We are saddened by the death of Bob Zarko, a longtime parishioner of St. Leo the Great along with his wife Rose. Bob has had trouble breathing the last few months but his death came about shortly after he suffered a heart attack last weekend. Bob and Rose were regulars at the 4pm Mass on Saturday as well as at daily Mass in our chapel. Both have been active members in St. Leo’s Seniors as well. Bob was often seen with a smile on his face and a good sense of humor. He and Rose have been married over 50 years and were very dedicated to each other and to their family. We extend our sympathy to Rose and her family and assure them of our prayers & support. Bob’s funeral Mass was celebrated on Saturday, November 23rd. May he and the faithful depart- ed of our parish Rest In Peace.
Congratulations to the parents of Zaiden Hruby who is being baptized this Sunday. May they rejoice in the gift that God has given to them.
I want to thank our Office Manager, Mary Lou Hauck, for doing such a great job with our bulletin every week. She really designs the pages in such a way that they’re easy to read and highlights information that is especially important. I wanted to draw your attention especially to the little “blurb” that is included every week which gives a very brief synopsis of the Scriptures readings that we will hear for Mass that particular weekend. It’s a great way to prepare yourself to hear those readings with attention to the main message that is being conveyed. Please also note the names of the people listed every weekend for whom prayers are requested. You can pause for a quick moment when looking at them & prayerfully commend them to God for healing. Finally, each Mass has an intention that is offered as the Mass is being prayed. So for example, we could be praying in a special way for a person who is either living or deceased (those who are deceased have a + in front of their name). While we pray for everyone, again living & deceased, during every Mass, we also remember individuals for whom the Mass is being offered. Finally, you will see listed in today’s bulletin a number of opportunities to help people during the season of Advent. For example you’ll see information for helping the homeless as well as our annual Adopt a Child program. These are great ways to prepare for the coming of Christ!
Now that our Thanksgiving dinners have been enjoyed, we mark the beginning of a new liturgical year as we begin this weekend the holy season of Advent. This time marks our preparation for both the second coming of Christ at the end of time as well as his first coming to us in the little town of Bethlehem. This year the 4 week season of Advent will be a bit cut short as Christmas is only 3 1⁄2 weeks away. So let us make good use of this time of preparation by trying to focus on the eternal significance of the events we are antici- pating.
Here’s something I read recently and was reminded of on Thanksgiving: “I feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs. I hear they have to pick up their own food if they drop it on the floor.”