Great Lakes Catholic Men's Conference
"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8)
The 29th annual "Great Lakes Catholic Men's Conference " is quickly approaching. The Conference organizers invite men form every parish inthe Rockford Diocese to attend. It will take place on Saturday, November 23rd at the Holmes Student Center Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. It is from 8:30am to 4:00pm.
There will be opportunities for confessions, participation in the Eucharist, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and dynamic speakers to listen to.
More information on: www.thetalk.org
Daily Readings
Weekly reading
Readings for the week of October 27, 2024
- Sunday: Jer 31:7-9 / Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3) / Heb 5:1-6 / Mk 10:46-52
- Monday: Eph 2:19-22 / Ps 19:2-3, 4-5 / Lk 6:12-16
- Tuesday: Eph 5:21-33 / Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 / Lk 13:18-21
- Wednesday: Eph 6:1-9 / Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14 / Lk 13:22-30
- Thursday: Eph 6:10-20 / Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10 / Lk 13:31-35
- Friday: Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 / Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 / 1 Jn 3:1-3 / Mt 5:1-12a
- Saturday: Wis 4:7-14 / Ps 25:6, and 7b, 17-18, 20-21 / Rom 5:17-21 / Mt 11:25-30
- Next Sunday: Dt 6:2-6 / Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 (2) / Heb 7:23-28 / Mk 12:28b-34
Pastor Message and Prayer
10/27
October/24-2
"Thy Kingdom Come"
What are we asking when we pray the Lord's Prayer?
Hallowed be thy name
The word "hallow" is a somewhat archaic word today; we probably rarely use it except in praying the Lord's prayer. To hallow means to make holy or to sanctify. In biblical idiom, names were not merely labels but were virtually equivalent to what they named. The name of God stands for the person of God (Isaiah 29:23; Ezekiel 36:23). To "sing praise to the name of the Lord" (Psalm 9:12).
To pray "hallowed be thy name" thus seemingly ask God to sanctify himsel. But God is already holy, so it cannot be a request that God become holy. Rather, it is a request that God manifest his holiness by manifesting who he is. The petition ask God to vindicate his reputation, so to speak, by making it clear that he is the Lord God Almighty. The petition ask God to definitley manifest his holiness, once and for all. But how should God do this? How does God provide the definitive demonstration of who he is? That is taken up by the next petition.
Thy kingdom come
In teaching and preaching of Jesus, the kingdom of God means actively ruling over everyone and everything. Jesus, by his calling of disciples and his teachings, by his healings and exorcisims, by his death and resurrection inaugurated the reign of God on earth. But God does not yet rule completely over everyone and everything. The fullness of God's reign will no be established until Jesus returns at the end of this age.
When we pray, "They kingdom come,' we are asking God to etablish his reign. We are not cheering on human efforts on behalf of the kingdom of God, however worthy they might be of cheers. We are asking God to act, and we are asking him to act definitely, once-and-for-all to bring his kingdom to fulfilment. We are implicitly praying for the return of Jesus at the end of this age.
The petition ask God to definitely manifest his holiness, once and for all.
God will definitely demonstrate who he is by bringing his work of creation and redemption to completion, sorting out good from evil, bringing men and women into his eternal realm of heaven. That is how God will once-and-for-all hallow his name. What does it mean for God to rule over everyone and everything? This is taken up by the third petition.
Fr. Joachim
St. Mary Mass Times
Saturday 6:00pm
Sunday 8:30am
Daily Mass Times
Wednesday 8:30am
Wednesday: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9am-9:30am
Friday 8:30am
First Friday 8:30am Healing Mass and Adoration
Confession Times
Saturday from 5:30-5:50 or
by appointment by calling the Rectory at 815-858-3422
Ash Wednesday: March 2nd
St. Mary 8:30 A.M.
6:00 P.M.
St. John 4:00 P.M.
St. Mary Office Hours
Wednesday 8:30 am- 3:30 p.m.. by appointment
Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.