Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church 10600 S. Archer Avenue | Lemont, Illinois 60439-9344 | (Ph) 630.257.7000 | (Fx) 630.257.7912

Email: stjames1833@att.net | Website: www.historicstjames.org Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Saint James At Sag Bridge

CHRISTMAS VIGIL MASS SUN, DEC. 24TH — 5:00PM & Midnight ************************* CHRISTMAS DAY MON, DEC 25TH — 10:00AM & 12-Noon ************************* NEW YEAR’S VIGIL MASS SUN, DEC 31st — 9:00 PM ************************* NEW YEAR’S DAY 2018 MON, JAN 1ST— 10:00AM & 12-Noon

SAVE THE DATE!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13TH 9:30am-11:30am Meeting. All women of the parish all welcome to join us! Saturday Evening, Feb. 10, 2018 - "Swing Dance" Pres. - Margaret (630) 728-3212 V.P. - Irene (773) 366-2185 Secy - Barbara (708) 257-9129 Treas - Christine (708) 359-8684

December 24, 2017

Mass Schedule WEEKENDS: Saturdays: 5:00pm Sundays: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30am

HOLY DAYS: 8:15am & 7:00pm

WEEKDAYS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:15am & Fridays 6:00pm

WEDNESDAY: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00-7:00pm, w/Confessions at 6:30pm & Mass at 7:00pm.

ADVENT CONFESSION SCHEDULE: Wednesdays 6:00-7:00pm & Saturdays 9:30-10:00am Otherwise by appointment

BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS & FUNERALS: Contact the rectory office at (630.257.7000).

SICK & HOMEBOUND PASTORAL CARE: Please notify rectory.

RECTORY OFFICE HOURS:

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri: 9:30am to 1:00pm.

CLERGY: Fr. Tom Koys, Pastor Fr. Edward Gleeson, Pastor Emeritus Fr. Robert Coleman, Resident Deacon John Wilkinson, C.K.M. Deacon Doug Szarzynski

Page Two December 24, 2017

FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR, FR. THOMAS KOYS, M.A.,S.T.L.

The Christmas Spirit. What is it? How do you get it? Is it real and important? These maybe some of the questions that come to mind on this quintessential Holy Day, that has been significantly downgraded in our times to a non-religious secular “holiday”. If the ever present question, “What’s the real meaning of Christmas?” is at all of interest to you I encourage you to keep reading. I especially direct my thoughts to those who do not consider themselves very reli-gious, but feel more or less obligated to attend Mass with your more religious relatives and friends.

My meditation today is meant to appeal to your intellect more than your feelings. Let me say, I love the music and the lights, the food and gift giving and even the pretty little girls who wear a new Christmas outfit. But allow me to propose a thought that sus-tains all our “Christmas feelings”. The truth is: if it wasn’t for the doctrine of the Incarnation, the belief that the creator of the universe, was born to a virgin some two thousand years ago, the benefits of what we call “scientific advancements” and what we call “political freedom” would never have been possible. This, admittedly, can sound preposterous, but hear me out.

First, the very world of “modern science” was made possible through Christianity. Why? Because, before people began to believe that Jesus was God incarnate, all images of gods, save the Jewish God of the Old Testament, were pagan gods. None of the pa-gan gods were thought to have created the universe. Every pagan god was a powerful being and force within the universe. Therefore, the pagan gods didn’t

create what they found themselves a part of. Get it? So what does this have to do with science? Science depends on the belief that nature can and should be studied. It can be studied however, only if there is order and a design to it. Conducting experiments with blood or with electricity for example would be com-pletely pointless if no two blood cells “behaved alike” or if positive and negative electrons behaved one way on Monday and differently on Tuesday. Modern science absolutely depends on a Christian understanding of an orderly universe and I for one, am getting a little annoyed at the fact that Christianity never gets any credit for this. Every atheist scientist is an ungrateful beneficiary of Christmas.

Secondly, without Christmas, our modern notion of “political freedom” would be inconceivable. Why? Before people began to believe in the Incarnation, governments, (accept for Israel) never had a power above themselves to which they needed to be ac-countable. Pagan gods, were always adaptable and subject to the manipulation of the rulers who promot-ed their names and their cults. Christianity comes along and common poor Christians say to kings there is an authority so much greater than your authority, that we owe our first loyalty to “Him”, then secondly, to your legitimate authority. “True freedom” is better understood as the right to NOT do what one thinks is wrong, rather than the right to do whatever I want to do.

Now if this didn’t make sense, go back and read it again slowly. Then, go and have yourself a very mer-ry little Christmas feast.

Our Weekly Offertory collection from the weekend of December 17th was $3,483.00.

The number of envelopes collected was 101.

OUR MANY THANKS TO OUR REGISTERED FAMILIES USING ENVELOPES & THE CASH-AND-CARRY FOLKS.

Our CHURCH CLEANERS FOR FRIDAY –12/29/17 Are Chris, Peg, Bronislawa & volunteer. If you are

interested in volunteering, please contact the rectory office at 630.257.7000.

HOLY FAMILY 12/30-12/31/17

Celebrant

Altar

Servers

Lectors

8:00 AM Fr. Tom Koys

J. Beecher J. Beecher S. Carver

M. Dillenburg

9:30 AM Fr. Tom Koys

A. Gallager M. Lawler T. Lawler

P. Brunk

11:30 AM Fr. Edward Gleeson

G. & D. Estrada E. & L. Glenn J. Jacobek

S. Hagen

5:00 PM Fr. Tom Koys

Ramirez Ramirez Ramirez

L. Pieprzyca

VOTIVE OFFERINGS FORTHE WEEK OF 12/10/17 St. James Altar & Rosary Society In Loving Memory ~ Joseph & Mary Aiello Get Well Karyn Cimaroli Special int. for Rebecca Foley Christmas Blessings ~ Janice MacFarlane Christmas Blessings ~ James MacFarlane In Memory of Lillian Simanavicius In Loving Memory ~ Joseph & Mary Slowik Return to Good Health ~ Jim & Rita Wall Deceased Members ~ Poss & Wilkinson Families

Our beautiful bouquets of Christmas flowers surrounding our altar were made available

by the generosity of the PARISHIONERS OF ST. JAMES

Fourth Sunday of Advent Page Three

"CHRIST" HE IS COMING: THE HEAVENS PROCLAIM IT; HE IS HERE; LET US REJOICE!

By Ralph Hathaway He is coming; The heavens proclaim it; He is here; Let us Rejoice! St. Bernard tells us there are three comings of Christ; the first at His birth; (it was in peace that he came): “And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” (Lk. 2: 13-14). There always was that hope the Jews held so dearly that the Mes-siah would come as a great warrior sitting upon a white stallion with a sword in its scabbard ready to lead a huge army of believ-ers and cut-down those who have always put down the Hebrews, and bring to fruition the prophecies that God would bring about justice for them. “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days, Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in secu-rity. This is the name they give him: The Lord our justice.” (Jer. 23: 5-6a). Prophesies such as this gave the Jews hope for a new rule in Israel. Is it any wonder that the leaders felt disappointed when Jesus confronted them with a palm branch instead of a sword. When Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, He arrived in the manner of; “See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.” The war-rior’s bow shall be banished and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.” Zac. 9: 9, 10b). The second coming is for us now, awaiting the arrival within our hearts; “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.” “He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word. Where is God’s word too be kept? Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.” The foregoing copied from a sermon of St. Bernard taken from the 2nd reading of the Office for Wednesday of the first week of Ad-vent. Bernard also says: “in this middle coming he comes in spirit which lies hidden and only the elect may see it in the eyes of faith.”The deacon, St. Ephrem, alerts our seeking as a way of waiting with excitement; and the prophecies found in Isaiah allows our minds to find within signs of change that God will promote when His Servant comes - as suffering yet forgiving and with total love. (see Is. 52-53).

Look to the heavens, search the earth, an event is on the horizon of life. See the great pronouncements of God; “Yes, Jesus said; The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, “look, there he is, or look, here he is.” “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the in the days of the Son of Man.” “But, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 17: 22 - 23, 26, 18: 8a). The third coming is announced as part of the Eschatology (last things) within all the readings early in Advent. It is a time of prepa-ration, an eventful era of waiting with bated breath and yet await-ing our redemption, a promise from the beginning of God’s Plan to reveal to us a life of love and peace, with Him forever. God never changes, so His promise at the birth of Jesus was held in peace, as the heavenly host sang, and the teaching of Jesus throughout his ministry of forgiving those who sin against us, so it will be when Christ appears at the third coming; not in retribution and anger, but in love and forgiveness, in peace forever and ever.

TID BITS: President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas a legal holiday in 1870. The bill to make Christmas a holiday was intro-duced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Burton Chauncey Cook (Illinois). It was approved and passed to the Senate on June 24, 1870. When both houses had agreed on the wording (below) it was passed on to President Grant, who signed it on June 28, 1870 The poinsettia, a native plant of Central America, is very popular. The bright red leaves symbolize the burning, divine love of our Redeemer. The shape of the cluster of leaves and the contrast of the red with the green also remind one of the star of Bethlehem that shone so brightly the night our Savior was born and then guided the Magi to visit Him. A popular legend surrounds the poinsettia. Long ago, on Christ-mas Eve, a little Indian girl in Mexico wanted to bring a gift to present to Baby Jesus, lying in the crèche at her Church. Being very poor, she could not buy a gift, as did the other children of the town. So on the way to Church, she gathered some green weeds on the edge of a field. Like the other children, she walked down the aisle of the Church and placed her bouquet at the crèche. Suddenly, the green weeds turned a beautiful red, be-cause she had given the most wonderful gift of all, the gift of gen-uine love. Since then, the poinsettia has been known in Mexico as flores de la Noche Buena.

MONDAY DECEMBER 25TH – CHRISTMAS DAY 10:00 AM David Styka 12:00-NOON Blessings for the Fugiel Family

TUESDAY DECEMBER 26TH– ST. STEPHEN 8:15 AM Julianne Kalata

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27TH– ST. JOHN 7:00 PM For the Reparation & Consecration to Jesus through Mary

THURSDAY DECEMBER 28TH – THE HOLY INNOCENTS 8:15 AM Patricia M. Carpino

FRIDAY DECEMBER 29TH– ST. THOMAS BECKET 6:00 PM Joseph Nedved

HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH SATURDAY DECEMBER 30TH 5:00 PM Blessing & Thanksgiving for the Helm Family SUNDAY DECEMBER 31ST – NEW YEARS EVE 8:00 AM The Parishioners of St. James 9:30 AM Anthony & Cecelia Perille 11:30 AM Alice Vail 9:00 PM ~ NEW EVE VIGIL The Parishioners of St. James

CHRISTMAS VIGIl 12/24/17

Celebrant

Altar Servers

Lectors

5:00 PM Fr. Tom Koys E. & M. Dooley Ramirez Ramirez Ramirez T. & J. Szarzynski

L. Pieprzyca C. Zarzycki

Midnight Fr. Tom Koys Lawler Lawler Lawler Zabilka Zabilka Zabilka

Lawler R. Augustyn

10:00 AM Fr. Edward Gleeson

N. Akroush A. Bertucci J.P. Colarelli M. Colarelli A. Gallager

M. Dillenburg P. Brunk

NOON Fr. Tom Koys G. & D. Estrada L. & E. Glenn S. Imbarrato J. Jacobek

S. Kelly G. Imbarrato

CHRISTMAS DAY ~ 12/25/17