Serving Hyde Park’s Catholic Community since 1869

January 3, 2021 The of the Lord “A Parish Offices: Hours: nd Weekdays: 7am-3pm, Mon.-Fri. Located at 55th & Woodlawn Behold, 5472 S. Kimbark Avenue Chicago, IL 60615-5297 Phone: (773) 324-2626 the star that Fax: (773) 891-0602 [email protected] they had seen Fr. Dan Costello at its rising Extension 107 Deacon: Deacon Kurt Davis preceded them, Parish Office: until it came & Lisa J. Couch, secretary (773) 324-2626 stopped over Parish Voicemail box, ext. 0 Director of Parish Operations the place where Paula Jones, ext. 109 the Music Ministry Ed Martin Liturgist Child Jennifer Davis Bulletin Editor Lissa Romell was. ~:9 Parish School Erin Monahan, Principal 5467 S. Woodlawn Avenue St. Parish Chicago, Illinois 60615-5299 telephone: (773) 667-1142 Mass Schedule Confession Fax: (773) 891-0602 Sunday Saturdays, 2:30-3:30pm. www.stapostleschool.com 8am & 10am Baptism Monday-Friday Please contact the Parish Office. 8am Marriage Saturday Please make arrangements eight months in advance. 8am & 4pm Membership Holy Days Please register at the Parish Office or online at 8am www.stapostleparish.org under “Contact Us”. Please don’t forget the poor boxes. Come visit us at www.stapostleparish.org Page 2 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord

We’re so glad you’re here and invite you to journey in faith If you or a loved one with us. We believe the church is the sacrament of God’s wish to receive a saving presence in the world. telephone visit from a Our goal is to provide a spiritual home where all are minister of care—to welcome, where the healing, reconciling, liberating love of pray or simply talk— God flows through us to all people. please call Lisa at 773- If you have any questions about our parish, please call or 324-2626, & she will email our parish office. arrange for a Minister of Care to call.

Today’s Readings: Epiphany of the Lord 60:1-6  Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13  Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6  Matthew 2:1-12 Gabrielle Perrin

We encourage you to prepare yourself for next weekend’s liturgy by reading and praying the scriptures (visit www.usccb.org).

Next Sunday’s Readings: Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or Isaiah 55:1-11  Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10  Acts 10:34-38 or 1 John 5:1-9  Mark 1:7-11 Weekday Mass Intentions

Weekly morning masses are being live-streamed at 8am, Monday-Saturday, via our Facebook page. Please join us! Please remember those listed below in your prayers this week. MONDAY, January 4 WEDNESDAY, January 6 FRIDAY, January 8 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton St. Andre Bessette Readings: 1 Jn 5:5-13  Ps 147:12-13, Readings: 1 Jn 3:22—4:6  Ps 2:7bc-8, Readings: 1 Jn 4:11-18  Ps 72:1-2, 10, 14-15, 19-20  Lk 5:12-16 10-12a  Mt 4:12-17, 23-25 12-13  Mk 6:45-52 He would withdraw to deserted places “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven God is love, and whoever remains in to pray. Lk 5:16 is at hand.” Mt 4:17 love remains in God and God in them. Theresa Kendra Gabrielle Perrin 1 Jn 4:16 SATURDAY, January 9 Gwendolyn Lewis TUESDAY, January 5 Readings: 1 Jn 5:14-21  Ps 98:1, 2- St. John Neumann THURSDAY, January 7 3ab, 3cd-4  Jn 1:19-28 Readings: 1 Jn 4:7-10  Ps 72:1-2, 3- Readings: 1 Jn 4:19—5:4  Ps 72:1-2, 14 We have this confidence in him that if 4, 7-8  Mk 6:34-44 & 15bc, 17  Lk 4:14-22 we ask anything according to God’s Everyone who loves is begotten by God “Today this Scripture passage is will, he hears us. 1 Jn 5:14 and knows God. 1 Jn 4:7 fulfilled in your hearing.” Lk 4:21 Rita Picken Louise Kaegi Therese McDermott deceased

We have resumed During the reopening process, we public Masses encourage you to check your email, our on Saturdays at BACK to website & Facebook page to stay updated 4 p.m. and on current information regarding Sundays at 8 CHURCH sacraments, Sunday Masses, and our a.m. and 10 a.m. STA ministries. Given the current restrictions on Masses online: The Sunday 8am attendance (up to Mass and the 8am daily Masses, 20% capacity of our church), we are using Sign-up Genius, Monday through Saturday, are live- streamed via the STA Facebook page. an online tool that allows you to reserve space for you and those in your household for Mass (https:// Parish Office: The Parish Office is now open 7am-3pm, www.signupgenius.com/go/9040448A9AA2CA0F49- Monday-Friday. reservations). To help ensure that everything runs as smoothly and peacefully as possible, please review the Bulletin: The Bulletin will continue to be delivered via Parishioner Reopening guide online (https:// email and published on-line. stapostleparish.org/parish-life/reopening-our-parish/) and Updates: Please check our website, Facebook page and contact us with any questions at 773-324-2626. Parish Office voicemail message for updates. St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord Page 3

Thoughts from Fr. Dan Costello Parish Administrator

Then one person is chosen to read the gospel: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth. Dear Parishioners & Friends of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, All who are present proceed from one room to the next, It's an old custom to bless your home on Epiphany, asking God’s blessing on all that takes place in that room: celebrated this year on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Here’s a prayer for blessing your house this weekend. Simplify the Lord, bless this room ritual as your needs and circumstances suggest, not (where we eat, rest, gather, cook, sleep, bathe, play, work) withstanding social distancing and wearing masks! and let us dwell here together in peace.

The Blessing of a House on If you have holy water at home, you might sprinkle each the Feast of the Epiphany room. All gather at the front door and one person is chosen as Coming finally to the dining room or kitchen table, the Leader of prayer. after the blessing prayer (above)

Leader: all join in praying the Lord’s Prayer… In the name of the Father and of the Son after which the Leader prays: and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord God of Heaven and earth, you revealed your only begotten Son to every nation Peace be with this house and with all who live here. by the guidance of a star. Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Bless this house and all who live here. During these days of the season, Fill them with the light of Christ: we keep this feast of Epiphany, may their concern and care celebrating the manifestation of Christ for our family for our neighbors to the Magi and all the nations. always reflect your love.

Today Christ is revealed to us We ask this through Christ our Lord. and his presence makes our home a holy place. Amen. The lintel above the door is marked with this inscription: All join in singing a Christmas hymn 20 + C + M + B + 21 (Silent Night or O Come All Ye Faithful or The traditional marking of the ) doorway commemorates the three and perhaps enjoy some refreshments or dinner! magi (traditionally named , , Happy Epiphany, and Balthazar) and gives the Good People of St. Thomas the Apostle! calendar year just recently begun. ~Fr. Dan Costello Page 4 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord

Archdiocese of Chicago School Gratitude Fund

We wanted to make you aware of AOC’s School Gratitude Fund. If you are interested in making a gift to this fund, please read the information on how to do so and how the fund will support AOC school staff. Dates to Remember

December 21—January 1 Donate to express your support for our school heroes in these dark and Christmas Break—NO SCHOOL challenging times.

January 4-15 The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our teachers, E-Learning days for all STA principals and staff as never before. Through the pivot to remote learning last students—NO in-person classes spring and the resumption of in-person classes in the fall, they have worked tirelessly, going above and beyond to provide an excellent, faith-filled education January 12 to our children. Big Shoulders Fund Tax Credit Scholarship Application Opens Even as infection rates have soared across Chicagoland, archdiocesan schools have been recognized by government leaders, health department officials and January 18 national local media as having a best-in-class re-opening plan. In addition, our Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day— plan is being used as a model by other school systems. NO SCHOOL As effective as our approach has been, it has put an enormous strain on school January 19 teachers, staff members and leaders. They have risen to the challenge and created In-Person Learning classes an environment that is safe and responsive to the overwhelming parental desire resume in the school building for in-person instruction and to accommodate those who prefer virtual learning. ——————–———————— Our 4,000 teachers, staff members and school leaders are courageous heroes who STA’s Website: deserve our consideration, respect and thanks. www.stapostleschool.com We give thanks for extraordinary service. Follow STA on Social Media!

Facebook: @stapostleschool The Archdiocese of Chicago has launched a School Gratitude Fund. Donations to the Instagram: @stthomasapostle fund will support and thank our heroic Catholic school staff members and express our collective gratitude by offering each a small but meaningful monetary gift. Online Reviews Gifts to the School Gratitude Fund can be made as follows: We appreciate the encouraging words we have received from our Online at archchicago.org/teacherfund community. Thank you for your support! In an effort to continue Checks can be made payable to: “Catholic Bishop of Chicago” and please write showing our STA pride and come “School Gratitude Fund” in the memo line. together as a community, please consider leaving an online review Mailing address: for STA on one of the available Stewardship & Development Office outlets. These include: Facebook, Archdiocese of Chicago Google Reviews, Niche, Great 835 N. Rush St. Schools and Private School Review. Thank you! Chicago, IL 60611

The Tax ID # for the Archdiocese of Chicago is 36-2170826

If you have any questions, please contact Brendan Keating, Chief Development Officer: [email protected] or 312.270.4027. St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord Page 5

Epiphany: You Can’t Go Home Again

Were we led all this way for Birth or Death? This was a people who like religion for its own sake. Yet this alone Birth, certainly, we had evidence and no doubt. I had seen deserves to be called Good News, a true epiphany, the great birth and death, but had thought they were different… I surprise of God. All else is both bad and old. Ironically, it should be glad of another death. differs from the traditional worldview only insofar as now —“Journey of the Magi” by T.S. Eliot there is no need for fear or technique. It is based in joy and the primal goodness of Genesis, while being totally honest An epiphany is not an idea. As D. H. Lawrence said, people about its necessary tragic side. But the great difference is that can do anything they want with an idea, but a truly new God uses everything to get at us, even our mistakes. That is experience changes everything. Before unlike any other teaching. You will know you can do anything with it, it does salvation through the forgiveness of your something with you! sin, according to the great Benedictus Most of us prefer ideas and words; we hymn in Luke (see 1:77). are afraid of any authentically new No people in their right minds would experience. Unlike the Magi, we do not reject such an epiphany. Incarnational tend to allow stars to divert us to a new Christianity is beyond the boundaries of and unknown place. Most of us stay anybody’s ability to control it. It is good inside our private castles and avoid such news for anybody, transformation for questionable adventures. Yes, we avoid everybody and bad news for nobody death supposedly, but we also avoid birth. except those who want to divide and We miss out on the great epiphany. conquer. It is a challenge to every culture An epiphany is not an experience that and every religion. It is the ground for all we can create from within, but one that social justice, human dignity and actually we can only be open to and receive from a much more demanding morality. another. Epiphanies leave us totally out of And it is both the ground and the goal control, and they always demand that we of all mystical experience. Now God is in change. We would rather have objectified all things. We can no longer separate, religion, which leaves us potentially in exclude or avoid anybody or anything, control and never having to change at all. especially under the guise of religion. We Religion without epiphanies becomes Look Beneath the Masks all, like the Magi, must now kneel and kiss digging in your heels; religion with by Br. Mickey McGrath, the ground, throwing our own kingships to epiphanies becomes living on your heels, http://www.bromickeymcgrath.com/ the wind. ready to go wherever God manifests. One wonders if the The Epiphany we celebrate is Incarnation itself, ever went back home at all. Home base had been incarnation of God in Christ, which allows us to see God’s taken from them. image and incarnation everywhere else too. Paul is pure … poetry and song when he writes about this mystery in If God can be manifest in a baby in a poor stable for the Colossians 1:15-17: “He is the image of the invisible God, unwanted, then we better be ready for God just about the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things anywhere and in anybody. The letting-go of any attempt to in heaven and on earth…[A]nd in him all things hold compartmentalize God will always feel dangerous and maybe together.” Our Christ is the magnificent showing forth of even like dying. T. S. Eliot says, “I should be glad of another what has always been happening, but what we were afraid or death.” What looks like birth is also and always death in this unable to see. John Duns Scotus and the Franciscan school mystery of faith. And what looks like death, thanks to God, is called this the doctrine of the primacy of Christ: The mind of promised as birth. God first created a prototype, —and what God did there That explains the foundational optimism of authentic perfectly, he used as a model for the rest of creation. Christianity, and the deep joy of authentic Christians. They Get Jesus right, and all the rest makes sense, even if it is are indestructible people. often still painful. Such a colossal Christ is indeed the savior In the incarnational worldview, matter and Spirit were of the world, but not in an imperialistic or exclusionary never separate. The world is the Body of Christ and Spirit is way—because that is not how epiphanies work. Epiphanies hidden in material reality, just as in...Jesus. The world itself just manifest the mysteries that are always beyond words. is the hiding place and the revelation place of God. The Afterwards, we are out of control, going back home by a actual is what leads us to God. We now have the ability to different route, yet realigned correctly with that-is. Reality is find God in all things, even the sinful, the broken, the painful still the best ally of God, and God always comes disguised as and the tragic. It created a very restful and joy-filled religion, our life. where the primary attitudes are confidence and gratitude, but [Excerpted from “Epiphany: You Can’t Go Home Again” by not without suffering. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. The full text is available at https:// This news is normally shocking and disappointing to issuu.com/ksprinkle/docs/epiphany_by_richard_rohr.] Page 6 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord

National Migration Week 2021 has Moved!

DATE CHANGE! September 20th - 26th, 2021

For nearly forty years, National Migration Week (NMW) has been celebrated the week after the Epiphany in January. One of the primary reasons for the selection of these dates was due to the timing of the ’s migration Day message, which was celebrated in mid-January. In 2019, Pope Francis announced that that the World Day of Migrants and Refugees would henceforth be celebrated on the last Sunday of September. St. Thomas the Apostle To maintain the custom of aligning NMW with the World Day of Migrants LIVE Mass on Facebook and Refugees, the Catholic Bishops of the United States recently decided to move National Migration Week to the last week in September. Given that we We continue to stream Mass live daily have already celebrated NMW 2020 in January of 2020, the next National on Facebook at 8am. Visit https:// Migration Week that we will celebrate will be September 20 - 26, 2021, with www.facebook.com/ the Vatican’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees taking place on Sunday St.ThomastheApostleHydePark/live/ the 26th. More information about the celebration, next year’s National for the livestream and to watch Migration theme, and resources will be made available on our Justice for previous Masses. Immigrants website in the spring of 2021

A convenient way to give to St. Thomas the Apostle Parish—especially in this time of Covid -19—is through online donations via GiveCentral. You can use this website to make donations to STA using your credit card, debit card or electronic checking payments. You can make both one-time and recurring donations. To take advantage of this convenient option, visit www.givecentral.org/location/136. We are grateful for your support, now more than ever. Thank you.

OFFERINGS December 20, 2020 Offertory $4,352.00 Give Central $5,622.00 Christmas $3,642.00 Give Central Building Fund $4,000.00 Flowers $150.00 Building Fund $300.00 Misc. Please Remember in Prayer: Parishioners & friends who are ill: $24.00

Total $18,090.00 Jenny Aniceto, Estrella Alamar, Dorla Allen, Lucas Allen, Romulo Barreno, Betty Black, Dorothy Bonds, Emil F. Coccaro, Romy Crena, Esther Dionisio, Sr., Marilyn Epps,

Sebastian Farmer, Fr. Jack Farry, Foley, Joan Gallagher, Lina Garcia, Fr. Karl Gersbach, Giles, Pamela Graniczy, Alyce Hammonds, Kathleen Holden, Wm. G. Howard, Maria Jimenez, Olga Jimenez, Carolyn Jones, Connie Jose, Charlie King, Mary Thank Lerps, Mark Lewis, Corrine Lipinski, Linda Loggins, Mankowski Family, Maridel Moffett, you! Anastacia I. Mebane, Clara Morgan, John Moore, Chris Mureiko, Caridad Neal, Carmen Orendain, Edmond Peirre, Agnes Pelt, Sr. Jamie Phelps, David Nathaniel Robinson, Dick Russel, Nelson R. Sample, Elizabeth Scott, Zahari Simmons, Bobby Sims, Olustee Smith, Coletta Tinley, Charles Walker, Sr., Jo Washington, Julia Washington, Terrance Watson, Funds needed weekly Richard West, Mavis Willis, Marie Bijou Wong, Joan Yedinak to sustain our parish: $8900

Sign up for For those who have died: Joseph Wiley

GiveCentral.org today! May God grant them eternal joy and peace.

The Hyde Park Kenwood Food Pantry is open to give out groceries from 10am until 1pm on

Saturdays at the Hyde Park Union Church at 56th and Woodlawn.

For more information, contact Jan at [email protected]. St. Thomas the Apostle Parish The Epiphany of the Lord Page 7

Pope Francis on Epiphany As we begin the New Year, may we discover anew that greatness does not consist in having, but in loving. Worship faith demands worship. If we can fall on our knees before means recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters before Jesus, we will overcome the temptation to set off on our the mystery of a love that bridges every distance: it is to own path. For worship involves making an exodus from encounter goodness at the source; it is to find in the God of the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself. Worship closeness the courage to draw near to others. Worship means means putting the Lord at the knowing how to be silent in centre, not ourselves. It Epiphany prayer the presence of the divine means giving things their Word, and learning to use rightful place, and giving the words that do not wound but first place to God. Worship console. means making God’s plan Worship is an act of love more important than our that changes our lives. It is to personal time, our do what the Magi did. To entitlements and our spaces. bring to the Lord and to It is to accept the teaching of tell him that nothing is more Scripture: “You shall precious than he is. To offer worship the Lord your him incense and to tell him God” (Mt 4:10). Your God: that only in union with him worship means realizing that On Epiphany day, can our lives rise up to you and God belong together we are still the people walking. heaven. To present him with to one another. It means We are still people in the dark, , balm for the bruised being able to speak to God and the darkness looms large around us, and wounded, and to promise freely and intimately. It beset as we are by fear, him that we will aid our means bringing our lives to anxiety, marginalized and suffering neighbours, in whom he him and letting him enter brutality, into them. It means letting himself is present. We usually violence, his consolation come down know how to pray – we ask loss — to earth. Worship means the Lord, we thank him – but a dozen alienations that we cannot manage. discovering that, in order to the Church must move pray, it is enough to say: We are — we could be — people of your light. forward in her prayer of “My Lord and my God!”, So we pray for the light of your glorious presence worship; we must grow in and to let ourselves be as we wait for your appearing; worshiping. This is wisdom pervaded by his tender love. we pray for the light of your wondrous grace that we must learn each day. Worship means going to as we exhaust our coping capacity; Praying by worshiping: the Jesus without a list of petitions, we pray for your gift of newness that prayer of worship. but with one request alone: to will override our weariness; Dear brothers and sisters, abide with him. It is about we pray that we may see and know and hear and trust today each one of us can discovering that joy and peace in your good rule. ask: “Am I a Christian who increase with praise and That we may have energy, courage, and freedom to enact worships?” Many Christians thanksgiving. In worship, we your rule through the demands of this day. pray but they do not allow Jesus to heal and change worship. Let us ask We submit our day to you and to your rule, with us. In worship, we make it ourselves this question: Do deep joy and high hope. possible for the Lord to . we find time for worship in transform us by his love, to ~Walter Brueggemann (b. 1933), from his Prayers for a our daily schedules and do kindle light amid our darkness, Privileged People (Nashville: Abingdon, 2008), p. 163. we make room for worship to grant us strength in in our communities? It is up weakness and courage amid to us, as a Church, to put trials. Worship means concentrating on what is essential: into practice the words we prayed in today’s Psalm: “All ridding ourselves of useless things and addictions that the peoples on earth will worship you, O Lord”. In anaesthetize the heart and confound the mind. In worship, we worshiping, we too will discover, like the Magi, the learn to reject what should not be worshiped: the god of meaning of our journey. And like the Magi, we too will money, the god of consumerism, the god of pleasure, the god experience “a great joy” (Mt2:10). [http://www.vatican.va/ of success, the god of self. Worship means bending low before content/francesco/en/homilies/2020/documents/papa- the Most High and to discover in his presence that life’s francesco_20200106_omelia-epifania.html.]