June 19, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

I would argue our Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Saint Paul of the Cross is our most impressive “feat.” And we have many impressive feats: our large school, our beautiful campus, our food pantry, our many and great groups (too many to name individually here). But 24/7 adoration and love for our Lord is beautiful. I myself try to do one of my daily holy hours in the perpetual adoration chapel, and I’m always impressed how many people I see in there.

We love the Lord. Yes, many people could say they love Jesus. But we love the Lord in one of the ways he wanted us to love him: in his Body and Blood. I could say “I love you” by getting you a box of cigars and a Crave Case of White Castle, and then invite myself over to your house, and you might not particularly care for cigars and sliders. That’s not really loving you, is it? We can say “we love Jesus” by going for a walk in nature and “experiencing” him or “being spiritual but not religious,” but is that a love suited to our Lord’s Sacred Heart?

Sure, our Lord is generous and would receive love in any form he could get. He wouldn’t hold it against us. But why not be generous to ourselves and love Jesus how we know he would prefer us to – eating his body and drinking his blood?

We do that at Saint Paul of the Cross. Our daily Masses are well attended, as are our Sunday Masses, and, again, our Adoration Chapel has so many committed adorers. You are all loving the Lord and delighting him, and I thank you for that. It is a privilege to serve you and be with you in adoring Jesus. Here’s to another good year of Eucharistic Adoration on this feast of Corpus Christi!

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Happy Father’s Day to all the men in our parish. May you be like Saint Joseph, a lover and protector of our Lord and of Mary, and a man of virtue and integrity.

Following the 4:30pm Saturday evening Mass, this June 18th, there will be a short Corpus Christi procession from the church to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel led by Father Nick. This is a tradition we’ve done at SPC over the years on the Feast of Corpus Christi and we’re happy to see it return.

Vacation Bible School runs this week at SPC. Thank you to Anna Mae and her team for preparing so hard for this and running the week. It’ll be a busy, but fruitful week, and we hope you experience Jesus in this summer camp.

I am away this weekend on retreat, but I will be returning this upcoming Tuesday. I wrote this bulletin article before leaving, but I know I am keeping you all in my prayers and hoping you are having a wonderful week.

Father Nick and I, along with all priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago, will be away next Tuesday-Thursday, June 28-30, on the Priest Convocation. This is an event required for all of us that happens once every three years. There are talks, including a keynote by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, and time for prayer and fraternity. Because all priests are to be present together, and we stay away from the parish, all parishes replaced Masses with communion services those three days. So, we will not have Mass Tuesday-Thursday, June 28-30. We will have, instead, a communion service those three days at 8:30am. I’m sorry we will not be present to celebrate Mass, but please know of our prayers and our own intentions for yours while we celebrate Mass together offsite. 

Your servant in Christ,