January 4, 2015 The Epiphany of the Lord Parish Office: 773.486.4300 Masses: Parish Fax: 773.252.5346 Monday-Thursday: 7:00 a.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. School Office: 773.486.1334 Saturday (Vigil): 5:00 p.m. School Fax: 773.486.1782 Sunday: 8:15 a.m., 9:45 a.m., www.stjohnberchmans.org 11:30 a.m. (Spanish), & 6:30 p.m. 2517 Logan Boulevard Chicago, IL 60647 Reconciliation (Confession): Saturday: 4:00 p.m. Weekdays: by Appointment P A R IS H S P A G H E TT I D IN NE R ~ SA TU RD AY , JAN UA RY 1 0TH The Epiphany of the Lord January 4, 2015 Wayne’s World Great Things are Happening at Saint John Berchmans Dear Friends, to be generous myself and to invite each and every one of you to join Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! 2015! me. I believe with my whole heart that we as a Saint John Berchmans As we enter a new year and begin the second half community can eliminate our debt. That indeed will be good news! Please of this decade, I think back to 110 years ago. About start planning now. And remember the appeal is not a second collection this time, in 1905, the plans were being finalized for on one or two Sundays; it is a yearlong pledge that can be fulfilled any the construction of the church. The cornerstone of time between now and January 2016. our beautiful building boasts 1905 as the date the Today the Church Universal celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord. construction began. So much has happened in this “Homage” doesn’t get much use in today’s conversational vocabulary. Today community over the years. Ethnic groups have come and gone. Some have we use respect, praise, worship, honor, duty, reverence, deference, tribute, or service come and stayed. The Church and school have experienced their ups and instead. Whatever way one wants to call it, the Magi recognized that Jesus downs and by the grace of God and the generosity of the people – from is the Lord and wanted to make some sign that they knew who he was 1905 to 2015 – the parish church and school buildings and the community in relationship to who they were. In order for the Lord to make himself they house stand strong today. known to them, the Magi had to have their eyes open. In a sense they had As we commence a new calendar year and enter the second half of to want to find him in their lives. They had to recognize a need for the the fiscal one, I have news to share. Perhaps I should go the good news, Messiah. bad news route…The good news is that four of our five buildings are in We too need to recognize our own need for a Messiah and keep sound structural and physical shape. We have completed nearly six million our eyes focused on the Christ child. The Magi did and were rewarded dollars in infrastructure repairs, along with the accessibility programs for their perseverance. The Magi respected, praised, worshiped, honored, in the church (elevator and upper and lower level restrooms). We have reverenced Jesus, our Lord and our light. As we go through life and as we replaced nearly all of the windows in the Logan school and in the school begin the New Year perhaps we can find ways of honoring Christ by the office (former convent) buildings, resulting in greater heat efficiency way live, by what we say and by what we do. That way, we adore Christ and noise abatement. We have installed a new air conditioning system in and do him homage. the Logan school and a real gym floor, glass backboards and volleyball Every nation on earth will adore you. The psalm we sing this weekend equipment in Altgeld. That’s some of the good news. reminds me of that enlightening experience and calls me too to reflect on The bad news is Saint John Berchmans owes $1,800,000.00 to the the goodness of God and my response to that goodness. The Adoration of Archdiocese of Chicago. That money must be repaid and until we repay the Magi, depicted in many beautiful works of art, often shows warmth the loan the Archdiocese continues to charge interest – to the tune of and light shining on the faces of the adorers, radiating from the one being about sixty thousand dollars a year. adored. When we adore our God, God allows warmth and light to shine More good news…We have been invited, I’m sure for the last upon us. Today’s preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Preface of Epiphany time, to participate in the debt reduction program of the Archdiocese states, “For today you have revealed the mystery of our salvation in Christ of Chicago’s Annual Catholic Appeal. This is our third time! What that as a light for the nations, and, when he appeared in our mortal nature, you means is that every dollar we raise in the 2015 Annual Catholic Appeal made us new by the glory of his immortal nature.” When we adore our will be matched and will go against our debt. My math tells me that we Lord we are made new. This New Year, let’s be made new! need to raise $900,000.00 and we will be debt free. I think we can do it. Happy New Year! Although the Annual Catholic Appeal doesn’t begin until the end of this month, I wanted to let you know so that you could start thinking about it as you consider your annual budget. I’m already trying to figure out how I can give a substantial sacrificial gift. My goal for this year is Our Mission: Rooted in Christ, touched by His love and mercy, the Saint John Berchmans community finds unity in its diversity, proclaims by Word, Sacrament, and service, that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and declares that all are welcome in this place. 2 January 4, 2015 The Epiphany of the Lord THE YEAR OF THE SACRAMENTS POPE FRANCIS’ VISION OF HEALING AND COMMUNION Parish Announcements (JULY 2014 - JUNE 2015) ONE WORD AT A TIME... EPIPHANY NAME Today, we celebrate the Epiphany, also known as “Three Kings Day.” Please When Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River, a voice from heaven be sure to take an envelope with the Epiphany Blessing when you leave says, “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ Church. It is a tradition in the Catholic Church to bless chalk at the Masses heavenly Father names him and identifies him as his beloved son. for the Epiphany and then use the blessed chalk as a part of the blessing in Our own Baptism is also a naming. By tradition, we receive our one’s home in the New Year. Each envelope contains a small piece of blessed names at Baptism, the identity tag that stays with us across a chalk and instructions as to how to bless the doorways in your home. lifetime. There is, however, something more and something much deeper at work than getting a tag. In our Baptism we not only END OF YEAR GIVING/CHRISTMAS APPEAL receive our proper names, but we are also, like Jesus, named God’s beloved sons and daughters. And this means far more than a name If you are thinking of a way to make a charitable gift to Saint John Berchmans that appears on a driver’s license or passport. This is the identity at the end of this tax year, you may want to consider a gift of stocks or that we cling to, and do so for dear life. For you see, nothing about mutual funds. These types of donations are fully tax-deductible at their us matters as much as that we belong to God—not just as his value at the time of the donation. creatures or his dependents but really and truly as what we are If you would like to make an online donation to our annual Christmas named, beloved daughters and sons. Appeal, or to begin making your Sunday donation online, please visit www. givecentral.org. For more information, please contact Jennifer Cortez in the rectory office. Epiphany Blessing It has been a tradition in the Catholic Church to bless chalk at the all of the Masses of the Epiphany, and then use the blessed chalk as a part of blessing one’s home in the New Year. The home blessing can be done as follows: Use the blessed chalk to write: 20 + C + M + B + 14 SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, January 10th, after the Above the doorways: 5pm Mass, you can head down to the Church Hall with the whole family for salad, pasta, and meatballs! Tickets may 2014 for the year, C, M, B for the 3 Magi - Caspar, be purchased in the rectory during office hours, or after Melchior, and Balthasar - and for Cristus Mansionem any of the weekend Masses. Tickets are $8 for adults and Benedicat, which is Latin for “May Christ Bless this House.” $6 for children, and beer, wine, and pop may be purchased throughout the evening. Don’t miss this chance to get to As you are writing, pray the following prayer: know the members of our parish at one of our most popular events of the year! “May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and Interested in helping out on January 10th? Great! Contact serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Rochelle Brophy for more details on how to get involved.