November 27, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

November 27, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

It’s the first Sunday of Advent this weekend.  While, it can be very easy to go from Thanksgiving to Christmas, praise God for the blessing of the Advent season because it is one of the best times to prepare our hearts for the beauty of the Christmas season and to recognize our need for the Savior.  Let’s journey together this season, starting with the Masses this weekend.  We pray to see you then or at the livestream.

THIS COMING WEEK

Weekend Mass Links and Livestream of the Mass 

  • Father James will be preaching this weekend, please sign-in ahead of time online at this link https://bit.ly/3he0WxJ so we can adequately prepare for all who are attending Mass.  (The sign-in is live by Tuesday of each week).
    During the 10AM Mass, for those that are feeling uncomfortable about being inside the Church but would like to receive Holy Communion, you can watch the Mass while in your car in the Parking Lot, and then when it is time to receive Holy Communion, the parking attendants will guide you as to how to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
  • In addition to Facebook, we live stream on YouTube as well!  Subscribe to your OLM YouTube Channel here; subscribing helps the livestream effort out and will give you alerts on when the Mass is live.
  • The livestream of the Mass is courtesy of the CRHP Christ Renews His Parish ministry.  Thank you so much.
  • We’ve purchased permanent equipment for our live stream needs (camera, audio, software, and all that it entails).  Would you like to help with the livestream? We’re looking for interested individuals to join our livestream team.  Connect with zara@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org to join this new ministry.

Advent Resources https://bit.ly/39hMhjr

  • Advent is a good time to reset our prayer life and to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus; pick up one of the following Advent Reflection booklets after all the Masses this weekend—Word Among Us or Little Books.  For those that cannot make it to church, please see the following online resources.
  • Sign up for the following free online resources
  • Download the App for the following paid subscription
  • MyParish App Advent Button

Ladies Virtual Advent Tea 11/29th An Advent Season Rooted in Hope by Kate Wicker https://bit.ly/2IcQM3u

PADS Hesed House on 12/1 https://pads.rehmer.com/

  • Please help our brothers and sisters in need; sign up for any of the items posted above or send funds via the Give page or checks payable to Our Lady of Mercy and note on the memo “Hesed House-PAD”. Thank you so much for your generosity.
  • ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’— Matthew 25:40

Bible Study – A Biblical Walk With the Blessed Mother  12/2/20 thru 1/27/20 https://study.ascensionpress.com/studies/52878/registrations/new 

  • What a great way to prepare our hearts to herald Jesus’ birth than to go through a Biblical Walk With the Blessed Mother starting 12/2nd. Get to know the only woman who knew Jesus the best and the one to whom God had entrusted His most precious and only begotten Son. Connect with Joe Wiacek at joewiacek@gmail.com or at 630-240-6993 for any questions. Sign-up at the link.  Connect with Joe Wiacek at joewiacek@gmail.com or at 630-240-6993 for any questions.  Here are the details
    DATES. December 2 – January 27 (Dec. 23 and 30 are off)
    WHERE. Virtual or in person at the PLC (limited space)
    TIME. 7pm – 8:30pm except night 1 will be 7pm – 9pm

Mobile Food Pantry on Weds 12/2nd https://bit.ly/36dlMtG

  • Please spread the word on the Mobile Food Pantry this month.  Share the attached link. If you have a Facebook account, share the Facebook post from our page, this is an easy way to help someone you may be unaware that is in need of food.

1st Friday and 1st Saturday Devotions 12/4 & 12/5 

  • 1st Friday 12/4
    • Respect Life 1st Friday devotion from 8am to 2pm  https://bit.ly/3fHaPDs
      • We hope you can come out anytime from 8am to 2pm, to pray for the helpless, innocent unborn who can’t speak for themselves.  Pray in front of Planned Parenthood, at the public right of way access.   Connect with Jane Fonner for any questions (630)851-8433 or janecfonner@comcast.net.
    • Confessions immediately following the 8am Mass.
  • 1st Saturday 12/5 after the 8:30AM Mass is the First Saturday Devotion
    • This devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message. It centers on the urgent need for mankind to offer reparation and atone for the many injuries that the Immaculate Heart of Mary suffers from the hands of those who are irreverent and indifferent.
    • The devotion consists of the following on 5 consecutive first Saturdays
      1. Going to Confession
      2. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion
      3. Praying five decades of the Rosary
      4. Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary
    • Find out the reasons why the five Saturdays from our Lord Jesus to Sister Lucia as well as additional details here.  We hope you incorporate this powerful devotion into your life.  Please connect with Bonnie Ramirez 630-723-4289 for any questions.

Fair Trade Sale Online sponsored by the Peace & Justice Ministry https://www.serrv.org/?a=JusticeandPeaceFTSale

  • Shop for some unique items from the convenience of your home and choose from a wider variety than the sales we have held in person in the past.
  • Fair-trade is a way of helping farmers and artisans in developing countries by offering them a minimum price for their produce or products and thus insuring them a decent wage. It is a good practice for all involved.
  • Gifts to buy? Homes to spruce? Shop handmade from the web link below and 100% of your purchase will support SERRV International, a nonprofit that employs global artisans living in poverty. Do a world of good and support this Our Lady of Mercy Serrv and Earn fundraiser today. Here is SERRV & Earn web link: https://www.serrv.org/?a=JusticeandPeaceFTSale
  • The weekend of 12/5-12/6 is free ground shipping for orders over every $50 purchase.  Use the promo code SECSNOWMAN20.  Please be sure to use the link and check the orange banner at the top of the home page before shopping, to be sure our parish sale is identified. Thank you!  Any questions call Chris Harvey 631-561-9722 or Jean Rehmer 630-851-3444 x232

LOOKING AHEAD

Our Lady of Mercy’s Hispanic Ministry Advent Schedule 

  • Join OLM’s Hispanic Ministry at the following events https://bit.ly/37bKud3 during this Advent season.  Let’s journey together at these beautiful gatherings, in-person or virtual,  discovering how God wants to make this season into a time for us to grow closer to Him and come to know Him better.

Hispanic & Ethnic Ministry of the Diocese of Joliet is sponsoring a virtual Our Lady of Guadalupe event on 12/10th: Saludos amigos en el Ministerio Hispano https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Virgen_de_Guadalupe

  • Saludos amigos en el Ministerio Hispano
    Les comparto este evento virtual para aprender sobre el Simbolismo de la Virgen de Guadalupe, siéntanse libres de compartir con sus comunidades.
  • Cualquier dudar puede comunicarse con William Becerra 815 -221 -6247 wbecerra@dioceseofjoliet.org 

Christmas Flower Offerings

  • This Christmas we will decorate the church with poinsettias around the altar. If you wish to make a gift towards the flowers please go to Give page and log into the secure Online Giving site and choose “Flowers:”. If you wish to memorialize your loved ones you can add their names in the Comments section. The recommended donation is $10.00. Thank you for your generosity and for helping to make our church beautiful during the holiday season.

Alpha @ OLM registration https://olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org/alpha/

  • Virtual Alpha registration is open-ended! It’s never too late to sign-up.  Do you have questions?  Are you looking for a place to find an authentic community right now?  Try Alpha.

Bulletin

  • Don’t forget to check out Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article is located here.

Supporting OLM | Parish Sacrificial Giving

  • OLM is only able to do any of this because of YOU! Your continued prayers and words of encouragement keep us going and your generosity continues to create more opportunities for OLM to keep our family connected and bring people to Jesus, form them as disciples and send them on mission.
  • If you are experiencing hardship during this time, please reach out and let us know how we can help, here is a private link.
  • If you are not experiencing hardship at this time, please consider supporting our efforts and support our community through your giving, our Give page is accessed here or text an offering amount to (630)647-8105, follow the rest of the instructions.
  • Do you shop on Amazon?  If so, you can help OLM just by shopping for yourself!  Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know and love-same products, same prices, same service. There is no change to your user ID, password, wish lists, registries, or Amazon Prime benefits.  Here is how
    • Every time you shop on Amazon, please type the following web link in your browser from your computer or mobile device: smile.amazon.com then select Our Lady of Mercy Parish, in Aurora, IL as your charitable organization of choice.
    • Please update your bookmark or favorites to use this link every time for every purchase.
    • Only purchases made through smile.amazon.com credit our account, not the main website or the app.

Angel Giving Program 2020

  • Our Angel Tree Giving Program Is Going Virtual!  Due to the pandemic, and in order to minimize contact, this year we have decided that there will not be tree tags available in the Narthex, but rather, all donations for our Angel Giving Program can be made online or by mail!
  • Who Will Benefit From Your Donation? Our Angel Giving Program will benefit Mutual Ground and Breaking Free clients and their families, Our Lady of Mercy parishioners who receive support from St. Vincent de Paul, and the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry.
  • Ways To Donate! Donations for the Angel Giving Program can be donated in one of the following ways:
    1) We encourage you to donate via our Online Giving portal under the “Angel Giving Program” fund. If you already have an Online Giving account set-up, then you can log into your account to make your donation HERE.
    2) You may also write a check made out to Our Lady of Mercy Church with “Angel Giving” in the memo line and mail it to 701 S Eola Road, Aurora, IL 60504 OR after Masses you may place your check in a bin in the Narthex that is labeled “Angel Giving Program.”
    It is important to remember to write “Angel Giving” in the memo of your check so that it goes to the correct fund and can be documented correctly for tax statement purposes.
  • All donations can be made thru December 31, 2020.
  • Thank you for your prayerful consideration to give to those in need who will benefit from your donations!

Christmas Schedule Letter

  • The Christmas Schedule Letter will be released on December 4th.  Those who are registered parishioners will receive this in the mail.  We will also post on our website and send via email.  With that said, if you haven’t made it official, come and be a registered parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy! You can register online here.

Thank you for being mindful about keeping each other safe by observing social distancing, wearing masks, and sanitizing your hands while inside the Church and PLC.  Your cautious way of following the social distancing parameters helps us to stay open and hold the Sacraments.

Each week, we will post a reflection from one of the Advent Resources.

FROM WORD AMONG US

I give thanks . . . for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Welcome to Advent! Whether it’s your first time entering this holy season or your ninetieth, be assured that God, your heavenly Father, is eager to bestow his grace on you.

As Paul says in today’s second reading, God has already poured his grace on you. He has given you access to every spiritual gift as you wait for Jesus to reveal himself to you (1 Corinthians 1:7). And God wants to do even more. He wants you to have a great Advent! He wants to make this season into a time for you to grow closer to him and come to know him better.

That doesn’t necessarily mean these days before Christmas will be easy. Your faith might deepen, or you might receive unexpected blessings. But you might also experience hardship or setbacks. Yet no matter what happens, God will reward whatever effort you put into your Advent preparations. That’s because he wants nothing more than for you to deepen your relationship with Jesus. That’s the grace God is offering you this season.

So dig in! Start by committing to spend more time in prayer this month. Use this magazine to read the Mass readings and meditations with an open heart. Participate in the life of your parish, maybe through Eucharistic Adoration or a service project. Pick up a spiritual book or do an Advent Bible study to develop your understanding of your faith.

Above everything else, be hopeful: “God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son” (1 Corinthians 1:9). That’s what this season is all about.

“Father, I want to experience your blessing as I wait and watch and prepare this Advent.”