News - Liturgy & Sacraments RSS Feed

Due to some transitions within the Communications Department, the weekly eLetter will be taking a 2 week break. Please see our website and social media accounts for the most up to date information during this adjustment period.

“Love your enemies.” We know it as one of the hallmarks of being Christian. But practicing it in the heat of conflict and in the face of our enemies is just plain hard. In First Samuel, we read of David being pursued by King Saul. Saul wants to kill him. He is David’s enemy. But David refuses to kill him, even when the perfect opportunity presents itself.

I think one of the great gifts of faith in God is that we anchor ourselves in hope. We take a step away from a view of life as meaningless…a mere accident, and put our hope in something greater. With God, we take a step beyond life as mere survival. With God, we dare to dream. I think that each of today’s readings, in their own way, dare us to dream beyond how things appear to be on the surface

The COVID Task Force and Archdiocese of Chicago leadership have continued to assess the evolving situation regarding mask requirements at the state and local levels, declining infection rates in many of our communities, and guidance from health departments. In light of this progress there are several updates to share.

Over the course of a few months, St. Joseph leadership will work with St. Mary of Vernon to consider how we can collaborate through the Renew My Church initiative.

Love. A word used so often. Sometimes when we overuse a word it loses its potency. Thankfully we have Saint Paul’s poetic words in his First Letter to the Corinthians to remind us about the power and meaning of this word. Many of you have probably heard this reading proclaimed at weddings, maybe even your own.

Brother Ayub Mwenda shares his story about choosing to live a consecrated life as we celebrate

Older siblings usually have the burden of needing to be the mature ones, the role models, for their younger brothers and sisters. Whether that is actually the case is a whole other story (fellow older siblings - we know we aren’t always perfect role models, right?) Today, we find what I see as a call to be an example to the whole world. Isaiah tells Israel that other nations will walk by their light.

A constant challenge in 21st century life is time management. For parents, I know it is hard enough to manage your own lives and schedules, then when a child enters the picture, it must seem so overwhelming. I imagine it is easy to feel like all you can do is keep your head above water as best you can.

“The pregnant pause.” We have all heard this term, and experienced it in conversations. It is the silence right before someone speaks, usually something of significance. Why do we call it pregnant? That moment of no words is filled with anticipation of the words about to come. A statement is about to be made that could challenge us, move us, and even change us.

Each 11am Session is recorded and livestreamed and can be found on our Advent webpage along with series details. Webpage: https://www.stjoseph-libertyville.org/advent-2021

“What should we do?” The crowds ask this question of John the Baptist in the Gospel today.  Surely many of us have this same question in light of our world today. When we look at the growing extremism and polarization in our own communities, increasing violence in Chicago, and climate change, it is easy to fear for our children’s future.

Second Sunday of Advent “There’s only 2 seasons in Illinois: winter and construction.” We’ve all heard this phrase about perpetual road work in Illinois. We know from driving through roadways that are under construction what a huge project it can be. In the Gospel, John the Baptist was calling on people to start some serious roadwork: to make a straight and level road for the arrival of God

What are the forces of power in your life? We are all “influenceable.” But we can choose what has power over us and what does not. In today’s Gospel, the meeting of Jesus and Pilate is a clash of two powers

The Ten Commandments are perhaps the most widely recognized religious teachings in the modern world. Originally recorded by Moses and shared with the people of Israel, they served as the foundation for Jewish law for centuries. They still are among the earliest lessons taught throughout the Jewish and Christian faiths. Most of us could probably still recite them to this day.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In his message for the Fifth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis observes that the COVID-19 crisis, “continues to affect millions of people and, even when it does not bring suffering and death, it is nonetheless a portent of poverty.” Yet, he continues, “poverty is not the result of fate; it is the result of selfishness. It is critical, therefore, to generate development processes in which the abilities of all are valued, so that complementarity of skills and diversity of roles can lead to a common resource of mutual participation.”

Have you ever seen or participated in a relay race? Teams of runners work together and depend on each other in this competition. When one team member finishes her or his part of the race, the baton is passed on to the next person in the relay. Only then can that next runner begin, and the baton is passed again after that stretch to the next person.

One can only imagine how exciting and rewarding it must have been for the Apostles to be part of Jesus’ ever-expanding ministry in the days leading up to His return to Jerusalem.  It had to be pretty heady stuff to regularly witness miracles and experience the adulation and admiration of the huge crowds. Jesus was a rock star! And the Apostles, in their humanity, had to feel proud and pretty good about their decision to follow Jesus.

Please take a moment to read the mask mandate update. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep each other and the people we serve safe and well.