October 30, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

October 30, 2020 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

Before anything else, with regards to the most recent update of the Mitigation plan from the governor’s office, please note there is no change for Churches, we are open—praise God!

Happy Hallows Eve to you, that’s essentially what Halloween is, which is a contraction of “All Hallows Evening,” the vigil for the Christian holy day All Saints Day.  “Hallow” refers to something consecrated to a special purpose. November 1 is celebrated as the Feast of All Saints, or the Feast of All Hallows because those who are honored are all those in heaven—the holy ones of God, heroes of our faith who have experienced the tug-of-war between the world and the kingdom of God.
Evening vigils on the day before a feast or solemnity are customary in the Catholic Faith, and so Halloween falls on October 31 because it is the vigil before All Saints Day.   Speaking of the saints, something that all the saints have understood by experience during their time here on earth is the awesome meeting of union with Jesus in the Eucharist, let’s emulate them in this desire and longing for Holy Communion.

THIS COMING WEEK

Weekend Mass Links is live, these are live on Tuesday of each week

  • 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 Deacons will be preaching at all the Masses this weekend.
  • Let us know where you are tuning in from, we’d love to acknowledge you.
  • If you are interested in sponsoring a Livestream of the Mass, please reach out to frdon@olmercy.com.  Cost is $750.
  • Viewing the Mass while in your car in the Parking Lot during the 10AM Mass, please note that we will continue to have this in place.  In other words, this will NOT be discontinued.
  • 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.

FALL BACK | Set your clocks back one hour

  • Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday.

Receiving the Eucharist on the Tongue

  • Bishop Pates renewed permission for the faithful to resume receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. Please carefully review the following instructions if you would like to receive our Lord on the tongue rather than on the hands https://bit.ly/33lT5cc (scroll down to the middle of the webpage.)

Remembering our Departed Loved Ones Throughout November and in the All Souls’ Mass of Remembrance on Monday 11/2nd @ 5:30pm Spanish |  7:30pm English 

  • All Souls Day is a day during which we especially remember in prayer those that have gone before us.
    In memory of your faithful departed loved ones, we pray you join us in-person or at the livestreams. Sign-in ahead of time here https://bit.ly/2TwjJta
    For the 5:30pm Spanish Mass for All Souls’ Day or “Dias de los Muertos”, the custom of bringing pictures of deceased loved ones to church is encouraged.
  • In the month of November, the Church has two traditional means of obtaining a plenary indulgence for the souls in Purgatory. (For the full post, proceed to this link https://bit.ly/35OD2DV)
    • The first is to visit a cemetery and pray for the dead during the Octave of All Saints’ Day, which is Nov. 1-8.  This year, the Vatican decreed that this plenary indulgence can be obtained on any day in November.
    • The second plenary indulgence is connected to the Feast of All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 and can be received by those who piously visit a church or oratory on that day and recite the Our Father and the Creed.  The Vatican said that this plenary indulgence has also been extended and is available to Catholics throughout the month of November to reduce crowds.
    • A Catholic who wishes to obtain a plenary indulgence must also fulfill the ordinary conditions of an indulgence, which are sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. Sacramental confession and reception of the Eucharist can occur up to about twenty days before or after the indulgenced act.
    • The Vatican also said that, because of the health emergency, the elderly, the sick, and others who cannot leave the house for serious reasons can participate in the indulgence from home by reciting prayers for the deceased before an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary.  They must also spiritually unite themselves to other Catholics, be completely detached from sin, and have the intention of fulfilling the ordinary conditions as soon as possible.

PADS Day is Tuesday 11/3rd 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

Forming Your Conscience Before the Upcoming Elections on 11/3rd

LOOKING AHEAD

Email communication platforms – Moving from Constant Contact to Flocknote by 11/7th

  • Please note that after 11/7th we will be using Flocknote for our weekly/parish wide updates. Flocknote is free and through Flocknote you will receive our emails as well as watch any of Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire content.  Sign up to receive this weekly update via Flocknote at this link https://OurLadyofMercyAurora.flocknote.com/everyone




 

St. Vincent de Paul Clothing Drive on 11/7th & 11/8th https://bit.ly/2IARXd3

  • Were you hoping to clean out your closets? The St. Vincent de Paul clothing drive 11/7th & 11/8th is a great incentive to do so! Click here for items they will accept (whether in good or bad condition) https://bit.ly/2IARXd3
  • Your donations go to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shops where much of your donations are given away free to needy families in the community. Some are sold at reasonable prices at the thrift shops so that needy families can shop with dignity. “Proceeds” from the thrift shops go into a general assistance fund where St. Vincent de Paul Conferences at the churches help families with rent, mortgage or utility assistance.

Mobile Food Pantry on Weds 11/11th https://bit.ly/2DPCaVA

  • 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.

Catholic Moms Free Online Summit 11/13th & 11/15th

  • Don’t miss this unprecedented FREE event for mothers and grandmothers! The Catholic Moms Summit is FREE, online, and includes some of the most trusted and loved Catholic women experts as they go deep in to the issues mothers and grandmothers face every day.  It will be filled with powerful and practical sessions on everything from parenting, to prayer, work/life balance, health, and much more!  Over 80 presenters; Danielle Bean, Kimberly Hahn, Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Lila Rose, Pam Barnhill, Lisa Hendey, Crystalina Evert, Elizabeth Foss, just to name a few.  To learn more please click here https://bit.ly/3nS9SMx

Brogan Family Coat Drive 11/15th

  • Mike and Carole Brogan were icons at Our Lady of Mercy. Both passed away in 2019. One of the ways they supported our parish was a yearly coat drive. Their family and our church would like to continue this mission by asking for donations of new and gently used coats, hats, boots, and gloves. The donations for women and children will benefit Mutual Ground and the donations for men’s items will benefit Breaking Free.  On Sunday, 11/15th from 9am to 12pm a trailer will be in the OLM parking lot accepting the donations. Please support this mission to carry on this tradition that is near and dear to our hearts.
    Here is an ad you can share https://bit.ly/2Jkjjo7

Alpha @ OLM registration https://olmercy.com/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 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 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.

and one more thing with Father James | Companions of Christ: Explained

  • “What do you mean Fr. James isn’t living at OLM? Is he part of a religious order? What is this Companions of Christ thing anyways?” Learn more about OLM’s newest parochial vicar and the association that he helped bring to the Diocese of Joliet in this episode of “…and one more thing!”. For more information on the Joliet Companions, check out https://www.companionsofchristjoliet….

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.

 

Here is the reflection on the Mass.

This Sunday we celebrate All Saints Day, ordinary men, women, and children, known and unknown, who’ve become heroes of our faith.  And though they’ve each had their own unique journey of sinners-to-saints, rising up from the hardships of their lives, they do possess one thing in common. 

And that is, all the saints have understood by experience the divine marvel of our meeting and our union with Jesus in the Eucharist.  Perhaps we think too little about the sublimity of every Holy Communion.  Yet St. Pius X said that “if the angels could envy, they would envy us for Holy Communion.”  And St. Madeleine Sophie Barat defined Holy Communion as “Paradise on earth.” 

All the saints have understood that a devout Holy Communion means being possessed by Him and possessing Him. “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in Him” (John 6:57).  On one occasion St. Gemma Galgani wrote, “It is now night.  Tomorrow morning is approaching, and then Jesus will possess me and I will possess Jesus.”  It is not possible to have a union of love which is deeper and more total: He in me and I in Him; the one in the other.  It could lead one to wonder, what more could we want?

“You envy,” said St. John Chrysostom, “the privilege of the woman who touched Jesus’ vestments, of the sinful woman who washed His feet with her tears, of the women of Galilee who had the happiness of following Him in His pilgrimages, of the Apostles and disciples who conversed with Him familiarly, of the people of the time who listened to the words of grace and salvation which came forth from His lips.  You consider fortunate those who saw Him…. However, come to the altar and you will see Him, you will feel Him [when received in Communion], you will give Him holy kisses, you will wash Him with your tears, you will carry Him within you like Mary Most Holy.”

For this reason, the saints desired and longed for Holy Communion.  May we also come to desire and long for Holy Communion like they did.

Please note if you can’t come to the weekend Masses, we have daily Mass at the following times (listed in order of least attendance).
Wednesday 12pm
Thursday 6:30am
Tuesday 6:30pm
Monday Spanish Mass 6:30pm
Saturday 8:30am
Monday through Friday 8am