December 5, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

December 5, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

Thank you for praying, Father Don’s surgery went well, and he is now home!  Please continue to keep him in your prayers for a full recovery.   This Sunday is the start of the 2nd week of Advent and we hear from Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, who exhorts us to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”  We hope you join us at the Masses this weekend to do just that; let’s set our hearts on preparing the way for Jesus to be born anew in us at the Mass.

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!  Please consider subscribing to your OLM YouTube Channel here; subscribing helps the livestream efforts out.
  • We have a livestream ministry.  It is fun, easy, and fulfilling to take part in.  We are seeking creative individuals who are interested in joining our “Stream Team” to help continue to bring the Masses at Our Lady of Mercy online.  If you are interested or know someone who would enjoy volunteering in this role, please connect with zara@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org

Christmas Schedule Letter

  • In addition to the email, the Christmas Schedule Letter will be received via mail for all who are registered parishioners.  The mailing includes the Christmas Schedule, a flyer of the Advent Schedule and 2021 Save the Date Events.
  • If you are not a registered parishioner; make it official perhaps?  Here is a link to the parishioner registration.
  • You can access the Christmas Schedule here and the Advent Schedule here.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 12/8th

  • Tuesday, December 8th Masses celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mama Mary is at 8AM, 12PM, and 6:30PM.  The livestream will be of the 8AM Mass.
  • On this feast, we celebrate that God, in His mercy, poured His grace into Mary and continues to pour it out as an abundant, ongoing gift to every one of His children.  Let us thank the Lord, for giving us Immaculate Mary as our Mother and our great model of faith.  “Salve, salve, salve Regina!”

 

LOOKING AHEAD

Our Lady of Mercy’s Hispanic Ministry Advent Schedule 

  • Join OLM’s Hispanic Ministry at the following events 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.  Here is the link to sign-up for the Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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 

A Christmas Themed MAGNIFY on 12/16th

  • Spend time in the Presence of our Lord in Adoration, and share that experience with others. Invite them to experience the gift of Jesus Christ; it’s like Christmas every day of the year.  Bring your family and friends.
    Join Father James as he leads us in adoring Jesus, accompanied by Josh Goodman. Father James will be hearing Confessions up until sometime before Benediction after he leads us in a scriptural reflection.  Sign-in ahead of time here or at the door.

Simbang Gabi on 12/19th

  • The Simbang Gabi Filipino tradition of celebrating devotional Mass in preparation for the coming of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ will be held on Saturday, December 19th @ 6pm.  Registration is on the Mass Sign-Up page or at this link, or please join us at the livestream.

We need your help!  Please sign-up to be an Usher for any of the Nine Christmas Masses

  • Spread Christmas Joy on Christmas—come out and help us keep each other safe in a joyous way at one of the Christmas Masses.   We could really use your assistance.  Usher volunteer sign-up located here.

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!

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 MAGNIFICAT

Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins

John the Baptist appeared in the desert. Today’s Gospel passage provides a detailed description of John’s startling appearance: camel’s hair, leather belt, locusts, wild honey. Despite his looks, people were going out to him from the whole Judean countryside and…Jerusalem. Why? What drew them to present themselves before this preacher of repentance? What did they hope to receive?

Perhaps they, like each of us, were aware of a deep-seated need for forgiveness. Perhaps they approached and stood in line nervously as we might do while waiting to enter the ­confessional, having experienced the same wrenching acknowledgment of sin and having gone out to seek the grace of forgiveness.

Although the people were fascinated by John, he admits that he is not the one to dispense this grace. He speaks not of himself but of Jesus, of whom he is unworthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. Only the One coming after him, the Savior who in all generosity stoops to untangle the knot of our sins and thoroughly cleanse us, will supply the grace to overcome sin.

In Advent, the grace of Jesus waits for us in the confessional. Let yourself be drawn there, as the people were drawn to the Jordan. Allow yourself first to be convicted, then converted, and finally, redeemed by the Christ Child’s love.

Melinda Knight

Merciful Father, help me to accept the grace of repentance
and to make a good confession this Advent.
Let my heart be opened to the healing love
of your Son, in the power
of the Holy Spirit.