MASS TIMES Saturday: 4:30pm Sunday: 8:30am & 11:00am Second Sundays: Youth Mass, 6pm Monday - Thursday: 8:15am Tuesday: 7:00am First Fridays: 8:15am

RECONCILIATION 30 minutes prior to every Mass (in the Hospitality Room) BAPTISM Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month. Please contact the Parish Center.

MARRIAGE Please contact the Parish Center at least six months prior to your wedding date. ANOINTING OF THE SICK If you or a loved one are seriously ill or facing surgery, please contact the Parish Center. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION First Fridays 8:45a - 8:00p

5522 Dorr Street Toledo, Ohio 43615 419-537-6655 Fax 419-537-1469 www.littleflowertoledo.org parishcenter@littleflowertoledo.org

Welcome to Mass!

Page 2 Little Flower Catholic Community

WHO ARE YOU EXPECTING?

When the Messiah arrived, precious few were expecting Jesus. "He [Jesus Christ] came to his own home and his own people received him not" (John 1:11 RSV). At that time, most people were blind to what truly was most important and essential in their own lives and the life of the world. Sound familiar? We too are tempted to forget what is fundamental to our daily living, what our life here

on earth really is all about. It is why Our Lord Jesus bellows "watch!" and Saint Paul echoes with no less urgency, "wake from your sleep!" Everyone has set off on a nighttime journey. Distances easily can play tricks on us. Straining our eyes towards light that we see, in the darkness it may be a few miles more or a few hundred feet. The People of God looked forward to their redemption, they knew God's Promises would be fulfilled by the arrival of the Messiah. They did not know if it was 500 years, 5 years or 5 minutes. They only knew that at some moment He would come and deliver them all from sin and death. The light appearing dimly upon the horizon would cascade into the perfect day. During ADVENT, the Church seeks to heighten within us the attitude of EXPECTATION. She sees this as an essential feature of what it means to be Christian, that we are looking forward, straining to see God's Light, and waiting for it to break in and illumine everything around us. LOOKING FORWARD, like the shepherds making haste in the dead of night, straining their eyes toward the mysterious light from the manger in Bethlehem. The four-week period of Advent is the Church's gift to us to ready ourselves for Christmas. Now is the time for an especially good examination of conscience and thorough interior purification to help us be able to receive the expected guest who is no less than God Himself. This is the moment to take notice of those personal aspects that separate us from Him, to loosen their hold on our mind, body and soul. Dare to make this Advent the time for setting higher expectations - do not delay!

++++++++++++ Our new web-site is winning rave reviews from people all over! Please check it out and let us know what you think so that we can make it an even more effective tool to communicate with you and advance the new evangelization: www.littleflowertoledo.org. Little Flower Catholic Parish also has launched a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE - please LIKE us and ask friends to do the same!

++++++++++++ Saturday, December 8, is a Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We will celebrate the vigil Mass on Friday, December 7, at 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday, December 8 at 8:15 a.m. Invite a friend to pray alongside you. First Friday Eucharistic Adoration will end with Benediction at 3:45pm on Friday, December 7, due to confessions and Saturday Mass.

Advent Lessons & Carols Sunday, December 16, 7p in church

Day of Grace (Confessions) Tuesday, December 18, 10a-1p & 4p-8p

Masses Monday, December 24

4p, 7p & 10:30p

Tuesday, December 25 8:30a & 11a

Page 3 Little Flower Catholic Community

Saturday, December 1 2:00 pm Wedding - Jeff Thieman-Beth Cooley 3:45 pm Rosary 4:00 pm Reconciliation 4:30 pm Mass - Raymond Duenas, Jane Nirschl Sunday, December 2 - First Sunday of Advent 8:00 am Reconciliation 8:30 am Mass - John Coykendall 9:30 am School of Religion 10:30 am Reconciliation 11:00 am Mass - Jess Bankey Children’s Liturgy 12:15 pm Baptism Class (PH) 2:00 pm Jesus’ Birthday Party (OCR) Monday, December 3 7:45 am Reconciliation 8:15 am Mass - George Pollauf 8:45 am Shepherds of Christ (CH) Tuesday, December 4 7:00 am Mass 7:45 am Reconciliation 8:15 am Mass (school) - Tony Arite 9:00 am Women’s Bible Study (HR) 6:30 pm Bingo (OCC) 6:30 pm Youth Choir (CH) 7:30 pm Prayer Group (HR) Wednesday, December 5 7:45 am Reconciliation 8:15 am Mass - Ann Wasilec 5:30 pm Steering Committee (PH) 6:00 pm Little Flower Girls Club (OCR) 7:00 pm Choir 7:00 pm RCIA (AR) 7:00 pm PTO (EDC) Thursday, December 6 7:45 am Reconciliation 8:15 am Mass - John Rodriguez, Sr. 12:00 pm Altar Rosary Board (HR) 7:00 pm Choir Friday, December 7 - First Friday 8:15 am Mass - Gerald Cedoz 9:00 am First Friday Adoration 4:00 pm Reconciliation 4:30 pm Mass - Dan Anderzack & Missy Saturday, December 8 - Feast of Immaculate Conception 8:15 am Mass - Deborah Bocian, James & Joan Bocian 2:00 pm Wedding - Christine Landry/Christopher Flynn 3:45 pm Rosary 4:00 pm Reconciliation 4:30 pm Mass - Jim Oswald 5:30 pm Ribbon Cutting/Dedication Ceremony Sunday, December 9 - Second Sunday of Advent 8:00 am Reconciliation 8:30 am Mass - Little Flower Parish Family 9:30 am School of Religion 10:30 am Reconciliation 11:00 am Mass - Jess Bankey Children’s Liturgy 6:00 pm Youth Mass

Remember in Prayer: Eldon Kimmet, Dorothy Staszak, Jean Meyer, Dave Donovan, Bonnie Vance, Tom Kress, Alice Resnick, Laverne Nuding, Joanne Coykendal, Aaron Rihacek, Dave Kruse, Richard Snyder, Peggy Keeler, Theresa Mitchell, Elizabeth Przybylski, Georgette Stepan, Rosemary McCann, Rob Wooten, Kevin Boris, Marcia Bo-ris, Eveline Baumgartner, Irene Sobota, Rose Koralewski, Ann Cantrell, Logan Coy, Bonnie Cole, Mary Jane Werner, Joshua Dorsey, Bonnie Spino, Lisa Quinez Military: All our troops, especially: Collin Alexander, Ciara (Gentle) Stevenson, Sam Thornton, Corey Browne, Kevin W. Smith, David M. Lambert, David W. Lambert, Steve Barchick, John Marciniak, Chelsea Holmes, James Jagodzinski, Domi-nique & Nate Davis, Ryan Morales

Sunday Offering Offertory……………………………..…….……..…..…$7,624 No. of Envelopes………….…...……...…...………………204

Stewardship Spotlight “Be on guard,” Jesus warns in today’s Gospel, “lest your spirits become bloated with indul-gence.” Let us heed His warning and follow the advice of St. Paul, conducting ourselves in a way pleasing to God, overflowing with love for one another.

AR - Art Room CH - Church EDC - Ext. Day Care Room HR - Hospitality Room

OCC - O’Grady Comm. Center OCR - O’Grady Comm. Room PH - Parish House STR - St. Therese Room

Readings for the Week of December 2, 2012 Sunday:Jer 33:14-16/1 Thes 3:12--4:2/Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 Monday:Is 2:1-5/Mt 8:5-11 Tuesday:Is 11:1-10/Lk 10:21-24 Wednesday: Is 25:6-10a/Mt 15:29-37 Thursday:Is 26:1-6/Mt 7:21, 24-27 Friday:Is 29:17-24/Mt 9:27-31 Saturday:Gn 3:9-15, 20/Eph 1:3-6, 11-12/Lk 1:26-38 Next Sunday:Bar 5:1-9/Phil 1:4-6, 8-11/Lk 3:1-6 ©Liturgical Publications Inc

Oplatki is now available in the narthex after all Masses. A $2 per package donation is requested.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Items for the Altar & Rosary raffle are needed! Boxes will be at the church entrances for your donation this weekend (December 1/2) and next (December 8/9). Our raffle/bake sale is December 15/16. All donations are appreciated!

Page 4 Little Flower Catholic Community

Advent Lessons & Carols You are invited to

Sunday, December 16, 2012 7p in church

Featuring Youth & Parish Choirs, Contemporary Ensemble,

& guest pianist David L. Williams

Prepare for the Christmas Season through scripture and song! Learn some new songs, reflect on the reason for the season, and sing a few classics as well.

St. Benedict Catholic School Scoop … St. Benedict Catholic School first grade class had an exciting experience recently. They were able to Skype (real time, face time on the computer) with the author of the book they are reading in class. This is a first for St. Benedict

Catholic School! We have had author visits before, but this is the first time they have visited in a virtual, real time way! WHAT AN EXCITING TIME AND A GREAT USE OF TECHNOLOGY! The students are now writing their own books. Thanks to Mrs. Honisko, our first grade teacher, and to Ms. Helminiak, our first grade student teacher, for this innovation!

Little Flower Bingo every Tuesday evening

O’Grady Community Center Lightning Bingo starts 6:30pm

Regular Bingo 8-10:30pm This week’s Smokin’ 8’s

Jackpot $600!!! Here’s a Christmas gift idea -

a $25 bingo gift certificate!

Attention Cub Scout Pack 222! Our next pack meeting is Sunday, December 9, 5-7p. This meeting will be our Christmas party. Master Sargent Steve Kosinski will be joining us again this year. We will also be collecting for Toys for Tots. Everyone is invited! See you there!

"Thanks so much, I can now have a nice Thanksgiving dinner for my family.” "I have been trying so hard to keep up with my bills, but my hours have been cut". "The bills just come in and my son was sick and we had to buy medicine for him". These are some of the things the

Vincentians hear from the clients who come to the Bob Kertesz Outreach Center for assistance with groceries or utility bills. We see tears but we also receive grateful smiles and hugs. This holiday season, we have received bags and bags of coats, canned goods, and monetary donations from Little Flower parishioners. One check we received came with the heartfelt and touching words: "Please accept and apply our modest donation as best needed in the efforts of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.” Every day, we are blessed with the support of Little Flower parishioners, but most especially in this holiday season. This Thanksgiving, we were able to distribute baskets of food which included turkeys, milk, eggs, and fresh produce to over 80 families. This included 113 children and 152 adults. We are doing our best to carry out the instructions of the Gospel through the example of St. Vincent de Paul. God bless you for all you do for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Page 5 Little Flower Catholic Community

Wedding Banns Christopher Flynn & Christine Landry

Cathedral Concerts, Sunday, December 2, 3pm, Ad-vent Lessons and Carols. A traditional service sung by the cathedral choir with scripture readings and music tracing the prophecies of Christ’s birth. No charge. The Diocese is searching for an enthusiastic Secre-tariat leader for Evangelization and Parish Life to work at the Catholic Center offices. Visit www.toledodiocese.org, human resources. Deadline is December 4. In a survey conducted by the Elliot Institute (www.afterabortion.org) nearly three of every five post-abortive women had subsequent thoughts of suicide. Twenty-eight percent actually attempted suicide. We can help. Project Rachel helpline 419.260.5811; projectrachel@toledodiocese.org How Characteristics of Autism Impact Learning: Strategies for Success, Thursday, December 6, 4-8p at Lima Central Catholic. Info: Marsha Rivas at 419.244.6711 or mrivas@toledodiocese.org.

From the Diocese ... YOUTH GROUP YOUTH GROUP YOUTH GROUP … … … spending our 86,400 wisely!!!spending our 86,400 wisely!!!spending our 86,400 wisely!!!

Out and About … ~ 55 & Over Club annual Christmas dinner December 19, noon at Toledo Country Club, $22 checks payable to St. Patrick of Heatherdowns. Call Barb Raab 419.279.8880 for details. ~ St. Joseph Church, Sylvania, presents the Toledo Symphony Neighborhood Christmas Concert, Wednesday, December 5, 7:30p, doors open at 6. For ticket info call Ann Randolph, 419.882.3284. ~ Blessed Sacrament Choir presents their Yuletide Concert Saturday, December 8, 7pm in the Neighborhood Center. Call 419.472.2288, x222 for ticket info.

Troop 222 would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who was so generous with the food to fill the Thanksgiving dinner baskets! Again, your love and generosity is tremendous! We are already gearing up wit the wish list from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as they prepare for the Christmas dinner food baskets. We will again be handing out bags with the wish list AFTER all the Masses this weekend (December 1/2) and collecting them BEFORE Masses next weekend (December 8/9). If that schedule does not work for you, please feel free to drop the items at the parish office. We thank you in advance for your kindness during this joyful season.

Pray and play on Sunday, December 9, 6-8:30pm. Join our Little Flower Youth Group for a special youth Mass Yes, families are welcome to join us for Mass!

Jesus’ Birthday Party All children from pre-school through third grade are invited to a birthday party for Jesus on Sunday, December 2, from 2-3:30pm in the O’Grady Room (right off the gym). Bring a parent to enjoy crafts, games and cupcakes as we celebrate. Please bring a new pair of gloves, mittens or a hat for our needy neighbors.

Caring Tree Project The trees are up in the narthex and hallway outside the atrium. This year has been a hard one on many of our neighbors. If you can help, please choose an ornament or two, purchase the gift requested, wrap it, stick the tag on the package and return it to church NO LATER than December 9. If you don’t have time to shop, there are envelopes for donations on the trees also. We also welcome gently used winter coats for any size or age. You can call Carol to help with the project, 419.841.6169.

Heartbeat is in need of baby items. Call 419.241.9131 for details