"O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand
has planted."
~ Psalm 80:15-16
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Sunday's Readings:
First Reading — From Bethlehem-Ephrathah shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel (Micah 5:1-4a).
Psalm — Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved (Psalm 80).
Second Reading — We have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:5-10).
Gospel — Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken by the Lord would be fulfilled (Luke 1:39-45).
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As we prepare for this Advent and Christmas season, we are grateful that there are no capacity limits on our gatherings. Please follow this link to review the current Sunday and Advent & Christmas schedules. A nd please see below for more opportunities for faith and fellowship with your OLBS family. As we begin this new liturgical year, we invite you to join us in person!
There is a spirit of audacity in our readings this Sunday. During a time of injustice and threat of invasion, the prophet Micah boldly announces that the God of insignificant Israel will raise up a leader from backwater Bethlehem, and this leader will bring justice and peace to the whole world. In the Gospel, Elizabeth and Mary, marginalized women, brazenly celebrate that their sons will be world-changing instruments of God. We further learn that this audacity is rooted in trust in God. The author of Hebrews describes the faithful obedience of Jesus. Mary is shown as the exemplar of faithful trust in God. This is the way God often seems to work, in the ordinary and marginalized in our world. Those who seem weak have learned to trust in God’s strength. These have the audacity to become instruments of God’s peace and justice.
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The Parish Reconciliation Service for Advent will be tonight, Wednesday, December 15th at Queen of the Rosary. Reconciliation with Eucharistic Adoration will begin at 7pm. Fr. Dan and Fr. Louis will have extra priests on hand to hear everyone's Confession.
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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!
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The Promise of Our Savior and the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ told through nine short Bible readings interspersed with carols and hymns. The Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols was first presented in Cornwall, England in 1880 and is re-told in churches the world over on or near Christmas Eve. This year, Music Director, Michael Hawes, joined by the Adult Choir and Handbell Choir, led by Christina Ray, as well as some of the finest instrumentalists in the Chicagoland area, will present Lessons & Carols for Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.
All are invited on Wednesday, December 22nd at 7pm to Queen of the Rosary to join in singing our favorite Advent & Christmas music. This program is free and appropriate for all ages.
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We will again be sending meals to Journeys/PADS to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness at our upcoming Winter Supper on Wednesday, December 22nd.
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While masks are still required indoors, we are thankful that there are no capacity restrictions on our gathering this year. We look forward to celebrating Christmas Mass in church with you and your family next week:
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
Friday, December 24, 2021
3:00pm QR*
5:00pm SJE*
Midnight SJE (11:30pm Carols)*
Saturday, December 25, 2021
8:00am QR
9:00am SJE
10:00am QR
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH
Sunday, December 26, 2021
9:00am SJE
10:00am QR
*If you are still unable to join us in church at this time, all of our Masses on Christmas Eve will be live-streamed and you may view on our parish Facebook and YouTube pages:
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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. Follow this link to discover more or reserve your seat on the bus!
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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.
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Don't forget to join OLBS RE for the first annual Christmas Carol Sing-Along this Monday, December 20th at SJE at 7pm. All RE families and catechists are invited.
And just remember, if you don't sing well, sing loud!
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Hey YM, it's been a busy year, and already a busy December...we've had a great time helping seniors at Alexian Village make sock snowmen, and helping kids with activities at Kid's Christmas Film Night!
Take a break and join the fun at our Annual Christmas Party on Sunday, December 19th in Shea Hall from 4:30 to 6pm! Each person should bring a white-elephant gift to play Robber Santa. Gifts can be, but don't have to be, something purchased. Remember, gifts don't have to cost anything and something you already have around the house will work just fine. The funnier the better (but keep it clean, folks!) Gifts should be wrapped. Be sure to sign up using this link so we know how many we will be!
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Upcoming service projects:
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Coming Events...
Refiner’s Fire Episode 12: Public Speaking, will be LIVE on Tuesday, December 21st, at 12pm CT with Gary Schmidt, CEO for Clackamas County in the Portland-metropolitan area of Oregon. In a position like his, you have to be able to speak confidently in front of city-wide crowds and reporters, in-person and live on various news channels. During his career, Gary also served as Director of Public and Government Affairs and as a speechwriter and constituent services coordinator for two U.S. Senators.
Would you like to introduce a Young Adult Ministry at OLBS? Please contact the parish office (847) 979-0901 today!
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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 weddings make you cry with joy? Discover more about Marriage 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.
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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!
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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:
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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 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.
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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.
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