St. John of the Cross Parish

5005 Wolf Road ~ Western Springs 60558 ~ 708-246-4404 ~ www.stjohnofthecross.org

December 22, 2019

Fourth Sunday of Advent

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 2

From the Desk of Fr. Marc Reszel

Blessings on the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Today we light the fourth and final candle on our Advent wreath. Proximate preparations for our Christmas celebrations are nearly complete. Thank you to the all who so generously supported the Share Christmas project. Your efforts help to bring joy to so many. The pictures on page 10 tell some of the Good News. The back cover of this bulletin includes the times and locations for all our Christmas Masses. For us the liturgical season of Christmas only begins with the evening celebrations on December 24. Recall the song about the Twelve Days. The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord is just the start. The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is next weekend. Christmastide continues with the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, on New Year’s Day. During the first weekends of 2020 we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord as we complete the liturgical season. Other church celebrations are associated with Christmas and/or the start of the new calendar year. The Feast of the deacon St. Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, is Thursday. The Feast of the Evangelist St. John is Friday. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is Saturday. The Memorial of the first native born US citizen to be canonized, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, is January 4. Let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish. Father Reszel

Through the incredible generosity of an anonymous parishioner, St. John of the Cross Parish is pleased to be able to give parish families and visitors joining us at Mass on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day an inspiring new book by Matthew Kelly, “Rediscover the Saints.” This personal and practical book proves the saints are not long gone, but alive and well--and ready to join you on your journey! You will discover how inviting the saints into your everyday life will open your eyes to the amazing possibilities God has in store for you. When done reading please pass it on to a friend!

God of promise,

Make us ready for Your coming.

Help us to find quiet moments of contemplation.

Help us to see awesome beauty in one another’s eyes.

Help us to hear and respond to

the cries of the poor and the oppressed.

Help us to breathe in the wonders of nature.

Help us to walk along that path that leads to You.

Help us to find the only truth that will save us.

Help us to serve You until that day

when we meet face to face.

Help us to grow closer to You with each passing day

and to love You.

Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 3

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Across this liturgical year, we hear Saint Matthew’s Gospel. And in this holy season that celebrates the birth of Jesus, we hear a story unique to Matthew—the journey of the Magi. He writes: “The Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.” We can imagine their joy. They discovered the one for whom they longed and searched. He is the newborn Jesus. His mother Mary holds him in her arms and, at the same time, presents him to the world. In this simple gesture, she evangelizes, gives us the living good news of her son. Then and now, it is a moment wrapped in joy. On our journey of renewal in the Archdiocese of Chicago, may this image of Mary, mother of the Lord, inspire and encourage us to carry and present Jesus to a world that is so much in need of him. In our marriages, families, workplaces, and communities, may we joyfully carry and present him who is the great light shining in darkness. God bless you and all your loved ones in this holy season. Sincerely yours in Christ, Blase Cardinal Cupich Archbishop of Chicago

Cardinal’s Christmas Message Blessing of Manger Scene

In its present form the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche or manger for Christmas Eve of 1223. Blessing All make the sign of the cross as the leader says: Our help is in the name of the Lord. R/. Who made heaven and earth. One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture, for example, Luke 2:1 (lines 1-8) or Isaiah 7:10 (lines 10-15, the birth of Emmanuel). Reader: The Gospel of the Lord. R/. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. The leader prays with hands joined:

God of every nation and people, from the very beginning of creation you have made manifest your love:

when our need for a Savior was great you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.

To our lives he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy, and love.

Lord, bless all who look upon this manger;

may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, and raise our thoughts to him,

who is God-with-us and Savior of all, and who lives and reigns forever and ever.

R/. Amen. —From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him. With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty. As children, we learn from our parents and grandparents to carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived. The origin of the Christmas crèche is found above all in certain details of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, as related in the Gospels. The evangelist Luke says simply that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (2:7). Because Jesus was laid in a manger, the nativity scene is known in Italian as a presepe, from the Latin word praesepium, meaning “manger.” Coming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal himself as “the bread come down from heaven” (Jn 6:41). Saint Augustine, with other Church Fathers, was impressed by this symbolism: “Laid in a manger, he became our food” (Sermon 189, 4). Indeed, the nativity scene evokes a number of the mysteries of Jesus’ life and brings them close to our own daily lives. But let us go back to the origins of the Christmas crèche so familiar to us. We need to imagine ourselves in the little Ital ian town of Greccio, near Rieti. Saint Francis stopped there, most likely on his way back from Rome where on 29 November 1223 he had received the confirmation of his Rule from Pope Honorius III. Francis had earlier visited the Holy Land, and the caves in Greccio reminded him of the countryside of Bethlehem. It may also be that the “Poor Man of Assisi” had been struck by the mosaics in the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major depicting the birth of Jesus, close to the place where, according to an ancient tradition, the wooden panels of the manger are preserved. The Franciscan Sources describe in detail what then took place in Greccio. Fifteen days before Christmas, Francis asked a local man named John to help him realize his desire “to bring to life the memory of that babe born in Bethlehem, to see as much as possible with my own bodily eyes the discomfort of his infant needs, how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and an ass standing by, he was laid upon a bed of hay.” At this, his faithful friend went immediately to prepare all that the Saint had asked. On 25 December, friars came to Greccio from various parts, together with people from the farmsteads in the area, who brought flowers and torches to light up that holy night. When Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey. All those present experienced a new and indescribable joy in the presence of the Christmas scene. The priest then solemnly celebrated the Eucharist over the manger, showing the bond between the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Eucharist. At Greccio there were no statues; the nativity scene was enacted and experienced by all who were present. This is how our tradition began: with everyone gathered in joy around the cave, with no distance between the original event and those sharing in its mystery.

Read the Pope’s letter in its entirety on our parish website under resources. Letter Given in Greccio, at the Shrine of the Nativity, on 1 December in the year 2019, the seventh of my Pontificate. FRANCIS

Apostolic Letter on the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene

“The Christmas creche speaks to us of the love of God, the God who became a child in order to make us know how close he is to every man, woman and child, regardless of their condition. The Christmas creche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith. Beginning in childhood, and at every stage of our lives, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience God’s love for us, to feel and believe that God is with us and that we are with him, his children, brothers and sisters all, thanks to that Child who is the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary. And to realize that in that knowledge we find true happiness. Like Saint Francis, may we open our hearts to this simple grace, so that from our wonderment a humble prayer may arise: a prayer of thanksgiving to God, who wished to share with us his all, and thus never to leave us alone.”

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Christian Meditation

How To Meditate Sit still and upright in a quiet place

with feet flat on the floor and hands in lap or on knees. Let go of any expectations or demands.

Just Be. Gently close your eyes and silently,

interiorly begin to say a single prayer word. The word recommended is Ma-ra-na-tha

(Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke), meaning “Come, Lord.” Continue repeating the word during the entire time of meditation.

Whenever distractions come, gently return your attention to the word,

without judging or analyzing. It is recommended to meditate 20-30 minutes twice a day.

All are welcome to any of the 4 weekly groups for Christian Meditation in the Parish Center. Sessions last 45 to 55 minutes. No experience is necessary. For further information contact parishioner Betsy at wccmchgo@gmail.com or 708-246-8315.

Tuesdays, 7:30pm Wednesdays, 2:30pm Saturdays, 8am Mondays, 10:30am Christian Meditation as an 11th Step Practice

“To learn to meditate, you have to learn to be silent, and not to be afraid of

silence. We don’t have to create silence. The silence is there, within you.

What we have to do is to enter into it, to become silent, to become the silence.

The challenge of meditation is to allow ourselves to become silent enough to

allow this interior silence to emerge. Silence is the language of the spirit. The

language of the spirit is love. And the purpose of meditation is to be in the

presence of love, the love that, as Jesus tells us, casts out all fear.” John Main, OSB

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Lifelong Learning

Living the Gospel On this Fourth and final Sunday of Advent we have a story about Joseph told by Matthew. There are so few stories where Joseph is even named that it is good to read this one carefully. We have no words from Joseph in the New Testament. He is a quiet but righteous man, doing what is right in the sight of God.

Thus, Joseph’s desire to end the relationship with Mary quietly upon finding out that she is with child is in keeping with his character. Technically, Mary could be exposed to the law, which would mean a death sentence. But Joseph is not that kind of person. He is content instead to handle this matter discreetly, until the appearance of an angel in a dream.

As Luke tells the story, an angel by the name of Gabriel appeared to Mary. But in Matthew’s story an unnamed angel appears to Joseph in a dream. The two stories are not necessarily contradictory and, in fact, many find them complementary. But each evangelist is relating his story on its own terms. Neither seems to have been aware of the other. That is, Luke had not read Matthew, and Matthew had not read Luke.

The appearance of an angel in Joseph’s dream is enough to change his mind. He takes his wife into his home in Bethlehem (not Nazareth, as Luke has it). Later the child will be born there, at the home. Again, this is not Luke’s story of the family in Nazareth going to Bethlehem for the census. Matthew has no census; Joseph and Mary live in their home in Bethlehem where Mary will soon give birth.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent the stage is set for Christmas morning, the nativity of our Lord. A discreet, quiet man who does what is right in the sight of God has taken the pregnant Mary into his home as his wife. What was a scandal worthy of death under the law has been directed by an angel in a dream into safety and security for the woman and her unborn child. God is doing something new. ©Living Liturgy

May we actively participate

in God’s plan of salvation through the way we live.

May we respond faithfully to the Holy Spirit who overshadows us

that we may give “birth” to the Presence of Christ.

Background on the Gospel Finally, on this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gospel Reading permits us to begin our contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation we celebrate at Christmas: “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about” (Matthew 1:18). The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus from Joseph's perspective. Today's Gospel passage is the second movement in this story. In the preceding verses of the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, the Evangelist has listed the genealogy of Jesus, tracing his lineage through King David to Abraham. In the chapter to follow, Matthew tells of the visit from the Magi, the Holy Family's flight into Egypt, and Herod's massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. (The other stories which we associate with Christmas, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the angel and the shepherds, are found in the Gospel of Luke). We must not gloss over too quickly the difficult circumstances described in today's Gospel. The way that Joseph and Mary face these circumstances tells us much about these holy people and their faith in God. Joseph and Mary are betrothed to be married. This is sometimes described as an engagement period, but it is more than that. Betrothal in first century Jewish culture was in fact the first part of the marriage contract. A breach of this contract was considered adultery. Mary is found to be with child. If adultery is proven, the punishment might be death. Joseph has rights under Mosaic law, but chooses to act discreetly in his plans to break the marriage contract, so as to protect Mary. Then God intervenes. The message of the angel of the Lord given to Joseph in his dream tells us much about the child that Mary bears and his role in God's plan. He is conceived by the Holy Spirit. His name will be Jesus, which in the Hebrew means “Yahweh saves.” He will be the fulfillment of the prophecy heard in today's first reading from Isaiah: “. . . The virgin shall be with child . . . and shall name him Emmanuel [God with us].” Joseph does as the angel of the Lord directs. He takes Mary to be his wife and accepts the child in her womb as his own. Joseph and Mary are both cooperative with God's plan. They are both models for us of what it means to be faithful servants of God. Loyola Press

Monday Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14 Luke 1:57-66

Tuesday 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29 Luke 1:67-79

Wednesday Isa 52:7-10 Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6 Heb 1:1-6 John 1:1-18

Thursday Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17 Matt 10:17-22

Friday 1 John 1:1-4 Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 John 20:1a and 2-8

Saturday 1 John 1:5–2:2 Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8 Matt 2:13-18

Sunday Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 Matt 2:13-15, 19-23

The Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel.

Prayer

The goal of our life is

to live with God forever.

God who loves us, gave us life.

Our own response of love allows God’s life

to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts of God,

presented to us so that

we can know God more easily and

make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and

use all these gifts of God

insofar as they help us

develop as loving persons.

But if any of these gifts

become the center of our lives,

they displace God and

so hinder our growth

toward our goal.

In everyday life, then,

we must hold ourselves in balance

before all of these created gifts

insofar as we have a choice

and are not bound by some obligation.

We should not fix our desires on

health or sickness,

wealth or poverty,

success or failure,

a long life or short one.

For everything has the potential

of calling forth in us

a deeper response to our life in

God.

Our only desire

and our one choice

should be this:

I want and

I choose what better leads

to the deepening

of God’s life

in me.

St. Ignatius Loyola Paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.

Heavenly Father, Remind us each day, that of all of the gifts

You have given to us, the greatest of these is

Love. Open our hearts not only

to those who are close to us, but, to all that we

might meet on the way. Let us forget to judge

and remember to forgive, and, help us to show

the same patience and empathy You have shown to us,

for it is the angry and unloved that cry the loudest. Lord,

heal our wounds and bless this work

we offer in Your Name, Amen.

-Claire Applewhite

O Lord, our Shepherd and Guide, come and shatter

the darkness of our world with the light of your love. May these prayers we offer

and our work to bring them to fulfillment

bring the light and peace of the Messiah

into our own time and place. We ask this in the name of our

hope, Jesus, the Christ.

Amen.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

22

Fourth Sunday in Advent On this fourth and final Sunday of Advent, light the fourth candle on your Advent Wreath and spend extra time in prayer as a family prior to your evening meal.

23

Advent Weekday According to custom, the Christmas tree is set up just before Christmas and may remain in place until the Solemnity of Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, or the Feast of the Presentation. The lights of the tree are illuminated after the prayer of blessing. Go to Resources on our website for the blessing.

24

Advent Weekday Depending on when you attend Mass to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord, the Scripture read will be different. Spend time reading and reflecting on these four excerpts from the Gospels today. Go to Resources on the home page of our website. Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord

25

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. “ Matthew 1:23

Weekly Advent Calendar

Come Lord Jesus!

As we prepare our

hearts for your

coming during these

holy days of Advent,

open our eyes

to recognize that

you are already

in our midst,

in your Word,

in the sacraments,

and in all our

brothers and sisters.

Amen.

Come let us worship

the Lord,

the King

who is to come.

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 7

God, you are my

ever-patient creator. You are my

abundant invitation. Help me to respond to the layers of my life

with a Yes you have heard before.

Help me echo the Yes

that Mary gave in these places

of my life…

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High School Youth Ministry Encore Party Fun

Save the Date! Frosh-Soph Retreat February 28-February 29 Lock-in in the Parish Center! Come join our Freshmen and Sophomore teens from St. Francis and St. Cletus for a rockin’ Lock-in! Grab a friend and come experience a night of Escape Rooms, games, Mass, food, sharing and MORE! Look on our website for more details. Join us for ALL Teen Night, Sunday, January 5 following 5pm Mass, 6:15-7:30pm in the School Gym. Come for faith, food, fun and fellowship and help us select a movie for an upcoming MOVIE NIGHT this February. See you all there! ALPHA for Teens is coming this January! Join other high school teens as you gather, talk, share a

meal and explore life’s biggest questions about life, faith and

God. We will gather with teens from St. Cletus and St.

Francis on Sunday nights, following 5pm Mass, 6:15-7:30pm

in the Parish Center. Got Questions? We’ve got ALPHA for

you!

Best Friends The Junior Home Group (pictured below) gathered for Friendsgiving this year. All teens brought a dish to pass as they shared all the things for which they are grateful! You gotta have friends!

GOOD LUCK TO THOSE STILL S T U D Y I N G FOR FINALS Teens: Look for your Study Packs at church exits this weekend!!

Parish School Youth Catechesis

Our 5th graders are studying Egypt and used

their ipads to tap into some augmented reality where ancient artifacts were enhanced by computer generated perceptual information. Mr. Bialcik visited the classroom last week and dressed in his traditional Egyptian clothing and gave a slide presentation of his two trips to Egypt. At the end of the presentation he shared some of his artifacts that he has collected over the years. The 5

th grade students loved the

different opportunities to learn about the ancient world of Egypt.

Future Saints in YC learned about

Advent Wreaths, Advent Prayer, Adoration,

Mary and Joseph, and more.

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SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 10

Share Christmas Thank YOU

Find us ready Lord...not standing still. Find us working and loving and doing your will.

Find us ready Lord...faithful in love and building the kingdom that’s here and above!

THANK YOU for Sharing Christmas with those in need!

Thank You Share Co-Chairs: Jeannine Sur and Colleen Murphy!

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Parish News

Save the Date! Join us for more

awesome Fun, Food &

Entertainment

June 25-28, 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR FROM SJC FEST PLANNING COMMITTEE!

Your generous gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure

make the difference in assisting St. John of the Cross Parish

to carry out our Mission of Service to

our faith community and others.

VOLUNTEERS

Thursday, June 25: Dancing Queen

(ABBA Tribute Band)

Friday, June 26:

Sixteen Candles (80’s Dance Party)

Saturday, June 27: Hillbilly Rockstarz (Top 40 Country)

Sunday, June 28:

Serendipity (60’s/70’s/80’s Cover Band)

New Headliner Bands in 2020:

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 12

Parish News

Thank You Thank you to parish Boy Scout Troop 117 for donating the big beautiful wreaths from the annual Scout Wreath Sale for our

church, Parish Center, and school buildings.

Oplatki Traditional Christmas wafers are available in the Parish Center office for $2 per package.

Childcare on Holiday Weekends Childcare is offered on Sundays during the 9am and 11am Masses in the Garden Room of the rectory. No reservations are needed. Just ring the front bell and you will be buzzed in. Reminder: there is no childcare on December 29 or January 5.

Job Openings at SJC Maintenance SJC is looking to hire a custodian to work the second shift from 2pm-10:30pm in the parish school. This position is full-time with benefits. Contact Plant Manager Frank DiPompeo for more details. Extended Day Program Aide After school help is needed in the SJC Extended School Day Program. Hours are from 3:15-5:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Days working are flexible. Virtus training and background check are required for all parish employees. Job requirements include general supervision, reading with students, checking homework, and the responsibility of releasing children to their parents. Contact Antonia Adducci (LRC/STREAM lab) with questions and interest. adducci@sjc.pvt.k12.il.us or call 708-292-1112.

Christmas Eve If you plan to attend one of the afternoon Christmas Eve Masses, we encourage you to arrive early as our main parking lot fills quickly. Once the church is filled to capacity for the 4pm Mass, people will be directed to the 4:15pm or 4:30pm Masses in the school building. We thank you for your patience as we accommodate everyone on Christmas. Please make sure you do not park in any fire lanes.

Parish Center Office Holiday Hours

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

22 8am-7pm

23 9am-4pm

24 9am-Noon

25 Closed

26 9am-4pm

27 9am-4pm

28 8am-5:30pm

29 8am-Noon

30 9am-4pm

31 9am-Noon

1 Closed

2 9am-4pm

3 9am-4pm

4 8am-5:30pm

5 8am-7pm

6 9am-8pm

7 9am-8pm

8 9am-8pm

9 9am-8pm

10 9am-8pm

11 8am-5:30pm

SJC Fest Mega Passes:

Great Christmas Gift Ideas! Why wait until summer to brighten the

spirits of children in your life! Fest Mega Passes make great

Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers! Passes are $50 each and good for

unlimited rides all 4 days of the Fest. Purchases can be made on weekdays (9am-4pm) at the Parish Center Office

or anytime on the Parish website: www.stjohnofthecross.org/megapass.

SJC Fest 2020 will run June 25th – June 28th.

Looking Ahead at the Parish Center Schedule Monday, December 23 9:30am Spiritual Journeying 10:30am Meditation as 11th Step 2:30pm Adoration Mary Chapel Saturday, December 28 8:00am Christian Meditation

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Saturday, December 28: 4:00pm Mass of Anticipation Sunday, December 29: 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:00am,and 5:00pm Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord/ Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God A Holy Day of Obligation Tuesday, December 31: 4:00pm Mass of Anticipation Wednesday, January 1: 9:00am Mass

Fr. McDonnell Catholic High School Scholarship Each year through fundraising efforts, the Women’s Club is able to offer scholarships to 8th grade students in YC and our parish school and current high school students of our parish to help defray Catholic high school tuition costs. Applications are due February 10 and can be found on the home page of the Parish website.

Learn About the Priesthood Young men ages 13-20 are invited with their parents and our parish priests to attend an evening at Mundelein Seminary to learn more about the priesthood and your vocation. Contact Fr. Reszel if you are interested in attending.

December 27 from 5-8:30pm

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Looking Ahead at Winter Programming

LOSS Support Group Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) is a non-denominational program that provides a safe, judgement-free environment intended to help survivors heal from the emotional and spiritual trauma of losing a loved one through suicide. Participants learn to draw strength and hope from one another as they begin to share experiences and process a complex range of emotions within a caring and confidential community. Licensed counselors help facilitate all sessions. Call LOSS @ 312.655.7285 or for more information. This group meets in the Parish Center on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm. Nourish Support Group Nourish is for anyone juggling the challenges of life, health, and career while caring for a loved one. Nourish provides practical and emotional support, shared experience and useful tools, all within a Christ-centered context. Discover the blessings that come from caring for another. Anyone is welcome to join us the second Thursday of each month from 1-2pm in the Parish Center. Upcoming Topic—January 9: Staying Organized and Preparing for What's Next. www.nourishforcaregivers.com

Little Rock Bible Study All are welcome to join our Little Rock Bible Study. Sessions will begin on January 13 and meet on 12 Mondays from 1-2:30pm in the Parish Center except on holidays. The first study will focus on Women of the New Testament. Over 8 weeks participants will encounter the strength and needs of the women connected to Jesus and the Apostles. We will discuss how being a woman in the Holy Land during the time of Jesus and the Apostles shaped many of the challenges they faced in responding to Jesus. This study will be followed by a 4 session study of The Sermon on the Mount which challenges us to hear the sermon as Christ intended it, as our call to follow Jesus whose life illustrated its very ideal. It challenges us to hear it as a constant call to renewal. Email Roberta Gilbert with questions and to register at bertageorge@gmail.com. Divorce & Beyond The Divorce and Beyond process provides emotional and spiritual support to those who have experienced divorce or those in the dissolution process. It is a faith-based, Catholic Christian support ministry that welcomes other faith traditions as well. Each session highlights an aspect of the divorce-recovery process. Topics include: healing, managing emotions, blame, loneliness, and achieving growth and personal happiness. We will meet at 7pm on Thursdays in the Parish Center beginning January 16. Register on our parish website.

ALPHA Wednesday Evenings Beginning January 22, 6:30-8:30pm

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. At each session you will find food, a talk and good conversation. Whether it's a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table, or a quick catch up over coffee and cake, food has a way of bringing people together. It's no different at Alpha. Most sessions start with food because it's a great way to build community and get to know each other. The talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. They explore the big issues around faith and unpack the basics of Christianity, addressing questions from Who is Jesus? and How can we have faith? to Why and how do I pray? and How does God guide us? Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic and simply discuss it in a small group. There's no obligation to say anything and there's nothing you can't say (seriously). It's an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment. Alpha is open to adults of any age at any point on their faith journey. There is no fee. All sessions are held in the Parish Center from 6:30-8:30pm on Wednesdays beginning January 22. Register on the home page of our parish website.

Some years ago at a religious conference a man approached the microphone and after apologizing for what he felt would be an inappropriate question, asked this: “I love my dog. When he dies will he go to heaven? Do animals have eternal life?” The answer to that might come as a surprise to many of us, but, looked at through the eyes of Christian faith, yes, his dog can go to heaven. It’s one of the meanings of Christmas. God came into the world to save the world, not just the people living in it. The incarnation has meaning for humanity, but also for the cosmos itself. We don’t know exactly what that means and our imaginations aren’t up to the task of picturing it, but because of the incarnation, dogs too can go to heaven. Is this fanciful? No, it’s scriptural teaching. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus and see in his birth the beginning of the mystery of the incarnation unfolding in history, the mystery of God becoming human in physical flesh in order to save the world. What we tend to struggle with though is how we understand what’s meant by Christ saving the world. Most of us take that to mean that Christ came into the world to save the people, those of us with self-awareness and eternal souls. That’s true, but our faith also asks us to believe that God’s saving activity in the Christ extends to more than only human beings and more than even animals and other living things. God’s saving activity in Christ reaches so deep that it saves creation itself – the oceans, the mountains, the soil that grows our food, the desert sands, and the earth itself. Christ came to save all of those things too, not just us, the people. Where, you might ask, does scripture teach this? It teaches it most everywhere in implicit ways though it teaches it quite explicitly in a number of different places. For example, in the Epistle to the Romans (8:19-22) St. Paul writes: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. This may come as a surprise to us since, until

quite recently, our preaching and catechesis has not often made this explicit. However what St. Paul is saying here is that physical creation itself, the cosmic world, will, at the end of time, be transformed in some glorious way and enter into heaven, just as human beings do. He’s also saying that, like us, it too somehow senses its mortality and groans to be set free from its present limits. We need to ask ourselves this question: What do we believe will happen to physical creation at the end of time? Will it be destroyed, burnt-up, annihilated? Or, will it simply be abandoned and left empty and deserted like a stage after a play has ended, while we go on to life elsewhere? Scripture informs us otherwise, that is, it tells us that physical creation itself, our planet earth, will also be transformed (“liberated from its bondage to decay”) and enter into heaven with us. How will this happen? We can’t imagine it, just as we can’t imagine our own transformed state. But scripture assures us that it will happen because, like ourselves, our world, physical creation, is also destined to die, and, like us, it intuits its mortality and groans under that sentence, aching to be set free from its limitations and become immortal. Science agrees. It tells us that physical creation is mortal, that the sun is burning out, that energy is ever-so-slowly decreasing and that the earth as we know it will someday die. The earth is as mortal as we are and so if it’s to have a future it needs to be saved by Something or Someone from outside itself. That Something and Someone are revealed in the mystery of the incarnation within which God takes on physical flesh in Christ in order to save the world – and what he came to save was not just us, the people living on this earth, but rather, “the world”, the planet itself, and everything on it. Jesus assured us that nothing is ever ultimately lost. No hair falls from someone’s head and no sparrow falls from the sky and simply disappears forever, as if it had never been. God created, loves, cares for, and ultimately resurrects every bit of creation for all eternity – including a beloved dog.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser

Deep Incarnation – Another Meaning of Christmas

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 14

Prayer Requests We Pray for Our Sick Rodrigo Ajates, Kathy Antczak, Beth Beutell, Robert Bright, Sarah Cook, Jean Culligan, Fran Domanskis, Aggie Frolik, Magdalena Goslawski, Tommy Grady, Karen Hult, Thomas Ivaska, Cheri Jeffrey, John Johnson, Don King, Peggy Koucky, Nancy Lohr, Bobbie Misiora, Ernie Misiora, Loretta Palekas, Al Piorkowski, Alison Saegebrecht, Marilyn Scallon, Rachael Schopp, David Skrzypcznski, Wendy Workman Stulgim, Shawn Sweeney, Jawara Vashhani, Robert Vitale, Grace Williamson We Pray for Our Loved Ones Serving Our Country Staff Sgt. Steven Foody, Sergeant Sebastian Grabacki, Staff Sgt. Joshua Tischler USAF Pararescue, Sgt. Daniel Pett, MAJ. James Maicke, Staff Sgt. Larry Waszak, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Strafaci, Seaman Riley Strafaci, Seaman Emily Strafaci, Sgt. Michael Grabarek, Spc. Douglas Junius, PFC Kevin Lawinger, Lieutenant James Viano, First Lieutenant Caroline Lorenzini, Captain Emily Kopec, Petty Officer 2nd Class John Ilg, LCDR Kyle Harken, US Navy, Fr. Filbert Ngwila, Army Chaplain, ETN3 Joseph Kula, US Navy, Col. Mark Blanek, US Army, 2nd Lt. Nathaniel Greenberg, US Army, Chandler Muszynski, Master of Arms US Navy

Mass Remembrances Monday, December 23, 9:00am Advent Weekday; St. John Kanty

† John DenBesten † Anthony & Joe Schillaci † Beverly Norman Tuesday, December 24, 9:00am Advent Weekday

† Lena Kuffel † Margaret Cochran Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord

4:00pm † Norbert Mann † Elizabeth Scanlan † Arlene O’Sullivan † Patricia Rogers † Mary Pacer 4:15pm † Purtell & Sommers Families † Geroge Zurowski 4:30pm † Betty McCracken Welsh Family 6:00pm † Joan & John Kravcik † Dowdle & McCarthy Families 10:30pm † Heinzmann & Vollmer Families † Bee Duquette

Wednesday, December 25 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

7:30am † Shirley Kazragis † Bruno & Lucille Shukis † Peter & Loretta Crofton 9:00am † Alice & Al Sobey † Galvin & Grogan Families † William & Norma Reszel † August & Caroline Zelent 11:00am † Rosemary Maloney † Helen Delaney † Joe Scelsi † Fr. David Dowdle † Bob Bures † Chester Cebula † Walter Cebula † Patricia Cebula † Richard Sprague

Thursday, December 26, 9:00am Feast of St. Stephen

† Ida Mandarino † Our Beloved Dead Friday, December 27, 9:00am Feast of St. John

† Charles Sugrue † Marge McGuire Saturday, December 28, 9:00am Feast of the Holy Innocents

† Mary Jean Longueil † Susan McGuire † Matthew Flood † Jorge Paez 4:00pm Mass of Anticipation † Don Vollmer † Ronald Miniat Sunday, December 29 Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

7:30am † Kathleen Collins † Joan Kalish 9:00am † Joe Majerick † Mary Pacer † Mary Doyle 11:00am † Deacon Tom McGorey † Margery Buckingham † Thomas Owens 5:00pm † Don Vollmer † Dennis Crispin Living Remembrances in Italics

St. John of the Cross Parish Center 5005 Wolf Road Western Springs, IL 60558 708-246-4404 Parish School Office 708-246-4454 Youth Catechesis Office 708-246-6760

Rev. Marc W. Reszel, Pastor mreszel@stjohnofthecross.org Rev. Jesudas Gudime, Associate Pastor jgudime@stjohnofthecross.org Senior Deacon Joe Pepitone joepepitone@comcast.net Deacon John Schopp john.schopp@newhemispheres.com Deacon Rich Voytas rvoytas@gmail.com Bill Bright, Director of Outreach bbright@stjohnofthecross.org Janet Caschetta, Director of Youth Catechesis jcaschetta@stjohnofthecross.org Marguerite Chrusciel, Finance Manager mchrusciel@stjohnofthecross.org Frank DiPompeo, Plant Manager fdipompeo@stjohnofthecross.org Mary Beth Drafz, Digital Communications Coor mbdrafz@stjohnofthecross.org

Kathleen Gorman, Principal gorman@sjc.pvt.k12.il.us Jessica Koch, Director of Music jkoch@stjohnofthecross.org MJ Martin, Director of Parish Operations mjmartin@stjohnofthecross.org Katie Pruitt, High School Youth Minister kpruitt@stjohnofthecross.org Theresa Reyes, Front Office Coordinator treyes@stjohnofthecross.org Elizabeth Russell-Jones, Welcome Coordinator erussell-jones@stjohnofthecross.org Pat Surdyk, Liturgy & Music Assistant psurdyk@stjohnofthecross.org Christina Turlek, Financial Assistant cturlek@stjohnofthecross.org Steven Weigand, Pastoral Associate sweigand@stjohnofthecross.org

SJC www.stjohnofthecross.org December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Page 15

We will never win the Olympics of humanity, racing for perfection, but we can walk together in hope, celebrating that we are loved in our brokenness: helping each other,

growing in trust, living in thanksgiving, learning to forgive, opening up to others and welcoming them, and striving to bring peace and hope to the world.

Pray that we may walk together as our imperfect human selves —moving ever forward in hope. Jean Vanier

Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24

4:00pm Mass in Church

Combined Children’s Choir Carol Prelude begins at 3:30pm

4:15pm Mass in School First Floor Multi-Purpose Room Carol Prelude begins at 4:00pm

4:30pm Mass in Second Floor School Gym Carol Prelude begins at 4:15pm

6:00pm Mass in Church 5 Alive Choir Carol Prelude begins at 5:45pm

10:30pm Mass in Church Traditional Choir Carol Prelude begins at 10:00pm

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25

7:30am Mass

9:00am Mass

Contemporary Choir

11:00am Mass Traditional Choir

At each Mass on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, music will be led by a cantor, organ and/or piano, and various instruments in addition to the choirs noted above.

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