FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

REMINDER:REMINDER:REMINDER: ParishParishParish

ReconciliationReconciliationReconciliation ServiceServiceService

This Sunday!This Sunday!This Sunday! March 18, 7pmMarch 18, 7pmMarch 18, 7pm

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Two March 18, 2018

Prices atPrices atPrices at---thethethe---door:door:door:

Adult Ticket:Adult Ticket:Adult Ticket: $12.00$12.00$12.00

Teen Ticket:Teen Ticket:Teen Ticket: (13 to 17 years)(13 to 17 years)(13 to 17 years)

$5.00$5.00$5.00

Kid Ticket:Kid Ticket:Kid Ticket: (12 and under)(12 and under)(12 and under)

$3.00$3.00$3.00

Friday, March 23Friday, March 23Friday, March 23 4:304:304:30---8:00 pm8:00 pm8:00 pm

St. Elizabeth Seton McBrady Center 9305 W. 167th St. Orland Hills

Menu includes your choice of Fried Cod, Fried Shrimp, Shrimp and Pasta, Pasta Marinara, Pizza, Soup, mixed veggies, salad, homemade coleslaw, roll, butter.

Save $2 on ADULT tickets when you buy in advance!

Tickets sold after Masses on March 17/18 and in the parish office or at-the-door.

SETON

MEN’S CLUB

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Three

Sat., March 17 (5pm) Billy Hansen; Patrick McGinty

Sun., March 18 (7:15am) For All Parishioners; Rose Gallagher (8:30am) The Purgatorial Society; Grace Beissel (10am) Denis O’Malley; Michael T. Sulllivan (11:30am) William Barnes; Jeannette O’Sullivan Mon., March 19 (9am) Virginia O’Malley LaMarche; Salvatore Roti Tues., March 20 (9am) Katie and Patrick O’Malley; Pat and John Garvin Wednesday, March 21 (9am) Joan Sipowicz; Agnes and Tony Carey Thurs., March 22 (9am) Ronald Jordan; Rose Czajka Fri., March 23 (9am) Jack Burback; William and Nora Corcoran Sat., March 24 (5pm) Denis O’Malley; Joseph Kordecki

Sun., March 25 (7:15am) Lorraine Frost; Alberto Reyes (8:30am) Mary and John LaBanca; For All Parishioners (10am) Jake Chettiath; Michael T. Sulllivan (11:30am) Robert P. Handzik; Betty Murphy

March 18, 2018

We remember the sick, infirm, and those recommended to our prayers, that they may experience the healing power of Christ: Dennis Jeffrey David Chiappetti, Jr. Mary Pat Morajda Clem Lundgren Joanne Bedar

And for our deceased: Bob LaCosse (Husband of Suzanne LaCosse) Ryan Testa (Grandson of Patrick and Mary McKernan) Raymond Keane (Son of Donna Keane, Brother to Renee Keane and Victor Keane) Daniel Nolan Michael Powell Vicki Schapen Marlene Forberg

“Heavenly Father, accept the prayers which we offer for them.”

PLEASE PRAY FOR

MASS INTENTIONS

CORCORAN’S CORNER

STEWARDSHIP

COLLECTION FOR MARCH 11, 2018: $22,790.20

KIDS COLLECTION: $38.75

Thank you for your continued generosity.

Anna Vu Nguyen (Child: Maria Miley Nguyen)

WELCOME

Please pray for the following couple as they prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage: Meghan Patras and Joshua Buck; 4-7-18

WEDDINGS

Parish Lenten Reconciliation... Our Lenten Reconciliation Service will be held this Sunday evening, March 18, at 7:00 PM, in the church. All are welcome!

The Lenten Cantata… On Palm Sunday, March 25, at 3:00 PM. we will have our Annual “Holy Week Treat”: our Parish Lenten Cantata. This music pro-gram is a wonderful way to enter the experi-ence of Holy Week. The arts open our spirits to the movement of God, and our combined Adult and Teen choirs, Lectors, Liturgical Dancers, and Seton Symphony, allow the mystery of Holy Week to begin to unfold for us. There is not a concert fee, but a free-will offering will be taken up at the performance.

Lenten Canned Food Drive… Next weekend, March 24-25, we will be collecting canned goods for our local Orland Park and Tinley Park food pantries. We thank the Knights of Columbus for coordinating this drive for our parish community.

Looking Ahead to Holy Week… Holy Week begins next week and is the high point of our Liturgical Year as we com-memorate our Lord’s Last Supper, his death, and resurrection. On Holy Thursday, Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 PM. Adoration will begin after Mass until Midnight in our Eucha-ristic Chapel. On Good Friday we will have the Walk of the Cross from 1:30 PM, begin-ning at the EAST entrance of the church through Orland Hills, Orland Park, and Tinley Park, returning to the church by 2:45 PM. At 3:00 PM, we will have the reading of the Passion and Commemoration of the Lord’s Crucifixion. At 7:00 PM, we will have our teen’s Living Stations of the Cross. On Holy Saturday, we will bless Easter baskets at 12 NOON, sharp! Our Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday will begin at 7:30 PM. Please plan ahead to take part of this holiest week of our year.

Keep Smiling!

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Four March 18, 2018

DIFFERENT KINDS OF GLORY By Rev. Ronald Rolheiser

W e all nurse a secret dream of glory. We daydream that in some way we will

stand out and be recognized. And so we fantasize about great achieve-ments that will set us apart from others and make us famous. The daydreams vary but, inside them, always we are at the center—the most admired person in the room, the one scoring the winning goal, the ballerina star, the actor picking up the Academy Award, the author writing the best-seller, the intellectual winning the Nobel Prize, or even just the one in the circle who tells the best story. What we are chasing in all this is notice, appreciation, uniqueness, and adulation so that we can be duly recognized and loved. We want the light to be shining on us. And this isn’t all bad or unhealthy.

We are built to stand in the spotlight.

Our own reality is massively (sometimes oppressively) real to us and scientists today tell us that the universe has no single center but that everywhere and every person is its center. And so it is not a big secret that each of us feels ourselves at the cen-ter and wants to be recognized as being there. We nurse a secret dream of glory and, partly, this is healthy. What’s less healthy in our daydreams is how we envi-sion that glory. In our fantasies, glory almost always con-sists in being famous, in standing out, in achieving a suc-cess that makes others envious, in somehow being the best-looking or the brightest or the most talented person in the room. In our fantasy, glory means having the power to actuate ourselves in ways that set us above others, even if that is for a good motive. For instance, some of our fanta-sies are daydreams of goodness, of being powerful enough to squash evil. Indeed, that was the messianic fan-tasy. Before Jesus was born, good-hearted and religious people prayed for a Messiah to come and, in their fantasy, that Messiah was generally envisaged as a worldly super-star, a person with a superior heart and superior muscles, a Messiah who would reveal the superiority of God by out-muscling the bad.

But, as we see from the Gospels, real glory doesn’t consist in out-muscling the bad, or anyone else.

When Jesus was being crucified, he was offered precisely the challenge to prove that he was special by doing some spectacular gesture that would leave all of his detractors stunned and helpless: “If you are the Son of God, prove it, come down off the cross! Save yourself!”

B ut, with a subtlety that’s easy to miss, the Gospels teach a very different lesson:

On the cross, Jesus proves that he is powerful beyond measure, not by doing some spectacular physical act that leaves everyone around him helpless to make any protest, but in a spectacular act of the heart wherein he forgives those who are mocking and killing him.

Divine kingship is manifest in forgiveness, not in muscle.

That is real glory, and that is the one thing of which we really should be envious, namely, the compassion and forgiveness that Jesus mani-fested in the face of jealousy, hatred, and murder. We see this illustrated in the Gos-pels in the incident where James and John come to Jesus and ask him to give them the seats of glory at his side. Jesus takes their request seri-ously and does not, on that occasion, caution them against pride. Rather he asks them: “Can you drink from the cup [of suffering] that I shall drink?” In naiveté, they answer: “We

can!” Jesus replies: “The cup that I shall drink you shall drink, but as for the seats [of glory] at my right hand or left, these are not mine to give.” What Jesus is saying, in effect, is this: You will taste suffering, everyone will, and that suffering will make you deep. But, it won’t necessarily make you deep in the right way. Suffering can make you deep in compassion and for-giveness, but it can also make you deep in bitterness and anger. However only compassion and forgiveness bring glory into your lives. Jesus defines glory very differently than we do. Real glory, for him, is not the glory of winning a gold medal, of being a champion, of winning an Oscar, or of being an ob-ject of envy because of our looks or our achievements.

Glory consists in being deep in compassion, forgiveness, and graciousness—and these are

not often spawned by worldly success, by being better-looking, brighter, richer, or better

muscled than those around us.

W e all nurse the secret dream of glory. Partly this is healthy, a sign that we are emotionally well. However, this is something that needs to

grow and mature inside of us. Our secret dream of glory is meant to mature so that eventually we will begin, more and more, to envision ourselves as standing out, not by talent, looks, muscles, and speed, but by the depth of our compassion and the quality of our forgiveness.

“Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven,

“I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

We Were ThereWe Were ThereWe Were There

Palm SundayPalm SundayPalm Sunday March 25March 25March 25

3:00 pm3:00 pm3:00 pm

SSSTTT. E. E. ELIZABETHLIZABETHLIZABETH S S SETONETONETON C C CHURCHHURCHHURCH P P PRESENTSRESENTSRESENTS

A Lenten CantataA Lenten CantataA Lenten Cantata composed and writtencomposed and writtencomposed and written

by Pepper Choplin by Pepper Choplin by Pepper Choplin

Directed byDirected byDirected by Linda McKeague,Linda McKeague,Linda McKeague, Director of MusicDirector of MusicDirector of Music and featuring theand featuring theand featuring the

St. Elizabeth Seton:St. Elizabeth Seton:St. Elizabeth Seton: Adult ChoirAdult ChoirAdult Choir Teen ChoirTeen ChoirTeen Choir

LectorsLectorsLectors Liturgical DancersLiturgical DancersLiturgical Dancers

OrchestraOrchestraOrchestra

March 18, 2018 Page Five

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Six

LLENTENENTEN L LITURGYITURGY OFOF THETHE H HOURSOURS

Daily Morning Prayer in the church Monday-Friday at 8:30AM

THROUGH MARCH 30

Lenten Weekday Prayer Opportunity

What Is Morning Prayer? Not many people are thoroughly familiar with this form of communal

prayer. Long ago, our ancestors in faith had ways for individuals and households to praise and thank God constantly, with the poetic richness of praying at morning and evening with hymns and psalms known by heart. As time went on we lost those forms of prayer. Along with the Lord’s Supper, fixed-hour prayer is considered the oldest form of Christian spirituality. The psalmist’s example to praise God seven times each day, were trying to follow St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing.” The apostles too used psalms in their prayers, and the psalms remain the backbone of the Liturgy of the Hours today. Both the ending and the beginning of the day were, to the ancients, natural times for prayer. Morning prayer makes us rise and thank God for a restful night, for another day of life, and for the strength and courage to do God’s will. The spiritual practice of celebrating Morning Prayer is a way of consecrating the day to God.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Seven March 18, 2018

1. Abstinence from meats is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old/older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. 2. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday by all Catholics who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one’s needs, but eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. The special Paschal fast/abstinence are prescribed for Good Friday and encouraged for Holy Saturday.

“The season of Lent is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. The liturgy prepares the catechumens for the celebration of the Paschal mystery by the several stages of Christian Initiation; it also prepares the faithful, who recall their baptism and do penance in preparation for Easter.”

(General Norms for the Year, #27) By the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving and prayer the Church keeps Lent from Ash Wednesday until the evening of Holy Thursday. All of the faithful and the catechumens should undertake serious practice of these three traditions. Failure to observe penitential days totally or a substantial number of such days must be considered serious.

“On weekdays of Lent, we strongly recommend participation in daily Mass and self-imposed observances of fasting. In light of grave human needs which weigh on the Christian conscience in all seasons, we urge particularly during Lent, generosity to local, national and world programs of sharing of all things needed to translate our duty to penance into a means of implementing the right of the poor to their part of the abundance.” (US Bishops)

LENTEN REGULATIONSLENTEN REGULATIONSLENTEN REGULATIONS

Local Parish Reconciliation Services Tuesday, March 20, 7:00pm Incarnation Church 5757 W. 127th St., Palos Heights Tuesday, March 20, 7:30pm St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr Church 17500 S. 84th Ave., Tinley Park Saturday, March 24, 1:00-3:00pm Sacred Heart Church 8245 W. 111th St., Palos Hills Monday, March 26, 5:00-6:00pm, 7:00-8:00pm St. Cyril and Methodius (tri-parish) 608 Sobiewski St., Lemont Individual confessions in English and Polish will be heard from 5-6 PM and 7-8 PM Monday, March 26, 7:00pm Our Lady of the Woods 10731 W. 131st St., Orland Park Monday, March 26, 7:30pm St. Francis of Assisi Church 15050 S. Wolf Rd., Orland Park

Monday, March 26, 7:00pm (Part of Mission) Tuesday, March 27, 7:00pm (Part of Mission) St. James, 10600 S. Archer Ave., Lemont

My Lenten Sacrifice

You are invited to give a monetary gift as a Lenten sacrifice for families in our community.

For your convenience, SVDP boxes are located at all the entrances of our church. We depend solely on the contributions that are placed in the donation boxes. All monies donated go directly to those in need. We service clients within our parish boundaries with emergency assistance for utilities, rent, security deposits, food, clothing, medical, dental, eye care, and occasionally

gasoline to get to a job site. These needs continue to grow during these stressful economic times and as government and program funds are reduced. As calls come throughout the year we look to your generosity and sense of sharing and justice to offer assistance. It is your goodness that makes our work possible.

May God bless you,

The St. Elizabeth Seton St. Vincent de Paul Society

St. Elizabeth Seton Church

Parish Reconciliation Service Tonight! Sunday, March 18

7:00 pm

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Eight March 18, 2018

CRS Rice Bowl are available in the Narthex. Please return your Rice Bowls by Palm Sunday, March 25.

Learn more at crsricebowl.org.

WEEK FIVE: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Catholic social teaching inspires and guides how we are to live and work in the world. In this principle, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, Jesus tells us to give special care to those who are most in need. He reminds us of our Christian duty to listen closely to those who often go unheard and to help those most vulnerable.

STORIES OF HOPE: Encounter Alefa

Alefa is a mother, grandmother and farmer. She provides for her three children, three grandchildren and husband by selling her crops. If they fail during one of Malawi’s rainy seasons—or in a drought—her family goes hungry. One particularly difficult year, Alefa was forced to sell some of her land to make ends meet. She knew she had to start planting crops that could withstand Malawi’s changing climate. So, she attended a CRS-sponsored seed fair, where farmers learn the best crops to plant for the upcoming year, and receive vouchers so they can choose the seeds and supplies they need. Besides rice, Alefa bought corn, cabbage and tomato seeds. This way, she can continue farming rice but also feel confident that, even if her rice fails, she will have other crops to sell. “This harvest will provide food, shelter and education for my family,” she says. In a few short months, Alefa will be growing corn and harvesting hope.

CRS RICE BOWLS DUE BACK NEXT WEEKEND!

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Nine

WIDOWED RETREAT/WORKSHOP The Joyful Again! Program brings understanding and hope on your new life’s journey. The next retreat/workshop is April 21-22, at Presence/Holy Family Medical Center (no overnight available). Contact 708-354-7211, or joyfula-gain7211@gmail.com or www.joyfulagain.org (video).

EASTER MEMORIALS The Art and Environment Team is asking for donations for flowers to decorate the church for Holy Week. If you use the Easter Flower enve-

lopes found in regular envelope packets be sure to include the name of your loved one(s) along with your donation or fill out this form below and drop in the collection basket or in the Parish Office. Names will be printed after Easter. Please PRINT legibly. Name(s):

_________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

_________________________________________

Newborns In Need Monday, March 19

The Seton Sowers Chapter of Newborns in Need will meet Monday, March 19, at 9:15am, downstairs in the O’Mara Hall meeting room. If you are considering joining a charity, Newborns in Need would be happy to have you join us in providing items to premature or sick babies who need to spend time in the hospital. We welcome knitted, crocheted or sewn items as well as baby toiletries or cash donations. We look forward to seeing you on Monday morning. If you have Questions, call Carol Dimer at 708-479-6994.

Catholic Scripture Study Program The Chicago Catholic Scripture School sponsored by Loyola University Institute for Pastoral Studies fosters a transformational encounter with Jesus Christ through instruction and formation in Sacred Scripture within a Roman Catholic framework. The 2018 Spring-Summer session is offered at St. Walter Parish, 11722 S Oakley Ave., Chicago, with the study of the Deuteronomist History of Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings that identify the traditions that describe the origins and fall of the monarchy, the possession and loss of the land, the exile of the Israelites to Babylon, and the literary structure of and its theological message. Classes on Saturdays from 8:30am-12:30pm on April 14, April 28, May 12, May 26, and June 9. This program is offered in an online format as well. Cost is $175 per trimester for certification or $75 per trimester (audit student). Catholic Bible and Study Guide required. For information contact Mirta Garcia 312-915-7466 or email mgarcia29@luc.edu.

Orland Memorial Cemetery PT Position The Orland Memorial Cemetery, located at 153th and West Avenue in Orland Park, is looking to hire a high school student for a part-time position during the months of April through September. The position involves watering and other gardening chores. The position would require a commitment of four-six hours per week. Interested individuals should call Cornerstone Management at 815-469-0055 and ask for Deanna.

The Creation Care Team meets the second Monday each month. Our next meeting date and time is

Monday, April 9, 7-8:30pm, in the Gubbins Center (NE corner of 167th St. and 94th Ave., Orland Hills)

WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATION: Save energy by changing out old incandescent and halogen light bulbs! New LED light bulbs can give the same light using 85% percent less electricity… adding up to over $100 in savings for most families each year. LED bulbs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. and 2.5 times longer than compact fluorescents.

Questions? Please call Andy Panelli at 708-508-3111.

“...Due to…exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation.” — Pope Paul VI

Taking action to protect God’s great gift to us. — Mother Earth

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Ten March 18, 2018

LIVING the

WORD

LIVING the

WORD

NEXT WEEK’S FOCUS: CONFESSING CHRIST

When our lives imitate the pattern of Christ’s life — when we offer ourselves in humility, and in sacrifice for the sake of others — we are truly proclaiming that Christ is Lord!

FIRST READING In spite of my sufferings I am not disgraced. I am not put to shame (Isaiah 50:4-7). The Suffering Servant will bring consolation to the weary, even while He suffers terribly to bring us forgiveness for our sins. It is not clear who this figure is in Old Testament times. Jesus, through many of the things He said, showed that He considered Himself to be the fulfillment of this prophecy. In spite of His agony, He remained obedient to the will of God. He professed His faith in the LORD for He knew that God would deliver Him from all of His distress. This deliverance was fulfilled when His Father raised Him from the dead. SECOND READING Christ emptied Himself, and God filled this emptiness with exaltation (Philippians 2:6-11). The ultimate degree of humility was to be obedient to the Father, even to the point of dying on the cross. We might think that this expression of humility was humiliating for Jesus, but He did not see it that way. He saw it as the fullest expression of His love and trust in the Father. God the Fa-ther responded to this trust by proclaiming Jesus as Lord, a title which affirms His divinity.

GOSPEL The account of Christ’s Passion according to Mark (Mark 14:1—15:47 [15:1-39]). The Jewish leaders brought Jesus before Pilate (as they had no authority to put anyone to death), likely on the charge

that He was planning a rebellion. Pilate asks Jesus if He is King of the Jews. Jesus is silent. Pilate offers the crowd the chance to free Jesus (a custom to release a prisoner during Passover), but they chose Barabbas. Pilate relented and has Jesus scourged. He was tortured and humiliated by the guards (placed a crown of thorns on His head and cloaked Him in a robe). Simon, a passer-by, was forced to assist Jesus to Golgotha (an old quarry) to be crucified. He is offered wine mixed with myrrh (possibly a narcotic to dull the pain), but refuses (at the Last Supper Jesus stated He would not drink wine again until He came into the kingdom of God). He is crucified around nine (this was before accurate measurable time). Jesus was mocked by passersby and by the two thieves who were crucified with Him. A darkness covered the whole land (meaning the area around Jerusalem or the whole earth) from noon until three. Jesus cries out and breathes His last breath. The Roman centurion, a pagan, proclaims Jesus as the Son of God. Mark shows that Jesus is not simply a hero (the Old Testament meaning) but truly the only-begotten Son of God. REFLECTION Mark’s Passion account reflects the breadth of human emo-tions: envy, fear, trust, sorrow, and courage, along with the variety of human responses: mockery, false accusation, com-passion, denial, weeping and courage. Isaiah and Philippians offer examples about how to respond in faith like Jesus and the Servant of God, in humble submission. Humility entails standing in truth. We are good and bad, with strengths and weaknesses. Submission admits our need for a power greater than ourselves to save us. At all times and in all situations we need God. We can obey God as Jesus did when we follow his instructions to the disciples in Gethsemane: “Watch and pray [because]… The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). The spirit is willing—Peter could not fathom denying Jesus—but the flesh is weak—he did. The spirit is willing — the disciples join Jesus in Geth-semane—but the flesh is weak—they fall asleep. The spirit is willing—Pilate recognizes the envy of the chief priests—but the flesh is weak—he still hands Jesus over. In Joseph of Arimathea, the centurion, the unnamed woman, and the women who accompany Jesus to his crucifixion, we see a willing spirit united with strong and courageous flesh. To aim high when others aim low, and have our flesh match our spirit, we need to watch and pray. Following these instruc-tions helps us find the courage to march our deeds with our words, expressing our passion for the God whose passion for us took on human likeness, and in humility offered the sacrifice of death on a cross. Watch and pray during Holy Week and every week, and humbly surrender to God in ways that confess Jesus Christ is Lord, at all times and in all places.

March 25, 2018

Scripture Reflections for

PALM SUNDAY

Monday, Mar. 19 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16

Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Tuesday, Mar. 20 Nm 21:4-9 Jn 8:21-30

Wednesday, Mar. 21 Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

Jn 8:31-42

Thursday, Mar. 22 Gn 17:3-9 Jn 8:51-59

Friday, Mar. 23 Jer 20:10-13 Jn 10:31-42

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Eleven March 18, 2018

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

The Cross has been the symbol of our faith since that day over 2000 years ago.

Join Father Corcoran, Father Zurek, and a group

of Seton parishioners on Good Friday as we carry the Cross in procession in Orland Hills...

Walk With The

Cross

Good Friday March 30

1:30pm

We will gather in the Seton church parking lot at 1:30pm and walk east on 167th Street. We will return to the church going west on 167th Street and arrive by 2:45pm for the traditional service of Veneration of the Cross. Veneration of the Cross will begin at 3pm in the Church. Join us for one or both.

A G O O D F R I D A Y P R O C E S S I O NA G O O D F R I D A Y P R O C E S S I O N

Good Friday is known to all Christians as the day Jesus died on the Cross

Page Twelve March 18, 2018

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Thirteen

Encountering Jesus: Meeting the Christ of Faith and the Jesus of History

Thursday, March 22 7:00 pm Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus

Friday, March 23 7:00 pm Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to host Fr. James Martin, SJ, Jesuit priest, editor at large of America maga-zine, and best-selling author, who on Thursday, will speak on the topic of “Encountering Jesus: Meeting the Christ of Faith and the Jesus of History” and on Friday, Father Mar-tin will talk about the “Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus”.

Register at www.pvm.archchicago.org

Breakfast with a Cup of Spirituality Saturday, March 24 9am-11am Fee: $15

Motherhouse Auditorium, 9201 W. St. Francis Rd., Frankfort You are invited to participate in the presentation: “The Sac-rament and Sacramentals: Their Foundation in Scripture and Tradition”, to trace their origins, importance and ritual.

Register by calling 815-464-3886 or email: marilyn.renninger@presencehealth.org

BRANCHESBRANCHESBRANCHES

Holy Week ActivitiesHoly Week ActivitiesHoly Week Activities

Holy ThursdayHoly ThursdayHoly Thursday March 29March 29March 29

7:00pm Mass followed by 7:00pm Mass followed by 7:00pm Mass followed by “church hopping” for Open Adoration“church hopping” for Open Adoration“church hopping” for Open Adoration

Good FridayGood FridayGood Friday March 30March 30March 30

7:00pm Teen Living Stations Performance7:00pm Teen Living Stations Performance7:00pm Teen Living Stations Performance (Cast Members gather at 5:15pm(Cast Members gather at 5:15pm(Cast Members gather at 5:15pm

for final practice)for final practice)for final practice)

ATTENTION PARISHIONERS:ATTENTION PARISHIONERS:ATTENTION PARISHIONERS: We invite you to come see our We invite you to come see our We invite you to come see our Living Living Living

StationsStationsStations performance at 7:00pm performance at 7:00pm performance at 7:00pm at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish. at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish. at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish.

Bring your friends as well!Bring your friends as well!Bring your friends as well!

Regular ActivitiesRegular ActivitiesRegular Activities

Global Youth Service Month of April:Global Youth Service Month of April:Global Youth Service Month of April: Serve at Bridges Teen CenterServe at Bridges Teen CenterServe at Bridges Teen Center

St. Stephen Catholic Church is hostingSt. Stephen Catholic Church is hostingSt. Stephen Catholic Church is hosting

a posta posta post---Easter Egg Hunt for ages 0Easter Egg Hunt for ages 0Easter Egg Hunt for ages 0---11 on11 on11 on Saturday, April 14 at 2pm sharp.Saturday, April 14 at 2pm sharp.Saturday, April 14 at 2pm sharp.

Mission Trip paperwork and depositsMission Trip paperwork and depositsMission Trip paperwork and deposits must be turned in by Friday, March 30must be turned in by Friday, March 30must be turned in by Friday, March 30

FOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATIONFOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATIONFOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION

Contact Kyle GrovesContact Kyle GrovesContact Kyle Groves at 708at 708at 708---403403403---0101x1050101x1050101x105

or kgroves@steseton.comor kgroves@steseton.comor kgroves@steseton.com

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Fourteen

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS

NOTES FOR OUR RCIA CANDIDATES As a parish community we rejoice and prepare to welcome these four women who will celebrate their faith journey with us at the Easter Vigil Service. We invite you to write a little card or note to each of these wonderful people to be given to them at the reception following the Holy Saturday Vigil. We will collect them during Lent (Anytime you see me at church, but no later than Good Friday!), or drop them off in the parish office. We are grateful for your support and be assured of how much your support means to the candidates.

Claudia Nolan and the Seton Staff

RCIA PRAYER CARDS AT MASSES THIS WEEKEND, we are distributing RCIA prayer cards with the names and pictures of our ELECT. Please take it home and continue to pray for — and with — our Candidates as they seek God’s path for their lives.

Jennifer Balediata To complete Sacraments of

Eucharist and Confirmation

Kelly Cesario To be Baptized, Confirmed

and receive Eucharist

Alexandria Gray To complete Sacraments of

Eucharist and Confirmation

Noelle Wojtasik To be received

into the Catholic Church

Please Welcome Our RCIA Candidates

It is with great joy that we introduce each of our four RCIA candidates weekly. They are like all of us who have come together by the power of the Spirit to be-come members of our Catholic Church.

My Name is Alexandria Gray…

I spent most of my school age years living in Tinley Park. I was baptized Catholic, but not raised around the Church. After graduating High School I moved to Bourbon-nais, IL, and attended Olivet Nazarene University (ONU). It wasn’t until college that I actually began to understand what being Catholic/Christian meant. I graduated from ONU and ironically joined the trades. I am Pipecoverer for Local 17. Currently, living back in Tinley Park with my 13-year old daughter. We were introduced and became members of St. Elizabeth Seton this year and attend Mass every Sunday with my grandparents. It has become a special Sunday “tradition”.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Fifteen

We will begin Holy Week with the commemoration of our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem...

Passion Sunday With a crowd of people waving palm branches, throwing their cloaks down before his donkey and shouting loud hurrahs of “Hosanna to the Lord!”, Jesus entered the city. By the end of the week, however, Jesus had been arrested, condemned to die, and finally, put to death on Golgotha, place of the skull, crucified with some crimi-nals. Although it begins joyfully, the Palm Sunday liturgy continues with the Gospel account of the Passion of our Lord. The very same disciples who ate that Passover meal with Jesus on Thursday night, and pledged their undying loyalty, when put to the test later that evening, would: 1) deny Him; 2) betray Him; 3) manage to make themselves very scarce, when the authorities came to arrest Him and question Him.

Triduum [Three Days] On Thursday of Holy Week, we begin the Triduum, the three central holy days in the tradition of our faith. Even though they are three separate days, in a sense, they are rather three parts of one liturgical celebration: begin-ning Holy Thursday evening and continuing through the end of the Easter Masses. In sign and symbol, we re-member and keep the Vigil of Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection — we celebrate and participate in the Paschal Mystery.

Symbols (Central to the Triduum liturgies) Scripture — the telling of our Christian history, our story — is a central part of each of the three days. Besides the Scripture stories, some additional symbols also take an important place on each of these days.

What Is Holy Week?

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Sixteen March 18, 2018

The Holy Thursday Collection will be given to our St. Vincent DePaul Society to assist those in need within our parish boundaries.

Washing of the Feet Institution of the Lord’s Supper Holy Thursday On Holy Thursday, the two symbols that take central place are: 1) washing of the feet, and, 2) sharing of the Eucharist on the night Jesus commanded: “Do this in remembrance of me.” On Holy Thursday, we hear: the night that Jesus was betrayed, he “rose from the meal and took off his cloak...picked up a towel and tied it around himself...poured water into a basin and he began to wash the disciples’ feet.” Peter resists this action from his Lord, but Jesus’ reply is “if I washed your feet—I who am Teacher and Lord—then you must wash each other’s feet. What I just did was to give you an example, as I have done, so you must do.” This action of foot-washing is commemorated on Holy Thursday—after the homily, as we witness washing of the feet of several of our parishioners. After the washing, we continue with the memorial meal: the sharing of Jesus’ Passover meal on unity, forgiveness and peace: the Eucharist. The bread and wine that will be eaten on Good Friday are reserved from the Eucharist. This meal is sent to the sick and homebound in our parish that evening. Our Ministers of Care are:

Sylvia Arcos Jane Bessette Gloria Burback Maria Castro Diane Ceglarski Martha Cisneros Barb Cristofaro Dcn. Dennis Cristofaro

Debbie Davisson Bev DeJonge Mary Terese Galka Maria Garcia Dcn. Frank Gildea Phyllis Gubbins Terri Hanlon Paulette Havlin

Joann Janiak Jeannine Klomes Kathy Kocher Karen Kosinski Frank Mankowski Steve Michalek Claudia Nolan Eric Ondoy

Pat Orozco Annie Roti Dominic Roti Thomas Scorzo Anna Talley Gene Talley Ted Wolski

Walk With The Cross Procession, Veneration of the Cross, Prayer of Intercession; Eucharist, Stations of the Cross Good Friday On Good Friday two symbols that take a central place are 1) The Veneration of the Cross, and 2) our offering of Intercessory Prayer for the whole world. On Good Friday, we hear again the reading of the Passion narrative. After the homily, a large cross is brought forward on which hung the Savior of the World. “Come, let us worship.” We offer our prayers of intercession at the foot of the cross, asking that all of our prayers be offered in the name of the One “who lives to make intercession for us: Jesus, Our Lord”. Then we come forward with reverence to Venerate that cross...as we genuflect or bow before it, touch or kiss the Cross, we acknowledge the power of the saving love of Christ that has triumphed over death, redeemed us, and we acknowledge also, our mission as the Body of Christ: to “make up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ”. Jesus Meets His Mother.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Seventeen March 18, 2018

Fire &Water; Eucharist

Easter Vigil The Easter Vigil cele-bration “Night-watch of the Resurrection” is at the heart of our Christian Year. The actions and symbols of the evening pro-claim who we are as a people of faith. This is the night when we celebrate Christ’s Passover from death to life, and we partici-pate in it by bringing in new life to our Church. The evening begins with a bonfire outside the church, and the lighting of the new Paschal Candle. We enter the church singing: “Christ be our Light” and proclaim: “This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death.” Our Vigil continues with Scripture readings from Genesis through the proclamation of the Easter Gospel of the empty tomb. We celebrate Eucharist together and end the evening with a reception downstairs in O’Mara Church Hall. If someone were to ask what it means to be Catholic, you might tell them, “Come to the Easter Vigil and see”… their experience will perhaps be the best answer one could give to this question!

Easter Sunday The Triduum closes on Easter Sunday evening, at sunset. All day long on Easter Sunday, we continue the Baptismal celebration from the Vigil, by renewing baptismal vows and sprinkling all present with water from the font. The Scripture, prayers, symbols and song of these “three days” expresses and renews the faith we profess as a Catholic Christian people..

Holy Week and Easter Liturgies

Passion (Palm] Sunday) Saturday, March 24 5:00pm Sunday, March 25 7:15am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am Masses “We Were There” Musical Cantata, 3:00 pm

Evening Prayer Wednesday, March 28, 7:00pm

Holy Thursday March 29, 7:00pm [Washing of Feet and the Institution of the Lord’s Supper]

Good Friday March 30 Walk With The Cross Procession, 1:30pm Veneration of Cross and Communion Service, 3:00pm Living Stations of the Cross, 7:00pm [Led by the Youth of the Parish]

Holy Saturday March 31 Blessing of the Easter Basket Prayer Service, 12 Noon Easter Vigil, 7:30pm [New Fire and Water; Eucharist]

Easter Sunday April 1 7:15am, 8:30am, 10:00am, 11:30am Masses

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Page Eighteen March 18, 2018

LENTEN BOOK DISCUSSION “THE GOSPEL’S LEGACY” AND

“BEING DISCIPLES”

We invite you to come Monday mornings at 10AM (thru March 19)

or Monday evenings at 7:30PM (thru March 26)

Father Bill Gubbins Center For Faith Formation

Prepare for the March 19, 10:00 AM FINAL Discussion by reading the following:

“Being Disciples” Chapter 6

Pages 76-87 and

“The Gospel’s Legacy” Chapters 7

Pages 31-34

Prepare for the March 19,7:30 PM Discussion by reading the following:

“Being Disciples” Chapter 5

Pages 58-75 “and

“The Gospel’s Legacy” Chapters 5 and 6

Pages 21-30

Prepare for the March 26, 7:30 PM FINAL Discussion by reading the following:

“Being Disciples” Chapter 6

Pages 76-87 and

“The Gospel’s Legacy” Chapters 7

Pages 31-34

A Reflection from SACRED SPACE

2018 PRAYER BOOK The Word: Jesus said, “You’ve heard me tell you, “I’m going away, and I’m coming back. If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life. I’ve told you ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. He has no claim on me; but so that the world knows how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father’s instructions right down to the last detail.

John 14:28-31 The Message The New Testament in Contemporary Language

A Reflection: Jesus knows that the disciples do not understand the events of his passion and death as they unfold. They don’t under-stand why it is a good thing that he will go away. They don’t understand that even though the “chief of this godless world” is about to attack, God’s purpose still goes forward. Jesus knows that his closest followers do not understand so much of what is happening, yet he continues on his way and gives them reassurance. Can we imagine how they felt: con-fused, dismayed, afraid? Does our need to understand sometimes get in the way of our believing what Jesus says? A Prayer: Lord, we do want to walk in faith which is hard to do when we don’t know what’s going to happen next. Faith is difficult when we have this hunger to explain everything, when we are moved by the desire to solve every problem. Give us the patience, the grace and the faith to walk with you when we don’t yet understand what is happening and why. The monthly gathering of members of the Sacred Space Reflection Group have moved their meeting from the first Monday of each month to the fourth Wednesday of the month. Our next gathering will be in the Fr. Gubbins Center for Faith Formation on Wednesday, March 28, from 9:30 to 11:00 AM (shortly after the 9:00 AM Mass). All are welcomed.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Nineteen March 18, 2018

You are invited to donate a can(s) of food so that together we CAN help others.

Suggested items:

Canned Vegetables; Canned Ready-Made Pasta; Canned Juices; Vegetable Juices; Canned Meats; Canned Soup; Canned Bean Products; Canned Fruit; Canned Protein Shakes; Velveeta; Peanut Butter; Jelly and Jams; Hamburger Helper; Boxed Cereals; Pancake Mixes; Grits; Pasta; Boxed Mashed Potatoes; Dried Beans; Rice and Rice Mixes; Milk Products (canned, powder).

Drop off boxes located in the Narthex for your donation.

Knights of Columbus

CANS FOR LENT

FINAL COLLECTION MARCH 24/25 [PALM SUNDAY]

Tuesday, March 20 7:00pm McBrady Center MAKEOVER NIGHT!

For our March meeting we will be having reps from Clinique doing makeovers and giving tips on eye makeup and skin care to get us set for Spring. Doors to the McBrady Center open at 6:30pm. Light refreshments donated by Granite City Restaurant, Orland Park. Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Clinique raffle prizes and Split-the-Pot.

Mark your Calendars! Morning of Reflection

Saturday, April 21, McBrady Center

UPCOMING EVENTS

Women’s Club News

RECYCLE YOUR BICYCLE!

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, APRIL 21

St. Elizabeth Seton Social Action Ministry Working Bikes

Collection Drop Off: Seton Church Parking Lot

9:00 AM-12 NOON

Countless bicycles are discarded or sit unused in basements or garages in the United States every year. But in a developing country, a bicycle can truly change the life of an individual, their family and their community. Bicycling is, of course, a form of transportation. But bicycles are also used for towing cargo, and even as a source of electricity through the creation of pedal-powered machines! In areas plagued by poverty, high levels of unemployment and lack of reliable, accessible transportation, a bicycle can help provide access to jobs, education, and medical attention. Global Impact: Working Bikes ships thousands of bicycles each year to partners in countries throughout Latin America and Africa including, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Uganda and many others. Local Impact: Working Bikes partners with homeless transition, refugee resettlements and youth empowerment programs here in Chicago to donate bicycles and put them to good use on the streets of our own community. Working Bikes donates over 6,000 bicycles each year to their international and local partners. So… as you are doing your spring cleaning, please set aside the bikes, bike parts, walkers and non-electric wheelchairs that you would like to get rid of, save them for our bike collection on Saturday, April 21.

For information about Working Bikes visit WORKINGBIKES.ORG

For questions, call Fr. John Zurek at 708-403-0101.

The St. Elizabeth Seton Social Action Ministry invites you to save your donated bicycles

until our April 21 collection in 2018!

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Twenty

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Page Twenty One March 18, 2018

Seniors of Seton

SAINT OF THE WEEK

BLESSED OSCAR ROMERO

(1917-1980) Blessed Oscar Romero was recognized as a martyr for the faith in 2015. The time when he was Archbishop of San Salvador was a period of civil unrest and great government-sponsored violence. The voice of the Gospel, Blessed Oscar Romero spoke out for justice. THE NIGHT BEFORE HE WAS MURDERED WHILE CELE-

BRATING MASS, ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO OF SAN SAL-

VADOR said on the radio: “I would like to appeal in a special way to the men of the army, and in particular to the troops of the National Guard, the police, and the garrisons. Broth-ers, you belong to our own people. You kill your own brother peasants; and in the face of an order to kill that is given by a man, the law of God that says ‘Do not kill!’ should prevail. “No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of God. No one has to comply with an immoral law. It is the time now that you recover your conscience and obey its dic-tates rather than the command of sin. . . . Therefore, in the name of God, and in the name of this long-suffering people, whose laments rise to heaven every day more tumultuous, I beseech you, I beg you, I command you! In the name of God: ‘Cease the repression!’” Simultaneously, Romero had eloquently upheld the gospel and effectively signed his own death warrant. When he was appointed archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, Bishop Romero was considered a very “safe” choice. He had served as auxiliary bishop there for four years before his three years as bishop of Santiago de Maria. Oscar’s father wanted him to be a carpenter—a trade for which he demonstrated some talent. Seminary classes in El Salvador preceded his studies at Rome’s Gregorian Univer-sity and his ordination in 1942. After earning a doctorate in ascetical theology, he returned home and became a parish priest and later rector of an interdiocesan seminary. Three weeks after his appointment as archbishop, Ro-mero was shaken by the murder of his good friend Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande, a vigorous defender of the rights of the poor. Five more priests were assassinated in the Arch-diocese of San Salvador during Romero’s years. When a military junta seized control of the national gov-ernment in 1979, Archbishop Romero publicly criticized the US government for backing the junta. His weekly radio ser-mons, broadcast throughout the country, were regarded by many as the most trustworthy source of news available. Romero’s funeral was celebrated in the plaza outside the cathedral and drew an estimated 250,000 mourners. His tomb in the cathedral crypt soon drew thousands of visi-tors each year. On February 3, 2015, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing Oscar Romero as a martyr for the faith. His beatification took place in San Salvador on May 23, 2015.

COMMENT Following Jesus always requires choices. Romero’s fiercest critics conveniently dismissed his choices as politically inspired. An incarnational faith must be ex-pressed publicly.

UPCOMING EVENTS

LAMB’S FARM APRIL 18 – WEDNESDAY THIS IS A SOLD OUT TRIP

Bus departs west lot at 10am for those with paid reservation only.

MILLER’S AMISH FARM MAY 16 – WEDNESDAY

A FEW SEATS STILL AVAILABLE Trip includes a stop at Blue Gate Restaurant for shopping. Delicious baked goods, including yummy pies, can be purchased. At 12 Noon, we’ll enjoy a fabulous lunch at Miller House. Lunch includes chicken, pot roast, mashed potatoes, noo-

dles, vegetables, homemade bread, and pie. On the way home we’ll stop at the Cheese Factory. Bus departs the west lot at 9:30am for those with paid reservations.

DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS: MAY 1 Flyer available at meetings and in parish office For reservations/questions contact Anna, 708-532-6731.

Name/phone must be on all reservations. ****Reservations not accepted without payment.

SAVE THE DATE

2018 Books — Now Only $10!

The 2018 Golden Opportunities Books make wonderful gifts! Give the gift that gives all year! Each book can

save thousands of dollars at a variety of favorite LOCAL merchants that include: dining pleasures, casual dining, entertainment, sports, retail, and more! Many are two for one or multiple use coupons.

Pick them up at the Seniors of Seton monthly meeting or in the parish office.

Now only $10!

PALM SUNDAY CANTATA MARCH 25 - 3 PM - CHURCH

DANCING HORSES EXTRAVAGANZA JUNE 13 - WEDNESDAY

Reservations with payment will be taken at the April 3rd meeting

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT March 18, 2018 Page Twenty Two

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

ST. ELIZABETH SETON PRAYER/OUTREACH MINISTRIES

Social Action Ministry How we serve: Soup Kitchen in Joliet; Sharing Parish with St. Procopius Church; Pro Life Ministry: COURAGE Pro-gram, Mother’s Day Flowers For Life, Life Chain Sunday, Diaper Drive; Respond Now Outreach; SWIFT (South West Interfaith Team); Environmental Ministry; Speaker nights.

Seton Rosary Group All are invited to join in praying the Rosary each Tuesday/Thursday in the church, by our statue of the Mary, following the 9am Mass.

Chaplet of Divine Mercy The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited every Wednesday morning in the church, following the 9am Mass.

Heart Warmers Meal Ministry Heart Warmers is an outreach program where Seton volun-teers deliver homemade meals to people of our parish com-munity when they are experiencing times with medical, health, new baby, recovery, or grief issues. To schedule re-ceiving a meal or to become a meal provider contact Barb Cristofaro at 708-349-7493 or heartwarmers-ses@att.net.

Prayer Shawl Ministry Shawls are prayerfully created, blessed, and distributed to those who have a need for the spiritual, physical or emo-tional comfort. Knit or crochet in your home and/or at the twice-monthly meetings. To become a knitter or to obtain a shawl, call Sharon Leone at 708-226-4836.

Seton Sowers-Newborns in Need If you knit/crochet/sew, your skills to make clothing/blankets for premature newborn babies at the University of Illinois Hospital. We meet monthly in the O’Mara Hall. Donations of yarn/fabric/baby toiletries/supplies accepted. For information/meeting dates, contact Carol Dimer at 708-479-6994.

HOPE Employment Ministry HOPE is open to everyone. All of our services, to both job seekers and employers, are free. We meet the first Tuesday of each month in O’Mara Hall at 7pm. Our meetings consist of networking, resume review, guest speakers and open fo-rums. Contact Lee Junkans at ajunkans@aol.com.

Alcoholics Anonymous If you have a problem with alcohol and feel a sincere desire to stop drinking, you are welcome to attend a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the downstairs O’Mara Hall on Thursdays, from 7:30-8:45pm. AA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover. The only requirement is a sincere desire to stop drinking.

Families Anonymous If your life has gone astray due to living with someone who has a substance abuse problem, attend a Families Anony-mous on Mondays from 7-8:30pm at Palos Hospital, 123rd and 80th Ave., Palos Heights (Ambulatory Care Center, Rm. 1). Call 708-429-2507 or 708-269-9853.

St. Vincent de Paul Society Anyone within parish boundaries in need of assistance from SVDP, may call the parish office at 708-403-0101.

ST. ELIZABETH SETON PARISH INFORMATION

New Parishioners We welcome new members. All are invited to participate in the life and mission of the parish. A complete listing of parish services and organizations is available in the parish office and on our parish website. Please visit the parish office to register or obtain the registration form on the parish website. Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturday, between 4:15-4:45pm. Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated twice monthly at 1pm. Reserve your time by calling the parish office early. Limited to six children per Sunday. Baptismal Preparation Couples preparing for the birth of their child should contact the Pastoral Center to register for a one night seminar, focusing on a parent’s role in faith development. This session is mandatory prior to the Baptism. Anointing of the Sick is available in the Church every Monday after the 9am Mass. For those who are ill or facing hospitalization, it is appropriate to receive the sacrament once every six months. Call 708-403-0101 for information. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults Adults, 18 and older, who wish to become Catholic are enrolled in a formation process (RCIA) that includes prayer, dialogue, instruction, and introduction to the Church’s life and values, rituals and traditions. For in-formation call the parish office 708-403-0101. Ministry of Care is available to give Communion to the housebound, to visit and pray for hospitalized and/or to arrange for the Anointing of the Sick. Please call the Pastoral Center for assistance. In the Hospital? Because of HIPAA Privacy regu-lations hospitals can no longer contact the parish re-garding your hospitalization. It is the responsibility of you or a family member to notify our parish. We desire to offer whatever spiritual support we can. Please call the Pastoral Center. Sacrament of Marriage Couples planning to marry are asked to make arrangements six months in advance. Wedding Workshops are offered throughout the year. They provide engaged couples with guidelines and suggestions for the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage. The workshop covers topics ranging from readings and music to flowers and video taping. Adult Choir sings at all 10am Sunday Masses, as well as at a number of special liturgies. Teen Choir sings at the 11:30am Sunday Masses.

Moving? Please call the office at 708-403-0101.

9300 West 167th St., Orland Hills, IL 708-403-0101

www.steseton.com

March 18, 2018 Page Twenty Three

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

A FINAL THOUGHT FOR YOUR WEEK

“Hey Mister, Are You Jesus?” By Karen Seaborn, Celebration Publications

T he story is told of a blind merchant selling

his wares in the middle of a busy train station, when a group of children bump into the table and knock much of his nicely stacked merchandise to the floor. As the story goes, the merchant gets down on his hands and knees in an attempt to retrieve his scattered goods. Another man, clearly in a hurry, rounds the corner to see the sight-impaired merchant on the floor. The man stops for a moment, looks at his watch, his expression indicating his dilemma: If he takes the time to help this young man, he will likely miss his train. With only a moment’s hesitation, he drops his briefcase, gets down on the floor, and helps the merchant gather and re-stack his goods. When all is in order, and the man walks away, the merchant calls out after him: “Hey Mister, are you Jesus?” Now chances are this story is not actually true. But true or not, this story could well be a modern-day parable. It comes to my mind each time I hear the Greeks say to Philip, as we hear in today’s Gospel, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” What was it about the man that caused the merchant to ask him if he was Jesus? Was it the fact that he died to himself in order to help a man he did not know and who would never be able to repay him? Might it have been that this busy man loved the merchant more, in those few moments, than he loved his own life, sacrificing his travel plans for another? Surely anyone who has traveled by train or air knows the inconvenience, not to mention the cost in time and dollars, of rebooking a trip or a ticket. Could it have been because the man got down on the floor and chose to serve the merchant in the same way Jesus served the poor, the marginalized, the outcast and disciples whose feet he washed?

I n today’s Gospel, Jesus responded with similar words

when told that the Greeks wished to see him. “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,” Jesus says, “it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Jesus continued, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” And finally, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” Jesus’ response to Philip and Andrew almost seems like a non-sequitur. What does any of that have to do with the Greeks’ desire to see Jesus?

And yet, as I think of the merchant’s question, “Hey Mister, are you Jesus?” it seems to me that Jesus’ answer to Philip and Andrew has everything to do with the question. It was the Greeks who asked to see Jesus, Greeks who did not look or worship like the Jews. And I wonder, who are “the Greeks” who want to see Jesus today? Might they be living in the cellblock of a crowded prison? Perhaps they are a single-parent family receiving government aid or a drug addict living on the street? Might they be a family trying to find water and food on a dark night in San Juan, Puerto Rico? Are they refugees from a Muslim country, undocumented people from Mexico, a couple in an unconventional marriage? And I wonder, if we responded to these people today like the man responded to the blind merchant in our modern-day parable, if we, too, would come to see, like Jesus came to see in today’s Gospel that “it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” And, perhaps we, too, would hear a voice come from heaven saying, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

March 18, 2018 Page Twenty Four

“God, in the secret recesses of our hearts, show us where you have planted your law,

so that we might know what must be healed. Let your mercy wash over us,

and buoy us up with your love, so that we might follow you faithfully

throughout our lives. Amen.”

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

WWW.STESETON.COM

Join us on FACEBOOK St. Elizabeth Seton Church-Orland Hills

Page Twenty Five March 18, 2018

Pastoral Staff Rev. William T. Corcoran, Ph.D, Pastor Rev. John Zurek, Associate Pastor Rev. William Gubbins, Resident Priest Rev. William T. O’Mara, Pastor Emeritus Deacon: Frank Gildea Deacon: Dennis (Barb) Cristofaro

Liturgy Staff Claudia Nolan, Director of Liturgy

Music Staff Linda McKeague, Director of Music

Parish Office Staff Donna Stolinski, Business Manager Darlene Raila, Communications Director Joan Nemec, Morning Receptionist Karen Mirecki, Afternoon Receptionist

Youth/Young Adult Ministry Kyle Groves, Director Bruce Hall, Coordinator

Religious Education Staff Susan Matthews, Director of Religious Education Diana Barracca, Administration Assistant Mary Vlaming, Secretary

Athletics Bob Myjak, Director

Maintenance Staff Raymond Yanowsky, Director of Maintenance Laurie De Mik-Renn, CJB Day Maintenance Supervisor Marie Makuch, Staff Joseph Shake, Staff Dan Kosty, Staff

REGULAR MASS SCHEDULE Monday-Friday:

9:00 am Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday:

7:15, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30am

St. Elizabeth Seton Church 9300 W. 167th Street Orland Hills, IL 60487

Parish Office: 708-403-0101 Religious Education: 708-403-0137

PARISH OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY: 8:30AM-4:30PM

SATURDAY: 1PM-6PM SUNDAY: 8:30AM-1PM

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School WEBSITE: WWW.CJBSCHOOL.ORG 708-403-6525 Principal, Mary Iannucilli Administrative Assistant, Cindy Labriola Devlin

3/24 & 3/25 5:00PM 7:15AM 8:30AM 10:00AM 11:30AM

GREETERS J. Gaskey T. Grebenor C. Labus D. Mires M. Pahl/ K. Pahl G. Roy G. Roy K. Roy M. Roy

E. Briette J. Esposito C. Esposito M. Foley D. Krieger B. Majer W. McGashan A. McGlashan J. Niemiec

L. Allen C. Bannon F. Caputo M. Crance R. Cubalchini M. Cubalchini S. Giovanazzi O. Lopez, Jr.

D. Ahern W. Bric J. Grant D. Kujawa M. Moore M. Moore

A. Durkin E. Esparza/E. Esparza M. Hattar J. Islas/L. Islas S. Klean F. McCarthy S. Potts T. Waters A. Waters/J. Waters

LECTORS J. Bessette/T Wojcik T. O’Connell

D. Houha/K. McSwain P. Rodgers

B. Hall/W. Dendler C. Bannon

L. Junkans/R. Hicks P. DeWilkins

R. Velcich/G. Rekar A. Kowal

ALTAR SERVERS

C. Bueche J. Zufan J. Zufan

J. Durkin A. Boertlein C. Jaeger

A. Lloyd A. Dennis E. Arduino

E. Ryan D. Lingan M. Lingan

L. Reiter B. Paradowski K. Soltys

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

T. Doyle M. O’Connor C. Hamilton M. Garcia G. Yakes D. Cristofaro B. Cristofaro A. Sharp P. Ihnat M. Ihnat L. Coe G. Roy

D. Flynn M. O’Connor D. Nykeil P. Rodgers L. Avila S. Avila F. Mankowski N. Sasso

B. Kemp E. Pawlak C. Hayward G. Leone S. Leone F. Scellato J. Scellato S. Arcos C. Kirk T. Krull P. Skowronek V. Patrizi

J. Mysker E. Barin J. Nemec L. Gent J. Krusenoski J. Eisenberg C. Davis R. Grill S. Juska I. Juska J. Weger G. Chehy P. Krueger

M. Miller M. O’Connor D. Sigourney S. Ivey C. Holmquist J. Holmquist T. Scorzo T. Welser C. Carney T. Wolski