Happy feast of St. Nicholas! Of course liturgically we celebrate today the Second Sunday of Advent, but when December 6th does not fall on a Sunday, the Church honors St. Nicholas, the one after whom Santa Claus gets his name and his characteristic of helping children (Nicholas, who lived in the 4th century, is said to have secretly given three purses of gold to a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters). It is customary in some places for St. Nick to put either coal or candy in the shoes of children, depending upon whether they’ve been “naughty or nice.” Just don’t leave your shoes in the church today or you’ll be sure to find them filled with coal. Besides, you don’t want to walk barefoot outside today.
We certainly got a blast of winter this past Tuesday on the first day of December. Personally I love to see snow at this time of year…even all the way through January. But when February arrives I’m really tired of its inconvenience & so tend to travel south during that month, especially before Lent begins. I’m still hoping to go to my sister’s in Florida in February but we’ve all learned this past year not to plan too far ahead so I’ll just keep that hope as part of my Christmas wish list for Santa. But I do want to suggest that in such inclement weather, when there is either extreme cold or snow-filled roads (or both), please do not attempt to drive to church for Mass, whether it’s during the weekday or the weekend. The most important thing is for everyone to stay safe, either because of the threats of bad weather or because of the pandemic, especially if you are elderly or have health conditions. For daily Mass goers, I would suggest you give us your name & phone number so that we can call in advance if daily Mass will be cancelled on a certain day. You can also feel free to call the rectory office (216-661-1006) & hopefully I’ll be able to pick up & answer the call. Safety & health should always come first.
Bishop Malesic has informed us that Eucharistic Ministers may bring Holy Communion to their family members whom they reside with and who are homebound but they may not yet bring the Sacrament to others outside of their own home. Clergy are encouraged by the bishop to be very cautious about visits to the hospital and nursing homes due to COVID but he is trying to gather a few priests in the Diocese who would be trained for visits to those in need of the Anointing of the Sick. If you have any questions or doubt regarding anointing or receiving Holy Communion for yourself or a loved one, please do not hesitate to call Deacon Pat or I and we would be happy to assess the situation with you.
Since the bishops of Ohio have dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass during the pandemic, there will be only one Mass this Tuesday, December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It will be at 8:30am & will be live-streamed on our website and to the children in our parish school. More information about our Christmas schedule will be given next weekend.
We have ordered a limited number of 2021 Breaking Bread books which will be available to you at the doors of the church. You may take one home & bring it back with you each week but please do not leave it behind in the church. It is yours to keep. We will order more if there is not enough for all who would like to have one.