ADVENT IS HERE:
SHOW THE FACE OF CHRIST
Last week, I mentioned the work of the parish Liturgy Committee in considering our theme for Advent this year. In generating a long list of words that represented what Advent means for us, the word "pregnant" was one on my list. I think of Mary's pregnancy as she awaited giving birth to her Son. I even think about the pregnancy of God, in the sense that there is this fullness of life that God desires to give to the world. I also think about God being pregnant with all of the hope that Christmas brings to us in its fullest meaning.
Perhaps it was this recent thought of pregnancy in connection with Advent that made me react so strongly to something I read this week. It was a poignant news story about a couple whose children were on the brink of death due to an accidental overdose of medication at a hospital. You may be familiar with the story. Like me, you may have found yourself including this family in your prayers. This couple had just rejoiced at the birth of their children following multiple miscarriages. Immediately afterwards, they faced the possible death of their babies, unbearable heartbreak. I have since read elsewhere that the children now seem to be doing o.k. Thanks be to God for this. The story of this family, however, brought to mind a number of things that touch on Catholic sensibility.
In every story I saw about this family, I read that due to the fertility problems experienced by the couple, these children, belonging biologically to their parents, were carried by a "gestational carrier" to birth. I was floored by the impersonal, even inhuman character of the words used to describe the woman who brought these two children into the world. Moving beyond the near-tragic story of this particular family, I would like to offer some thoughts about this distinctive phrase that holds potential for working its way into our common language.
"Gestational carrier" is another way of describing a surrogate mother, yet it is distinctively different, since any idea of motherhood is removed. The intentional use of this phrase obviously reflects the desire of people not to acknowledge the role of the woman serving as surrogate in any way, except as a vehicle of utility.
In an era of ever-evolving technology, the idea of surrogate mothers is not brand new. It has been around long enough to become acceptable on popular sit-coms. But surrogate motherhood is not just fodder for television. It has become a real consideration for couples dealing with infertility. My heart goes out to married couples who so deeply desire children and yet are unable, for whatever reason, to have them. This is something that my own family has experienced. I used to think that one prayer that God never answered for me was that my sister and her husband would be able to have children. It was not until the wedding day of my son that I realized the answer to my prayer, as Sean walked down the aisle escorted by me on one side of him and my sister on the other. The life of my children would never have been the same if it was not for the involvement, support, and love of my sister and her husband.
I can remember thinking 20-some years ago when praying for my sister and her husband how much I wanted to help them. While I never would have done it, the idea of serving as a surrogate even crossed my mind. I loved them so much and more than this, I knew how much they loved each other. I know that I am not alone in having this thought come to mind; in my pastoral ministry I have been approached by others considering this option now provided by modern technology. However, and as I have told others, even a desire motivated by great love does not justify using every option provided by modern reproductive technology. Perhaps, in one sense, the phrase "gestational carrier" is very honest, for it shows the complete breakdown of the meaning of human love and relationship.
In complete contrast, we prepare during the season of Advent for the complete opposite - the fulfillment of love in a most personal way. Mary the mother of Jesus was not a "gestational carrier." She was someone who so completely accepted God into her life that the fullness of God's love was brought into the world. Hers was not an impersonal pregnancy but was one borne out of the greatest of relationships. God was with Mary and God is with us, the literal meaning of the name Emmanuel, the One for whom we now await.
While Mary's distinctive role is unrepeatable in history, each one of us holds within ourselves the potential for bringing new life into the world. The more we become open to the love of God, the more we can share with God the ongoing work of creation. During these weeks of Advent, let us remember that like Mary, we have the capacity to bring the love of God to others, love that brings hope, love that brings healing, love that is strong enough to overcome every kind of suffering and even death itself, love that brings new life. God so loves the world that he became one like us. Let us so love God that we become able to give birth to that love in the world.
Dr. Mary
Dr. Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Dec 9th
For prisoners, away from their families and friends,
and especially for those who wait on death row:
that our prayers might bring them peace;
We pray to the Lord:
Christmas Mass Schedule:
Children's Mass with Nativity Pageant
Monday, December 24 at 4:00 p.m.
(Please note the NEW TIME this year)
Christmas Eve, Monday December 24
Prelude Concert at 10:00 p.m.
"Midnight Mass" at 11:00 p.m.
Christmas Day, Tuesday December 25
8:30 a.m. Mass
10:30 a.m. Mass
CATHOLIC CHARITIES SERVES NEEDY FAMILIES
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, hopes to make Christmas
a little brighter for low income families in DuPage County.
This year, through the agency's Holiday Outreach Program,
hundreds of individuals have already been "adopted" by donors
and parishes.
Although most families were "adopted" during the early fall
months, Catholic Charities is still in great need of monetary
donations to purchase gift cards for food and clothing for
families who will ask for our help before and after the
Christmas holidays.
Your donation to purchase food and gift cards for these
families and their children may be mailed to Catholic
Charities' Holiday Outreach Program,
26 W. St. Charles Road, Lombard, IL 60148. If you prefer, you
may donate small denomination ($50.00 or less) gift cards for
area grocery stores and department stores (Target, Wal-Mart,
Kmart, and Kohl's)
Catholic Charities relies on the continued generosity of the
community to help them serve every needy family. Thank you for
all that you do!
Market Day
Orders for December are due Monday, December 10, at noon.
Turn in your order form in the box in the back of church or at
the rectory. Pickup on Saturday, December 15, from 9:30 - 10:30
a.m. in the Social Ha12/30ll.
If you have questions or would like to place an order,
please call Karen at 279-4108 or Beth at 833-5469 or email her at
ekujawa121@sbcglobal.net .
CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE
Please return your presents placing them by the Giving Tree
by December 16th. Please wrap the present/s placing the ornament
on the top of the present so that we can see the coding telling
us which family the present belongs to or if it is going to the
Nursing Home. . Once again we want to thank all who participate
for their generosity and kindness in helping someone less
fortunate to have a joyous Christmas.
NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENING OF PRAYER
Rev. Tom Borkowski will present "Giving Birth to 2008", a New
Year's Eve evening of prayer with the overnight option. Come join
Fr. Tom for the Cenacle's beautiful Annual New Year's celebration.
The evening will give retreatants the opportunity to reflect upon
God's presence during the past twelve months and to consider what
new and unexpected surprises God may have in mind as they approach
the New Year. The evening includes presentations by Fr. Tom, group
conversation, time for personal prayer, celebration of the Eucharist
and refreshments. The cost is $85 for the overnight option, which
includes program, refreshments, accommodations and Continental
breakfast. The cost is $45 for the evening only, which includes the
program and refreshments. A $15 deposit will confirm your
registration.
For further information or to register for this program, please call
630-393-1231 or email cacarroll@cenacle.org
Please see our website at www.maryqueenpreschool.org and contact
the school office for more information and registration.
(630) 833-9500
Preschool classes have begun. We still have some openings in our
Tuesday/Thursday class.
Come join us!
Preschool tours scheduled upon request.
The Preschool will begin Registration for the 2008-2009 school
year beginning in January. We will be offering Open House for
those interested in visiting our classroom.
OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 2008
Saturday January 12, 2008 9:00am-11:00am
Sunday January 13, 2008 9:30am-12:30pm
After the 8:30am and 10:30am Masses
Tuesday January 29, 2008 6:30pm-8:00pm
BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital sponsors two (2) adult grief support
groups. One group meets in the evening and the other group meets
during the day time. The evening group meets at the hospital (200
Berteau) on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from 6:30-8:00
p.m. in the Bates Conference Room. The other group meets at
Elmhurst Memorial Center for Health (1200 S. York Rd) in
Conference Room E. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from
9:30-11:00 a.m. For more information call 630-833-1400 Ex. 47058
or 630-833-8200 Ex. 73541
During this season of Advent, what better time then now to come and
adore the King of kings.
Go back in time over 2000 years ago and pay homage and adoration to
Baby Jesus.
Let your heart, mind, and soul feel and celebrate the true meaning
of Christmas.
Join your friends in Christ at the next special Holy Hour that will
be filled with prayer, adoration, and Benediction. There will be
special Christmas music before, during, and after the Holy Hour.
You owe this special Christmas present to yourself!!!!
WHERE: Visitation Church
779 S. York Road
Elmhurst, IL
WHEN: Saturday, December 15th , 2007
7:00 P.M.
O COME, LET US ADORE HIM!
CHRIST THE LORD!
L.O.S.S. Support Group
(Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide)
Through the collaboration of Catholic Charities (the
Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet), support groups
are in place for anyone who has lost a relative or friend to
suicide. A trained facilitator and a mental health professional
assist these groups. The groups meet from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on
either the third Wednesday or the ** fourth Tuesday of the month.
The next meeting dates are as follows:
December 19 - St. Paul the Apostle Activity Center,
130 Woodlawn in Joliet
**December18 - St. Daniel the Prophet Parish Center,
101 West Loop Drive in Wheaton.
During the month of December, all groups will participate
in a candlelight service of remembrance. Members may bring a
photo of their loved ones who have died.
**Please note that this group will be meeting one week earlier
for the month of December. For more information, call toll-free
800-240-7011. Visit us at www.cc-doj.org
STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE MINI-SERIES:
As part of our celebration of the Advent Season, St. Margaret
Mary Parish will be holding a two-part mini-series called, Stand
Against Violence. This series will focus on two forms of violence
that plague our communities; domestic violence and gun violence.
PART II: Preventing Gun Violence: A Personal Story of Redemption
Tuesday, December 11, 7:30 pm,
COR Center, St. Margaret Mary Parish, 1450 Green Trails Dr., Naperville
Presenters: Stephen Young's teenage son was gunned down in 1996 by
a gang member in Chicago using an illegally trafficked handgun.
Stephen's family journey from the murder of their son to forgiveness
for his killer is a powerful story of redemption. Stephen has been
an active participant in the public debate over gun control, has
written many op-eds for Chicago newspapers. His family's experience
was documented by Chicago Public Television WTTW, in "A Justice That
Heals."
Dear Friend of Classical Music and Supporter of PADS,
First United Methodist Church of Oak Park and the MacDowell
Artists Association will present their 7th Annual Sing-Along
Messiah today, Sunday, December 9, 2007 at 3:30 p.m. This
popular holiday event will feature four soloists, the Chicago
Chamber Orchestra, a Skinner organ,
and a harpsichord. The audience sings along as the Chorus. A
reception follows the concert.
A free-will offering will be received to support the Public
Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) program which provides food,
shelter, and social services for the local community through a
network of community volunteers and agencies. Additional
information on the services that PADS provides can be located on
their website
[http://wwww.westsuburbanpads.org/dnn/].
First United Methodist Church of Oak Park is located at 324
North Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302. Questions may be
directed to me at messiah@fumcoakpark.org or (708) 383-4983.
Additional information and directions can be located on the
church website at [http:///www.fumcoakpark.org]. The church is
handicap-accessible and provides hearing assistance services.
Please invite all those who love classical music. We hope
to see you there!
Cordially,
Betty Johnson
Sing-Along Messiah Coordinator
MARY QUEEN OF HEAVEN
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
Looking for money to pay off those "Christmas Gift" Bills.
Why not take a chance on our Christmas Raffle. YOU COULD BE A
LUCKY WINNER! All Raffle proceeds will benefit our Parish.
Only 250 tickets will be sold and the winners need not be
present. The odds of winning a Raffle Prize are great! The
Ticket Donation is $100. Each ticket contains 10 slots so that
the cost of the ticket can be divided with as many as 10 people
if you choose.
1st Prize $10,000
2nd Prize $2,000
3rd Prize $1,000
The Drawing will take place on December 16th in Barrett Hall
immediately following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Refreshments will be
served. Please consider helping us make this event a success so
that we can continue to grow as a welcoming parish that provides
ministries involving all walks of life and continued spiritual
growth to our families and their children. Invite your family,
friends and co-workers to participate in the Raffle.
Tickets are available in the vestibule of church or can be
obtained by contacting the Parish Office or one of the following
committee members: Sheila Reiter (833-6657), Derrick StaRosa
(291-9115) Phyllis Twardowski (279-6239) or Mary White (833-9809)
LITTLE ROCK SCRIPTURE STUDY
The Mary Queen of Heaven Adult Education and Spirituality
Commission continues the Year of Women in the Bible and the
Church with our next Scripture Study, Women in the Old Testament.
The study will begin the week of January 7, 2008 and continue for
9 weeks through the week of March 10, 2008. The cost once again
will be $12.00 and if you need assistance please speak to Dr.
Mary Foley.
Only in recent years has attention been given to stories of
biblical women. There are stories of queens and slaves,
assassins and victims of rape, mothers and wives, sisters and in-
laws. Our study will tell the stories of only some of the women
in the Old Testament. It is the hope of the author of the study
to encourage readers to search for more biblical women and also
to find the story of faith reflected in the stories of their own
lives.
Sign-up will take place on two week-ends: December 8-9 and
December 15-16. If you have any further questions or would like
to inquire about facilitating a group study please contact Lynn
Suwanski 630-530-2523 or Alex and Marie Grozik 630-530-0503.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
Attention 8th grade Confirmation Candidates & families: There will
be a meeting for all our 8th Grade Confirmation Candidates,
Parents, & Sponsors on Wednesday, December 12th from 7-8:15PM in
Church. All are expected to attend. Please note the 5:15 Grade 8
session will not meet at their normal time on December 12th.
Advent Service Projects:
This is the last week for our RE Advent Projects. We are again
collecting new unwrapped toys for Marillac House on Chicago's
West Side. There is a "toy box" in the hall of school for
donations. Toys for all ages are welcome...no violent toys please.
Please be generous. Wednesday, December 12th is the last day for
toys to be donated.
Our children also have the opportunity to add a global dimension
to their acts of service. They have been going to the "polls" to
vote for the animal of their choice to be sent to a 3rd world
country. The RE children are asked to come to class with a
donation of 50 cents that will be donated to Heifer
International. They can then "vote" for a pig, a sheep, or a
goat to be sent to a small village, which will drastically
improve the quality of life of it's residents. Our "polls" will
close this Wednesday after class.
Mark your Calendars:
There is no RE class on Wednesday, December 19th and 26th and
January 2nd.
Class will resume on Wednesday, January 9th
For more info on any of the above, please call Mary Ann Woods at
the REO, 832-8962.
Prayer Requests
To pray for our sick is an important privilege of our parish
family. We hope that you will pray for these persons every day.
Aurora Arce Natalie Baker
Katherine Brennan Pam Bondfide
Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli
Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio
Dennis Ciancio Lou Ciancio
George Cibula Paul Cirone
Ida Corriedo Cynthia Catalano Family
Rosemary Davis Deacon Bob Delbeke
Trudi Dolato Baby Dobrowolski
Virginia Feret Kathy Filipiak
Cecilia Garstki Mary Goggins
Mary Hagerty Anna Heffel
Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt
Michelle Humann Maureen James
Richard Jones Kathy Johnston
Sr. Emmanuel Kattner, OSF Irene Kmieciak
Anne Kostas Wendy Kraffky
John Larkin Baby Emma Lynde
Marie Mangano Robert Manion
Mary Martin Dennis McCabe
Mary Piszczor Raymond Mitchell
Fred Moss Mary Sabel Oye
Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid
Robert Restivo Vera Rossiano
Agnes Sabel Patricia Sabel
Joaquina Scroppo Joan Skimina
Linda Barone Simons Jess Smith
Mary Spierowski u Joen Szypulski
Rachael Thompson John Unger
Richard Vanni
If you or a family member would like to be included in our
prayers, please call the rectory at 279-5700. Also, please let
us know when a name should be removed.
A Vocation View
Isaiah says: "The earth shall be filled with knowledge of the
Lord." Who taught you knowledge of the Lord, and who are you
teaching today?
Due to the Christmas Holy Days, all articles for the upcoming
bulletins will have the following deadlines:
For Bulletin On Articles due by noon on :
12/23 12/13
12/30 & 1/6 12/19
Thank you for your cooperation.