"Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!
Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you."
~ Isaiah 60:1
Sunday's Readings for the Epiphany of the Lord:

First Reading — Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! The LORD shines upon you and the glory of the Lord appears over you (Isaiah 60:1-6).

Psalm — Lord, every nation on earth will adore you (Psalm 72).

Second Reading — The mystery has been made known that the Gentiles are coheirs, copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6).

Gospel — Magi from the east arrived, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:1-12).
Journey Toward God
In our celebration of the Epiphany, two interwoven themes are present in the readings on Sunday. God is beginning something new, and God gathers all of humanity to participate.

For Isaiah, God’s bright light, manifested in the people of Israel, attracts and summons people from many nations to Jerusalem. In the letter to the Ephesians, God’s grace makes the Gentiles co-heirs and co-partners in the gospel. Matthew tells the story of the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel through the birth of Jesus, and simultaneously leading foreigners to share in these same promises.

With the birth of Jesus, God chose a particular people, in a particular time and place, to enter most directly into the human story. Today’s readings teach that God did this in order to gather all people, all cultures, into unity with God. Like the magi, we are drawn into a journey toward God, becoming co-partners in God’s work.
Christmas Mass Schedule
While masks are still required indoors, we are thankful that there are no capacity restrictions on our gathering at this time. We look forward to continuing our celebration of Christmas in church with you and your family this week:

SEVENTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
Friday 12/31, 8:15am (SJE) Please note, this was accidentally omitted from our schedule, but morning Mass will be celebrated all week.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
Friday 12/31, 7:00pm (SJE)
Saturday 1/1, 9:00am (QR) Please note, due to the holiday, Morning Mass is moved to 9am.

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
(Regular Sunday/Weekday Schedule resumes)
Saturday1/1, 5:00pm (SJE)
Sunday 1/2, 8:00am (QR)
Sunday 1/2, 9:15am (SJE)
Sunday 1/2, 10:30am (QR)

If you weren't able to join us in church last week, please enjoy the live-streams here:



Catholic Extension
We have been invited to help the 1,000 poorest parishes across the US with a donation of $1,000 
(or more if we are able). Let us help lift up our brothers and sisters in parishes that are most in need. Look for the gold envelopes in church to make a donation. If you prefer to mail in a donation, please clearly mark your envelope with Catholic Extension. Together we can make a powerful difference!

Follow this link to learn more about all of our Season of Giving activities.
Eucharistic Adoration
Friday, January 7, 2022 is First Friday. Eucharistic Adoration will begin immediately following Morning Mass at St. Julian, approximately 8:45am, and continue until the Closing Benediction at 11:45am.

And, please remember that we also have Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation each Wednesday evening at 7pm at Queen of the Rosary.

Start your new year off right by spending some quiet time with Our Lord.
On First Fridays, we also invite those who are able to join in Fasting for Life. Even if you are not fasting, please keep those fasting for life in your prayers.
Lectio Eucharist: Discovering the Mass in the Bible
Acclaimed author and teacher Dr. Brant Pitre digs down to the biblical roots of the Eucharist, through its foreshadowing in the miraculous events of the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Apostolic teaching.

"The Lamb of God," "The Bread of Life," "The Body and the Blood of Christ"... these are phrases we know from the Mass. But do we understand what they mean in the greater and deeper context of Scripture and Church teaching? We'll discover firsthand how Christ's Body and Blood are an integral and wondrous part of God's plan for our salvation.

When: Thursdays, January 20th through March 24, 2022, 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

Where: Join us via Zoom (Note: there will be no in-person option for this study).

Cost: FREE access to the video content, if you would like the study guide, they are available from the parish office for $9/each.
March for Life Chicago
Join Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Respect Life Ministry as we unite with more than 10,000 pro-life individuals across the Midwest at the 2022 Chicago March for Life on Saturday, January 8, 2022.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is sponsoring bus transportation to the 2022 Chicago March for Life. The bus will depart the parking lot at St. Julian at 11:30am and return to St. Julian between 4:30 and 5pm, following the Rally and March.

Our theme for this year's March will be Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Stands for LIFE!

January Winter Supper
Thank you, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, for supporting another year of Catholic Charities Dinners and Summer and Winter Suppers. Everyone deserves healthy food to eat, and we feel grateful, thankful and blessed to do our part to feed those in need. Our first Supper of 2022 will be Wednesday, January 26th.

Stay tuned for a new menu coming soon!
FORMED.org
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament gave everyone FORMED for Christmas, but many haven't opened this gift!

It's FREE and easy to open. Simply navigate to Formed.org on your Smart Phone, Tablet or Computer; click the SIGN UP button; enter our parish zip code, 60007, and your name and e-mail address. That's it, you've opened the very best in Catholic content. Thousands of movies, programs, audio and books, at your fingertips.

Sign-up today: Formed.org
School Report
Save the Date for Catholic Schools Week:
January 30 - February 5, 2022

QR School partners with parents in the formation of children by offering an education that combines Catholic faith and teachings with academic excellence. We prepare students to be productive citizens and future leaders by emphasizing moral development and self-discipline and teaching students the value of service to others.
RE Roundup
Christmas Prayer for Families
Loving God, during this holy season of Christmas, we ask for your blessing on all families.

Let Mary's openness to your wondrous ways be an inspiration to place all trust in you.

Let Joseph's courage provide hope during times of anxiety and uncertainty.

Let Jesus' life ignite all families with a spirit of light and love.

May the grace that encircled the Holy Family widen to embrace all families.

For this we pray. Amen.
Youth Ministry Corner
Great job in 2021, AfterMass Youth Group! Who's ready for 2022?

Last call for OLBS teens...On January 8th, we have a chance to put Faith Into Action (and earn some serious service hours too!) We are sponsoring a bus for OLBS teens to participate in the MARCH FOR LIFE Youth Rally and March being held in downtown Chicago.

Our theme for this year's March will be Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Stands for LIFE!
 
Questions or Suggestions? E-mail Mr. Van.
Upcoming events:
March for Life | Jan 8
Indoor Game Night | Jan 16
Alexian Village | Jan 17
Alexian Village | Jan 31
Events for Young Adults
Coming Events...
Join YCP Chicago on Tuesday, January 11th 
for an Executive Speaker Series event, featuring Julia Hogan-Werner, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Chicago and owner of Vita Optimum Counseling & Consulting, LLC., who will speak on "Living Your True Identity Beyond Work."


Would you like to introduce a Young Adult Ministry at OLBS? Please contact the parish office (847) 979-0901 today!
Raise Your Hand!
Are you looking to get involved at OLBS? Many volunteer opportunities are available. Please contact the parish office or see below for just a few:

Do you have a flair for decorating? Discover more about our Art & Environment team.

Do weddings make you cry with joy? Discover more about Marriage & Family Ministry and consider becoming a Wedding Coordinator or part of our Marriage Ministry.

Do you want to help us set the table? Discover more about our Liturgical Ministries and consider becoming a Sacristan. For youth aged 4th grade and older, consider the Altar Server Ministry.

Do you love sharing the Gospel? Please consider becoming an adult volunteer for Children's Liturgy of the Word, starting in mid-January, 2022.
DID YOU KNOW?
Marriage & Family Ministry enables couples to use their experiences of marriage and family life, especially challenges they have overcome, to accompany other married couples in similar situations. Stay tuned for marriage-building initiatives in the parish, including couple’s retreats, speaker events, marriage-related parish workshops, World Marriage Day activities, anniversary celebrations, bible studies, prayer groups, marriage enrichment and skill-building resources, and social activities. For more information, please contact the parish office.

We are grateful for your continued generosity to the needs of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament family during this time. In addition to dropping or mailing your donation to church, you may give online where you may make weekly contributions to our parish family and keep the vital ministries and services we provide going. We thank you for your generosity!
VIRTUAL TOOLBOX
Though things have opened up, we recognize that not all are able to join us at this time, so we remind you that we continue to have the following virtual tools available to help us stay connected to our faith and our parish family:

NEW! FORMED. To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
  • Go to Formed.org
  • Enter our parish’s zip code
  • Enter your name and your email address

Daily Prayer. Follow this link to review daily prayer, or signup to receive daily prayer delivered right to your inbox.

Morning Prayer. No commute, no computer needed...join us on your phone Monday through Saturday for Morning Prayer. Learn more.

Weekly Bulletin. Download the weekly parish bulletin when you are unable to attend Mass.

Weekly Rosary. The Rosary is prayed at SJE on Tuesdays at 7pm. If you are unable to join us in church, we invite you to join the live-stream.

Live-Stream. We have live-stream available for Sunday liturgy and some daily Mass from both churches: QR and SJE.

Let's Get Social. Like or follow us on Facebook to receive news and updates in real time and join the conversation: QR and SJE.
(847) 979-0901 | info@olbsegv.org

Worship sites:
Queen of the Rosary, 750 W. Elk Grove Blvd.
St. Julian Eymard, 601 Biesterfield Road

School:
Queen of the Rosary School, 690 Elk Grove Blvd.
(847) 437-3322 | www.qrschool.org