THE ISM OF ALL ISIMS

Transcription

1 THE CROWN

2 THE ISM OF ALL ISIMS Last week I wrote about racism as The Ugly Sin. Besides racism there is sexism, fascism and communism. Isims tend to be bad because they divide us. Today I want to write about dualism as the fundamental cause of all divisive isims. Dualism is either/or thinking. It is what divides us into opposing camps. Male vs. Female, Republican vs. Democrat, Catholic vs. Protestant, Christian vs. Muslim, Jewish vs. Gentile, White vs. Black, Latino vs. Anglo, and Conservative vs. Liberal are just a few examples of what I mean. As children, we quickly learn the difference between hot and cold, sweet and sour, and what makes Mommy happy and what makes her sad or angry. We begin to call some things good and some things bad. This leads to tribal thinking, the good guys vs. the bad guys. We align with those who look like, act like, and think like us. Factions are created and wars eventually come about. Jesus represents a break from dualistic thinking. He asks, Who made me your judge and arbiter? He proclaimed that sinners are to be forgiven and not cast out. He teaches all are one. He prayed for unity at the Last Supper. He erases barriers and boundaries that separate us. He was always reaching to the include the outcast. The despised Samaritan becomes the good guy. The foreigner is often the one who has faith in him and to whom he grants his healing power. He tells us that the greatest is the least and that the last shall be first. So much of his teaching and work was anti dualistic. The nature of God as a Trinity of persons has much to teach us. The Father is not the Son. They are very opposite. Yet the love of the Father for the Son is so great that it is the Holy Spirit. Rather than separate, the love is the Holy Spirit that unites. We need to give thanks for our diversity. It is a gift from God. Yes, there will be tension between opposites. This is a good thing. Dialogue and a desire to understand the other is essential. As any marriage counselor will tell you, It is not my way or your way, but we discover our way. Being defensive and wanting to protect our turf is what leads to division. An attitude of openness and the desire to learn from differences is what is needed. Pray we overcome our dualism and celebrate our unity made manifest in our Eucharist, where we are the one Body of Christ. Father Mike Ahlstrom Some homework: Who do you feel most threatened by in your life? Ask God what they have to give you. Pray for better understanding of them, and a way to be united instead of separated.

3 HOLY HOUR THIS FRIDAY There will be a Holy Hour this Friday, September 1, at 7:30pm in Church. Please join us in prayer. SAINTS ALIVE! Who doesn t have a saint or two that they pray to in time of need? Beginning today, I will showcase five saints each week. To order any of these, please me at duffandstuff@att.net or call me on and I will place your order. This week we offer St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Monica, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Nicholas and Saint Patrick. These colorful saints come in a decorative box with a prayer card and are made by Roman. The statue is 4 tall and range from dollars. They are a great gift-giving item for all occasions. Paula Duff Religious Goods HAND CHIMES ENSEMBLE Our Hand Chimes Ensemble will start rehearsing on Tuesday, September 5, from 3 pm until 3:45 pm, for all students in 5th through 8th grade. There is no musical background required, only your enthusiasm. This ensemble plays once a month at weekend Masses. They also play at the Christmas Eve Family Mass and Easter Sunday. If you are interested, please join us, even if you haven t played in the past. If you have questions or scheduling or transportation conflicts, please call Mrs. Janet Reif at Not only does this group enhance the liturgies, but they also have fun! TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT SINGERS AND INSTRUMENTALISTS NEEDED!!!! You know you love to sing! You know you love to play your instrument! Why not share your talent with your church???? P.s. It is fun! You could earn service credits at your school! Interested? Contact Mrs. Schindler at or judyps@comcast.net or leave your name at the rectory. We rehearse on Wednesdays from 5:15-6:30 in church. We will start on Sept. 27! Love to have you with us! TIME TO JOIN THE CHILDREN S CHOIR We are welcoming new members to our DI Children s Choir starting with practice on Sunday, September 10. We are looking for interested 2nd through 4th grade boys and girls from both Divine Infant School and the Religious Education classes who are willing to commit to weekly Sunday practices at 8:30 AM in Divine Infant School s music room and singing one Sunday a month at 9:30 mass during the school year. The children will sing at the Christmas Eve Family mass, Catholic Schools Week mass, Palm Sunday, Easter and more! We will welcome new 1 st graders after Christmas. If you are interested or have questions please Mrs. Janet Reif at jreif@me.com or call The entire Divine Infant Music Department is looking forward to having our DI Children s Choir with us to enhance our liturgies with their singing.

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5 EMERGENCY MEALS PROGRAM We are looking for volunteers that would like to prepare a home cooked meal for homebound sick parishioners here at Divine Infant. Please contact Mary Fran Green at maryfrangreen@gmail.com CHURCH CLEANING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are in need of volunteers to help clean the church (dry mop, dusting, etc.) on Friday mornings. It usually takes 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. You can just show up in church on Friday mornings at 8:30. NEXT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, IS THE FIRST SATURDAY OF SEPTEMBER. OUR LADY ASKED US TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL ON FIRST SATURDAYS WHEN SHE AP- PEARED AT FATIMA At Fatima, Our Lady asked everyone to pray the Rosary for peace every day. She also asked us to pray in a special way one day a month the First Saturday of each month. The Blessed Virgin promised to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say the Rosary and spend a quarter of an hour with her in meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary with the object of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart. In 1926, Christ, in a vision, explained to Lucia, one of the visionaries at Fatima, that this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be offered in reparation for the sins against Our Lady s Immaculate Heart. This Saturday, September 2, is the first Saturday in the month of September. It would be a great time to begin to do as Our Lady asked. Mass is at 8am and 5pm. Confessions are from 4-4:45 in the Reconciliation Room which is located on the north side of the Church vestibule. You can go to confession behind a screen or face to face as you wish. Offer your confession in reparation for sins against Our Lady s Immaculate Heart. Pray the Rosary during the day on Saturday it only takes 15 or 20 minutes of your time. Rosary pamphlets are in the Church vestibule if you are not sure how to pray this special prayer. Offer all of your sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Remember, it is Mary who is going to crush the head of the serpent. She has told us what she wants us to do. Now it is up to us to do it. God bless. LINEN HELP We are looking for a few extra volunteers to help wash and iron the chalice cloths. You would only have to do it once every six weeks or so. If you would be interested, please call Toni at the rectory BE A ROCK Peter's history as a follower or friend of Jesus is a bit spotty. It might be natural to wonder if Jesus, in giving him the keys to the kingdom, didn't feel a bit like a parent giving a teenager the keys to the family car. But it was at the moment when God's power and presence broke through everything else to raise up Peter's great profession of faith in Christ as Messiah that Jesus chose to establish the bond between the loving, forgiving mercy of heaven and our vocation to be witnesses of that love, mercy, and forgiveness on earth. Like any parent, Jesus no doubt foresaw the failings, the irresponsible maneuvers or impaired senses, the collisions that the church would be headed for. But, most importantly, he also saw us at that moment as God prefers to see us: capable of manifesting great faith, with a willingness to remain at the feet of Christ to understand what it truly means to be Messiah and Christ. As the letter to the Romans points out to us today, we have not known the mind or the wisdom of God, but God knows us and still chooses to manifest the reign of justice, joy, beauty, and peace through us. Let this be our vocation. Let us always strive to be solid ground on which the church of Jesus Christ can be founded and on which it can continue to be built. Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

6 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EUCHARIST The Bread from Heaven When my husband, Brodie Secrest and I were dating, he was receiving instruction to come into full communion with the Catholic Church at Old St. Mary's Church in downtown Chicago. Coming from an Episcopalian faith background, his catechist, Fr. Dove, focused on the source and summit of our faith, the Eucharist. Fr. Dove told Brodie, as an Episcopalian, he was not to receive Holy Communion in a Catholic church. After coming into full communion with the Catholic faith, Fr. Dove told him he may no longer receive communion in an Episcopal church. As Brodie learned about the significance of the Eucharist from the Catholic belief system, it became clear to him that Fr. Dove's instructions were correct. There are great differences in how Protestants and Catholics understand what receiving communion means. To fully appreciate the Eucharist and who may receive, it is important to discuss what the Church teaches and what the intention of the Church truly is. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes what the Church teaches regarding the Most Holy Eucharist. In section 1376, the doctrine of transubstantiation, is explained. The Council of Trent declared, Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread...by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the whole substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. As Catholics, we believe this change takes place during the Eucharistic Prayer, at the Words of Institution, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We further believe the Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. (CCC 1377) Thus, when we receive Communion, we actually take in our hands and eat the Body and drink the Blood of Christ. When the Communion minister declares, The Body of Christ or The Blood of Christ, we are involved in a divine and intimate encounter with Christ. It is not a remembrance or a memorial. In the Host and Blood is Jesus whom we approach, revere and expose our most private being to. That is why we must be properly disposed and free from the impediment of sin, as we partake of this most precious encounter. This is very different from what Brodie had been taught before he was confirmed in the Episcopalian faith. As he was catechized by the pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church using the Book of Common Prayer, he had to learn The Step Catechism and read the Articles of Religion contained in the Book of Common Prayer. Article XXVIII, Of the Lord's Supper, summarizes the Episcopal belief on the Eucharist: Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture...The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith. The very core of the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist is not present in the Episcopal Church. In the Lord's Supper, Episcopalians do not believe they are actually receiving Christ in the communion wafer, as it is called. When they receive, they are told, Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving. Likewise, when they receive the cup, Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee, and be thankful. It took time and instruction for Brodie to understand and to believe the essence of Eucharistic theology. Through prayer, spiritual preparation and faith formation, he was able to deepen an inner adherence to the Church. (RCIA, 477) Only when he was fully ready was he received into the full communion of the Catholic Church. At that Mass when he received the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time, he experienced the Divine Encounter with Christ and became one in communion with the rest of the assembly, sharing in the same beliefs of our faith. It is because of this new way of being and believing, that Brodie would no longer take communion in a church that did not share in the same theology or relationship with Christ and the beliefs of the worshiping community. The intention of the Catholic Church, when she discourages non-catholics from receiving Holy Communion at Mass, is not to ostracize people, or to look down upon other faiths. Rather, she earnestly yearns for all people to come into the most complete relationship with Christ in the sacraments. All are welcome, but a full appreciation of what is really happening in both the sacramental encounter and the rest of the believing community is extremely important. Actually, the Catholic Church wants everyone to have the fullness of Christ. Until Brodie came into full communion with the Catholic Church, he hadn't fully known how deep and intimate his relationship with Christ could be. Thankfully, when he wanted to explore his faith and become a Roman Catholic, the Church welcomed him with open arms. The Eucharist is truly the greatest gift God our Father has given us. Let us always receive with true thanksgiving as we proclaim, Amen. Dr. Claudia Maria Dado, M.A.L. (c) copyright

7 AISLE OF GIFTS NEW GIFT BOOTH The new gift booth is in need of items. Anything brand new never used. Please look through your drawers, cabinets and closets. Jewelry, purses, stationary items, toys, clothes, crafts, tools, bath and kitchen items. Brand new items of any kind you can drop it off or we will pick it up. Call Jeanine Dent or Barbara Calabrese Please do not leave items in the vestibule of the church. Thank you. SAVE THE DATE Divine Infant's Women Guild Potluck/Welcome Fall Meeting Thursday, September 21st, 7pm Langan Hall More info to follow. Any questions, please contact Genny Panek - gdpanek@comcast.net. Thanks and hope to see you then! GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS The Department of Parish Vitality and Mission is happy to announce that the annual Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will be taking place and will take place at Holy Name Cathedral on Sunday, September 17, 2017, at 2:45 p.m. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich will preside over this special Mass where 500 couples will rejoice in their 50th wedding anniversary. We look forward to celebrating this very special Mass with Jubilarian couples from across the Archdiocese of Chicago! Please register at pvm.archchicago.org 100 th ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPEARANCES AT FATIMA. JOIN US IN PRAYER IN SEPTEMBER On Wednesday, September 13, we will celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the fifth apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal. We will pray the Rosary and say special prayers to enable those present to gain a plenary indulgence on this special day. The Holy Father has offered the possibility of this indulgence on the day of each apparition (the 13 th of each month) until October 13, the day of the miracle of the sun, when Our Lady last appeared there. We will meet at 7:15am in Church on September 13. Mark your calendar and plan to attend.

8 LITURGY FOR THE WEEK SATURDAY, August 26 5:00 pm Lucille Vondra; Henry, Caroline & John Zahumensky; Jim Fergle; Robert Fiore SUNDAY, August 27 7:30 Emil & Henrietta Bezouska; Thomas Smith; Gloria Bruno; People of the Parish 9:30 Rosemary Padula; Sam Catalano 11:30 Deceased members of St. Vincent de Paul Society; Tony Concialdi; Olivia Porcaro; Patricia Grammas MONDAY, August 28 8:00 Donie Murphy TUESDAY, August 29 8:00 Rosemarie & Kenneth Zolecke; Patrick Demauro WEDNESDAY, August 30 8:00 Walter & Mary Wanick; Jimmy Malizzio THURSDAY, August 31 8:00 All the faithful departed FRIDAY, September 1 8:00 Thomas Kovarik SATURDAY, September 2 8:00 All the faithful departed 5:00 pm Forgotten souls in purgatory; Lucille Perry; Steve Stanoy; Lucille Gierut; Marion Devereux; Tom Howell SUNDAY, September 3 7:30 Thomas Smith; Gloria Bruno; People of the Parish 9:30 Mary McLeod 11:30 Lou, Val & Joe Greco; Charles Konezney; Patricia Grammas PRAY FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Charles Anderson Dorothy Asher Ed Backer Jerry Benesh Arlene Buszkiewicz Carl Celestino, Sr. Diane Dado Mary Breneisen Fox Ron Huefner Arlene Kalisiak Jean Lidzbienski Rena Lizzadro Peter Lullo John Lytle Johnny Mulligan Betty Nilsson Janine Nywood Dave Peloza Lisa Peloza Kathy Reed Jacob Vincent Bridget Walsh John Williams Loving God, give strength to all who struggle with illness. Grant them courage when they are afraid and comfort when they are in pain. Because of government regulations, hospitals and nursing homes are no longer allowed to notify us if you are admitted to either facility. If you or a family member would like to be visited in the hospital or nursing home, please call the rectory at If you or a family member are sick or homebound and would like to be added to our prayer list, visited, receive Holy Communion or be anointed, please call the rectory at WEEKDAY SERVERS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY 8:00 Julia Blumhagen THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY 8:00 Joseph Calabrese NEXT WEEKEND S MINISTERS CELEBRANT COMMUNION MINISTERS LECTORS SERVERS SAT. 5:00 J. Bylinski Teens M. Gutierrez B. Chiostri P. Lopez SUN. 7:30 C. Celestino M. Giannelli C. Nortier J. Ceplecha D. Kozerski J. Chi SUN. 9:30 M. McGovern C. Schukies M. Lah W. McHugh S. Johnston E. Caday SUN. 11:30 B. Wiersema R. Smola J. Blumhagen R. Carnagio M. Lamothe P. Cullum

9 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30 CH 4:00 pm Music Dept. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 CH 7:30 pm Holy Hour SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 CH 12:45 pm Baptismal Prep TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 CH 3:00 pm Chimes PR 7:00 pm School Board WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 CH 4:00 pm Music Dept. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 CH 9:30 am Commissioning of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 PR 6:30 pm Athletic Board Meeting LH 7:00 pm Rel. Ed Parent Meeting CR 7:00 pm Liturgy Meeting PLEASE USE GiveCentral.org FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS Divine Infant Jesus Parish depends on your generosity in order to carry out its ministry of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and teaching and healing in his name. We do not charge for anything. We rely solely on your Sunday and Holy Day donations. To make it easier for you to give your gifts to Divine Infant, we work with GiveCentral.org. When you sign up with GiveCentral.org, you can make all your Sunday, Holy Day, second collection, and every other donation that you make to the parish. Then you never have to use a parish envelope or put anything in the collection basket ever again! Please visit GiveCentral.org to create your personal and secure donations account. Thank you for your generosity! READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Mt 23:13-22 Tuesday: 1 Thes 2:1-8; Ps 139:1-6; Mk 6:17-29 Wednesday: 1 Thes 2:9-13; Ps 139:7-12ab; Mt 23:27-32 Thursday: 1 Thes 3:7-13; Ps 90:3-5a, 12-14, 17; Mt 24:42-51 Friday: 1 Thes 4:1-8; Ps 97:1, 2b, 5-6, 10-12; Mt 25:1-13 Saturday: 1 Thes 4:9-11; Ps 98:1, 7-9; Mt 25:14-30 Sunday: Jer 20:7-9; Ps 63:2-6, 8-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27 PROTECTING CHILDREN At Divine Infant Jesus Parish and School, the protection of our children is of utmost importance, and we comply fully with the policies of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. To learn more, go to our website dnn.archchicago.org/divine infant and click on the tab Protecting Children at D.I. or visit archchicago.org and click on the button Protecting Children. If you do not have internet access and would like to learn more, please contact the rectory or call the Office for Protection of Children and Youth at WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE ALL PARISH MAILINGS ELECTRONCIALLY If you would like to receive parish mailings Christmas and Easter letters, statement of annual contributions, and yearly report by , please send an to the parish at d.infant@comcast.net. In the subject line write Parish , and then in the body of the write your name, street address and envelope number if you know it. This will help save the parish money in printing and postage. Thank you! SUNDAY OFFERING August 20, Average weekly expenses $15,655 This week s collection 7,128 Deficit ($ 8,527) When you are away for a weekend, we hope you will remember your offering to Divine Infant. Thank you. WELCOME... We are happy you have chosen to be with us. We hope your experience is warm and welcoming whether you are here to celebrate the Eucharist or spend time in quiet prayer. If you wish to learn more about Divine Infant and/or become a new member of our parish please take an envelope in the back of the Church. The envelope contains information about our parish. If you have any questions, call (708) Welcome to Divine Infant. We look forward to seeing you again!

10 OVER 50 CLUB Welcome back from vacation. Plans are underway for the rest of the year. Our meeting will be held on September 6, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. We will be discussing future plans for the rest of Members mark your calendars. Our Christmas Luncheon will be held December 4 th. More information will be forth coming. If you have any questions do not hesitate to call MISERICORDIA S 37th ANNUAL FAMILY FESTIVAL IS READY TO ROLL Looking for a day of sunshine, smiles, great food and entertainment? You don t have to search too far. Join us for Misericordia s annual Family Fest. On September 10, 2017! Between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. our campus at 6300 N. Ridge Avenue will host the best party in town! Misericordia s largest fundraising event of the year brings our families, friends and neighbors together for a day of celebration that has something for everyone you don t want to miss it!

11 DIVINE INFANT PARISH NEWCASTLE AND CANTERBURY AVENUES WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS Like us on Facebook REV. MICHAEL AHLSTROM, Administrator (ext. 203) REV. GERALD JOYCE, Pastor Emeritus (ext. 206) REV. THOMAS WINIKATES, Associate (ext. 204) DEACON JAMES SPONDER (ext. 306) MR. LEONARD GRAMAROSSA, School Principal SR. SUSAN MAJCEN, O.P., Director of Religious Education Website: divineinfant.archchicago.org Rectory: 1601 Newcastle Avenue, Fax number: School: 1640 Newcastle Avenue, & Office of Religious Education: Parish Nurse, Ms. Jeannette Barczak, BSN, HTP, Bereavement Ministry: Dr. Claudia Dado, MAL (ext. 304) Catechumenate: Dr. Claudia Dado, MAL (ext. 304) Music Director: Mrs. Janet Reif, (ext. 302) Assc. Mus. Dir: Mrs. Judy Schindler, or (ext 302) Business Manager: Mr. Jerry Priore, (ext. 209) Rectory Secretary: Mrs. Toni Podock, (ext. 201) SUNDAY MASSES: 7:30, 9:30 & SATURDAY EVENING: 5:00 pm WEEKDAY MASSES: 8:00 am SATURDAY MORNING: 8:00 am HOLY DAY MASSES: 6:30, 8:00, and 7:00 pm SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: (Confession) Saturday: In the Reconciliation Room 4:00 to 4:45 pm or by appointment. BAPTISMS: Baptisms are celebrated on the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of the month at 12:45 pm. By Archdiocesan regulation and parish policy, parents are required to attend a Baptismal Preparation session before the Baptism of their child. These sessions will usually be held on the first Sunday afternoon of the month. Call the secretary at the rectory ( ) to register for the session and schedule the Baptism. D.I.V.M. SERVICES: Communion to the sick, food shopping, necessary transportation, emergency meals, transportation to Mass. Resource information also available. If you need help from any of these services, please let us know as much in advance as possible so the chairpersons can make arrangements and the volunteers arrange their schedules. If you are able to volunteer to help provide these services to our parishioners, we can always use more help. Please call the rectory at WEDDINGS: Couples should contact the rectory and speak to a priest shortly after the engagement, but no less than four months before the desired wedding day. No date should be set (especially in reserving a hall) for your wedding until you have spoken to a priest. In this way, you will not be disappointed if the church has been previously reserved for another ceremony. Please keep in mind the times that are available for weddings at Divine Infant: SATURDAYS 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm WEEKDAYS Any reasonable hour

12 CHURCH NAME & NUMBER Divine Infant #9216 ADDRESS 1601 Newcastle, Westchester, Il PHONE CONTACT PERSON SOFTWARE Microsoft Publisher 2003 Windows XP Professional Adobe Acrobat 6.0 PRINTER HP Laserjet 5P NUMBER OF PAGES SENT Cover through 12 SUNDAY DATE OF BULLETIN August 27, 2017 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS