Today our gospel reading is the very familiar “beatitudes.” And while these are certainly worthwhile statement of Jesus to reflect upon, for this bulletin article I want to reflect upon our second reading today – St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. It is a topic so central to our faith! The Corinthian Christians brought Paul genuine blessedness in their enthusiasm for the faith, their spiritual gifts and their desire to live in accord with the challenges of the good news. Still, their recalcitrance in certain matters and their misinterpretations of some of Paul’s teaching must have weighed heavily upon him. Paul was required to explain at length and in detail several very important truths. From these explanations, successive generations of believers including ours, have certainly benefited. The truth in question today is the resurrection of the dead.

There were a variety of factors that had influenced and distorted the Corinthian believers’ understanding of the resurrection. Fully aware of those factors, Paul was also fully convinced that if belief in the resurrection should unravel, so also would the entire fabric of the faith. For that reason, he wrote with an intensity and a fervor that could not be ignored to affirm the centrality of the resurrection and to dispel all notions to the contrary.

According to Paul, the resurrection of Jesus was not a fable. Paul insisted that it is the story of a real event, a bodily resurrection. Christ, risen from death is not just a symbol or an abstract truth, removed from reality. Therefore, those who deny that God has the power to raise the dead are placing themselves in contradiction to the Gospel. Furthermore, Paul was adamant in his claim that if Christ is not raised then the whole foundation of the Christian faith has been undone and a series of disastrous consequences has been thereby precipitated. The consequences Paul enumerates: 1. Our proclamation is in vain! 2. We are false witnesses! 3. Your faith is in vain and worthless! 4. You are still in your sins and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are the deadest of the dead! All of these consequences lead to a stark result….we are the most pitiable of all peoples!

If Christ is not raised, we preach a message that is an illusion. We offer as a cure for this world’s ills a lie that hides the terrible truth that we are powerless and alone. If there is no resurrection, our lifestyle of self-denial and service makes no sense – those who follow Jesus are mere “chumps” who are missing out on their fair share of this life’s rewards. But, we who stand for Christ and the resurrection are not “chumps”. Rather, we are believers who are willing to be thought of as fools for the sake of the faith. For, as Paul has said elsewhere in his correspondence with the Corinthians, “God has chosen the foolish of the world to shame the wise.” (1 Cor 1:27)

Paul’s writings must have had a profound impact, as we Christians today boldly and steadfastly proclaim that Christ has died! Christ has risen! And one day we will too!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

This Sunday is celebrated as Boy Scout Sunday in the church throughout our country. Girl Scout Sunday is observed on March 10th. Our Lady of Mercy has recently taken on the sponsorship of Cub Scout Pac #123 and Boy Scout Troop #849. These groups were previously sponsored by a local grammar school and a now defunct church. Bishop Conlon is a big supporter of scouting troops, so it is a pleasure to welcome these scouting programs to OLM. For information about when, where and what time they meet contact: Jamie Patzer Johnson (jelf@yahoo.com) for the Cub Scout Pac and Tim Hickey (hicmin@gmail.com or 224.805.1919) for the Boy Scout Troop. Again, we welcome these organizations to our parish and look forward to supporting the character building nature of scouting in these boys and young men.

We are thrilled that ALPHA has gotten off to a great start! And despite the inclement weather on the first Tuesday and first Thursday sessions there was a great turn-out! And so much thanks and appreciation goes to Len Eickhoff, Sylvester from Buck Services and the other guys that helped set-up and take down. The fantastic home-cooked meals by Mimi and Dan Tse and their amazing crew were lovingly served to the ALPHA guests by the ALPHA team of hosts, greeters and helpers. And a special thank you to Zara Tan for coordinating the ALPHA program for Our Lady of Mercy Parish.

Last week the Church in the United States celebrated Catholic Schools Week. The theme being “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. Many of the Catholic grammar schools and high schools in our area held open houses. One thing to keep in mind is that Catholic parochial education is not merely private education. It is a ministry of the Church that fundamentally prepares young Catholics to live out their faith throughout the course of their lives. While we here at Our Lady of Mercy do not have a parochial grammar school, we do help families who want to send their children to a Catholic School with the cost of tuition. If you don’t currently send your child(ren) to a Catholic School and would like to, please contact me.

On January 26th we celebrated the Sacrament of First Reconciliation with 140 of our parish children. We pray that they will always feel God’s love and forgiveness and never shy away from receiving the sacrament throughout their lives. Thanks to the parents and catechists who helped prepare them to receive the sacrament.

Mark your calendars NOW! This is an event you and your family will not want to miss!! Our Lady of Mercy parish is hosting world famous singer, songwriter, author and inspirational speaker Tatiana “Tajci” Cameron who will perform a musical concert “I Thirst – The Crucifixion Story.” The concert is on Friday, April 5th at 7:00PM (two weeks before Good Friday). There is no charge and EVERYONE is invited. A free-will offering will be taken.

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr Don

In today’s gospel we hear Jesus proclaim what he has come to do – “to bring glad tidings to the poor….to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” This is OUR mission as well! And how we do that mission can have a great impact. In the one and a half years that Fr. Mark and I have been here, we have done a lot of observing and a lot of listening. We have spent many hours in discussion with staff, parishioners, and parish leaders. In our short time here, we have received much affirmation for some of the “changes” that have been initiated. We are told of a new energy and revitalized spirit. A universal concern has been a significant decline in Mass attendance. Over a period of 13 years OLM saw a decline of 20%. In the time Fr. Mark and I have been here, attendance has increased 13%. Last fiscal year OLM had the highest percentage increase in the Sunday collection among the 124 parishes in the Diocese. Fr. Mark and I do not and cannot take any credit for this……it is God working through the Holy Spirit touching people’s hearts and lives through HOW ministry is being approached at Our Lady of Mercy.

On January 8th I made a presentation to the leaders of all the ministries and organizations of OLM explaining the shift in the “how” I want us to undertake. It is modeled on the words of Pope Francis: “I dream of a missionary option capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.” We are undertaking a shift from a “maintenance mode” (we’ve always done it this way) to a focus on mission – to giving people the opportunity to meet Jesus, not just an institution. The institution (Church) is important….she holds up the highest standards of truth and morality. But many people give up trying to reach and live those standards because when they reach out to the church they are judged and condemned, told they have to change first, have no personal relationship with Jesus, and no communal support to even try to live as Jesus calls us to live. The old “pray, pay, obey” doesn’t work anymore. Obedience motivated from a converted heart that has met Jesus is true obedience. Obedience motivated by rules and fear misses the point. Jesus mingled and ate with sinners. He didn’t tell them to change first before he would meet with them. And I believe His accepting people where they were in their life, gave them the power to make needed changes.

So, I’ve asked all staff and ministry leaders to adopt a spirit of radical welcome here at OLM recognizing that every person has a unique journey and story that needs to be heard and respected. When someone calls or comes to our offices to request a baptism, wedding, funeral or registration in RE, I don’t want the first thing they hear is: “are you a registered parishioner?” I want our staff and all of us to approach every person who comes to us as sent by God for a reason. The attitude of welcome and invitation must permeate all we do at OLM. I want to give people a reason to come back, not leave. I want people invited to experience ALPHA and discover a totally new relationship with Jesus and His church. Each organization and ministry needs to ask the question… how does what we are doing, including how we celebrate Mass at OLM, bring others closer to Jesus? I’ve asked the staff, our parish leaders, and now I ask YOU to join the mission of radical welcome and invitation to ALPHA – as a permanent shift in our thinking at OLM!

Have a blessed week!

This past Wednesday night, six busses filled with teens from throughout the Diocese along with adult chaperones and chaplains (Fr. Mark is chaplain for one of the busses) left for Washington, D.C. to participate in the 46th annual Right For Life March upon the Capitol, Supreme Court, and National Mall. They will return this Sunday evening. On Tuesday, January 22nd, the actual anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, our 8:00AM Mass will be offered for the legal protection of unborn children. For the Church, there is no distinction between defending human life and promoting the dignity of the human person. Pope Benedict XVI writes in Caritas in Veritate (http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate.html) that “The Church forcefully maintains this link between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that ‘a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized.'” (no. 15). As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condition. The right to life is the first and most fundamental principle of human rights that leads Catholics to actively work for a world of greater respect for human life and greater commitment to justice and peace.

Locally, on another “front” of promoting the protection of the life of the unborn, most of you are aware of Waterleaf on New York Street in Aurora (and within our parish boundaries). Since 2009, Waterleaf has served more than 3,000 patients from 182 cities in 10 states. Their proximity to the third largest abortion provider in the country has enabled them to reach the most abortion-determined and abortion-vulnerable men and women with lifeaffirming messages and services. Hundreds of baby’s lives have been saved through their services. And there is more good news! Through the generosity of a property owner, benefactors and many donors, Waterleaf has begun construction on a new larger facility – RIGHT NEXT DOOR to that third largest abortion provider – Planned Parenthood. Our Lady of Mercy supports Waterleaf with donations and our prayers. I am pleased to announce that Our Lady of Mercy parish will make a $20,000 donation to the construction of the new Waterleaf facility. This donation, approved by our Finance Council, comes from our budget surplus of last fiscal year. The new facility will even have a 350 square foot chapel for the celebration of Mass, Eucharistic Adoration as well as non-denominational prayer services.

There are several ways to be involved in our Pro-Life Ministries. The 1st Friday of every month there are “prayer warriors” at the Planned Parenthood facilities. Middle school students are welcome to join our Gen Z for Life group. Detailed information about our Pro-Life ministries can be found on the parish website.

Have a Blessed Week and Choose Life!

Today ends the Christmas season in the Church calendar. We’ve moved from the babe in the manger to the man at the river. Upon Jesus’ baptism we are told in Luke’s account that “heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” From that point, Jesus began his public ministry. His baptism was a commissioning – and so was ours! Most of us were baptized as an infant and many of us today still don’t realize that we, in our baptism, were commissioned to bring the good news of the Gospel to others. We are, by our baptism, supposed to be missionary disciples! But many of the baptized haven’t experienced a personal relationship with Jesus to be able to truly evangelize others. If you are one of those many, I invite you to ALPHA. Please visit the parish website to learn more and register. Re-awake the spirit you received in baptism!! ALPHA begins on January 22nd and 24th.

As we end the Christmas season, there are some people that truly need to be recognized and appreciated. I hope you enjoyed the display of our nativity scene in the narthex this year. The platform was built by Jim Fisher. The Art & Environment Committee spend months prior to Christmas in creative thinking and planning, then procuring needed materials and executing their ideas. Then many hours are spent coordinating and decorating the church and grounds. So a profound thanks to Marty Kadziela, Linda Eickhoff, and Karen Schwartz for their beautiful work, creative ideas and dedication! All the floral arrangements you see in church were created by Marty, not pre-made by a florist. Thanks as well to the many volunteers who helped set-up the decorations throughout the week prior to Christmas and on December 23rd after 5:30pm Mass. Thanks to Jolene LeRoy for her idea to add the “memory trees”.

Another special thank you goes to Phyllis Anderson our sacristan and all around behind the scenes person who makes everything go smoothly. Much of what Phyllis does is detailed oriented and goes unnoticed by most, but Fr. Mark and I notice, and we are profoundly grateful for all she does! I lovingly refer to her as “mother church”!

Thanks to Frank Sauter our director of Liturgy & Music for all the work in his first year to carry on the tradition of an all parishioner orchestra for our Midnight Mass. The music was truly inspirational! So a special THANK YOU! – to all our parishioners who played instruments in the orchestra, and to parishioner Emily Brink for cantoring. Emily is currently doing Masters studies in vocal performance. Thanks to our choir, musicians, cantors and all liturgical ministers who served at Christmas Masses.

Thank you to all our PADS and Hesed House volunteers who spent part of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day preparing, cooking, and serving food and spending time with the homeless at Hesed House.

Finally, Fr. Mark and I again thank everyone who sent us cards or gave us personal Christmas gifts. We truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity!

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr Don

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord – the revelation that Jesus is a light to all nations. The magi are the first of many gentiles who will follow in their footsteps, including you and me. From the start of his life on earth, Jesus has come for all people but his kingdom will not be one that Herod – or anyone who covets power – will seek. The latter will only pretend to see the light, and their sight will be shadowed with fear. We have all experienced Epiphany….times when our night sky has been brightly lit, when our minds have been illumined, and when our hearts have been enlightened. When we live in the light, we are able to see that our lives, our families, our communities, no matter how humble, are glorious blessings. We respond to the light as the magi did – with gratitude, with honor, with gift. Unlike Herod who had worldly power, we are not weak with fear that we will lose our power. Because of his fear, he could only pretend to see the light that the magi were willing to share with him. We have seen the light!! Perhaps it was the day you bathed your first grandchild or the day you said “I love you” and knew that it was about more than romance and physical attraction. Perhaps it was the time you sat vigil with a dying loved one and knew that you were on holy ground. Perhaps a magnificent sunrise or sunset was an epiphany. Epiphany is also called “little Christmas” in many cultures. So we are called to pay forward this gift of light in our day-to-day experiences. Are we conscious of our responsibility to share the light? One way to share the light is to invite someone who may be experiencing darkness in their life to come to Alpha. Alpha starts January 22 & 24. Info and registration is at www.olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org/ alpha.

As I mentioned, Epiphany in some cultures is known as “little Christmas” and gifts are exchanged. Fr. Mark and I would like thank everyone who celebrated Christmas Mass with us at OLM. You are gift to us! We also thank those who gifted us with so many goodies and personal gifts. We truly appreciate your kindness! We also want to thank our Art & Environment Committee and the many volunteers who worked hours to decorate our church and parish grounds. I hope you enjoyed the new location of our nativity scene this year. We thank all our musicians who make our Christmas season so joyful in song. Thanks to those who served in liturgical ministries at our Christmas season Masses. We are also grateful to our maintenance staff for their efforts to keep everything clean, in order and working properly. Thanks to our Hispanic community for the beautiful celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Posadas, and to our Filipino community for the wonderful celebration of Simbang Gabi. And our children in the Religious Education program did a delightful re-enactment of the Christmas story. Thanks to all our staff for their work to make our Christmas celebrations welcoming. Our outdoor nativity has a new figure this year – the “Drummer Boy”. This is a gift by Debbie Schremp to her mother Geraldine Schremp in memory of David Schremp who died in January 2018. David is the son of Geraldine and brother of Debbie. David played the drums. Thank you to the Schremp’s for this donation.

Blessed Christmas Season!

Fr Don

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The word “family” may be a hot button word for many of us, especially following on the heels of Christmas when family experiences can be wonderful or barely tolerable. We may have different feelings about our own families and families in general. And for many, the Holy Family may be a romanticized or seem totally unrelated to real world families. But today’s readings have insights, no matter what our own experiences of family may be. In all the readings today, families are shaped by their faith, culture and traditions. In our Old Testament reading, Hannah, at the Temple, dedicated and gave over her only son, who would have a crucial role, unknown to her, in Israel’s early history. In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph followed the Jewish tradition of the Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem when they lost Jesus. And the advice given to community members and their families regarding how to live together, as found in Paul’s writing to the Colossians, is shaped by the faith and experience of the earliest Christians. The cultures, traditions and social norms in these readings are different from ours, but there are similarities here that we can relate to and learn from.

It is no surprise that parents ultimately must let go of their children. The story of Hannah’s offering is framed by religious practices of the period and was required by tradition. Samuel would become both prophet and king related to the lineage of King David. The significance of Hannah’s action for Israel’s future was understood by later generations. One gesture in one small family had a lasting impact only time would reveal. As parents are well aware, the outcomes of their sacrifices are usually known only in hindsight. Risks are taken on faith. Sometimes they exceed a family’s wildest hopes and dreams! Jesus’ spreading His wings probably came sooner than expected and brought with it both confusion and consternation. Mary and Joseph were not any better prepared than most parents are for the challenges of parenting. Jesus’ interests in the Temple surprised and puzzled them and may even have been contrary to their own. In some ways, they did not understand their child any better than most parents. Paul’s words to the Colossians are addressed to people who have already learned norms for family and community life from their Greek culture. His advice is animated by the Gospel. Demonstrating how to live together and teaching our children how to interact with others is what families do. But practicing kindness, humility, patience and forgiveness can seem idealistic in the daily stress of family life and the challenges of what is acceptable in our world. If the early Christians needed to be reminded about it, so do we!! It’s how our families become holy!!

As you know, our parish family has been enriched by the assignment of two seminarians. Senovio Sarabia has been with us since fall of 2017. He will be studying in the Holy Land this spring semester and will be ordained a transition deacon on March 30, 2019. Our other seminarian, Luis Miguel Garcia has been with us since this fall. He has discerned that he needs to take time off from seminary studies. He is returning home to Mexico to further reflect on what God wants him to do with his life. Please keep both Senovio and Luis in your prayers.

Blessed Christmas Season!

Fr Don

From our youth and even into our adult years, we have all lived at times with eager anticipation of some upcoming event in our life. We imagined how great it would be when “it” – whatever it was – finally happened or arrived. The closer we get to the actual day of the event, the more excited we became. Hardly sleeping on Christmas Eve to finally at last open gifts on Christmas morning. I loved that red shinny bike! You may have been waiting for the birth of a child, or graduation or a special vacation, or retirement. I even have an app on my phone counting down the days until I can retire! I’m in the 1,290’s days left. Poor Fr. Mark has over 14,000 days before he can retire!! But as much as we look forward to something, our day-to-day experiences of anticipation do not offer much insight into the ancient Israelites waiting for the messiah. The magnitude and scale of their longing and expectation is beyond our comprehension. Generation after generation, they yearned for peace and harmony in their own land and with their neighbors. Age upon age, they prayed that God would send the shepherd that we heard Micah describe in our first reading. The prophet, like those before him, assured the people that “he shall be peace.” To recall Israel’s history of faithful expectation helps us better appreciate the potency that Luke seeks to convey in today’s Gospel. In these few, brief lines, we hear that Israel’s longawaited Savior and his herald are not only already in the womb but now are even under the same roof. Through the power of the Holy Spirit what might have been an unremarkable family visit on an ordinary day in a rural village becomes the intersection of two periods of human history. Elizabeth, with John the Baptist in her womb, embodies the former generations. She bears the prophet who will point the way to the promised one. Mary, with Jesus in her womb, embodies a new beginning. She bears the transforming fulfillment of Emmanuel – God with us.

Luke describes the meeting of these two women as being charged with excitement. Anticipation is palpable in every phrase. Mary travels “in haste.” John “leaped” in his mother’s womb. Elizabeth is “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Then she exclaims to Mary, “Blessed are you who believed,” celebrating Mary’s faithfulness to God’s plan for humanity’s salvation which is unfolding right before their very eyes!

As we listen to this Gospel, we are swept up in the euphoria that was so evident in Elizabeth’s home. We can imagine how Luke’s first audiences must have delighted in this story. Jesus was the answer to their ancestors’ prayers. He is the answer to our prayers as well! The day of salvation has arrived!! The waiting is over!!

And so, it is with great joy and anticipation that along with Fr. Mark, our Deacons and staff, that we look forward to celebrating Christmas Mass with all who will come to Our Lady of Mercy! We warmly welcome you! We hope you will encounter Jesus in a new way through our celebration of Christmas and leave with a new appreciation of the gift of the Incarnation. God bless you!!

Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Fr Don

Here I go, dating myself again!  How many of you remember the commercial for Heinz Ketchup?  The bottle upside down with the cap off, and the ketchup very slowing coming out with the music of singer Carly Simon’s 1971 song “Anticipation” playing in the background?  Perhaps that is the song that would best go with today’s gospel!  John the Baptist has the crowds all stirred up and excited.  We are told that “the people were filled with expectation” and wondered if John might be the Christ.  They were anticipating the someone!  So much so, that everyone was asking John what they should do.  Basically everyone was told to be fair, be kind, act with compassion.  John then told them that the someone they were anticipating was coming after him, that he was “not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.”  And so John sets the stage for the coming of Jesus – the Messiah they were anticipating after thousands of years of waiting.  We too are living in anticipation! Christians have been waiting for over 2,000 years for the return of Jesus.  Many throughout the years since the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus have tried to “stir up the crowds” by announcing the exact date they figured out would be the return of Jesus, or stand on corners holding signs “the end is near.”  Followers of these so called prophets have gone up mountain tops only to be disappointed.  But remember, some day they will be right!  So how do we prepare for that day when the Lord returns?  We do exactly what John the Baptist told the crowds in his day. John preached an attitude that turns the world’s values inside out.  It is an approach to life that both hopes and works for the time when things will be as God created them to be.  John was pointing out what that looks like in action.

This brings us to the message of the combination of today’s three scripture readings for Mass.  Where John pointed to the sort of behavior that prepares the way for God’s coming, Zephaniah proclaims that God is overjoyed to be in our midst.  Zephaniah goes so far as to paint a picture of God partying with the people who have been saved.  Paul picks up on the theme by telling the Philippians that their life should be one of constant rejoicing.  And why?  Because the Lord is near, and there is nothing to fear.

On the Third Sunday of Advent, we as a church focus on our reasons for joy.  The readings offer us multiple reasons to rejoice, all of which come down to two basic themes.  First, God loves and saves us. Secondly, we are capable of loving one another with the freedom God’s loves engenders in us.  When we truly encounter the love of Jesus, we can do nothing BUT rejoice!

Several people ask me how my new dog Chardonnay is doing.  Has she adjusted to her new surroundings?  Indeed she has!  She is really a sweet dog but I’m afraid to let her off her leash outside.  She has such a hunting instinct, I’m afraid she wouldn’t come back.  She is now being re-treated for heartworm.  The rescue treated her, but not adequately.  On December 10^th she finished a month of pills.  Then on January 10^th she will have an injection followed by 4 weeks of very limited activity.  February 10^th she will have another injection, followed by another one a day later, then 4 more weeks of limited activity.  Hopefully she will be clear of heartworm by then.

Blessed Advent!

Fr Don