Immaculate Conception

Father Mike’s Homiletter – January 17, 2021

Scripture:  1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42

This week we will inaugurate a new president of our nation, and begin the process of establishing a new administration for our country.  The past four years have been a lesson in how our elected representatives, of both political parties, can fail at collaboration for the common good.  Let us pray for a new era of civility in our national political life this week. 

It is timely that our readings this week address how we absorb the spoken word.  There are many terms for the process – but I’m thinking of two:  hearing and listening.  Hearing tends to suggest something is coming from the outside to the hearer, who may or may not pay much attention.  Here in Highland Park, with a hospital in our midst, we hear sirens all the time, but I suspect we are so used to them, we don’t pay any attention - they are just noise.  Listening, on the other hand, suggests that the non-speaker is paying attention – the words being spoken are being processed for meaning, both the obvious ones and the not-so-obvious ones. 

In our first reading, we meet Samuel, a young boy who lives in the temple with the priests, of which Eli was one.  Years before, Samuel’s mother Hannah, who had no children, had begged the Lord to give her a child.  Eli, coming upon her praying aloud and crying with sorrow, had thought her drunk.  But the Lord heard Hannah’s prayer, and gave her Samuel.  In gratitude, she promised to give Samuel to the temple when he was about three.  And she did.  We meet Samuel eight or ten years later, when he was studying with the priests of the temple, including Eli.   Samuel was asleep when he heard his name called, and he responded, running to Eli to do whatever he wanted.  Three times the Lord called Samuel, and three times he ran to Eli to answer.  Finally, Eli realized that it was the Lord calling the boy, and instructed him to respond appropriately. And he did, saying “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  And Samuel grew up blessed and favored by the Lord.  Samuel had learned to listen, not just to hear.  He listened to God’s call and he responded. 

Our second reading contains Paul’s words to the Corinthian community.  Corinth was a busy Roman city, a crossroads of traffic from Rome to what we now know as Turkey and the Middle East, with many influences on the culture.  Some Corinthians had heard Paul’s message, but hadn’t listened carefully.  Paul later finds that they have decided that since the spirit it so important in the relationship with God, the body doesn’t matter – they felt free to engage in immoral behavior as long as they maintained what they thought was the right “spirit”.  Paul is letting them know that while they may have heard his teaching, they hadn’t listened to it.  In Baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become part of the Body of Christ, body and spirit.  Our bodies are not our own - we have become temples of the Holy Spirit.  Listen carefully, Corinthians – there’s more to my preaching than you got the first time.  

Our Gospel presents John the Baptist at the Jordan, after Jesus’ baptism.  John is talking to two of his disciples, and comments “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  John knew Jesus was the Messiah.  He was sharing this knowledge with Andrew and another disciple I think of as the Anonymous Friend.  They both turn and follow Jesus:  they had listened to what John was saying.  Jesus realized they were following him and turned and asked “What are you looking for?”  Like many of us when faced with a question we are uncertain about answering, they fudged – asking “Where are you staying?”  Jesus listened – he knew what they wanted to know, so he invited them along, and they spent the day with him.  At the end, they knew he was what they were looking for.  Then right away Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter to share the good news – to tell him they had found the Messiah.  And they followed Jesus.  They had heard the call, listened to Jesus, and responded – not just in word, but in deed.  We would all do well to imitate them. 

Peace,  Father Mike   

 PREP Parish Religious Education Program 2020-2021

Classes take place on Sunday mornings for Grades K-5

Wednesday evenings for Grades 6-8 

Please click on the link below for our calendar and class times.

Please send registration requests or questions to me at [email protected]

or you can contact me by phone at  (847) 433-0130 ext. 110 

Thank you!

Blessings,

Barb

PREP Registration 2020-2021

Sacramental Requirements

PREP CALENDAR 2020-2021

SACRAMENTAL DATES TO KNOW

Retreat and Reconciliation Saturday 2/7/2021 9 a.m.

First Holy Communion Saturday 5/8/2021 10 a.m.

Confirmation  Wednesday, May 5, 2021 7 PM

Sources which will enable you to hear Mass on-line or watch on television:

ABC7 – 12:00 Sunday – Cardinal Cupich – Mass at Holy Name Cathedral

Univision - 10:00 AM – Sunday – Mass in Spanish                 https://radiotv.archchicago.org/television/broadcast-masses - includes Mass in Polish

EWTN:                    Direct TV - Channel 370

                                Dish Network - Channel 261

                                Verizon Fios – Channel 285

                                Xfinity – Channel 33, 291, 1668

Online:  St. James Chapel [Archdiocesan Center] – anytime

                                Holy Name Cathedral – anytime       www.catholictv.org/masses/catholictv-mass     Daily at 9:30am

Relevant Radio:  The Relevant Radio app is available at www.relevantradio.com  Mass – 12 noon, rebroadcast at 7:30 pm - Also on the Father Rocky’s Facebook page

Word On Fire Ministry:  www.wordonfire.org                             

Resources for Scripture and Prayer:

Daily Mass readings are available on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops web site:    www.usccb.org  – choose the date on the calendar on the right or

• Go to http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings

Give Us This Day – a daily Mass and prayer book is making its content available for free during this time.  Go to Give Us This Day. Org

Living With Christ – another daily Mass and prayer book is also making its content available for free. Go to Living with Christ.us

Liturgy Training Publications, the publishing arm of the Archdiocese, also has on-line prayer resources, including daily reflections and a virtual retreat for the Triduum.  Go to www.ltp.org , look for the window offering resources during times of crisis, or the media events – current virtual workshops.  

For material needs or other assistance, we understand that you can find resources by going to http://211.org, a web site sponsored by the national United Way organization

Immaculate Conception Parish offers a very fine Religious Education Program (P.R.E.P.) to provide the very best in formation and education for our grade school parishioners.

Immaculate Conception Parish does not have a parochial school. For those who would like to consider the time honored option of a catholic school we are happy to provide the following links to the Catholic School options in association with the parish.