"Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be
has not yet been revealed."
~ John 3:2
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Sunday's Readings for the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph:
First Reading — Hannah gives her son Samuel back to the LORD, leaving him in the temple at Shiloh: “As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28) or Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14.
Psalm — Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord (Psalm 84) or Psalm 128.
Second Reading — We are children of God when we believe in the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us (1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24) or Colossians 3:12-21 [12-17].
Gospel — Joseph and Mary find the lost Jesus in the temple in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions (Luke 2:41-52).
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As we the Christmas season, we are grateful that there are no capacity limits on our gatherings. Please follow this link to review the current Sunday and Christmas schedules. A nd please see below for more opportunities for faith and fellowship with your OLBS family. As we look forward to a new year, we look forward to seeing you in person!
Christmas celebrates the Incarnation, the “en-flesh-ment” of God as a human person. In Jesus, God is bodily present in the human story.
This Sunday we honor the Holy Family, helping us to see that God is active in daily family life. God is near at hand, amidst the tensions, joys, and uncertainties of family life. As our Gospel passage describes, even with family miscommunications and with limited understanding of Jesus’ mission, the Holy Family persevered in their life together.
Like many family conflicts, there was no immediate or clear resolution of the issues raised by Jesus and by Mary. God’s intentions for the family, and for Jesus, were still unfolding. They continued to stay connected with each other and with God. Within the turbulence of family life, they trusted God to actively sustain and guide them into an uncertain future. We are invited to follow their example.
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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 tonight, 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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Please note, correct start time for this event is 7pm. Doors will open at 6:30pm. We can't wait to see you tonight!
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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. Tonight, we'll serve our final Winter Supper of 2021. Our first Supper in the new year will be Wednesday, January 26th.
Stay tuned for a new menu coming soon!
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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 this 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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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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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.
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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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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.
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Great job in 2021, AfterMass Youth Group! Who's ready for 2022?
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.
FIRST, we’re having a CONTEST to come up with the BEST SLOGAN FOR THE BANNER that we will march behind. Write to Mr. Van with your suggestions by this Sunday, December 26th. The slogan we choose will not only be featured on the OLBS banner at the March, but will win a special prize! Here are a few examples to help inspire you (but you have to come up with your own to win):
- Unborn Lives Matter!!
- OLBS Stands with the UNBORN!
- I Am a Child of God and He Sent Me!
You get the idea...the catchier the better!
Questions or Suggestions? E-mail Mr. Van.
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Upcoming events:
Alexian Village | Jan 3
Indoor Game Night | Jan 16
Alexian Village | Jan 17
Alexian Village | Jan 31
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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!
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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 & 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.
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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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