steve, Helen & Barry Gerlecz by Mary Lee Cipriano. Our Lady of Grace FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Claudette Laverriere John Minadeo Jade Jackson Rosa Arosemena Gregory Syfert Ruby Kempf Millie Fleckner Andres Clavijo Melvin Kloehn Jean Simmons Payton Haynes Jose Lopez Gerald Martin George Tomek Todd Carlson Bruno Litwinski Henry Augusta J.R. Lejeune And for those who care for the sick, for the deceased member s and benefactors of the parish, especially Carrie Colangelo and Richard Sunderland and for our loved ones. RESPECT LIFE The Respect Life Committees of Our Lady of Grace, St. Catherine's, & St. Michael's have planned a trip to Sarasota on January 22, 2019, the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v Wade, to pray at Planned Parenthood's abortion facility. An Annette coach will provide the transportation. The fee for the coach will be $17.50 per person. We will meet at St. Catherine's Church in Sebring at 7:00 am on January 22. After the Prayer Walk, we will stop for lunch & return to St. Catherine's, probably arriving by midafternoon. In order to confirm the bus, our fees must be submitted by January 4, This is comfortable transportation for a trip that all of us need to make. LADIES GUILD RUMMAGE & BAKE SALE Our lady of Grace Ladies Guild will hold their annual Rummage Sale on January 25/26. Save your usable discards for this sale. For more information call Debbie Augusta at

Staff & Ministries Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Administrative Assistant Betty Heiring betty.heiring@ologap.

com Associate Youth Director Angie Heiring (863) 453-7537 Festive Dance Team Prayer Group Kevin Murphy Women s Guild

Pounds Vice President Piedad Sarmiento- Noriega Children Bringing Beautiful Flowers Secretary Judy Nugent Members Debbie

7 Staff & Ministries Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Administrative Assistant Betty Heiring Religious Education Judy Nugent Angie Heiring (863) Music Gene Ryan Associate Youth Director Angie Heiring (863) Festive Dance Team Prayer Group Kevin Murphy Women s Guild Debbie Augusta - President (863) Respect Life Dick & Marie Carlson (863) Parish Council President Judy Pounds Vice President Piedad Sarmiento- Noriega Children Bringing Beautiful Flowers Secretary Judy Nugent Members Debbie Augusta Maureen Cool Darlyne Devany John Paul Heston Jim McGann Karen Hecker Tina Starling Teresa Torres John Wolbert Entertaining Dance Groups

Gaudete Sunday. Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Pastor Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin

Gaudete Sunday. Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Pastor Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin Parish Office (863) 453-4757 Fax (863) 453-2620 3rd Sunday of Advent December 16, 2018 Parish Office Hours Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM Gaudete Sunday Pastor Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin Assisting