This weekend is the Follow-up Weekend of the
Come, Follow Me....and share the Word
2019 Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Every household is invited to prayerfully reflect on the sacrificial pledge made to support the work of the local Church through the ACA.
The prayerful and penitential Lenten season begins this Wednesday. Thanks for bringing your old palms to Mass this weekend. Students in our Religious Education program and School will participate in a prayer service of burning the palms prior to Ash Wednesday.
A beautiful devotion of the Roman Catholic Church is the celebration of the Stations of the Cross.
This devotion has evolved over time. Originally, faithful who journeyed on pilgrimage to the Holy Land would walk in the footsteps of Jesus, retracing His footsteps to Calvary. It was in the fifth century, an interest developed in the Church to "reproduce" the holy places in other areas so pilgrims who could not actually travel to the Holy Land, could do so in a devotional, spiritual way in their hearts. At the end of the 17th century, the erection of stations in churches became more popular. In 1686, Pope Innocent XI, realizing that few people could travel to the Holy Land granted the right to erect stations in all of their churches.
Five years later, Pope Clement XII permitted stations to be created in all churches and fixed the number at 14. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV exhorted all priests to enrich their churches with the Way of the Cross, which must include 14 crosses and are usually accompanied with pictures or images of each particular station. The continued importance of the stations in the devotional life of Catholics is attested by both Pope Paul VI, who approved a Gospel-based version of the stations in 1975, and Pope John Paul II, who has also written his own version.
We are being formed in faith by the Gospel of Luke, in year C of the Liturgical year. Our Parish Bible Study has been studying and reflecting on Luke's Gospel. Deep appreciation goes out to Jeanne Hlavacek and Deacon Jack Herrmann for their leadership role this past year with the Bible Study program. In the year of Luke, we turn to Luke for liturgical inspiration, personal prayer, and meditation. The parish staff decided using the Gospel of Luke for our celebration of the Stations of the Cross, offered on Friday evenings during Lent at 7:00pm in the church would be a great idea as we celebrate the Year of Luke. The Stations of the Cross that we are praying this year has been in use in parishes since 1992, written by Fr. Eugene La Verdiere, SSS, a renowned Scripture scholar and member of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament is a Eucharistic religious community. They minister in many lands and cultures, and in a variety of situations, but share a common vision and hope for a world renewed by the Eucharist. In the USA, their ministry includes serving in parishes and hospitals. They can also be found with the laity ministering to the needs of the poor and marginalized in our society. They do this and more, because the Spirit of God moves us, as it did our founder, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, the Apostle of the Eucharist, "to set the world afire with Eucharistic love!"
You are invited to come together on Fridays during Lent to participate in the devotion of the Stations of the Cross according to the Gospel of Luke. Our Knights of Columbus council will once again be offering a simple meal of soup at 6:00pm in the School cafeteria. Parishioners, neighbors, and friends are all welcome.
This year the Lenten Fish Fry is being hosted by St. Patrick's on Friday, March 15. All are welcome to enjoy a delicious meal and fellowship with our neighbors at St. Patrick's.
As you leave church today please stop by the entrances of the church to see offerings for your prayerful celebration of the season of Lent that begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6. Please check the parish bulletin for Mass times.
God bless you with a prayerful heart!!!
