St. Gertrude Chicago

All are Welcome

1420 W. Granville, Chicago, IL 60660

773.764.3621

stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org

www.stgertrudechicago.org

Bulletin for Sunday, March 5, 2023

Second Sunday in Lent

For many it’s a matter or giving up something, or a particular behavior or a pattern of thought and perception of others. Some do more positive discipline, more prayer or other spiritual endeavor.

Either way, Lent can be seen as a burden. Lent can become a marathon of good deeds, rather than as a journey of returning to the Lord. The multitude of days of the Lenten season assures us of a multitude of chances to “return to the Lord”, to get back on the path, to recommit to the journey itself. Even if so far things haven’t gone as planned, you still have days and days to get back on track. To make this the best Lent ever, see it as an opportunity rooted in desire: desire for God, desire to return to God, and desire to draw closer to God. 

Last Sunday, we sent our Catechumens and Candidates to Holy Name Cathedral with our pledge to pray for them during this journey to Easter. To get to know them a little better there will be posting, with a little about each of them in future bulletins. Please keep them in your prayers. 

Growing in Faith: Mountaintop Moments

Thirty years ago, I asked my dad what was the most spectacular sight he’d ever seen. He said the Grand

Canyon. In college, a friend assured me that, no matter how much it has been built up, your first sight of

the Grand Canyon will not disappoint. Last year, I finally got there. My friend was right. Seeing it for the first time literally took my breath away.

Later in the year, my son and I were able to go to Alaska. One hike up a mountain in Kenai Fjords National Park was the most spectacular I’d ever been on.

Before last year, I hadn’t been to a National Park in a long time. When I was younger, I thought the key to a rich life was to have as many mountaintop moments as I could. My thinking has changed since then.

I love “mountaintop” moments. Peter was right when he said to Jesus “It is good that we are here.” The top of a tall mountain is beautiful but it is barren way up there. It cannot sustain life. Jesus did not take Peter up on his idea to build a monument. Instead, he brought them back down to where the life awaited – where, indeed, suffering and death awaited him. The mountaintop is awesome, in the truest sense of the word. I love it for that, but it’s not where life happens.

I wish you a life sprinkled with awe-inspiring moments to inspire you when you go back down the mountain to live the life God has in store for you.



-Rich Goode 

Ways to Deepen Your Lenten Experience



• Attend Mass daily or commit to going on Sundays if you don't attend weekly.
• Spend time with the daily scripture readings.
• Spend five minutes daily in silence with the Lord.
• Pray the Stations of the Cross at church, at home, or live online on Wednesdays at https://bit.ly/lenten-rosary.
• Fast from specific things or foods.
• Turn off electronic devices for 30 minutes daily.
• Behavioral fasting from criticism, negativity, judgmentalism, resignation, self-righteousness, cynicism, know-it-all-ness, provincialism, self-absorption, divisiveness, intolerance, violence in thought, word or deed, excess pride, blindness to your own involvement in sin, criticism, anger, bitterness, despair, and hatred.
• Give to those in need. There are so many meaningful programs that could benefit from help! They include Almoner Program, Care for Real, Heart to Heart, our Refugee & Immigrant Ministry and more!
• Join our choir. One way to deepen your Lenten experience is through music. Please consider joining the choir and singing at the 10:30 am Sunday Masses during Lent and Holy Week. The group practices on Thursday nights from 7:00-8:15 pm in the church and usually gather about 9:30 am on Sunday mornings before Mass. Email Mary Clare Barker at mcbarker@stgertrudechicago.org if interested. 
• Little Black Books of Lenten Reflections. These small books offer daily six-minute meditations on the Passion according to Matthew. The books are available for a suggestion donation of $1.
• Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowls. Join our faith community—and more than 12,000 Catholic communities across the United States—in a transformative Lenten journey with CRS Rice Bowl. Visit crsricebowl.org to learn more about this long-standing Catholic tradition. CRS bowls are available in Church.

Online Lenten Resources

• National Pastoral Migratoria's Lenten Calendar
• 40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Action for Immigration Reform Wednesday Rosaries on Zoom
• Ignatian Solidarity Network's Lent 2023: Finding God in the Chaos podcast
• Ignatian Solidary Network e-reflections
• An Ignatian Guide to Lent:
• An Ignatian Prayer Adventure
• Return to Me: Lenten daily reflections from Holy Cross College 2023 
• Stations of the Cross: Renew the Earth
• Lenten Prayers
• Lenten Spiritual Reading
• Praying Lent
• Lenten audio conversations
• Lenten activities for children

Eucharistic Revival: Vicariate Prayer Events 2023

The Archdiocese of Chicago is at a pivotal moment of structural and spiritual renewal, and that is a cause for great hope. We take up this effort at a moment in which the United States bishops have launched a Eucharistic Revival. This convergence reminds us that true renewal of the Church always involves recovering the importance of the Eucharistic celebration as the source and summit of our life as Catholics. From the Eucharistic celebration flows all the Church’s prayers, activities and ministries. Pope Francis recently wrote that “the Christian faith is either an encounter with Him alive or it does not exist.”

Join us around the archdiocese to unite in prayer for renewal and revival as we deepen the union with Christ and each other which we experience at Mass, by coming together for celebrations of exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament led by our auxiliary bishops in each vicariate.

Vicariate I

March 21 | 7 p.m.

St. Emily

1400 E. Central Rd.

Mt Prospect, IL 60056

Vicariate II

March 22 | 7 p.m.

Holy Child Jesus

2324 W. Chase Ave.

Chicago, IL 60645

Vicariate III

March 7 | 7 p.m.

St. Mary of the Angels

1850 N. Hermitage Ave.

Chicago, IL 60622

Vicariate IV

March 16 | 6:30 p.m.

Queen of All Nations

4940 Washington St.

Hillside, IL 60162

Vicariate V

March 10 | 7 p.m.

Sacred Heart Palos

8245 W. 111th St.

Palos Hills, IL 60465

Vicariate VI

March 5 | 2 p.m.

Christ Our Light

13145 S. Houston Ave.

Chicago, IL 60633

Upcoming Mass Intentions

• Monday, March 6: 7:30 am - Greg Wall †
• Tuesday, March 7: 7:30 am - Living and deceased parents of St. Gertrude parishioners
• Wednesday, March 8: 7:30 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members
• Thursday, March 9: 7:30 am - Communion Service
• Friday, March 10: 7:30 am - Purgatorial Society
• Saturday, March 11: 7:30 am - Parishioners of St. Gertrude; 5:00 pm - Sheila McGuire †
• Sunday, March 12: 8:00 am - Living and deceased Torreano family members; 10:30 am - Ernie Garnett †; 10:30 am Gym Mass - Michael Breen †



(† indicates the person is deceased) 

Click HERE for the daily readings for Masses. Here is the list of readings for this week for parishioners that prefer to look them up:

• Monday, March 6: Dn 9:4b-10/Lk 6:36-38
• Tuesday, March 7: Is 1:10, 16-20/Mt 23:1-12
• Wednesday, March 8: Jer 18:18-20/Mt 20:17-28
• Thursday, March 9: Jer 17:5-10/Lk 16:19-31
• Friday, March 10: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a/Mt 21:33-43, 45-46 
• Saturday, March 11: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
• Sunday, March 12: Ex 17:3-7/Rom 5:1-2, 5-8/Jn 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42 

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, please contact the Rectory at 773.764.3621 or email stgertrude1420@stgertrudechicago.org. Names will remain on the list for three weeks. After that time, please renew the name using same contact information.