Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is traditionally celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas. In the dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between January 2nd and January 8th.
To assist families in living out this joy of Christ, Knights of Columbus Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori has composed a prayer through which families may come together to consecrate themselves under the protection of the Holy Family. We invite every family of our parish to engage in the Consecration to the Holy Family, by praying this prayer on the Feast of the Holy Family.
This Wednesday, January 1st, on the first day of the New Year, the Church will celebrate the Solemnity of
Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The honoring of Mary as the Mother of God can be traced back to the
Council of Ephesus in 431.The feast is a celebration of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family which is an essential part of the entire Christmas Season. The Divine Word assumed a human body and entered into every aspect of human life, including family life, sanctifying it and making it a path to holiness for all of us.
Millions of people in North America were reminded to “Keep Christ in Christmas” thanks to the efforts
of the Knights of Columbus. The campaign included public service announcements aired in the United States during the Christmas season, as well as a variety of local programs in support of the campaign that included signs, billboards, Nativity scenes and Christmas cards.
Today is already the fourth Sunday of Advent and in just three days we will be celebrating Christmas again. I hope that the Advent season has held moments of prayer and reflection for you on the mystery of God’s love for us in the incarnation of His Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Two annual programs that we conduct for the students of St. John the Evangelist School are being
held in December and one in January. The first program is the Knights of Columbus Free Throw
Championship which was held on Saturday December 7 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the parish center.
Certain Sundays throughout the liturgical year have taken their names from the first word in Latin of the Introit - the entrance antiphon at Mass. Gaudete Sunday that we celebrate today is one of those Sundays. The Introit for this Sunday is taken from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:4,5: "Gaudete in Domino semper" - "Rejoice in the Lord always".
On December 8th the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the Patron Saint of the United States.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the very generous donation of $2,500.00 to the Village of Streamwood's 13th Annual Holiday Helping Program. The church's contribution will help us meet our goal of assisting many families, including at least 100 children, with gifts this holiday season. Please note, no goods or services were received in exchange for this monetary contribution.
Next weekend December 7/8 we will have with us representatives of the Catholic Christian Community from Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Holy Land, who will be displaying some beautiful olive wood creations.
This Sunday we begin the Season of Advent, the time of prayerful and vigilant preparation for both - the celebration of Christ’s birth, and his second coming at the end of time. Advent is a time to take life a little more slowly and to focus on what we need to do to turn away from our sins, to get closer to God and to grow in holiness of life.
T u e s d a y D e c e m b e r 3 r d i s #GivingTuesday. We invite you to contribute to our annual Coats for Kids program. Next weekend the Giving Trees will be in the narthex.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it is fitting to look back at the year through different lenses. These include looking at the year as families, individuals, Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary members, and St. John’s parish family members.
This coming Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is my prayer that all of us in our parish family will offer a continual prayer of gratitude to our loving and gracious God for all the blessings received throughout the year.
With this Sunday we conclude our liturgical year by celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This solemnity was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism - a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes one’s life as if God did not exist.
Sunday, November 17, 2024, is the World Day of the Poor, a day established by Pope Francis in 2017 for
Catholics to "reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel." The theme for 2024 is "The
prayer of the poor rises up to God" (Sirach 21:5)
On November 11th we recognize those men and women who have served our country in the military. Since its beginnings, the Knights of Columbus has supported active military personnel and our veterans.
Mary’s Millennium Council #12801 has received the distinction of Star Council, the international organization’s top award for local councils. The plaque was presented to our Grand Knight, Richard Capinpin, and Past Grand Knight and Program Director, Gary Pappin, by District Deputy Richard Lambke at our awards dinner held October 25th at Villa Olivia. In addition to the plaque, pins recognizing the achievement were presented to the Grand Knight, Program Director, and
Membership Director.