Labor Day
This weekend brings an extra day of rest and a cultural end of summer. I like to encourage extended reflection on the significance of our work during this holiday weekend. Some of my basic questions to guide a more spiritual aspect of our work include – Do you work LIKE God? Do you work WITH God? And, do you work FOR God?
As we are plowing through the Gospel of Matthew this year, hearing passages every week at Mass, I hope you are appreciating the major theme that is being proclaimed and preached on discipleship. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ takes some effort, or in other words, work. This weekend’s episode from Matthew encourages us to work at forgiveness. It outlines a process of forgiveness starting with a personal conversation between two people. It extends to witnesses and then into the community of the Church. This passage also helps us to appreciate the larger process of reconciliation, which includes forgiveness. By that I mean that really working at getting to the truth of life and making a commitment to change, asking God for forgiveness as well as someone else whom we might have harmed, all constitute the larger and more powerful process of RECONCILIATION. And, most often, that takes some spiritual work. Matthew’s Gospel encourages us to see that working at reconciliation is a major part of being a disciple.
Consider the recent passages in which we have heard that discipleship involves denying ourselves, losing our life, and picking up our cross. It involves thinking like God, which Peter did in one passage then failed to do in the next. It takes some spiritual work to think like God, and if we find that difficult to do, then know we are in good company with Peter, a saint of the Church and our first Pope.
Transition Team
We have assembled a team of parishioners and staff to facilitate communication and updates regarding a transition to new Pastoral Leadership for our parish. This team is working closely with the Priest Placement Board of the Archdiocese as they surface potential priests to join us over the next two years. This includes conversations regarding an Administrator for our parish while I am on sabbatical.
Deacon Dennis in Synodal Class
Pope Leo continues to place much emphasis on the importance of Synodality (which literally means Walking Together) as a way to proceed with spiritual growth for parishes. The process is based on parishioners listening to each other and building collaboration. Deacon Dennis Brown is participating in a class on the Synodal Process, which is a collaboration between Loyola University, Catholic Theological Union, and the Archdiocese of Chicago, along with members of several parishes in the Archdiocese. Cardinal Cupich is hosting members of ALL parishes for a Synodal gathering in June of 2027.
Walking Together Priest Cohorts
I was honored to be in the pilot retreat last June, gathering twelve priests and parishioners from various parishes focusing on the Synodal process for church growth. There have now been five additional priest retreats. We had a follow-up with Cardinal Cupich last Friday evening with all of those priests.
Tabernacle Project
The construction of our new Tabernacle area is taking a bit longer than we expected. I will keep you informed as we move toward completing this project.
Family Faith Catechists Needed
Are you looking for a simple way to deepen your faith? Do you know someone else who may be looking to do the same? We have young people in our community who could benefit from your guidance as a catechist for our Family and Teen Faith programs. Please contact our new Director of Family and Teen Faith, Karen McHale, for more details.
OCIA
Sometimes even the oldest traditions of our Church get updated. We are encouraged to refer to what was the RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS, or RCIA, now as the ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS, or OCIA. This change actually makes sense because the ORDER is the overall process and the RITES are sub-sections of that Order, for example, the Rite of Welcoming, the Rite of Election at the Cathedral, and others. Regardless of what we call it, we are beginning this process that we call FOOTSTEPS IN FAITH here at Holy Family for any adult who is interested in completing the process of initiation into our faith. OCIA is for adults who have been Baptized as Catholics but have not received First Communion or Confirmation; for adults who have been Baptized into another Christian denomination such as Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, or any Community church; and for adults who have never been Baptized. Please contact Mary Whiteside in our Adult Faith Office for more details.