********

REQUEST FOR MASS INTENTIONS

Please submit all Mass intentions to the parish office 12 days in advance of your request so they can be printed in the bulletin. 847.966.8145

********

CANTORS INVITED

Do you have a nice voice? Love to sing? Contact our Director of Music, Marek Rachelski, (847) 966.8145

********

PERPETUAL ADORATION

We invite you to the Chapel for our daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is held 24/7 in Parish Ministry Center Chapel. 

Pope Francis said there are Christians who are afraid of the joy of Christ’s resurrection...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said there are Christians who are afraid of the joy of Christ’s resurrection and who instead prefer sadness and staying in the shadows just like bats. The importance of Christians being joyful, rather than sad or fearful, was the focus of the Pope's reflections during his homily at Thursday's Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.

Taking his cue from the gospel reading of the risen Christ appearing before his disciples, Pope Francis began by noting how instead of rejoicing over his resurrection, the disciples were struck by fear instead of joy.

“This is a Christian’s disease. We’re afraid of joy. It’s better to think: Yes, yes, God exists, but He is there. Jesus has risen and He is there. Somewhat distant. We’re afraid of being close to Jesus because this gives us joy. And this is why there are so many ‘funeral’ (mournful) Christians, isn’t it? Those whose lives seem to be a perpetual funeral. They prefer sadness to joy. They move about better in the shadows, not in the light of joy, like those animals who only come out at night, not in the light of day, who can’t see anything. Like bats. And with a little sense of humour we can say that there are Christian bats who prefer the shadows to the light of the presence of the Lord.”

But, the Pope continued, Jesus through his resurrection, gives us joy, the joy of being Christians and following him closely, the joy of travelling on the path of the Beatitudes.

“So often, we are either upset by this joy or fearful or we think we have seen a ghost or believe that Jesus is just a way of behaving. ‘We are Christians and so we must behave like this.’ But where is Jesus? ‘No, Jesus is in Heaven.’ Do you talk with Jesus? Do you say to Jesus: ‘I believe that You are alive, that You are risen, that You’re near me. That You will never abandon me’? A Christian life should be this: a dialogue with Jesus, because – this is true – Jesus is always with us, always there alongside us with our problems and our difficulties, with our good works.”

Pope Francis concluded by noting how many times we Christians are not joyful because we are afraid! We’re Christians who have been defeated by the cross.

“In my country there is a saying that goes like this: ‘When you get burnt by boiling milk, later when you see a cow you start crying.’ These people were burnt by the drama of the Cross and said, ‘No, let’s stop here. He’s in Heaven: that’s all well and good. He is Risen but it’s better that he doesn’t come again because we couldn’t handle it.’ We ask the Lord to do for all of us what he did for the disciples who were afraid of joy: to open our minds: ‘He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures;’ Let him open our minds and help us understand that He is a living reality, that He has a body, that He is with us,that he accompanies us and that He has won. We ask the Lord for the grace to not be afraid of joy.”

Hello and Welcome!

People encounter God in different ways but always in relationship!  At St. John Brebeuf Parish, you will encounter Christ through a community that gathers daily and Sunday for Mass, who work for justice and who live a life for others by giving their time and talent and treasures for the common good.

You’ll discover that there is an ongoing role for you in the ways of faith; a way for you to share the blessings that you received from God.  Through prayer, study and meeting thoughtful, caring people you’ll discover that the message of the gospel didn’t become irrelevant. 

Please join us!  God is calling all of us to a deeper understanding of what life’s all about, faith, family and sacrificial service.

Sincerely, 

Father Mike Meany