FATHER'S TWO CENTS WORTH

Time marches on, and here we are just twelve days away from Christmas.  Much is going to be taking place in the coming week, and then the week following.  I just hope that all of us can look back on the last two weeks of Advent, and say that we have accomplished something spiritually and are a better person for that special effort.  I was pleased to see the number of persons who came to mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  I wish more would have come to mass, but I recognize that we are in an era where we are challenged by so many other callings, and our religious duties are not always a top priority.  My greatest fear is that we are teaching the youth by our example that it is all right to miss mass, even on Holy Days of Obligation and on Sundays.  We must come to the banquet if we are going to dine, and enjoy the blessings.

This week will be CONFESSION WEEK for the parish.  On Monday morning, we will have the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the students of Holy Childhood School.  There will be several visiting priests to help out, and to give the children the opportunity to go to someone other than the pastor.   On TUESDAY EVENING, AT 7:00 p.m., there will be the Parish Penance Service here in church.  There will be five visiting priests attending to share in this reconciliation service.  I encourage you to make the special effort to come and receive forgiveness at this event.  On WEDNESDAY evening, at 7:00 P.M., there will be a Reconciliation Service at St. Nicholas’ Church in O’Fallon.  Since they are a much larger parish and draw from a much larger community, they will have eight or nine priests helping out.  On THURSDAY, at 7:00 P.M., St. Clare of Assisi Parish in O’Fallon will have their Penance Service, and will also have about eight or nine priests.  The reason I mention the other two parishes is that we all help one another-they here, and I there, so that we can be assured on helping each other as the numbers of priests gets smaller and smaller.  I will also be hearing confessions next Saturday, from 3 to 5 P.M. here at Holy Childhood, and on the Wednesday before Christmas.  PSR students will have the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Sunday morning between masses, and next Sunday between masses, according to their classes.

As I mentioned last Sunday in the bulletin, we have many secretarial chairs for sale at the rectory, $1.00 each.  They are in good condition, but we have been able to replace them with newer-used ones, due to a business in St. Louis refurnishing its offices.  You could also use the lower section of  the casters and legs, and make a portable table for shop work, as another option.

NEXT SUNDAY, Dec. 20^th, we will finish the decorating of our church in preparation for Christmas.  We will begin about 1:00 P.M., and continue until finished.  That means that we bring up the trees from the basement for the manger scene, hang the rest of the banners and then put on the finishing touches.  It is the last Sunday before Christmas, and the only opportunity we can do this.  We need help from the parishioners.  (Please don’t find fault if you did not participate.)

Our Red Cross Blood Drive will be on the Tuesday after Christmas, December 29^th.  Since our usual day is Thursday after Christmas, it would fall on New Year’s Eve this year, and we don’t want that.  Tuesday, Dec. 29^th is the day, from 2 to 7 P.M.  The make-up date is Saturday, January 9^th, from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M.  Your gift of blood would make a tremendous, life-saving gift to someone who direly needs it.

SPECIAL THANKS: Thiry Cameron would like to thank everyone for the prayers and gifts as she recovered from her fall at the Grange Nursing Home! She is doing well, and is now home!

CYO: Please turn in your Angel Tree gifts by December 17th! Thank You!

GIFT CARDS: There is still time to purchase gift cards for the holidays.  Stop by the gathering space after mass or the school office during school hours to see what we have in stock – Lowe’s, Tony’s, Tom’s Supermarket, Cabela’s, Borders, BP Gas, Kohl’s, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, and many more.  Holy Childhood School thanks you for your support.

THANK YOU!! The CYO's Baby Bottle Project was a huge success thanks to your generosity. We presented Small Victories with a check for $1700, diapers, and new baby clothes in October. This weekend we presented them with over $400 in gift cards for baby supplies. If you have not turned in your bottle, it's not too late! The collection baskets will be at all entrances until the end of the year. God Bless you for supporting this very important project!

CHRISTMAS FLOWER MEMORIALS: Now is the time to send your request for Christmas Flower memorials for your deceased loved ones. For $10, you can list one or two individual names or one list one or two family names. The Holy Childhood Counsel of Catholic Women (HCCCW) is sponsoring this program. The money is used for the purchasing of the Christmas flowers and any other items needed for the altar. For your convenience, there is a Christmas flower envelope in your church envelope box, or use a white envelope and address it to "HCCCW". Make sure you list who the memorial is for and the donor's name on it. Donations are needed by December 22nd, to insure your loved ones names are included on the list displayed at all entrances of the church. For more information, please contact Pat Bowker at 566-7089.

LITURGY COMMITTEE: Volunteer Gift Bearers are needed for the 10:30 pm Mass on Christmas Eve and the 9 am Mass on Christmas Day.  Also, Gift Bearers are needed for the 9 am Mass on New Year's Day. These Masses are for the People of the Parish. To volunteer for this honor, please call Ruth Wilhelm at 566-2885.

SPECIAL DATES TO REMEMBER:

Holy Childhood Penance Service - December 15th at 7:00 PM.

St. Nicholas Penance Service - December 16th at 7:00 PM.

St. Clare's Penance Service - December 17th at 7:00 PM.

Holy Childhood Christmas Eve Masses - December 24th at 4:00 PM and 10:30 PM.

Christmas Day Mass - December 25th at 9:00 AM.

New Year's Eve Mass - December 31st at 5:30 PM. (There will be no morning Mass)

New Year's Day Mass - January 1, 2010 at 9:00 AM.

We need to go to the Lord first, continually and last.

When we are sad, He is our consolation.

When we have no joy, He brings us hope.

When we are weak, He is our strength.

When we are frightened, He is our courage.

 He heals us when we need to be healed,

and fills us with all that we need, when we go to Him.

 He will not impose His will upon us.

We decide, ourselves, whether or not to be open to the Lord

and to all the incredible gifts He gives.

                  Visit our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays following the 8 AM Mass until 7 PM

or on Saturdays from 9-10 AM.