...leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother... Matthew 5:24

Transcription

1 528 Lath rop Av en u e River F orest, Il li n oi s leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother... Matthew 5:24 Febr uar y 16, S ix t h S unda y in Ordinary Time

2 Monday, February 17, :30 am Mary F Wojcik 8:00 am Sullivan and Vietzen Families Tuesday, February 18, :30 am The Blessed Sacrament Ministries 8:00 am Cathleen M McMahon Wednesday, February 19, :30 am Paula Margaret Novielli 8:00 am Williams, Karasis, Kurr Families & Roy Thursday, February 20, :30 am James Busse 8:00 am Joseph F Hennessy Friday, February 21, :30 am Thomas Andrew Costello 8:00 am William Pape Saturday, February 22, :00 am Liz Kennedy Readings for the Week of February 16, 2014 Sunday: Sir 15:15-20/1 Cor 2:6-10/Mt 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37 Monday: Jas 1:1-11/Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18/Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jas 1:19-27/Mk 8:22-26 Thursday: Jas 2:1-9/Mk 8:27-33 Friday: Jas 2:14-24, 26/Mk 8:34 9:1 Saturday: 1 Pt 5:1-4/Mt 16:13-19 Next Sunday: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18/1 Cor 3:16-23/ Mt 5:38-48 Tuesday - Friday, February 18-21, :00 am Tue-Fri: A Goslin, G Ruggie Saturday, February 22, :00 - Mass Intention: Denis Hutchings Servers J Atkins, A Hidad; Cross Bearer: J Underwood Readers Tamara Hicks, Deborah Hopkinson Euch Min V Atkins, R Jandeska, C Madden, J Megall, K Nelson, T Ogba, D Valenti Sunday, February 23, :30 - Mass Intention: The People of St Luke Parish Servers S Gorman, L Mear; Cross Bearer: K Mear Readers Fred Heiss, Terry Roche Euch Min K Heiss, L Krusinski, S Krusinski 9:00 - Mass Intention: Dr Robert Lee Muldoon Servers M Vietzen, C Westerman; Cross Bearer: R Planek Readers Nan Brouilette, Diane Ruggie Euch Min D Murray, T Murray, MK Nickels, B Nickels, G Rara, H Slowik, J Slowik 10:30 - Mass Intention: Angelina Boehm Servers L Riggs, B Stumbris; Cross Bearer: A Riggs Readers Elizabeth Kincanon, Bob Miller Euch Min B Elwood, J Meek, S Murray, B Murray, J O Hara, D Ross, J Stumbris 12:00 - Mass Intention: Rosaleen Sherlock Servers C Llapa Gonzalez, KJ Slepicka; Cross Bearer: MM Ebzery Readers Katie Iammartino, Ann O Connell Euch Min T Harnett, E Maloney, V Perera, K Slepicka, D Slepicka Cover Art: Photo of St. Luke Church s main entryway by Bradley Collins. 2 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL Margaret Boyer, Willard Boyer, Tom Cusack, Stephen Kehoe, Frank Kurr, John Lennon, Edna McQuillan, Paul S. Novak, Joseph Organ, Kelly Petersen, Tom Trankina and Michael Gerard White George J. Durakis For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 5:20 The scribes and Pharisees lived according to the letter of the law and they used this to elevate themselves above the other people. Jesus is clear it s the love you have in your heart that will get you to heaven. Simply following church rules out of obligation, not love, does not put you on the path to heaven. Attending Mass on Sunday and then gossiping about a parishioner in the parking lot is an example of a modern day Pharisee. From the weekend of February 9, 2014 Weekly Giving Goal $16, Actual Weekly Giving $11, Fiscal Year to Date (From ) Weekly Giving Goal $496, Actual Weekly Giving $463, Goal to Date for Year +/(-) $ (32,766.00) We are always very grateful for the sacrifices you make to support the mission, goals, and ministry of St. Luke Church. Thank you for your generosity!

3 This has been an unbelievable winter. Frigid cold, record snows, numerous school and work closings, and we are still in February! It is time to think of better times ahead, better days, and a better faith. With Lent beginning on March 5, the Peace and Justice Committee is once again sponsoring a parish-wide book club. Last year we successfully completed the excellent book Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. Those who participated in the book club last year enjoyed the book and benefited from the discussions and joining in an activity to enhance their faith. This Lent we are formally naming our book club The St. Luke Peace and Justice Jerry Jeep Lenten Book Club in honor of Jerry Jeep. Our committee and parish lost a special man of faith when God called Jerry Jeep home to Him last summer. Jerry was a long-time member of St. Luke and was an inspiration in life and in his deep faith and love of God. Jerry constantly encouraged his fellow Peace and Justice members to follow his example by having and living a faith rooted in peace, justice and love of God. Jerry was also instrumental in starting the Lenten Book Club. We continue the Book Club this Lent, reading the follow-up to last year s book selection, Richard Rohr s latest best-seller, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self. In a review of our Book Club selection for this Lent Publishers Weekly wrote: How well do we know ourselves? So many roles and identities shape individual lives that it s easy to be confused about what is authentically us. Rohr, a Franciscan priest and founding director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM, leads a narrative excursion to the True Self, the core of character that lies like a diamond buried within. Writing for secular seekers, the author claims that individuals need to allow the false self to fall away in order to get in touch with the true self, allowing it to breathe and flourish. Grasping onto the superficial identities of the false self, such as job, class, race, or accomplishments, can keep people from being the loving and generous conduits of the Divine that they are meant to be. God is always communicating with humans, but those who cling to ego and social position can t hear these divine messages. The author makes clear that it is not easy to shed this falseness for truth in the inner life, but it is a spiritual path well worth the effort. (February 2013) The Peace and Justice Committee looks forward to joining fellow parishioners in reading and discussing this wonderful and worthwhile book together. Details with the specific dates and locations of the St. Luke Peace and Justice Jerry Jeep Lenten Book Club will follow. Watch for details in future bulletins and listen for announcements at Sunday Mass during Lent. Please plan to join us on our journey and spiritual path to a growing and stronger faith. ~Bob Tuerk, St. Luke Peace and Justice Committee FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 3

4 We re less than two weeks away from the St. Luke Dinner Dance & Auction, which is happening March 1 at the Hyatt Regency O Hare! Have you returned your RSVP yet?! The night will include lots of great food and fun...and also our big auction to help support St. Luke Parish School. Here is an early look at some auction items to pique your bidding interest and more auction item reveals coming soon: Live Auction Napa Valley Getaway! The ultimate getaway for wine country living. Enjoy a three-night stay with complimentary champagne breakfast at the AAA Four Diamond award-winning hotel Napa Valley Lodge. The lodge is set in a vineyard in the quaint, romantic village of Yountville, CA, away from noise and traffic, yet within walking distance to all the wonderful restaurants, tasting rooms and shops. Relax in the private courtyard and serene pool area with availability of full spa services. Explore the countryside and make your way north to the renowned Chateau Montelena Winery where you will receive a $200 gift certificate towards an Estate and Wine Tasting Tour. This package also includes 24 bottles of wine (compliments of the St. Luke Ladies Night Out) to enjoy prior to or after your Napa Getaway. This is a trip to remember! Sports Bulls Tickets! Hear the players chatter and see the sweat fly with two tickets in the first row off the floor at a Chicago Bulls game for a mutually-agreed-upon date during the regular season. Entertainment Trump Tower Chicago! Get away from it all with this one-night stay at the trendy five-star Trump International Hotel & Tower in downtown Chicago. Includes a luxury spa treatment during your stay. Home & Garden EGG-zactly Grilling! If you take grilling seriously and love to entertain, here is something for you! The medium BIG GREEN EGG can cook an 18-lb. turkey, six burgers and three chickens vertically, or four steaks and four racks of ribs vertically (each at a time). The EGG is a versatile and flexible cooking device. It can be used as an oven, grill or smoker. Children s Friar Up! Give your Friar Fan the opportunity to be part of the basketball team! Enjoy a night as the team water boy at a Fenwick boys' basketball home game during the season. Includes a team shirt. His & Hers Bose Buy! Any man or woman would love these Bose OE Audio Headphones! Bose provides high-quality sound, lifelike clarity and range with these on-ear headphones with comfortable fit and carrying case. 4 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

5 You are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16) Please spend some time this week reflecting on the Annual Catholic Appeal brochure that you received with your bulletin. Please remember that the Annual Catholic Appeal campaign is much different than a one-time special collection. It is a pledge campaign where you can make a gift payable in installments. As you review the work enabled by your contribution to the Annual Catholic Appeal, please reflect on God s gifts to you. He has given you all that you have. Your gifts to our parish, to the Archdiocese and to the work of the Church throughout the world should be given in gratitude for the continuing gifts that God gives you. Each pledge makes a difference because all parishes participate in the campaign and the gifts of many enable our Archdiocese to deliver needed ministries and services. Our combined gifts not only signify our gratitude to God, they fund a significant portion of the work of our Archdiocese. After our parish goal of $58,109 is reached in cash, 100% of any additional funds come back to our parish to help fund our needs. The fourth Sunday of the month is the usual day for our Children s Choirs to sing at the 9:00 Family Mass. Everyone especially families with school-age children is cordially invited to attend next Sunday s 9:00 Family Mass and enjoy the children s singing. St. Agatha Ministries Next Tuition Assistance Meeting Please mark your calendars for Sunday morning, March 9. We ll be starting with 9:00 am Mass at St. Luke s. Plan to join us! Watch your bulletin for more details in upcoming weeks. (N.B.: Daylight Savings Time starts that day!) Dear Friends, Thank you for all you have done in the past year to help our needy folks here in the North Lawndale and Little Village neighborhoods. Your generosity is most heart-warming, especially during the Thanksgiving season. Many hundreds of turkeys, pounds of food and a check were donated to our food pantry. We depend on you for our everyday needs in the pantry and for running our program. Your weekly donations of food are quickly used as our numbers in the pantry are high. May the good Lord bless each of you abundantly during this new year of Gratefully, Rev. Larry Dowling Sister Patricia Kerz, BVM FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 5

6 Father Ken Baker will direct a Day of the Spirit with our 50 St. Luke Confirmation students on Monday, February 17. Once a full-time professional singer/actor, Father Baker has appeared on stages across the country. In 2009 he had the great honor of singing for the United States Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients in a concert at the famed Empire Room, and most recently he appeared in Kevin Moore Presents: An Evening of the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Father Baker, associate pastor at St. Cletus Parish in LaGrange, will be leading Padres on Parade during St. Vincent de Paul s 4 th Annual Friends of the Poor Benefit on April 15. With all of this incredible experience, Father Baker is a very versatile priest who enjoys sharing his time and talent and priestly vocation with students. Please continue your prayers for our Day of the Spirit, another milestone for our young people as they prepare for their Confirmation day on April 29. As you can see from the photos to the right, Religious Education families and parishioners enjoyed a fun and delicious brunch on Sunday, February 2. Five Grand Raffle prize winners and over 25 mini-raffle prize winners were delighted! Thank you to all the families and parishioners who supported our efforts by coming to the brunch, buying raffle tickets, and enjoying a fun-filled morning. The 7 th and some 8 th graders in Religious Education and St. Luke School baked cupcakes, helped buss tables, and ran the games and activities for the children. We could not have done it without them! We are especially grateful to the eight Religious Education Advisory Board Members and the families who spent countless hours making the Big Game Brunch such a joy-filled day! Substitute catechists are needed for the Wednesday evening sessions for 5 th -8 th grades from 6:30-7:30 pm. Please contact the Religious Education Office at if you are available. 6 After our first formation meeting last weekend, the rosters have been filled for teen volunteers going on this year s Youth Summer Service Trips to Villa Maria and Bethlehem Farms. However, a few more adult leaders are still needed for the week-long sessions in June and July. If interested in learning more about the commitment, please take a look at the Youth Ministry section on the parish website, and contact Trip Coordinator Patti Muldoon at WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL The Catholic Conference of Illinois is offering a 91-day program of daily, ed readings of the Social Teaching of the Church. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about what Pope Francis has been focusing on since his election last March. Participants will receive a daily featuring a small section of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church usually just a few paragraphs beginning on Ash Wednesday (March 5) and continuing through June 8. To participate, go to and click on the 91 Days banner to learn more and sign up. The readings will be offered in both English and Spanish.

7 After enjoying a virtual tour of the customs and culture of Hawaii, first grade students at St. Luke Parish School continued to travel to other countries. Each student was assigned a country to research for their Children Around the World class project. The students presented a poster and conversation about the culture, traditions and geography of their selected country to classmates and families this past week. Learning about other countries has allowed the first graders the ability to explore the world! FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7

8 The Prime Timer s Valentine Tea was a great success. It was sold out a week and a half before the date, and there was a waiting list. Everyone agreed that these were the best scones ever. No one went home hungry! As the war in Afghanistan continues, let us pray that all our military personnel may be kept safe from harm and return safely home to their loved ones. We pray especially for CWO Edward Balli, who died recently. May he rest in peace. And let us pray that the leaders of our nation and of all nations may work untiringly to end all war and violence and to build a true and lasting peace among all peoples. 8 The St. Luke Athletic Committee would like to congratulates he following winner of the 500 Club drawing: Colleen Stephany Thank you to all who have purchased memberships in the Club, the proceeds of which go directly to fund the school s athletic programs. Everyone is invited to Ascension Church in Oak Park to discover the treasures in St. Paul's Letter to the Romans! This is sometimes referred to as the Gospel of Paul, as it is the Apostle s brilliant exposition of who Jesus is and what Jesus means to him, to humanity and to believers. Portions of this letter will be heard at many Sunday Masses this year, including Pentecost. The first meeting is Thursday, February 20, at 7:30 pm in the Parish Center dining room (808 South East Avenue). Gene Wesolowski will be coordinating the discussion. Books will be available at the Parish Center for $15. All are welcome. If you cannot make all the sessions, come when you are able: March 6 and 27, April 3 and 24, May 1, 22 and 29. For more information, contact David Philippart at or davidp@ascensionchurch.com. WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL Rev. Kenneth J. Fischer, Pastor frken@stlukeparish.org Rev. Charles E. Musula, Associate Pastor frmusula@stlukeparish.org Rev. Leroy A. Wickowski, (Retired) lwickowski@stlukeparish.org Jim Doyle deacondoyle@gmail.com Paul Faherty pfaherty00@aol.com Terry Norton reneeterrynorton@gmail.com Bob Slobig bobslobig@comcast.net John O Neill (Retired) 528 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest stlukeparish@stlukeparish.org Sue Gamache, Office Manager sgamache@stlukeparish.org Ashland Avenue, River Forest jschwarzbeck@stlukeparish.org Therese M. Craig, Principal tcraig@stlukeparish.org Ashland Avenue, River Forest religiouseducation@stlukeparish.org Sr. Colleen Nolan, O.P., Director cnolan@stlukeparish.org Music Director Arlene Michna amichna@stlukeparish.org Parish Business Manager Glenn Wagner gwagner@stlukeparish.org Director of Stewardship & Development Sheila Price sprice@stlukeparish.org Communications Coordinator Bradley Collins bcollins@stlukeparish.org Hospitality House (former Convent) Sr. Mary Ann Mueninghoff, OP Weekend Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 am & 12:00 noon Weekdays Monday-Friday 6:30 and 8:00 am Saturday 8:00 am Monday-Friday: After 6:30 & 8:00 am Masses Saturday: After 8:00 am Mass, and by appointment