144,000 that’s it! According to the Book of Revelation that we heard from today, only 144,000 people will merit salvation – that’s if you take the Book of Revelation literally. Several years ago I visited a parishioner at a former parish who was on their deathbed. Since childhood he believed, and still believed on his deathbed that only 144,000 were going to make it to heaven. “I’m not one of them” he told me. Having made peace with his flawed self a long time ago, he said “it doesn’t matter what I do.” He felt more comfortable in the doomed sinner category. Let the 144,000 have their reserved bleached white celestial garments! He will make do with whatever awaits the rest of us. At times I’ve jokingly said that it doesn’t matter where I go….I’ll know people in both places! But the belief that only 144,000 will make it need corrected. Revelation doesn’t say 144,000 merit saving. It says uncountable multitudes do, underscoring this assessment with a number signifying completeness. Twelve represents all Israel, and also the 12 apostles or the ingathered New Israel of the church. Twelve times 12 is 144, which has a superlative effect in numerology. Think of the three zeros like ellipsis dots…as if to say this number goes on and on. Far from a limiting tally, the 144,000 predicts a vast ocean of rescued souls. In the Gospel today, Jesus seems to be narrowing the gene pool of the saved by the teaching that the gate is narrow. But rather, he is saying divine rescue comes more easily to the outsider (presumed damned) than to the insider (presumed saved.) This is Gospel good news!!

I would like to inform you about a few projects that have been happening this summer. We are in the process of making our grounds on the west side of the church a more park like setting for your enjoyment. Through the generous donation of the Savoie family, outdoors stations of the cross have been installed on the west wall of the church building, and a pathway is being installed by the Boy Scouts. This is all in memory of Timothy Savoie. A dedication ceremony will take place on September 8th. Well also plan to add benches. The Boy Scouts are also installing a permanent fire pit for use by our various youth ministry programs and parish organizations. A picnic table and outdoor furniture have been added outside of room 114. An outdoor conversation area has been added on the patio outside the west doors and we plan a pergola over it. We are also in the process of installing energy efficient and long lasting LED lighting in the church. Profits from this year’s MercyFest will be directed toward LED lighting in the gym. The next project I am looking at is a new sign for the outside of church. Thanks for your generosity that makes all this possible!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

“Do something!” That was the cry of the crowd gathered made to the governor of Ohio who had come to the site of the mass shooting in Dayton the day after the tragic event that took the lives of 10 people and injured 27. Just hours before, another mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas killed 23 and wounding 24. A week or so before that, 3 lives were lost and 13 injured, during a mass shooting at a festival in Gilroy, California. The number of shootings and deaths weekly in Chicago is a sad statistic. Every time I hear of these senseless tragic events that have become so common in our world today, I cry out “stop the madness!” I pray for the victims, their families, and the person(s) who commit such evil crimes. And I want God to “do something” to end this craziness.

The “do something” for some is to legislate stricter gun laws and background checks – which may help. But I think there is something much deeper here that needs our attention – and that is the changing of human hearts, which cannot be legislated. Instead, God is asking us to “do something!” And that doing something involves examining our commitment to the dignity of EVERY human life, and doing all we can to end discrimination and racism in our-selves and society. Some of these mass shootings appear to be racially motivated. While most of us probably do not think of ourselves as being a racist, if we are honest, to some degree we probably are. A little joke here, stereotyping there, not speaking out when we see discrimination – all is subtle racism. Instead of blaming our president, who I do believe needs to be called out on some of his divisive and unacceptable rhetoric, as well as politicians on both sides of the aisle, I think we have to start by looking first at ourselves. Racism is nothing new. Jesus tried to eradicate it in his time, by teaching that God loves ALL people. Many of this stories reached out beyond ethnic boundaries to point that out. And isn’t it amazing that with all the technological advances since the time of Jesus, much still hasn’t been done to change the human heart!

I have included in today’s bulletin a copy of an article “A Catholic Response to Racism.” As Catholics, we need to promote the dignity and worth of every single person. ALL LIVES MATTER – and until hearts believe this, racism will still flourish. But, with God’s grace and help, we CAN turn violent hearts to hearts of love, mercy and compassion! Let’s start with our own first!!

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr Don

What is faith? Many ask that question. Some fear they have “lost” faith. Some feel they don’t have enough faith. So, what is it? Faith is defined in our second reading today from the letter to the Hebrews. “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested.” Then the author points out Abraham, our faith in faith, for our edification and emulation. In a mini biography, the ancient writer reminds us of the salient moments of Abraham’s life, each one of which was made possible by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed, not knowing where he was to go; by faith he sojourned, by faith he received power; by faith he offered up Isaac. Abraham was able to be and to do all that God asked of him only because his entire life was driven and empowered by faith. We were given the same faith of Abraham at our baptism. We just haven’t realized it!

As we look again today at Abraham, and as we remember the fervor of the early Christians, let us be renewed in our belief and newly fortified by our faith. Faith will require that we sojourn in this world without the luxury of setting our own itinerary and without full knowledge of where God will lead us. Faith requires that we believe even when it seems more practical not to. Faith also will ask us to surrender our Isaac to God. Just as Abraham fully relied on Isaac to keep his heritage and his name alive, each of us has an Isaac – someone or something without which we think we cannot live. Even that, which is so precious to us, must be surrendered to God if we are truly to live by faith. And genuine faith is more than the Sunday obligation or a time set apart each day for prayer. Faith is seeing another in need and stopping to help rather than pass them by. Faith is speaking out against injustice and voting according to our conscience. Faith is letting our Catholic Christian principles guide our lives rather than being swept along by popular opinion. Faith is the willingness to speak out when it is safer to remain silent. Faith is believing without seeing, praying without ceasing and trusting without proof that God is, that Jesus is, and that the Spirit dwells within. Living a life of faith is not easy – but with God, all things are possible!!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

Summer is fast waning – here it is August already, and thoughts begin to turn to the start of school. I am away this weekend visiting my nephew and his wife and my great-nephew and great-niece in San Antonio, Texas. Went there to cool off! Ha! Ha! The pastor of the parish that my nephew belongs to was in the seminary with me, so it will be nice to see him as well. He is getting older and has had some recent health problems. Ah, that aging process isn’t always very kind.

A modern take on today’s Gospel about the man who builds larger barns to store all his treasure would be the proliferation over the past 20-30 years of the availability of storage units to rent. Now granted, those storage pods you see in front yards make sense when you are remodeling your house. But it seems to me that if you don’t already have room for all your stuff, and you have to rent a storage unit, then you have too much stuff!! This Gospel challenges us to examine what is most important in our lives….what matters to God or what matters ultimately to us. What do we hold on to and don’t want to let go of? So what exactly matters to God? The second reading gives us some idea. We are told to seek what is above, to put on our new selves and to stop lying to one another. Practical advice. But perhaps it is the psalm response that says it best: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” By nature, holding on to, keeping anything safe, that is not of God, we close in. When our fists clench, our breath shortens and our hearts harden. Perhaps it isn’t what we have but how we hold it that causes the greatest spiritual malady. Just as there are particular physical symptoms indicating such conditions as hardening of the arteries, so too are there discernible symptoms of a spiritually hardened heart. The rich man in the Gospel is a poster child for this condition. First, he is focused on what he can physically hold on to. Next, he is counting on material wealth to afford him rest, nourishment and happiness. Sadly, he believes he is the one in control. What about us? In his book With Open Hands, Henri Nouwen teaches us to pray: Dear God, I am so afraid to open my clenched fists! Who will I be when I have nothing to hang on to? Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands? Please help me to gradually open my hands and discover that I am not what I own, but what you want to give me. And what you want to give me is love, unconditional, everlasting love. AMEN!!

Have a blessed summer!

Fr Don

Next weekend we will welcome the Daughters of the Divine Love, a religious order of sisters, who do missionary work in Africa and other countries. One of the sisters will speak after the homily, and a second collection will be taken for their missionary work. You can read more information about the sisters and their work by going to www.ofdivinelove.com. Please welcome them, and your generosity will be greatly appreciated! If you wish to contribute by check, please make the check out to OLM, and in the memo line write “Mission Appeal.”

All of us have probably experienced fear-based leadership. Perhaps a boss, parent, coach or teacher. They created an atmosphere where we found ourselves operating primarily out of fear; fear of making the slightest mistake and being punished, of getting on the boss’s wrong side and being ostracized. I remember a nun at the Catholic grammar school I attended whose stare and discipline put “the fear of God” in me! I suspect some of you had that experience too. These experiences can have real and lasting effects on us, teaching us to anticipate punishment, blame others, and become overcritical of ourselves. Our fears and anxieties then often slide into other areas of our lives, including our walk of discipleship and the ways we picture God. Without even realizing it, we can slip into believing that God is like an angry boss set on punishing us; then the Christian life becomes much more like a fear-based work environment instead of “life in abundance” that Jesus came to give.

God wants us to experience him as he is so that we can live the life he planned for us. Pope Francis writes: “Mercy is the first attribute of God. The name of God is mercy. There are no situations we cannot get out of, we are not condemned to sink into quicksand.” Experiencing and trusting in God’s mercy are the primary tasks of discipleship. In today’s first reading, God’s mercy is relentless captured in the dialogue between Moses and God. In Jesus, Mercy has a face. Jesus offered salvation to the world – not because of our own merit, but by God’s mercy. In the Church, justice and mercy kiss. Christians are called to be relentless in their mercy, tireless in their tenderness, and committed to holding together both justice and mercy. May God’s divine mercy touch your heart this week!

Have a blessed summer!

Fr Don

For my bulletin article this week, I would like to share with you a message from Bishop Conlon regarding the situation at our Southern border.

July 1, 2019
Statement of Most Reverend R. Daniel Conlon
Bishop of Joliet

Once again, I write to express my deep concern and anguish over the crisis on our southern border. The tragic situation toddler of Angie Valeria and her father, Oscar Martinez, who drowned while seeking safety in the United States from the dangers of their homeland in El Salvador, dramatize the need for our response. It is not their story alone, but the plight of the many others fleeing the violence and poverty of Central America. Members of our own diocesan curia have been volunteering at rescue missions in Texas and California and bring back to us first person accounts of the suffering of these peoples. Such stories are the cries of the poor, prayers to ear of God.

There is also a crisis in our government. Torn by partisan polarization, Congress and the administration have for years failed to enact comprehensive reform which would not only provide a humane response to those seeking asylum at our border but would also address the critical need of farmers and other businesses in our own country who are unable to secure the workers they need. Further, it is a matter of abiding by international law, law that the United States took the lead in establishing, which requires a just hearing of those who come to our border seeking asylum. As well, I encourage our government officials to address the underlying economic and social conditions that have led to the catastrophic destabilization of Central America – conditions which are forcing people to flee.

Above all, we as Americans need to look into our own hearts. We cannot ignore the very real human suffering. We are confronted with real human beings, not simply “illegals”. Yes, laws there must be. But we have been given a greater law, indeed the greatest commandment, to “love your neighbor even as you love yourself.”

I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to join me in contacting the President and our legislators, asking them to work to bring an end to this crisis, by enacting just and humane immigration policies. In addition, join me in prayer for our neighbors who seek relief from their struggles.

Fr Don

We are delighted to welcome back the University of Iowa Newman Singers to lead us in song at all our Masses next weekend. They will also give a concert next Sunday at 3:00PM, and all are welcome to attend. The Newman Singers were with us last year at this time. Thanks to parishioner Carrie Nadziejko for arranging their return visit. While a student at the University of Iowa, Carrie sang with the Newman Singers and sings in our choir now.

At the beginning of July, we welcomed a new member to our parish staff. After serving as secretary for our Religious Education Program K-5 for 14 years, Cheryl Lohse retired at the end of June. We are pleased to welcome Jean Palasz (pronounced Palace) as our new secretary for our Religious Education Program K-5. Jean previously held a similar position at Ascension of Our Lord parish in Oakbrook Terrace. Jean looks forward to serving our parish families in her new position. Please welcome Jean when you next stop by the RE office! We now have two Jean’s in the RE office! Jean Rehmer who is secretary for Middle School through High School RE, and Jean Palasz who is secretary for K – 5 RE. Maybe to distinguish them apart, we should call Jean Rehmer “J.R.”? Naw, she looks nothing like Larry Hagman who played “J.R.” Ewing on the TV series Dallas. But we’re going to have to come up with some way to distinguish the two when you call.

This coming Saturday, July 20th, 73 of our parish teens and 14 adult chaperones including Deacon Senovio, will be leaving at 10:00AM for their summer mission trip to Charlotte, New York. Please pray for their safe journey to and from New York, as well as a spiritually fulfilling experience as they help others in need.

Have a safe and restful summer!

Fr Don

This past Thursday, we celebrated the 243rd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence declaring our freedom as a nation and people. We are so very lucky to be living in the United States. Unabashed patriotism is appropriate for this holiday. But while we take pride in being citizens of this nation, we must not forget where our true citizenship is. As Christians, no matter what nation we live in, St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians reminds us that “Our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20) And that is not meant for just after we die. We are to live as citizens of heaven NOW, while we are on this earth! As citizens of heaven, we are to put the teachings of Jesus first in our lives – even when they may be in conflict with laws and policies of a particular government. God’s law is above man’s laws. As disciples of Jesus, we are sent like the 72 in today’s Gospel to bring the Good News and the core message of peace to those who don’t yet know Jesus. Luke in today’s Gospel wants to tell us that the mission of Jesus is not only carried forward by the so called experts like priests and religious, but it is the responsibility of every believer in Jesus. Jesus told his disciples to “Go and baptize all nations….” So again, our citizenship is in heaven regardless of the nation we live in. Throughout human history we have seen the rise and fall of many nations – even the greatest! The empires that once ruled the world no longer exist. So we are reminded not to put out trust in princes, but in God alone.

Let our most patriotic response this holiday be a song of thanksgiving for our opportunity to live in our great nation, not just the one on earth, but the one that will last forever……our citizenship is in heaven!

Have a blessed summer!

Fr Don

Well, after the long period of Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi, we have returned to “Ordinary Time” in the Church liturgical calendar. The last Sunday we were in Ordinary Time was March 3, 2019. After a dreary month of May and not that great of a summer month of June thus far, it seems we will have a short summer. I guess we can pray for an “Indian Summer” for the fall.

Summer is traditionally a time for relaxation and recreation. Did you know that I was actually a recreation major when I was in college? I graduated in ’74 from Indiana State University with a BS degree in Recreation. My “specialty” was recreational therapy. Thus my first job out of college as the Activity Director at the Bensenville Home Society working with geriatric patients. But I could have been hired to work at a park district and likely become a community’s director of parks and recreation. But, God had a different plan, and here I am today. My college courses back then talked about the importance of recreation in our lives. You’ve heard the expression “all work and no play make Jack a very dull boy.” It’s true! We all need to take time out to be renewed and refreshed – even God took a day off! But so often today, recreation can even seem like work. How many of us have said after coming home from a vacation, that I need a vacation from the vacation! The word recreation means to re-create. Leisure time is good, and it’s perfectly fine to do absolutely nothing. While I like to bike and others like to golf, go to a baseball game or outdoor concerts, I sometimes just sit in one of those zero gravity chairs on the back deck of the rectory and do absolutely nothing but stare at the sky, using my imagination to “see” various things in cloud formations. I enjoy the breeze and listening to the wind-chimes while sipping a soda or glass of wine. We all need time to slow down, chill out, give our overactive brains a rest. This is what it means to recreate. I hope you find some time this summer to re-create your best self!!

With the summer months here, like last year, we experience people, often a family, standing before and after Masses on our sidewalks or in our parking lot, holdings a sign requesting money to help them purchase items they need for their family, tugging at your hearts. And of course, Jesus said “give to those who beg from you.” And you are certainly free to do that, but I would prefer that you tell them to call the parish office and through our St. Vincent de Paul Society, we will help them. I’ve politely asked them not to solicit from our parishioners, and they leave – but come back. So again, if you wish to give them something, you may do so, but I would prefer to help them through our St. Vincent de Paul Society.

As you know summer is a great time to travel. Friends of mine recently returned from France and shared the words on a sign of a church they visited (English translation): “When you enter this church it may be possible that you hear “the call of God”. However, it is unlikely that He will call you on your mobile. Thank you for turning off you phones. If you want to talk to God, enter, choose a quiet place and talk to Him. If you want to see Him, send Him a text while driving.”

Have a Blessed Summer!

Fr Don

Today we celebrate the most central TRUTH of our Catholic Faith. Today we celebrate that the Eucharist IS the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus – no longer just bread and wine, but in essence the very presence of Jesus. It is incredibly important for us to understand what we do when we celebrate the Eucharist. Without this understanding, yes Mass might seem boring or as some complain “I don’t get anything out of it.” From the beginning, believers in Jesus had no doubt as to the wondrousness of the gift they received in the Eucharist. Paul’s faith in this great mystery is clearly evident in today’s second reading. His description of Jesus’ great gift predates the evangelists who wrote the gospels.

So, let us understand that through the gift of himself in bread and wine, Jesus continues to be the food that sustains us, as well as the source of our communion with him and one another. Around the altar-table of the Eucharist, we remember his dying, we celebrate his life and we enter into the mystery of God’s salvific love. Other food we eat is assimilated into our bodies and becomes a part of us. But, when we are nourished by the Eucharist WE are assimilated into Jesus and thereby become a part of HIM!!

We cannot take for granted so great a gift and so profound a UNION. But recall the Israelites in the desert who became weary of the manna and quail and started longing for the food they ate while in captivity in Egypt. Do we, too, ever grow weary of the gift we have come to receive so routinely? Do we just go through the motions at Mass?

Perhaps if we were to cultivate a hunger in our hearts and souls – hunger that arises from the NEED for communion, a hunger prompted by prayer, a hunger that can be satisfied only by Jesus himself – this hunger would drive us to long for our next sacred meal at which we will be fed with the bread of the Word and the bread of Eucharist.

Included in the rite of ordination of priests is the directive: “Understand what you do; imitate that which you handle.” These words affirm the priests’ privilege and responsibility to be so intimately attuned to Jesus in the gift of the Eucharist that they become, in their words and in their works, true witnesses who encourage the faith of others. “Understand what you do.” These words also apply to YOU – the people in the pews whose privilege it is to partake of the Eucharist and whose responsibility it is to tend the hungers of humanity. Jesus’ charge to his own, “Give them some food yourselves,” continues to be the agenda of the Church. Having fed upon the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ, YOU are to flow forth from the sanctuary to inundate your neighborhoods, workplaces and schools with Christ so as to make an otherwise secular world sacred again. And that my brothers and sisters is what Fr. Mark and I mean when we talk about evangelization – all of us do it, not just the ordained!! May you understand what WE do every time Mass is celebrated! Join us in our Eucharistic procession today that begins at the end of the 12:30PM Mass. Celebrate a wondrous gift!!

Blessings and Peace on the Feast of Corpus Christi,

Fr Don