Happy Easter! Do you believe this? ***************************************************************************************

Transcription

1 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord March 27, 2016

2 T he start of that week dawned like any other day. As the day light grew stronger and the sun began to peek over the horizon folks yawned and stretched blinking their eyes awake. After their morning rituals they started out to work or opened their shops. But something was different this morning. The air was charged with something. As the temperature rose so did speculation and fantastic rumors. Police tried to tell folks nothing was wrong, but the more they tried, the more people knew something was wrong. Then the city leaders sent out spin doctors to counter the audacious rumors which were beginning to cause a commotion among the people but the people put no more trust in what they said than in a politician s promises. In one house his friends, who had been staying there for some days, stood petrified. Never in their life had they been so frightened. But their fear gradually melted away to be replaced by astonished joy. Could it really be true? It s not possible, is it? What went on, what occurred in that house seeped out through the doors and windows into the streets turning rumors among the people into wild speculations which in turn led to some serious arguments. It s true! That s not possible! For thousands of years scholars of all kinds have argued about what happened that day. Was it mass hysteria? Some sordid plot? It had to be a lie because nature doesn t work that way. Yet, perhaps it really did happen. The more rational minds found arguments against the idea but others embraced the outrageous possibility. Today some people still raise their eyebrows astonished that anyone in this day and age could possibly believe such a story. There s no scientific proof. The whole thing is contrary to Nature. Such things just don t happen. It s a fairy tale; something people latch onto so life will seem to have some purpose, some meaning beyond this world. It s a myth of the uneducated. Yet here we are, packed into churches all over the world to publicly acclaiming that it really did happen. Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead. God the Father proved all those religious leaders and politicians wrong. Jesus was right in what he taught. Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing, sin or heresy. Jesus, who stood before Pilate, is the Truth and the Life yesterday, today and tomorrow. Do you believe this? Happy Easter! *************************************************************************************** As we celebrate our new life in Christ, I want to publicly thank all those who recently participated in my ministerial review. I appreciate the giving of your time, your honesty and your comments. I have met with those who conducted this review going over the input with them and, as a result, have set a few goals for myself which I have submitted to my superiors. Thanks for helping me. May God bless you for doing this. Fr. Denis March 27, 2016 Page 2

3 Monday, March 28 Tuesday, March 29 7:00pm Book Group-M Wednesday, March 30 Faith Formation 7:00pm Adoration-CH Thursday, March 31 Friday, April 1 1:00pm Rummage Sale S/up-C 7:30pm H.S. Teen Club-PC Saturday, April 2 8:00am-1:00pm CWO Rummage Sale-C 9:00am Bitty Camp-PC 10:00am 9:00am Meeting-M Sunday, April 3 10:30am Faith Formation 1:00pm Order of Arrow-M 6:00pm BEDS-C 8:00 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous-R I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there is purpose and worth to each and every life. Inscription on Ronald Reagan s memorial, Reagan National Library, Simi Valley, California REMEMBERING BAPTISM ach year we celebrate a ritual that the church E prescribes for use specifically on Easter Sunday. At Masses on Easter, we are called to renew our baptismal promises. We once again, renounce Satan and profess our belief in God, as well as acknowledge all the wonderful work that God has done throughout salvation history. We do so at this central point of the liturgical year for one major reason. Once a year after the penitential practice of Lent, we remember that at the moment of our baptism, we were configured to Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose to save the world from the power of sin. This remembrance of our baptism is much more than the kind of remembering we do when we flip through the family photo album or review digital pictures of a recent vacation or family event. The remembrance we celebrate today through the renewal of baptism promises reminds us that we are commissioned to be the risen Christ for others here and now. BECOMING THE RISEN CHRIST hrough the renewal of our baptismal promises, we T remember that in baptism we were joined to Christ s death and resurrection. What we can easily forget is that in baptism we were also joined to the life that Christ lived on earth. We need not look too far to discover that the Lord Jesus came to call sinners to himself in order to share with them the wonderful gifts of forgiveness and salvation. Through our own baptism, we are called to imitate Christ. We are to let people know that, in and through Jesus Christ, true forgiveness and reconciliation are possible. As we lift heart and voice, singing the words of today s responsorial psalm, let us rejoice and be glad in our baptism we have become the risen Christ for the world. -Copyright 2007, World Library Publications. EASTER PRAYER Make us an Easter people, Lord, rejoicing, renewed, resurrected. May the wonder of Easter morning color every dawn we see. Teach us to cherish each day as a gift from you as you roll away the stone of yesterday s sin and let us begin anew. Show us that, just like Jesus, our lives can be extraordinary if we trust you. Give us this gift of eternal Easter, Lord, that your Church may be the gospel message you intended. Amen. March 27, 2016 Page 3

4 The Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street, Chicago. Couples married in 1966 interested in attending this celebration should contact their parish to register. For further information, call the Marriage and Family Ministries Office at or visit the website: MASS BOOK The 2017 Mass Book is now open. Stop by the rectory during regular office hours to arrange Masses. Six Masses will be allowed at this time. After July 1, additional Masses can be requested. CONGRATULATIONS GIRL SCOUTS The Brownies have worked on two religious patches, the Joyful Mysteries from the Rosary Series and the National Catholic Committee 100 Years of Catholic Scouting. Abigail Gonzalez, Sarah McKinley, Natalia Vujovic, Matia Swanson, Sophia Deir, Michaela Gordon, and Ella Ayala-Johnson were recognized for their hard work. In addition to the Catholic Patches, the Juniors also earned the I Live My Faith medal. The Juniors are Alexa Gonzalez, Mary Hopkins, Katie Keegan, Kelly Kenny, Natalie Spielman, Jennelle Stegere, Jenny Thomas, and Julia Trevino. Cadettes Samantha Hood, Ana Leon, KiKi Keen, Sasha Petruncio, Abby Roussin, Zoe Mazurkiewicz earned the My Promise, My Faith Pin. In addition, Sasha and KiKi earned two patches from Our Catholic Faith Patches. Congratulations on your accomplishments! March 27, 2016 Page 4

5 Suburban Catholic Singles Group For Singles in their 40 s & 50 s April Events Friday, April 1, 7p.m. - Enjoy a night out with pizza and karaoke at JC s Pub, 8650 Joliet Rd., Mc Cook. Cost: your dinner. RSVP by March 29 Saturday, April 16, 5:30p.m. - Join us for dinner at Aurelios, 11 Calendar Ct. in LaGrange; afterwards walking to LaGrange Theatre. Cost: your dinner and movie. RSVP by April 14. Contact: singlesadmin@gmail.com Men, Save the Date All men of the parish are invited to a special afternoon of prayer and reflection on Saturday, April 23 in the Colonnade Room. The afternoon will consist of speaker talks, discussions, reconciliation, dinner and a social afterward. Stay turned for more information. 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. 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, church entrance bulletin rack by the baptismal font, or from Ms. Miller. Deadline to register is Wednesday, April 6, at 4:00. 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 27, 2016 Page 5

6 Altar Servers Refer to your schedules for March 28-April 3 assignments. March 28-April 3 Monday 8:30 - Peter Pejsa, Flo DiBiase, Mary Riordan Tuesday 8:30 - Shirley Miotek Wednesday 8:30 - Pat Pierce Thursday 8:30 - Eugene Kenney Friday, 8:30 - Leslie Russ, Sr. Saturday 5:00 - Tony Gaborik Jr., Tony Ponos, Olga Lucanska, Michele Turanec Sunday 7:30 - Greg Fleischman 9:30 - Charles Vodraska 11:00 - Gary Linka, Matthew Sutter Presiders April 2 April 3 Confessions - Fr. Denis 7:30 - Fr. Denis 5:00 - Fr. Denis 9:30 - Fr. Henry 11:00 - Fr. Henry Readers April 2 April 3 5:00-K. Bell 7:30-B. Petek 9:30-M.A. Donlon 11:00-L. Mate/ D. Porras HE IS NOT THERE! In our homes today, the symbols of Easter are all around us, a poignant reminder of what Christ has done, who he was. But the Easter Christ is not a memory. He is our future. Do not look for him in Bethlehem or on the banks of the Jordan. Make no nostalgic trips to the cross. Do not linger even at the empty tomb. He is not there. So how do we find the Savior on this Easter morning? Look ahead. There is the triumphal Christ going before us into Galilee, ascending into heaven, sending the Spirit to comfort us. He sweeps down the road into the hearts and hands of his children to be. Those who seek him will find him in what he loved most: one another. He can be found in a mother s tear, a baby s laugh, a father s strong arm. His voice whispers in a child s halting prayer and the hush of a lullaby. His laughter echoes when we break bread in good company and his arms are the last to leave our shoulders when sorrow deepens our load. Where is the Savior on this Easter day? He is here among us, alive and well. He lives in the heart beating inside you, and beside you at work, rest or play. Rejoice with him this day, that you need look no further for your Savior than the next face you see. For where two or three are gathered, there I will be also. Eucharistic Ministers April 2 5:00 - P. Thorburn, S. Czarnik, P. Erickson, C. Sherman, T. Jarvis, J. Lisiecki, R. Williams April 3 7:30 - P. Libedinsky, M. Wahlstrom, A. Copp, E.Siuda, A. Porras 9:30 - M.&P. Golden, K. Krajniak, K. Krause, L. Sroka, D. Parcel, L. Waterloo 11:00 - J. Skowronski, Jo.&Ja. Gaske, P. Cavaliere, J. Discipio, C. Korabik, Deacon Dave Our Sympathy to the Family of Sidonia Ziolkowski March 27, 2016 Page 6

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