Dear Parish Family,

We are blessed to experience a full four weeks of Advent this year since Christmas falls on a Sunday. This gives us added time to prepare our hearts to welcome Christ this Christmas. As we move into this last week of Advent, what exactly does it mean to 'prepare' our hearts for Christ? To approach this question, we might consider the checklists we make to prepare our homes for Christmas. Are all the decorations and lights up and running? Have we finished all the shopping and gift wrapping? Have we made ready our Christmas food and family traditions? See how we take care to ensure everything is in right order? So must it be with our hearts. I prepare my heart when everything is in order for Christ's coming.
 
A great way to determine how we need to prepare our hearts is to reflect on Isaiah's words to King Ahaz: "Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God." Think of God asking, "What do you want me to do for you? What are the deepest desires of your heart that you want Me to fulfill for you?" As Ahaz refused to ask for anything from God, thinking that this would demonstrate humility, he actually shows what it looks like to refuse to pray. Yet, God knows we are in need and wants us to ask Him for many things. The deepest desire of our hearts is to be brought into the communion of love, to have an intimate relationship with God and, through God, with others. We need to pray for a Savior. We need to prepare our hearts to welcome Christ our Savior so that He can put everything in right order in our hearts. Do not be afraid of asking Christ to come and put things back in order in your life. I promise we will all benefit when we let Him in.
 
A few thoughts on my mind…

• Thank you for your prayers and cards for Fr. Spisak during his sick leave. Your thoughtfulness and prayers are a sign of Christ's self-giving love at work in your hearts.
• I am most grateful to all who celebrated my pastor installation Mass last weekend. Special thanks to our musicians, ushers, reception crew, and clergy for pulling off an awesome celebration. I am proud to be your pastor!
• Please remember that you can come to confession this week leading up to Christmas. See the special Advent confession times listed in today's bulletin.
• I look forward to celebrating Christmas with our St. Mary and St. Patrick Parish families. Please see the Christmas Mass times in today's bulletin.

In Thanksgiving for Julie Slattery
Julie Slattery has served as our main musician for a number of years. She will be stepping down from this role after the New Year. We thank Julie for her wonderful service to our parish music ministry. Julie will still assist our music ministry as a substitute musician from time to time. David Lynch will serve as our main musician for the 9:30 am Sunday Mass, and various musicians will assist at the 4:00 pm Mass until we find a permanent successor for Julie. Our prayers and gratitude go with you, Julie!
 
Faithfully United Note of Gratitude
Please see the Note of Gratitude below for our Faithfully United Stewardship program. Thank you to all of our donors who make the good work of the Lord possible here at St. Patrick Parish. We can always review our stewardship to our Church by giving more of our time, talent, and treasure as the Lord asks of us.

 
Angel Scholarship Fund
Remember you have less than two weeks left to make a 2022 end-of-the-year contribution to the Angel Scholarship Fund, which is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your Ohio income tax liability. Think of it like the state of Ohio saying, "You have to pay your taxes anyway, but now we're giving you an opportunity to tell us where you want your tax dollars directed." Please pick up a flyer and contribution form in the back of church today and prioritize making this contribution. You can also donate online at https://stmarychardon.org/asf. These contributions will provide scholarships to make Catholic education at St. Mary School more affordable than ever for families. Donating is a no-brainer, and a win-win for you, our school families, and our parish. Please set aside the time this week to make your contribution.
 
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow