Tuesday, December 24 th – 4:30 PM For all the Members of our ParishSacristan: Sr. Carroll Greeters: Bella Thornburg Lector: Katie Woodruff Gifts/Ushers: Youth Euch. Min.: Alice Muniz, Germaine & Bob Matus Servers: Kara Woodruff &

Ava Grace Thornburg

Tuesday, December 24 th – 7:00 PM For all the Members of our ParishSacristan: Sr. Carroll Greeters: Lector: Sr. Carroll Gifts/Ushers: Euch. Min.: Penny & John McClaflin

Tim Ross Servers: John McMclaflin & Paul H.

Wednesday, December 25 th – 11:00 AM For all the Members of our ParishSacristan: Sr. Carroll Greeters: Pete & Val Sabo Lector: Sr. Rosemary Gifts/Ushers: Ray & Susan Kershaw Euch. Min.: Jerry & Char Habeck,

Sr. CarrollServers: Paul Hartenstein $ Counters: Val Sabo & Nora Bartlett (On 26th)

Saturday, December 28 th – 4:00 PM Rosemary Liles/John & Alice LilesSacristan: Gretchen SnyderGreeters: Sr. CarrollLector: Mike KarneyGifts/Ushers: Fred & Diane WolfEuch. Min.: Tim Ross, John & Penny McClaflinServers: Paul Hartenstein,

Walt Pleban

Sunday – December 29 th -- 11:00 AM For all of our Deceased ParishionersSacristan: Ethel SchmittGreeters: Pam & Gust RistasLector: Denise RobsonGifts/Ushers: Pam & Gust RistasEuch. Min.: John & Cheryl Nolan, Leon ShinskyServers: Nicole & Nate Kraus$ Counters: Cathy Zuk, Joe Kovach

Saturday, Saturday, December 213:30 PM Confessions4 PM MASS – Fr. Ron Sunday, December 22Last class for PSR and CONF this year!!11:00 AM Mass-Fr. Ron

Monday, December 23 Tuesday, December 24CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES4:30 PM Holy Mass – for children7:00 PM Holy Mass Fr. Ted Miller will say the above Masses Wednesday, December 25CHRISTMAS DAY HOLY MASS11:00 HOLY MASS - Fr. Ron Thursday, December 26 NO Mass today Friday, December 277 AM Communion Service

Saturday, December 283:30 PM Confessions4 PM MASS- Fr. RonThe HOLY FAMILY

Sunday, December 29 11 AM MASS – Fr. Ron

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

This Week’s ScripturesMonday Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 1412/23 Luke 1:57-66 _ Tuesday Isaiah 62:1-5Vigil Ps 89: 4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 Acts 13:16-17, 22-2512/24 Matthew 1:1-25 Wednesday Dan 5:1-6, 13-14,16-

17,23-28Wednesday Isaiah 52:7-

10 Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

Hebrews 1:1-612/25 John 1:1-18 Thursday Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Ps 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16, 1712/26 Matthew 10:17-22 Friday 1 John 1:1-4 Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-1212/27 John 20:1, 2-8

Saturday 1 John 1:5-2:2 Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8 12/28 Matthew 2:13-18 Holy Family Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Sunday Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 Colossians 3:12-2112/29 Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23___

Parish Staff

Pastoral Leader: Sr. Carroll Schemenauer

440-839-2023

Parish Chaplain: Fr. Ron Brickner 419-929-4401

Finance: Cece Mees 440-839-2023

St. Mary Catholic Church

(A Member of the St. John Neumann Deanery)December 21st & 22nd, 2019

Fourth Sunday of Advent 46 E. Main Street - PO Box 576 Wakeman, OH 44889 440- 839-2023

Email: wakemanstmary@frontier.com WEB SITE: www.stmarywakeman.org

Our Parish Mission Statement:Gathered as a family of faith in Christ Jesus, strengthened by His Word and Sacraments, we will set a living example of our faith by:

Seeking Christ in all we meet Giving of our time, talent and treasure

Supporting and strengthening our community and Sharing our Faith

Administrative Assistant

Catechetical LeaderWebmaster

Sr. Rosemary Hug

Finance: Diane Wolf

(440) 839-2185 (H)

Maintenance:Steve Matus

Youth Leaders: Kristie Jarrett, Jenn Nolan

& Libby French,

Dear Parish Family,Four candles lit…Happy 4th week of

Advent for just a few days! Last week we saw the example of a big-hearted man: John the Baptist. He invested his talents of preaching, praying and simplicity for the good of others. In his case the ultimate good – salvation of souls. We also saw that he gave the most beautiful gift – humility. Humility opens our hearts to a relationship with God and with others.

We see John’s humility in this way: Even though Jesus says, “no man born of woman is greater than John,” John does not exalt himself. No, when he sees Jesus, he says,

“I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap.” Thus John shows what you and I have to do to prepare our hearts: first, invest our talents to the full and then recognize that anything we give pales before what Jesus gives us. We are like a flash of light; Jesus

is the sun. John teaches us that.Since God made us male and female,

it’s logical that along with John we have a feminine example of self-giving and humility.

There is a great mystery in all this, as well as a never-ending source of humor and confusion! There are also marvelous gifts in both masculinity and femininity. It should not surprise us, then, that parallel but a bit higher than John the Baptist, we have a woman who is the supreme Christian disciple, the most beautiful example of self-giving and humility. Of course, it’s Mary, Jesus’ mother.

Apart from Jesus, Mary has the greatest role in our salvation. She held God-made-man in her womb. Just as we genuflect before the tabernacle because it contains Jesus’ Body, so we would genuflect before Mary – not because she is God or a goddess, but because she carries God Incarnate within her.

There is no evidence of “look at me” from Mary, only “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” Then she rushes to Elizabeth, six-months pregnant with John. We know moms who had their first baby later in life, and they will tell you it’s no picnic. Elizabeth was

beyond child-bearing age. What joy to see her young cousin come to her! Mary is a humble servant. She focuses not on herself, but on others.

Early Christian writers call Mary the New Eve. Just as Christ is the New Adam so Mary is the New Eve. Eve is our common mother; we all descended from her. Mary is the mother of all the baptized. What is the difference between Mary and Eve? Well, Eve tried to find happiness apart from God and she brought misery into the world. Mary, on the other hand, sought happiness only in doing God’s will. Her “yes” as we hear in today’s Gospel begins a process of restoration and redemption. Redemption means somehow buying back human misery and converting it into something better than what we could have hoped for. Redemption changes misery into mercy.

Pope Benedict gave a reflection on the importance of Mary. He said that when

Christ was born, every creature offered a sign of gratitude: the angels, a hymn; the heavens, a star; the Magi, gifts; the shepherds, admiration; the earth, a cave. But, asked the Holy Father, what about the human race? What do we have to offer God? And the Pontiff’s answer was simply: we have to offer the Virgin Mary herself. She shows what humanity can achieve. For sure, you and I suffer from an inner division called original sin – and we have many personal failings. But when we look at the Virgin Mother, we recognize the true capacity of our human nature. To use a phrase from the Book of Judith, Mary is the “greatest boast of our race.” (15:9)

Mary is our supreme example of a disciple of Jesus! Sr. Carroll

Last Week $ 2,098.00Electronic 535.00M.T.D. Nov. 7,606.00F.Y.T.D. $ 62,386.68

BIRTHDAY this week to Jarett Hreha, Marge Eschen, John McClaflin, Larry Nagy, Debbie Hreha, Kathy

Burke, and Josephine Nolan! May you each enjoy your Birthday in a special way.

Christmas Masses will be said as follows:

December 24: The first Mass is at 4:30 p.m. This is the children’s Mass and is crowded. Come early.December 24: The second Mass on this Christmas Eve is at 7 PM. This

is the regular ADULT Mass.December 25: The one Mass on this Christmas Day is at 11 AM by Fr. Ron.

weekends as they fall according to the BLUE paper schedule. Please pay attention to this area as well!

Thank You very much.

Please sign up for the Masses on December 24 and 25 and for the New Year Day Mass on Wed. Jan. 1st! On back podium!! Thank You!!!

Carroll and Rosemary, wish to THANK ALL THOSE WHO graciously

gave us cards and gifts this Christmas! We pray for YOU especially and hope that God’s great goodness will continue to bless you abundantly!

Pope Francis speaks of Christmas: Pope Francis urges us to “Make space for wonder and surprise this Christmas. The first Christmas had many surprises – including

that God came into the world as a tiny baby”.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was surprised by the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation and Joseph was surprised by the angel in his dream, which told him to take Mary as his wife.

To welcome the Savior there are no powerful people, no ambassadors, just

simple shepherds, surprised by the angels while working at night.

“But it is on the night of Christmas that the biggest surprise comes: The Most High is a small child,” he said. “To celebrate Christmas, then, is to welcome the surprises of Heaven on earth.”

“Christmas is preferring the silent voice of God to the noisiness of consumerism. If we can be silent in front of the crib, Christmas will be a surprise even for us, not something seen before,” he said.

“Be silent in front of the nativity,” he advised. “This is an invitation for Christmas, take some time. Go before the nativity and stay in silence.”