Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church JANUARY 6TH OF THE LORD

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1 Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church S. Archer Avenue Lemont, Illinois (Ph) (Fx) Website: Facebook: JANUARY 6TH OF THE LORD 2013 Founded in 1833, St. James at Sag Bridge is the sole country parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago serving a growing community of Catholics who come together to worship God through the celebration of the Eucharist and traditional devotional activities within truly unique and beautiful surroundings. Our faith filled community strives to bear witness to Jesus Christ by loving and serving one another to bring about the Kingdom of God. Parish Boundaries The Village of Willow Springs, The Village of Burr Ridge (Cook County only). Unicorporated Lemont Township along Archer Avenue, Bell Road, and Route 83. Mass Schedule Weekends: Saturdays, 5:30 P.M. Sundays, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 A.M. Holy Days: 8 :15 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. Weekdays: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 8:15 A.M. Wednesdays: 7:00 P.M. Confession Schedule Saturdays: 4:30 to 5:15 P.M. or by appointment. Baptisms Sundays after the 11:30 A.M. Mass by appointment. At least one parent must be a registered parishioner. Weddings Minimum eight months in advance. At least one partner must be a registered parishioner. Funerals For families of registered parishioners. For nonparishioners to be buried in our own cemetery. Religious Education Classes 1st through 8th Grade Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. September through April. At least one parent must be a registered parishioner. Rectory Office Hours Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 Noon 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Marriage preparation by appointment only. Parish Ministerial Staff Father Edward Gleeson, Pastor Deacon John Wilkinson, CKM, Minister of Care/RCIA Mr. Brian Tishuk, Director of Religious Education Mr. Thomas Kulawiak, Business Manager Mrs. Pamela Stafford, Music Coordinator Mrs. Pamela Mikrut, Organist Mrs. JoAnn Starha, Altar & Rosary Sodality President Rectory Support Staff Mrs. Jane Mayer, Administrative Assistant/Bulletin Editor Mrs. Bronislawa Raj, Housekeeper/Cook

2 Page Two January 6, 2013 FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR WE WELCOME STRANGERS TO This Feast of the Epiphany is a remembrance of a time when some elegantly dressed gentlemen came from the East to pay homage to the Christ Child in Bethlehem. These noblemen have been variously dubbed as Magi, Wise Men, or Kings. The east was probably Ethiopia or Persia, or some other place in Asia Minor with an advanced civilization. They had to be highly educated astrologers or they would never have been able to follow the star. And they were certainly wealthy, packing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts appropriate for a newborn king of the Jews. The wicked King Herod was certainly more than a little bit intimidated by the awesome threesome. (We think of them as a trio because of the gifts.) As far as we know there may have been several of them. And they must have come with a security escort to protect their valuable gifts from highwaymen. In fact, they may have come with an elite regiment of soldiers. Herod had no army and was allowed only a small guard detail by the Romans. The visitors could have slit the king s throat from ear to ear if they had wanted to. Herod gladly accepted their expensive gifts and treated them with the same respect that he would have displayed to Caesar. But he surely had to be concerned about their message in regards to a future rival king. The three tourists proved to be true Wise Men because they completely outwitted that blundering thug. After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceeded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the TO ST.. J. JAMES EVERY SUNDAY child with Mary, His Mother. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream and concluding that Herod was up to no good the three strangers departed for home by taking a different route. Before disappearing into history the astrologers presented to the newborn king the only kind of offering that they knew, gifts of material wealth. Our own gifts are not like that. At the offertory of this Mass all of us will present the gifts of bread and wine to God the Father. And then He in turn will give those gifts back to us in the form of God the Son. During the season of Advent we awaited and we anticipated in hope the anniversary of the birth of the Christ Child on the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. And now that we have found the Savior during this waning season of Christmas, we must present Him with gifts worthy of a king. Epiphany has traditionally been considered the last liturgical celebration of the Christmas season. Time to take down the decorations. We can now put together the entire story from the Feast of Christmas through the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph through the Feast of Mary, Mother of God through the Feast of the Epiphany. The Messiah came the first time two thousand years ago. And because of our faith in Jesus we know that He will come again at the end of all time. And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means last among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepard my people, Israel. GOD BLESS OUR PARISH, FATHER ED GLEESON, PASTOR

3 The Epiphany of the Lord The two large altar flower bouquets adorning the main altar were made available through the kindness of the PARISHIONERS OF ST. JAMES as well as in memory of JERRY FORMANSKI. Page Three 2013 MASS INTENTIONS If you would like Mass intentions for specific dates or weekends, you need to request and pay for them now since the weekend Masses fill up very quickly and some of them are already spoken for. Please come in or phone the rectory office during normal business hours. The collection for St. James on the weekend of December 23, 2012 was $3, The number of December 23rd Offertory Envelopes handed in the weekend of December 22nd and 23rd was 141. The amount of money coming out of those envelopes was $3, which averages out to $22.10 per envelope. Our many thanks to the 141 contributing families. BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND VALUED SUPPORT. VIGIL CANDLES You will notice on our 2 shrines there are vigil candles. Keeping them lit with your intentions has been a tradition here for many years. Each lit candle lasts for one week. As you can see some have gone out. When there are no intentions requested they will remain out. If you would like to light a vigil for a special intention the donations is $8.00 each which pays for the candle. Your name will be placed on the candle which will burn for one week. You can find vigil light envelopes in the back of church. You can fill them out and drop them in the collection basket or give them to one of the ushers. Let us pray, [grateful for the glory revealed today through God made man.] Father of light, unchanging God, today you reveal to men of faith the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh. Your light is strong, Your love is near; draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes, to the life where Your Spirit makes all life complete. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal St. Rita of Cascia High School 7740 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL (ph) (fx) Entrance Exam Saturday, January 12, :00 a.m. Please bring 2-#2 pencils & $25.00 testing fee

4 Page Four January 6, 2013 CHRISTMAS 2012 AT ST. JAMES AT SAG BRIDGE

5 Page Five The Epiphany of the Lord THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD: Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany. "The Lord and ruler is coming; kingship is his, and government and power." With these words the Church proclaims that today's feast brings to a perfect fulfillment all the purposes of Advent. Epiphany, therefore, marks the liturgical zenith of the Advent-Christmas season. Pius Parsch The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or, according to the decision of the episcopal conference, on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. The young Messiah is revealed as the light of the nations. Yet, as the antiphon for the Magnificat at Second Vespers reminds us, three mysteries are encompassed in this solemnity: the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi, the Baptism of Christ and the wedding feast at Cana. Extra candles and/or lamps may be placed around the sanctuary and in other parts of the church to honor Christ revealed as the Light of the Gentiles (Ceremonial of Bishops). It is customary to replace the images of the shepherds at the crib with the three Magi and their gifts. Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, Msgr. Peter J. Elliott, Ignatius Press. The feast of the Epiphany, which was kept in the East and in certain Western Churches before being observed in Rome, seems to have been originally a feast of the nativity; January 6, for those churches where it was kept, was the equivalent of Christmas (December 25) in the Roman Church. The feast was introduced at Rome in the second half of the sixth century and became the complement and, so to say, the crown of the Christmas festival. Epiphany means manifestation. What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him. All Christian tradition has ever seen in the Magi the first fruits of the Gentiles; they lead in their wake all the peoples of the earth, and thus the Epiphany is an affirmation of universal salvation. St. Leo brings out this point admirably in a sermon, read at Matins, in which he shows in the adoration of the Magi the beginnings of Christian faith, the time when the great mass of the heathen sets off to follow the star which summons it to seek its Saviour. That is the meaning, too, of the wonderful prophecy from Isaias which the liturgy appoints to be read in the first nocturn at Matins and at the Epistle of the Mass. This same thought of universal redemption the Church returns to as she sings, in the antiphon to the Magnificat at 2nd Vespers, applying the words to herself, of the union with Christ typified by the wedding feast at Cana, by the baptism of her children foreshadowed by that of Christ in the waters of the Jordan. Formerly the Epiphany was an additional day for solemn baptisms. Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany Many traditions and genuine manifestations of popular piety have been developed in relation to the Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany, which is of ancient origin and rich in spiritual content. Among such forms of popular piety, mention may be made of: the solemn proclamation of Easter and the principal dominical feasts; its revival in many places would be opportune since it served to make the connection between the Epiphany and Easter, and orientate all feasts towards the greatest Christian solemnity; the exchange of "Epiphany gifts", which derives from the gifts offered to Jesus by the three kings (cf. Mt 2,11) and more radically from the gift made to mankind by God in the birth of Emmanuel amongst us (cf. Is 7, 14; 9, 16; Mt 1, 23). It is important, however, to ensure that the exchange of gifts on the solemnity of the Epiphany retain a Christian character, indicating that its meaning is evangelical: hence the gifts offered should be a genuine expression of popular piety and free from extravagance, luxury, and waste, all of which are extraneous to the Christian origins of this practice; the blessing of homes, on whose lintels are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which can also be interpreted to mean Christus Mansionem Benedicat, written in blessed chalk; this custom, often accompanied by processions of children accompanied by their parents, expresses the blessing of Christ through the intercession of the three wise men and is an occasion for gathering offerings for charitable and missionary purposes; initiatives in solidarity with those who come from afar; whether Christian or not, popular piety has encouraged a sense of solidarity and openness; assistance to the work of evangelization; the strong missionary character of the Epiphany has been well understood by popular piety and many initiatives in support of the missions flourish on 6 January, especially the "Missionary work of the Holy Child", promoted by the Apostolic See; the assignation of Patrons; in many religious communities and confraternities, patron saints are assigned to the members for the coming year. Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy

6 Page Six Second January Sunday 6, 2013 of Advent Page Five Providence Catholic High School 1800 W. Lincoln Hwy. in New Lenox Mrs. Rachel Ellingson to Host Incoming Freshman Placement Exam (New Lenox) - Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox will host its Incoming Freshman Placement Exam on Saturday, January 12, 2013, beginning at 8 a.m. The exam is open to all eighth graders interested in attending Providence for the school year. Pre-registration is not necessary, but there is a $25 testing fee due on the day of the exam. All testers are asked to bring two #2 pencils and calculators are not allowed to be used for the exam. The top fifteen scorers on the Placement Exam will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward his/her freshman year tuition. Financial Aid and Scholarship information will be provided to students the day of this exam. Last year, more than $1.5 million in financial assistance, grants and scholarships were awarded to current students. Providence is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory Augustinian high school located only minutes from I-80 and I-355. A dedicated and caring faculty and staff integrate the core Augustinian values of truth, unity and love into all dimensions of student life. A demanding curriculum, inclusive service programs, competitive athletics and comprehensive extracurricular offerings challenge students in a safe and nurturing environment. The class of 2012 earned scholarships valued at nearly $25 million dollars and had a 24.4 average ACT score, the highest in the school s history; honors students had a 28.2 ACT average. In addition, these seniors performed in excess of 15,000 hours of community service during their high school careers. ST. PATRICK EMPLOYMENT MINISTRY: H.O.P.E. HELPING OUR PEOPLE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT The next meeting of the H.O.P.E. Employment Support Ministry to help those who need to find employment will take place on Tuesday, January 8, at 7 pm in the St. Patrick Parish Ministry Classroom 8 (Cass Street building). From 7 pm to 8 pm we will cover basic job search process skills for first time attendees such as writing effective resumes, cover letters, and job search strategies. From 8 pm to 8:30 pm, we will give perspectives on what HR managers look for in resumes and interviews, and answer your questions about job searching. All are welcome to attend. This is a free seminar. If you are in need of employment, or support, please join us on Tuesday, January 8, at 7 pm in the St. Patrick s Parish Ministry (Classroom 8). or have employment opportunities to offer, please contact Bruce Ksiazek at , Rita Obrien at , or Glenn Granat at SACRED HEART PARISH Presents Father Bob Rohrich JOY is Far Greater than Happiness! January 28, :30pm Speaker: Father Bob Rohrich These two Wonderful Human Qualities are often taken as Synonyms, but are really vastly DIFFERENT. One is most often Material, External, Transitory and easily Lost; While the other is usually Spiritual, Internal, Lasting and helps to manage our Problems with a Positive Attitude. The Grace of Joy is responsible for our Sense of Humor which assists us in handling the Stresses of Life. This presentation will show us how to deal with Stressors like: Grief, Anxiety, Depressions & Boredom. Come join us for an informative, entertaining evening! SACRED HEART MINISTRY CENTER 8245 w. 111th Street Palos Hills, IL (708) FREE ADMISSION For more Info contact Bob or Mary at (708)

7 The Epiphany of the Lord Page Seven VOTIVE CANDLES Votive offering for the week of January 6, 2013 St. James Altar & Rosary Sodality Special int. for the Arra Family In honor of Russell Blair In honor of Dollie & Bob DeNovo Monday 8:15AM January 7 St. Raymond of Penyafort Int. for Blessings & Healing for Deacon John Tuesday January 8 Christmas Weekday 8:15 AM Healing int. for Barbara DeRose Wednesday January 9 Christmas Weekday 7:00 PM Annie Feeney Thursday 8:15AM Friday 8:15AM January 10 Christmas Weekday Richard Meister January 11 Christmas Weekday Jim Egan Saturday January 12 VIGIL: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 5:30 PM Jim Egan Sunday January 13 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 8:30 AM Betty Eby 10:00 AM James & Irene Wall 11:30 AM Living & Deceased Parishioners Baptism of the Lord 5:30 PM 8:30AM 10:00 AM 11:30 AM 1/12/13 & 1/13/13 Celebrant Father Gleeson Father Gleeson Father Gleeson Father Fahey Altar F. Zabilka Kurtz Lawler M. May Servers J. Zabilka Kurtz Lawler J. Beecher P. Peters Kurtz Lawler J. Beecher Lector L. Pieprzyca R. Podkowski Lawler Beecher LEM Deacon John Father Gleeson Deacon John Father Gleeson Ushers S. Hillstrom J. Quigley C. Hughes J. H. Dillenburg M. Hally T. Lang F. Pearman D. Butalla M. Lavery J. Pajkos J. Wall B. Czaja J. Neadly R. Poynter M. Fleckenstein