SAINT ISAAC JOGUES PARISH 8149 Golf Road ♦Niles, IL 60714 847/967-1060 ~ Fax # 847/967-1070 Website: http://sij-parish.com The Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2013 Page Two The Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2013 A reluctant farewell to Christmas fits well into the Christmas season of Carnival. It almost makes taking down Christmas decorations and the tree something Farewell pleasant. I have never liked “putting down” Christ- mas or ending the season abruptly. It’s official. Christmas is over! The Church Year ad- Last Sunday the annual Choir Concert, Sing Noel, vances to Ordinary Time af- was a wonderful way to “toast” Christmas . To ter The Baptism of the offer a farewell that was, in no way, a “put down.” Lord. It is an old Catholic tradition to honor not on- All who attended the concert will agree that it was ly the Twelve Days of Christmas, but even to go marvelous - - a joyful salute to Christmas! Lisa beyond them. Time was when Candlemas (Feb. 2) Hall, the Youth Choir, the Praise Singers, our formally ended the Christmas season. There had to Cantors and Adult Choir are to be applauded for be much celebrating before Christmastide was al- their combined efforts. It was an event to make the lowed to “ebb away.” parish proud! There is a good reason to celebrate. One of my As we settle into Ordinary Time, we should count favorite customs is a kind of prelude to Mardi Gras. our blessings. Among them, our Music Ministry Have you ever heard of the Galette du Rois? It is ranks high. Our Christmas Farewell concert a French salute to Epiphany and the “Three Kings.” ought to make us eager to celebrate the rest of the The galette, in its original form, is a cake or flaky Church year! pastry filled with marzipan. A dried bean or a coin is folded into the filling. As the cake is ceremoni- Bravissimo! ously presented and sliced at Epiphany, whoever gets the bean or coin is crowned “king” or “queen” -Fr. Luczak of the Feast. The custom includes the option to choose a consort of the opposite sex. Gold foil crowns and appropriate toasts are offered by the host and hostess. Two slices of cake are set aside in the name of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin to be given to the poor or elderly. It’s a charming little THANK YOU… custom that became greatly modified once it reached New Orleans as it prepared for Mardi Gras. To all who helped to make our “Kings Cake” is a direct successor to “Galette du Advent/Christmas Season the prayerful, Rois.” It’s distinctive colors - - green, purple, and gold ochre - - represent the gifts of the Magi. Gold, hope-filled, joyous, beautiful celebration that frankincense and myrrh “evolved” into the colors of we experienced together as a faith Mardi Gras, it’s beads and doubloons. Inside the Kings Cake is the image of a baby, not a bean or a community. Each person’s gift -- time, coin. The “baby” was originally “Baby Jesus.” To receive the infant’s image in your cake has no royal talent, treasure, presence, faith, privileges. It does have a responsibility to host the encouragement…-- was a blessing and each pre-Mardi Gras party and buy the Kings Cake for the following year! gift mattered to our witness of the Word made flesh who dwells among us. Thank you and God bless you! Page Three The Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2013 “Same-sex Marriage:” What do Nature and Nature’s God say? Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: live out their sexual identity in different ways, but the The Illinois General Assembly is being asked to consid- Church offers the means to live chastely in all circum- er a bill called “The Religious Freedom and Marriage stances, as the love of God both obliges and makes possible. Fairness Act.” This is a deceptive title that ignores basic truths. Should the lame duck legislature or the new Assembly Marriage comes to us from nature. The human species take up the passage of a “same-sex marriage” law, it comes in two complementary sexes, male and female. will be acting against the common good of society. We Their sexual union is called marital. It not only creates will all have to pretend to accept something that is contrary to the common sense of the human race. a place of love for two adults but also a home for lov- ing and raising their children. It provides the biological Those who continue to distinguish between genuine basis for personal identity. marital union and same sex arrangements will be re- It is physically impossible for two men or two women garded in law as discriminatory, the equivalent of big- to consummate a marriage, even when they share a ots. This proposed legislation will have long term con- deep friendship or love. Does this mean nature is cruel sequences because laws teach; they tell us what is so- or that God is unfair? No, but it does mean that mar- cially acceptable and what is not, and most people con- riage is what nature tells us it is and that the State can- form to the dictates of their respective society, at least in the short run. not change natural marriage. Civil laws that establish “same-sex marriage” create a legal fiction. The State What happens next? If we ignore in law the natural has no power to create something that nature itself complementarity of man and woman in creation, then tells us is impossible. the natural family is undermined. Our individual lives Neither did the Church create marriage. The Church become artificial constructs protected by civil “rights” asks if a man and woman proposing to marry are ma- that destroy natural rights. Human dignity and human ture, responsible and free, willing to commit them- rights are then reduced to the whims of political ma- selves to one another before the Lord in the presence jorities. When the ways of nature and nature’s God of the community of the faithful to a lifelong relation- conflict with civil law, society is in danger. It is to that danger that we direct your attention. ship of fidelity to one another and openness to the creation and care for new life in their children. Christ We urge you to visit www.ilcatholic.org to stay updat- raised marital union to the dignity of a sacrament, giv- ed on the effort to redefine marriage in our state and ing it significance beyond that given it by nature; but, to find information on how to contact your state legis- like the State, the Church cannot change the natural lator. basis of marriage. Does this mean that the Church is anti-gay? No, for the Church welcomes everyone, re- Pray for our State. spects each one personally and gives to each the spir- itual means necessary to convert to God’s ways and Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I. maintain friendship with Christ. The Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago Bishop George J. Rassas has consistently condemned violence toward or hatred Bishop Francis J. Kane of homosexually oriented men and women. Good pas- toral practice encourages families to accept all their Bishop Alberto Rojas children and not break relationships with them. The Archdiocese offers Mass and other spiritual help Bishop John R. Manz to those who live their homosexuality anonymously (Courage groups) and also to those who want to be Bishop Andrew P. Wypych publicly part of the gay community (AGLO, which cele- brates its twenty fifth anniversary this year). People Bishop Joseph N. Perry Page Four The Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2013 ECUMENICAL TOUR For thousands of years, There will be a First Communion preparation Christians have been follow- meeting on Monday, January 14, ing Jesus’ command at the at 6:45 p.m. in the Holy Family Room. Last Supper to ‘do this in memory of me.’ However, our beliefs and practices about Confirmation Year II Candidates have a test communion vary among traditions. These dif- on Monday during class. Study well! They ferences keep us from one table of the Lord and will also receive their Confirmation divide our families and our homes. Yet, we can celebrate those bonds we hold in common. books at the end of class. The Roman Catholic Church invites us into re- spectful dialogue and true friendship with THE ECUMENICAL/INTERRELIGIOUS Christians of other traditions. Come and learn COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT THE about the sharing of bread and wine in the Greek Orthodox and Presbyterian traditions. RECTORY AT 7 P.M. ON TUESDAY Come explore Eucharistic questions with others NIGHT. WE WILL FINALIZE DETAILS at the “Commonalities and Differences in Cele- FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR brating Communion Among Our Christian Tra- CHRISTIAN UNITY AND ditions” ecumenical tour which will be on Satur- day, January 19th, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Bus trans- THE ECUMENICAL TOUR. portation will be available from the train sta- tion in Chicago to St. Peter’s in the Loop where LITURGICAL our time together begins. We will also be trans- ported to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church MINISTERS and the Fourth Presbyterian Church in down- town Chicago. Over lunch, which is included in GATHERING the tour fee of $15 per person, we will discuss Individual ministry meetings our experience with representatives of the three for Lectors, Eucharistic Christian traditions. To register please call the Ministers, Ministers of Care, and Ushers will be RE Office, 847/966-1180 or the Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs, th held at 7 p.m.