A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR

THE CROWN

A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR When I was at St. Louise de Marillac Parish, back around the turn of the century, I was also assigned as chaplain of Midway Airport. It was an interesting job. I encountered many people at the airport, and some of them were even celebrities. The airport police knew when celebrities and dignitaries were arriving or departing, and they would invite me to join them for the ol' meet-n-greet. So I met Bill Clinton. I met Ruddy Guiliani, the former mayor of New York. One day, the police captain told me that Sir Paul McCartney was flying out after a show, and they invited me to join them as they escorted him to his private jet. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Sir Paul McCartney, back in the olden days he was a member of a quartet that performed rock and/or roll music. But McCartney's plane was leaving at midnight. That was too late for me, so I did not meet him. Maybe if it had been Ringo... I also traveled to attend meetings of airport chaplains visiting such exotic places as Paris, Rome, and even Indianapolis. On the trip to Rome, the chaplain from O'Hare and I took a little side trip to Venice. It was in Venice that I met the most interesting person of all those I encountered in my airport ministry. We visited the church of San Geremia, and there I knelt at an altar that contained the relics of the virgin martyr Saint Lucy. I remember gazing on the body of St. Lucy. It was clothed in a red and gold dress, but her hands and feet were visible. They were dry, cracked, black leather stretched thinly over bones. Her face was covered with a beautifully painted silver mask. The mask had been placed there by the Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Cardinal Roncalli, who became Pope John XXIII. At the altar I said a little prayer to St. Lucy, and I think of her again today. Today is the third Sunday of Advent, but it is also the 13th of December, St. Lucy's feast day. St. Lucy is all around us at this time of year, in every house, in stores, in windows, on trees and bushes. That is because the name Lucy comes from the Latin word for light. We might give most of our attention to the gifts that we exchange at Christmas, but it is the lights of Christmas that constantly draw our attention. St. Lucy is a martyr. That means she died to give witness to Jesus Christ, and she continues to give that witness. In every Christmas light, St. Lucy reminds us that the true light of the world is Christ. Christmas lights are not merely decorations to please the eye. They are icons of the reason for the season. As St. John says at the beginning of his Gospel that we read at Mass During the Day on Christmas: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. At this darkest time of the year, our Christmas lights, each little Lucy, remind us that Christ is the light that has come into the world and overcome the darkness. Remember that as you look at your beautifully lighted Christmas tree. Think of that as you go through the neighborhood and look at all the brilliantly lighted homes. Remember the witness of St. Lucy -- Christ is the light that illuminates the darkness of winter and the depths of our souls. Today we meet St. Lucy who tells us to meet Christ in every sparkling light of the season. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and we meet him in every Christmas light. And it is better to meet Christ than to meet anyone else, even Sir Paul McCartney, especially Bill Clinton. Fr. Michael

BULLETIN HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Articles for December 27th are due by Dec. 16th Articles for January 3, 2016 are due by Dec. 21st OPLATKI Oplatki is now available in the rectory during regular office hours. The price is $2.00 for the first and $1.00 for each additional. THEY KEPT COMING! The Christmas cards kept coming to the little basket in the vestibule of the church! Between November 8th and December 3rd, 1,850 Secular Christmas cards, 700 Religious Christmas cards, 200 blankinside note cards, and 200 Birthday cards had been donated, sorted and bundled. Last weekend was a near avalanche of cards! There were 685 Secular Christmas cards, 150 Religious Christmas cards, and a few birthday and blank-inside cards. On Monday, December 7th, a total of 4,385 Secular Christmas cards, 1,950 Religious Christmas cards, 2,680 blank-inside note cards, and 1,300 Birthday cards were delivered to a chaplain who will distribute them to inmates at Statesville Prison in Joliet, Illinois, where they will be gratefully received. I thank you for helping in the Corporal Work of Mercy to those in prison. Please continue to donate greeting cards all during the year. Fr. Tom HOSPITALITY SUNDAY On Sunday, December 20th after the 9:30am Mass. All bakers welcome. FREE ONLINE RESOURCE FOR ADVENT Join Matthew Kelly, America s bestselling Catholic author, and other leading Catholic voices of our time on a life-changing journey through the "Best Advent Ever" - Rediscover Mercy. You can receive daily inspirational emails with short videos, encouragement, and coaching for Advent. Sign up at www.bestadventever.com. or by going to DynamicCatholic.com - click on "Catholic Moments" - "Advent and Christmas" - it will take you to where you can sign up. It's free and you can access it on your own time - give it a try. God bless.

Congratulations to the Jr. High students who achieved Honor Roll status for the 1st Trimester of the school year. High Honors Joseph Calabrese Gillian Grimes Mary Ann Lah Elizabeth Soyemi Jessica Watts Sixth Grade Honors Lamiyah Baker Sandra Egbutu Joseph Frugoli Mateo Gutierrez Aleithea Israel Molly McGee Collin Nortier Christian Perusich James Stiso CONGRATULATIONS! Seventh Grade High Honors Matthew Kubeczko Jean Baptiste MedjoMeZengue Honors Kayla Caday Mya Collins Ryan Nortier Alexa Zornoza High Honors Anthony Calabrese Eighth Grade Honors Jack Grahn Kyle Kebby Luke Panek Grade One has been reading stories about angels and people who felt they have had angels in their lives. They wrote stories about times when they prayed to their guardian angels or when they have felt angels were watching over them. They made angels to hang in the classroom so we have Angels around Us.

HOLIDAY PIANO CONCERT Join Award-Winning Pianist/Composer Doug Hammer at Divine Infant, in the celebration of his two new album releases: Haiku and Christmas Lights. Fresh from his debut at New York s prestigious Carnegie Hall, his concert will feature a wide array of piano styles, from quiet and introspective to dynamic and joyful! Haiku has already won two awards and charted to #1 on the Amazon Germany Charts. Christmas Lights charted to #4 on Amazon and #8 on itunes and has been featured to millions on Pandora Premieres. Tuesday, December 29, 7:00 pm. Free admission CHRISTMAS CANTATA We are excited to announce the revival of the DI Christmas Cantata on the 25th anniversary of the last DI cantata production, Not a Creature Was Stirring, in cooperation with our school and parish music departments and our entire Divine Infant community! After our school bands have played their Christmas selections, our church will come alive as the voices of our children become the mice and cats who live in the church s storage room and custodian s quarters. The mouse and feline families are trying to understand the Christmas story based on what they have heard over the years during practices and Christmas programs held in the church. The families will sing, dance, sign and play hand chimes as they take you through the story as they get to the point of understanding that Jesus Brought Us Love. So, please save the date, Monday, December 21, 2015, 7:00 pm. Tell you family and friends that it s a Christmas event they won t want to miss...for the real meaning of Christmas. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME! Having successfully completed the necessary training, Divine Infant Church welcomes the following individuals to the Ministry of Altar Server: Dylan Bermudez Bridget Boyle Ethan Caday Jacob Chi Kya James Julia Blumhagen Joseph Calabrese Payton Cullum Gillian Grimes Skye Houston Christian Perusich Ava Perry Lauren Salata We thank them for their willingness to serve our faith community in our worship. HOLIDAY CONCERT A classical and holiday concert, Song and Sprit, featuring Soprano Meghan Kasanders, will be presented at Westchester Community Church, 1840 Westchester Blvd., Westchester, on Sunday, December 20 at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $12 presale and $15 at the door. Proceeds benefit the mission work of St. John U.C.C. For more information, call 708 865-1282 or email westcomchurch@hotmail.com ADVENT Let s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush. Anonymous

MORNING OF MEDITATION In the Presence of Love Reflection by Joan Binder on Relationship with Jesus. The morning also includes small group sharing, periods of meditation, and Lectio Divina. Saturday, December 19, 2015 Hospitality: 8:30 am Program: 9:00 11:30 am St. John of the Cross Parish Center 5005 Wolf Road, Western Springs All are invited: Those who meditate, and those who want to learn to meditate. Free will offering accepted. Registration requested but not required mary105105@gmail.com or 708 246-5108. The Morning of Meditation is sponsored by the Christian Meditation groups at St. John of the Cross Parish. Information on Christian Meditation in available at wccm-usa.org and wccm.org AN ADVENT PRAYER May the God of peace make us completely holy. May God keep us blameless in spirit, soul and body for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Forever faithful is the One who calls us God our Father! Expectant, let us live in joyful hope for the revelation of the glory of our God and Savior, Christ Jesus! To him be glory forever! Come, Lord Jesus! Your grace be with us all. From Come, Lord Jesus by Lucien Deiss, CSSp, copyright 1976, 1981, Lucien Deiss. Published by World Library Publications. p. 127 THANK YOU Thank you to all who so generously donated to the Giving Tree for St. Martin de Porres Parish. Christmas is brighter because of you. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION This week, our celebration of Advent makes a transition in ritual and texts. Beginning December 18, the countdown of nine days (a novena) to Christmas sees a heightened sense of expectation, and also a turning from the call of the Baptist in the wilderness to the events leading up to Jesus birth. In ancient Spain, December 18 was once celebrated as the Feast of the Expectancy, and customs grew up to heighten readiness in the homes. Some customs arise from monastic life and practice and spill over into our parish life. Beginning tonight, those who pray Vespers will sing in the opening phrase a beautiful title of Christ. These titles belong to a collection of opening phrases called the O Antiphons after the awe-inspired O sung on the first note. There s a playful code in the titles: O Wisdom, O Lord, O Flower of Jesse, O Key of David, O Dawn, O Ruler, O Emmanuel. When you take their Latin names Sapientia, Adonai, Radix, and so on the titles form an acrostic when you read them backwards: ERO CRAS. In Latin, that is translated as I will be there tomorrow! It s as if Christ were answering the prayers of the waiting people in the words of the prayers themselves. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. RESOURCE CENTER For Sale: Brand new $600.00 transport scooter chair for sale for $400.00. Call the rectory for further information. DID YOU ATTEND ST. DOROTHY CHURCH OR SCHOOL? St. Dorothy Church (450 E. 78th Street, Chicago) will celebrate its 100th Jubilee in June 2016! They are looking for information on past members or graduates AND looking for memorabilia from pre- 1960 especially. Please contact them with your information or materials. The jubilee website (with email) is www.stdorothyjubilee.org or call 773 651-7000.

PREPARE, WAIT AND PRAY Lord, God, your Church joyfully awaits the coming of its Savior, who enlightens our hearts and dispels the darkness of ignorance and sin. As we enter the liturgical season of Advent, we are called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Child. We wait quietly, ponder the wonder of the Incarnation and prayer for both spiritual renewal and a deeper understanding of our relationship with Jesus Christ. This time of Holy Waiting should be a new beginning, a time to contemplate the awesome gift God gives us in His Son. The readings for the four Sundays of Advent help us to remember the true meaning of this season. The various symbols and colors we have in the church: the Advent wreath, the Holy Family, the Creche, the Christmas tree and purple linen are visible reminders of what the Scripture passages proclaim. Each of these symbols will be displayed in the church gradually during the weeks preceding the Nativity of the Lord, to help you really get ready for the Christ Child. This is not a time to be idle; rather it is genuine spiritual work to meet the Divine Infant as we should: renewed, with open hearts and filled with God s grace. The Advent wreath conveys the promise of eternal life in its circular shape and lit candles, the Light of Christ. On the First Sunday of Advent, the wreath will be blessed during the first Mass of this holy season. As we witness this blessing, we are reminded of the true meaning of this time, to live in hope for the coming of the Lord. In the first reading, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us, The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. We can begin our spiritual journey for the next four weeks and heed the words of Luke, Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man. By the Second Sunday of Advent, Mary and Joseph will be present in the church beginning their journey, awaiting the birth of Jesus, the Divine Infant. Saint Paul offers the prayer that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. The ox and cows will be present with the Creche, symbols of patient waiting for the promised royal birth of the long awaited Messiah. Our Savior is the King of kings, but His humble birth was in a manger, a Creche, the feeding trough of the stable. He is the Bread of Life. Rather than living as a titled man of privilege, Jesus came to serve all of humanity and we are called to serve one another. We are called to be ready, and in the words of the prophet Isaiah, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. The Third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for rejoice. We rejoice because the waiting is almost over. We are encouraged to persevere, and to live in hope, to pray and rejoice always. This Sunday, the Holy Family will continue on their journey down the aisle, coming closer to the Creche, steadfast in their quest. How better for us to prepare as well than by heeding the words of Saint Paul in our words and deeds, Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. By the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the shepherds will be waiting near the Creche and the Christmas wreaths will be hung in the nave of the church. Taking the shape of a crown, the wreath reminds us of His Royal birth, the son of David. Made of evergreen, we see the promise of Eternal life, but we are also reminded of the crown of thorns during Christ s Passion. The star atop the Christmas tree is a symbol of our Savior, the Light of the World. In the First Reading, the prophecy of Micah gives us great hope as we await the Nativity of the Lord, He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. During Advent, come to Mass on Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and during the week. Pray together the Liturgy of the Hours, receive the Sacrament of Penance, and prepare to meet the Holy Child. When we participate in the liturgy of the Church, and contemplate the meaning of the different symbols of Christmas present in the church, we come to understand the mystery of the Incarnation with greater clarity. We await Christ s first coming in birth, the Incarnation, and anticipate His second coming, his return in glory, the Parousia. Advent can be a very fruitful season, freed from outward distractions if we persevere and prepare well. We can then truly rejoice as we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Dr. Claudia Maria Dado, M.A.L.

LITURGY FOR THE WEEK SATURDAY, December 12 5:00 pm Catherine L. Parker; Pearl Volka & C. Earl Blankenship; Groppe Family; Faithfully departed members of the Assenato Family, Relatives & Friends; Charles Koziol Family & John Novak Family SUNDAY, December 13 7:30 Jeffrey Stevens & Irene Bartaletti; Thomas Smith; Gloria Bruno 9:30 Mary Lou Campanella; Kathryn Sloan; Lorraine Kotula 11:30 Sonny Cocco; Mass of Thanksgiving Nisivaco Family; Will Cain; Lorraine Kohles; Wanda Brooks MONDAY, December 14 8:00 John Walsh TUESDAY, December 15 8:00 Catherine L. Parker WEDNESDAY, December 16 8:00 Walter & Mary Wanick; MaryAnn Faitz; James & Helen Hassett; Rita Cynkar; Drew Xenakis THURSDAY, December 17 8:00 Michael & Patrick Morrissey FRIDAY, December 18 8:00 All the faithful departed SATURDAY, December 19 8:00 All the faithful departed 5:00 pm Dolores Assenato; Marge Fischer; Lucille Fogg; Kenneth Hoffman; Charles Gimino; Gloria Bruno; Charles Koziol Family; John Novak Family SUNDAY, December 20 7:30 The Otto Bezouska Family; Rudolph, Beatrice & Deborah Sandoval; Thomas Smith; Gloria Bruno 9:30 John McLeod 11:30 Austin J. Boyle; Kathryn Sloan; Will Cain; People of the Parish WEEKDAY SERVERS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY 8:00 James Stiso; Christian Perusich THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY 8:00 Jean Baptiste MedjoMeZengue; Skye Houston PRAY FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Steve Birkenmeyer Dale Bogda Barbara Brown Barbara Callahan Gerry D Andria Don Eck Erwin Eggert Erwin Eiduk Socorro Fajardo Jill Franklin Concetta Gattuso Walter Grose Edward Gundry Rebecca Hankiewicz Emilia Jagielka Peggy Kocar Genevieve Krueger Nathan Kucera Donald J. Martin John C. Martin Dan Mulligan Caryn (Cookie) Murray Tom Nilsson Dave Peloza Lisa Peloza Jim Phillips Julie Saltz Frank Scafuri Anthony Schiavone Mary Scolaro Amy Secrest Gary Sekerka Nicole Durczak Shepulis Barbara Silski Marcella Sullivan Kim Tetzloff Trudie Tetzloff Fr. Fred Tomzik Bacilla Valle Darryl Watson 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 865-8071. 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 865-8071. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE Dorothy Sedlacek NEXT WEEKEND S MINISTERS CELEBRANT COMM. MINISTERS MUSIC LECTORS SERVERS SAT. 5:00 Fr. Tom S. Kill Teens C. Caday R. Klemp E. Caday SUN. 7:30 Fr. Tom M. Vent D. Edmonds C. Nortier M. Yurkovich B. Edmonds J. Patton SUN. 9:30 Fr. Joyce M. McGovern Adult N. Brejcha J. Stiso W. McHugh Choir M. Lamothe K. James SUN. 11:30 Fr. Michael R. Carnagio Youth B. McManus JB MedjoMeZengu C. Edmonds Ensemble S. Laszkiewicz D. Bermudez

MONDAY, December 14 RE Classes CH RE confessions grades 3, 4 & 5 CR 7:00 pm Liturgy LH 7:00 pm Mother-Daughter Planning Meeting TUESDAY, December 15 CH 3 pm Chimes LH 7:00 pm Dispa WEDNESDAY, December 16 CH 4 pm Music Dept. SUNDAY, December 20 CH Hospitality after 9:30 am Mass MONDAY, December 21 RE No Classes CH 7:00 pm Christmas Cantata WEDNESDAY, December 23 CH 1:00 pm Chimes THURSDAY, December 24 CHRISTMAS EVE Vigil Mass of Christmas 4:00 pm Mass of Christmas Night 11:00 pm FRIDAY, December 25 CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES ARE AT 7:30, 9:30 AND 11:30 AM MONDAY, December 28 RE No Classes TUESDAY, December 29 CH 7:00 pm Doug Hammer Concert THURSDAY, December 31 NEW YEAR S EVE Mass at 5:00 pm FRIDAY, January 1, 2016 NEW YEAR S DAY SOLEMNITY OF MARY Holy day of obligation Masses are at 8:00 and 10:00 am SUNDAY OFFERING December 6, 2015 - Average weekly expenses $15,655 This week s collection 11,654 Deficit ($ 4,001) When you are away for a weekend, we hope you will remember your offering to Divine Infant. Thank you. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a; Ps 25:4-5ab, 6, 7bc-9; Mt 21:23-27 Tuesday: Zep 3:1-2, 9-13; Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-19, 23; Mt 21:28-32 Wednesday: Is 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25; Ps 85:9-14; Lk 7:18b-23 Thursday: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Ps 72:1-4ab, 7-8, 17; Mt 1:1-17 Friday: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; Saturday: Mt 1:18-25 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Sunday: Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45 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 312 534-5254. 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 email, please send an email to the parish at d.infant@comcast.net. In the subject line write Parish Email, and then in the body of the email 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! WELCOME......to Divine Infant Jesus Church. If you are new to our church or just visiting, please stop and introduce yourself. We are pleased to have you share in this celebration of the Eucharist. If you do not have a church home, or your church is not a home to you, we invite you to become part of our parish family. Our church is open to anyone looking for a spiritual home. To register, please call the rectory at 865-8071. We are so glad you are here and hope you will come back again for Mass or to become a parishioner.

THE WOMEN S CENTER Christmas is about love and family and that is what we strive to be for the women in difficult pregnancies who come to us for help. This year we saved approximately 1,000 babies from abortion and helped their mothers with our support and care. Last year, over 1,500 children and adults attended our annual client Christmas parties. This year s parties will be on the north side December 12 th and south side December 19 th. Please help by providing desserts, snacks, beverages, and other ready to eat food. If you would be willing to solicit food donations, or donate a large quantity of paper products, I will provide a letter/tax form: pscarlett@womens-center.org and 773.794.8807. The Women s Center pregnancy resource center is looking for new volunteers to join Mondays-Fridays at our Cicero Ave. location. 1) We are looking for weekly volunteers for Lobby Desk: Monday 1-4pm or Friday 9-12pm. 2) We are looking for someone with open availability to learn lobby desk and answer simple calls. 3) We are looking for warm self-starter volunteers to answer after-hours calls weekly on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday from 5pm to 9am the following day on their phones and book appointments for our office. 4) We have an opportunity to clean, tag, and box bottles for our Baby Bottle Campaign. 5) We are in need of diaper donations (specifically in size NEWBORN (nb), 4, 5, and 6). If you would like to find your place in our mission or donate, please contact Paige at 773.794.8807 or pscarlett@womens-center.org. Save the date: Saturday, February 13, 2016 is the date for our 31st Life Banquet. We are excited to announce our keynote speaker is Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood Director, now 100% pro-life and a Catholic convert. The super price for the banquet is $65.00 per person or $600.00 for a table of 10 and $30 for under age 18. For tickets call 773-794-1313. If you have a new item, gift certificate for a restaurant or sporting event, etc., or a service to donate for our silent auction, it will be most appreciated. To donate, phone Janet at 773-685-2531. We need 2 infant car seat/carriers, 3 toddler beds, 2 fixed side cribs, 3 strollers, 3 double strollers, 2 walkers, 2 changing tables, 2 bouncers,5 pack n plays, 2 high chairs, 2 bassinets, and 3 swings. It will be a great help if you can deliver these to us. For our address, or if a pick-up by a volunteer is needed, please call 773-794-1313. The families who receive these things are grateful for your generosity. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Not Ready? No Problem! While Advent is a beautiful time to prepare for the coming of the Lord, we often get so caught up in all the things we do to prepare for Christmas that we forget Advent all together. The readings remind us that in spite of the stress we may feel thinking about how close Christmas is, we are called to rejoice for the Lord is near. The stress we feel may be from fear: Fear that I won t get the shopping done by Christmas, fear that people won t like the gifts I bought, or fear that I forgot someone that should be on my list. But did you ever notice how much easier it is when you have someone to shop with you, or write the Christmas cards, or decorate the tree? Shout for joy fear not! says the prophet Zephaniah in the first reading. (Zeph 3:14) He tells us the Lord is not coming to punish us for waiting till the last minute to put up the tree. The prophet says the Lord is in our midst, we are not alone. He has turned away your enemies (Zeph 3:15), enemies like fear, doubts, and loneliness. And as if that wasn t good enough, he says that the Lord rejoices over us! How many times have you wondered if you could ask the Lord for help? Zephaniah reminds us that the Lord is happy to help. And St. Paul says the same thing in the second reading: Have no anxiety at all make your requests known to God. (Phil 4:6) That is where Advent comes in. We can look forward to the Lord s presence in our lives. We can be confident of his love for us. That is why faith and hope are central to the theme of Advent. Our faith in God s love for us gives us hope that he will support us in our weakness and fill us with the joy he has over us. Tom Schmidt, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co.

DIVINE INFANT PARISH NEWCASTLE AND CANTERBURY AVENUES WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS 60154 Like us on Facebook REV. MICHAEL WANDA, Pastor (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, 708 865-8071 Fax number: 708-865-8032 E-mail: d.infant@comcast.net School: 1640 Newcastle Avenue, 865-0122 & 865-0233 E-mail: divineinfant@comcast.net Office of Religious Education: 865-8086 Parish Nurse, Ms. Jeannette Barczak, BSN, HTP, 352-7518 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, 383-4288 or (ext 302) Business Manager: Mr. Jerry Priore, (ext. 209) Rectory Secretary: Mrs. Toni Podock, (ext. 201) SUNDAY MASSES: 7:30, 9:30 & 11.30 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 (865-8071) 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 865-8071. 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

CHURCH NAME & NUMBER Divine Infant #9216 ADDRESS 1601 Newcastle, Westchester, Il. 60154 PHONE 708-865-8071 E-mail: d.infant@comcast.net CONTACT PERSON Elsie Masterson 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 December 13, 2015 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS