Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church 10600 S. Archer Avenue | Lemont, Illinois 60439-9344 | (Ph) 630.257.7000 | (Fx) 630.257.7912

Email: stjames1833@att.net | Website: www.historicstjames.org Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Saint James At Sag Bridge

Mass Schedule WEEKENDS: Saturdays: 5:00pm Sundays: 8:30, 10:00 & 11:30am HOLY DAYS: 7:00am & 7:00pm WEEKDAYS: Mon, Tue, Thu 8:15am & Fri 6:00pm WEDNESDAY: Adoration at 5:00pm & Mass 7:00pm CONFESSION SCHEDULE: Wednesdays 6:00-7:00pm & Saturdays 9:30-10:15am otherwise by appointment. BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS & FUNERALS: Contact the rectory office. SICK & HOMEBOUND PASTORAL CARE: Please notify rectory. RECTORY OFFICE HOURS: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri: 9:30am to 1:00pm.

CLERGY: Fr. Tom Koys, M.A.,S.T.L., Pastor, Fr. Edward Gleeson, Pastor Emeritus Fr. Robert Coleman, Resident Deacon John Wilkinson, C.K.M. Deacon Doug Szarzynski

December 16, 2018

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE: Sat, Dec 24th, Vigil Mass | 5PM & Midnight Sun, Dec 25th, Christmas Day No 8:30 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM NEW YEARS: Mon, Dec 31st, 9:00 PM Tue, Jan 1st, New Year’s Day | 10AM & 11:30

Altar & Rosary Society Pres: Barbara (708.257.9129) V.P: Irene (773.366.2185) Sec: Judi (630.243.9414) Treas: Linda (630.257.8252)

Page Two December 16, 2018

FROM THE DESK OF, FR. THOMAS KOYS, M.A.,S.T.L., PASTOR

I’ll admit it, each year since I’ve been here at St. James, Christmas has been a bit more magical, a little bit more wonderful than it was before I “discovered” it. I’m not saying I didn’t believe in the birth of Christ or I haven’t been extraordinarily blessed by basing my life on the fundamental truth of the Incarnation. Thanks be to God, I have had many great teachers, who shared with me the meaning of Catholicism. Howev-er, I cannot deny the fact that so many people feel something special about the old little church on top of the tree covered hill. And that feeling seems to be more powerful than ever at Christmas time. If there ever was a real place that captured the spirit of a Currier and Ives Christmas painting it would be St. James. Let’s think of three desires of our hearts, desires that seem to be as necessary to a good Christmas as a Christmas tree or rendition of Silent Night.

First, old or traditional, second, se-cluded, and third, friendly.

St. James wins hands down in the “old” department. You know that if you come to St. James, you are doing something that many generations of people have done before you. We all, of course love to discover something new, especially when we find life a little boring or “same old same old” as we say. But the traditions of Christ-mas more fittingly give us a sense of the old. If gener-ations from the beginning of time have all faced trag-edies, wars, loneliness and poverty, then it comforts the soul to discover the time tested soothing ointment of faith in Jesus Christ. Walking up to St. James on a Christmas morning or night, one can’t help but be amazed and ask, “Has this place really been here since 1833?”

Second; St. James is secluded. No doubt about that. People say all the time, “I’ve passed this way many times, but never knew this place existed.” It is not really out of the way, but it is off the beaten path. The Currier and Ives image of Christmas makes us think the trip to grandma’s house or the little church in the woods takes a lot of effort to get to. Secluded in

a forest or “over the river and through the woods” is to be expected, nay, it is sort of a requirement for finding something precious, something that can be loved as one loves a treasure. I have a vivid memory of the first time I caught a glimpse of St. James, not from Archer Avenue or even from the corner of Route 83 and Main street, but from within the forest

itself. I actually took an auxiliary path while hiking the woods be-hind St. James about 25 years ago. I thought I was lost, but wasn’t too worried because there was still plenty of light left in the day to complete my exploration. Suddenly, through the trees I spied the back side of the ceme-tery, and the church therein. I felt, almost like Christopher Co-lumbus. It mattered not, that thousands before me had seen it, or that I could have gotten there by turning left onto Archer from Route 83. It delighted my heart. That’s just like a person who dis-covers Catholicism for the first time. Though others have discov-ered it before, it is when YOU

discover it, that your heart leaps, like John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb.

And thirdly, friendliness. What is Christmas if there isn’t friendliness? All the eggnog and blinking lights are useless in giving one the Christmas spirit, if there isn’t friendliness. That is why, all you who are read-ing this article, are a tremendously important ingredi-ent to the magic that comes upon St. James on Christ-mas. The decorating team can put together a beautiful creche, the choir can sing with angelic voices, and God can even blanket the forest and the cemetery with a perfect three inches of fluffy snow, but if any a stranger happens upon St. James during Christmas and if all they meet are angry or stand-off-ish parish-ioners, all is lost. So, take this to heart. A lot is riding on your smiles and good cheer. Might I even add, your best Christmas outfit? The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight.

Third Sunday of Advent Page Three

SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW A FAMILY WE CAN PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS

by Fr. William Saunders Avoiding the commercialization of Christmas is a real challenge. For Catholics, the liturgical season of Advent helps us focus on the spir-itual preparation for Christmas and on the coming of Our Lord. (Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming.”) The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses the twofold meaning of this “coming”: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messi-ah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first com-ing, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second com-ing” ( No. 524). Therefore, on one hand, the faithful reflect back on Our Lord’s first coming when He humbled Himself, becoming incar-nate and entered our time and space to free us from sin. On the other hand, we recall in the creed that Our Lord will come again to judge the living and the dead and that we must be ready to meet Him. So here are some good suggestions, to prepare for Christmas: First, make an Advent wreath. The wreath is a circle, which has no beginning or end: God is eternal, and His love for us is everlasting. The wreath is made of fresh plant material, because Christ came to give us new, everlasting life through His passion, death and resur-rection. Three candles are purple, symbolizing penance, preparation and sacrifice; the pink candle symbolizes the same but highlights the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice be-cause our preparation is now halfway finished and Christ will soon come. The light represents Christ, who entered this world to scatter the darkness of evil and show us the way of righteousness. The progression of lighting candles shows our increasing readiness to meet Our Lord. Make the Advent wreath the centerpiece of the din-ner table. Light it at dinner time and say the special prayers along with grace before meals. This daily practice will help each member and the whole family keep its focus on the true meaning of Christ-mas Second, pray. Hopefully prayer is already part of the daily routine, but if not, make it one. Schedule a regular time for prayer. Also, pray the rosary, individually or as a family. Ponder the various events in the life of Our Lord, and the example of Mary, “the handmaid of the Lord,” who gave of herself to receive the gift of our Savior. For little children, who have a shorter attention span, maybe just pray a dec-ade each night, looking at one mystery; over the four weeks of Ad-vent, all the mysteries will have been prayed. Third, read sacred Scripture. This liturgical year, the Sunday Gospel passage will be taken primarily from St. Luke, which has 24 chap-ters. So, if a person reads one chapter a day, the whole Gospel could be read before Christmas (or at least shortly thereafter). How-ever, do not just read the Gospel; rather, spend a few minutes re-flecting upon it, inserting oneself into the passage, and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak in the quiet of one’s heart. The Gospel of St. Luke is especially appropriate for Advent because it presents the details of the joyful mysteries, including the birth of John the Baptist, the Annunciation, the visitation, Christmas, the visit of the shep-

herds, the circumcision, the presentation and the finding in the tem-ple. Fourth, take the time for confession. Do a thorough examination of conscience. If it has been a while since the last confession, find a good examination of conscience, and over the course of the week, praying for help from the Holy Spirit, write down those sins that come to mind. Bring that examination to confession, receive absolu-tion, and do the prescribed penance. Remember Psalm 51: “A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Fifth, teach. For children especially, read to them the stories of St. Francis and the first Christmas crèche, St. Boniface and the first Christmas tree, or St. Nicholas who is Santa Claus. There are other good stories about the religious significance of Christmas greenery, poinsettias and window candles. Sixth, preach. To preach, one does not have to stand before a crowd or on the corner shouting Bible verses. There are subtle ways to preach Christmas: Most of us send some kind of greeting card— use religious cards and religious stamps, and sign them, “May God bless you” or “I’ll be praying for you at Christmas.” When greeting people, say, “Merry Christmas,” not “Happy holidays” or “Seasons greetings”; people of goodwill will not be offended.

At social gatherings, preach by actions: St. Paul warns us to be tem-perate and not overindulge. We do not want to act in a way unbe-coming of a Christian; a Christmas party should not be a bacchana-lia. The topics of religion and politics inevitably emerge; some know-it-all will make derogatory comments about our church, usually out of ignorance. Defend the faith, speak the truth clearly, and teach with love. We all know the hot topics, so be prepared. The angels announced good news on Christmas; we too are to be the messen-gers of the Gospel.

Finally, give. Give of yourself by doing good works. Good works help heal the hurts caused by sin, including our own. Remember the Advent calendars from Germany, where a door is opened each day, showing a little picture, and ends at Christmas? Start with a blank calendar. Each day, do a good work — say a prayer for a person, help a neighbor in need, or make a sacrifice for a special intention. Whatever the good work, write it in the blank space. At the end of Advent, one will have a beautiful gift for the Lord. Or, for families with children, set up the crèche with all of the figures except baby Jesus. Write the good work on a piece of paper and place it on the floor of the crèche or in Christ’s crib; then on Christ-mas, Jesus, Mary and Joseph will have a home filled with our love. Or, clean out the closets of old clothes or toys, and give them to a charity. St. Francis said, “It is in giving that we receive,” and through our charitable works, we will receive the love of Christ Himself. So, prepare this Advent to receive Christ as though He were coming for the first time. Make this Christmas a celebration of the birth of our Savior and the great gift of faith we have received. By striving to live in the presence of Christ during Advent, we will receive the best present of all — our Savior.

Our current weekly Offertory collection from Decem-ber 9th, is $3,680.00. The number of envelopes collect-ed was 101. Our Maintenance collection was $14,340.00.

OUR MANY THANKS TO OUR REGISTERED FAMILIES USING ENVELOPES &

THE CASH-AND-CARRY FOLKS.

Our CHURCH CLEANERS FOR FRI – 12/21/18 Are Irene, Barbara, Bronislawa & volunteers. If

you are interested in volunteering, please contact the rectory office at 630.257.7000.

VOTIVE OFFERINGS FOR THE WEEK OF 12/16/18 St. James Altar & Rosary Society

In Memory of Lillian Simanavicius In Memory of Zig Simanavicius

Our beautiful bouquets of flowers surrounding our

altar were made available for the special intention of

BETH DIVIRGILIO

CHRISTMAS EVE MON, 12/24/18

Celebrant Altar Servers

Lectors

5:00 PM

Fr. Tom Koys

J. Jacobek Ramirez Ramirez Ramirez

C. Zarzycki

Midnight Mass

Fr. Tom Koys

M. Lawler Lawler Lawler Lawler

R. Augustyn

CHRISTMAS DAY – TUE, 12/25/18

10:00 AM Tue, 12/25/18

Fr. Tom Koys

A. Bertucci J.P. Colarelli M. Colarelli

P. Brunk J. DeRoche

11:30 AM Tue, 12/25/18

Fr. Tom Koys

N. Akroush A. & I. Gallager S. Imbarrato

J. Jackson S. Kelley

NO 8:30 AM Mass

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17TH 8:15 AM 25th Wedding Anniversary for ~ Rey & Jeanette Cruz 1:00 PM Memorial Mass for Joan Hayden

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18TH 8:15 AM Blessings for Alexandra’s Family

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19TH 7:00 PM Birthday Blessings for Bobby Hipsley III

THUSDAY, DECEMBER 20TH 8:15 AM Thomas Egan FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21ST – ST. PETER CANISIUS 6:00 PM Dorothy Cowell Fourth Advent********** SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22ND 5:00 PM Charles & Genevieve Howard

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23RD 8:30 AM Dorothy Cowell 10:00 AM On Occasion of Final Vows ~ Sr. Jamie Mitchell 11:30 AM Gilbert & Eletta Giannoni

FOURTH ADVENT

12/22-12/23/18

Celebrant

Altar Servers

Lectors

5:00 PM 12/22/18

Fr. Tom Koys

J. Jacobek B. Zabilka

R. Augustyn

Fourth Sunday of Advent - - - - - - - 8:30 AM 12/23/18

Fr. Socias S. Carver Dillenburg Dillenburg

M. Dillenburg

10:00 AM 12/23/18

Fr. Tom Koys

J.P. Colarelli M. Colarelli A. Pawlikowski

S. Kelly

11:30 AM 12/23/18

Fr. Tom Koys

N. Akroush A. Gallager I. Gallager

J. DeRoche