-------The observances of National Marriage Week (February 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 12) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family.

-------The following ten pointers on prayer; praying, and listening to God in prayer first appeared on USCCB’s For Your Marriage website, www.ForYourMarriage.org.

-------The baby’s crying, the dog is whining, and you need to leave for work in five minutes. Finding time for prayer can seem impossible. Amid the busyness of family life, how can one respond to God’s ongoing invitation to speak with and listen to Him? 

-------1. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. God calls most Christians to an active life in the world, with family, work, and community responsibilities. Such a call, while holy, does not usually allow for long periods of prayer and reflection. Lay people can become discouraged when they try to pray like a cloistered contemplative. Be realistic about what’s possible.

-------2. Take ten — or twenty. If a half hour for prayer isn’t possible, how about ten minutes, or twenty? Choose a good time of day and stick with it. Designate a special site for prayer so that spot becomes holy. Spouses can help by minding children during respective quiet times.

-------3. Pray as a family. Build upon rituals such as grace before meals. In addition to the usual “Bless us, O Lord…,” encourage family members to offer thanks for the blessings of the day, as well as prayers for those in need. Couples can deepen their spiritual relationship by taking a few minutes, perhaps before bedtime, to commend to God the joys and sorrows of the day.

-------4. Decorate your domestic church. When we enter our parish church, the statues and pictures focus our minds on Jesus, Mary, and the saints. We can create an atmosphere for prayer in our home - the domestic church - by displaying a crucifix, icons, the Bible, and other holy objects. Take the children to a religious goods store and let them choose a picture or statue for their rooms.

-------5. Short prayers count, too. When you’re stopped at a long light or put on hold, consider it as God’s invitation to turn your heart and mind to him, if only for a few seconds.

-------6. Find God at work. Connecting with God in the workplace takes effort. Try to cultivate a few simple habits. For example, offer the day to God as you turn on your computer, or pray for the person you’re about to call or wait upon.

-------7. Jump start your prayer life. Sooner or later almost everyone experiences dryness in prayer. God seems far away and prayer becomes a burden. Praying with Scripture, perhaps the daily Mass readings (bible.usccb.org) can help us focus. So, too, can an inspirational book, especially one of the spiritual classics. A good choice is St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life, written specifically for lay people who are striving for holiness.

-------8. Ask your Mother for help. The Blessed Virgin Mary, our spiritual mother, understands our needs and offers profound comfort. One family, gathered around the bedside of their dying husband and father, found peace and healing through the recitation of the rosary. The rosary is ideal for the family since children can be taught the simple prayers at an early age. Check out instructions on how to pray the rosary (usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary ).

-------9. Read a good story. Children and adults alike enjoy an inspiring story, and few stories are more compelling than those of the saints. Whether it’s the little way of Thérèse of Lisieux or the heroism of Maximilian Kolbe, their stories offer something for everyone. Consider the particular virtue that a saint demonstrates and pray for help to emulate it. Perhaps it’s the humility of St. Francis of Assisi, the patience of St. Monica, or the courageous witness of St. Thomas More.

-------10. Walk with a spiritual friend. Prayer can lead to new thoughts and questions. Who better to share them with than a spiritual friend? A friend can help us to work through the concerns that inevitably arise in prayer. Good friends will hold each other accountable for their prayer life, making sure that prayer has not been neglected in the busyness of life. For married couples, a spouse is often this spiritual friend, but God will also put wise and holy people in our path when we need them. They can be the answer to prayer.

-------This weekend we are united with parishioners across the Archdiocese joining together to generously support the Annual Catholic Appeal. Thanks for making your contribution as a parishioner of St. Mary’s, supporting the Annual Appeal.

-------Thanks for all those who are bringing palms to the church next weekend. Ash Wednesday is fast approaching. Please share the news that during the season of Lent, we will be celebrating a 5:00pm Mass on Sundays in addition to the regular Mass schedule at St. Mary’s. For more information, please contact Chase Hawkins at chawkins@churchofstmary.org.

-------May we turn to God who strengthens us in living with Christ in 2023,

For Pilgrimage Brochure, please click HERE.

For Pilgrimage Registration, please click HERE.

COR Youth Ministry

Click for ages 3+ HERE and for ages 7+ HERE.

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 5:00pm: Livestream & Public Mass - Church

+ 10:00am:  Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 10:00am: "The Chosen" - PCCR

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS with Rosary & Private Prayer after Mass until 8:30am

+ 5:00pm: Livestream & Public Mass - Church

 in the Upper Grade Center Cafeteria  

+ 10:00am:  Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

To find ways to volunteer within our community and to seek assistance from the parish please click here.

To read the Daily Scripture readings you may go to usccb.org and select "Daily Reading" at the top left menu.

You may also go to "Today's Reading" at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings

Suzanna Kocis

This new sick list began on December 1 and will continue through February.

7:30am: John & Theresa Lee; Brian Welsh; St. Mary’s Rosary Group 49^th Anniversary

 5:00pm: James McGraw; Deceased Family & Friends of the Dunn Family;

----------Special Intention for Derek & Ashley Van Winkle

8:00am: Dorothy Sobey; Special Intention for the David Cimarrusti Family;

--------- Jennie Rose Cascio

10:00am: Jack Dhamer; Ruth Edelman; Chuck Seyb; John Lussen

 Noon: Matthew Moughamian; William Keating; Merrianne Pinello; People of St. Mary’s

7:30am: Bob Burns; Dorothy Sobey; Brian Welsh

7:30am: Karen Tampier; Marie & Tom Pfeiffer; Special Intention for the Craigmile Family

7:30am: Ehret-Carey Families; John D. Conway; Fleur Elise Crooks

       

7:30am: Murtagh Dempsey; Joseph W. Milite; Walter & Marilyn Rahn

7:30am: Brian Welsh

5:00pm: Eliseo Elisei; Rose Marie Griffith; 

-----------Deceased Family & Friends of the Sheahan Family

8:00am: Art Fox; Maria & Sam Scopelliti; Nancy Dunn McCaughey

10:00am: Martin Witt; Jung In Jung; Chuck Seyb

Noon: Tom Moorman; Robert Matthei; Bozena Skupinska; Joseph Tomaska; People of St. Mary’s

                   

If you would like to request a special Mass Intention, please email our Parish Receptionists at: receptionist@churchofstmary.org and they will kindly assist you!

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” MATTHEW 5:20

The scribes and Pharisees lived according to the letter of the law and they used this to elevate themselves above the other people. Jesus is clear – it’s the love that you have in your heart that will get you to heaven. Simply following church rules out of obligation, not love, does not put you on the path to heaven. Attending Mass on Sunday and then gossiping about a fellow parishioner on the parking lot is an example of a modern day Pharisee.

Sunday Collection-------------------------------------------Actual----------------Budgeted------Surplus/(Shortfall)

February 5, 2023------------------------ -------------------- $30,348------- ------  -- $25,000    ---------- --- $5,348

Total Sunday Collections Fiscal 2023 YTD--------- $8851,836----------------$775,000----------------$76,836

+  Drop in the Offertory Basket during Public Mass at the end of Mass

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----- Church of St. Mary

----- c/o Business Office

-----201 E. Illinois

-----Lake Forest, IL 60045

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