January 15, 2021 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

Happy Saturday! We’re back with a look at things coming up for the rest of January.

Oftentimes, New Year’s resolutions remind us of our fallibility. Just two weeks into the new year, we may have already failed at some of our commitments. And though the New Year provides the illusion of a fresh start, we may look at the chaos of the world around us and despair that perhaps nothing has changed. Yet we can take heart in remembering that this world is not the source of our hope. As Psalm 71 says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope…” It is He who gives us eternal hope, and He is making all things new. Let us be renewed together at the source and summit of our faith by the miracle of love at the Holy Mass that is Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. We hope to see you at the Mass times this weekend or at the livestream. We also pray you join us at any of the following.

THIS COMING WEEK

Weekend Mass Links and Livestream of the Mass 

• Father Don will be preaching at all the Masses this weekend.  Come Holy Spirit to Father Don and God’s message for us in and through his homily!
• The “Stream Team” is coming together slowly.  Thank you for your patience as we grow together as a team so as to meet the livestream needs of our parish.  We are currently in the process of fixing the radio broadcast issues and hope to have a permanent solution soon so that the radio transmission is stable.  Please keep the team in your prayers.  Interested in helping, please reach out to zara@olmercy.com.
• Register ahead of time at this link to register for Holy Mass or sign-in at the door.  If it is your first time using Flocknote, please don’t forget to look for an email that says “Verify your email address” so you can receive the Confirmation emails and be able to modify or cancel your registration.

Alpha “Come & See” https://olmercy.com/alpha/

• Unsure About Alpha?  Alpha begins with ‘Come & See’ events and if you have not experienced Alpha yet, may we ask of you two things?
  • Attend the Come and See this week.  If you’ve been curious about Alpha, here is an excellent opportunity to check it out!
    In-person is @ 7pm on Thurs 1/21st (following social distancing safety measures).
    Online is @ 7pm on Weds 1/20th (will be on Zoom AND livestreamed on our website, YouTube and Facebook.
• Sign up at this link In-Person Alpha and Virtual Alpha.

Marriage Course on Sundays

• It isn’t too late to join the Marriage Course on Sundays from 7:30pm – 8:45pm | Via Zoom Meeting  1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21
• Check out the website for details or register here.
• Is your Marriage or Relationship going through a tough time?  Has the pandemic life put a strain on it?   Or has it been a while since your marriage or relationship has gone through a ‘tune-up’?  The Marriage Course can help.  Check out the trailer here.

Monday after the 8am Mass. . .

• the Church and PLC will be closed due to the electric cabling work ComEd will be doing in the parking lot.  This will leave the Church and PLC without power for a good part of the day.
• There will still be the 6:30pm Spanish Mass.  Should anything change, we will send an AppBlast (if you haven’t signed up for our App, you can sign up here).

Mobile Food Pantry on Weds 1/20th

• Please spread the word on the Mobile Food Pantry this month.  Share this 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.

Respect Life Novena starts Thurs 1/21st

• This coming Friday 1/22, marks the tragic 48th anniversary of the landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. This is why on the very same day, it is a National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children and so we will have Eucharistic Adoration immediately following the 8am daily Mass through 6pm Benediction, please consider signing up to pray at this link.
• We will be praying a Novena for Life beginning on Thursday 1/21 through Friday 1/29. The novena will be prayed before the weekday and weekend Masses on those dates. You can also find the novena here. We pray you join us, be the prayerful advocate against the violence to the innocent unborn.

LOOKING AHEAD

Magnify on Weds 1/27th 

• Are there Spiritual Challenges you’ve taken up at the onset of the New Year; for example, if I watch 20 minutes of the news, I’ll spend 20 minutes in prayer?  If so, perhaps, spend that prayer time or that spiritual challenge at Magnify, a personal time with just you and Jesus.
• Come and 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.
• Bring your family, friends, and neighbors.  Jesus loves the little children so please bring them with you as well (Mark 10:14).  It was wonderful to see a lot of families with children at the last Magnify.
• Sign-in at the door or ahead of time at this link.

Walking With Purpose (Catholic Women’s Bible Study) starts 2/1st

• Calling all women.  Do you desire to grow in your Catholic faith? Would you like to connect with other women in our parish community? Are you searching for something more in your life? We invite you to consider joining Walking with Purpose (WWP), a women’s Catholic Bible study on Monday evenings both in-person or online. 
• Weekly group meetings kick off with an Introductory Session on Feb 1st 6:30pm – 8pm. Bring a friend to check it out.
• The study will start out with Opening Your Heart, our foundational study which is designed for a woman new to WWP with or without any Bible study experience; come as you are to learn how the Scriptures apply to our everyday lives.
• Details and registration are found at this link or connect with Wendy Jo Burnett at wendyburnett0907@yahoo.com for any questions. 

For the Hispanic Community

• Please proceed here for the Diocese of Joliet Office of Hispanic & Ethnic Ministry to view upcoming events and wealth of resources.
  Continúe aquí para la Oficina del Ministerio Hispano y Étnico de la Diócesis de Joliet para ver los próximos eventos y la gran cantidad de recursos.

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.

A Note from the Intercessory Prayer Ministry

• How can we be praying for you today?
  There are times when life is overwhelming when all we have is questions. In those moments, hope can feel far away. The great thing about prayer is that it shifts our perspective toward the One who stands ready to listen. No matter what you’re facing, we’d love to pray with you! Submit your prayer requests at this link

Thank you so much 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.