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Our Lady of Guadalupe
It’s so important to our spiritual lives that we be willing to be interrupted by the holy. If we just keep doing what we’re doing, and never take notice of what God is doing, we miss out on some pretty wonderful experiences. The apparitions of our Blessed Mother are holy interruptions, experiences that call our…
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today’s readings Advent is a season of anticipation: God’s promises echo through the Old Testament, and in these Advent days, we see those promises coming to fruition in exciting and world-changing ways. Today’s feast is a glorious glimpse of that reality. We are honored today to celebrate the patronal feast day of our parish and…
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The Second Sunday of Advent
Today’s readings Have you ever had the feeling that things were just not right? I don’t mean not right like you got the wrong order at Portillo’s, or your postal delivery person gave you the neighbor’s mail. I mean, really not right, in a fundamental sense, like the world was off its axis in some…
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Saint Francis Xavier, Patron of the Diocese of Joliet
Today’s readings We celebrate the memorial of Saint Francis Xavier as a feast today, because he is the patron saint of the Diocese of Joliet. Francis Xavier was a sixteenth century man who had a promising career in academics. He was encouraged in the faith by his good friend, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and went to join…
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The First Sunday of Advent
Today’s readings I don’t know about you, but I always find this weekend after Thanksgiving to be a little strange. Here is a weekend when we can barely clear the plates at the Thanksgiving dinner table before we have to make room for Christmas. And I’m not talking about the religious observance of the Incarnation of our…
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Thanksgiving Day
Today’s readings: Isaiah 63:7-9 | Psalm 113 | Colossians 3:12-17 | Luke 10:17-24 Back in seminary, during the last summer before I was ordained a priest, I did my Clinical Pastoral Education at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. It’s a level one trauma center, so it’s a busy place with a lot of, well,…
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Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings Very often, when we hear this story about the widow’s mite, the story is equated with the call to stewardship. That’s a rather classic explanation of the text. And there’s nothing wrong with that explanation. But honestly, I don’t think the story about the widow’s mite is about stewardship at all. Yes, it’s…
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Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Today’s readings I wonder if this solemnity of Christ the King is one to which many people can relate. In our American society, so many people don’t recognize or accept any authority outside of their own personal opinion of what is okay, let alone grasp the concept of a monarchical, top-down method of government. And…
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Saint Cecilia, Virgin Martyr
Today’s readings I’m sure we have some musicians here in church today: whether you play an instrument or sing, this is your feast day, because today we celebrate Saint Cecilia, a virgin and martyr who is the patron saint of musicians. Because she is a martyr, we also remember those people of faith throughout history who…
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