November 12, 2021 | Weekly Update
Heaven & Earth Will Pass Away
We have a strange fascination with the apocalypse.
Whether it’s movies based on natural disasters, post-nuclear landscapes, or zombie outbreaks, there’s something strange and unnerving about “the End Times.”
The truest biblical understanding of “Apocalypse” though is “Unveiling,” as a bride is unveiled on her wedding day, a moment of revealing (and thus, “Revelation”). “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard,” tells us what our new reality will be, a time when we are reunited with our bodies, and God’s kingdom is finally established without any trace of evil or sin.
In our Gospel this weekend Jesus affirms:
(Mark 13)
To prepare our hearts before we go to Holy Mass this weekend and to break open that we are dealing with a great mystery here and this is why we are fascinated with the end times, hear Bishop Barron’s thoughts on the reality of Heaven in the video in the Flocknote email.
We look forward to seeing you at any of the Holy Mass times this weekend where we will hear from visiting priest from Malawi, Africa Reverend Father Kamia Tambala, who will be preaching this weekend. Don’t forget to stop by to visit Jesus at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or at daily Mass during the week.
“There, goodwill shall be so ordered in us that we shall have no other desire than to remain there eternally.” –St. Augustine
THIS COMING WEEK
- Father Francis will be at OLM throughout the weekend to help celebrate Mass and offer a brief homily message followed by a short presentation on the Transformation Through Education Initiative (TTE).
- The TTE seeks to provide quality education to boys and girls in Namulenga Parish, Archdiocese of Blantyre, Malawi. The project strives to contribute to the improvement of the poor standards of high school education prevalent in the community day high schools in the remote areas of the Archdiocese of Blantyre.
- The mission, therefore, appeals to all people of goodwill to give towards the realization of an education facility at Namulenga Parish which can contribute to the good learning environment of the boys and girls who can later contribute to their own development and the development of their country, Malawi.
- Please consider this opportunity to make a sacrificial gift in support of this effort via the second collection or using the envelope that will be provided. Or https://www.osvhub.com/olmercy/funds
LIGHT sign-up available on 11/15
- LIGHT for High School teens (Grades 9-12) Faith Conversation & LIGHT Mini-Course ONLINE SIGNUP will be available 11/15th. Check the LIGHT webpage for information and the link here.
- For those with cancer, serious or chronic illnesses, and their caregivers. As well as anyone experiencing physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and health concerns. Come to the In-Person St. Peregrine Prayer Service this Tuesday following the 6:30pm Mass
- The next AMA with Father James is taking place with the Consuming Fire Young Adult Group so tune in on Tuesday 11/16th @ 7pm and see what questions they have and see if your questions are the ones he will answer.
- Submit your questions at this link.
- The last MAGNIFY of the year will be this Weds 11/17th @ 7pm. Bring your family and friends for a scriptural reflection, Confessions, Prayer Ministry, adoration, and praise. Come and dwell in Jesus’ very presence and let us “sing psalms, and hymns and songs from the spirit, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:16
LOOKING AHEAD
- To all young men in high school, 14 through 18 years old, come out on Saturday 11/20th from 10am to 1:30pm
- Join Father Steven Borello and the Diocese of Joliet Seminarians for prayer & adoration, bowling & pizza social at St Ambrose in Crest Hill. Proceed to this link for more information, parent permission forms, and registration.
- Consider beginning your day of giving thanks by going to the Thanksgiving Mass at 9am.
- Please save the date for the annual Ladies’ Advent Tea which will be in-person on Sunday,11/28 from 2pm to 4:30pm.
- Please invite your family and friends to be together for an opportunity to prepare our hearts and souls for Christmas
- Saying “Yes” to God, inspiration during Advent will be the presentation this year and take place in the church. Jolene LeRoy RN Parish Nurse and Director of Pastoral Care will facilitate reflections by Catherine Wiecher Brunell, a pastoral minister of the everyday. Those who feel comfortable being around tables will be invited into the multi-purpose room of the Parish Life Center after the presentation for fellowship, reflection, and refreshments. Please bring your favorite teacup or mug for your beverage.
- This year refreshments will be provided at the table. Instead of bringing a favorite dessert, bring a copy of your favorite holiday dessert recipe that you may have brought to past Advent teas or a new recipe. The recipes will be put together in a book and shared with those who would like them. Since we were not able to be in person last year, we are looking forward to being together for this special Our Lady of Mercy tradition!
- This year for Thanksgiving we are partnering with the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry and Hesed House to provide families that are currently being assisted by these two organizations with a Thanksgiving dinner!
- We are now accepting donations to benefit those families in need of a meal. Parishioners may make donations via our online giving portal under “Angel Giving” or checks can also be made payable to Our Lady of Mercy with “Angel Giving” in the memo and placed inside of the bin in the Narthex after mass. Please contact Lydia Schmitt, in the main office, with additional questions at lydias@olmercy.com or 331-707-5377.
- May those experiencing grief and loss at Christmas, find hope and peace in this prayer service and comfort in knowing that you are not alone. It is a time to listen, pray and feel the love of God.
- The Blue Christmas Prayer Service will be in the church on Sunday, 12/19 from 3pm to 4pm. Please connect with Jolene LeRoy at 331-707-5380 or jolenel@olmercy.com for more details.
- Check out Bishop Hicks’ insightful thoughts in his monthly column. This month is entitled “The Synod on Synodality: A worldwide listening tour”
- The Synod on Synodality is a two-year process of listening and dialogue that began with a solemn opening in Rome in October and will conclude in 2023.
- Let us be in prayer for Bishop Hicks and all the Bishops, for blessings upon the preparation for the Synod of Bishops, and that the dialogue of those participating in the pre-synod process will bear great fruit for the salvation of souls.
- What is a synod you may wonder? Here is an article that explains it.
Check this article out as well, which has a four-point consideration to help us better understand what will be on taking place these next two years. - Here is a link to our Diocesan page where Bishop Hicks and his Diocesan Pastoral Council lay out the framework of the process
- Did you know that you can get a plenary indulgence any day this November? It’s true. The Vatican has decided to grant Catholics who visit a cemetery to pray for the faithful departed on any day in the month of November a plenary indulgence.
Usually, the Catholic Church only grants this plenary indulgence for the souls in Purgatory to those who pray in a cemetery on November 1-8, which is the week of the Solemnity of All Souls’ Day.
The specific November 2 plenary indulgence one can obtain for the souls in Purgatory by visiting a church or an oratory and reciting an Our Father and the Creed, can now also be done on any day in November. - What is a plenary indulgence and for more details, proceed to this link.
- Thank you so much to those who have pledged! Once we have reached our goal in paid pledges, 70% of the additional funds received will be returned to our parish.
- Father Don and Bishop Hicks are asking us to join them in pledging to the CMAA to help the poor and vulnerable, form our future shepherds, and spread the faith through our Catholic schools, faith formation programs in parishes, and programs for young adults.
- Donations can be made here https://bit.ly/2MOQHVY Check out how your gifts to the CMAA help at this link https://bit.ly/3dd154X. Thank you for your consideration.
Bulletin
- Don’t forget to check out Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article located here.
- Did you get an email or a text message from (a fake) Father Don this past week? Please remember, Father Don and Father James DO NOT send texts or emails asking for money or gift cards. If you receive a message appearing to be from Father Don or Father James, please discard it and DO NOT SEND ANY ELECTRONIC MONETARY AID.
- Please proceed herefor the OLM Hispanic Ministry’s upcoming events and resources.
Continúe aquí para conocer los próximos eventos y recursos del Ministerio Hispano de OLM. - There will be Stations of the Cross in Spanish every 2nd Wednesday of the month after the 12pm Mass.
A partir de la próxima semana, habrá Estaciones de la Cruz en español cada segundo miércoles del mes después de la misa de las 12 pm.
- 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 - Prayer Ministry takes place monthly at MAGNIFY and at the last weekend of the month Mass times.
Have you downloaded our myParish App yet?
- If you haven’t done so, we encourage you to download the Our Lady of Mercy app available to download for iPhone and Android smartphones. Or text APP to 88202 to download.
- Stay connected with our parish throughout the week with instant notifications, an easy-to-access event calendar, and the ability to quickly reply to or share messages via Facebook or Twitter. Also enjoy a bunch of additional features like prayers, daily readings, helpful reminders to silence your phone before Mass or Confession, and much more.
GROW GROUPS | WE CONTINUE TO LAUNCH GROW GROUPS, ONE GROUP AT A TIME
Connect with zara@olmercy.com for any questions.
CONSUMING FIRE YOUNG ADULT GROW GROUP
Mission. This group exists to grow a community that inspires and forms the young adult generation to be saints.
Website. Proceed here for details.
Meets. Tuesdays @ 7pm and twice a month for social gatherings.
Connect. Reach out to Matt Kubanda and Mary Rysavy rysavyme@gmail.com
See what they have been up to at this video.
Mission. Vine & Branches is a group at Our Lady of Mercy that offers support and belonging to individuals of any age or faith who are divorced or separated on the way to divorce.
Website. Proceed here for details
Meets. Wednesdays @ 7pm with social gatherings.
Connect. The group leaders are looking forward to hearing from you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to them.
Kim Harris kimharris73@yahoo.com
Mary LoGalbo logalbo.marycarol@gmail.com
John Frederick jdfredericj@icloud.com
Jim Marks jimm6351@yahoo.com
Check out the video to find out more about Vine and Branches
GROW YOUR FAITH
FREE ONLINE RESOURCES In this section, you will find free conferences, webinars, and studies that you can freely take part in that can grow your faith.
FORMED.ORG
Diving into the beauty of the Faith has never been easier: at home, on the go, or from any internet-connected device. Discover thousands of books, audio talks, movies, documentaries, and studies… there is something for every member of the family to help them grow closer to Christ and His Church.
- Visit http://signup.formed.org/
- Enter our parish zip or name
- Enter your name and email
EUCHARIST RESOURCES
Check out our “Eucharist Resources” page to help us understand deeply the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives and the great Feast of Corpus Christi.
From Augustine Institute comes this NEW & FREE Catholic prayer app that inspires your daily conversation with God through faithful meditations and nourishing Scripture. There is also Family Content: Enjoy and share family-favorite audio from the series Brother Francis and the Jesus Stories. Please enjoy this latest offering from the Augustine Institute.
WORD ON FIRE
Did you know that you have complete access to Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ENGAGE video library! Check out this linkto watch any of the videos whenever you want without ever having to login.
HEROIC MEN
Looking for authentically Catholic content for men? Look no further than HeroicMen.com—the all-new, 100% FREE Catholic streaming platform for men.
Learn about your faith from today’s best Catholic speakers—and do it all from the convenience of home. Stream-on-demand from your phone or tablet, too, for quality Catholic content on the go.
Get it all—for FREE – at HeroicMen.com
AQUINAS 101 FREE COURSES
Have you wanted to get to know St. Thomas Aquinas and his writings more so as to grow closer to Jesus?
Sign up for any of the short and free courses at Aquinas 101 a project of the Thomistic Institute seeks to promote understanding of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the eminent 13th-century philosopher, and theologian.
Aquinas is a masterful interpreter of reality. His writings assist us in answering perennial questions on topics like God, man, the natural world, law, and morality, and questions of special relevance to our time like the relationship between modern science and faith or pursuing happiness in the digital era.
CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE
BE EQUIPPED TO DEFEND THE FAITH!
There are no shortages of assaults on the Church today. In a world of increasing challengers to the Faith, we need to know, now more than ever, why we believe what we believe.
This conference is about answering your tough questions on the Catholic Faith and equipping you with the knowledge to withstand the challenges that are sure to come.
Details and registration for this FREE virtual conference are found here.
PASTORAL CARE
If you have physical, mental, emotional or spiritual health concerns or questions about end-of-life issues, funeral planning, journeying through grief, caregiving for a loved one or are homebound, please contact Jolene LeRoy RN Parish Nurse and Director of Pastoral Care for support and resources at jolenel@olmercy.com or 331-707-5380.
OPEN HEARTS MINISTRY
The next scheduled in-person gathering for Open HEARTS Ministry is Monday, November 8 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in Room 218 in the Parish Life Center. The ministry is for anyone who is interested in emotional and mental health and wellness. The ministry has an interest in decreasing the stigma of mental illness and increasing the awareness of support and resources. The topic of discussion will be on MERCY – God’s mercy and how we are called to live a life of mercy in relationship to our faith and mental health and wellness. If you would like to learn more about the ministry, please send an email to Janice Hurtado Aeppli at olmopenhearts@yahoo.com
RESTORE
Do you find yourself struggling in overcoming your battle with pornography? Restore is a weekly (anonymous) meeting where men lean on each other for support and accountability and share ideas as to how to strengthen our resolve to stay on God’s path of chastity. All men are welcome, whether you have been free of pornography addiction for many years or struggle with it every single day.
If you are ready to start breaking free from the grips of pornography and want to Restore your life email us at Restore.olm@gmail.com to find out more information on when and where we meet.
Be encouraged; check out this Testimony.
