FIRST SUNDAY of LENT March 1, 2020
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Cardinal Blasé J. Cupich Archbishop of Chicago FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Most Reverend Andrew Peter Wypych March 1, 2020 Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago St. Christopher Parish Information Parish Office— 708-388-8190 4130 W. 147th Street—Midlothian, IL 60445 Fax 708-388-0072 E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.stchrisparish.net Parish Office Hours Monday—Thursday 9:00AM—7:00PM Friday 9:00AM—4:00PM Saturday 9:00AM—1:00PM Sunday 9:00AM—1:00PM Parish Staff Fr. Kris Paluch, Pastor Deacon Robert Powers Denise Blackstone, Business Manager Phil & Amy Switalski, Music Ministry Directors John McNichols, Youth Ministry Coordinator MASS SCHEDULE Parish Secretaries Patricia Powers—Bulletin Editor Monday thru Saturday: 8:30AM Barbara Novick Saturday: 4:30PM (Vigil) Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:00AM St. Christopher School—708-385-8776 14611 S. Keeler—Midlothian, Il 60445 Holy Days: Check Bulletin Calendar for time. Fax: 708-385-8102-Web Site: www.stchrisschool.org School E-Mail address: [email protected] ROSARY Dr. Michelle Walthers, Principal The Rosary is prayed after 8:30AM Mass every morning Doris Kruse & Pam Bricker, School Secretaries Monday through Saturday. Religious Education—708-388-4040 EUCHARISTIC ADORATION 14611 S. Keeler—Rm 21 of the School Monday—Saturday 7:25—8:25AM Religious Ed Web Site: www.stchrisre.com Religious Ed E-Mail: [email protected] SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Bernadine Smierciak, Director of Religious Education Reconciliation Room at Front West Vestibule or by Brenna Baker, Secretary appointment at the Parish Office Saturdays: 4:00PM St. Christopher Ministers of Care will bring Communion to the hospitalized and homebound. If MARRIAGES you, a family member or a friend is in need of a visit, Please make wedding arrangements through a Priest or please contact the Parish Office at 708-388-8190. Deacon at least six months prior to the wedding. Convent—4130 W. 147th Street BAPTISMS Alumni Web Page—www.stchrisalumni.org Each Sunday of the month at 12:00PM. Arrangements for Fiesta Email—[email protected] parents and godparents may be made by phoning the Athletic Association Web Page—stchrissports.com Parish Office—708-388-8190 Maintenance—708-371-2082 Charlie Bostrom St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry—708-371-4621 Lent is, as you know, forty days. Jesus fasted for forty days. Noah was on the ark while it rained, for forty days. Elijah walked in the desert for forty days. Moses spend forty days on Mt. Sinai. The Hebrews who had been delivered by God from Egypt roamed in the desert for forty years. This happened when they refused to trust in God to give them the Promised Land after scouts returned from reconnoitering the land for forty days. So what’s so special about forty? Forty is a biblical length of time that represents the period of purification before a momentous change. After the forty days of flood, mankind was purified, ready to start anew. Noah looked up into the sky and there was a rainbow, a sign from God that he would never destroy His people again with a flood. After forty days on Mt. Sinai, Moses was purified, ready to receive the holiness code. He descended the mountain with the tablets of the Ten Commandments and a sure way for the Hebrews to live as God’s people. Forty years later, their children and grandchildren would enter the Promised Land as people who had faith in God, not like their parents and grandparents whose faith wavered. After forty days in the desert, Elijah was empowered to renew God’s people. After forty days in the desert, Jesus was strengthened to do battle with the tempter. After forty days of Lent, we are empowered to join the Lord in fighting off evil in our world. Forty days. Forty days to prepare for the battle of our lives. Forty days to come closer to God. Forty days to be attuned to His guidance. Forty days to grow stronger in our faith. Forty days to get a better control of ourselves. Forty days to join the Lord in the victory of life over death. Forty days to help others realize that they are not victims. Forty days to help others join Jesus as victors. Forty days to prepare to bring the joy of the Gospel to the world. May we be blessed during these forty days. Palm Burning An Introduction to the Stations of the Cross Catechism of the Catholic Church On the Friday’s during lent, there will be Stations of the Cross at Deacon Bob Powers will present a 6:30PM in church. Please come brief history, form and content of the join us. Catechism of the Catholic Church by Dr. David Anders, who has a PHD in Church History. There will be a video presentation Parish Lenten along with a discussion. There will be time for Reconciliation Service questions and answers too. This will be presented three times so that if you cannot make it one night The Parish Lenten you can come another night. The dates for this Reconciliation Service will presentation will be Tuesday, March 3rd, 17th or be on Friday, March 20th, at 7:00PM after the 31st at 7PM in Unit-D#38. Stations of the Cross. .“Notes” from Phil & Amy, HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING AT ST. CHRISTOPHER IN THE WEEK AHEAD: In The Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Sun., March 1 7:30 AM[CH] Mass In last week’s column the “gift” of the Holy Spirit was 9:00AM-1:00PM[Unit-D All] Blood Drive mentioned in depth and for good, good reason. The Holy Spirit Sponsored by Knights of Columbus and angels are a mystery possibly much harder for us to 9:30 AM[CH] Mass comprehend than God the Father and Son. A mystery is never 11:00 AM[CH] Mass meant to be fully understood but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t 12:00 PM[G,K] Spring Saints 3rd Grade try to better understand, in this case, the Trinity, that third person, Boys BB Tourn. that often forgotten third person of the Blessed Trinity. After all, the Blessed Trinity and the essential character of the Holy Spirit Mon., March 2 4:00 PM—9:00 PM[C,FR] Sports Pictures and the role have been around since the creation of the world. This 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM[G,K]BINGO - Spirit is the Touch of God and who will ultimately enable us to Doors open 5pm - Early Bird Game have a true Season of Lent with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, 6:30pm then Regular Games united with Jesus. 6:00 PM[Unit-D#35]R.C.I.A. We hear today in our liturgy, our Gospel that just as 7:00 PM[Unit-D#37]St. Vincent DePaul Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, entered the desert and was Mtg. subjected to temptation, so too much we, filled with the Holy Tues., March 3 5:45 AM - 7:00 PM[C,K] Catholic Spirit, enter a desert, so that we will be able to recognize and Charities Dinner withstand the temptations in our lives. 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM[CH] Children's Choir If you can imagine the love between a father and a son, so 5:30 PM[CH] Religious Education Mass - together, well that love is the gift of the Holy Spirit, some describe All Grades the Holy Spirit as God’s finger touching us, an appreciation, an 6:30 PM[CH] First Communion Meeting awareness of the “sweet guest of our soul,” one who seeks to bring 7:00 PM[Unit-D#38]Introduction to the us closer to Christ and Eternal Salvation. Let us pray for the gifts Catechism of the Catholic Church and fruits of the Holy Spirit so that Christians everywhere may be filled with this love and grace and enter the desert with Jesus to Wed., March 4 5:00 PM[G,K] Spring Saints 3rd Grade pray and show their love of God and have strength to withstand Boys BB Tourn. temptation. 6:30 PM[FR,C,K] Rosary Altar Mtg. In John’s Gospel, Jesus calls the devil the father of lies, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM[Unit-D#35&37] but perhaps what is more insidious are the elements of truth mixed Al-Anon Mtg. in with the devil’s lies. The deals the devil proposes in the desert could very well have come true had Jesus succumbed to Thurs., March 5 5:00 PM[G,K] Spring Saints 3rd Grade temptation. The devil is even able to quote scripture to assure Boys BB Tourn. Jesus that they would work. Similarly, the serpent in Eden 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM[Unit-D#37]TOPS Mt. cleverly spins truths into the web of lies. 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM[FR] Cub Scouts Mtg. Thanks to Adam and Eve, we are “like gods,” in that we 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM[C,K] Boy Scout Mtg. generally know what is good and what is evil. But have we gained 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM[CH] Adult Choir the wisdom that Eve desired? Or do we exercise the same poor 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM[Unit-D#35]Baptismal judgment that they did? In Jesus we have a model of resisting Prep. Class temptation through obedience. Do we have the wisdom to obey our conscience or do we foolishly give in to temptation? Ask God Fri., March 6 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM[C,K,FR] Fish Fry for the gift of the Holy Spirit in this year of Grace, for strength, for 5:00 PM[G,K] Spring Saints 3rd Grade understanding, for wisdom, to again bring yourself to the desert Boys BB Tourn.