Dear Parish Family,

"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks." These timeless instructions from St. Paul are the ingredients to a joy-filled life in Christ in this life and in the life to come. I think St. Paul recognized the challenge of this approach to life, but he still told the Thessalonians that "this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." If God wills that we live this way, He will give the grace for us to say YES to a life of intense rejoicing, constant prayer, and unending gratitude. This Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday, remember to live a life of rejoicing, prayer, and gratitude even if it seems difficult or impossible. God will give you the grace! Do you trust Him?

We have a very short Fourth Sunday of Advent next week which lasts less than a full day. Please check the bulletin for the Christmas Mass schedule, and the paragraph below regarding Mass obligations for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas.

God has blessed you that you might bless others!
I am so grateful for your generosity this holiday season to families in need through our Giving Tree, Toys for Appalachia, and Stockings for Soldiers. Your generosity is a gift from God and is a blessing for those in need! With that in mind, I have one final plea for you to be a blessing to others this Christmas season. This final request is a blessing from God, it brings out our faith in love, and best of all it won’t cost you anything extra. How so?

Remember the State of Ohio’s new tax credit scholarship program allows you to “donate” your state income tax dollars to the Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) to assist families with tuition assistance. Since you are “donating” with dollars you already owe in state taxes, you are simply letting the State of Ohio know where you would like your state income tax dollars to go. There’s no net cost to you as a donor since you will get back dollar-for-dollar what you gave when you file your taxes this Spring. Best of all, when you designate St. Mary School in Chardon as your school of choice on your ASF contribution form, our school will receive your contribution to assist families with tuition assistance. This year, we were blessed to give over $137,000 in scholarships to families through ASF! This is a win-win opportunity for all, and should be part of our annual, faith-filled giving plan. 

Please help us reach our goal of raising $300,000 in ASF funds to use for scholarships next year. It’s ambitious, but I believe that God will grace your heart this holy season not only to give, but to encourage your family and friends to give and be a blessing to others. The State of Ohio has blessed us with the opportunity to direct our taxes to support our local Catholic schools. If you or the people in your circle of influence owe anything in Ohio state income taxes, you'll want to take full advantage of this opportunity. Pick up an information flyer and contribution form in the gathering space today, or visit https://stmarychardon.org/asf to invest in our students and school. Go ahead. Take the leap to become an "Angel Investor" and make the gift of a Catholic education a reality for our families!

Mass Obligations for Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas
Since the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Dec 23-24) and Christmas (Dec 24-25) fall side-by-side this year, remember that we are obligated to celebrate BOTH the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Dec 23 Vigil Mass or Dec 24 morning Mass) AND Christmas Mass (Dec 24 Christmas Eve Mass or Dec 25 Christmas Day Mass). Please know that if you attend different celebrations on the same day (like attending both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve on December 24), you can receive communion at both of those liturgies. Remember also that the word 'obligated' means that God has extended to you a gracious invitation for your salvation and a wonderful opportunity to draw close to Him through the Word and Sacrament of the Eucharist!

Christmas Masses
Remember that our Christmas Mass schedule looks a bit different this year since Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, and we need to be mindful of the energies and availability of our ministers who serve at our Masses. We will celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent on the morning of Sunday, December 24 with the 8 am and 10 am Masses (there is NO 12 pm Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent). We will celebrate Christmas Eve with a 4 pm and 8 pm Mass (the normal 6:30 pm and 10 pm Masses are replaced by the 8 pm this year only). As we have done the past few years, we will only have the 8 am and 10 am Masses on Christmas Day (there is NO 12 pm Mass on Christmas Day). Thank you for your understanding as we adjust times for this year. 

Parish Confessions
We have some special times available if you need to make it to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week before Christmas: Monday December 18 from 4-5 pm, Tuesday December 19 from 10-11 am, and our usual Saturday confessions on December 23 from 3-4 pm. 

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow