Page Two
October 10, 2004
FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR
LIKE NAAMAN WE NEED TO OFFER THANKS TO THE LORD
The Mass is the great and central act of our Catholic
Faith. Because the Mass is an action of Christ the
Priest and of His Body, the Church, it is a sacred action surpassing all others. Nothing can equal the
power of the Mass or substitute for its importance.
The Mass is so rich that the Church has never been
able to settle on a single designation. The Mass is
multi-faceted. It is the unbloody sacrifice of the
cross. It is the Lord’s Supper. It is the living memorial of the Paschal Mystery. It is the sacrament of the
death and resurrection of the Christ. It is truly His
Body given up for us and truly His Blood poured out
for us. It is the sacred banquet in which the Christ is
consumed. It is the pledge of
resurrection to eternal life.
Amid all these splendid designations of the Mass, there is
one word that is common to
all of them. And that one
word is Eucharist.
“Eucharist” is from a
Greek verb used in the New
Testament which can be translated as “to give thanks”. It
involves more than the gratitude which we owe at times to
our fellow human beings
since it concerns our relationship with God. For this reason when the priest says, “Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God”, the response is,
“It is right to give Him thanks and praise.” Adding
the word “praise” alerts us to the truth that we are offering thanks to God. We are recognizing our relationship to our Father in heaven who is also our Lord
and God. To remember to give thanks is beautiful.
To forget to do so is ugly. In the Gospel of today’s
Mass we heard the story about Jesus curing the ten
lepers. “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And as
always Our Lord did, indeed, have pity on them. “As
they were going they were cleansed. And one of
them, realizing that he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of
Jesus and thanked Him.” But then Our Lord asked:
“Where are the other nine?” We can almost hear the
note of disappointment in His voice. But we ourselves need not disappoint the Christ in the same way.
Remember that the Mass is our Eucharist, our thanksgiving to God.
We all have our own reasons to offer thanks
to God in the Mass. Today we may wish to thank
God for the gift of life in a newborn baby, or the
blessing of health restored to an elderly person. We
may want to thank God for employment after a long
layoff, for the resolution of an old family argument,
or for the graciousness of a devoted friend. Every
Sunday we need to reflect on our personal motives
for the thanksgiving; but then we should remember
that it is right always and everywhere to give thanks to God simply because God is God. Thanksgiving expresses our relationship
with God.
In the first reading of this
Mass we heard the story of Elisha
the prophet and one leper,
Naaman the Syrian. Thanksgiving
is what Naaman wanted to offer to
God. He was cleansed of his leprosy by bathing seven times in the
waters of the River Jordan. He
asked for two loads of the earth of
Israel so that he could build an
altar upon it in Syria, his home, in
order to offer a sacrifice of
thanksgiving to the God of Israel. His experience is a
symbol of our baptism. We have been washed clean
in the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism and we
have been given a share in the priesthood of the
Christ. Baptism calls us to be a people who worship
God, who offer Him thanks and praise. But we need
no special soil, no particular location, for the offering
of thanks to God. Whenever Mass is celebrated, there
is the greatest offering of thanks and praise to God.
For it is right always and everywhere to give thanks
to God. And we have the means to do so in the celebration of the Eucharist.
God Bless Our Parish
FATHER ED GLEESON,
Pastor
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
FLOWERS
The two large bouquets adorning the main altar were
made available through the kindness of BUD &
PATRICIA TAYLOR and JOSEPH &
DOLORES NEDVED in memory of Emily
Nedved.
The collection for St. James on the weekend of
October 3rd was $
Maintenance was $
The number of October 3rd Offertory Envelopes handed
in last weekend October 2 & 3 was
. The amount of
money coming out of those envelopes was $
which averages out to $
per envelope. Our many
thanks to the
contributing families.
BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND
VALUED SUPPORT.
The following individuals were blessed eternally for
they received their FIRST GRACE
through BAPTISM at St. James at
Sag Bridge Church on October 3,
2004:
Ellisa Lynn, daughter of Bobby &
Elizabeth (Ksycki) DOOLEY;
Hanna Elizabeth, daughter of
LAVERY
Lauren Olivia, daughter of
MAC LEAN
We welcome these new Christians into our
Catholic Community of St. James.
Congratulations to all the families.
HOLY NAME PANCAKE
BREAKAST Sunday, October
17 in Saginaw Hall after all
three Sunday Masses breakfast
will consist of pancakes, bacon,
sausage, coffee, tea, juice &
milk. Cost is $3.50 per person (in advance).
Children under the age of 6 eat free. Tickets
can be purchased at the door for $4.00.
Page Three
SPARE
CHANGE
SAVES
BABIES
The new St. James Altar & Rosary Sodality
is sponsoring their first charitable project
called SPARE CHANGE SAVES BABIES.
Baby bottles are available to all who are interested in helping raise funds in support of
The Women’s Centers of Greater Chicago.
The idea is to take the baby bottles home
with you and fill them with your spare
change during the next few weeks and then
bring them back to St. James by Sunday,
October 17th. Everyone in the parish—men,
women and children are encouraged to participate. Baskets will be provided in back of
church to collect your filled bottles.
The Women's Centers of Greater
Chicagoland is a not-for-profit organization,
whose purpose is to reach desperate young
women with a message of hope and help.
Many young ladies and families are tempted
to use abortion to solve the problem of an
unexpected pregnancy—resulting in greater
long-term physical, emotional, and spiritual
damage to the participants, as well as the
death of the unborn child.
In the past 20 years, over 27,000 babies have been saved. The Women’s Center
provides crisis pregnancy counseling, medical and social service referrals, and material
goods assistance.
Page Four
October 10, 2004
ST. CALLISTUS I
FEASTDAY: OCTOBER 14
St. Callistus (Pope and Martyr) was one of
the most unlikely, yet highly influential, Popes of the
early Church. Callistus was originally a slave in an
important Roman household. Callistus managed to
lose some money entrusted to his care, so he fled;
upon being recaptured, he was imprisoned for a time.
Soon after his first release, he was arrested
again—this time for causing a disturbance in a Jewish synagogue—and sentenced to work in the tin
mines of Sardinia. Eventually Callistus was freed
through the influence of a member of the imperial
court. After being emancipated from slavery, Callistus was placed in charge of the public Christian burial ground in Rome; this land, which is still known as
the cemetery of St. Callistus, was possibly the first
property ever owned by the Church.
Pope St. Zephyrinus ordained Callistus a deacon and relied upon him as an advisor; after the
Pope's death in 217, Callistus was chosen to succeed
him as the sixteenth Bishop of Rome. This provoked
a schism (which lasted 18 years) for St. Hippolytus,
the losing candidate, established himself as the first
antipope and bitterly attacked Callistus' positions.
Especially galling to Hippolytus was Callistus' willingness to readmit notorious sinners to the Church
upon sincere repentance and acts of penance. Hippolytus, a very strict and demanding person, felt the
Pope was being much too lenient. In 222 Callistus
was killed during a local disturbance in Trastevere,
Rome. Callistus was martyred and is the first pope
(except for Peter) to be commemorated as a martyr in
the earliest martyrology of the Church. Some are of
the opinion that, even from the little we know about
him, Callistus may rank among the greatest popes.
On October 10, 1997, at 3:50 pm, President Clinton
announced a Presidential Proclamation declaring
OCTOBER 12 to be NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY.
In the declaration, he stated with the birth of every
child, the world becomes new again. Within each
new infant lies enormous potential—potential for
loving, for learning, and for making life better for
others. But this potential must be nurtured. Just as
seeds need fertile soil, warm sunshine, and gentle
rain to grow, so do our children need a caring environment, the security of knowing they are loved,
and the encouragement and opportunity to make the
most of their God-given talents. There is no more
urgent task before us, as a people and as a Nation,
than creating such an environment for America's
children.
As we observe National Children's Day
this year, let us recommit ourselves to creating a
society where parents can raise healthy, happy
children; where every newborn is cherished,
where every child is encouraged to succeed, and
where all our young people are free to pursue
their dreams.
On October 10, 1997, at 4:30 pm, less than
one hour later, President Clinton announced his
veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Apparently he believes that not quite all newborns should
be cherished, or that a child who is only 4/5 born
does not meet his definition of "newborn", and that
these children do not need a caring environment or
the security of knowing that they are loved.
PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION IS EVEN WORSE
THAN YOU THOUGHT
At the Nebraska hearing on the constitutionality of the ban on partial birth abortion, an abortionist revealed that 99% of the time, some of the
baby is pulled apart during the process of pulling
the body out first, possibly a foot or a leg. Then,
with only the head undelivered, the baby’s skull is
pierced so the brains can be sucked out and the
head crushed.
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
THE INVISIBLE PERIL:
TEEN DATING VIOLENCE
Wednesday, November 3, 2004
6:00-9:00pm
Carmelite Spiritual Center
8433 Bailey Rd., Darien, IL
Using survey and interview data from approximately 500 female high school juniors, Dr.
Susan Sanders, RSM measured the incidence of dating violence among teenage females. Her resulting
book, Teen Dating Violence, The Invisible Peril,
contains startling implications for teens and those
who love them, teach them, and guide them. Dr.
Sanders and psychologist, Sandra Burkhardt, PhD.,
present an important program defining the causes
and characteristics of teen dating violence and what
to do about it. Anyone who has a teenage girl in his
or her life will want to attend this enlightening program. Don’t miss it. Cost is $40/per person includes
dinner. Pre-registration is required by October
25th. Call 630-969-4141.
Page Five
AMERICAN ENGLISH TO PERFORM AT
ST. RITA HIGH SCHOOL
St. Rita High School Fathers’ Club and
Onesti Entertainment Corp. are proud to present
American English, the Complete Beatles Experience, on Saturday, October 23rd at 7pm at the
school gym, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $25.00 in advance, $35 at the door. Must be
21 years or older to attend. Price includes preshow entertainment, food and main show at 9pm.
Cash bar. May bring snacks. Call 773-925-6600,
ext. 6649 or to order tickets click www.stritahs.com
(secured thru PayPal).
MARYVILLE ACADEMY VEHICLE
DONATION PROGRAM
You can get a tax break and easily dispose
of a vehicle and help the youth in Maryville’s care
and the financially struggling Catholic Schools
simply by donating your new, used or even nondriveable vehicle to Maryville. Please call them
toll free at 877-888-1500.
Is your marriage tearing you apart?
If you marriage has been troubled
or stressed, unloving or uncaring, or if
your relationship has grown cold or distant, if you are thinking of separation or
divorce, or if you are already separated or
divorced, but you want to try again—then
Retrouvaille is the program that can help
you. For more information, call 1-800470-2230. You may call anonymously. No group
discussions. Hope is only a phone call away!
The next Northern Illinois Retrouvaille Program begins October 15, 2004 at the St. Charles Pastoral Center in Romeoville, IL. Call for other dates
and locations.
MOTHER MC AULEY
SHADOW DAY PROGRAM
Come and experience a shadow day at
Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School. All 7th
& 8th grade girls who are considering attending
McAuley are welcome. Visits are scheduled in the
fall until December 17. Follow your hostess’s class
schedule, meet teachers and students. Parents may
register their daughter 3 school days prior to a visit
by completing the application on the McAuley website at www.mothermcauley.org or by calling
Shadow HOT-Line at 773-881-6566.
TALES OF WONDER by Marty Haugen
A musical of biblical storytelling for
children of all ages. Presented by St. Julie Billiart
Parish Music Ministers and Deanne Tumpich, Dir.
of Music, Sat. Oct. 23 at 7:30pm & Sun. Oct. 24 at
4:00pm. Adults $10, Children $5 (ages 6-12). Address: 7399 W. 159th St., Tinley Park, IL.
October 10, 2004
Page Six
POPE JOHN PAUL II CULTURAL CENTER
25th Anniversary Appeal
Bishop Paprocki, on behalf of Cardinal
Francis George, is leading the Chicago effort of the
25th Anniversary of the pontificate of Pope John
Paul II and his vision for the Pope John Paul II
Cultural Center.
“Given that the Holy Father has referred to
the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center as being so
close to his heart, supporting the Center is an ideal
way to honor and thank our Holy Father for his
inspiration and tireless leadership these past 25
years.”
Most Rev. Thomas J. Paprocki
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center fosters greater understanding among people of different religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds
through art, cultural programs, dialogue and study.
It aims to cultivate a society that is united by the
Gospel message of justice, responsibility, peace and
compassion.
The Cultural Center incorporates three major
entities. It is an interactive museum featuring modern technology that challenges the visitor to explore
their faith and to interact with others in a dialogue
about faith. It is an art museum featuring changing
art exhibits from the Vatican Museums, as well as
other art exhibits. It is, also, a place of scholarly research, exploring the concepts in Catholic thought
that have been laid out by Pope John Paul II.
Your generous support in today’s special
collection is a wonderful way for us to show our
Holy Father that we are memorializing his 25th anniversary with this special legacy to be used to fund
the very Center that will perpetuate his message and
Catholic teaching for ages to come. Let us show
our Holy Father a genuine sign of our gratitude for
his tireless and faith-filled ministry on behalf of the
Church.
Weekly Reflection
October 10th
28th Sunday Ordinary Time
The prophet Elisha told Naaman to bathe in the Jordan to be cured of his leprosy but he resisted—it was
beneath him. His servant convinced him to do it and
he was cured. How often do we resist the Spirit because we feel doing something would make us look
silly? The more we ask the Spirit to guide us the more
we discover what seems silly is really God’s wisdom
at work in us.
Pope John Paul declares
Year of the Eucharist
The year begins with the
World Eucharistic Congress, October 10–17, 2004, in Guadalajara,
Mexico. It ends with the ordinary
assembly of the Synod of Bishops
held in the Vatican October 2–29,
2005. The theme of the synod is
“The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and
Mission of the Church.”
In this extended celebration, all Catholics are
called to honor God’s gift of the Eucharist, to receive
it more faithfully, and to reflect more deeply on its
meaning in their lives and in the life of the Church.
From the time of the first Christians, the
Church has recognized the real presence of Jesus
Christ in the Eucharist, to receive it more faithfully,
and to reflect more deeply on its meaning in OUR
lives.
It is the heart of who we are as Catholics: the
Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The
Holy Father, in his recent encyclical The Church and
the Eucharist, is calling for heightened appreciation
of this beautiful gift from God through adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION HERE
AT ST. JAMES
CHURCH
Can you not give Jesus a
few minutes of love and
adoration? Feed your
spiritual senses by
Day of Adoration
spending some quiet
time reflecting, praying
or just talking to God.
St. James offers Eucharist Adoration on Friday,
October 15th, from 9:00am to 9:00pm. God always
has time for you, make time for Him. We are looking for 24 individuals, couples, or families to commit themselves for only one half-hour to spend time
with our Lord on this day. A sign-up sheet is in
back of church.
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday
ORIGINS AND FACTS ABOUT SWEETEST DAY
Observed the 3rd Saturday in the month of
October, Sweetest Day observance originated in
Cleveland in 1922. Herbert Birch Kingston, a philanthropist and candy company employee wanted to
bring happiness into the lives of orphans, shut-ins
and others who were forgotten. With the help of
friends, he began to distribute candy and small gifts
to the underprivileged.
On the first Sweetest Day, movie star Ann
Pennington presented 2,200 Cleveland newspaper
boys with boxes of candy to express gratitude for
their service to the public.
Another popular movie star, Theda Bara, distributed 10,000 boxes of candy to people in Cleveland hospitals and also gave candy to all who came
to watch her film in a local theater.
Primarily a regional observance celebrated in
the Great Lakes region and the Northeast, Sweetest
Day is gradually spreading to other areas of the
country. People tend to take the Sweetest Day tradition with them when they move. Over the years,
Sweetest Day has evolved into a time to express romantic love and also to show appreciation to friends.
10:00 AM
Tuesday
8:15AM
Wednesday
7:00PM
Thursday
Lector
LEM
Ushers
5:30 PM
Father Gleeson
T. Arra
A. Nowaczyk
L. Nowaczyk
B. Quinn
Deacon John
L. Weiner
J. Hojdik
E. Liczwek
N. Nowaczyk
October 11 Weekday
¬Neal Van Cleave & family
October 12 Weekday
¬Edward & Laurine Gleeson
October 13 Weekday
Purgatorial Society
October 14 St. Callistus I
8:15AM
¬Bridget Doherty—Birthday
Friday
October 15 St. Teresa of
Jesus
¬Ronald Zima—
1st Anniversary
9:00AM -9:00PM DAY OF ADORATION
8:15AM
Saturday
October 16
Vigil: 29th Ordinary Sunday
4:30 to 5:15PM CONFESSIONS
5:30PM
int. of Al Paveza—Birthday
Sunday
October 17
TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
8:30AM
10:00AM
11:30AM
October 16 & 17
Celebrant
Altar Servers
Page Seven
8:30AM
Father Gleeson
S. May
A. Gorniak
J. Zubek
C. Stach-Pearman
Deacon John
T. Lang
F. Pearman
D. Stanford
H. Grutza
Living & Deceased
Parishioners
int. of Clarence & Maryann
Zima—40th Anniversary
int. of Lottie & Stanley Laczynski; Michael & Sophie Troscinski; Ted Nijakowski; Stanley
Lacey; Walter Laczynski
10:00 AM
Father Gleeson
B. Ahern
M. Witter
D. Lawler
D. Witter
B. Lewis
I. Lewis
J. Newcomer
J. Pajkos
F. Coglianese
11:30 AM
Father Fenili
J. Haluska
R. Rubinelli
R. Rubinelli
T. Kulawiak
D. Lasica
R. Poynter
N. Konieczny
B. Czaja
M. Fleckenstein