This Week at Ascension + January 10, 2024

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

Wednesday, January 10

Commemoration of William Laud

Evening Prayer on ZOOM at 6 p.m.

In-person and Live-streamed

Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.



VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

The Second Sunday after

the Epiphany

January 14, 2024

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9 a.m. Sung Mass

10 a.m. Confession available

11 a.m. Solemn Mass -

In-person & Live-streamed

Followed by the Rosary, Luminous Mysteries

The 11 a.m. Bulletin may be found here.

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE

or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Icon: Jesus calling Philip and Nathanael

From the Curate

“Here I am.” In our Old Testament reading this coming Sunday, Samuel responds to the mysterious voice he hears calling him in the middle of the night with these three simple yet powerful words. At first he thinks it is Eli calling him. But after several times of going to Eli, and Eli telling Samuel to go back to bed, God finally tells Samuel what is to come for Israel. 

Samuel’s early life in many ways mirrors the early life of Mary, Mother of Jesus, as told in the Protoevangelium (the “pre-gospel) of James. Both were born to mothers who longed for children and were thought to be barren. Both their mothers were warned to avoid strong drink during their pregnancies. Both children were consecrated to God. Both grew up in the Temple. And both responded faithfully to God when summoned, “Here I am.” But Holy Scripture is replete with examples of people no different than you or me, responding to God’s call, even if some run away from it, wrestle with it, or doubt it at first.

It takes Samuel a few tries to figure out who is calling him. St. Ignatius might call that a discernment of spirits, the sort of work we are always being called to, as we “sift” through the many voices in our lives to find which is God’s, the signal among the noise. I read Samuel’s steadfast, “Here I am,” to be a prayer he makes to God, even as he mistakenly goes to Eli. “Here I am,” is a prayer we, too, can make as we listen for God’s signal to us every day.

— Mtr. Murphy-Gill

2024 Annual Meeting Announcement

The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of Church of the Ascension have called for the Annual Meeting of the Parish to be held on Sunday, January 28, 2024. There will be one mass at 10:00 AM, immediately followed by the Annual Meeting. This year, the meeting will take place in the church nave and be in-person only for business purposes. A YouTube link to a live recording of the meeting will be shared, however, there will be no online participation available. 

This meeting is for the express purpose of receiving reports concerning the financial state and the activities of the parish, and to elect a warden and vestry members. A full and festive coffee hour in Wheeler Hall will follow. Please register your intention to attend, this will help ensure there's enough food available. You can use this link to register your intention to attend: https://forms.gle/exWcp5GQA6DD2TUp8. A sign-up sheet will also be available in the narthex. 

Did you know that you can donate flowers for Sunday’s Mass? 

Donations may be given in memory of departed loved ones or in thanksgiving for a birthday, anniversary, or an important milestone. Flowers may be donated at the High Altar, the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Shrine of St. Michael, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. If you’re interested in donating flowers, please see the sign-up sheet in its new location: on the table in the narthex.

You can also make a flower donations online by visiting Ascension's PayPal page. Once you’ve made your donation, please email the parish office any personal dedications.

The donation amount to cover the cost of flowers on the High Altar is $50 and for flowers on any one of the Shrines the amount is $30.

Consider being a Coffee Hour host

There are spots available for hosting Coffee Hour after either Sunday Mass! Look for the sign-up sheets in Wheeler Hall. If you are leary of what hosting a Coffee Hour might entail, speak to Hospitality Committee members Josh or Ellie Simpson, David Reeves, LaVerne Saunders or Carol Noren. They will be glad to help.

The Prayers of the People

As part of our Sunday offering of the Mass, we bring to God our petitions and thanksgivings. As a community, we do this by bidding the parish’s intentions in the Prayers of the People. If you wish to have someone added to the Prayers of the People, please email Father de la Torre or Mother Murphy-Gill. You can also fill out the prayer request form in the link below. Names will remain on the prayer list for three weeks, unless otherwise requested.

Lord, hear the prayers of thy people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Share your prayer requests here.



For our prayers

For our prayers: Elizabeth McLaughlin, Greg Nigosian, Ellen Penrod, Andrew Carlin,

Marilyn Labkon, Robert Baily, Lee Gould, Robert Pischke, Derrick Petite, Florence Jones Clanton, David Schrader, Leslie Smebak Gormley, Rachel Smolinski, Sarah Reece Glanman,

Suzanne Dines, MB Hwang, Juanita Malone, David S. Jones, Richard Francis Tracz,

Victor Fernandez, Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins

Birthdays

Rod Luery, 1/7; Sonja Smith, 1/7; Elizabeth Weber. 1/8;

Betty Smith, 1/9; Robert Devens, 1/13

Requiescat in pace

Alvaro Araica, Priest, 12/31/2023; Dorothy Hall, 12/17/2023; Linda Clark;

Betty Reeves, 1/8/2007; Charlene Gehm MacDougal, 1/10/2021;

Norman Campbell Robertson, 1/11/1992; DeWayne Williams, 1/11/2018;

Robert Warren Rohland, 1/12/2006

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



Organ and Choral Repertoire for

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 14, 2024

Between Masses, please don’t forget that The Choir of the Ascension has recorded upwards of 60 tracks that you can listen to anywhere you have an internet connection. They can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/choir-of-the-ascension

Ascension Connections

(with your click and God's help)

Our website home page --

often with up-to-date info/links.

Participate in Ascension masses at our YouTube Channel. (Look for other connections options soon.)

Our Facebook page:

Videos, upcoming events and more.

Weekly Ascension Schedule

For connections:

via Zoom (click here)

SUNDAYS

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

11:00 a.m. In-person and Live-Streamed Solemn High Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

MONDAY-FRIDAY

7:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

WEDNESDAYS

6:30 p.m. Said Mass

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Wardens and Vestry of Church of the Ascension

LaVerne Rollé Saunders, Sr. Warden;

SeniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

David Reeves, Jr. Warden;

JuniorWarden@AscensionChicago.org

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen,

David A. Robertson, Elizabeth Simpson, Joshua Simpson, Samuel Sommers, Clerk



Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Finance@ascensionchicago.org

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office

Office@ascensionchicago.org

Approved minutes of Vestry meetings are always available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to these Vestry Minutes, please email the Parish Office and request the link. Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Vestry meeting minutes.

The link remains live indefinitely. Any parishioner who has the link will not need to request a new link from month to month.