Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church 10600 S. Archer Avenue Lemont, Illinois 60439-9344 (Ph) 630.257.7000 (Fx) 630.257.7912 E-mail: stjames1833@att.net Website: www.historicstjames.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/saintjamesatsagbridge APRIL 28, 2013 FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 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 Mr. Rodney Poynter, Holy Name President Mrs. JoAnn Starha, Altar & Rosary Sodality President Rectory Support Staff Mrs. Jane Mayer, Administrative Assistant/Bulletin Editor Mrs. Bronislawa Raj, Housekeeper/Cook
Page Two April 28, 2013 FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR AND NOW A WORD ABOUT THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT A W The Gospel for this Fifth Sunday of Easter took place at the Last Supper. St. John was eyewitness number one, sitting right next to Jesus at the table. On the night before He died the Lord was eager to tell His apostles what was closest to His heart. He gave them a new commandment to be added to the ten given by His Father to Moses, kind of like an eleventh commandment. When Judas had left Jesus said: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. God will also glorify Him in Himself, and He will glorify Him at once... So now I say to you that I will give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should also love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. We Catholics don t always understand the demands that this one new commandment makes on us. Love one another. Some of us think that the Church has become too soft. Actually it is the laity that has become too soft, because of the lack of enforcement of Church Law on the part of the authorities. Most Catholics have no sense of responsibility. They come to Mass late dressed like slobs, do not participate in the prayers, give little or nothing in the baskets, receive Communion disrespectfully, and leave early. Unchurched Catholics expect to receive all of the sacraments without any commitment on their part. And they never address the priest as Father. Here at St. James most of our people don t know what the inside of Sag Hall looks like. They have never been in it. They also don t know how to say the Rosary or make the Stations of the Cross. They don t go to Confession. And they wouldn t know what Benediction looks like. Their motto is: say yes to everything; anything goes. They are in desperate need of an eleventh commandment. The other ten don t seem to be doing any of them any good. Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia. It was the eleventh commandment of love that inspired the early missionaries of the Church, like St. Paul and St. Barnabas whom we heard about in the first reading to travel great distances under difficult circumstances to proclaim the teachings of the Risen Savior. It was love that made their hearers accept the faith and to persevere in it so that the Church could spread throughout the world. It was love that moved the martyrs to give up their lives for that faith. It was love that inspired the saints to serve others unselfishly without hope of gain. And it is that same love for one another that will make us faithful Catholics today. But Our Lord would have never given us a special commandment without providing us with a means to fulfill it. That is why in the Mass we not only look upon the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, we also participate in it through the reception of Holy Communion. Sharing in the Eucharist helps us to become more and more like Jesus so that we may keep His extra commandment. Love one another. TWO MAY DAYS Twelve of our little darlings will receive their First Holy Communions at a 10:00 a.m. Mass next Saturday, May 4th. On the following day, Sunday, May 5th, they will form an escort for our May Crowning procession after the 10:00 a.m. Mass. If it is raining heavy the May Crowning will take place in church. Soon to be confirmed Eighth Grader, Cecilia Podczerwinski will do the crowning, assisted by her sister, Clare. GOD BLESS OUR PARISH, FATHER ED GLEESON, PASTOR
Fifth Sunday of Easter Page Three The two large bouquets of flowers surrounding our altar were made available by the generosity of TOM & GRACE KULAWIAK and in loving memory of HELEN STRZEMPEK The collection for St. James on the weekend of April 21, 2013 is $3,489.82. The number of April 21st Offertory Envelopes handed in the weekend of April 20th and 21st was 142. The amount of money coming out of those envelopes was $2,928.15 which averages out to $20.70 per envelope. Our many thanks to the 142 contributing families. BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND VALUED SUPPORT. Let them know how grateful you are for all that they have done for you. Whether you want to remember your mother, wife, grandmother, mother- Spiritual Bouquets in-law, Godmother sister, aunt, daughter or a friend she will share in the Spiritual Benefits offered at the 11:30 Mass on Mother s Day, May 12th. This thoughtful gift is also appropriate for that special deceased loved one. What a comforting thought to know she too can receive spiritual benefits. That special person and her intention will be remembered in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in our church. Mother s Day Spiritual Bouquet cards, envelopes and offering envelopes are available in back of church. All intentions should be returned to the rectory (or dropped in the collection baskets) by Tuesday, May 7th. Their names will appear in the bulletin and read from the pulpit on May 11th & 12th. Any last minute names can be added to the pulpit list only. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MAY CROWNING Sunday, May 5, 2013 Will be held in the grotto after the 10:00a.m. Mass. The 12 First Communicants will march in procession from the church to the grotto. Cecilia Podczerwinski will do the crowning, assisted by her sister, Clare. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CONFIRMANDI RECEIVED AT 10:00 A.M. MASS SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013 8TH GRADERS: James Beecher Kevin Madden Lauren Formanski Angela Mikrut Megan Ginger Heather Miller Nicole Juskus Cecilia Podczerwinski Ahnna Kolacki Anna Podkowski Olivia Kurtz Danielle Quattrocki Madeline LaSota William Tishuk Timothy Lawler Isabella Wallace FIRST COMMUNICANTS RECEIVED AT 10:00 A.M. MASS SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013 Nicholas Boswell Mary Therese Lawler Gabriella Estrada Olivia Mohil Jessica Jacobek Veronica LaSota Christopher Kravcik Margaret McLain Kevin Dillenburg Joshua Szarzynski Michael Lawler Cecilia Waligora MT. ASSISI ACADEMY & ALVERNIA MANOR SENIOR LIVING Will host its 18th Annual Golf on the Hill Outing at Cog Hill Golf Course For more information contact: Kim Johnson Quinn 630.257.7844 or via email: kquinn@mtassisi.org GARDENING Kind hearts are the garden, Kind thoughts are the root, Kind words are the blossoms, Kind deeds are the fruit. --Anonymous
Page Four April 28, 2013 MEMORIAL PATHWAY BLOCKS For OUR LADY OF THE FOREST GROTTO We have many new parishioners and families since the Grotto was first built. If you have not done so already it would be an ideal time to get your personally inscribed grotto stones. Why not honor those special people in our lives with a gift that will last a lifetime. Or perhaps if you have recently lost a loved one, have them remembered with a lasting engraved stone in their memory. We will be taking Grotto Stone orders now. We expect to have any new engraved stones ready and installed by late September or early October. Please note that bricks will be located randomly and cannot be determined where any individual brick will be placed. DEADLINE JUNE 24, 2013 8 x 8 STONES limit of 12 characters per line, including any spaces 8 Square Stones cost $250.00 ea. 12 Square Stones cost $500.00 ea. 12 X 12 STONES limit of 15 characters per line, including any spaces I have enclosed $ for block (s). Make check payable to St. James at Sag Bridge Church. Name: Phone No. Address City State Zip
Fifth Sunday of Easter Page Five Six-Minute Reflections On the Sunday Gospels of Easter (Year C) LYDDA Located about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem and nine miles east of Joppa, the Jewish town of Lydda was founded by a descent of the tribe of Benjamin. The early history of Lydda is rich with the names of historical figures. The great Roman military leader, Pompey captured Lydda during his siege of Jerusalem in 63 B.C. In 48 B.C., Julius Caesar gave Lydda to the Jews. Four years later, his successor, Gaius Cassius (the Roman senator who instigated Caesar s murder), sold the people into slavery when they were unable to pay sufficient tribute to him. They were later freed by Cassius successor, Marc Antony (the Roman general who was a political ally and lover of Cleopatra), in 42 B.C. Although the Romans renamed the city Diospolis, the people continued to refer to their town as Lod or Lydda. The martyr St. George (patron saint of England) is believed to have been a native of Lydda, and a church was later built over what was said to have been his tomb. On Sundays we re looking at accounts of people being raised from the dead in the Gospels or Acts of the Apostles. Except this Sunday. What follows is a miracle worked through Peter. It s not a raising from the dead, but it s too good to pass up. PETER S MIRACLE In the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter (who until now has been in Jerusalem) begins to travel outside the holy city, bringing the good news to others. He goes to the city of Lydda, about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Here is how Luke describes it. As Peter was passing through every region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed. Aeneas got up at once. And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were converted to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35) Not to overlook the significance of this miracle (the poor fellow had been in bed paralyzed for eight years) but there s something about those words of Peter after the cure: Get up and make your bed. (What Peter wanted, of course, was for the man to show that he had really been cured.) Parents have spoken those words to youngsters hundreds of times. Now they can do it, knowing they re quoting Scripture: Get up and make your bed. Then, of course, after Peter says this, note the man s response: He got up at once. Now, in many homes, that would be the miracle. DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH St. Catherine of Siena feast day is April 29th. Catherine is one of four woman who have been named doctors of the Church, a title given by a pope or a council to certain saints whose writings have been of fundamental influence in the development of the Church s teachings. It is a distinctive honor - until the 16th century there were only eight doctors of the Church. In 1960 there were 30. In 1970 Pope Paul VI declared St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church, the first women to be so honored. On October 19, 1997, John Paul II gave this title to St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower ). Theresa (who died at age 24) is the youngest doctor of the Church. On October 7, 2012, during opening ceremonies for the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed St. John of Avila, a 16th-century Spanish priest, and St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century German abbess and mystic, as the newest doctors of the Church. We re 20 days away from Pentecost, Often called the birthday of the Church. When Judas had left the supper, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. (Jn 13-31) Jesus is speaking affectionately to his disciples at the Last Supper table, hours away from his death. It s hard to believe the kind of love that Jesus has for us, this man who ate and drank with sinners. It is beautiful to behold. We are probably a very young Church. We probably have hundreds of thousands of years to go yet as a community of disciples. We are still discovering the implications of the message of Jesus. But one thing is clear: The things Jesus is saying this week about love are meant to be a commandment, not a frill. His commandment is meant to be our trademark, not just one of many interesting features. I am also in the process of learning more about the teachings of Jesus and how they apply to my life. In order to follow his commandment of love, I ll need to place an emphasis on the heart in addition to what I know about love in my head. Lord, let your words be inscribed on my heart. Today. POPE PIUS V AND THE ROSARY Pope Pius V helped standardize the rosary. Pius was elected pope in 1566. He was one of the leaders of the Catholic counter-reformation and the pope who excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1570 for her persecution of Catholics. A member of the Dominican order, Pius held great devotion to the Blessed Mother and the rosary. In 1569, he standardized the rosary s 15 mysteries as they re known today. He also formalized the prayer that had been developing for centuries as the recitation of 150 Hail Marys in decades (groups of 10), separated by an Our Father, with a meditation on one of the mysteries during each decade. (In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the luminous mysteries.) Pius V also formally approved the addition of the petitionary ending to the Hail Mary. Until that time, the prayer had consisted only of the Scriptural beginning. When the Ottoman Turks threatened to cross the Mediterranean, Pius encouraged the people to pray the rosary so they might be spared from attack. In 1571, he established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary to thank the Blessed Mother for her help in defeating the invaders at the Battle of Lepanto. Pius V was canonized in 1712. The next year, his feast day was inserted in the General Roman Calendar for celebration on May 5. In 1969, the date was moved to April 30, the day before the anniversary of his death on May 1, 1572. [If God is glorified in him.] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. (Jn 13:32) This week s meditation comes from what is called the Last Supper discourse in the Gospel of St. John. People who preach frequently during the Easter season often wish for the miracles and parables that are found in other Sunday Gospels. This week s Gospel, on the other hand, provides a very deep message. It forces homilists to do something they may not do often enough - preach on the great mysteries of our faith. Homilists are more accustomed to applying the Christian message to things of daily life and therefore to teach behavior. My behavior, for example, changes when I see things differently. But I also need to hear about the great mysteries of God and the Eucharist and Word of God, and faith and grace... The great mysteries invite me to see things differently, to see myself differently, and that new vision will lead me to act differently - more like Christ.
Page Six Second April Sunday 28, 2013 of Advent Page Five Fifth Sunday of Easter April 28, 2013 "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race." -- Revelation 21:3 Today's first and second readings seem to contradict each other. In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas remind the other disciples that they would "undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). But in the second reading from Revelation, John says there will be "no more... mourning, wailing, or pain" (Revelation 21:4). These two sides of the Kingdom show how real our faith is. Life is frequently contradictory. A woman in labor moves from pain to joy in seconds after her child is born. She doesn't forget the pain, but knows it is necessary for the joy of new birth. Only the artist knows how much effort and pain went into the creation of a painting, sculpture, or symphony. That's why Jesus in the Gospel talks of his coming death on the cross as the way that God will glorify him. Even God does not do things the easy way. Jesus didn't send a stunt man to take his place on the cross. It was God who was born in poverty, in a time of high infant mortality (even higher when Herod tried to kill the Child). It was God who suffered, from the Agony in the Garden through the Crucifixion. So when Jesus tells us to love one another as he has loved us, he knows what it cost. And he also knew that his death on the cross would be the beginning of a way of love that will eventually lead to "no more death or mourning, wailing or pain." We're not there yet, but we know we are not alone in our suffering for "God himself will always be with them" (Revelation 21:3).Tom Schmidt, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co. THE WAYS OF LOVE: One can feel the energy of a young, growing church in today's first reading. For Paul and Barnabas, it's smooth sailing. For the sponsoring church at Antioch, good news. The second reading--a vision--offers a picture of triumph, pure and simple. We might paraphrase God's direct words to read: "Don't you see? I make all things new!" The young church remains new and young to this day if and when it follows the command Jesus lays down in the Gospel: "Love one another." The attitude and actions of love define the disciples and identify them with their master. Every person on this earth can be a disciple. For discipleship does not depend on learning or sophistication or age or arcane knowledge of secret cults. We are asked to study and practice the ways of love, right here and right now in the company of ordinary people. Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION: Frequent fliers today have many ways to accrue air miles, so one doesn't always have to endure long hours in cramped seats to earn free hours in cramped seats. In St. Paul's day, there were no such perks, nor would there have been any legal system for him to protest the shipwrecks he endured. He had other rewards in mind. The churches that he established in the catalogue of cities from today's first reading must have been very different from one another. Language, culture, customs, religious history, obstacles to community, social challenges, the places where they met, their clothing, their bread and wine, all distinct, particular to the area. There were social customs as well: in a Christian household, the only place where a slave would be able to stand legally as an equal with the master would be at the table of the Lord, because at that table a new world of reconciliation was imaged. While Paul revered local customs, he was relentless about challenging the ways that people lived their Christian lives and how their worship reflected them. It is much the same today, as a global Catholic Church seeks to respect local customs and culture, allowing for differences in many things, yet always giving expression to the underlying presence of Christ, who binds us all together into his body. --James Field, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co. When we clean, repair, or otherwise restore things in our possession, we often say "good as new" or "just like new." This, according to Revelation, is what happens to anything that is filled with the glory of Christ. When scripture uses the word "new" it doesn't merely mean "a different one, a replacement" (as our advertisements do), but it carries the sense of something being transformed so fully and completely that it is now almost unrecognizable. Our world is filled with tears, death, pain, thirst, darkness; but the new world--the new heavens and new earth brought about by Christ's resurrection--is filled with joy, everlasting life, glory, living water, and light. As Paul noted in his second letter to the church at Corinth, if we are in Christ, then we are a new creation. And disciples who are a new creation, who live in the new heaven and earth brought about by Christ, are also daily practitioners of a new commandment: to love one another with that transforming, re-new-ing love that Christ bestowed on us. OPENING DOORS: Today's reading from Acts ends with a curious turn of phrase: that God had "opened the door of faith" to the Gentiles (non-jewish people) through Paul and Barnabas. For modern ears, this doesn't sound startling, but remember that Paul and Barnabas and those who first preached the gospel believed that their only mission was to the house of Israel. They were only interested in bringing other Jews to faith in Christ. In their world, this sort of reaching beyond religious boundaries was more unheard of than it is for us today. Even more significant, note how careful Luke (the author of Acts) is to state that, through Paul and Barnabas, it is God who had opened the door. None of us can ever think that we bring people to faith, or that we by ourselves open the door of faith. The best we can hope for--and what a glorious hope it is!--is that God will work through us to open the door of faith for others. BACK TO THE UPPER ROOM: Jesus washed his follower's feet before his passion. In our Easter joy, we might want to forget the betrayal of Judas and the suffering that Jesus consequently had to endure. We don't know if there was an actual door to the upper room, but Judas had to leave through some sort of doorway; he had to cross some sort of threshold in order to complete his mission to betray Jesus. But even Judas' opening of that door of betrayal, Jesus instructs us, is changed by God's power into glory: the glorification of Christ in his resurrection, and the ultimate glorification of God. Since they are in the room where he washed their feet, Jesus reminds his disciples--and reminds us still today--that the purpose of glory is service. Often, through our own witness to the commandment to love one another as Christ loves us, God once again opens the door of faith for someone. Today's Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Ps 145:8-13; Rev 21:1-5a; Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35 Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Company
Fifth Sunday of Easter Page Seven VOTIVE CANDLES Votive offering for the week of April 28, 2013 St. James Altar & Rosary Sodality Special int. for the Arra Family Special int. for Pat Aguda Rest in Peace Theresa Bidinger Special int. for the Golom Family Special int. for Lauren Golom Special int. for Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Ruminski Rest in Peace Tpr. James Sauter killed in line of duty 3/28/13 Special int. for Frank Sibr Monday April 29 St. Catherine of Siena 8:15 AM Special int. for Marie Hilan Tuesday April 30 St. Pius V 8:15 AM Birthday int. for Janice Macfarlane Wednesday May 1 St. Joseph the Worker 7:00 PM Special int. for Karl Lynch PRAY FOR OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE MILITARY Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them for the selfless acts they perform for us. Amen. LCPI Luke Nyenhuis United States Marine Corps. 1st Anglico (Unit) serving in Afghanistan Lemont, IL Thursday May 2 St. Athanasius 8:15 PM Jan Krol Friday May 3 Ss. Philip & James 8:15 AM Mieczyslaw Piś Saturday May 4 VIGIL: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 10:00 AM First Communion Mass 5:30 PM Birthday int. for Peter Mayer Sunday May 5 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 8:30 AM Betty Eby 10:00 AM Frank & Josephine Tessitore 11:30 AM Anthony & Anne Spidale 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER 5/4/13 & 5/5/13 5:30PM 8:30AM 10:00AM 11:30AM Celebrant Father Gleeson Father Gleeson Father J. Fahey Father Gleeson Altar P. Peters K. Madden J. Beecher Servers M. Ginger J. Wesolowski J. Beecher M. Dooley A. Dillenburg A. Bertucci Lector M. Ginger C. Stach-Pearman Beecher Tishuk W. Tishuk T. Szarzynski J. Szarzynski LEM Deacon John Deacon John Father Gleeson Deacon John 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