We have arrived at Holy Week, the crowning moment of our Lenten journey. This week

Transcription

1

2 We have arrived at Holy Week, the crowning moment of our Lenten journey. This week overflows with betrayal, denials, crooked leaders, and political expedience resulting in the humiliation, torture and execution of a guiltless man. Many have perceived this as a week of mourning, which misses the point. If it seems through the events of this week that evil triumphs, it maybe because we are looking at the events using human logic rather than the logic of God. Through the prophet Isaiah God has told us quite plainly, My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways. While we hear these words, sometimes we forget them. As Pope Francis points out, Jesus enters into Jerusalem to take his last step, with which he sums up the whole of his existence. He gives himself without reserve, he keeps nothing for himself, not even life. Holy Week is about Jesus and the love of God, not my sin or your sins. This week should fill us with awe, not fear or regret. We watch as Jesus gives himself without reserve thus to experience the depth of the Father s commitment to us and love for us. This is about how God demonstrates his love in a way we can understand. All of us understand the commitment of the men and women of our armed forces. We honor and respect them for their commitment to our nation (us). We especially honor those who lose their lives while serving, rightly recognizing their love of country (we, the people). Holy Week displays the Father s commitment to us. We especially honor Jesus who loses his life while serving the Father, recognizing his love for us, an act which sums up the whole of his existence. He made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Father while showing his love for us. In the old days the nuns drilled into our child s mind that our sins put Jesus on the cross, engendering one humongous guilt trip. But that was the mind set of our pre-vatican II Church. The focus was on us, how we killed Jesus by our sins. By the grace of the Holy Spirit we now know that to be self-centered. The cross is about God s love for us, the focus being on God. Despite our sin God loves us enough to do whatever it takes to keep us safe from the power of evil and give us eternal life, which is the point of this whole Year of Mercy. Jesus whole existence demonstrates the Father s care and commitment to all his children. The father of the Prodigal Son is the major metaphor. The Father stands on his front porch straining his eyes looking for us to come to him and, once spotted, he races down the road to sweep us up in a warm welcoming embrace. He allows us to state the truth - I have sinned against you - and then clothes us with his mercy and orders a celebration. This is the God Jesus spent his entire ministry trying to help us see. So, how does this impact our lives? If I may use the Lord s words at the end of the Good Samaritan parable, Go, and do likewise! The events of Holy Week sum up the whole of Jesus existence and by extension should also sum up the life of every Christian. As we wave our palms and sing Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord we need to ask ourselves: do I really believe Jesus is the Truth? Can I see in the events of this week the sum of the whole of my existence? Do I give myself to Christ without reserve? Love is what God is all about. Not emotional love, but concrete commitment to you and me shown by the life and death of the Lord. This week not only demonstrates the lengths to which God will go to demonstrate his love for us, but invites us to go and do the same; to lay down our lives for others. We may not be asked to literally die for someone, but we can spend out lives in service to others. Perhaps we can ask ourselves this week, do I have the same commitment to the Lord as our service men and women have to our country? It s a thought. Father Denis March 20, 2016 Page 2

3 Monday, March 21 5:00pm Athletics-PC 6:30pm Troop-PC Tuesday, March 22 2:45pm Jr. Girl Scouts-M 5:00pm Athletics-PC 6:30pm Bereavement-Creativ. FSA-M Wednesday, March 23 5:00pm Athletics-PC Faith Formation Faith Group-M Adoration-CH Thursday, March 24-Holy Thursday Morning Prayer-CH Mass of Lord s Supper Friday, March 25-Good Friday Morning Prayer-CH 3:00pm Service Saturday, March 26-Holy Saturday 1:00pm Blessing of Food 8:00pm Easter Vigil Sunday, March 27-Easter Sunday Masses: 7:00, 8:30, 10:15, noon 8:00 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous-R BABY BOTTLES Thank you to everyone who participated in the baby bottle collection. If you are still holding a bottle, it can be dropped off at the rectory. Every little bit makes a big difference in helping out a mother and her baby! Jesus showed us the self-sacrificial nature of love when he laid down his life for us, and we are called to follow in his footsteps. We are called to be his hands and feet, caring for and loving others. ~USCCB-Respect Life Program March 20, 2016 Page 3

4 Daily Mass Monday thru Friday at 8:30 a.m. Confessions Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. Rosary Monday thru Friday at 8:00 a.m. Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Rectory Living Stations March 18, 2:15 and 7:00 p.m. Lenten Faith Group: Wednesdays, Marillac Room March 9-23, 7 p.m. Book Group: Tuesdays: Creativity Rm.-school, 7 p.m. Adoration: Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m., Church Palm Sunday Family Mass: March 20, 9:30 a.m. Bereavement Support Group Our lives are covered with many types of loss; one of the hardest being the loss of a loved one. You are welcome to join with others whom have lost a loved one, to share and comfort while continuing to grow in God s love. Whether your loss was recent or years ago, you are invited to join our bereavement group on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30pm in the creativity room in school. Info: call Jen Reynolds: Passion (Palm Sunday) March 20 Saturday, 5p.m.-Solemn Blessing of Palms Sunday 7:30, 9:30 (Family Mass) & 11a.m. Holy Thursday, March 24 Mass of the Lord s Supper, 7p.m. Church open until midnight for visitation Good Friday, March 25 Liturgy of the Lord s Passion 3 & 7p.m. Holy Saturday, March 26 (no confessions) Blessing of Food-1p.m. Easter Vigil Mass-8p.m. Easter Sunday, March 27 Masses-7, 8:30, 10:15, noon Visiting Churches on Holy Thursday On Holy Thursday evening, there is a tradition of visiting churches as a way of accompanying Christ during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and subsequent arrest. Come and join us as we visit three area churches after the 7:00 p.m. Mass-St. Mary, St. Barbara and St. Francis Xavier. A short prayer is said at each church and then we go on to the next site. We will meet in the narthex of church after Mass and carpool to the churches. Afterward, we return to St. Louise. For more information, call Deacon Dave Brencic at The day the Lord Created Hope was probably the same day he created Spring. March 20, 2016 Page 4

5 Teen Club Due to other events, there will be no Teen Club until April. Join us for the Jr. High Lock In and Vicariate IV Youth Rally. Girl s Church League Basketball Miss playing basketball? St. Louise has joined the LaGrange area Church League! Boy s season is winding down, and we hope to start a couple of girls teams. Only requirements are that you are affiliated with a participating parish and you are not on your high school basketball team. To participate or for more info, contact Greg Ripoli, ASAP at: sripoli@sbcglobal.net. Practices began in February. Let us know as soon as possible. Jr. High Lock-In All seventh and eighth graders in St. Louise School and Faith Formation programs are invited to the Jr. High Lock In on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9. Cost is $10, and includes all lock-in activities and food (snacks, pizza at midnight, and breakfast.) Arrival between 8-9p.m. on Friday; over at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Permission forms available at rectory, in the bulletin rack in church entrance by the baptismal font, or from Ms. Miller. Deadline to register is Wednesday, April 6, at 4:00. G racious God, you who gave your only son to save us, help us to understand and appreciate that gift as we enter Holy Week. In the words of Saint Paul, we pray: Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus...who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. BINGO TODAY!! There s Bingo today March 20! 2:00 p.m.-doors open at noon pull tabs - raffles refreshments $2100 IN CASH Prizes Chicago Wolves Faith and Fellowship Night On Saturday night, April 9, the Chicago Wolves are hosting Faith and Fellowship Night. It begins with a pre-game talk with Wayne Mesmer for the first 400 who pre-order tickets. The Wolves play the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7:00 p.m., followed by a concert by Christian artists Consumed by Fire. Tickets are $17, and include above events and a Chicago Wolves hat. Youth and chaperones will car pool, but families are also welcome. Contact Karyn Miller (kmillerslm@yahoo.com) if interested. Ticket order will be placed on March 23. Make checks to St. Louise Teen Club. Youth Rally Vicariate IV is sponsoring our fourth annual Youth Rally on Sunday, April 17, at St. Catherine of Siena/St. Lucy Parish in Oak Park. There is no charge for the event. It includes Mass and dinner, and will be exciting, energizing, and inspiring. See Ms. Miller or the Youth Ministry web site: March 20, 2016 Page 5

6 March Monday 8:30 - Marian Robles Tuesday 8:30 - Felix Francis Wednesday 8:30 - Emery Perret, Peter Pejsa Holy Thursday 7:00-Mass of the Lord s Supper Good Friday, 3:00-Liturgy of the Lord s Passion Holy Saturday 8:00-Kevin Reynolds, JoAnn Immekus, Barbara Matusiak, Chudy, Karaba, Gaborik, & Ponos Fams. Easter Sunday 7:00 - Otto & Rose Spevak, Leslie Russ, Sr., Joseph & Elizabeth Smuda, Scott Richardson 8:30 - Eugene & Marie Chadwick 10:15 - Irena Majchrowski, Edward & Irene Kasper 12:00 - Eileen Kramer Altar Servers Mon. - Wed., March 21, 22 8:30 - E. Kimmelman-Wyles, K. Keegan Thurs., March 23 8:300-M. Hanson, M. Hopkins Servers: Refer to your schedules for March 24 through March 27 assignments. I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that You gave me to do.-john 17 Our Sympathy to the Family of Gregory Wennerstrom Presiders March 26 March 27 7:00-Fr. Henry 8:30 - Fr. Henry 10:15 - Fr. Denis 12:00 - Fr. Denis Readers March 26 March 27 8:00 -M. Miller 7:00-M. Koutek E. Keegan 8:30-D. DeSanto P. Hammerschmitt 10:15-L. Mate 12:00-P. Cuevas Eucharistic Ministers March 26-Easter Vigil 8:00 - M. Sinde, S. Driscoll, P.&M. Golden, M. Gyorke S. Lifka, T. Porras, Deacon Dave March 27-Easter Sunday 7:00 - B. Strnad, R. Voss, M. Voss, K.&W. Prokop E. Siuda, M. Wahlstrom 8:30 - P. Libednisky, S. Czarnik, A. Czerwien, G. Witkowski, L. Korenchan, J. Lisiecki, J. Skorwonski, L. Sroka, T. Hilger 10:15 - S. Lifka, B.&M. Garvey, C.&L. Lemkau, J. Hanson, G.&M. Sapp, D. Juday 12:00 - Jo.&Ja. Gaske, K. Cannon, M. Gibson, R. Jevorutsky, S. Cipolletta, A. Janacek, R. Kappeler, J. Zalig WEEKLY OFFERTORY Sunday Collection 03/06/ /28/2016 This Week $11,200 $8,100 Last Year $10,500 $9,700 Sunday Collection, Year-to-Date: This Year $329,600 $318,300 Last Year $335,200 $324,700 Year-to-Date Collection Budget $343,400 $333,900 Envelopes Returned This Week Last Year March 20, 2016 Page 6

7