STEWARDSHIP FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2020

WEEKLY GOAL $19,230.00

RECEIVED $12,851.56

DIFFERENCE —$ 6,378.44

DIFFERENCE July 2020 - June 2021 —$85,961.71

Thank you for your gifts.

“John the Baptist’s call to repentance is echoed in the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on stewardship: ‘Christians must beg God for the grace of conversion: the grace to know who they are, to whom they belong, how they are to live - the grace to repent and change and grow, the grace to become good disciples and stewards.’” Our Sunday Visitor

MASS INTENTIONS

December 7 - 13, 2020

Monday, December 7—Saint Ambrose, Bishop

8:00 a.m. Intentions of Aaron Soltero by Mom & Dad Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26

Anticipatory Mass 6:00 p.m. Intentions of Pam Deffibaugh and Joan

Smith by St. Mary’s RCIA

Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday, December 8—Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary

8:00 a.m. Intentions of Kayla Burnett by Mom & Dad

9:30 a.m. †Fr. Tony by Joan Smith

6:00 p.m. †Marie Zimmerer by Bobby & Nancy Dobbs Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Luke 1:26-38

Wednesday, December 9—Advent Weekday

8:00 a.m. †Poor Souls in Purgatory by Bill & Jean

Stawecki

Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30

Thursday, December 10—Advent Weekday

8:00 a.m. Intentions of Allison Lucia Otero by Freddy de Caires Isaiah 41:13-20; Matthew 11:11-15

Friday, December 11—Advent Weekday

8:00 a.m. †John Szczerbiak by Ed Szafranski Isaiah 48:17-19; Matthew 11:16-19

Saturday, December 12—Our Lady of Guadalupe

6:00 a.m. Mañanitas 7:00 a.m. Intentions of St. Mary’s Clergy Zechariah 2:14-17; Luke 1:26-38

Anticipatory Masses

4:30 p.m. †Don Martin by Carmen Martin

7:00 p.m. †Poor Souls in Purgatory by Elizabeth (Spanish) Patino

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sunday, December 13—Third Sunday of Advent 9:00 a.m. Intentions of Randy Clark by Mac McGuire

12:30 p.m. (Spanish) Intentions of Debbie Burnett by Leon Orsak

4:30 p.m. †Art Mallinson by Rod & Carol Reichelt Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; John 1:6-8, 19-28

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B) Twice today we hear Isaiah’s directive: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” How are we preparing for the Lord to make inroads into our lives, into our hearts? What obstacles has our self-centeredness placed in the way and how can we remove them? For what do we need forgiveness and what repentance can we make? As we prepare to receive the Lord today in the Eucharist, let us also prepare to truly receive him in our hearts.

Please remember in your prayers all the sick and suffering, especially Jim Colvin, Claire Dering, and Leon Orsak. May they know the healing and loving presence of God.

Please remember in your prayers all the faithful departed, especially Paula Flaherty (sister of Mike Delaney), Enrique Hernandez, Don Phillips, and Marie Zimmerer (aunt of Nancy Dobbs). May they be joined with the angels in heaven.

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC PARISH

SHERMAN, TEXAS DECEMBER 6, 2020

SUPPORT OUR CONFIRMATION TEENS!

The Confirmation teens (2nd year) will be attending a retreat

in mid-January.

Raffle tickets are being sold to help cover the cost and reduce the amount needed from our families. Please

consider buying tickets! Some teens may be selling following the Mass times or come to the church office on Monday/

Tuesday, December 7th/8th to purchase.

Winner will win a $500 Visa gift card!! Drawing will be Wednesday, December 9th!

Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20

No need to be present, we'll

contact the winner by phone.

Don't miss your chance to win

$500!

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (B) Today we celebrate Mary’s immaculate conception. Chosen by God to bear the Son of God, free from the stain of original sin from the moment of her own conception, Mary was uniquely qualified to carry Jesus in her womb. Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we are all able to carry Jesus in our hearts. Let Mary’s obedience inspire us to give God our assent to bring Christ to the world.

This Tuesday, December 8th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation. There will be an Anticipatory Mass on Monday, December 7th, at 6 p.m. at St. Anne’s Church. On Tuesday, Masses are at 8 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 9:30 a.m. School Mass at St. Anne’s Church, and 6 p.m. at St. Anne’s Church.

We welcome into our community of faith the following children who were baptized Saturday morning at St. Mary’s Church: Dania Abril Avila, Evelyn Sanchez Cruz, Ander Estevan Orellana and Gael Salazar Salazar. May the example of our faith inspire them to live good and holy lives with their days dedicated to Christ Jesus.

St. Mary’s Rosary Makers are selling rosaries this Sunday, December 6th, in the Parish Center following the 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Masses. Rosaries make great Christmas presents so stop by and purchase some of the beautiful rosaries.

We will not have Holy Hour on Sunday, December 6th and 13th. Our next Sunday evening Holy Hour will be on Sunday, December 20th, following the 4:30 p.m. Mass.

The bilingual novena in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas, continues each evening at 7 p.m. through Thursday, December 10th, at St. Anne’s Church. On Friday, December 11th, we will decorate the church. On December 12th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with mañanitas at 6 a.m. followed by Mass at 7 a.m.

On Saturday, December 12th, there will NOT be an 8 a.m. Mass and confessions will NOT be heard.

If you would like to have someone remembered in the Christmas Novena of Masses, cards are available in the narthex of the Church. Please return the envelope to the Church office by December 23rd.

In the season of Advent, we are reminded of God’s love for us, shown in the impossible act of God becoming incarnate, taking on human flesh, to reach us in love and save us from our worst abilities. This is the God to whom we pray, to whom we make our confession. There will be several

opportunities for confession during Advent as we will not be having a Penance Service. Confessions will be heard from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on December 9th, 10th, 15th, and 17th, all at St. Mary’s Church. Confessions will also be heard at our regular confession time on Saturday mornings following the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Church, with the exception of Saturday, December 12th. Confessions will NOT be heard on December 12th due to the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (B) Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico, where today is a holy day of obligation. But she is also the patroness of all the Americas, and so we of many nations join together today in looking to her as a unifying figure for all the cultures represented in this hemisphere. Indeed, the Virgin’s appearance to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, preserved on the inside of his cloak, shows her as a mestiza, a woman of mixed race, with both indigenous and Spanish features. May we look to her as we work to bring unity to our divisions and healing and reconciliation to all the peoples of this new world.

Thank you all for your wonderful response and generosity as we work together this Christmas season to ease the burdens of some needy families in our community! If you have not yet delivered the gifts or food items, please drop them off at the

trailer in the west parking lot behind St. Anne’s Church before or after any Masses this weekend or at the Parish Center on Monday.