St. Lambert Parish Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Rectory: Pastor: Religious Education : 8148 N Karlov Avenue Rev. Richard Simon Gina Roxas Skokie, IL 60076 [email protected] Phone: (847) 673-5090 Rev. Know-it-all: reverendknow-it-all.blogspot.com To Register as a Parishioner: E-mail: [email protected] Go to stlambert.org under “About Us” or by phone. Deacon:

St. Lambert Parish - Skokie, IL Mr. Chick O’Leary Weddings: Arrangements must be made 6 Website: www.StLambert.org Music Director: months in advance. Mr. Steven Folkers Sunday Masses: Baptisms: (5 pm Sat) 8am, 10am, 12pm Office Staff: Third Sundays of the month at 1:30 Debbie Morales-Garcia pm. Baptismal Prep Class is the first [email protected] Weekday Masses: Tuesday of each month at 7pm in Mr. George Mohrlein 7:15 am (Mon-Fri) 8am on Saturday room 103. For guidelines and to register email Debbie.

Page 2 St. Lambert Parish Third Sunday of Advent

Masses for the Week READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday: Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72:1-2, 12- 13, 18-19; Mt 1:18-25 Tuesday: Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:5-25 Wednesday: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-4ab, 5-6; Lk 1:26- Saturday, December 16 38 Thursday: Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; 5:00 † Nancy Ryan Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1:39-45 Friday: 1 Sm 1:24-28; 1 Sm 2:1, 4-8abcd; Sunday, December 17 Lk 1:46-56 8:00 † Ed Nemmers Saturday: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1:57-66 10:00 People of St Lambert Sunday: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38 12:00 † Leeson & Cederbourg Families Monday, December 18

7:15 † Mary Jane Ryan Our next Coffee Hour on Tuesday, December 19 December 24th will be a coffee only event . 7:15 † Anthony Fernando Wednesday, December 20 7:15 † Josef Kepes Thursday, December 21 7:15 † Nancy Ryan Friday, December 22 7:15 † Patrick Gaynor Date (2017) Amount Book # Name Saturday, December 23 Sunday, Dec 10th $ 100.00 3519 Millar, Isabelle 8:00 † Theresa Kim Monday, Dec 11th $ 50.00 3502 Sanchez, Denise 5:00 † Dentzer & Poglitsch Families Tuesday, Dec 12th $ 50.00 3128 So, Jasmin Sunday, December 24 Wednesday, Dec 13th $ 50.00 3211 FFOS 8:00 † Gannon & Weides Families Thursday, Dec 14th $ 50.00 2442 Madsen, Madeleine 10:00 † Hernandez/ Peulido Families Friday, Dec 15th $ 50.00 2518 Almonte, Jaime E. 12:00 People of St Lambert Saturday, Dec 16th $ 50.00 2385 Syfu, Joselito L. 5:00 † Pedro & Victoria Alvarado, Winning raffle booklet numbers are put back in the hopper. Giving you more opportunities to win † Danny Morales and † Saul Hernandez throughout the year!

9:30 Christmas Carols PRIZES: $50 Monday-Saturday $100 Weekly Sunday 10:00 Olita, Cheryl & Aimee (except 1st Sunday) $500 Every 1st Sunday of the Month December 17, 2017 Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord Page 3

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In 1223, just two years before his death, set up a living crèche, a replica of the manger in Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus. He preached and prayed before the scene. His biographer, Thomas of , says that in that moment Francis was “overwhelmed with love and filled with wonderful happiness.” His contemplation of Jesus, the Word made flesh, drew him to experience the depth of God’s love.

We live in a troubled world beset by wars, violence, injustice, broken relationships, and illness. Beyond that, we do believe and are convinced that God loves us and walks with us in Jesus, his Son. As we know, God will heal us and our broken world and bring us into the fullness of life. It is my hope that when you pray before the mystery of the Incarnate Word, as Saint Francis prayed, you will be renewed in hope and confidence and be “overwhelmed with love and filled with wonderful happiness.”

May God bless you with a renewal of faith, hope, and love as we celebrate the birth of the Lord.

Sincerely yours in Christ, Christmas 2017

Cardinal's leer to the Faithful ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO Archdiocese of Chicago

For More Information please contact St. Athanasius Parish in Evanston at 847-328-1430 ext. 100 Or email the parish office at parishoffice@ saintasparish.org

The registration deadline for this tour is January 9, 2018. Page 4 St. Lambert Parish Third Sunday of Advent The Reverend Know-it-all Greek bishop of a Roman city in southern France. “What I don’t know… He was born during the first half of the 2nd century AD, perhaps as early as 115 and was a I can always make up!” native of St. 's church in Smyrna in Asia Dear Rev. Know it All, Minor. He had been raised as a Christian at a time when there were very few cradle Catholics. St. A non-Catholic friend of mine told Polycarp had been a student of St. John and me that Peter doesn’t mean rock. had been a student of St Polycarp. You It means more like a chip off the can’t get a better early Christian pedigree than old block and that Jesus didn’t that. Irenaeus states that the Church of Rome was ever intend to start the papacy the preeminent Church of Christianity a full two and that the papacy started in 325 hundred years before Constantine. So much for with the takeover of the Church the myth of Constantine making the bishop of by the emperor Constantine. Is he right? Rome the . I suspect that Constantine would much rather have had the bishop of his new Yours sincerely, capital as the leader of the Church. The bishop of Roland Stone Constantinople wasn’t even considered a of the church until 400 years after Christ. Dear Roland, The Council of Nicaea in 325 convened by the Your friend’s scholarship is about as deep as a Emperor Constantine, recognized the primacy of puddle. First of all, the papacy certainly goes back the Church of Rome, followed by the churches of to the first century of the faith. Allow me to quote Alexandria and Antioch. The church of St. Irenaeus of Lyon: Constantinople was considered unimportant and certainly didn’t go back to the first days of Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a Christianity. The Council of Chalcedon in 451AD volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all recognized the diocese of Constantinople as the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, “second in eminence and power to the Bishop of in whatever manner, whether by an evil self- Rome”. This recognition certainly miffed the pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse bishops of Antioch and Alexandria. Why? There opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; we do had been only three churches which considered this, I say, by indicating that tradition derived from St. Peter their founder, and thus had Peter’s the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and supervisory authority, Rome, Alexandria and universally known Church founded and organized at Antioch. Antioch had been established as a church Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and by St. Peter, Alexandria traced its origins back to Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to St. Mark, the delegate of St. Peter but Rome was men, which comes down to our time by means of preeminent because both Peter and Paul had been the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of its founders and St. Peter had been martyred and necessity that every Church should agree with this buried there. Church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the These lists of succession and such things as relics tradition has been preserved continuously by those were quite important to the first Christians, no [faithful men] who exist everywhere. (Against matter how we think of them. As to the Peter/ heresies Vol.3 Chapter 3 sec 2) Rock business, why would the first Christians make such a fuss about three cities, no less and no Irenaeus wrote these words around 180AD. He more, as having apostolic authority unless they had some pretty good credentials. He was the could trace their ordination back to St. Peter? They December 17, 2017 Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord Page 5 were founded on Simon Bar , Peter the Jonah who will control access to the court of Rock. But I’m sure that your friend knows better heaven. The Davidic monarch had an officer called than the first Christians. the ‘al bayit, literally the “house supervisor”. It was a continuous hereditary office and the keys of As for this bit about Peter not meaning rock, it’s the house of were its symbol. The first nonsense. The fuss is made because in Greek the Christians perceived that Jesus was founding an world rock is “petra”. Some languages, like institution that would have legitimate authority as ancient Greek, have gender, number and case. prefigured in the Davidic royal court. People who English words generally only have number. A rock try to redefine the words are simply trying to avoid in English is neither feminine nor masculine. This the fact to which the first Christians and the doesn’t work in ancient Greek. In order to know Scriptures clearly attest: Jesus established a visible who you are talking about in Greek and for that institution with legitimate authority. That matter Latin you have to use a masculine ending authority is limited to issues of faith and moral, but to refer to a man. Generally “-a” is a feminine it is authority nonetheless. Remember what St. ending in Greek and Latin. The common ending Irenaeus said about “those of perverse opinion who for a male is “-os” in Greek and “-us” in Latin. For wish to assemble in unauthorized meetings”. Jesus to say that Simon Bar Jonah’s new name was “petra” would be like saying “Thou art The history of the papacy is a catalogue of Wilhelmina...” William would be the more and sinners, of the strong and the weak. Its history appropriate name for a man. It would avoid reflects the life of its first incumbent who at one confusion, at least back then it would. To make His time Jesus called the rock and at another time point clear that He was giving Simon Bar Jonah a called Satan. (Matt. 16:23) Despite their weakness new title as well as a new name, the translators of and human frailty, and even sinfulness, the Jesus’ words would have had to stick a masculine have been a stabilizing force in the unfolding of ending on a feminine word. Christianity, despite the quibbles of those who think themselves more infallible than a pope. That's how Greek and Latin work. However, the more important point here is that JESUS WASN’T Yours, SPEAKING GREEK OR LATIN!!! He was speaking the Rev. Know it all Aramaic. Aramaic doesn’t have the gender problem that Greek does. Jesus called Simon bar Jonah “Kepha”. This title is repeated 19 times in Sunday Offertory Collection the New Testament, so clearly it was noteworthy December 3/4, 2017 to the first Christians. In addition, St. Paul uses Envelopes: $6,144.00 just the word Kepha eight times. When St. Paul Loose: 2,582.47 wants to make a point, he uses the very word that Total: $8,726.47 Jesus used in Aramaic when talking about Simon bar Jonah. He is in effect conceding the title to St. YouthChurch: $ 155.00 Peter. We can dispute what “petra” or “petros” or “kepha” mean, but the importance of the title Thank you for your continued support! and the importance of St. Peter to the first For Online Giving go to: www.givecentral.org Christians are indisputable. He clearly appears as the leader of the apostolic band. Bulletin Guidelines:

Submissions should be received at the office More significant is the passage in which Jesus says 10 days preceding the date of bulletin that will give the keys of the kingdom to Simon bar publication, should be in electronic format and sent to [email protected]. Page 6 St. Lambert Parish Third Sunday of Advent

Michelle Martin slower, but still people can text and video chat and talk on the phone and email, 24 hours a day. My children don’t remember a time when it was You’ve got mail rare for people to place international calls December 7, 2017 because it was so expensive; now, if calling costs too much, Skype is free. I’ve always loved the readings for the feast of the , Dec. 8, especially the The changes in technology have come so fast Gospel, the scene from Luke where tells that it’s easy to forget how different it is now, Mary that she is going to bear the Son of God. even for children. Now, when kids’ friends move across the country, or they go to camp with kids The church must like it too, since we get to hear it from other states, they don’t always disappear. twice this year. It will make a return appearance on They show up in Instagram likes and comments, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, which also falls on as PlayStation or Xbox video game opponents, Christmas Eve. and yes, on Twitter and even Facebook.

God is keeping his angels busy in the first chapter of This year, my mother asked what I wanted for Luke’s Gospel, sending one to Zechariah to Christmas via a “Words with Friends” game announce the impending birth of , message. and sending Gabriel to Mary. So if the Incarnation were to happen today, how The evangelist doesn’t say precisely what these would God tell people about it? messengers from God looked like, but we can surmise that they were, at the very least, Would Zechariah get a text from an unknown disquieting, as they had to tell both Zechariah and number? Would Mary get an instant message? Mary not to be afraid. Not like, say, a vulnerable For that matter, instead of angels in the sky little baby laying in a manger. above Bethlehem, would there be a meme? Would it go viral? Maybe their appearance was so awe-inspiring that it made it easier for the recipients to accept the The salvation story — the message that God awesomeness, in the original sense of the word, of loved us so much that he sent his Son to die to their messsage. save us — that’s been the greatest viral message of all time, and it’s one that started when getting Or maybe that was just the way things were in the word out was something that took years, not Palestine 2,000 years ago. How else would the Lord seconds. have communicated, in a time when a letter could be sent no faster than it could travel on horseback, How God sends the message, though, is only half and that only for the most privileged few? the story. The other half, the half that falls on us, is how we receive it. Now there are all kinds of ways to communicate across vast distances. Radio waves, which travel at the speed of light, can circle the globe seven times For More articles from Mary Martin order your Chicago Catholic today! in a second. Electric impulses of course are much 312.534.7777 December 17, 2017 Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord Page 7