August 13: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 13, 2023:

The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

PARISH NEWSLETTER

The Church of St. Mary :: 201 E. Illinois Lake Forest, IL 60045 (office)

Summer Office Hours: 8:30am to 1:00pm Monday - Friday

Phone: (847) 234.0205 :: Email: receptionist@churchofstmary.org

www.churchofstmary.org :: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofStMaryLF/

This weekend, at the Church of St. Mary, we will be offering the opportunity to receive the Blood of Christ. We are planning on offering the Blood of Christ at the weekend Masses, learning and adjusting as necessary in the coming days. As we begin offering the Blood of Christ the guidelines are in the bulletin, and pew cards will be in place and your support is appreciated.

The ministers of the Precious Blood will be stationed in the front of the altar. If at any time you are not feeling well, you are asked to refrain from receiving the Precious Blood from the common cup. We will be able to continue this practice as long as mandated EMHC’s are able to attend the Masses and minister to the faithful. Intinction, dipping the host into the Precious Blood will not be practiced. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC’s) have been trained to not allow the faithful to dip the Body of Christ into the chalice.

As a reminder, you are to receive and consume the host upon having it offered to you. It is not proper to carry the host with you back to the pew. After you respond AMEN, take one step to the side, place the Eucharist in your month, and continue to your pew for the prayer of thanksgiving.

If you want to receive the Precious Blood, the mandated EMHC will offer you the chalice. When offered the Blood of Christ you are to respond AMEN. May our active reception of the Eucharist nourish us so we all can live eucharistic lives of sacrifice and love for our neighbor.

Since we resumed public Mass after COVID I have made numerous appeals to the faithful in the pews, asking from the altar and in my article for more people to come forward to be trained and serve as ushers. The response has been minimal which raises concern and logistical challenges when trying to offer the Mass. Additional ushers would greatly help the reverence and the prayerfulness of our Masses. With minutes to spare before Mass, trying to find an usher to help select people to bring up the gifts, to receive the offering and to welcome parishioners and guests, is an unwelcome intrusion to the celebrant's attempt to pray before and into the celebration of Mass.

Once again, I make an appeal to men and women, young adult men and women, who are able to receive training, make a commitment to arrive at Mass to serve as an usher, or other liturgical ministers, to reach out to me. You can speak to me before or after Mass, or send me an email or one to Leslie Ardell, lardell@churchofstmary.org. Thanks for praying about this opportunity to help prayerfully enhance the public worship at the Church of St. Mary. Mr. Ron Sevcik, who works tirelessly to make sure there are ushers at each mass and his small but mighty team of ushers would be happy to welcome you into the ranks of ushers.

We are offering a Vigil Mass at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 14^th for the Feast of the Assumption as well as our Mass at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 15^th. Join us as we honor the Blessed Mother on this holy day of obligation.

In June, I wrote that I am welcoming a priest friend from Zambia to our parish for summer. Fr. Deogratius “Deo” Kaundula is a priest of the diocese of Lusaka, Zambia. He arrived on August 5^th and participated in the wonderful and festive outdoor Gazebo Mass and cookout at the Gazebo in Lake Bluff. Thanks to everyone who had a hand in the community celebration, enjoying the Mass and cookout together. Fr. Deo will be with us, learning about the Archdiocese and parishes in Vicariate 1. Fr. Deo will be returning to his family and parish on September 6^th. He has received a very warm welcome by those who have already met him. He looks forward to having the chance to meet you in the coming weeks.

God bless you in living your faith in word and action these summer days.

August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

“You are good. And I want to be with you forever.”

Imagine God speaking these words to you with the deepest love and sincerity. These words can sum up what we celebrate on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. Why is Mary’s Assumption so important? What even is the Assumption of Mary??

According to the ancient tradition of the Church, while the apostles were sent all throughout the world to preach, Mary remained in John’s home in Jerusalem carrying on her own ministry of preaching the Gospel. When her hour of death approached, the apostles returned from the countries of their ministry and gathered at her bedside in prayer. At the moment of her death, they witnessed her Son, glorified and ascended, carry her body-and-soul into heaven. In other words, Mary was “assumed” body and soul into heaven.

If you visited an Eastern Catholic or Eastern Orthodox church on August 15, you’d notice they call this feast the Dormition (“Falling-Asleep”) of the Theotokos (a title of Mary, meaning “God-bearer”). You’d also notice an icon depicting this moment (included above) where Mary is pictured “falling asleep” in death and Christ holding her on the way to heaven.

Think about the incredible beauty of that image: Mary – who held Jesus as a newborn in the silent night of Bethlehem… who clutched her 12-year-old son in sweet relief after finding him in the Jerusalem Temple… who felt the deepest sorrow holding Jesus’ lifeless body at the foot of Calvary – this same Mary who held Jesus all throughout his life is now held by her Son and Savior as she is carried into the glory of heaven. It’s an incredible image to contemplate in prayer!

But this feast day is not just an anniversary of an event from Mary’s life. It’s also an icon of what God desires for us. The Assumption of Mary is not God’s way of putting Mary on an unattainable pedestal. No, the Assumption is God’s resounding, unmistakable claim: “This is what I have created you for. This is what I am calling you to: eternal communion with me, body and soul. You are good. I want to be with you forever.”

The Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption is a holy day of obligation. As we gather around the Lord’s Table at Mass, we can imagine that we are part of this beautiful icon: shoulder-to-shoulder with the apostles, brushing up against the angels, gathered around our Lord and our Blessed Mother. And may our celebration of Mass this August 15 (or evening on the 14th) be the foreshadowing of that moment when the Lord Jesus desires to hold you in his arms and carry you to that same glory of Mary’s Assumption.

~ Chase Hawkins, Church of St. Mary Director of Youth Ministry & Coordinator of Liturgical Evangelization

St. Mary’s Church Livestream has moved to YouTube™

Go to the Official Church of St. Mary YouTube™ channel to view any and all live-streamed Masses. See the link to our Livestream YouTube™ channel at the top of our Facebook page.

COR YOUTH MINISTRY

CHURCH SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE: Sunday, August 13, 2023 - Sunday, August 20, 2023

Sunday, August 13, 2023:

+ 8:00 am: PUBLIC MASS

+ 10:00 am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 12:00 pm: PUBLIC MASS

Monday, August 14, 2023: