Sin and forgiveness are classic spiritual tensions. All three of this weekend’s readings refer to this tension. In the first reading from Genesis, Abraham barters with God for the innocent among the guilty in Sodom. He is a broker, if you will, between God, who is angry, and the innocent people, the total and exact number of whom who we do not know. Abraham’s persistence leads to God’s forgiveness.
In the second reading from Colossians, Paul gives us a powerful image. He tells the people of Colossia that Jesus nailed our sin to the cross. As he himself was nailed to that cross, he also nailed anything that we have done to sever our relationship with God or other people. As he died on that cross, so do our sins as we genuinely reconcile them to God and each other. Perhaps that image is helpful for you in letting go of any sin in your life.
As the Gospel according to Luke unfolds during this year of mercy, this week we hear the people asking Jesus how to pray, and then, following the Our Father, he tells us to be persistent in our prayer. We must ask, seek, and knock. We must realize that what we can give each other as humans ultimately is not as powerful or complete as what God gives us. However, the countless human images and stories that Jesus tells lead us to the depth of God and, in this case, God’s forgiveness.
Some of you have asked for clarification on the distribution of funds raised during our annual Gala. Please see page 8 of this bulletin for a financial fundraising update.
Archbishop Cupich will join us as presider and preacher on Sunday, August 7 during the 11:00am Mass. He was gracious enough to join us for our Gala two years ago, and yet he finds it important to join each parish in celebrating the Eucharist. We look forward to welcoming Archbishop Cupich.
We welcome Fr. Chuck Dahm to preach at all of our liturgies this weekend, except the 6:00pm. Fr. Dahm is a Dominican priest and will preach about domestic violence, and in a time when violence seems to surround us, his reflections on a certain type of violence is timely. Please give Chuck a warm Holy Family welcome.
It is not too early to mark our annual Fall Fest on your calendar. The dates are Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24. As the event continues to evolve, please note that Friday will be a Hops on the Vine Beer and Wine tasting event with food from local restaurants. Saturday will continue in the tradition of being a day for kids, including games and rides from 3-6-ish and our teens will supervise additional childrens’ activities from 6-10-ish so parents can enjoy more adult music and entertainment. This year we are featuring a great cover band called The Chicago Experience. Plan on joining us and invite some friends.
One of the most important personal invitations that we can extend is to those interested in learning more about Catholicism and/or wanting to become Catholic. Please take a moment to think about someone in your life who may be interested in becoming Catholic and personally ask them to join our RCIA/ Footsteps process. RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and is for 3 general groups of people who:
1. Have never been Baptized
2. Have been baptized in a Christian denomination OTHER than Catholic such as Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Baptist, and Community Churches, etc.
3. Have been baptized in a Catholic Church but not received any other sacraments.
You may forward their contact information to Bonnie Rooney at bonroon@aol.com or 847-977-4715 or give Bonnie’s contact info to them. Please take some time to reflect on this and the importance of your PERSONAL invitation.
Hopefully you have noticed that construction is moving toward completion in our welcoming area and front office. This is the final enhancement and project of Our Family, Our Faith and Our Future capital campaign which began in 2011. Those of you who pledged and fulfilled your pledges to the campaign have made this new area, as well as the completion of the lower level of the Brennan Center with new classrooms, capital fund replacement and paying off our debt, a reality. We have new projectors and screens in Church and continue to make other related technological upgrades. The new A/V system is a major element in helping Holy Family fulfill our mission, “To engage all in the sacramental life through vibrant worship, life-long learning and passionate community.” Your continuing support is essential for bringing our mission to life. We thank you for your generosity, whether through weekly collections, capital campaigns or special directed donations. This upgrade will help us take a big step forward in integrating our audio, visual and informational messages, which are critical to the uniqueness of Holy Family. The sound quality and use of speakers continue to be tweaked for maximum effectiveness. Thanks for your patience as some sound levels continue to be adjusted for the proper volume.
You will also notice new doors filling in the current door frames in the east hallway near the entrances to the rectory on one side and the nursery on the other. This will be an additional entrance to Common Ground, The Brennan Library, breakout rooms and the Academy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings during the week during the school year. During those hours guests will be buzzed in at these new doors, just as they are currently at the doors near the staircase going to the lower level near the Brennan Library. The existing nursery will continue to serve children at any time that is needed, particularly on the weekends during Mass, but it is being upgraded to serve 2 year olds in our Academy those three weekday mornings. This is another sign of growth for our community, as we are welcoming more and more younger children and their parents joining our community.