The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas

December 25, 2011

SAINT ISAAC JOGUES PARISH

8149 Golf Road ~ Niles, IL 60714

847/967-1060 ~ Fax # 847/967-1070

Website: http://sij-parish.com

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The Incarnation is the “Magnum Mysterium” - - the “Great Mystery.”

That God should stoop so low

and Man be raised so high overflows our human beggar’s bowl…

A gift unmerited from the Giver of all gifts.

Giver and Gift - - Divinity wrapped in

Humanity! A mirror to the Sun

Lighting our little worlds

CHRIST, BORN - - WITHIN US

AND FOR US!

Gerard Manley Hopkins knew and felt INCARNATION personally, but without

exclusive “copywright”:

“In a flash, at a trumpet crash, I am all at once what Christ is, since he is what I am.”

-Fr. Luczak

Choicest Christmas Blessings

of Peace and Light,

Love and Joy,

and Holy Hope

come to you now and

throughout 2012

December, 2011

Dear Friends and Parishioners of St. Isaac Jogues,

I am delighted to have this opportunity to share with you my good wishes and prayers in this happy and beautiful season of the year. The message of God’s Son come among us makes all the difference in the world, even for those who may struggle at this time. As all the Christ-mas carols echo and echo again, he came for a purpose to free us from sin and death and how beautifully it all hap-pened. As St. John says in his gospel: “he pitched his tent among us.”

I hope that you have a Christmas Crib set in your homes at this time of the year. It should have a place of honor in your home that you may catch a glance as you pass to and from the rooms in your home. As a child I enjoyed placing and moving the crib figures around. It made St. Luke’s Gospel narration of Christ’s birth very tangible. It was a place to pray as well and still can be for us. You can pause at any moment in your day during this season and lift up a prayer for peace, for your family and friends, and hopefully for all who serve your parish. To be sure, you are in mine as I take time to contemplate the Gift of Christmas.

God bless you and may God protect, guide and offer you his healing, forgiveness and love in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Fr. Ron Kalas

PEACE AND GOOD -

FR. CAM, OFM

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“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND BEAR A SON AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM EM-MANUEL,” WHICH MEANS “GOD IS WITH US”

LET US REJOICE THE WHOLE YEAR THROUGH FOR THE GREATEST ADVOCATES OF HUMAN

CONCERNS: MOTHER MARY, HOLY SPIRIT AND JESUS TOO!

PEACE TO ALL, HUMAN CONCERNS

May the love and light of Christmas be with you and your family throughout the

New Year

May God’s peace be in your hearts

The Diaconate Community

Joan & Bob O’Keefe

Rod Ranola

Dee & Paul Stanton

May the peace of the Christ Child

And the blessings of the Holy Family

Be with you and all those you love

This Christmas and always

St. Isaac Jogues Men’s Club

While at supper, Jesus took the bread, and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Take Christ into your home and your heart this Christmastime.

Be at peace,

The SIJ Eucharistic Ministers

Students, Parents and Teachers from

Ignacy Paderewski School of Polish Language

wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

***

Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia

oraz szczęśliwego Nowego Roku

życzą uczniowie, rodzice i nauczyciele

Polskiej Szkoły im. Ignacego Paderewskiego

We pray you and your families have a very

Merry Christmas and a Blessed and

Happy 2012!

SIJ Altar Servers

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May peace be your gi at Christmas and your blessings throughout the year.

“When the kindness and generous love of God our savior ap-peared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justi-fied by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Christmas Peace & Blessings,

The Bible Study Group

“Maligayang Pasko at

Manigong

Bagong Taon.”

The Music Ministry of St Isaac Jogues wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Please come and enjoy beautiful music at our concert

Sunday, January 8, 2012 3:00PM in the church.

May God’s light encircle you,

God’s love enfold you,

God’s peace encourage you.

Walk with us on our journey as we undergo a deeper understanding and experience of the

heart as we live our life in Christ..

The RCIA: Pat, Tony, Liz, Joyce and Dee

May Jesus help you and strength‐en your faith so you can bring

hope and love to others.

We invite teens to join us for our next mee ng on January 8th!

Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year!

The SIJ Youth Group

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May the Grace and Peace

of the Christ Child be with

you this day and through-

out the New Year!

The Finance

Committee

May our Divine Redeemer bestow His Peace on you and your home.

And may His Blessings be with you always!

St. Isaac Jogues

Money Counters

“THAT ALL MAY BE ONE”

A blessed Christmas

The Ecumenical & Interreligious

Outreach Group

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May you have a joyous Christmas and a New Year

blessed with Peace and Happiness.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…

Gifted to us in a manger.

Christmas Blessings from the

SIJ Religious Education

Catechists, Assistants, Children & Families

MAY THE BLESSINGS OF THE DIVINE CHILD, THE LOVE OF

MARY, HIS MOTHER, AND THE PROTECTION OF ST.

JOSEPH, BE WITH YOU AT CHRISTMAS AND

THROUGHOUT THE COM-ING NEW YEAR!

THE MINISTERS OF CARE

May the Infant Jesus fill your heart this Christmas with Awe, Wonder, and the Precious Gift of His unending Love!

God bless you in the New Year as you live His Way!

Baptismal Preparation

Wishing you the love, peace and joy that the true meaning

of Christmas brings.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

SACRISTANS

MAY THE LOVE AND LIGHT OF

THE CHRIST CHILD, WHO LATER

DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, BRING YOU

PEACE AND HOPE IN THIS CHRISTMAS

SEASON AND THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR.

THE BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY

Salmi 23 - Salmo Di Davide

Il Signore e il mia pastore e nulla mi manca

La Tua bonta e il tuo amore mi seguiranno per tutta la mia vita; Staro nella caja del Signore per tutti I miei giorni

St. Joseph Table Committee - Join us March 11, 2012

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“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no com-passion for him, how can the love of God

be in him?

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

Jesus, the Light of the World, became incarnate and lived as a defenseless in-

fant in a manger…

At Christmas time we are called to re-member the “least among us.” Because of your generosity, we have been able to

help more than 150 families this year.

Merry Christmas,

St. Vincent de Paul Ministry

CHRISTMAS MEAL GRACE

Blessed are You, Lord our God, who has gathered us to-gether at this our Christmas feasting table. As we light our candles on this feast of light, may the eternal light of God that shines with splendor in the stars shine upon our table and fill our home. May the spirit of God that shone in the star of Bethlehem surround our table and fill our hearts with its holy light. (Light candles on the table)

Lord God of Life, together with the beautiful traditions of decorating the Christmas tree, of singing carols and giving gifts, this Christmas dinner is an important part of our celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Come, Lord our God, and surround our feast day table as we delight in this joyous season of Christmas. Gift us in this meal with the taste of happiness as we savor this coming together of family and friends. As sparkling stars and singing angels rejoiced at the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem, so may we take great joy in this our Christmas celebration. May You, our God, bless it and us in Your holy name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

CHRISTMAS DAY REFLECTION

Light a candle or change all the Advent Wreath candles to white.

Scripture: John 1:1-5 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and th darkness did not over-come it.

Reflection: “I believe the best way to defend life is to cel-ebrate life. I believe the best way to celebrate life is to live our own lives to the fullest – to embrace life with arms wide open, to lay our lives enthusiastically at the service of humanity, to love deeply the people who cross our paths, and above all, to embrace our God. Life should never be wasted – not one moment – because life is precious. I believe the best way to defend the faith is to celebrate our faith. The best way to celebrate Catholicism is to live the faith more fully with each pass-ing day, allowing it to reach into every corner of our lives. When Catholicism is the foundation of our family life, our social life, our intellectual life, our spiritual life, our community life, and our professional life, then we will have established an integrated life, a life of integrity. That unity of life will speak more powerfully than any words ever could. And if just a handful of people in one place and at one time will give their whole selves to seeking, discovering, embracing, and living this life, they

change the whole course of human history.

“What are we celebrating as a culture? What are you cel-ebrating? You have become the person you are because of the things you celebrate. Our culture has become what it is because of the things we celebrate. You can celebrate anything you wish. You can celebrate life and faith. You can celebrate love and honesty, mercy and forgiveness, kindness and generosity. You can celebrate truth, beauty, goodness, and redemption. On the other hand, you can celebrate destruction and paganism. You can celebrate hatred and violence, selfishness and greed, contempt and disrespect. You can celebrate perversion, corruption, pride, deceit, and condemnation. But one thing is certain: We become what we celebrate. This is the one immutable truth found in the life of every per-son who has ever lived. We become what we celebrate. It is true not only of the life of a person but also of the life of a family. It is true of the life of a nation, and it is true of the life of the Church. Let the celebration begin.”

Meditation: “What will I celebrate today and all throughout this Christmas season? How can I extend this celebration into every moment of my life?”

Prayer: “Today I sing with the angels, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and earth, peace to all of good will!’ Jesus, you are the light of the world, who shines through the darkness of our days. This Christmas season and throughout the year, I will be your disciple and follow in your footsteps, bringing light to God’s creation. Amen.”

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On Christmas…..

God gave us a new beginning

The birth of Hope

Christmas… God’s answer to our fall from grace…

He gave us His Own Son

To show us that there is a better “way”…

That the only “way” is LOVE!

God’s gift of Peace, Hope & Love to All for Christmas

Spiritual Life Commission

Share the spirit of Christmas with all you meet this Christmas season. May the peace of Christ be with you and yours this wondrous time of year.

Jesus is the gift of God given to us. Jesus says to you today, “Give thanks to the Lord for His Great Love.”

We wish you a merry Christmas and a new year full of His Life and Love!

The Spred Community

Adriean, Bobby, Christopher, Dee, Jack, Joe, Judith, Judy, Julie, Katie, Marie, Mary, Monika, Patrick, Ronald, and Theresa

St. John Brebeuf School is wishing you peace, good will and happiness throughout the Christmas season

and all the years to come.

With God’s love, St. John Brebeuf Catholic School where we develop leaders of tomorrow through the guiding principles of Faith, Family and Education,

we wish you a Merry Christmas.

May Peace, Joy, Hope and Happiness

be yours during this Christmas Season

and throughout the New Year.

St. Isaac Jogues Women’s Club

The Nativity of the Lord - December 25, 2011

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

Page Nine The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas December 25, 2011

TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading — All the ends of the earth will be-hold the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:7-10).

Psalm — All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God (Psalm 98).

Second Reading — God has spoken to us through the Son, the very imprint of God’s being (Hebrews 1:1-6).

Gospel — The Word became flesh; from his full-ness we have all received grace (John 1:1-18 [1-5, 9-14]).

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES

Sunday: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Monday: St. Stephen

Tuesday: St. John

Wednesday: The Holy Innocents

Thursday: St. Thomas Becket

Friday: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary,

and Joseph

Saturday: St. Sylvester I

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59; Mt 10:17-22

Tuesday: 1 Jn 1:1-4; Jn 20:1a, 2-8

Wednesday: 1 Jn 1:5 — 2:2; Mt 2:13-18

Thursday: 1 Jn 2:3-11; Lk 2:22-35

Friday: Sir 3:2-7, 12-14 or Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3; Col 3:12-21 [12-17] or Heb 11:8, 11-12,17-19; Lk 2:22- 40 [22, 39-40]

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Liturgies next weekend December 31 & January 1 - Mary Mother of God Celebrant 5:00 pm Fr. Luczak/Deacon Paul 7:30 am Fr. Kennedy 9:00 am Fr. Kalas 10:30 am Fr. Kalas 12:00 pm Fr. Janas Altar Servers 5:00 pm Elizabeth Stanton, Jude Jimmychan, Nelson Perumpel 7:30 am Joanne Areno, Anya Piska, Jonathan Piska 9:00 am Matthew Mango, Mark Magno, Thomas Striblen 10:30 am Jeffery Kurian, Ged Vallo Tara Vallo 12:00 pm Rene Dumayas, Marco Lambo Alfonso Hanson

Sacristy Committee

Marguerite Smoczynski

Relatives & Friends

Please remember the sick and hospitalized:

Margie Woods

Rudolph Pikula

Sunday, December 25 7:00 am Ed Brezinski 9:00 am For the Living & Deceased Members of St. Isaac Jogues & their Families; Steven Zourkas 10:45 am Eduardo Rodriguez & Augustina Bauit 12:30 pm Patricia Hildenbrandt

Monday, December 26 8:00 am Purgatorial Society; Ida Dalmaso Tuesday, December 27 8:00 am Filomena Paz Wednesday, December 28 8:00 am Ed Puisis Thursday, December 29 8:00 am Stephen Lis Friday, December 30 8:00 am Joseph & Mary Jagiello Saturday, December 31 8:00 am Communion Service—No Intentions 5:00 pm Virginia Lutsch Sunday, January 1 7:30 am For the Living & Deceased Members of St. Isaac Jogues & their Families; & The Holy Souls of Purgatory 9:00 am Katherine Calacci 10:30 am Rose Palmer 12:00 pm Marylou Timko

Confessions Fr. Luczak

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PASTOR: Rev. Andrew Luczak PASTORAL STAFF: Deacon Bob Kerls, Parish Business Administrator. Mrs. Dolores Stanton, Director of Religious Education Ms. Lisa Hall, Music Director DEACON COMMUNITY: Deacon & Mrs. Robert C. O’Keefe Deacon Rod Ranola Deacon & Mrs. Paul M. Stanton WEEKEND LITURGY CELEBRANTS: Rev. Ron Kalas Rev. Bernard Kennedy, O.F.M. Rev. Philip McGlynn, O.S.M. Rev. David Stagaman, S.J. Rev. Camillus Janas, O.F.M. Eucharistic Celebrations: Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, & 12:00 Noon Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 8:00 AM & 5:00 PM Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday, 11:00 - 12:00 Noon or anytime by request.

Sacrament of Matrimony: Must be registered for six months prior to setting the wedding date with an additional six months for necessary preparation. Note: The following wedding times can be scheduled: Friday at 5:00 p.m.; Saturday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.; Sunday at 3:00 p.m. (Ceremony only) Sacrament of Baptism: Second and fourth Sunday of each month at 1:30 PM. Baptism Preparation Session must be completed before Baptism. Contact the Parish Office as soon as possible for details. Parish Office Website: http://sij-parish.com E-mail: office@sij-parish.com 8149 Golf Road, Niles, IL. 60714. . . . . . . 847 967-1060 Mrs. Janet Piovosi (Parish Secretary) Mrs. Marlene Garber (Data Processor) Mrs. Lori Herbert (Data Processor) Mrs. Jane Piper (Bulletin Editor) Religious Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . 847 966-1180 Staff Secretary Parish Nurse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847 967-1094 Music Ministry. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .847 967-1091 Parish Hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847 965-1091 Ministry Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .847 965-6911 Parish School: St. John Brebeuf School. . . . . . . 966-3266 Principal: Mrs. Margaret Whitman

BULLETIN SICK LIST

The sick and hospitalized are to be held in thought and prayer. For their family, friends, and faith community it is often times the best, and sometimes even only, way we can help and support them. Yet we must remember that by law we cannot publicly let our parish community know the health sta-tus of any of our members without their permission. What that means is that we cannot put people’s names in the bulletin sick list for prayer without permission.

As a reminder our policy is as follows: Names for the sick list in the bulletin have to be called in by the person who is ill or by a member of their family. At the time they call in the name they will be asked whether they are the sick person him/herself, or a member of their family and if they give permission for the name to be placed on the list. They will be asked for the correct spelling of the sick person’s name. If a family member, they will be required to give their name for our records. The name will be in the bulletin for one month.